Sunday morning...Veronica made sure that I'm up early. She didn't retire.

This afternoon, I'm joining a group of people for a book discussion moderated by Deborah Shouse, a local journalist. The discussion will be recorded, edited, and printed in the newspaper. I'll try to say something halfway intelligent. The book is The Gathering by Anne Enright.

Alida, knowing that your sister is being looked after must be a great relief. You earned stars in your crown for your efforts on her behalf.

Susie, get-well wishes for little Ozzie.

I'm thinking of you all today.

__________________
Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

Good morning!

Not much to report this morning. The Home Show was nice -- only there was too much walking and standing. I discovered my new hip complains after about 2.5 hours. The parking was horrendous. KC is doing a big overhaul in the downtown area and creating what they call "The Power and Light District." They are bringing in more events to the downtown area but parking hasn't caught up with all the events yet!

I got some interesting literature on cabinet refacing (not with veneers but with a narrow piece of wood). I also got a few cards for painters. We want to build some new kitchen cabinets and have the new match the old. And since the old is not too spiffy, refinish the old and new together so voilà! -- they match.

There was the usual junk there, too. DDIL looked at windows, blinds, etc. They are doing a major remodel. They opted to do that instead of moving. (Barb, they live in Fairway, near 57th Terrace and Mission Road. Property values there have risen dramatically over the years and it's worth a costly remodel. They bought the house 20 years ago for $140,000 ... and it's all brick).

Tonight is another Sam Adams episode on HBO. If you haven't watched it yet, I highly recommend the series. It is excellent! I also think PBS is doing Sense and Sensibility ... a new production. It always seems to be Feast or Famine in TV Land.

Cottage Cheese Griddle Cakes
Recipe from Diane Mott Davidson. She writes mysteries where a Colorado caterer solves crimes ... with accompanying recipes!

Makes 8 to 12 cakes

1 egg
1.5 cups or more buttermilk
1/2 cup small curd cottage cheese
1.5 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup blueberries, plus more for serving

In large bowl, best the eggs lightly. Stir in buttermilk and cottage cheese.

Sift together flour, baking soda and baking powder. Sift again into the egg mixture. Stir the dry mixture very lightly, mixing only enough to combine. If the mixture is too dry, stir in a small amount of additional buttermilk. Gently stir in blueberries.

Scoop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto hot well-greased griddle. After cakes have set on one side, lightly loosen them with a spatula to make sure they do not stick. when the edges of the cakes appear dry, flip the cakes to cook both sides.

I use an electric teflon griddle that can cook eight at a time. Leftovers are wonderful heated in a toaster over on the toast setting.

Here's another version. I made these for years until I found the one above -- which is easier to make. But the one below may be a little more carb-friendly --

Cottage Cheese Pancakes
from a Swedish Cookbook

Makes about 20 cakes

Sift in one bowl:
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 T sugar (splenda OK)
1/2 teaspoon salt

In another bowl beat:
4 egg yolks until light

Add:
1 C small curd cottage cheese

To this mixture add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with:
1 cup sour cream
1/4 C milk
Mixing well after each addition.

Beat to soft peaks:
4 egg whites

Fold into batter.

Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto hot greased griddle and spread to a 4-inch cake. Brown first side, turn and brown second side. (Duh).

Last, here are the etchlike and lead pictures. Swan songs, I hope! Have a wonderful Sunday! XXOO

Attached Thumbnails

   

__________________
Alida
5'1" ~ 59 years old
Highest weight: 165
Atkins 7/10/2004
160/126/125
RE-DO, January 2008:
167/162/135

Quick check in just to let you guys know that I am still around. We have been in shut down mode since last evening. The flash flood warnings continue until the middle of the afternoon. We were supposed to go to DS's to visit this afternoon..... but that's not happening. I think we have had over 6" of rain with the accompanying wind and thunder. We're staying in!

Hope your weekends are less soggy. Take care of yourselves and those of your family that need care. Maybe we'll get a break in this stuff soon. As for now, the weather pattern is stuck right over us.

__________________
Judy
highest = 180, goal = 138-140
Every single time I put food in my mouth, it matters. No more Fooling myself!

Take care, Judy. I remember how you almost flooded out--last year? Year before? That's a lot of rain and more to come.

Alida!!! Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous! Too bad they may be your swan songs, but I know that's tough work. I've never asked if you've done any in your own home. The pancakes look wonderful. Woohoo on a kitchen redo!

Barb, you're comments will surely be apropos I think I'd find a recorded book club intimidating, though. I tend to go along for the ride while others are dicing, slicing, and dissecting.

Hope all our sick loved ones are mending, and their caretakers not wearing themselves out.

Slow day here, gray and overcast. I am puttering but don't seem to be accomplishing a great deal.

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

Flying by.....

SIL had her baby this morning. Dawson is 5 1/2 pounds and 19 1/2 inches. He certainly is adorable!! We have my niece who is quite a handful. If she doesn't have her way she hits so we're giving her love and discipline at all the right times we hope. She will be 3 in May. In the hospital she didn't want her brother but wanted another baby in the hospital - lol. My SIL is doing great! She was happy we took little Sara with us so she could get some rest.

__________________

picture of Dawson

Attached Thumbnails

 

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Heather, That is one wide-eyed little baby. I can't believe he was just born today.

Brenda, The last big flooding we had was during Hurricane Rita. Today's came in waves. There are a lot of low areas that are currently underwater, and a golf course that will be unplayable for quite a while. I've heard of at least one business that had the roof fall in. I swear, I have never figured why some fool would build a flat roofed building in East Texas. I;m sure we have flooded rooms at school..... we have lots of those flat roofs. At least they have finally gotten smart and quit putting them on all the newer buildings.

Alida, your etchings are beautiful. You certainly have a talent for the craft. I know you are excited about the renovations in the kitchen. I certainly was when we did ours, and it was just paint. Maybe we can think about getting some new flooring when the tax refund shows up. The rebate is already pledged to the credit card where we charged this new computer.

Brenda, we're with you...... it's Turbo tax at out house. Did you ever hear anything from the library or the book company?

Shelley, Have a good week with your bff. She couldn't be staying in a 5 star hotel that is any cleaner than your place.

Barb, Hope you through out some wonderful quotes for the paper. THEN, I hope they quote you correctly. Our paper never seems to get it write.

Berta, Are you home? How did your DH make the trip? Is he going to be on IV antibiotics to get over the infection?

Susie, Sorry your fur baby is not feeling well. It does sound like he may need a trip to the vet.

MK, Glad to hear from you and that the foot is at least tolerable.

Peg, How goes nursing? Take some time away for you. The nurse needs some attention sometimes, too.

Donna, Dang girl, is the internet down? What's up?

So with the internet shut down and the good TV along with it (can't believe we never lost electricity), I actually set down at the sewing machine for the first time in months. Seriously, I started putting together a top that I cut out some time right after Christmas. The colors are browns, beiges, etc..... not exactly spring wear, but it was already cut. I knew if I left it and cut something new I would never go back to this one and probably not finish the other one either. Ok, I didn't finish what I was working on, but it's close enough that I will get it done eventually. It was sort of like getting a holiday....... now it's time to get up and cook.

Have a good week everyone.

__________________
Judy
highest = 180, goal = 138-140
Every single time I put food in my mouth, it matters. No more Fooling myself!

Beautiful baby, Heather, and Judy's right, he looks like he's already sizing up the situation LOL at his little sister.

Judy, there shouldn't be any flat roofs here, either because of
snow load, but that doesn't keep fools from building them. Hope your room is ok at the hs. Glad you got some sewing done. I've been looking longingly at my little work bench with a few earring projects....

Yup, got the expected thanks but no thanks letter from Miss "Nothing Screams Library." No word from the book company, but I think they were to have made a decision by now. I'm expecting an RL (rejection letter) next week. Truthfully, the thought of possibly getting that particular job was making me extremely anxious, and not in a good way.

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

Caretaker here: Dh's dd came today. I was hoping for her to say, "Peg, you go lay down and I'll take over." Nooooooooooo. I waited on her today along with dh who is now really overtired and in pain. Neither one of us want to upset this daughter (49 yo). Sheesh.

We're going to bed soon. Isn't even dark yet!

Peace, Peg

A quick Good Morning!

Susie, I forgot to mention Ozzie ... are you taking him to the Vet today? Please let us know what the vet says. (((HUGS)))

Judy, oh my, I am so sorry. I did not realize the rain was so bad in your area. Lots of prayers and (((HUGS))).

Peg, glad you stopped in. Sheesh. No wonder you are going to bed before it's dark. Taking care of two people, especially when one is able-bodied, would wear me out. On the bright side, did DH enjoy his DD's visit?

Heather! Congratulations on your new nephew! His is adorable.

Brenda, well, I always look at job rejections as job that I was not meant to have ... and that the perfect job is still waiting for me!

Got to run and get my Monday morning started. Did I mention I hate Mondays??? XXOO

__________________
Alida
5'1" ~ 59 years old
Highest weight: 165
Atkins 7/10/2004
160/126/125
RE-DO, January 2008:
167/162/135

Agh! Monday! Rain! Thunderstorms! That about says it all, eh?

Peg, another Agh! for you. Rest up from your dh's dd. Sheesh! Is she totally clueless?

Alida, yup, same sentiments?

Susie?

Speaking of pups, our "youngest" miss Token turned 8 last week. Very hard to get a handle on that number since she's the perennial pup. "What, me worry?"

Getting going now.......

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

I can't believe it's after 10 o'clock, and I'm still just poking around the house. I DID go out for a long walk, and spent some time in the weight room. But still....

We finally have a warm day--up to 70--but cloudy. Tomorrow this front will pass through, and it will be cold again. I only hope the magnolias (just beginning to bloom in sheltered locations) won't be frozen to death.

The marketing folks for my condominium put up a banner sign yesterday to advertise them. Unfortunately, the sign wrapped around a corner of the front stone pillar, so what you saw in huge letters right at the front entrance was CONDOM. On the other side, it said, COME JOIN US. Oh boy. After we finished chuckling, we complained, and it got shifted slightly. Now it says CONDON.

Alida, your designs are beautiful. Is the palm tree motif on a mirror? I especially like the leaded window. You really are a master of this craft.

Peg, are you recuperating from your care-giving weekend? How's the patient?

Heather, your friends and relatives are lucky to have such a loving and capable care-giver for their children. The newborn really looks alert and ready to go. His sister is going to give him a hard time for the rest of his life, I expect. He'll probably match her.

Judy, somehow I never associate non-coastal Texas with big rain. That's obviously a total mistake. Stay safe. We haven't been hit with the big thunderboomers predicted--hardly any rain, even though it's been gloomy for a week.

BC, hope you get the perfect fit on the employment front. You didn't want that library empress for a boss.

Time to get cleaned up and do something. But what?? I'm sure I'll think of it.

__________________
Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

Dr. Wolfe's office was able to work Ozzie in at 3:00 p.m. I'll post this evening what we find.

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Ozzie's Place

Morning gang! Took awhile to get the house cleaned up after the weekend. I woke up at 5am to get started, had my little friend to babysit here about 5:40, managed to drop of DH at work and ds to school and have been cleaning since. Looks good and everyone is fed. Working on laundry and had to remove some one's stuff out of the dryer into their laundry basket. Their stuff was dry so must have been in there all night. When they got their stuff this morning I guess they were mad and opened the dryer with my clothes so $1 was wasted. Wonderful to retrieve my clothes ON TIME to find them soaking wet. Since I had jeans I had to run them a bit longer and pay more. How rude! A split second of time had me thinking revenge BUT the better part of me outranks that evil . This person is always leaving their laundry and not to long ago I was nice and folded all their clothes nice in the basket. This morning I didn't have time - yeesh!
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Judy - I can get so much done if the Internet/cable is down or else I just want to play online with my friends.
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Brenda - I hope that you find the perfect job for you! / Happy Birthday Miss Token!
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Peg - 49 and you had to wait on her? Sorry you have to walk on egg shells around her or I'm sure you'd delegate some of the chores to her. Apparently she is visiting for a vacation?
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Alida - I saw your etching and loved them!!!
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Barb - Have a good day!
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Susie - Sorry to hear about your Oz. I know you are going to be worried and anxiously waiting to hear...sending love your way.

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Well, at least the sun is out which always cheers me up. I had a terrible night last night. Just couldn't relax!! So, I decided to take one of anti-anxiety meds I have the way it was prescribed! I had cut way back on it. Maybe that will help.

Dh is feeling better after a night's sleep, though his was interrupted too by pain and the usual peeing (which he does in a coffee can that I get to empty in the morning). But, today is another day and God's healing potential is bright and with us both.

I have two women's groups this afternoon, so am flying by now. I'm sorry not to comment.

Love to you all,
Peg