Joppette

Eric, yeah that Black Friday stuff is crazy! I gave it a wide berth too. The pepper spray story was nuts, or maybe it was the woman who was nuts. She did this for DVD's. Really? Get a life. As for hunting.....the upper class here may spend thousands of dollars for barbaric slaying of exotic animals in Afica to be stuffed and displayed in their homes. The middle class hunt to eat! LOL! Seriously. Our USA has so much undeveloped land, and animal control is an issue. In Michigan, we have so many deer that the car/deer accidents are out of control. So they encourage hunting to thin the herds. We think baiting deer and then shooting them is cruel. We believe Mother Nature will allow what needs to happen, and we don't need to do this. MI Judy

Good morning. Wow Alan, your deer season is very different from Michigan. Our bow season started in early October, and gun was November 15. Musket starts December 1. Why do I know so much about this? My husband LOL. Now Thanksgiving was wonderful too. But I've had an umbilical hernia repaired 3 times and can not feel full because it's painful. So I didn't eat one piece of pie or cake. I had a moderate meal and was actually hungry at 6:00PM after eating at 2:00. I have to eat small and often. So that left over turkey was a blessing and so good on Sandwiches. Everyone played nice and it was fun. Saturday was a great night too! The boys went Goose and Duck hunting that morning and had a successful hunt. I've never tried either of these birds before. So that night we had the other couple over and we had a game night. Our friend B brought trout and salmon, and we supplied the goose and duck. It was all so delicious! I didn't think I'd enjoy wild fowl game, but they grilled it, deep fried some of it, and it was very good and fun to do! On Wednesday I meet with my Oncologist again. I've dismissed out of my mind what the ER doctor said, until now. Now that I am so close to hearing the "official" read, I have to admit to feeling somewhat anxious. The ER doc said there was growth, but I didn't ask how much. He said there were two nodules, and I didn't ask him where. I didn't want his details because he is not a professional in that area. I didn't want butterflies in my tummy for a month. If I step outside of myself, and look back at me, I would tell myself that life is a journey. It has many twists and turns. How we handle those twists and turns determines everything. If we are fearful, then that is what we are. If we are anxious, we're anxious. If we look at it postively, no matter what, then that is what it will be. Life can only be lived one day at a time. If I stay in today, I don't have to worry about tomorrow, and that is what I'm going to do gosh darn it all Have a great day! MI Judy

thanks Eric

Gina, Well, I'm thankful that she is getting good care and pain control. I'm so sorry for the situation you are all dealing with. I'm glad you want to stay at the boards. MI Judy

Oh! And I forgot to say hello to Paulette! I missed you. So nice to see you here. I didn't get in yesterday because our celebration required a few hours of travel. MI Judy

Good morning all! I laughed at Randy's comment about Black Friday. It's insane. Around here they said some people started camping at the doors at noon yesterday. Give me a break. You'll give up the holiday of being thankful for family and friends and camp outside in the cold for a deal? Two years ago, a woman was killed here. When they opened the doors at 4:00AM, she was pressed so hard against the glass that she fell, and people just trampled her to death. Seriously? Not me. I do not go any where near the city on Black Friday. It's crazy and the traffic is unbearable. The people all have a crazed look in their eyes as they look for the deals. Yech! Eric, the term Black Friday is because retailers claim that this is the first day of the whole year where their profits are in "the black" because of the major amount of shopping that gets done. I went once in my life, and that was good enough for me. Today I'll clean my home. Hubs shot a goose this morning, and he's outside cleaning it, so maybe we'll have goose for dinner tonight! Our thanksgiving was lovely. My sister-in-law outdid herself in the food department. Enjoyed a couple glasses of wine, played cards, watched football, and it was just a nice day. Detroit Lions lost, like it seems they always do on Thanksgiving Day. Sun is shining and it's supposed to get to 52! What a beautiful day to be thankful in. MI Judy

Thanks for the update! Staying positive is so powerful on this journey, and you are doing that. Good for you. Sounds like you have a good plan in place and I pray it goes really well for you. Happy Thanksgiving! MI Judy

Hello! Well, my job on Thanksgiving is easy, bring a bottle of wine and be thankful. LOL. My S-I-L insists on hosting it every year, and she makes so much food that there is no point in bringing more. Randy will do his special barbecue lil smoker weenies. Grape juice and ketchup I think???? Ginny, our tastes run the same. I love The Good Wife. Such a smart show. While I do not like any shows that the K women do, I did want Rob to win. He was so shy and insecure, and I think this show and his partner really helped him blossom. But I understand the patriotism, and hero part. And he was a good dancer too. So it's okay. I think everyone wins that attempts to do something so challenging. As for Rikki, I was just very proud of her gumption, and guts. She lost a ton of weight in this program. It's all very cool. I'm so glad you posted about J. Edgar. That was high on my list. And I hate it when I spend good money to see a show and wind up being bored or worse. I'll pass now. Muriel, my hash brown recipe was not from our book (I'm guessing). I pretty much cook from my head, without recipes. I took a can of cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 block of a large Velveeta cheese and melted them, and then stirred in a cup and a half (approx) of sour cream. I added in Mrs. Dash seasoning, and some garlic. I poured that warm mixture over thawed hash brown potatoes (a whole bag), and about a cup or more of diced onions. I baked it for 1/2 hour at 350, then sprinkled French Fried Onions on top and cooked it for another 20 or so minutes (until bubbly). I like to also add in cubed ham, or diced bacon, but didn't this time. Lily, travel safe! Hope everyone has a blessed and happy Thanksgiving with family and friends. MI Judy

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Hi friends, Well, I'm getting ready to head out for the day. Hash brown casserole is just finishing in the oven and out I go. Our friends will have a brunch, and then over to Gilda's I go to take phone calls. It's so cool! Our Laughfest event which raises money to support Gilda's Club, was a huge success last year. This year ticket packages went on sale Friday morning, and in 4 hours topped last years sales by 200%!!!!!!!! This is absolutely crazy! And wonderful. So I've got a fun day ahead and hope you have a good day too. MI Judy

Hi Judy, Eric and Ann! This morning was busy "working" at the church. I was given a beautiful journal and asked to write my memories of my friend who died a couple of months ago of a rare disease. She was 42. I took it home, and wrote my thoughts on her. This will eventually be given to her husband and two boys. I noticed a lot of empty spaces between ladies letters, so I pulled out my bible, and books of poetry and wrote little assurances, and poems in between the letters to encourage them. I hope to get it back and "decorate" it with more encouragement, and lace, and bows, to make it look pretty before we give it to the family. Ann, this is a tough time of year for so many. My little sister died on December 1, in 1983, and I still get a pang on that day and remember and miss her. I think it's just normal being human. Gentle hug for you. It's nice what you are doing for the boys, so they don't feel torn between in-laws and Mom. My Mon-In-Law was that way too. So unselfish. Eric, as always your pace is frenetic and busy. Good for you! Judy, you sound good. I so want to go to that restaurant. It sounds so beautiful. Out two nights in a row! Party girl! Spent the afternoon fashioning a cheesy hash brown casserole for my women's life group tomorrow. Because of the holiday, this was an off week, so we decided to get together and just eat! Yum. R got a flat tire tonight, and for some strange reason didn't have a jack in his truck. So after dinner I'm going to have to drive him back to town to fix the tire. *sigh* But dinner is fried chicken, the cheesy hash brown casserole, and I think creamed corn. Yum.. MI Judy

Hi Beth, I was not around when you were posting, but do know many of the folks you referred to! Our life journey can take us down so many paths, some extremely painful, and then joy. I'm so happy to read that you found new love. And the grandchild is beautiful. So are you! MI Judy

What a beautiful poem. Thank you for sharing. MI Judy

Hi Dave with many names Welcome back. Good to hear from you. MI Judy

Hi Gina, I'm glad you came to vent. If you do nothing other than get Hospice involved, that would be a good thing. They administer pain care with expertise, and are very good at giving their patient quality of life. And that is NOT the doctor's call. You can call them in at any time. If she is not in treatment, she should be in their care. I pray for you all and hope and pray this situation gets better immediately. MI Judy

Slept until 12:30! Was hoping this was the signal to the end of this cold, but alas not. So I'm in my jammies watching college football. Think I'll just stay this way for the rest of the day. MI Judy

Ah Lily, that is a beautiful song. If that is like your Johnny, he was a wonderful man. I also wonder if our God is trying to gently help you through those days. I'm sorry about your pain. Travel safe my friend. MI Judy

Prayers for sure. MI Judy

HI everyone, Well, my WiFi is finally fixed. What an endurance trial that was. One nice thing about Verizon's tech help desk is that the people live in the USA and speak English. How refreshing! I'm not prejudiced about other cultures, but it is so frustrating to try to get help when the person on the other line can't understand you and you can't understand them. Becky and Diane, I can't imagine! And with the job shortages now, we can't be choosey or tell our bosses to stuff it! Darn it! Judy, I read your final post yesterday and it was delightful. Sounds like you had an amazing day! It always makes me smile. We'll miss you Lily. I pray your travels are safe, and the family healthy and happy. Thank you for always thinking of us and faithfully praying for us. You are awesome. My day was much better today. First off, I woke this morning and for the first time in two weeks realized that I'm going to survive this cold. LOL! Last night I was whiney and weepy as I had a good old fashioned self pity party. Thank the Lord I was home alone. The cough is much better today and it's healing! Yeah! Had a fun visit to Gilda's Club today. I went there for some training on our 2nd Annual Laughfest event. Because I answered the phones last year, I knew all the questions that the lovely public would be asking, so it was helpful to be there to help the newbies understand. Here's the link if you want to check it out. We have some big names coming this year. htp://www.laughfestgr.org. As I was preparing to leave a couple came in, asking the hostess about the club. They said they heard about us and were planning their end of year giving and wanted to know more because she was a survivor and had many in her family with cancer. They took a brochure and were going to leave when I asked if they would enjoy a tour of the place. We tried to find staff to give it, but they were all getting ready for a meeting, so I got to give them the tour. I gave them the history of Gilda, the club, our club house and the Lowell club as we strolled through the beautiful old farm house. It was so nice. When they got ready to leave, the woman had tears in her eyes, and looked at me and thanked me deeply, and then gave me a bear hug! How nice. Her husband did too. It was awesome. R is home from hunting, so he's taking me out on a date tonight. I'm looking forward to that too. MI Judy

Good morning friends! It was an interesting ride into "work" this morning. The dense fog was a challenge, and knowing that there are tons of folks in the woods shooting at deer made me leery. If one was on the side of the road, I've have never known it. Just thankful no bambi's jumped out. The fog is gone now, so the ride home won't be stressed. Other than the fact that deer are running big time right now! Becky, loved the humor about your job and your boss. Sounds like you better find humor girl! I've enjoyed the last couple days of solitude. Had left over pizza Sunday night. That would have never worked if he was home. Last night I heated up those Bob Evans garlic mashed potatoes, and some Hormel bourbon beef tips to put on top of it. Yum! He's heading home at dark tonight, so I can have more junk tonight. Maybe Kentucky Fried Chicken? Hmmmmm. Judy, cute about Dominic sending you his food requests on facebook. Well, I need to get to work so I'll check in later! MI Judy

Hi Cathy, Welcome here. From reading your posts, I am amazed by your wonderful attitude. You have a lot going on. And yet, we can only live life one day at a time, right? And if we wake up and get another one, we can be joyful, and face whatever we must face that day. I like that. I was 52 when I was diagnosed. I'm dealing with the possibility of reocurrence, but like you am taking it one day at a time. Living with cancer can be "normal". Like Eric, I invite you to check out the "Just for Fun, Off Topics" in which some of write daily jibber jabber just to get to know each other and have some fun. Judy in MI

Good morning! Today we have a guy coming over to give us a bid on Geo-Thermal heating for the house. The system is expensive to install, but the government gives you a 30% rebate after wards for energy efficiency. And the return on the investment is just two years. We would go from paying $4000.00 a year for LP gas and who knows what for electric for Air conditioning, to about $1000.00. Huge difference. Lily, I read your last post last night. We buy the pre-cooked chickens too. They are actually cheaper than the frozen ones and already cooked. I have an idea for you. We take them and de-bone them. We seal the shredded chicken into meal size bags and freeze them. When I want to make a casserole, or chicken salad, it thaws fast and is a way to make a quick meal. Still hacking away, but it seems to be getting a bit better. Nice to have such a sore nose and now I have a red bump under it and it hurts like hell to blow it. Geez. This life is just plain not easy. R finally called me last night to tell me there is zero cell service where they are. I explained about the WiFi card and I need his help and he said he'd call back today to get the info. The card is working right now, so I'm not too frantic. He said they were going to shoot some ducks this morning, and then he'd call. Deer hunting, fishing for trout in the river, and deer hunting....add in some drinking and you've got man heaven. LOL. MI Judy

Hi Becky, You are a stronger woman than I. There is no way I could ever help butcher it, much less field dress it! You are right though that it can help with the budget! Yeah it's blowing here big time! I live on a bluff, and it sounds like a hurricane out there. Up North for R is Houghton Lake this time. They are staying in a log cabin (very rustic) but I'm sure having a great time! I hope you don't lose your job. I have the cold, and it's pretty miserable. I called in to my volunteer job tomorrow already and said I won't be there. I'm coughing so hard, there is blood in it. Doctor's office tomorrow for sure. MI Judy

Well I don't know pellucid either! And I'm pretty well read. I tried to Google it and it only knows Pelucid, which is a clear coat for shellacing things. LOL.

Good afternoon! Well the LP gas seems to be working well. Still a bit nervous about it, but everything works, hot water, stove, heat, so I guess I should stop trying to borrow trouble when there is so much of it around these days. What a frustrating day today. Hate to be whiney, but I'm going to whine never the less. Started the day with no internet. The WiFi card has been moody in the last few days. When I couldn't even get email, I decided to go to the Verizon store and see what is up. Of course, the minute I got there it worked just fine. I asked them to call tech support to see if there is an issue with the tower by my home. But they couldn't do that because I'm not authorized on the account. Tried to call R to get him to verbally authorize me but of course he's heading way up North where there is no cell service. Urggggg. I leave there to grab lunch and then grocery shop, when I see an AT&T store. I am having issues with my iPhone synching my calendar correctly, and since I had my PC and phone with me, I popped in there. They politely told me this is an issue with the iPhone and Apple, not AT&T and directed me to that store. I stopped and ate a quick sandwich, grocery shopped, and then impulsively decided to drive across town to the Apple store since I was out and about. I go into the Apple store, and they direct me to a woman with an orange iPad. I explain the issue and she said she'd be happy to make appointment for me to see the tech support. I said when would that be, and it was 1 1/2 hours away. I'm not feeling like walking around the mall holding my lap top so I get their business card to make an appointment because I can't make an appointment on my iPhone because it won't synch to my calendar, to make the appointment right there. She happily hands me her card and tells me I can make an appointment on line if I'm so inclined. To which I said, that would be great IF I had internet at home. Urgggggggggggg........ It was so stupid it actually was funny. I couldn't help but laugh at that point because the stars were not aligning with me today. LOL. Driving home, R calls me but my phone didn't ring so I didn't know it. I look down and see that he called, so quickly I call him back and nothing happens, no voice mail, nothing. I left a message saying that "technology just was not going to cooperate with me today so maybe we'll try this again tomorrow." So I get home, unload groceries, fire up lap top and WiFi card and it's working just fine. Sheesh. Enuf said. LOL MI Judy