Hi to everyone! I hope you are all well.

Today was report card day!! Kadia had a "B" in Algebra, and English. She expected it in Algebra, but was a little suprised about the other, as she usually gets "A's" there also. She did get A plusses in Social Studies, Science and Home EC. She was pretty happy about that. Megan, Lindsy, and Brady all had straight A's, none of them have ever had a "B" yet. I gave them all a new shirt, and a big candy bar as a little reward!

They are all 4 great students, but mostly they are just very good people, which makes me even happier. They are generally kind, considerate and hard-working and I am really proud of all of them. Bragging over now!!!

One more kind of neat thing, Kadia was asked to be a Home Ec aide, and I was too, for the same teacher. She even had another teacher ask her to make some pillows for her couch, and she will pay Kadia to do it. So I am glad she is finding her Home-Ec lessons useful already.

OK, now to the really BIG news!!! Guess what I got today??? Yes a new refrigerator!!!!! I am so happy, it is black on the outside to match my stove, and it is BIG... My old one was 13 cubic ft, and this one is 22 cubic ft. So it will be a big difference. I am having it delivered the first of the week.

Since Cale was with me, and his tendency is to go a little overboard, he also bought us a new freezer, a new cookstove for my canning kitchen, and a new, big, double utility sized sink for the laundry room. Then he came home and proceeded to tear out log walls (with a chain saw!!!!) and is redoing the whole laundry room, canning kitchen area. He is going to build new shelves, and laundry bins, and I don't know what all else. So I have been very busy today, moving everything out of that room, and OH MY, I have a lot of stuff in there, and it was a mess. I am pretty tired, and we have a lot to do tomorrow!

He said he was tired of me having to use all that old stuff. Pretty nice guy, I think!!!

We did find some good deals on the appliances at Lowe's, the refrigerator and stove were discontinued, and marked down (both Whirlpool brands) and the freezer was reasonable also. It said it only uses $64 a year to operate, and I thought that old monstrosity of mine probably uses that a month. So I took the forum advice and thought it wise to replace it.

If I am not on tomorrow, it is because I am very busy. I hope you all have a good week-end.

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), January 25, 2002

Answers

What fun, and what a busy weekend! I think I enjoy new stuff for my house more than new clothes for me! Isn't it wonderful!

Now I get to brag a little on my kids, too. Everywhere I went this week, the teachers were talking about how wonderful my boys are. Nick has had a sub in his mother's day out this week as one of his regular teachers quit to take a full time job with the Dept. of Human Services, and every time the sub (Denise) saw me this week she started talking about how wonderful he is, and good, and cute, and good, and sweet, and... Then, when I went to pick up Mitchell at kindergarten yesterday, his teacher walked him out to the car and as he was getting in she told me she just didn't know what had gotten into this boy, but he was just the perfect child lately, and an absolute joy to have in class (especially nice to hear since we had some problems at the beginning of the year)! As a special treat for having been so wonderful lately, we had lunch at Super Salad - the boys both love their gingerbread, and ice cream for dessert to boot! Then when we went to the grocery store I let them ride one of those 25c rides out front. Happy kids all afternoon!

Okay, my bragging time is over, but I just had to share. After all, it's not often that you get brags like that on everyone in the same week!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), January 26, 2002.

I'm so happy for you Melissa-I know how much you wanted the new refrigerator!

Wow! Cale certainly does things in a big way!

Tell your kids I said congradulations on thier grades-it gets harder to keep them up when they get older.

-- Kelly(KY) (homearts2002@yahoo.com), January 26, 2002.

Tell me about your canning kitchen. I have been wanting one and with a possible move in the future due to changing jobs, I will keep my eyes open for the possibilities. I don't like having the mess in the main kitchen and it gets sooo hot sometimes. What appliances do you have out there and what kind of room is it? Thanks for the info. I'm trying not to be jealous 8-) of your new frig. I would like to have a new one, too, but it sounds like you needed it worse than I do (13 cu ft.!!! Wow!) Enjoy.

-- Dena (ddew1962@earthlink.net), January 26, 2002.

Hi all! Cale has let me have a 10 minute computer break!!! He is a slave driver (ha, ha!), but we have torn out the old ceiling insulated with 30 something insulation and have half of the new ceiling up. Stopped to eat lunch and now back to work. I will describe it all next time I get a chance!!!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), January 26, 2002.

Ok Cale had to go to Lowes, it is just after 6pm and I think I am getting too old for this! Our laundry room and canning kitchen is all one room. It is 12 x 16 feet. The only thing we are adding is our old refrigerator. All of the rest was already there, except now we are replacing and remodeling it.

The ceiling was just foam insulation, with the silver backing. We took it down, put up 30R insulation, and put plywood on the ceiling. 2 walls were logs, but since it was so hard to work around, Cale has framed over top of them with 2x4's and more plywood. One wall will have the new freezer and the old frig, and a set of new shelves for canning jars, and the door is on this wall. I have about 1000 (jars) so it will be big enough to hold them all, although it is rare for them to all be empty at once.

The next wall has the hot water heater, well holding tank, washer and dryer. There is a shelf over the washer for cleaning supplies, and a space beside it for my folding clothes racks and a bucket of clothespins.

The wall facing the front has a door in it, and the washer sits along it (in the corner) In the other corner will be a new counter top.

The last wall will have the countertop, new double laundry sink, and the new stove, the door opens into this wall. Above the sink and stove will be two 8 ft long shelves for all my canners, cookers, bowls, food processor, ice cream maker, Victorio strainer,and any other odds and ends.

Cale is going to build a countertop on wheels, (like a cart), that will also hold the laundry baskets, on shelves underneath. We can use it for a folding area, or when canning as an extra spot to put canners and such.

The door opens to the porch, where the wringer washer sits, and a table and chairs, where it is nice to chop vegetables to can. There is also an outside water supply here which is handy for hosing off vegetables from the garden.

I have used this second kitchen for about 7 years, and it is great for making a mess in. I like not having to mess up my main kitchen. In this room I also have 3 lines to hang laundry.

Well I had better go, I have a few things to do yet!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), January 26, 2002.