[gma22]

Good morning to you all. It is pouring down rain this morning and of course, it is trash day so it has to go out to the corner before Jack goes to work. I am just hoping it slacks off before he has to drag the trash can out there. I couldn't even let Fortune out it is raining so hard so I imagine I will find a mess somewhere to clean up, but not much I can do about it.

I am cleaning bathrooms today and hopefully will jump up and do it as soon as Jack leaves for work and get it done. I actually don't hate cleaning the bathrooms as much as I do other household chores. I want to finish the house up by Friday so I can concentrate on all the stuff I need to do this weekend before we leave.

Happy Birthday to my daughter today. This is her true birthday as she was born 34 years ago today.

Jean: I can't even find the time to make one for myself! They do both sound pretty good though, don't they? I haven't ever baked with Splenda but I read where, especially with cookies, you don't substitute exactly or the cookies won't come out right. You can use all Splenda I guess, but it is not cup for cup. You can make Splenda powdered sugar though like you can make your own regular powdered sugar by blending sugar until it is powder and adding corn starch. I guess you can do the same with Splenda. Have you gotten any snow yet? I have an internet friend that lives in North Dakota who has seen a big storm so far and flurries in a couple places in Indiana, but not much else except one in the northeast I think. Santa may have a tough time this year!

Maggie: Thanks for the recipe. No one in my family like pumpkin a whole lot except myself so I don't know about making a cheesecake, but I think I might do it for Christmas. I don't have time for Thanksgiving with traveling and all. I am going to make the two batches of cookies and freeze them and take them and then leave them for the kids since I definitely don't want them coming back with me.

Susan: Oooh, rag rugs, I love them. They are so homey I think. Let us know what you think of the class. I agree with you, no sense in keeping a volunteer job and giving up one that makes money for you. We need all we can get anymore.

Guess I will unload the dishwasher and put in the couple cups in the sink in there and get the day going. Jack should be up in about half an hour or so. Have a good middle of the week! Faye

[Jean]

Good Morning, Flowers! The sun is shining brightly, NO wind, and it's warmed up to 15 degrees since I got up this morning. I'm off to get my nails done, drop off library books, will organize my shoe box pile, iron later, and have bell practice at 5. I should fix a meal in there somewhere.

"Gma" -- :hp: to Kelly! Time does fly, doesn't it? Bob laughs at me because I am one to follow a recipe and not try to substitute. Sometimes we watch the cooking channel where most of the cooks just scoop and dump. His mom used to go by guess 'n by gosh; sometimes things came out tasting really, really good and other times not so much. I don't know how women did all they did before the convenience of washers, dryers, dishwashers and microwaves. One can spend all day in the kitchen just fixing meals and cleaning up, then it's time to do it again. We've had no snow yet, although eastern Iowa did get a light snow a couple weeks ago. I figure each day without is one day closer to spring!

I'm off to get my day moving onward. Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday and enjoy!

[QuilterInVA]

Please go to Steel Magnolias #52