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Post by holly2007 on Oct 21, 2017 0:20:43 GMT
Hi all,
I am working on a few coaster sets and scarves. JoJo, yes, I use circular needles for shawls and blankets. I like them because I don’t have to worry as much about the project slipping off the needles.
Still busy with work and medical stuff. Medical issues seem to come all at once.
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jojowo
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Post by jojowo on Oct 21, 2017 1:59:05 GMT
Hi all, Beautiful day here during the day but really cool in the morning and evening
Joan - Love the idea for your Christmas party. I really like ideas for simple dinners for groups of people. Nice to be able to enjoy your guests and not to spend alot of time with the food.
The Tru-Green people did finally come around 3:30. He said that many people have complained about the same thing. Sounds like the phone system they have that notifies you is really off! The technician was very patient, listening to my ranting about it all.
I have ordered sock yarn and it is on the way. Ordered a circular needle for knitting also. I have tried to do some of it with my crochet needles - just to start learning. I'm sure will be a lot easier when I have the knitting needles. Finished the afgan, really more of a throw. While waiting on my sock yarn to come, I'm making some washclothes out of fingering wt. (very light wt.) yarn that is 75%cotton and 25% acrylic. Also have made some coaster/basecovers for my wine glasses. May do some of these for Christmas gifts.
Went with DH to the eye Dr. today. Before he had seem to encourage DH having the cataract done soon but today said that he had plenty of time to wait! Oh well. His eyeglass rx had changed though.
Since we usually excchange Christmas presents in my family at Thanksgiving, I need to start shopping soon. Will probably do most of it on Amazon. It is so easy that way
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Post by nov21987 on Oct 21, 2017 15:40:55 GMT
Hi!
Been busy. My mom had cataract surgery Thurs and my sister went with her while I stayed with my dad. She was nervous about it but afterwards was fine, she has another one in 2 weeks.
We are having an ex-coworker and his husband over for dinner tonight so I've been busy prepping.
I made a puree of kohlrabi soup and will garnish with pancetta, panko, herbs, lemon zest and tiny Brussels sprouts. I'm using a Craig Claiborne scampi recipe for the shrimp/grits. I decided to do creamy version with the polenta, using chicken broth, garnish with basil oil. It will be small portion, with 3 shrimp per person, although it is jumbo shrimp. Then filet mignon with cremini mushroom demi-glace, my favorite popovers, and roasted broccolini. Dessert is pumpkin cheesecake that was a gift from the ex-worker who visited us earlier this week.
Joan, the yoga party sounds like a fun thing for you to do since you all enjoy it so much. Jordan is doing so well at school! I have never been to any of the places in South America and South Africa before. SO has been to South America a few times.
Holly, sorry about all the medical stuff. I'm going to have to look into insurance soon since my Cobra will expire at the end of January, ugh.
Jojo, so early to give gifts! I am so not ready for the holiday season. It doesn't even feel like fall, it's in the 70s today.
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Post by holly2007 on Oct 21, 2017 18:59:08 GMT
Sue, COBRA is so expensive. I was on an individual plan through BCBS before I got my current job. It was a high deductible plan with an HSA option. Glad your mom’s surgery went well.
JoJo, I have some really pretty sock yarn that I’m using to make small triangular shawls. It will be much easier with the knitting needles. I have learned how to crochet, but kept trying to knit with the crochet hook. I don’t handle multiple crafts very well, haha.
I am going to have consider cataract surgery at some point. The type of cataract I have is very unpredictable, so hopefully I won’t have to make that decision anytime soon, especially since it is the eye I have some vision in.
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jmg44
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Post by jmg44 on Oct 22, 2017 14:58:24 GMT
Good morning--had a busy couple days.
Friday night DH and I went to his class reunion party held at Bigelow Areospace Center--Bob Bigelow is a billionaire who was friends as a kid with DH. He inherited millions from his dad and then grew it and in 1999 started this business venture to create lunar modules to land on and orbit the moon Last year NASA accepted his module in smaller version and it is attached to the intn'l space station now--it is called BEAM. So the party included extensive touring of the center--we even went inside the model of the one that they hope to add on eventually--it is huge--this is so clever. They are covered in three layers of cloth that DIL not burn or break under very extreme solace conditions and this is pleated and wrapped around the hard module. Once attached to th so. Station they push a button that inflates the cloth and fills it with air so that it increases the size of the hard module by ten times! You can see it on the web site--it was so amazing. I was so happy because our guide liked questions and I was able to learn so much. We had a dinner in their big dining area and had dessert and dancing ( of course DH does not dance) out on the floor amongst the model modules in this huge space like room. DH saw a few people he had not seen since HS like Bob Naylor who is well known in CA and was in fourth grade with him. Not too many of his band group came tho.
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jmg44
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Post by jmg44 on Oct 22, 2017 15:23:14 GMT
Sue, my DFIL used to grow kohlrabi all the time. I had never eaten it till married DH. They always ate it raw in thin slices on relish plates. Never thought about soup. How was it? Did the shrimp and grits turn out really well.
JoAnne DH here awaiting word for cataract surgery too--one Dr wanted to do it right away--other said it's way too soon.
Every one says its great afterwards. Holly, I can imagine being your best eye that is a bit more stressful.
I had DD and DGS13 over for Chili last night. Made a cheddar biscuit that someone at bookclub had made--it was so good with the chili! It has butter garlic and parsley brushed on top right out of the oven--not healthful but really a nice treat with chili or veggie soup. We did not play games as we were all sort of tired so introduced DD to Doc Martin instead and watched two episodes together--I think she is hooked. Was fun to rewatch those--wow they are all so much younger--it was 14 years ago though!
yesterday I made Butternut squash soup again to eat on all week. I don't use any creams in it so it's really just squash, garlic, curry and veggie broth and 2 T applesauce for a little sweetening.
I started reading labels on yogurt and bread and am reducing incidental sugar--found a whole milk yogurt that has only 7 g compared to the 10 in what I have been using and a kefir with a lot less as well--at the reunion dinner I only took a taste of the one little cheesecake dessert and ate the strawberry out of the chocolate shell eating just a small chunk for flavor. They had great roasted veggies so had a ton of those and only a few bites of chicken--plus a green caprese style salad. Felt so comfortable because I didn't eat horribly. Last night I had figured everything in ahead so it all stayed within my range. I have upped it to 1400 a day and stay around that number but not over 1500--I think it's better overall. I don't find myself looking for snacks so I think it wasn't enough before.
Yesterday I had my iTunes playing all the while in kitchen and danced my way through cooking and cleaning up--good calorie burner and certainly makes the time fly by!
I think DH and I will go walk to a little cafe and have breakfast. Beautiful day here with no wind.
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Post by holly2007 on Oct 23, 2017 15:36:38 GMT
Hi all,
I have today off for Fall Break, so I am using it to get some appointments in. I met with the Services for the Blind rep this morning to get some resources for transportation, and additional orientation and mobility training with my white cane.
I have a BP check today. It was really good this morning, so I’ll be interested to see what it is at the doctor’s.
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jojowo
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Post by jojowo on Oct 24, 2017 14:20:11 GMT
Holly - hope the BP check came out good! I am struggling with the knitting but will keep practicing. Holding the thread with my right hand is so difficult since in crocheting it is held in the left. I seem to have trouble keeping the yarn on the needles! Practice, practice, practice - I'm sure it will help. So far I have only done casting on and the knit stitch. I guess that I have crocheted for so long and do it so fast that struggling with the knitting seems odd.
Yesterday it rained cats and dogs here and I stayed in making socks and watching TV. This is the first time I have used any yarn with wool in it (75%wool and 25%acrylic) and have found it great to work with and softer than I thought it would be.
Joan - love the idea of using applesauce in the soup as a sweetner. You encourage me to make some soup with all your cooking and soup making. Butternut sounds soooo good. I have found you can buy butternut (I think at TJ's) already cut up in package.
Sue - I don't know how, but missed about your mom's surgery. Just reread the post. Glad she is through it and did well. Are you still on the registry for the caterer?
Got yo get out and blow and rake leaves. So hard to push myself to get out and do it but really do enjoy it when I do.
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jmg44
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Post by jmg44 on Oct 24, 2017 14:39:26 GMT
Good morning, JoAnne-saw that you just posted. Yes occasionally I but cut up b sq but not often--it is so less juicy and not as sweet having been packaged. I look for the heaviest fresh sq I can find relative to size--really makes a difference as really fresh it is oozing with juices. I bought a 16$ carrot peeler at Wm and Sonoma finally and now it is easy to peel the sq. I chop it in inch chunks and roast it for an hour at 400-425 turning once. Mash it and dump in some veggie broth, curry powder, white black pepper, salt and applesauce and immersion blend all. So easy and not at all complicated--I like the actual taste of the sq so even tho I have another recipe that is all doctored up and people like it, I prefer the simple one. I have a cup every day for lunch. My other one is the copycat recipe of Paneras autumn sq soup--but it is not as healthful. The hard part for me is trying not to eat the chunks before the soup gets made!
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jmg44
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Post by jmg44 on Oct 24, 2017 14:50:59 GMT
So I am at my highest allowed WW goal point now which I have hit a few times in past month but dance around the point--BUT this week this is day four at that weight without dancing up and down so I am thinking my body is poised to drop another pound or so--I feel thinner again and yesterday someone again asked me if I were losing so hoping this is the week I will get off this little plateau I have been on. If I drop down a pound or two from here I am going to go in and weigh at WW just to get my weight recorded as at LT goal again. Holly, I am trying your mindful eating technique--trying to think about what I am really feeling when I feel that "grab a snack" thing.
Holly, how did your BP come out at the dr? Hope it was good. I always elevate somewhat there as well.
I really want to clean out my clothes closet but have been doing so much reading to manage these two hefty books! Maybe some time on that later today but at 3 I have a dental procedure which may be unpleasant--they have to probe down through an open fistula to see what tooth is infected--might be wisdom tooth which never came through--hoping it is my back molar instead which I would just have pulled since my jaw is so crowded anyway. We will see. Yuk!
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Post by nov21987 on Oct 24, 2017 21:32:34 GMT
Hi!
Been busy past couple of days.
Dinner went really well on Saturday. Very nice to see friends, haven't seen the ex-colleague since I left over a year ago. Got some new office gossip, lol.
The kohlrabi soup was really good - the garnishes really add to soup, the beef was delicious and pefectly cooked. I have a prepare ahead recipe where I sear the steaks in advance and then cook in low oven for longer time to get to medium rare. The sauce is mostly made after I sear the beef and this way I'm not slaving over the stove for 20 minutes or so.
Sunday we drove out to the Bucks county, way out in the suburbs to visit another couple (one who borrows SO's art), to see their new rental house and SO's work hanging on their walls. The we went to a bed/breakfast for brunch. Afterwards drove around with them and went to some open houses in the area.
Monday did food prep that I didn't get to do on Sunday and today volunteered and went to the gym. And yay! Sixers got their first win and the Eagles won again!
Joan, I try to buy local, organic bread. I can't get my head around "enzymes" and soy lecithin. Sounds like your DH had a good time at the reunion. Interesting about BEAM ugh that dental procedure sounds awful!
Holly, yes, hope your bp was good a the Dr.
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jmg44
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Post by jmg44 on Oct 24, 2017 23:42:48 GMT
Sue I was making my own bread and thinking of going back to that--I love it so much better. Have just been lazy!
mouth is so so frozen as he had to probe down a long way-- looks like the impacted wisdom tooth is going th have to be removed by my oral surgeon! Yuk. Means no exercise for about four days!
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Post by holly2007 on Oct 25, 2017 0:01:41 GMT
My BP wasn’t all that great...146/88. I’ve been averaging around 135/85, which is much better than the extreme numbers I was getting before I went on the medicine.
Joan, not fun.
Sue, glad you had a good time with your former colleague.
JoJo, it takes awhile to get used to the rhythm of it. I like knitting because it uses both hands.
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jmg44
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Post by jmg44 on Oct 25, 2017 2:39:44 GMT
Still frozen mouth--DH went and got me chicken noodle soup so I soaked my baguette in it and managed to eat. Also had a little baked apple and 1/3 cup soy ice cream a friend had left here Not very healthful but easy to eat!
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jojowo
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Post by jojowo on Oct 26, 2017 0:15:05 GMT
Joan - that was really some unusual surgery you had to discover the problem. Hope you are back to feeling in your mouth. When will the wisdom tooth be done? All four of mine (wisdom teeth) came in but I have only one of them left. Over the years they either cracked or had abcess problem that it became easier to pull than fix.
Grocery shopped today. Yesterday blew and raked leaves and cut the grass.l
Finished my first sock and it came out fairly good. Looking forward to doing more.
Holly, the BP is not terrible and I know you are glad that the med seems to be controlling it some.l
Joan, I have not yet made your bread recipe but want to. I wish that I could get DDIL to make her bread for us more often. Wish I had a bread maker but most of the machines are so lareg and I really do not have a place to store it. The fresh homemade bread it sooooo good - but then again I would probably eat more bread, which I don't need.
Watching Antique Roadshow now. Love that show. Haven't done any antique store browsing in the last few years. Used to loved doing it. Would probably do it more if I had anyone to do it with. DH HATES going with me to do this. I don't usually buy much but love to browse. Used to buy a lot of dishes, looking for particular ones. Also like to see things that I have for sale to see what they are worth. Sometimes I am horrified that I have given so much away that is worth so much today!
Back to sock making and antique watching!
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