TGIF!

Really looking forward to the long weekend with DH!

Good luck with that canner, Linda, & enjoy your weekend!

I'm just finishing up a double batch of mango/coconut muffins. A few to grab this weekend & the rest for the freezer.

Errands tomorrow & then I'm making lobster lasagna for dinner tomorrow night with mixed-greens salad & fresh bread. Dessert will be an apple & caramalized fennel tart.

My DS sent me flowers for Valentine's Day. They arrived Tuesday...beautiful. Then, on Wednesday...they arrived Again. This morning, they arrived AGAIN! Yep, 3 beautiful bouquets of Oriental lilies w/mixed greens. The florist said they'd made a billing error when DS phoned the order in & had wholesale ordered the lilies so decided they might as well bring them to me rather than have them wilt in the store. :) The aroma is almost overpowering!

Sunday, we're headed to our favorite antique store in MA. It's an all-day event. Monday, we need to get the garden cleaned up. Lots of wind this week & the trees have shed multiple branches/twigs, etc. The wind even ripped a large branch off one of my rhoddies...drats.

Hope everybody has a terrific Valentine's Day & a nice weekend. If you're on the road for the holiday weekend...be safe.

/tricia

Where has the week gone? I've been out of town for 6 days on a roadtrip to VA and NC visiting sons and watching a horse trainer/clinician do a clinic.

I'll hopefully be riding this weekend as well as doing some spring prep yard cleanup (my apologies to those of you still buried in snow, but it's time to get gardening here).

DH Joe is away at a church retreat tonight so I'll be catching up on computer stuff that I've missed while traveling, watching TV or reading with the dogs and cat tonight and will raise a glass of peach brandy to you all!

Grace

TGIF

I am staying home this weekend and babysitting my 1 year old nephew. so Valentines dinner will be kid friendly and probably include mac and cheese. lol

My husband said he is spending all weekend and his day off Monday in his shop so I guess that means we have finally been married so long that Valentines day is just another day. Oh well I will get lots of baby kisses from the nephew!

HAVE A WONDERFUL VALENTINES DAY EVERYONE!

Melissa

Grace, who instructed at the clinic. I attended one here with Ken McNabb, it was pretty interesting but when I whisper, my horse ignores me. LOL

Melissa, baby kisses are wonderful anyway. And it's kind of nice to be married long enough to be in that "comfort zone", although Valentine's Day has always been kind of a Hallmark Holiday to me, I've never paid much attention to it.

Tricia, I love the look of lilies but the aroma always reminds me of funeral homes. Cheerful thought on Valentine's Day, huh?

Linda, just have a nice relaxing weekend.

Me? Elery is driving up tonight after work, he'll be here about 1 a.m. He wants to cook me dinner for VD (that's what Ashley calls it, LOL), and then he'll drive back the three hours on Sunday morning.

Tonight I'm baking cookies for The Princess and Bruvver, tomorrow is dinner with Elery. Sunday I go to the farm for chores, then a birthday party for another great nephew, I seem to have a lot of them and they all want gifts.

I have Monday off and I'm swimsuit shopping, getting ready for my trip to Texas next weekend. Since I hate to shop I'm moderating that "ick" factor by taking Amanda, the kids, Ashley AND my Mom. We're going to Chuck E Cheese. They have beer and wine now, you know, and they NEED it!

Annie

Bathing suit shopping is cruel and unusual punishment!

Not much going on here this weekend. Some yard cleanup tomorrow, the wind of the last few days has taken it's toll. Quiet garlic dinner tomorrow, nice bottle of wine and a cozy fire.

Sunday DH wants to go to the Auto show........thud. I'd almost rather go bathing suit shopping! Why he loves it so much I'll never know but he is a pistons guy and I'm happy if he's happy.....mind you he never seems to be keen on the Home and Garden show.....

Happy weekend everyone, clinking with my Martini in another hour or so.

Chase, while you're clinking, raise a toast for San's Dad, who passed away yesterday. I posted a separate thread for her, in his honr, but she could use some good thoughts coming her way from her friends here.

Annie

Friday's almost over -- well, the daylight part of it is for me. I took my mom to have a cataract removed on Thursday and spent last night at her house. Took her back for a follow up today. She's doing great. That procedure is just amazing.

So, I missed two days of work, so I guess this makes it a four day weekend. I did check work email and there was plenty there. I got one or two things done this afternoon and will do more over the weekend. Work is a stressful place these days.

We had a lot of wind on Thursday and it blew the downspouts off my house! DS said he will put them back up if I hold the ladder. It's a deal. That can be his V-Day gift to me and I like that a lot better than a bunch of flowers.

Other sad news was that my XH's 101 year old aunt died this morning. She lived in a nursing home near him. I've known her since I was 15. She was fine until about a week ago and sadly, she suffered until they got hospice care for her.

So, I am going to check up on mom a few times over the weekend, do some housecleaning, catch up with girlfriends and appreciate life.

I'll add San's dad and Aunt Bernice to my "clinks" and my thoughts. Have a good one, everybody.

A clink to Aunt Bernice too, dedtired.

On a happy note, I just got a call from my BIL. My first calf of the season was born this morning, a little red girl with a white face and "rosy cheeks". She'll have to live in the barn with Mom until our weather gets a bit warmer, but for now she's safe and snug....

I'm going out tomorrow to see what needs to be done before I leave for Texas, to keep Mom and baby happy and secure.

Annie

Ded, I hope your mom is doing well after her surgery. Boy that one has come a long way, I remember my Grandmother having it done back in the 70's and it was a major deal.

Annie, I wouldn't wish bathing suit shopping on my worst enemy! Those florescent lights are made to bring out every bit of cellulite on my body!

We went to see Clinton Anderson at the Lexington VA Horse Center (and our youngest is in college in Lex). He gave a 2 day clinic/demonstration and it was very good. I did get a lot out of it and know that I've got a couple of weak areas that I need to work through with my horse. Joe especially learned a lot. We are still trying to figure out if Joe's mellow horse Sarge actually has a "thinking" side to his brain, but it must be there. :)

I'd love to see Ken McNabb. I've watched him a time or two on RFD and I've always liked his approach. Plus he can really ride and seems to train more for trail and ranch work than some others. This was the first clinic that we've ever been to... of course Clinton Anderson will be about 3 hours away from us a couple of times this year, but Joe planned this trip to make a fun roadtrip (15 hours) and combine it with seeing our youngest at college in Lexington. It was one of my Christmas presents and we had a fun getaway.... lucky we both like to drive!

Congratulations on the new bovine baby!

Grace

Happy Friday the 13th (still a couple of hours left here). I've been working on Fridays, I miss my catch-up time. If you've read anything about how busy libraries have gotten with the downturn in the economy, it's too true.

Last week DH started walking without the big ol' boot. After 3 1/2 months he's back to work and chores, barely limping. My wood hauling and snow shoveling days are over...yay!

Tomorrow is a work day and, since DH took me to dinner tonight, I'll make something special when I get home.

Sunday we have absolutely no plans, just a huge list of projects. I think I'll start some leeks and onions...and pretend it's not a big ice cube outside. The kid has been on a cruise to Mexico (brat) all week and gets back late tonight. I'm sure she'll be worthless all weekend.

Take care, all. And another ~clink~ for San.

TGIF y'all. Chiming in late as usual. Everyone seems to have something nice planned, even if it IS bathing suit shopping.

I was supposed to go out with a friend for her birthday Friday lunch, but I had to cancel, and I suggested Sat night at our house instead thinking she might be alone - SCORE! She is excited about coming over for my cooking, LOL. Vday is a big yawn here. I am lucky, I've been treated like a queen pretty much every single day since 1981 when I met DH. No flowers though, unless he grows them himself, suits me fine - I don't like flowers...messy plant genitalia. I appreciate them better on the plant where they do some good.

Today we're going to try to drag the kids to our library to renew passports; theirs have expired. I have chicken marsala on tonight's menu since a local store has HUGE MUTANT boneless chicken breasts (health food store, they say its natural, swear to God) on sale for $2/lb.

I've been doing a little bit of necklace beading. I'm trying to fix a necklace I broke all over my car last September, and started noodling around ebay - not a good idea, grin. This guy has some stuff I've been lusting after - means a trip to downtown LA's bead mart....so far I've made a necklace I didn't like so I donated it to our school fund raiser, I made it in our school colors. Hey every few bucks helps.

Sunday night we're going to a friends house for dinner, Monday I haven't figured out yet! I might drag a kid up to Los Angeles, museum hopping.

I'm late on TGIF...so Happy Valentine's Day!

Had a flu bug early in the week that hit me like a freight train. Apparently lots of it going around... In the thick of it, I thought I'd never feel right again, and now I can hardly imagine how bad it was since I've come back to normal so quickly. Left as fast as it came, thank goodness.

Ran errands all day yesterday & went to a hockey game last night. DH had a vase of white tulips on the table for me this morning along with my favorite candy, a bag of Turtle Popcorn from "The Chocolatier" in Exeter, NH. I know I'm supposed to be back on the program..but it's Valentine's Day!

We went out for breakfast and are packing up to go to the lake for the remainder of the weekend. I just made my list to pick up groceries on the way. Am still planning to make Chicken w/ 40 Cloves of Garlic (one of Ina's recipes) for the cookalong tonight.

I still haven't taken my new camera out of the box - can't explain my dread of learning to use new electronics - but I'll ask DH to pack his camera so he can snap a picture to add with my results.

Hope everyone is well and enjoying the weekend!

No big plans here for me either.

I gave myself a painting project this week. I know I know...no more work on the house but I figured if I used paint we already had it would only cost effort. Plus I would not be taking half empty cans of paint when we move so I may as well use them up!!

My thoughts and prayers go out to dear San on her Fathers passing and to Pam on the passing of her Aunt. Much love to both of you.

And may I also add prayers to the family of yet another Philly cop killed in the line of duty last night....can we just stop the madness?? PLEASE??

Tomorrow I plan to go to AC to see a show...the tix were my holiday gift to my husband...to retaliate he splurged on a suite at the Tropicana so we don't have to drive home tomorrow night.
Prob won't even gamble that much but it will be nice to get away.

Cheers!
Susie