Hi everyone! I am sorry I haven't had much chance to post here as usual. I have been busy, busy , busy... My e-mail is full of requests and I am going to deal with all of them today!!

If you e-mailed me about deleting your post with the addresses. I just don't have time to search for the specific address. There is nothing on the administrators page tha allows me to search by address. Once I find a post by you I can click on the number and IF your computer uses the same number each and every time, I can find postings like that. But mine doesn't use the same number each time and I doubt if many of yours does, but some do. Even if I delete them, I don't hink it delete them form search sites like Google, as someone on another board had this trouble. You may contact your ISP about just changing your address if you are continuing to have problems. I am sorry I have so little computer knowledge to offer help.

About viruses, I hope everyone has their computer "cured". If the virus was sent to someone who doesn't check their e-mail often, they may unknowingly open it and start the whole process again. I think this is why it takes such a long time to eliminate them. You can go to www.housecall.com to check your computer for viruses.

Don't be afraid to post on the forum I don't mind if you use a fake e-mail, or set up a free hotmail account. www.hotmail.com

Everyone has been wondering about the slowness of all the boards lately. I think it is a combination of the good weather much of the country is enjoying, fear of viruses, and the Christams season. So even if it is a little slow, we will keep going, and after the first of the year things will pick up.

I have been deep cleaning, so that has kept me pretty occupied. I also finished all my Christmas shopping, so I can enjoy the rest of the season without having to set foot in a store besides groceries.

I bought several games for my kids to share, like Taboo, Cranium, Who wants to be a Millionaire and a few others I forget. I got them a few computer games, I SPY and Pac-man (I loved Pac-man when I was a kid!) I got a few videos, that I think they will like. They are each getting some clothes, slippers, and PJ's. I bought them paint-sets, big boxes of crayons, some kind of foamy modeling clay-like stuff! Don't remember what it is called. Also candy and little odds and ends for their stockings. Most of these things are to share.

Then I got them each 3 presents besides: Kadia- 2 exercise videos, hot rollers, and a sleeping bag. Megan- a phone and alarm clock, Simon game, and a sleeping bag, Lindsey- alarm clock, big box of art supplies, and a sleeping bag. Brady- a tackle box filled with all the fishing supplies, a race car game for the computer, and a big set of Legos.

I again bought too much!! and my only defense is that I don't buy them much of anything throughout the year, and they really will use everything. I paid cash for everything and stayed well within my budget, as most stores are having great sales! I also have all the gifts for the gift exchange (12 gifts total-for 2 different exchanges). I had my kids portraits done at K-mart and will be giving a framed picture to the grandparents. As well as baskets of home-canned goods, cookies and candy. I am also making the rice heating pad bags, with rice and cinnamon sticks inside.

I had a huge list of things to do, and I am pretty glad that I have crossed off just about everything. I do need to take the kids out, they have several gift-exchanges, and want to buy presents for each other and friends and 4-h. Wow, this Christmas thing takes a bit of orchestrating, but I get better at doing it every year!!!

Catch us up on things around your place when you get a chance.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), December 05, 2001

Answers

Hubby has been off all week and goes back to the station tomorrow morning, so maybe then I'll have time to put down ALL that has been going on. We've been doing a lot of Christmas shopping/planning, and quite a bit of walking around the yard trying to decide where to put the new garden, the new chickenhouse, the carport, etc. -- of course, then we have to decide where to plant the money tree so we can afford all of this!!

Happy Holidays, and maybe I can get more on tomorrow!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@aol.com), December 06, 2001.