Sudokuaholics Anonymous 11

Happy Thanksgiving from the middle of the U.S. Though I know it's not a universal holiday, feel free to join in any way you like! It's always nice to fine something to celebrate!

CynB, the baklava sounds wonderful! And if it's better than Tim Tams, I may not need to search them out. Though I'm interested in a taste test, as I've been hearing about them for years. We have a number of grocery stores that might carry them, in addition to Walmart. We also have Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and a store (not grocery store (but carries a number of foods from around the world) called Cost Plus World Market.

DOrA, I wonder if any of the stores I mentioned is affiliated with Kroger. There's likely to be a store in our area that is. Thanks for the tip!

CynB, it's a shame you can't combine the ballerina that you liked with the tutu you liked - sort of a collage.

Suzy, I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. It's hard to know when the time has come. With our cats, the vet told us they would let us know. We were still not sure. After a few months of weekly appointments and treatments, we were talking as we were driving to the vet for the treatment and thinking about her quality of life, how little she was eating, how she had misjudged a jump and fallen, and realized the time had come. It's never easy. My condolences to you!

Here's a copy of the Rainbow Bridge poem for you, Suzy:
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

MizT, I'm so sorry to hear about the resident who passed. Hopefully it was peaceful. Life, at least recent years, must have been hard for him if he always seemed unhappy and complaining. May he RIP.

MizT, thank you so much for

OOPS and OOPS! My post ran too long, and I didn't realize it was time for a TOPP.

MizT, thank you so much for the tips on purchasing sweet potatoes! Now I want to go the the store and get a few to bake. (Hubby doesn't enjoy them as much as I do, so prefers regular baking potatoes. I wonder if we'll have either for tomorrow's dinner. I've heard there will be brussel's sprouts, which we both enjoy. I hope you will soon be feeling better, and that the fiber flare will soon subside!

June, thinking of you and hoping you feel a bit better with each passing day!

Heidi, here's hoping your ear is improving!

Sending a holiday-sized supply of , healing energy, positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and prayers for Everyone. Feel free to share them, as well!

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

And now, for a late TOPP:

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” ~ supposedly attributed to Buddha

And another turkey avatar because I was the turkey and forgot to check numbers before posting.

Happy Thanksgiving to all our US friends. I thought there was a Thanksgiving avatar but alas no, and now i'm not a paid-up member I don't have access to all my own smilies.
Nice belated TOPP Julie, and so true.
Yep, coffee - preferably bitter greek coffee - is necessary to counter the sweetness of baklava (or turkish delight).

Suzy, take another special (((((hug)))))! I know what it's like to lose a beloved old dog.
I always find that rainbow bridge poem comforting.

From The Dog - When I Die....

Please don't say:
''I won't have another dog.''
Search for one who is not loved,
abandoned or kept in a sanctuary
and let him take my place.

Happy Thanksgiving to all who have something to give thanks for!

I'm off in 3 hours to the home of some dear friends who invited me to join their family. I don't know what I'd do without friends like them.

I hope Robert Mueller gives us all something to give thanks for soon.

I'm sorry to read about your dog, Suzy. Just be thankful that he is in no pain now. I know how much it hurts. It's like losing a close and beloved family member, but one who has given you unconditional love.

Feel Good Story...

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/good-news/the-touching-story-behind-this-pict ure-tears-were-shed/news-story/c92e2bd4777e99d0665aface4f7865ca

Watch out for and remove any spaces that appear...

Happy Thanksgiving topsiders! 🥂🍖🍁🍠🌽🍗

Had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal and a great visit with friends. I brought my hostess an Amaryllis that has 2 stems and was just beginning to open into red blooms. I then drove home and went into a tryptophan coma. Then a dog jumped on my bad knee and it's in agony. Thank goodness for ice packs.

Greetings to All!

DOrA, thank you for sharing the dog's point of view!

That's a great feel-good story, DOrA!

Thinking of you, Suzy! And thank you for the Thanksgiving wishes!

Heidi, it's so great that you have such good friends! Hooray for a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with good friends! So sorry the dog jumped on your knee!

sending healing energy, prayers, , prayers, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}}, and positive thoughts!

DorA, I’m thankful for our emergency service providers!

Quiet evening tonight. Alie was looking after the CEOs at their special dinner with presentations. Just her and a caterer. She was told she’d be done by 9 or 9.30. It’s a half an hour drive from here so I planned to arrive just after 9 so she wasn’t hanging around outside waiting for me. Well, the CEO etc had lots of chats so were running way behind schedule. Alie didn’t finish until 11! It was so peaceful out there, with my books on my phone, no traffic noises, just the occasional animal in the bush. I didn’t even realise I’d been waiting 2 hours until it was over. Alie however is feeling the 7.5 hours on her feet with no breaks. They were very complimentary and apologetic. Which helped.

Feel good story from 2.5 years ago. I just saw it for the first time.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/20/rowan-oneill-supermarket-hero-cpr-australia_n_291 7593.html

Yes, the Mountain Dew I drank earlier tonight to make sure I wasn’t sleepy while driving to pick up Alie is still in my system. I have a glass of wine so hopefully I’ll be asleep soon.

NSFW , love the 1950s dancing with the 2010s lyrics...

https://youtu.be/EBt_88nxG4c

Yeah, the wine isn’t working.

Hope the wine worked Suzy!
Good morning all! Hope all our US friends had a great Thanksgiving!
Saturday morning here and hubby is at work. he stopped taking on Saturday work months ago, it was too much for an old man (teehee!) But got persuaded to help out today, so that's my weekend ruined because once he's home he'll be too tired for anything much. Hohum!

I'm going to mention the 'C' word! Christmas!
I've got Maddy coming over tomorrow afternoon to stay the night and help me decorate the house and the tree. I was going to do it next weekend but I can't knock back help when offered.
Because we have changed the configuration of the house somewhat during the year, it may require some trial and error to get it right this time.
And, as usual, I have bought more lights, more decorations.

Avatar change. Did it work?

Yes, it worked.

Afternoon all! I think I got to sleep before 3. I slept until 8, which is very late for me these days.

Dana and Tahli are here. I did the traditional scrambled eggs and toast with Tahli. That was her granddad tradition. When Alie is here she usually does it with her. Today she chose me to help her. I think I’m flattered. She asked if my mum taught me how to cook eggs. I guess I shouldn’t have told her that my mother didn’t teach me how to cook. Soon she’ll ask me for hot chocolate. Making that together is our tradition.

Chopped my finger! So much blood! Can’t see what I’ve done because if I uncover it it bleeds too fast. But I know it’s not medical treatment bad. Just messy!

Hi, Everyone!

Suzy, I'm glad you had books on your phone and some quiet relaxing time while you waited for Alie! In addition to being apologetic and complimentary, a nice tip would have made the 7.5 hours on her feet feel a bit less tiring for Alie, I'd think. I'm glad the wine finally helped you relax and get some sleep!

Suzy, thanks for sharing the feel-good story about the man who gave CPR to the 2-year-old. I also enjoyed the youtube song/dance routine.

CynB, I hope the extra work on Saturday didn't tire out Col too much! How nice that Maddy has offered to come and help you decorate for Christmas!

I was thinking we might not decorate this year. (We didn't last year because hubby had been in the hospital until a day or 2 before Christmas. I don't even remember if we did anything. Probably D, SIL and baby came & brought gifts.) This year the baby is 22 months old, so we probably will need to do some decorating.

Cyn, your avatar worked - and so did Heidi's and Suzy's!

Hopefully my avatar changed, as well. I wish there were a way to group avatars in folders to keep those with a similar theme together. Mine were somewhat sorted because I submitted similar ones at the same time. Somehow, many have been rearranged and I need to scroll through the whole lot of them to find what I'm looking for.

Suzy, I saw that one of your comments was posted at 1:50 p.m. and the next was at 1:04 p.m.. I thought something was crazy, then realized one was on Nov. 25, and the next on Nov. 26. Wow! No one else posted in that 24-hour period. I guess things got really quiet while many of us celebrated Thanksgiving.

I'm glad you were finally asleep by 3. I hope you either got a nap later or were able to get to bed earlier last night. How is your finger doing? I hope it wasn't because you were so tired. Hopefully you had bandages or gauze and tape to cover it over. Take care!

Apparently my typing is keeping hubby awake, so I'll say Good Night. Sending healing energy, , {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, positive thoughts and prayers for all, even those I didn't mention.

Julie, no tipping for that kind of job here, but she probably would have been paid over $20 an hour so that’s not a problem.

Drama in my house tonight. A 4.5 foot red belly black snake decided to come for a visit. Gizmo told me it was here, went off his nut. I thought he was stalking a lizard, but he wouldn’t settle down. Luckily I saw it, because when I ran down the hall to get changed into heavier clothes, it disappeared. Gizmo found it again. I called the snake catcher and it is caught and removed.

You have snake catchers?
Now that I think about it, it makes sense. OZ has a lot more poisonous snakes than anywhere else in the world.

Heidi, I follow Australian news, online, and hardly a day goes by without a mention of snake / human interaction. In most cases a 'snake catcher' is involved.

Australia has what I consider to be 'not the best' policy regarding snakes. If at all possible, they must be captured and returned to the wild. Uh, I'd rather make sure there was no chance of their return. But that's just me................

Hi all. Happy belated Thanksgiving to all. I am thankful for all of the wonderful friendships I have made on this site. I spent Thanksgiving at my Sis-in-law's house and got to meet my 10 moth old great niece. She lives in Chicago and is absolutely adorable. On Saturday attended my other niece's bridal shower. She is getting married in March. Going to be a busy time of year.

The hound is 2 weeks plus after his TPLO surgery. The hated E-collar is no longer required as the staples and sutures have been removed. The Vet said to discontinue all medication, but when he returned to his 'normal self', he was just too active / rambunctious, so back on the 'doggy downers'.

Then there are the outside 'relief excursions'. Last night, there were four in the course of an hour. The first, to pee, after five minutes, of walking in circles, followed by 2 unproductive 'poop trips', at 5 minute intervals. Finally, just a few minutes after the previous trip, success, after another 3 or 4 minutes of walking in circles to find just the 'right spot'. Fortunately, for me, I was able to dodge the raindrops. Most of them, anyway.

In another week and a half, he will start with his short walk therapy. Five minutes or so, multiple times a day. The short, hand held leash for all 'outside ventures' rule will be in effect for another six to eight weeks. Sigh..............

In 'other news', the Thanksgiving ''Care Package'', was delivered,as promised. (see my 18/Nov/17 1:51 PM) post)

Turkey, Ham, Dressing, Mashed Potato w/ gravy, Candied Yams, Cranberry Sauce, Dinner Rolls and Pumpkin Pie. Enough that I had two dinners. I also had 3 ham sandwiches. This morning I had the remaining ham, diced, in my scrambled eggs, along with the last of the mash potato. Gravy over all. A late lunch, today, I think......

Good Morning all!
Well look at that, we have someone with a birthday!!
Happy happy 2-day Sudoku birthday Julie! Hope you can take a rest from you always busy schedule to have a wonderful relaxing fun day! Big hugs, my friend!

I don't know why I type 'you' instead of 'your'! I'm thinking 'your' in my mind. Start of dementia? I am 70 next year.
DorA, I am happy to be able to call on the services of a snake-catcher. We are encroaching onto their territory, they mean us no harm and are probably trying to find a way out. We remove our own invading snakes if they are harmless pythons, but I would call the catcher for a Red-bellied Black snake.
Not the first for you Suzy? I seem to remember a pic of your hubby holding up one he caught in you house only a few years ago.

Okay, got some of the house decorated last night. Doing the tree this morning! Maddy is not awake yet, I'll start without her.
Ciao for now!

Hi!
On my phone so please excuse typos.

Red belly snakes are protected. The snake catcher took it away with him. I don't think anyone has died from their bite, not recently anyway. I'm pretty sure if I'd called an ambulance I would have been treated quickly. Luckily that wasn't needed!

DorA, your Thanksgiving meal sounds amazing! And generous! Hopefully your doggy stays calm for you, though that sounds like wishful thinking.

Happy birthday Julie! Hope you have a great day!❤💝

Greetings to All!

Suzy, I'm glad Alie was paid well for her job!

I would NOT have enjoyed a visit by a 4.5 foot red belly black snake! I wasn't aware you could call a snake catcher! What a relief to leave that job to a professional! I'm glad the snake catcher took it away!

Tami, it sounds like you had a very nice Thanksgiving! It's usually nice to see the relatives who live a distance away and to meet the new little ones!

DOrA, your pup's recovery regime seems more of a challenge for you than for him! How long will the 'doggy downers' last? 6-8 weeks? It seems like keeping him 'reigned in' will be a challenge! Thinking positive thoughts that his recovery goes quickly and he is very cooperative on his short walks on a short hand-held leash! How does one teach a dog to be calm?

DOrA, your Thanksgiving 'Care Package' sounds wonderful! Sometimes I think the clean up is the worst part of a festive holiday meal, and you were spared that! The postal worker who provided would be high on the list for praise and recognition!

Thank you for the birthday wishes, CynB and Suzy! Interestingly, I will also be 70 next year, Cyn. The eyes, back, knees, and hips and sometimes memory keep reminding me.

Since today wasn't the official day, I forced myself to do the membership paperwork for our wood turning club. It takes SO long. You'd think I would have found ways to streamline the procedure in the 8 or 9 years I've been doing it. Forty-seven of the 167 members have paid their dues for 2018 between the October meeting and a couple of days ago, so all of their data needed to be updated, receipts written, the print-out (in 2 different formats) sent to about 20 officers & chair persons, emails sent to those who had mailed a check directly to me to let them know it was received, and a membership report written & sent to the newsletter editor.for inclusion in the next newsletter. It needs to be done by the end of the month, and I just couldn't face doing it on my birthday.

CynB, hooray for getting a good start on your holiday decorations! I hope Maddy woke up soon enough to help with the tree!

Heidi and MizT, I hope your Thanksgiving celebrations and post-celebrations have been enjoyable! I also hope you're both feeling better!

June, keeping you in my thoughts and hoping you're feeling better and able to eat more.

I'm about to turn into a pumpkin. Sending warm and cheerful thoughts to everyone, especially those I haven't mentioned. Take care, stay well, and feel free to share , {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, healing energy, positive thoughts, and prayers!

Happy Birthday Julie. Enjoy your day without having to do paperwork.
I am a bit up and down these days. Resting too much and my back has been playing up (had some back spasms). I have been doing a bit of Christmas shopping. Both I the shops and on line. I do not want to leave it too late.
I am pleased that you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving. The shops here were having Black Friday sales although the sales people had no idea of the significance.