Thank you Rachel, for the birthday card and gifts. Thanks for remembering me.

Lois, please tell Kenny thank you and give him a big hug for taking the time to save the packing supplies for me. I do appreciate the effort.

Thank you all for all the neat presents, you are too sweet!

I had a great day and can't wait for the next get together.

The roast beef was done to a turn, the mashed potatoes were hot and good, the rolls soft and buttery. The tea was cold but the cider was hard, oops. Don't worry, nobody got drunk.

Even Kenny liked my green beans, like I said Rachel, thanks for the tip. Sarah must have liked Mom's oven roasted veggies, she sure had a plate full. I did try a couple of the potatoes out of it but the other stuff scared me. The one big tragedy was that I forgot to get the cole slaw out of the fridge until the meal was over. Oh man, I hate it when that happens! The fruit salad just hit the spot for dessert and Mom's ewy gooy dessert went so well with the ice cream.

Did I forget anything(besides the cole slaw)? It was all good any way!

The weather was beautiful so the kids got to play outside so it was a good day.

Oh, and we should have some more puppies in about 63 days! Can't wait!

Sharon you have to read Rachels Ruth said you probably wouldn't think to read hers because something or another, so I'm just telling you.

Thank you Sharon for the cute card. I love it!

So Guys, are we going to do this dinner this weekend or not? Will it be Saturday or Sunday and who is bringing what? Haven't heard from Rachel yet and Sharon said she couldn't come Sunday but can you come Saturday if we do it Saturday? I need something definite. Do we need to pick another weekend? Everybody jump in here and let me know, Okay?

Lois mentioned the sunshine making the dust show up. I know what you mean. I love my large windows in my kitchen most of the time. But early mornings when the sun shines so beautifully through it sure does show up the dust. Even if I just swept the floor the night before or dusted the counters it still shows. That is when I wish there were curtains on the windows.

How can I type with that face nudging me from under the keyboard?

I got the cleaning bug again. I decided (finally)to clean out Sarah Beth's old room. It took me 2 days just to find the floor! I boxed all the stuff up that she left in the old room and put it in the upstairs junk room. I am going to use that room for my walk in closet. Before I can do much walking around in there Terry will have to go down in the cellar and prop up the floor some how. The last tornado warning we had, we were down there and I noticed two floor joists to her room were broken in two. You can walk around in there but the floor is real spongy. It's got me scared anyway. I am just about ready for dinner over here. Can everybody come next Sunday? I just need to finish up in the laundry room and I am ready. If I don't have a deadline like next Sunday, it may not get done real soon. I am willing to shoot for Sunday, the 29th. If everybody can't come, maybe they'll make it to the next one at the next house.

Well, we done went and did it! We done bought ourselves one of those new fangled cellular phone thingys. I guess we have joined the high class now so's I guess we can't do no hanging out with you'uns any more. We done moved up in the world.

It was purchased to go with Terry to the woods so it will be with him most of the time for now. I would give you my phone number but that might not be a good idea to put it here.

Jolly Good, Lois

Here is what you saved the poor bear from,

LOIS,

WRITE OR THE BEAR GETS IT!

Sometimes I don't like being the 'Mom'. What happened to the days when someone yelled, "Supper" and I sat down and and ate a beautiful meal then went to my room for the rest of the evening? I miss those days. Sometimes I don't like to be the one responsible for all the meals. Deciding what to have and spending the time to fix it. Sometimes I don't like to walk in the kitchen after supper and see the table strewn with dirty dishes and bowls of food and know that it is my job to see to it that it is cleaned up. Sometimes I just don't like being the Mom!

Now that I got that off my chest, I feel better. (It is my 'time of the month', can you tell?)

I mentioned this to Terry and he had something to say about that. It went something like this, "Sometimes I don't like being the Dad, either, having to go to work every day, deciding what job is the most important, being the one responsible for all our lives and well being." So I guess we can just cry in our root beer together. (Maybe it's his time of the month too?)

I'll be glad when these next few days are over and my hormones are back to normal, then I can go back to being my totally satisfied and happy type person that I really am!

Started cleaning out my laundry room today. I drug everything out of the room and stacked it in the kitchen then went back in and sorted the the tool cabinet. I was able to remove a big box of stuff which left some beautiful empty shelves. I cleaned out the old trunk, it was full of magazines and catalogs. I threw most of them away but saved the Country, and Gardening magazines. That left room to store the boots and some old business paperwork. Then I cleaned out the craft cabinet and sorted the craft supplies, threw out the dried up paint and broken paint brushes. I didn't get finished, maybe I can finish tomorrow. There is still a lot of stuff out in the kitchen I have to sort and and move. It's a start though. I have been putting this off for so long. The main reason I volunteered to do dinner was so I would have to get in there and get that job done. Well it worked,at least I am started now.

Jessica is here for the weekend again. They stayed up late last night so they slept late this morning. I didn't see them all day except when they got hungry. Then it was eat, and right back up to her room until bedtime again. Keeps them out of my hair but I cant imagine what there is to do in her bedroom ALL day long.

Music

The tide recedes, but leaves behind
sea shells in the sand.

The sun goes down but gentle warmth
still lingers on the land.

The music stops and yet it echoes
on, in sweet refrains;

For every joy that passes,
something beautiful remains.

M.B. Hughes

Can having a cold settle in your eye (whatever that means)cause your eye to go blurry? I have had a sore throat (gone now) and a cold for the last week and I noticed that my left eye is not as sharp as my right eye, like this; I don't know if I need to go get my glasses changed or just wait until I am over this cold and see if it goes back to normal.has anybody ever experienced this before. I just got these glasses last summer, I wouldn't think my eyes have changed that much.

Grandma will be fine, thanks for your prayers. We went to New Albany tonight to see her. They put one stint in today and will put another in Monday. She is awake and looks great. I had to drive of course, Terry is a pile of jello if he has to drive in any traffic. We ate supper at McDonalds and made it home by 8. I love it because I didn't have to cook supper!

Yes Lois,the flowers are for you. I was thinking of you when I saw them.

Okay guys, lets come up with a date. Do we need to find out what Sunday Rachel will be available? Any Sunday will do for me. Just give me time to clean up my laundry room, thats all I ask.

We got a call this morning that Terry's Mother went into the hospital, she might have a blockage and they thought she was having a heart attack. She has already gone through bypass surgery about 6-8 years ago so we are just waiting to hear about the tests. Say a prayer for her.

Okay, how does this sound?

roast beef (me)

mashed taters

gravy(me)

green beans (me)

cole slaw (me)

rolls

drink

dessert

This is one of our favorite meals. If some one could bring the taters, rolls, drinks and dessert we will be good to go. Haven't settled on a a date yet.

A Christmas Present being put to good use.

January? Today was such a beautiful day! it was 67°and really windy. Sarah Beth and I had to get out in it so we took the dogs (all 7 of them)for a 2 mile walk, out our drive way and back. I don't know who had a more fun time, us or the dogs. The little puppy we are keeping for Libby we named Nemo and he went along to. I thought we would have to carry him most of the way but he was a little trooper and kept right up. He almost managed to get lost a couple of times while we wern`t looking. He would follow the big dogs into the woods and they would run off and leave him. It would be very easy to loose him like that. This was his first time outside at 10 weeks old and I thought he would be frightened but he wasn't. I never imagined I would have 7 dogs! I didn't start out to do that but it just seemed to creep up on me. I know Terry never imagined to have 7 dogs! He said at one time that I could NEVER have a house dog. What happened? When he sees the $800.00 to $1000.00 trickle in about 4 times a year, I guess that changed his mind. It always seems to come at a time we need it the most too. Go figure! Isn't God good?

If this is too small to read just click on the
picture and it will open up bigger in a new
window.

I finally took the Christmas tree down today. I bought another Rubbermaid tub yesterday so I could pack up all the decorations in the living room. I rearranged the furniture and put the couch under the window and the two chairs across from it. I seems the room is so much bigger now. I sure need some window treatment on my bay window but I wouldn't know where to start. I had cafe curtains up at the kitchen windows but I took them down to wash them and liked all the light it let in without them so I don't have any kitchen curtains up either. I sure am glad I live so far out here in the country, that wouldn't do in the city.

Yvonne mentioned going to see Narnia, we did too last Friday. I highly recommend it also. It was great! I don't think I read the book either but I watched a children's cartoon video when Sarah Beth was real young. This was much better.


I had to take another dog to the vet yesterday. Sophia was shaking her head and holding it to the side and looking very uncomfortable. The vet said it wasn't ear mites but it was an infection. I have been doctoring 2 more dogs for ear mites so maybe I am way off base here. He said it could be infectious so he gave me enough medicine to treat the others too. Well, he didn't give it to me...... I left there over $80.00 poorer. I guess if you have dogs you have to expect that.

Sarah Beth spent the night at Jessica's last night. It was pretty quiet around here. Terry was checking out eBay most of the evening and I even got to read in my book a little bit. Sarah Beth got the whole Narnia collection with her allowance a while back so since we saw the movie I decided to read some more in the book I think it is a collection of 5 books. The one I am on I the 3 book, just after The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. It doesn't seem as interesting as the first and second one. Maybe the 4th will be better.

Did you hear? Santa has been here!

This is my favorite photo of the day! Good job Sarah.

Even though Santa was a week late, we had a good time and some good food, with some good people that I am proud to call family! This time it seemed to be all about the babies, all the pictures were of the newest family members.

I'm proud to call you my sister, Rachel and so glad 4 or your 5 great kids could make it.

I can't imagine that sister I played with in the loft of Mrs. Neal's barn is a Grandmother now! Isn't he adorable?

A Grandmother twice? Naaaa..... you gotta be kidding!

No wait! That is 3 grandbabies! Girl, you are making me feel old!

Great Grandpa and Isaiah

Sarah did a good job on the photos!