TUESDAY TREND

[Elizabeth]

YIKES!!! I just found out DD9 and I will have to COOK something for this weeks girl scout event. We have to cook empenada from Spain. We will use a fruit filling instead of the usual filling to make it easier, but the recipe looks quite hard. It calls for bread dough for one thing. I am thinking of using crescent rolls instead, flattened instead of rolled up. Of course, the real empenada has meat filling (with a complicated recipe calling for one ingredient I have never heard of). I will have to borrow a cake pan from XDH too. This is for Thinking Day, where the girls learn about Girl Scouts from other countries. I guess pie filling will do for the fruit filling. YIKES, I hope this works!!!

[Emptynester]

Elizabeth: You can buy frozen bread dough in any grocery store. It is usually somewhere near the frozen crescent rolls. Any meat filling would do even hamburger but would be better with sausage with some onions and different pepper chopped up in it. You can always use canned sun dried tomatoes or salsa if it calls for tomatoes - just be sure to drain off the liquid. Nobody will know what they are supposed to taste like anyway. So bluff it!!

Turned out cold and cloudy here today so we aren't working outside. Too bad, we aren't really working inside either. We both took a morning nap in our big chairs. DH is now taking cardboard to the recycling center. He cleaned up the garage a bit as we are having a happy hour here on Thursday.

I did try to polish the counter tops. Previous owner had used scouring powder and took the finish off is spots. I solved the sink looking gross by moving my dish drainer to the side where she had used caustic and removed all the finish - even on the drain strainer. Nothing I can do to make the bathroom sink look better except to replace it which is our plan for next year.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Back from our day out.

Met up with ds just fine. It was good to see him and give him a hug goodbye.

Haircut was great, very relaxing scalp massage this time.

From there I walked to the dentist. It was slow going but I made it on time. They were running behind (they had worked through their lunch), but so was dh so I told them to have a few minutes to catch their breath since I wasn't in a hurry. I still got out before dh arrived so phoned and arranged to meet him out on the street.

He had picked up South African Rands, so at our next stop we got US$ and tried for shoes. The shoe is still being made but my size wasn't there. They called to their second location and they put aside the shoes for me. On the way there, we hit Walmart for panty hose and to stock up my medicine kit.

Bought metallic and black pumps but no luck with the sandals. Tried Walmart for those too. I might try tomorrow, there is a fancy shoe store in one village and the market town has a decent shoe store too.

Dinner smells wonderful, I'm just waiting for the sides to cook and we'll eat. I've already had a cut carrot because I was hungry (and a banana in the car.)

[Harriet]

Sadie, as I read the first of your post, I was going to suggest this is the perfect opportunity/excuse to personally get business cards out to people and even have a talking point about the surprise of the YP mistake. See you are way ahead of me!

Well, there is sad news for Miss Orphan Cat. Finally the source of some swelling and pain is diagnosed. The Vet thought we were dealing with a tooth abcess, but no, and she didn't have a fever. Turns out it is a tumor behind her eye. There are further tests but they wouldn't matter - it's inoperable and likely fast growing since no evidence was seen at last exam. The Vet can measure a difference in the protrusion of the eye. So the Vet sent us home with pain meds after an antibiotic injection. The antibiotic may give her a boost and the pain meds have been measured (liquid) to hopefully decrease pain but not cause grogginess. So she will have some good days, even a good week. DVetNeigbbor will come over and help her fall to sleep in her own home one day when she is having a happier, more comfortable time. This Vet today agrees with the partner from last visit that Orphan Cat has had a lot longer life than they estimated before, and after the thorough dental exam, increased the estimate of her age on her chart to 16 years.

[Elizabeth]

Dear Harriet: I am so sorry about Orphan Cat.

It has been a bad day for cats today. My boss had to put his down for unexplained and untreatable anemia + pain.

[Nancy]

Back from town got pens that work now. Got a couple things at the store & had good success at the thrift store found a book I'd wanted to read, for me and dgd plus a couple movies.
Lunch was fun then we went on a walk and got some sunshine in.

[Elizabeth]

Good night everyone. I am off to Girls Night Out (or In) with DD9.

[helia]

When are you leaving, Kathryn? I'm sure you've mentioned it before. I am not always a careful reader here.

That's are great ideas for empenadas, MT.

Yes, also sorry to hear about Orphan Cat, Harriet. It is good to know she will have a few more comfortable and hopefully happy days. . . .

The pork bbq was really yummy!! I didn't look at WW points until afterward. 9 points for 1 cup. I probably ate 1 cup. I used a lawash wrap instead of bread, though, so at least I kept a few points at bay.

Ds is at robotics. Ds and dd13 have gone to ceramics. The kitchen has been tidied. Dd16 is studying. I'm going to join her - after I update laundry. And make a cup of tea.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Helia We leave by car on Thursday. But since the Prius is a lousy way to get to Africa, we are only driving as far as Toronto and flying out on Friday morning (via DC since they have a flight to South Africa.)

((((Harriett))))

Dinner is done. Dh is trying to start a process and then we'll watch a tv show. Except the 20 minutes is stretching longer and longer, so I think I'll start work on the kitchen now.

[lucylee]

((((Harriet & family)))) & ((((dd)))... (((Orphan Cat)))... tough day for all of you... Thinking of all that y'all are dealing with. Hope all goes well w/the knee!

(((Dee))) Please don't apologize for sharing dd/dgd's situation with us! I am always anxious to hear how things are going with all of you! Ditto all Harriet's remarks about how well prepared/trained your dd IS for all this, but also how difficult it must be to never get any "time off" from the situation. It's just unreal, what you are all having to deal with. You are all in my prayers.

The Prius is a lousy way to get to Africa...
LOL, Kathryn!!!

Ta-da for me:
BEFORE computer time tonight, I vacuumed for 30 minutes. Got all "living" area of house * floors only, except in master bathroom * done -- except master bedroom and laundry room.
Also put a load of laundry in.
Have also been back to Wmart today to swap bag of mints I bought yesterday for a baby shower @ school. I got 1 big bag and 1 small bag yesterday. Only need 2 small bags. The big bag was huge -- cost almost 3 times what the small one did. I don't know how I got in check-out line w/the big one without noticing, but at that point, dh was ready to GO, so I just bought it. Also bought Valentine's Day cards today, b/c dh is NOT patient enough to wait as long as it takes me to pick out cards.
(DH & DS are gone to basketball game tonight. That's why I'm being so productive. )

Tomorrow... we find out * maybe * if grandbaby is a boy or a girl. I'm kinda scared. It will seem sooo much more REAL then. I'm happy... and excited... but y'all know me -- something would be wrong if I weren't just a LITTLE BIT scared, right?