Sudokuaholics Anonymous 11

It's not what's under the Christmas tree that matters,
It's who is around it.

I should have changed my avatar before I posted that Christmas message.
This avatar is my 3yo grandson (now 23) with Santa. It was his Poppy Colin and he didn't know.

Perfect TOPP, CynB! And a great Avatar on your next post, too!

I'm running out of steam, so will just say take care, Everyone! Sending healing energy, prayers, positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and ! I'm wiped out from working on Christmas cards all day, today. Good night, Everyone!

Loved the Top, CynB

Judge people by their clothes ---

Rich people have fancy
labels on their clothes.

Happy People have
DOG HAIRS
on Their clothes.......

Last night I got a text from someone I know (a friend of a neighbor) about a couple of horses in desperate need. She heard of them on her Facebook group, and the owner couldn't afford to feed them any more. They had to be rehomed TODAY, and the only ''Rescue Group'' offering to take them in was demanding $400 for transportation costs. They were over an hours drive from here, but not much more than that, so this afternoon I hooked up my trailer and got them. One is a purebred gray Arabian (Kheoni), about 15 years old, and blind in one eye. The other is about 25 years old, a sorrel Overo Paint (Beauty). Both are walking skeletons. Mike the Vet will be checking them out within the hour.

Except for starving and some rain rot to their coats, they're in good health. Mike gave me good recommendations for the right food to feed them, as well as the correct amounts to feed horses that had been starved. I had some of the right food here, but I'm going to pick up a lot more tomorrow.

Heidi, how wonderful of you to take in those horses. I hope something can be done for them. Sounds like they need a bit of kindness and plenty of food. You are so good and caring to animals, they have found a good home!
Hi Julie, busy as usual. Christmas is hard on us all beforehand but worth the effort on the day. I have more presents to wrap and then I'm done.
DorA - true, I'd rather the doghairs than the designer labels.

DOrA, what a great observation about people's clothes! I'll take animal hairs any day!

I was just thinking what a change it must be for you, Heidi, to be able to work with someone who cares about the animals and is willing to put in as much effort as you do!

Heidi, thank you for taking in the horses. They don't know it now, but they've hit the jackpot!

CynB, I hope you will soon be as comfortable with your new car as you were with the old one!

Thinking of Everyone and sending warm {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, healing thoughts, praye4rs, positive thoughts, and ! Take care, Everyone!

What is the secret to a
Happy Marriage?

He says: Communication.

She says: A Fan In The Bathroom...

I got up early (for me) and went to the feed store. I got a few bags of the horse feed that Mike recommended. I also got some horse mineral, some feed additive for putting weight on older horses and some pelleted Timothy hay. And a lot of Christmas presents for the dogs. And some more chicken and turkey feed. When I got home I unloaded it, then rearranged some gates so the 2 new horses had access to a quarter acre paddock in the sunshine and fresh air. It has a little grazing left in it, but not much. So I fired up the tractor and put a good hay roll in it so the rescues can have all the hay they can eat.... something Mike said is good for them. I have to slowly increase their grain, but they can have unlimited hay. I then went into town to the pharmacy for my pain meds and a new phone card and a Cracker Barrel Gift Card for Robert's Christmas present. Then back home to check on the new horses. They were thrilled with the setup, since they were previously living in a shed in the woods with no grazing at all. This paddock is on high ground, so they can see almost a mile in most directions. They also got to visit with my other horses over the fence, but they were more interested in eating. My other horses were fascinated, though. Particularly Sadie and Shadow. It'll be a while before they're all put together in one herd because of very different dietary requirements. I may put Buddy in with the rescues in a few days, since he's also on a weight gaining diet. The other horses all need to lose weight.
I just brought the rescues in for the night. I wasn't sure how hard it would be to catch them, since it's a new home and they don't know me, but they're smart girls and quickly figured out I was bringing them inside to feed them their senior pellets (easier to digest). No problem whatsoever.

Tomorrow I take Robert to a doctor appointment after delivering 8 dozen eggs to the Food Pantry.

The new horses are smart mares and quick learners. I'm impressed at how quickly they come in when I call them. I keep them inside at night and give them the paddock during the day, and it's great that I don't have to catch them to bring them in.
I may be going to a Christmas dinner at a friend's house... with the same friends I went to the concert with. I'm still not 100% sure I'll go, because of leaving the new horses so long. I wouldn't be back until after dark, and am uncomfortable leaving them alone so long.

Just one of the ''benefits'' of having animals, Heidi. For me, travel, where I can't take the hound means 'kenneling' at about $50.00 a day. So I seldom go. No trips longer than one day, for the last two or three years (except for an occasional visit to a friends place or my brothers place, where he is welcome.) ...

The hound is getting to the ''advanced years'' stage of life. He's only 9, but he is a big dog. He is starting to have issues with his back and hind legs.

I recently had prep for crowns on two of my front teeth. As I can't bite anything without the strong possibility of a temporary coming off, (it's happened, once, already) I am on a soft food, be very, very careful what and how you eat, diet. Toast with breakfast is pretty much out.

I have 're-discovered' French Toast. It is soft. I like it. And it's easy to cut into bite sized morsels. And, I like it. (pancakes, not so much)

Today is food prep day, for the family get together. Deviled eggs and the traditional DorA family desert. Lemon Icebox Pudding - Lemon filling topped with a layer of whipped cream with a crushed vanilla wafer cookie 'crust', top & bottom. Yum-mm! My mum only fixed it for Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday dinners. The tradition continues. I fix it twice a year for family get togethers......

I may, finally, be starting to get into the spirit of the season.

I'm now fully stocked up on feed to get my critters through the Chriatmas weekend. Now I have to unload the rest of it. I put out a new roll of hay for the weaned calves this morning. And I still need to muck out stalls. All I really want to do is sleep.

The ear is REALLY bad today. The pain kept me up all night. I've decided to pass on Christmas dinner with my friends tomorrow, since it's over an hour's drive each way, and I don't feel up to that. I don't see the ear miraculously getting better overnight.

Just dropping by quickly to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate.

Heidi, I'm so sorry about your ear. Hoping for the miraculous improvement so you can join your friends for dinner.

Heading to bed here. I hope to find time to read and comment tomorrow.

Thinking of Everyone and sending healing energy, prayers,, positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and to all!

Merry Christmas, all...

My dogs are really enjoying their Christmas. They got a HUGE amount of rawhide chips, basted in both beef and chicken. They also got stuffed cow hoves (some filled with cheese and some with peanut butter), smoked beef ribs with meat on, a 40 oz bag of Beggin' Strips (bacon flavor) and 18 giant beef basted rawhide rolls. AND 2 new dog beds.
Mike the Vet was here before dark yesterday and looked at the new rescue horses. He told me that he could already see noticable improvement in them! That made me so proud, and was the best present I could get.

I want to share a truly beautiful Christmas story:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/25/us/nurse-rescue-dog-patient-hospital-rome-new-york/index.ht ml

Merry Christmas to those celebrating, today.

Heidi, The link has a ''space'' that needs to be removed...

at the end of the link, remove the space in ht ml

Nice story

It hit 72˚F / 22.2˚C today, and at nearly 6 PM is 68˚F / 20˚C!!! Unheard of on Christmas Day!
I spent the day outdoors fooling with critters, doing minor repairs, mucking out stalls, etc. The mud is even almost dried up. Loved it! Except for the earache all day, of course.

Another beautiful day here. I'm spending it doing outside chores again. I take plenty of breaks to protect my back, tho'.

Well that's another Christmas over. We had a lovely day ay my daughter's home with all 10 of the family plus partners of 4 of the grandies. Today we were to get together with my siblings but the Covid situation up here since the borders opened is awful and my brother's wife is very immuno-compromised, so who knows when we will see them again.
Covid booster for me tomorrow, Col isn't eligible for about a month.
And to top it off my washing machine finally gave up. I can't complain, it must be about 20 years old. Appliances were made to last back then. Now to find another one.
Hello to everyone, hope your Christmas was enjoyable or peaceful or fun - whatever you wanted it to be.

Christmas is over and now for the New Year, hope for everyone it is a better one.
So kind of you to take the rescue horses in - they sound like they are very happy with you Heidi. Shame about your day but sounds like you enjoyed yourself.
Covid certainly has changed the way we socialise. This year again we just had our 4 children and 2 partners for dinner (after they had been to the other side) and it was very relaxing\. I had an aunt Ruby who used to take any leftovers she could and my 4 children have all taken after her, so the 'Ruby bags' were filled and hubby and I left with no waste and no food. I will do the packing next time around!
Have the caravan at the beach so hope to get away for a day or so. Start radiation therapy next week for a month (20 sessions over 4 weeks) so there will only be the weekends to get away.
Our house is very slowly being fixed - and I am looking forward to going home asap. Eldest son is heading off to Korea early Feb. and 2nd son to Thailand mid-January. So worried about them travelling but they are in their 40's and wouldn't listen to me anyway. Eldest son has given away nearly all of his possessions (down to 1 fork, spoon, knife and plate) - he is looking forward to having all of his things in one suitcase and no material possessions - wonder if he plans on returning. He is supposed to come back in June for a couple of weeks and leave again if covid allows it.
Love the dog fur comment - I told everyone that whoever was doing my KK this yer, I wanted a senior rescue dog - I got a lampshade! A lovely lampshade but it doesn't lick and leave fur everywhere! I suppose it can sit on my lap of a night.......
Daughter is keeping me updated on 'hot spots' to avoid and covid is certainly spreading it's wings in Victoria. Had my 3rd shot early December and understand I will be called back for another in March.
CynB - sorry to see you are starting to get some cases in Qld. I can't believe some people don't wear masks in public - that is the one thing we can do to help ourselves (except for vacc). We seem to have a lot of anti-vaccers in Victoria. They should be nursing the poor ones who have contracted covid - they might see they can actually do something for others. The Spanish Influenza lasted 2 years in the main - hope covid is the same.
Wish everyone a happy and peaceful 2022 and all you hope for.

It's still unseasonably warm here. I think we set an all-time record today..... 72˚ F / 22˚ C on December 27th!!! And it's staying warm at night, too. With such warm temperatures, I'm allowing the rescue horses to stay out at night (with access inside) for fresh air and all the hay they can eat. They're really enjoying it. This morning they spotted me leaving the house and ran inside to impatiently wait for their grain. They sure learned quickly who deeds them!

I just got curious about the name of one of my rescue horses.... the Arabian, Kheoni. I decided to look it up to see if it meant anything, or was just a made-up name. To my surprise, I discovered that there is a Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary in India. That really pleases me.

Just dropping by to say Hello and Good Night. Life has been busy with with time to spend on the computer.

Thinking of Everyone and sending lots of , {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, healing energy, positive thoughts, and prayers for all to stay safe and healthy. Hopefully I'll have time to catch up on reading comments tomorrow!

I put Buddy (30 year old Morgan) in with the 2 new rescues today, since they're all on the same food, and get fed twice a day. Plus, it's a way to introduce Kheoni and Beauty to the other horses. Beauty is fine with Buddy, but Kheoni has been squealing at him. I think she believes Buddy is competition for her feed. But I have to feed them seperately because Buddy is such a slow eater. Buddy has gotten so old and feeble that he shows no interest in either of the 2 new horses.

Hi, Everyone! I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas, or whatever holiday you observe!

DOrA, your traditional food contributions to Christmas meals sound yummy!

Sorry to hear the hound is beginning to feel his age!

CynB, how nice you could celebrate Christmas with all of your family!

Midge, it's great that you could get your family together for Christmas! I hope your radiation goes well! I also hope the repairs to your home go faster so you can be back at home soon!

(I feel VERY fortunate that a mere .2 cm has helped me avoid the expected radiation, but my brother will need 33 days, and faces 1 1/2 hours of travel time each day, so we're hoping for mild weather and no snow for most of that time.

Heidi, you really out-did yourself in Christmas presents for your menagerie! It's wonderful to hear that the horses are doing so well!

I had a crazy night last night. On Monday hubby was pretty sure he had a UTI and called our Primary Care. They were closed for the afternoon, and he was told they'd call him in the morning (Tues.). When they called, they said the earliest available appointment was at 5:00 on Wed. and suggested he try an Urgent Care or Immediate Care place, which he did. Almost 5 hours later, they confirmed his UTI and sent him to pick up an antibiotic at the pharmacy.The pharmacy's computers were down so they didn't know how much to charge him for the antibiotic, so he came home without the antibiotic. He was feeling much worse by dinner and couldn't get warm, so went to bed earlier than usual and I covered him with a couple of extra blankets. Around 1:00 a.m. he tried to get up to use the bathroom, but basically slid off the bed onto the floor, and we couldn't get him up. We both tried to get him up for a while, but were unsuccessful. so we decided to call the paramedics. They got him up and into bed, and were going to leave him at home (which he convinced him to do once before). I protested, explained that he wasn't given his antibiotic and he would likely be worse by morning and unable to drive, and I can't drive either. So they took him to Emergency, where he was given an IV antibiotic and admitted. We had snow yesterday, so 3 paramedics, their equipment, a transport chair, and a gurney all tracked snow into the house. After they left around 2:15 a.m. I had to try to clean up all of the mess while in the wheelchair. I was too exhausted to get into bed, so tried sleeping in the wheelchair for a couple of hours, then moved to the couch and slept sitting up from about 5 until about 8 a.m. It's been a long day with no contact from hubby. I called twice and talked to his nurse, and he has a low-grade fever and is still trying to get warmed up. They're not allowing any visitors because of COVID again, so I wouldn't be able to visit even if i could get to the hospital. I hope he'll feel well enough to call or at least answer the phone tomorrow.

Thinking of Everyone and sending healing energy, prayers, positive th

OOPS, I haven't run over in quite a while. Here's the rest.

Thinking of Everyone and sending healing energy, prayers, positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and to Everyone! Stay well!

Julie... What's an UTI? Whatever it is sounds scary, considering what you and your Hubby went through. I hope the antibiotics do the trick and help fast. I can't believe Urgent Care sent him home without antibiotics! There must be some rule against it. They could have killed him! So unprofessional!

Buddy decided he sisn't want to be in with the 2 new mares, and is back out with the other horses. That means I have to bring him in twice a day to feed him seperately.

Heidi, ''UTI'', unless I miss my guess, is Urinary Tract Infection. Definitely, NO FUN!! Here's hoping Mr Julie, rapidly, responds to the antibiotics...

Don't waste your time trying to make Deviled Eggs without committing this lesson to memory. I learned the hard way...

I boiled 30 eggs, 10 at a time, because of pan size limitation. Cooling each batch under cold running water. So far, so good.

I peeled all 30 eggs. Things are going well.

I halved the eggs and placed the yolks in the Kitchen Aid mixer bowl.

I started the mixer and added the mayonnaise. Hey this is looking good. For a change, I didn't over cook the eggs. The mixture is really bright yellow.

In a small bowl, I mixed the flavoring ingredients; mustard, salt, pepper, honey, cider vinegar and a little Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. All the time thinking ''These are going to be great!''.

Note to self: Stop mixer Before adding flavorings. At least Don' Drop The Bowl Into The Running Mixer!!!!!! THE ''KITCHEN AID'' WILL EAT THE BOWL...

Over two hours worth of ''labor of love'' gone in an instant. Before I could shut it off, the mixer had broken the bowl and started distributing shards of glass throughout the egg filling.

In total disgust, I threw all the filling and the halved egg whites in the garbage as there was no hope of removing the pieces of the shattered Corel bowl.

Then, of course washing all the various implements. Small sink, no dishwasher, in the caravan. About 45 minutes to think about what might have been......


Followed by a few, ''well flavored'' Egg Nogs.

(For the record: No expetives were uttered. Just NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! The hound didn't even flinch as his name hadn't been mentioned. Good Dog!)

Wishing everyone a better 2022

Spell check didn't catch it - ''expetives'' should have been expletives.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year. (let's hope it gets better)