Happy Thanksgiving! . . .

From our table to yours! have a great Turkey day!

So now where do we go? . . .

Hubby has been playing host to some guys that are here from Germany. They work for a company called INDEX that Leupold has purchased some machines for the shop. They are staying until all are hooked up and producing parts like they are suppose to, but in the mean time during their free time Dale and a couple of others from work are playing host to entertaining them. It's weird when you are showing out of town people places to visit as well as recommending different places to eat how you run out of ideas. Restaurants are easy, they aren't real particular about what type of food they eat (as long as it's not German they say. ha!), but we are running out of ideas for places to visit. Here are places they have been to in the last 6 weeks.

Coast - from Seaside to Newport
Saturday Market
Elk Refuge and Camp 18
Woodburn Outlet Mall
Blazer Game
Multnomah Falls and Bonneville Dam fish hatchery
Spirit Mountain Casino
Nike Employee Store
Washington Park (hiking)
Sturgeon Fishing on the Columbia
McMenamins - 4 different sites
Widmer Brewery
Helvetia Tavern
Shopping downtown Portland

Anyway, we are running out of ideas, isn't that bad and we even live here! So if you were entertaining out of town guests where would you take them?

The biggest food fest of the year . . .

Yes, this week brings people together to be thankful for good health, happiness, jobs, friends, family and of course fabulous food! My sights are looking beyond the Thursday feast though and to the Saturday menu, but not necessarily by choice. I log onto my computer at work today and in less than a few hours, it begins from our tailgate buddy Dennis "Attn: Beaver Nation (that's our nickname) below is the start of our menu for the Civil War game on Saturday, feel free to add your name and contribution to the list." Oh my gosh, I don't even have Thanksgiving day figured out yet and we are working on our Civil War menu! . . . That's ok, because whatever we have it will be GREAT like always. So it looks like the featured item on the menu this week will be "BBQ'd pulled pork sandwiches" . . . mmmm . . with sides of cole slaw, blue cheese deviled eggs, chipotle deviled eggs, chips/dips, baked beans, macaroni salad, peanut butter fudge. . . oh my . . I feel my muffin top waistline expanding to souffle size. I was asked to bring my sweet and sour meatballs as our other meat maindish (since you know we can never have too much food), I have made them before and they usually get devoured. I'm sharing my recipe so you too can be the meatball supplier for an upcoming party! Of course I do have to double or triple the recipe depending on the crowd size. Here is the basic recipe:

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

2lbs. hamburger

3/4 c. bread crumbs

1/4 c. parsley

1/3 c. catsup

1/4 t. pepper

1/2 t. garlic powder

2T minced onion

2T soy sauce

2 eggs

Form into small meatballs and place in pan. (Don't cheat and get the Costco precooked meatballs it just won't taste the same)

Sauce: In a saucepan over mediumheat, blend until smooth

1 jar chili sauce

1c jellied cranberry sauce

2T brown sugar

1t. lemon juice

Pour sauce over meatballs and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Enjoy!

GO BEAVS . . BEAT THE DUCKS!!

Sharing the family . . .

A little get together last night since Chad's family is headed to Arizona for the holidays! Nice that they can spend Thanksgiving with Nicole's family, we are very lucky (and thankful . . since it is Thanksgiving) to have them close all the time.



No fair though!!! Chad will be attending the OSU Beavers game Saturday vs. the Arizona Wildcats ... So listen Chad yell LOUD for the BEAVS!!!! and PLEASE don't be filmed on TV with that very "inappropriate" shirt that you plan on wearing to the game, you will embarrass your mother. He is really getting spoiled by also attending the NY Giants vs. Cardinals game the next day. I think that his Christmas has been taken care of. Even with them heading out of town I have counted about 20 relatives to the house for Turkey Day on Thursday. Yikes!!! so I am headed to WINCO in the morning since I've got lots of shopping to do . . . maybe I will even do some frozen turkey bowling in the store like Diane did one year!! oh I forgot you didn't mean to throw that huge frozen turkey down the aisle did you?haha!! First stop . . wine display . . .

Time to hunt down a bird . . .

Stop it with the coupons already! . .

What is with this time of year and coupons? it's crazy. Macy's, Chicos, Eddie Bauer, Lowes, JoAnns Fabrics, Fred Meyer, Kohls, JC Penneys and Coldwater Creek. Now that I have grandkids Carters, OshKosh and Gymboree send me coupons since I bought something there maybe once or twice. Here is my big problem though, I CAN'T throw them away!! So I keep sticking them in my purse in a little side pocket until it is bulging because "I might go to that store and I might use that coupon". These retailers are giving me the coupon guilt trip. I just can't throw them away, isn't that like throwing money away?? I don't know how it happened but they have me hooked and I don't like it, not one bit. Now every Sunday evening I plop my purse on my lap and pull out ALL of the coupons in my little side pocket that is overflowing and review expiration dates, put new ones in that have arrived during the week, sort them by store, value and AAARRGGHHHH!!! I never wanted to be one of those obsessed coupon people but look what's happened to me. I can honestly say that probably out of all the coupons I have put away the past few months I have only actually used ooohhhh maybe 6 of them!! What's a coupon saver to do?? Hey, anybody need a coupon????

Great Great Game! . . .

South to Corvallis today . . .

It's game day! GO BEAVS BEAT CAL!

And how was your commute this morning? . .

Now you aren't making good choices . . .

Yesterday I began a little holiday shopping. I headed down I-5 south to the Woodburn Outlet Mall. It was not too busy, parked front and center, grabbed my umbrella, coffee and began my mission. I was mostly window shopping trying to get some ideas but as I walked by the GAP store I thought I would like a black sweater and I love the ribbed ones that GAP makes. As I entered I'm trying to locate them and this is what I hear from a mother with her 2nd grade son (approximately) with baby in a stroller. To the older child as he is being a brat in the store, she says I quote, "You are not behaving awesome at this moment, we discussed what our plan would be before we left home. There will be no special treat for you young man since this behavior is unacceptable, not awesome, and this is not how we act is it? No, you are choosing to make very bad choices today and there will be no toys, candy or anything else special given to you today. Do you understand my message here Logan (I could have guessed his name)? There is going to be a timeout waiting for you when we get home and I'm not fooling about this, now start making good choices." end of quote. All this was being said in a calm, almost creepy calm voice by Logan's mother. I had to listen because it was so absolutely unbelievable, the kid was acting like a total hellion in the store, running around not listening to her at all. I should have handed her my palm to borrow for swatting little Logan's bratty hiney or given her my hairbrush, right boys! I'm thinking I probably wouldn't have found that kind of mom in a Sears store.

Happy Anniversary Chad & Nicole!

Ladies . . . you know what I mean

This is classic . . .

When you have to visit a public bathroom, you usually find a line of women, so you smile politely and take your place. Once it's your turn, you check for feet under the stall doors. Every stall is occupied. Finally, a door opens and you dash in, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the stall. You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't matter, the wait has been so long you are about to wet your pants! The dispenser for the modern 'seat covers' (invented by someone's Mom, no doubt) is handy, but empty. You would hang your purse on the door hook, if there was one, but there isn't - so you carefully, but quickly drape it around your neck, (Mom would turn over in her grave if you put it on the FLOOR!), yank down your pants, and assume ' The Stance.' In this position your aging, toneless thigh muscles begin to shake. You'd love to sit down, but you certainly hadn't taken time to wipe the seat or lay toilet paper on it, so you hold 'The Stance.' To take your mind off your trembling thighs, you reach for what you discover to be the empty toilet paper dispenser. In your mind, you can hear your mother's voice saying, 'Honey, if you had tried to clean the seat, you would have KNOWN there was no toilet paper!' Your thighs shake more. You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on yesterday - the one that's still in your purse. (Oh yeah, the purse around your neck, that now, you have to hold up trying not to strangle yourself at the same time). That would have to do. You crumple it in the puffiest way possible. It's still smaller than your thumbnail . Someone pushes your door open because the latch doesn't work. The door hits your purse, which is hanging around your neck in front of your chest and you and your purse topple backward against the tank of the toilet. 'Occupied!' you yell, as you reach for the door, dropping your precious, tiny, crumpled tissue in a puddle on the floor, lose your footing altogether, and slide down directly onto the TOILET SEAT. It is wet of course. You bolt up, knowing all too well that it 's too late. Your bare bottom has made contact with every imaginable germ and life form on the uncovered seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper - not that there was any, even if you had taken time to try. You know that your mother would be utterly appalled if she knew, because, you're certain her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat because, frankly, dear, 'You just don't KNOW what kind of diseases you could get.' By this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused that it flushes, propelling a stream of water like a fire hose against the inside of the bowl that sprays a fine mist of water that covers your butt and runs down your legs and into your shoes. The flush somehow sucks everything down with such force that you grab onto the empty toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged in too. At this point, you give up. You're soaked by the spewing water and the wet toilet seat. You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a gum wrapper you found in your pocket and then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks. You can't figure out how to operate the faucets with the automatic sensors, so you wipe your hands with a dry paper towel and walk past the line of women still waiting. You are no longer able to smile politely to them. A kind soul at the very end of the line points out a piece of toilet paper trailing from your shoe. (Where was that when you NEEDED it??) You yank the paper from your shoe, and resist the temptation to plunk it in the woman's hand and tell her, 'Here, you just might need this.'As you exit, you spot your hubby, who has long since entered, used, and left the men's rest-room. Annoyed, he asks, 'What took you so long, and why is your purse hanging around your neck?' This is dedicated to women everywhere who deal with public rest-rooms (rest??? you've GOT to be kidding!!). It finally explains to the men what really does take us so long. It also answers their other commonly asked questions about why women go to the rest-room in pairs. It's so the other gal can hold the door, hang onto your purse and hand you Kleenex under the door!

This HAD to be written by a woman! No one else could describe it so accurately!

Hey, it's time to eat . . .

Went to the coast this past weekend to paint Christmas projects with some girlfriends. We stayed in a cabin on the edge of Tillamook bay. With all of our painting supplies spread out on the dining table near the window we were getting ready to work when we noticed loud chirping noises outside. It was this little guy apparently announcing to all his friends, "Hey everybody! the feeder is full of new sunflower seeds that these ladies put in, come on up!" We enjoyed watching them jump onto the feeder, fight with each other and the blue jays for premium feeder seating. Some of them looked like their bellies would burst they were stuffing their little faces so much, stocking up for the holidays I suppose.

Cheers, it's finally over . . .

OK. . . so now the election is over! Democrats should feel all good about themselves having gotten their president, senate and house that they all wanted. I listened to Obamas acceptance speech and felt all warm and fuzzy about what he had to say, I don't doubt that he is not a great speaker, he is an eloquent speaker, now the truth is in the actions to follow. I want to believe he can motivate more people young and old to become involved in this country through VOLUNTEERISM and COMMUNITY SERVICE not more federal government programs and positions. Something that did really irk me was the camera's continuous scanning through the crowd with repeated closeups of Oprah Winfrey upfront and center with tears running down her cheeks. I enjoy watching her show once in awhile but, oh please stop. She will be able to afford any taxes that will be increased under this new presidency, so maybe that was why she was crying thinking about not being part of the "middle class" he plans on saving . ha, but I doubt it. I wish Obama well in his new job, I really do, I hope his inexperience will not get in the way but be a fresh breathe of air into our government. I never really cared if he was Black, Latino, Asian or whatever, it is all about whether he is ready and my disagreements with him on specific issues. The news media was absolutely ridiculous last night treating this like the second coming of Christ, well over the next four years, we shall see. I will say "ALLELUIA!! for no more political ads! and I think that also deserves and AMEN! too, it's finally over!"

Grab a rake and let's go . . .

The leaves are beautiful and falling, falling, falling.

It's really rather therapeutic to grab a rake and create a pile, that then gets lifted to the street near the sidewalk for the recycling truck to suck up in it's mega vacuum. Some trees are a one time rake job in the yard, while a few others are 2 or 3 rake assignments. Hubby has even built a contraption that lays over the top of the pond to stop the leaves from gunking up the pump, it looks like a blanket right now. So it's out into the light rain and the smell of fallen leaves for a bit of needed quiet time.

Spiderman strikes again! . . .