Well the weekend is winding down, and it has been a long one! I am trying to remember when I last talked with all of you, and I think it was Thursday. Well I went grocery shopping thursday, since Cale is off on Friday I switched shopping days, and thursday is so much better. NO crowds, faster check-outs, not as many cars, just overall great conditions. Got home and unloaded everything, then had a tax customer. Friday we worked on the laundry countertop, and it turned out nicely. Friday evening watched the Olympic opening ceremony, but kept falling asleep!!! I am getting old, can't even stay up until 11 pm.

Saturday was a beautiful day. We got up early, cleaned up the house and the girls and I went and decorated a bulletin board with some friends at the library. We called it "What do you love" and they made collages with pictures cut from magazines of things they loved. Kadia's was covered with FOOD. She is a skinny little things and is always hungry! too funny!

Came home and Cale went horseback rding, little kids hleped with barn cleaning and Kadia made chocolate chip cookies. Later they played B-ball and I read a little. Was able to hang laundry out too!

When Cale came in, we built a fire and had a weiner roast, hot dogs (low-fat) on wheat buns, home-made potato salad, lemonade and choc chip cookies. Brady said the me last Wednesday when I was making out my shopping list, "Mommy I know we are trying to eat healthier, but don't you ever just want a hot-dog?? On a nice white bun?? I haven't had one for so long, sometimes you know you just need a little bit of fat"!!!!! Oh I laughed so hard, and when I went shopping, I bought low-fat hot-dogs and whole wheat buns, but he was happy with that.

Then Cale's sister and husband stopped by and stayed until late. Sunday we had more company, cousins, friends and kids!!

I want to tell you some Bible study methods I have come up with the kids, but will start a new thread for that. So tonight I am just messing around here, and the kids are getting ready for school. Today it was rainy, dreary and getting cooler again, but I do love to sleep in the rain!!!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), February 10, 2002

Answers

Forgot to tell you that Brady got on the pony for the first time since his broken arm. First he rode with Megan, then he rode by himself. He was a little nervous at first, but looked pretty happy by the time he made a few rounds in the field. Kadia has started riding Rocket. He was a 5 year old stud, who had never been ridden until Cale trained him this summer. Made me a little nervous but she did OK!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), February 11, 2002.

Let us know what is going on in your neck of the woods!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), February 11, 2002.

Saturday we tapped about 2/3 of our maple trees and yesterday afternoon we collected over 1000 gallons of sap, in the rain and cold. Today, we cook for the first time and collect the rest of the sap. It'll be too cold today for the sap to run, we're thinking. The last two days were great because most of our help was family, including young grand daughters, so there was a lot of fun included in the work. Now everyone's back to work so most of our help during the week is hired; expensive and not nearly as much fun.

Sun is shining now. Gotta finish those tax papers to take to the accountant. And there's a huge pile of laundry, a promised article to finish writing and mending. I'll have to watch the evaporator while the guys gather sap.

Y'all have a good week and the Lord be with you all.

-- Rosalie (Dee) in IN (deatline@globalsite.net), February 11, 2002.

Sounds like fun Rosalie, a friend of ours gives us a gallon of maple syrup each spring and it is awesome. Such a difference from pancake syrup. I like to can it with walnuts, raspberries, or strawberries to make flavored syrups. I want to try it with pecans this year too. I'm sure you have lots of great ways to use it too.

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), February 11, 2002.

Nick wasn't feeling well on Saturday, so I ended up carrying him through Home Depot (Lance got a new ladder that's NOT broken! 8 ft. tall, too, and holds up to 375#! Ought to last forever), and yesterday my back hurt so bad I didn't think I would make it through church! Next time I get a cart!

With the backache, not much was accomplished around here yesterday, so today I get to play catch-up (my back still aches a little, but nothing compared to that "I can't breathe without gasping in pain" feeling I had yesterday), and our friend Tom will probably be here later with his stuff, so I need to be sure there's room for it!

I also have an appointment with the accountant at 1:30 to take our taxes in. Lance is just convinced of the worst, we are going to owe more than we have stashed back, but I'm trying to ignore that attitude. It's really made him crabby the last day or two, I'll be glad when it's over!

Not much else going on, Mitchell has a confirmed play date for Wednesday with the neighbor's son that's in his class, and I'm calling to get an appointment for haircuts, probably for all three of us. With any luck, we can get in today or tomorrow and get it over with!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), February 11, 2002.

The weather here has been foul recently. Force 8 gales, and rain. Our soak away field has flooded so we have to be really careful with our water consumption.

On Wednesday the first of the lambs were born. One ewe was fine, with a hugh lamb. The other had a twin birth, but one was dead. We had another birth this morning. All are bonding and feeding well.

We visited our neighbour this weekend to watch the milking. The children love this sort of thing.

Oldest son (5 1/2) was sent home from school today. He wasn't feeling too good, and just before bed he threw up. Yuk!!

I am still trying to decide which chicken to get for our chicken tractor (meat). I have so many other things to do it gets pushed to the back of he queue. We are still working out the logistics of rabbits. I know we are going to do it, but as we have a big build coming up we may wait until that is over.

It's getting late now so I'm signing off.

Best wishes

Alison

-- Alison Homa (alisonhoma@hotmail.com), February 11, 2002.