Sudokuaholics Anonymous 9A

In and out.

Just popping in to say Hi! I'm back up to 5 pages to read - hopefully tomorrow I'll find some time to do that.

Sending {{{{HUGS}}}}, positive thoughts and prayers to all! It's just past 1 a.m., so I need to hit the hay! Good Night!

I see I've missed eaa again!

Whew, what a day - I wouldn't allow myself to turn on the pooter until I got everything done - cleaned the house top to bottom and put up 'C' decorations. Hubby mowed lawn, cleaned the patio area and helped me. No outdoor lights this year, the weather has been so weird, we decided to leave them. We regret that but they take 4-6 weeks to do, so we can't change our minds.
We have just treated ourselves to fish and chips eaten on a hill overlooking the bay as the sun set. We now feel refreshed!

Phew, I'm exhausted just reading Cyn! Sounds great, come over any time...
Dinner also sounds wonderful with an idyllic setting ♥

Happy Birthday Julie - I hope you have a wonderful day, which I guess has just started.

Gail - setting similar to my avatar picture, except that the sun doesn't set over the bay since it is to our East!!

...sigh...

beats our rain all day, sometimes drizzly, like now, other times torrential.

Happy Birthday Julie

P and I been out today, visiting with friends in York, about 100ks East of the City.

Lost the plot - read through, had things to say.
Suzy's poem about words was good but can't remember in particular what I meant to say about it.
Heidi - glad you and Gil had a peaceful Thanksgiving dinner.

Hi Rolanda!!

Hi Cynthia.

Morning all.

Gail, how sad for the little girl, but how nice that a celebration could happen early!

Today is our day to get the huge haul of groceries (every two weeks). One of the local stores also has no-tax weekend, so we will see what we can get towards our Christmas list. I hate shopping, but it is a necessary evil.

I kept the oldest grandie company last night until she fell asleep. She was such a chatter box. She read me a Scooby Doo book and then chattered some more. I must have fallen asleep at some point because I didn't get home until 10:30. This young lady loves to read and it's so nice to see. She's only in grade 2, but I find her reading ability amazing.

Off to grab a cup of coffee, and pick up a little hairball package that a cat left me in the middle of the kitchen.

Gail, just watching the news.. and Little Mikayla and the Party Story was just on.
She was only diagnosed a few weeks ago.. she said she is not afraid of dying, only afraid of being forgotten.
Very sad

It was that very statement that had me bawling, Rolanda. Is there any sadder fear? I don't think she need worry, she will never be forgotten here in Cockatoo ♥

♥

I had tears running down the face too during that news item.

I didn't see it but I would have been crying too.
Another Mikayla I know of but only met once lost her battle 2 weeks ago after her 3rd bout with cancer - she was only 15 and the best friend of my friend's daughter.
I hope this Mikayla enjoys her party and it's he best day of her short life!

Cyn, I hope your Mikayla can rest in peace.
I hope that little Mikayla can have a wonderful time in the short time she has. I don't think she will ever be forgotten.

What a sad, sweet story. So good so many pulled together to give this little girl the party of her life!

It got cold last night, enough frost it looks white outside. I had forgotten to bring in the 2 plants I want to over winter inside. Grabbed them first thing this morning, hope they are OK. One is a rosemary plant, the other is mint. I use both in cooking.

Did I tell you my Christmas Cactus is in full bloom? Must be a Thanksgiving cactus hehehe. When it blooms has to do with withholding water and light a while, and that happened while AL was in hospital. I remembered to water it one night when home, and it started blooming.

OK, that "IT" should be them. I was given 6 small plants a couple years ago, a grocery floral dept was going to throw them away after the holidays. My friend who works there "threw" them my way. I put them 3 in each large hanging pot. One pot is unusual, it has 2 red flowered and one white flowered plants hehehe. They are really pretty.

ONLY 4 more days of antibiotics, YEAH. I will be happy when I can sleep late again, but I admit, getting up at 6 am is better than having him in hospital!

CynB, just what outside decorations do you usually do that takes 4 to 6 weeks? Any photos of years gone by? I cannot imagine such a display, goodness.

We got our tree inside on Thanksgiving day, a day earlier than usual, cause it was going to be cold and rainy on Friday. Tree was stored in out back storage building. It is up, lights work, tree has been "adjusted" to look like something other than a squashed green bottle brush. I hope to start the decorations today. Those take a while cause I have a LOT of hand made ornaments. I tire easily, rest often, so means a clutter of boxes for a couple days.

Off to have another coffee and some breakfast. Hugs to all with extras. I like giving hugs, cause every time, I get one in return!

Gail... That's a wonderful story. So much love for little Mikayla.

MizT {{{{{HUGS}}}}}

We're waiting to get the groceries until tomorrow - I just don't feel like it today. Boy, is it cold out, and snowing.

We bought a new George Foreman grill this morning for the no-tax sale. It has three removable plates and is larger than our old one (thank goodness). Our old one had the coating wearing off. We use it a lot!!! The new one has a griddle plate so we can even make bacon and eggs for brekkie. Things cook much faster than in the oven or stove top, so it also saves on hydro.

Off to go do stuff ... not sure what yet.

Gooday lovely people.
I have been missing for days catching up on sleep & visiting family.It has been a lovely chance to do nothing since Greg is away.
Julie.Hope it isn't too late.

Sounds like you all enjoyed Thanksgiving!
Especially MizT from her kind thoughtful neighbour.
Hope Mikayla had an absolute ball at the party.

NOLA, we are still enjoying the food sent by my thoughtful neighbor! That was a lot of food. I am taking a break from dressing and turkey today for lunch. A good ole banana and peanut butter sandwich. I have bananas to use fore they go bad. Might have to look for a banana bread recipe. I hope you feel refreshed catching up on your sleep.

Theresa, sounds like you got a nice foreman grill! I love mine but it is not as fancy as yours, just a plain grill and the plates do not come out. Sure would make for esier cleaning if they did. I do hope you enjoy using yours and for breakfast too, what a good idea.

must finish my sandwigh and then time to infuse hubby again. My day seems to be planned around those infusions.

Hugs again.

MizT..glad you are still enjoying leftovers and don't have to cook.
Hope Al is going well with your help as nurse.It must be rewarding knowing you are able to do things for him at home. Hugs to you both also.

MizT, the Foreman grill was an early Christmas present for ourselves. The other one we had was much smaller, could really only do one burger at a time. With us things are tight for Christmas, so we won't get each other anything else. More money for the grandies.

Morning all,
Dinner with Ebob was nice and terrible. She was polite, didn't go for any of my buttons, no attitude or horrible faces, but I was heart broken the whole time because I knew she was very happy to be going back to her new home. She is living with a 25 year old mother who doesn't have her kids at the moment but is planning on getting them back in a few months and a 21 year old guy. They are supposed to take turns cooking but apparently Ebob does most of it - why couldn't she like cooking when she was living here - she didn't like moving off the couch when she was here!

Nola, great to see you. Your break sounds very relaxing and rejuvenating, which is fantastic.

MizT, if I make banana bread here it lasts about 30 minutes... Easy to make though. It uses 2 large or 3 medium bananas.

Theresa, very healthy of you to use the grill so much. I'm a little bit too much into fat though and probably wouldn't use it as much as I should.

According to the weather report we have 100% chance of heavy rain today, nothing so far. But that means Ebob will probably be walking to work in the rain..

It is so sad that Mikayla was only diagnosed so recently and is already going to leave us. I know she will never be forgotten. Sometimes I wish we could show our kids what it feels like to be a parent... If we could Mikayla would know for sure that it isn't possible that she could be forgotten and Ebob would be home.

{{{Hugs}}} Suzy! I'm glad Ebob came to dinner - but I wish I could say something brilliantly comforting to help with your heartbreak but I'm not eloquent enough!
MizT - we have thousands upon thousands of outside lights, each strand has to be checked, put in place, connected up, checked again - it is time consuming (and hot in our humid summer). I'll find a photo from last year and post.

Suzy, I am glad she didn't push your buttons, or you hers. She may eventually realize it is not easy living on her own and come home.

MizT - I've posted last year's photo but it really does not do the lights justice. They stand out like a beacon in our neighbourhood and people come in regularly year after year - they will be so disappointed. We have a large ex-Sth African population locally and they could never put up lights back there. They bring their visitors from home to see our lights. We don't enter competitions because the public are so intrusive on your property in those cases.

Suzy, I too am glad Ebob came for supper, but how heartbreaking for you at the same time.

Teenagers will always do things at a friend's house or when they're on their own that they wouldn't do at their parents' place. It's just the way they are. Not all teenagers, but I couldn't get my daughter to do much when she was living at home. I would get so tired of fighting that I would just end up doing it myself.

Suzy I understand what you are going through but just be patient and let her know that you love her and she is welcome at home any time. There are a few walls(of her own making) for her to get over before she will be ready to come home to live.

Theresa, I have an old Health grill (before GF) and the Teflon was coming off and it was starting to stick so I bought a small GF with the removable plates. Much easier to clean but it is a bit slower cooking as I do not think the plates get quite as hot. Much more hygienic as well.

Good Afternoon, Everyone! I have a bit of time before flinging food, so thought I'd try to catch up on my reading! I'm off to page 441.

Suzy.... Theresa said it better than I could. I just want to add.... Remember, Ebob hasn't gotten her brains in yet. She may look like an adult, but she isn't one... not by a long shot. You'll get your daughter back when her brains come in. It might not be for a while, so give it time.

I just got an email from the head of our Collie Rescue group, asking me to take another old-timer. This is a 12 year old male who was taken to the pound when his owner could no longer take care of him. This will be the first dog I'll be taking in who is a known mix-breed. He is part collie, and from the picture I saw, I'd guess he's crossed with Afghan Hound. He IS handsome, tho he's been shaved down due to being covered in matts. I have no details as to when I'm getting him.

May I add Heidi, that while Suzy will get her daughter back, it may not necessarily ever mean that she lives back home. It may be that the two of you will become closer even with distance between you. With age comes maturity, and she will come to realise that she actually likes, nay, loves her Mum.

Gail, what you said is true. While I've been close to and (almost) always got along with my mom, it wasn't till I moved out, got married and had kids that I really appreciated all she has done. We have gotten much closer over the years, although she can still drive me crazy.

Cyn, that is a shame about the lights. We won't be able to see one of our favourites this year either. Coundil have kicked up a stink even though none of the residents nearby complained, and now it is cancelled. They are selling off their decorations this weekend...

I'm not ready to hear that Gail, she's 17 and still in high school, she should be home!!