Thanks everyone..glad you enjoyed 'My Apples'.. Luvs..those apples in the basket and on the plate are all faux. I love them because they do look so real and actually fool everyone who sees them. Kathleen...I know, I know, I'm kicking myself for not buying more of the dishes. Besides being really nice they were so cheap. Those cute little apple candles I got at CTS, a few years ago. I bought several boxes of 'Them' though...lol Sounds like some special baking, w/apples for your little Gson. You always do such sweet things...I'm sure they love and appreciate everything. The weather is supposed to be nice..hope everyone has a great time. yachter...you are so right. I had learned that lesson once before, the hard way. I passed up a fabulous buy on a table. When I got home, I was sorry I didn't get it. So I drove all the way back..and while I was almost there, a car passed me by...with guess what?? I'm sure you guessed, the table strapped to the top of the car!! grrrrr..ya think I would have learned from that... jaybird...lololol..I seem to have really hit a nerve with everyone on not getting more of those dishes.. If I see anything, this Sat, that I feel is a 'Must Have'... I definitely won't think twice. lynn...thanks. I agree, that basket was a great deal, and the quality is really nice too. It's quite large, and sometimes I use it for magazines. Come on everyone.... I'm looking forward to seeing yours...Lynn, I know you've been challanged...so I'm waiting anxiously too!! jane

awm : thank you for the sweet and supportive wishes. I sure hope your ride goes well. Two of the folks I am with have done that ride and loved it. We are indeed fortunate in the support we get from our families. tina thank you too. I will keep up the updates as it helps to clarify things in my head too :). I am glad you are enjoying it. golddust. we had flashing lights but it was just a miserable set of circumstances....hopefully not to be repeated. Glad you like my TALL tales. Sue yes it never has stormed today but we have had a fine time. We walked several miles to go to a Dollar Store and to stretch our legs. Time for a nap I think. Your trip sounds wonderful. I bet you will always cherish that time as will I this trip. Most likely won't do another as I don't want to leave DH this long again but this one time it is good. More later. c

kgwlise, so funny you say this. Read on. First I was going to report that I tried on the whole shebang yesterday -- dress with Spanx hose and shoes. I was pleased. As pesky said, no one's going to think I'm supermodel thin, but somehow that saddlebag bulge did not seem as evident. And, I could breathe! (I bought the Spanx on the larger side.) Now here's the funny part. I got on the scale this morning and have lost 4 lbs. since Monday! Obviously I was retaining water, as kgwlisa suggested. But it normally takes me forever to lose one pound, so this was kinda thrilling. I am now one pound less than I was before the trip. Now, if I can keep this going...? I want to lose 8-9 more pounds! So, in the end, maybe the Spanx, combined with my actual loss, will actually make it look like I lost 5 lbs. in 5 days!! LOL.

In my supermarket, the meat with short "sell by" dates is right there in the meat case, usually with a special sticker to indicate the discounted price. There are racks for "discontinued" merchandise, where I've occasionally found great bargains (e.g., on casserole dishes or storage containers), but most of the stuff is packaged or bottled products that, I suspect, are "trucked in" for display there. They are primarily gourmet or ethnic products that were never on the regular store shelves in the first place. I've found that, even if they're marked down, they're not necessarily low price, and usually they're not something I need or want to try. Still, I feel that magnetic pull to check the rack for true bargains. Sue