Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was at Sharen & Dups this year.
Special thanks to that. I had only a short walk getting home.
Thanks to Mary for making the trip out from the city through awful traffic just so Bryan's family could meet her. (and her them)
Thanks to Michelle for staying with the drinkers to the end and took me in has her partner playing Euchre. (Bryan and Andy spanked us)
Thanks to Cheryl and Sharen who let me drink even though they both wanted to stop me.
Thanks to Dup for making sure that my Mimosa was poured and iced.

Thanks to Bryan for walking me home.
And the biggest thanks of all to Andy for "picking me" up. That chair on wheels was a slippery bugger!! I lost count after 4 but I'm pretty sure that it was more than that. Lets just say that he got his cardio done in the morning at the Turkey bowl and his weight training after dinner.
It was a good day!

Coffee Chatter

Here is the conversation around the coffee pot this morning after they all raved about the creamer that Mike found at the grocery store. (International Delight - Vanilla Spice Rum)
"Do we have to get dressed up for this thing?"
"I'm just wearing slacks with a jacket."
Karen - "Where are you going?"
"To this damn lunch."
Karen - "Oh - I wasn't invited"
"You have got to be kidding me?"
Karen (laughing) - "Did you really expect him to invite me?"
Seems that my boss is taking everyone in the Department out to lunch but me!
Could I be the next to leave this place with my belongings in a box. Stay Tuned!

Note: When I left work this afternoon I went in to tell the boss that I was leaving and wish him a Happy Thanksgiving (I have to try) he invited me to his lunch. Someone in the office got to him. There are only 6 of us left. I said of course I would love too - I almost puked on him.

Where is all the red...

Tees?
I've decide to participate in the desk decorating contest at work - even though they fired another one of my friends last Friday. She had 25 years in and was happy about leaving - me, not so much.
So my theme is going to be "I'd rather be golfing". I'll post pictures when I'm done.
I've decided to make a wreath with golf balls, ball markers (Thanks, Jon) and tees.


Whenever I golf I have to match my tee color to what I'm wearing. Apparently I wear alot of red cause I do not have many red tees in my bag and Mike's bag will only have white. What is it with Guys that they won't use colored tees? Anyway I'll have to figure something else out, maybe red pencils.

Family Food

I was at the grocery store this morning picking up some food and the ingredients that I needed for my Thanksgiving dishes. My Nebraska Corn and Rutabagas and carrots.
While I was at the Heartland Blood Center yesterday (My iron was too low last Friday) the conversation got around of course to Thanksgiving Food.
There are 2 black ladies who work there who have potato salad instead of mashed potatoes. I laughed at them - last year we went through 10lbs of potatoes. Char has to make sweet potato pie or her family will not come and the other it's homemade mac & cheese.
I told them about my Nebraska Corn and how my kids look forward to it and I HAVE to make it or it wouldn't be Thanksgiving to them. My Thanksgiving comfort food is the Rutabaga and Carrots. It was what I looked for every Thanksgiving growing up. I'm not sure where the recipe came from, but Mom grew up on a farm maybe it's from there. Anyway, I get to bring it this Thursday and my mouth is watering already.

Quilt Worthy

My co-workers like to see my quilts. Most of the time I will bring them in to show off my handiwork. I stopped doing this because every time I do there is one person who keeps on me about "When are you going to make me one?"
Well I'm sorry lady you are not "Quilt Worthy"!
There are 2 kinds of people to us quilters. Those who realize how much time, love, patience, money, creativity and maybe a little talent that goes into making a quilt and then there are those who store them in the trunk of their cars and use them to crawl under the car to change the oil.
Okay maybe they aren't that bad, but it's a gut feeling we quilters have.
I just don't want to spend the time on someone who is not "QUILT WORTHY".
I feel so much better getting this off my chest!

Carrie's Shower

Saturday was Carrie's baby shower. Carrie was feeling under the weather so I offered to help Sharen set up. She had everything under control though.
She made the cutest corsage outa booties.

The cake was Carrie's favorite from Jewel.

It still blows my mind how much it takes to raise a baby. Jon's old bedroom was stacked high with presents. The little fellow got an assortment of "team" clothing. What team will he be rooting for? He can sleep on it wearing Iowa Hawkeye, Clemson, Bears, Sox and Cubs sleepers.
Of course he will need his quilt, too. Carrie and the quilt I made for her.

Dave showed up to help haul away the loot. Carrie is in the new house now and working on painting and decorating the baby's room so everything was taken there. Dave will have his hands full putting everything together.
Mom, Dad and Baby Z.

The Down Average

My bowling average has been dropping worse that the stock market. I am now down to 157. (ok-Reuter boys stop laughing). I was resigned to the fact that maybe it was cause I'm getting old and then I think of Dad who bowled into his 70's and maintained a 170 average.
It has to be my shoulder. It has been nagging at me for at least 6 months. So I went to the new immediate care facility (really nice place) right by our house after work yesterday.
After a couple of xrays - my structure was fine, but I have tendinitis and bursitis. Ouch! She gave me prescriptions for pills, patches and with 7 to 10 days with my arm in a sling I should be good as new. I head over to the Walgreens to get my remedies with just enough time to get to bowling.
YES!!! After all that I went bowling. Did you ever feel better just knowing what is wrong, that it's not as bad as you thought and some pills will take care of it? Well that is how I felt and I was convinced knowing all that I would bowl better. 516 last night!!! This morning I'm donating blood so this afternoon I promise I will take the pills, stick on a patch and sit back with my arm in the sling!

Memorial to Veterans

The day has finally arrived The Dedication for the Memorial. Mike was on the commitee commited to get this thing done in 1 year.
They did it and it's unreal. I walked under the arch and shivers ran down my back. It really is a place to behold.
I ran over there on Monday while the sun was shining and snap some photos below. The ceremony today was very moving. They raised a flag for each arm of service while they played their song. The guest speaker was an Admiral from the navy. Way much!



I'm proud to say that my family will be represented there. Mike and I brought some bricks. I promised Mom that I would get one for Lester Jr. too. It's coming!

Jarhead Red

Mike is a Marine. He has a marine t-shirt that is faded and well worn that he wears sometimes to bowling. He has a couple Marine hats. His spare ball is a USMC plastic ball.
Bob, on his bowling team saw this neat bottle of wine called "Jarhead Red" and of course thought of Mike. Its a wine made in California "by Marines-for Marines" at Firestone Winery. (Yes, that same Firestone, only it has Adam Firestone on the label, Andrew's brother.)
With Veteran's Day right around the corner we popped the cork on this bad boy Saturday night with dinner, It wasn't the best of wine - I prefer my wine sweeter, but it was sweet of Bob to think of us.

FALL

Now I know why Autumn is call FALL.
The leaves went here!

To Here!

I spent a couple hours on the riding mower mulching all these leaves before the really cold weather blew in on Friday. And to think it was 70 degrees a few days ago. Mike has to put the catcher on the mower and pick the leaves bits I left for him and we are ready for the snow.
OK - maybe just the yard is ready for the snow.

Loquacious Karen

Loquacious Karen was out last night.
Like I said before "big words" scare me. A couple of years ago I went to a bowling tourney in Reno. It was Michelle's, my bowling partner, birthday so we took a road trip down to Lake Tahoe to celebrate. Her friend Todd tagged along. We packed a picnic lunch and beers and had a really awesome time walking through a state park.
Todd kept calling me loquacious. After about 45 minutes I had to ask him what the hell that meant. Apparently when I drink I talk too much about nothing.
Last night Michelle and I started drinking Cherry Bombs (Shots of Cherry "Doctor" and Red Bull) and she shows up - loquacious Karen.
I really didn't feel that drunk. After I got home I realized it wasn't the alcohol that had me so wound up it was the Red Bull. Helllllooooo - caffeine!
I got home about 10:15 and it was 12:30 the last time I looked at the clock before drifting off to sleep.
Note: I had no idea how to spell this word either. Love that spellcheck.

I voted

I went to go vote after work yesterday.
The polls were NOT crowded. I did notice a LOT of campaign signs across the street and thought of a long time ago when you had cute clever slogans.
In 64' it was "all the way with LBJ". I was running for a school office at that time and someone thought it would be cute to have my slogan "All the way with KKK". Yes - those were my initials growing up. All the boys thought I was easy and the rest of the middle school population thought I was racist. The principal, Mr. Nichols, made me take them all down. NO, I did not win!

Reverse Trick or Treat

Friday was a perfect day for the kiddies to get out in their costumes with no coats to hide them. I was really looking forward to seeing some cute costumes. My favorite was the little girl (14 months) dressed as tinkerbell.
I sat on the front porch with my candy in hand. I picked candy that I didn't want to eat myself. Dots & Jr mints for the little kids and tootsie rolls and Charleston chews for the big kids. When Sharen got off of work we decided it was too perfect not to walk around the neighborhood. Dup was sitting on his porch with candy bowl in his lap too. He had PB cups, almond Joy and 3 musketeers. (I would so eat that candy before I could even give it out).
I had about 15 trick or treaters and 1 beer (for an adult the kids called "Auntie")
I had 3 girls about 10-12 yrs old come asking for the NON chocolate candy. I gave them the dots.
When I went to shut off my porch light about 7:15 I found a pile of PB cups, Almond Joys and 3 musketeers on the porch.
I immediately called Sharen and blamed her for dumping her leftovers.
Nope - It wasn't her. Must of been those girls I gave all my non-chocolate candy to. Looks like I will be eating my favorite candy after all.