#PecanPie Easy and Delicious Pecan Pie.. the Secret is the Pie Crust : ) #PieCrust #PieShell #PieRecipes #Pie! #PeachPie

Pecan Pie, Baby! Yum! 
And Easier Than You Might Think! You Can Do It! : )

Yummy Pecan Pie!

Fantastic Deals for you, baby! 

A while back, I  made 3 Pecan Pies... 2 for the Church, and one for 'tasting' ... lol!  (I always like to keep one for mah'self!! haha!)  It was very easy to make, and I was worried, as many people are, that the Pecan Pie wouldn't set, because you're looking at all these ingredients that are 'wet', so you're thinking it might be runny, but it totally set, no problemo, so if you've been thinking about trying a Pecan Pie, or three.... this is a nice little recipe!  I just sent the photos from my cell phone, so will post those in a sec!

Easy and Delicious Pecan Pie

The Easy Schmeasy Pie Crust (it makes a huuuge difference in how tasty this pie is... and all other pies! lol!)





Easy Peasy Pie Crust 
This is the easiest pie crust, ever -- make it right in the pie plate, no rolling, just mix and press with your fingers.... and it's excellent for a low cholesterol diet... very low in fat and sugar, so great for diabetics, too... I love it because it's fast & easy (much like myself! lol!), delicious, and no lard -- ick!! The trick is to mix the milk with the oil -- I just shake it in a jar, or put the milk and oil in a glass, cover with plastic wrap, shake shake shake!  Fun to make with the kids, too! https://buildyourownhousebodylife.blogspot.com/2010/10/piecrust-easy-schmeasy-pie-crust.html

Ingredients:

3 Eggs, beaten (now what did they do to you?? haha!) (7 eggs for the 3 pies... 2 large, one small pies)

1 cup Corn Syrup (2 1/2 cups for the said 3 pies...)

3/4 cup Brown Sugar (2 cups for 3 pies...I think you see where that is going...!)

1/4 Cup Butter, then melt it... (slightly over a 1/2 cup butter for the 3 pies...)

1 teaspoon Vanilla (3 tsp. vanilla for the 3 pies... I'm like a broken record... remember those?? lol!)

Pecans... maybe about a cup per pie... I used a large bag o pecans for all three pies... enough to cover the bottom of the Pie Shell

Get all yer ingredients together, first (seems like a Good Idea!), and your pie plates.  I normally like to use glass pie plates, and the deeper, the better (insert bad joke, here... buh-dum-bum...), but when I'm making pies for the Church, it's easier to use tin foil pie plates. If you're using the glass or 'regular' pie plates, make the pie crust right in the pie plate, but I found that it was too tricky with the foil pie plates, so I poured the flour mixture into a glass bowl to mix, so I wouldn't frustrate meself! (See how I watch out for my sanity like that?? haha!)

Easy Schmeasy Pie Crust - low cholesterol and low fat!! 

Press the crumbly dough into the pie shell, start with doing the sides of the pie shell, first, then do the middle, set aside (no need to bake it, first...)

In a large bowl, crack and beat the eggs

Add the Corn Syrup, stir relatively slowly (mostly to prevent spillage!)

Add in the Brown Sugar (whisk with a spoon or fork, if you feel like it...)

Add the Vanilla

Cut the Butter, then melt in the microwave for about 40 seconds, let cool, and stir into mixture.  (Good idea to cool the butter, on account'a you don't want to cook the eggs! haha!)

Now you will have a delicious looking big bowl of caramel, basically! Yum!  You'll be pleased with what that looks like, already...:)

Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees Farenheit

Hilarious when the pecans 'float' to the top!

Carefully arrange the pecans on the bottom of the pie shell... get the kids to come and help, r at least to watch, since this is hilarious, when you pour the 'caramel' on top of the pecans, and they 'magically' rise to the top of the pie... this makes this pecan pie one of the most fun pies to make...! Start around the outside of the pie, then do the center, then 'fill in the blanks'... I used the whole pieces of pecan around the outside and in the middle, first, then used the not-so-whole pecans for the in-between bits... worked out really well, fer sure!

Almost done!

Gently pour the 'caramel' sauce over the pecans, about 3/4 of the way up the sides of the pie shell... the pecans will magically rise to the top -- really, that just breaks me up!! lol!

I always put my pies on another cookie sheet, so the bottom is protected, and had tin foil at the ready, to cover the pie when it is half-way done, so the pie crust won't burn... no need to be fancy, just pull off a square of aluminium foil enough to cover the top of the pie...

Bake for about 35 minutes - 45 minutes, but check after 20 minutes, or so, to see if the pies need to be covered... they should be 'set' by then, so the tin foil won't stick to the top...

You'll know when they're ready when they are lightly brown and no wiggling! haha!

And then, if you still want even more delicious Pie... my fave Peach Pie! Yay! Deeeelish!

Let the pie cool down, then pop it in the fridge to cool down completely.  This is another pie, like my favorite, favorite Peach Pie, that tastes better the colder it gets... and, of course, serve with delicious whip cream!! Yum!

My Favorite Peach Pie!!  Peach Pie

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales - and then right through the whole season of giving! : )

#Party! How to Throw a Great Party #GivingTree #FoodBank #ToyDrive #Donations #Charity #HolidayParty #Uber #ChristmasParty #Wine! #Parties

I totally built this house -- cool, eh?? lol!

How to Throw a Fabulous Party -- and you won't go mad or break the bank!

(Oh, and this is a while back... but is always a great idea, so if you're having, or going to, a lovely Holiday Party, at home, or an Office Party, please consider adding a #GivingTree - you'll have so much fun, and help lots of people in your area, too : ) 

A 'Giving Tree' is a little idea I thought of adding to our Annual Holiday Party, a few years ago, so our guests could bring a Gift for a Child in need (and hopefully a Food Item from their Cupboards, too!!) to put under our Tree. Then we took all the Gifts and Food down to the Children and Family Charitable Group. They had a whole list of Families in need in our own Community, so we knew everything was going to the right place. There were 38 Families on their List, and we had enough to give something to everyone. Great idea, eh?? Simple, and it is really effective.


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The 'Giving Tree' worked out really well -- we've given Baskets and Baskets of Toys and Gifts to charity, and a whole lot of Food Items for the Food Bank, too! How about doing that at your own Party, or your Office Party? Just think of all the Gifts (or Food or Money...) we could give if we all did this at a Holiday Party! Together we could all raise a tremendous amount of stuff that would make everyone's holiday that much better.

Make sure you get home safe, and all of your guests do, too, from your holiday parties : )

Don't wait 'til Christmas to add a Giving Tree to your Party -- be creative and change up the theme to suit the occasion... Easter Baskets at Easter time, Hearts Full of Hope at Valentine's Day (I know, that one sounds a bit hokey, but you've got plenty of time to think up something considerably better...!), or just 'Baskets of Hope' at any time of the year. Anything to add a wee bit of something for those in need, since need doesn't go away after the Holidays.

When everyone gives a wee bit, we end up with a whole lot of help. (Is that the sap I hear running from the trees, already, or is that just what I wrote?? ha,ha! Ah, well. This stuff does sound a tad pollyanna-ish, but it's necessary until the Governments have decent programs for all people to adequately Feed, House and Educate everyone in the society. Until that day comes, and I believe it will, we'll just have to band together to bridge the gap. Plus, you can have a Cheers for me at yer Party, so that'll be fun, right?!

See all the Gifts for Children in need in our community?  If you are in the States, you'll have a Toys for Tots Program near you, and that's wonderful to give to, and in Canada we have all sorts of places to donate toys and gifts to - remember the older kids, too, and I always put stuff in for the Moms - Moms need love, too! xox!

Here's my lovely daughter, Cara, in the kitchen, right before the party - lots of booze, lots of  alcohol-free drinks, too! (Man, I miss this kitchen! This is the last house I built...)

I filled the dining room table full of lovely treats, and I always set up an additional serving table (see over by the window?), with a giant Chocolate Yule Log - is that a Canadian thing, or does everyone love a Chocolate Yule Log?? Is like a log, literally, a chunk of wood, but made out of cake and icing - lots of icing! - and all very festive! lol!) and then there are treats and snacks set up on every surface in the house... coffee tables, end tables, you name it, there's a snack on it! 

So here's how to do it --

Set up your Christmas (or Chrismakah...!) Tree before the Party, and put some nice Baskets underneath the Tree. If you are using Laundry Baskets (technically, my favorite kind of Basket!), just put a Table Cloth or some nice material over the basket to brighten it up.

Put out a Few Baskets for the Toys and Gifts, and a Few Baskets for the Food Items. If they fill up during the Party, you can run and get more baskets, or just put the Toys around the Tree and use the Baskets for the Food. (Now that everyone knows we have a Giving Tree at our Annual Holiday Party, we get too many Gifts to put in the baskets, so now we just have our Guests place their gifts right under the Giving Tree, and I load them into my van after the party. Oh, I love a Generous Guest!!)

Tell Your Guests in Advance that you'll be having a Giving Tree so they have time to pick something up. When you send out your Party Invitations (I just e-mail mine -- who has time to write an actual letter these days??), be sure to include a line that says something like,

"We're having a Giving Tree Party! If you would like to bring a Toy, Gift and/or Food Item to our Party, we would love your gift! All the Toys and Food will be Donated to a Local Charity after the Party."

Your Guests will respond very well to this, and I always write it so that it is completely optional. We love a good bottle of Gin, don't get me wrong, but we can buy that for ourselves, so we love it when our Guests bring something for someone who really needs it (toys and food, not gin! ha,ha!)-- that way we all will have a much nicer Holiday Season, right?

This year, I'll be able to tell our Guests from Last Years Party how much stuff we were able to Contribute to our Local Charity -- what a great group of Friends we have! And I'm guessing that you, too, have a fabulous group of Friends and Co-Workers ... people who would be more than happy to Give to a Good Cause.

It'll literally take me a couple of weeks to get the House all set up for the Party, but it'll be worth it because it's always so much fun! Looks like we'll easily have over a 100 people, so we should get a lot of stuff to go under our 'Giving Tree' and in the Food Baskets to take down to our Local Family Charity.

I am really hoping to get the word out on that Party Idea. Just think how much stuff we could all donate if we took one item to a Party. If you are thinking about having a Party this Holiday Season, or already have one planned (or have been Invited to one and you know the Host or Hostess well enough to ask them if they would try that too...!), please consider Adding a Giving Tree to the Event. Staff Parties, too -- there must be a million Staff Parties at this time of year! Wouldn't that be a huuuge amount of stuff for Families in need?? There are all kinds of Groups in need of stuff -- the Fireman's Fund, The Salvation Army, Women's Shelters, Food Banks, Homeless Shelters, Churches...all sorts of Groups you can donate your 'Party Goods' to -- wouldn't that be sooo great! Then we can really enjoy the Holiday Season!


How to Throw a Great Informal Party:

The most important thing to know about Throwing a Great Party is that it's not as hard as it sounds. People like to Mingle and Talk, so really you just need to provide a Warm and Welcoming Place where Everyone can come and have some fun.

Here's what works well for a Winter Party -- it's all very Festive!

Everything is set up so your Guests can choose to have a Non-Alcoholic Drink, or Add a Wee Something to the Mix. It's very 'Family Friendly', and there's lots to choose from for the Designated Drivers in the Crowd.

Hot Apple Cider in a Giant Pot, Electric Wok or Crock Pot. Spiced Rum and Vanilla Rum on the Side!! Tastes like a Hot Apple Pie! Yum! (It's just Apple Juice heated up with Cinnamon Sticks thrown in for Flavor.)

A Great Big Bowl of Punch, Non-Alcoholic. Vodka or Rum on the Side. Float some Sliced Fruit in the Punch -- looks lovely! (Punch is really easy to make -- use a Frozen Punch Base, then add the required Water, then Add Gingerale or Sprite -- any light Pop -- and then add in Any Pink or Red Pop -- like a Cranberry Pop or Grapefruit Pop. Slice the Lemons, Limes, and/or Oranges and let them float on the Top of the Punch. Add in some Ice Cubes, and you're all set!

Have a Coffee and Hot Chocolate 'Station'. Baileys or other nice Liqueur that goes well with Coffee or Hot Chocolate on the Side. I just make a Big Pot of Coffee, then have more Filters with the Coffee in them, all ready to go if you need to make more... and Two Kettles Set up So people can make themselves a Hot Chocolate or Tea, if they are so inclined. Set out Hot Chocolate, Tea, Cream, Sugar and lots of Teaspoons. You can use Throw-Away Cups, or Regular Mugs, if you have lots of them.


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Have a Wine Bar -- I just Set out a Nice Variety of Wine and Lots of Glasses. You know what is the most popular Drink at our Parties (next to the Hot Apple Cider, where I hang out!)? My friend, Steve, calls it 'Sody Pop Wine', so now I do, too, and it's aptly named, since it's pretty much like tasty pop all liquored up! ha,ha! It comes in about a million Fruit Flavors (yes, I am exaggerating, but only to keep myself amused as I write this...), and you can get it at any Liquor Store. It's generally under $7.00 a bottle, so you can pick up quite a variety of Flavours. Black Current and Strawberry are the most popular at our Parties. Sadly enough, we buy this by the Case, now! It's light and deeelicious!

Have a Bar Stocked with Hard Liquor. Mix on the Side -- Coke, Pepsi, Gingerale ... and remember to have the Diet Versions of each of those Drinks to offer to your Guests.

Lots and Lots of Ice!

Tons of Finger Foods -- Treats of All Sorts, like Cookies and Cake Squares, Cheese & Veggie Platters, Shrimp Rings, Tortilla Chips 'n Salsa, Regular Chips ... whatever appeals to you. Save yourself a whole lot of time by just buying these already made -- I swing by Costco and M&M's before the Party to pick up a nice variety of Bars and Finger Foods, then it's just a matter of cutting and putting them on Platters. You can use regular Plates (Small and Large) to present the Cookies & Cake Bars -- just place them in a circle on the plate, and then go up one or two more layers, getting smaller with each layer. I use Cutting Boards for the Cheese & Crackers -- fast and easy.

Optional: Some 'Real Food' -- I like to Serve Chili and Rolls. This year, I'm going to skip the 'Real Food' thing. Our Big Holiday Party is always during the day (From 2:00 - 7:00 pm), so providing a 'Real Meal' isn't really necessary). I do keep the number for the Pizza Place handy in case anyone stays late, or I'll whip up a big batch of Pasta.

For the Kids (we like 'Family Friendly' Daytime Parties...), I set up their Treats and Drinks Downstairs. I've found that Individually Wrapped Treats -- Chips, Chocolate Bars, Candies -- work out well. I set out a big box of Chips -- the ones you get for the kids' lunches. Beside that I have a few cases of Pop, all different Varieties. It's much easier for Kids to help themselves to what they like, and you don't have to worry about germs being spread in a big bowl of Chips. Set up the TV so they can Watch Movies on the Big Screen (and have them all ready to go...), set up a Games Area with a few good Games, and have some Music available, too if you have Older Kids at your Party.

That's about it! Not too hard to put together -- lots of nice Decorations, Napkins, Glasses, 'N All...Don't worry too much about Your Party. Your Guests are there to see you, chat with each other, and maybe get in a wee dance, if you happen to go down that path. It'll all work out, and if you have a Giving Tree, you'll end up having a great time and have lots of great stuff to Donate to a Local Charity, too! See, it's easy shmeasy!

Now, these are specific to Our Parties...but see what will work for you : )

Our Pool Table is Downstairs, so I would imagine there will be a steady group of Men (mostly...) playing Pool for the good part of the day, so they can keep an eye on the kids!! YaaHoo!!

Treats for the Children are best if they are individually wrapped, to cut down on any 'cross-contamination', and if you know or have any kids, I think you'll know just what I mean ...! Ha,ha,ha! So Chips, Canned Pop, Small Chocolate Bars (they're eaten before they melt!!) ... it's easy and the kids will love it. Although, one year, we did have an 'incident' where one small child actually ran their hands all covered in chocolate along the carpet -- hard to believe. And the parents didn't say a word, which was unpleasant, so think about who your guests are before you put out the chocolate! And don't be afraid to 'alter' you Guest List for the next party, if you want to maintain your sanity at any Future Parties!

So the big key to the Success of an Informal Party is to have everything pretty much 'Serve It Yourself', that way even if the Host or Hostess has had 'the Mostest', if you know what I mean, the Party can still go on and everyone will have a great time. It's just a whole lot more relaxing for everyone if people can just mingle around freely, and eat and drink whatever they like.

You know a good name for this kind of Party?? A Mingle and Jingle Party! Ha,ha,ha!

So, pass this Giving Tree Idea along to your Friends, Neighbors, Pastors, Teachers ... the more people we get in on this, the more stuff we can give! Hey, we can all take pictures of our Giving Trees, and then I can post them on my Site! Then we can all check out your Living Room, too! Now, that'll be fun!

Party On, Baby! Ailsa  xox!!

Make sure everyone who is drinking at your Party has a Designated Driver. We have a lot of Neighbors who can just walk over, so they're the lucky ones! I always make sure I have lots of great drink choices that are non-alcohlic so everyone can have fun, and everybody stays safe.


Personal Breathalizer Enter Code AILSA for a Special Discount for My Readers!So here's a great thing to get for yourself or for someone you care about to let them know when they've reached their limit with Alcohol at your Party or wherever you (or they) find themselves out Drinking. This one little device could save many, many lives and countless injuries, not to mention preventing someone from driving under the influence and getting a D.W.I. (D.U.I. in Canada).  http://alcoholcontrols.com/breataldet.html

Get some Music for yo' Party!

** That's my big house from when I was married... I sure miss that house!  Looking at my old living room, which was sooo gorgeous, makes me want to build that house, again... but the next time I build it, I want to 'move it around', in that I want to build the 'West Wing' over the garage, this next time... so a higher roof-line, probably a 4 car garage (why not?? lol!), maybe more of an angle in the house.. we'll see what the Lot loks like, when I get around to building another house (soon, I hope!! lol!)


Happy Holidays!!  Ailsa :) xox

Site Menu * Full Site Menu Holiday Party Invitations
Save $120 on 12 World Class Wines for $69.99, Plus Free Corkscrew Set!

How to Get Along with #DifficultPeople #Jerks! My God, Why Are There So MANY of Them?? #haha! #MakesMeLaugh!

Dis me - see how I delicately placed that Peacock Feather for modesty? #ModestyFail! hahaha!

Eat, Drink and Be Merry (forget those annoying Jerks! lol!)

Fabulous Deals For You!! 

How to Deal with Difficult People - any time of the year - they're so annoying, they're always on your radar! lol!  Soo, if you, too, are dealing with a difficult person, I hope this helps you out a little bit... I think I'm'a gonna go for a nice walk - with really nice people! That's a good tip, right there, surround yourself with at least one other really nice person, and you'll be soo much better off, already! lol! Good Luck!

When it's Holiday Time, or any time to visit with your Family... sounds like sooo much fun, and maybe it will be... one never knows!! lol! Hopefully, all will go well, and you will be a lovely part of a wonderful family gathering, but if you are like many's-a-folk (Scottish saying!!), you might have a wee problem here and there (or a giant problem, right here, right now) that you need help coping with... so that's where I come in... I've been there, done that, finally found that my own tiny family was much less stressful than the larger extended family (okay, you got me, I got a divorce... that was a quick way to cut out half the Crazy, right there!! lol!)... you don't need to be quite so drastic, you can try a few of my wee tricks to help you survive the Holidays! Good Luck!  Come on over to my place if it doesn't work out -- we're havin' a great time, all relaxing, no fighting!!  Oh, and I have lots of liquor and chocolate, too! (Solid standbys for guaranteed Holiday Cheer! lol!)

See's Candies. Delicious Chocolate. Great Value. Shop Now! (You're Welcome!!)

(No problemo - me help you get through dis! : )

 

Haha! BE ALERT!

The World Needs More Lerts! (haha!) 

But the World does NOT Need More Jerks - lol!) 

(One o' mah' fave Farside Cartoons, if there's any chance you haven't seen them - so funny!)

Man, haven't we all had to deal with some real wack-jobs out there? What?? They're in your living room, and you just escaped to your only true friend, your computer, for a little solace? I know where you're comin' from, baby. Been there, don't plan to go back.

However, when the Holidays hit, it's next to impossible not to have to come face-to-face with one of your biggest nightmares... or in some families, an entire flock of them. Oooh, and they can be some seriously ugly birds, too.

 (In case you REALLY need to get away - lol!)

Here are some of my 'Tried and True' methods I use to cope, and the best method I've ever come across.

1. Avoidance. Works for me. I try to stay as far away from the 'Social Irritant' as possible. Another Country is great, but if not that, another State, a different Town, other side of the Kitchen Island if it's too late and they're already in your home. It's much more difficult to manage this clever Avoidance technique if you're stuck at their house, in which case, I suggest you move on to Number 2. And don't agree to go and stay in the Lion's Den, again -- a Cheap Motel is a better option!

2. Drink. And lots of it. Numb away the pain, I says. Shays. Shay, did I ever tell you that old joke about the... oh, wait. You're still in need of some help, and so I pass you another glass... Now here's the sad part -- I really did have to do this with a particular set of In-Laws (I've had more than one set, if you can believe that! ha,ha,ha! That's just for my own amusement...!), in preparation for them coming over. Thankfully, they were very distant, so I rarely had to see them, and it was my Mother-in-Law who was the most difficult one. I would put on the coffee early, get out the Baileys, and Voila! Therapy in motion. And it totally helped, too, since I laughed more and cried less... a good thing. Or at least, a slightly better thing.

3. Pretend. Oh, I used to pretend all sorts of things, just to maintain my own sanity. Can't remember the baby's name and you only have three Grandchildren? No problem. Why would a complete stranger know our sweet little baby's name, anyway? That doesn't even make sense... sob, sob, gulp, gulp... shure, I'll have more wine. Just pretend your day away. Are you in Hawaii on the Beach? On a Date with someone with a much better Family?? (That's a popular dream, I hear...) Anything you can imagine that will create a little emotional distance might work. Don't forget that drink! (Man, what would a Recovering Alcoholic do? Maybe remember the old days for a bit, and continue on to more 'functional' methods below...)

4. Read a Good Book. Pornography might be a good choice if you're still trying for that 'avoidance' thing, since folks will take one look and assume the worst... don't you hate that? Judgemental Bashtards. (I have to assume you went with Tip # 2, and now your own level of judgement is slightly impaired...) No, no. The bestest book I've ever read that truly helped me deal with Difficult People was (is) The Four Agreements, by don Miguel Ruiz. . Thank God I found that book before I went mad. It's hard to find a good book at the Loony-Bin... or so I've heard...

Really, Louise Hay is my new favorite 'girl', if you will - I loove Louise Hay - she is brilliantly kind, so loving - Louise Hay will change your whole life, make it all sooo much better! 

http://buildyourownhousebodylife.blogspot.ca/2014/11/you-can-heal-your-life-by-louise-l-hay.html

In case you're reading this and it's an emergency situation, and you can order the book, but it won't be here until Monday, and you don't know if you can last that long, here's what I took out of that book -- It's not about you, it's all about them. Yep. You've probably heard that before, but get this -- it's true! Everybody has their own view of their own life, but they also have a view of YOUR life. They actually think they can tell you what to do, criticize you for who you are, what you want to be, how you like to dress or how long your hair is ... okay, that's my own family, but you might have a similar one, no?? ha,ha! Oh, great, now we're back to Tasty Method # 2...

So here's the deal. Who cares what they think or say about you? Who the hell cares. (Now you're an angry drunk...) You know who you are, and you know your Dreams are critical to your own success. Forget about the nay-sayers. I always think it's funny when someone says how supportive their family was all along -- it's been most peoples' experience that the family only begins to support you once you've reached the pinnacle of your success, and not a moment sooner. (Now who's the cynic?)




The really, really hard part is when this stuff involves your children. That's hard to deal with, because they're too young to be able to truly understand that mean words from an oldies mouth are from their own bitterness, and not because of the child. (And 'youngens' can be mean, too, so don't attach an age to a possible 'meannie'!) Tough to get that message across. Your only hope, there, is to 'tell it like it is' with your child, and give them all your love. They might have to learn early that not all people are nice, and not all the people are in your corner. (Where you are huddling in a small heap, right now... come on out. No need to hide anymore. Read the book and you'll be able to put it all into perspective. You'll love your new sense of Personal Freedom you get from one quick and easy read.)

Oh, and here's the thing -- you can still love someone who is less than kind to you. Often, you already do. I don't quite get the 'love' part of an In-Law story, though, since they're not a part of your Family, but if you plan to stay married, it's good to work out a deal in your own head where you can survive a Holiday Meal (or, God Forbid, a whole Vacation... in the same house... did I mention you can buy Booze by the Case? Yep. You might want to check into that...).

One thing I feel very strongly about when it comes to getting along with your Spouse's Family: If it's your Mother-in-Law or Father-in-Law who is giving you all sorts of grief, it's NOT your problem to sort out, as many wives have heard over the years. (Or husbands, depending on the relationship his wife has with her family. It's been my experience, though, that a woman is really good at defending her own family -- not so much herself, but really good at defending her children and husband from intruders. The same often can't be said for some husbands who want to pretend that everything is great, and nothing is happening. Nothing is happening. Nothing is happening. It's like a little 'husband mantra'! ha,ha,ha!)

The only person who can deal head-on with their own parents, or any other part of their own family is the one who is related by blood.Or a very, very long connection with said annoying family members...Nothing else will work, since you're the imported one. (Sounds like 'imported wine', and that brings us full circle back to glorious method # 2...) If they won't help you manage the difficult situation, try to make you deal with it, instead, or don't believe you when you cry all the way home that something terrible went down the second they left the room, and you were sitting there, desperately trying to mind your own business, when all hell broke loose (Oh, man. It happens like that, don't I know it), then just refuse to get into that situation, again. Make it a 'No-Go Zone'. If they want you to go, they have to help. If not, yippee! You've got the whole day to yourself!


Hey, you know what would be fun and would help you to get through (or over) all the crap that happens to you over the Holidays? Let's add your Painful Moments to my Site! We'll laugh, we'll cry ... we'll all commiserate. Then we'll all feel better to see that everybody on the planet has to deal with difficult, craaazy folks, so we might as well make fun of them, right? Come on! It'll be fun! Send in your stories -- not too graphic, please -- I'm just kidding about that 'porno' thing! Watch for language, too, although I'm totally okay with you mumbling under your breath while you write about your story! That's normal, anyway, ain't it? Remember to put in a Subject Heading so I'll open the email -- you might be surprised at some of the crazy folk who sometimes write to me... ha,ha,ha! No, they're my friends. I happen to like a person with a touch of crazy. They're funnier. They've figured out how to cope with difficult people with humor, which brings us back to making fun of any difficult situation. (Oh, and that's the 'Good Crazy', not the 'Aaah, You're a Nut - Crazy')

Actually, just thought of something... lately, since I read The Four Agreements, when someone says something crazy to me, or treats me in a bizarre way (there's a girl at the gym who appears to hate me -- whatever... I just laugh to myself and move on to the next piece of Equipment, where I lift massive amounts of weight to relieve my stress... uh, oh. Well, it's better than Crack, I say, so not to worry. 'Hooked on Lifting' oughtta be okay...)... Anyway, I go straight to the thought of what their perception of me is, and how I know it couldn't be further from the Truth. I know Me, so I just let everything slide right past me, now. Very effective.

Well, Good Luck with your tricky situation. Do drop me a line and tell us all about your terrible day, though -- maybe we can help. Take the burden off a little. (Did you just hear they were pouring Bourbon? Me, too -- gotta go see!)

Happy Holidays, My Pretty's. Pretties. Ptri-T's. Ugh, who can spell after all that booze?

Love, Laughter and Sanity! Ailsa

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 That's me with Tia, the easiest one to get along with -- that's why people have Pets!

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ElectriqueBoutique.com has an enormous selection of very sexy outfits! ElectriqueBoutique.com always has an amazing Shoe Sale, so it's definitely worth going through their Sale Pages! You can find some incredible deals in there on sexy outfits and shoes! WooHoo!

I've bought a lot of fabulous stuff from ElectriqueBoutique.com over the last few years, and they are exceptionally easy to work with online.(Check out their Sexy Outfits, too!) And their shoes and boots fit like a dream! I think I've bought three pairs of their Thigh High Boots, and they all fit perfectly! Now's the time to give that a try, if you haven't got some sitting in your closet, right now! haha! Electrique Boutique

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Here it is -- The Four Agreements, by don Miguel Ruiz. Beautiful read. I picked up the Companion Book to The Four Agreements, and it's every bit as good (wonderful, if you will...) as the First Book of Agreements.The Companion Book to The Four Agreements is particularly useful when you are trying to cope with difficult people, and you need a better way.

Can't wait to get back up to my Sunroom (where I love to read!) to finish this next Book.Update: Now I've read every don Miguel Ruiz book I could get my hands on, and I loved them all. Especially The Mastery of Love -- wonnerful, wonnerful books!<
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
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