Good Morning Idylls! Yeah, Im wireless (but still getting used to this laptop). The party NYE was really fun. The food was outta this world and the dessert was a hit. It was everyones last splurge before the start of dieting. We decided not to spend the nite and I was the designated driver this yr so only had 2 glasses of wine. These are special friends and funny as heck. We were sad to hear theyre going to move to TN in the next yr or so but vow to continue to host a NYE party and were all invited. Despite what I said, I think Im ready to put xmas decorations away. Inspired by Cynthia, Wendy, V, Monique and Michelle, yesterday, I spent 5 hrs. in the basement going thru old stuff, reorganizing and labeling Today Ill pick up a couple on-sale storage containers and pitch the limp old, cardboard boxes. I set the DVR so I wont miss any of the Rose Parade. Gosh, I love that DVR. Monique, I have two huge piles of paperwork, too gardening and misc. Ill be weeding thru that in the next couple weeks. Wendy, one of my winter projects is to organize photos, too my own and helping DD with hers. Seems to be no end of projects here to tackle. OK, catch up. T, I like word puzzles. I just cant get my head into this craze. Woody, I loved the pix of your DH and furry friends! Great to have a peak into your world. Eden, Bella is a real cutie! And all that hair! My grandniece just had her first bday and is a peanut by comparison. Shes healthy, but very, very petite (fathers side of the family are all small). Shes seriously entertaining and knows she has everyones attention b/c shes so adorable. Your scrapbook project sounds real interesting. Please make sure you show us your contribution when youre finished. Oh, and how proud you must be of your DD. What a loving thing to do for her sister. You have great kids and theyre all so supportive of each other. Taryn, I loved the pix you shared. You have such a lovely family and everyone looks so happy to be together. And a bum shot! You are so baaaaad, girl! T, your grandson is sooooo cute. Its great you get to spend so much time with him. Im sharing Marians concern about Jerri and the wildfires in her area. Hope she checks in soon. Marian, I understand about the stuffing. Somehow, that day my mind wasnt in geat! I heard from Jain and she said she lost a rose garden to a mudslide, but is grateful for the minor loss in view of the misery in the valley. Cynthia, I can understand how you get caught up with the GH rescue. The pix you posted of Miss Blue do remind me of Monty. I hope shes adopted to a loving home soon. Wendy, the story of your nephews and the desserts cracked me up! You guys must have been hysterical with laughter. Martie, I loved that gift of dinner for a week! Thats so creative. I have such trouble getting my Mom something and usually supplement her gifts with gift certificates to her fav restaurants. She loves them. She and her BF and neighbor catch the lunch or senior specials every week. Mary, good luck to your DS in her new home. How great of you to drive out with her and help with the move. Its been quite a harrowing year for your family and I hope the New Year is full of fun, happy times. Babs, how awful the deer ravaged your gardens! I usually have to find and replant the rhizomes in the back of my garden. They take a taste and usually spit them out 100 yards away. Grrrrr. Sue, EP and Marian, Im amazed and so jealous you can get out and garden this time of yr. Altho it has been unseasonably warm, its just too darned damp and chilly for me to indulge. After the xmas décor is put away, Im going to dive into plant catalogs. Cant wait! Yeona, Barb, great to hear from you, too. Oh and a special thanks to EP for the recipes on the other thread. In fact, thanks to one and all. Im going to copy them to my recipe folder. Sylvia, great idea to make provisions for our pets should something happen to us. Im sure my DD would take Bullet in, but its good to have a plan in place. Marie, the creek is just beautiful! Our show has melted with all this mild (damp) weather. Were in for a cold snap soon. Hope we get some snow to insulate the plants. Eden, my fav movie is "Somewhere in Time" with Jane Seymour and Chris Reeves filmed at our own Grand Hotel up north. I cry every time. Well, where the heck is Deanne? Deanne, were missing you. Hope all is OK. Well, the sales are calling. Have to shower and get this program rolling. Enjoy the extra day off, everyone!

Week II in Hi-Energy (post "Detox"): Yesterday was my "first service" visit to the Gilbert, AZ office. (Btw, the contract states you have until 7 days or within 3 days of the first service date to cancel the program, whichever comes first.) Interviewed by a counselor regarding my first week of "Detox" whom when asked admitted to no credentials relating to nutrition, dieting or any medical field. After explaining the program guide booklet and selecting my food choices for purchase ($148.69--I bought extra boxes to accomadate food choices), she administered a 10-lead electrocardiogram. I learned this is a 5 and 1 program where I eat six (6)times a day. Five (5) times with their "Medifast" food and one (1) time, i.e. dinner from my home refrigerator. Dinner, or "Lean & Green", in one sentence is basically any lean meat, e.g., fish, chicken, pork, turkey, lamb and so on. You can go meatless with eggs. The "Green" is broken down chartwise into a low, moderate and highest carb count listing from their guide. Bottom line: After listening to the counselors about taking the upcoming urine test for Ketones, studying the guide and the Medifast food boxes, the Hi-Energy program offered here in Arizona--is the very same Medifast program offered online, or what is is offered at any Medifast facility (e.g. Texas). Online, you are offered an opportunity to start a franchise or join the program. See the link: http://www.medifast1.com/index.asp and you will know "Hi-Energy." Everything is there to include the program guides and food information. However, the this rabbit hole goes even deeper. These programs work by spilling ketones, or more simply put, changing the body metabolism to primarily burning fat stores in leiu of carbohydrates. At the deepest depth of this rabbit hole--you will find Robert C. Atkins, M.D. He wrote a #1 best seller called: "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution" 2002 latest edition for $7.99. May he rest in peace. I own this book and lost 20 pounds on the Atkins diet serveral months ago. I've kept off the weight because my girl-friend who does the cooking always has presented my dinners with lean and green! Btw, a prevailing media misconception of Atkins is that there are no carbs on this diet. Actually, the first week "limits" carbs to 20 grams to induce ketosis, and thereafter to around 40 grams per day. If you look at carb gram counts in different foods-you will notice this is an abundance of food. It's dark in this hole . . . let me get my flashlight out . . . alias Hi-Energy at $924.00 plus food, or the Atkins book at $7.99 plus the frig and sensible grocery shopping? Here is a link that might be useful: Medifast is Hi-Energy

Darn! That is why I can't eat most frozen casseroles or canned veggies. Shoot! I'm thinking that is why they are high in Sodium, it helps preserve it somehow. Gayle

Not as much as I should. I have freezers full of venison, beef, chicken and pork, lots of eggs in the refrigerator and all my canned vegetables from the garden, as well as the onions/potatoes/butternut in storage. I seldom "need" to go to the grocery store, other than for specialty ingredients, paper products or dairy. I go through the storage area and sort out any squash or potatoes that may be getting soft or old, and make plans to use them during the week. Elery loves beans so those go into the crockpot a couple of times a week. I try to have at least one meatless meal during the week. Elery makes breakfast and it's always the same. One egg over easy and one slice of toast for me, whatever is in the refrigerator leftover, topped with two eggs and lots of sliced hot peppers for Elery. We don't eat lunch. Since all my meat is frozen, I do try to plan a couple of days ahead and thaw out whatever will be needed for the next few days. Holidays, now that's something else. That takes me a couple of weeks of planning, at least two shopping trips and several "adjustments" to the menu before I'm satisfied! Annie