Plugging Away

I've had a VERY productive week so far. Got lots of entries crossed off my Things To Do list. Appointments made--doctor, dentist, windshield repair. Caught up on email. "Paperwork". Gathering donations for two events coming up (LUABC and SCRR annual banquet). Baked some cookies for someone that's having a birthday this week. Ran some errands, but have more to do tomorrow.

Cleaning and decluttering the house. Laundry. Put up Christmas decorations but still have to put up the tree. Got all my birthday thank you notes done (except for the ones for yesterday) ...

Had a really relaxing, fun birthday lunch yesterday with my good friends Mary and Jeanne. (I snapped a pic of them, but it's not very flattering so I won't post it.) We've been getting together for lunch for birthdays for more years than I can remember. I believe this will be the final 50th birthday activity. :-) We ate lunch at Panera north. We seem to end up at Panera quite often. I had the Orchard Harvest Chicken salad (I had to look it up on http://www.panera.com/), of which I ate half. (My jeans seemed looser yestrday ... hoorah!) Ate the rest for supper with some roasted potatoes.

It was very good.  Mary makes the best pies I've ever tasted and she makes me one for each birthday, usually cherry, which this one is.

I wrapped it up and froze it for when the boys are home. Jeanne makes the most amazing cakes. She is SO clever. Last year she made me a green iPod cake. This year, a pink camera cake. I don't have as much creativity in my whole being as she does in her little finger.

I got this birthday card in the mail today. Very cute. Very funny!!

"Women don't retire when the turn 50. They just keep on cooking." :-)

A friend of mine has a question for my bleaders: "Does anyone have a treadmill they love? What brands have the best performance? What features are must haves? What would they not buy again?" Please post your comments by commenting on this post. Thanks!!

Nominations are being sought for RTC Runner of the Year (ROY award). More info on the RTC website.

Oh yeah ... morning workout was 2 hours on the lovely Stairmaster. :-) Got through a couple more magazines ...

Supper tonight was a salad and some delicious baked buttercup squash. It was very sweet.

I was at Macy's today looking at the women's INC clothing (like that brand a lot). Saw this long jacket with ruched black velet trim. It wasn't marked with a clearance price, but I thought I'd have her check the price just in case. Guess what? It was just under half price. And then I asked if I used my Macy's card if I'd get an additional 15% off. Not today, but if I used her coupon I'd get the extra 15%. So ... I got a $129.99 jacket for $40 something. :-)

This was passed along to me via email. I sang Handel's Messiah every year in college. What a magnificent piece of music it is. The Hallelujah Chorus still moves me to tears whenever I hear it. This is certainly worth a click ...

On October 30th, shoppers at a Macy's in Philadelphia had no idea that performers with the Opera Company of Philadelphia were mingling among them. Pieces were being played on what sounds to me like a pretty massive pipe organ - its low notes rumbling magnificently, when suddenly yhe first bars of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus rang out.

The performance is amazing, considering that the performers were scattered through the crowd. But watch the shoppers - everyone stops shopping, children are lifted on shoulders so they can see, people are singing along, people are photographing and videoing. People are talking to others around them; everyone is smiling and laughing. The crowd cheers, whistles, and claps at the end.

They called it "a random act of culture." It made my day; I hope it makes yours!  Click on the link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_RHnQ-jgU

Time to do other things. Be well.