Routine A Little Off This Morning.....

Wow, made to Daylight savings time & forgot to turn ahead all our clocks last night, so there is a 'big' morning chore to start my day with....ummmm, 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 clocks to change.  Could be six but I don't wind the old Kitchen Clock everyday anymore.  I suppose the novelty of that has worn off somewhat, but I do remember to wind the Grandfather's clock every couple days thank goodness.  Oops almost forgot my wrist watch & the clock in our car !  Wow I could have been really confused driving somewhere with the wrong time under my nose (not like that hasn't happened before).

I best get on with the day now I have that off my chest !  Aiden is like his me, and his father, Paul, who also took after me, as we are all early risers.  Do not know where the saying, "the Early Bird catches the worm" came from, but let me tell you I haven't caught any worm by rising early; in the past we have always dug up our worms the night before fishing (or bought them in the more recent years).  Ha, ha, ha....

Now that we have Aiden with us I can not tell you how much joy he brings into my & Poppa's life.  He is just full of energy & sure likes talking up a storm (once again like myself & his father, lol).  He does remind me so much like his father from the day he was born.  Once we arrived to pick him up, it was "let's go" !!!  He was anxious to get to our place, as him & Poppa have a "huge" Wii Mariokart competition going with each other (I am thinking Rob is putting his own 6 year old memory bank state mind to rest, and letting Aiden win most of the games).  It is quite amusing listening to the two of them.

It is not all video games in this household, in-between Mariokart games, yesterday, there was a puzzle put together, and a very lengthy discussion over the cooked veggies in the homemade soup I served up for our supper.  Aiden is quite the veggie kid, taking a vegetable or fruit over a hotdog or hamburger anyday.  I never realized, until Aiden so candidly pointed out to us, that celery had a whole different flavor once cooked !  And cooked mushrooms?  How good are they?  LOL.  It will be, if nothing else, a very entertaining week ahead for us.

Today we are using up those (almost black) overripe bananas on the kitchen countertop to make some muffins.  Upon asking Aiden if he could help me put the chocolate icing on them after they are cooked, he informed me that he was very strong and could do that job, as he has been using Daddy's excersise stuff.  LOL.  I have been looking forward to this visit for quite some time, so I know we won't be disappointed one iota !

For those of you that live in Bruce County, I am sure you noticed we got a dump of snow once again last night, so let's see what Wiarton Airport has to say about the day ahead:

Today:

Flurries ending this morning then cloudy with 40 percent chance of flurries. High minus 2.

 

Tonight:

Cloudy. 40 percent chance of flurries this evening. Clearing before morning. Low minus 13.

 

The snow is heavy & easy to pack, so maybe at some point today we will be able to still get a snowman made.

My Mother's dog, Zoey, who is a 10 year Toy Poodle, weighing maybe 5 lbs soaking wet, if that,  looked at me when I went to let her out last night as if to say, "lovely weather we are having today, so what the hell lady I am not going out in that" !  I suppose since I do weigh more then 5 lbs, I won that battle.

I am a huge fan of American Idol when it airs once a year.  Both Rob & I have followed it from it's first show, and have always been disappointed if we have missed a night of watching.  Chris Medina was one of the contestants on American Idol, who is living a very dedicated life to his finance' Julianne.  For those who do not watch American Idol, or have seen his video posted on Facebook, I would like to share it as it has touched me very deeply....

http://www.godvine.com/The-Amazing-Story-of-Chris-Medina-Through-his-Song-296.html

An amazing love, and truly an example of how we should lead our lives.  Should the outcome of Chris's love  and dedication towards Julianne give him the opportunity of success in the music industry, I will surely be one to follow his career.  Truly appreciate that I was able to witness the love he displays when he first sang this song on American Idol.

There seems to be some viral thing going around (again), as Rob has very swollen glands and sore throat.  These are the same symptons my Aunt Gladys has had on & off for the past couple of months.  I would recommend constant gargling with salted water throughout the day, as well as tea, honey & lemon.  Proven relief.  Last evening, my brother, Allan, also told me that swishing (not swallowing) perioxide around in your mouth, not forgetting to spit it right back out, would help with any infections going on in there.  Worth a try, but not sure if Rob did or not last night, since I was sleeping when he got home from work.

Excersies to be done, dogs to be let out, snowmen to be made, video games to be played, puzzles to be put together, on & on & on.  Busy day ahead here North of Wiarton & South of the Checkerboard, so I should really think about getting dressed and getting on with it!  I just love it as I never seen any "housework" mentioned in that list of activities !  YEAH ........!!!!

The Excitement of a Grandson Arriving !

Without sounding like I am wishing my life away, I have been longing for daylight savings time to arrive, as it surely means Spring is fast approaching with the hint of Summer following right behind.  Here we are on the brink of it all with our clocks springing ahead that extra hour at midnight (for those of us that remember to reset our clocks before bed this evening) towards the dawn of a new day of extended daylight.  I love it !  Bring on the Springtime!

Southwestern Ontario got quite the Winter Blast yesterday, however my prayers goes to Japan for it is unimaginable what that Country is dealing with in the throes of an Earthquake aftermath.

It looks as the weather is going to be much better today then the heavy wet accumulation of snow we received yesterday, so here is what Wiarton Airport had to say at 5:00 AM this morning:

Today:

Becoming cloudy this morning. Showers beginning this afternoon. High plus 3.

 

Tonight:

Rain showers changing to flurries early this evening and ending overnight then cloudy. Snowfall amount 2 cm. Wind west 30 km/h becoming light late this evening. Low minus 2.

Daytime isn't looking to bad except for maybe wet roads, however once those wet roads freeze up in the evening would be a good time to find me cuddled up in the warmth of my four walls, safe & sound.

I never did get around to those bananas sitting in that bowl on my kitchen counter.  I suppose I should be popping them in the freezer for a Banana Bread or Muffins at a later date.  That would probably get rid of those little fruit flies that keep passing in front of me upon my entry into the kitchen?  Another favorite of my "boys", young & older, banana muffins with chocolate icing.....ummmm, they dont' stay on my counter top for too very long let me tell you.

Thinking of doing up a new Crock pot favorite of mine this weekend that has been tried, tested & is true by my sister Donna, niece Joanne, cousin Paula, friend,Jiba, and myself.  It was in one of the Kraft's "What's Cooking Magazines", and is soooooo very good.  Hope others will find it as good as we did.  Here is the link to the Slow Cooker Pantry Chicken Stew recipe:

http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/slow-cooker-pantry-chicken-stew-120585.aspx

What I love about most Kraft Canada recipes is that the ingredients are most common to what I keep in my pantry, and geared to everyday people.  I am not a renowned chef and never will be.  I was brought up with everything being pretty much  plain & simple....meat, potatoes, vegetable & bread.  I must say I certainly venture away from that routine on occasion, but it is still down to the basics in our household, especially with Rob being brought up on a Beef/Dairy Farm, where the basics of a good homecooked meal was the core of their being.  Let me tell you, does that man ever love making a crater in his mashed potatoes & overfilling them with gravy!  He told me, when he was growing up, that way he had extra gravy because once the gravy boat was passed around the table, there would probably not be a second helping coming back his way !

Rob & I just love our slow cooker.  I became a big fan of using a slow cooker when I went back for a course at Conestoga College, when we lived in Waterloo.  I found I would go to class in the morning, and by the time I got home with a load of surmountable homework & studies, we would have been eating supper at 10:00 PM, if I didn't use a slow cooker some days.  It was great, I would prepare the veggies the night before, throw everything in the slow cooker the next morning, along with whatever meat, turn it on & when it was time to for supper that evening "Viola!" supper ready to be served up.  How easy can that be?

I am also a 'big fan' of 'big batch' cooking.  If there is a soup, stew, chili or spaghetti sauce to make, I always double up the recipe.  I figure if I am going to go to all the work of chopping and dicing, I might as well do double at the time.  Once whatever I have made is done, it is for supper that evening, then freeze the remainder  in 2 lb. containers for a meal another time.  This way when I have had a busy day or spent too much time out walking, or with Bandit & Lexus, or in my gardens and too tired to prepare something (or too much time has slipped by is more like it some days) I then have something good & nourishing already prepared for that nights meal.  I do love easy & simple!

I have been awake and up since the wee hours of the morning.  I suppose at times I am worse then a child being so excited for upcoming events to happen.  Here it is, the day our grandson, Aiden, arrives.  How much more exciting can life be (I obviously lead a very mundane life).  I do enjoy our grandchildren !  Ha, ha, ha...I was just thinking about the one weekend the kids were up visiting & were leaving to go back home....as they are going out the driveway here I was waving good-bye to them saying, "bye, I love you, don't come back for awhile now"  LOL, I am sure glad my family "gets" my sense of humor !

I am tired before my day has gotten started, so hopefully the excitement will stay with me to keep me going throughout the day.  I suppose I need that second cup of coffee to 'jumpstart' me again.  Off & running (or not) into the beginning of a brand new day.....

Wintery Blustery Day Please Go Away !!!!

I know March can come in like a Lion, as I am a March baby, but this is getting ridiculous as we are already half way through the month.  If I could truly be the weather person I would stick my nose out the door, give you a visual, a temperature reading and be more true then some Weather Stations.  But darn, would I get paid as much?  Anyway onward with the daily weather report:

Today:

Snow ending this afternoon then cloudy with 60 percent chance of flurries. Amount 5 cm. Wind north 30 km/h. Temperature steady near zero.

 

Tonight:

Cloudy with 60 percent chance of flurries this evening. Clearing near midnight. Wind northwest 20 km/h becoming light early this evening. Low minus 3.

 

Anyhow I have stuck my nose out the door, and it is +4 C., very wet & windy with blustery snow.  Yech, yech, yech..  For those who have to go out into this wintery mess today, please drive careful, as I know I will be (or Rob if I get him to drive me around & call myself Miss Daisy).

Onward to the most fun part of my life....what to do with my day in between a 9 am & a 1:30 pm appointment.  Oh I almost forgot I am going to have some "me" time & go hang at my girlfriend's this afternoon, weather permitting.  Looking forward to that.  I guess the rest of the in between will be make the bed, do the dishes, and once again think about what's for supper.

Speaking of food (one of my most favorite subjects), I did get that homemade soup made yesterday & it was just totally awesome !!!  There was onions, turnips, celery, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, dried soup mix, mixed beans.....(oops, just realized I forgot the peas), served up with grilled cheese sandwiches.  Yummy, Rob even commented that it would be great to have again today, how much easier could that aspect of my life get !!!  I had almost forgot about his comment, so there I have no need to think about what's for supper.

We, or shall I say "Rob" had a very productive morning yesterday, and finally completed the "Whelping Pen".  Hooray !!!!  And the best part of it all, Lexus just seems to love it !!!  As you can most certainly tell by these pictures:

This last picture, was a look of "Thanks, Mom, for making Dad finally getting this whelping pen that I need finished"  LOL.  Thanks Rob you did another awesome job for all of us !!!

As I had mentioned earlier, our oldest grandson is coming to spend his March Break with us, so I will probably have a blog tomorrow, March 12th, later in the day, as I will be soooo busy getting our celebrity guest settled in.  In the meantime, so I don't forget, and just a reminder to myself that Daylight Savings Time is this weekend.  Here is some very useful information on that topic:

http://www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/b.html

"Spring ahead", you say?  Well I say, "where in the heck is Spring?"  I, for one, am truly looking forward to the longer days. 

Oh yeah, and back to food, my friend, Jiba, whom I call my Facebook Penpal (I do have a few Facebook Penpal Friends, and just love the interaction I have with each and every one), has emailed me a recipe for a cake called "Rich & Easy Mud Cake".  I will be trying this out on my new little Guinea piggie while he is here next week, so be sure to look for that upcoming episode. 

This Blogging is all new to me, as well as to some of my followers.  I have been getting some questions as to how one is to leave a "comment", so this is my understanding of how it goes: 

Select "Follow" in the top right hand corner of the blog, enter your Hotmail or Live email address (which are powered by Google).  When you go into the blog you may sign in, again located right hand corner.  Once you have entered your comment, just below there it says, "Comment As", you select this drop down box & choose "Google".  There you go, I think I got it right, as I noticed my sister had commented on the Strawberry/Rhubarb Pie, so I must have given her the proper instructions.  Sorry Jeanne, there is only one piece left & I don't think you could get up here fast enough to claim it for yourself? 

I really do "look forward" to any and every comment ! 

Time to get myself motivated and a "2nd cup of coffee" into me.  Off & running......not really but it sure sounds good.

It's Raining, It's Pouring the Old Man is Snoring... All Day Long !

Wow, and to think I thought yesterday was a gray dull day.  Today surely has that all beat to "heck".  Oh well, I can certainly think of a whole bunch more unpleasant types of weather then a bit of rain or snow, and I for one am not made of sugar, even though I am a little spicy at times (lol, or like to think I am). 

Before I get into the real meaty part of my daily thoughts, let's see what the good old Wiarton Airport has to say about the weather I am to face today:

Today:

Periods of drizzle mixed with rain. Wind south 20 km/h becoming light early this morning. High 6.

 

Tonight:

Rain. Amount 10 to 20 mm. Wind becoming northwest 30 km/h after midnight. Low plus 2.

Wowser, that seems like a lot of rain.  Sure going to have to be careful in our laneway when I am out with Bandit & Lexus today, as there will probably still be lots of bumpy ice rink out there.

I was not aware that March was Nutrition Month, until a friend emailed me that it was and was kind enough to share some awesome links with me regarding nutrition.  I, in turn, would like to share them with everyone with hopes they are enjoyed by more people, so here they are: 

Celebrate Food....From Field to Table.
Nutrition Month Website:http://www.nutrition2011.ca/en/home

The new Dietitians of Canada cookbook is called COOK, and can be found at a bookstore or library near you. Also you can purchase this cookbook online.

Free Healthy Recipes:http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Plan-Shop-Cook/Cook-Healthy.aspx

Free Online Meal Planning:www.eatrightontario.ca

Have a question for a Registered Dietitian, Call an Eat Right Ontario RD for free information at    1-877-510-5102.http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/viewdocument.aspx?id=219

Now that I got all the wonderful educational stuff over with I would like to share what Rob requested yesterday and that I had to whip up for dessert last night.  Hope you all enjoy this as well:

Ummm one of my most favorites, Strawberry/Rhubbard.  I only got to try a little sliver, and hate to tell you it is already half gone, so if you hurray over by this afternoon there might be a piece left to go along with a coffee.

Since our little girl, Lexus, seems to be the center of attention lately, shortly to be placed in the background of all the attention once the "Puppies" arrive, I though a little credit should be going to the proud father to be.  He looks so proud now, I hate to see the confusion on the poor guys face when there are about six little ones biting at his face & heels, lol.  However in the meantime he is pretty calm looking....and here is Bandit !

I am thinking he was looking for Rob to pull in when I took this picture yesterday, as he is looking out towards the highway.  A picture of handsome father to be he is !

I suppose I must get into my daily humdrum or not so humdrum day.  Ummm what could be on the agenda today ?  Oh I suppose lots, as there are over-ripe bananas on the counter that could be made into muffins for Aiden's arrival this Saturday, or someother grandson or two that might show up on our doorstep as well,  lots of "Dust Bunnies" floating around that could be rounded up, and I must not forget a soup is to made with the broth from the Smoked Ham (that I never got around to yesterday).....okay that sets my day in motion. 

Wow....Rob just came up from having Bandit & Lexus out for another morning jaunt.  He has informed me Lexus had jumped into the whelping box and was throughly checking it out.  I am sure she is not going to making it to the anticipated due date of March 24th.  My dear Rob best get going lickety split and get those finishing touches on the whelping box & pen today !!!!!  Hopefully there will be a joyful puppy update in the very near future in our household.

Closing off for now.  Looking forward to my day & any joys it may bring (even accomplishing the dust bunny roundup).  Wish me luck ! 

A Late Start on a Gray Morning

Today is grey and I have only gotten my first coffee into me.  I suppose that is the hazzard to one that wakes up in the 'wee' hours of the morning watching repeats of the Golden Girls (which I am such a fan of, and love Betty White in her New Sitcom, Hot in Cleveland), and not falling back to sleep until it is almost time to arise.  Ha,ha,ha, but I do love watching those Golden Girls !  Can't find a better reason not to sleep .....

To give some reasoning to this grey morning maybe the Weather forecast from the Wiarton Airport can shed some light on the situation:

Today:

Cloudy. 30 percent chance of wet snow this morning. Wet snow beginning this morning. Amount 5 cm. Wind becoming southeast 20 km/h this morning. High plus 1.

Tonight:

Rain. Wind southeast 20 km/h. Temperature rising to 6 by morning.

I love some postings put out by the Old Farmer's Almanac, and have it in my favorites so I may pick or choose by a click.  Here is some Weather Wit & Wisdom they had posted yesterday that I found interesting:

 

http://www.almanac.com/video/weather-wit-wisdom-january-video

We managed, yesterday, to get all the material (hopefully) together for the putting together of the whelping box, so this will be my point of focus today (other then the usual boring stuff like making the bed, washing dishes, making supper for Rob & my Mom.....etc, etc, etc).  The 'big' day is fast approaching as Lexus' due date is around or about the 24th of March.  For those who are not familar with a dog's gestation period it is only 63 days !  Amazing how those little fur balls can form so fast, is it not?  I am really appreciative to the community for their support.  I called the Wiarton Echo yesterday and asked them if they recycled their newspapers.  The gentleman I spoke to told me they did, and I asked if I could pick some up as we were soon to have puppies in our household and could use lots.  He told me I was more then welcome to "recyle them again" !  LOL......which he certainly had me doing after that remark.  Other members of the community have been more then willing to let me put up posters advertising the sale of these puppies in their establishments.  Now if I could convince them all to each buy a puppy I would have no need for all this adverstising......  PS.  Shoud anyone know people that absolutely love Australian Shepherds, send them my way !   I appreiate word of mouth advertising too !

Another group located in Wiarton is the" Explore the Bruce" (I have shared their posting on Facebook from time to time).  I was looking for things to do on March Break when our grandson is visiting, so they actually posted an Event Calander on the sidebar of their site that will list upcoming monthly events.  Isn't that great?  Thanks "Gem  (Jason) & All the Staff at Explore the Bruce".  Should any of you like to follow Explore the Bruce on Facebook here is their link:

http://www.facebook.com/ExploreTheBruce?ref=ts

Hohum, I suppose I should get off my duff (notice I didn't say 'fat', as I have really been working hard on that aspect.... another day & another blog), and get my day started.  I love starting my day in the mornings.  I am a morning person, and if I don't get going early I have always felt I missed out on the best part of the day for some reason.

Oh by the way, the Smoked Ham done in the slow cooker was totally awesome !  The broth is in the fridge.  I will skim off the fat, strain it through cheesecloth & there I have broth to make soup for today !

I am off and running......(getting dressed first).  Have a 'great' day to whomever is out there !!!!!

Brief update:

Those poor Robins must be very confused as you can tell by the amount of wet snow we are getting at the moment:

Stay warm & dry.

Will Spring Ever Be Sprung???

Once again the sun is shining, so how can you beat that?  Makes me feel like getting out of bed, which isn't easy some days for some people, lol. 

I had the offer of help from Rob yesterday to finish cleanning one part of the basement for little Miss Lexus & her whelping box; I might add she is not so little anymore.  Our Grandson, Aiden, who is 6 1/2, is coming a few days for March Break, so I am so hoping she has the puppies when he is here, as I think that would be such a cool experience for a little guy !  By the way, here is our 'little' girl:

I found an awesome "Vinegar Use" site online that I would like to share, from cleanning to pets, so I hope someone can get something useful from it as much as I have:

http://www.angelfire.com/cantina/homemaking/vinegar.html

It even gets rid of dog fleas, a past problem I have experienced, along with Bandit being skunk stunk 2 years running !  A well worth site that I have added to my favorites.

I am so looking for Spring to get itself Sprung, as I am really getting tired of fighting this bulge around my middle that some people refer to as their "Spare Tire".  Well, I have a few other choice words for this spare tire, and it is something that just isn't letting up or spinning off down the road away from my middle drift.  Ahhh the joys of menopause, lowered metabolism, cold winter months with the comforting foods of hibranation.   I am thinking once Spring ever decides to Spring, I can get outside more often, walk more often, be busier more often, and work on getting rid of that spare tire more often !  Bring on the Springtime !!!

Speaking of March Break, it has been recently mentioned to me by a good friend that Southampton's Bruce Museum has activities going on for children that week, so I checked it out it and really sounds like some fun stuff and educational.  You can find them at:

http://www.brucemuseum.ca/calendar/museum-events/kids-events/kidzone-march-break-discovery-camp/

Oh and not to disappoint my weather followers.....it is friggin' cold out there ! 

Today:

Cloudy. High plus 3.

 

Tonight:

Cloudy. Low minus 1.

 

Or maybe colder in the house since the woodstove went out sometime through the night, brrrrrr.  Thank goodness I am smart enough to know about layering clothes, or I would be pretty blue looking right now, but then again, blue is one of my favorite colours.

I have taken out a Smoked Picnic Ham for supper tonight, which I think I will be plopping into the slow cooker and let it do it's own cooking magic.  Then I will have broth to make soup with. lots of ham left for grilled ham & cheese sandwiches to go along with the soup, and maybe a ham casserole.  I love making one supper that provides a few different ideas for a couple nights after.  Makes the humdrum of that "what I am I going to make for Supper" a little bit easier some nights. 

With my second cup of coffee under my belt I am ready to take on the making of my bed, getting dressed, and doing up those breakfast dishes !!!!  Onward little woman shall I march......

A very "Happy Woman's Day" to all my woman family members, friends and followers ! 

Wow I am actually blogging !

Good morning everybody: 

I am totally estastatic (is that how you spell that?)  My nephew-in-law, whom by the way is the smartest dude going, got me going lickity split.  I can't believe it.  I am so excited my tummy is doing butterflys.

What a perfect day to start a 'blog', the sun is shining my headache is only in a 'dull' state, so how much better can it get, lol.  And I am 'alive', 'well' and 'sharing' with some of my most favorite people.

Unless somebody missed my daily Facebook Wiarton Airport Weather update for today here it is again:

Today:

Sunny. High minus 7. UV index 3 or moderate.

Tonight:

Increasing cloudiness late this evening. Low minus 10.

I could care less how bad the weather when there is sunshine !

Okay, I have 2 coffees into me, my bed made, and the fire started (isn't that a man's chore, sorry guys), and my very very first blog happening !  How much better does it get !!!!

Going to get changed & start organizing a part of the basement to setup the whelping box for our sweet little Lexus.  I must admit I think of Jennifer quite often when I am cleanning or trying to organize, as she told me about 4 years ago (when she was doing her basement) about not getting overwhelmed & to start the 'grid' method.  Just get yourself started by doing it in grid style.  Thank you Jennifer, as it has stuck, believe it or not !

I have to preview this & get my site posted on Facebook so you guys are able to keep me on the straight and narrow everyday.  Friendship is so wonderful, and you have no idea how much I appreciate it !

Thanks everybody, and special thanks Jay !  Will be back later after I have done a little bit of gridding. 

Your North of Wiarton Woman !

Well here we are 11:17am  and what have I accomplished this morning...umm let me dwell on that for a moment.  Okay got it, "Nothing", well if you call taking Bandit & Lexus outside, talking on the phone to one of my nieces, and a girlfriend, & my grandson's Mother, checking out some features on my new blog, answering 2 Facebook messages, having 1 more coffee, checking the wood in the woodstove, then I guess it is nothing !

Seriously I am going down to that basement & clearing out some more "I have been hanging on to this stuff for this many years" stuff.  Wish me luck.  Will keep you posted.

I am thrilled with getting some more cobwebs (or dust collecters) off the rafters, and my husband said he would help me with it tomorrow !  Yeah !!!  That doesn't happen way too often enough so I am holding him to it.....wish me luck, lol. 

I just found out that tomorrow is International Woman's Day http://www.internationalwomensday.com/ so we will have to celebrate.  I really didn't know we had a day, and quite tickled that we do, so please remind me to wish everyone a "Happy Woman's Day" tomorrow.

Rob (my husband for all those who did not know), suggested we have plain old fish & chips for supper.  I am thrilled with taking out a cookie sheet placing the portions onto them, sliding it into the preheated oven & letting old Captain Highliner & McCains do all the work for me.  Now who can I get to set the table & do the cleanup afterwards? 

Oh I did do something else with my day, I had a 2 mile walk with Leslie Sansone "Walk Away the Pounds".  Between her & the treadmill they have been two of my best friends these long Winter months.  If anyone should try her CD's, don't forget you don't have to use the weights, just the walking & arm movements are a great way to stay active (and warm I might add for those of us in the cold climates). 

Got the April Chatelaine in the mail today....sorry didn't see any recipes in this months issue that were as appealing as last months, either to my palate or my budget.  Speaking of budgets, they are saying gas & food prices, once again, are on staying on the increase.  Will the dreaded threat of depression be upon us in the very near future?  It is not looking to good for the Baby boomers or us that are the tailenders of the Baby Boom, nor our children & grandchildren.  We will have to be more resourceful and helpful of each other and our families in tougher times.  I am truly grateful of having family and good friends in my life.