Dear Hopeful and DH ~ Congratulations on your Golden Anniversary. That is truly wonderful! Even though you weren't able to go along with plans, you had a quiet, loving day with each other to celebrate your milestone, your love. Each day we have here is a gift. Each day spent with our beloved spouse is a blessing. Enjoy and may you both have many more days together. FlowerLady Love is Forever

LOL, Virginia! No, that's okay. If we go, we'll be there before 3. My cousin likes to garden, but she's not a diehard like us and I'm not sure if she would be up for two gardens in one day. So I don't want you and your friend to go to any trouble. I'll see how she feels about it tomorrow. Good luck to you and your friend tomorrow! Monique, at least the storms will clear up by morning, so it shouldn't actually be raining during the day. Funny, I was thinking of you this afternoon while I was deadheading MY daylilies. I was thinking of seeing if you needed any help to get ready tomorrow morning. But unfortunately, I am driving up with someone and I don't think she'd want to be there THAT early - although she probably wouldn't mind being put to work, lol. I'm sure everything will be perfect! See you tomorrow! :) Dee

I'm corning our own flat cut brisket this year-- used a recipe from Bob Appetit-- the brine contains Lager-- it's brined for a total of eight days-- will be interesting to see if it's as good as Dad's old corning recipe. Also planning to do a Beer Cake-- it's originally a German recipe but hey if it's got beer it COULD be Irish. Home Cookin Chapter: Heirlooms , Traditional & Ethnic Gugelhupf Bierkuchen (German Beer Cake) ======================================= 1 cup molasses 1/2 cup butter at room temperature 1 (12 ounce) bottle beer 1 cup raisins, plumped and dried 2-2/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon baking powder (double action) 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon EACH, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger (I use 1 teaspoon cinnamon) 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or filberts, toasted Glaze (see recipe below) . Instructions: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour a 9 or 10-inch tube, bundt or gugelhupf (sometimes spelled Kugelhopf) pan. Combine the molasses, butter, and beer in a saucepan and heat only until the butter melts. Stir in the raisins or currants and let the mixture cool for 15 minutes. Sift together the dry ingredients. Stir in the nuts. Pour the cooled beer mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Pour the batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated 350° F (180°C) oven for 45 60 minutes (I check at 45 minutes, mine took 50 minutes). Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack. Let cake cool a bit before drizzling glaze over it. GLAZE: Mix 1 cup icing sugar and enough maple syrup (or liquid honey) to moisten the icing sugar to the drizzling stage. Pour glaze over the top of the cake and let it run down the sides.

Thanks Everyone!!! Well, went to the meeting and there was a young gal there with 60days clean, came up to me after the meeting and asked me for my phone number!! She's only 20yrs old. We have a saying in NA that you can only keep what you have, by giving it away. I liken my disease of addiction to diabetes, every day you need your medicine and need to pay attention to doing the things that keep you well, you stop doing those things...you get sick again. Well, my leg is in a fancy air cast and I'm not to walk on it yet. I've wiped out twice realllly bad on my crutches, had to go get ex-rays of my other knee!! So have kept to the wheelchair(thankfull we live in a rancher with lam floors!) Cindy is so great about seeing me every week and calling etc.. I see the doc next week and find out what's next. It only hurts if I have my foot down for more than a 1/2hr at a time, so I prop it up a lot. My friend Sandy brought me her recliner rocker for me to recoupe in so I sit ther with my tv tray beside me and am working on a gazing ball right now. I plan to do my mushroom as soon as I can. It's hard not to miss my usual freedom of hittin' the thrift and building supply stores for more goodies, but it has been less money spent!!! As soon as I can get around better I'm buying a heavy duty blade for my taurus saw and 2 tile blades for tile work and start givin er!!! Again, thank you all for your sweet comments as I feel if it wasn't for NA, I'd not have a life(breathin, in..and out..)but God wanted me to have a rich and abundant life(ya'll)!!! Jane