Thx Icer!  All good info.  I have to start planning baby girl's birthday, too...

I'm gonna check my hyacynths...looking at all the snow...I hope it melts b4 the parade...we may all be huddled in the driveway!

You are welcome November...I bet you could make them yourself...the chocolate coating would add greatly to their shelf life

Tt, LOL re the smaller scone dilemma - I would have done the same thing!  I hadn't intended to eat 3 cupcakes, either, but I did have to try one before I bothered making the frosting - given the dramatically different subs of main ingredients they honestly could have been inedible.  They were so yummy I wolfed down that test one.  Then, of course, I had to try one with the frosting.  Delicious!  So, I couldn't have DH have his "alone" so there's the third.  Not so hard to eat three when you break it down like that!

winter, isn't it funny about lamb - either you truly adore it or you hate it.  Never known anyone to be mezza mezza about it.  I'd send you a couple of chops.  :)  

I echo those maligning the fact that we still can't post photos outside of figuring out how to do it with shutterfly.  Dinner and cupcakes were prize photo worthy.

I don't have the picture box anymore on the bottom of the post, guess it was a fluke.

If you change your avatar to a photo,  then go to the forum/thread and copy and paste your photo/avatar in a new post block and construct your message...it will take.

Then you can go back and change your avatar again.

I tried it,  it works!

Thanks, Robin.

pumpkin sporting the Irish knit cap his uncle ordered online for him.

Don't know why the picture changed - deleted plant.  Getting ready to go out but will try posting pumpkin later when I get back.

Thanks, Robin!

omg, he's so cute, tt - LOVE the cap, so Irish.  Did you make it?  Looks like double crochet...

ETA: you went back and answered my questions before I could post them!

Good morning,
So sorry to learn, you suffered with me the other night, tt. My problem was not pain worse than the usual, but I was wide awake. Went to sleep ok, but woke up around 2. Tossed around for an hour, played computer games for a while, tossed around again and so on. I was feeling my lack of sleep all day. DH had a hearing last night, so as soon as I got home, I went for a nap, and I had 2 delicious hours of undisturbed sleep. Felt so much better afterwards. Last night I slept well, even with the long nap. Can't figure out, what's going on. Thanks for the hip tip.
I found the apple trifle recipe. Sounds really yummy. Will have to try it. I don't own a trifle bowl either, but I have a bowl with a flat bottom I use. It is like a trifle bowl w/o the foot. I know a trifle bowl is a lot more elegant for serving desserts, and I have held one in my hands many times, but I have come to a point in my life, where i am trying to downsize, so I put it back on the shelves.
Glad to hear your birthday dinner went well, Kar. I know a lot of people don't like lamb. I never ate it, until I decided it is the fat I don't like. Lamb fat has a very distinguished put off smell and taste. So when I cook it, I make sure to remove every little bit of it. Takes some preparation, but it is worth it. A friend of mine used to throw it in the oven, as it came in the package. Fat and all. She was surprised to see how I dissect mine, but does it now too.
95 % of our snow is gone too. But I haven't been out to check the bulbs yet. It is quite a muddy place out there. We never had good luck with planting them. A couple of years ago, we redid part of the front lawn and spent $$$ planting a large area out front. Not a single one came up. Too many rabbits, I guess. Like your idea with the pine branches, Hats.
Going to work in a little while. You all have a good day.

Awe I missed the picture of pumpkin :(

Pingo, I remove all the "silver skin" and some of the fat - it does take a lot of time, but that silver skin is tough, and I'm not a huge fan of the fat, either.  The first time I made it, I didn't account for how long it would take to trim, and we ate pretty late, but now I know better.  Lamb fat is very strong tasting, I agree.  I happen to like it alright, but I can see where one wouldn't necessarily.

maybe tt will change it back - it is way too cute to miss!

Oh tt, thanks for the photo. He is adorable. So handsome. Look at those Irish cheeks; could gobble them all up.

Can't you see the photo in her post?  I can.

I know it's a convoluted way to do things, but for now it's an option.

I guess, I was one of the lucky ones. Too bad pumpkin's photo changed. But I do love your new avatar, tt. Is that the Shamrock you saved?

Robin, the photo was there, but then went away. It is back now though.

Edit:  Okay, forget it, I was wrong, I meant well though :(   

But I guess you can post a photo as your avatar without a problem.

it worked, but when she changed her avatar to the plant, the photo in the post changed, too.  Now, it's back to the original baby photo in the post.

Well, I deleted plant photo in my post, and I don't see anything except the writing.  Can't fool with this now.  Gotta get out and about.

Yes, Pingo, it is the shamrock plant, but a very old picture.

Wow, now the baby photo in tt's post is totally gone, and robin's has the plant one.

Here he is as my avatar for a couple of hours anyway til I get back.

(I look at the pic and I picture him walking along the country road in Ireland picking up pieces of peat to bring back home to his Ma for heat.)  lol

TT, pumpkin is so cute in his hat!  waiting for my family's new baby boy with bated breath.  Wonder what is happening with Amber's little grandson?  Is he here yet?

Went out and counted 23 tulip shoots.  Absolutely psyched about that ~ the ground not disturbed by digging at all so the pine branches worked!

Shoots?!  I'm so jealous...our ground is still snow covered even after the warm, heavy rain yesterday.

I was in home goods today and they had a cake pop pan set - top and bottom pans and 12 skewers - for 12.99.  Don't know if that's a good price but thought I would mention it to you, Novembride.

Thank you, hats, but there is just no possible time for me to play Martha Stewart for this shower.  I will have to be content to come up with the ideas and sub out the work.  Not my ideal option, but my only one if I want to remain sane!

Apparently I missed the picture hullabaloo, but I can see pumpkin in the avatar.  What a doll!  Just the type of nice Irish boy I hope for baby girl to end up with one day (wink, wink).

tt, what an awesome picture. He's such a handsome boy. He will be quite the heartbreaker when he gets older.