C'mon, get Happy......

I've been reading "Chickens in the Road" every single morning for a long, long time. Its my morning coffee even when I don't have time for a cup. She's left the chaos of big city life and moved back to her roots.....to a small town in West Virginia. Suzanne can find happiness in a blade of grass. She's creative and up-lifting on rainy days as well as sunshiney ones......not to mention the excellent recipes! I simply love her site. She's a paperback writer and up for a contest and has made an excellent showing....all on the votes of her readers, like me. But the competition is tough so I'm posting this in hopes that you will go there, read her blog and like her enough to vote for her to get this job that pays $5,000 a month for 6 months. So please think about it. All her bubbly enthusiasm needs to be rewarded even though she feels rewarded just by making people feel good....but this new job is writing to make people feel good and she's doing that already....so she's perfect for this. Agree?

So, after viewing the video, go here and please vote for her....one click a day until December 7. Bookmark her site and return often....become a member of her blog community. You won't regret it for a second. Thank you all.

dogs, squirrels and shopping.....

Well, first of all, my daughter had to put down her wonderful pet, Mollie. Mollie, a black lab, just had too many aches and pains from old age and it was something that had to be done as she could barely move any longer.....she was an important part of our family for over 15 years and was a bit of a heroine to my old dog, Tommy. You can read about it here. Rest in peace Mollie.

If you read that old post, it gives you a little insight on the problems I have had with squirrels. They are the cause of many power outages, not to mention the intimidation they do to the family pets. Tommy (my Lhasa Apso) wasn't able to fight them back like Mollie did so he had to put up with it. This dog I have now...my rat terrier, Abby, just hates squirrels. I think her breed is born hating them. She spends her days running from one window to the next watching the squirrels jump from tree to tree or scamper all over my roof. Since Abby would rather chase a squirrel than eat, I have to let her out on a 50 foot nylon leash so she won't leave my yard....the squirrels have learned just where the boundaries are and they will run around just inches beyond her reach with her angrily yapping. Yesterday I let her out and she tore off the deck and headed straight for a squirrel that wasn't out of her reach....he just wasn't paying attention. My sweet little pet turned into a snarling savage as she tackled this squirrel....they tumbled ears over tails in the yard and the squirrel managed to get away from her. That was her first taste of actually having one in her grasp. When I let her inside a few minutes later and went to unleash her my hand came away covered in blood. Upon checking her over I could see that the squirrel had bitten her on the top of the head and also on the ear. Abby has her first battle scars and she wears them proudly. I hope she was able to get a couple bites on him too. I called the vet to make sure I didn't have something to worry about as I've heard that a lot of squirrels carry rabies. They said as long as she's up to date on her shots, (she is) that she should be fine. I cleaned her wounds with peroxide and put some antibiotic ointment on them. Now when I let her out, she actually prances. The squirrels are keeping their distance for right now, but I know they'll be up to their dastardly tricks again before too long.

Now this is off the above subject but its something that I have to pass on or I'll surely forget to. About 6 months ago I came across what I refer to as a best kept secret in the shopping world. Yep, its a family owned department store somewhere in PA. They may have more stores elsewhere in that general area too, I'm not sure. I was looking for something (what....now I can't remember) and I believe their name came up in Google. I checked them out and really liked what I saw. I have bought from them 3 times now and they are wonderful. This last time I got my granddaughter a London Fog winter coat for only $43. and some new Mary Jane type shoes for $16. I also got her some nice waterproof and insulated Totes winter boots for $23. These prices are absolutely unbeatable....especially for brand name merchandise. Yes, they were having a sale, but they seem to have a lot of those. They ship for a flat fee of $9.95 no matter how big your order is and they are prompt, as well as accurate. I'm not getting anything from them to promote their business....I just wanted to pass along a good thing. Go to www.boscov.com and see for yourself. I just love it when I find good deals. And just in time for Christmas too.

Another movie review.....

This time its the movie, Sideways. The cover on the DVD boasts that it was nominated for FIVE academy awards, including best picture and best director. That it was the winner of TWO Golden Globes, including the Best Picture. And Access Hollywood has deemed it "The Best Comedy of the Year". Well, with all THAT going for it, I figured I was in for a red carpet evening.

crickets

I'm seriously wondering what these people are smoking. At first I thought maybe it was me.....but I'm not going to fall into that trap again. I'm a normal person and I still DO have a sense of humor. I know its still in there someplace....although its getting harder and harder to find lately. But back to the movie. To say I was grossly disappointed is an understatement. Even the full frontal nudity of one of the bit part male characters didn't liven me up. Now maybe if he had been something to look at it may have....but he was nude except for a knit cap and shoes....very much out of shape and when good looks were passed out, he was taking a nap. So that was a failure too. It wasn't even funny.

Virginia Madsen was one of the stars and I like her. Her part was nice. Sandra Oh was another one. She played a sex-crazed single party gal. Nothing was funny though. If anything, it was sad in more than a few spots. WHAT movie were these critics watching when they said it was the best comedy of the year??? It was more of a 'character study' type of picture. I kept watching it...thinking to myself....its GOT to get better soon.....after all, it won best picture. In my opinion it didn't get better, it only served to make me angry at the male character who was due to get married.....and this week long trip taken with his best friend was his last as a single guy and he wanted to be wild....and he was...much to the dismay of his friend. The poor friend took a lot of abuse and still hung in there.

I've concluded that its best not to take any stock in these crazy recommendations of Hollywood and their so-called critics, as well as the people who hand out the awards. Either they are all under the influence of something or I'm just stuck in a rut.....a rut that says Good movies, really good movies, should be the ones winning these awards. Don't waste your time or money on this one....its not what I would call a really good movie. Hell, its not even a good movie....on a scale of 1 to 5, I would give it a 2, at best.....and I do that because of some nice scenery of California wine country. And so I continue with my quest....to find some really good entertainment we can access from the couch or easy chair with our feet up and, if we desire....in our jammies.

Veteran's Day....Thank you

This is a picture of my parents when he came home on leave. She was afraid and uncertain and he was getting ready to be shipped overseas and was putting up a brave front for her. The feelings of so many couples during WWII were exactly the same. The feelings of parents seeing their sons or daughters off with a prayer to please come home safely. The flags that were hung with pride.

Thank you Daddy. And thank you to all the Veterans who fought so that we could enjoy the freedoms we have today. We were so blessed....my dad came home.

Every time I see a Veteran, I stop and thank them. It only takes a few seconds and it means so much. Make it a point to do that the next time you come across a veteran and see their eyes light up.

Thank you to all the servicemen and women who are presently serving this fine nation and another thank-you to their families. Thank you truly .....each and every one of you. ~

My- my, how time does fly.....

Well, I now have a happy car. $1,237 later. Its a shame when you see on the bill that nearly $800. of it was labor.

They had to replace the crank shaft sensor, replaced both rear wheel cylinders, replaced rear break pads and turned the rotors, replaced the brake line and did an oil change and winterization maintenance. The only two things on this list I fully understand are oil change and winterize.

Its just too darn bad that I didn't take an in-depth course in auto mechanics. I certainly could have saved myself some money in this case. Of course, I'm not going to complain too loudly. Having these repairs done may have possibly saved my life and I'm grateful to my 'angels' for looking after me.

I was cleaning out a bookcase and came across a DVD set of the old Amos n' Andy TV series shown back in the 50's. I watched a few of them this weekend and even though the quality wasn't the best, I got a kick out of them. This is definite proof that a program could be entertaining, creative and funny without a bunch of sexual innuendos and crude jokes or actions. I know it was felt that the programs were a slam against a certain racial group, but I never thought of them in that way....no more than you would think that of The Beverly Hillbillies or Married With Children. It was just good creative entertainment with plots that were sometimes brilliant. I sure did enjoy bringing back some memories ("Holy Mackerel Andy") and am looking forward to watching more of the discs each weekend. Do you remember this classic old program?

My car is sick.....

I was finally able to get my flu shot on Monday. The Health Dept. and all the drug stores and senior centers and other places that were giving the shots were out of them completely. I managed to find a doctor's office that still had some. I'm not going to get the H1N1 unless my doctor specifically tells me I have to have it. I'm just glad that I was able to get one. I've had a flu shot every year for over 30 years and have rarely had the flu and even when I did have it, it was a very mild case. So I do believe that the shots help a lot.

The other day my car stalled while I was driving down the highway. Not cool to be driving along at about 45 mph and suddenly your car quits. Its never done that before and it was pretty unnerving to say the least. Since then its been doing it a couple times on the way to and from work....and its only a 6 mile drive one way. I figured that maybe I got some bad gasoline or worse yet....maybe my fuel pump is going. As much as I hate to part with the money, I need my car and have to keep it healthy so I decided that on my day off (today) I would take it in to see what's causing this.

I had my daughter follow me so I could leave my car there. I took it to the dealership for the repairs. I've always used the dealership unless its something small like an oil change. I trust the mechanics there. I told them to winterize it and change the oil too. Also I told them to check the brakes because they still don't feel right to me. I had them checked a couple months ago because they felt "spongy" to me but the place I took it to (not the dealership) stated that the brakes were fine. I was beginning to feel like I'd lost my mind. I figured they were right and I was wrong.

Now I want to tell you all something that just proves beyond any doubt that I have some powerful guardian angels looking after me. I've learned to listen to their whispers. See, I've been driving my car even though I felt something was wrong with the brakes.....but I was driving it because people who are supposedly professionals told me there was nothing wrong. I probably would have continued to drive it even though I still felt that the brakes didn't feel right. That is until this new thing happened with the stalling. Having a car that stalls out in heavy traffic is extremely stressful and only a fool would put up with that. So that made me go and have my car looked at and while there, I felt a nudge at my shoulder and a whisper in my ear.... I heard myself saying, .....'oh yes, would you check the brakes while its here....they feel spongy to me but no one seems to think I know what I'm talking about'. Yes ma'm....we'll check them out for you.

They found the reason why my car is stalling....some sort of electrical problem that can be fixed without much trouble. But.....the brakes.....the brakes, the brakes. Seems as though my rear brakes have been leaking brake fluid for quite some time and the brake pads are soaked and the master cylinder has to be replaced. Dangerous? You bet! They will be repaired and yes, its going to cost more than $600 for everything to be repaired....the stalling plus the brakes, plus a tune-up. I'm going to do it even though my car is old. I'm going to do it because I've taken very good care of my car since I bought it new and it has low mileage and I can't afford to replace it right now. I'm going to do it because my car has always been dependable and has never caused me any trouble. I'm going to do it because my guardian angels have gone to a lot of trouble to make sure I knew about those brakes. Somebody up there loves me.

Back to normal.....

Just a quickie post. I asked the maintenance man at work about my circuit breaker box and he told me that I have to flip the switch all the way off and then flip it back on in order for it to reset. So I did that and my microwave came back to life. The other affected outlet in my kitchen also came back to life which means that my coffee pot may not have died. I will test it out to see if there's any life in it and if so, pack it away and use it only if I have a lot of guests, like over a holiday or something. Its about 10 or 12 years old so I wouldn't be surprised if it has turned up its toes. If it has, I guess I can't complain after all those years. Its a Bunn. In the meantime, my one cup brewer, which is a Keurig, has made me extremely happy. I am discovering different little tricks so that I get the perfect mug full. I have sent for some sample packages of coffee so I can pick out my favorite brand. So far, I've liked just about every one I've tried.....so picking one isn't going to be easy.

Halloween was very quiet around here. I saw just a few kids and they were on their way to the subdivision behind me where the houses are closer together and no fences are in the front yards to slow their progress. I didn't get any kids again this year....none of us here did. My granddaughters went to a party at the school and then just went in their own subdivisions on actual Halloween night. It was a beautiful night, but cold....only in the 40's. Friday night it was the same temperature but pouring rain. I think that kept the "devils" at bay so mischief was minimal.

some good, some bad.....

Well, I just love a good hot cup of coffee and that's a good thing. Yesterday I went to heat up something in my microwave and it stopped working after only running 10 seconds. And that's a bad thing. I've had it for about 12 years and its worked perfectly so that's a good thing but if I have to replace it, that's a bad thing.

This morning I went to my trusty coffee-maker to brew up a pot and it wasn't working. Its the kind that keeps the water hot in a reservoir and then drips through the grounds. The water was not hot. Hmmmm...this is most definitely a bad thing. I figured that this was too much of a coincidence that two things quit working at once so I checked the outlet and ..... no power to the coffee maker one. Well, this could be a good thing....maybe nothing more than a tripped circuit breaker. So I go downstairs to check.

Now, last year I had my fuse box converted to circuit breakers but have not had to deal with the box until now. None of the breakers are marked! This is a bad thing. I don't know what I'm doing. One looked like it might be off, but it wouldn't stay on when I flipped it. So now I'm going to have to get someone over here to find out what's wrong. Do I feel stupid? Why yes.....yes I do!

I come back upstairs and plug the coffee maker into a working outlet. At least a nightlight works when I plug it in. The coffee-maker does nothing but sit there and refuse to work for me. I end up boiling water on the stove and pour it through the grounds in the carafe to make a pot of not so good coffee. I don't bother moving the microwave and fooling with that outlet. I'll handle that at another time. Maybe if I'm lucky, I can get someone else to do it. HA! Exhibiting perfect timing, UPS comes and delivers the new pot I had ordered last week.....and that's a great big good thing!

Getting tired of wasting 3/4 of a pot of coffee every day simply because I no longer drink a whole pot before it starts to taste yucky....I bought one of those one-cup coffee makers after doing a tremendous amount of research to convince myself that I would like it. All the reviews were so good I figured a million people can't be wrong....so I will try it. I made my first cup this afternoon and I will have to say that the coffee named "Donut Shop" is great......a freshly brewed mug can be had in about a minute and a half......and that's a good thing.

This n' that.....

Nothing post-worthy has happened and sometimes that's a good thing. Its been cold, blustery and rainy. The leaves are falling heavily now and if they weren't so wet, you would be hearing the rustle and crackle of them when you walk out to get the mail. Soon the trees will be bare, their naked branches reaching for the sky.

I think I've gotten the upper hand with my bronchitis with the help of antibiotics. Still have a little cough left, but its not bad at all. Because of that, I put off getting my flu shot and now I'm not sure I can get one because of low supply. Tomorrow I will be checking that out to see if I can get one. I don't think I will get the H1N1.....I'm a little fearful of it because it was formulated so quickly and also, according to the news reports, because of my age I may have a bit of built in immunity.

I've been doing a lot of reading and also getting back into the groove of watching TV on some evenings. It gets dark so early and light so late in the day now. I will be actually glad to see the time change take place. I'm driving to work in darkness and coming home in twilight.

Speaking of Twilight. I saw the movie finally. I was curious about all the hype over it but didn't buy the books and I didn't pay the outrageous prices they want for a movie ticket. I waited for the DVD and then got it used. People.....I'm sorry, but I just can't see it. I know a lot of people went nuts over it and maybe I've become a cranky old woman....but I just didn't get pulled in by all of it. First of all, the star....Pattinson. He's not THAT handsome....plenty of other stars that have it all over him. Secondly, the girl....Bella. I didn't appreciate her mouth always being open. It was driving me nuts! My grandmother used to get after me when I was small about that....she'd say..."are you trying to catch flies?....close that mouth". It makes her look very unintelligent. Then her backpack....she'd have it, then she wouldn't only to see her have it again at home. Her trip into the woods started out with backpack, then it mysteriously disappears. It drove me nuts because she has this book in there that if "he" found it, he would know that she was on to him. The movie's special effects were not good.....a children's "Goosebumps" movie has better. The only thing I can say is that the country is gorgeous. The scenery is absolutely breath-taking. So, I didn't think much of it. My young granddaughter, however, loves it. I can say it was refreshing to look at a movie that wasn't forcing the F-word down your throat every other minute. In fact, I don't think there was any swearing in it at all, no nudity and very little gore. Even though those are all attributes, I'm guessing that maybe I'm just too old to appreciate the plot and I've been spoiled by excellent special effects in other movies, which would have enhanced this one immensely.

If allowed to go, the trick or treat set will be going from place to place in darkness, which is dangerous but more thrilling for them. We really don't have door to door trick or treating in my neighborhood any longer. The schools and churches have little parties for the kids so everything is done safely and supervised. Its a shame that so many sick people have ruined a holiday that every kid looked forward to; when I was a kid doing this, it never crossed our minds that anyone would try and harm children. So, this coming weekend will be an active one.....for the older kids with pranks and mischief on their minds. Before Friday, I must get all my outdoor furniture and such brought into the garage where it will stay for the winter....otherwise it might end up in the middle of the road, arranged for a social gathering.

My grandson has abandoned his ideas of going into the service in the hopes of attaining a specialized field. His very selfish, immature girlfriend has nixed that. And what is more frustrating is that he's listening to her demands. He has wasted months of his life only to be of service to her. He spends his days waiting on her, eager to jump to her every command. Its sickening and makes us all feel so helpless. We can't talk any sense into him. As for her, she definitely has gotten off on the wrong foot with me. Her rudeness, lack of any sort of etiquette whatsoever and her "me first" attitude cinched that. I would like nothing more than to see him break it off with her and to do it quickly. Since she's been cheating on him, maybe I'll get my wish soon. So far she's been able to lie her way out of everything and he believes her excuses. She's going to make a kind-hearted, trusting young man very bitter and suspicious of all women after this.

Well, that's about it. I have laundry to do and tomorrow is dreaded Monday, which is always busy at work. Maybe tomorrow I won't drop and spill my entire cup of coffee in the parking lot in the pouring rain like I did Friday. Have a nice evening dear friends!

An award and a MEME.....

Thank you, Gypsy, for including me in your group to receive this award. I'm supposed to pass this along to 6 people but I am going to extend this award to anyone who has commented on my blog in the last two posts. So if you have, consider yourself a recipient and accept this award from me because if I have you on my blogroll and I read and comment on your blog, I consider it to be genuinely "over the top" in every way possible.

Now......for the Meme part. Apparently the answers to these questions can only be one word. Hmmmmmm....kinda hard for most women to do, but let's see what happens.

Here goes:

One Word Meme............

Where is your cell phone? Purse

Your hair? Colored

Your mother? Passed

Your father? Passed

Your favorite food? Steak

Your dream last night? Driving

Your favorite drink? Coffee

Your dream/goal? Happiness

What room are you in? Den

Your hobby? Reading

Your Fear? Pain

Where do you want to be in 6 years? Secure

Where were you last night? Home

Something that you aren’t? Dishonest

Muffins? Yes!

Wish list item? Maid

Where did you grow up? Michigan

Last thing you did? Typed

What are you wearing? Nightshirt

Your TV? Sharp

Your pets? Dog

Friends? Valued

Your life? Introspective

Your mood? Variable

Missing someone? Yes

Vehicle? Pontiac

Something you’re not wearing? Pantyhose

Your favorite store? Kohl's

Your favorite color? Blues

When was the last time you laughed? Yesterday

Last time you cried? Unsure

Your best friend? Relocated

One place that I go to over and over? Memories

One person who emails me regularly? Wanda

Favorite place to eat? Home

Don't forget to retrieve and then pass on your award to keep it going. Happy Saturday!! (and YES...I'm feeling better already!)

Pardon me while I just s-i-g-h.....

I really did try hard. I did everything but enclose myself in a waterproof suit and wear a face mask but the germs still got to me anyway. Yep....bronchitis and a sinus infection. I have learned not to wait with this kind of stuff cause it only gets worse. I didn't see any sense in going into the doctor's office because I get this just about every Fall.....I figured he could call a prescription in for me and I wouldn't infect his waiting room. Well, I called and of course I had to go through the whole business of recorded announcements, computerized voices and voice mail. I ended up leaving a message which they said would be listened to and handled shortly. Well....good thing I wasn't dying! 24 hours later, after no response from them, I called back and I was more than a little bit ticked off. This time they called in the prescription for me within an hour.

So I have missed a week of work and that's like throwing money out the window. I haven't felt good at all and when I'm not happy.....ain't NOBODY happy. (just kidding about that.....I actually curl up in a corner and just feel sorry for myself). I wasn't able to get my flu shot because I didn't think it was a good idea to get it when you're sick already. So I've started the 5 day dose of antibiotics and I hope this does the trick. Last time I had this stuff, it took two prescriptions to clear it up.

Sorry I haven't said much.....I just haven't felt up to par. I've been trying to make the rounds and visit everyone though. Hope you all are feeling well. I'll see you in a few days....hopefully bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Never a dull moment.....

Well, let's see....where do I start. The other day I was doing laundry and noticed that my water just didn't "feel" right. I figured that it was no longer soft water and probably the reason was because my water softener needed to be refilled with salt. So I trudged downstairs to check it out.

Now, I had my laundry facilities moved upstairs a while ago because the stairs are just too hard to navigate with my bad knee and bad hip, but I CAN go down there if I'm careful. It just hurts, plus takes me a while. I would say that I probably haven't been down in my basement for about 3 months.

So anyway, I go downstairs to check out the softener. Now I'm no Martha so I go barefooted inside my house. I've always done it and probably always will. As I'm walking toward the softener, I have to step on a large piece of kitchen carpeting that's been down there for ages. It's better than standing on a cold floor when you're doing laundry. I step on the carpeting and immediately jerk my foot back.....its wet.....very very wet. My first thought was that the wash water may have come back up through the drain in the floor but there is no smell. I look around some more to find a clue. The water must have come out quickly at one time as the water line on the paneling is about 2 inches up from the floor and there are calcium deposits that have settled in between the tiles on the floor. Bright white they are and there's no missing them. About the only place those could come from is my water heater and upon closer inspection....yes, its leaking.

I can't really complain; it has served me well. It was installed in 1985 and I've never had any trouble with it. So I call my furnace guy and make arrangements to get a new one installed the next day. I thought briefly about getting one of those new tankless water heaters but they are expensive and take much longer to install. My budget dictates that I stay with the tried and true.

First and foremost I have a clean-up job that must be tended to. That soaking wet big piece of carpeting is not going to be easy to contend with. I call my son and ask him if he would do this for me and he readily agrees to take care of it. He will do it the very next day and the day after that I get the new water heater installed. Perfect timing. The next day he comes over and cleans everything up down there, carts the wet carpet up and out of the basement and mops the floor. He did a very good job. The next day the new one is installed and it takes about 2 hours. Its nice to have hot water again. Oh and my softener was out of salt, so that was replenished and now I should have soft water again. Life is good.

This happened yesterday. Fast forward to about 3 in the morning when I wake out of a sound sleep and smell gas. Now I am terrified of natural gas. I have a lot of respect for it and for what it can do for us as well as to us. My emergency dispatch training pops into my head so I know not to turn on any lights as I roam around my home sniffing the air. Yes....definitely gas odor coming from the basement. Strong gas odor. I call the gas company and report a gas leak.

As I sit there in my nightgown with my hair sticking straight up on one side of my head, I'm listening to this guy on the phone giving me instructions which make no sense. They really should update this speech they go through. First of all, he tells me that they recommend that I evacuate my home immediately.....which escalates your fear factor about 100% right there. In the next breath he wants to make sure that someone will be here to let in their employee. Then he tells me not to turn on any appliances or any lights and not to use the phone. At this point, I actually take the receiver away from my ear and look at it. WTH does he think I'm calling him on? Oh well, it hasn't exploded yet.......I continue to listen. He states he will have someone here within 60 minutes. SIXTY minutes. I was figuring maybe 15 to 20 but not 60. There's not much I can do but wait. I then get dressed and open the front door to let some fresh air in. After about 10 minutes of fresh air, I turn on a table lamp, thinking it will be safer than a wall switch. Then I wait some more. All of a sudden my whole house is submerged in darkness. The power has gone out! I can't remember when I've ever been so scared. I figured that this was just a prelude to a house explosion and I tightly shut my eyes and brace myself. Nothing happens. I open my eyes and then the lights come back on. I'm thinking to myself....oh great...this can't be good, power going off and on through-out the entire house and here they warn you not to be turning stuff on. Then it goes out again and this time I look outside and discover that the entire neighborhood is pitch dark. The wind is very strong at this point and its spitting rain. I was surprised when the power came back on a minute or so later. This time it stayed on. (my daughter wasn't so lucky.....she's still out of power and the power company says it may not be restored until early Friday morning!)

The gas company showed up within 40 minutes and he yellow tagged the water heater (dangerous) after shutting off the gas to it. He said there was a definite leak in the connection....a substantial leak. He said to have my installer come back and fix it, then fill out the card and mail it back. He said that if they (the gas company) have to come back out again after the installer has been here, I will be charged for it! Off he went. (personality rating out of 5 stars: 2) I felt better but it took me nearly an hour to calm down enough to where I could go back to sleep. At 9 a.m. I called my guy and he came over and fixed it all up. Apparently there was a problem with a fitting, which he replaced. I should have hot water by 6 tonight so I can do dishes and my white laundry.

Right now I'm sleepy and so I'm headed for a nap. This old girl can't take all this excitement in stride any longer. Time to recharge the batteries. Hope your day was more calming than this. Peace!

Here ya go, another easy recipe.....

Its been cold and rainy all weekend and its just the right time for a recipe like this. Its easy and kids love it. It is my own recipe as I've added and taken away from the original that I think came from Miracle Whip ages ago. I hope you make it and let me know how you like it. Enjoy.

VAL'S ONE PAN GOULASH

Dinner's on the table in less than 30 minutes!

You will need:

1 lb. ground chuck
1 jar spaghetti sauce (1 lb. 10 oz size) I use Ragu or Prego
1 medium onion, finely chopped
quarter of a green pepper, finely chopped....more or less according to your taste
1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni (or Penne works well too)
1 to 2 tsp. minced garlic or garlic powder
pinch of white sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 heaping tablespoon Miracle Whip salad dressing
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Brown hamburger, onion and green pepper in a large pan that has a cover. Drain this mixture in a colander, sprinkle with salt, mix and set aside.

Pour 1 cup water and the entire jar of spaghetti sauce in pan, mix well and bring to a boil. Add 1 1/2 cups of elbow macaroni, stir well to combine.

then add:
1 to 2 tsp. garlic powder
a pinch of white sugar (a must)

Add the hamburger and onion mixture, combine well. Bring to a boil once more, then turn down to medium, cover the pan and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes, stirring often so the macaroni won't stick to the bottom of the pan. Note: stir carefully, you don't want to make the macaroni into mush!

After the macaroni is cooked to your liking, remove from heat and add a heaping tablespoon of Miracle Whip and mix well. This is optional but it does give it a little kick and adds a nice flavor.

Top with Parmesan cheese if you wish. Serve with hot buttered rolls. Serves four.

Not ready for this.....

Early Monday morning....oh about 2 or so....I was awakened by thunder and lightning. I snuggled back under the covers and fell back asleep and when I awoke at 6 to get ready for work, it was raining hard. It did let up for a while so I could let the dog out. And I actually was able to drive to work during the respite. But the entire day was very dark, dreary and rainy. Plus that, we had wind advisories up as it was gusting to 50 MPH. What a miserable day and it got worse as the day wore on. By the time I got out at 5, the wind was cold and I was very happy to walk into my house that night.

I put on a pot of coffee right away as it sounded really good. The wind was really whipping things around out there and we had periods of pouring rain. Later, in my jammies, as I snuggled down in my couch with a good book, my coffee and the dog cuddled next to me, I couldn't help but wonder about all the people who are homeless. I always think about them more in inclement weather. I am so fortunate to have a warm, comfortable home and I give thanks for that fact on a daily basis. My little dog lives in more comfort than the homeless.

The rain kept up all night long and I woke up to more of the same today. It got down to the 40's last night and today the high did manage to get to 55 but tonight its going into the lower 40's again. We've had periods of heavy rain on and off through-out the day and I'm grateful that today was a day off for me and I didn't have to get out in it. It just seems too soon to be this cold.

I guess what I'm trying to convey here is that no matter what....no matter how disgusted you get or how angry you may get at certain situations, you have to stop and think about your blessings. Yes, I've worked the majority of my life to obtain my things but so have a lot of people....and because of current economic conditions, they've lost what they once had. My prayers are focused on those people; to help them and to help our leaders find a solution to this horrible problem. We all know someone who is in a bad situation right now. I've never, in my life, seen things as bad as they are and never have I seen so many empty homes. I hope someone comes up with a plan.....one that will work and one that won't take more away from those of us who are barely keeping our heads above water.....and I think that's most of us right now. I certainly wish I had the solution but it isn't going to hurt to pray and to pray often about it. Remember......'there but for the grace of God, go I'. Take care and God bless, my friends.