Booney

I love this! Yep, that looks like my ol' Quick Draw. We definitely should have kept them - they'd probably be worth some $$ today.

That's funny - I thought I was the only kid who had a Quick Draw McGraw doll. Mine was a plush toy, and was a pretty good size. I loved all of those Hanna Barbera characters and had a couple more plush dolls - Yogi Bear and Huckleberry Hound. My parents bought me a plush white donkey one Christmas to go with my Quick Draw. The donkey had a little Mexican hat and was wearing a Sarape. Not very PC, lol, but I loved playing with him and my Quick Draw!

@Bronx Babe - First, I'm so glad you found the hospice for your mom. It sounds like the perfect place for her right now. Regarding your question about your brother - if it was me, I would inform him. Two years can be a long time and he may feel differently today. But even if he doesn't, I would give him the courtesy of knowing and then he can choose to do something or not. Just my opinion.

All the KMarts near me have closed. I can't say I shopped there. The one closest to me was a mess and never looked very clean. I'm not a big Walmart shopper, but I think they do it better than KMart.

I have as well. We have all manner of wildlife in our backyard. We have several bird feeders, two bird houses and two bird baths so there are many different types of birds. We also put out a wildlife "trail mix" and ears of field corn for the squirrels and others. There is a group of nine deer that visit regularly (although I do try to keep them off my plants), as well as ground hogs and rabbits. Lately, we've seen a fox in and around the yard. Last year, we had a couple of coyote sightings in the yard, which sounds crazy for southeastern PA but they're everywhere now. If you provide certain things in your backyard like feeding stations, fresh water, trees, nesting boxes, etc. you can become a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. I did it a couple of years ago. Basically, you fill out a questionnaire and pay a small fee and receive a certificate. It's probably of little value, lol, but it's still cool to have!

Your aunt actually sounds like a hoot, but I probably wouldn't be saying that if I was the recipient of her "creations." To your point though, she should build her creations with things that don't have value - it's a shame to ruin nice books.

I agree. I've participated in some of the negativity as well, but I try to draw the line around who someone is vs. how they behave. Making fun of the size of someone's nose, for example, is not my style and it feels wrong. Pointing out someone's bad behavior or bad choices, however, is fair game in my book.

I just saw a news story about a 97 year old woman who worked at a voting location in NJ all day today (it's primary Election Day in NJ). This is her eighth decade doing so! She said she loves helping people exercise their civic duty to vote. She also still works, part-time at a university. She looks wonderful! This is the kind of person who is a true inspiration, IMO. So much more worthy of our admiration than some tv personalities!

That's what I usually do since I'm often too full to eat dessert there. My favorite is their Red Velvet Cheesecake - yum!

This! And to me, she seems so phony. I think that under her sweet veneer lies a woman who would probably claw your eyes out if you got in her way. I think it's easy for any of us to get sucked into the negativity. I've done it too, but I've also tried to counteract it with the fun pics. Sometimes it's hard to draw the line between harmless snark and something darker.

Me too, @Jaded. I loved Designing for the Sexes, which might be the one you remembered with the older man and his sketches. I also loved Designer's Challenge, Design on a Dime, Decorating Cents, and Designed to Sell. For the gardening shows, I liked Curb Appeal like you, and also Ground Breakers and Surprise Gardener. I never watch HGTV anymore because of all the real estate shows.

No argument from me on that point.

Count me in as a Chick-Fil-A fan, and also a meatloaf fan. I love meatloaf sandwiches. There's a casual restaurant in my town that makes an awesome meatloaf sandwich with mashed potatoes layered on it and a vat of mushroom gravy on the side for dipping. Ok, now I'm hungry. Also, add me to the daughters with miserable fathers club. Mine is long gone - passed in 1988 - and I shed nary a tear when he died. He wasn't physically abusive at all, but he was emotionally abusive - cold, mean and nasty. He had no friends because he had insulted and/or fought with everyone he knew. He disowned my sister and I at various points in our lives over so-called slights. He went on long jags where he wouldn't speak to any one in the house - this could go on for weeks. When my sister and I left home (her, to get married and me, at that time, to go to college) my mother's life was probably a living hell with that SOB. He was truly one of those people you could describe as toxic. After living with that, it amazes me that I went on to have a happy marriage with my late husband, and now again with Mr. Booney.

Yes, I was getting that same error code late this afternoon, only on my ipad. My desktop computer didn't get the error, but it was very slow. Access on my ipad has been back for several hours now and no more error codes, but it's still a little slower than normal. There must be something wonky going on with the website.

She was the Sandra Lee, The Semi-Homemade cook, of her time!

Add my late mom to the bad cook moms club. She did cook (thought didn't enjoy it), and her food wasn't terrible - just very bland and boring. I didn't taste food with herbs and spices in it (other than salt and pepper) until I lived away at college - that was like a whole new world of food for me! And it's not saying much that the college cafeteria's food tasted better than what I had at home. My mother wasn't housewifey at all. Besides not liking to cook, she didn't love cleaning house, doing laundry, or other chores. She was a beautiful woman. In her younger days, she looked like Jean Harlow. She was born and raised in Norway, and came to the US in 1939 when she was 21, not knowing a word of English. She took night classes to learn English and eventually became a US citizen - I remember going with her to the state capitol when I was a little girl to watch her citizenship ceremony. She met my father in a vacuum cleaner factory that was converted to a war-time facility making airplane parts during WWII. She was always fascinated by Hollywood and its denizens. In another life, I could imagine her as a movie star. She passed almost 20 years ago - it's hard to believe that much time has gone by.

Thinking of you, @Bronx Babe. Sending positive thoughts to you and your mom. As was said upthread, we're all here for you.

I do (she says, raising her hand sheepishly). I confess that I'm a neatnik, so I like a made bed and everything in their place.

In the privacy of my own home, I'm usually braless unless we have company or I'm expecting a service person, delivery, etc. When I go out, however, I always wear an underwire bra, even if I'm just going to the post office or grocery store. When I'm not working, I generally pull on a pair of jeans and a nice top or sweater when I go out, even just to run errands.

Absolutely true. From what I've read about her, she plotted and calculated her rise, from snaring her husband to getting her Food Network show. Under that sugary veneer, I suspect there's a real beyotch.

I get stabby just watching the Pioneer Woman. This is probably an unpopular opinion - she has legions of fans - but her whole perfect life on the ranch just seems so phony to me. I liked her in the beginning, but she just seems to full of herself now. My opinion only, obviously. She's created an empire so a lot of people must think she's wonderful.

Yum - adding some sour cream sounds like a great idea. I'll have to try it. I'll add my best wishes to all on this Memorial Day. For all those who have lost loved ones in service to our country, we remember them, and honor them and you.

I'll have to look for those smaller avocados at Trader Joe's. I love putting slices of avocado in sandwiches. I made the potato salad for our cookout this afternoon. Looks like it may be a cook-in since it's rainy this morning here in the Philly area. Supposedly the rain will be mostly out of here this morning - I'm hoping! Anyway if any one likes to make potato salad, I do mine with a little extra ingredient that's really tasty. After you boil the potatoes and let them cool, cut them up, add some salt, pepper and diced onion, and then add some Italian dressing (I use Kraft Zesty Italian). For 4-5 lbs. of potatoes, I use 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the dressing. Then let it sit for a few hours in the fridge (I usually let it sit overnight). The Italian dressing absorbs into the potatoes and adds great flavor while keeping the potato salad moist. Then I add diced celery, chopped hard boiled eggs and mayo. Really yummy!

We're having a cookout for 12 people. Everyone is bringing something. Mr. Booney will do London Broil and BBQ chicken wings on the grill, and I'm making potato salad and a nacho appetizer. Others are bringing side dishes like macaroni salad, broccoli salad, as well as a fresh fruit platter, rolls, and desserts. With this group there's always a ton of good food.

I don't grate either, I chop. If I want to do the chopping myself, I cut the onion in half leaving the root end on. Then I put the cut side down on my cutting board, make several horizontal cuts, then several vertical cuts and end up with a nice chop. If I'm not in the mood to chop, I use my Genius Nicer Dicer which does a pretty nice job.