I'm leaving later today for Bangor and will be off-line for the week. Dave has no internet at home. I'm not feeling like schlepping my lap top around town looking for wifi. Starbucks charges for the privilege so I guess I won't do that. Though I'm really looking forward to their white chocolate coffee (yes please I do want the whipped cream) and a piece of low fat coffee cake. Yum.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Wherever you go please be safe and happy!

Oh well, we forgive you, Patti (I don't know about Dave, but....). What's going on? Are all of you going to bed early now?!

I like the bikini turkey, Richard. Whichever you do, I'm sure it's going to be something special. We usually have Thanksgiving at our house, but I'll be in Israel this time. I'm leaving Sunday. My sister Amy has an American friend on the kibbutz who does Thanksgiving at her house, so I'm invited to that. Glad I don't have to miss turkey and cranberry sauce! I don't care how it's made as long as there's cranberry sauce. I'm going to Israel to get my book, which was supposed to be finished by now, but hopefully will be finished a few days after I get there. It's poems in English with Hebrew translations by my sister Katie. I might give a reading at my friend's house in Jerusalem. If it turns out okay, maybe I'll do more, but if it's too stressful, I'll pass on the readings.

Those are some interesting cooking choices Richard. I was thinking about trying the beer butt chicken recipe on my turkey. It might take a couple of cans of beer tough since I like cooking a bi bird for lots of leftovers. I'm also not sure I can do that in y oven as it's typically a grill item. We'll see., Just a thought.
I'm heading to Bangor tomorrow and will probably find I don't have much to cook with anyway. I'm planning on bring some some of my own kitchen utensils and dishes. Dave says the 80 year old couple he rents from have a sparse kitchen when it comes to "things".
I'm really looking forward to seeing the boys next week. Its' been too long for this gal. I'm used to having Colin around every day. Even though it's been since August, I just haven't gotten used to it.
I realized this morning I'm quite the scum bag. Yesterday was Dave's birthday. Not only did I not send a card, (I'm hoping his gift shows up here in time for me to take it with me tomorrow), but I didn't even call him last night. I came in from a meeting and headed of to an early nights sleep. I suck.

hi. well the holiday season is closing in on me. i saw a great recipe for turkey where you can get the bird to come out of the oven in a reclined position looking as if it had been sun bathing cuz it has bikini tan lines, both bra and bottom. that is how i will be putting foil in place to get my juicey bird this year. i have a simulated intact family coming together at my house. somebody shoot me. there is another recipe where you baste the bird with a full bottle of bourbon. it takes many hours and then concludes with the bird getting tossed and you drink the sauce. hmmmmmmmmmmm, so hard to decide. i am asking myself, "what would spindler do?" he used to be a beacon for so many of us and i just can't make the call on this one without having him here. he might do two turkeys to be able to enjoy both. i know those deep fried bird systems at wallmart are the new wave, but i am more traditional. i will send the wishbone(s) to anyone who sends me recipes to go along with my rock 'em and shock 'em harvest feast theme. too dark? i can send some white meat, too.

Night before last I was so tired I decided to go to bed....it was only 8:00....anyways, I was sound asleep . I had turned the ringer off the upstairs phone so it wouldn't wake Neil up). I heard Neil's cellphone ringing thinking it was the alarm going off (he sets it as a backup)... he answered it and handed the phone to me. It was my oldest worried because I had not answered the phone for the last two hours. She thought that maybe I had fallen down the stairs or something....didn't dawn on her that I might be sleeping!!! I can remember calling her and wondering where she was!!! So, I guess it was finally payback time. Just thought that was a little funny.
Chocolate cake sounds really yummy....I'll imagine I enjoyed it too!

Vermont has definitely taken the toll in this insane war ....unfortunately, every time someone else sacrifices their life emotions emerge again...so I never feel that I can get away from it...PFC Adam Muller, 21, from Richmond, is being buried tomorrow, remember him in your thoughts as well as his wife and family. They need it....

Mmmm! Outrageous chocolate cake. That sounds good. I don't know what that doctor Patti saw on TV would say about that, but it sounds delicious to me.

Patti, that's good you have neighbors around in case you need anything when you're alone. I was imagining a more isolated setting. At least you know your neighbors. We only know the one on one side of us--a 96-year-old lady who lives with her son.

Kathi, it sounds like there are a disproportionate number of fallen soldiers from Vermont--or does it just seem like that to me?

Lori, to answer your question. I live in a neighborhood with homes beside and across from me. My neighbors are very nice and have offered to help whenever it's needed. My friend Elaine with whom I hang out most lives just the hill a bit. We work together too so we do some car pooling in bad weather. Today we went out and picked up some yarns for our hats and some Christmas paper goods for a couple of gathering we'll be hosting in a few weeks. She, a party for our knitting group and me, a cookie swap amongst our ladies at school.

I'm watching a funny show called You are What You Eat. It's a BBC show about being overweight and unhealthy. Dr. goes in to your kitchen to show you how awful the food in your cupboard is. Then gives you a better eating regime. It's funny because I empathize with the "bad" choices and also because the Dr. is so out there with her information about flatulence etc.

I'm making a nice onion soup for supper tonight. It smells wonderful here. It'll be odd to cook for the guys next week. A treat actually. I'll enjoy it. Even if I don't eat it Ill love cooking for the boys.

Kathi if you send me your address I'll send you a couple of easy knitting patterns. We're presenting our hats in January. I'm hoping to make several. I'm really needing to finish a rug I starting a year ago for Colin though. It started out smallish and took on a life of it's own. It's not room size but much larger than I had intended when I started. I just kept going. I'd love to give it to him this Christmas. Dave doesn't have TV or internet so I have a lot of knitting coming at me next week in Bangor.

Karen I told Dave about the restaurant you mentioned in Bar Harbor. We're going to go there for sure on Monday. Anyone you'd like me to say hello to?

Sounds like everyone is keeping busy. I have a Inservice tomorrow to go to...suppose to be on stress management...hopefully, it won't make me more stressed thinking about destressing! I commend your determination Patti..good Luck! Are the hats an easy pattern?? I can knit but sometimes have difficulty with reading directions! Maybe you can send me the pattern. Certainly a wonderful thing to do.
I went to the Veterns Day Rememberance today in Springfield. I actually met up with two other VT fallen families that live in Springfield. So, it was nice to show that bond. My sister-in-law went to one up in St. Albans and Ron Bolio (Jerry's brother) from Springfield was at it. She was pleasantly surprised to meet someone from Springfield there. Unfortunately, another Vermont soldier has fallen in Iraq, he is a 21 year old from Richmond area. Seems it will never end....disgustingly sad.
It was certainly cold here today. High maybe 40...and windy. Neil spent the day finishing up the leaves in our yard. I went grocery shopping....seemed better then raking! Made potroast and dumplings for dinner...certainly wasn't the Jenny Craig or fruit that I need to have, so good for you girls doing the right thing!! Safe travels for Avi's uncle Lori, glad you had a great visit!
Sounds like everybody is heading in the right direction! Happy Thoughts.............

How did the birthday celebration go, Karen?

Sounds like you're keeping busy, Patti. Our friend did the Jenny Craig diet about 20 years ago and lost a lot of weight. And Avi's sister is doing something similar where they bring you all your meals, and she's also gradually losing weight. Seems good to me not to have to cook or plan meals. Do you have any neighbors close by or are the houses really spread out there?

Avi's uncle has been staying with us, but he's leaving on Tuesday. It seems like the visit went fast. He's gotten us used to eating fruit for breakfast. The way he cuts the fruit looks like art on the plate--papayas and kiwi and cactus pears and avocado. So tempting. I hope I won't be too lazy to continue doing that after he leaves cuz I really like eating that stuff for breakfast--with some toast, of course. I can't give up on my bread!

Happy Birthday Rich. Sounds like a wonderful celebration has been planned.

Dave's birthday is coming up next Thursday. He'll be 54. Then the following day I'll be heading down to Bangor to spend a week with him in his new digs.

I'm looking forward to the week together. I'm getting pretty lonely up here. It's not too bad during the week because I'm so busy, then tired from work; but this weekend (a 3 day) he and the boys stayed together in Bangor and went hiking in Baxter State Park. It's kind of OK, it's the evenings that get to me. I'm working on being more organized about the time instead of just going through each day. I've done some good extra cleaning and thrown out some things that I've hung on to for too long.

I even signed up for Jenny Craig today. It's too easy to go without meals when you're on your own. I'm going to do it for 3 months and take it seriously. I'm working on doing a 30 minute walk every day. That's a tough one but if I get into it I'm sure I'll want to continue it. I told them to send my first meals on the 26th. No sense in trying to start this in Bangor. Unfortunately the nearest JC Center is in S. Portland so I have to do Jenny Direct which is on the phone and on-line.

I'm working on knitted hats for cancer patients. It's an easy way to do something nice for people while doing something I enjoy. Even gives me an excuse to sit around!!

There's enough room in the garage for my truck and the yard is all cleaned up in preparation for the coming cold. I'm ready to batten down the hatches and hibernate a while. If I get some weight off and get healthier I'll be ready for x country skiing conditions.