Now I really did it :((

[azstonie]

LLJS, I posted the bit about the frappucino to you because I have your nutrition/diet tips on my droid phone and I read them every day to make sure I eat two apples and a couple of hot waters per day!!!! Um, what you said would happen DOES happen Today I'm not controlling myself so I had a Frappucino for breakkie, hahaha FOLLOWED by my apple and hot water

 

[Sunstorm]

Good for you Kristie! You surely deserve it, any VDay plans for you? Welcome back and nice to hear from you, I wrote you I think almost a week ago but not sure you ever got it, so glad you had a nice time and hopefully having a great weekend. Hugs to all of you girls.

 

[marcy]

Hi Ladies! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Missy, that is so sweet of you to write us a poem. I really liked it too and yes I got misty-eyed reading some of it. Thank you! The more I think about it the upright bikes would work better with less flexible knees. Being 20 seems like yesterday and yet years ago all at the same time. Marty got me a card and candy; which is what I got him. We went out for lunch and will rent a movie to watch tonight. Did you and Greg go out for dinner?

Callie, that is great news your niece is doing better. I think you found the flaw in my scheme for all of us to buy that diamond. Convincing the guys we really, really need it. Marty and I didn’t really make any special plans for today. I hope you have a nice night out with your husband.

Jimmianne, thank you for the beautiful flowers complete with lovely diamonds. Puff is so cute. Any new words this week?

Junebug, my iPad has frozen twice now in 2 days. Marty told me “only you could break an Apple product”. I think it’s hard to make that extra effort to take care of our own mental and emotional health first because we are taking care of everyone else. You certainly deserve breaks from taking care of your mom and definitely should feel guilty about it. I am glad you told your sister you are getting burned out and she will be coming to stay with your mom when you are on your trip. I’m thinking our husbands aren’t going to go for that diamond; weird. It’s so darned pretty.

LLJsmom, that’s good you are running more and working out regularly. It sounds like you had a nice time with your DH and kids.

Kristie, I like the idea of a diamond share. I watched a video of the diamond that made me love it even more. Parallel parking is certainly a skill and one I don’t possess.

Ovi, I agree you should do little things for yourself. When I was working 2 jobs and started getting very stressed I finally made myself relax at least 5 minutes a day doing something just for me. I’d stay up late to knit, read or browse through a magazine. I couldn’t believe how much better it made me feel. Now browsing PS is one of my favorite past times. I like to go through the threads that are heavy with lots of pictures.

Take care!
Marcy

 

[missy]

Good morning girls of NIRDI. Hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's day and evening.

Junebug, thank you. I love that coffee quote you posted and so true lol. You really do know me and my priorities lol. And also a big thank you for what you wrote. I know what you are saying and I appreciate it. I guess time will tell. If my face was behaving life would be so much sweeter right now and work so much more enjoyable. I have no idea what the future holds for me re work and health and I guess I have no choice but to take it one day at a time and be as positive and optimistic as I can be because that's all I can control at least right now...woke up with 3 huge red bumps. I don't even know how to classify them. Are they pimples? Papules? Hives? They are HUGE. And right in the center of my face. But I am going to pretend they are not there and just cover them with zinc oxide powder and not look in the mirror. And ignore the itchy hurt they are causing. Yup. Not there. No problem.

I am so glad you asked your sister to help out and now you can enjoy your vacation without worrying about your mom. Way to go Junebug. You have to ask for what you need as I have found out many times before. People sometimes need to be gently pushed to do the right thing and good for you for making that happen. (((Hugs))).

Jimmianne, ooh I love those flowers and those diamonds aren't bad either OMG. That is a lovely Valentine's day pick me up to be sure. I know you are enjoying the delicious new diamond pendant of yours too. Thank you and Puff for the Valentine's Day love and right back at ya NIRDI girl.

Kristie, I love that you and Bob have your anniversary on Valentine's Day. Neither of you can ever forget when your anniversary is (I always get confused whether ours is Nov 12th or 13th...don't ask lol) and it is the holiday of love so PERFECT day for your anniversary. I love the flowers Bob got you-gorgeous and I hope your celebration was special. 19 years is a lovely number!

And I agree completely. Holidays and special occasions are no time to watch what we eat or drink. Enjoy, be merry and be in love without worry or counting calories. Poo to calories anyway.

I hate to admit this but no, Greg did not get a Valentine's day poem from me...I devoted all my creative poem energy to you guys lol. But he understands. I even read it to him lol. Yesterday morning he went to the beach house to check out the paint job and pay our guy. He took video of the new colors and I think I am happy. Hard to say till I see it in person. We changed all the colors on the first floor except for the study and the bathroom. Changed from grey to blue in the main great room so I am most curious about how that looks IRL but I will just have to wait because Julio still has some other work to do and then I will go down and check it out in person.

Callie, hope you and your dh had a wonderful day yesterday and are enjoying the rest of the weekend. Hugs and love sweet Callie girl.

LLJsmom, I am so glad your life is going well and that you are present and happy for it all. And YAY to working out and keeping in shape and feeling good. We miss you and are glad you had a moment to say hey. I agree with you on the makeup front but that only works when your skin is in good shape. I rarely wore makeup in the past but now I need it when I am going to work as I seriously will scare people without it. Though it is difficult to cover this so not sure I am doing anyone any favors but in my head I feel better covering what I can...Enjoy the rest of your Valentine's weekend with the family. XOXO and hugs to you.


Ovi, I am sorry it was/is a challenging day and weekend. For me I think of Valentine's Day as a day of love for all our loved ones so even if one doesn't have an SO there are still loved ones in your life. And we are all sending you so much love every day and including the Valentine's weekend. Hugs and love to you! And I'm with Kristie...we can all chip in for some gold knuckles and beat the crap out of that guy for you. I have a good feeling things will improve on the work front so stay hopeful and remember you have many people in your life who love you.

Sarah, hope you had a warm and cozy Valentine's Day with your dh and are feeling well.


Marcy, Your Valentine's celebration was perfect. We did something similar without going out for any meal though. Stayed in and had a lovely dinner and watched 2 movies on Netflix. Very enjoyable and perfect for a cold snowy wintry night. We saw Divergent (I started the book months ago due to a PS recommendation but never got far because I forgot about it lol so perhaps I will start it again) and Prime. I LOVE Meryl Streep. What movies did you guys watch last night? Anything you would recommend for us to watch? I really wanted to watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding but Greg wasn't in the mood to watch that one again. I also wanted to watch The Way We Were (love that movie) but we recently saw that one so really didn't make sense. And last weekend we saw one of my favorite movies for the millionth time...Annie Hall. LOL I can watch some of my favorites over and over. Weekend before that When Harry Met Sally. That movie gets me every single time. I love so many scenes in that movie and I relate to so many of them too. The one where Billy Crystal is saying when you find the one you want to spend the rest of your life with you want the rest of your life to start right away. And that 71 degree temp is totally me too. And the ordering in restaurants oh well. We all have our quirks don't we? OK had to find the exact quote because I think it is so perfect for Valentine's Day.

I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.

Is the man cave as comfortable with the new furniture and as good as it sounds? I want to come and try out the new furniture. Think Marty will mind? I will bring the kitties and Humphrey too and the furbabies can all play together. I cannot promise that my kitties will not tear up the new furniture though. They are playful that way little imps that they are...

A little pic for you Marcy. This is might be how our visit will go. If we are very lucky and the bunnies behave that is.

 

[missy]

I cannot resist. Just one more if you don't mind indulging me one for one last pic. It's just so true lol. Marcy, I imagine you feel the same way. I know those darn bunnies expect it all and give little in return. Except their love of course which makes it (barf and) all worthwhile...

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs. I hope you had a fabulous weekend!

Missy, ugh to waking up with itchy bumps. I have a tube of Benadryl anti cream every where around the house and at work. I hope they go away real soon. How exciting to change some of the colors at the beach house. It is always impressive how much a new coat of paint can brighten up any room. Your Valentine’s Day sounds fun and low key like ours. We watched Divergent a few weeks ago and I really liked it. Last night it looks like we went more for Valentine’s Day massacre themes than a nice rom com. We watched Fury and then John Wick. Both were good movies but certainly for the squeamish; if you don’t like violence or blood I wouldn’t watch them. I like all the movies on your list of favorite movies. The movie quote was great and certainly appropriate for Valentine’s Day. I have to say the 71 degrees comment is me too. Thanks for those pictures and comic. They are all adorable and made me laugh and smile. The comic is certainly something the rabbits would leave for me. LOL. The man cave is very comfortable so you can stretch out in a new chair very easily. I think it’s chilly down there but we have lots of blankets.

I slept in until – holy cow – 9 am. Marty had been up about 2 ½ hours so was obviously hungry when I got up. I made pancakes and sausage for me and then made myself a pancake with whip cream and strawberries.

We met my sister and some of her family about 45 minutes away for lunch. It is snowing but the roads are just wet so we didn’t have any problems getting there and back. I took my little teddy bear “junior” as I call him or “snacks” as Marty calls him so I kept setting him on the dash of the truck and Marty kept knocking him off.

I brewed up another batch of oatmeal cookies that I’m off to bake now. If these are too sweet I’m giving up on making oatmeal cookies. Although I’m the family cookie baker oatmeal was never my favorite or a frequent request by family or friends so I don’t have a go to recipe for them.

Have a great week!

Marcy

 

[marcy]

Junior going for a ride.

 

[missy]

Good morning girls. I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. I am looking forward to hearing all about it.

Marcy, how did your oatmeal cookies turn out? Please describe in detail as I am avoiding all sweets and simple carbs etc just to see if it helps my skin at all. So I am living vicariously through you all for sweet treats. Normally I would say send the leftovers my way but this time I'll say save them for Humphrey when he comes to visit you as he has quite the sweet tooth. Oh and would you believe it, turns out Humphrey is a girl!!! And she had Lola over the weekend. Yes that's right and I didn't even know she was seeing anybody. OMG. And in case you were wondering, yes, Lola has a sweet tooth just like her momma Humphrey or should I say Humphrita.

I am glad you and Marty had an enjoyable Valentine's weekend.The pancakes and strawberries sound yummy. And I hope you enjoyed lunch with your family. It was so nice that you guys got to spend time with them this weekend.
Junior is such a cutie pie and I am sure he enjoyed the trip despite Marty's bad behavior. You know our Fred used to enjoy sitting on the windshield when we were driving too. Let me see if I can find a picture of that. Though I do have to say perhaps Junior (and Fred too) would be better served in a car seat...how old is Junior? You don't want to get a ticket for having him out of the car seat so be careful. Then Marty will really want to knock him down lol.

You are right that I don't care for very violent movies but if it is a really good movie I just won't watch the violent scenes. It seems the older I get the less stomach I have for any violence and I am more aware of just how much violence there is on tv and in the movies. Not to get on my soapbox but I wonder what kind of society we are creating raising children in a world that glorifies such violent imagery. I think it is desensitizing for many. I get that sometimes it is necessary for the movie and it's just when there seems to be too much extra and non essential violence that I don't care for if you kwim.

And tell Marty that you are not the only one who can break an apple product believe me. I have gone through a couple of apple computers now and well they are definitely not Missy proof LOL. I somehow managed to wreck 2 macbook pros in the last number of years. LOL and sigh.

If you want an oatmeal cookie recipe here's one Greg uses from Cook's Illustrated. Greg uses raisins or nuts instead of dates usually. Though dates are yummy too.
http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/1090-date-oatmeal-cookies?token=2073b272c02d1555884e4380bd3943f3#.......

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
We developed our oatmeal cookie recipe in order to get a big, chewy cookie with lots of real oat flavor. To get there, we made a few changes to the conventional oatmeal cookie recipe: First, we substituted baking powder for baking soda. The baking powder gave the dough more lift, which in turn made the cookies less dense and a bit chewier. Second, we eliminated the cinnamon recommended in most oatmeal cookie recipes, revealing more oat flavor. Third, we made our cookies really big, doubling the amount of dough most recipes recommend dropping onto the cookie sheet. We had learned that small cookies tend to be dry; by increasing size, we got more moisture and more chewiness. Fourth, we increased the sugar in our cookies, and this made a huge difference in terms of texture and moistness.


MAKES 16 TO 20 LARGE COOKIES

If you prefer a less sweet cookie, you can reduce the white sugar by one-quarter cup, but you will lose some crispness. Do not overbake these cookies. The edges should be brown but the rest of the cookie should still be very light in color. Parchment makes for easy cookie removal and cleanup, but it’s not a necessity. If you don’t use parchment, let the cookies cool directly on the baking sheet for two minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

INGREDIENTS

2 sticks unsalted butter (1/2 pound), softened but still firm
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
3 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups chopped dates
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Adjust oven racks to low and middle positions; heat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl of electric mixer or by hand, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time.

2. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg together, then stir them into butter-sugar mixture with wooden spoon or large rubber spatula. Stir in oats and dates.

3. Form dough into sixteen to twenty 2-inch balls, placing each dough round onto one of two parchment paper–covered, large cookie sheets. Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes. (Halfway during baking, turn cookie sheets from front to back and also switch them from top to bottom.) Slide cookies on parchment onto cooling rack. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

Greg loves Cooks Illustrated as he feels they have the most reliable recipes around. They experiment with all the ingredients and techniques until they come up with the best recipe that delivers the most delicious result.

 

[sarahb]

Hi everyone! All is well here, just going through the motions. This part of the journey is the most frustrating, monotonous, boring, etc.

Have been hiding in my 'cave' all week. All is well though, just have not felt 'social'. So sorry have not responded in-kind to all the greetings of support (((NIRDI'S))) I thank you all.

Have been on PS, with just hit & run posts here & there. All is going well with healing, down to just Tramodol, 5x/24 hrs. Achy, sometimes a a bit more than achy. Just don't want to go back to that evil Oxy, shudder.

I see everyone seems to be doing well (which is pleasing), JimmiAnne with your diamond necklace (how is Puff?) , Missy with work & new earrings, I bet it felt good to walk in the door, didn't you feel a bit of accomplishment? , Kristie with your geode haul--which btw, would love to see some of your pics , Ovi, how interesting to hear about your European life, living amongst all the history & beauty there--hope the Ex thing eases, at least it appears he may be leaving work--one step at a time sister. Marcy, love the bunnies, rabbits et, what fun you guys must have, & Junebug & Callie, you both are so sweet to always be 'there'. LLJ, I can't wait to start moving again, run a mile for me will you?!? When I say my prayers now, I always include my Nirdi's, each & everyone of you by name. You guys have been the absolute best & I thank you.
XOXO

 

[mary poppins]

Missy - Your poem was beautiful and I love how you wove PS themes in it. Thank you for posting the Comedogenic Ratings chart. Looks like a great resource. I am looking into making my exfoliating mixture rather than using the commercial product I've been using, and the chart will be helpful. Also, thank you for recommending zinc oxide and titanium dioxide for sunscreen - I will check them out. Whenever I hear zinc oxide, it reminds me of people with thick, white stripes on their noses in the '70s or '80s. I guess there's been some progress since then. Glad to hear your return to work went reasonably well. Learning new technology can be slow and frustrating. For your EMR system, you may be able to increase your learning curve and comfort level by seeing if the software company has online training. If interested, search the company and/or product name along with tutorial, webinar or user manual and see what comes up. Sorry to hear you developed a new mystery skin issue over the weekend. :-/ I love, love, love Cook's Illustrated and the explanations the book provides about why certain techniques, ingredients and combinations do and don't work. My favorite CI recipes so far have been green goddess dip, smoked salmon dip, bolognese sauce and butternut squash soup. Maybe I'll try to the oatmeal cookie recipe sometime.

Jimmianne - I hope your skin issue is improving. Your sunscreen story is nuts. Just underscores how important it is to do research about the products we use. For example, I was checking out the meaning of the USP mark on vitamins this morning and will be changing some of the products I use in that category.

Ovi - I hope you get over the flu soon and your skin gets better, too. Perhaps your overall health will improve after your nightmare of an ex (and related stress) goes away.

Marcy - I have had a similar eye issue as you since last spring, as has my cousin. I hadn't followed the doctor's instructions of hot compresses and eye drops (3-4 times per day) very well. Had to go back at the end of the year because my vision changed. The doctor said dry eyes from not using warm compresses and eye drops hastened my vision change. Ugh. So I've been been doing the hot compresses sporadically and using eye drops 3-4 times per day now. I'm trying to find a good eye drop product that doesn't have preservatives, as frequent and extended use of preservatives in eye drops are supposed to be harmful to eyes. Again, the theme of products we take for granted that are actually harmful. Speaking of products, don't feel too bad about Marty's comment about your iPad freezing. Like other posters in the thread, my prior laptop had issues with freezing, as does my current one. Ultimately, the screen on my prior laptop just stopped illuminating - a pretty basic and necessary computer feature! Hopefully a backup, update installation and reboot will help my current Apple product. Good luck with yours!


I found this interesting website by the Environmental Working Group which contains a database of thousands of cosmetic products and ingredient analysis of same. It includes information about animal testing, when available. Could be a good resource. Just found it this morning and am not yet sure about how accurate or reliable it is. http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

 

[MarionC]

Here are some teddy bears to give those rabbits something to think about. They look like I feel - just chillin' in this frigid weather.
Water is frozen at the barn, we are getting ready for a potential winter storm. Went to buy food supplies and ended up with way too much ice cream and other sugar-laden things!
Oatmeal cookies would be MUCH better, but Puff is still learning to cook and I don't trust him with the oven.
If only we could exchange things through the computer!
I would ask for a dozen oatmeal cookies and Diamondseeker's Beaudry-set Asscher with the pink side stones : )

Hope everyone has a fine Monday. As far as lying around goes ... isn't it just natural to hibernate? I'm thinking of you sarahb.
Do you ever play video games or do crossword puzzles? They are great for times when you can't get out & about as you would like.

more later...I'm off to mail those opal earring I sold to a lovely PSer.
edit: if I can get off the couch!

 

[Sunstorm]

Hi NIRDI Girls,

I just wanted to write to you all because I truly appreciate all of you and we unite as friends here. I will try reading up on what happened to everyone today but still got some work to do at home and tomorrow going to Vienna again.

Today was a good day, yippee! I can finally say that once, hey that has to be improvement, not? I am sure that it will not always be the case and surely I had some weaker moments today too but the sun was shining, my mood was bright and it was really nice. I have not talked to ex for three days, really? When I last sent him off to take a vacay.) He is all upset with me. Hey, this works, sadly tomorrow he will be back at work but for today things were good.

I felt like shopping so bad, I almost bought a bag I totally fell for, really I need a new bag? I am so bad with my bags, I have yet to wear a few and some only get worn a couple of times a year but yet I want this bag badly, I put it on hold but did not have the time to go back but will tomorrow I think. If I do, I will tell you all about it. I was trying to be good too and not shop but hey every once in a while it is ok and it really is 50 % off and a good deal.

I also visited a fellow goldsmith who was a head goldsmith for a big chain in Vienna and opened his store a year or so ago, well, more of a workshop. I have visited him a few times to do repairs quickly and sort of befriended him in the meantime and he has asked me to come back and bring me some sweets last time instead of payment, so I visited but without sweets.) Guess what? It turned out that he has danced salsa for the last twenty years of his life and invited me to a party tonight, I really want to see the salsa party in Vienna. They have workshops there too and most likely much better. Only downside is having to stay at a hotel or at the store but that works. Tonight was also festival party, sadly I could not go, he really wanted me to join but I did not leave enough food for my cats and dogs and the house warm enough. I wrote to him and explained it was too short notice and next week I can go. He would be an awesome partner for me as for beginners the better the partner the easier you learn. So we said perhaps next week. I will book a hotel and just stay in, that would be fun, almost like a vacay, I need people, friends, a bit of partying and so on, of course I will likely again get scared to go by next week like I did now a bit I must admit but I am working on myself.

I also feel proud of myself for some of the things I do, just the small things, like I heat the house with wood which is hard and me the princess I used to be I could not have imagined that, now by knowing I can do certain things that normally men would handle, makes me feel stronger and the whole experience teaches me humility and appreciation of the small things in life. Perhaps you think this is embarassing but I actually learnt to fight through the cold and though I must say it can be very tiring, it teaches things that really matter. I think I needed this experience. I can change the system but so far I have not. I will probably do by last year though but you know I have not been sure that I am staying.

I hope that all of you are doing well, Sarah I hope you are recovering, aw I always think of you girls too thanks for saying you are including us in your prayers, you are such a wonderful person. Of course we can sometimes get a bit antisocial or well, rather withdrawn when something is hurting. This can sadly happen but we always welcome you and you can vent here even if you are not feeling great, just get it out when you can, scream if you need to, we are here to hear you.

Missy and Marcy, Callie, Kristie, LLJsmom, Junebug and Jimmianne I love you all and sending you hugs. Jimmianne haha those teddies would surely give those killer wabbits a good run for their money.)

Mary Poppins, so nice to have you join us, welcome and hope to get to know you, wow, we are becoming such a group.

Missy you have a real following and no wonder why, you have given me strength when you needed it the most, I hope I did before things went South and I hope I can in the future too.

ROFL Missy that picture, it surely made my day, well, I should perhaps post that on my FB page. Far out.

 

[rainwood]

If you want an oatmeal cookie recipe here's one Greg uses from Cook's Illustrated. Greg uses raisins or nuts instead of dates usually. Though dates are yummy too.
http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/1090-date-oatmeal-cookies?token=2073b272c02d1555884e4380bd3943f3#...........


Missy -

I use that same recipe Greg does, but substitute chocolate chips and walnuts for the raisins, and leave out the nutmeg. The other thing I learned from the cookie section of my CI cookbook is to take the rounded ball of cookie dough, break it in half with my fingers and then re-attach the two halves, rounded sides together at about a 45-degree angle so the rough sides are facing out and up. Makes a nice textured top like really good bakery cookies. Every time I make them, they disappear in minutes.

 

[marcy]

Hi Ladies!

Missy, the oatmeal cookies turned out pretty good. Each of us ate a few warm ones and I froze the rest. Greg’s recipe sounds better than mine, I will have to try it the next time Marty wants oatmeal cookies. Thanks! I will also check out that website for recipes. Have you ever read recipes on the Pioneer Woman’s website? She is pretty funny and her food is really good too. I love the great picture of Fred! The bear hug picture is cute too. Yes, Fred and Junior both probably should be in car seats. I was pretty good at catching him when he went flying off the dash but not always. I definitely tune out when movies get too violent too. My MacBook Pro is hanging in there but now that I know you’ve broke 2 I might have to try and catch up with you.

Sarah, sorry to hear you are having some down days. As the weeks go by you will see how much you’ve progressed but I know it is like watching grass grow. It’s so painfully slow. I remember how bored I was after knee surgeries. I lined up all sorts of projects and crafts to work on and not one of them appealed to me mostly because I was restless and bored. Hang in there lady; you will get better and stronger all the time! How are your pretty earrings?

Mary Poppins, thanks for reminding me the bad things that can happen from dry eyes. I need to get on that! I use those refresh tears but it doesn’t seem to help much. It’s funny how much we rely on our electronics and just hate it when they lock up on us. I had a Sony laptop with Vista on it and that thing crashed all the time. That is why we moved to Apple. I generally don’t have many problems with Apple products but Marty is right; I seem to be able to break anything that’s electronic.

Jimmianne, now those bears would make the killer rabbits pause; they’d probably turn around and run away. I love the picture. Thanks! Rats for the water being froze in the barn. Good idea to go stock up on food before the storm. I am sure Puff will get better at baking. I like your idea of swapping things through the computer, especially pretty jewelry. Stay safe and warm!

Ovi, I am delighted to hear you had a good day! 50% off your bag sounds like a great deal. I’m all for buying new bags. That is fabulous a goldsmith you know likes to Salsa and you guys can go out together. That will be fun! Getting away for a night is a wonderful idea. Does using wood to heat you house get it toasty warm? My parents had a wood-burning stove at their cabin that would run you out of the room in no time. Except me because I love to be warm.

Rainwood, thanks for the tip on cookies. Good idea!

Marty is cooking his favorite Ethiopian dish called Tibbs. I have a baked potato brewing up and will warm up some leftover steak. We both kind of have stomachaches. Oh oh!

Have a great evening.
Marcy

 

[missy]

Good morning ladies.

Sarah, I think boring is good at this stage. The body is healing and you just wait for it to do its magic doing what you can to help it along. I hear you on not feeling social and that's OK (at least I keep telling myself it is haha). Remember each day there is progress being made even if you cannot see it.

So glad you are off the evil Oxy (I hated it too but it was better than going without during those most challenging and painful days) and that your pain is getting more manageable. And thank you so much for including each one of us in your prayers. (((Hugs))).

Hi mary poppins, I am so glad you found some of the info helpful. I occasionally use the EWG skin-deep data site also. There's so much info out there and the challenge is weeding through what pertains to us and what we can ignore. And thank you for the kind words re the poem. LOL it's so sappy but hey it was Valentine's Day and I wanted to show you guys how I feel about all of you.

Marcy and mary poppins, I agree you should be using only preservative free drops. You know if they are truly preservative free if they come in the single dose units that you open and then have to throw out after use as they have no preservatives so cannot be used multiple times. Once they are open that is it. Marcy if you are using refresh make sure it is refresh plus in the single dose units. And mary poppins is correct in that you have to use it multiple times per day if your eyes still feel irritated to give them a chance to work. Also depending on the cause of your irritation Restasis might be helpful. It is a twice a day drop that targets the underlying chronic inflammation but again it is for a specific problem and doesn't just work for everyone.

Jimmianne, Puff is much more industrious than my fur babies. The only time I can get them into the kitchen is when they want to eat lol. Forget about teaching them how to cook. Go Puff Go!

Love those polar bears you posted. The one in the middle, yes that's what we are supposed to do in winter. Except do it indoors thank you very much. Way too cold out there. Hope the winter storm you are expecting is much milder than predicted and that you are staying comfortable and cozy. Snowing here again and the temps are just too cold for human beings and fur babies alike IMO. And my skin is definitely not happy. Enjoy that ice cream Jimmianne. And have some for me too.

Ovi, I'm so glad you are doing well and feeling good and had a good day yesterday woohoo! And yay on finding a salsa partner and getting out and doing fun things. Staying at a hotel can be fun so I hope you do that next week and go dancing with your goldsmith colleague.

And good for you in doing things you wouldn't normal do. (Oh I love the smell of wood heating the house and miss those days when we had a wood burning fireplace at the beach house)... When we have to we can rise to the occasion and you are a strong and independent woman and despite going through some very challenging times you will come out of it stronger and better and life is going to be sweet again. See, you are already seeing bigger glimpses of that and things are going to work out. Yes you will have more challenging times ahead and it can be a process full of ups and downs. That is life but YAY for small and not so small improvements dear Ovi!!!

As for the bag, well, 50% off is a pretty sweet deal. I think you deserve a sweet splurge Ovi and if you think you will enjoy the bag you should get it. Forget about your other bags for a minute. This is something you are doing for yourself right now to give yourself a pick me up. If you think you might regret letting the deal slip through your fingers don't miss out. However, if you don't think you will regret it after thinking about it then let it go.

Rainwood, I will share that info with Greg. I have no clue if he does that re breaking the cookie dough in half and reattaching because as you may know I don't cook or bake though I try to be a good sous chef if you kwim. But that is a great tip and I will share it with him, thank you. Also the substitution you make with using chocolate chips and walnuts instead of raisins sounds delicious and I am going to ask Greg to try that next time he bakes them. Which won't be for a while for me at least since I am being very strict with what I eat and seeing if it helps my skin at all.

How are you doing? I have been thinking of you and all you have been through and sending you lots of virtual hugs and good thoughts. Hope this weekend went well for you and your family and friends and that is turned out just like you envisioned it would. (((Hugs))).


Marcy, glad the oatmeal cookies turned out well and wow talk about self discipline about eating a few and freezing the rest. I never heard of the Pioneer Woman's website but will check it out, thanks.

Hope you enjoyed Marty's "Tibbs" dish last night and hope your stomach ache went away quickly. And haha on breaking anything electronic. Me too. So much in common that way.

Have a good day everyone and stay warm.

 

[missy]

Some fresh snow pics from the security camera at the beach house backyard and front. Snow stays cleaner and whiter there than in the city that is for sure. We didn't get that much in either home as of yet. Hope it stays that way!

 

[sarahb]

Hello my lovely ladies of NIRDI!!

Thought you'd enjoy seeing my visitor for the day: Jack with his 'Baby". I'll pop back in later with more...work beckons....

 

[Calliecake]

Hi Girls, This thread moves so quickly!

Missy, I loved your poem and snow pictures. I think it is a very safe bet to say we all feel the same way about you dear Missy!
I hope you are keeping warm. I'm beginning to wonder if we will ever see warm weather again. We are expecting brutal temperatures for the next few days. You know it's too cold when the furbaby wants nothing to do with going outside. I open the door and she starts backing up as if to say "Whoa, I didn't know it was that cold outside".

Marcy, I can't believe you are able to eat just a few cookies and freeze the rest. What willpower! This is why I don't bake. The whole batch of cookies would be gone in a day. Did Marty's dinner taste good? I didn't realize he cooked as well. My iPad was freezing up all the time until the last upgrade. The upgrade seemed to help a lot. Could that be the problem with yours? I would get a long post typed up and the whole thing would freeze up and I'd lose the posts. Very frustrating.

OV, Please buy the bag!!! You deserve to have a beautiful new bag more than anyone I know and it's at a great price. I'm glad you are getting out and having fun again. Salsa dancing is great for the soul and getting away, even if for a short time can really brighten your outlook. I'm so happy you are feeling better. You deserve so much happiness!

Jimmianne, Thank you for the bouquet of flowers and diamonds. What girl wouldn't love one of those! Are you enjoying your new necklace?

Sarah, I hope your mood is feeling a little brighter. With everything you have been thru I would be much more surprised if you didn't have a down day now and again. It looks as though Jack really wants to play with his mommy. Thank you so much for posting the picture of precious Jack. Aren't our furbabies the best pick me ups? It's hard to stay in a bad mood when you have them cuddling with you.

Kristie, How are you? I hope you are enjoying the warm weather. Have you been making good use of your patio? Mine still has two feet of snow on it. Can you hear the jealousy in my post! I want to go back to LaJolla!

Junebug, I hope you are staying warm and didn't have a tough time driving to your mom's. Are you getting ready for your trip to San Antonio? Just think of how nice it will be to feel the sun on your face. The things we take for granted living in a cold weather climate.

 

[junebug17]

Hi everyone!

Missy, Greg's cookies sound so good, how great to have a hubby who cooks and bakes! The new colors for the beach house sound really pretty, it's nice to change things up once in a while. The snow at the beach house looks pretty too, but I like how it looks in the summer better lol! Love the pics of those cute animals, and the cartoon made me laugh - I love how the dog is making a valentine! Are you enjoying your new earrings? They must sparkle like crazy.

Kristie, no worries, I totally get what you were saying…and I'm going to bet your feelings about your SIL are right, she probably didn't want any "interference" because honestly I think that's how my brother feels. I think he's very comfortable with the situation of just he and myself caring for my mother, I can tell he's uncomfortable with handing over control to someone else besides me. Oh well, too bad, I feel we need additional help so he's just going to have to deal lol. Thank you for your support.

LLJsmom, sounds like you're feeling good and doing well!

Ovi, I'm so glad to hear you had a good day and are feeling a bit more positive! Yes, it does feel good to do things for ourselves, gives a feeling of independence which I think really helps with self-esteem. It's great you found a salsa partner! Dancing is a lot of fun and great exercise as well. I like the idea of staying in a hotel for a night, it will feel like a mini-vacation and be a nice break from the usual routine. I really hope your ex is completely out of your life soon, it will just make it easier to start moving forward and beginning a new life. What did you decide on the purse? 50% off sounds good and getting something new can be such a day brightener. Hugs to you, I know things are hard for you and you are in my thoughts!

Marcy, yeah, I don't know how I managed to goof up an apple product lol - it's happened to me before, and pressing the little button on the side and the round button at the same time unfroze it, but I forgot to do that this time and just shut if off. Your oatmeal cookies sound yummy! I'm sorry your knees are bothering you, I agree that it's definitely a good idea to just take it very slowly. Love the pic of Junior, too cute!

Hi Sarah, thanks for checking in! I completely understand about not feeling very social sometimes, I feel the same way some days. I can see how this part of your recovery is pretty boring and makes you feel eager to be back to your normal self, but as missy said the important thing is you are healing every day, and as each day passes you are that much closer to a full recovery. Thinking of you, I know what you're going through is not easy. The pic of Jack and his baby is adorable!

Calliecake, I didn't have any trouble getting to my mother's, it snowed overnight while I was here but it doesn't look too bad so I shouldn't have any trouble driving back today. I cannot wait for this winter to be over, every year it gets harder to put up with this weather! I'm already thinking about the trip, I really can't wait. I might even buy a few new things to wear lol!

Hope everyone is having a good day, will check in later!

 

[Calliecake]

Junebug, Leave some room in your suitcase. They are supposed have wonderful shopping at the River Walk. You may have to bring something fabulous home with you!

 

[marcy]

Hi Ladies,

Missy, I usually do use those single dose ones but right now I have the little bottle. I will get myself the single dose package this weekend. I swear! Thanks for the reminder. Don’t be impressed that I freeze cookies; both Marty and I sadly have found frozen cookies taste great too. D’oh! Sorry to hear it’s cold and snowy there. We had snow off and off since Sunday but not much accumulation. Boston continues to get slammed. Holy Snow Drifts! Great snow pictures from the beach house. That is the ocean right past the fence, right? COOL!!!

Sarah, that’s nice of Jack and his baby to come see how you are doing. He’s cute.

Callie, I can just imagine your furbaby backing away from the door; no way is she going out in that frigid weather. Trust me, I don’t have much will power with homemade cookies. I don’t bake them very often. Marty is actually a very good cook but he cooks a lot of spicy dishes that I usually don’t eat. He will find recipes he likes then adapts them so they contain foods I can eat (I have a lot of food allergies) and then makes them for me. He won’t cook breakfast though because he says he doesn’t know how to cook that stuff. I did check to see if my iPad needed an update and it said the software was current. Losing a long post is frustrating. I am glad your iPad has been acting better.

Junebug, I think you and your brother can use some help with your mother. It’s such a tough decision but you also have to take some time for yourself. That little home button on my phone and iPad comes in so handy. Junior and a Killer Rabbit are having another staring contest right now. Marty has renamed Junior “Snacks” since he’s bite sized. I hope the roads weren’t bad for you going home today.

I tried to sleep in today but Marty must not have got the memo. He was making coffee and his breakfast about 6:30 so I got up then. I worked on 4 PA’s and had them done by noon. After lunch I worked on the last and most difficult PA. I know I have a fight in my future since his self-appraisal was very unrealistic. Maybe if I get him to demonstrate he can walk on water I will agree to change his ratings.

I am fine today but Marty is sick with a cold. Marty didn’t sleep worth a darn so he’s asleep already and I hope he sleeps through the night. I guess I’ll venture over to a guest bedroom so I won’t wake him up tonight.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[missy]

Good morning everyone!

Sarah, I love that picture of Jack with his baby. Haha isn't it funny how our animals have their dolls and stuffed animals just like when we were (or still do LOL) little? Francesca especially loves walking around with her pet snake OMG too funny. Please post more pics of Jack whenever you have the energy and desire to do so. We love seeing pics of the furbabies as you probably know. Hope today is a good day for you!

Callie, When it is freezing like this outside I am glad I don't have a fur baby I have to walk that is for sure. Can your sweet dog go on a wee wee pad or anything like that or must she go out to go to the bathroom? I hope your parents are feeling better and I am sending more healing vibes their way!

Junebug, I'm with you. I much prefer the summer (and spring and autumn) over winter any day! The snow is pretty to look at sure but too cold and slippery to do anything outside for me at least. Today I am a bit nervous about the walk I have to the office from the train as it is very slippery out. But don't worry, I will be extra cautious. I am enjoying my new earrings. They are very delicate looking and unlike any of my other earrings in that way and I like that. I hope you have a good drive back from your mother's house today. Yay for shopping for new things to wear on your trip and I agree with Callie. Make sure to leave some room in your suitcase for shopping while you are there!


Marcy, I am sorry Marty has a cold. No fun in the winter and I hope he gets better quickly. And yet another thing we have in common...intolerances/allergies to some foods and not being able to eat spicy dishes. Greg has to alter some of his recipes for me too. Oy I wish we just had diamonds and gems in common lol.

That is Sandy Hook Bay outside our house and this is the first time in 10 years that Sandy Hook bay has frozen and the SeaStreak (ferry to the city) cannot run...at least that is what I heard last night on the news. Glad we are in NY right now because getting to work would be more challenging.

Haha on your employee and their self appraisal. I agree let him show he can walk-on water and then you can talk lol. Of course being that some of the water is frozen right now he just might be able to do that hehe.

Let me know how your eyes are doing and if the single dose rewetting drops bring you relief. Remember be liberal about applications especially during this very low humidity time of year. Preservative free drops are safe to use as often as you need to.

Have a good day everyone. I have a few challenges today and one of them is trying to apply makeup to cover my mess of a face before work. I am trying to be upbeat and strong but I am feeling somewhat depressed about this issue. Four months and counting of dealing with the skin problems. But I am hanging in there. (((Hugs))) to you all and enjoy the day and stay warm and safe!

 

[MarionC]

Missy - [[[hugs]]] A little bird told me that you are beautiful, and that makes face issues even harder, but I know it will resolve, so please hang in there and don't fret too much.
I loved seeing the photos of snow at your beach house. Wouldn't it be fun if you could just drop in there for a cozy snow day.

Marcy - maybe Marty can become a NIRD and get "loves" over the internet. DO we let boys in the clubhouse??? lol

We are getting ready for below zero temps. No big deal [I hope], but a little more work than usual.
... Oh I am in the THICK of it with diamond nonsense. Looking at stones way too much. I have no idea what I want or what I'm doing!


Happy day, everyone.

[actually, I lied, I do know what I want ]

 

[Sunstorm]

Lol, I am not surprised you do not what you want Jimmianne.) I would too.

Everything is pretty good here, yesterday I did buy the bag I coveted and will be wearing it out tomorrow. Of course I was shown a pair of gorgeous boots also 60 % off, beautiful quilted leather heels I love that look so much, they are also shorter boots which I also like for occassions to show a bit of legs even in winter and also because of my thin boning this style tends to work better. Guess the shopping bug bit me.

I have to run out for a bit today even though I was thinking of working at home today. It will only be for a short time though to pick up a package of some pretty goodies that I cannot wait to see.

Hope that everyone is doing well or recovering from illness. I am doing much better but two days ago I developed a nasty cough, homeopathy does seem to work really well for that though.

I went salsa dancing last night and that was fun.

Missy, as I said I am thinking of you today and definitely cheering you on.

Sarah I hope your recovery is going well.

Hi and hugs to everyone else, will try to write more later.

 

[azstonie]

Ovi: I had your addie wrong! I had incorrectly inserted an *i* where there is no i! I believe I solved the problem which was on my end!

 

[junebug17]

Good afternoon everyone!

Missy, yes, be extra careful - I'm being careful too! It's pretty treacherous out there, I look like I'm walking a tightrope or something when I'm outside. Sorry to hear you're feeling down about your skin, I understand - you certainly have been dealing with this a long time. I think you are doing great coping with the whole situation and I'm glad you're sharing your feelings about it. Big hugs to you, I know it's been a tough road. I'm glad you're enjoying the earrings, they seem very versatile - I keep going back and looking at the pics of them lol!

Jimmianne, I have diamond fever too lol - I must have caught dh in a good mood this weekend because I mentioned wanting to get a yellow diamond double halo ring (ala Tiffany soleste) and he's on board and we agreed on a budget - and now I'm getting overwhelmed looking at stones, I think I'm in over my head a little. I might start a thread in RT. I love the ring you posted! I have a few similar styles saved on my various wish lists on different websites and now you have me second-guessing myself!

Ovi, glad you treated yourself to a few new things! Hope your cough clears up soon, I really hate having a cough, so annoying.

Calliecake, I'll be sure to leave a little extra room! Shopping sounds like a very good idea!

 

[Calliecake]

Hi Girls,

Missy, Hopefully you day at work is going well today and your make up went on well this morning. I'm so sorry you are having to deal with this skin problem. The only thing I did correctly with our furbaby is training her to go outside on a pee pad. She jumps outside and goes. It takes her all of three seconds. Even when we go for walks she just stops and goes. She never sniffs around for a place. My parents dog can be outside for 20 minutes looking for the perfect place. Now if only i could teach her to come when she is called. She will do anything for a treat. If there are no treats involved it all depends on what she feels like doing. It's a good thing she is so darn cute.

Marcy, I hope things go well with your employee who walks in water. That ought to be one fun performance review. You will definately need a glass if wine after that one! I'm sorry Marty isn't feeling well. It seems like everyone has come down with something this winter. Spring can't come quick enough.

Junebug, I can't wait to hear about your new project. Yellow diamonds are beautiful. Is the halo going to be yellow or white diamonds? Having a new project is always so much fun. Have things been going well with your mom? Has you brother agreed to get some outside help with your mom?

Jimmianne, WOW, what a beautiful ring. Have you decided to purchase it?

OV, I hope you are beginning to feel well and your cough goes away quickly. It sounds like you have been have getting out and having some fun salsa dancing. Tell us about your new bag.

Kristie, How are you? What have you been up to?

 

[MarionC]

Callie, hi.
Isn't it a beautiful ring! It's 18k...um...a little over budget lol
But how inspiring.

We had a fabulous "photo -op" snow storm here. Just lasted an hour but everything looks so lovely. I've been out taking pictures because this might be it for NC snow this year. I'm from upstate NY and the snow makes me feel so much at home, it's like a celebration.

Junebug's yellow diamond? How did I miss THAT.

...back to read the thread and catch up!

 

[Sunstorm]

Junebug got a yellow diamond? Oh, wow, yumm! Where is the thread? I will look at it on Friday when I am home but maybe tomorrow already as I cannot wait.

Callie, I have been fine, played a lot today, too much fun, bling play, sorry but I was doing a lot of talking via email today. I also wrote to you but since anymore people do not get my emails, I wonder if you got it.

I will check in soon, tomorrow I have to work and may not have the time but will try my best to join in the PS fun in the evening.

Hugs to all of you NIRDI Girls!

 

[azstonie]

Great pics! Fred on the Garden State Fwy, Junior on the road again, Jack with his baby!, Missy's snowy and pristine beach place, Jimmieanne's smashing ring.

It cheers me up!