When the weather turns cold, I get out my biggest soup pot and have a marathon soup making day. I got to take home the leftover smoked ham from Christmas dinner last night so I am making my famous split pea soup. Think I'll make some nice homemade bread to go with it.
I love slow soup days like this.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
It's raining and storming here in sunny California. The air is crisp and cold, well, cold by California standards - it's about 52 but got down to 43 last night. Family scattered around the country - Oregon & Nevada - have been calling this morning to say Merry Christmas. I'll miss not seeing everyone this year . . .
My niece and her husband in Oregon are having their first "white" Christmas as snow is still falling in Portland and Seattle. My sister in Las Vegas is also having snow, although it's just raining this morning. Heard from husband's family in Sacramento, rain and fog in our State Capitol and Santa was good to everyone too.
My pumpkin pies are ready to transport to my youngest brother's for dessert tonight. We'll spend the night there also.
Merry Christmas to all of my blogger friends and hoping you're enjoying time with family and friends too.
My niece and her husband in Oregon are having their first "white" Christmas as snow is still falling in Portland and Seattle. My sister in Las Vegas is also having snow, although it's just raining this morning. Heard from husband's family in Sacramento, rain and fog in our State Capitol and Santa was good to everyone too.
My pumpkin pies are ready to transport to my youngest brother's for dessert tonight. We'll spend the night there also.
Merry Christmas to all of my blogger friends and hoping you're enjoying time with family and friends too.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Teeth Whitening Strips
So, I tried those teeth whitening strips this morning. The last time I bought my gallon size bottle of Listerine, there were free samples attached, and I'm a sucker for anything that has free samples attached.
I read the instructions carefully 3 times as these are my only teeth I'm talking about here.
It starts off telling you to ask your Dentist before using if you have dental work as it will not whiten dental work. Well, my Dentist goes to Hawaii every year at this time to surf so that was out. I was on my own and I felt brave. And I have a mouthful of dental work.
I carefully opened the first little foil packet and immediately dropped it in the bathroom sink. It melted clean away in less than 3 seconds right before my eyes!
Swell. So I open packet number two (not over the sink this time) and successfully apply the clear strip to my lower teeth - it says to start with the lower teeth because of the saliva factor, I know, TMI.
Good so far. Next I apply a strip to my upper teeth, getting a bit on my gums. THEN I read "don't allow strip to adhere to gums," but I decide to live dangerously and chance it. No harm done, it's only hydrogen peroxide for crying out loud!
I stand there grinning at myself in the bathroom mirror as these strips start turning into gel. "Does Paris Hilton do this," I'm wondering? The instructions say the strips should melt away in about 10 minutes for most people. 30 minutes later I'm thinking, I'm not "most people."
I can't stand it anymore and decide to brush the gunky gel off my teeth, floss too. I don't see much of anything different but it does "take twice a day for two weeks" the instructions say and I don't need another gallon of Listerine at the moment.
I think I'll wait until my surfing Dentist comes back from Hawaii and ask how much a professional whitening job costs. Free whitening strips are not for me.
I read the instructions carefully 3 times as these are my only teeth I'm talking about here.
It starts off telling you to ask your Dentist before using if you have dental work as it will not whiten dental work. Well, my Dentist goes to Hawaii every year at this time to surf so that was out. I was on my own and I felt brave. And I have a mouthful of dental work.
I carefully opened the first little foil packet and immediately dropped it in the bathroom sink. It melted clean away in less than 3 seconds right before my eyes!
Swell. So I open packet number two (not over the sink this time) and successfully apply the clear strip to my lower teeth - it says to start with the lower teeth because of the saliva factor, I know, TMI.
Good so far. Next I apply a strip to my upper teeth, getting a bit on my gums. THEN I read "don't allow strip to adhere to gums," but I decide to live dangerously and chance it. No harm done, it's only hydrogen peroxide for crying out loud!
I stand there grinning at myself in the bathroom mirror as these strips start turning into gel. "Does Paris Hilton do this," I'm wondering? The instructions say the strips should melt away in about 10 minutes for most people. 30 minutes later I'm thinking, I'm not "most people."
I can't stand it anymore and decide to brush the gunky gel off my teeth, floss too. I don't see much of anything different but it does "take twice a day for two weeks" the instructions say and I don't need another gallon of Listerine at the moment.
I think I'll wait until my surfing Dentist comes back from Hawaii and ask how much a professional whitening job costs. Free whitening strips are not for me.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Have Rolling Pin, Will Travel
How I am spending my Christmas vacation: I am having a blast!
Sleeping til 7:30 (three hours more sleep than usual), making my own coffee and drinking it by the light of my two Christmas trees. Having whatever I want for breakfast, sometimes going to my fave cafe for lunch and eating at a table all by myself.
Monday I took my rolling pin to bake with family in Santa Clara as we have been doing for the past two years - I guess this qualifies as a tradition. Yesterday, I baked 78 gingerbread boys and decorated them with my niece, ex-sil, and nephew's girlfriend - a five year tradition. This Sunday, I'm taking my rolling pin to Milpitas to make gingerbread boys with another branch of the family.
I could get used to this.
What's better than spending time, quality time, with family, especially the younger generation and building a legacy? My legacy is baking memories with the ones I love the most. It just doesn't get any better than that. It just doesn't.
P.S. I said Merry Christmas to the Salvation Army bell ringer and they said Merry Christmas back, not that crappy Happy Holidays . . . there's hope afterall.
Sleeping til 7:30 (three hours more sleep than usual), making my own coffee and drinking it by the light of my two Christmas trees. Having whatever I want for breakfast, sometimes going to my fave cafe for lunch and eating at a table all by myself.
Monday I took my rolling pin to bake with family in Santa Clara as we have been doing for the past two years - I guess this qualifies as a tradition. Yesterday, I baked 78 gingerbread boys and decorated them with my niece, ex-sil, and nephew's girlfriend - a five year tradition. This Sunday, I'm taking my rolling pin to Milpitas to make gingerbread boys with another branch of the family.
I could get used to this.
What's better than spending time, quality time, with family, especially the younger generation and building a legacy? My legacy is baking memories with the ones I love the most. It just doesn't get any better than that. It just doesn't.
P.S. I said Merry Christmas to the Salvation Army bell ringer and they said Merry Christmas back, not that crappy Happy Holidays . . . there's hope afterall.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Doctors as Friends
I have the best Doctor on the planet! Had my check-up this morning:
Heart = still beating
Lungs = still breathing
Blood Pressure = been worse (140/90 when the nurse took it, 128/92 when Dr took it) will stay on current medication
Blood Oxygen = normal (whatever that is)
Temperature = 99.8
Pulse = still have one
Weight = up a little (but I have lost 67 pounds in the past year)
Cholesterol = 160
All the Other Stuff = fine and dandy except I am overdue for a colonoscopy (she told me about hers and it still doesn't convince me) so I told her I'd make it a goal for 2009 - NOT!
The reason I bring this up is because at all my appts we have the most amazing conversations and I leave feeling really good about myself and that everything is as it should be. I always get a big hug too. This morning she remembered this was the first Christmas without my Mom and the second without my brother (sure, it's written in my chart) but it's nice she even mentions it.
I also always leave feeling a little sad because she is someone I could really have as a personal friend. She's about two years younger than me and has been through many of the same things I have. I left wanting to invite her and her husband over for dinner or something. But I don't know "the rules" about befriending or getting too chummy with your Doctor. I'll have to ponder this in my Happiness Project.
Speaking of, I told her about it and she thinks it's great and admires that I enjoy writing. She says she doesn't write because she's "too lazy." OK, so this woman went how many years to medical school, sees how many patients a year, has her own family to tend, and she thinks she's lazy???
Now I'm blathering . . . hope you're having a nice day (I'm on vacation until January 5th).
Heart = still beating
Lungs = still breathing
Blood Pressure = been worse (140/90 when the nurse took it, 128/92 when Dr took it) will stay on current medication
Blood Oxygen = normal (whatever that is)
Temperature = 99.8
Pulse = still have one
Weight = up a little (but I have lost 67 pounds in the past year)
Cholesterol = 160
All the Other Stuff = fine and dandy except I am overdue for a colonoscopy (she told me about hers and it still doesn't convince me) so I told her I'd make it a goal for 2009 - NOT!
The reason I bring this up is because at all my appts we have the most amazing conversations and I leave feeling really good about myself and that everything is as it should be. I always get a big hug too. This morning she remembered this was the first Christmas without my Mom and the second without my brother (sure, it's written in my chart) but it's nice she even mentions it.
I also always leave feeling a little sad because she is someone I could really have as a personal friend. She's about two years younger than me and has been through many of the same things I have. I left wanting to invite her and her husband over for dinner or something. But I don't know "the rules" about befriending or getting too chummy with your Doctor. I'll have to ponder this in my Happiness Project.
Speaking of, I told her about it and she thinks it's great and admires that I enjoy writing. She says she doesn't write because she's "too lazy." OK, so this woman went how many years to medical school, sees how many patients a year, has her own family to tend, and she thinks she's lazy???
Now I'm blathering . . . hope you're having a nice day (I'm on vacation until January 5th).
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Do You "Wordle" Yet?
Go here to make some "word clouds" (I'm beginnning work on My Happiness Project).
Tag, You're It!
I've never been tagged but I liked this from lemming's progress:
Where is your cell phone? Charging on my desk
Where is your significant other? At work
Your hair color? Blonde (natural too)
Your Mother? Did the best she could
Your Father? Did the best he could
Your favorite thing? The ocean
Your dream last night? Can't remember any
Your goal? To start my own Happiness Project (more later)
The room you're in? My office
Your hobby? Baking
Your fear? Too many to list here
Where do you to be in 6 years? Retired and travelling
Where were you last night? On the couch watching MSNBC
What you're not? An extrovert
One of your wish-list items? A closet organizer
Where you grew up? San Jose, CA (aka Silicon Valley)
The last thing you did? Checked my email
What are you wearing? My new Santa scarf (knitted by my SIL)
Your TV? Old
Your pet(s)? 3 cats: Phoebe G, Samantha, & Violet and 14 fish in a 100 gallon tank
Your computer? Dell
Your mood? Tomorrow is my first day of vacation until Jan 5th, so you tell me
Missing someone? Mom, Dad and Ed
Your car's name? Olive
Something you're not wearing? Earrings
Favorite store? Sur La Table
Your summer? I hate summer!
Love someone? I love lots of someones
Your favorite color? Green
When is the last time you laughed? On the drive into work this morning
Last time you cried? Last Sunday
Tagging? anyone
Where is your cell phone? Charging on my desk
Where is your significant other? At work
Your hair color? Blonde (natural too)
Your Mother? Did the best she could
Your Father? Did the best he could
Your favorite thing? The ocean
Your dream last night? Can't remember any
Your goal? To start my own Happiness Project (more later)
The room you're in? My office
Your hobby? Baking
Your fear? Too many to list here
Where do you to be in 6 years? Retired and travelling
Where were you last night? On the couch watching MSNBC
What you're not? An extrovert
One of your wish-list items? A closet organizer
Where you grew up? San Jose, CA (aka Silicon Valley)
The last thing you did? Checked my email
What are you wearing? My new Santa scarf (knitted by my SIL)
Your TV? Old
Your pet(s)? 3 cats: Phoebe G, Samantha, & Violet and 14 fish in a 100 gallon tank
Your computer? Dell
Your mood? Tomorrow is my first day of vacation until Jan 5th, so you tell me
Missing someone? Mom, Dad and Ed
Your car's name? Olive
Something you're not wearing? Earrings
Favorite store? Sur La Table
Your summer? I hate summer!
Love someone? I love lots of someones
Your favorite color? Green
When is the last time you laughed? On the drive into work this morning
Last time you cried? Last Sunday
Tagging? anyone
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