[Maggie]

GOOD MORNING MAGNOLIAS

Looks like it will be a hot sultry day here in the Heartland. I plan on staying inside this day and doing some glass work. I didn't make the chicken dish I was going to do yesterday so will do that today. Will is doing his volunteer work in the archives at the museum this afternoon and if my bro in law does show up he can come home easily enough. Not much happening around here this day to speak of.

SUSAN Humidity goes with heat in this area. We didn't have this out where I grew up and it is my most un-favorite thing. I bet you have a teen friend who would be happy to take your trash out to the curb for you if you would only ask. It would sure help with your breathing. Lots of kids today really do want to help.

DONNA FAYE We have lots of good tomatoes and are sun drying some of them as I type. I don't think the Nile is very deep this time of the year but it floods in the rainey season. There are bad folks everywhere. The church is made up of those who come out of the world. A cross section of society. Those that preach and do such bad things make it hard for the "folks" to stay the course. But we are told in the Bible that we are responsibile for our own actions and not let the bad actions of others influence us. It is a personal thing not a collective thing. You have to be on guard to not let the actions of others influence your behavior.

JEAN When I was a child my father would place a bucket of water near where we would be using our sparklers. When our sparkler was out of sparks we were to put our sticks in that bucket of water. That lesson has served me though the years. It is totally common sense and I don't know why folks don't do that for it is so easy to be safe. I have never been around anyone that got burned or otherwise hurt by fireworks. Safety first. Maybe because folks can't think for themselves and just get out a bucket of water they ought to put the directions on the packaging where no one would read it anyway. A bucket of water handy has saved a lot of burnt fingers. OK lesson over and I'll step down off the

Have a great day Magnolias. Life is good ~ don't waste it. Type at y'all later.

[gma22]

Good morning to you all! I have got to get some work done today but the swelling in my legs is still pretty bad. I am increasing my water a lot, which means I am floating because I drink water anyway, but this seems to be coming and going with the intense heat and we have heated back up again to upper 90's.

The kids trip is winding down, but they were persuaded to dress like Egyptians so here they are. They took a balloon ride yesterday so they are pretty much done with daredevil stuff I suppose! I have to include a picture of Thomas and his "mummy." The staff at the hotel they are staying at made this for T out of towels and blankets, which I thought was really sweet. They come home on Monday sometime so I imagine they will probably be out and about today and tomorrow then relax the last day before the long day traveling home.

I cannot believe what someone in this complex did. The garbage was picked up a day late because of the holiday, but the newspaper said that private garbage would be picked up on time so we had to put it out on Wed and leave it just in case. Well, someone stole our garbage can last night! It was aimed at us particularly because to be frank the black families around us still have their cans out and they weren't stolen and they were actually nicer than ours. Jack walked the neighborhood to see if some smart aleck just moved it as a prank, but it is gone. I am seriously getting fed up living here, but we have no choice. We are stuck here, period. I told Jack we would buy another one today and spray paint our house number on it, but I am not sure that would make a difference.

Well gals, I need to get going. I have things I want to accomplish today if I can get the swelling down in my feet. Have a great weekend. Faye

[Maggie]

GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

It is another rather warm day here in the Heartland. We have the air conditioning and the ceiling fans going and it is quite comfortable in here. Ragg Mopp likes to lay under one of the fans for a nice snooze. I got a good laugh at Will this day ~ and asked him if he noticed that I hadn't been making the bed the last few days. He did but it didn't bother him enough to coment on. I told him my plan didn't work then. When we got the new bedding it came with a matching bed skirt which we planned on putting on later since we didn't put it on before placing the mattress on the box springs. I folded it up nicely and placed it in his closet. I mentioned it a few times and he wasn't in the right frame of mind to tackle it so I let it go. I decided to not make the bed and he might get the hint. When he didn't "get it" I asked him if he could help put it on. He said, "I didn't know we had one." DUH ~ he had forgotten one came with the rest of the "stuff" and he was so happy to help put it on. He was under the impression that I wanted to go buy one and that is why he kept putting it off for he just knew we would be "searching" for one to match. Sure makes it look better in there. It never did look really bad but somehow a bed skirt finishes it off ~ well, along with all those pillows I put on there. We still need to buy a dresser. He has gone right now to do another wedding. This one is in front of the fountain at the university here. I didn't go for I don't know the folks and have never even met them so I don't believe I will be missed. He will go to the reception to sign the necessary papers and then leave early.

DONNA FAYE Thanks for sharing those pictures. What a hoot that they made that mummy for T. I do hope your swelling does abate soon. I can imagine how uncomfortable that must be. So you now have a garbage can thief. Did they also get away with the trash that was inside? I would be tempted to paint on the side your house number and the police phone number. A friend of mine did that and the dummies that stole it called that number to harrass them and the police nailed them. Trash can justice. Whats this world coming to if folks want to steal your trash can of all things. The city owns ours and they sit outside folks fences in the alley. It is easy for Will to take out the trash for he just reaches over our chain link fence.

Well Magnolias I am going to go cut come glass. Have a wonderful afternoon. Type at y'all later.

[Jean]

Good Afternoon, Flowers! So far it has been an open window kind of day, but it is supposed to get warmer and stay that way over the weekend. I will set the air to come on when I'm finished here. Bob just called to ask if I had internet so I had to check in -- the office is down for some reason, and the company won't/can't answer the phone when he calls. I've been catching up on writing some greeting cards and sorting through the papers/mail on my counter. I'm in a home testing group and the current project is to save junk mail for a month, and then send it to them weekly. We get a lot! They supply the envelopes, postage, and even sent me a $5 bill for my "trouble."

"Gma" -- Bob stops to watch the Hoarders show once in awhile. I just remind him that my piles are disappearing and it is mostly open space here without any paths through the piles. I didn't see the article on the priest. Our church is on a "helping the immigrants" kick right now. Gay couples can get married in Iowa and the church is dead set against that one. I'm sorry your legs and feet are swelling again. Did you cook a whole chicken or just "parts" all night? That sounds good. We put our garbage out on the curb in black garbage bags; the recycled stuff has to be in clear bags and is picked up on a different day. It's so windy here that plastic garbage cans and lids usually end up in the street or in another person's yard. Thank you for sharing the great pictures! I'll bet T will have many stories to share with you when they get back.

Susan -- I hope it isn't so humid for you today. I use the timer for things in the dryer, then try to accomplish something while I'm waiting for it to go off. One (I) can really get quite a bit done in a short amount of time if they (me!) just gets started!

Maggie -- We did sparklers at a July wedding several years ago and put them in metal cans when we were finished. It is dark at the lake and no one has ever brought anything to light or set off for the 4th. There are enough private homes around the lake that set off their own fireworks as well as the big display from the park. I had to at your bed skirt story and Will thinking you would have to go shopping for one.

Since the internet is working, I best get back to my previous task. Have a great afternoon and evening!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[QuilterInVA]

Good evening, ladies. Not so hot today - 88, but still humid. We had about 10 raindrops this morning.

Today was quilt guild so that was a fun morning and then I had lunch with 8 friends after that. I spent the afternoon reading. Some days you just need to do nothing.

Faye, love those pictures! I have 2 garbage cans I could give you if you were here. We have to use the ones provided by the new trash service. They are huge, heavy and the lids are hinged so they don't come off and blow away - and the racoons can't get in them.

Jean, I'm like you, it's getting me going on housework that is hard. That's why I like flylady. I put the list for the day on my dry erase board and get satisfaction checking them off as I do them. The little tow a mile from me has trash bags that must be used. You don't pay a fee but must use their bags and they are $7 each. It sure encourages recycling which is picked up for free. We have county-provided bins for recycling.

Maggie, a good suggestion to get a teenager to take my trash out, but there isn't a teenager for several blocks in my development. At my end there are no children of any age. Its one of the reasons I like it here, nice and quiet. 9 of use are retirement age and the other 7 are nearing it. We have one "youngster" in her 30s - a school teacher. She's on the go all the time.

Have a good evening!

[gma22]

I just lost my whole post and I have work to do so will post later. Just wanted to let you all know I am thinking about you and will do newsyness and individuals later. Makes me so mad when that happens!

Oh, here is the first sock. It hasn't been washed or blocked so doesn't look as nice as when it is completely finished, but I had to show you the colors. Aren't they cool? They are again for a gift so I think the person getting them will really like them. I had Jack try it on for me since he has a smaller man's foot and it fit great. I told him I would make him a pair in the same colors for vacation to florida. He wasn't too keen on the idea!

I have to go and get the house finished. Have a great Saturday all! Faye

[QuilterInVA]

Good afternoon, ladies! There has been a few raindrops so far today but it's really clouding up now so hope for a good long rain. It's 86 today so not too hot.

WE was not good this week, up .6. I know it's what I ate yesterday when I just threw caution to the wind and ate what I wanted. Anyway back on track today.

Faye, I love the sock. Anything with those colors is great in my opinion.

Y'all have a good day. I have a good book to read.