Hi everyone&#33;<br />
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I finally had a little quiet time to myself today, so I&#39;m happy to be able to catch up with you all a bit.  Still have to do some housework..not too much...it&#39;s Sunday&#33;  We are having our kids and their spouses, and our grandkids, and a few friends over for Thanksgiving.  I have talked Marc into letting me do an easy buffet this year.  No china and very few dishes to do.  lol  It gets to be a lot of time on the feet with all the hours of cooking and cleaning and then cleaning up after.  I told him I will be the big 60 a week before Christmas (have to make sure he remembers that date...lol) and I can&#39;t keep up like I used to.  He bought it...lol...although he doesn&#39;t feel sorry for me since he is 8 years older than I am.  lol<br />
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We are so enjoying having little Isabelle with us Mon. thru Fri., but it is a long day for us old folks.  lol <br />
 My favorite kitty-cat (he&#39;s 13) is not doing well and had lost some weight...he has put some back on and seems to be feeling better but he is slim in the rear and is not walking well with his legs.  I know I have to bring him in to the vet...but I&#39;m afraid of what they will tell us.  He is my special kitty.  He&#39;s sooo loving.  I just can&#39;t take another loss this year.  I still have nightmares about the night in the ER with my mom.  The only thing that helps me is my faith that she is with the Lord and I will see her again.  <br />
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We went out to dinner with some friends after church.  It was nice to get away for a few hours.  I&#39;m hoping we can book a cruise this winter if all goes well.  We haven&#39;t had any kind of vacation in 3 years, so it would be great to get away for a bit.<br />
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Jen...thanks for the kind words.  I remember my Grandma, and I still miss her so.  I had a tough childhood, and I did get to spend the summers with her in South Dakota sometimes, and it probably saved my life or my sanity. lol  Glad you are feeling a bit better.  Hope you&#39;re well, soon&#33;  Sorry about your cover for the porch swing, and so glad your fishies are ok.<br />
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Tonia...thanks for the kind words.  I&#39;m glad you&#39;re feeling better, and so happy for you that you are now able to go back to work.  That was so kind of you to offer to work on Thanksgiving.  The gym is a great idea.  I did some therapy in a warm pool with a therapist, and it really helped me.  I&#39;m thinking of going back when I&#39;m done with all my other stuff.  Hope you don&#39;t get those winds and fires.  <br />
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Shar...congratulations on your new sectional.  Hope you are enjoying it.<br />
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Ed...I really enjoyed looking at your pictures.  I didn&#39;t see them all, yet, but will soon.  Glad you enjoyed your cruises.  It looks like you have another fun one coming up soon.  I still remember our Infinity to Hawaii cruise.  Wish I were on her now, sipping a pina colada by the pool and listening to some music.  lol<br />
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Sue...glad you had a nice cruise.  Enjoy your time with your family.  I have a granddaughter named Avery.  The name seems to be kind of popular now with the girls and the guys.<br />
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Maria...I&#39;m glad you are getting some sleep a bit more now.  I&#39;m sooo happy that your biopsys came back benign.  Hope your knee is getting better.  Don&#39;t forget &quot;Dancing With the Stars&quot; tomorrow night.  It&#39;s the semi--finals.  I think Helio and Mel with be the ones facing off for the finals.  I was shocked that Sabrina was let go so early.  I really thought she would be in the finals.  Thanks for the link to the netti pot.  I&#39;ve been meaning to look into it since I have cronic sinus problems.<br />
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Rose...welcome back, and so glad you had a good cruise.  Thanks for all your kind words.  It&#39;s so nice that your mom and dad have a cruise booked for after Thanksgiving.  It will be so great for them to get away after all they have been through.  Glad Howie got his refrigerator.  I love soups, too&#33;  I often make a nice pot of soup for dinner in the cool weather.<br />
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Keith and Rita...I&#39;m so glad Rita&#39;s procedure went well, and all is well.  Marc used to go to shows at McCormick&#39;s Place in Chicago when he was still working.  One year he took me to Chicago with him (not for the show) we drove there and stayed for 4 days.  We had the best time&#33;  We went out for a cruise around the lake, and went to museums, and went to some nice eateries and restaurants.  We went to Walter Payton&#39;s place one night and watched the bartenders toss the drinks, and the waitresses dance on the tables.  We went to see the horse races, and went up to the top of the John Hancock building.  Wow&#33;  What a view from there.  We had a great time in Chicago.  Would love to go again someday.  We stayed in Arlington Heights and took the train in to Chicago.  <br />
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Carmen...loved your picture of your grandchildren&#33;  They are so adorable&#33;  You must be very proud.  I hope all is going well with your epidural injection procedures and that you are getting some relief.  I understand what you are going through with the fibroids.  I should have the hysterectomy, too, but we are worried about blood clots with my history, so I&#39;m taking prometrium and keeping an eye on them.  <br />
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Mary Lou...hope you are feeling better.  Colds are no fun.  I agree that our little ones want to cuddle and give their colds to us.  lol  My last one I got from my DD&#39;s family.  lol  I hadn&#39;t had one in around 2 years.  lol    Hope the new meds help for you.  It&#39;s alway hard getting adjusted to medications.  I&#39;m with you on the weekend shopping...I try to avoid it if I can.    I couldn&#39;t believe that boat that Jimmy got for his retirement.  Wow...I think Marc got a watch.  lol  We did get to go see Paul Anka at a special party, though.  He was fantastic&#33;  <br />
I haven&#39;t had a recent ultrasound, but the last one showed that the clot is still there, but it has gone away from the deep vein.  A hematologist that I just saw said it isn&#39;t a worry now that it should have scar tissue growing around it and it will hopefully dissolve.  I did get a small new one, but it seems to be going away.<br />
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Cheryl...I love your avatar of Scottie&#33;  What a cutie he is&#33;  You must be very proud of him.  I&#39;m glad your cruise was nice, but sorry that it wasn&#39;t quite up to what it should have been.  I have been on cruises like that before, but it&#39;s always nice just to be out to sea and smell that fresh sea air.  Glad you got your garage door fixed.  Hope you got your new glasses.  Hope you don&#39;t get that snowstorm.  You probably had your share of snow last year.  Thanks for the recipe.  It sounds wonderful&#33;  Your new tree sounds fantastic.  I think ours is 7&#39; and that&#39;s about all we can handle in our house.  It already takes up the whole living room...well...almost. lol  I keep thinking I should put it downstairs in the great room, but I like to have it by the front living room window and lit up at night.<br />
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Steve...welcome aboard&#33;  It&#39;s so nice to have you with us.  I&#39;m so glad your dog&#39;s surgery went well and he&#39;s doing well.  That&#39;s so wonderful that you took your dad on a cruise.  Love your picture on your avatar.  I have to learn to do that one of these days.  lol<br />
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Sorry for the long post, everyone...I just haven&#39;t had much time on the computer lately.  lol<br />
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Jason and Cheryl...congrats on that great ad in Cruise Travel Magazine and on the new members&#33;<br />
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Hope I didn&#39;t miss anyone.<br />
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Have a great day, everyone&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;