UFC - #96 ~ Thanksgiving Time

Hopefully you've had time to digest my last two blogs... and your Thanksgiving dinner from yesterday. As promised... here's my 3rd blog of the day... & again this is to answer the challenge I set on UFC. To see the details of the challenge AND other submissions... CLICK HERE!!

(Basically, it's to take a given word & turn it into reasons of Thanksgiving.)

I am choosing the word... FAMILY

F is for Family traditions... gotta love them!!
A is for the heavenly Aromas from the kitchen of the place you go to have Thanksgiving Dinner... & thankful you didn't have to do any of the preparation!
M is for the Multitude of friends I have here on Multiply! THANKS YOU ALL!! You've made this past year a wonderful one for me!! :o)
I is for the Icicles hanging from the over hangs of houses.
L is for Laughing all the way home after beating your brother-in-law at Scrabble. (Oh, I just couldn't resist bringing up that again!)
Y is for Year-long memories to be able to share with all my readers passengers!!

If you'd like to play along in the comments below... here are the words to use... THANKS; CORNUCOPIA; PUMPKIN; THANKSGIVING; PILGRIMS; NOVEMBER; THANKFUL; FAMILY; and / or FEAST.

Cinnamon rolls and Scrabble...

It maybe Black Friday in the stores... but to me it's Cinny Friday!! I just ate my cinnamon rolls & with the a good night sleep... I'm feeling good!!!!

Highly recommend you read my previous blog, because it will give a little insight into this blog... & that above statement will make a little more sense!!

Well... after doing a couple other things & waiting for Multiply to decide not to load... I'm finally back to finish talking about what happened last night!!

Let me start by saying that my B.I.L., Aloys, is one of the best Scrabble players I've ever seen... him & my sister Gina together are a force to be reckoned with... So, this year, Gina was out cleaning up while the rest of us were playing. (At her request.) But we did (more like I did) called her in on a couple words to just to verify.

Besides she gets excited for anyone who has really neat words or a big play! And man... did I ever come up with one!!

Here's what happened... we all had our 1st turn... & I went to pull out my next few tiles... I had already had one G... and then I draw out 2 more G's... & I'm in my mind... "Oh great... now what am I going to do with THREE G's???"... but then... I pulled out a couple more tiles... and as I'm placing them down in my rack... a word just popped right out at me...

And so, I'm sitting there like... nah... it can't be... Ok... how am I going to pull this one off... I need someone to play something with an S at the end... I think can play ALL my letters...

Hubby is just looking at me shaking his head as if it's not a word... So, then as Aloys is laying his one word down (Hubby & I's turn was right after him.) ... I called out my sister... and I said... Is this a word... & I pointed & she was all excited "YES!"...

She turns to go back out to the kitchen, but then saw Aloys playing the word TOADS... & we both were like... THAT'S PERFECT!!! Gina's says, "I have to see this!"

So, I lay my word down and viola!! All SEVEN tiles used and on a perfectly acceptable word!! (See board below.)


Then after the tally we find out it was 89 total points (that's including 50 for using all 7 tiles in one turn!!) WOO HOO!!! So, you'd think we have a comfy lead... but nope... Aloys is a great player! He laid down a couple good words. (But no more 8 letter ones!)

Then my mom puts down COZI... and I'm like... no, I think that's a Y not an I... and hubby's, "No, it's 2 O's." I then ask, "What happens if I challenge & I'm wrong?"

Aloys: "If MamaRenee (his name for my mom... her 1st born, my other sister, is named Renee & in Africa, from where he's from... they add the 1st born's child to Mama & that's what you call the mom's... Don't know why he doesn't call me MamaMichael... but that's fine... I'd be confused anyway!! LOL) is challenged and she is right, you loose your turn. If she's wrong she looses her turn."

Hubby: "I'm going home if you challenge her."
I didn't want him to go (yeah, he probably would have gotten up & left)...
but Mom & our 4th player & friend of the family, (I'll call P. from here on out) are saying, "you're winning... it won't hurt to challenge."

Me: "What's the score?"

P: You & hubby 156; Aloys 114; Mom: 100; & P: 59.

Me: Thinking that's too close with a player like Aloys... "No, I won't challenge... but after you add up the points... I want to know for sure."

They give Mom her 13 or so points... and I look up, yep... not only is it a Y... but it's COSY!! But it's an older dictionary. So, I waited 'til I got home & checked it out here on the net... I even tried COZI in the Scrabble Dictionary. But it refers you to the COSY spelling.

Oh... yeah... we called Gina back in & she said that it was a word as a "teapot cozi" ... but she was not sure if that was the correct spelling. So, while looking it up on the net... I also looked up to see if I could find a picture of a teapot one... & sure enough I did... (but it is spelled: COSY... for your future reference!!)

Then we continue on... & we all have a couple great more plays &... & eh... some so so plays... but that's a given!

Here's the final board... I'm showing this... & then I'll finish the story... (not sure, but you maybe able to click on it to see a larger version.)

I got another high point word... ZOOS... it was 28 points!! :o) And at some point I played RAH... just to get the plays to start moving up to the top of the board... & glad I did!! :o)

So, we go along... & all the tiles are now taken... & Hubby & I have in our rack... O; T; E; H; O; B; & a blank...

P. plays VIE... & I'm like... perfect!!! & again Hubby is... "where are you going to play it"... so, I show him & he shrugs his shoulders. He didn't think that EH was a word... but Mom & P. say, Yep it's a word. (The complete word I played was BOOTH.) ... So that just leaves us an O; E; & a blank...

My B.I.L. plays the word EMIT... and it's our turn again... hubby & I go back & forth of what to play...

Hubby: "Play the blank & then I have a spot for the other 2 tiles next turn."

I say ... "If it comes back around... I'm looking for a spot to play all them." I knew there was a spot... but for the life of me I just couldn't see it. (at this point a headache was interfering!)

Finally I look at Hubby & ask... where did you want to play the blank. As I'm saying "don't play it, just show me." he grabs it & puts it up to make REMIT...

ME: "Oh, WAIT... I can play all of them!" ... & so, I put down the O & the E and made ORE and REMIT... for only 10 points... but then because we were the 1st ones done... we got the points that the other players still had in their racks.

Final tally gave Hubby & I: 232; Aloys: 145; Mom: 125; & P: 79!

So... YEP... it was a great Thanksgiving!! I still can't get over that Hubby & I beat Aloys... & at that point I had been up more than 24 hours with about maybe.... MAYBE 10 minutes sleep... and I also had a shooting pain type of a headache. (My neck had to be out of place... because I'm just fine now!!)

All is good... but I know we're going to have a re-match at Christmas... & I doubt I'll get even close to this!! Sure was fun though!! ... & GIGGLERS... ha ha ha!! That was just such a great word to play... coming from me!! "The LOL Queen!!"

Ok... that does it for this stop... I have at least 1 more blog to do... I have to answer my own challenge for the UFC. (If you're a new 'passenger' that's... the United Friends Challenge group that I belong to here on Multiply!!)

Talk to you soon!

A break from writing to REMIND YOU....

Before I get to the reminder... Let me say I am THANKFUL for SLEEP!! Yes... I actually got to sleep last night... Yep, you heard me... AT NIGHT!! WOO HOO!! So, I'm raring to go! I have lots to do today, mainly here on the computer!

Also, this is the 1st of a couple (if not several blogs today!!)... that's a FAIR WARNING!! LOL

Anyway, the reminder is... IF you'd like to send my Grammy a (snail mail) birthday card for her 90th birthday... please be sure to send me a PM (as soon as possible!!) so I can give you an address! (FYI - It will NOT be her address!)

Also, I am thinking of doing a blog for her the day before the OPEN HOUSE we are having... so if you do not want to send a Snail Mail card... you can leave her a message. (Just a heads up... we will have to be reading these messages to her... so no graphics will be needed.) And I'll be doing it on Saturday Dec. 6th! (The party is Sunday Dec. 7th!)

Speaking of writing (as I did in the title)... Did you all see my word count on my front page?? Well, in case you missed it... I'm up to...... (DRUM ROLL......)

34162 words!!! WOO HOO!! I am 68.3% of the way done with 2 & 1/2 days left!!! I CAN MAKE IT!!! I KNOW I CAN!!!! (I'm going to try to get it done today!!!!)

So, that's my goal!! To have my 50,000 words by Midnight tonight (or whenever I go to bed!!) The novel may not end with that... so, we'll see what my final word count is on Sunday!!

Let's see... Oh, yeah... another thing I'm going to be doing today is changing my theme to a winter one... So, if you see bits & pieces of it... & it's clashing with the current one... that's just a heads up about it... but that will be later on!

Also, one of the other blogs today (or maybe a "review") I'll be doing will be to post the address to the Secret Angels / Santa Group!! If you're a part of that page... you may have seen a post... that it's going to be moving to it's own group page... (mainly to make it easier on me... so I don't have to sign out and back in and then back out again & so forth!) And so I can receive updates via my own inbox! ... I didn't know when I started that page.. that's how groups worked. So... I left it go... but it's grown & it's time to have it as a group now!!

So, this is another HEADS UP... Secret Santa (Angels) sign up with be starting MONDAY DECEMBER 1ST!!! (See other review shortly for location!!!)

Let's see... I have one more thing to mention before moving onto another blog... and it's just a little "preview" of the next one!

As you know, yesterday was Thanksgiving here in America... well, as tradition, I spent it with my family yesterday... It started off awful for me, for the fact I could not sleep the night before!! All that sleeping during the day & awake at night caught up with me... & through me off... and I didn't take my Ambien soon enough... & then it got so late that I did not want to take it in fear I would not wake in time!

So... I fought sleep from about 4:30 in the morning until 1:00 in the afternoon... when I finally dozed off upstairs ... but then it was only for about 10 minutes!!

Don't worry, it was not just a toss and turn all that time... I did get up several times to do stuff to try to get tired again... but each time I did & laid down to go to sleep... I could get my body to lie perfectly still & practically it all went to sleep... but my mind... GEESH.... IT WOULD NOT "TURN OFF!!!" ... Hence the reason I take Ambien CR to sleep!

It's nights (times) like that remind me that I will probably be stuck taking Ambien (or something like it) for the rest of my life!! Or until my mind gets so old it doesn't want to be in OverDrive all the time!! LOL.

I mean... at one point yesterday morning it got so bad... I decided to write down what I was thinking... and it went from one subject to the next to the next. Including a list of stuff I wanted to do for yesterday. (Which included making Harvest Loaf muffins, which I never ended up doing... because of the no sleep thing.)

Well, anyway... I just counted that list... 28 different ideas! And to think... that's just at one point... my mind was reeling all night long! ... I should have just started the computer back up & just typed away!!! I probably could have finished my novel then!! LOL.... NOW I THINK OF THAT!! LOL!!!



ANYWHOO... The reason I said all that was BECAUSE.... after dinner last night... we played Scrabble. It was my mom; Aloys (pronounced Aloe-weese) (my B.I.L.); a friend of the family, I'll call her P... and my hubby and I!! My hubby and I were teamed up together because well, we usually do... and because I wasn't sure I'd make it!

Well, not only did I make it... but WE WON!! And we won big time too!! So, in the next blog I'll tell you more about that!! (Because I have PICTURES!!!) Hee Hee!!

(Oh... sorry... no family pictures because I was too tired to think of it... It just now crossed my mind! Sorry about that.)

Anyway... it was a fantastic evening... there only 9 of us there... (which is the smallest Thanksgiving that my sister, Gina, has hosted in years!) It was so wonderful just the 9 of us!! Well, it would have been even better if we would have had my other sister Renee and her family... so it would have been 14 then... but they couldn't make it from Michigan. (Oh.. I wonder if Steve (my other B.I.L.) went to WV to go deer hunting?? That's HIS family's tradition!!)

Either way it was a great day after all!! OH & I didn't even take $hiba with me! For me... that's an IMPROVEMENT... well, actually it was just because I was so stinking tired I didn't want to bother... and it worked out for the best anyway!!

Then after I got home, I checked a few messages and then crashed sometime before 10:00 p.m.... & I didn't wake up until around... well, it was a little light out... & it was for only a moment as Coleman was wanting up on the couch at my feet. Then I fell back fast asleep again until shortly after 8:00 a.m. WOO HOO!!!! I slept through the night!! And I AM AWAKE DURING THE DAY!!

Sorry... you may just not know how happy that makes me feel!! I feel a bit more normal!! (Not that there really is a normal sleeping habits now a days!!)

Well, hubby is up and out of his shower... so, I best be getting up off this couch to put the Cinnamon Rolls in the oven like I promised I would do today! (That's my tradition for him & I... usually it's Thanksgiving morning or the day after!!!!) :)

See you all soon.. (This ride is NOT over yet!!) More stops coming up soon!!! :o)

Toodles for now!! :)

Have a WONDERFUL HAPPY and SAFE DAY!!!

Taking a break from writing to share my thanks.

I know not all are from the US and are celebrating Thanksgiving... However, I still hope you'll take time to remember to give thanks for what you have!

I'll be posting a blog later on (maybe Friday) with my thankful items (will actually be an answer to the UFChallenge that I have made.)... but most of all, I have to give thanks to ALL OF YOU!!! If it wasn't for my friends here, I don't really know how I could have survived this past year or so!!!!

Like most of you, I won't be around much, if at all tomorrow... So, enjoy your day... and if you're with family and / or friends... give them an extra big hug!!! Tell them THANK YOU!!!

Hugs all around!

Ok, I can't forget... need to leave you a few graphics! (I'm not going to go to everyone's blogs this time around... I just don't have the energy... So, I hope you'll enjoy it here!!)

glitter-graphics.com

What? They didn't wake me?

That was my very 1st thought once I fully woke up this even around 6:00... YES... I said THIS EVENING!! I thought... goodness the dogs did not wake me up to go out!! I ended up sleeping nearly TWELVE hours!! I really guess I needed the sleep!

I finally fell asleep around 5:30 this morning... I heard hubby's alarms going off, but never heard him get in the shower... nor did I hear him leave. Which means I was sound asleep.

I do remember waking up around 2:00p.m. or so... when Coleman was in my face, because he wanted up on the couch... at my feet... BUT... the little girl (that's Sunny) was already there... So, I picked her up & put her to my chest. (It's so comfy in the winter with her curled up beside me there and Coleman at my feet!) Then I was fast asleep again.

Around 4 or so, I think... I believe I felt Sunny leave me and Coleman jump off the couch... They went to the back room... I think they thought that Dad (my hubby) was home. But I knew it wasn't time... So, I was going to get up... but yep... I fell back asleep... I mean I was SOUND asleep!

I even had a really weird dream too! It was an intense dream... Let me just say this... the farm was on fire!! Scared the daylights out of me!!

Well, I must have been scared enough, because I finally woke up... after a little toss and turning and wiping my eyes... I looked and it's dark out! YIKES... what time is it! I sit up and mumble something to myself (don't remember) & looked at the clock... Before I could even get the words out... "Geesh it's 6:00" the dogs were right there saying... "Come on Mom... we've waited this long... Time to get us OUT!!"

Sunny was dancing around & barking... Coleman was heeling to me (as he always does to us... always in the house, but never outside! LOL)... So... I try to grab my coat & put my slippers on and they're both in my face as I'm sitting on the step trying to get my slippers on... "Silly dogs... I have to get some shoes on 1st!" I was hoping that the snow wasn't too deep for just my slippers.

With Sunny still barking and Coleman doing his spinning it was hard to get him on a leash... but I finally did. (See Sunny is really good... she won't go running off... but the Border Collie in Coleman, we HAVE to have him on a leash!!) ... So, I finally move the towel away from the back door (it's keeping the draft out)... and unlock it... open it... and ZOOM... there they go...

And Sunny is off and Coleman has reached the end of his leash... I can't run (because of my back) and so, it's funny to watch the two of them play for a sec.

Sunny did her little thing right away... Coleman did his walking around and finally did both! They are both enjoying (and Mom is too) the snow... but I wanted to be sure Sunny did the other... so, I walked them to the door... un-clipped Coleman from his leash and guided him in the door so that he was in front of Sunny... so she wouldn't slip in....

Then I went to get her on the leash (to signal her that she needs to do more)... but she turned right around and was back to the yard to do her thing... I waited under the over hang of the garage and soon as she was done... I said "Good Girl"... and she comes back running at full speed and didn't stop 'til she got to the back door.

It was SOOOOO funny... because her ears are flopping & when she runs... she bounces... It's so cute! And she doesn't run that often!! So, it's fun to watch when she's like that!

They are such wonderful dogs... I just love them to pieces!!

Anyway... Just wanted to share my little joy of the day with you!
(P.S. That picture above is the two of them with all their toys!! I know Coleman is obvious... but do you see Sunny?? LOL!!)

Oh... in case you're wondering... I've stalled a little on my novel again. Just can't quite seem to keep going. But I will make the deadline!! I know I will!! (I just have to keep thinking that!!! LOL)

Speaking of... after doing a little research... I've found out they don't read the novel... you can even scramble it before putting it in the word count generator. And they give out the "certificates" to those who've generated 50,000+ words... but what's the point then of writing an actual story? Well... for those of us who truly want to write a novel... it's a challenge!! Even though the plot of our story maybe way off ... or the grammar is left to be desired... This helps you get the majority of the novel done in a given time (1 month)... then you take time to go back and edit it after December 1st!

So, not everyone will have a best seller. Nor will everyone want to share what they wrote... but hey... for those of us who are committed to writing... it's a chance to prove to ourselves that we can do it! And we can also back it up with the "winning certificate" from NaNoWriMo!!

And who knows... just maybe... maybe someday the novel will actually be a best seller... or even a classic movie!! (I say this... because I know it's true!! One of the "motivation pep talkers" is non other than... the author of "The Princess Diaries"!! (Meg Cabot) Yeah... the one that has a couple popular movies made from... you know the ones.... they star Anne Hathaway!!)

Anyway... when I saw that... that really encouraged me to be sure to get this done some how!!! So... I've spent so much typing of PM's and blogs and other things the past couple days... I feel I've probably wasted some of my words on all that... but you know what! I don't care! I'm feeling good... and I know I'll make this deadline!!! I just know it!!

With that said... There is only FIVE days left... so, don't be shocked if you don't see me around for the next few days... Just keep an eye out on my HOME page and watch my word counter widget!!! You'll know then I'm busy!!! :)

So... now... before I forget... I hope those who celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday will have a wonderful and SAFE one!! Enjoy the family and enjoy the food!!

Take care & hugs to you all!!!

(That's what I call pulling the emergency brake to this RAMBLING TRAIN!! .... SHE'S BAAACK!!!) 

"Egg"cellent!!

Egg time again! Isn't the anticipation is so much fun

Get your own egg here!

Please leave Caghs a note of your appreciation!
(She's in need of our love right now!)
This glitter graphic is especially for her!


glitter-graphics.com

Click for my Thanksgiving message to you!! :)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

Sharing a few more of those wonderful Glitter graphics!!
Have a Happy & Safe Turkey Day!!





glitter-graphics.com

Glitter Graphics... 11-19-07...

Just wanted to share a few of the Thanksgiving graphics I found on my favorite graphic site... GLITTER GRAPHICS.COM

But 1st... I've "closed" the Impromptu party I had over the weekend... you can still check it out to see all the UPDATES, cute messages & etc... and if you wish, leave comments... However, it's not a "party" anymore.

Also, please bear with me as I am working on the theme of my site. I have some really neat ideas... I just need to get with a few other members to see if we can make it reality. (I don't have the programs just yet to create the graphics I want.)

Ok, also, I maybe making the Turkey for Thursday... if so, I'll be around... but sporadically.

So, have a GREAT week... & Don't eat TOO much!!

YIKES!!! Look at what time it almost is.... 9-1-07 (entry #2)

Above is my niece, Sarah & my son, Mike from Thanksgiving 2003.
Picture courtesy of my sister Gina!!

Yikes!! Where has the time gone??
It seems just like yesterday he was...
Yikes, I sound like my dad now!! LOL

Create yours at BlingyBlob.com!