Let me ask you this..?

Right now I am watching Extreme Clutter on OWN. While watching when the commercials come on I take out stuff to my truck that I am going to get rid of. So far I have taken out four tote bags of books and my extra crockpot. My house is far from Extreme Clutter but there are things that I do not need,use,read, wear, or even like. So what I ask you is, does anyone else do this? Use a program such as Extreme Clutter, Hoarders too propel themselves into clearing out their stuff?

Learning as I go along.

Since I have had this Mac, it has been a learning process. I wanted to have Google Earth on my Mac and in the process, somehow I managed to delete the address bar and the google search field. I went for a week trying to figure out how to get it back and finally came to realize that it was simple. Go to view then customize toolbar and click on that and a drop down window appears. You select what you want and drag it to your toolbar, click on done and you are in business! So now I am in business! I also didn't buy a book selling for $29.99 at B & N that I can find on the introweb as my friend Billy C would say.

Pizza anyone?

Today we volunteered at our granddaughters school. They have pizza on fridays. Ivan decided to wear the hat and I opted out. I think it looks pretty good on him and he seemed to enjoy it immensely. A couple of the teachers were in the military with him and they thought he looked hilarious and took pictures with their cellphones.

I did the same thing, which is why I am not in the picture. We served pepperoni and cheese pizzas today to a bunch of kids. I think we will be back after the holidays to help out again.

When I am old.

Warning

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple

With a red hat which doesn't go, and dosn't suit me.

and I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves

and satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired

and gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells

And run my stick along the public railings

And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain

And pick flowers in other people's gardens

And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grown more fat

And eat three pounds of susages at a go

Or only bread and pickle for a week

And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry

And pay our rent and not swear in the street

And set a good example for the children.

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked and suprised

When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Jenny Joseph

The boots are a Christmas present to ME! From ME!

turkey, thanksgiving, food

It's the day after, the day after Thanksgiving. The turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, pies, pasta salad are gone or almost gone. I am at my computer in my muumuu because it's warm here. Maybe not exactly flip flop weather but close. It is way too warm for the furnace to kick in and I have the ceiling fan on in my office.

As you can see I have figured out how to put graphics/pictures into my blog. It has been so long since I blogged I forgot how to do this. I must find some of the pictures I took on our trip to Hawaii and put them on here. If I can get them onto face book then I should be able to get them on to here. Well I have to get off, the grands will be here for me to watch soon. Later.....

You can pick your friends, your nose, but not your family.

I know I have written this in a blog before but it applys to this one as well. There is a saying: "You can pick your nose. You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family." I might also add that you cannot make someone be your family either even if they are blood related. My daughter said this to me when we spoke on the phone together last night.

She had a phone call from her aunt who is also her godmother. Her godmother had said she would call and finally she did. The call was full of apology and excuses about not keeping in touch. To her credit I think my daughter did not lose her temper but she didn't accept any half lame excuses either.

I cannot for the life of me understand how people can feel it's ok to ignore family. There has not been a cataclsylmic fight or anything to keep us apart other than just apathy I guess. I know all my kids aunts on their father's side keep in touch with each other. My daughter's aunt said as much that they talk at least once a day to each other. On the other hand, they don't have anything to do with their brothers or any of their familys.

I guess my daughter is right, you can't make someone be family if they don't want too.

This is the best tasting chili EVER!!!

I usually don't post receipes. I ran across this receipe on a website called EatingWell. It is called Ultimate Beef Chili http//.eatingwell.com/receipes/ultimate beef chili.html From EatingWell: January/February 1999. The Essential EatingWell Cookbook(2004)

Offer garnishes such as reduced-fat sour cream and grated Cheddar cheese(about 9tbl per person). chopped scallions and chopped fresh tomatoes. Serve withwarmed corn tortiallas and a green salad topped with change slices.

12 servings, 2 cipe each \ Active Time: 1 hour 1/4 hours.

Ingredients

1 pound beef round trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch chunks( I substituted gr. beef 97/3 ratio of fat).

Salt & freshly ground pepper. to taste

1 1/2 tbl canola oil, divided( I substituted olive oil, still tasted good)

3 onions chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 jalapeno peppers, seeed and finely chipped( for this I substituted red pepper flakes)

2 tbl ground cumin( I didn't have any this time or I missed it)

2 tbl chili powder

1 tbl paprika

2 teaspoons dried oregano

12 ounces dark or light beer(I substituted water instead of beer)

1 28 can diced tomatoes

8 sun-dried tomatoes, (not packed in oil), snipped into small pieces (didn't have these either, had to leave them out.)

2 bay leaves

3 19oz cans dark kidney beans, rinsed

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons lime juice

Prep:

1. Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over med-high heat. Add half beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, 2 to 5 inutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with another 1 1/2 oil and remaining beef.

2. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pot. Add onions and bell peppers; cook, stirring frequently, until onions are golden brown, 10 to 20 minutes. Add garlic, jalapenos, cumin, chili powder, paprika and oregano. Stir until aromatic, about 2 minutes.

3. Add beer and simmer, scraping up and browned bits, for about 3 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, bay leaves and reserved beef Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef is very tender, 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours.

4. Add beans; cook, covered, stirring occasionally,until chili has thickened, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.