@@Chatting Over the Fence w/COF - July 20 thru 31@@

Yeah Kay! Yay Paula! Good evening! Ruff day today. Just didn't stop and felt like I was spinning my wheels and wasting time I do not have. Paula - I love my smart phone. I can make restaurant reservations via an app, check the weather, look up close restarants and other fun stuff.  I like texting a lot better than talking too!

I haven't even started on my school stuff for tomorrow. Working on getting coverage in AM for Sid. The honeymoon for the rest of the family (Oh I'll help) has worn off - even though we only asked one side once and another side twice in the past 6 weeks. I guess that's not a surprise - frankly that's what most families do. Oh well.

So, I had better get to work here and hope that I can get on tomorrow afternoon and have some fun!

Talk to you soon. Andrea

Good morning ladies!  I thought I would pop in while it is still quiet and cool here.  

No real plans to speak of today except watching my great grandson while his brother (9 months old) takes his mama to the Little Gym.  Hoping it will stay cool this morning so Isaiah and I can play outside. 

Can you believe that summer is half over?  Wow, it is passing quickly.  Kay, I imagine you wish it would pass a little more quickly given your awful oppressive heat wave.  I too have difficulty in the heat, and am welcoming this cooler weather pattern.  I will be glad when it is cool enough to take a nice walk up in the mountains here.  We have so many nice trails to walk, but between the heat and the skeeters, I have opted out this summer

Oh, my best friend from elementary and high school is moving back here from the Eastern Shore.  I can't wait!  She and I lost touch with each other for 30+ years, but this winter I found her through her sister and now she's moving back to town to take care of her mom.  Her 90 year old dad passed this past fall.  She is one of 6 kids, but all of the others have husbands and families to tend to already.  She was married and has two great sone, but nobody that requires "caring" for at this stage.  We have both been doing the happy dance that she will be back here soon.

Catch you ladies later!

Paula

Afternoon ladies! Finding myself with a wee break before I'm off and running again. So...........

Paula - You cracked me up!! That would be MY luck with the phone thingy! lol Although I do have a fairly new phone that is like one step behind the smart phones, I'm still kind of wondering if it was a 'smart' choice! (Yes! Pun intended!) Chuck has an iPhone. It's easier for him simply because of h is big fingers on tiny keys and the keys on the touch screen are bigger and works so much better for him. But guess who's having to learn his phone in order to help him learn how to use it? lol 

I agree with you, Paula, on how much quicker and easier FB is for chatting. Things just aren't the same here on TOH. But I still try because I know once in awhile someone pops in over here and I hate to have them feeling neglected. Of course, I've noticed that several days have gone by with no one posting at all. It's kind of sad. But I certainly understand why! I was so tickled to see Andrea say she was gonna make an effort. So the least I can do is play along, right? Do I actually think I'll get here every single day? Probably not. But the incentive to check in more often was given with Andrea's challenge! And I've never been known to not take on a challenge! lol So......

We're getting the tiniest reprieve weatherwise with much lower humidities today! Supposed to be like this again tomorrow. Still plenty hot. But with the humdities way down it makes a huge difference for someone like me who really hates summer. lol Unfortunately, the icky stuff comes back on Sat. But I'm gonna enjoy this reprieve for now! lol

Well times a wastin' so I'd best get back on the horse and gallop on down the road to finish up these errands! Hope you all are having a great day! 

later.........

Kay - I totally understand what you mean about COF FB and SS thread. I love that FB is private. And yet - we - who are here - write more - FB more superficial. And how do we get new members if we are private on FB and aren't chatting on SS thread? It is a catch 22.

It seems like only about half our group is active. I guess to each their own - perhaps the partners of quiet people are quiet people. When I am quiet - something is wrong - I've said that before. I cacoon.

I do not want this session to end - I love our group! It's hard to imagine being happier in another group. But alas, I know changes will happen.....Kay - I'd like to have a part in the next group...whether it be cooking, recipes or something. I know our cookbook is slow in coming - but it is coming along - we be done soon!!!!!

Well, it has been a ruff day. I plan to work from home tomorrow so should have a little more free time.

TTUL

Andrea

Hi Neighbors, I had a nice vacation. Loved visiting with my family. I'm thinking that next year I'll wait until Sept or Oct to go...when it's cooler. It wasn't too bad this time...I guess because it rained a lot. I really hated driving in the rain. That was the worse part of the trip.

I don't go back to work until Monday. I was told they stated the work on our office that I had asked for. It really need some updating. I might go in this weekend and have a look at it.

We had pork chops, rice/gravy and  green beens for supper. Have to go clean the kitchen now.

Have a good night

Drum Roll, please!!! The long awaited contest is finally complete. Please join the Chez Amis ladies in congratulating the following winners of the 4th of July Recipe Contest:

"Most Fitting for the 4th of July Holiday": Firecrackers – submitted by Kathy Fowler

"Patriotic Appetizer for our Melting Pot America": Wonton Stars  - submitted by Amy Hicks

"Most Refreshing Beverage for a Hot Summer Day": (Take me Away...) Paradise Smoothie - submitted by Kay Schuch

 "Light and Right for Summer Slimming": Hit the Spot Lemon Water – submitted by Mary Ann Baker  

Congratulations, Ladies!! We will have your prizes in the mail by the first of the week.

Good morning all!  Congratulations to the winners of our Chez Amis contest!  Lots of good recipes submitted for sure.

Pat, we often go on vacation in late spring or early fall.  We almost always go to the Outer Banks (Nags Head, NC)--been doing that since I was 5 years old.  It is where my heart is.     Used to go with my folks when I was little, now we go with kids, grands, and great grands.

I'm just checking in for a minute this morning and will stop by later to see who might have visited!  Take care and have a cool day!

Hugs,

Paula

Oy - it's been a weekend. And I missed posting! OMG!

We were supposed to go out to dinner Saturday night for Rob's good-bye dinner. Then we figured that Sid could not really go out easily so Rob decided he wanted to eat a home cooked meal - this was like Thanksgiving on steroids - well kind of.....just no notice! At least with Thanksgiving you know when it's coming and you have time to prepare. Karen came over Friday evening and helped with some prep work.

We had BBQ short ribs, Brussels sprouts au gratin, green beans, roasted potatoes, homemade rolls, peach cobbler & ice cream. It was sooo goood. I think it may become a Christmas or New Year's Day meal - so decadent and fattening - LOL. I pressured cooked the ribs after browning them. Then made homemade BBQ sauce and finished cooking them in oven. Could have done it on stove though. Uhm, uhm, uhm.

Well, I am heading over to FB to catch up and then tomorrow is a whole new day - at least that's what Scarlet said.

Andrea

Good morning,

Wishing all a wonderful week.

Pat (kity)

Good morning to all.  Just wanted to let all the group know I will be without a computer for a week as my computer man needs to take the old one so he can transfer all my files to my new one.  I will miss the fun and games here.  Nancy and Kay, feel free to call me if you have anything you need to know from me.  I think you have my phone number.

16281628

Oy - it's been a weekend. And I missed posting! OMG!

Ditto me!! Weekend went by so fast that I didn't even have time to think about popping in for moment! I've a lot of reading to do here and on FB to try and get caught up! But that's gonna have to wait a bit longer. Just had to pop in to answer a few quick emails and decided I should do the same here and over on COF. 

Hope all are well and staying cool! It's quite a challenge lately! And now the heat is starting to really make me a bit crabby! lol Oh well!

later...........

Paula, I think next year I'll wait until fall to go. I just love the mountains in the fall. I hated having to return to work this morning though.

Seems like we all had a busy weekend. I can't even remember everything I did. Still need to get thing thrown away though.

Well time turn off the lights and get to bed.
Good Night Neighbors

Good morning ladies!  I'm up early this morning trying to get a bit of a head start on the day.  I just finished the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy last night.  Anybody else read(ing) these?  Definitely a different sort of read for me.  I had started the first book awhile back, but put it down because it was just not what I expected.  A dark read for sure, but when I gave it another try, got past the point where I stopped before, I found that I actually was drawn up into the story. 

I spent some time last night looking through a Medicare book that was sent to us -- my dh will be going on Medicare this October.  I had to laugh (as I increased my font here) that the book was printed in large print!  Thank goodness!  And I have decided that  understanding it all takes a college professor for sure. 

Well, off to start the day and get some things done.  Take care all!

Paula...so funny!!!!  As you can tell, I too have enlarged my fonts.  lol

I thought I had mailed out the prize to Mary Ann yesterday but returning from the business trip out of town yesterday, I saw it still sitting by the front door on the "to be mailed" table.  lol  So the winner ..."Light and Right for Summer Slimming": Hit the Spot Lemon Water – submitted by Mary Ann Baker... it will go out today so watch your mailbox.

As I mentioned on FB, do not let the month of July go by without sending a note, card or a reminder of some sort to your neighbor letting her know that you care.  And if you have not heard from your neighbor, do you know why?  I don't believe that we have any reports that anyone is ill so why not drop by her house in the COF neighborhood and say hello.

PT again today.  I do love the massage part!  I hope Rene is reading this as we have another neighbor getting ready to join the exclusive knee replacement club.  Let's join together with uplifting stories and encouragement. 

Make this a special day for not only yourself but for someone else.  You will be a happier person because of it.

nancy

Afternoon/Evenin' Ladies!

I got an unexpected afternoon off today! An appt. I had got changed to later in the month of Aug. So I've been trying to get caught up on my emails. I didn't realize just how long it would take. But just finished that up a short time ago. I wanted to get caught up on reading what's been going on in the Neighborhoods, but looks like that's gonna get postponed until later. It's time for coffee and I am soooooo ready for it! Just wanted to be able to say I did make my daily stop in here today! lol

QQ - Anybody watching the Olympics? I'm pretty sure Nancy is! But............ last night I actually had to turn it off. I got so upset when the men's US Gymnasts started making huge mistakes! It was heartbreaking to watch their upbeat mood plummet after the 3rd MAJOR mistake and I just couldn't bear to watch it get any worse! And then there are the swimmers!! Holy cow! Talk about nail biters!! I quit watching pro football years ago because I get to 'involved'! roflol Last night DH just looked at me and said, "Hmm!! Gonna have to ban you from watching if you can't stop jumping up and pacing!!" Oh well! I just can't help but get caught up in the excitement! And I'm amazed at what today's athlete's seem to be able to make their bodies do!! 4-1/2 twists now? Weren't they just perfecting triple twists and working on the quads? Eeek!!!