# Knitting Tea Party - Winterval 2011



## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

It's 11:00pm GMT in London on 23rd December 2011, so Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

For everyone who does not celebrate the Winter Holidays, please accept my sincere apology for offering the previous seasonal greeting and instead accept the following:

Please accept without obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, politically correct, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the Winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.

And a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, or choice of computer platform or other preferences of the wishee.

_NOTE:
By accepting this greeting you are bound by these terms:

This greeting is subject to further clarification or withdrawal.

This greeting is freely transferable provided that no alteration shall be made to the original greeting and that the proprietary rights of the wisher are acknowledged.

This greeting implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes.

This greeting may not be enforceable in certain jurisdictions and/or the restrictions therein may not be binding upon certain wishees in certain jurisdictions and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher.

This greeting is warranted to perform as reasonably may be expected within the usual application of good tidings, for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first.

The wisher warrants this greeting only for the limited replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher. Any references, implied or otherwise, in this greeting to 'Father Christmas', 'Black Peter', 'Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer', 'Frosty the Snowman', or any other festive figures, whether actual or fictitious, dead or alive, shall not imply any endorsement by or from them in respect of this greeting, and all proprietary rights in any referenced third party names and images, real or imaginary, are hereby acknowledged._

Now we've got the contentious bit out of the way, the 24th December a lot of people like to serve fish for supper, this is easy, tasty and light before whatever excesses are planned for the 25th.

*Prawn and vegetable frittata*

_Serves: 4_

8 large eggs, beaten
1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
2 tsp olive oil
4 oz (115g) French beans, chopped
8 oz (225g) asparagus tips, chopped
4 oz (115g) peas
8 oz (225g) cooked peeled prawns
tomato salad to serve.

Pre-heat grill.

Cook the peas, asparagus and beans for 2-3 minutes in boiling water and drain.

Mix the eggs, vegetables and prawns and season with black pepper.

Heat the oil in a 8-10 inch non-stick frying pan. Add the egg mixture. Stir all this to start the eggs scrambling, then allow to set. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 8 minutes.

Place the pan under the grill to cook and brown the top of the frittata.

Serve with a tomato salad.


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## ompuff (Apr 9, 2011)

:lol: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## CarolfromTX (Nov 30, 2011)

DUUUUUUDE! made me laugh! Merry Christmas!


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

CarolfromTX said:


> DUUUUUUDE! made me laugh! Merry Christmas!


Have a great time, within the usual accepted parameters and definitions of such terms!

Dave


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

Happy Holidays and a Happy Christmas to you, Dave, and to the lads too!!!
I bought some eggnog the other day and it got me to thinking about the eggnog my mother sometimes made at Christmas time. The ones I can buy at the store seem to be so thick that they want to stick like glue in my throat. Any chance of an eggnog recipe? I usually thin down the store bought eggnog with 2% milk.
My son loves prawns and I do believe I will make this recipe you posted next week. I shall make a side dish of rice to go with it!


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## pug retirement (Jun 5, 2011)

Hi everyone Just love the recipe. Will make tonight. Tomorrow promises to be hot here 30 degree. Don;t what that is in the other thing. Don't ask too much from me I'm a bite tired for some reason. Made pretend trifle. Real aussie food but instead of custard I used yoghurt. Looks great with frozen berries. HI dave Merry or Happy what ever. Wish I was where the snow is. I've ordered it for tomorrow but I know I wont get it. Pug


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## SailorRae (Feb 7, 2011)

Merry Christmas. We are going with lasagne for Christmas Eve....Grand kids won't eat fish


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## GrandmaD2012 (Mar 8, 2011)

We usually have lasagna too and usually made with venison as our son-in-law hunts (with bow and arrow). But we have celebrated that meal a week early so that our granddaughter could be with us. She lives in Florida and visits only for a week or so. No snow in Michigan this year which is very umusual weather for us but those of us older folk are not complaining. Now my grandson who is getting a new snowboard for Christmas - well, let's just say he is not a happy camper. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New year to all!


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

"Queen Elizabeth IIs husband has had a coronary stent put in after experiencing chest pains.

A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip will remain in hospital for a short time for observation." 

I took this from google news a few minutes ago. Let us all pray for the royal family at this time and for their good health.


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## Della (Jun 17, 2011)

Merry Christ's Birthday everyone. Thanks Dave for another tea party. Receipt sounds delish, but it will be Oyster Stew here.
5mmdpn..I make my egg-nog..Beat 2 eggs frothy...Add 1/4 cup superfiine sugar...1 tbsp Vanilla...pinch salt...1 can Evaporated milk (NOT the Sweetened condensed kind) well chilled...2/3 cup Milk or Water (your choice for calory control)...Mix well. Serve with a sprinkling of Nutmeg and/or cinnamon. I add 1/4 tsp Nutmeg to my nog and just cinnamon on top, keep in frig. Have had it with a dash of Cloves. Enjoy....Della


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## Sorlenna (Feb 17, 2011)

Hi all...I've just finished the baking, at last. Whew. Now tomorrow, hopefully I will be able to get the last of the cleaning done early and rest up a bit before the company on Sunday. DD says she may cook dinner tomorrow--that would be nice!

I finished up my Ashton shawl last night (was surprised to see I just had a few rows to go, so got it done faster than I'd expected) and started on a new design...which I promptly got dissatisfied with and want to start over. Ha ha. Ah, well, it will tell me how it wants to go!

Prayers & blessings to all who are celebrating during the season, whatever your faith and tradition. I feel so blessed myself to be here with you all!


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

Della said:


> Merry Christ's Birthday everyone. Thanks Dave for another tea party. Receipt sounds delish, but it will be Oyster Stew here.
> 5mmdpn..I make my egg-nog..Beat 2 eggs frothy...Add 1/4 cup superfiine sugar...1 tbsp Vanilla...pinch salt...1 can Evaporated milk (NOT the Sweetened condensed kind) well chilled...2/3 cup Milk or Water (your choice for calory control)...Mix well. Serve with a sprinkling of Nutmeg and/or cinnamon. I add 1/4 tsp Nutmeg to my nog and just cinnamon on top, keep in frig. Have had it with a dash of Cloves. Enjoy....Della


Do you separate the eggs or use the yolks and the whites? Thank you for the recipe! Cheers to you and yours!!! :wink:


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## pug retirement (Jun 5, 2011)

Poor Prince Philip. At least they are sorting it out.

But have you heard that the people in Christchurch. New Zealand. They have had 2 more earthquakes in the last 24 hours. They real a get a bad deal.


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

pug retirement said:


> Poor Prince Philip. At least they are sorting it out.
> 
> But have you heard that the people in Christchurch. New Zealand. They have had 2 more earthquakes in the last 24 hours. They real a get a bad deal.


New Zealand really has not had a pleasant year, have they? Too many earthquakes. Yes, I had heard this morning that they had two more earthquakes. Prayers for them too.


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## RookieRetiree (Jan 27, 2011)

Greeting to all. If there is such a thing as holiday smell, then my house has it. Living room smells of pine and bayberry - kitchen smells of bread pudding, pistachio chocolate cake, and tonight's dinner (a corn chip taco bake dish--very yummy). The family room smells of newly laundered sheets --that's where I fold the clothes. Time to get everything cleaned up and put away so I can start again tomorrow. I will be doing the final gift wrapping in the a.m. and have time to make some peanut brittle and peanut butter cups. Heading off to DH's family for Christmas Eve party - will go to Midnight Mass - and then Christmas Day here. Only have to start the meats in the slow cooker and pressure cooker in the a.m. and put the potatoes in the oven - vegetables will be done on top of the stove. Appetizers are all done as are the desserts and tomorrow a.m.'s breakfast casserole is ready to just go in the oven. After clean up - it's time for a nice relaxing bath and an early bed time. Time to party!! Wishing the best to everyone here.


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## pug retirement (Jun 5, 2011)

Rookieretirement. Your menu sounds better than mine. and Definitely would smell nicer.


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## whimsicalknitbits (Mar 20, 2011)

My family are in the cleaning up stage where we have to find storage space for the new decorations and remember where we had the rest of the 'Christmas' platters and decorations. Our 'Family Christmas' is held on the week before and is almost compulsory to attend while others try to find ways of getting an invite to our event. We have six children all with their own children. They have sets of in-laws, friends and orphans etc who they would like to enjoy the 25th with so ours is for our family. Planning starts in July and we share the workload while I do the majority of the cooking (only because I love it). In Australia we don't have Thanksgiving so this is my version wrapped into Christmas.No Aussie bbq for us, the sit down English version for 30 people and another memorable occasion it was watching our children interact and the grand-children catch up. I feel SO Blessed. A safe and happy holiday season to the KP family, stay safe.


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## TammyK (Jan 31, 2011)

Thanks for the PC Holiday Greeting, Dave! :lol: I was actually saddened a few weeks ago when I went looking for that exact thing in the dusty, dark corners of my e-mail archives and I realized that it had been lost when my last computer crashed. (And me, an IT professional, with a backup of everything _except_ my e-mail. It's almost more shame than I can bear.)

Just got back from a birthday dinner (Mexican) for my nephew who turns 15 today. That boy has rather recently become a bottomless pit. I don't know how my brother will afford to feed them all if the other 2 hit this stage before this one gets through it! More power to him!

I'm furiously knitting the last item that I need to wrap for Christmas - the second convertible mitten in the pair designated for my boyfriend's sister. I just need to knit the half-fingers and the flip-top mitten cap, so I think I can manage that tonight if I don't get too distracted. I kind of have to, because all of my days are planned for me between now and when I will see her (the 27th) and I may not get any more knitting time in before then. No more KP for me!


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## pammie1234 (Apr 27, 2011)

Happy holidays to all! Thanks for the laugh, Dave. I needed it. My DD was to have a date tonight, planned since Wed., and today he texted her that he may have to work. Of course she is a disappointed, but we will wait and see if she hears from him this evening. I just hate when that happens!


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## KNITTWITTIBE (Jan 25, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> It's 11:00pm GMT in London on 23rd December 2011, so Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
> 
> For everyone who does not celebrate the Winter Holidays, please accept my sincere apology for offering the previous seasonal greeting and instead accept the following:
> 
> ...


Yummmmmmmmmm!!!!! Thanks, Dave :thumbup:


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## pammie1234 (Apr 27, 2011)

Looks like the date is on! Yea! Now I can have a quiet evening at home knitting!


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## standsalonewolf (Dec 1, 2011)

wake me up when dinner's ready
merry christmas everyone


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## Sorlenna (Feb 17, 2011)

TammyK said:


> Just got back from a birthday dinner (Mexican) for my nephew who turns 15 today. That boy has rather recently become a bottomless pit. I don't know how my brother will afford to feed them all if the other 2 hit this stage before this one gets through it! More power to him!(


I had four teenagers one year--from 13 to 19--and the girls were just as voracious as the boy!

I got started on a new shawl...maybe for me, maybe not, but it's nice not to feel pressured to get things done on a deadline (actually, I think that makes things move along faster).  This is the second start, as I didn't like the way the center was looking, so we'll see how it goes!


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## mrsdroof (Jun 12, 2011)

Greetings to all. Love the sound of your recipe Dave,and if there are left over prawns it may be a Boxing Day meal.
That's the day we watch the beginning of the test match played in Melbourne,, and the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, a truly spectacular sight.Today I am cooking a turkey roll. The meal balls are done and ham collected from the butcher. I have also made a chocolate mousse and put together the red berry salad. My "try out" salad this year is a sweet potato and chick pea combination. Hope it goes well...my family have conservative tastes, but I like to try one new dish for Christmas. We are expecting 17 to our cold buffet in the evening, and if the weather is pleasant, and mosquitoes keep away, we will eat outdoors. Predicted temperature is 30c. Wishing all a wonderful day.


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## standsalonewolf (Dec 1, 2011)

I just finished one its warm just don't like the way it fits


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## LadyRN49 (Oct 15, 2011)

Just finished a ruffle scarf and decided to join the tea party. I have one more scarf to go and the yarn hasn't come yet. If it doesn't come tomorrow I won't even be able to put the yarn in her bag. Just a picture of a scarf. How is everyone tonight? Dave loved your starting declaration. Wish each of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. For those who have some other greeting, I wish you happiness in the new year. Lots to do tomorrow so I'm heading to bed early.


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## standsalonewolf (Dec 1, 2011)

good nite and merry christmas


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## songbird76088 (Mar 11, 2011)

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year


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## standsalonewolf (Dec 1, 2011)

same for you and yours


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## Sandy (Jan 17, 2011)

Dave once again you've made our day! What a way to start the tea party!


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## Lisa crafts 62 (Jan 23, 2011)

It's 10:40pm here in west Michigan & it is snowing. It has been doing this since about 6:30pm. We are having a pork loin roast tomorrow & ham for Christmas day. Mom had her 18th radiation treatment today. She gets the Monday after Christmas & the Monday after New Year's Day off. She has at least 7 more treatments to reach the original 25. Then we see if the Radiation Oncologist want to add another 5 to make 30. Today i bought the yarn I needed to start 2 of the baby afghans I need to make for next year. It's only 30 more days until my birthday & I don't know what my brother might do as I am turning 50. Most of the Christmas gifts are bought but my brother doesn't get to see his girls until New Year's Day we have a little more time. Merry Christmas or what ever you say to all of my KP friends & family. Being able to talk to all of you helps me deal with what my mom is going through right now Hugs & Kisses to all
Lisa


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## margewhaples (Nov 18, 2011)

My prayers are with you Lisa, as I stated previously radiation and chemo are absolutely devastating to both patient and their love ones. It is only the hope that eradication is possible that can cheer this experience. May you and your mother experience this joy in the new year, fortifying you for that next step the 5 yr survival. Do everything to fortify you and her with good nutritional support is all I can offer as advice. I have watched many people travis this path. The stress of this journey is monumental,but faith is essential. We all send you our support. Do you have a Wellness Community there, they can help too. Dave, I so enjoy your wit and humor as well as all you do to support the site. I find the tea party such fun. Since I have never traveled, I get a glimpse of the world through all of you who contribute your experiences. I find the differences in taste and cultural aspects interesting as well. I would welcome the fireplace and the holiday preparations. In our family it was the memory tree which has now become very popular, but at the time did not really exist. My mother put gifts on the outside of pkgs which I treasure at least as well as those on the inside. The following year those gifts graced the tree and decorating was like a visit to the past. There was the oldsmobile the year my father desparately needed a new car and the glass slipper from my first watch, a Disney. Now both of them are gone but memories linger. Thanks again Marlark marge.


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## siouxann (Mar 5, 2011)

Dave, I am still chuckling after reading your politically correct greeting. What a hoot!! 

For those of you who bore with me while I complained about the family gathering tonight, Thank you so much. It was not as bad as it has been in previous years. I had only two bags of stuff to bring home, most of which will be at the Goodwill next week. I think the economy has finally done what I have not been able to do for lo these many years. I still plan to ask them to make a donation to the local animal shelter as my present next year. Thanks for that idea. 

Off to bed - I still have a bit of wrapping to do tomorrow. Merry/Happy AllOccasions to you, my KP friends!!


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## In Memory of Scottybear (Sep 20, 2011)

Hi everybody. Everything is done, chicken defrosting already for stuffing and cooking tomorrow. I get out of doing quite a bit, as I had a cataract operation on Thursday and am not allowed to bend over, so can't lift heavy baking dish out of oven. The part I liked on the sheet given by the eye specialist, said "No dusting, no sweeping and lawnmowing". I don't mow lawns anymore now, as we have such a big lawn, so we invested in a ride-on mower. At least I can still see to knit. Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a very happy new year.


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## LesleighAnne (Jun 25, 2011)

Merry Christmas Everybody

whimsicalknitbits we have friends who have their family only Christmas day and then friends and extended family get together on Boxing Day. They had been doing it for years but it became to much for the couple that always organised it and we did not have the get together for about 4 years. Now their son is working he is organising it. It is a great day.

My DH is not keen on going because he likes to relax and watch the Sydney to Hobart yacht race and Boxing Day Test match.

Thank you Dave for the prawn frittata receipe. It is perfect for post christmas eating. Something simple and fresh tasting after all the rich festive food. I may use leftover smoked chicken or pickled pork as my DH is smoking them for tomorrow.

Special wishes to you all.

LOL LesleighAnne


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## Strawberry4u (Apr 18, 2011)

[

Now we've got the contentious bit out of the way, the 24th December a lot of people like to serve fish for supper, this is easy, tasty and light before whatever excesses are planned for the 25th.

*Prawn and vegetable frittata*

_Serves: 4_

8 large eggs, beaten
1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
2 tsp olive oil
4 oz (115g) French beans, chopped
8 oz (225g) asparagus tips, chopped
4 oz (115g) peas
8 oz (225g) cooked peeled prawns
tomato salad to serve.

Pre-heat grill.

Cook the peas, asparagus and beans for 2-3 minutes in boiling water and drain.

Mix the eggs, vegetables and prawns and season with black pepper.

Heat the oil in a 8-10 inch non-stick frying pan. Add the egg mixture. Stir all this to start the eggs scrambling, then allow to set. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 8 minutes.

Place the pan under the grill to cook and brown the top of the frittata.

Serve with a tomato salad.[/quote]

Merry Christmas and have a Happy Healthy New year to all that celebrate.
Dave you did it again another winning receipt. Yummy. I really want to thank you for all the effort you put into our tea Parties and you do a smash up job. Kudos!!!!!!


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## Strawberry4u (Apr 18, 2011)

Lisa crafts 62 said:


> Merry Christmas or what ever you say to all of my KP friends & family. Being able to talk to all of you helps me deal with what my mom is going through right now Hugs & Kisses to all
> Lisa


My prayers are with you and your mom. How is she doing? How badly has it drained her energy? I know it affected my friend and she didn't have to go through as many treatments. I really feel bad for her. Maybe she won't need anymore and she'll recover into remission.

Love and Prayers, Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year.
Sharon


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## GypsyRose (Oct 25, 2011)

You seem to have covered yourself from any liabilities. We have decided to have beans on toast for dinner on 25th Dec It will save a lot of hassle; Love to all


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## Ciyona (Jan 17, 2011)

Season's Greetings everyone, Thank you Dave for the wonderful dish to serve up. Lisa, will keep your mom in my prayers for a speedy recovery. May she be blessed with healing this season. We had our dinner yesterday so my sil could have it with us as he is working both today and tomorrow. I was invited to my sis in laws for Holiday dinner so I won't be cooking that dinner but have to get my divinity made today sometime. I haven't had any in years and it will be my first attempt but I am not sure about this stove of mine it uses infrared heat and I don't like it for doing candies.


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## Palenque1978 (Feb 16, 2011)

Happy Winter Soltice, Dave! 

Loved all the possibilities that you made mention. As someone already said... "Dude, you make me laugh!" Actually, I think you're wonderful AND full of wonder. There's no one like you in this grand forum.


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## Xiang (Sep 3, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> It's 11:00pm GMT in London on 23rd December 2011, so Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
> 
> For everyone who does not celebrate the Winter Holidays, please accept my sincere apology for offering the previous seasonal greeting and instead accept the following:
> 
> ...


hahaha You left out the Southern Hemisphere dwellers, who enjoy the sun & sand during the Christmas season :XD: :roll:


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## Estee (Aug 17, 2011)

It is 6:48 AM Christmas eve here in sunny, humid Florida...Don't know what I'm having for dinner tomorrow, but tonight think I'll have fried chicken, mac and cheese and Collard greens...been hankerin' for some good old Southern eatin's...

Merry Christmas, Hannuka, WInter Holidays or whatever you call this season to all here on KP...may your hooks and needles never run out of yarn and may your WIPs get completed without FROGs...Love and huggsss to alll....ST


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## countrygal (Oct 21, 2011)

Our prayers are with the Royal Family at this their time of need.
God's speed to good health soon.
Bob and Joann from Ohio USA


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## BSH (Oct 8, 2011)

It's 7am in Michigan, I just received the daily forum and came to this one right away and thinking I will be first in line and I'm not. There is already 3 pages of reply's. Am I in A time warp or delayed timing? Anyway:

Merry Christmas everyone. I've been up since 4am with the I can't sleep and this knitting idea flipping around in my head. I made a goal for 2012 to create my first original pattern!

Now having said that, it's time for cinnamon raisin toast and a cup of tea for breakfast. Your recipe sounds great but I need instant gratification morning eats. Nothing that takes more than 3 minutes! 

And with that: Let the day begin!


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## Granddame (Dec 18, 2011)

I loved your Christmas greeting Dave 

May I also wish a politicaly correct seasons greetings to you all here and I hope you all have a wonderful New year to x


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## BSH (Oct 8, 2011)

Lisa crafts 62 said:


> It's 10:40pm here in west Michigan & it is snowing. It has been doing this since about 6:30pm. We are having a pork loin roast tomorrow & ham for Christmas day. Mom had her 18th radiation treatment today. She gets the Monday after Christmas & the Monday after New Year's Day off. She has at least 7 more treatments to reach the original 25. Then we see if the Radiation Oncologist want to add another 5 to make 30. Today i bought the yarn I needed to start 2 of the baby afghans I need to make for next year. It's only 30 more days until my birthday & I don't know what my brother might do as I am turning 50. Most of the Christmas gifts are bought but my brother doesn't get to see his girls until New Year's Day we have a little more time. Merry Christmas or what ever you say to all of my KP friends & family. Being able to talk to all of you helps me deal with what my mom is going through right now Hugs & Kisses to all
> Lisa


Hope your Mother health improves for the new year.
Your in Comstock Park! You are the closet I have found to me. I am in Zeeland. Happy to meet someone in my neck of the woods!


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## countrygal (Oct 21, 2011)

God bless all in Christchurch,New Zealand.
We pray the earthquakes stop soon for them.
Our hearts and love go to them all.
Two Ohio friends, Bob and Joann


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## Palenque1978 (Feb 16, 2011)

It's 4:12am in nippy Southern California. I've been having bouts of insomonia... I'll probably get to bed about 7 or 8:00am!!

I'm having a simple dinner for one... I live alone. I think I have a small steak in the freezer and I know I have makings for a cole slaw.. I have a frozen homemade pumpkin pie in the freezer, which never made it to our Thankgiving dinner. All these eats will make for a cheery Xmas eve dinner for me. And, I have a bottle of bubbly that my cousin Tim sent me from Northern California. I'll be a happy camper tonight... as I wait for Santa.....LOL

On the 25th I will be with my daughters... probably take in a movie, followed by dinner at their favorite Chinese restaurant... followed by board games and "cheery" enbibing at my daughter's. We may drive about to view the decorated homes; this is always fun. I never tire of this activity. 

Whatever you do... have a safe and Happy Christmas Eve and a Merry Christmas or Hanukkah(12/20-28)!


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## maryanne (Feb 20, 2011)

Hello everyone.Hope everyone has a happy, stres free weekend. 

Dave I laughed all the way through your opening to the tea party. It really started my day off on the right foot. Thanks for all the things you do that make my heart smile.


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## KateB (Sep 28, 2011)

It's lunchtime Christmas Eve here and I'm on the KP site instead of hoovering, dusting, cooking....etc....etc - good choice I think?!! It'll only be me,DH and one son for dinner tomorrow, so that should be easy. Older son's GF is having to work 2-10 and younger son's going to his GF's parents', although they will pop in here to exchange gifts first. Going to visit older rel's on Boxing Day then staying overnight with good friends, looking forward to that. On Wednesday I'm going to Edinburgh for an overnight with my 3 best friends whom I went to college with forty odd years ago. We're going to see 'We Will Rock You' Hope everyone has a great Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.


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## kare50 (Oct 19, 2011)

LOVE your very politically correct greeting!!! Sorry we live in a world where everything must be so!
Happy & Merry whatever you choose!


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## Palenque1978 (Feb 16, 2011)

countrygal said:


> Our prayers are with the Royal Family at this their time of need.
> God's speed to good health soon.
> Bob and Joann from Ohio USA


Bob & Joann, you're referring to Duke Of Edinburgh recovering from chest pain? If so... I too pray for his well-being.


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## crafty_grandma56 (Jul 26, 2011)

songbird76088 said:


> Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year


Love your outfit!!!!


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## Palenque1978 (Feb 16, 2011)

kare50 said:


> LOVE your very politically correct greeting!!! Sorry we live in a world where everything must be so!
> Happy & Merry whatever you choose!


I agree with you... it's difficult to be politically correct ... all the time. And, it's a shame that we must be on our toes for fear of causing discontent.


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## patocenizo (Jun 24, 2011)

Sounds delicious! greetings from Southern California where we, that means my family and I are celebrating Christmas.


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## crafty_grandma56 (Jul 26, 2011)

scottybearNSW said:


> Hi everybody. Everything is done, chicken defrosting already for stuffing and cooking tomorrow. I get out of doing quite a bit, as I had a cataract operation on Thursday and am not allowed to bend over, so can't lift heavy baking dish out of oven. The part I liked on the sheet given by the eye specialist, said "No dusting, no sweeping and lawnmowing". I don't mow lawns anymore now, as we have such a big lawn, so we invested in a ride-on mower. At least I can still see to knit. Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a very happy new year.


My first cataract operation by laser was done when I was 43!!! People were shocked because they thought it was for old(er) people. My doctor a real joker telling me during the operation that he will take me skiing on the weekend, he also told my husband he had to do all the housework, change the cat litter, cut the grass, wash the floors, pass the vacuum, wash the bathroom for at least 6 months!!! He believed him and faithfully took care of his 'jobs'. Years later when I had my other eye done, I had another doctor who told him it was'hogwash'...he still didn't realize he didn't have to do it for so long. Now that we are retired, we take 'turns' doing the 'ugly chores'. Take care - feel better! Enjoy the holidays....


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## patocenizo (Jun 24, 2011)

Hi Palenque, yes it is nippy here in Southern California and right now it is 4:46 am and I'll soon be off to a Weight Watcher's meeting. Got to weigh in to see how much damage I've done so far! Sorry that you will be alone this pm but I wish you a Very Merry Christmas. My DH and I go to 4:00 pm. Mass which means that we have to be at church at least one hour prior to Mass because alot of people show up for this Mass. I love to watch the little ones all dress up and excited about Santa coming to their homes tonight. After Mass we drive to our son's for Christmas Eve dinner and enjoy our granddaughters who are also fun to watch as they view their tree and lots of gifts! Tomorrow will be a different story as I will pick up my 89 year old mom and bring her to our home for a couple of hours and have a quiet dinner qith her. Merry Christmas to you .


Palenque1978 said:


> It's 4:12am in nippy Southern California. I've been having bouts of insomonia... I'll probably get to bed about 7 or 8:00am!!
> 
> I'm having a simple dinner for one... I live alone. I think I have a small steak in the freezer and I know I have makings for a cole slaw.. I have a frozen homemade pumpkin pie in the freezer, which never made it to our Thankgiving dinner. All these eats will make for a cheery Xmas eve dinner for me. And, I have a bottle of bubbly that my cousin Tim sent me from Northern California. I'll be a happy camper tonight... as I wait for Santa.....LOL
> 
> ...


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## crafty_grandma56 (Jul 26, 2011)

Dave, Your greeting made me truly laugh even at 7:00 a.m. !!! Your recipe for prawn intrigued me so I looked it up. (I am from Canada) only to find prawns are shrimps. Unfortunately, I don't think my husband will dare go out to get some but maybe for New Year's eve. Enjoy the holidays everyone!!


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## jknappva (Apr 12, 2011)

Merry Christmas and/or Happy Hannukah! Sorry, I've never been politically correct and too old to start now. Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday.
Praying for all who have problems and loved ones with health problems. May the new year bring relief!
Hugs to all,
JuneK


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## bellestarr12 (Mar 26, 2011)

Happy holidays and a wonderful New Year to all of you! I have to start knitting and cooking in a few minutes - we have the Italian seafood dinner tonight and then drive up to Phoenix tomorrow for a more traditional American Christmas day with our daughter and her family (have to finish the second of her fingerless gloves somehow before we get there). 

So this is probably as much of the tea party as I'll have time for this week - but I'm so glad you posted, Dave! and I'm so glad I found this group of wonderful, kind-hearted, generous folks - we may be far away in geographical terms, but I love the closeness we share, and I love waking up to you all each day 

  :-D


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## Isuel (Sep 27, 2011)

Yes, it is a tradition in Italian-American families to eat a meatless meal on Christmas Eve. Many call it the dinner of the Seven Fishes. My family has always kept this tradition. This Eve, it will only be my husband and me so it will be the dinner of the One Fish.
Your recipe looks great!


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## countrygal (Oct 21, 2011)

"Queen Elizabeth IIs husband has had a coronary stent put in after experiencing chest pains.

A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip will remain in hospital for a short time for observation." 

I took this from google news a few minutes ago. Let us all pray for the royal family at this time and for their good health.

From Ohio. This is what and who we meant.
Message meant for 5mmdpns on Dec 23,11 18:49:14


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## Dornar (Oct 18, 2011)

Greetings from Hot Atlanta. It is a tantalizing 37 degrees F with a chance of showers but no snow is forecast. We live among the trees in a pine forest. The Atlanta area is a forest town. All the houses are softly lit with outdoor lights (still a suburban tradition around here). Two of my three children live in the area (I live with my son and his family). One of my daughters is up in the New York City area and is down with a cold. My other daughter's husband is from New Orleans and they are meeting up for Christmas this year down there. So, we had an early gift exchange last weekend with them.

We will be having a normal dinner of Mac and cheese, french bread and green salad tonight. But tomorrow, after the little ones check out what Santa has delivered, we will get a stuffed turkey in the oven and the potatoes peeled for mashed potatoes. 

We have two boys in the house (7 and 5) and expect it to be LEGO heaven. However, books were also high on the list so Charlie Bone mysteries should be a big hit also.

Our family wishes you all the appropriate thoughts for the season (per Dave's caveats!). My your fingers stay nimble and the WIP pile keep turning over.


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## ChocolatePom (Feb 25, 2011)

Good morning or afternoon or evening to ALL. I want to wish EVERYONE Happy Holidays, however you spend it !!!! 
I appologize for missing the past few months of tea parties. So, much has been going on with my household as I am sure all of you have as well. Today I will be spending the day with my new daughter in law and my new Grandchildren. Aquired by marriage...BUT, I don't care how I get them...I have them now and that is what counts...right? My youngest son & his girlfriend told me over Thanksgiving dinner that they are expecting and that gives me 4 more. God took away parents and aunts and uncles and gave me Grandkids and Great grandkids. So, in the end Mom was right...it all kind of comes out in the wash. I will be spending the next week catching up on the tea parties and working on one of my new neices baby showers. OOPs I forgot to tell you that I also became a new aunt and will be aunt again in hopefully January and again in April (supposed to be twice then). I have been so busy knitting that wrists and forearms actually ache now. But, I had to promise no knitting today or tomorrow. Guess that should be enough rest. Well, off to see one of my sisters now and will be there for the night. Pitty she has no working computer. Guess I will have to save pennies for that might be next years gift. Love to all.


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## SopranoKnits&Crochets (Apr 19, 2011)

Eggnog - the real thing....
	12 eggs, separated
	1 1/2 cups sugar
	1 quart whole milk
	1 1/2 quarts heavy cream
	3 cups bourbon
	1/2 cup dark rum
	2 cups cognac
	Freshly grated nutmeg

In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and pale yellow. Gradually add sugar and beat until sugar is dissolved. Add bourbon, rum, and cognac, stirring constantly. With a whisk, beat in milk and 1 quart cream. 

Just before serving, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold gently into mixture. Whip remaining 1/2 quart heavy cream until stiff, and fold in. Sprinkle with nutmeg if desired.

You can easily cut this by half, or yet again by half, but don't cut the booze too much!


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## siouxann (Mar 5, 2011)

SopranoKnits&Crochets said:


> Eggnog - the real thing....
> 	12 eggs, separated
> 	1 1/2 cups sugar
> 	1 quart whole milk
> ...


That sounds delish! With the dairy and eggs in it, I might be tempted to call it breakfast.


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## kerryn (Sep 10, 2011)

Dave-----LOL! thank you for the laughs and setting a great tone for the tp, you're a natural.

Estee--I loved yours too (might have to steal it)--it's shorter than daves'

Merry Christmas, Hannuka, WInter Holidays or whatever you call this season to all here on KP...may your hooks and needles never run out of yarn and may your WIPs get completed without FROGs...Love and huggsss to alll....ST[/quote]

Rookiesretiree---before Sam says it....You do have the recipe for that Corn Chip Taco Bake, right? Of course we can wait until after the Holidays (speaking for myself only).

My prayers go out for all those battling illnesses and dealing with the stresses of family and the Holidays. Better days are coming!

Tonight will be just family with games and snacking (and drinking!)--maybe a few of the oldie but goodie movies --we haven't seen "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Miracle on 34th Street" yet.
Tomorrow's menu will be Prime Rib, creamed spinach, scalloped potato, twice baked sweet potato, ceasar salad, and chocolate pot de creme. Yum--can't wait! Then it's off to the movies to see "War Horse"!

Now I'm off to start another hat--DM gave me some beautiful yarn!

Happy Holidays to all!
Kerry


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## roseknit (Apr 2, 2011)

Merry Christmas Dave


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## RED2nd (Nov 5, 2011)

What a great greeting, Dave! I'm going to have to steal that for my Facebook posting.


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## Sorlenna (Feb 17, 2011)

Estee said:


> ...may your hooks and needles never run out of yarn and may your WIPs get completed without FROGs...


That sounds like a great knitter's blessing any time of the year! 

It's 8 a.m. Christmas Eve here, and today I will brave the grocery store to get DD the rest of her ingredients for the recipe she wants to make--she's gotten a lot of use out of the cookbook I got her for her birthday! We have liked everything she's made so far, too. Then I'll have to run the vacuum again for good measure, make sure the kitchen's clean up and down, and sit back and wait for Santa. The roast beast will go into the crock pot just before bedtime tonight and the ham will go into the oven as soon as we wake up tomorrow...will make deviled eggs tonight and tomorrow will have mashed potatoes, gravy, and steamed veggies with cheese sauce along with the "incidentals" (olives and pickles are a tradition with our family). The pineapple upside down cake for me, sugar free pumpkin pies for him and peanut butter pie for DD are all nestled safely in the fridge.

We'll have half the kids here tomorrow (3/6) along with his ex (a lot of people think that's odd, but we get along quite well and I consider her a friend). I really wish my other kids and grandson could be here, too, but they're too far away at the moment. I'll shoot for next year getting us all together. 

I hope everyone is blessed with good or improving health, and I continue to send good thoughts to all my KP buddies.


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## Edith M (Aug 10, 2011)

My prayers are with the Royal family and best wishes for the Princes full and speedy recovery. Edith


5mmdpns said:


> "Queen Elizabeth IIs husband has had a coronary stent put in after experiencing chest pains.
> 
> A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip will remain in hospital for a short time for observation."
> 
> I took this from google news a few minutes ago. Let us all pray for the royal family at this time and for their good health.


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

countrygal said:


> "Queen Elizabeth IIs husband has had a coronary stent put in after experiencing chest pains.
> 
> A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip will remain in hospital for a short time for observation."
> 
> ...


From the news reports this morning Prince Philip is doing well. He was taken by helicopter to the best cardiac hospital in the UK according to the reports. His bypass surgery seems to be successful. Of course, the gentleman is 90 years old! and will have to take it easy for a while anyways. Maybe Charles will teach him how to paint!


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## Betulove (Mar 11, 2011)

MERRY CHRISTMAS. I pray for a blessed NEW YEAR for my knitting friends here on line. I do so enjoy having you here. Some time I think you all are only people who understand me. God Bless.


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## pammie1234 (Apr 27, 2011)

Merry Christmas Eve! Still lots to do today, Luckily it will be just DD and myself tonight. I have no idea what we will have for dinner tonight. Tomorrow will be our big day. There will be 16 of us for a late lunch. It will be at my house, so it will be more than just cooking. We did most of the cleaning yesterday, but still lots to do. I'll probably check back in when I take my breaks!


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## mjs (Mar 3, 2011)

BSH said:


> Lisa crafts 62 said:
> 
> 
> > It's 10:40pm here in west Michigan & it is snowing. It has been doing this since about 6:30pm. We are having a pork loin roast tomorrow & ham for Christmas day. Mom had her 18th radiation treatment today. She gets the Monday after Christmas & the Monday after New Year's Day off. She has at least 7 more treatments to reach the original 25. Then we see if the Radiation Oncologist want to add another 5 to make 30. Today i bought the yarn I needed to start 2 of the baby afghans I need to make for next year. It's only 30 more days until my birthday & I don't know what my brother might do as I am turning 50. Most of the Christmas gifts are bought but my brother doesn't get to see his girls until New Year's Day we have a little more time. Merry Christmas or what ever you say to all of my KP friends & family. Being able to talk to all of you helps me deal with what my mom is going through right now Hugs & Kisses to all
> ...


I have actually visited in Zeeland and that is where I learned to make bows, at the department store. The packages I wrap for my neighbors and me always sport homemade bows.


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## Ceili (May 8, 2011)

ChocolatePom said:


> Good morning or afternoon or evening to ALL. I want to wish EVERYONE Happy Holidays, however you spend it !!!!
> I appologize for missing the past few months of tea parties.


Welcome back, ChocolatePom! You have been sorely missed!


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## Edith M (Aug 10, 2011)

Merry Christmas to all my KP friends. May your New Year find your health in tip top shape, your coffers full and your needles/hooks swift and productive. Edith


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## LisePB (Feb 19, 2011)

Dear Dave,

Have enjoyed your comments, all-inclusive greetings and provisos.

As we say in my world : Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Sincerely, Lise


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## missblu (Mar 5, 2011)

Very well said Dave. 

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas, Kwanza, Hannaka, or Holiday and a Very Blessed New Year.


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## Raybo (Mar 12, 2011)

5mmdpns said:


> The ones I can buy at the store seem to be so thick that they want to stick like glue in my throat. Any chance of an eggnog recipe? I usually thin down the store bought eggnog with 2% milk.
> 
> I agree that the store-bought eggnog is truly very thick, my mom used to thin it with 7-up which made a delicious drink


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## margewhaples (Nov 18, 2011)

It's 7:30 Am. The Sun has burst through the gloom of past days promising a glorious Christmas eve and new year from sunny so. Cal. Amazing how the spirits climb when it peaks out from behind the clouds. Much to do today to catch up as the senior center will be closed until Tuesday. Maybe I'll catch up with myself before the New Year. No plans for dinner and no chance to shop before tomorrow, but reading all of your plans, I can live vicariously.. My hopes for the new year are to finally decide upon a new puppy-what kind is appropriate for my lifestyle now. Also will get new glasses on order now to see the world through focused eyes once more. Also I will continue to enjoy your company and comments, Daves wit and humor and the enrichment I've only experienced through Kp. I plan to order my new knitting needles now. Must decide which ones. WIP: pastel afghan and butterfly quilt to be completed. On the drawing boards are sweaters and table settings (Knitted of course). MOM what ambitious plans the whole year already spent.May all of you be blessed in the new year with fulfillment of all your desires. Marlark Marge.


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## anneevamod (Apr 16, 2011)

Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah/Happy Kwanza ...Happy New Year to everyone. May you all have a Blessed New Year filled with Peace and Love.....Anne


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## Xiang (Sep 3, 2011)

Ceili said:


> ChocolatePom said:
> 
> 
> > Good morning or afternoon or evening to ALL. I want to wish EVERYONE Happy Holidays, however you spend it !!!!
> ...


Merry Christmas from the actual day, to all those who are still waiting. I'm an Aussie, & I don't like political correctness, so I don't use it ..... Sorry


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## Raybo (Mar 12, 2011)

Hey Dave 
I love your winter greeting, but remember our down under friends/family for whom it's NOT winter. Do they still get the greeting?LOL :lol: :roll:


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

anneevamod said:


> Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah/Happy Kwanza ...Happy New Year to everyone. May you all have a Blessed New Year filled with Peace and Love.....Anne


Hi Anne, and all the same back to you!! Are you home now or are you still at the cabin?? Merry Christmas and all that to your family! The grandson will put a big sparkle into the holidays this year!!


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## mtnmum (Dec 19, 2011)

kateB...... I lived in Edinburgh, got married in Edinburgh and had my first child in the Royal infirmary in Edinburgh..
Merry Christmas and thanks for the memory


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## kkiser (Jul 18, 2011)

I'm late to join the tea party, but I'm in the proper mood now, having joined my British friends for the festival at King's College Chapel in Cambridge courtesy of Wisconsin Public Radio. I was baking my holiday pie (mincemeat and apple flavored with rum and brandy) while I listened. My non-traditional Christmas Eve meal will be pozole made with pork, hominy and green chiles, corn bread sticks on the side. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!


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## Joanna88 (Oct 12, 2011)

happy Christmas and as Tiny Tim once said...God Bless us one and all.


Edith M said:



> Merry Christmas to all my KP friends. May your New Year find your health in tip top shape, your coffers full and your needles/hooks swift and productive. Edith


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## Sorlenna (Feb 17, 2011)

kkiser said:


> My non-traditional Christmas Eve meal will be pozole made with pork, hominy and green chiles, corn bread sticks on the side.


That is traditional around here among many families. And tomorrow, tamales with eggs for breakfast!


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## kathy320 (Jul 29, 2011)

LOOOOVE IT! And a very merry Christmas to you.


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## DollieD (Mar 7, 2011)

5mmdpns said:


> Happy Holidays and a Happy Christmas to you, Dave, and to the lads too!!!
> I bought some eggnog the other day and it got me to thinking about the eggnog my mother sometimes made at Christmas time. The ones I can buy at the store seem to be so thick that they want to stick like glue in my throat. Any chance of an eggnog recipe? I usually thin down the store bought eggnog with 2% milk.
> My son loves prawns and I do believe I will make this recipe you posted next week. I shall make a side dish of rice to go with it!


Just jumping in for a few before I have to move on...I posted the most excellent homemade eggnog a while back. Surely, you can find it in the archives. I really hope you try it! Merriest Christmas wishes!


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## Loueybe (Dec 14, 2011)

Wonderful, your words are oh so wonderful


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## GDW (Nov 3, 2011)

Made me smile, sometimes politically correctness can be amusing. Have a great day.


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

Thanks, Dave, for the PC greeting! What has the world come to that we have to be so PC? LOL I'll join with all the "old timers" and the new folks in wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year. May Santa be good to you. And may we keep the Tea Party going through 2012.


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## Loueybe (Dec 14, 2011)

Merry Christmas to everyone!!! 
I wish good health for all in the New Year


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## TinaOR (May 22, 2011)

Seasons Greetings, Best Wishes, etc, etc to everyone here. I have just finished preparing turkey and vegetables, making mince pies, ironing table linen, and so on and so on for tomorrow's festivities! It took ages, but the idea is to be more relaxed tomorrow when the extended family arrive. Now sitting watching a lovely family movie, Chronicles of Narnia .... time for a rest I think ....


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## Sorlenna (Feb 17, 2011)

I survived the grocery shopping--actually, not nearly as bad today as it has been the past couple of weeks--and am looking forward to seeing what DD fixes up for us tonight. My best friend found out one of her coming grandbabies (May) is a girl, and they are thrilled, so after Christmas, I'll start on some baby gifts for her--still waiting on the other one to see which is which (if she decides to find out). Now I just have to run the vacuum and then I can sit down and work on my shawl, which is now in its third start (third time's a charm, right?). It's nice to have a relaxing day!


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## KateB (Sep 28, 2011)

mtnmum said:


> kateB...... I lived in Edinburgh, got married in Edinburgh and had my first child in the Royal infirmary in Edinburgh..
> Merry Christmas and thanks for the memory


You're very welcome. Where are you living now?


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## KateB (Sep 28, 2011)

kkiser said:


> I'm late to join the tea party, but I'm in the proper mood now, having joined my British friends for the festival at King's College Chapel in Cambridge courtesy of Wisconsin Public Radio. I was baking my holiday pie (mincemeat and apple flavored with rum and brandy) while I listened. My non-traditional Christmas Eve meal will be pozole made with pork, hominy and green chiles, corn bread sticks on the side. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!


Kk - what's hominy? . . . . S'ok I googled it and I looked up tamale while I was at it. Amazing what you learn from this site!!


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## Dori Sage (Feb 7, 2011)

patocenizo said:


> Hi Palenque, yes it is nippy here in Southern California and right now it is 4:46 am and I'll soon be off to a Weight Watcher's meeting. Got to weigh in to see how much damage I've done so far! Sorry that you will be alone this pm but I wish you a Very Merry Christmas. My DH and I go to 4:00 pm. Mass which means that we have to be at church at least one hour prior to Mass because alot of people show up for this Mass. I love to watch the little ones all dress up and excited about Santa coming to their homes tonight. After Mass we drive to our son's for Christmas Eve dinner and enjoy our granddaughters who are also fun to watch as they view their tree and lots of gifts! Tomorrow will be a different story as I will pick up my 89 year old mom and bring her to our home for a couple of hours and have a quiet dinner qith her. Merry Christmas to you .
> 
> 
> Palenque1978 said:
> ...


Good a.m. from another in chilly, not so chilly now, Southern California. It is 10:50 a.m. here and 59 degrees, but very windy.
Starting the Xmas holiday at my sister's home tonite with Chinese food. Tomorrow 2 friends and I are going to the movies, then for more Chinese food. Had my DD's, SILs, GDs & GSs for the first nite of Channukah. Cooked frozen latkas from Trader Joes, and roasted 2 chickens. First time in a long time that I entertained. AND FINALLY SOLD MY HOUSE. So things are looking up.
Happy, safe holiday of your choice to all my wonderful KP friends.


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## Dori Sage (Feb 7, 2011)

kerryn said:


> Dave-----LOL! thank you for the laughs and setting a great tone for the tp, you're a natural.
> 
> Estee--I loved yours too (might have to steal it)--it's shorter than daves'
> 
> Merry Christmas, Hannuka, WInter Holidays or whatever you call this season to all here on KP...may your hooks and needles never run out of yarn and may your WIPs get completed without FROGs...Love and huggsss to alll....ST


Rookiesretiree---before Sam says it....You do have the recipe for that Corn Chip Taco Bake, right? Of course we can wait until after the Holidays (speaking for myself only).

My prayers go out for all those battling illnesses and dealing with the stresses of family and the Holidays. Better days are coming!

Tonight will be just family with games and snacking (and drinking!)--maybe a few of the oldie but goodie movies --we haven't seen "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Miracle on 34th Street" yet.
Tomorrow's menu will be Prime Rib, creamed spinach, scalloped potato, twice baked sweet potato, ceasar salad, and chocolate pot de creme. Yum--can't wait! Then it's off to the movies to see "War Horse"!

Now I'm off to start another hat--DM gave me some beautiful yarn!

Happy Holidays to all!
Kerry[/quote]

My all time favorite Christmas movie - The BIshop's Wife with Loretta Young, David Niven and Cary Grant.


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## 81brighteyes (Feb 17, 2011)

Oh Dave, I LOVED your pc greeting! You certainly covered everything and won't have to worry about getting in trouble with the pc police now!!! I'm here in Texas having my lunch with all of my KP buddies. It is a dreary. raw day here today & tomorrow will be the same with a chance of rain tonight & tomorrow with maybe one or two snow flurries. I just took a gingerbread cake out of the oven and will be making my buttercream icing for it after it cools. I'm taking it to my dd's tomorrow. I usually make a pie, but this will be a welcome change. Also, making a dip for the raw veggies. She will take care of the rest of the meal. Gave the last of my knitted gifts to two friends yesterday & what fun it was to see the delight on their faces. I had worn my fingerless gloves (knitted a few years ago in ribbing) & the one friend kept raving over them. She then opened one of the gifts I made for her & practically hit cloud 9 when she saw a pair I had knitted for her with a cable design. You might have thought I had given her a diamond bracelet! Her 'teenage daughter was so enthralled with them that I am going to surprise her with a pair after the holidays. It just "makes our day" when people react with such pleasure over a gift we have stitched with love for them. So, to all you kind knitters/crocheters who have brought so much joy to the one you have gifted this year, I wish you the not PC "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year". And Dave, many thanks to you for introducing me to this lovely "tea party" & for giving me this special gift.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

jorens53 said:


> hahaha You left out the Southern Hemisphere dwellers, who enjoy the sun & sand during the Christmas season :XD: :roll:


But i did include...

a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, or choice of computer platform or other preferences of the wishee.

So have a couple of cool ones in the sun!

Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

countrygal said:


> Our prayers are with the Royal Family at this their time of need.
> God's speed to good health soon.
> Bob and Joann from Ohio USA


Thanks, it's very worrying because he is a tower of strength to The Queen, who is still working at 86 and fulfilling her vow to serve the people.

Latest news is that the operation was a success and he is being kept in for observation. I realy hope he makes a full recovery, luckily he is a very healthy fit man, still working at the age of 90, I don't think he'll give in easily!

Dave


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## patocenizo (Jun 24, 2011)

I agree!


siouxann said:


> SopranoKnits&Crochets said:
> 
> 
> > Eggnog - the real thing....
> ...


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## patocenizo (Jun 24, 2011)

Merry Christmas Marge, from south of you in Orange county, California!


margewhaples said:


> It's 7:30 Am. The Sun has burst through the gloom of past days promising a glorious Christmas eve and new year from sunny so. Cal. Amazing how the spirits climb when it peaks out from behind the clouds. Much to do today to catch up as the senior center will be closed until Tuesday. Maybe I'll catch up with myself before the New Year. No plans for dinner and no chance to shop before tomorrow, but reading all of your plans, I can live vicariously.. My hopes for the new year are to finally decide upon a new puppy-what kind is appropriate for my lifestyle now. Also will get new glasses on order now to see the world through focused eyes once more. Also I will continue to enjoy your company and comments, Daves wit and humor and the enrichment I've only experienced through Kp. I plan to order my new knitting needles now. Must decide which ones. WIP: pastel afghan and butterfly quilt to be completed. On the drawing boards are sweaters and table settings (Knitted of course). MOM what ambitious plans the whole year already spent.May all of you be blessed in the new year with fulfillment of all your desires. Marlark Marge.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Strawberry4u said:


> Merry Christmas and have a Happy Healthy New year to all that celebrate.
> Dave you did it again another winning receipt. Yummy. I really want to thank you for all the effort you put into our tea Parties and you do a smash up job. Kudos!!!!!!


Thank you so much Sharon, it's my pleasure to share some of the receipts I've played with over the years. This week's is just another simple way to serve up something classy that's more than the sum of its parts.

Have a brill time!

Dave


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## pug retirement (Jun 5, 2011)

Hi Dave the lads and all KPers

Can't stay long as I have to do a bite. 

The pressies have to be opened, watch the Christmas parade on tv. But I wish all the best for the day. 

Yes we do celebrate christmas in Australia just not with a hot meal. Cold salads, seafood and lots of love to share with our family and friends.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

GypsyRose said:


> You seem to have covered yourself from any liabilities. We have decided to have beans on toast for dinner on 25th Dec It will save a lot of hassle; Love to all


I can go with that, if you can't eat whatever you want on 25th December, it isn't a holiday!

Dave


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## springchicken66 (Nov 6, 2011)

Well FireballDave you brought everything to the forefront and I am glad you did. I had a good laugh at your wit!!! We in free countries have the freedom to worship our God however we wish,and I wish everyone a Happy Christmas. The recipe sounds super and I am going to try it another time. Tonight our daughter-in-law is preparing a tradtional feast from her native Mexico. It will be delicious I know. springchicken66


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Palenque1978 said:


> Happy Winter Soltice, Dave!
> 
> Loved all the possibilities that you made mention. As someone already said... "Dude, you make me laugh!" Actually, I think you're wonderful AND full of wonder. There's no one like you in this grand forum.


Thak you so much, I'm nothing special, just a guy who's read a book or two and likes conversation. Have a great time.

Dave


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## Boston-ChiMom (Jul 13, 2011)

My receipe makes a big batch but our crew goes through it rapidly. Old Fashioned Egg Nogg
12 eggs 1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt 1 Quart Half & Half
1 Pint whipping cream

Beat egg yolks with sugar until thick and lemon colored
Add salt to egg whites and beat until almost stiff
Stir half & half into egg yolk mixture
Fold in egg whites and whipped cream
Chill 1 hour
Stir and serve topped with nutmeg.
If you drink rum you can add it, good without.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

crafty_grandma56 said:


> Dave, Your greeting made me truly laugh even at 7:00 a.m. !!! Your recipe for prawn intrigued me so I looked it up. (I am from Canada) only to find prawns are shrimps. Unfortunately, I don't think my husband will dare go out to get some but maybe for New Year's eve. Enjoy the holidays everyone!!


First time I had this it was made with _crevette grise_ in St. Catherine de Bruxelles, they are the tiniest shrimp on earth and a delight!

Dave


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## NanaCaren (May 17, 2011)

After going over my check list of what needs to be done today, I realize that the turkey os still in the freezer, right along side of the ham. I will be doing a quick thaw on both everyone is expecting to eat by noon.  opps!!

Merry Christmas & happy new year to all my KP family.
The recipes sound good I will be trying them soon.


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## DonnieK (Nov 23, 2011)

Well, Dave, you did make me smile with your Politically Correct opening for this chat & tea, but, I have to say it my way--MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR to all the KPer's that I hold dear! It doesn't matter how it is said--the wishes are the same in every way the imagination is allowed to take it.
Prayers for Prince Phillip & your queen. Prayers for an end to earthquake plagued. Prayers for those who must suffer though the holidays alone and those who are ill.
Blessings to all KPer's for their kindnesses, instructions, and praises. May our new year be spend caressing the yarns and making beautiful things to share.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Palenque1978 said:


> It's 4:12am in nippy Southern California. I've been having bouts of insomonia... I'll probably get to bed about 7 or 8:00am!!
> 
> I'm having a simple dinner for one... I live alone. I think I have a small steak in the freezer and I know I have makings for a cole slaw.. I have a frozen homemade pumpkin pie in the freezer, which never made it to our Thankgiving dinner. All these eats will make for a cheery Xmas eve dinner for me. And, I have a bottle of bubbly that my cousin Tim sent me from Northern California. I'll be a happy camper tonight... as I wait for Santa.....LOL
> 
> ...


Bubbly always works for me, hope you enjoy your time!

Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

maryanne said:


> Hello everyone.Hope everyone has a happy, stres free weekend.
> 
> Dave I laughed all the way through your opening to the tea party. It really started my day off on the right foot. Thanks for all the things you do that make my heart smile.


Glad I helped you de-stress, have a great holiday weekend!

Dave


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## mjs (Mar 3, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> countrygal said:
> 
> 
> > Our prayers are with the Royal Family at this their time of need.
> ...


Actually I think she is still only 85.


----------



## Karena (Jul 3, 2011)

Most Clever Fireball Dave,
Once again thanks for the recipe. I will be making some mulled cider, actually apple juice (light) with some spiced I picked up the Apple Farm in San Luis Obispo, CA, way back when. Check out their web. 
http://www.applefarm.com 
The place spells Christmas. There is a hotel, restaurant with apple everything, and a shop where I dare you not to purchase something to take home. They have a famous water wheel from the old mill. 
I am putting some scones in the oven for a friend Laura who will diliver some cookies later. She has two daughters to cook with and a son and husband who help also. Loves making those Christmas cookies of all sorts. Then it is pizza tonight watching the NFL. 
Am I knitting on Christmas? (previous post) Oh, yes. I decided to give the other three ladies in my mother home care group a red scarf as well as mother. So two done and two to go. The ladies loved the fall-colored ones last month. 
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, etc., to all. 
Karen


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## siouxann (Mar 5, 2011)

DonnieK, your wish for all of us caressing yarn has already been fulfilled, at least in my home. I went shopping a couple days ago, NOT for yarn, but got some lovely skeins of some of the softest yarn I have ever had: Baby Clouds by Red Heart believe it or not. An hour or so ago, I found myself sitting on my sofa, actually petting one of the skeins. (I do have a cat, but he is rather tempramental in his choice of where and when to be petted.) Anyway, you my KP family, are the only persons to whom I would actually admit that to; my daughter would be busy trying to get me a reservation in a senior living home. 

Blessings to all of you!!!


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## Sorlenna (Feb 17, 2011)

siouxann said:


> An hour or so ago, I found myself sitting on my sofa, actually petting one of the skeins. Anyway, you my KP family, are the only persons to whom I would actually admit that to; my daughter would be busy trying to get me a reservation in a senior living home.


I chuckled at this--I always joke with my daughter that as I get older, I will need "adult supervision." She says, "Nah, we'll just stick you in the corner with some alpaca wool and you'll be fine." She's probably right! :mrgreen:


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## Marilyn K. (Jul 8, 2011)

Hello and Happy Christmas everyone. If you don't celebrate Christmas, Be Happy anyhow!

I need help and you guys are the best. I want to make walnut clusters. Yes, I know I am getting a late start but everything else is done. What I don't remember is what to do to make them shiny. Does anyone out there know?

Thank you!
marilyn


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## mjs (Mar 3, 2011)

Marilyn K. said:


> Hello and Happy Christmas everyone. If you don't celebrate Christmas, Be Happy anyhow!
> 
> I need help and you guys are the best. I want to make walnut clusters. Yes, I know I am getting a late start but everything else is done. What I don't remember is what to do to make them shiny. Does anyone out there know?
> 
> ...


If you're talking about doing walnuts in chocolate the chocolate has to be tempered to make it shiny. Unless you have non-tempering chocolate.


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## aljellie (Mar 4, 2011)

Dave,

I loved your politically correct secular greeting. Best laugh of the holidays yet!

Ellie


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## Karena (Jul 3, 2011)

That is funny. No, you are not ready for the assisted living. 
Computer savey, hobbies, humor. Bet you have pets too. Keep it up. 
Karen


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## carolagregg (Nov 17, 2011)

Della said:


> Merry Christ's Birthday everyone. Thanks Dave for another tea party. Receipt sounds delish, but it will be Oyster Stew here.
> 5mmdpn..I make my egg-nog..Beat 2 eggs frothy...Add 1/4 cup superfiine sugar...1 tbsp Vanilla...pinch salt...1 can Evaporated milk (NOT the Sweetened condensed kind) well chilled...2/3 cup Milk or Water (your choice for calory control)...Mix well. Serve with a sprinkling of Nutmeg and/or cinnamon. I add 1/4 tsp Nutmeg to my nog and just cinnamon on top, keep in frig. Have had it with a dash of Cloves. Enjoy....Della


I'm just headed to the kitchen to make my husband and I oyster stew. Very simple to make but always seems festive. We will be having cranberry English muffins. Found them a couple of weeks ago and thought they would make the purfect companion.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. I am so glad I have found this neighborhood. 
Here is a picture of the gifts I made my grandkids. Fingerless gloves for three granddaughters ages 23, 18 and 14. Scarf for grandson 16 and hat for great granddaughter 4 months.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Palenque1978 said:


> kare50 said:
> 
> 
> > LOVE your very politically correct greeting!!! Sorry we live in a world where everything must be so!
> ...


Political correctness isn't so bad. If we're lucky, in a generational or two, discrimination will be unthinkable because the language with which to express it will have ceased to exist, a prize I believe to be worth paying for.

Dave


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## mjs (Mar 3, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> Palenque1978 said:
> 
> 
> > kare50 said:
> ...


I think that what people are probably objecting to is humorless political correctness and not simple consideration for others. But I don't worry about pc. I am relatively unprejudiced and can discuss race with a black friend, as she also is comfortable doing. And I don't see any reason to go to ridiculous lengths just in case someone might be offended.


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## Chayjan (Oct 4, 2011)

Happy Christmas everyone,enjoy your day.Thinking of all of you who are on your own Jan


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## Wynn11 (Jul 20, 2011)

Thank you Dave for your supburb greeting. I now return it to you for your holidays. May you have a Merry Christmas and may the New Year bring all the love and sentiment of brotherhood. 

Having met everyone on KP has made this past year very pleasant indeed. I shall remember it as long as I live. I believe something new like KP stands to the forefront of my thoughts, such as they may be. I hope this time they're lucid.

Greetings to all and much love
Wynnona


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## Wynn11 (Jul 20, 2011)

Dave your recipe sounds delicious. Maybe I can intice my son to go to the grocery store and buy prawns. Oh well. I'm not the cook in the house so I have no idea what they have planned for tonight after church. Tami, mu DIL, is baking cookies and I just put 2 apple pies in the oven, too. We have double ovens - one regular and one convection. 

Tomorrow morning I am going to my daughter's for breakfast. Yea! I get to visit with 3 more of my grandchildren!! I don't know what is on the menu. It will be delicious, I know. Then back home to have dinner with my family plus friends here. 

I'm looking forward to a very simple, special day. 

Blessings to all,
Love Wynnona


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## Miss Pam (Jun 14, 2011)

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year!


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## wannabear (Mar 13, 2011)

I can go with that, if you can't eat whatever you want on 25th December, it isn't a holiday!

Dave[/quote]

So Margaritas would be AOK with you? Not traditional for Christmas but always in season.


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## Wynn11 (Jul 20, 2011)

wannabear said:


> I can go with that, if you can't eat whatever you want on 25th December, it isn't a holiday!
> 
> Dave


So Margaritas would be AOK with you? Not traditional for Christmas but always in season.[

For me, please make them with Patron. They're so yummy.


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

carolagregg - lovely gifts - especially the green and black scarf.

sam


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

finsihed wrapping the gifts i am giving to the family - they are at gary's folks tonight - when they get home i will have gary come over and pick them up and put them under the tree. then they will be there tomorrow morning. 

ready to pop a marie calander in the oven - simple and quick.

i've never been known to be too political correct so Merry Christmas - Happy Hollidays - and a New Year filled with all good things.

wynn - margaritas are perfect anytime in my book.

dave - special greetings to you and a big thank you for starting and continuing to be our host. you are a very special man. special greetings to "the boy" also.

sam


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## pattys76 (Apr 7, 2011)

Dave, thank you so very much!!! Your greeting really made my day! I want to also thank you for hosting the Tea Party every week, it has been such a joy for me. I agree with a lot of others on here. However you say it it all means the same. 

Can I copy your greeting and send it to my sisters? Two of my sisters live in San Antonio, right across the street from each other. One of them is Jehova's Witness, and the other is Catholic. Makes for interesting times.

When my younger sister became a JW, she wanted to convert everyone in the family, I believe in live and let live. I told her I was a Druid just to make her leave me alone. I told her we sacrifice people to oak trees and asked her if she wanted to volunter. It made her laugh and also worked.  

Wishing everyone the joy of the season, and a politically incorrect...Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.


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## pattys76 (Apr 7, 2011)

I really wish I could have the eggnog, I love it, but I'm allergic to milk. The stores around here don't even have the soy nog this year.


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## redriet60 (Jun 24, 2011)

Happy Holidays to all, whatever you celebrate. May all your holiday wishes come true in the new year.
Health, Peace and Happy knitting to all.
Rita


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## redriet60 (Jun 24, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> It's 11:00pm GMT in London on 23rd December 2011, the 24th December a lot of people like to serve fish for supper, this is easy, tasty and light before whatever excesses are planned for the 25th.
> 
> *Prawn and vegetable frittata*
> 
> ...


Hi Dave, Thanks for being our host again, Happy Christmas and New Year to you. It might be in one of the pages already but I don't have time to read it all. Is there a recipe for the tomato salad ?


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## wannabear (Mar 13, 2011)

If I had any foresight at all, I would have copied off every single recipe that has been posted since I joined, and then they could go into a cookbook like churches do for fundraisers. Know what I mean? I have a small collection of 'church lady' cookbooks. I could go back and do it, but I think I would definitely deserve a gold star on my chart for that.


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## Wynn11 (Jul 20, 2011)

Oh, Sam!! They are in mine too, but someone introduced me to Patron Gold and what a Yummy margutita they make


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## Wynn11 (Jul 20, 2011)

Merry Christmas and the best for the New Year, Sam.


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

81brighteyes, I'm so happy for you that your friend appreciated your knitted gift. That's the way it should be.

Unfortunately, I have a 15-year-old GD who will probably never receive a knitted gift from me. One day, while talking to my son on the phone, I asked him what she wanted for Christmas; he in turn asked her. Her reply was "nothing knitted." She's at that age when her tastes are decided by what her school friends are wearing. Grrrr!


----------



## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

siouxann said:


> DonnieK, your wish for all of us caressing yarn has already been fulfilled, at least in my home. I went shopping a couple days ago, NOT for yarn, but got some lovely skeins of some of the softest yarn I have ever had: Baby Clouds by Red Heart believe it or not. An hour or so ago, I found myself sitting on my sofa, actually petting one of the skeins. (I do have a cat, but he is rather tempramental in his choice of where and when to be petted.) Anyway, you my KP family, are the only persons to whom I would actually admit that to; my daughter would be busy trying to get me a reservation in a senior living home.
> 
> Blessings to all of you!!!


Siouxann, what are you planning to make with the Baby Clouds? I knitted a baby afghan for my hairdresser's grandbaby a few years ago and found it hard to work with. It was so fuzzy, I couldn't "see" the stitches. I know I made a few mistakes, but let them go; because of the texture, the errors didn't show. Let us know what you make.

P.S. I hope I haven't discouraged you!


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## kneonknitter (Feb 10, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> It's 11:00pm GMT in London on 23rd December 2011, so Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
> 
> For everyone who does not celebrate the Winter Holidays, please accept my sincere apology for offering the previous seasonal greeting and instead accept the following:
> 
> ...


A very Merry Christmas & a happy & healthy New Year to you & yours Dave.


----------



## knitcrochetlover (Feb 1, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> It's 11:00pm GMT in London on 23rd December 2011, so Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
> 
> For everyone who does not celebrate the Winter Holidays, please accept my sincere apology for offering the previous seasonal greeting and instead accept the following:
> 
> ...


Great recipe!!!! I can't have though, the green veggies I can't eat without making my blood thicker and possibly get another clot  Merry Christmas, Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays for those who must be politically correct.


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

We had our traditional tourtiere for dinner tonight. Used shortcut boxed pie crust mix and it was so flaky and tasty. DH had two helpings and really wanted more, but decided not to. Anyway, I told him he could have some for breakfast.

We'll have chocolate fudge, spiced pecans, and date/walnut thingies with our eggnog later on. That is, if kittenkat will let us. Otherwise, she'll be relegated to the sunporch. That little monster will eat almost anything we eat! She'll have a big surprise tomorrow. Our DD sent her some kind of a huge laser toy to entertain herself and us. Can't wait!


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## Sorlenna (Feb 17, 2011)

DD's soup was quite tasty! I ate too much but enjoyed every bite, and the break from cooking was nice as well. We toasted up some bread in the oven to go with and now I'm having my cup of tea. 

I worked on the new shawl a bit more and then changed my mind, completely redoing the charts. Ah well. I still want to do the other one, but it will have to wait until my brain's more straight. Ha ha. In a little bit, I think it will be cookie time, too.


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## redriet60 (Jun 24, 2011)

DorisT said:


> 81brighteyes, I'm so happy for you that your friend appreciated your knitted gift. That's the way it should be.
> 
> Unfortunately, I have a 15-year-old GD who will probably never receive a knitted gift from me. One day, while talking to my son on the phone, I asked him what she wanted for Christmas; he in turn asked her. Her reply was "nothing knitted." She's at that age when her tastes are decided by what her school friends are wearing. Grrrr!


Teenagers, gotta love them.


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## pammie1234 (Apr 27, 2011)

It's Christmas Eve in Texas, and all of the children are probably in bed anxiously waiting for Santa Claus to come. The joys of being a child!


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

And Pammie, sometimes the child in all of us hangs around just to see this magical wonder!!


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## Wynn11 (Jul 20, 2011)

5mmdpns said:


> And Pammie, sometimes the child in all of us hangs around just to see this magical wonder!!


Isn't that the truth, 5mm. When my children were little, I enjoyed every moment with them. One day, my dauaghter got really obnoxious and I was comfused. I asked what her problem was and why was she unhappy. She said, "you lied to me. there is no Santa." Oh my, why do you think that? She said, "I saw you and Dad putting things under the tree and putting together my bycicle. I don't trust you any more. you lied." It took a couple of years to have her understand the gift of Santa.


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

Wynn11 said:


> 5mmdpns said:
> 
> 
> > And Pammie, sometimes the child in all of us hangs around just to see this magical wonder!!
> ...


Does anybody else remember when they were told there was no Santa? I was 7 years old and my brother was 11 when he told me. I don't think I really believed him, but he put doubts in my mind. The next year when Christmas came, I asked for a big baby doll. When my Mom went shopping one day, my girlfriend and I followed her. We saw her go into the toy store and buy the doll. That's when I KNEW. What a disappointment!!


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## Jacklyn (Feb 22, 2011)

Hi, Sam the wren, tried your Poultry for Peasants and my husband and I loved it. Served it over rice with a salad and a glass and we were set. Thanks for posting it.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

DorisT said:


> Wynn11 said:
> 
> 
> > 5mmdpns said:
> ...


There is a very simple way to avoid this problem, don't lie to children in the first place!

Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

pattys76 said:


> Dave, thank you so very much!!! Your greeting really made my day! I want to also thank you for hosting the Tea Party every week, it has been such a joy for me. I agree with a lot of others on here. However you say it it all means the same.
> 
> Can I copy your greeting and send it to my sisters? Two of my sisters live in San Antonio, right across the street from each other. One of them is Jehova's Witness, and the other is Catholic. Makes for interesting times.
> 
> ...


There are many versions of my greeting, I simply put what I thought were the best lines together and tinkered with the grammar a bit. Feel free to amuse/annoy as many as you possibly can, humour is a 'sharing thing'!

Have fun!
Dave


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## margewhaples (Nov 18, 2011)

I agree with you Dave. Don't lie in the first place. The truth will out and how can they but wonder what else you may be lying about? Marlark marge.


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

jacklyn - i'm glad you enjoyed it - try the political chicken sometime. can you tell i like chicken. lol

sam



Jacklyn said:


> Hi, Sam the wren, tried your Poultry for Peasants and my husband and I loved it. Served it over rice with a salad and a glass and we were set. Thanks for posting it.


----------



## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

early morning here in northwest ohio - cold and damp. santa may visit but i bet he won't spend anymore time here than he has to. 

anyone having visions of sugar plums?

sam


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

To all who celebrate it, I wish you a very Merry Christmas.

To all who don't, I wish you every success in your endeavours to avoid it. I find copious cups of black coffee and the writings of Jean-Paul Sartre a comfort at this time of year.

To-day's reading matter is, _The Curve of Binding Energy_ by John McPhee. I first read his cheery little warning on the perils and possible consequences of nuclear proliferation thirty years ago and mislaid my copy in one of my changes of address; it's most frustrating how one always seems to lose a couple of books, of course it may turn up one day, this has happened before. Anyway, I decided to treat myself to a new copy and have been saving it up for _Bucket of Cold Water Day!_

I was expecting to-day to be just the two of us, but we have additional refugees. My son's best friend decided not to fly to the Far East for the weekend, he'll see his parents when they get back to Europe; another friend, whose Father is working all weekend, asked if he could join us and get away from it all. So while one lad amuses himself bike-cleaning and changing brake pads etc., another will be reading _Leviathan_ by Thomas Hobbes and the third has a fun work on the economy of the Weimar Republic.

It's their choice, I told them they could do whatever they wanted and I'd go along with it, they headed straight for the book stacks and decided they fancied my traditional _Festive Lobster_ for dinner!

So however you choose to spend your day, I wish you fun, peace and good health!

Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

margewhaples said:


> I agree with you Dave. Don't lie in the first place. The truth will out and how can they but wonder what else you may be lying about? Marlark marge.


It does simplify matters considerably. One of my friends, who with a PhD in theoretical physics really should know better, is now at the stage of using Einstein's work on the effect of travel at the speed of light on time and space to explain how a sleigh pulled by enthusiastic reindeer can visit every address in twenty-four hours. It's very amusing and clever, but I think his ten yearold son is finding a few of the concepts a little tricky to grasp. There really does come a point when it's time to give up!

Hope you have a great day.
Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

thewren said:


> early morning here in northwest ohio - cold and damp. santa may visit but i bet he won't spend anymore time here than he has to.
> 
> anyone having visions of sugar plums?
> 
> sam


Good Morning Sam.

No sugar plums here, but there's a couple of unbutchered holly trees in the garden. The sun's chariot hasn't ridden over the horizon in London yet, so I'd need a torch to see them!

Have a wonderful time!

Dave


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## pattys76 (Apr 7, 2011)

redriet60 said:


> DorisT said:
> 
> 
> > 81brighteyes, I'm so happy for you that your friend appreciated your knitted gift. That's the way it should be.
> ...


Yep! It's either that or figure out how to hide the bodies!!


----------



## pattys76 (Apr 7, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> DorisT said:
> 
> 
> > Wynn11 said:
> ...


Dave, Pammie, and 5mm, I love the way my parents handled the whole "Santa" thing. They had six children, and they explained to us all that while there may not be a SINGLE person running around the world giving presents to every child, there WAS an IDEA of love and caring, therefore ANYONE who cared enough for you to take the time and effort (many gifts were hand made) to get/make something for you IS Santa Claus. So I do still believe in Santa Claus!


----------



## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

pattys76 said:


> redriet60 said:
> 
> 
> > DorisT said:
> ...


Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett had a solution, or did you put a shovel on your _Letter to Santa?_

Luckily, _The Lad_ has a liking for jumpers. Shawl necks are very fashionable this year, they're easy once you get the hang of them!

Dave


----------



## pattys76 (Apr 7, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> DorisT said:
> 
> 
> > Wynn11 said:
> ...


Dave, and everyone, I love the way my parents handled the whole "Santa" thing. They had six children, and they explained to us all that while there may not be a SINGLE person running around the world giving presents to every child, there WAS an IDEA of love and caring, therefore ANYONE who cared enough for you to take the time and effort (many gifts were hand made) to get/make something for you IS Santa Claus. So I do still believe in Santa Claus!


----------



## Della (Jun 17, 2011)

5mmdpns said:


> Della said:
> 
> 
> > Merry Christ's Birthday everyone. Thanks Dave for another tea party. Receipt sounds delish, but it will be Oyster Stew here.
> ...


Whole eggs beaten to frothy, this helps dissolve the suger. I find the finer sugar works best, have even used powder or confectioners sugar but I cut back on the amount as it seems sweeter than regular granulated. You can add more or less sugar to your taste, the 1/4 cup makes it enough for me.....Della


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## pattys76 (Apr 7, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> pattys76 said:
> 
> 
> > redriet60 said:
> ...


Hmmm Wasn't it in "Fried Green Tomatoes" That the ladies kept saying "The secret's in the sauce."? There's an idea. :lol:


----------



## pug retirement (Jun 5, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> To all who celebrate it, I wish you a very Merry Christmas.
> 
> To all who don't, I wish you every success in your endeavours to avoid it. I find copious cups of black coffee and the writings of Jean-Paul Sartre a comfort at this time of year.
> 
> ...


Hi Dave and KP'ers

You mean you had the idea of just you and the lad, well they had other ideas. So yours went out the window. But the festive lobster sounds great. With hot veggies and a good wine.

I've had a great day. I got what I asked Santa for A phone call ftom my son. So I'm happy as can be.

Dave thank you for being such a great host. Thank you to all those who put in recipes. and to the rest of you thank you for being there.

Merry Christmas and have a safe and healthy new year. Pug

Its been raining here and still hot. But maybe we shouldn't whine about it.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

pug retirement said:


> Hi Dave and KP'ers
> 
> You mean you had the idea of just you and the lad, well they had other ideas. So yours went out the window. But the festive lobster sounds great. With hot veggies and a good wine.
> 
> ...


Oh I'm pretty happy about it, I'm very easy-going and willing to fall in with their ideas. About the only thing I did specify was that I don't want to listen to Stockhausen with brekkers, that's taking things just a bit too far!

Dull and overcast in London, but it's about 50degF, very mild for the time of year.

Glad you got to chat to your son, enjoy the holiday period.

Dave


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## pug retirement (Jun 5, 2011)

Dave got to ask what is a shawl collar. Can't see well as no lights on at present.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

pug retirement said:


> Dave got to ask what is a shawl collar. Can't see well as no lights on at present.


Here are a couple of links to patterns with pictures, you possibly know them by another name.

http://www.caron.com/projects/ss_eco/sseco_mans_sweater.html

http://www.knittingonthenet.com/patterns/sweshawlcardice.htm

Dave


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## patocenizo (Jun 24, 2011)

Amen!


Wynn11 said:


> wannabear said:
> 
> 
> > I can go with that, if you can't eat whatever you want on 25th December, it isn't a holiday!
> ...


----------



## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

Dave, that sounds like some heavy reading by all. Is that the same John McPhee who wrote a book about Alaska? If it is, I like his style. Learned a lot about Alaska from him.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

DorisT said:


> Dave, that sounds like some heavy reading by all. Is that the same John McPhee who wrote a book about Alaska? If it is, I like his style. Learned a lot about Alaska from him.


It is indeed, he has written on many subjects, I like his style too and his research is always first-rate. This particular work is fascinating, provided you don't mind risking a few sleepless nights.

I didn't influence their choice of books, there's a fair selection for them to choose from, everything from Aristotle to whodunnits. They said they wanted to read these while there was somebody around to answer any little questions that 'might' arise; it must be fifteen years since I last read Hobbes, I hope my memory's up to it!

Dave


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> DorisT said:
> 
> 
> > Dave, that sounds like some heavy reading by all. Is that the same John McPhee who wrote a book about Alaska? If it is, I like his style. Learned a lot about Alaska from him.
> ...


I googled and found out he's one and the same, also. The title of the book on Alaska is "Coming Into the Country." I still have it and I think I'll reread it. I have quite a few books on Alaska and was planning to donate them to the library, but now I'm glad I didn't.

His description of Barrow, Alaska, is interesting and when John and I flew there, we were able to see the places he described.


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

Yes, Sam, the sugar plum fairies danced for me this year! I watched the Nutcracker and went to bed with visions of sugar plum fairies!

As regards to Santa, I taught my son the story of Santa Claus and what it all meant, much like the fairy tales. I also explained to him that we can be Santas and give other people gifts but not sign our own name on the tag but sign Santa's name. Santa never gave out extravagant gifts but only some little things that no one else would ever think of giving! So my son grew up getting gifts from Santa but also being Santa for others. Of course, the Santa gift had to fit into the stocking!!

I am off to pick up my son from the airport in a city that is a three hour drive away! He is flying here from Vancouver, BC. Merry Christmas and happy holidays and the appropriate greeting for where ever you live and what ever you believe in! For the southern countries, while we make snow forts and snowmen, may you build sand castles and have fun!


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## Poledra65 (Jul 6, 2011)

Hi all, Merry Christmas and what Dave said. lol...
Dave I love your opening to the Tea Party, a good giggle is always a good thing, I started reading on Friday evening and I'm still only on Page 7 since I've been so busy with my 10yr old niece visiting and finishing up Christmas knitting, got everything done except one glove and my sons Sweater, but he's good with just knowing I started him one, I wrapped what I had done and he thought that was just too cool. lol...
Hope everyone is having a blessed whatever you are or aren't celebrating. 
Everyone with or with family members with health issues, I hope and pray that they are all resolved successfully in the New Year. 
I've gotten the second pie in the oven, and I need to get the ham ready to go in, so I'll just keep reading as I get a chance. 
Hugs


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## mjs (Mar 3, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> To all who celebrate it, I wish you a very Merry Christmas.
> 
> To all who don't, I wish you every success in your endeavours to avoid it. I find copious cups of black coffee and the writings of Jean-Paul Sartre a comfort at this time of year.
> 
> ...


I think it's wonderful to have the kind of household that welcomes a kid's friends and that they feel comfortable coming. The two families I'm close to have a situation like that, and we look forward to having a kid coming from IN joining us at TG. Sometimes there is a kid with a bad family situation who gets something he or she needs by having a relationship with another family.


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## patocenizo (Jun 24, 2011)

Merry Christmas from beautiful Southern California, land of beaches such as Newport Beach, Laguna Beach et al., We are supposed to reach 75 degrees and no Santa Ana winds. Feliz Navidad!


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## Wynn11 (Jul 20, 2011)

Not unless I have several marqurits with patron, Sam


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## Sorlenna (Feb 17, 2011)

pattys76 said:


> Dave, Pammie, and 5mm, I love the way my parents handled the whole "Santa" thing. They had six children, and they explained to us all that while there may not be a SINGLE person running around the world giving presents to every child, there WAS an IDEA of love and caring, therefore ANYONE who cared enough for you to take the time and effort (many gifts were hand made) to get/make something for you IS Santa Claus. So I do still believe in Santa Claus!


This is what we did with our kids, too--he is the spirit, not a particular man. And yes, I still believe that spirit exists, though sadly, I think a lot of people have their priorities mixed up. Well. To each his own.

DD opened her Santa gifts this morning and she's happy; she doesn't ask for much, and she is grateful--and I'm very grateful to have her! The ham and the roast beast are done, the potatoes are smashed and waiting to be reheated, and we'll have stuffing and veggies with cheese. Pies & cake for dessert if anyone can still hold any more food, and we're set. The other kids who can be here are coming in about a half hour and I'm sure we'll all enjoy each other's company. For me, that's always the best present!


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## NanaCaren (May 17, 2011)

Woo Hoo I got a set of Knit picks needles from my darling Husband. I was soo surprised, wasn't expected at all. Got to see 6 of the grandsons today. The lunch meal was one of the best I've made in a while. The middle son made pies was another nice surprise. I'll be trying out my new needles later this afternoon.


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## pattys76 (Apr 7, 2011)

I made my Momma's Peanut Butter Candy last night. It's just not any major holiday without it. It's very easy to make. I don't know where she got the receit, or if she created it herself. Here's the receit if anyone is interested.

Millie's Peanut Butter Candy

3 Cups Sugar
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1 Cup water
3 cups Peanut Butter

Butter a 9" X 13" pan (or you can just use non stick spray or line the pan with alluminum foil)

In medium to large saucepan bring the first three ingredients to a boil then cook to soft ball stage. My candy thermometer says that's anywhere between 116-240F I aim for about 235F and it works pretty well. Then stir in the peanut butter until smooth. Work fast because if you don't it will start to set in the pan. Pour into prepared pan and let cool, cut it into 1 inch or whatever size squares you want. 

I may still make the chocolate candy she always made too, it will depend on how much we have left and how bad the food comas are after eating. 
When I asked her for her recipe for the chocolate candy, she looked at me like I was crazy, then said that she thought I already knew it. "It's the one on the Hershey's box" LOL
Merry Christmas, and many happy memories to everyone
Patty


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## NanaCaren (May 17, 2011)

Woo Hoo I got a set of Knit picks needles from my darling Husband. I was soo surprised, wasn't expected at all. Got to see 6 of the grandsons today. The lunch meal was one of the best I've made in a while. The middle son made pies was another nice surprise. I'll be trying out my new needles later this afternoon.


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## NanaCaren (May 17, 2011)

siouxann said:


> DonnieK, your wish for all of us caressing yarn has already been fulfilled, at least in my home. I went shopping a couple days ago, NOT for yarn, but got some lovely skeins of some of the softest yarn I have ever had: Baby Clouds by Red Heart believe it or not. An hour or so ago, I found myself sitting on my sofa, actually petting one of the skeins. (I do have a cat, but he is rather tempramental in his choice of where and when to be petted.) Anyway, you my KP family, are the only persons to whom I would actually admit that to; my daughter would be busy trying to get me a reservation in a senior living home.
> 
> Blessings to all of you!!!


I pet my yarn often even when I'm picking it out in the store.


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## Poledra65 (Jul 6, 2011)

When we were kids mom and dad told us that we only get one or two gifts from Santa, that mom and dad helped with the rest. 
I still believe in Santa, maybe not a physical being, but the spirit of giving and loving.


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

christmas afternoon - the gifts are opened - the children are enjoying their toys - the family is at heidi's mothers -and i am getting ready to take a nap. was gong to knit but the eyes are heavy. 

the sky is blue - the sun is shinning bright - temperature is a scalding 40degreesF - all in all a splendid day.

hope all of you are having a super christmas day.

christmas hugs -

sam

oh yes - update - heidi gives me a christmas mug everyyear for christmas - last year she forgot - this year i got two - right now i forge what is on the one mug but the second one says: "dear santa - please bring me more yarn". she had put a skein of peaches and cream (in a color i didn't have) in the mug. loved it.


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## siouxann (Mar 5, 2011)

Patty, the candy receipt sounds wonderful, and easy, too, That is my favorite kind of receipt. Thanks!!


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## KateB (Sep 28, 2011)

Poledra65 said:


> When we were kids mom and dad told us that we only get one or two gifts from Santa, that mom and dad helped with the rest.
> I still believe in Santa, maybe not a physical being, but the spirit of giving and loving.


We also told our boys that Mum and Dad paid Santa for the toys, so that meant there was a limit on what they could ask for. However don't think I could have taken the magic of Santa from them - I'm sure when they get to the age where they realise there's no Santa they also realise that it was a lovely fairy tale. My older boy kept the secret from his younger brother for a couple of years because he realised that it would spoil his Christmas.


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## pug retirement (Jun 5, 2011)

Dave sorry about dashing away last night but we had a thunder storm come threw so I had to go off line. Thank you for the pattern.


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## Kadydee (Apr 28, 2011)

Sam, how are the puppies doing?

Kathy


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

pug retirement said:


> Dave sorry about dashing away last night but we had a thunder storm come threw so I had to go off line. Thank you for the pattern.


Do hope you came through it OK, I know how fierce storms can be in your part of the world. We've had a fun day here, very laid-back and relaxing with zero fuss!

Hope the weather improves and you have a great Boxing Day.

Dave


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## seedstitch (Nov 29, 2011)

May the Force be with you.


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## pug retirement (Jun 5, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> pug retirement said:
> 
> 
> > Dave sorry about dashing away last night but we had a thunder storm come threw so I had to go off line. Thank you for the pattern.
> ...


Dave I came through it alright mate, as we say. This year we seem to have storms 2 or 3 times a week. But if I don't go off line I have the chance of the modem being affected on a permanent basis.

Glad you and the lads had a fun day. Enjoy the rest of the holidays.


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## KatyNora (Apr 10, 2011)

Just wanted to chime in with best Christmas/Boxing Day wishes to all before the day is gone. Christmas here has been very quiet since DD is in New York (her Christmas gift was a trip home for Thanksgiving). I sent filled stockings to her and her roommate and I'm told there was a pitched battle of Silly String in the streets of Brooklyn as a consequence. For myself, I had the fun of my stitch group stocking, which has become an annual ritual. I received homemade blackberry jam, some tea, a pair of bamboo flex needles, and several other goodies. And, of course, I've indulged in some of the TBS 24-hour marathon showing of _A Christmas Story_.  Happy holiday to all!


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## Sorlenna (Feb 17, 2011)

Our festivities have ended...good food (with leftovers for a couple of days), good company, and wonderful gifts made it quite a pleasant day all in all. I got a lovely cabled throw, some books, a movie, and great hugs (the best gift!). Now, for a cup of tea and one more cookie, and off I go to knit a bit. I hope you all have had a relaxing time as well this weekend.


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## pug retirement (Jun 5, 2011)

Thought I'd share this with you. a friend told me about these little beauties. 

Called coffee cup warmers. Everyone else probably knows about them. They plug into your computer. You put your cup of hot drink on them. They are great. In England they are priced at between 7 and 8 pounds each. Well in Australia they are price at between $12 to $60 each. In the US don't know by they really work.


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

pug retirement said:


> Thought I'd share this with you. a friend told me about these little beauties.
> 
> Called coffee cup warmers. Everyone else probably knows about them. They plug into your computer. You put your cup of hot drink on them. They are great. In England they are priced at between 7 and 8 pounds each. Well in Australia they are price at between $12 to $60 each. In the US don't know by they really work.


I'll have to check those out, pug. First place I head after I've fixed my morning coffee is the laptop, then I sign on to Knitting Paradise and forget I have coffee until it's cold. Too bad it's too late to ask Santa for one. Maybe I can hit the "after Christmas" sales.


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## pug retirement (Jun 5, 2011)

DorisT said:


> pug retirement said:
> 
> 
> > Thought I'd share this with you. a friend told me about these little beauties.
> ...


Doris. They really are the greatest things invented for us Kpers. No more cold drinks because you forgotten the drink. Great for hot Ribena toddies too.


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## margewhaples (Nov 18, 2011)

The end of a perfect day. Sunshine,Kingdom Hall and knitting and yet another day to finish my chores-so I can spend the res of the evening with all of you and my projects. It was quite warm here today with sun shining brightly until about 5pm and not a stir of wind or rain or gloom to spoil the day. Seems as if the calandar turned back when I hear how you all spent your day. Here everyone
in the neighborhood is playing loud electronics and I am well aware that this is 2012 going on 2050. I wonder what it will be like then. I haven't heard too many sirens so perhaps that is saying more people enjoyed the day. I will be spending new year's eve and new years day at the assembly for JWs in MiraLoma, a long drive in holiday traffic. It will I know it will be an enjoyable weekend though, as always. Now to get back to the projects have a happy years beginning and may it extend throughout the year. Marlark marge'


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## NanaCaren (May 17, 2011)

Things are all cleaned up everyone has gone. I have started stocking stuffers for next christmas. The oldest daughter has put in a request for snowflake ornaments for her tree. I will happily make she does so much to help out and asks little in return. Tomorrow I will be off to mom's as she couldn't make it over today. My youngest son will spend the day with his uncle who works too much. They will most likely spend the day playing video games.
Happy knitting to all


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## Lisa crafts 62 (Jan 23, 2011)

I have started the first of the three baby afghans that are needed for next year. My Aunt Rosie is getting some new greatgrandbabies. We had a good Christmas dinner just mom brother Steve & I. Next Sunday is Steve's Sunday with his girls & we will have Christmas for them. Merry Christmas to all 
LOVE HUGS & KISSES TO ALL MY KP FRIENDS & FAMILY
Lisa


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## pammie1234 (Apr 27, 2011)

Patty, I agree. One of my favorite books is Polar Express. I don't remember when I found out, but I guess it didn't matter because I have had no ill feelings about it. I don't think anyone in my family has either. Even though Santa did not come this year, too busy with other things, I have promised my 25 year old DD that he will appear next year! I still hear the bell ring as I still believe in Santa Claus!


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## pammie1234 (Apr 27, 2011)

A huge thank you to my DD for all the help she gave me in preparing for the family Christmas dinner. Everything went well and all had a great time. Food was delicious, everyone helps, and I am full! We decided not to give everyone in the family gifts this year, but I had started some projects and decided to give them as a "just because" gift. One was complete and I still have another to finish. My niece-in-law loved it! It was a hat and scarf in bright pink. Everyone was very complimentary. I am so glad it was appreciated. It was an awesome day, but my DD and I are tired! Even the pets are tired. Too much excitement I guess. Everything is almost cleaned up and put away, but we are through for the night! I hope everyone had a great day today even if it was not a holiday for you! I love my KP friends!


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## siouxann (Mar 5, 2011)

Such a peaceful day! Leisurely breakfast, my daughter made a delicious breakfast casserole in the slow cooker. We ate it with hot biscuits and Lavender Honey from a lavender farm just across the border into PA. We also indulged in some Mimosas with breakfast. Yumm! Among other things, I got a gift certificate to my LYS, along with some Noro pattern books and some findings. I've never knitted or crocheted with Noro, so I am looking forward to it. The patterns are lovely. All told, a very pleasant day. AND, I don't have to go back to work until Tuesday!! Life is good!


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## RookieRetiree (Jan 27, 2011)

We had a wonderful Christmas. We miss our SIL so much since his passing in October, but we incorporated new traditions in honor of his memory and we enjoyed all of our fond memories. Birthday breakfast with just the immedidate family and everyone was here to enjoy each other's company and thoughtful and very meaningful gifts. In early afternoon, we had extended family here with FIL, DH's twin and family, and SIL from my side (don't get to see my family enough---we're all spread out). Food turned out excellent and dessert (Thanks, Dreamweaver, for the bread pudding and bourbon hard sauce recipe) was superb. I'm still stuffed after a later afternoon nap. DS and DD are hanging around for a couple of days and other DD has this week off to be with her son so I have the week off from child care also --- whoo hhoo, what to tackle first. I received the Knitters Companion and 365 Stitches booklet so have a lot of knitting ahead of me. Hope it was a loving warm Christmas for those who celebrate - and wishing the peace and hope of the holidays and New Year -- New Adventures for you all.


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

kathy - they were both sold - i hated to see them go but i think it was the right thing to do - i really don't have the energy to train and put up with a pup and his boundless energy. they both went to terrific homes where there every wish will be given.

sam



Kadydee said:


> Sam, how are the puppies doing?
> 
> Kathy


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## maryanne (Feb 20, 2011)

How nice to read all these lovely posts.I'm so glad that everybody had a wonderful family time. I did too, yesterday and today. It tired me out though so I'll just say goodnight to all you fantastic people. I really do appreciate you all.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

pug retirement said:


> DorisT said:
> 
> 
> > pug retirement said:
> ...


They're brilliant little gadgets.We bought ours from Hong Kong for about £3 incl. p&p via ebay. Type "usb mug warmer" into the search box and dozens will come up.

Just be aware that although they are fantastic on chilly days, you do need to be near a mains power supply or have a solar panel to plug your computer into, you can forget all about seven hour battery life with one of these plugged into your laptop!

Dave


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## pug retirement (Jun 5, 2011)

See I don't move the computer from the one room. But thank you for the imformation.


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## pattys76 (Apr 7, 2011)

pammie1234 said:


> Patty, I agree. One of my favorite books is Polar Express. I don't remember when I found out, but I guess it didn't matter because I have had no ill feelings about it. I don't think anyone in my family has either. Even though Santa did not come this year, too busy with other things, I have promised my 25 year old DD that he will appear next year! I still hear the bell ring as I still believe in Santa Claus!


I haven't read that one. Going to have to find it and do so.


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## pattys76 (Apr 7, 2011)

thewren said:


> kathy - they were both sold - i hated to see them go but i think it was the right thing to do - i really don't have the energy to train and put up with a pup and his boundless energy. they both went to terrific homes where there every wish will be given.
> 
> sam
> 
> ...


Sam I think that as hard as that was for you, it was the right decision for the pups. You know that they went to great homes, where they will be loved and cared for. Sometimes that's the best gift we can give to a pup or kitten.

Thank you for making that decision.
Patty


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## darowil (Apr 17, 2011)

Hope you all had a great Christmas- assuming you celebrate it. 
My DH has been wonderful over Christmas- he has done most of the cooking and shopping- I refused to go to the market (last time I went at this time of the year I had to leave because of the crowds) and then the rest because he had worked out with his sister what was needed. After breakfast at one daughters on Saturday we went to David's parents and had 'Christmas dinner' that night. David and his sister did the hard work, while i sat in the cabin we stayed in knitted (finishing presents of course)a nd kept an eye on the roasting lamb and the heating pudding. 
Sunday breakfast DH cooked pancakes for everyaone then after presents and a turkey sandwich we headed back to Adelaide. Took about 31/2 to 4 hours to get to my other daughters as we needed to make some deviations to pick up other family members. Another turkey dinner, more presents and doing our yearly Christmas jigsaw puzzle. Three memorable things. My81 yo mother hugging her knitted christmas stocking, close to tears and saying I haven't had a christmas stocking since I was a child and now two in one day! My SIL repeatedly saying 'I have Audi socks'-glad they were appreciated as I had spent hours working out how to knit the design in (would never have attempted it if not for this site- and Dave's egg cosy's). And the best my daughter jumping up and giving her BIL (the afore mentioned SIL) a huge hug and almost knocking him over. He had a cap addressed to her and signed by Glenn McGrath (for non- cricket followers one of Australia's great cricketers in recent decades). She would have worn it to bed I think if I hadn't pointed out it might suffer from the experience.
Today was spent returning my mother to her place, including the contents of the stockings and then watching the cricket. And knitting of course! Socks from yarn and pattern recieved yesterday. Meant to have begun an item for a baby born Christmas Day, but discovered that I had got the wrong ply yarn so will need to go tomorrow and get the right one- most of our shops closed today but Spotlight will be open tomorrow. If i go early enough I can get back to watch the cricket and start the baby item.


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## kerryn (Sep 10, 2011)

I just have to say how much I've enjoyed all you wonderful people. No where else have I found people so willing to share indiscriminately their heartaches & joys, stories, recipes, history, humor.....and soooo much more! I look foreword to logging on in the morning and catching up on the TP. 
Thank you Dave for hosting and setting the tone.


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

We spent a nice restful day, DH and I. Our family is spread out in all parts of the U.S. so we hardly ever get together for the holidays, but we see each other on and off through the rest of the year. I've enjoyed reading all about others' celebrations, though. So glad you could share Christmas Day with each other. 

Talked to one son and daughter on the phone and saw the DD and her DH with Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Christmas in Ice festival in North Pole, AK. SIL is a City Councilman in NP and both of them are very active in local events. DD was part of the ribbon cutting ceremonies for the ice festival a couple of weeks ago and shows up every evening to do the accounting. If anyone happens to be up there, the festival lasts until January 8th. Yesterday, the temp was -7 when they had their picture taken - too cold for me.

Today I'll get to see one of my great grandchildren via webcam from Alaska. She is 2 1/2 years old. Have not met her in person yet, something I hope to correct in 2012 if we get to Seattle where she lives.

Had a nice little phone conversation with our 15-year-old granddaughter (the one who wants "nothing knitted" for Christmas). She's usually too shy to talk very much so she surprised me. We discussed where she might go to college. With her grades she should be able to get a scholarship. Her last report card showed every grade 92 and above even though half of her subjects are Advanced Placement courses.
I recently watched a video of her playing the piano at a Christmas recital so we had that to discuss, also. She and her parents are spending the holidays with her other grandparents in Key West, Florida, going fishing and kayaking, etc. But she misses her doggie back home.

Think I'll get out some yarn and try the "One Row Lace Scarf" that I saw in Pictures on KP yesterday. Very nice looking!


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## Marilyn K. (Jul 8, 2011)

Dave, 
I don't want to be cynical especially at Christmas but... about all negative words disappearing in a generation or two, I am from N.Y.C. , I love N.Y.C. but forgive me, as long as N.Y.C. exists I don't think there is a danger that political correctness will take over N.Y.C. all that soon. I think it may take several more generations. You know, in a way, and maybe it's because I am from N.Y.C., but I appreciate the honesty that goes with it. At least you know what people are really thinking not that they are just being "politically correct." 
marilyn


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Marilyn K. said:


> Dave,
> I don't want to be cynical especially at Christmas but... about all negative words disappearing in a generation or two, I am from N.Y.C. , I love N.Y.C. but forgive me, as long as N.Y.C. exists I don't think there is a danger that political correctness will take over N.Y.C. all that soon. I think it may take several more generations. You know, in a way, and maybe it's because I am from N.Y.C., but I appreciate the honesty that goes with it. At least you know what people are really thinking not that they are just being "politically correct."
> marilyn


No better time to be cynical, ask any tv scheduler!

I'm in two minds about political correctness, it is a trifle irksome at times and I don't entirely approve of censorship. It has brought about some entertaining court cases as the the laws governing the use of discriminatory language, also the rules regarding actors and performers 'blacking up' needed considerable tweaking. However, the process has huge benefits, within a couple of decades the careless and casual insults embedded in everyday speech have almost completely disappeared.

After the initial teething troubles, the process has proved to be far more successful than any of its originators could have ever dreamed. But it does need constant maintenance, language is a living entity.

Actually the whole thing functions in rather the same way as the crime-reduction iniatives that have proved so successful in New York in America. By removing graffitti and vandalism and applying zero-tolerance to minor criminality, there has been a marked reduction in crime as a whole and the cty has become far safer. This process has been exported to cities around the world.

There is no way in which people can be forced to behave respectfully to other sections of the community, but political correctness has highlighted many issues and increased awareness of the mechanisms of discrimation. As for obfuscating meaning, having eliminated terms that are inherently degrading to ethnic minorities, religious groups, the differently-abled, infirm, or on the basis of age, gender, sexual orientation, size or cultural heritage, meaning becomes much clearer. I am happy to confirm that when incompetents exercise me with their ineptitude and/or inattention to the task in hand, I am able to express my irritation at their short-comings quite easily and with all the subtlety of an air-raid!

Dave


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## margewhaples (Nov 18, 2011)

Bombs away Dave. I delight in you eloquence. Sam I commiserate with you in regard to allocating the puppies. I recall one year I had a litter of six Shelties all of whom I kept to the age of 5 mo. Of course my Dad, who really did not approve of breeding, wanted me in the worst way to divulge myself of some of the litter as they were getting to the "yappy" stage of puppyhood. I finally decided who would go and who would stay. I had 3 with championship potential. One female and two male. One who while very good in comformation and comportment was shy and quiet and positively hated dog show. I arranged the sale of all but the one I was keeping to a judge who was reworking his breeding stock and seeking to keep his blood lines. He very much wante my female which from the beginning was a keeper. On the day I was to ship the dogs my Dad said" Marge, call Don and tell him you are not going to send " Thunder". I had a very difficult time explaining that the politics would not be right for me to change my mind at that late time. The dogs were sent, but Dad would tolerate no further forays into breeding pups after that as he said it broke his heart. Today Thunder would no longer be with me, but I really wish I had a Black and white just like him. Your pups in good homes will receive good care and thats all we can ask if we can't keep them ourselves. One of my pups, Don kept through Championship, so we all got something. Yours, Marlark Marge.


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## dandylion (May 31, 2011)

Hello, everyone, I hope everyone who enjoys and celebrates Christmas had a very blessed Christmas Day. At 11:00pm, after about three hours, I still hadnt caught up on fb and KP pages, but I heaved a long sigh of grateful contentment for being alone and comfortable at last

After having had the full range of emotions over the weekend, it was good to be home, and reading good things about loved ones. That includes you! 

The dear friend who gave me Ms Izzy lost her husband unexpectedly, but peacefully last week, and his Indianapolis service was held on Friday. He is being buried on the 27th in another city in Northern Indiana. Transitioning from such sadness to the glory of Christmas in so few days cant be fully accomplished  ever  but we try. The shock and sadness of it is still with me, of course, and she just sent an email that she has never felt such sadness. She must be feeling so terribly alone after 31 years of being with him. We have been friends for almost that long, and there are five of us ladies who worked together and have remained friends she can rely upon. May we, please be able to give her what she needs at this time? Amen
The rest of the holiday weekend was full and comforting, and brought me even closer to my family to know that they consider me part of their traditions. This is definitely a season of peace and good will, no matter who believes in what! 
You all have my good wishes for now and the new year.


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

i was just looking at a website call "serious eats" - a very good site for wonderful recipes. we had been talking about "eggs in a hole" sandwiches - well - this is an even better take on the dish.

enjoy - i intend to make one for breakfast tomorrow - if i had eggs i would make one right now.

sam

2 slices of sandwich bread, two tablespoons of butter, 2 eggs, and 2 to 3 slices of cheese. I like using a mix of American (for gooeyness) and cheddar (for flavor). You'll also want to have some salt on hand.

You can use a fancy ring mold for this, an empty can with both ends cut off (tomato paste cans work great), or the lid to a mason jar, like I'm using here. Cut a hole out of the center of each slice of bread.

You want to pre-toast the bread. Otherwise the egg will overcook by the time the toast is properly browned. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat, and cook the bread until it's lightly browned on the bottom side.

Add another half teaspoon of butter to the center of each eye, let it melt, then break an egg into it. Season them with salt. Cook until the eggs can easily be lifted from underneath with a thin spatula.

Flip each slice of bread over (carefully!), and place a slice of cheese over each one. Meanwhile, place a folded slice of cheese in between the circular cutouts. 
Once the bottoms of both slices of bread are lightly browned, carefully close the sandwiches and cook for another minute or two until they are deeply browned and the cheese is fully melted.

and... Eggsplode!


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## maryanne (Feb 20, 2011)

Hi Sam. Thanks for the recipe and the good chuckle. I'm sure I will enjoy this Eggsplosion. I may also try it with a round of Canadian bacon.


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## siouxann (Mar 5, 2011)

Sounds yummy, Sam!


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Day Four of the marathon Festive Weekend and I hope everybody is still having fun and not downloading instructions on how to file for divorce!

We all went to watch _The Lad_ race yesterday, it was a fun 'club meeting' so no pressure for points. He came third in one of his two races which we're all very pleased with, another dust-harbourer for his growing collection.

I did ask if the boys wanted to do anything special to-day, it's a Bank Holiday in the UK, one wants to carry on reading Hobbes, another asked me to teach him how to make lemon marmalade and _The Lad_ is playing with his new toy; this afternoon, we're getting the _Scalextric_ out!

Has anybody been to the 'January' sales yet? Get any bargains? I do intend to have some fun myself, it's time for some new duvet covers and I'm running low on tea towels, I'm also considering buying one of those little mini-choppers for making small quantities of salsa etc., without using the full-sized food processor. I don't really need much, so I can wait until the shops quieten down, they usually get desperate by week three and they never seem to run out of linens!

Dave


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## patocenizo (Jun 24, 2011)

It is 4:11 am here in so Cal and that sounds like a good and serious eat! clever way to improvise the fancy bread cutter!


thewren said:


> i was just looking at a website call "serious eats" - a very good site for wonderful recipes. we had been talking about "eggs in a hole" sandwiches - well - this is an even better take on the dish.
> 
> enjoy - i intend to make one for breakfast tomorrow - if i had eggs i would make one right now.
> 
> ...


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## Wynn11 (Jul 20, 2011)

Pat, I'm up too. What are we doing????? I know I'm crazy - just couldn't sleep. The Messiah kept running around in my head.

Dave, you might want to try one of those little hand blenders, too. I bought my son a new one for Christmas as hiw old one wore out. He uses it to liquify sauces (tomato, etc.) and is a heck of a lot easier than a blender. Yuck!


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## patocenizo (Jun 24, 2011)

Hi Wynn 11, I always get up at this time of the morning. Usually I am at the gym by 5:30 work out for one hour come home and I am at work by 8:10 am. Having said all of that I am in bed by 8:00 pm. Today my workout is at 1:00 pm so I have time to sit at the computer.


Wynn11 said:


> Pat, I'm up too. What are we doing????? I know I'm crazy - just couldn't sleep. The Messiah kept running around in my head.
> 
> Dave, you might want to try one of those little hand blenders, too. I bought my son a new one for Christmas as hiw old one wore out. He uses it to liquify sauces (tomato, etc.) and is a heck of a lot easier than a blender. Yuck!


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## NanaCaren (May 17, 2011)

Sam 
Think I'll have to try this version of the egg dish. Thank you for posting it.

Dave
The small processors are very useful. We use ours a lot more often than I thought we would. 

THe kids have already started putting in requests for gifts for next year. Most of them are small handmade items. Yesterday I spent visiting with my mom. She made me a hat for christmas, I love it. It must have taken her a while to make as she has arthritis in both hands. SHe can only knit/crochet for few mins at a time.


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

Does anyone use Skype? It's a way to make free phone calls to your friends and if you have a webcam you can see them, too.

I just downloaded it last night, then my daughter in Alaska called me. She and her DH had our great granddaughter at their house for a few hours so I was able to watch her open the Christmas gifts that we had sent her. That was so much fun! She's a little sweetie, only 2 1/2 years old. I had crocheted a hat with earflaps for her, too, but I decided it could have been bigger so I'll make her another one but make it a little larger. I showed her our kitten, but she was more interested in her gifts. 

Now I have to find out who among my contacts has Skype. I think my South Carolina son does.

Sue, I'm so sorry for your friend's loss. I hope her period of grief and mourning will not be too long. You and your friends will have to take her to lunch more often and let her "talk it out." I can imagine how hard it must be for her, but at least it doesn't sound as if he suffered.

Speaking of "talking it out" I called my nephew in Maine yesterday and we talked for about three hours. He's retired, lives alone and doesn't get out much so we talked about everything under the sun. And we had a couple of belly laughs which is always good for the soul!

Dave, congratulations to Richie for his win and trophy. And thanks for the info on the mug warmer. I'll see what I can find in the local stores. My coffee mug is 3 1/2" across and the warmers I saw on eBay don't look that big.

We're having a gloomy, rainy day so it may be a good day to catch up on some reading. I have about 24 library books that I need to tackle.


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

Sam, I think I posted the URL for serious eats a while ago, but there is also a book entitled "Serious Eats." I borrowed it from the library, but don't know yet if the two are connected. Under the subject of eggs, they give at least 24 different names for the eggs and toast recipe, but said the most common one is Egg in Toast. LOL That figures!

Hope you enjoy your egg in toast - it certainly sounds nutritious. My DH makes an Egg McMuffin sort of like McDonald's with an English Muffin, a fried egg, and sometimes bacon. They're really good!!

P.S.: Just checked the book; the author, Ed Levine, is the founder of SeriousEats.com. The website has won two James Beard awards and was voted one of the Top 50 Websites by Time magazine in 2008 and 2010. Guess we should frequent it more often, eh?


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## dandylion (May 31, 2011)

Snow, Snow, Snow, beautiful big flakes coming down in Indy today! A little late for Christmas, but what a sight. Unfortunately, the work week has started for a lot of people. 

Thanks Doris, for the advice. I certainly will try to be there for my friend, and I CAN be available since I am retired. 

BTW, Doris, I gave Izzy a long, stuffed toy for Christmas, but the only time she plays with it is if I play with, too. It doesn't seem to interest her, except to gently fight with it/me. She plays with little stuffed mice, and my feet or hands under the covers. Otherwise, she's just content being a lap cat or sleeping. She also, is not really cooperative with being combed for very long. Is there a special trick to that? 
Any other cat lovers, feel free to jump in with advice on that, also, Having always been a dog owner until lately, I'm not expert in cat ownership.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

NanaCaren, that's what I'm thinking. My trusty Kenwood Chef and liquidiser are permanently out, it has its own cupboard underneath for all the attachments, so I don't need another blender. I do have a small food processor with a 1.2L bowl, it's quite good, especially for cutting fat into the flour for shortcrust pastry; my hands are always warm, not ideal for pastry. 

I've seen a couple of the small choppers in the style of the little food processor but with a 0.4L bowl, that looks perfect for when I just want to chop enough for one or two. There's always a point where one asks oneself, "Does this quantity justify getting out the processor?"

I'm afraid I'm getting lazy and starting to use more gadgets as time goes by, I sometimes wonder how we'll ever cope if there's a massive solar flare or an EMP.

Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Doris, we'd never measured our cup warmers until you mentioned it. They're exactly three inches in diameter, which is the standard size base of UK mugs. 

One of my elves is currently emptying the kitchen china cabinets to check, he's found an Art Deco style set with a 2.5" base, also the rather peculiar French ones with the uncomfortable handles are smaller at 7cms (2.75ins), but none larger so far. 

I do hope he doesn't decide to file them according to his own peculiar logic, he once sorted all the vases by capacity, I couldn't find anything for weeks! 

Dave


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## Sorlenna (Feb 17, 2011)

One of our DDs got one of those mini food choppers for Christmas, and she was quite happy to see it--since she cooks for one most of the time, she will likely get a lot of use out of it. I generally tend to chop things by hand (it's good therapy at times! Heh) or use an old chopper I've had since I was first married (almost 30 years ago now). It's a German "machine" that has a crank handle and some snap on blades (they're sort of conical in shape)--no electricity needed and it shreds, slices, and chops like a dream. I wonder if they're even still made?


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> Doris, we'd never measured our cup warmers until you mentioned it. They're exactly three inches in diameter, which is the standard size base of UK mugs.
> 
> One of my elves is currently emptying the kitchen china cabinets to check, he's found an Art Deco style set with a 2.5" base, also the rather peculiar French ones with the uncomfortable handles are smaller at 7cms (2.75ins), but none larger so far.
> 
> ...


Mine is five inches in diameter so I am wondering if it is meant to keep the teapot on or a coffee cafe. It was given as a gift so I dont know where it was bought. It has a cord that plugs right into the wall outlet. I have not ever used it since a tea cozy works so well and the coffee is in the coffee maker. I only drink one large cup of coffee and the last quarter is cool to drink. Suits me just fine.
I have one of those small "blender" things called the Magic Bullet. It was given to me about five years ago for Christmas. My son and his girlfriend were the only ones who used it -- they made milkshakes for every one!! I may start using it this year as I have a very sore mouth and find chewing difficult at times (all due to fibermyalgia). I have the Mr Gobbler in the oven, stuffed full of stuffing! I am doing up the mashed potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie is already baked and cooling off! Mom is doing all the rest of the evening meal. 
I got my son home yesterday and he is still sleeping yet and it is 12noon!!! Oh well, he is glad to be home too!


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## NanaCaren (May 17, 2011)

I've seen a couple of the small choppers in the style of the little food processor but with a 0.4L bowl, that looks perfect for when I just want to chop enough for one or two. There's always a point where one asks oneself, "Does this quantity justify getting out the processor?"

I'm afraid I'm getting lazy and starting to use more gadgets as time goes by, I sometimes wonder how we'll ever cope if there's a massive solar flare or an EMP.

Dave[/quote]

I know what you mean. I have used my gadgets more in this past year than ever before. It makes things easier when trying to accommodate two very different palates. My daughter likes lots of veggies, pasta and no sauces, my son likes sauces, meat and potatoes.


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## NanaCaren (May 17, 2011)

Sorlenna,
I have a couple of those. One I've had for years the other one is about 6 years. It was made by tupperware. I let the grandkids use them when they help me in the kitchen. They like the fact that they are making it work.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

I think yours must be for a tea pot or a coffe pot, 5mmdpns. These little hot plates plug into a computer's usb socket and just keep a cup of coffee or Ribena warm. I find mine very useful, it's so very easy to lose track of time and my coffee was always getting cold. 

I have a particular aversion to drinks that are 'tepid', one my nannies insisted cold milk would, "put a chill on one's stomach", it had to be warmed slightly before I was allowed to drink it. As a consequence I can't abide milk, I only ever use it in cooking where I can't see it and be reminded of this awful practice. Luckily she lasted less than a year, her replacement was much more sensible.

Dave


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

Just read on the news that the Prince Philip has been released from hospital, so all the royals are together. Must be very comforting for our Queen to know her husband is doing well!

The last bit of coffee in my mug is similar to the iced coffee one can buy. If it isnt chilly enough, I add one ice cube! Otherwise I like my coffee hot with a dash of milk and sweetener. Tea I will occasionally drink when I have a cold, and then I like it with a bit of honey in it, so nice to sip on it with some soft music playing!
It is really the only time I ever have some milk as it seems to "stick" in my throat. Those coffee whiteners never seem to agree with my taste buds so I leave them on the shelf for others to buy!


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## Lisa crafts 62 (Jan 23, 2011)

My mom's grandma told them that burnt toast was good for them & bread crust would curl your hair. I am working on the first of 3 baby afghans that are need next year.
Lisa


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## dandylion (May 31, 2011)

Caught up on all kp pages,but my memory is failing me on what to comment on, but : 
Congratulations to Dave, and son, 
Good news about Prince Phillip, 
I find choping vegetables thereaputic, but have the gadgets in case I ever cook for a large banquet. 
I can drink room temp. liquids with no problem, 
and, my new egg dishes are from recipes from Hungry Girl, eggs in a cup. Cooking or scrambling one or two eggs in a skillet, on the stove, isn't too difficult to do,hwoever, so I expect that this is just a passing fancy for me. 
Enjoy the next week, all.


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## pattys76 (Apr 7, 2011)

Dave, I have one of those mini food processors, my oldest sister bought it for me, at first I didn't use it, but once I got used to it it is SOOO much easier than chopping small amounts for salsa or other things by hand. Chopping onions without tears was the selling point for me! If you can find one, you'll love it!


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## pattys76 (Apr 7, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> Doris, we'd never measured our cup warmers until you mentioned it. They're exactly three inches in diameter, which is the standard size base of UK mugs.
> 
> One of my elves is currently emptying the kitchen china cabinets to check, he's found an Art Deco style set with a 2.5" base, also the rather peculiar French ones with the uncomfortable handles are smaller at 7cms (2.75ins), but none larger so far.
> 
> ...


Dave I know what you mean. My son is autistic and at one time he wanted to organize our videos, not simply alphabetically, but by production company, then year, THEN alphabetically. It took me quite a while to convince him that the rest of us were quite a bit slower than him and we needed them just simply alphabetically.


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## pammie1234 (Apr 27, 2011)

I'm so behind in the posts. Keep 'em coming cause they all make for relaxing reading.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

dandylion said:


> Caught up on all kp pages,but my memory is failing me on what to comment on, but :
> Congratulations to Dave, and son,
> Good news about Prince Phillip,
> I find choping vegetables thereaputic, but have the gadgets in case I ever cook for a large banquet.
> ...


Thanks, I'm really proud of his achievements, we had a great time cheering him on and luckily it's very mild in the UK at the moment, and dry!

It can be relaxing, but I definitely have to be in the mood to do lots of chopping and dicing, paricularly if it's couple of marrows into neat quarter inch dice for jam! But quick fine chopping for salsa or sauces, expediency wins.

Dave


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## pattys76 (Apr 7, 2011)

Wynn11 said:


> Pat, I'm up too. What are we doing????? I know I'm crazy - just couldn't sleep. The Messiah kept running around in my head.
> 
> Dave, you might want to try one of those little hand blenders, too. I bought my son a new one for Christmas as hiw old one wore out. He uses it to liquify sauces (tomato, etc.) and is a heck of a lot easier than a blender. Yuck!


Wynn11, I love the Messiah!! My daughter's choir class has done a selection of the Messiah choruses for the last two years, not just the class, but Professional soloists, and a semi pro choral group from Fresno (about a 90 minute drive from here), along with community members from here in Porterville. I joined in too, and we had a blast. I'm learning not to fear the high notes.


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

pattys76 said:


> Wynn11 said:
> 
> 
> > Pat, I'm up too. What are we doing????? I know I'm crazy - just couldn't sleep. The Messiah kept running around in my head.
> ...


On Christmas Day, the entire Handels Messiah played right through over the radio. Broadcast the choir from St Pauls church in Montreal. Then I find out that my brother's BIL has sung the entire 53 sections of the Messiah when he was in a 200 voice choir! It would be so thrilling to see this done in person!


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## pattys76 (Apr 7, 2011)

Sorlenna said:


> One of our DDs got one of those mini food choppers for Christmas, and she was quite happy to see it--since she cooks for one most of the time, she will likely get a lot of use out of it. I generally tend to chop things by hand (it's good therapy at times! Heh) or use an old chopper I've had since I was first married (almost 30 years ago now). It's a German "machine" that has a crank handle and some snap on blades (they're sort of conical in shape)--no electricity needed and it shreds, slices, and chops like a dream. I wonder if they're even still made?


OOH Sorlena!! I have one of those! Or at least something similar, it screw clamps to my cutting board or counter, and the different blades screw into the cutting head that looks somewhat like a corkscrew. I've used it for 35 years, mostly for making Chow-Chow. I can't remember the recipe right now, I'll have to look it up before I can make it again.


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## dandylion (May 31, 2011)

Agreed, Dave. For grinding and frozen drinks, the quicker/easier the better !



FireballDave said:


> dandylion said:
> 
> 
> > Caught up on all kp pages,but my memory is failing me on what to comment on, but :
> ...


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## dandylion (May 31, 2011)

I think I just lost my mind!!!!! I upgraded to Windows 9, and then a day later had to delete one Norton suite and change to the Norton Security Suite, provided free, by my service provider. Kids, Do not do this at home!!!

It's only 3:20 pm, here, but I think the drinking MUST BEGIN NOW!!!!!


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

dandylion said:


> I think I just lost my mind!!!!! I upgraded to Windows 9, and then a day later had to delete one Norton suite and change to the Norton Security Suite, provided free, by my service provider. Kids, Do not do this at home!!!
> 
> It's only 3:20 pm, here, but I think the drinking MUST BEGIN NOW!!!!!


There are a lot of servers who provide Norton Security Suite for free. It is all part of the server's package. Any/all previous versions need to be deleted from your hard drive and the new one installed. There are some things that used to work with older versions of Windows but do not work on the new one. It is just "one of those things" you have to live with/around. I have done these things and it is not a problem as long as you follow the instructions given to you.


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## pug retirement (Jun 5, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> I think yours must be for a tea pot or a coffe pot, 5mmdpns. These little hot plates plug into a computer's usb socket and just keep a cup of coffee or Ribena warm. I find mine very useful, it's so very easy to lose track of time and my coffee was always getting cold.
> 
> I have a particular aversion to drinks that are 'tepid', one my nannies insisted cold milk would, "put a chill on one's stomach", it had to be warmed slightly before I was allowed to drink it. As a consequence I can't abide milk, I only ever use it in cooking where I can't see it and be reminded of this awful practice. Luckily she lasted less than a year, her replacement was much more sensible.
> 
> Dave


HaHA Another one who does like tepid drinks. Thats for other people.

Congratulations on the lad and his win.

My husband many years ago decided to sort the pantry out well He had them in aphabetical and sizes big ones in the back and small ones in the front. The coffee was on the top shelf at the back. Great for him as he was over 6ft but no good for me as I'm a bit over 5". So to me it was a no go. I told him to get a hobby of some sort.

Someone mentioned about Windows 9 but I'm curious about Windows 7 does it have a restore point in part of it.

Yes its good to hear that Prince Phillip has been discharged from hospital.


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## dandylion (May 31, 2011)

My problem was with Add ons. Once I was able to disconnect all of those new add ons, my problem may have been solved. I hope so.

You are so right 5mmdpns, we just have to muddle through!

My choice of cocktail was a very tasty Bloody Mary. It seems to be just the thing!!! Given that the title may contain a very bad British Expletive. I was wondering what that drink is called in London, Dave, and any other tidbits of info you have on the subject of that expletive or a tomato, vodka and hot sauce drink that we, Americans call a Bloody Mary ?
PS I also enjoy what we call a Bloody Bess, which is Beer and Tomato Juice in about equal parts.



5mmdpns said:


> dandylion said:
> 
> 
> > I think I just lost my mind!!!!! I upgraded to Windows 9, and then a day later had to delete one Norton suite and change to the Norton Security Suite, provided free, by my service provider. Kids, Do not do this at home!!!
> ...


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## Sorlenna (Feb 17, 2011)

pattys76 said:


> OOH Sorlena!! I have one of those! Or at least something similar, it screw clamps to my cutting board or counter, and the different blades screw into the cutting head that looks somewhat like a corkscrew. I've used it for 35 years, mostly for making Chow-Chow. I can't remember the recipe right now, I'll have to look it up before I can make it again.


Mine has three legs with rubber circles that suction to the counter (and my cutting board fits exactly between the feet). All the rest is stainless steel, and it comes apart for cleaning. I LOVE it for shredding potatoes for hash browns, and it makes short work of veggies for soups & stews. This one came from a German food store in San Antonio around 1982, I think. I don't expect I'll ever need to replace it, either!


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

pug retirement said:


> FireballDave said:
> 
> 
> > I think yours must be for a tea pot or a coffe pot, 5mmdpns. These little hot plates plug into a computer's usb socket and just keep a cup of coffee or Ribena warm. I find mine very useful, it's so very easy to lose track of time and my coffee was always getting cold.
> ...


Not a win this time, but _The Lad_ did scramble onto the podium after riding exceedingly well. He thoroughly deserved his trophy and is hoping for the top step next time!

He does have a thing about filing though, he even tidies his room, it isn't normal for a teenager!

The Prince looked very well as he left hospital, good job he's a fit and healthy man for his age. There aren't many ninety yearolds who could do over three hundred public engagements in one year, maybe it's what keeps him going.

Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

dandylion said:


> My choice of cocktail was a very tasty Bloody Mary. It seems to be just the thing!!! Given that the title may contain a very bad British Expletive. I was wondering what that drink is called in London, Dave, and any other tidbits of info you have on the subject of that expletive or a tomato, vodka and hot sauce drink that we, Americans call a Bloody Mary ?
> PS I also enjoy what we call a Bloody Bess, which is Beer and Tomato Juice in about equal parts.


It's called a _Bloody Mary_ here too, although the English version contains Worcester Sauce, Tabasco, black pepper, celery salt and our favourite ingredient, lime cordial! Contrary to popular myth, it's unlikely to have been named after Mary Tudor although it was her nickname.

It's origin is interesting, simple vodka and tomato juice was being served in the 1920s in Harry's New York and this ties in with suggestions it was named after movie star Mary Pickford.

All the added flavours that make up the modern drink were added much later. It started appearing in it's present form in London during WWII, which is where the lemon juice was substituted for lime. This is important, it arrived with the original name already attached and the use of lime cordial suggests the early stages of the war; lemons disappeared before the North Africa campaign got going. London's hotels were teeming with American writers and broadcasters, it's more than likely they imported it, the drink certainly caught on very rapidly.

Those are all the notes I jotted down when I was learning to make cocktails, rather vague which indicates I never got asked for a definitive answer.

Beer and tomato juice is known as _Red-Eye Beer_ in England. It appeared when the gassy 'Continental' lagers started arriving in the 1960s. In London the lager-type beers first caught on with the printers, it's hot thirsty work and they mixed it half-and-half with traditional bitter or bottled 'light ale' to knock the gas out of it and still have a cold drink. I remember being told by a Fleet Street barman that the girls would ask for a four ounce bottle of tomato juice to be topped up with six ounces of lager to fill a half-pint glass, he thought the idea came from Canada.

It crossed the gender divide when a shot of vodka started being added in the late 1970s. It never caught on a big way, although it is very refreshing in Summer and is no longer considered gender specific.

Dave


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## mavisb (Apr 18, 2011)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Australia has not had a good time either this year with all the floods in Queensland and New Zealand our neighbours will all their earthquakes, I have acquaintances over there ie Doctors that I have worked with here in Australia and now poor Prince Phillip. There have been earthquakes in other countries as well that have lost lives. I pray for all the people that are affected by these disasters.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

mavisb said:


> Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Australia has not had a good time either this year with all the floods in Queensland and New Zealand our neighbours will all their earthquakes, I have acquaintances over there ie Doctors that I have worked with here in Australia and now poor Prince Phillip. There have been earthquakes in other countries as well that have lost lives. I pray for all the people that are affected by these disasters.


All the best to you too. Let's hope 2012 will be better with a quieter planet.

Dave


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## dandylion (May 31, 2011)

That IS interesting, Dave. We make ours the same way except for the lime cordial. Very , hot, spicy and tangy here. 
Thanks, as usual you're exceptional. 

quote from Dave (It's called a Bloody Mary here too, although the English version contains Worcester Sauce, Tabasco, black pepper, elery salt and our favourite ingredient, lime cordial! Contrary to popular myth, it's unlikely to have been named after Mary Tudor although it was her nickname. 

It's origin is interesting, simple vodka and tomato juice was being served in the 1920s in Harry's New York and this ties in with suggestions it was named after movie star Mary Pickford. )


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## NanaCaren (May 17, 2011)

The rain has now turned into snow. Hope we don't get the 8" that is called for. 
Working on a project inspired by my youngest sis. Hope it turns out the way I want it too. 
Tonight I turned left over shepherds pie into homemade hot pockets for my husband to take to work with him.


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## standsalonewolf (Dec 1, 2011)

hot pie and sleet nice combination
it's amazing how the cold weather brings people closer together


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## pammie1234 (Apr 27, 2011)

I have knitted most of the day. It was wonderful. My DD was gone and the pets did a lot of sleeping. Going to continue tonight while I watch basketball on TV.


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## standsalonewolf (Dec 1, 2011)

sounds like a plan


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## Kadydee (Apr 28, 2011)

Sam, I know you did the best for you and the pups. 

Kathy


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

dave - what is Scalextric?

sam


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## standsalonewolf (Dec 1, 2011)

it's an electric car racing game I just googled it


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## dandylion (May 31, 2011)

Our Pacers won last night. That was a relief. 
Our snow has almost all melted. It was pretty while it lasted.
I'm watching CSPAN of all things, and playing a game called Flowers on My MSN homepage.

I'm not quite sure what Iwant to knit now. Lots of options, but no inspiration, now that all of the gifts have been given. 


pammie1234 said:


> I have knitted most of the day. It was wonderful. My DD was gone and the pets did a lot of sleeping. Going to continue tonight while I watch basketball on TV.


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## pammie1234 (Apr 27, 2011)

I'm afraid I'm getting lazy and starting to use more gadgets as time goes by, I sometimes wonder how we'll ever cope if there's a massive solar flare or an EMP.

Dave[/quote]

I am afraid that I have an uncontrollable love for kitchen gadgets. I see them and think I must have it. I have learned to control the desire, however, because it is hard to justify buying something that I may never use! They just fascinate me!


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## DianneLR (Dec 22, 2011)

I just can't fatham Christmas, 30 degrees, eating outside and mosquitos all on one day. Here we are more likely to have -30 degrees, eating inside with a hot fire in the fire place and frost designs on the windows. Although this year we were about half way in between the two (about 3 degrees). Happy New Year to you guys down under.


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## standsalonewolf (Dec 1, 2011)

just like global warming it doesn't exist these globalists are making stuff up to scare people


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## pammie1234 (Apr 27, 2011)

Now that 2012 is approaching, I was wondering what traditions everyone has. In Texas, we eat black-eyed peas on the 1st for good luck throughout the year. We also eat cabbage because it is supposed to help us financially. I need to eat a lot this Sunday because I need some luck and lots of money!


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

pammie1234 said:


> Now that 2012 is approaching, I was wondering what traditions everyone has. In Texas, we eat black-eyed peas on the 1st for good luck throughout the year. We also eat cabbage because it is supposed to help us financially. I need to eat a lot this Sunday because I need some luck and lots of money!


We started a tradition years ago to eat Chinese food on New Year's Eve. Our DD sent us a gift certficate to our favorite Chinese restaurant so that's what we'll be doing on Dec. 31st, 2011.


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

Dave, I keep reading about this Ribena. I'll have to see if we can buy it here. I like to have a cup of warm cocoa before I go to bed. It seems to help me have a good night's sleep. Would Ribena do the same?


----------



## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

Sue, I'm sorry Ms Izzy doesn't seem to like her stuffed toy. Andie is still fascinated by hers. She tears into that little doggie; I'm surprised he's still in one piece.

Re your question about brushing her, I think cats have to become accustomed to brushing and combing from the time they're a tiny kitten. Our last cat was long-haired and he wouldn't let us brush his backside; consequently, he had mats of hair that had to be shaved ar the vet from time to time. Sometimes, they had to sedate him to do it.

Our DD bought Andie a laser toy for Christmas. It rotates and throws the laser beam in all directions. She chases it in circles and wears herself out, which is what we want. LOL You can set it to run for different amounts of time, but after 5 or 10 minutes she's wiped out.


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## mjs (Mar 3, 2011)

DorisT said:


> Dave, I keep reading about this Ribena. I'll have to see if we can buy it here. I like to have a cup of warm cocoa before I go to bed. It seems to help me have a good night's sleep. Would Ribena do the same?


You can find ribena on Amazon.


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## LesleighAnne (Jun 25, 2011)

DianneLR said:


> I just can't fatham Christmas, 30 degrees, eating outside and mosquitos all on one day. Here we are more likely to have -30 degrees, eating inside with a hot fire in the fire place and frost designs on the windows. Although this year we were about half way in between the two (about 3 degrees). Happy New Year to you guys down under.


I know what you mean. A lot of Australians have gone to the cold plater Christmas meal and my family has a little bit. It is hard to change after growing up with having certian foods as a Christmas treat to go away from it and some foods have a particular memory. Great grand mothers christmas pudding and cake, grandma's shortbread and so on and so on.


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## dandylion (May 31, 2011)

We have corned beef and cabbage, and black-eyed peas, also. A dear Latvian lady put me in the habit of wrapping coins in tin foil and dropping them into my boiling cabbage to bring me good fortune in the new year.


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## LesleighAnne (Jun 25, 2011)

pammie1234 said:


> Now that 2012 is approaching, I was wondering what traditions everyone has. In Texas, we eat black-eyed peas on the 1st for good luck throughout the year. We also eat cabbage because it is supposed to help us financially. I need to eat a lot this Sunday because I need some luck and lots of money!


We don't have a New Year tradition. I and my family have never been big on seeing the new year in or making resolutions. Even without that I do look at the New Year as a time to reflect and improve.


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## In Memory of Scottybear (Sep 20, 2011)

We had a real hot Christmas day, but still had the full hot meal. Wouldn't seem like Christmas without it. For new year we always went to Hogmanay with the Scottish Society in Hobart, but here in Cootamundra nobody seems to do much at all, and even if I try and sit up, I usually go to sleep in the chair and wake long after midnight all uncomfortable, so now just go to bed.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

thewren said:


> dave - what is Scalextric?
> 
> sam


It's a slot car racing system, where you build a circuit using sections of track and race electric model cars. We have built up enough track over the years that we can recreate several or the GP circuits, or we can arrange it for four people to race side by side.

Best toy ever, every boy should have a set!


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

i should learn to google before i ask - i just forget.

sam



standsalonewolf said:


> it's an electric car racing game I just googled it


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

DianneLR said:


> I just can't fatham Christmas, 30 degrees, eating outside and mosquitos all on one day.
> 
> i could put up with the mosquitos for warm weather.
> 
> sam


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

it's always been a tradition in our family to have pork and kraut for new year's day dinner. our famiy is mainly german and i was always told it was german tradition. who knows - i love port and kraut.

i was thinking as i was writing this - does no one in germany knit or are they just missing the tea party. i have never seen anyone on kp from germany. just a thought.

i really should go to bed.

sam


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

dave - isn't it a little late for you to be up?

sam


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

dandylion said:


> That IS interesting, Dave. We make ours the same way except for the lime cordial. Very , hot, spicy and tangy here.
> Thanks, as usual you're exceptional.


It's hanging around in pubs and bars, listening to barmen's tales that does it!

Dave


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

dave - the time given when you write something - that isn't london time is it?

sam


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

DorisT said:


> Dave, I keep reading about this Ribena. I'll have to see if we can buy it here. I like to have a cup of warm cocoa before I go to bed. It seems to help me have a good night's sleep. Would Ribena do the same?


There's no caffeine in blackcurrant, so it won't keep you awake. It's incredibly high in vitamin C, its original purpose was, as with lime cordial, to protect against scurvy, this time it was because of wartime rationing and shortages, a lot of Brits acquire a taste for it made up with hot water, as children.

The vitamin C content and the drinks original purpose means it gets treated similarly to lime cordial. If you get a bottle, try mixing a small amount, a little under one fluid ounce, with rum or try it in a pint of lager, a certain Dutch lad of my acquaintance is addicted to the flavour!

Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

thewren said:


> dave - isn't it a little late for you to be up?
> 
> sam


I get up at 5:45a.m. most days, The boys went down to the bakery at 6:00 for fresh croissants, then to the sweet shop for an extra newspaper and tooth-rot. Having more hours available, means I can operate at a more leisurely pace.

Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

thewren said:


> dave - the time given when you write something - that isn't london time is it?
> 
> sam


According to my clocks, it's 7:35a.m. in London, 2:35a.m. New York time, 3:35 in LA, 6:35pm in Canberra and 8:35p.m in New Zealand.

Dave


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## In Memory of Scottybear (Sep 20, 2011)

Hi Dave,
We have daylight saving here and in NZ so it is actually 7.38 pm here on the Eastern seaboard and 9.38 pm in NZ.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

scottybearNSW said:


> Hi Dave,
> We have daylight saving here and in NZ so it is actually 7.38 pm here on the Eastern seaboard and 9.38 pm in NZ.


I know you have a number of time zones in Australia and that not all of them are on daylight saving, I could have chosen Perth as my example of how wide the appeal of KP is.

That's a good idea, starting next year, I'll throw darts at the atlas and use where they land in my weekly Tea Party Greeting. I'm rotten at darts, the results should be quirky to say the least!

Dave


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## siouxann (Mar 5, 2011)

Sam, What I do is take whatever time is on one of Dave's posts and add 5 hours to it. The time given on KP is East Coast US time, at least for me. As I write this, my computer says it is 4:41 a.m., eastern standard time. I figure that in London it is 9:41, and 1:41 (maybe) in LA.


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## siouxann (Mar 5, 2011)

Just wondering, do they have time zones in Antarctica?


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

siouxann said:


> Just wondering, do they have time zones in Antarctica?


Oh yes, a positively bewildering number of them! Vostok Station, the magnetic South Pole is GMT +6, but you can take your pick, Antarctica covers a very large area.

Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

siouxann said:


> Just wondering, do they have time zones in Antarctica?


If you mean the physical South Pole, like the North Pole, their clocks are set to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) which is the same as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). But since the only people at the South Pole are scientists, they set their personal clocks and watches to the time zone in their country of origin for practical purposes.

I re-read your question and realised you possibly weren't talking about the continent as a whole. Does that help clarify things?

Dave


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## darowil (Apr 17, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> I know you have a number of time zones in Australia and that not all of them are on daylight saving, I could have chosen Perth as my example of how wide the appeal of KP is.
> 
> That's a good idea, starting next year, I'll throw darts at the atlas and use where they land in my weekly Tea Party Greeting. I'm rotten at darts, the results should be quirky to say the least!
> 
> Dave


We currently have 5 time zones (two on the Eastern coast, 2 for the centre and 1 on the Western coast. Fortunately the state of Western Australia takes up the whole of the Western coast).

We are looking at a very hot New Year 39C (102F), Christmas was nice only about 30C (85F). We have a large variety of weather patterns in Australia and most will probably be cooler though some will also be hotter.


----------



## siouxann (Mar 5, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> siouxann said:
> 
> 
> > Just wondering, do they have time zones in Antarctica?
> ...


I didn't realize that the scientists would set their own time pieces to their country of origin. That does make a lot of sense, though, if you want to communicate with someone from your country. So much to learn; so little time!


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

I'm sure everybody is twiddling their thumbs, wondering what to do now they've handed out all their presents. There's just time to make my latest egg cosy with some of those oddments you've got left over and greet the New Year in style!

Egg Cosy MMXII can be found at:

http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-51380-1.html

Hope you like it!
Dave


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## NanaCaren (May 17, 2011)

I will have to make up this egg cozy.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

NanaCaren said:


> I will have to make up this egg cozy.


Have fun using your favourite colours, or whatever comes to hand.

Dave


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## siouxann (Mar 5, 2011)

Definitely worth risking personal computer use at work for this! I have just set a goal for MMXII: I WILL knit each and every one of your cosies, and create their own little gallery. Just need to get off my fluffy duffer and get going.


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## margewhaples (Nov 18, 2011)

What do you use a egg cozy for. I understand a tea cozy. but can't fathom why you would cover something that would cool so fast. Or maybe its just for cold boiled eggs. I could sooner see a coffee cup cozy. Please enlighten me to this obvious regional or cultural custom. Marge PS Ifeel stupid.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

siouxann said:


> Definitely worth risking personal computer use at work for this! I have just set a goal for MMXII: I WILL knit each and every one of your cosies, and create their own little gallery. Just need to get off my fluffy duffer and get going.


Thanks Souixann, I glad you like them so much. This one really is far eashier than it looks, it only takes a couple of hours to make, so no cheating and pencilling in an extra 'I' on the chart for twelve months time!

Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

margewhaples said:


> What do you use a egg cozy for. I understand a tea cozy. but can't fathom why you would cover something that would cool so fast. Or maybe its just for cold boiled eggs. I could sooner see a coffee cup cozy. Please enlighten me to this obvious regional or cultural custom. Marge PS Ifeel stupid.


That's the point, eggs cool so fast and soft-boiled eggs need to be kept warm so they are served at the correct temperature for dipping eggy soldiers; they don't work if the yolk goes cold and sets.

Besides which, they're a good way to brighten up the breakfast table and put a smile on people's faces first thing in the morning. I entertain quite a bit and give lots of breakfast parties, guests get to keep their egg cosy as a memento of the event being celebrated.

Quite often my parties are Motorsports related, hence all the flags in the collection. In the European rounds of the _MotoGP_ championship, the 125cc race coverage starts at 9:40a.m., on Sunday morning, perfect timing for brekkers!

Dave


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## pug retirement (Jun 5, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> thewren said:
> 
> 
> > dave - the time given when you write something - that isn't london time is it?
> ...


Dave and Sam

Its not 6.35 in Canberra its 7.35. They didn't add the delight savings time to the clock. And its warm.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

pug retirement said:


> FireballDave said:
> 
> 
> > thewren said:
> ...


It's fairly mild in London at 8degC. Sorry, I thought Canberra was eleven hours ahead of London with daylight saving, but that Queensland was the same time zone but without daylight saving and therefore only ten hours ahead of London.

Just goes to show my atlas is out of date and provides ample reason to go to the map shop on Friday, he grins!

Dave


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

Nice for you all that are having mild temperatures!! We are a mean -25'C. with the wind chill it is even colder! Winter parkas, hats, scarves, mittens, and snow boots are the order of the day here. Good day to stay inside and read a book. My brother got me a book by Robert Ferguson called The Vikings. I shall enjoy reading about my ancestoral roots. Anyone else get some interesting books? I believe a hot chocolate is in order while I read.


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

pug - i'm very jealous - it is cold and damp here in northwest ohio and my sinuses are upset to say the least. thank goodness for motrin.

sam


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## wannabear (Mar 13, 2011)

The temperature will be below freezing tonight here. That's a term everybody understands! Then we will have another warming trend. I'd love to see snow, but I suppose I'd rather see a lower gas bill.


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## Sorlenna (Feb 17, 2011)

Sam, I was just saying last night a winter home in Australia might be nice...we are above freezing today, but it's still too cold for me!


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

5mmdpns said:


> Nice for you all that are having mild temperatures!! We are a mean -25'C. with the wind chill it is even colder! Winter parkas, hats, scarves, mittens, and snow boots are the order of the day here. Good day to stay inside and read a book. My brother got me a book by Robert Ferguson called The Vikings. I shall enjoy reading about my ancestoral roots. Anyone else get some interesting books? I believe a hot chocolate is in order while I read.


It isn't usually this mild in London in the last week of December, most years it's closer to freezing.

In addition to the usual selection of useful reference works, I was given three books about Oak Island's _Money Pit_, one of which is so ridiculous I have to strap myself in every time I open it, or I'm liable to land on the floor laughing so much!

I was also given a rather odd book on how to construct a trebuchet, maybe the person who gave it to me thought I'd like to use one on my local _Palace of Hell_, now there's an entertaining idea!

Dave


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## Sorlenna (Feb 17, 2011)

5mmdpns said:


> Anyone else get some interesting books?


I got two by Charles de Lint--one of my absolute favorite authors. I haven't started reading yet, but I am sure I will enjoy these!


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## pug retirement (Jun 5, 2011)

thewren said:


> pug - i'm very jealous - it is cold and damp here in northwest ohio and my sinuses are upset to say the least. thank goodness for motrin.
> 
> sam


Well sam you wouldn't be on New Years day they are saying it will be 35 degrees. It might be great for your sinsuses. A Little message from one who suffers in winter with sinsus problem. When you go out dors don't breath the cold air. Wrap a scarf around the lower half of your face. Sorry to hear your are having trouble with them.

A map, a new map. it will be out of date by the time they print it. Apparently the map drawers. (forgot the name of these people) have found that the country borders change so quickly that they can't keep up. Pug


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## pug retirement (Jun 5, 2011)

But I'm not happy I order snow for Christmas day it was 28 degrees C. Evferyone else got snow but me. Sam perhaps we should swop for a day. That's about all you could take, and probably all I could take. Pug


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## In Memory of Scottybear (Sep 20, 2011)

The weather will be hot here on New Years Day, at least 35 degrees, climbing to 37 or 38 on the holiday Monday. A good time to sit inside and knit in front of the air conditioner.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

pug retirement said:


> A map, a new map. it will be out of date by the time they print it. Apparently the map drawers. (forgot the name of these people) have found that the country borders change so quickly that they can't keep up. Pug


I like maps, they're both practical and decorative, and there's a very good cartographer in London, they also have some of the more fascinating travelogues. If I'm going to brave the shops on Friday, I might as well include a little reward!

Dave


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## Lisa crafts 62 (Jan 23, 2011)

Mom Had her 20th radiation treatment today only 5 more to go. I am working on the first of 3 baby afghans that are neede for next year. My aunt is getting 3 new great-grand babies. Lots to do to finish all three 7 the other work I need to do.
Lisa


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## LesleighAnne (Jun 25, 2011)

thewren said:


> i should learn to google before i ask - i just forget.
> 
> sam
> 
> ...


Keep asking Sam. I google a lot of things but I still like to ask a person. You can find out lots of other interesting information in an answer from another person and end up having a great conversation.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

LesleighAnne said:


> thewren said:
> 
> 
> > i should learn to google before i ask - i just forget.
> ...


I prefer books, I just can't bring myself to trust anything with a name that sounds like the worst kind of Greek plumbing!

Dave


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## pug retirement (Jun 5, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> pug retirement said:
> 
> 
> > A map, a new map. it will be out of date by the time they print it. Apparently the map drawers. (forgot the name of these people) have found that the country borders change so quickly that they can't keep up. Pug
> ...


Yes that said that maps are decorative. And you have to brave the shops still by Friday most people will have got the rush around and hurry about over. That means you can go about your business at your own pace.

Must go to the wool shop. Want to come Dave. The wool shop will be a reward along with the map shop. Pug


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## margewhaples (Nov 18, 2011)

My message just disappeared. It is 70 degrees here in sunny calif at 5:00pm as the sun sets. It was probably 80 degrees and quite warm when I arrived home at 3:00Pm. It is no dropping rapidly. I am crocheting a neck warmer for one of the members of our "Friendship Club" at the senior center. She sews but doesn"t knit. After that my own projects a Black and White medallion that was in Crochet Magazine a couple mo. ago and the pastel afghan I have mentioned then the wrist warmers to match my neck warmers. So still plenty to do. I am also still debating on selections for my puppy. I can't get Shelties out of my mind
but don't want to spend $1000+ for a pup.Possible a beagle type. I have lost contact with my fellow breeders. Everyone moves so much here and its become difficult to breed in the city,county,state due to need for commercial property to obtain a breeders permit. Ah well. I went to Joannes to see knitting needles as I wanted to see and feel a set of Harmonys or Dreamz, but Clover and Colonial are the only circulars I could find and they were fixed. I ended up buying 3 Rosewood Boyes Fixed until I can purchase the others probably on line. Thanx to you all for all the input. Marlark Marge.


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## LesleighAnne (Jun 25, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> LesleighAnne said:
> 
> 
> > thewren said:
> ...


I love books and I am always at the library. I also love going to the LifeLine Bookfest. LifeLine is an organisation that provides support to people who have fallen on hard times and they have shops that sell all things donated. Twice a year they fill a hall with books on all subjects and priced from 10 cents to $8.00.

One year I went and I bought 33 books for just $16.00. They were so heavy I could not carry them to the bus stop and it cost me an additional $17.00 to get a cab home. Still a bargain.


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## NanaCaren (May 17, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> NanaCaren said:
> 
> 
> > I will have to make up this egg cozy.
> ...


Just finished my egg cozy


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## siouxann (Mar 5, 2011)

WAY Cool! Looks really great!


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

i just bought a couple of harmony needles - a pair of #4's for a sweater i want to knit - 46" (i think that was the length) circular $8's for a scarf i want to knit and then i will use them for a afghan for heidi - and a pair of straight 8's just to use. i've just used the straight ones but i really like them. they feel good - lightweight - handle the yarn well and are also beautiful. i am very happy with them. i still like my bamboo and will not get rid of them - i just wanted to try something else.

sam


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## LesleighAnne (Jun 25, 2011)

thewren said:


> i just bought a couple of harmony needles - a pair of #4's for a sweater i want to knit - 46" (i think that was the length) circular $8's for a scarf i want to knit and then i will use them for a afghan for heidi - and a pair of straight 8's just to use. i've just used the straight ones but i really like them. they feel good - lightweight - handle the yarn well and are also beautiful. i am very happy with them. i still like my bamboo and will not get rid of them - i just wanted to try something else.
> 
> sam


Hi Sam

I have just bought my first bamboo crochet hook and was surprised by how smooth it is to use. Everytime I went to the craft shop I would look at them and then discard buying them. So glad I finally came to my senses and bought one.


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## LesleighAnne (Jun 25, 2011)

thewren said:


> i just bought a couple of harmony needles - a pair of #4's for a sweater i want to knit - 46" (i think that was the length) circular $8's for a scarf i want to knit and then i will use them for a afghan for heidi - and a pair of straight 8's just to use. i've just used the straight ones but i really like them. they feel good - lightweight - handle the yarn well and are also beautiful. i am very happy with them. i still like my bamboo and will not get rid of them - i just wanted to try something else.
> 
> sam


I also ment to ask what are harmony needles.


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## standsalonewolf (Dec 1, 2011)

gotta love those bamboo circular hard to put down


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## pammie1234 (Apr 27, 2011)

I love the harmonies that I have. I think their cable is really good. It is very flexible and doesn't stay curled too much.

I, too, am a book lover. I am especially fond of children's books. I guess teaching school for 37 years helped that! I also like mysteries. 

I may brave the stores tomorrow, but not sure for how long! I also need to un-decorate my house and my mom's apartment. Really want to get it done before the 1st.


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## LesleighAnne (Jun 25, 2011)

pammie1234 said:


> I love the harmonies that I have. I think their cable is really good. It is very flexible and doesn't stay curled too much.
> 
> I, too, am a book lover. I am especially fond of children's books. I guess teaching school for 37 years helped that! I also like mysteries.
> 
> I may brave the stores tomorrow, but not sure for how long! I also need to un-decorate my house and my mom's apartment. Really want to get it done before the 1st.


When it comes to fiction I really enjoy mysteries and detective novels.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Lisa crafts 62 said:


> Mom Had her 20th radiation treatment today only 5 more to go. I am working on the first of 3 baby afghans that are neede for next year. My aunt is getting 3 new great-grand babies. Lots to do to finish all three 7 the other work I need to do.
> Lisa


I hope this course of treatment will do the trick and that she makes a full recovery. Sounds like you've got your work cut out, should keep you out of mischief!

Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

NanaCaren said:



> FireballDave said:
> 
> 
> > NanaCaren said:
> ...


Fantastic! I love seeing how my designs turn out for others, I always worry I've made a mistake in the instructions and that people are cursing my name all over the place!

Dave


----------



## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

LesleighAnne said:


> thewren said:
> 
> 
> > i just bought a couple of I also ment to ask what are harmony needles.
> ...


----------



## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

[Fantastic! I love seeing how my designs turn out for others, I always worry I've made a mistake in the instructions and that people are cursing my name all over the place!

Dave[/quote]

sorry dave - i just can't imagine anyone cursing your name - it just doesn't seem like it could ever happen.

sam


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## darowil (Apr 17, 2011)

pug retirement said:


> But I'm not happy I order snow for Christmas day it was 28 degrees C. Evferyone else got snow but me. Sam perhaps we should swop for a day. That's about all you could take, and probably all I could take. Pug


It's OK I didn't get snow either- strangely enough.


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## darowil (Apr 17, 2011)

LesleighAnne said:


> Keep asking Sam. I google a lot of things but I still like to ask a person. You can find out lots of other interesting information in an answer from another person and end up having a great conversation.


imagine all we would miss from Dave if we just goggled everything!


----------



## darowil (Apr 17, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> margewhaples said:
> 
> 
> > That's the point, eggs cool so fast and soft-boiled eggs need to be kept warm so they are served at the correct temperature for dipping eggy soldiers; they don't work if the yolk goes cold and sets.
> ...


----------



## Sandy (Jan 17, 2011)

darowil said:


> You do realise that the next question will be 'what are eggy soldiers?"- I'm not asking as I know the answer- not that I have ever had them- I like to take the egg out the shell and put it on fresh white buttered bread.


I've never had the eggy soldiers either. I eat them as you do only I toast my bread first.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

darowil said:


> LesleighAnne said:
> 
> 
> > Keep asking Sam. I google a lot of things but I still like to ask a person. You can find out lots of other interesting information in an answer from another person and end up having a great conversation.
> ...


Thanks, but I'm not an expert on everything, I've simply read a book or two.

Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Sandy said:


> darowil said:
> 
> 
> > You do realise that the next question will be 'what are eggy soldiers?"- I'm not asking as I know the answer- not that I have ever had them- I like to take the egg out the shell and put it on fresh white buttered bread.
> ...


Egg cups are easier and more manageable, eggs have a tendency to roll around on the plate; also they're quite hot when they come out of the boiler, a small child might burn his or her fingers peeling them. They have been around for thousands of years, the Minoans used egg cups, an example was found at Knossos c.1700-1400 B.C.E.

Egg cosies are, of course, a much later invention!

Dave


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

LesleighAnne, if you enjoy detective stories, try Ann Rule's books. They are TRUE detective stories.


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

Speaking of books, I've just finished reading "enjoy every sandwich" by Lee Lipsenthal, M.D. subtitled "Living Each Day as if it Were Your Last." He died of esophageal cancer just this past September. One reviewer said "it will open the door for you to embrace your humanity, accept uncertainty, and live a life of gratitude." It isn't depressing at all.

I'm now working on "Man Seeks God" subtitled "My Flirtations with the Divine," by Eric Weiner. He has a website, http://www.EricWeinerBooks.com. This book answers questions like: Where do we come from? What happens when we die? How should we live our lives? Where do all the missing socks go? I'd like to find the answer to that one! LOL He's very witty and entertaining.


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## mjs (Mar 3, 2011)

pammie1234 said:


> I love the harmonies that I have. I think their cable is really good. It is very flexible and doesn't stay curled too much.
> 
> I, too, am a book lover. I am especially fond of children's books. I guess teaching school for 37 years helped that! I also like mysteries.
> 
> I may brave the stores tomorrow, but not sure for how long! I also need to un-decorate my house and my mom's apartment. Really want to get it done before the 1st.


I also love children's books, but the ones I love may be older than you know about. Generally I'm not wild about Keats, but Jennie's hat is a big favorite.


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

Doris T, I know where my missing socks go -- the washer eats them!! I dont know where your missing socks go, but would it not be a good book if these missing socks would write a book about their adventures???


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

5mmdpns said:


> Doris T, I know where my missing socks go -- the washer eats them!! I dont know where your missing socks go, but would it not be a good book if these missing socks would write a book about their adventures???


Yes, I hate when that happens!! Some day I'll have somebody take my washer apart and we'll find them all. It'll be like my ironing pile. By the time I get to the bottom, the clothes don't fit anymore. Wasn't that Phyllis Diller's line? Or was it Erma Bombeck?


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

DorisT said:


> 5mmdpns said:
> 
> 
> > Doris T, I know where my missing socks go -- the washer eats them!! I dont know where your missing socks go, but would it not be a good book if these missing socks would write a book about their adventures???
> ...


I definitely can hear Phyllis Diller saying that! My father worked at being an appliance repair man and many washing machines would stop working because a sock was stuck in the pump! Take out the sock and put the pump back in, and voila, the washing machine was working!


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## NanaCaren (May 17, 2011)

siouxann said:


> WAY Cool! Looks really great!


THank you


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## NanaCaren (May 17, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> NanaCaren said:
> 
> 
> > FireballDave said:
> ...


It was easy to follow, after I turned off the food network. I even used the chart without cheating and using the written instructions.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

NanaCaren said:


> FireballDave said:
> 
> 
> > NanaCaren said:
> ...


Brilliant! I'll still write out stitch instructions, but I think the charts are so much easier for colourwork, if your knitting doesn't look like the chart, it stands out a mile. It's also both time-consuming and easy to make a mistake writing out all the colour changes, some of them were taking hours to type out and check.

Thanks for letting me know!
Dave


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## NanaCaren (May 17, 2011)

It was easy to follow, after I turned off the food network. I even used the chart without cheating and using the written instructions. [/quote]

Brilliant! I'll still write out stitch instructions, but I think the charts are so much easier for colourwork, if your knitting doesn't look like the chart, it stands out a mile. It's also both time-consuming and easy to make a mistake writing out all the colour changes, some of them were taking hours to type out and check.

Thanks for letting me know!
Dave[/quote]

After all the talk about cross stitch and charts I figured I was being pretty silly being afraid of knitting charts.


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## mjs (Mar 3, 2011)

NanaCaren said:


> It was easy to follow, after I turned off the food network. I even used the chart without cheating and using the written instructions.


Brilliant! I'll still write out stitch instructions, but I think the charts are so much easier for colourwork, if your knitting doesn't look like the chart, it stands out a mile. It's also both time-consuming and easy to make a mistake writing out all the colour changes, some of them were taking hours to type out and check.

Thanks for letting me know!
Dave[/quote]

After all the talk about cross stitch and charts I figured I was being pretty silly being afraid of knitting charts.[/quote]

Interesting how we can keep learning. Charts seem so much easier to me, but I do understand that brains differ greatly.


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

erma bombeck answered that question - they go live with jesus - and i always pictured jesus angerly going through a basket of socks trying to find a pair that matched.

sam



5mmdpns said:


> Doris T, I know where my missing socks go -- the washer eats them!! I dont know where your missing socks go, but would it not be a good book if these missing socks would write a book about their adventures???


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## Sorlenna (Feb 17, 2011)

NanaCaren said:


> After all the talk about cross stitch and charts I figured I was being pretty silly being afraid of knitting charts.


I have realized, through this part of the conversation, that I never really "equated" knitting charts to cross stitch charts in my head...and you're right, NanaCaren! I have done cross stitch for YEARS (even designed charts  )...yet I avoided knitting charts for quite some time before understanding they aren't that difficult.


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## Sorlenna (Feb 17, 2011)

thewren said:


> erma bombeck answered that question - they go live with jesus - and i always pictured jesus angerly going through a basket of socks trying to find a pair that matched.
> 
> sam
> 
> ...


That's funny, Sam--when my kids were little, they explained it to me: there is a Sock Monster who lives in the laundry room. He's made of socks and every time he eats one, he gets a little bigger. When I asked why we couldn't see him (he must have been huge with six of us in the house!), they replied that he is VERY good at hiding. My oldest daughter used to draw comics starring the Sock Monster...gosh, I should see if those are still here!


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## RookieRetiree (Jan 27, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> darowil said:
> 
> 
> > LesleighAnne said:
> ...


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

NanaCaren said:


> After all the talk about cross stitch and charts I figured I was being pretty silly being afraid of knitting charts.


Not silly at all, it's just that inertia thing, we all get a bit set our ways and resistant to new methods. Once you get used to colour charts, they're so logical, you never go back to written instructions.

Dave


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

dave - am i reading the chart wrong - on the written directions row 17 begins with a k2tog, k1 - but on the chart is shows k1, k2tog. i am going to knit this using only the chart - the great experiment - my problem is forgetting what the symbols mean - lol.

sam


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## pammie1234 (Apr 27, 2011)

I think I'm like many of you when I say that charts still confuse me. I knitted a "ski" sweater in high school and followed a chart. Of course my eyesight was better. I've only used a chart one other time for a dishcloth. I think I will start practicing using charts since some of you think they are really easier than the written directions. I want to feel equally comfortable with both methods.


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## Lisa crafts 62 (Jan 23, 2011)

DorisT, I have read almost every book by Ann Rule. One of the last ones I read the woman that it was about was just 3 months older than my younger brother Steve & she was killed on his birthday. She is one of my favorite authors.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

RookieRetiree said:


> FireballDave said:
> 
> 
> > darowil said:
> ...


Scarily, I have a card index, with notes on each book written on the back. Any particularly interesting or entertaining quotes, I transcribe into my _Rough Book_ with a full bibliographic reference; I also precis concepts, histories and theories, I really am that boring.

I've always found doing this helps me to remember things, my memory isn't quite as good as it was. I'm so glad I got into the habit when I was ten, the action of writing longhand notes really does 'fix' them, I did flirt with a computerised log in 1995-97 but it isn't as effective as the physical act of writing. There's no secret to this, many people sit at the kitchen table to write their shopping list, the leave it on the kitchen table; it doesn't matter, having written the list out in the first place has fixed it in the head.

An important part of it is to also make notes of exhibitions, shows, lectures, tv documentaries, places and conversations as well, then to set aside time to sort through everything you've learned and assimilate it into the rest of your knowledge *before* going to bed. The final assimilation process usually only takes me ten to fifteen minutes, but if it takes longer, it's obviously important. The biggest re-thinks of everything I know took nearly twenty-four hours, but these are very rare and only occur when I manage to grasp a tricky concept with implications!

So you see, there isn't much to me, I've read a few books and jotted down a few notes. I'm just lucky because I've travelled a bit, seen some interesting things and a lot of people have taken the trouble to explain them to me.

Anybody can do it!
Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

thewren said:


> dave - am i reading the chart wrong - on the written directions row 17 begins with a k2tog, k1 - but on the chart is shows k1, k2tog. i am going to knit this using only the chart - the great experiment - my problem is forgetting what the symbols mean - lol.
> 
> sam


The line in the second box leans towards the first stitch, the way it will be pulled across to make a right-leaning (as viewed from the right side) decrease when you knit two stitches together. If the decrease was in the first two stitches with an ssk, the first box would have a line leaning towards the second, thus indicating a left-leaning decrease.

Does that help?
Dave


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

The line in the second box leans towards the first stitch, the way it will be pulled across to make a right-leaning (as viewed from the right side) decrease when you knit two stitches together. If the decrease was in the first two stitches with an ssk, the first box would have a line leaning towards the second, thus indicating a left-leaning decrease.

Does that help?
Dave[/quote]

dave - in the written instructions - on line 17 it says to start with a k2tog - but the first block on line 17 of the chart says k1 - that was what i was confused about. so on line 17 do i k1 or k2tog?

sorry i am so dense.

sam


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## pug retirement (Jun 5, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> RookieRetiree said:
> 
> 
> > FireballDave said:
> ...


Dave I can relate to writing a shopping list and then forgetting to take it. But I hadn't thought of doing it with other aspect iof life. But I think my shopping list would be larger than most. You see I do the shopping once a month. It reads something like this.
30 - 40 tins of canned dog food
6 packs of dry dog food
3 bags of sugar 6 lbs
2 large tubs of margarine.
2 packets of bird seed

and so on

I think you get the message.

You don't need to get a new map just remember to add one hour to the Eastern Standard Time and she be right.

Looks as though summer has finally arrived here at last. But its been late this year.


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## LesleighAnne (Jun 25, 2011)

thewren said:


> LesleighAnne said:
> 
> 
> > thewren said:
> ...


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## LesleighAnne (Jun 25, 2011)

DorisT said:


> LesleighAnne, if you enjoy detective stories, try Ann Rule's books. They are TRUE detective stories.


Thank you DorisT

I will have a look for her books. When I see new knitting patterns I get excited about working on it and want to start it straight away. I am the same with books. If it looks interesting I want to get straight into it.

I love my books and often refer back to them. My husband keeps telling me that when we down size I will have to get rid of most of them.

Not likely!!


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

Thank you Sam

What a great site I have added it to my favourites. The harmonys are made of wood, does that give a smooth knitting action? I mean are the stitches more likely to glide easily over the needles?[/quote]

lesleighanne - very smoothly - there is no grab at all - and they are very comfortable to use - but then i use nothing but wooden needles - mainly bamboo interspersed with my limited number of harmony needles (i am going to get more)

also - check out this site: http://www.signatureneedlearts.com/

super needles - pricy - but i will have to have a pair just to see what they are like. $32.00 for a pair - i will have to buy them one at a time. lol

sam


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

thewren said:


> The line in the second box leans towards the first stitch, the way it will be pulled across to make a right-leaning (as viewed from the right side) decrease when you knit two stitches together. If the decrease was in the first two stitches with an ssk, the first box would have a line leaning towards the second, thus indicating a left-leaning decrease.
> 
> Does that help?
> Dave


dave - in the written instructions - on line 17 it says to start with a k2tog - but the first block on line 17 of the chart says k1 - that was what i was confused about. so on line 17 do i k1 or k2tog?

sam[/quote]

That's what I was trying to explain, the bar in the second box indicates that it will be pulled over the first stitch. It is a graphical representation of how the loops are going to be arranged after the operation has been completed. If you work row 17 as written then look at the real thing, you'll see the first stitch has the second stitch from the row before pulled over the first, two vertical columns have merged. Next there is the second stitch from the right, this is at the top of a continuous vertical column of stitches. The third stitch of the completed row is the top of a vertical column, with the stitch to the left of it on the row before pulled over it, exactly as it is depicted in the chart.

In my charts, I put the stitches that remain together to close the gaps and centre them, since this is how the finished piece will look; but it is really as in the chart below, where the grey squares represent eliminated columns of stitches.

Does this help explain it?


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## LesleighAnne (Jun 25, 2011)

thewren said:


> Thank you Sam
> 
> What a great site I have added it to my favourites. The harmonys are made of wood, does that give a smooth knitting action? I mean are the stitches more likely to glide easily over the needles?


lesleighanne - very smoothly - there is no grab at all - and they are very comfortable to use - but then i use nothing but wooden needles - mainly bamboo interspersed with my limited number of harmony needles (i am going to get more)

also - check out this site: http://www.signatureneedlearts.com/

super needles - pricy - but i will have to have a pair just to see what they are like. $32.00 for a pair - i will have to buy them one at a time. lol

sam[/quote]

Another great site. Every birthday and christmas I am asked "What do you want." I can never think of anything. Now I will be asking for signature needles.

After my previous post I went back to knit picks and found a great pattern for a Teddy Bear and another for a very fun looking Holiday Elf. Both free patterns. I have printed these and they are on my "to do now" list. Since I joined this site that list is growing - a lot.


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

i'm thinking dave that i am just dense - i will follow the chart and see what happens. maybe doing it will make it all come clear.

thanks for putting up with me.

sam


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## jknappva (Apr 12, 2011)

/quote]

We don't have a New Year tradition. I and my family have never been big on seeing the new year in or making resolutions. Even without that I do look at the New Year as a time to reflect and improve.[/quote]

My grandfather was Virginia country through and through. He always had to have collards and black-eye peas on New Year's Day...collards for paper money and the peas for coins. The first person to visit on New Year's Day couldn't be a woman or you'd have bad luck all year!!
Never did find out where those customs came from.
JuneK


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

thewren said:


> erma bombeck answered that question - they go live with jesus - and i always pictured jesus angerly going through a basket of socks trying to find a pair that matched.
> 
> sam
> 
> ...


That was my second laugh of the day, Sam. The first was caused by a Korean woman I met at the Commissary this afternoon. She saw me taking a couple of chicken pot pies out of the freezer and wanted to know if I would help her figure out how to make one using turkey. So I started in telling her to cut up her cooked turkey; well, she had bought ground turkey. Then I said, make a white sauce. She can't cook so she doesn't know how to do that. So I told her to buy a package of white sauce mix. She couldn't do that because she can't eat all the additives. So I showed her the picture of the chicken pot pie I had just put in my basket. She saw the carrots and peas and she figured she could buy those frozen. Well, we both had a few good laughs, but I finally told her to buy a cook book and told her I couldn't help her. Her English was pretty bad, but I think she said her husband won't eat her cooking! And she mentioned eating a lot of fresh okra and I think she planned to put that in the turkey pie. ???? So she had a package of ground turkey, a ready-made deep dish pie crust and I don't know what she was going to add to that besides the okra. I felt like I was on Candid Camera! I was still laughing when I checked out and most of the way home.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

thewren said:


> i'm thinking dave that i am just dense - i will follow the chart and see what happens. maybe doing it will make it all come clear.
> 
> thanks for putting up with me.
> 
> sam


You aren't alone in having trouble with the charts. The colour part is clearer than written, but shaping instructions are less so. That's why I'm still going to write the increases and decreases out as usual, it's just the colourwork that I won't be writing out stitch by stitch.

If you look at the chart, on the far right there is a _Tally Column_ which shows the net impact of all the increases and decreases in each row. In row 17, I decrease 14 stitches evenly across 41 stitches, you can only do this by knitting the first two stitches together. Tallies are useful because even if the instructions are a bit confusing, you can always check the math, I view it as an additional check.

Try working it that way.
Dave


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

Lisa crafts 62 said:


> DorisT, I have read almost every book by Ann Rule. One of the last ones I read the woman that it was about was just 3 months older than my younger brother Steve & she was killed on his birthday. She is one of my favorite authors.


Lisa, do you know if she's still writing books? I haven't checked lately.


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## Lisa crafts 62 (Jan 23, 2011)

DorisT, I just checked her website & she has a new Case Files # 15 out. 
Lisa


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## margewhaples (Nov 18, 2011)

Thank God for Daveand others who are trying to initiate me into charts. A german lady at the senior center drew out one and showed me how to use it for simple knitting instructions. I usually haven't had trouble reading instructions until the last few years. It seems that they have blurred what used to be very specific well punctuated instructions that left the stictches involved clear. Now opten I find then nembulous and not well defined as to which stitch they are referring to. Recently I was using a very simple instruction project and I knitted as instructed and the project which should have been even in width came up increasing with every row. I went to bed pondering the instructions over and over and almost in a dream state it came to me that they were describing a half double crochet and the simple instruction of hdc would have been very clear. I frogged and restarted using this insight and it came out perfect. I never had this trouble in the good old days. Marlark Marge.


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

LesleighAnne said:


> DorisT said:
> 
> 
> > LesleighAnne, if you enjoy detective stories, try Ann Rule's books. They are TRUE detective stories.
> ...


I'm the same way. If I really like a book, I know I'll want to reread it later on. Of course, with library books, they have to be returned.

Ann Rule was a detective and the cases she writes about are mostly ones she has worked on. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone who lives alone and don't read them before you go to bed. :mrgreen:


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

jknappva said:


> /quote]
> 
> We don't have a New Year tradition. I and my family have never been big on seeing the new year in or making resolutions. Even without that I do look at the New Year as a time to reflect and improve.


My grandfather was Virginia country through and through. He always had to have collards and black-eye peas on New Year's Day...collards for paper money and the peas for coins. The first person to visit on New Year's Day couldn't be a woman or you'd have bad luck all year!!
Never did find out where those customs came from.
JuneK[/quote]

My Mom had a lot of those sayings and she was a New Englander. There was one I remember. If you were setting the table and you accidentally had an extra knife, it meant a man would be coming to dinner; if it was a fork, it would be a woman. Or vice versa! Maybe someone else knows. Would you call them superstitious beliefs?

Also, when I was little, we lived in a three-story house (or a tenement, as they were called in those days). If a new family moved in, she would bring them a slice of bread and a penny; the bread so they'd never go hungry, the penny so they'd never be poor. I've read that this is a Jewish custom, but my Mom was French.


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

Hey, everyone, I just received a notice of a "threat" to Windows. My software removed it immediately. Didn't that happen to marge, also? And I was just reading her post. What's happening?


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## dandylion (May 31, 2011)

I LOVE that!!! I hope I remember that if I ever have another new neighbor. How sweet, Doris.



DorisT said:


> jknappva said:
> 
> 
> > /quote]
> ...


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## darowil (Apr 17, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> Sandy said:
> 
> 
> > darowil said:
> ...


I use an egg cup to hold the egg, but instead of taking the bread to the egg I take the egg to the bread.


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## standsalonewolf (Dec 1, 2011)

another great site i just signed up hope to see you there


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

dave - what confused me and still does - i recognize the right and left leaning part - but on the chart the first square is blank - the second has the rft leaning mark which equals a k2tog - yet in the written directions it says k2tog and then k1. i know the left leaning mark is shown so you k2tog - but if you wanted the k2tog done first why isn't the left leaning mark in the first square? i guess that is what is confusing me.

i will just try it and see what happens.

sam

[You aren't alone in having trouble with the charts. The colour part is clearer than written, but shaping instructions are less so. That's why I'm still going to write the increases and decreases out as usual, it's just the colourwork that I won't be writing out stitch by stitch.

If you look at the chart, on the far right there is a _Tally Column_ which shows the net impact of all the increases and decreases in each row. In row 17, I decrease 14 stitches evenly across 41 stitches, you can only do this by knitting the first two stitches together. Tallies are useful because even if the instructions are a bit confusing, you can always check the math, I view it as an additional check.

Try working it that way.
Dave[/quote]


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## pattys76 (Apr 7, 2011)

LesleighAnne said:


> DorisT said:
> 
> 
> > LesleighAnne, if you enjoy detective stories, try Ann Rule's books. They are TRUE detective stories.
> ...


I told my husband that he's MEAN!! LOL He has told me several times that I can only bring in new "stuff" if I take out some of the old. I offered to get rid of "his stuff" but he insists that if I bring it in MY stuff has to go. 

I just ignore him and find better ways to store my stuff. I'm NOT getting rid of my books OR yarn!!


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## margewhaples (Nov 18, 2011)

Doris T. Gremlins are among us. Yes that is what is happening. The post appeared to be from Microsoft, but was a misnomer, it was the virus. I ended up removing all programs from my computer in order to get rid of it and reinstalling everything after scanning and cleaning which did not eradicate it. My friend who built this system then told me only to respond to Microsoft Security Essentials. If we are to use these devises, we must be dilignet,cautious and suspicious. In my case I was ignorant of these shenanigans as it was my first experience. But Malware now has notified me of several threats since that they responded to.
Hope my experience helps those of you by alerting you to the problem. I don't know if administration is aware. Marlark Marge.


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

way to go patty - i'm with you - men can be so fickle at times.

sam

[I love my books and often refer back to them. My husband keeps telling me that when we down size I will have to get rid of most of them.

Not likely!![/quote]

I told my husband that he's MEAN!! LOL He has told me several times that I can only bring in new "stuff" if I take out some of the old. I offered to get rid of "his stuff" but he insists that if I bring it in MY stuff has to go. 

I just ignore him and find better ways to store my stuff. I'm NOT getting rid of my books OR yarn!![/quote]


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## LesleighAnne (Jun 25, 2011)

DorisT said:


> LesleighAnne said:
> 
> 
> > DorisT said:
> ...


Now you have me even more interested.


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

pattys76 said:


> LesleighAnne said:
> 
> 
> > DorisT said:
> ...


My daughter-in-law used to do that to her DD. Whenever she got a new toy, an old one had to go. I thought it was cruel.


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

men to do not have a corner on cruelness - where men will duke it out and get it over with - women (my opinion only) conive and will get back just out of spite. that is a pretty broad statement - let me cut that back and say some women and i can say that because i was married to one. even now she has her children walking on egg when she is around for fear mother will have one of her fits. perple are cruel - i have never understood the wanting to be cruel to someone - i wasn't raised that way.

think i better stop while i am ahead.

sam


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

LesleighAnne

what are you "more interested in"

sam


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## LesleighAnne (Jun 25, 2011)

thewren said:


> LesleighAnne
> 
> what are you "more interested in"
> 
> sam


Well the books maybe about the worst side of life but I am interested in understanding. Oh dear I am not sure I can explain it properly. As you said the cruelty is hard for me to understand as well but I do not want to judge without knowing about the inside of people.

In Australia we had a serial killer - Ivan Mallet. I started to read a book about him and his family and I could not finish it because there was a coldness all around him and his actions and the family invironment. I could not finish the book and it is a book I do not want to touch again.

Interesting because I do not want to cut myself off from the realities that are in the world. Interesting because I want to acknowledge there is bad. Interesting because I do not want to over insulate myself into an unreal life.

Oh Sam what I am saying is far to much for this site. There is good and bad and we are fortunate that we have this site of good that gives ballance to the negitive that happens around us.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

_The Lad_ has just returned from his early morning swim, he does a mile most mornings, with fresh croissants from the bakery. En route he picked up two tins of red kidney beans from the _Mini Palace of Hell_ and calculated the price has increased by 47%, he also noted that one of the favourite lunchtime snacks for him and his friends in the Upper Sixth has gone up by 35%.

We aren't cruel or vindictive by nature, but where the directors, shareholders and managers of the various _Palaces of Hell_ are concerned, we shall continue to gleefully improve their personal understanding of the verb 'to suffer' throughout 2012!

We shall continue to complain in writing to their head office for every single example of check-out mistake and misleading advertisement and ruthlessly apply every aspect of the consumer protection legislation we possibly can, we feel it is our duty.

UK laws are entertaining, if a company overcharges, they must not only refund the amount in question, they must also reimburse one for the cost of making the complaint. It's very easy for the nice supervisor to give a refund, it also achieves nothing! However, if you write a letter to their head office, enclosing the packaging and supporting documentation, including a photograph of the shelf price label, photocopy of the till receipt and a receipt from the library for printing costs, not forgetting to add the cost of the postage stamp, the bill becomes much more respectable. Since it will inevitably involve cash transactions, the company must reimburse by cheque, a credit note or store voucher is not acceptable under the legislation and it is against their own policy to send cash through the post. Writing letters is costly to large organisations, writing out cheques is even more irksome since it involves journal entries, bank charges, etc.

It's impossible to get at these massive conglomerates for their cavaler attitude to consumers in a big way, but we can infuriate them with a blizzard of paper-work. My current record is a complaint for 3p (5usc), my accountant estimates it would have cost them well over £30 to deal with that one, I call it a fine!

I've trained _The Lad_ well, he and his chums are hoping for a till discrepancy of one penny in 2012, I can only applaud their competitive spirit and wish them every success!

Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

thewren said:


> dave - what confused me and still does - i recognize the right and left leaning part - but on the chart the first square is blank - the second has the rft leaning mark which equals a k2tog - yet in the written directions it says k2tog and then k1. i know the left leaning mark is shown so you k2tog - but if you wanted the k2tog done first why isn't the left leaning mark in the first square? i guess that is what is confusing me.
> 
> i will just try it and see what happens.
> 
> sam


I hope you'll find it all makes sense when you do it and inspect your work. With k2tog, you are effectively knitting the first stitch and slipping the second stitch over the stitch you've just formed, that's why the chart indicates cancellation of the second stitch.

There is a kind of logic to it, but because it can be confusing, I shall continue to write parallel instructions for rows that include shaping and cables; I'm just not going to write out all the colour changes for intarsia and Fair Isle, they are simply too difficult and time-consuming to do and confusing typos are inevitable!

Dave


----------



## siouxann (Mar 5, 2011)

I sympathise with you, Sam. I sat up until 1:30 this morning to finish the latest cosy. I was determined not to look at the written instructions. Well, I DID IT!!! I shall post a picture later, hopefully showing the first one, and then another without the errors.
Thanks to you, Dave for once again enlarging my horizons!


----------



## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

thewren said:


> LesleighAnne
> 
> what are you "more interested in"
> 
> sam


Sam, read the discussion of detective books by Ann Rule. Looks like we're both up early!!


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

I had my nails done yesterday and the manicurist asked me if I'd like a design painted on my ring fingers. (I had snowflakes done for Christmas.) I asked her what she could do besides snowflakes. So she suggested fireworks for New Year's Eve. I immediately thought of you, Dave!


----------



## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

siouxann said:


> I sympathise with you, Sam. I sat up until 1:30 this morning to finish the latest cosy. I was determined not to look at the written instructions. Well, I DID IT!!! I shall post a picture later, hopefully showing the first one, and then another without the errors.
> Thanks to you, Dave for once again enlarging my horizons!


It wasn't my intention to keep you up half the night, but congratulations for conquering the charts! I think you'll find, as I did, that for colour-work at least, charts really are easier to follow. I like having a visual representation I can compare with my work.

"Never _a day wasted_, when something new is learned", as one of my nannies used to say!

Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

DorisT said:


> I had my nails done yesterday and the manicurist asked me if I'd like a design painted on my ring fingers. (I had snowflakes done for Christmas.) I asked her what she could do besides snowflakes. So she suggested fireworks for New Year's Eve. I immediately thought of you, Dave!


There may possibly be some pyromaniacal activity to greet the New Year at my small _Champagne Breakfast 2012_. People seem to expect it of me, I can't possibly imagine why!

Dave


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## jknappva (Apr 12, 2011)

thewren said:


> men to do not have a corner on cruelness - where men will duke it out and get it over with - women (my opinion only) conive and will get back just out of spite. that is a pretty broad statement - let me cut that back and say some women and i can say that because i was married to one. even now she has her children walking on egg when she is around for fear mother will have one of her fits. perple are cruel - i have never understood the wanting to be cruel to someone - i wasn't raised that way.
> 
> think i better stop while i am ahead.
> 
> sam


I agree, Sam. Some people seem to get great pleasure from being cruel. I have to work hard to be cruel...and then really can't be. It just isn't in my nature. I hate to see anyone or animals hurt in any way. It's just easier for me to be considerate.
JuneK


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

jknappva said:


> thewren said:
> 
> 
> > men to do not have a corner on cruelness - where men will duke it out and get it over with - women (my opinion only) conive and will get back just out of spite. that is a pretty broad statement - let me cut that back and say some women and i can say that because i was married to one. even now she has her children walking on egg when she is around for fear mother will have one of her fits. perple are cruel - i have never understood the wanting to be cruel to someone - i wasn't raised that way.
> ...


I think it must be the way children are raised (or not raised). I met a young man once who tried to burn my arm with a lighted cigarette. I thought it might have been done to him as he grew up and he thought it was normal.

I used to volunteer at a local elementary school helping second grade teachers. One of my assignments was to help the students with their creative writing. When I approached one young boy, he told me to get away from him or he would kill me. It gave me chills! He came from a "good" family (both his parents were lawyers), but something was wrong. After that incident, I left him completely alone. A few days later, he came to ME looking for attention, which must have been lacking at home. The sad thing is he was so intelligent. Being a volunteer I wasn't privy to any problems in his home life so that I could help to understand him.


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## siouxann (Mar 5, 2011)

Sam, Doris, June, I remember years ago having a picture of this poem hanging on my wall. I don't know the author's name, but the message is great. It sounds as though Dave has raised The Lad following these precepts.

Children Learn What They Live:

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.

If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,
He learns to find love in the world.


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

siouxann said:


> Sam, Doris, June, I remember years ago having a picture of this poem hanging on my wall. I don't know the author's name, but the message is great. It sounds as though Dave has raised The Lad following these precepts.
> 
> Children Learn What They Live:
> 
> ...


Thanks, siouxann, I had that poem in mind when I was posting. Would that every parent have a copy in their homes.


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

thewren said:


> men to do not have a corner on cruelness - where men will duke it out and get it over with - women (my opinion only) conive and will get back just out of spite. that is a pretty broad statement - let me cut that back and say some women and i can say that because i was married to one. even now she has her children walking on egg when she is around for fear mother will have one of her fits. perple are cruel - i have never understood the wanting to be cruel to someone - i wasn't raised that way.
> 
> think i better stop while i am ahead.


I think Sam that you and I both are better because we did stop and get out of the abusive relationships. I agree totally about the cruelty. It is sad about the horrors that can go on behind closed doors and the neighbours never have a clue it is so well hidden. I like to be kind to others and leave the room a better place than when I entered it.

Today I drive my son back to the city so he can catch his sunrise flight back to Vancouver, BC tomorrow. We shall have a lovely three hour conversation during the drive!

Has anyone started thinking about Christmas gifts to make for next year? I am going to pull out my cross stitching and see what I come up with for gifts. It has been a few years since I did any cross stitch so I shall have to see about what supplies I have for it. Dave, I may make an egg-cozy muriel with your egg cozy patterns. I would follow your charts and shape the egg cozies accordingly. It would be a little challenging to put the oblong 3-D cozy into a flat 3-D image!


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## KateB (Sep 28, 2011)

My Mom had a lot of those sayings and she was a New Englander. There was one I remember. If you were setting the table and you accidentally had an extra knife, it meant a man would be coming to dinner; if it was a fork, it would be a woman. Or vice versa! Maybe someone else knows. Would you call them superstitious beliefs?

Also, when I was little, we lived in a three-story house (or a tenement, as they were called in those days). If a new family moved in, she would bring them a slice of bread and a penny; the bread so they'd never go hungry, the penny so they'd never be poor. I've read that this is a Jewish custom, but my Mom was French.[/quote]

Doris - my mum (Scottish through and through) always said if anyone dropped a knife that you would have a gentleman visitor, and if it was a fork which fell it would be a lady visitor! Also 2 teaspoons put onto one saucer by mistake meant a birth.


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

siouxann said:


> Sam, Doris, June, I remember years ago having a picture of this poem hanging on my wall. I don't know the author's name, but the message is great. It sounds as though Dave has raised The Lad following these precepts.
> 
> Children Learn What They Live:
> 
> ...


The author's name is here. Many people know this poem and it is a shame that more people do not encorporate it into their lives. You can also substitute the word "child" with "person" and it is then universal for every person alive.
Children Learn What They Live
By Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D.


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## mjs (Mar 3, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> DorisT said:
> 
> 
> > I had my nails done yesterday and the manicurist asked me if I'd like a design painted on my ring fingers. (I had snowflakes done for Christmas.) I asked her what she could do besides snowflakes. So she suggested fireworks for New Year's Eve. I immediately thought of you, Dave!
> ...


I thought this might be of interest to some.

What's the Good Word? alphaDictionary.com
December 31, 2011
Send this word to a Friend
Printable Version  Hogmanay 

[Podcast] Pronunciation: hahg-mê-nay  Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun, proper

Meaning: Hogmanay is not a pig resort but a Scottish festivity celebrated on the last day of the year. Children traditionally stroll about the neighborhood on this day asking for presents. Today's Good Word also refers to the gifts given or received on Hogmanay. More recently it has become a raucous New Year's Eve party in many Scottish cities at which revelers sometimes do behave a bit swinishly.

Notes: The traditional Hogmanay includes "first footing," the welcoming of a tall, dark stranger at the stroke of midnight. First-footers bring good luck but should also bring a gift such as uisge beatha "water of life" (where Gaelic uisge is the source of English whiskey). If the uisge is all sold out, a lump of coal or an oat cake called a 'bannock' will suffice. This tradition reaches back to the Viking era, when the blond, blue-eyed Vikings brought only bad luck to whomever they visited. Whichever party you join this year, look out for the accent on the final syllable of today's Good Word.

In Play: If you would like to add a bit of innovation to your end-of-the-year greetings, try "Merry Christmas and a Happy Hogmanay!" for a change. If you go to the Hogmanay street party in Edinburgh or Glasgow, though, it is unlikely that anyone will be able to hear you.

Word History: The sense of Hogmanay corresponds to that of Old French aguillanneuf, from the phrase au gui l'an neuf! "under the New Year's mistletoe", which refers to the last day of the year or the gift given at that time. In modern French dialects it survives as aiguilan, guilané, and guilanneau, but in Normandy it is hoguinané, the most probable source of the Scottish English term. Others have speculated that hogmanay itself comes either from the Anglo-Saxon haleg monath "holy month" or Gaelic oge maidne "new morning". These sources seem highly unlikely, however.
Dr. Goodword, alphaDictionary.com


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Thanks Siouxann, I try my best with _The Lad_ and I treat his best friend, our semi-permanent house-guest, the same way. They seem well-adjusted, I never really have to do anything more than slow them down a bit so they have time to think things through, I'm very lucky to have such great boys in my care. Two of their friends who live in London are joining us for New Year, they're fun too, I think it's all down to the atmosphere in which one chooses to live, I go for mirthful!

Dave


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## Silverstreak (Oct 14, 2011)

Dave, only one disclaimer missing from your greeting: "Your results may differ from those shown on front of greeting".


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## RookieRetiree (Jan 27, 2011)

5mmdpns said:


> thewren said:
> 
> 
> > men to do not have a corner on cruelness - where men will duke it out and get it over with - women (my opinion only) conive and will get back just out of spite. that is a pretty broad statement - let me cut that back and say some women and i can say that because i was married to one. even now she has her children walking on egg when she is around for fear mother will have one of her fits. perple are cruel - i have never understood the wanting to be cruel to someone - i wasn't raised that way.
> ...


Could you do a collage of Dave's napkin ring patterns - just do them as rectangles? I think that would be a wonderful project. It would be a great banner for the dining hall for all the parties.

Luckily, I haven't had to deal with any cruel people; just some thoughtless and insensitive ones who thankfully, I could write off as unimportant in my life and don't see them. I feel for anyone who has had to deal with abuse---but there are sick people out there and it's unfortunate for those who have to deal with them.

I have some baby knitting to do - grandchild #2 is due the first part of February and the shower is next weekend. I don't have grandchild #1 to watch this week so I should be able to get a lot done. The shower is here so I also have to get the Christmas decorations down and the house back in order.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

The weather wasn't wonderful in London to-day, dull and overcast with nasty fine drizzle, so we're 'doing the sales' tomorrow morning! Instead we shopped locally today and the _Palace of Hell_ had nets of satsuma oranges for £1/kilo (70usc/lb), perfectly fresh but the 'sell-by date' is tomorrow! We're just prepping them for marmalade, this is really nice!

*Satsuma Marmalade*

*Ingredients:*
2 lbs (900g)satsuma oranges
grated zest and juice of one lemon
grated zest and juice of one dessert orange
2 Imp. pints (2.4 US pints/1.15 litres) water
4 lbs (1.8kg) sugar

*Method*
Wash the fruit, remove the peel, then pulse the flesh in a food processor and pass through a seive. Place pulp in a muslin bag and put this together with the juices, water and zest in a large pan. Finely slice the peel and add this to the pan. Cover and leave to stand overnight.

Bring all to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the muslin bombe and squeeze hard to extract juices and return these to the pan. Add the sugar and, when dissolved, increase the heat and boil rapidly until setting point is reached, about 12-15 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly before pouring into warm sterilised jars, then cover and seal.

Tastes fantastic!
Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Silverstreak said:


> Dave, only one disclaimer missing from your greeting: "Your results may differ from those shown on front of greeting".


Love it, I'll work it into next year's!

Dave


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## NanaCaren (May 17, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> The weather wasn't wonderful in London to-day, dull and overcast with nasty fine drizzle, so we're 'doing the sales' tomorrow morning! Instead we shopped locally today and the _Palace of Hell_ had nets of satsuma oranges for £1/kilo (70usc/lb), perfectly fresh but the 'sell-by date' is tomorrow! We're just prepping them for marmalade, this is really nice!
> 
> *Satsuma Marmalade*
> 
> ...


Yum, I love marmalade of all kinds. This will be the next one I make.


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## pammie1234 (Apr 27, 2011)

The last few days have really been sunny and warm. It cools in the evening, but basically nice, cheery days. I've been working on a hat for my nephew's stepson. I made him one earlier, but it was too small. I ended up giving it to my great niece. I have also been cleaning out my computer files. I have save some e-books that I don't really need. May do the same with patterns. I know I have saved some that I will never make. But then, you never know!


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

pammie1234 said:


> The last few days have really been sunny and warm. It cools in the evening, but basically nice, cheery days. I've been working on a hat for my nephew's stepson. I made him one earlier, but it was too small. I ended up giving it to my great niece. I have also been cleaning out my computer files. I have save some e-books that I don't really need. May do the same with patterns. I know I have saved some that I will never make. But then, you never know!


Cloud Store them, you never know!

Dave


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## KateB (Sep 28, 2011)

mjs - I thought this might be of interest to some.

What's the Good Word? alphaDictionary.com
December 31, 2011
Send this word to a Friend
Printable Version  Hogmanay 

[Podcast] Pronunciation: hahg-mê-nay  Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun, proper

Meaning: Hogmanay is not a pig resort but a Scottish festivity celebrated on the last day of the year. Children traditionally stroll about the neighborhood on this day asking for presents. Today's Good Word also refers to the gifts given or received on Hogmanay. More recently it has become a raucous New Year's Eve party in many Scottish cities at which revelers sometimes do behave a bit swinishly.

Notes: The traditional Hogmanay includes "first footing," the welcoming of a tall, dark stranger at the stroke of midnight. First-footers bring good luck but should also bring a gift such as uisge beatha "water of life" (where Gaelic uisge is the source of English whiskey). If the uisge is all sold out, a lump of coal or an oat cake called a 'bannock' will suffice. This tradition reaches back to the Viking era, when the blond, blue-eyed Vikings brought only bad luck to whomever they visited. Whichever party you join this year, look out for the accent on the final syllable of today's Good Word.

In Play: If you would like to add a bit of innovation to your end-of-the-year greetings, try "Merry Christmas and a Happy Hogmanay!" for a change. If you go to the Hogmanay street party in Edinburgh or Glasgow, though, it is unlikely that anyone will be able to hear you.

Word History: The sense of Hogmanay corresponds to that of Old French aguillanneuf, from the phrase au gui l'an neuf! "under the New Year's mistletoe", which refers to the last day of the year or the gift given at that time. In modern French dialects it survives as aiguilan, guilané, and guilanneau, but in Normandy it is hoguinané, the most probable source of the Scottish English term. Others have speculated that hogmanay itself comes either from the Anglo-Saxon haleg monath "holy month" or Gaelic oge maidne "new morning". These sources seem highly unlikely, however.
Dr. Goodword, alphaDictionary.com[/quote]

I would dispute his pronunciaton - we say hog (rhymes with
log)-man (rhymes with can)- ay (as in day) or is it more to do with accents? Also I've never heard of children strolling about asking for presents - doubt parents nowadays would allow them out anyway! Interesting about the source of the word. All the best to all of you when it comes - a Happy Hogmanay and a healthy New Year. :lol:


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## margewhaples (Nov 18, 2011)

Its sunny this afternoon 75 deg probably. Ive opened windows and doors to air out the stuffy house. Tomorrow and Sunday are my assembly in Miraloma approx 70 miles away, I think. It will be a refreshing experience once again renewing my spirit. The last 2 years it has fallen on a holiday weekend. I don't relish the drive. A sister in the faith has offerred to take me as I am still without transportation. We usually carpool anyway, its more festive for some of us together. We then can discuss the 
talks and experiences together during the drive home. Today I am trying to get clothes ready for that and the week ahead, as well as meals for both days and those to follow. I look forward to a shower before it gets too cool and a quiet evening of crocheting. Just finished a neck warmer for a gift to one of my volunteer compadres in the sewing room. She sews but doesn't knit or crochet and is very generous to all the seniors so I am surprising her with it. It is quite victorian looking and I even hand fashioned the buttons as rosebuds. I hope she likes it, she admired the picture in the crochet magazine I purchased a couple of months ago. Thats all for now. Marlark Marge.


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## sunnybutterfly (May 15, 2011)

Morning all, its 9.24am Melbourne time on 31/12 and its going to be hot - 32 deg C with 36 tomorrow. Adelaide expecting 40. Summer has arrived. Not sure anymore what that is in F but I think the formula is to double it and add 32. So if that's true about high 90s F to the ton. Ah well. Autumn can't be that far away surely.


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## maryanne (Feb 20, 2011)

mjs and Kate B, thank you very much for that interesting tidbit. I love languages and words. I knew uisge beatha, but hogmanay was totally new to me,


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Hi everybody, it's just past 11pm in London and I've just opened the New Year's edition of the tea party at:

http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-51853-1.html

See you there!

Dave


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## darowil (Apr 17, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> The weather wasn't wonderful in London to-day, dull and overcast with nasty fine drizzle, so we're 'doing the sales' tomorrow morning! Instead we shopped locally today and the _Palace of Hell_ had nets of satsuma oranges for £1/kilo (70usc/lb), perfectly fresh but the 'sell-by date' is tomorrow! We're just prepping them for marmalade, this is really nice!
> 
> *Satsuma Marmalade*
> 
> ...


Over here Satsumas are plums- make a lovely jam but not a good marmalade! Had forgotten this when I first looked at your receipt and so was thrown. They are a nice sized deep red plum- should be available about now.


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## pattys76 (Apr 7, 2011)

jknappva said:


> thewren said:
> 
> 
> > men to do not have a corner on cruelness - where men will duke it out and get it over with - women (my opinion only) conive and will get back just out of spite. that is a pretty broad statement - let me cut that back and say some women and i can say that because i was married to one. even now she has her children walking on egg when she is around for fear mother will have one of her fits. perple are cruel - i have never understood the wanting to be cruel to someone - i wasn't raised that way.
> ...


Sam, I've known several people like that.
June I think it's because you were as my Momma used to say "Raised Right".


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## Della (Jun 17, 2011)

thewren said:


> men to do not have a corner on cruelness - where men will duke it out and get it over with - women (my opinion only) conive and will get back just out of spite. that is a pretty broad statement - let me cut that back and say some women and i can say that because i was married to one. even now she has her children walking on egg when she is around for fear mother will have one of her fits. perple are cruel - i have never understood the wanting to be cruel to someone - i wasn't raised that way.
> 
> think i better stop while i am ahead.
> 
> ...


----------



## dandylion (May 31, 2011)

When I was reading about the Scottish customs for the New Year, I read that if the first stranger to come to the door after midnight brought a piece of coal, a cake or bread, or a coin would bring good luck. 
That may have been the tradition that influenced your Mother. 

I'm sure Dave is researching now to tell us the "real" story  

I do love what your Mom did, and will pass that on to my loved ones. 


jknappva wrote:
/quote]

My grandfather was Virginia country through and through. He always had to have collards and black-eye peas on New Year's 
Also, when I was little, we lived in a three-story house (or a tenement, as they were called in those days). If a new family moved in, she would bring them a slice of bread and a penny; the bread so they'd never go hungry, the penny so they'd never be poor. I've read that this is a Jewish custom, but my Mom was French.


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## dandylion (May 31, 2011)

Excuse this post I meant it for the newest tea party and I guess I can't just delete a comment once the space is used. 
Happy New Year


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

i just saw this recipe on www.allrecipes.com and thought that instead of a big meal some of you might enjoy this for new year's day.

sam

Reuben Pizza 


Ingredients
1 (1 pound) loaf frozen whole wheat bread dough, thawed 
1/2 cup thousand island dressing 
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese 
6 ounces deli sliced corned beef, cut into strips 
1 cup sauerkraut - rinsed and drained 
1/2 teaspoon caraway seed 
1/4 cup chopped dill pickles (optional) 
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a large pizza pan. On a lightly floured surface, roll the bread dough out into a large circle about 14 inches across. Transfer to the prepared pizza pan. Build up the edges, and prick the center all over with a fork so it doesn't form a dome when baking . 
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. 
Spread half of the salad dressing over the hot crust. Sprinkle with half of the Swiss cheese. Arrange corned beef over the cheese, then drizzle with the remaining salad dressing. Top with sauerkraut and remaining Swiss cheese. Sprinkle with caraway seed. 
Bake for another 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese melts and toppings are heated through. Sprinkle with chopped pickle. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. 
Nutritional Information 
Amount Per Serving Calories: 207 | Total Fat: 15.4g | Cholesterol: 44mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

sunnybutterfly - no - no - no - send all that lovely heat to northwest ohio right now - i think in my next life i am going to live where it is warm year around.

is this your first time on sunnybuttefly - i don't remember you before - that is not to say you haven't been on - put in down to my faulty memory - anyhow - welcome to the tea party - join in often - we love new members.

sam



sunnybutterfly said:


> Morning all, its 9.24am Melbourne time on 31/12 and its going to be hot - 32 deg C with 36 tomorrow. Adelaide expecting 40. Summer has arrived. Not sure anymore what that is in F but I think the formula is to double it and add 32. So if that's true about high 90s F to the ton. Ah well. Autumn can't be that far away surely.


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## sunnybutterfly (May 15, 2011)

thewren said:


> sunnybutterfly - no - no - no - send all that lovely heat to northwest ohio right now - i think in my next life i am going to live where it is warm year around.
> 
> is this your first time on sunnybuttefly - i don't remember you before - that is not to say you haven't been on - put in down to my faulty memory - anyhow - welcome to the tea party - join in often - we love new members.
> 
> ...


No Sam, joined ages ago and spent a lot of time then got full time work so kind of dropped out. Don't know why just found time was harder to get and didn't want to sit on computer all day at work and all night as well. but I missed the KP vibe so I'm back. See you in the new tea party.


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## siouxann (Mar 5, 2011)

Sam, that receipt sounds tasty! I would probably take off the sauerkraut as it is not one of my faves. At that point, I could call it a 'Rachael Pizza'. It will definitely get a try-out!


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## siouxann (Mar 5, 2011)

I'm going to try the Satsuma Orange Marmalade if i can find those oranges. I looked at a picture and they most resemble Clementines. I don't think they are the same, though.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

siouxann said:


> I'm going to try the Satsuma Orange Marmalade if i can find those oranges. I looked at a picture and they most resemble Clementines. I don't think they are the same, though.


They're very similar, but super sweet. If you use clementines, you'll need to add about 12 ounces more sugar.

Dave


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## Bluebirdlet (May 21, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> Now we've got the contentious bit out of the way, the 24th December a lot of people like to serve fish for supper, this is easy, tasty and light before whatever excesses are planned for the 25th.
> 
> *Prawn and vegetable frittata*
> 
> ...


Oooh, thanks a bunch, Dave! Sounds refreshing! Gradually moving towards Christmas Eve at the Tea Party. Even in real life, have not yet celebrated the holiday with my family, due to illness. Adds to the charm.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Bluebirdlet said:


> FireballDave said:
> 
> 
> > Now we've got the contentious bit out of the way, the 24th December a lot of people like to serve fish for supper, this is easy, tasty and light before whatever excesses are planned for the 25th.
> ...


Celebrate Russian Christmas on 7th January. We will be going to a very glitzy cocktail party being thrown by an Eastern European magazine on Friday evening, you haven't necessarily missed out on all the fun!

Dave


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## siouxann (Mar 5, 2011)

Hmmmm . . . maybe some Russian Caviar atop your Prawn Fritata, served with some iced Russian Vodka . . . and with the time zone difference in Moscow, I would most likely be awake to celebrate. Must remember this!


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

siouxann said:


> Hmmmm . . . maybe some Russian Caviar atop your Prawn Fritata, served with some iced Russian Vodka . . . and with the time zone difference in Moscow, I would most likely be awake to celebrate. Must remember this!


Sounds Fab!

I can think of at least a thousand reasons to celebrate, three times more than there are days in the year!

Enjoy!
Dave


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## siouxann (Mar 5, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> siouxann said:
> 
> 
> > Hmmmm . . . maybe some Russian Caviar atop your Prawn Fritata, served with some iced Russian Vodka . . . and with the time zone difference in Moscow, I would most likely be awake to celebrate. Must remember this!
> ...


Then you can celebrate three times a day! Go for it!


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## pammie1234 (Apr 27, 2011)

I haven't gotten any emails from the tea party today. Is something up?


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## Lisa crafts 62 (Jan 23, 2011)

This is last week's Tea Party
Lisa


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## pammie1234 (Apr 27, 2011)

I haven't gotten any for this weeks. I'll see if I can find one in my deleted files.


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

pammie1234 said:


> I haven't gotten any for this weeks. I'll see if I can find one in my deleted files.


You did write on this week's Tea Party about the BSJ because I did converse with you about them! Is that not the Tea Party you are referring to? Or is it the Winterval 2011 tea party that you are looking for?


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## pammie1234 (Apr 27, 2011)

I was looking for the 2012 one. But people are still posting on this one! I have gotten some emails since I did pm Admin. Maybe all is well!


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

pammie1234 said:


> I was looking for the 2012 one. But people are still posting on this one! I have gotten some emails since I did pm Admin. Maybe all is well!


I think the first 2012 one will come out on Friday, January 6.


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## Lisa crafts 62 (Jan 23, 2011)

it's under Tea Party MMXI-MMXII


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## Bluebirdlet (May 21, 2011)

DorisT said:


> Speaking of books, I've just finished reading "enjoy every sandwich" by Lee Lipsenthal, M.D. subtitled "Living Each Day as if it Were Your Last." He died of esophageal cancer just this past September. One reviewer said "it will open the door for you to embrace your humanity, accept uncertainty, and live a life of gratitude." It isn't depressing at all.
> 
> I'm now working on "Man Seeks God" subtitled "My Flirtations with the Divine," by Eric Weiner. He has a website, http://www.EricWeinerBooks.com. This book answers questions like: Where do we come from? What happens when we die? How should we live our lives? Where do all the missing socks go? I'd like to find the answer to that one! LOL He's very witty and entertaining.


Doris, these books sound excellent! I am reading Matthew Fox's Original Blessing. Academic, but enriching!


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