[Jean]

Good Afternoon, Flowers! The sun is shining but it is windy and cold! The rain is suppose to arrive tonight and linger through the weekend. I'm glad this week is over with and hopefully next week I will have my wits in order! I guess I will blame my discontent (?) on the time change.

"Gma" - I called Beth as soon as I got home from school. I could hear Maddy in the background and she is feeling much better today. I know you will enjoy watching T play soccer. I think it is great when the little kids play because the pressure isn't on them like it is in the high school. Some of those HS parents should be banned for the entire season!

Gloria -- How nice to see you again! It upset my dad when his Air Force friends no longer could come to their reunions and finally the reunions stopped. One by one they passed away. Beth's baby is due the end of April and Amanda's is due the end of May. Amanda's will be a C-section and she is actually due in June but is hoping to have it and be back home by Memorial Day weekend. She went into labor in the middle of the night with Ian and she doesn't want that to happen again. Thanks for asking . . . you have a good memory!

I guess I will put in a load of laundry to get a head start on the weekend chores. Have a nice evening and a nice weekend!

Jean -- in Iowa!

[Maggie]

GOOD MORNING MAGNOLIAS

It is a beautifuly day this Saturday. It rained all yesterday and today the sun is sparkling. We had a quick safe trip to the doctor for our yearly blood draw. Don't expect anyting different going on. The Doc says "everything looks fine except .... we all know what that except is. LOOOOOSE WEIGHT He would be irresponsible if he didn't say to shed some pounds now wouldn't he. Ragg Mopp sure is a good traveler but I think he missed his cat. Not much planned for this day ~ play it as it comes. Cowboy is building a saddle for a friend so I don't think we will be going into the Yosemite this day. We will go for a ride around the country side when he takes a break though. I will be glad when it gets to be top down weather. I got Ragg Mopp a pair of goggles to wear ~ if I can only get him to be still to put them on.

Have a lovely weekend my friends.

[Jean]

Good Afternoon, Flowers!
I just finished vacuuming the fur hunks and will be ironing shortly. The washer and dryer have been running pretty steady while the dishwasher has done it's thing. We are taking DH's secretary out for supper tonight. The other agent and the adjuster, plus wives, are also going along. She has helped with a major company project which has taken just about a year to complete. DH couldn't have done it without her. She is 60 years old and just passed two of the insurance licensing exams. She's been with the company so long she knows as much as the agents do but couldn't answer any client questions nor give any quotes/advice because she wasn't licensed.

Maggie -- Glad to see you are back home safe and sound! It is so windy here today; you would need to hang on tight to Ragg Mopp for sure! The weather thing says it is blowing 35mph with a wind chill of 78! My doctor always gives me the "lose weight" lecture too. He'd really have a fit if I went in now because I know I am up -- I can feel it in my clothes. No one to blame but me, myself, and I.

I need to figure out what I am wearing tonight -- I don't know where some of my spring/summer clothes are and they probably wouldn't feel comfortable if I did find them! I have got to get a grip!

Have a nice evening and a relaxing Sunday! I play bells and then I think we are going to make a fast trip to see Ian and Maddy (parents too!). The weekends fly by much to quickly!

Jean -- in Iowa!

[gma22]

morning ladies!

Yesterday was a busy day. The soccer practice was so cute but the soccer field was a mud pit and I ruined a pair of shoes along with my legs, knees, etc hurting because we didn't have chairs and there was no where to sit. My dd never offered a seat to either of her parents, just sneered that I was stupid not to bring something to sit in and the clothes I wore to his practice. My dd acted like an *** as usual and ignored us to talk to her in-laws. She got mad at her dad about something regarding Thomas, when he told her to get mad at him instead of T because it was his fault, she started screaming at him in front of strangers. The only reason we didn't just up and walk off and leave was T who wanted us to watch him. The fact is, we are always going to be an embarrassment to her for some reason and always be dragging behind. I know Jack would have got into it with her if we hadn't been in public, but he held his tongue because of that and T standing right there.

Jean: I guess I have been missing something. I didn't know both girls were pregnant! Congratulations. You have them just rolling out and I can't get past one! Hope you bell ringing does well today.

Maggie: Fortune likes to wear a sweater, but nothing else. I bought him a cute little raincoat and he wouldn't wear it or the hat.

I have to face the dreaded commissary today so need to get breakfast and chores done before I go.

Faye

[Maggie]

GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

Supposed to get to 70 today and 75 tomorrow. Nice soft breeze blowing and my climbing flowers are really blooming nicely on the arbor. I do love this time of year.

JEAN My doctor needs to lose weight also so I told him when I see him again I want to see him thinner. We shook on it. So now I do have to get with it and lose some for I surely don't want Carl to show me up.

FAYE All I can say is that your daughter needs to get a grip. She is out of control and needs counseling badly and maybe even some type of meds to get her leveled out. Good thing that your husband didn't fire back at her at that time because it wouldn't have helped anything at all ~ just given her more of an opportunity to show herself up as being out of control. Thing is there isn't much you can do for her because she is no longer under your supervision. I feel so sorry for YOU.

[Jean]

Good Afternoon, Flowers!
The sun was out this morning but as the day wore on the clouds rolled in. We drove home, from seeing the grandkids, through a few sprinkles . . . just enough to smear the bugs on the windshield!

Bell choir went well this morning for our finale of the season. We rang them, swung them, and "clunked" them as well as having a clarinet play along with us. We were to play before the contemporary service started and were standing up in front waiting for people to sit down and be quiet. We finally started playing to give them the hint that it was past the start time! People can be so rude.

"Gma" -- What is with your daughter anyway? It seems like she goes in cycles where she is getting along well and everything seems to be fine and then *BAM* she turns into the exact opposite. I feel sorry for T and for you and Jack. What is her DH like? I probably wouldn't have thought to take a chair along either; I'd assume there would be bleachers or you could sit in the cars and watch. Several of our fields have the parking lot close enough that if you are early, you can park in the front row and watch the game from your car. I can only sit so long on bleachers any more and then I have to walk around. Beth just had a doctor's appt. and his parting comment was, "see you next week unless I see you at the hospital first!" She isn't due until the 28th but is huge -- she is only 5'2" so the only place for the baby is out in front. She went so fast the last time they grabbed a doctor who was making his rounds to deliver Maddy. Will's parents live in the same city so if worse comes to worse they will meet at the hospital and take Maddy home with them. Amanda is due the first week in June but is hoping to have a C-section on May 25th so she can be home by Memorial Day. They are watching the size of her baby because of diabetes.

Maggie -- My doctor is a "skinny minnie" and is a runner. When we first moved to town he had a full beard and ear length curly hair. I forget the name but he has whatever it is when you lose your hair and is now completelly bald. That happened 20 some years ago and some of his patients were so STUPID that they quit going to him because they thought they would catch "it!" Beth has a snapshot of Maddy and me that I saw today -- I can tell I have gained over the winter months! I have got to get back on the losing track or else!

I need to finish a load of laundry and do some ironing for the week so I had better get going in that direction.

Have a marvelous Monday!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[gma22]

morning gals!

Maggie: Good for you! It is time we stand up to our docs when they tell us something they themselves need to do. I applaud the doctor for taking it well too and seeing it! We have been having great weather, but the pollen is awful and I am not getting over my allergies because of it. I showed Jack our patio table, which has a glass top. The whole thing is covered in yellow from pollen. My eyes this morning are totally puffy! I am sure glad it is spring because it won't be but about 7 weeks and the pool will be open again! Can't wait for that.

Jean: Thanks for letting me not feel like a real fool regarding the chairs at the soccer practice. We were going to take a blanket, but what good would that have done in the mud? I am like you, I get a real backache sitting on bleachers for very long. I bet you are excited about the babies, but since you have one of each, you can enjoy the time without the suspense of whether it will be a boy or girl!

You know, little by little I am learning to deal with the little brat of a dd. I need to realize she is never going to be a truly nice person, I can't MAKE her that way and I didn't MAKE her that way so I shouldn't be embarrassed. I think she is bi-polar truly, but even when she is in a good mood, she is still snotty etc about people or to you just not as bad. I talked with our ds yesterday and he said he needed to call her yesterday and he was dreading it. My ds and dil are coming down here the end of the month for Memphis in May. We have a big Beale street music festival the first weekend in May and they like to come to it. Jean, you asked me about her dh. He is this big WUSS! He never raises his voice, takes everything she gives him, and makes fun of her. He is a lousy husband in my opinion, though let's face it, she is no prize as a wife, but she picked him I didn't. My only concern is her ruining her poor little boy with how she acts and what he sees. He craves attention from her and gets it by doing things to her she doesn't like, like poking her or touching her, which she hates. She yells at him, then he cries, then she hugs him and explains to him....Instead of loving him to begin with so he won't bother to irritate her. We have no problems with him at all when he is here. Oh well, enough of her. She raises my blood pressure just thinking about her!

Today is cleaning day again so guess I need to get started. I am going to cheat and finish my book first as I am almost done. It is a Danielle Steel book called Echoes and it is about a Jewish girl who marries a French Catholic and is then considered dead by her family and they end up at Dachau and never speak to her again. It is a good story, but being part Jewish, I always have trouble with books that deal in any way with that Holocaust.

Everyone have a good day!

Faye

[Jean]

Good Afternoon, Flowers! Another Monday done and it was kind of a strange day at that. The weather is "iffy" so I can blame it on that. We had lots of subs today and I'm not sure why. Supposedly they let some in-school suspension kids go home because they needed that aide to sub. Of course that didn't sit very well with some of the kids who put in all of their required time. I just said that if it were indeed true, the students would probably have to complete their time tomorrow.

"Gma" -- Maybe you should keep lawn chairs and a blanket in your car so that you are prepared if there are no seats provided at the soccer games. Will T always play at the same place? When Beth had her ultrasound, the tech was "pretty sure" it is a boy. I told her I wasn't buying anything blue until the baby is here. Amanda's baby is breech and backwards so they can't tell. Amanda, her brother and sister were also all breech but turned at the last minute. Ian never turned and that's why she had the C-section with him. It looks like this baby is doing the same thing. I think if they have a girl they will quit. She has her sister trying to compete with her so we will see. Will has said that if they have a boy this is it for them. Again, we'll see. Sometime when you catch your daughter in a good mood, would she be agreeable to some family counseling? Just a thought but I wouldn't think she would be a very happy person herself.

I need to get busy and find my IRS envelope . . . the 15th will soon be here! Have a nice evening!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[nanacas]

Another Monday has come and gone! I can't believe how fast the time goes. Today the fellow that did our snowplowing came by to repair some sod that he took out when plowing. I don't know if I told you that one night he slid dow into the neighbor's yard and it looked like he took out the forsythia (sp) bush. Today he looked at it and was prepared with a new one but the bush only had some broken branches and was in good health. The neighbors decided to keep the old and we got the new one. He said it would be more expensive to bring it back than just plant it. We now have a lovely new bush for the back yard.

On Friday we get Moshup, the Chocolate Lab, as DD#2 and family is heading to DC for 5 days. Maybe just in time for the Cherry Blossoms.

Faye: Sorry to hear of the problems with DD. Most every family has conflicts of one sort or the other. Hope she will calm down for T's sake.

Maggie: So nice to see you again. Your weather sounds delightful. Hope to get a touch of it next weekend.

Jean: Hang in there! School will be out soon! All 4 of my kids were C-sections. At that time if you had one that way they never let you try any other way.

Gloria in MA.....think I will get some reading done....Good Night!

[Jean]

Hi Gloria! It's nice to see you tonight! Enjoy your new bush! I don't think I would be a very good "snowblower!" I mowed the yard once, 36 years ago, and DH didn't like the way I did it so I haven't done it since!

The current trend is that if you have one C-section, they won't let you try a natural delivery. Evidently there is too much danger of the uterus tearing where the first incision was. I was a C-section baby and my mom always said that's why I was the only one. I never thought to ask if it was her idea or the doctor's.

There are 32 days of classes left and 3 days of finals! The summer is already filling up with obligations of weddings, DH's Canada trip, our MN "vacation" -- it will be gone before I know it!

Have a terrific Tuesday!

J. -- from Iowa!

[gma22]

Morning girls! Hope everyone is having a good day today.

Jean: Do you have school until the end of May or into June? I guess it depends on when you start? Used to be all schools started the day after Labor Day, but that is not much of the case anymore I guess. Schools here have more time off than I have ever seen. Seems like these kids are always out of school (not necessarily the teachers though. )

Gloria: Have fun with the "granddog." Is he pretty big? We have friends who have a huge choc lab but thinks he is a poodle I think. Beau is this huge sweet puppy dog and I love him to death. Becky and Kevin get a kick out of the fact that the dog adores me. We stay with them when we visit sometimes and he follows me everywhere, sits at my feet when I am in the living room, etc. She said he never does that with anyone else except Kevin. I am not into big dogs (mine weighs less than 10 lbs) but this one is a keeper. He has a club foot he drags when he walks and it makes him even more endearing.

As for the counseling, my son mentioned it to her once and she exploded saying that everything that was wrong with this family were her parents and not her. Of course, he got mad and told her off and there you go round and round. I can only distance myself from her and keep myself from being continually hurt. I figure with the way things are now, we are back to square one where I won't get to see Thomas except at his soccer games. She is working days, they don't come here for dinner on Thur now, her fil is caring for Thomas full-time as will her mil when school ends for the year so I don't sit for him at all anymore. I told Jack last night I need to deal with the fact that I am not going to get to see him much and start getting over it. there is nothing we can do about it. End of story.

It is sunny today, but we are probably going to get rain again tomorrow so guess soccer practice on Thur is out. I am not mucking through it and twist my bad knee up. Oh and Jean, the chairs we bought we HAVE left in the car now so we always have them.

It is clean the upstairs day and I have been up a couple hours reading after having a bad night so I need to get hopping I guess. Everyone enjoy your day

Faye

[Jean]

Good Evening, Flowers!
It is a cold and rainy night in my corner of the world. We didn't have any heat at school today and I finally put my jacket on this afternoon because I just couldn't get warm. You'd think they'd have the heat on just to take the chill off; my home furnace is still running off and on.

"Gma" -- Our last day of school is May 25th and teacher work day is the 26th. We didn't have to make up any snow days this year which is good. Two years ago the high school pushed to finish the first semester before Christmas vacation which made the first semester about 10 days shorter than the second semester. Some of the teachers who only have semester classes aren't very happy with that so I'm not sure if we will continue it next year or not. There was some talk of starting the middle of August which is way too hot in Iowa. Our middle school is air conditioned and we will be building a new elementary school in the next couple years so that will leave just the high school w/o air. Little by little they are putting in separate units in classrooms but it will be a long time before they get them all done. I feel so badly about your situation with your daughter! I can't imagine what it must be like not to see your grandson on a regular basis. I hope she will come to her senses and realize she is hurting T as well as you and Jack.

Since I am late getting here tonight I think I will call it a night and head in the direction of my bed. For some reason I am tired! I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday tomorrow!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[gma22]

Morning girls! Looks like rain again this morning, though the temps are pretty good so I can't complain. Looks like my tree is finally getting leaves, which means spring is finally here!

I almost had a breakdown this morning. I let my little yorkie out onto the deck to go to the bathroom (around 5 AM) and I posted on my other thread. I went to let him in and he was GONE! I had unlocked my gate last night because I am expecting a UPS package today and the brats next door had to have come onto the deck and left the gate OPEN! I was totally nude so I screamed at Jack and put on a raincoat and a pair of old sneakers and went outside to look for him. He was NO WHERE to be seen. Jack came running out with just a t-shirt and his workpants and started to comb the neighborhood. It was early but I didn't care, I started screaming his name and all of a sudden from the opposite way of where Jack was looking he said, here he comes and here comes the little stinker running to us for all he was worth right into Jack's arms. I gotta tell you, I almost had a heart attack. I came inside shaking and crying and a total mess. I am so mad about these kids I could just spit. Like Jack says, we have no proof it was them though, so we can't go accusing. No one else was here yesterday and we hadn't gone out the gate so I am sure it was them. When I went to bed, they were bouncing the basketball on their patio. My biggest worry about Fortune is getting hit by a car. We live right next to a very busy street. I guess I am just going to have to go out with him onto the patio when I have the gate unlocked. We should probably go ahead and do what I thought we should the last time this happened, which is install a wireless door bell on the gate with the transmitter in the house and keep the gate locked at all times. I suppose to most people getting this upset is stupid, but that dog is like my child almost as is my cat. I almost threw up when I read yesterday that Wisconsin is considering a cat shooting law for any cat without a collar that is loose. I feel so sorry for pet owners whose cat may get loose without a collar and end up some hunters sport. That is so sick. Why can't they think of some other way that is more humane if they feel they are overrun with what they call feral cats? I mean, my little guy would have been one of the ones killed. Jack found him at the back door of his work. We think someone took his mother out there (there is a state park about 1/4 mile down the road) and left her to have her kittens in the woods or took he and his siblings and dumped them and he was the only one that survived. There are coyotes out where my dh works and wild dogs.

Jack called a couple minutes ago to remind me to unlock the gate and said he wasn't feeling well so I may be going to get him. He was limping this morning and said his left knee hurts. He has really bad arthritis in his knees from working on the steel deck of air craft carriers all those years. Most of the time he says he can ignore the pain, but I know it is bad when he limps and he can't take anything because of his heart meds except a dose of advil once in a while.

Well, better get my chores done. They are coming to repair a window today so I need to be available I guess

Faye

[Jean]

Good Afternoon, Flowers!
It's been a nice sunny day in my corner of the world. It was another busy day at school -- the days are flying by so quickly!

"Gma" -- I would have been just as upset as you, if one of our pets got out and we couldn't find them. Do you think having the doorbell on the outside of the gate will be too tempting for the little monsters next door? I hope that Jack is feeling better and you have had a nice day after the rotten start.

I need to get supper started . . . we're grilling plain old hamburgers tonight!

Have a nice evening and a terrific Thursday!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[gma22]

Morning girls! It is sunny and beautiful today and am still waiting for the glazers to show their behinds up and fix the glass! They were supposed to be here yesterday.

Jean: You have a pt about the doorbell thing, but I am at a loss as to what to do. They are only around 6 so I might be able to install it at an adult height they can't reach. I don't know, I only know it irritates me that we have to make special provisions all over the neighborhood because they won't make them behave. I talked to their grandmother a week ago and she wanted to know about their throwing the food across the fence. I told her I hadn't seen any lately, but they were going on a trip and I didn't have time to get into all the other stuff. I don't think she knows all the other stuff the little buggers have been doing. She is gone most of the time, but the lease is in her name. Ah, I will figure something out I guess.

I get a kick out of the fact there is just the 4 of us that post, but we have over 100 views for the 14 posts! I guess we are more interesting than we thought. The old ladies still have what it takes I guess, grandkids, AARP, Geritol and all!

Jack is doing better, I guess. He keeps it from me unless I notice. He says he has to learn to live with it and I think he should talk to his regular dr and his cardiologist about what he can do for it. I don't think I could stand to be in some kind of pain, 24/7 like he is. I KNOW I couldn't sleep in pain and he was hurting last night and 5 minutes later he was snoring softly. Now that is a strong constitution. BUT.... let him get a cold and you would think he was dying!

I am reading a pretty good book called the Red Hat Girls Ride Again. It is a sequel to her first book, Red Hat Girls. Have any of you ladies seen any of these groups? When we were in Nashville in January, there was a group walking around in the mall. Boy, you should have seen some of those hats. You know, they wear red hats and purple clothing. I believe they are supposed to make their hats, but not everyone does and some kind of play it down, ie berets Most of them had some kind of shirt on with red hat designs, handbags, slacks, shoes, and on and on. They ranged in age from about mid 30's to probably 80. Jack kind of knew about them, but got tickled at a couple of the ladies hats. Reminded us of the sweet little black ladies here who wear these huge hats to church on Sundays. I have never seen such an array as on Sunday morning. I like hats and wish they would come back in style. Course, I am a 40's clothing girl and love all those styles so what do I know? I couldn't get my big toe in most of the styles from the 40's but love them anyway.

I guess I better find something constructive to do.... Everyone have a good day. WE NEED A NEW THREAD THIS IS 14.

Faye