Hi everyone!! I have a lot to catch everyone up on. Thursday I cleaned and did taxes (typical day here now) It was a nice day, but the winds of change blew in and Friday was windy and colder. Cale was off Friday, since he is now working only 4 days a week. We went to Lowe's AGAIN, they are starting to greet us by name!!! We had to buy a pigtail for our new stove, the old one was questionable, and some plumbing supplies. Cale got both of those hooked up and built a new door also. We went to Jebbias fruit and vegetable market and got a lot of fresh produce. We also bought some colby cheese that was excellent, and a gallon jug of olive oil that was $8.99. A good price I thought compared to what I was paying at Kroger's.

Well about Friday night. My Mom couldn't watch the kids after all, so we took them with us!! We went out to super first, then we went to the Capitol Music Hall in Wheeling to see "Gael Force Dance" an Irish step dancing presentation. We had seats in the lower balcony, still costs us $28 a seat, but it was worth every penny!! If you have never seen any of these shows in person or on PBS, I hope you get the chance to. It was inspiring, awesome, unbelievable. the dancing was out of this world. The music was beyond imagination. I was very impressed!!!

I had wanted to see Lord of the Dance, but we couldn't go at the time, so this was very much anticipated. I am so glad the kids got to see it. They were just mesmerized. It lasted for 2 hours and they never even moved!!!

Saturday we moved out some funiture, giving away a couch and chair. Cale even hauled the couch to my sister's house, and the chair to a friend's house who didn't have a recliner. He was very happy to get it!! I moved one of my leather sofa's to the family room, and a wooden rocker I had. The house looks much more open and has more spece now. Took us about 4 hours, to move everything and clean, but well worth it.

I am trying to cook everything from scratch. Found a good pancake mix recipe. Will post it if anyone wants it.

Sometimes the kids complain (a little) that they NEVER get to go shopping. So I took them on a marathon shopping expedition to Every single store in the mall! Took 4 hours (UGH) and they still only bought things at Gabriels, Goody's, the Dollar Tree, and a store called Deb's (These are the same places they always shop!!!) At least they were as tired as me! Brady got 2 pairs of jeans for $4.99 a pair at Gabriels. He also bought a bike horn and some stickers at the Dollar Tree. Lindsey bought a pair for jeans for $10 at Goody's and 2 horse books. Megan bought 2 pairs of jeans at Goody's $10 a pair. Kadia got 2 pairs of jeans at Goody's ($10) each, and a shirt and pair of gray pants at Deb's (pants $15 and shirt $5) So that should keep them happy for a while. We don't do these trips too often.

I bought 6 new matching laundry baskets for my laundry shelf system Cale is going to build me. It will have 2 shelves, one close to the floor and one about 1/2 way up. It will be countertop height. He is going to put a countertop on top of it. He can get them for $10 from a counter top maker he knows from work. The dirty laundry will be in baskets underneath, and the counter can be used for canning or butchering. Should take up a lot less space than having baskets sitting everywhere.

Today we got up and the roads were very bad. Cale tried to go to work early but there was a lot of ice. He told the kids to just stay home, and the bus couldn't even make it out our road anyways. He did go in about 9 this morning. It cleared up a little, now it is snowing like a blizzard! Temperature is supposed to drop to 9 degrees tonight, and wind chills of -25 degrees. It is even a little cool in here. I need to get the fires roaring again.

Well that is about it. I have a few sets of taxes to do, so I had better get busy.

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), February 04, 2002

Answers

Melissa ,Was it Lord of the Dance you saw or Lord of the Rings???

-- Bob (snuffy@1st.net), February 04, 2002.

It was "Gael Force Dance", I don't believe "Lord of the Dance" is touring right now, it was out a few years ago. "Lord of the Rings" is a movie.

This is a live musical featuring Irish Step-Dancing and music.

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), February 04, 2002.

Hi, things are about the same around here today. Did a couple of errands after dropping Mitchell off at kindergarten this morning. Picked up chicken feed and bought some left-over seed from last year at the feed store for 25 cents/pkg. I inherited daddy's seed since I'm the only one who gardens, so I didn't need much, just some okra, radishes and squash was all I bought.

I also picked out some tomatoes they had there $1/pound, greenhouse raised. Cheaper than the grocery store, and the guy said they're "not as good as the real thing, but a lot better than those store bought things". We'll have them in a salad with supper.

I'm trying to get on top of things around the house today, and cleaning off the desk and doing a final run-through of our taxes to be sure they are ready for the accountant is on the list. I keep telling Lance there's almost no point for us to bother with the accountant, he insists on everything being so organized all she does is fill out the form and sign it! I always did my own taxes before we were married, but he's never done his, so he's afraid I'd screw up, I think! I'm not that excited about taxes, so I just let him go! (pick your battles, right -- he didn't believe I could sew until he saw me do it, either! That one was worth proving! I have trophies for sewing from high school, how dare he think I couldn't?!)

Hope everyone stays warm. Yesterday the weather guys were showing clear all week, today they are showing 90% chance of snow and freezing stuff tomorrow. Wasn't it Will Rogers who said of Oklahoma weather "If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes."! It's the truth sometimes! Be careful and be safe!

Oh, I haven't seen Jillian on here in awhile, or Alison. Anyone know how they are doing?

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), February 04, 2002.

I had to go to physical therapy today, have to drive over 30 miles for that so while I was in town, I went to Wally World and Krogers. I got some more of those 10 cent a pack seeds at Wally's. I got extra beets, lettuce and spinach as I like to grow those too in the fall and can never find the seed then so decided to get extra while I could. I got a little of everything for under $5. I even spent less in Krogers than usual. Found a Krogers that has several types of organic veggies - got potatoes, onions, lettuce, carrots and apples, all organic. Be glad when I can get the organic produce from my garden. That always saves a bundle.

-- Barb in Ky. (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), February 04, 2002.

Hello everyone, My husband was off work today so we went into town and ran a few errands. We also went to the quality farm and fleet store that is closing and everything is 40 to 60% off now.

He got some work boots and a chain saw blade at very good prices. I hate to see quality farm and fleet go I really liked them. I am so happy that I went to good will today. I got a juicer and strainer for 3.50 and it was in very good condition. It still had the price tag on it from big blue store for 39.95. I also got a new jar lifter and a corn cutter and a jar funnel. I am ready for canning. ha ha

I love thrift stores and yard sales. I would like that pancake mix recepie Melissa. I really enjoy coming here and reading about everyone. You all seem so nice and friendly. Thank you again for the great forum. Have a great week and God Bless.

-- sweet_mae (sweet_mae86@hotmail.com), February 04, 2002.

I will post it tomorrow.

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), February 04, 2002.

Well, I'm coming down from a good high. Last night the poetry and prose reading happened, that I and two others have been working on for the last two months. Forty people showed up to hear the 10 readers, this in a town of 680 and in a sparsely populated region where some of the people really had to drive to get here. That's a pretty good crowd for an arts event around here. It was so nice, held in the theater in town and just a real good evening, with a mixture of poetry, creative nonfiction, and fiction. Everything came together. I read fiction (the intro to my fantasy novel). We're going to do the next reading in May. I know that writing is not everyone's cup of tea, but I love being involved in it.

We have to take stock of our seeds soon. The earliest I usually start stuff around here is March. It's been a mild winter but we actually fall in Zone 2, making gardening a challenge. The hens are really laying now! They are young and we're getting 5-7 eggs per day.

Have a good week.

-- Cat (catcrazy@somewhere.com), February 05, 2002.