Drum roll please, Ladies and Gentlemen, I now reveal to you the contents of the fabulous box that wendy sent to me: * 3 (three) boas - one pink, one plue and one purple - my husband has been out of town for 3 days . I think I'll dress up in feathers for his return ;) lol * A wooden caddy with roosters - thanks! * A metal bird that is also a bird house - this is really cute. I'll but it in the woods with my new plants. * A crow scarecrow pic (for the fall wreath I just made for my front door) * A flower pick * A magnet notepad - for my refrigerator... I'm always looking for a scap of paper to write a note * 2 sets of work gloves - I really needed these * A bag of jiffy pellets (always useful) * A white pillar candle with purple flowers * A beautiful green petal candle dish with tea light - now on my coffee table * 3 tiny flower pot candles - too cute * lemon verbena home fragrance ( love that smell!) * A big bag of small narcissus bulbs ( almost bought these for myself last week) * 4 plants variegated hosta "minuteman" variegated creeping fig lingularia the rocket Cimicifuga racemosa (Black Cohosh) Wow Wendy wow. As I said " I gots the bestest box"!. My daughter and I had so much fun pulling all the gifts out of the box. The natives look a little sad. But I've already planted them and they will get lots of TLC. I do love everything in my box so much. You certainly puts lots of thought into that box and saved the best for last. Thank you. (((((((((BIG HUG))))))))) kim

Well, I just got Vic good. I found her on ebay and wouldn't tell her WHO I was and made her guess. By golly she got it right too, first try! Ain't SHE a smart cookie? Well played Ms. Vic! Now who's a smarty? HEHE Vic you asked me how SO was doing on the smoking he has not had an actual cig. since Nov 12. BUT he is using the Nicorette gum. I hope he can really quit this time. This is the longest I have known him to go without one, and NOT breaking down and getting one. We also found out yesterday at a follow up visit to his reg. Doc. that he DID in fact have a mild heart attack. She said they where not SURE WHEN it happened but it shows up that it did. Well WE know for a FACT that is the day (Nov. 12) it happened because he had never experienced anything like the pain before and he also hurt in his chest for almost a week afterwards. He had just had some test a few months before to look to see what if anything build up was there and at that time there were so signs of a heart attack. So YES the 12th IS when it happened. I am just glad is wasn't severe and he made it home from where he was and we were able to get him to the hospital. So, yes I was sort of freaking after we heard the news and still am a little, I haven't been able to sit down an calmly talk to him about our future and what he needs to do now to take care of himself and make sure it doesn't happen again. However, when I think I can talk without breaking down we will be discussing some options, and what-if's in case there is a next time. WHICH I HOPE there isn't, but we do have to talk about it at any rate. ANYWAY, Bunny, I still haven't gotten my act together... I promise I will. It maybe a little late, but I will get your 'prize' out to you. I feel like such a slacker! I'm sorry. Kym has her hands full with all her Secret Santa swap stuff, but I can tell you her kids ages are girl 16 and boy 14! I have insight...hehe, actually I have her questionnaire...HEHE, that is cheating now ain't it? Ok, ladies I will tell you. I will be posting a game in the next week or maybe 2. When I decide what the prize will be and then I will post something. I have to decide what the prize will be before hand and then I have to decide what I want the game to be! Something hard or something that can be found online! Well, I am either going to turn in or go play a game, it depends on how heavy my eyelids get in the next 30 min. or so. :) Fran

Holiday Eating Tips - For The Sane I hate aspects of this time of year. Not for its crass commercialism and forced frivolity, but because it's the season when the food police come out with their wagging fingers and annual tips on how to get through the holidays without gaining 10 pounds. 1. About those carrot sticks. Avoid them. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls. 2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnogaholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas! 3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat. 4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission. 5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello? Remember college? 6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog. 7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. You can't leave them behind. You're not going to see them again. 8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day? 9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, after all, have some standards. 10. And one final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Reread tips. Start over. But hurry! Cookieless January is just around the corner.

Chiming in to say that, as a Southern girl, we were all brought up to say to our elders: "Yes, Sir" and "No, M'am." Of course that has gone the way of the dinosaur now. Once in a great while, now that I live in Charleston, SC, I hear some of the college students use these terms to their elders. As for "you guys" and "y'all", I am afraid that both are here to stay. It is just part of the changing slang of the American scene. Language is a living entity, not engraved in stone, although, there is a movement to bring back spoken Latin.... I am in a French conversation group. When I use slang I learnt in Paris in the 60's, I am corrected by our native Francaise, who will tell me: "Oh that is so outdated; we now have a new slang term for so and so, etc." And so it goes...