Good early morning ladies! I came downstairs at 3 AM because my back was bothering me and decided after sitting in the recliner to balance my checkbook and check in here. Lots of talking I see.
Gail: Hope you find something beautiful to make with your yarn! A nice Christmas shawl for church would be beautiful. I think the shots, if your insurance covers, is the way to go. They really do prevent a lot and overall you will be much more comfortable once your body adjusts. Sounds like you had fun with Tyler. Jay called last night just to talk about the trip and Alicia was working. Jackson is fascinated by the recyclables and keeps getting in the box. He is hilarious as he doesn't really cry more a whine when he gets in trouble. Jay has his number though. He says he has been zooming around the house in his little airplane we got him. They were going out for a bike ride last night before his bedtime.
Maggie: Glad you could get some of your charms replaced. When you earn them you deserve them, whatever they cost. Yep, I installed the doorbells, not much to it, but some yoyo had to come up and press it not long after I installed the back one. I went out to see, but when I got out there no one was around so who knows. I put a little sign on the gate to ring the bell if the gate was locked so we shall see how that works. They were easy to install, even the base wasn't hard. I didn't put it where I originally wanted it because it was too high up and I don't do the top step on the ladder when I am alone so I ended up putting it around the corner as high up as I could in the dining room. Works there fine too!
Jean: You know, sooner or later you have to run out of closets to clean out. Then it will be time to start them over again! I saw that the homeless shelters have exploded so to speak because of foreclosures on homes. Loan companies making very risky loans on homes people couldn't afford and the like. Now people have no where to go and are going to homeless shelters. It isn't easy to rent anymore when you have been foreclosed on that's for sure. I read about a single lady with 5 kids and the rental home she lived in had been bought and she was getting evicted. She couldn't find anywhere to live that was less than $1000 a month and she couldn't afford it. She said she didn't know where she was going to go. People have to understand that part of the high rent is because previous renters tear up the property. I see it here with people who rent the condos. They could care less what it is like when they move out so to recoup losses the landlords pass it on to the next renters. We were lucky when we rented before we bought the condo because the older couple was happy to get someone that wasn't college kids to rent to. They took advantage of the Grays big time even talking them into putting in a phone and cable for them when they couldn't pass the credit check, then stiffing them for the bill.
Susan: The wireless bells work great. You just have to keep on top of the batteries that go in the base unit to make sure they aren't pooped out. Ours had a choice of one ding, a ding dong or the Westminster chime. Jack despises that one so I have a ding on front and the ding dong on back since the back is used much more. We only paid $30 for a two bell unit so they aren't terribly expensive and they work just fine.
Well ladies, I am going back to the chair and go back to sleep for a bit. Have a great Tuesday and try and keep cool. It is hot and sticky here in Elvisland.
Faye
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Congrats on losing the pounds, inches, and body fat! 
You are definitely working the program and it is working for you. 
I'm sure you will see big changes in Jackson. They grow and change so quickly the first couple of years. 
I look at Ian and just can't believe he will turn 6 and my dad will have been gone 6 years this fall. I need to adopt the rule that if I bring something into the house, I have to choose something to get rid of! My problem is that I save magazines and catalogs for school, paperback books to share with other teachers, old clothes to paint in "someday", and other things because I "might" need them some time. Bob is a saint to put up with my "stuff" since he is the king of "pitch it!" 
from Iowa!
I found a real neat silver charm that I didn't have before that had the word BELIEVE in cutouts surrounded by a frame. I just have to add that one to my bracelet. I totally do believe I am going to make it this go round and it just fit. On the way back from town I counted 20 fire vehicles coming in the opposite direction. Evidently they finished where they were fighting and were on to the next challange. Yesterday we saw 6 paramedic trucks from Santa Barbara parked side by each in the Sizzler parking lot. And to think our fire season doesn't oficially start till October.
You have too much fun going through "stuff."
It's cloudy and humid this morning. It was lightning when I got up to go to the bathroom at 3, but I don't think we got any rain. There are severe thunderstorms predicted for later today . . . better today than tomorrow. I need to make a food list for tomorrow and head for the grocery store later this morning. The fridge is looking pretty bare so I need to take inventory.
I get goose bumps when I see emergency vehicles parked and ready to respond. It is good that they are prepared. I am super organized at school; maybe that is because I try to keep 3 other teachers in line. I can usually find whatever they can't. 
I suppose the mold and bacteria in the river water multiplies rapidly. The city of Cedar Rapids is demolishing several homes that couldn't be saved. A lot of the people had no insurance and some of the banks aren't givng any help on the mortgage payments due. I know you will have a wonderful trip to Indiana! Travel safe! 
The only difference is that last year I was to use it at bedtime and this year it is "as needed." Nuts! I did put a big gob on and used gauze and tape rather than band-aides tonight so we'll see how that works.
I hope the smoke isn't too bad for you over the weekend. Thanks for sharing the recipe! 
My stepmom still mentions how much she misses my dad, and he's been gone almost 6 years. Her weekends get long and the holidays are hard. I remember that my dad hated the weekends after my mom died. My mother died on July 5th, 14 years ago. My dad and I watched the fireworks from their apartment; of course I have thought of that on every 4th of July since.