Lifestyles...

[MotherEarth]

Decided we need a subject to tell of the various households
that we feel comfortable living in.

As we head for the holidays, I have been saving cookie tin
containers, and insist when we all get together for my
grandbaby's birthday (the family one, not at day care) we
make candy for the boxes to give as gifts.  We are making
the easy stuff, hopscotch, rice crispy blocks and a few
from the Martha Stewart Easy Cooking book.  Either a fun
time or we won't be speaking around the tree!

[Runner]

I bake ridiculous quantities of chocolate chip cookies around the holidays.  I always intend to send them to friends, but end up eating them all myself.  Then I have to run an extra 20 miles just to burn off the calories.

[MotherEarth]

The Birthday/candy party was a success...all, the now 3 year old's
aunts and uncles, were there.  My kids, with Udo, the twins and
oldest with wife attacked the mixing, etc and I was a great
supervisor! 

Found out the hopscotch we have made for years, is on
the package of butterscotch morsels, called "haystacks" but
the recipe is the same. 

Although the yard decor for the Christmas season is not
new, so many have the blowup scenes that deflate during
the day.  One of the twins, said it looks like Jonestown
revisited with bodies strewn around.

Tree decorating is another stressful time...another of the
twins, said too many "edge" decisions have to be made.
Seems "edge" decisions are a team management term.

[udo]

I saw a recipe for "haystacks" on the web, but it calls for peanuts, not marshmallows.  Hmm.

[MotherEarth]

Another change in my life...the local KFC in our little town, is
shutting down    No one knows why, so I looked at what
it might take to acquire the franchise.  Only 1 mil + $360,000
in liquid assets.  As Udo said, "And, we were so close"...
he remembers when I had a Hallmark Shoppe, everyone
has to rack and stack!

[Firefly]

that's a fair bit of change.  i didn't know fried chicken was so valuable.  seems like there must be better investments in the world. 

you had a hallmark shoppe?  it always seemed to me that hallmark had a good business model.  cards have a huge markup.  did it work out well for you?

[MotherEarth]

Well, we know now where the famous recipe started with
Harlan in the Saga.  And to think,  some of rappers do
have that much as pocket change!

Yes, the Hallmark experience was a good thing.  After 4
years, 2 armed robberies and the town being flooded twice,
I sold the business and went into microelectronics.  Ended up
as a PA to the VP of a govt contractor writing technical
stuff.  Being a single Mom for 9 years with 4 kids under the
age 7 brought many adventures and to my surprise at the
time,  survival wasn't at all like Doris Day depiction of life!

[MotherEarth]

Seems like the conversation among the Trumalia members has dwindled...but now that
the Holidays are about over, maybe it will pick up.
When TV was new (the 50's), I thought what a wonderful thing for the older folks to
have entertainment in their homes...as the TV industry was trying out different formats
that would inform and entertain.  William Buckley and his intellectual musings (I wondered
if he ever fell out of his chair, he slouched so much.)

I marveled at things so common now...copy machines that were a little better than
carbon paper.   And liquid paper (white out stuff).

Now I am grouching at being stuck with a lap top until the workhouse computer is
recovering at the repair "laboratory".  Although all my genealogical files are on the
website, the database of all the census information is in those guys hands.  I watch
the young people use laptops as easily as a pencil and I am impressed.  But I still can
use the Basic programming skills almost as fast as the "point and click"  function now
in use.  At least information from database search gave better results.

The "reward" money from Trumalia let me buy an old game, "Heroes of Might and
Magic III", which has been updated so that the newer computers can access the
game, and I appreciate it so much.....my favorite time passing exercise.

Still haven't recovered from losing Kentucky Fried Chicken from our little town.

[Maximus]

Ah yes, I too remember the days before point and click.  Good ole' Basic.  How things have changed...

[udo]

10 Print All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
20 Goto 10

Ah, if only he had a computer, maybe the Shining wouldn't have happened.

[MotherEarth]

This isn't a "lifestyle" but to post in "General" won't do either...
Did you see the Comet McNaught...there is a picture in the
Discover magazine that is a treat.  We in the States can't view
this wonder and envy our Aussie Oracles!