Well Wodka, I weighed this morning. It appears I'm on a plateau - neiher up nor down. That's a lot beter though than an increase. I did go yeserday. Had quite a time. I don't drive all that much anymore and because of all the consruction I went a different way - one that I'm not that familiar with. When I came to one town there was a detour because of construction - a lengthy one. Anyway got around that all right. Got to the next town and made a wrong turn and didn't realize it until I saw the name on a nursing home and realized I wasn't supposed to be anywhere near it. Turned around and found my way. When I got to the nursing home, my friend had a bad cold and they strongly advised ,for my own sake, that I not go in to see her. I was sorry about that but didn't want to get sick myself and bring the flu home to others. I asked them not to tell her that I had been here. I came home a different way than I went. Still not that familiar with part of it but all worked out fine. The weather was nice and I did run a few other errands so I don't consider it was time wasted. The fact I didn't see my friend gives me an excuse to go again in a couple of weeks. Bet I don't go the same route!!! I don't intend to do too much to-day. This old girl gets exhausted easily. Anyway I had a good sleep last night and a good walk with the dog this morning. Have a good one everybody.

Riesling Poached Pear Frangipane Pie Directions: Crust 1 9-inch Hannaford pie crust Poached Pears 4 cups water 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 6 pears, ripe but not soft 2 1/2 cups late Riesling wine 1 1/2 cups Hannaford sugar 1 lemon slice Frangipane Filling 1 cup blanched almonds 1/2 cup Hannaford sugar, divided 1/4 cup Hannaford flour 6 Tbsp. Hannaford unsalted butter, softened 2 large Hannaford eggs 1 tsp. Hannaford vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. Hannaford imitation almond extract 1 Tbsp. reduced poaching syrup 1. Bake pie crust according to package instructions for pre-baking an empty crust. Cool. 2. Prepare poached pears. In a large bowl, combine water and lemon juice. Peel, core, and halve pears, and place halves in lemon water. Set aside. 3. Combine wine, sugar, and lemon slice in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Once this syrup mixture boils, reduce heat and keep it simmering. 4. Drain pears and discard lemon water. Add pears to syrup. Poach for 5 minutes, turn pears over, and continue poaching for an additional 5 minutes, or until pears are tender when pierced with a knife. Remove pears from syrup and place on paper towels to drain. Continue simmering syrup until reduced to 1 cup, about 20 minutes. 5. While syrup simmers, prepare frangipane. Combine almonds with 1/4 cup of the sugar in a food processor and process until finely ground. Add flour and pulse until combined. 6. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium high to beat butter and remaining 1/4 cup of the sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until well incorporated after each one. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts and poaching syrup. Reduce speed to low, add ground nut mixture, and mix until just combined. 7. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread frangipane in pre-baked pie shell. 8. Slice 1 pear half into slices 3/8 to 1/4 inch wide without separating slices. Slide a spatula under pears to transfer without separating. Fan pear half by pressing on stem end. Slide fanned pear half on to frangipane slowly so you can place it correctly. Repeat with additional pear halves until frangipane has pear fans evenly spaced over it, with space in between. Place pie on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until frangipane is puffed, golden, and solid to the touch. If crust edges start to brown too much, cover them with foil. Cool on a wire rack. 9. To serve, slice remaining pear halves in half. Place a quarter pear on a plate, drizzle with poaching syrup, and place a slice of pie beside pear. Extra poached pears may be refrigerated in an airtight container for three to four days, covered with any remaining poaching syrup. APPROXIMATE NUTRITIONAL VALUES PER SERVING: 450 CALORIES, 62G CARBOHYDRATES, 6G PROTEIN, 19G FAT (7G SATURATED), 60MG CHOLESTEROL, 100MG SODIUM, 6G FIBER

Just got in from the land of orange groves and double wide trailers. It was good, actually! I went to get granny first, and I made her cry because I gave her a rotary cutter and self healing mat... she quilts by hand and she's lost her rotary cutter and never had a self healing mat. Her hands shake now and she has trouble cutting in a straight line with fabric scissors, so I thought that would help, and she was really touched... now I just have to get her that Bunn coffee maker she's been talking about. She had a bunch of quilt blocks spread out all over the sofa so she could show me what she has been working on. She's always so happy for me to see her work, and I am so shocked that she insists in quilting by hand at her age... she thinks machine quilting isn't really quilting. I strongly disagree! I brought my Dyson to vacuum for her since her vacuum is so awful. I took the hose off the Dyson to get under her couch where the upright part was too thick to reach and heard a SLURP. The incredible suction of the Dyson pulled in an entire quilt block! And, I was nowhere near it with the wand, I still don't know how it happened. It happened so fast, I didn't even see it, just heard it. I had to open the dust bin up and retrieve it.... I apologized, but she wasn't upset at all... we both got a really good laugh out of it. It didn't even get dusty! Once I realized it didn't bother her, I laughed so hard I cried, and so did she... it took me a while to gain enough composure to retrieve the quilt block from the cleaner. I sucked up enough bobby pins and straight pins to start a factory... not to mention thread a fabric scraps.... I could make a whole quilt with what's in the dust bin. I also brought my new tiffany style lamp to show her and she really liked it. She gave me a card that was really sweet, and apologized that she didn't have any money to buy me a real present... I told her that was silly and love was all I needed (I buy myself enough "stuff")... she said,"Well, that's good because you got plenty of that" (meaning love). It was really sweet. Then we went to my uncle's and the food was ready.. they smoked chicken, grilled chicken, and BBQd chicken. The also had a salad, and baked beans with sausage. It was all REALLY good! My aunt made me a cake (just want I needed!).... it was a boxed yellow cake with store bought icing. I didn't get any salad and they were wondering why... my grandma told them I was dieting and that I love salads (which I have never said because it isn't true), so after eating the other stuff, I had a plate of salad (had to pick the tomatoes out, at least they had ranch dressing). They gave me a card and more mylar balloons (what is up with mylar ballons) and pictures of me as a kid all dressed in halloween costumes and such (remember they were the ones that raised me from 6 to 19). There was another aunt there, another grandma (not the one I was close with... the one I brought was the one I was close with) and my little cousin that I was raised with (she's 19).... we talked a while and ate and then granny stood up, which his her signal that she was ready to go home. I was too at that point.... the aunt was getting annoying (she just doesn't know when to shut up and "picks" on everyone... except me, because I haven't been back in their life long enough yet) and their spoiled black lab was begging for food and trying to lick my face the whole time. So, I took granny home and we talked a while at her place... I looked at her sewing machine and fixed the tension and wrote down the model number so I can download an print a manual for it.... she wants one and it didn't come with one when she bought it. She had trouble letting me go, she didn't want me to leave... she's so bored/lonely living out there, so I promised I'd call and be back soon and started home. It was a good day. The aunt gave me a tupperware cake carrier (turquoise!) to take the cake home in and told me to keep it... it was my little cousin's, exes and he never came to get it after they broke up. That is great because I can keep that one and give Larry my gray and white sterilite one! Oh yeah, and I popped those mylar balloons (my "car scissors" are so handy!) and threw them in the trash at the gas station on the way home. I didn't need them bouncing around in the car during the 50 minute drive home, and they would have just been one more thing to carry home. I tried to find some child to give them to, but there weren't any! I hope they don't go to the gas station later for some chewing tobacco and see them in the garbage (there's only one gas station in that town!). I'm throwing aunt's cake in the trash too because I just don't have room for it. They sent me home with lots of food and I will enjoy it for a few days... I don't have room for 3 cakes, but I'll make room for the chicken and baked beans, even if I have to throw the milk and eggs out! So, yes, a good day, I'm surprised and happy :) Larry is on his way over to try some of the Publix chocolate cake and see his nephew (Jasper the cat) and watch some Lucy :0) I guess I'd better vacuum the cat hair off the sofa (he hates cat hair) and dig a place on the couch for him to sit.... oh yeah, and wash a dish so he can try the cake.... I've been lazy with the housework lately! Thanks again everyone.... by the way, Larry said that isn't the Paula Dean recipe, but one of several he found on Google for the coconut cake. Oh yeah, the Publix cake tastes as great as it looks.... under that dark brown chocolate top layer is a lighter brown layer of mousse like frosting.... man it's good!

THANK YOU ALL for the birthday wishes. Of course the highlight was the visit and handmade cards from BeauLily. The patient forgot but that is unusual for him, it is I who doesn't remember anniversarys and birthdays. He was telling his assistant coach the lineup he wants for tomorrow, then I think I heard him say he would be at the game!! Excuse me--stadium stairs, dugout?