This month is just flying by! After several days of freezing our noses off, it's turned warm again - for a while. I really need to move back to warmer climes. I loathe these hard freezes.

*Well, PTL! My truck's CHECK ENGINE light went out. Hopefully, the fuel injector cleaner finally did its work and that'll be the end of the problem. If it stays out, Duller can get his new tires this weekend and my free Razr. Yes, I am still cell-less. I wouldn't want one at all but for the fact that he's gone all week and I've been stranded in a dead truck (not this one) in the middle of nowhere once several times too often.

*Hey, thanks ever so Dr. Debbie for reminding me of your other site! I've been trying for years to convince Duller that he should stop poisoning hisownmself with prescription drugs. I rarely take even an aspirin (or equivalent) unless I'm practically dying. (The tylenol I took the other day was out of sheer desperation.)

*Y'all please pray for Brenda's DD Kayla and her baby! She's 7 months pregnant and has kidney stones! Bless her heart!

*We had an unexpected visitor yesterday. I looked out my window and there was a Great Egret (AKA Great White Egret) stalking bugs or lizards in the front yard. I tried to get a pic, but he moved behind some bushes and took off just as a Merlin flew over. I'm just glad he didn't discover our goldfish. We have no idea how, or when, he ended up in our little 'pond'. One day, Duller came in and said, 'there's a golfdfish in the turtle'. HUH?! We live too far off the reoad for somebody to have dropped him off. Either he 'hatched' out of the hyacinths someone gave us or a bird dropped him or a freak wind blew him in. Anyhow, we bought some fish food and have been feeding him ever since. He survived the nights it got down in the low 20s-high teens, so he's obviously tougher than he looks.

*It's been dreary all day today and alternating rainy/drizzly all afternoon. Right now, we need all the wet we can get. But I do hope the sun comes back for the weekend. I can't decide whether I want to go to Joja or Bamalama this weekend. I'd really love to see this year's Christmas decorations in Dothan's mall, but there's a kitchen shop I"ve been wanting to visit just about as far in the opposite direction, just across the GA line. Anybody else have exciting plans for the weekend?

Y'all have a JESUS-filled day! ^i^

Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside. - Mark Twain

Hey, y'all! Thanks ever so for checking out CBD through my links!

I had intended to visit y'all's sites today, but it's been an 'off' weekend from start to finish. Duller took my truck back Friday afternoon and they said the parts store - with the free diagnostic thingy - 'misinterpreted' the reading. They read it right, just came up with the wrong diagnosis.  Well, right from the start, we shoulda known. He made an appointment - for Friday afternoon - online Monday or Tuesday. The people at the actual shop knew nothing about it. Naturally. By the time he got up there and they figured out what needed doing, it was too late, so he made arrangements to take it back on Saturday. He drove all the way back up there - this is like 25-30 miles one way - and they couldn't do the work, coz he hadn't received his credit card yet. (He got an account with the place so he wouldn't have to lay out all that cash right now.) He called from the shop and talked to some heavily accented CS (now there's an oxymoron!) person. She asked him 20 questions to make sure he was actually Duller just to inform him she wasn't allowed to give him the account #. So, 6 gallons of gas down the drain and nothing to show for it. Hopefully, the card will show up this week and he can repeat the drill next weekend.

The heater, in spite of the humidifier, has been drying out the air in here for a few days now, and last night I had a very minor, very brief nosebleed. No biggie, but kinda upsetting, nonetheless. They're not s'posed to happen amymore.

Today started out better, but kinda went downhill. Someone was interested in buying my pool table and I thought he was going to pick it up today. I didn't hear anything and finally gave up checking for his email. I fixed tropical Mahi Mahi with pineapple salsa for supper and the guys absolutely loved it. It wasn't my cup of tea at all. After supper, I checked email and there it was. He said this was the only day he could get his friend's truck and please get back to him right away, etc, etc, etc. Well, apparently yahoo was having one of its off days and the email didn't come through till several hours after he sent it. And the other guy who was interested uses earthlink, which is apparently trashing my responses to him.

To frost this whole crummy cake, I injured a tooth the other day and this evening it started giving me fits. I was in horrible pain for a couple of hours. I can't take aspirin, coz it thins the blood and contributes to nosebleeds. And I can't take anything with ibuprofen. I took a Tylenol yesterday and it did pretty much nothing. And I wonder now if it aggravates the nose situation, as well. I found some Ora-gel, but that didnt help much either. Now it just feels very sore.

Oh, and PBS is fund-raising AGAIN. So my Brit-coms weren't on. They do this more than they run regular programming. No, really. Last year, starting about this time, they did it for 2-3 months straight, then repeated several time this year.. Much as I enjoyed Celtic Woman, I've had more than my fill of it by now. Glad I didn't buy the DVD, after all.

Well, I'm just a walking country song, ain't I? LOL! At least my dog didn't die or run away. The rest of the week has to be better, right? Right? RIGHT???

Y'all have a JESUS-filled day! ^i^

Rather than email individuals, I figgered I'd just post the shameless reminder here... If you're going to be shopping at CBD, please go through my link. And please forgive me for not updating this season. Just go to my page, ignore the outdatedness and click on any link.

Thanks ever so, y'all! After this month, I think the new CBD policy kicks in and I'll no longer be an affiliate. Send me out with a bang. 

Have a JESUS-filled day! ^i^

Ingredient Substitution List

• 1 teaspoon baking powder = ¼ teaspoon baking soda plus ½ cup buttermilk or ¼ teaspoon baking soda plus 5/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

• 1 cup sifted cake flour = 7/8 cup sifted all-purpose flour or 1 cup all-purpose flour minus 1-2 tablespoons

• 1 cup self-rising flour = 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour plus 1½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup all-purpose flour = 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 1 cup honey = 1 to 1¼ cups sugar plus ¼ cup liquid

• 2 large eggs = 3 small eggs

• 1 medium egg = 2 egg yolks plus 1 tablespoon water (for baking)

• 1 medium egg = 2 egg yolks (in custards or cream fillings)

• 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate = 1 square or 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon butter or margarine

• 6 squares or 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted = 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (as thickening) = 2 tablespoons flour or 2 teaspoons quick tapioca or 2 egg yolks

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice = ½ teaspoon vinegar

• 1 tablespoon fresh herbs = ½ to 1 teaspoon dried herbs

• 1 small garlic clove = 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 pound fresh mushrooms = 3 ounces dried or 6 ounces canned

• 1 cup whipping cream, whipped = 2 cups thawed whipped topping

• 1 cup whipping cream as liquid = 1/3 cup melted butter plus ¾ cup milk

• 1 cup light cream = 3 tablespoons melted butter plus ¾ cup milk

• 1 cup ricotta cheese = 1 cup cottage cheese, liquid drained

• 1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup plain yogurt, stirred, or 1 tablespoon lemon juice stirred into milk to make 1 cup; let stand 5 minutes to make soured milk for baking only (never use sour milk that's been in the fridge too long; it's actually spoiled)

• 1 cup whole milk = 2 teaspoons melted butter plus 1 cup fat-free milk (or water) or equal parts evaporated milk and water or 1 cup nonfat dry milk plus 2 teaspoons melted butter

• 1 cup sour cream = 3 tablespoons melted butter stirred into 7/8 cup buttermilk, soured milk or plain yogurt

• 1 cup sour cream = 1 cup plain yogurt (but it will taste less rich from the missing fat)

• Pecans = walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts

• Chunky peanut butter = creamy peanut butter (or grind roasted peanuts in a blender with a little peanut oil)

• 1 cup bread crumbs = ¾ cup cracker crumbs

• 1 cup butter = 1 cup margarine or 7/8 cup vegetable oil or 7/8 cup butter-flavored shortening

• 1 pound lard = 2 cups shortening

• 1 cup sugar (in baking bread) = 1 cup honey plus a pinch of baking soda

• 1 cup sugar (in baking) = 7/8 cup honey plus a pinch of baking soda

• 1 cup sugar (in main dishes) = ¾ cup honey

• 1 cup brown sugar = 1 cup white sugar plus 2 tablespoons molasses

• 1 cup molasses (in baking) = 1 cup sugar (omit baking soda; use baking powder)

• ½ cup dry red wine or white wine = 2 tablespoons sherry or port

• ¾ cup maple syrup = ¾ cup maple-flavored syrup, corn syrup or 1 cup sugar and increase liquid in recipe by 3 tablespoons

• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice = ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 pound tomatoes = 3 medium or ¾ cup sauce (6 ounces) or ¼ cup paste (2 ounces)

• 8 ounces tomato sauce = 2/3 cup water plus 1/3 cup tomato paste

• 3 cups tomato juice = 2½ cups water plus 6 ounces tomato paste plus ¾ teaspoon salt, dash of sugar

• 1 large marshmallow = 10 mini (dust off cornstarch from their surfaces or it might overload a recipe)

• 1 cup granulated sugar = 1¾ cups powdered sugar for uses other than baking

• ¼ teaspoon powdered ginger = 1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 2 teaspoon minced crystallized

• 1 head fresh dill = 2 teaspoons dill seed

• 1 tablespoon grated fresh horseradish = 2 tablespoons bottled

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice = ½ teaspoon vinegar

• 1 teaspoon dry mustard = 1 tablespoon prepared mustard or ½ teaspoon mustard seeds

• 1 /4 cup rum = 1 teaspoon rum extract plus liquid to make ¼ cup

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract = 1 inch vanilla bean, split and simmered in liquid of recipe

• 1 cup wine = 13 tablespoons water, 3 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon sugar or a little less than 1 cup apple juice plus lemon juice

• 1 cup dry bread crumbs = 3 to 4 slices bread, torn and blenderized

• 1 cup sweetened condensed milk = 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry milk powder plus ½ cup warm water plus ¾ cup sugar and dissolve

• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar = 1½ teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar

• 1 tablespoon maple sugar = 1 tablespoon granulated sugar plus a dash of maple extract

The attack may have occurred 65 years ago, but survivors say they can still hear the explosions, smell the burning flesh, taste the sea water and hear the cries.

"The younger ones were crying, 'Mom! Mom! Mom!'" said Edward Chun, who witnessed the attack from the Ten-Ten dock, just a couple hundred yards away from Battleship Row.

Chun, 83, had just begun his workday as a civilian pipe fitter when he was thrust into assisting in everything from spraying water on the ships to aiding casualties.

"From the time the first bomb dropped and for the next 15 minutes, it was complete chaos," he said. "Nobody knew what was going on. Everybody was running around like a chicken with their head cut off."

Chun saw the Oklahoma and West Virginia torpedoed by Japanese aircraft. He heard the tapping of sailors trapped in the hulls of sunken ships. He escaped death when Ten-Ten was strafed, leaving behind dead and wounded.

Many of the dead were teenage sailors and Marines away from home for the first time. They died before they had an opportunity to get married, have children, build lives.

Four in five servicemen on the USS Arizona — 1,177 in all — did not survive the day. It was the greatest loss of life of any ship in U.S. naval history. They remain entombed in the battleship's sunken hull, which still seeps oil every few seconds, leaving a colorful sheen on the harbor water.

The survivors say they have more than horrific memories to offer. "Remember Pearl Harbor" is just the first half of the association's motto; the rest is "Keep America alert."

Excerpts from article by
JAYMES SONG, Associated Press Writer
Thu Dec 7, 7:58 AM ET

More about Pearl Harbor at:
Naval Historical Center
National Geographic
USS Arizona National Memorial

$49.95 $32.95

Plays "The Waltz of the Flower" song. A glass slipper is toasted into the bread as it browns. The Cinderella Musical Toaster is 9" l x 6" w x 7 1/2" h.

It's never a surprise anymore. Duller took my truck to the shop Friday to find out why the CHECK ENGINE light came on. Cylinder 1 was misfiring. I've been telling him for months and months and months I need a tune-up - or whatever they call it these days. He was stupid enough to believe the person who told him these platinum spark plugs didn't need to be changed till at least 90k miles. Yeah, right. And pigs got wings! Anyhow, he laid out around 175 bucks for plugs and wires (what happened to points?). It still ran a bit rough, but the CE light was out, so I figgered I'd let the fuel injector cleaner do its thing and see how it went after that. Everything was fine all weekend. Duller went back across the state Sunday evening. Monday morning, DS and I hopped in the truck to run a few errands. A mile or so down the road, I happened to glance down and.... CHECK ENGINE! *sigh* I've pretty much come to expect this stuff. I can't remember the last time we had a job done that we didn't have to go back and have it done again. Wouldn't you think people would get tired of re-doing stuff and just do it right the first time? To add insult to injury, the eejit what did the work let all the air out of my new tires, coz he 'couldn't reach' otherwise.  Ever notice how inconveniences happen at the most inconvenient time? And how the perpetrators of stupidity will never actually come out and admit that it was their fault? Duller will take the truck back up there Friday afternoon. And they will again insist that he should get a new fuel filter (another $200). Ever wonder if they deliberately do a shoddy job so you'll have to come back and they can tell you it's your fault for not getting the other work done to start with? I told him in no uncertain terms he was NOT to let them flatten my tires again. If the man can't do the job, he shouldn't be working there.

OK, I'm done ranting. I'm actually, otherwise, in a great mood. I'm not crazy about this cold weather, but praise God for central heat! We were running the AC a couple days ago. When I went to bed last night, the thermometer read 23°!!! It's s'posed to get below freezing again tonight, then start warming a bit tomorrow.

I'm still trying to get motivated to weed out everything I want to get rid of. No yard sale last weekend. Too many other things going on. I did get a response about my pool table, but he never got back to me. Anybody wanna drive a U-Haul to Flarda and take home a truckload of treaures? Yes, treasures. Really they are. Well, yes, most of them were curb-shopped, thrift shopped or yard saled, but they're pretty much one-of-a- ..... Hey! Would I lie???!!!  

Have a JESUS-filled day! ^i^

 
                     Click pic for larger view

Gosh, this week has just flown by! Duller's mother spent Thanksgiving with us and seemed to have a really great time. I was the lone vote for Barnhill's, so we went to Golden Corral. For the first time in history, I did not walk away groaning. After dinner, the guys took Gramma for the grand tour of the big city and our little burg. I headed on home, stopping at one of my favourite parks on the way. I even did a little exploring and found a trail next to the lake that looped around and ended on the other side of the parking lot.

When the guys and Gramma got back, we all escorted her around as much of our property as we can get to. It was kinda nice to see things through 'new eyes'. I'd forgotten about some of the things I love about this place. Now I don't want to move. LOL!

Did y'all venture into the chaos of Black Friday? I only went up to the PO and to Ace for their one day sale. I couldn't pass up the large George Foreman grill for - after rebate - $19.99. I was too late for the (again, after rebate) free snowflake path liner thingies. This store is hardly ever has any of the really good stuff from their ads.

Well, I've decided to bite the bullet and have a yard sale next weekend. I'm thinking I'll just stick up a sign and save the cost of a newspaper ad. If that doesn't work, I'll post an ad the following week. I'm not expecting to make a whole lot of ca$h. I gave most of the really good stuff to the Shriners for their sale a couple months back. But it'll be a relief to have that mcuh less to deal with while I decide whether to go ahead and decorate for Christmas. I'm hoping the people who came by the other day will make an offer and we'll be out of here soonly. Hey, it could happen.

OK, I know I've been awful about commenting on y'all's sites. I do read my subs page, so I'm mostly keeping up at least that much. There just never seems to be enough time. I know, I know, there's just as much time as there always was. I'm still getting used to the fact that it's dark by 6PM.

Y'all have a JESUS-filled day! ^i^