Well it has been several days since I caught up with all of you. Friday the kids did not have school, so we went to town and also went to our community center and did some decorating and worked on a new bulletin board. Saturday was spent here at home, we did some cleaning inside and outside. Cale built some partitions in the silver ware drawer. I had one of those little plastic silverware holders,a nd everything was always fallong out. So he used slate and made dividers the length of the drawer. Saturday evening we went and worked at our community center while they had a bluegrass/gospel band. I collected money (seem I always get this job!) The girls kept things clean and sold some tickets for raffle items. We all helped clean up at the end. It was a nice evening. Then to round out a busy weekend we went to the disney on Ice at the civic center. It was cute, but the prices they wanted for the souvenirs, was unbelievable!!! My kids already knew they weren't getting anything, but just looking at what prices they wanted was amusing. $7 for a bag of cotton candy, $10 for a slushy in a Mickey Mouse cup, $6 for a small box of popcorn. Lots of plastic junk toys...Makes me MAD, that they even sell this junk!!! Well they didn't get any of our money for it...

Sunday evening we had friends over. It was kind of funny, because I had washed a load of laundry, (I usually don't on sunday, but the kids wanted some cetain jeans) and I hung it all up by the wood-burner to dry. Then they called and said they were coming, but I didn;t want to drag it all down, so I just left it, and told them we ewre just Hillbillies! We had fixed some snacks and were sitting in the dining room, with jeans and shirts and socks hanging around... But that is how you save money, and they are close enough friends that they just laughed!

Yesterday was major cleaning Monday, and it has been COLD here. We got a few inches of snow Sunday evening, and the wind is biting. I am so glad the rest of the winter has not been like this!

I have a chicken that is not doing well. She is about 5 years old, and acts like one of her legs is bothering her, and she is weak. I put her in a seperate little pen under the barn, with plenty of hay and feed and warm water. I hope she recovers. She is a nice chicken, she will always let you pick here up and hold her. She is black and her name is Ramona. I wish I knew if I could give her anything for pain. I will go check on her again pretty soon.

Well I had better get busy, lots to do today as well.

Have a good day everyone and let us know what you are up to.

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), March 05, 2002

Answers

Well my husband is finally feeling well enough that we are going to keep our scheduled trip to Kentucky to visit our daughter and her husband. We are very excited to be able to do this. They are sweet enough to pay our flight out there and we will be there over our daughter's 26th birthday! So I am very busy getting all those things done that need to get done before leaving. Thank goodness we have wonderful neighbors who do our chores for us anytime. They hardly ever go anywhere so they are usually around. I pay whichever kid does the chores. Usually one of them is planning to take a summer missionary trip so I add to their expense fund that way. They like that. Have a good week while I'm gone. Update on our missionary friend who got run over by the trash truck! He is out of ICU and in a private room now. The biggest concern at this time is the risk of infection and the pain. Keep praying for Gary.

-- Nancy (nannyb@huntel.net), March 05, 2002.

I have got to clean house today, hasn"t been touched in a week. I have been finishing up a oil painting, Buna Texas is haveing there Red Bud festival this week end, and I will be entering in the art show. Hope to pick up a ribbon or two.This last cold snap, got to 9 degrees, and just killed everything. We are not able to stand that kind of cold down here. Our plants are all use to warm weather.Tom will have to replant the garden. Getting kinda hard on us old folks. I think I will have a simple supper tonight.

-- Irene texas (tkorsborn@cs.com), March 05, 2002.

Well, I am definitely NOT a morning person, but I was awake at 4:30 this morning with a stomachache. One of those that's not bad enough to make you sick, just bad enough to keep you from sleeping. So, I am dragging somewhat this morning, but at least my tummy is better!

The chickens were up cackling this morning about 8:30, Lance said they wanted out - I told him one of them must have laid us a BIG egg this morning, and I would let them out after lunch!

I have a finch feeder hanging right outside my kitchen window - they are such adorable tiny little birds, I thought I would get to see more of them that way. Yesterday what I saw was a SQUIRREL handing upside down on the feeder (still not sure how he got there without busting something), trying to get the seed out! I banged on the window and he jumped like a banshee was after him and ran! Five minutes later, I looked out the window and there he was AGAIN! I jumped up and yelled and pounded on the window and he went flying off that feeder so fast it was spinning! He didn't bother to stop at the first tree like he had before, he just ran off into the woods. Guess he decided those seeds weren't THAT tasty after all!

My sister called me about 7:45 this morning to tell me that our cousin's husband had a stroke Sunday night. He is about 75 or so, can't remember exactly. His age was somewhat an issue when they married because she is only 39, and the naysayers thought he was too old, something like this would happen and she would just be alone again. So what? Better to be happy for a few years than not at all, right! The talk from the doctors is that they may be moving him to rehabilitation soon, and we are hoping Mary (my cousin) will come and stay with my sister while he's there. There's no sense in her being alone, it only leaves you more time to worry, and we know she will want to be close to where he is staying. Please keep them in your prayers, his name is Ralph and he is a wonderful person. Mary is also a twin, her sister's name is Sherry, and I believe that Sherry is as upset at this as Mary, so remember her also.

Better go, it's time to run off and pick up a kid from school. I'm looking forward to the stumper answer today, I've been braving and putting my guesses out there to be scrutinized too instead of just keeping them to myself!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), March 05, 2002.

This morning I took the kids to school, and was there about an hour helping with first grade reading. Then I drove to the Chiropractors- My back injury is fine now, but I'm still having problems with my neck. Then I went to Dollar Tree-for about $20 I got enough stuff for 2 birthday parties. I picked up a few groceries and as I was putting them in the car I saw my sons lunchbox! I passed his school on the was home and ran it in-just as his class was going in the cafeteria for lunch!

-- Kelly (KY) (homearts2002@yahoo.com), March 05, 2002.