Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Why, in this day and age, is it still perfectly acceptable to treat fat people in a way that is not only belittling but even dehumanizing? Are we not human, too?

Bacardi's new advertising campaign in Israel:



Contact Bacardi here to give them a piece of your mind!

From this time forth, any LJ friend who refers to my weight in any way will be summarily de-friended both in LiveJournal and, if applicable, in real life. This includes commiseration, however kindly intended, suggestions for improving my diet and/or exercise regime, and all related topics. It's just off the table, as far as discussions go. Period.

Also, I am removing some of you from my friends feed because I cannot deal with the things you are posting about at the moment. Please be assured that this is no reflection upon you but rather a reflection of my own concerns.

It looks like we're going to start working on clearing out and painting the sunroom this weekend. (My mom will have two rooms completely to herself, the sunroom and the large room behind it.) I've decided to move all my 1950s-era aluminum porch furniture in there (loveseat/glider + 2 rocking chairs), since the dogs and cats can't really hurt it (I hope!)--as opposed to my vintage wicker furniture, which would probably become a lovely scratching post. I think I'll also put my vintage enamel-top table in there--it has chrome legs, so again the pets shouldn't hurt it much. I'm thinking of painting the sunroom a pale, jadite green and hanging sheer white curtains, and then sewing some red tropical-patterned cushions for the chairs. There are windows on three sides, so it's really a lovely little room to sit in and read, etc.

I'm not so sure what to do about the main room--right now, it has 1950s-era wood paneling (the *real* kind, thin sheets of wood, not fake wood grain). Should I paint over it? I feel kinda bad about doing that, since it is real wood, but it would certainly lighten things up in there. What do you think?



The room is a little dowdy (and full of boxes), but my goal is to make it feel airy and comfortable. I'm having a hard time coming up with a decorating scheme, though. The carpet is ca. 1960? and has a textured pattern. It is kind of an oatmeal color. Unfortunately, I don't think we're going to have the time and/or funds to replace it or remove it and refinish the floor, so it stays for now, but I'll steam-clean it as well as I can:



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Hmm. Well, really, that's the best case scenario. My paper wasn't accepted for the CAA annual conference, which is just as well, since to be honest I wasn't really sure what I wanted to say in it. (grin) But the guy who's heading the session works at Duke on topics similar to mine and wants to meet up with me and possibly have me give a guest lecture in a course he's teaching this fall. So that's a very good thing! Also, he thinks an anthology might result from this session, and he's letting folks who submitted proposals know in case they want to be involved (if he can find a publisher). So that's *also* good! Being rejected for the session stings a bit, but I'll get over it... there are always smaller conferences and there's always next year!

Dear LJ friends: I am in the process of doing a rather radical winnowing of my friends list. Several of you I have known for a few years now, but I feel that our lives are really not going in the same direction. Please do not take offense at our parting, and go in peace.
xxoo,
Jess

Could I make some kind of homemade energy bar from the following ingredients that I happen to have on hand?

oats
raisins
golden raisins
dates
cocoa
peanut butter
walnuts
cashews
dried cranberries
coconut flakes

I saw Chocolate and Zucchini's post about making homemade Larabars, but I don't have *quite* the right ingredients. Any ideas, folks? Or should I just make biscotti? The thing is, I've had the dates and the coconut for a quite a while, and I'd like to use them up. Help?!

• 11:02 @gfrancie Aw, poor mommy! I hope you get a massage or at least a hot bath and a good book today! #
• 11:07 Hey, you, reading this post: what's your favorite cookbook, hmm? #

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• 14:27 Took my vitamin first thing in the morning instead of last thing at night...I am *so* not doing that again. Vitamin-B burps! Yuck! #
• 21:45 Ah, happiness--I cleaned my office! It's clean, and quiet, and even cool (I had the a/c on today). Yay! I love my office! #

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• 14:09 Okay, 31 more minutes until I can take a nap! #
• 18:57 I'm impressed that the local store brand cookies are made with real butter. Pecan raisin cookies here I come! Must eat them all b4 tomorrow. #
• 18:57 @gfrancie He such a little stud muffin. I mean a stud, the size of a muffin! #
• 19:15 @gfrancie I'm making beans and rice, with homemade guacamole on the side. Come on over! #
• 23:23 @gfrancie That sounds really good... I love fettucine alfredo. I can never figure out how to heat up the leftovers, though. #

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• 11:28 I need a big, tall glass of sweet tea. And I need it NOW. #
• 13:31 I am restless. I want to get on a plane and go somewhere! #
• 18:50 Yes, it's true: Last night I watched Fast Times at Ridgemont High for the first time ever. Flashback!!!!! #
• 19:52 @jessiesquash Is her survey text any good? I think I'm using Gardener but can't say I ever read either of them--in my time, it was Janson. #
• 21:22 @jessiesquash Oh yeah, that's right, she covers both East and West. Alas, I am only doing West. #
• 21:22 @gfrancie That is so true. Have you read A Homemade Life? It has a section detailing her husband's love of all things pickled & a recipe. #

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• 23:31 @gfrancie Yes!!! #

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Our day wasn't exactly exciting, but hey, I'll take a photo of anything. We went to the garbage dump and left about 600 pounds of debris behind, including these abandoned photos we found in the shed (unfortunately too water-damaged to keep):



It appears that something seriously scary went down in Clown Land this weekend: there were no bodies (that we saw), but plenty of fake wigs at the dump (this is only about 1/10 of it, it was all over, also there were about 100+ empty containers of Oil of Olay--you tell me what that's about, I dare not imagine):

Check out that camouflage! It's hard to see him, isn't it? I think he might be a teenage bunny, but I'm not sure. He was pretty small. He likes chickweed, I think.

• 10:07 Woke up with a headache--again. Time for more Tylenol. Eating that stuff like candy this week. #
• 14:25 Small problem with installing the a/c units for this summer...we must first wire the walls in question with new outlets. At least 2-3 walls. #
• 14:29 Larry going to mow grass for his dad for $$. Bless him, the little bacon bringer. #
• 17:26 @gfrancie I have a confession to make. I think chicken tikka lasagne actually sounds pretty good!!!! #

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Three more entries in thimble_cottage!

• 12:44 Hmm...amount in bank to last until payday (4/28): $0.75. Does that mean I'm really good at balancing the checkbook, or really poor, or both? #

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New posts on thimble_cottage ('cause I'm that good at procrastinating!)!

• 11:00 Why must I check my bank balance *every single day* in order to catch slight discrepancies against the transaction register in my checkbook? #

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• 16:08 @gfrancie One of the cookbooks I have has a "Christmas Bread of 1942" recipe that uses evaporated milk and raisins. Yum! Wartime food! #

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