Like I said, it is too bad if you have very picky eaters. My mom always served "Mrs Smith's" frozen pies and I've always enjoyed them. That's my kind of pie, take out of freezer to thaw, bake, cool and dig in yum! Now if you just adore making pies and you're going to feel so disappointed if you don't get to make one, then by all means do it. But if it is stressing you out, I say let it go, and go store-bought. Embrace the calm that goes along with it. I make semi-homemade pies with store bought crusts, it's my compromise and I never hear any complaints. The only reason I make home made crust is to save money. I had Thanksgiving at my aunt and uncle's one year, she was in her 80's and is the bestest cook. She made the whole dinner and I think enjoyed doing (it was super delicious as always) it, but I brought all the appetizers and they bought a caramel apple pie at the bakery for dessert and everyone raved about it. My uncle had a good time telling everyone all the elaborate trouble they went to making that pie too, like hand picking out the rare apples at some special store, etc. :) That's my motto, pick your battles when it comes to Thanksgiving and food, it's only food. Being in a good mood and rested and enjoying family is way more important. There's a whole cadre of folks who LOVE to cook and fuss and entertain at Thanksgiving. More power to them, but there is also a whole cadre of people who just don't love it, either due to being introverted, super busy with work, not feeling well, or just not liking to cook. It's time we gave those folks a break from "keeping up" with all the media hype around the holidays. Last year at the last minute mom said dad really liked sweet potatoes with a sweet sauce so instead of just baking them, I chunked them up and threw them in a casserole with some butter, brown sugar and a can of crushed pineapple. He loved it and I had to laugh because that came out a bigger hit than all my previous years pouring over cookbooks, magazines and the Internet for the ideal healthy or unusual or gourmet recipes.

jasdip - I agree that a vet visit is in order. I would probably start with an eye check just to rule out failing eyesight. Actually on a pet board last week a woman was beside herself because her 8 year old Shih Tzu had started to bite her (and her husband, but she was the favoured one and her dog had never exhibited any antagonistic behaviour towards her) whenever they stroked her dog with just one hand - with 2 hands - not a problem. It would appear that the pup did not see the one hand coming - but could see two. Then I would move on to perhaps dementia or other physical ailment. I definitely know what it is like to have 2 pets going after each other and it was not pretty. You mentioned that you have a third cat - hopefully Bud will not team up with the other cat and both go after Smudge if in fact Smudge is losing his eyesight, hearing or suffering from dementia. Your regular vet is unlikely to have the super magnifying eye checking equipment that Guelph or the Toronto McMurrich Clinic has. (I know this because like many others our dog was first diagnosed with conjunctivitis that was really an ulcer in the making that turned into an abscessed cornea - we caught it day one and this story has been going on since May 24, 2011.) We have been seeing the board certified eye specialist who travels to Toronto twice a week since July of 2011. So just in case I thought I would mention this to you. I would watch the cats closely and perhaps if you go out in the evening you might separate them until this issue is resolved. Obviously the vet visit will cost but hopefully an answer can be found quickly.

About mid-evening last Monday I was feeling chilly, checked the thermometer - it was about 60 degrees F. Checked the furnace, pushed the button to restart - nothing. Checked oil tank - at the bottom! Set an electric heater to operate in bathroom and kitchen, as it was about 15 degrees F. outside. Went to bed, with an extra blanket. Had a meeting Tuesday morning, visited son, borrowed an electric heater - for basement. As house was chilling - didn't want any frozen water pipes! How ... was ... I ... going ... to ... ask ... landlord ... (troubled as he is by arm in a sling from snowmobile accident almost a year ago and in pain) ... that ... I'd ... let ... the ... furnace ... run ... out ... of ... oil ... --- AGAIN! Piled on blankets, enough that they made me sweat ... then pulled off several on toward morning, to alleviate the sweating - as who wants to run around in sweaty clothing in a cold house! A while ago, when he oil line had allowed air to get in, I was able to open a valve by the pump to let the air get pumped out, then close it when oil spurted out. Tried that ... it pumped some air, then oil, so I closed the valve and the fire started ... ... ran for part of a minute ... and went out. Opened the valve, some more air came out, then oil, closed it, the fire started again. After a couple of such results ... the fire started ... and kept going. Has been going since. I've been away from 10:15 this morning till now, 7:45 ... but am almost 100% sure that the house'll be warm when I get there. So - I'm about 15 degrees of thankful. That ... my house is full of hot air, again (no comments, please!). And ... that I don't have to presume upon my landlord's good nature, to clear up the results of my heedlessness. I'm deciding that, in the cold weather, I'd better contract with myself to check the level of the fuel in the tank on the first and the fifteenth of each month. At our church's annual meeting on Sunday, the minister had said something about the church being somewhat chilly on some days of the week ... so I slipped over to her husband to ask whether it was mainly full of hot air on Sunday ... ... and he looked at me and solemnly said that, "Yes, it was". ole (warm) joyful

took me about 5 panicked minutes but i found it... agree, the scale is so small compared to other large animals which made it really difficult. and you are 'under the gun' to find it !! :)