Good Evening, Flowers!
It is Friday evening, at last! A coworker suggested we stop for coffee after school and we just sat and talked for over an hour. We don't get to do that at school very often so it was a nice ending to the week. The sub was the same ding-a-ling as the last time I had to work with her. Tomorrow we officially start getting ready for the new bathroom . . . more ! I just hope I don't have to share DH's bathroom for very long!

Donna -- When you go shopping, you REALLY go shopping! I have heard the car DVD players are a necessity when you travel with children! I had to chuckle at your phone story; I'm convinced that kids today are much smarter than they used to be! Your grandson is a cutie! How did you get the picture posted here?

I am going to catch the 10:00 news and head off to bed. Have a great weekend, Flowers!

Jean -- from Iowa!

Jean: Well, it took me some time back and forth to get the picture sized right, but we have a digital camera and the pic was in my pictures file. I just cropped and resized it to fit the allowable size and just uploaded it. Yes, we went shopping right after dh got home and got cleaned up. I was pooped when we got home and of course not only did everything have to be carried in, most of it was heavy, and it decided to downpour as soon as we pulled up to the condo so we got soaked hauling it all in. The computer desk alone must have weighed 200 lbs. We used an old computer chair to roll the box most of the way to the condo, then Jack wiggled the box back and forth on the deck to get it into the house. Dh put my steamer together last night as well as his new computer chair (I liked it at the store but am not too sure now. It is leather so it gets cold, the back tilts away from you and I tend to lean forward anyway so it kills my lower back. I got his chair though and I love it, so now as soon as he can buy another router I can use my own computer in my craft room. I told dh last night coming home that I guess this could be our Christmas presents to each other as we had not gotten anything for each other this year. BUT, I was not sure a carpet steamer, cleaning supplies and a 4 slot toaster were my ideas of Christmas gifts! I guess he agreed with me as he is taking me to the outlet mall in Tunica today and letting me buy a leather handbag. I have this thing for handbags. I have between 50-75 of the things. Drives dh nuts! When we moved, it took 3 boxes to pack them all!

Well, I better go try and go back to bed for an hour or so. I have only had about 3 hours sleep. My joints, etc. are really bothering me since last night. I wish this darn rain would go away!

Donna

A Soggy Good Morning to all my flower friends,

It is raining to beat the band, so now we have flood warnings up. Fortunately, it doesn't appear to be getting as warm as predicted, which will slow down the melting snow. The most recent word from the NWS says the river will crest at 3' above flood stage, so that's easy, and pretty non invasive.

Jean, I'm sorry you had to deal with the ditsy sub.........you'd almost rather do it yourself. They're the ones who always either think they can build a better mouse trap, or do nothing.

My neighbors got back from FL in their motorhome yesterday. What a shock for them! They'd left on a cool, sunny day and came back to all this ice...........I noticed Jon's parents didn't tarry........got in their car and hit the road for MD. After being cooped up in a motor home with two bitties, ages 3 and 18mos., for a week, I'm sure they're all glad to be able to stretch.

Deb,
You sound like the shopping queen to me! I thought my aunt was bad with her shoes, but I believe you take the cake with your bags I have a backsaver bag from Norm Thompson which goes pretty much year round. It's comfortable, lightweight, roomy, and up to the punishment I give it. My dad gave me a Coach the year after my husband died,1977, and I've dragged that thing through the halls of Furman Univ., WVCollege of Graduate Studies, and several schools where I taught.........it's been a champ........a little bit of saddle soap or a wash with glycerine and it's good as new. They're like a good saddle, and look better with age...........of course, we all do too

Walked dogs in the rain this AM, so now it's time for some breakfast and a start on some Taco Soup for tonight. There are two ACC Basketball games on TV this afternoon, so I have to be ready to give them my undivided.........

Have a great weekend ladies,
Bubs

Good Morning, Flowers!
I'm waiting for a load of laundry to finish so thought I would peek in here to see if anyone was up yet. I'm spending the day upstairs trying to organize MY stuff so that I can find it when I need something while living in the construction zone.

Donna -- Is your carpet steamer a "cleaner" as well? We have one but I'm not sure if it called a steamer or not. We use it ALOT with the three fur people who live here. I will NEVER buy light colored carpet again! I keep telling DH the next carpet will be -- excuse the language -- cat puke orange! I love my four slice toaster but have to agree that it is not what I would ask for as a gift. Enjoy your shopping trip! I have trouble changing purses easily because it seems nothing ever fits from one to another. When I find one I like, it's with me for a long time. I hope you were able to get back to sleep or at least rest. It can be a very long day when the night is short.

Bubbles -- I hope the rain has stopped by now; are you high enough that you don't have to worry about flooding? The ditsy sub will be back on Monday ; what I don't understand is that when the teacher leaves specific, step by step plans written out, she doesn't bother to read them before she asks what to do. One of our students had a baby right after Christmas and has returned to school. She's gone more than she is there and the father is a dropout. On the way home yesterday, I had the radio on and the announcer was talking about a 16 year old being assaulted by her 16 year old boyfriend while holding a 2 month old baby. I recognized the address because it is in the area where we used to live. He grabbed her around the neck and then punched her and knocked her down. She managed to hold onto the baby, laid him on the floor, and ran to the neighbors to call the police. He's in a juvenile detention center and she has a broken jaw. The baby was ok. Then there was a 12 year old who went to school with a knife intending to stab a kid who had been bothering him. Last, we had a HS kid who had a cigarette lighter and tried to set another kid's shirt on fire during lunch. No wonder our town is always in the paper -- this morning there were 4 reports from here!

I hear the dryer buzzing so better get moving. Have a nice day -- it is cold, cloudy, and spitting snow here.....a good day to stay inside!

Jean -- from Iowa!

Holy Smokes, Jean! You need to get out of the Ed Biz ASAP! I remember when one of our 8th graders got pregnant, and the kids wanted to have a shower for her on school time Needless to say, it didn't happen. There's a feud going on now about three kids who were involved in an air pistol at school......2 Jr Hi kids and a HS kids. Of course, the parents are defending the kids and saying, what's the big deal? Makes one crazy!

Yes, it's still raining, although the sky isn't as dark as it was. It's supposed to keep it up through Sunday.......maybe turning to snow at some point. We're under a flood warniing until 4PM at least. They have downgraded the severity of the flooding, so that's a good thing. Just had a call from friends on their way to Morgantown to visit their three girls at WVU. They took a back roads shortcut we all use, and were stunned when they got to one of the small towns enroute. Said they'd no idea the ice had created so much damage.......it looked like a war zone according to them. That's the second time I've heard that about Nettie. Some folks are still without power a week later. They've been cooking outside over campfires in some cases. Y'know, CBS wants to do a reality show based on "The Beverly Hillbillies" and take a family from either WV or KY, and put them in B Hills. We're all furious about it, as you can imagine. Someone suggested they send a family from Calif. to live in the Mountaineer's home and see how long they lasted Sounds like a great idea to me!

I may be forced to get in my car and go check out the river at camp. We have cement steps leading from the landing to the top of the riverbank. For those of us who've spent our lives looking at them, they're a great river gauge.

Have a good one,
Bubs

Good Afternoon, Flowers!
It is snowing that fine, almost hard to see kind of snow. If it keeps up we could have some staying on the ground.

DH and #1 son are taking the fixtures out of the bathroom and I am taking a 10 minute break from consolidating junk in a bedroom in order to move the cedar chest and DH's chest of drawers out of our bedroom. I don't know why I let myself get so far behind in my sorting projects! You would think after 50+ years I would learn!

Bubbles -- I have to say that I have never felt unsafe at school but then I don't have to supervise the masses during lunch either. That was my least favorite duty when I subbed in the elementary grades. As luck would have it, it was usually "my" day for whatever extra duty. Once in awhile a kind teacher would take pity on me and trade. Did you go check out the steps at your camp? The town where I grew up had a river and it flooded many times over the years. The boys used to get out of school to fill sand bags. I was always thankful we lived on a hill!

It's kind of quiet around here -- where is everyone?

Jean -- from Iowa!

GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

I got started yesterday on my glass project. THe first little house I am building has 54 little pieces in it and I cut out two of the same kind. It is the simplest house in the group too. I both of them all cut out and copper foiled and can start soldering when I get some horseshoe nails from the farrier tomorrow. For a break we went down to the marina and had a wonderful time. That is where I am going to start my walking program in March. Walk along on the sidewalk by the water just suits me to a T. I love the ocean and it is so much easier for me to walk around when there is something nice to look at. We won't be having top down weather this coming week for we are predicted to have some heavy hard rain coming from the Alaska area. Well gotta go get ready to leave........

I am oging to quicky post as we have been putting together and playing with the new stuff and Jack had the computer down all day yesterday putting together his new desk.

OOOOHHH, I love coach bags, but have not been brave enough to ask dh to shell out $300 for a handbag when he thinks it is ridiculous to have more than one! I did get a beauty and the great thing is this outlet store has all either suede or leather bags in every conceivable color, shape, etc., and they are all only $19.99!!!!!

We bought a Bissel pro-heat protech steamer/cleaner. It does bare floors as well as carpets, has an attachment for stairs, and it really easy to use. We did the front room rug which had Fortune, missed the puppy pads stains, and it worked great.

Well, ladies, I will get back to you in the morning!

Take care,


Glub, glub, from what will soon be the rain capital of the world!

Just peeking in to see if anyone has posted since I was here last.

Maggie -- I was beginning to worry about you! You have far more patience than I do to create little glass houses! I'm such a clutz I would probably break as many as I got glued together! The weather map looks like we are going to get some more weather from the west. I hope it blows on around us!

Donna -- Soooooo how many new bags did you get? I'm glad you are enjoying your new loot . . . it's always fun to get new things.

I have to unpile my bed so that I can go to bed tonight! The bathroom is stripped down to the tub and the walls. The spare bedroom is full of extra stuff and I know I'll want something and won't be able to find it!

Have a Happy Monday, Flowers!

Jean -- from Iowa!

Jean: I was a good girl and only bought one bag! You are going to have to take before and after pics of your bathroom and post them so we can see! It drives me nuts to have stuff out of place even for a little while (like cleaning a carpet yesterday) so I can understand your frustration with your bathroom!

My dgs has a bad cold so he is not going to school today so he and dd are coming for lunch instead of her coming for scrapbooking. I made homemade chicken and noodles for them with yeast rolls. I sure do miss cooking. I didn't realize how much until I started the chicken yesterday, but went to sleep with that lovely chicken smell wafting in my nostrils as I dozed off!

Well, gotta get other posts in and get a shower etc. I did my first session at 6 am this morning so I only have one more to get in after they leave today.

Donna

Good Afternoon, Flowers!
It is sunny and BRRRRRY cold in my corner of the world. . . 9 degrees right now. The sunshine does help make it feel a little warmer! The DEconstruction has begun! My bathroom door was closed when I got home and I was almost afraid to open it. The pocket door is gone as well as the tile, walls, and cupboards. The only thing left is the tub. There is a truck full of my bathroom in the backyard! I think I am going to miss my window. But it was the window or the shower surround so I didn't really have a choice. I'm hoping the sky light will make up the difference.

Donna -- Chicken soup sounds SOOOOOOOOOO good right now. I am always hungry when I get home from school. I think we are having leftovers from yesterday though. What kind of a session did you do at 6 and will do again -- exercise?

I have a load of towels to fold and I need to run to Wally World. I should go to the grocery store but it's so cold I hate to even go outside. I should have gone on my way home from school but I didn't even think about it.

Have a terrific Tuesday, Flowers!

Jean -- from Iowa!

Hi All,
I've been trying to log in for two days and kept getting messages about cookies....I was ready to quit and go get some Chocolate Chips! Mike had been messing with the options or something when he put in the new memory cards, so I guess that was the problem.

Finally able to get the ice shoveled off the sidewalk this afternoon.....it's only been a week. Someone told me tonight about a man who got out his rototiller to break up the ice so he could shovel it. Pretty inventive if you ask me. More snow due in here Wed. night and Thurs..........whoopee! One of my best friends slipped on black ice in the school parking lot and landed on her left hip and shoulder. She has fibromyalgia, so probably won't be able to motivate very well tomorrow.

Jean, between you and my neighbor, I'm getting less and less interested in redoing my kitchen. My neighbor put in a bathroom in a baywindow........sounds hokey, but it really looks neat. She has hardwood floors and a clawfoot tub which she painted black on the outside. She has brass hardware on it, and brass accessories elsewhere. I wouldn't have thought of that in a million years. They tiled the shower with white tile and black grout. Good looking, except it reminds me of The Greenbrier.....very trendy. The top of the walls is painted a turquoise color, there's a black chair rail, and the bottom is yellow......or maybe it's the other way around. It's very different. It will be interesting to see what she uses as window treatment, because I think the fabric will tie it all together. The rest of her house is stunning, so I'm sure this will look good too.

I'm off to bed with my book. I jammed my shoulder/neck today trying to break up some of the ice. It hurts like the devil, but this too shall pass.

Happy Tues.
Bubs

Just a quick peek in this am. We got hit by snow and ice last night so everything is at a standstill here. We have something called Nonconnah Parkway and the whole thing is up in the air so you know what that means! Of course, Jack has to get on it to go to work! I talked to him this am because they can't install the dishwasher and he had a fight with Lowes about it last night. He said it is really slippery out. I guess the guy that is supposed to install our dishwasher can't get off his country road so there is nothing that can be done. It will just be installed tomorrow.

Jean: Just keep thinking beautiful new bath, beautiful new bath!

Bubs: Look out, you may be getting what we have. I know this bad stuff is not over for us yet! Gotta watch those sublimanal messages!

Take care and try to keep warm!

Donna

Good Morning,

Thanks for the encouraging words, Donna. We know it's coming, beginning tonight. We seem to have dodged the bullet last week, and they're predicting very little accumulation with this one. It's also supposed to stay cold, which will keep the melting process to a minimum, which helps the creeks and streams flowing into the river. Friends have property on the river, and are in the process of selling their house down the street and moving to the river. It's supposed to be a temporary move while they build another house on the back of their lot here. Pat told her husband that if this last flooding wasn't God talking to him, then he just wasn't listening I hope she made an impression, as I know I'll never see them if they move, even tho' they'll only be 5+ miles away.

Y'all have a good one.
Bubs

Good Afternoon, Flowers!
I am #14 to post so the next one gets to start a new thread. It's been a sunny but cold day in my neighborhood. I don't think there is anything new in the forecast for the next couple of days. My bathroom is a bigger mess today -- insulation is all over everything! I hate that stuff and am so glad it is going out the window instead of down the stairs and through the house.

Bubbles -- When my #1 son is home he rearranges my computer and I never discover it until he is long gone. I have made more than one phone call, to him, to get it straightened out the way I had it in the first place. Someday I will read the book and figure stuff out on my own! I wish I was more of a decorator or maybe I should say braver. I tend to be plain and simple! I would love to see your friend's bathroom, it sounds like a Better Homes & Garden kind of bathroom! You be careful on that ice!

Donna -- Are you replacing an old dishwasher or starting fresh with a new one? I was just reading the expected life of appliances nowdays and it sure isn't as long as in the "old" days! When we put our furnace in, we replaced one that was 32 years old and the furnace man told us not to expect it to last beyond 15 years at the most.

I need to do a couple loads of laundry and more ironing so better keep moving.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, Flowers!

Jean -- in Iowa!