IS BUYING SOURDOUGH BREAD UNAMERICAN?

I know if I were a good and righteous American that it would be my solemn duty to hate all things Walmart, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I'll admit that it is probably just selfish of me to love their sourdough bread so much that I have to go in and buy a loaf for grilled cheese sandwiches once in a while! And while I am there I pick up some crusty rolls The Husband loves...surely their breads aren't made in China??? And then there is the can of coconut milk I want to buy for that Thai dish DinahSoar had on her blog the other day! They don't carry that at Aldi's!

And then there is the little purse with the long strap that will fit over my shoulder that I've been looking for...found with every feature I desire on it and not a price tag to be had so the manager of the department offered it to me at $5.00!!! Was I going to turn that down because it may have been made in China?

And the employees who are suppossed to be so mistreated all look happy and are courteous and helpful. Maybe they're just happy to have a job right now!!! Am I doing them a disservice by shopping there and keeping the doors open? I don't know, but it doesn't seem so.

And then I go to Dollar General because my hand towels in the bathroom are tattered and torn and my pot holders...I didn't need to ask The Husband for help in recalling their name that time!!!...are awful! This woman demands quality in so many items, but I love thin, cheap towels! Give the expensive Turkish plush to someone else! It's probably a throw back to the towels Mom got in her laundry detergent when I was a kid.

And their little candles are inexpensive and give off a great scent!

So, I'm happy as can be with my cheap purchases. After all, that leaves more money for things I really want like knitting wool and well-made knitting needles and, especially, the pattern book I bought before the sun came up this morning that is the commemorative edition of the Norwegian Olympic Ski Team Sweaters! I feel a major project coming on!

Now, I will have to be nice and economical so I can afford some wool to knit one of those dandies with.


I already have the lights and heat turned down!!!

"I have not lost my mind - it's backed up on disk somewhere."

It is sad...so sad, my friends! When the mind begins to slip into oblivion!

My husband and I agreed yesterday that each of us would try mightily to remember just half of what we know and then we can always be there to refresh the memory lost from the other's once bright mind! This happened when I stood in the kitchen, held up an item for his perusal and asked him what it was called.

"That is called a Potholder!"

"Yes...yes, you are right!"

Sad...so sad!

CATCHING UP!

I wasn't sure Blogger would recognize me this morning! That was the longest break in blogging I've taken in quite some time. I was just enjoying the Season and had little to say.

I can't remember a Christmas when I felt I had made the right choices for gifts any more than this one. I'm a giver and that makes me very happy.

After years of listening to my husband state his desire to someday learn to play a banjo, I finally decided at 59 that it was now or never and bought him one for Christmas. He takes his first lesson Tuesday evening and it will be a while before he's ready for "Cripple Creek", but I have faith that he will be "Pickin' and Grinnin'" in no time! When the grandkids got the news that Grandpa had a banjo, Grandson Xander decided that he and Grandpa could now "join a Hobo Band and hit the rails!" He would play the washboard!

The open house menu was a huge success. We altered it a bit from the original post...we always do! My fav was the little Strawberry Tiramisu Bite! I wound up making mine with an orange edge rather than the lemon and it was a perfect bite of crispy crust, creamy orange filling, and a perfect strawberry on top. I would love to make them again with the lemon cream and a couple of raspberries as a topping.

STRAWBERRY TIRAMISU BITES
Makes 36
1/2 cup strawberry preserves
1 1/2 packages bite-size sweet tart shells
8 ounces Mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup lemonade
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
2 quarts fresh strawberries
Combine the cheese and lemonade, in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the cream, sugar and lemon juice and whip until light and fluffy. Fold into the cheese. Place small dollop of the strawberry preserves in each of the tart shells. Top with the cheese mixture and a fresh strawberry.

We still have a Holiday gathering to attend Monday with my brothers and sisters and their kids and grandkids and a Mystery Dinner at a local Italian restaurant next Saturday evening...a Christmas gift! If you've never attended a Mystery dinner, they are so much fun! You might be sitting next to the murderer or even the intended victim! And unexpected screams over dinner salads are the best!

I have indulged in a small box of Godiva's...a gift from The Hub! And I have imbibed in a couple of smallish glasses of a great local wine at daughter Lara's. I have gambled and won...that never happens to me!...at a local casino. And I ate the best part of a gorgeous slice of prime rib for Christmas dinner!

But, as most of us bloggers are saying about now...I could have done much worse than I have! I have enjoyed and I am ready to pick up the pieces and jump into the New Year with renewed vigor!!!

Hope all of you are enjoying a happy and healthy holiday season! I hold you all close to my heart and can't wait to link arms with you in January and continue to fight for a healthier lifestyle.

TWELVE SURPRISES! NOEL, NOELLE!!!

I love...love...love fun and the unexpected!

My long-time cyber-blogger-friend, Noelle has been regaling her readers with the story of an "admirer" who has been surprising her with a gift each day that reflects the "Twelve Days of Christmas".

She has received the Partridge in a Pear Tree, Two Turtle Doves, and Three French Hens so far.

I'm waiting for the Lords aleaping!!!

Go to her site and follow along! btw...she has a great food and recipe blog as well!

I'm following along because I would love to "borrow" this idea to surprise someone special next year!

MY PLAN FOR HOLIDAY EATING

There are basically two ways to diet...

1. You change your way of eating to meet the parameters of the diet, or
2. You change the diet to meet the parameters of your lifestyle.

Most of the time, I find myself trying to meet the standards of the first. I fill the house with low-fat proteins, fruits, and vegetables and set off each day to eat according to my WW Core List. And it works best when I have control of the food that I will have set before me because I've either cooked it myself or have selected it from a restaurant menu.

There's not a lot of stress involved with that plan and I've kinda learned to live with it.

But then there are the times, like the Holiday season, when I either find myself just not in the mood to follow a plan or I find myself in front of a spread of food that I'm not usually tempted by and I have to do battle with my better Angels just to get by. And I hate that feeling. Bah, Humbug!!!

That's when the second plan kicks in. That's when I make the plan fit the situation.

The first thing I do is get rid of the guilt over not following the master plan for weight loss. There is nothing that makes me want to eat more than a good healthy dose of guilt!

Then I promise to not eat anything that doesn't taste good. If I'm going to eat dessert, I want it to be the best dessert I've ever come across. It will not be pumpkin pie filled with some sort of thickener that I have never yet been able to identify that comes from the grocery store bakery! If I am to eat pie, it will be homemade and delicious...not a facsimile.

If I am going to eat candy, I want it to be special...homemade fudge or a piece from a select box from a company who knows how to do it right. I will not let myself be satisfied with an inferior piece!

Next, I promise myself that I will take my time and enjoy what I do choose. I want to savor these "goodies" that I don't normally eat. I want to be "in the moment" and really enjoy the experience.

I give myself permission to eat until I am comfortably full and then stop! I will not be cajoled into eating more to please someone else. If the serving I receive is too large, I will give myself permission to leave it on the plate uneaten and not feel bad about it. The last feeling I want to go through the Holiday with is one of feeling "stuffed" and miserable after a meal.

I will remind myself that candy and cookies are good, but so are the fruits of the season...oranges, tangerines, and clementines!

Eggnog and mulled ciders are great...but so is a big glass of cold water!

Cheese and crackers and dips are delicious and fun...but so are cleverly cut vegetables along side an unexpected fleur de sal!

That's the attitude I take between Thanksgiving and the beginning of the new year...Do but don't Over-do!

And now to knitting! My daughter showed me these and said that grandson, Xander, would love Purple People Eater wrist warmers! My first thought was that I could knit him something similar, but then I recovered and just ordered him a pair from the Etsy shop that featured them! I really do recognize that some things are better left unknitted!

And, even though Xander would LOVE a frog that is dissected and has all his parts exposed for identification, I promise you I would not knit him one! (Someone's Granny did not get that message though!)
And this is why men should probably not be encouraged to knit. These fellas swiped a pattern from a Tea Cozy pattern book and turned this little experiment in knitting into hats which they then wore to a big gathering of fellow knitters! I haven't seen the original pattern for this cozy, but I suspect the guys have added the extra "balls of yarn" themselves!!!

SAY GOOD-BYE

Aside from the stories from Chicago regarding corruption in high places, this week has also brought about a few stories that are reflective of the times in which we live.

This week saw the announcement that Jay Leno will host the 10PM hour on NBC from Monday to Friday each week. That announcement was made, in part, to keep Leno in the NBC family, but also because airing a variety type show makes sense for the networks financially. The Leno Show will cost about 3 million compared to around 12 million for a scripted show.

We said good-bye to Boston Legal this week and that trend is sure to continue as the networks strive to save money. We have already seen some of the best television being made on Cable and Pay to Watch channels such as HBO and Showtime and that will continue to be the case.

Start waving good-bye to the daily newspaper! Bankruptcy is claiming one major paper after another. My husband used to carry home a newspaper for me every evening and I finally pointed out the stack of unopened ones one day and asked him to stop. I used to get current news on television but sought out the in-depth coverage and the Opinion pages from the newspaper, but with the common use of the internet and 24 hour cable news, I feel like I'm reading last years magazines at the doctor's office when I read the newspaper!
And even the coupons that I valued so much in the Sunday edition are a thing of the past. First of all, I seldom buy the Brand Name products that are necessary to claim the discount, and, second, those coupons and more are available on the internet free of charge.
I'm not alone in switching from Name Brand products...a survey taken by Kroger found that 14% of their customers have switched to the store brand on many of their purchases.

Automobile manufacturers from all around the world are suffering as a result of the economic downturn and the end to open-ended credit availability. Remember when your Mom and Dad either owned used cars or kept their new cars for a number of years? Those days are returning.
Few of us have over $30,ooo dollars to throw down for a new car and lenders are less likely to hand out loans to people who are borrowing on the edge of what they can repay.

And the travel industry is claiming a sharp downturn in the number of people who are booking European vacations and cruises. The reason? Credit cards have clamped down on their limits and availability. That type of vacation is most often paid for with a credit card!

Perhaps the credit squeeze was also felt in Chicago where the Governor found it difficult to find someone who would pay for a Senate seat. I guess it's bad all over!

OVERHEARD...

My husband, the fishing fool, was on the phone with Cabella yesterday ordering some jigs that he can't live without. I'm sure he thinks the same of my yarn stash, but, honestly, I think he has a better stock of fishing equipment out in the garage than most of the bait shops he visits.

So, he has his trusty 2005 catalog in hand...even though he gets a new one about once a month...and is reading off the list of things he has jotted down...at the 2005 prices, btw...when I hear him say that he is finished. There are a few moments of silence as the happy clerk at the other end is totaling up the "wish list", followed by, "That much? I really hadn't planned to spend that much. Hmmm."

Yes, I was snickering in the other end of the room.

"Well, let's forget that last item I gave you." And, at this point he's turning to look at me as if to say, "Can I, Mommy???" I give him the "OK" sign and he continues the transaction.

When he's finished, he turns to me, the keeper of grocery lists, Christmas lists, and monthly bill lists, and asks, "Do you know how fast those "little" items add up???"

Uh.....

I've already told you that my oldest granddaughter, Audrey, spent last weekend with me and as she is approaching nine years old, Grandpa and I agreed that we didn't have to hide the wrapped presents behind a locked door while she was here. We would trust her to do the right thing and leave them alone, but, just in case, we reminded her that there would be dastardly repercussions if she slipped! She was happy to remind us that she was trustworthy even as long ago as last Christmas!

But she spent a lot of time in the dining room checking the names on the boxes and the relative size of the boxes and the number of the boxes! And, smart little lady that she is, she knew that she would get nowhere asking what was in the boxes, so she decided the best approach was to try and state the "obvious" (in her eyes) and just gauge the response she got to see how close she had come to the truth. So there followed:

"I'm gonna love my new baby doll!"
"You got my Mom a ring!"
"You got Dad a book! He doesn't read!"

So, she left, confident that she had figured it all out and not a single package had been opened!

At the same time, the triplets and their step-brother were making a Christmas video for Santa. They were each asked to plead their case as to why they felt they were worthy of a gift from Santa and just what that gift should be. There was a lot of talk of "manners" which must be on the list of behaviors that is being stressed at their house at the moment. Xander was most proud of his "spaghetti manners" and anytime one of the lot wasn't quite certain of what to ask for, Teagan was giving out loud stage whispers in the background, "Ask for a kitty! Ask for a kitty!"

They, too, have been confronted with wrapped presents under a tree and begged and pleaded to open "just one" and when they were turned down, Xander told his Dad, "You just don't have the Christmas Spirit!!!" And when that failed, there was an honest request that each of them should be allowed to take their wrapped presents to their rooms where they could guard them overnight so no one would steal them!

But the best are Morrigan's many letters to Santa complete with drawings where she compliments Santa's elves, his reindeer, and even Santa himself! And the plea is always for a dog which she plainly states, "hasta" be a toy, cause her Mama and Daddy won't let her have a real one!

(I don't think that's going to work, either, but don't tell Morrigan!)

EATING ON THE EDGE

When you're working hard to lose weight, going "out" to eat can seem this dangerous! It is so much easier at home where you have almost total control of what will appear on the plate. And I know it is possible to never eat away from home, but it is not very realistic.

And don't we often take the "expectation of failure" along with us?

I've done it...I have the "Oh, Noes!!!" attitude before I even leave the house! Instead of planning to succeed at conquering the menu by checking out the website and getting the facts concerning the nutritional values of the items available and using that information to make my selection before even walking through the doors of the restaurant, I've "purposely" left it to chance and acted all innocent when the selection I make with those pretty pictures from the menu looking back at me is way outside the limits I could have set for the meal!

This doesn't happen by chance! We're all experienced enough at this to be able to discern the better choices off a menu.

Creamy sauces? Baked in a crust? Battered and fried? Full of cheese? Now do we need anyone to tell us that this is probably not the best choice?

We can make excuses and blame the fact that we're eating away from home for taking in extra calories, but we all know that if we really want to eat better that we can do so under almost any circumstances!

There are going to be lots of opportunities to overeat or indulge in rich foods over the next few weeks. January 1...the dieter's day of reckoning...is 24 days away!

So the whining has to stop and we have to decide whether we're going to seriously stick to the plan that will see us through the Holiday season with a loss; kinda stick to the plan and have a few lapses that will see us "holding our own"; or just blame it all on the Season, eat to excess, and deal with it in January!

But, whichever approach we take...let's at least be honest and lay the blame where it belongs. If we go "out" and overeat, it's not the fault of the restaurant or the party hostess, is it? Hmmm???

CELESTIAL SMILEY FACE

PERHAPS THINGS WILL ACTUALLY GET BETTER!
THE HEAVENS ARE SMILING ON US!
VENUS, THE CRESCENT MOON, AND JUPITER
December 1, 2008

COLD COMFORT

We got up early this morning because I wanted to get my Apple Walnut Cakes baked and distributed and I had a lot of apple peeling and chopping to do. We also wanted to get out to the grocery store before the promised snow began to fall and the road conditions began to deteriorate...which they did quickly.

Our oldest granddaughter, Audrey, had spent the night and, although she has no problem arising early on the weekend when she is home and her parents want to sleep a little later, she decided bed was the place to be this morning!

"Old people sure like to get up early, don't they???"

Once we were back home, the three of us got busy with the measuring and stirring and soon the house smelled like Christmas! We did 12 loaves, cooled, wrapped, and distributed to the neighbors and had enough left to send a couple to work with the Husband on Monday and a couple to put in the freezer for later.

The longer the day went on, the more I realized that the cold I had been fighting all week had finally taken hold. So I wrapped up and watched two "Eloise at the Plaza" movies with Audrey and promised myself that I was staying in until at least March!

Here are my three secrets for getting through any upper respiratory illness:

LOTS AND LOTS OF HOT TEA!

REAL NYQUIL...THE KIND THE PHARMACIST HOLDS ONTO!

AND THE HOT AND SOUR SOUP OUR LITTLE
LOCAL CHINESE RESTAURANT
COOKS UP!

I've had all three now and I think it is time to reintroduce myself to that warm and cozy bed I left so enthusiastically this morning. I think Audrey would approve!

MEET "THE ANTI-JARED"

"I have a wife, a puppy, a good job, and a great family.
I think that is more important than the newest
cheesy thing at Taco Bell"
Tony Lawrence after losing 140 pounds

above...Tony and his wife February 23, 2008
He weighs 424 pounds

above, December 2008 at 223.4

I bumped into Tony and his blog on Twitter the other day and knew that I had to tell you about him. He has lost 196.8 pounds this year! No surgery. No pills.

Back in April, he laid out his plan on his blog and he has stuck with it.

1. He attends weekly Weight Watcher meetings and follows the Core Plan.
2. He works out at a gym 6 days a week...and he looks forward to it!
3. He doesn't eat fast food. He cooks real food and enjoys it.
4. He drinks only water. No diet drinks. No caffeine.

I was drawn to his story for several reasons. First, I appreciate the guts it took to even embark on this plan. He went to WW when it probably was a big chore to do so. There were only women there, but he says they were nice!

It took guts to exercise a 400 pound body. It's hard. And it hurts. And there are those jocks! But he still did it.

And I like the pragmatic attitude he brings to the subject. He doesn't look for the easy way or make excuses. He just does what needs to be done every day.

I read his account of his WW meeting following Thanksgiving and thought it was so good that I asked him if I could link to it and his blog and he graciously gave me a double thumbs up!

If you are feeling less than inspired or wondering why your plan is no longer working for you, go read Tony's post and leave a comment letting him know you've been there. He says he loves comments! (Don't we all!!!)

PAYBACK

I saw this little poem this morning and knew I had to "borrow" it! Every Mom waits for the day to arrive when those kids get a little, ahem, payback!

When I'm an old lady!
When I'm an old lady, I'll live with each kid,
And bring so much happiness...just as they did.
I want to pay back all the joy they've provided.
Returning each deed! Oh, they'll be so excited!
When I'm an old lady and live with my kids

I'll write on the wall with reds, whites and blues,
And I'll bounce on the furniture...wearing my shoes.
I'll drink from the carton and then leave it out.
I'll stuff all the toilets and oh, how they'll shout!
When I'm an old lady and live with my kids

When they're on the phone and just out of reach,
I'll get into things like sugar and bleach.
Oh, they'll snap their fingers and then shake their head,
When I'm an old lady and live with my kids

When they cook dinner and call me to eat,
I'll not eat my green beans or salad or meat,
I'll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table,
And when they get angry...I'll run...if I'm able!
When I'm an old lady and live with my kids

I'll sit close to the TV, through the channels I'll click,
I'll cross both eyes just to see if they stick.
I'll take off my socks and throw one away,
And play in the mud 'til the end of the day!
When I'm an old lady and live with my kids

And later in bed, I'll lay back and sigh,
I'll thank God in prayer and then close my eyes.
My kids will look down with a smile slowly creeping,
And say with a groan, 'She's so sweet when she's sleeping!'

Pass it on to someone who will appreciate it! And have a great Thursday!

SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING TODAY?

Cary Grant and David Niven in The Bishop's Wife

Oh, I have little to say today. We had a simply beautiful sunrise here in Indianapolis this morning, but it has since turned gray and wintery. I just want to light my Christmas candles and drink spicy tea while I work on that sock that just won't be done! Have you watched "The Bishop's Wife"? Wonderful Christmas movie and much better than the Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington version, "The Preacher's Wife"...but, in the movie, the Professor is treated to a bottle of liquor that never empties...I think the same thing has happened to the top of that sock! No matter how long I knit, there is still more to do!

We have been treated by visits to our back yard by a hawk. He has been coming and sitting on the fence surrounding a little closed in garden outside our bedroom. He comes and stays for quite a while before flying off. We were eating supper last night when I saw him fly in again, but this time he actually came up on the deck and rested on the little table sitting next to my husband's chair where he sits and reflects and enjoys a cigar in the evening. I guess if his smokes disappear, we'll know who took them!

If you are on my actual blog page rather than the Blogger Reader, you may notice I've redecorated! I visited Dinah Soar's site yesterday and noticed how pretty hers looked, so I went straight to the site she used and got busy. So easy and I'm quite pleased with the results.

Well, back to that darned sock!

AN OPEN LETTER...

to the fella who left a sermon on the sin of Gluttony as a comment on my last post:

First, I must apologize that my first reaction to your comment was a negative one and I hit Delete without another thought. But, then I went to wash dishes and started thinking about it...I do some of my best thinking while washing dishes, you see...and decided I wanted to respond.

I'm sure you meant well, seeing as how you threw the first stone and all...I know you must think you are without sin or you would not have done that. And, you're right...I'm not perfect! Never thought I was. But I do my best to be helpful and generous and not to hurt people. I have always tried to follow the Golden Rule. It is short and to the point, and so inspired!

I must say that I am a little worried about you, though. I took a short trip to your blog and it appears that you are not a very happy person. In fact, the subject of most of your posts was the imperfection you saw in others. It's always been my experience that the people who complain most about others is very insecure about his own worthiness. That is so sad and I hope your faith will lead you to a better place.

I also wanted to make it clear that the menu I posted was a tasting party for an Open House that involves several families. The portions are designed to be small and varied. And it is a celebration, after all. I would go on to say that those who will be attending are very aware of how fortunate they are and give generously throughout the entire year to those who are in need.

In closing, I take it that you must eat in a spartan fashion as a rule or you would not have been so critical of my indulgence, but I really must recommend that you take care to increase the amount of fiber in your diet, because your behavior suggests that you certainly are in need of it!

You are welcome to cruise by any time you wish and drop your little epistles at my door, but I hope you will not invade the space of any of my blogger friends who visit here...they are doing quite nicely without your advice.

MENU PLANNING

Well, December has only begun and it is time to help plan the Christmas Eve open house. It will be at my daughter Lara's house...lots of room! And she has asked me to collaborate on what will be served. I love this part!

I would have loved catering if I could have been the one sitting in an office somewhere coming up with great things to serve. And I enjoy a lot of the cooking. But I'm not so thrilled with the transporting of food, or decorating the tables, or dealing with anxious hostesses!

If any of you are interested in what we'll be serving, I've posted the menu and most of the recipes on my POTLUCK BLOG.

I've been slowly wrapping presents so the dining room table is a mess! I want to get it done before Miss Audrey comes to spend the night Friday evening! No sense tempting fate.

Have you shopped for a new gadget online and sought out the reviews from people who have already bought the item? I always read them and then go round and round on what the best deal is. I'm afraid I've always been one who thought you get what you pay for and look to mid-range prices as my starting point. Too cheap and it's probably not worth much and too expensive and I don't need it that badly!

But the five star method of reviewing the products catches my attention as well. The only problem for me is that a single one-star review will make me doubt dozens of five-star ratings! I always wonder if the guy has an axe to grind or if he has just had a really bad day!

By the time I go through all the comparing of apples to oranges, prices, and the reviews, I'm usually so confused that I just shut the laptop and go do something less stressful!

Short post today! I have loads of things to get done and since the coffee has kicked in, I'd better get at it! Have a great day, everyone!

ANOTHER WAY TO SPREAD SOME CHEER!

Hey! I just saw this and knew I had to send a card to this brave lady and thought I would pass it on to you. I don't keep postcards, so I will be sending a Christmas card since I have them out and handy.

How great would it be if she were just inundated with well wishes? Hope you will all send her a card and pass the request on to your friends!

Posted by Ken at www.tibbysbowl.com (November 18, 2008)

I’m not really known for my moments of seriousness and personal candor here in cyberspace, so this missive will come as a bit of a surprise for those who know me well.

Four years ago, right before the holidays, the doctor found a lump in my mother’s breast. After surgery intended to remove the lump discovered deeper penetration, a second operation was scheduled to remove her left breast. It was right after Thanksgiving.

Months of chemotherapy followed, and my mother was given a clean bill and told the cancer was gone. After a few more months of recovery, she began counting the months and years that would bring her to that magic number for cancer survivors - 5 years out. Expecting she was well on her way towards that goal, she had the port that was surgically installed to deliver her chemotherapy removed earlier this year. After all, she was almost 4 years cancer free, with only one year to go.

And then, nearly four years to the day when the original cancer was found, another lump was discovered in her right breast. Surgery was performed, and the biopsy came back positive for cancer.

The bitch was back.

It was also found that the cancer had metastasized. Tests have been performed. Chemotherapy has begun again. Hopes are high that the bitch can be beat back into remission, leaving my mother many, many more years with her husband, children, and grandchildren.

She did it once, and she’ll do it again.

However, I want to keep my mother’s spirits up, and I want to utilize the power of this here internet to whom my livelihood has been intertwined for almost 15 years. And not only am I hoping for the assistance of the thousands of people whom I’ve befriended and worked with in those years, but also the kindness of total strangers.

With that in mind, I’m hoping that whoever reads this post - or has it forwarded to them - will take some of their valuable time and help me keep my mother’s spirits bright and her outlook optimistic.

Over the course of this holiday season, I’m hoping my mother will receive an avalanche of postcards from around the world - fun and funny postcards - with the well wishes of those who send them. Postcards sent by you, the person reading this now.

And, in addition to the postcards - if you have the inclination and means - please take a moment to make a donation to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Please send your postcards to:

PAT PLUME

808 BARN ST.

JACKSONVILLE, NC 28540

On behalf of myself and my family, I thank you all.