Thanks Tammy, I do think the defense will go ok though it will be very stressful. I'm not sure which way I'll end up doctoring in the end -- I used to think neurosurgery, and it's still really high on my list but I've been out of the hospital too long to feel very confident about predicting... chances are I'll be a specialist of some type. I'll try to remember to announce the defense over on conversations when I have a date. (or I can send you a blog invite, though you may not want to wade through my miscellaneous ruminations!)

The Amaryllis is beautiful. I wish the underground critters here didn't like them so much then I could grow them. Your daylilies are looking good....Ellie

Here are a few of our favorite casseroles. I don't know that they would win any healthy awards, but they are good. ~Anj CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE CASSEROLE 1/2 stick butter 1 cup uncooked rice 2 cups water 1 pkg Lipton Onion Soup mix Raw chicken pieces (whatever you prefer, whole or cut up) 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup 1/2 lb link sausage, sliced In a 9x13 pan pour melted butter over onion soup mix and stir. Add rice and water; stir again. Place chicken over rice (I added a little spice to chicken) and spoon mushroom soup over chicken. Place sausage slices over the top. Cover and bake @ 350 degrees for 1 hour or until chicken is done. (I cook uncovered for about 15 minutes at the end to brown up the sausage.) Chinese Chicken Casserole 2 cups cooked, cubed chicken, turkey, beef or pork 2 cups cooked rice (use minute rice if you're in a hurry) 1 full cup mayonnaise 2 TBL soy sauce 2 TBL finely minced onion (processor great) or substitute 2 TBL. chopped green onions 1 - 15 oz. can LaChoy chinese vegetables, drained & rinsed in a colander 1 - 4 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained & rinsed in a colander Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Place in a greased casserole (deeper one works well, like a square corningware or something - the 13x9 will dry out a bit). Cover with lid or foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until bubbly and just browning on top. Chicken Broccoli Casserole 2 lg broccoli heads, cut up (you can probably use frozen, but I never have. I don't like the stems and I like to cut my broccoli up kind of small) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked & cubed (I usually do about 2-3 large ones.) 2 cans Campbells cream of chicken soup 1 can Campbells cream of celery soup 5 heaping Tbls mayonaisse 1 cup grated cheddar cheese rice (enough for your family) Mix first 5 ingredients together in a 13x9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Take it out and sprinkle cheese over the top. Return it to the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese. You can eat this like it is, but we prefer it over rice. Even kids who swear they hate broccoli will like this one. Pork Chop Casserole (serves 4) 4 Pork Chops 4 cups sliced potatoes 1 can cream of celery soup 1 cup milk 2 T. chopped onion 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp pepper, or to taste Grated American Cheese (I just use Cheddar) Season & brown pork chops. Place potatoes in greased 2 quart baking dish. Mix together soup, milk, onion, salt and pepper. Pour over potatoes. Place pork chops over potatoes; sprinkle cheese over all. (I put the cheese under my chops) Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for about 60 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Chilaquiles Verde Bake Serves 4 1 can Campbells Creamy Chicken Verde Soup 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup water 2 cups cubed cooked chicken 2 cups frozen broccoli flowerets (I used fresh and had to cook it longer) 4 corn tortillas (6'), cut into strips 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese Mix soup, sour cream, water, chicken, broccoli and tortillas. Spread in a 2 qt shallow baking dish. Top with cheese. Cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until hot. Mexican Chicken Casserole 2-3 Boneless/skinless chicken breasts 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 can cream of celery soup 1 can rotel tomatoes 2 cups chicken broth 1 bag tortilla chips Grated cheddar cheese Boil chicken in a little onion until done. Cool and chop into bite-sized pieces. Mix soups and rotel tomatoes together. Add chicken broth to soup mix. Crunch up tortilla chips. Put chicken, chips and soup mixture into a 9x13 baking pan and mix all together. Bake at 350* for 15-20 minutes. Add lots of cheese to top. Bake til cheese melts, then eat.

very slow starting... what i really need to do i don't want to..shampoo carpet...and do have a load of dh's work shirts to do...i do them seperately on a short cycle, so i don't have to iron...we found some really nice dress shirts at costco that are just as nice aa his old oxford cloth from kohls...who by the way, i've heard, arn't the same anymore... and need to write a thank you note to sil's gma..she was kind enough to send copy of photos of my dd and her dgs...will get that done for sure...