Thanksgiving

David and I had a really good Thanksgiving this year. It was so nice to finally relax and eat some delicious food. We spent it with David's sister Lisa and her husband Brian's family. Lisa is a great cook and the food was excellent. Friday we came home and started cleaning out the garage, and later that night we went over to Pat and Robyn's to sing on their back porch by the fire. It was a blast! Tanner and Taylor were both in town and it was good to spend time with each of them. I can't believe how fast they are growing up. David and I both had an excellent Thanksgiving holiday, and I look forward to many more with so many things to be thankful for!

Pops

My dad was a born with a hip disease that has caused the cartilage in his hip to deteriorate over time. When he was younger, he would sleep in traction to help the deterioration, but over time it has gotten so bad that he now has bone grinding against bone. This has lead him to chronic hip pain and he has been searching for some relief. This is when I came across Freeze It Gel. It is a gel that can be applied to the area for sore muscles, muscular strains and arthritis. Freeze it comes in two easy application forms: roll on and in a tube. The tube is good for being able to massage the gel onto joints and being able to decide how think the application can be. The roll-on is convenient and easy to apply, making it easy to reach “hard” places.

I believe Freeze It would be very beneficial to my dad because he could apply it before doing activities, such as riding his Harley Davidson, doing yard work or anything active. His body is ready for a hip replacement but he is trying to hold out as long as possible. With the way modern medicine keeps improving he is hoping for a replacement that will last about twenty to twenty-five years and hopefully he would only have to have one in his life time. Also, the good thing about Freeze It is that it works on contact and is very soothing to the pain. It is made with aloe, vitamin E, ILEX (an herbal extract that helps enhance the effects of the pain reducers) and menthol. I will be going to the store tonight to get my dad some Freeze IT. I really think this is going to be the answer for him and his chronic hip pain!

House Update

Within the first week of building the house, I have been pretty impressed with how much has been accomplished. Despite the all the rain, they have made some good headway. The foundation has been built up, the plumbing has been installed, the beams have been dug and they have installed the post-tension cables. Now all we need is some concrete! David and I dove by this weekend and it looks like they should be pouring sometime this next week, weather permitting! I will post some pictures just as soon as I can find my camera cord. Hope everyone has a great week, Thanksgiving is on Thursday!

Mixin Away!

After visiting a friend for dinner Saturday night, I now know what I want for Christmas! She had the new Hamilton Beach® Stand Mixer. It comes in a variety of colors and is very reasonably priced. Maybe I will get it early so I will be able to use it for all the holiday cooking. One of my favorite recipes is Apple Dump cake. It has been around the family for a long time and we have it at every holiday gathering. It reminds me of when I was a little girl and waiting for all my cousins to come over. Here is the recipe if you would like to try it.

Combine and mix the following ingredients in your new Hamilton Beach® Mixer:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 can apple pie filling
1tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla

Grease and flour a bunt pan and bake at 400 for 45-50 minutes. Enjoy!

This mixer is very user friendly: not too large and easy to handle. It has several attachments which can be used for different recipes. For cakes and items that are a liquid substance, there is a handy pour spout which helps eliminate the mess when pouring the batter.

If you are interested in purchasing a mixer, you can log on to the Hamilton Beach website. There are also many other items that Hamilton beach offers besides the Eclectrics® Mixer that can come in handy while in the kitchen!

Rio Bella

Tonight after work, David and I drove by our new house, or shall I say lot. They have framed out where they will pour the concrete and there is a lot of dirt there to build up the slab. They have to do the plumbing next and then they will be able to pour. Hopefully by the end of the week we will have a slab. I have attached the picture from tonight, it is kind of dark (I don't like day light savings!!) but you can get an idea. Hopefully it won't be long until we have a house!

My Silver Tooth

I remember that long ride to see Granny and PawPaw in the back of "brownie" - our 1985 station wagon. I loved to sit in back, facing the wrong way and wave at the cars. Kenny and Phillip could sit in the middle and I had the back all to myself. Dad had pulled in the gas station to let us get a snack. I chose Now N Laters.



After about the third one, I bit down and thought there was something in my candy, little did I know, or expect to find, my silver tooth! Not only was I now missing my silver cap, I had a little "nub" tooth that was exposed and I was in a lot of pain. My brothers were making fun of my calling me peg tooth and I cried the whole way there. Back in the 80's, they didn't have the all the gadgets and tooth correction products that they have today. I would of loved to have Dentemp OS back them. Instead I had to wait till Monday morning to have my cap replaced. Not only does Dentemp allow the cap to be replaced, it provides pain relief, is easy to use with no mess and best of all you can eat on it within thirty minutes!

Today if I were to loose a filling, it is nice to know that they have temporary dental repair to save me from the pain and embarassment!

Casa de Marrie

Tomorrow is the big day that we have been waiting for! We are on the books for November 12 for the house to begin being built. David and I drove by earlier and they are ready to go. They have already framed out the slab and it is ready to be poured. The new home consultant said we will see the outside go up in no time, but when they get to the inside it will go a lot slower. I'm sure it won't help that thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner and the workers will be taking time off for the holidays. Pictures will be coming soon!

Shopping for a Cause

Christmas is right around the corner and many people have already started their Christmas shopping! Every year I like to make a list of who all I will be buying for. I want to make sure I give everyone a holiday gift that has a special meaning behind it.



This year I have done a lot of my shopping online. I recently came across the Alzheimer's Foundation of America eStore. Buy making your online purchase though the Alzheimer's eStore, a portion of the proceeds will got to benefit the Alzheimer's Foundation of America. What better way to shop online and help out the Alzheimer's foundation all at the same time.

While finding a cure for Alzheimer's is important; it is also very important for the proper care to be given to those currently suffering from the disorder. Sometimes it is difficult for people to make a cash donation, but with this opportunity everyone is able to help at no extra cost. What greater way to help give back, just by purchasing items online though the Alzheimer's Foundation eStore.

The care that is administered to Alzheimer's patients can be both very draining and costly. Patients with Alzheimer's often can't remember their loved ones. The cost of a living facility or a full time care giver can be very expensive. The Alzheimer's Foundation of America has developed Excellence In Care to help facilities set the nationwide standard of excellence for the care of patients who are suffering from Alzheimer's or another form of dementia.

So when you are sitting at home drinking your hot chocolate by the fire and shopping online, remember to shop through the Alzheimer's Foundation eStore. Your purchase can help make a difference in a way that you may never know.

For more information on Alzheimer’s, log on to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America website at http://www.alzfdn.org/

St. Croix

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Yet another week has come and gone. I am leaving for St. Croix in the morning and not looking forward to it! Everyone thinks its paradise. Don't get me wrong, its pretty but when you have to work the WHOLE time, it's not as enjoyable. Plus, it has nothing on Dominica! I will be making a quick trip, returning Wednesday night. I'm staying at a new place this time so hopefully it will be a little nicer. The last time I went back in May, my hotel room didn't have AC and I couldn't get another room because they were completely booked for the Hovensa turnaround. So I ended up staying with another girl from work. I need to get to bed, especially since I don't adjust well to time changes!