Good morning! I too try to visualize people and it rarely, if ever, works out. it is nice to put faces to names. Shirley, still thinking of you and keeping you in my prayers. i know that's your daughter, brittney and dawson -- who are the others (inquiring nosey minds want to know) and as for your mom, you never know what the next roommate may be, perhaps you can hold off on the move until you see what comes in LOL, however, I think I'd want to be with my own and her secrets kept!!!! annie your dogs are beautiful, as are you. my aunt and uncle, for as long as i can remember, were the first home for service dogs until they were ready to go into training. they had several different dogs from what i recall. sorry about your lizzie...i know how hard it is to lose a beloved pet. my next dog is going to be a shepherd, but it's been decided that we will only have one dog at a time now, so I have to wait my turn. (we'll see) i made an anniversary cake for a group i belong to, it was our 7 year anniversary so i made this massive cake. i filled it with alternating layers of buttercream and lemon curd, and dang, if it was not tasty. I was able to take a slice home for the family to taste and seriously wish there had been more leftover, would have made a nice breakfast!!!! a real nice combination, even though it started out that i was going to use raspberry as well...i just couldn't get enough to cook them down to make a nice sauce/filling. it's still so cold and seems to be staying that way until at least next week, when it's supposed to go to the high 40's, with rain. by then, i'll think it's summer. this cold is bone chilling and of course, they are calling for more snow. we haven't got much of it, but.....this year it is bothering me like mad! i shouldn't complain, there are parts of the country that are in the negatives, so i'll just keep my mouth shut on this subject any further! so whose left to post their pic? come out. come out whereever you are! speaking of which, jeanne, how are those triplets of late? is mary ellen still a part of this group? i feel like i haven't seen her in a long time...maybe since she became a grandmom, or right before that? hae a nice thursday! maryanne

Used a rice cooker for years. Thought it was idiot-proof until my DH helped one night. Smoke and fire!!! (Zojirushi is a great brand, I'd probably start there if I bought another.) Started using 25 yr old heavy Calphalon pot. Perfect ever since and frees up counter space (more important to me than burners on rice nights). I usually cook brown rices, but like a variety. Water amount varies not only by rice but by cultural preference. I have an Armenian friend who uses so little water I can't believe it doesn't burn but it doesn't -- perfect and chewy for her stews every time, just like her mother's. I don't use "instants" so don't know how they behave, except they're quicker (processed). Rice is one of those things you can't believe is easy once you get the knack of it. Cold water start!

I hardly ever use the iron anymore, it has been a couple of months. I don't have many dressy things so it is great for me. Even some of the cotton button down shirts, come close enough to the iron that I just tell myself that it is good enough. I will never go back to ironing, steaming is so much faster and easier on your back. I leave the steamer in the closet and use it there, just turn it on in there and it makes it so easy for touch ups.

Below is a link to a steamer similar to the one I used. The one I used was practically an antique. The last place we lived, where I used the steamer, had a border print in every room of the house. I think the previous owners had put a lot of extra glue on, because nothing would take it off except the steamer. We did use those metal spatulas to help lift the edges too. Wallpaper removal isn't any fun at all. One place we lived the previous owners had placed it over wallboard that had never been primed or painted - it too some of the wallboard off when we removed it. Good luck with your project. we have a home despot in our town - with a Lowe's being built - they aren't so despot to customers as they used to be. Here is a link that might be useful: Similar Steamer To The One I used