LOL San...Well it's our only bye weekend for Youth Football..so it's a lazy day..Hubby was going to go into work..but apparently the bed was to comfy..and he couldn't pull himself out...~Darn it kinda..coulda used that overtime $$~ I've been out in the garage rummaging and trying to figure what I can get myself into. LOL... I, like San, know what should and needs to be done..but I'm sure I can find something that will make me forget.. I have a few doors to knock on, to see if they will allow me to remove apples from their property that just are falling to the ground..if so that'll keep me a bit busy for a while. LOL The dog and I have been taking walks in the am...and she's been my shadow all day..she's like hey...I'm ready..where's the leash..I guess it won't hurt to put on the socks and shoes, grab the leash and get a quick stroll in... Have a wonderful weekend everyone...Football is always on here...but I only like to watch if I can watch my children..They don't play on tv YET......

I'm just doing a few appetizers with drinks before Christmas Eve dinner and this is what I'm making. DEBBIE'S HOLIDAY BACON APPETIZERS (from the early 80's) Club Crackers 1 pound Thin-Sliced Bacon cut in half 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese Begin by laying crackers on a cookie sheet, face up. Now just spoon 1 teaspoon of cheese over each cracker. Assemble: Wrap 1/2 piece of thin bacon around each cracker. Being careful to completely cover the entire cracker. Place the wrapped crackers onto a baking sheet with a rack. I used my two piece broiler pan. Place the pan in a 250-degree oven for around 2 hours. The great thing about these is, you can make them way ahead of time, then store them in a large Ziploc in the freezer. Then, when youÂre ready to serve them, just thaw and warm in the oven for about 10 minutes. BAR NUTS From The Union Square Cafe Cookbook, HarperCollins, 1994 These nuts won The New York Press award for "best bar nuts in New York." Every afternoon at about 4:45, a piping hot batch emerges from our ovens and is sent out to the bar, where the sweet rosemary fragrance wafts throughout the restaurant. Though they don't have a television set at they're bar, these nuts would probably be a hit in your living room accompanied by a football game and some ice-cold beer. Yields 5 cups  1/4 pound each peeled peanuts, cashews, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, and whole unpeeled almonds or 1 pounds unsalted, assorted nuts.  2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary  1/2 teaspoon cayenne  2 teaspoons dark brown sugar  2 teaspoons kosher salt  1 tablespoon butter, melted 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Toss the nuts in a large bowl to combine and spread them out on a cookie sheet. Toast in the oven until they become light golden brown, about 10 minutes. 3. In the large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, brown sugar, salt, and melted butter. 4. Thoroughly toss the warm toasted nuts with the spiced butter and serve warm. CINDY 5NY's HOT CRAB AND CHEESE APPETIZERS 1 can crabmeat, drained 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup cheddar, shredded 2-3 green onions, minced French bread, sliced 1/4 inch thick or melba toast rounds (I am using small cocktail size pumperknickel) Combine filling ingredients. Spread thickly on bread or toast. Bake 375 15-20 minutes.

funny story..so my dad was working in Tomah wi..huge football fan (played some himself ) decides to take in a greenbay game, a first for my Kansas born mother...they were also meeting up with some of his friends my mother never met....one of the typical cold games, but mother, not knowing just how cold, wore heels and hose, dress, and at least did have a heavy coat...she about froze! finally someone did find heavy army sox to put on over her shoes... those were the days way before tailgating....although you'd see people going to see the rams (la then) having quite elegant picnics on the grass surrounding the colosseum.... we have one tailgater (go lions) who brings a motor home, AND a hot tub on a trailer behind a truck! crazy....

Patti, yes, I guess a leaky heart should be looked into. And loved your approach to the doctor! Way to go! You must be SO proud of your SIL and that whole family! That's doggoned impressive! And thrilled for your son and getting his bride-to-be back here, a little nervous about her getting in without any glitches. Exciting times for you! Does she speak Mandarin?? What part of China is she from? I just did cart seeds inside for the first time last year. It was surprisingly easy with the good help of all our smart friends here. They were even more help advising where and when and what to plant and filling the raised beds. Last year, I had no idea how to tell what I wanted in a tomato or pepper (or anything else--I'm sure you all remember my ignorance); I have learned so much from you all in the past year; and I had to laugh at Rebecca saying that she bet I wouldn't buy seed from (I don't know who it was, some big box company). And it IS true that I've become very uppity about seed companies--but it's all y'all's fault! You know it is. I didn't get started on seed-planting today, Dawn. Maybe tomorrow. We are still staying away from: church, and schools. So maybe I'll get up and begin tending the garden for God. :) I'm a little bit freaked about IT, too. I bet all of you who have only recently started all the seed-growing stuff are feeling about like I am. . . So technically, this is only my second year. But it was so easy last year, I'm not too freaked out. Mostly by the nightmares of potting up, the taking all those flats out every morning, bringing them all back in in the evenings. Too funny. It's like running an orphanage, pet shelter, daycare. Constant attention, right? I'm thrilled that in what is going into my 4th year here, I have SO many perennials, self-seeding annuals, and shrubs going. SO appreciated the additional info on drip irrigation tubing. I'm still on the edge, there. I think I will maybe NOT do it in the flower beds, cept for the cement block raised one, and the raised veggie beds. Maybe soaker hoses, though. I really don't much care about the worry over sprinklers getting leaves wet, when I remember the 20" of rain we got May into July for two years in a row. The saving money part, sure. But I have those oscillating sprinklers, so can narrow down the watering to the immediate bed being watered. That's gotta help some. HJ and Dawn both posted while I was starting on this, so had to change windows to see what they had to say. lol Liked the way you tied Rh into gardening, HJ. Very creative. And now, HJ, and I am very worried about your babies since dogs seem to be about. (Which is one of the two main reasons we won't have them--the other being times we have to go to Wy or Mn.) Amy, I had to google the car accident you mentioned. How very sad. They still haven't released the names. We only go to Wahoo Bay occasionally, because you know my distaste for traveling. It's probably 25-30 miles from our house--as you know, we're north and east of Wagoner by 10 miles; Wahoo is south and east of Wagoner by about 15. We go down there a couple times each summer. Actually, that's where GDW is going to crappie fish--a nice heated dock not too far north of Wahoo. And he is on a mission now. We got his moon jigs, his special bobbers should be showing up Tuesday, and then he just KNOWs he'll be catching all kinds of crappies. That was funny, you mentioning your Mom ears. I have them, too, with the new kitties. Speaking of them. . . . uh oh, I fear they are into their teens, full blown. Jerry's actually the troublemaker; but Tom is the dangerously funny one. They were both obsessed with getting into the pantry, because of the hole in the wall where the water lines are. But mostly because it's a shut door. If a door is shut, that's where they want to go. Garry fixed the door once (previously it shut and stayed shut, but didn't latch.) But didn't fix it good enough apparently. Last night, one of the cats came racing in here with a prize--my brand new fancy dancy fuzzy "feather duster." Score!, he thought, and you could all but see them doing "high 5's" about it. All I could do was laugh. The fuzzy part is a foot long, and then has a wood handle that's another foot long. Hysterical. So I put it back and shut the door. This morning before I was up, GDW got to witness the same thing. But so, he FIXED the door good today. The cats are so ticked off. BUT, now, I fear the cabinets are next, as Tom was interested in seeing in what was one of them when I opened it today. . . and they, of course, do not latch. You could almost see the little light bulbs going off in his head. They've been rowdy today. . . SO rowdy. So funny. They're both also SO affectionate. I plunked Tom down 4 times earlier today when he was being obnoxious and in my face (AFTER I gave him 15 minutes of uninterrupted time), and four times he jumped back instantly. But he also has been in either GDW's lap or mine every time we have sat down today.