Healthy Choices Thursday 12/27/12

Hello everyone.  I'm glad you got a good chuckle out of my sheets!  Actually, I probably worded it incorrectly. I washed all of the sheets and put them in my dryer.  But I took out the mattresses and mattress covers and pillows for a few hours to air out.  We take out a lot of our home textiles for airing in the cold weather.  It should kill all of the dust mites that live in them.  My throw rugs go out at least once a month.  We have a special rack to hang them on.  We shake the smaller ones, but the bigger rugs we beat with a special rug beater.  

And one other bit of information----we wash our rugs with lake water in the summertime.

I often hang out my sweaters and shirts in between washings. They feel really fresh after that.

My neighbor hangs all of her clothes, sheets and towels out to dry year round.  When she takes them in, she hangs them in the sauna room to thaw out and dry.  Then she irons everything.  That's a lot of bother, in my opinion, but she says she will never own a dryer.  

The sister is here.  She is giving Leo a lesson on Exel.  I have decided to sit in another room and enjoy the entertainment.  It's very funny.  

Yes, the day after Christmas is a holiday here.  The kindergarten where I work decided to close between Christmas and New Years, so none of us is working.  I had to use a couple of vacation days, but I would have anyway, so it is better that nobody is working.  I go back to work on January 2nd.

Have a great day!  lusi

Good morning all.

Thanks for starting us lusi. I understood you weren't drying your bedding just airing it out. Why doesn't your neighbor want a dryer? It does seem like a lot of work but she must enjoy it I guess. What do the parents do with their kids when the kindergarten closes? I can imagine the excel "lesson", LOL

Sorry you guys can't see the video on FB, DSIL must have his security set so friends of friends can't see it but I thought Shirley saw the previous one so I was surprised you can't see it.

I am off to DD's soon. I'm taking the last of the leftover salad for lunch. I hate to think of cooking this week, I'm so lazy.

JoAnn, I hope you're not snowbound and have power.

Good Morning Lusi & Sue.  Lusi, thanks for telling us why you take out the bed clothes.  I remember my Dmom always taking things out in the spring and airing them, also remember beating they large rug.  Never see that done anymore in our part of the country.  Your week will be fun filled with the DSIL.  We enjoy hearing what they do when they visit.

Sue, I know you are happy that you have a short week of babysitting this week.  I couldn't open the video either, I don't do much facebook so thought it was me.  Did you have snow?

I hope Jo Ann isn't snowed in without power this morning. Most of the tornados were south of us yesterday, but we had lots of rain and much needed rain.  We were short 8' for the year so we will take the rain and be thankful for it.

Donna, how sad about Joe's fur baby.  I know this made for a sad Christmas day for those two,  we all get so attached to our pets and it's never easy to give them up.  You and Chuck had a long day but sounds like you had so much fun.

I'm back to the grind today,  I have the decorations off the tree, and most of the tables decorations ready to pack up in the next couple days.  I'm now glad that I didn't get out lots of things. I'm also clearing out what's left in the refrigerator.  I've decided I'm going to try walking some next week, I'll use the brace, but I need to get back in shape and I need to get off those lbs. that I've let creep up on me, whether I'll do it alone or with WW, but no more thinking about it.  Gotta do it.....

Don't know why I didn't post yesterday.  I'll be back later today
Hope everyone has a great day

Good morning.  It's very icy out there today.  I had to walk like Tim Conway when he was playing the part of the Old man when I went to get the paper.   I had to stay in the snow because the tracks where the car drove and the street are just ice.  But, I had to do it to get my morning paper fix.

Marti, I started taking down a few decorations yesterday and before you know it, the tree and everything were down and put away.  We put our tree up right after Thanksgiving so I'm tired of it by Christmas.  We do leave the outside lights though. 

Lusi, I have to talk  to my sister about drying clothes outside in the winter.  I seem to remember clothes frozen solid . I can't remember if that was DMIL or DM.  Neither had dryers.   But DM had a clothesline strung across the living room/kitchen where she had to dry clothes in the winter.  I remember on clothes washing day, she always had a pot of beans cooking on the wood stove.   I remember the combination of the smell of the "bluing" she used and the beans cooking .

Sue, did you take actual pictures to send us of the little ones ?  They are just so cute !

I have to tell you what our sweet Jo Lynn did.  The other day I mentioned in a post that I could no longer burn candles because of my Asthma.  Yesterday the mailman drove up into the driveway with a pkg.  I couldn't imagine who it was from since Christmas is over.  It was from Jo Lynn and was a battery operated candle with a timer.  I was so surprised and it really made my day since I had just stored all the candles I had  that I can no longer use.  She is such a sweetheart.  Thanks again Jo Lynn. 

Well, I have a BIG project today.  DH has a dr. appt. and after that he is helping me take the little downstairs bedroom apart and put it back together.  You can't just move the bed, even though it is on rollers.  He made it and it has drawers under it and is quite heavy so the rollers don't work in the carpet.  That room is the only one left with carpet and it needs to be throughly cleaned and vacuumed and dusted around the frame and everything.  So, I think that involves taking the matt/springs off completely, moving those to the front room and removing each drawer just tomove the bed.  I guess you could say I'm doing my spring cleaning a bit early. 

Better get moving.  The  laundry awaits !.   have a good day all.   Barb

Good morning... We had another inch of snow overnight and it is snowing lightly now.

lusi ~ I’m glad you are getting some time off between Christmas and New Year’s Day. So... some people in Finland do hang their clothes out to dry in the winter. That makes me feel better to know that I’m not a completely off my rocker for thinking that! LOL

Sue ~ What a pretty picture this morning. I couldn’t find the video on FB to watch. Is it on your timeline? In your pictures? I am going to hate to have to go back to cooking, too. Tell Jack he can have all the pickled beets he wants if he comes and takes down my Christmas decorations AND puts them away!! LOL

Marti ~ You are so lucky to have a place to walk that is close by. I bet your walking buddies will be glad to have you back. Do they place watering restrictions on you when you are 8' short on your rain? I know sometimes in Colorado, they have had watering restrictions when their moisture level is low.

Barb ~ I’m glad you like the candle. As I said, I love those battery operated candles. The timer feature is so nice because you don’t have to worry about turning them off. You just set them to come on at the time you want them on and then after that, they come on every day at the same time and stay on for 5 hours and then go off. You have a very busy day today - please don’t over do!!

Until later....

Jo Lynn

Good Morning!   Just seems like this snow is never going to end, but should this afternoon.   Such light snow though, so accumulation is very slow.

Lusi, I think so many of us get the biggest kick out of some of your habits.   I do like others and hang clothes, blankets, etc. out in the Spring, but never ever thought to do it when so cold.   Your neighbor sounds like she enjoys her chore, but all I can think is you’re hanging and re-hanging everything.

Glad to see you’re off till the 2^nd, nice long vacation for you.   Keep us posted on the goings-on with the SIL.   Must be totally entertaining.

Sue, that is the prettiest picture.   I feel lazy as far as cooking too, maybe we did too much for the holidays.

Marti, I loved your 1 statement about “no more thinking about it” relating to walking.   Sometimes I know I’m better at thinking than doing.

I’m worried about Jo Ann too, she’s always prompt during the week.

Barb, did you wear the golf shoes with cleats this morning?   Do you have to go down close to the road?

How thoughtful of Jo Lynn, that’s so special.

Your BIG project is indeed BIG, BIG, BIG!!!!   Those kinds of things are hard for me to get motivated to do.   But good weather to do it in and you and Paul can get some winter exercise.

I have a grocery list, but think most things can wait till tomorrow.   We want to go to WinCo since that’s where DH gets his coffee and he ground the last of it this morning.   I’m still cleaning up my papers I’m been accumulating around the computer.   Amazing what I’m finding.

Almost forgot to tell Lusi something:   I was looking through a 2007 Cooking Light magazine and in there they make reference to Boxing Day on Dec. 26.   They are giving ideas what foods to fix on each of the 31 days of December.   For Boxing Day, they explain “In Victorian times, British servants worked on Christmas, so their employers placed food in boxes for them to enjoy on the 26^th”.   So the “boxing” must refer to “boxing up food for the servants”.   What I learn because of so many of you!!!

Have a good one!

Good morning everyone.  We are an industrious group today.  Barb's enthusiasm rubbed off a little bit and I've got most of my Christmas stuff put away or ready to put away.  Of course I didn't get out much...just dishtowels, hand towels and potholders, two Christmas-y napkin holders and decorative paper napkins.  I never seem to use the Chrsitmas napkins or the ones for Thanksgiving or Easter etc....so this year I just put them out and we've actually used them.

I'm thinking of tossing our old Christmas stockings....they're just the red ones you get for 99ª with a white cuff where the kids put their names with glitter and glue.  They are falling apart plus they stink of mustiness...maybe I need to send them to Lusi to put outside to air!  Well...I could air them out here today.....we are finally above freezing for the first time since Monday.  When I put out my Christmas linens I culled a lot of the everyday dishtowels....this was just before the gals came over to make candy....they took them home saying they needed dishtowels.  I was sort of surprised...perhaps because I have a dishtowel fetish and never hesitate to buy them for myself...however, I'm very particular.  I want 100% cotton so they'll absorb well.  In my stash of Christmas stuff, I have a beautiful gold colored fingertip towel and it has a sleigh embroidered on it....it's too little to be of any good but it's so pretty!  I often hang it over another more user-friendly towel.

We still have snow on the ground but it's melted off the rooftops.  Streets and driveways are mostly clear but the lawn remains covered.  How Shadow loves to run in the snow...ours in the dry powdery stuff.  Right now she's sleeping in a patch of sunshine.

Donna, so sorry to hear about Marker.  That is so sad.  It will be hard for Brittney with Joe leaving for fishing again soon.  Cremation for pets is quite costly here; is it costly there?

Jo Lynn...how sweet of you to send Barb the candle.  I got a set of four for Christmas last year but have never used them.  They are vanilla scented....and while I like the smell of real vanilla, the fake vanilla scent almost makes me sick.  It's too sweet.  I also have a lantern thingy with the flameless candle (scent free).  There are very few scented candles that I can tolerate with my allergies....one that I do like is Yankee Candle's Sage and Citrus.....and while I smell neither sage nor citrus, it has a nice fragrance....sort of like an old timey barber shop.  I used to go with my daddy to the barbershop when I was little...love that smell!  It's comforting!

Does anyone have special plans for New Year's Eve?  I sure don't....that's one time I stay in!  I may go out for an EARLY dinner but want to be home before the crazies and the drunks are out.

Y'all have a nice day!

vammie

Our weather has been beautiful today, may be the calm before the storm, but Lupe has been here most of the day, picked up all the stray leaves, pruned the crepe mrytles, I got out and cut back some of the mondo grass, felt more like spring, but I just noticed it is 46, that's not too warm, but guess when you are busy it is.

Jo Lynn, we have never had restrictions on water, when lakes start getting low, the ask people to cut back and we have come close to restriction a few times, if we don't have lots of rain in the winter, it makes for a dry hot summer.

Verna, I've not been out on New Years in way too many years, I, like you don't want to be out with so many drinking and driving that night.

I've made reservations at the beach in a few weeks, so this will give me the incentive to get busy and get some of these things done around here..that long rest I've had these past months has some things behind that need catching up.  Lupe would do it, but so much I have to go through before tossing... I want that behind me too

Got my room done !  Yeah .  Not that anyone would notice but me.  I managed to get the whole thing vacuumed and everything put back together.  Even turned my Quilt over to the other side for a differnt look. 

Then I took Rosie for a walk out in the orchard.  Do you know how hard it is to walk in snow !! I felt like I had a workout .  It's beautiful and sunny now .  I wish it wouldn't freeze back up tonight but I know it will.

Maureen, the paper and mail are on the other side of the road so yes, I have to walkd all the way down the driveway.  I didn't wear golf shoes .  I just was real careful and stayed in the snow.

I put on a pot of white beans with the leftover ham and need to go check that now so will go.

Where is Jo Ann ?  I wonder if her power is out . 

I just wanted to let you all know that I had a text from Jo Ann and they are fine. She is having trouble with her laptop connecting to the internet that is why she hasn't posted today. She hopes to be back on tomorrow. She said the storm went through yesterday and they didn't lose power.

Barb ~ You did well today getting all of that done. Sometimes we just have to do those things for ourselves... it doesn't matter if anyone else will see it or not. Your dinner sounds good!

Until later...

Jo Lynn...thanks for letting us know about Jo Ann....I was about to be worried!

vammie

PS  Word of the day is "omnivore".  Three guesses why it's the word of the day....and the first two don't count!

Hello BB friends, 

Jo Lynn, thanks for letting us know about Jo Ann.  I'm glad they didn't have loads of snow.

Verna, how is your new phone treating you?  Did you get the password issue resolved?  DH had the same problem with his new Iphone and I called AT&T and they walked me right through the problem in less than 2 minutes.  You can dial 611 from your phone to get them.  You will LOVE it when you get used to it, I promise.  It is a great piece of technology --- I love my new Ipad too --- am reading Killing Lincoln on it - I downloaded the Kindle App to it as BW gave Chuck a Paperwhite Kindle for Christmas and he wanted to read it.  It also appeared on my Ipad so we are both reading it.  I love to take it when I walk on the treadmill.  

We went back to the gym today -- they were closed M - W this week and it was almost empty.  It's only about 2 1/2 miles from our house and on the way to walk the little dog we walk every day at noon.

Verna, it costs less than $100.00 to have a dog cremated here --- it's according to weight.  We had Gus cremated and he weighed about 85 pounds.  It cost $90.00 I think.  

Barb, you were Bizebarbee today --- I need to do that to my entire house.  Want to come for a visit and help me??  lol.

Lusi, I chuckled when I read all the chatter about your bedclothes being outside airing!!  How funny.....it is so interesting how different parts of the country/world say things differently and how we interpret them.

I put away all my Christmas sweaters today and did some mending. Had gotten DS some 'fishing pants' at one of the nice thrift stores and a couple of them needed hemming.  My sewing machine is acting up so DH will look at it tomorrow and see if he can adjust it for me.

Jo Ann, I know you must laugh everytime you see my DRAW SOMETHING attempts.  Thanks for inviting me to play.  I laugh at myself everytime I draw because like I told you, I can't draw a straight line with a ruler.  I'm NOT artistic at all.

Carolyn, I'm glad you were called to work -- that will be something positive for you to concentrate on and take you away from the reality of life.  Know that you are in all our prayers and thoughts.  

Well, BB friends, time for this old girl to 'hit the sack' (Lusi - that means 'go to bed'.....tee hee).  Have a great evening everyone.

Donna

Nanny Beach