Good Morning all. It is a rainy morning here in SE Ohio, but still warm. Supposed to cool off after today and a chance of snow on Friday. Today is pre-school, and when I get home I have 2 sets of taxes to do. Next week is usually the busiest week for people who are getting a refund.

Stayed up to watch the State of the Union address. President Bush seems so sincere, and I think Mrs. Bush is one of the classiest women in America. If you can judge a man by his wife, he gets high marks for choosing her for a wife! Polls this morning said he has an 85% approval rate, which is almost unheard of. I am not a very politically minded person, but it is nice to have someone in office who seems to care about the common person.

We have not been doing much, Friday we are going to try to finish up the Laundry room. Friday evening Cale and I have a big "date" planned. It is funny that all of the husband/wife dating topics came up lately, but we have planned this for over a month!

My mom is getting the kids, and taking them bowling and they are staying all night at her house. I will tell you about my evening later, but it is going to be spectacular!!! I just hope the roads are not bad, as I hate to be out in the snow, but Cale won't care!

I am in such a rut for supper, I ask everyone when they leave in the morning what they want, and they all say, "I don't care!" I am going to spend some time later going through my cookbooks...

I wanted to tell you that I tried the peppermint bark. I melted some leftover chocolate I had frozen, poured it on a wax paper lined tray, and sprinkled the last 5 crushed candy canes on it. I put it in the frig and let it cool, then broke it into small pieces. It was really awesome. We each got 2 pieces, but more would have been good! I am certainly going to make it again, and will add it to my Christmas candy.

Brady brought me a note last night. He had cut out a big red heart, glued ti to pink paper, and wrote "To Mommy, You are a really, really, really!!!!! good MOM. I love you a lot. Thank you for helping me with homework and cooking supper every night, and taking us fun places, buying presents for us, and letting us have friends over. Thank you for keeping the house clean. You are the best Mom in the world. I love you. Love Brady" It was so sweet I almost cried! He is such a nice little boy(he is 8 yrs. old) The time goes so fast, and I am thankful every day that I am able to spend with my children.

Don't forget the sewing book give-away. I will draw a name on Thursday evening.

I hope you all have a good day! Let us know what is going on in your world!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), January 30, 2002

Answers

BUSY BUSY BUSY. Lots of meetings at the office today. Eveyone wants meetings at the same time. I have 3 overlapping meetings. After the fun at work its off to Church to get the Van so I can pick up the kids for wednesday service. Then back to the house to feed the animals. back to church to take the kids home, back home to spend a few minutes with the wife and kid before the kid goes off to bed. Then I get a few minutes with the wife then a few minutes of tv, then off to bed. Luckly most of the week is a lot less hectic.

-- Gary in Ohio (gws@columbus.rr.com), January 30, 2002.

Around here today the weather is rainy, but, somewhat warm, considering that it is January 30th. Besides doing the normal things--housecleaning, homeschooling, preparing meals, and, getting ready for church this evening, the only extra thing going on is a daughters orthodontist appointment at 5:40 p.m.

Hubby will come home from work, eat, get cleaned up, and, then take our daughter to her appointment. I will stay home and get everyone else ready to go to church.

Melissa, I hope you have a really sweet time alone with your hubby this Friday. I will pray that the weather stays nice, and, the roads won't be bad.

Marsha in PA-wife to Loren-mother to twelve

-- Marsha Marshall (Thankful4Jesus@excite.com), January 30, 2002.

Well, have to be quick, as this will be a busy next hour or two. We have to leave early to take Mitch to school today, because we have ICE here in central OK today. It was 70* all weekend, and turned off freezing and started raining last night. We are expected to freeze up any minute now (the trees are frozen already, but the ground hasn't frozen yet), and not thaw for at least two days, I think. Maybe longer!

After Nick and I drop off Mitchell, we have to run Lance's sheets and some money to him at the fire station (I forgot to take them out of the dryer last night, and he will NOT appreciate the lack of blankets tonight!), and also go by the Search Ministry building (do you all get the In Search of the Lord's Way TV program in your area on Sunday morning, with Mack Lyon? He's a wonderful man, and his program is based right here in Edmond!).

They are having a mail-out day, so all of the volunteers will be there later (provided it's not frozen everywhere) and since we take care of the yard in the summer, we also take care of making sure the sidewalks are clear in the winter. It's my job today since Lance is at the fire station! Most of the volunteers are retired, and Mack is nearly 80 himself, so we don't want them falling in this mess!

I'll be home later and checking on you all, since we definitely won't be playing outside today!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), January 30, 2002.

Here in the far NW corner of Ohio our rain turned into ice, then sleet and now we are receiving sleet mixed with snow - very nasty out right now. Looks as though we may have winter yet. I love snow but wish my family didn't have to go out, on the bad roads, to get to work. This is when I wish we were a Laura Ingalls or Sarah Plain and Tall family - all together at home working :-).

-- Terry - NW Ohio (aunt_tm@hotmail.com), January 30, 2002.

Warm today-supposed to be close to 70! Its supposed to cool down by wekend but so far I've heard no mention of ice-just low 40's. Rainy and cloudy today though.

After running around like a crazy woman for about the last few days I have an entire day with no appointments! I have to pick kids up at afterschool at five, but nothing til then so I'm going to open up windows and doors in the basement and clean out my sewing "room" Its a terrible mess. Hopefully, I can get it organized to do some work down there

-- Kelly (homearts2002@yahoo.com), January 30, 2002.

We had nice weather over the weekend, but the front that came in early in the week has had me aching for Texas springtime! We've had lows in the single digits overnights again, highs in the twenties. So I've been worrying again about the little goats, but couldn't bring myself to bring them back in, except for the smallest two. The others are under heat lamps, and growing fat and fuzzy with the cold. So far, so good, though, and I am looking forward to the forecast warm-up at the end of the week.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), January 30, 2002.

Today's rainy here in central IN so it will be inside things: ironing, bookkeeping, etc. We've been pruning apple trees. Six trees are done with 19 to go and already we have HUGE piles of brush. We're thinking to rent a chipper so we'll also have chips for mulch. This was a job that didn't get done for a couple of years so it was "catch up".

Been in the 60's now in the 30's so we're experiencing a big change. Hubby is getting ready to start maple syrupping within the next 2-3 weeks. Busy, busy.

-- Dee in IN (deatline@globalsite.net), January 30, 2002.

We had an ice storm last night & we are still getting sleet & freezing rain--

We took hubby's truck to repair shop about 2 hours away from us---I didn't want to follow him in on the ice/to leave his truck ---so we called & they gave us a P.U. as a loaner--- So I rode in with him & left off the truck & we picked up some supplies & came home as the weather is nasty out!!!! Suspose to get worse tonight---we sure need the moisture--just hated to get it as ice--but we are thankful for it now matter how we get it!!

-- Sonda in Ks. (sgbruce@birch.net), January 30, 2002.