What a Surprise!!

My son, Stephen, surprised me with a box of these incredible, mouthwatering creations for Mother's Day! What a wonderful surprise!!! Thanks!  Love you!

Each strawberry was dipped and covered with nuts, chocolate chips or additional drizzle. The end result is a heavenly combination of flavors.

4 Strawberries Dipped in Milk with Chopped Almonds
4 Strawberries Dipped in Dark with Chocolate Chips
4 Strawberries Dipped in White with Dark Swizzles

Shari's Berries

Ring In 2016

Queue the Music...Turn down the Lights... Grab a glass of Champagne or Sparkling Cider...Here’s a toast to the future, a toast to the past, and a toast to our friends, far and near.   May the future be pleasant, the past a bright dream.  May our friends remain faithful and dear.

Happy New Year...♥

New Year Wishes to All of You

I hope you were blessed in 2015 and that you celebrate that Blessing all through 2016!
Happy New Year from the PuppyKids and Me!  ♥

Thanksgiving Blessings to All of You...

I am thankful for so many things, including:

*my health

*my weight loss

*the PuppyKids

*my home

*food on my table

*all of you, who read my blog

Blessings & Have a wonderful day!

I Love the Holidays...

Years ago, when my 2 boys were little, it was me who did all of the Holiday cooking and baking.  I hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinner at my home.  Most times there were between 20 and 30 people who came to dinner - almost all family.  I was 5 months pregnant the first Thanksgiving Day and still having morning sickness.  I cleaned, cooked and did...
everything I could a little at a time.  I was proud of how everything looked and tasted and was all ready at the same time!!  I had just turned 20 the month before.

After my first marriage broke up and we divorced, and the boys got older and went their own way...there was the occasional dinner out with the boys...or with a friend...or dinner at the Moose Club with my mother and her husband...and the rest of the family.  [there was always alot of drama surrounding these "special occasion dinners" spent with my family - so they weren't always alot of fun]    

There were Holidays spent with a special guy, a friend or 2, but mostly I spent Thanksgiving by myself.  I'm not complaining about that...it was fine with me.  I would have pizza and decorate my apartment for Christmas.  I would get alot done, because no one stopped over or called that day!

I remember one Holiday [I think Christmas] when my oldest son invited me to dinner at his place.  He did alot of cooking and baking and we had a wonderful dinner and a great time.

There was a Thanksgiving, right after I moved to Rutledge, TN, back in 2003.  I moved into a mobile home, owned by the Pastor and his family...on their road.  Boy it needed alot of work...which I gladly did, to make it home.  But, if I hadn't planned well for Thanksgiving, bought goodies for me to cook, bake and eat, I wouldn't have had anything in the house...and would have gone hungry, since everyone forgot about me, when it came to that day.  That was probably the "worst" best Thanksgiving ever.  I decorated my home...but felt alone.

Holiday dinners have been virtually non-existant for years now...and I had thoughts of inviting a few people for dinner at my house.  Well, the people I know all have family and have plans.  And since injuring my knee almost 2 weeks ago, it's not totally better and it would be too difficult for me to even consider making Thanksgiving Dinner for several people now...so that is a good thing that my friends have plans.

Have you ever found yourself alone for a Holiday...for a special dinner?  What did you do to make it special?  Were you able to secure an invitation from someone to go to their house?  How did you handle that, if you did?  How did that work out for you?

I did ask one "friend" if she had room for one more and I promised to bring a couple of dishes to help her out, if she would have room for me.  She said very politely and apologetically that she didn't have the space.  I know what her house is like and with the number of people she said were coming, I know she was probably overloaded already!!  I said, thanks...maybe some other time.

So, this Thanksgiving...on my own again, I'm making a few of my favorite things.  I'm making...

Chicken Divan

Stove-Top Stuffing

AuGratin Potatoes 

Pocket Pies - Cherry & Apple

and

Biscuits in the shape of Turkey Legs for the Pups

In between cooking, baking and eating, the Pups and I will enjoy some together time snuggling in front of the TV...watching Christmas movies.  I'll also put up the few Christmas items I have for decorating my home.  After last Christmas, the small Christmas tree we had, fell apart and this years was the year to start over with some new Christmas Stuff.  But, I can't physically and really don't want to go shopping for any of it.  LOL!!!  A woman who hates to shop!!  That's me!!

I sincerely hope that you have the Thanksgiving of your Dreams.  Stay safe, warm and be well. 

4th of July

National Anthem...

Mute my Blog Music by Clicking on the Crown in the upper Left Corner

Holidays - Sadly, a Time for Scams...

Scammers...always looking for an easy Buck or more!  During the Holidays they are out in full force.  You've probably heard about the Target Store scammers that have access now to over 40 million customer accounts...just because they scanned their credit or debit cards when making their purchases.  And it started right around Thanksgiving.  Well, this morning, I found out it happened to us!  Never thought it would happen to us.  Hubby doesn't make purchases...
on-line, I handle all of that.   And, believe me, I am diligent making sure it's only on a secured website that I'm making a purchase.  I'm careful - and read every single word of the mumbo jumbo some places have for you to read.  But, still...when I reviewed our on-line Credit Card Statement this morning, I saw an Outstanding Authorization, one that I knew I had not made.

I immediately Googled - Continuity/Subscription Merchant BlueMountain*ECA and discovered that Continuity/Subscription Merchant {with a multitude of names after it}, is a scam!  

(This does not have anything to do with Blue Mountain Cards on-line AND there is nothing on Snopes.com about this and I tried several different methods of trying to locate info on this there.)

'Continuity billing' scams cause continuous credit card pain
By Martin Merzer

You agree to one small purchase and get billed over and over. The scam is called continuity billing, an appropriate term because if you fall for the scheme -- and thousands of credit card holders are falling hard for it -- you will experience a continuity of regret.  The remorse continues because your credit card is billed each month for generally worthless services you were tricked into authorizing.

Law enforcement authorities around the country say continuity billing scams are on the rise and warn consumers to avoid being victimized. "We've brought several cases and we'll be bringing more of them," says Frank Dorman, a spokesman for the Federal Trade Commission.

In summary, continuity billing scams work like this...To continue Reading this Article...Click Here 

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Believe me, we were on the phone with our Credit Card Company early this morning - 7am - discussing this.  They closed our account.  We will need to contact the Dispute Department in about a week - 10 days in order to try to retrieve our $59.99 they charged to our account.  We declined, at this time, to have them send us another Credit Card.  I certainly did not one mailed during the Holiday Mail Rush!  We can always call them and get another card.

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I hope this results in you being even more diligent then I have been in your internet credit card purchases.  It can happen to all of us! 

Happy Valentine's Day

Love is a miracle, sweet as can be, 
That will always remain a complete mystery.
For though it is something that's centuries old,
It cannot be purchased for silver or gold.
But instead must be given of one's own free will...
 
And received with no promises it must fulfil.

And once it's exchanged in this time-honoured way,

There's nothing that love cannot manage to say.

No problems too great and no problems too small,

For love, like a miracle, conquers them all.

And leaves in their place such a feeling of peace,

That joy, just like love, cannot help but increase!

Now Let's Set the Scene for a Romantic Dinner

Lights Dimmed...

Table Set with Gold Chargers, Old Country Roses China, White Pretty Plates & Old Country Roses Silver/Gold Flat-Ware

Main Course - Chicken Linguine

Recipe found HERE

TeaCups & Saucer - Dessert Plates too...

And a Sweet Dessert to End the Meal

Recipe found HERE

Happy Valentine's Day!