Good Evening, Flowers!
It's been another cold day here in Iowa -- 10 degrees right now. It was sunny for part of the day but the wind came up and blew the clouds in and the forecast is for snow tomorrow.

Maggie -- There are gas stations around here (more so in the cities than here in SL) that won't take cash . . . you have to use a credit card at the pump. My guess is that it is for security reasons. There have been alot of robberies in the convenience stores over the last few months.

Donna -- The bells sounded GREAT first service! We also had to play at the beginning of second service; somewhere along the line someone got off the count and threw the rest of us off. I usually can find my place and managed to end the piece where I should have. It sounded pretty sick but evidently the rest of the people didn't know the difference!

Bubbles -- A couple of years ago I bought a Christmas ornament from Ebay and had no problems at all. There was just an article in our paper saying that the scam artists are at work though. Good luck! What did you buy? Inquiring minds want to know!

This has been another fast weekend. I need to get busy and do some ironing. Have a marvelous Monday, Flowers!

Jean -- in Iowa!

Good Morning All,
It's 2AM in the hills of WV and Jimmy insisted he had to go out..........anybody want a nose on 4 legs? Anyway, he's out running the streets.........hope he freezes his uhhuh off! However, it gave me a chance to sneak a peak, and low and behold, I got the bid! I got a Boze Wave Radio/CD with a remote, white, for $440 + $9.00 for shipping. That's at least $60 below retail, not including shipping, which is usually 15-20$ for an item like this. I'm thrilled!

I hear the brat dog whining........don't want him waking the neighborhood at this hour
Later,
Bubs

Good morning ladies!

Jean: Oh, how horrible for someone to get lost or whatever. I think it would send me into a panic and I would totally screw up the piece from there on in! Most of the gas stations here require you to pay first if you are not using a credit or debit card. This is robbery capital anyway so I can understand that.

Bubbles: Yeah for you! I am so glad you got the bid and at a good price. My dd and sil have a huge internet business and are one of Ebay's top 5. They started their business with 3 guys putting $300 each in and in three years, my dd and sil had bought the other two out for $30,000 apiece and last year had a record 1/2 million dollars in sales. It has hit a bump this year though and sales are way down. Kelly thinks it is a combination of impending war and the economy in general. She has to work at it every day though. There is no taking a vacation without taking the laptop along and answering e-mails, doing invoices, etc.

Well, I have to get cracking. We leave for Indiana on Wed afternoon and I have a ton to do.

Have a great day!

Donna

Good Morning,
We seem to be at a stand still with the gas prices at anywhere from $1.59-1.63.......at least that's what it was yesterday, who knows what's up for today.

Donna, What kind of internet business are they in? sounds interesting, altho' it would scare me to death. I can see why ebay could become addictive.
Have a great trip to Indiana.......hopefully the weather will stay pretty. It's 19 here, but sunny, so who can complain? "It's a Beatiful Day in the Neighborhood". Saw a tribute to Fred Rogers on CSpan over the weekend..........what a special man he was. I got really teary watching it. He impacted the lives of millions of people..........thank Goodness.

I was walking my neighbor's 150# Golden this morning, and he jerked the heck out of my back lurching to greet the garbagemen. I'm going to go soak it and see if I can calm it down. If he wanted to, he could haul me all over the neighborhood. I bring him over to my back yard to run, as he never gets off the leash otherwise. He was her father's dog, and if anything ever happened to him she'd be devastated.

Y'all have a good one.
Bubs

Good Afternoon, Flowers!
It's cloudy and gloomy here today. A few lazy snowflakes fell earlier this morning but nothing stayed on the ground. It's 27 degrees as I am typing but it is that damp cold that makes you shiver.

Bubbles -- I am glad you got the radio! We don't have one but I know that people who do just love them. Let us know when it arrives and you get a chance to test it out. Hope the back is feeling better by now!

Donna -- I learned a long time ago, that if I get lost while playing in church, I just quit feeling that it is better to play no notes rather than wrong ones. I can usually find my place sooner or later. This particular piece is one that we play alternate rhythm throughout so it is easy to get off. Oh well, most of the listeners didn't know the difference and the 2 music teachers happened to be subbing with us! Is Kelly taking the laptop along on your trip . . . so that you can check in with us while you are gone??????

I need to make a trip to Wally World and get cat food for the orphans. Have a terrific Tuesday, Flowers!

Jean -- in Iowa!

GOOD EVENING MAGNOLIAS

Been another beautiful day here ... we are looking forward to our trip up north this weekend. Hope there is nice weather along the way. Found where my favorite jerkey maker out here moved to so that will be one purchase I will make to take along. I love jerkey and oranges.

BUBBLES I sure wish I had known you wanted a Boze before you bought that one..... best I don't say anything more about that though. Crank up the volume and enjoy those CD's.

I am one sleepy Pacific Ocean gal this night. Later folks.

Hi

It's a beautiful spring day here. Supposed to be in the 60's today, 70's later in the week. Going to enjoy it while I can, next week is supposed to be a lot different again. brrrr

Been trying to keep myself busy. Actually wish I wasn't THIS busy though. My parents are coming in about a month and I'm trying to do some spring cleaning before that. Then other family coming in June. Besides working every day.

Sunday was my twins birthday. 26 years old. Where did the years go?? Went to DS here in town for dinner and Dairy Queen cake. Yes, I had some. It was good. The other DS is the one in Alaska. Sure do miss him on those special days. Well, I miss him all the time - just some times more than others.

Maggie - Are you still going to be close to the ocean?

Jean - I bet those bells sound great - even if everyone isn't all together. I for one couldn't tell the difference probably. We have a lot of gas stations too that you have to use the credit card at the pump. We just paid $1.76 for gas this morning. There's going to be more and more of the "gas and dash".

Donna - Enjoy your trip. Hope you have good weather!!

Bubbles - I've never been brave enough to order off ebay. But DS has done it. They ordered an old Lionel train which was broken and DH had to fix it so DGS could make it go. There are only a few websites that I will even order stuff off of. I guess I'm just a chicken when it comes to that. I hope your Boze arrives safe and sound. Enjoy!!

Well, I gotta get back to work. I thought I had posted yestrday. But apparently not. I read the posts yesterday, must have gotten interrupted.

GOOD MORNING MAGNOLIAS

Gotta get out there and take a drive with the top down. Just have to...... got some errands to do and enjoy the day. I will probably finish up my second little building this day aslo.

JOYCE if we relocate to where Will is auditioning this weekend we will not be very close to the ocean but there are lakes and such all around that area. Wouldn't take much of a drive, though, to get to the ocean. As the crow flies it would be about 200 miles. This place is inside the boundaries of the Yosimite Park. Beautiful gold country (we could do some panning.) When you travel up the coast we could meet you at beautiful expensive Montery How nice for you that you are finally getting some spring like weather. Spring officially doesn't get here till next week but you get a sneek preview. I certainly know how it is missing your kids that are far away....... ah - they do grow up too quickly.

Have a wonderful OP day everyone.

Happy Tuesday,

Just back from the Old Farts Yoga class It really is fun, and does help the old back.

OK Maggie, don't leave me in suspense..........what's the scoop on the Boze radio? I can handle it........

Joyce, when you finish with your house you can come to the mtns. of WV and help me with mine..........it's never ending. Alaska is a "fur piece" from home. Is your son in the service? When my son moved to ST. Louis, I was a wreck........he went out of state to college, and only came home a couple of times a year, but that was OK. Same with the Army......he was in San Angelo,TX and then in Watertown,NY on the Canadian border; that too was OK. When he moved to St. Louis to work, I knew he wouldn't be able to come home more than once a year, at best, and I hated it. Little did I know he'd be living upstairs 5 years later! Fortunately, we do get along well most of the time. Inasmuch as it's only been the two of us for the 27 years since my husband died, we've been really close.

Jean, I love the bells. I can't read music, so all I can do is listen. Went to a county Ed. Assoc. mtg. last night..........things just keep getting wusser and wusser! They did say that the no child left behind business would only affect the Elementary schools at first, so maybe they'll figure out that we're not all equal, and give it up before it hits the secondary level. Our Sp. Ed. director is the Pres., and he was talking about the Jr. High kids who still are only reading on a second grade level having to take 7th grade achievement tests, and including their scores in with the rest of the population.......it's crazy! Apparently, the only kids whose scores won't count are Moderate and Profound kids.......Can I tell you how much I miss that BS

I'd best get my act together.
Have a good one,
Bubs

Good Afternoon, Flowers!
It is a beautiful day here and 52 degrees! Can you believe it? We even opened some windows at school today . . . mainly because the heat was going full blast! The lake has that gray, soupy look to it and the snow is melting like mad.


Maggie -- I think I would like a Boze except the only one I have seen plays one CD at a time. Are there other models? You mentioned that Will has to audition . . . as in give the sermon for the morning, sing, dance, or what? The area sounds beautiful!

Joyce -- I've had an experience with a stolen credit card # from cyberspace and it was a hassle trying to get it straightened out. It took me 4 months but the credit card company charged everything back to the UK and gave me a different acount #. I guess it boils down to the fact that you have to watch your bill when it comes and remember (that's what got my attention!) what you bought. We have a bell ringer who subs and can't read music! She is a singer and sings by ear -- we highlight her notes in different colors and she does fine. If you can count to 4, you can play the bells, believe me. I only play 2 notes, plus their sharps and flats. It's too bad your son lives so far away. Any chance that he will move closer some day? I told my kids they can't move any further away than 2 hours! They are both a little over an hour away; that's just far enough but not too far.

Bubbles -- Here in Iowa, TNCLB is in the secondary level and our moderate and profound students took the standardized tests right along with everyone else! Now just how DUMB is that?! We also have a large % of ESL students and they had to take them too -- in English! The students I work with are 6th grade level in math and vary from 4th to 6th/7th grade level in reading. We just got a student who is very capable but is such a screw-off; he is 19 and sits in 4 special ed. study halls a day because he skipped so many days of school that he got kicked out of his nonmodified classes. He is there for the social part and wants to disrupt every room he is in. We are hoping he will disrupt himself right out the front door!

Gotta go -- the contractor is here! Have a great Wednesday!

Jean -- in Iowa!

GOOD EVENING MAGNOLIAS

BUBBLES I won't say what I would have told you before you bought it for now it is a moot point. I want you to enjoy your new toy.

JEAN auditioning is the same as trying out for a preaching position. We don't even know if we want to relocate up there yet but will know more after this coming weekend. I am so happy for you that you had a touch of Spring weather today. What a nice thing to be able to open up windows like that at work.

Every one have a nice evening.

Hey Maggie,
Please try to stay online at all times, so when I go to make an impulsive purchase again I can check with you first Just had one of those stinkin' middle of the night wake you up Charlie Horses.............I hate 'em! I'm already taking extra potassium and Calcium with Magnesium to help to counteract them. I must say they're not as frequent as they once were, but they're sure painful when they hit. I walk around the house leaning on a walking stick, swinging my leg in different directions and trying to do some deep breathing exercises..........also praying it won't hit the other leg too. It's over now, so I can go back to bed. I really have forgotten what it's like to sleep through the night........my bladder has a way of interfering at least once.
Night night again,
Bubs

Good Morning

Another beautiful day here. Spring is in the air - at least for this week it is. I heard there is going to be another shot of winter next week.

Maggie - Sounds like a beautiful place to be for awhile. I've only been to Yosemite once, beautiful. DH's brother lives in Bishop which is barely a skip away from there depending on which side of the park you will be on. And we haven't been over there in a few years so maybe it's time.

Bubbles - No, DS is not in the service. He decided it was time to leave home. So almost 2 years ago, he decided to go to college up there. He's gotten sidetracked this year with buying an ultralight (like a hang glider, parachute thing with a seat and engine) . He LOVES to fly. Has his pilot's license. He's hoping to give lessons and give tours in the summer to earn extra money. I almost wish he did live at home still. Almost......

Jean - I've told DS he has to move back closer when he finally settles down. It's just too expensive to go up there.
I hate that others are such thieves. We had an extra charge on our card last year when we visited our son in MO. Applebee's charged an extra bill besides ours. Took awhile to get it taken care of. We hardly ever use our card anymore unless we are traveling.

Well, I have to get to work. BLEH!!!!! See y'all later.

Good Afternoon, Flowers!
Another work day is finished for me. We have a dinner for the employees of the retirement/nursing home that DH is on the board for. I'm hoping it won't be late because I have things to do here at home.

Maggie -- It's been a gloomy day here and only 36 degrees. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and hit 65 by the weekend! I will keep my fingers crossed that your visit, this weekend, will be a good one if you are looking to move on.

Bubbles -- I thought you were supposed to eat lots of bananas to get extra potassium. I hate waking up in the middle of the night, especially if I can't get back to sleep.

Joyce -- Have you been to Alaska to visit? I'd like to visit but know I wouldn't like the days when it is dark all day. I don't like using credit cards either but sometimes we just have to. I tried to place an order through Penney's catalog and said I would pay cash when I picked it up at the store. The order taker told me I would have to take the cash or check down to the store BEFORE they would ship my order! I was so mad I told her to forget it and hung up. Then they wonder why their catalog sales are down.

I need to change clothes so that I am ready when DH gets home.
Have a terrific Thursday, Flowers!

Jean -- in Iowa!

kGood Evening,

Joyce,
Your son sounds like my cousin. With an English degree, and a tour in Viet Nam, he chucked a great job in NYC with one of the leading Boat/Marine mags. Took his Ivy League wife to the Maine Woods, where he worked on a dairy farm for several years. From there they went to Wisconsin where he worked for a dairy co-op marketing their cheese. On the side, he gave flying lessons and did charters..........or so my aunt and uncle thought for years. What he didn't tell them was that he was also crop dusting during the spring and summer My aunt almost stroked out when she heard about it.

Have you ever been on one of the Alaskan Cruises? Everyone who's ever been says they're absolutely spectacular.

Y'all, please don't talk about your credit card horror stories I use mine all the time, online and off.........so far, so good, but your'e scaring me to death!

Jim and I are off to walk between raindrops. It's late enough for this to be his last trip outside for the night:~}

Sleep well, and happy Thursday.
Bubs