Sissyfriss Sockmonkey and Lou Lou Skiptoo Watch the Snow Fall in Boone

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow . . .

So pretty.

"Well, Hey There, Lou Lou - where have you been?"

"Hey, Sissy.  I've been out walking with Harley, but I think that's my last trip out today. It is blowing like crazy!!"

"I know.  Just a little while ago I could see down the driveway, but now I can't see anything.  It's a blizzard, for real."

"Sissyfriss, remember last year we walked up here from Auntie Coo Coo's house.  In our snowshoes!  Remember?!"

"Lordy, yes, I remember!  I also remember drinking too much and having one heck of a hang-over the next day!  Tee-Hee."

"Now that Auntie Coo Coo has moved to Florida to be with Waldo, and we're living here, we can just stay tucked in all nice and warm.  The only time we have to go out is when Harley says it's time."

"That devil dog.  He LOVES the snow.  He pretends it's time even when it's not just so he can go out and run like a crazy dog in all this mess."

"It's pretty though."

"Yes.  It is."

"And quiet.  Peaceful."


"And magical."

Run, Harley!  Run, Run, Run!!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow . . .

Sissyfriss Sockmonkey and Lou Lou Skiptoo Drop by for a "Donald Update" Visit

 Thanks to those of you who continue to check on Donald - he's doing remarkably well; getting stronger every day.

He had a surprise visit over the weekend from our little buddies Sissyfriss Sockmonkey and Lou Lou Skiptoo.  

As you may have guessed, "the girls" entertained Donald in grand style.  I stood by and observed while the three of them played catch-up.  With Harley poking his little nose in too - he just adores Sissy & Lou Lou.  Sissyfriss doesn't even seem to mind when Harley nibbles her toes.  I took some pictures, but they had me laughing so hard, many of the pictures are blurred.  Hard to take pictures while you're hysterical!!  But I'm posting them anyway - just 'cause.

We ALL were tickled!  What a fun afternoon we had.  Sissyfriss Sockmonkey and Lou Lou Skiptoo are the best kinda medicine.  Besides coming by to make us laugh, fill us in on neighborhood gossip, and share a bit of pasta salad, they wanted to hear all Donald's news, and this is what he had to share - 

He's going to cardio-rehab three days a week where they're monitoring him as they put him through the exercise wringer to help him build up his stamina and get in the best shape he's probably ever been in.  We're not sure how long he'll be in this program - it could be 3 months, or it could be 6.  Or more.  Or less.  We just know they'll allow him to graduate when they're sure he's ready.

While he's not at The Wellness Center going through his paces, one of the things that's been keeping him occupied, busy, engaged and engrossed is weaving.

 (This is going to be a table runner.  Gorgeous!!! )

This seems to be an excellent choice of activity; a creative outlet and therapeutic - tailor made for Donald right now.  A good bit of math is needed to plan a weaving project, so that keeps his brain engaged.  It's a bit of a puzzlement putting the proper amount of calculated yarn onto the warp board, and then moving that to the loom, along with threading the reed and the heddles, which has him utilizing his mechanical aptitude, and then the actual weaving is pleasing to his creative spirit.  And it pleases me to see him there.  He says the hours fly by while he's at work with this, and it's not too physically taxing.     (and maybe - just maybe - I'll get a pretty scarf or shawl . . . .)

You'll remember that although Donald has never had high blood pressure, and his cholesterol numbers are pretty good, the doctors have put him on a low fat, low sodium diet.  Like most folks, we're fairly knowledgeable about fat content, and checking labels (and sometimes shamefully choosing to ignore them).  We haven't used real salt in our salt shakers during our entire married life - we've always used a salt substitute except for when I bake.  And while I guess I was aware that processed foods do contain a good bit of sodium, I had no idea that a lot of them actually contain a HUGE amount.  I know there are people out there who say they live a "sodium free lifestyle."  Frankly, I'm amazed and perhaps a teeny bit doubtful when I hear this statement.  Sodium free just doesn't seem possible to me.  Donald and I are on a quest for a low sodium diet, and even that is proving to be quite the challenge.

The dietician at Mission Memorial recommended Mrs. Dash products.  That's a good place to start - we're especially fond of their sodium free marinades.  The Mrs. Dash website also includes a lot of recipes and cooking tips.  From here, I found a website called Dietician Center, which says it gives tasty alternatives to fat, sugar and sodium.  Haven't really gotten into this site too much yet, but it looks interesting and helpful.  Another hint from the dietician was to rinse all your processed veggies and this will remove about 40% of the sodium they've been processed in.

One of the first things I did was buy two cookbooks (including one for baking) by Donald A. Gazzaniga, the low sodium guru.  I haven't had time to read through either of them too much yet, so can't really give an opinion regarding the recipes.  I have, however, picked up a few things - including the fact that he will scare you to death regarding salt.  To the point that I think I now know quite a bit, get his point, and probably won't read any more of what he has to say about it - just skip on to the recipes.  This is not to say I don't believe what he's telling us, or that I don't take it seriously, or that I don't respect his work.   My feeling on this is that I'll do the very best I can, but I refuse to live my life scared to death of sodium.  There is, after all, only so much we can do and I'm not ever going to go quite as far as he's gone.  We will, of course, go as far as we can, and continue looking for ways (and products) in which to keep getting a little better, without going  off the deep end and radically attempting a major change in our lifestyle in one fail swoop.  Which would ultimately end in failure, I'm sure.   I have to believe that moderation in all things is good (granted - more moderation when it comes to sodium).  I don't know about everyone else, but after having worked a full day, there aren't a lot of nights that I'm up to doing a lot of cooking from scratch using no prepared foods.  Some nights, yes - but every night?  No way.  I'm going to need to start planning my time during the weekend to cook ahead.  I have some friends who are very good about doing this, and I need to follow their lead. 

Mr. Gazzaniga recommends the  HeartHealthyMarket.com, and I have found some things here that I'm trying.  And here's another place I found - http://www.heartwisefood.com.

Good places to shop for low-sodium cheeses - www.heluvagood.com and www.koshercheese.com

A couple other products I've found  that I'm very pleased with if you're interested.  At our Lowe's Foods I've found some frozen things we like - Bird's Eye Steamfresh brown rice is excellent and sodium free (and you take it from the freezer, directly into the microwave in the bag it comes it - Yay!).  Some of the Valley Fresh Steamers veggies are also a fairly good choice (lower in sodium, at any rate, than most canned veggies and a lot of the frozen).  

Some additional products we've either tried, or have purchased and are in the process of trying, based on recommendations of others,  are:

No Salt/No Oil Popcorn - but we'll use Kernel Season's Kettle Corn popcorn seasoning.

Frontier salt-free Taco seasoning

Bernard sugar free, low fat, no trans fat, cholesterol free, low sodium Chocolate Brownie Mix (surprisingly good!!!!!!)

Kashi TLC Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Soft Baked Cookies (yum)

Boar's Head Low Sodium Lacy Swiss Cheese

A few of the suggestions from Donald A. Gazzaniga for low sodium substitutes (check with your doctor first!  some of these may have levels of potassium that won't suit your diet!) follow:

Baking Powder - substitute Featherweight Baking Powder

Baking Soda - substitute Ener-G Baking Soda

Brown Sugar - substitute Twin Sugar Substitutes; Splenda Sugar Substitute

White Granulated Sugar - substitute Splenda Sugar Substitute

Butter -  substitute unsalted butter, olive oil, applesauce, cranberry sauce, flaxseed meal

As we keep trying new things, I'll keep you posted.  In the meantime, anything any of you might want to share regarding low-sodium, heart healthy eating will be greatly appreciated!

UPDATE - Yay! 
Donald just called.  He's back from the cardiologist and got a glowing report!  The doctor says he's free to now do anything he wants to do, just rest when he's tired.  He told Donald that what the Wellness Center therapists have put him through the past few visits will exceed anything he could possibly do on his own - like weed wacking, etc.   He's to just pay attention to his body and not push beyond reason.
Yay !

Life is grand. 

Sissyfriss and Lou Lou are going to the beach

Sissyfriss and Lou Lou came by for a visit last night!

I had not seen Sissyfriss Sockmonkey and Lou Lou Skiptoo since February. Remember - they dropped by out of the blue - during an ice storm, no less.

They ended up hanging around, we drank some wine

Then I noticed Lou Lou and Sissy were off having what appeared to be a serious chat

Then Sissy had what can only be called a bit of a crying jag

Then they both passed out.





The next morning they had decided to quit drinking.

and we had a book give-away.  that was fun.

But then they put on their snowshoes and trundled on down the mountain back to Auntie Coo Coo's house.  We've chatted a few times since, but we hadn't seen one another.

If you'll remember, the story was that Sissyfriss and Mr. Sockmonkey were experiencing some marital discord. For awhile after that things were better, but they're on the outs again. Mr. Sockmonkey just can't seem to get his act together, and Sissyfriss, as much as she loves him, gets a little weary of his childishness and has to take a break every now and then.

And Lou Lou is always there for her.

During our visit  last night we started talking about our upcoming vacation.   Sissy and Lou Lou asked if we wanted them to stay at our house while we were gone, but we've already got that covered.  Then we decided it would be fun for them to come to the beach with us, and they agreed!  Yay!  It's going to be TOO fun!  and don't you know we will have stories to tell.

They were still up jabbering about the trip when we went to bed.  Last I heard they were talking about where they were going shopping today to buy new bathing suits.

Stay tuned . . .

The Sissyfriss Sockmonkey and Lou Lou Skiptoo St. Valentine's Give-Away

Sat., Feb. 6, 2010 -
Lou Lou and Sissyfriss slept long and hard (see below : > ), and woke up with a bit of a headache ( see below : > ), but after a few cups of coffee and a toasted bagel they were both well on their way to feeling fine again. They couldn't wait to slip on those new snowshoes of theirs and do some exploring. We got another 2 or 3 inches of snow overnight and it's really beautiful out there, and these gals can't wait to be out in it! But before heading out for their next great adventure, they tossed all the names of the people who were interested in winning a copy of ROSES into a bowl and drew the winning name.


(note to everyone from Sissyfriss Sockmonkey and Lou Lou Skiptoo. They want you to know this picture was taken this morning. That is NOT wine in those wineglasses. nuh uh. That is apple juice. Sissy & Lou Lou have quit drinking. So they say. We'll just see about that, now won't we? Stay tuned for more adventures from these two.)

The winner of The First Annual Sissyfriss Sockmonkey and Lou Lou Skiptoo St. Valentine's Give-Away is Shirley - boots9k at wowway dot com

Congratulations, Shirley! and I hope you love the book! Drop me note with your mailing address, please ( barleykw at appstate.edu ) and I'll get your book off to you next week.

Come back and let us know how you like it!



The First Annual Sissyfriss Sockmonkey and Lou Lou Skiptoo St. Valentine's Give-Away

Part II
Friday, Feb. 5, 2010

WHAT a day.

The University closed today due to snow and the possibility of ice. We've gotten, oh golly - I don't know - 8 or 9 inches I'm guessing. With some mixtures of ice, rain, sleet and freezing rain all coming down every now and again. Truth be told, I'm not sure what the difference is in all those things other than rain. As far as I'm concerned sleet and ice and freezing rain are all the same thing and they're anything but good. So far, thank goodness, it has not been a bad as the weather folks had originally predicted, but then too - it's still pretty early., so I'm guessing this whole snow for awhile - ice a little - snow some more stuff is going to continue through the night and through tomorrow. But, whatever it does, I'm sure we're not going to get slammed as hard as my friends and family in Maryland where they're getting the worst storm since 1922, with the possibility of as much as 30 inches of snow.

A friend from Cambridge sent me this link to pictures taken at Ocean City and Assateague during the last storm.

http://www.assateaguephotos.com/photos/swfpopup.mg?AlbumID=11114154&AlbumKey=hPYvi

I've never seen snow like that on the Boardwalk and beach in Ocean City, and I think this weekend's storm will be even bigger. WHAT a winter.

And those crazy girls Sissyfriss and Lou Lou showed up at our door again today.



They're getting pretty darn good with those new snowshoes of theirs, I must say. There's just no holding them down. They are absolutely bound and determined that this weather is not going to get in the way of their fun.

They're still staying just down the road with Auntie Coo Coo. I'm not entirely clear about all this, but it seems Sissyfriss and Mr. Sockmonkey are experiencing some marital discord. So, Sissyfriss has been staying with Lou Lou, and the two of them somehow have ended up bunking in with Auntie Coo Coo. But Auntie was weary of them being underfoot, so she shoo-shooed them out of the house today which is how they ended up here.

Along with their bottle of wine.

And the more they drank, the funnier they were. And oooooh, the stories these gals have! They are a HOOT!

So, we spent the day together and had fun, but after awhile (and too much wine) Sissy Sockmonkey got a little bit blue and had herself a little bit of a crying jag. Lou Lou, being the best kind of girlfriend a gal can have, sat with her and talked to her and comforted her a bit. Mostly she just listened and let Sissy have a good cry.



And then they had another glass of wine.

Then, next thing I knew. They were both sound asleep.



They looked so comfortable. And they were snoring so loudly, I just couldn't bring myself to wake them up. So, I took away the empty wine glasses, and tossed a quilt over them. Gave them both a little kiss on the head, turned out the light and left them where I'm sure they'll sleep through the night.

And, tomorrow we'll draw a name, and I'll let you all know who the winner of the St. Valentine's Give-Away is.

Check back, O.K.?

The First Annual Sissyfriss Sockmonkey and Lou Lou Skiptoo St. Valentine's Give-Away

Part I

You may remember my little pals Sissyfriss Sockmonkey and Lou Lou Skiptoo.


They hosted a tea party for me back in June. Remember? And did a lovely job, I must say.


I haven't seen too much of them lately. Seems we were all busy and running in different directions during the summer, then when winter hit, it hit with a vengeance and we've just had a hard time getting together. The roads have been bad a lot and well . . . you know how it is. Life is just busy.


Then out of the blue, lo and behold - here they are. They just showed up at the door this morning. ASU delayed the start of classes today due to icy conditions, and the roads are AWFUL, so needless to say, I was super surprised to see these two out and about! But it turns out they spent the night close by. They were visiting with Lou Lou's elderly Auntie Coo Coo and ending up spending the night. I'm not real clear on all this, but the story I'm getting seems to be that there was wine involved. If you remember, these two do like a glass of wine every now and again.


Anyway.


They heard the news about delayed classes, and thought they'd drop in for a little visit. Slipped on their little snowshoes and voilà, here they are.


Visits with Lou Lou and Sissyfriss are a hoot. They have opinions they're willing to stick by and don't mind telling it like it is. I love that. At this stage of my life it's important to me that my friends are people I respect. Used to be they just had to be fun to hang out with. While it's true I still like fun people, and love more than anything to slap my knee and throw my head back and laugh till I cry with them, that added element of respect is also very important.


While the three of us don't necessarily agree on everything, one thing we absolutely totally and completely agree on, is that we can't let quite so much time pass between visits. Life is too short to let too much time pass without making time for those you care about.


And after coming to this momentous decision, Lou Lou and Sissy decided we needed to toast to the occassion.


uh oh.


In an effort to persuade them not to crack open the wine bottle at such an early hour, I kinda steered the conversation around to what we've all been reading. One thing led to another and next thing you know we're planning a give-away.


Yippee Skippy!


We're calling it . . .


drum roll . . .

The Sissyfriss Sockmonkey and Lou Lou Skiptoo St. Valentine's Give-Away

And yes, we know it's Groundhog Day. We say to heck with Groundhog Day and six more weeks of winter. We say let's start a little early with the celebrations for St. Valentine's Day. That's a much more fun holiday to celebrate. Or at least we think it is. Although, that Groundhog Day movie IS pretty cool . . .


After much discussion, we've decided the book of honor will be . . . . .





Leila Meacham' ROSES.


I read about this book at Lesa's Book Critiques. Being a long time fan of sagas and epic novels which are no longer quite as in favor as they once were, I was tickled pink to read about ROSES. Spanning the twentieth century, this is the story of the founding families of a small town in Texas. It follows their interwoven histories, including all the secrets and tragedies you'd expect in this type of novel. I ate it up. Maybe, just maybe, the re-entry of the family saga is on the horizon due in part to the popularity of Leila Meacham's novel. My fingers are crossed.


If you're a fan of Barbara Taylor Bradford's Harte family series, you might enjoy this one. (or if you remember some of the old Susan Howatch novels - Penmarric, Cashelmara, etc.). If you're a lover of this type of novel, then let me hear from you and I'll maybe send you a copy of ROSES. Leave your name and email address in the comment section below.


Sissyfriss and Lou Lou plan on dropping by this weekend to choose the winning name. Check here on Saturday or Sunday (they won't commit to which day!), and I'll have the winning name at the top of this post. How's that? You need to include your email address though. Without it your name won't be considered.


Do you have a favorite epic novel, or epic novel author you want to squeal about? I'm always on the hunt for these, so let me hear, please!




For full FTC disclosure.
I bought this book.
No payment of any kind has been made for the above stated opinion.

Sissyfriss Sockmonkey and Lou Lou Skiptoo Host a Tea Party

You may remember that today is Tea Party Day. We're joining Vanessa from A Fanciful Twist in hosting the 2nd Annual Mad Tea Party.



You may also remember that Donald and I discovered we have a conflict today and almost had to cancel the party, but my girlfriend Sissyfriss Sockmonkey jumped in and agreed to host it for me. This all worked out beautifully 'cause today is the day Sissy's book group was meeting and they all agreed it sounded fun to have a full fledged tea party. And it should be great fun!

But poor Sissyfriss is a nervous wreck. She always throws really lovely parties, but gets awfully nervous beforehand. She's asked her best gal pal, Lou Lou Skiptoo, to come early and help her get things ready. Sissyfriss and Lou Lou have been very best friends since the cradle. and oh my - do they have stories to tell. Whew. The trouble these girls have managed to get themselves into . . .

But. they're grown up ladies now and all that silliness is behind them.

So.

They're both here and I'm leaving!

Things are like 42 whirlwinds around this house!

These gals are busy bustling about and I hear the tinkle clink of dishes and wine glasses (wait - - - - WINE GLASSES!?!?) coming out of the china cabinet.

AND the dessert caterer has arrived! How Lovely! We've used these folks before and they do lovely, scrumptious desserts!

Donald and I are on our way out the door, but I hope some of you will stop in and enjoy the party. And I promise to post pictures as soon as I get home.

I did manage to get Sissy and Lou Lou to sit down long enough to snap a picture of the two of them. They are adorable!!



(wine glasses? It's a TEA party . . . .
oh my . . . .

it's going to be fine fine fine
I am not going to fret about this

gonna be fine


wine glasses?? . . )






Part Two




Well, okeey doke.

Donald and I are home, and things look as though a good time was had by all!

Poor Sissyfriss and Pitiful Lou Lou must have worked awfully hard 'cause they're both sound asleep on the bed and snoring to beat the band!!!!!! (don't tell them I mentioned the snoring, okay?).

From the number of wine bottles we found in the trash, it is no wonder they're sleeping and snoring. big sigh.

They left the camera out for us with a note that neither of them are very computer savy, so would I mind loading their pictures, so I'll do that. And I'll try to include a few of their little notes they left me giving some party highlights.

Sissy and Lou Lou enjoyed the desserts we had when we threw ourselves the Meanderings and Muses Milestone party to celebrate having 10,000 visitors. They enjoyed them so much, they hired the same dessert caterer. I'm sure hoping they saved us some!!


From these pictures, I'd have to say it looks as though there was a good turn out! I recognize some of Sissy and Lou Lou's friends and wish I'd been here to visit with them. I see Harley here saying "Hey!" to Benjamin.

Benjamin hasn't been by to see us in forever!

While Sissyfriss was welcoming guests and mingling, Lou Lou Skiptoo took care of putting out dishes for the dessert buffet


This is Maudie with Lou Lou,

and this is Victoria

and these are just a few of the goodies they're having


and here's a couple pictures of some more of Sissy and Lou Lou's guests



From the looks of these pictures, I'd have to say we almost had the makings of a Teddy Bear's picnic here.

Ahhhh - and here's a clue as to where some of that wine went . . . . . . .







And after Sissyfriss Sockmonkey and Lou Lou Skiptoo said their final goodbyes to their guests, they did what all girlfriends do after a party.

Sat down for a chat about it.

and chat they did.

They had themselves a "Post Party Replay," complete with giggles, snorts, and another glass of wine.

And they agreed that it was a fine fine party, and that everyone had themselves a gay old time.

And then they took a nap.