Okay, change of plans - had my breakfast, did my dishes earlier and since I'm trying to figure out the best place for Andy's permanent litter box location I decided the utility room. Since it's a new build home, that room still has builder's debris (they still have a few things to finish) - so I'm cleaning the floor and trimming back the plastic wrap over the insulation so it's not a foot across the floor. Collecting copper wire (crafts - the electrician gave me two boxes of cut offs when he wired this place). Putting all of that room's garbage in the separate pile by the shop which is building debris which the builder will haul. I'm not filling my $2/tag garbage bags with this stuff. So I'm not bored anymore. And I'll continue vacuuming all this place once I start that. I scared DH away to his workshop. Now I know he's not bored anymore. And Andy has found a lovely sunny spot to snooze in. Ah to be a cat. LOL

I'd make Eggs Benedict with your ingredients. I have a great foolproof recipe for Hollandaise sauce- stir together (over heat) the juice of one fresh lemon and three egg yolks, cut a stick of butter into half-or three-quarter inch pats, add one at a time, plus a dash of hot sauce.The rest is easy- you'll need English muffins, eggs and Canadian bacon.

You could make your own family favorite recipe and use 1/2 c. oil and 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce. PUMPKIN BREAD Combine 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 c. granulated sugar, 1 c. pumpkin, 1/2 c. vegetable oil, and 2 eggs and beat well. Stir in 2 c. flour, 1 t. soda and 1 t. each salt, nutmeg and cinnamon, 1/4 t. ginger and mix well. Stir in 1 c. raisins, 1/2 c. chopped nuts and 1/4 c. water. Spoon into well oiled 9x5-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350-degrees for 65-75 minutes. CIDER PUMPKIN BREAD (Source: Pillsbury Best Muffins & Quick Breads) 1 c. firmly packed brown sugar 1 cup canned pumpkin 1/2 c. oil 1/2 c. apple cider or apple juice 1 egg 1\-3/4 c. all\-purpose flour 1/2 c. whole wheat flour 3 t. baking powder 1\-1/2 t. cinnamon 1/2 c. chopped nuts 1/2 c. raisins Heat oven to 350\-degrees F. Grease and flour bottom only of 9x5\-inch loaf pan. In large bowl, combine brown sugar, pumpkin, oil, apple cider and egg; mix well. Add all\-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder and cinnamon; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in nuts and raisins. Pour into greased and floured pan. Bake at 350\-degrees F for 55\-65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10\-minutes; remove from pan. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled. Wrap tightly and store in refrigerator. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We're having these for breakfast this morning... Source: Mostly Muffins \- by Barbara Albright and Leslie Weiner. PUMPKIN PIE MUFFINS 2 c. all\-purpose flour (I use Irish Whole Meal Flour) 3/4 c. firmly packed dark\-brown sugar (I use1/2 c. palm sugar) 1\-1/2 t. baking powder 1/4 t. baking soda 1/2 t. salt 1 t. ground cinnamon 1/2 t. ground ginger 1/4 t. ground cloves 1/8 t. ground nutmeg (Grainlady note: I substitute 2 t. pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg) 3/4 c. canned pumpkin 1/2 c. lightly salted butter, melted and cooled 1/4 c. buttermilk 2 eggs, lightly beaten 3 T. molasses 1 t. vanilla 3/4 c. coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts 3/4 c. chopped pitted dates Preheat oven to 400\-degrees F. Grease twelve 3x1\-1/4 inch muffin cups. In a large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. In another bowl, stir together pumpkin, butter, buttermilk, eggs, molasses, and vanilla until blended. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; add pumpkin mixture and stir just to combine. Stir in pecans and dates. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups; bake 20\-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in center of one muffin comes out clean. Remove muffin tin or tins to wire rack. Cool 5 minutes before removing muffins from cups; finish cooling on rack. Serve them or cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature. These muffins freeze very well. \-Grainlady

I am so, SO thankful, so blessed that I had all of you to turn to. I just re-read all the replies again and I'm smiling from ear to ear (and to be perfectly honest...my eyes got a bit teary) and I am about to start RE-decorating the tree....for the second time; thanks to all of you. To read some of your stories....terribly sad yes....those memories. But then I read how someday I can look back at this and laugh and I'm hoping all of you who've had the fallen tree mishap are able to do that also. To all of you: If any of you ever need a shoulder, or need to vent, I'll be here for you just as you were for me-I sincerely mean that. Just holler! (or, at least email through GW and I'll be there for ya...any of ya!) My Dad is doing much better....thank you so much for asking. It was sure scary the night I called 911. The fact that he is diabetic didn't help matters. E.R. Dx'd as severe food poisoning but because his sugar was through the roof and white count was so high they decided to keep him. On day three they were still insisting it was food poisoning. Took matters into my own hands and got a second opinion. Five tests later...... Severely Gangrene Gall Bladder, infection throughout bloodstream, etc. etc. Emergency surgery at 9 that night. Today, Dad is going to the bathroom without me helping him get up and walk there and without me standing outside the bathroom door waiting for him to finish. Thus....I'm redecorating my tree today! LOL My son? My voice of reason and comic relief. I will be showing him this printed thread. Thank you all so much. As for mice, rats and Sterilite....here's some pics I took really early this morning. This is one of the last two Sterilite tubs that we didn't get broken down in time for the curb/trash pick-up. Until now I thought those cute little round mouse holes in cartoons were just that....round mouse holes in cartoons. Nope, those critters really DO make almost perfect holes to get at what they want! And yes, thank you for that tip.....I just finished printing out this topic, all the replies. I want to put it with the pics I took of the mouse holes....so I can hopefully laugh about it some day. If you are squeemish about 'rat and mice stuff', don't scroll down to the pics below.....stop right here *smile* But I did put pieces of bubble wrap behind the holes to keep you from seeing the 'stuff' inside. Considerate of me, no? *grin* ------------------- ------------------- ------------------ ----------------- ------------------