how about drinking?

Thanks! It’s a really big deal for me, not just being happily married this long but after my initial diagnosis at stage IV, I was pretty sure this day was unlikely at best. So big, big YAY!

Hi Ladies,

I hope everyone had a good day. Lori that was great talking to ur brother. Do they all have the same symptoms??? Our day followed all my rules, the kids forced me, jeez was I tired.

Then I wen t to call my sister right then she csaled me to tell me my BIL came home from the hospital late yesterday but she's been in the hospital since Monday. She never told mecuz I get to dramatic. So after I finished yelling at her. she told me what was going on. Oy vey She has about 5 symptoms of covid but tested negative, I don't get it, it sounds just like covid and when we talked she never said she was in the hospital. They don't seem to have a clue yet. Her breathing is really bad, she can't eat, headache etc. WTF Of course I got so upset as she's whispering this is why I didn't tell you. She can have one visitor but the same one so all her DD's are using the same name taking turns. Now my Bil needs someone too so now the grandkids re taking turns. He ended up having a stent put in an there is nothing I can do to help either one of them. Well my mood changed pretty quickly but we kept on going. I said moment to moment before and that's about what happened. My kids were great with me cuz of my sister but I hate to keep on saying this Joey was my star...waiting on me making sure Ihad everything I wanted and when everyone left he came in my room to just keep me company to make sure I was all right. I know I brag about him way to much but he's always there for me as he puts it I was always there for him an it's the way it's suppose to be. I have to say the food Leslie made was delicious. The lasagna tasted so much like my mom's it was uncanny, great meatballs an garlic bread. I didn't get to the beef and peppers but everyone said our peppers had so much flavor, so Joey and I did it. And first time Jodie made cookies, and everyone like them.Well we'll have enough leftovers even with Jodie taking them home too.

Well Merry Christmas to all and all a good night.

LUBS U ALL

I hope everyone had as great a Christmas as possible, given this year's circumstances,

Mazel Tov, Ilona! That bubbly was totally appropriate. Hope it was delicious.

I didn't know of Chrissy (guess I didn't follow the threads she was in). May her memory be for a blessing,

Turns out the ranch Leslie's family rented is not in Houston, but Fredericksburg, in the hill country between San Antonio & Austin. We Zoomed with them Christmas Eve. It was chillier than they'd expected (30F) but not like the 9F we hit here by the lakefront. (I chickened out about wearing my mom's mink--turns out my packable down puffer coat was perfectly adequate). They're fine (PCR-tested neg)--but I still worry about their trip home. 17-hr. drive each way--all meals were drive-thru, eaten in the car or at a roadside picnic table. The dog seems to be adapting to being away from home. They will re-test, quarantine 10 days (per Chicago ordinance), and re-test again to be sure. Fingers crossed.

My combined Chrismukkah-birthday present from Bob is a 1/2 ct. near-colorless solitaire diamond pendant on an 18" chain. I'm glad we didn't go bigger, because nobody would have believed it's real. I could have gotten away with a 16" chain (which is on my .20 ct. pendant, slightly yellow, he bought me at Penney's 30 yrs. ago) but I don't want to swap the chains out. The tiny one shows just above my collarbone, but the new one will show outside a higher-neck blouse if I want to dangle it over the blouse. I'm wearing both. He's previously bought me more ornate pieces--last year, a teardrop ruby on white gold, but as I learned the hard way, rubies are way too delicate to wear day in & day out without cracking.

We were unable to try out the Keurig Drinkworks I bought Bob: not only doesn't it come with any drink pods, but it is so heavy it'll take all 3 of us (including our HK) on Mon. to wrestle it out of the box (still by the tree) and on to the bar cart we set up for it. He's going to see if Binny's has any drink pods in stock--the ones I bought are back-ordered.

DOTD with prime rib dinner Christmas Eve & the leftovers tonight was 2018 Fess Parker Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. (And last night, glogg of course--the kids drank theirs in TX and we tried to clink our computer screens). Tonight, we killed off the Mumm Napa Grande Annee with the last of the whitefish & salmon roes as our app; and with dessert we had Nicolas Sauternes (I drank mine from a cordial glass).

Happy day after Christmas! DS#2 finally tested negative late Thursday evening. We cancelled the dinner for that night and got together for Christmas morning brunch and presents. Everything went well. Food was good and people seemed to like their presents. Kids got a kick out of the staplers and staples in their stockings. The puppy, while nervous, did allow some petting and was well behaved. All in all, the event was a success. We will get together on Tuesday to eat the beef tenderloin.

Sounds like everyone had good holidays. Sandy, that necklace must be beautiful. Cami, your family adores you and wants to make many memories. Happy Anniversary, Illimae! Goldie, I do hope your brother and family recover from Covid with no lasting effects. NM, enjoy your break and get some rest.

Take care everyone!

Mornin ladies,

I'm baaack.

Lori u burn't ur dinner. Wow that doesn't sound like you. The December "menu" sounds inviting tho.. I'm glad ur talking to ur brother today, it'll be good for u.I had to LOL how u explained Lucky ur so on point, more than I can be. My BIL had 2 arteries??? completely blocked so they didn't do anything to that, but 1 90% and that's where they put the stent. He's a mess. Did u get to talk to ur son an DD, I hope so.

Sandy that sounds beautiful and so thoughtful. Glad ur kids are doing good and I know u can't wait til they come home soon. Sounds like Bob is feeling pretty good.

JC whew great ur son testd negative and u had a nice Christmas,

I started this hrs. ago, kept falling asleep. Coffee isn't helping today.

LUBS U ALL

Happy 20th anniversary illimae!

Sandy - your necklace sounds beautiful.

Forgot today is Boxing Day!!

The weather was lovely today - sat outside ready - tomorrow it will start cooling off to the 40s then colder. Can't complain as it is late December.

Cami - sorry to hear that your sister is in the hospital

Jazzy - hope your ear is better

Nice to read about everyone's Christmas celebrations.

Good Morning, Loungettes!Happy Sunday Funday! Nothing much going on here yesterday or today. Temps are back in the cold range, wet stuff is frozen up again. Sadie is nothappy with the frozen ground out there, she gives me very dirty looks when I shoo her off the deck to go piddle in the morning. Not sure what's going to get accomplished today, if anything. Maybe some laundry. I need clean clothes! Mom was funny on Christmas, her new apartment came with a washer and dryer and she was going on about how HUGE they are, and how she has to go through almost all her clothes before there is enough tomake a full load! I suggested that she could set the water level lower and wash a half a load, but that "would just waste money". Now sure how that would waste money, but there's no moving Mom's mind once she's decided something will waste money.

Librarian--Hooray for the negative test for DS#2! Glad the brunch and presents and new puppy went well. Beef tenderloin sounds yummy!

Goldie--There is a little known fact that residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities cannot be prevented from leaving the facility to visit with family if they want to and family want to take them. That would be violating their rights, holding them against their will, equivalent to kidnapping. It can be discouraged, staff can educate the resident and family about the risks, but staff cannot actually stop the family from taking the resident out. I suspect Dick's daughter told Dick and her brother this, and Dick's son caved in to his Dad who has been desperately trying to get anyone and everyone to take him out anywhere. It would also explain why she didn't go and visit while Dick was out. She doesn't want to be exposed and have to quarantine and lose work. Nice looking meat package! I'd say sorry about burning the ribs, but I really like them that way, so I'd be happy with them!

Jazzy--the new job has really started, I've worked a whole 2 and 1/2 days! Got one paycheck for the first day already. Weekly pay is nice, I must admit, and I'm glad that is continuing. We are on break this week, will be back to school full time on the 4th of Jan. I do feel much more relaxed now, though. The desk lamp and wall clock I ordered from amazon for the office came in already, so those will go with me on the 4th. While I can understand the temptation to take Dick out for Christmas dinner, taking him around to visit with people who are known to have COVID is just insane. Even if he did stay in the car and everyone wore masks and stayed 6 feet apart. I agree that a 3 day work week is a great schedule. I'm happy with my 5 day a week schedule right now, though. I am so looking forward to establishing a new, steady, work routine.

Cammy Cat--Ithought you folks had a brand new puppy! Shows how much I remember, right? How many doggos are there in your house?

Morning, Illi!

Morning, to you, too, Karen!

Ano Nuevo Horchata

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. coarse sanding sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 4 oz. tequila
• 2 oz. Kahlua
• 4 oz. almond milk, ice cold
• 3 oz. dark agave syrup
• 4 Tbsp. hot water
• 4 Tbsp. espresso powder
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Combine the sugar and cinnamon on a plate or glass rimmer.
2. Wet the rims of two highball glasses and dip into the sanding sugar mixture.
3. In a shaker filled with ice, combine the nutmeg, kalua, tequila and dark agave. Shake to chill.
4. In a large glass, combine the hot water and the espresso powder. Using a milk frother, whip the coffee to stiff peaks.
5. Fill the glasses with ice. Strain equal amounts of the tequila mixture into each glass.
6. Pour 2 oz. of almond milk into each glass.
7. Top the almond milk with the whipped Dalgona coffee mixture and serve immediately.

From <https://www.webstaurantstore.com/blog/1576/the-12-drinks-of-christmas.html>

It looks like Dalgona Coffee is another name for whipped coffee, also known as Korean coffee:

"Dalgona coffee is a beverage made by whipping equal proportions of instant coffee powder, sugar, and hot water until it becomes creamy and then adding it to cold or hot milk.[3] Occasionally, it is topped with coffee powder, cocoa, crumbled biscuits, or honey.[4] It was popularized on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people refraining from going out started making videos of whipping the coffee at home, by hand without using electrical mixers.[5] The name is derived from dalgona, a Korean sugar sweet, due to the resemblance in taste and appearance, though most dalgona coffee doesn't actually contain dalgona. "

From <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalgona_coffee>

Mornin Ladies,

Oh Illi u'll think of something fun to do u always do, so start thinking.

Karen It's nice to hear what everyone did even tho this was a crazy year, first and hope last one of a kind for any of us. u have any thing going on for the New Year??? I usually stay up all crazy hrs, but on New Year I tend to fall asleep around 10pm.

In fact no one I know have any plans going on.Christmas was a stretch. But does anyone have any type of plans. It Doesn;t bother me not to but again I'm planning a bunch of apitizers, which I know I will have to order myself, cuz for Christmas I had a spoonful of dip and some olives after I wanted a bunch of stuff. But I have to have my herring for good luck. I did n;t have it last year and look what happened to the whole world. So I'd better have it this year. The one yr I don't have it and a whole pandemic went thru the world, I can't take that chance again. I forgot to tell u FF was pretty good this year.

I was up a lot last nite an forgot to order all my personal stuff, so I did that and sometops and pants to wear around. I'm like addicted to online shopping,, I only use gift cardsI guess it could be worse, I don't go into any cards or the bank.

Everyone have a good day.

LUBS U ALL

Good morning friends- happy Funday Sunday as NM would say. I got out of the house yesterday after two days at home to get some groceries and other errands done. It was warmer here so I went down during my time out to one of the nearby nature preserves to look for some of the wintering birds (specifically the sandhill cranes that come from late October to February). Saw lots of Candian geese and a few sandhills. I need to spend more time outdoors, and am going to do a socially distanced walk today with a friend. We picked a good day to do it. Our temps were a low of 30 last night vs. being in the teens here. I don't mind the cold but if it's going to be cold, I would like some moisture. It's dry here.

Goldie- my SIL is both on a vent and feeding tube. I think she has a very limited quality of life in this situation and don't think anyone expected her to live this long. Perhaps my sister was trying to help her with some pallliative care at the end, similar to the way people with Covid sometimes are on a vent to the end to help their breathing. But it has gone down a different path. I think my sister talks more on Facetime than her partner does, but think in the new year, my sister will be able to get a vax from her job (she still works PRN at her old healthcare group, but not working right now) and her partner will be getting a vax sooner with being in a facility. Then they can resume in person visits, and I know they need to spend time together in person. Thanks for asking about them.

NM- I did realize you had started the new job and already got paid, whoot! Were you paid biweekly in the past? When I worked directly for client in the past on big projects, I used to invoice monthly (usually their requirement) and for large sums, but then had to wait another month to get paid. Required careful money management in times between. When I subcontracted, I usually got paid weekly (and it's nice, that was my last two projects I worked on before I went back FT). Now I am bi-weekly and always look forward to payday friday. I hope this next week goes really well for you.

Oh and about washing machines, I replaced mine this year and this front loader is much larger than the last one I bought when I set the house up in 2004. I find I like to really like to fill up that tank before I do a wash now and it can take longer to do so. I am the same way with my dishswasher. In my case, I am being careful with water because of being here in the desert and we are in a drought again. Your mom is a depression era baby, correct? If you need to do a wash, do a wash!

Karen- my ear is doing better, thanks for asking!

Cami- yes, nothing for New Years here either, but I rarely do anything. Last year, a BCO sister/friend was in Santa Fe for the holiday weekend and we met up there to celebrate the holiday there. Really fun and enjoyed doing that, something different for last year. They shoot guns off here at midnight as I may have shared in the past here, so you don't want to be out at midnight to catch a stray bullet. They don't call it the wild west for nothing friend. I have NY Eve day off from work and some errands and other things to do but will be home by late afternoon to be home for the evening and probably will get some take out to bring home for dinner. Not sure about the rest of the weekend, but have some home projects to get finished around here (oh the paperwork drama.) Hope things continue to improve with the family.

Mistyeyes, Celia C, Teka, MinusTwo, and others- hope you have had a nice holiday weekend!

Just wanted to let you know I am going to be taking a social media break starting New Years Day. Probably for a month, not sure yet, but I am going off everything to be able to focus on this new phase of work I am heading into that will be more intense (they actually called it an "intensive"). I like to take breaks a couple times a year and it's time. For those of you on FB with me, I posted it there too. I like to let you know because I know when people disappear, we worry about each other sometimes. I plan to be back on Thursday to wish you all a good start to 2021.

Until then friends, stay well and enjoy the final days of 2020. A year all of us will remember for a long, long time....

Cami - no plans for New Years Eve - its just a Thursday!

DOTD, I need to find the recipe. So far just a pic!

Can't find a recipe, so you have to use your imagination. It's a BBQ Cocktail....that's all I got!

Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Monday Monkey Day! Another low-key day in store for me and Sadie again today. I did get a lot of stuff done in the kitchen yesterday as far as decluttering and cleaning, going to try to do the same in the living room today. I should try to get a walk outside today, I need to move more. Maybe a grocery shopping run this afternoon. We'll see how it goes!

Goldie--I hadn't thought about the electricity as being the waste of money, but that makes sense as Mom monitors her electric bill like a hawk. She has no idea what the password to her email account is, but she knows her electric bill for every month back to forever. That would apply to the dishwasher, too, I suppose. Dick calls Mom several times a day most days. When he doesn't call by his usual times Mom calls him. Dick reaches out to Mom for everything he needs/wants instead of his daughter, who is now his POA and Responsible Party. I think he just doesn't remember, it's been years of Mom taking care of things for him, or reminding him to take care of things, and having her right there to talk to. At the risk of sounding cruel, I almost hope Dick does get sick and is taken off peacefully and quickly. He is so unhappy in Assisted Living with no one to talk to much of the time and not being able to get out and about like he is used to. His memory and cognitive function is declining dramatically since he moved. I suppose we all get bullheaded about some things as we get older. Live long enough and you're entitled to get bullheaded at times!

Cammy Cat-no plans for New Year's Eve, never have been much of one for partying that night. It was always a really good babysitting time when I was old enough to do that. Sometimes I stay up and watch a ball drop somewhere on TV, many times I go to bed as usual and catch that on the morning news the next day.

Goldie--YUMMMMM!!!! I love the crunchy char coating!

Jazzy--it must have been good to get out for errands and a bit of birding! I'm currently being paid weekly on Friday, was being paid weekly on Thursday. Before that it was every other week. I did get paid monthly when I was teaching; that was a new level of budgeting for me at the time. Mom is a depression ere baby and that does color her approach to money management among many other things. I'm using this week off work to focus on getting stuff done around the house that I've been putting off or ignoring. It's going better now that I'm not exhausted all the time. Enjoy your social media break, and look forward to seeing you again, refreshed, next year!

Chi--sounds like you are a work widow for the week.

Morning, Karen!

Cammy Cat--I wish they could find out what is going on with your sister. Everyone would feel better if they could. Does she live with her DD that has Covid? She shouldn't go home if she does. At least she's feeling better.

Goldie--the chances of DH catching covid at PT are pretty small with the precautions that all medical treatment areas are taking. You are probably at more risk going into the grocery store.If your neighbor caught covid from the neighbor who had a stroke, she was not likely contagious 2 days later when you were together. A negative test would be very reassuring, though.

New Year's Sparkler

Ingredients

• 1 ounce berry-flavored vodka
• 1 1/2 ounces pomegranate juice
• 3 1/2 ounces Champagne
• Garnish: skewered raspberries

Steps

1. Add the vodka and cranberry juice to a chilled Champagne flute.
2. Top with Champagne and garnish with raspberries on a long skewer.

From <https://www.liquor.com/recipes/new-years-sparkler/>