Who doesn’t love sloppy joe?

At the Weightwatcher meeting a couple weeks ago, a woman told about her favorite sloppy joe recipe.  I tried it this week and we love it, so, of course, I’m going to share it with you.

Naturally I made it with ground turkey.  If you haven’t tried substituting it for ground beef, I hope you will.  We absolutely can’t tell any difference and it does make a difference in calories and fat.

I’ve decided to call it . . .

Easy Joe

Brown one 20 oz. package of ground turkey with some chopped onion and green pepper.

Then add one cup of ketchup and one can of Diet Coke.  That’s it.

It will be very soupy at first, so simmer it until it thickens up enough to put it on a bun (about 30 minutes).  Voila’!

How easy is that?

Here’s the “skinny” on the WW points for a great, but diet friendly sandwich (in order of assembly):

- one Arnold’s Sandwich Thin bun = 1 WW point

- one slice American Cheese = 1 WW point

- 2/3 C. Easy Joe = 4 WW points   (These points are figured on the recipe making six sandwiches.)

- dill pickle slices = zero WW points

Put the top on the bun and it’s ready to eat — probably with a fork.  Just too sloppy to pick up.  And only a  total of 6 WW points for a delicious, fillng sandwich. 

Note:  I’m trying to think of what could be added to this if you wanted it to be a little less ”sloppy” but not add calories.  Maybe a half cup of finely chopped cabbage and/or carrots?  If they were added at the start, I think they would blend in during the simmering and wouldn’t change the flavor.  I’ll try that next time. 

By the way, 7 Ruffle’s light chips = 1 point, to go with your sandwich.  Or 14 chips = 2 points, if you’re Hubby!

I remember seeing pictures of the President’s oval office when I was growing up, and there was a red phone on his desk.  This was during the Cold War when Russia (the USSR then) was perceived to be our biggest threat.  The red phone was the President’s direct line to Moscow, the theory being that the President of the US and the President of the USSR (who must have had a red phone too) could pick up the phone and talk about something before a missle was launched and an all-out war was started.

So, when I was shopping in the grocery section of the super store yesterday and glanced over to the non-grocery section and saw my old friend Cheryl standing in the aquarium aisle talking on a bright red wall phone, my first thought was, Why is Cheryl calling Moscow?

Naturally, I immediately lost all thought of which low-fat cheese to buy and wandered over to ask Cheryl what Moscow had to say!

Me:  as she hung up the phone “Hi!  I couldn’t help but notice you standing here talking on a red wall phone?”

Cheryl:  “Yeah, I want to buy some more fish for my aquarium and that phone is there so that you can call for a clerk to get them for you.”

 I quickly overcame my disappointment that it was a store clerk on the other end of the line and not Moscow, and we went on to discuss the  different kinds of tropical fish we could see in the tanks.  I told her I remember when we had an aquarium when I was little that we had a blind cave fish that ate all the other fish!  Apparently his “blind” was made up for by some other keen senses!

The clerk arrived and asked if one of us needed help with fish.

Me:  “Yes, she (pointing to the unsuspecting Cheryl) was wondering how many of these, after they’re fileted, of course, it would take to make a meal.”

The clerk just looked back and forth at us, dumbfounded.

Cheryl’s quick, I’ll give her that.

She immediately said, “Yes, I’m going on a diet, so I need to eat smaller portions.”

Chery and I laughed, because we think we’re really funny. 

And I thought the clerk looked relieved that she wasn’t going to have to report us to PETA. 

Then I excused myself so that they could talk guppies and neon tetras and I could go back to comparing calories, fat and fiber on the various brands of low-fat cheese.

A fun few minutes in aisle twelve with an old friend.

Cheryl, have your people call my people — we’ll do lunch — fish, of course.

. . . to yourself.  Happiness.

The elderly lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock and always neat as a pin even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.  Her beloved husband recently passed away, making the move necessary. 

After waiting patiently in the lobby, she smiled sweetly when a young man from the staff came to get her and said her room was ready.

As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, he started describing what her room would be like.  Before he could even finish his description, she patted his  arm and said, “I love it.” 

“Oh, Mrs. Jones, I hope that will be the case, after you’re settled in.”

She smiled and said, “That doesn’t have anything to do with it. Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time.  Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged — it’s how I arrange my mind.  I have already decided to love it.” 

Happiness is a decision.  May we all learn to make that decision as a gift to ourselves whenever possible.

May your Sunday be blessed and happy!

   The three wrestlers about a year ago.  Jay is about 5 inches taller now.

Because we’ve been married 44 years, there aren’t too many things I don’t know about Hubby.  So, it was interesting  last week to be on the phone with him and Gunny and listen to them talking about their wrestling experiences in high school, sparked by the fact that Jay, Gunny’s son and our only grandson, has just started wrestling as a freshman (on varsity! — the proud Nana said).

Gunny said that he remembered his first “pin” (win).  It was a guy who had beaten him the first time they competed.  He said achieving that “first” was almost as much fun as seeing the shocked look on the other kid’s face that Gunny had beaten him this time.

Hubby surprised me when he said he remembered that first win for Gunny too.  Gosh, I think I went to most of Gunny’s wrestling matches, but I honestly don’t remember much about them.  But, I guess it’s okay because apparently Hubby remembers Gunny’s wrestling experience much better than I do.  Probably because I never wrestled!

Then Hubby told us about his first win in wrestling, which I don’t remember ever hearing before.  He said that when he walked back to the team bench, apparently he must have looked pretty proud of himself because the coach smiled at him and said “Today, I am a man.”  A funny but nice tease about his obvious pride but also an acknowledgement of his achievement.  

And now last night Jay called to tell us that he had had his first “pin”!  A milestone in his life that he wanted to share with both of us, but especially Grandpa.

“Today, I am a man.”

   Christmas stockings today are beautiful and come in an amazing variety of themes and colors.  

But it wasn’t always so.

When I was growing up, we used Daddy’s (clean) socks, because they were the biggest!  If there were special Christmas stockings made back then, either we didn’t know about them, or we couldn’t afford them.

But, oh the memories I have of all the little goodies that were in my sock.  (We didn’t call them stockings, I guess because they were Daddy’s socks!)  Mama filled each one with fruit and candies and little games — any little thing she could think of that she thought we would enjoy. 

When beautiful stockings are hung by the fireplace now, I know that the treats that may be put in them can’t be any more delighted in and enjoyed than the surprises that I discovered in Daddy’s sock all those years ago!

I just read a very interesting Australian blog and she talks about how hot and dry it will be for Christmas.  Of course, it’s summer there.  How different that would be to celebrate Christmas with a barbeque or at the beach!

But, here in Indiana, our signs of the season are falling into place . . .

   The lake is covered in new, thin ice and a beautiful layer of our first snow.

    The candies we’re giving as gifts are made . . .

   . . . and will soon be mailed.

   And the tree is decorated.

A busy, colorful season.

But in all the busy-ness may we never forget the reason for the season, Christ’s birth.  And make time to be thankful for it.

Hubby’s first job was as a bricklayer (until he was 25 and became a cop) and he had a real talent for it.  The walls he built out of brick were things of beauty.  (And speaking of “beauty”, let me just tell you that there was nothing more ”beautiful” to me than my tall, muscular, tanned bricklayer boyfriend and then husband!)

     I couldn’t find a picture of him in jeans and a t-shirt, so you’ll just have to take my word for it — he was, as they say now, “ripped”.

But, Hubby has told me that building a plain brick wall is the easy part — building an opening in the wall, like the door,  is harder.

Fast forward 40+years.

A few weeks ago, I was having a bad day.  I had gained a pound and the 25 lbs. I’ve kept off for three years suddenly seemed to have a mind of its own — it would not be forgotten!  It was going to come back whether I wanted it to or not.

Hubby asked me why I was moping around and I told him that I thought I was probably going to quit Weightwatchers because it wasn’t working for me any more — I’d hit a brick wall.  I not only wasn’t losing more, but I was gradually putting back on the pounds I’d previously lost.  He said some sympathetic things and when I cheered up a little he went ahead and left to run some errands.

When Hubby returned he came into the bedroom where I was reading and announced that he was going to join Weightwatchers!  Good thing I was sitting down.

But, I immediately knew what he was doing.  Because he wants me to be happy and I am definitely happier slimmer, he was going to join what I’m sure he’s probably always thought of as a “girl’s club” even though there are a few men who belong.  But he was willing to do it because he knows that anything in our life that has been hard has been made easier if we did it together.

So, today Hubby will be going to Weightwatcher with me.  And they’ll tell him what he already knows — he does need to lose weight.

   When I look at him, he’s perfect just the way he is.

I don’t know if Hubby will stay with this.  If he does, I know he’ll be pleased with the results. 

 But, no matter what, I will always remember that when I hit a brick wall, Hubby wanted to help me by building a door in it for me. 

Funny how love works that way.

p.s. Hubby has told me we will be driving separately because he is not going to go to lunch with the “girls” afterward.  

   Cooper

Justin and Elise are our nephew and his wife and they have a daughter Grace who is six years old and a two year old son, Cooper.  Justin wrote the following in August:  Cooper turned 2 years old last month. For the past three months Cooper has sporadically complained that his neck hurt after he would do physical activities such as running, jumping or getting tickled. He would complain about his neck but once he rested or lay down for a few seconds – off he would go! 

 Elise and her motherly instinct continued to monitor him closely and took him to the pediatrician and a number of specialists to attempt to figure out the issue. The doctors felt it was probably nothing that serious because it only presented as neck pain and no other symptoms such as slurred speech, loss of balance, vomiting, etc. But once again Elise knew something was not right. Long story short – she pushed for an MRI to make sure nothing was seriously wrong expecting maybe a spine, back or disc issue. 

 But, during the MRI they found a tumor on the base of Cooper’s brain approximately the size of a golf ball. Cooper was admitted to Duke University on August 18th and had surgery on August 20th. The surgery last nearly 12-hours from start to finish. 

As you can imagine, all of our family and their many friends have been praying for this precious little family constantly since this all started in August. 

 Justin and Elise, in a wonderful use of modern technology, have posted regularly on a website provided by Duke so that all who love and care about them can know what is going on with Cooper’s treatments and how their family is getting by.  

When I read the following post Elise did at Thanksgiving, it brought tears to my eyes and another kind of thankfulness to my heart . . . for the example of faith, love and courage that she and Justin have been to everyone who knows them since Cooper was diagnosed with a brain tumor just over three months ago. 

The tumor was removed immediately, but Cooper has been in constant treatment at one medical facility or another ever since, while teams of doctors use all their talents and resources* to assure that all of the tumor has been removed and to restore him to his healthy two year old self.  Cooper isn’t totally out of the woods yet, but we are all praying for his complete recovery.

As Elise wrote this, she and Cooper are living in an apartment near a huge medical facility several hours from home where Cooper is receiving treatment.  Justin and Grace, who just started kindergarten, keep the home fires burning and visit at every opportunity.  Not exactly an ideal situation for any of them, which makes this post she wrote at Thanksgiving very remarkable:

Forever Grateful

As the Thanksgiving Holiday comes ever so quickly I find myself stopping and taking a breath during all of the chaos of life to remember how very blessed our family is. Sometimes it is hard to feel that way but when I step back and look at what God has provided my family I am overwhelmed with love. I have a beautiful family that I love more than life, I have friends I cannot imagine a day without, I have a roof over my head and a bed to rest it on at night, and I have been given the opportunity to meet new and wonderful people every day who help me to grow and learn and hopefully become better. I have nothing but thanks to give.  

We are forever grateful to all of you for just being there and encouraging us along this journey. You are all our blessing and will be in our prayers this Thanksgiving Day! Please know that Coop and Grace feel your warmth and love daily! 

 With love,
Elise 

 *Cooper’s illness has made his parents very aware of the need for funding in the area of treatment and research in regard to pediatric cancer.  So, they have formed The Super Cooper Little Red Wagon Foundation, in order to raise support for those very necessary, but many times underfunded, organizations they have come to know through this journey. 

  If you are interested in donating $10 to this worthwhile cause and receiving a Super Cooper’s Pit Crew bracelet, here is how you can do it.  

The Super Cooper Little Red Wagon Foundation 

In order to help support these worthwhile organizations, you can purchase a light blue (Coop’s favorite color) bracelet with the inscription “Super Cooper’s Pit Crew.” 

 A $10 donation per bracelet would be greatly appreciated. All contributions are tax deductible.  

Make checks payable to: Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund. Please reference fund # 1027451 on your check’s memo line. Fidelity will issue a receipt to the address on your check. 

  Please send your order and check to: 

I’ve told you before that I love editing photos almost as much as I love taking them.

Case in point was the other morning when I went out to get the paper and it looked like the moon might have a few clouds around it.  So, I thought it might be a good picture and went in to get my camera.

   This is what I got. (That isn’t a UFO at the bottom — it’s a neighbors outdoor lights.)

Butttt, when I saw it wasn’t really anything, I played around with it to see what I could make of it.

   First I kept cropping to make it bigger.

   Ahhh, now we’re getting someplace.

    Then I started adjusting “hue” and “saturation” . . .

   . . . and really liked the shading and “abstractness” of the results. 

May this remind us all that there is much good in God’s world that isn’t readily apparent.  But if we look for it, we may be amazed at the beauty we find.

May God bless your Sunday.

First of all, I have written the names of all the commenters on my Sarah Palin post on little scraps of paper and then have drawn one, and the winner is . . . Julie!  Your signed copy of Sarah Palin’s book will be on its way to you soon, Julie. 

Thanks to all of you who commented.  I’m just sorry I don’t have enough signed copies to send one to each of you!

And, now, for the funny moment.

Last night we went to a Christmas party for all the people, and their spouses, who are in elected positions in our church (and also the pastors, and the teachers from our school).  There were over 80 people there.  Luckily it was at the huge home of a local artist/interior decorator.  No surprise, it was decorated beautifully.

Anyway, I had taken two kinds of cake balls in addition to chocolate peanut clusters and cranberry orange fudge on one of my favorite Christmas plates as our contribution.  But, we wanted to come home fairly early, and I wanted to leave what was left of what I had brought because people were still eating. 

So, I took one of the plastic disposable plates that had been supplied to eat on and began transferring what was left of what I had brought, to it.

But as I was transferring the pieces one by one onto the plastic plate, I realized a woman I only know slightly was standing at my elbow watching.  So, I asked her if she was waiting for one of these.  She said, “No, I’m just watching you.”  So, I turned back and continued what I was doing.  But then I suddenly realized how this must look to her.  She had no idea what I had brought!  So she didn’t know I was clearing my Christmas plate so that I could take it home.  It must look to her like I was taking piece after piece of that rich candy to go sit down and eat.

I laughed and turned around to her again and said, “Oh, I’m not going to eat these.  I’m just removing them from my serving plate so that I can take it home!” 

Apparently I was right about what her perception was of what I was doing because she replied, “Thank goodness.  I was really worried about you eating all that candy!”

She was relieved that she was wrong and I was tickled at what a glutton I must have appeared to her!

Happy Saturday.  May any misconceptions people might form of you today be this easily clarified!