[Jean]

Good Afternoon/Evening, Flowers! It is cold (6 degrees), cloudy, and gloomy in my corner of the world this afternoon. The weatherman just said that snow is heading our way and it will be below 0 tonight. Bob is at church for practice and won't be home until later. Our local stores are having a "Miracle on Lake Avenue" tonight . . . there is a parade and the stores will have live entertainment plus refreshments. There is a chili supper at the Elks Club but my stomach isn't sure it wants chili tonight. I've been fighting a scratchy throat, which is gone for the most part, but now my nose is running. I may opt to just stay home and cover up with a blanket!

Our VCR, or TV, both of which are OLD, are playing tricks on us. He pitched the VCR and hooked up another one which won't record while hooked up to the digital cable box. Bob was supposed to call the cable company today so I will be curious to find out what they had to say. I'm not in the mood to shop for TVs right now and I'm not sure you can buy a VCR without a DVD player, which we already have. It seems like there is always something to fix or buy new. *sigh*

Gail -- If we get snow, I will send it on to you! We had such a nice WARM fall, that this weather is a shock for sure. Bob keeps offering to show me how to run the snowblower . . . . I don't thinnnnnnnk so!

'Gma' -- I need to get busy and wrap what gifts I have. I'm famous for buying stuff and then forgetting what I bought and where I stashed it. I'm getting real close to giving the kids gift certificates . . . I'm just not in the mood to shop.

Gloria -- Lucky you to have your shopping done! I did find the picture and now I'm looking for my Christmas stamps that Bob bought some time ago. I hope I find them soon or else I'll be adding an extra stamp to them after the first of the year. They are not in any of the logical places I would put them so I hope I run across them when I'm looking for something else. Someday I will get myself organized! I can't imagine living in a fancy house with all of the fancy decorating. I still have the kids high school graduation pictures hanging on the wall, just because I like them!

Joyce -- You will enjoy having your computer hooked up at home again. I don't have time to get online at school plus most of the sites I would visit are blocked. The students can't get information on breast cancer, birth control, or STDs, for health class, without the media center's ok. There is something wrong with that picture but the computer coordinator wants to be in control!

Hope you all have had a good day! Stay warm and have a terrific Tuesday tomorrow!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[gma22]

Good chilly morning girls! I am sure it is colder where you are, but I feel like I am freezing to death!

Jean: I heard recently on tv that Walmart is completely doing away with any VCR's as they are not considered obsolete. Better hurry and find yourself one before you can't get one anymore. I wish they would get technology going to record on DVD's. Well, did you brave the cold and go out and hunker down and stay warm last night? Sounds like town would have been fun, but not alone. I think I would have hunkered!

Gail: Thanks so much for your kntting help. I got my round needles but they didn't have any of the yarn I need so I have to keep the car and trek across town this morning...GROAN!

Gloria: I guess if I ever have more gchildren I will have to spread the wealth a little more, but I do stay on a budget. Each adult I spend $100 and Thomas $200 and that is it, though I didn't count in their scarves as gift money so went over on everyone this year. Ummm, did I say I stick to my budget? We are going down to the casino on Friday and staying Friday through Sunday night and coming home Monday. My dd, sil and Thomas are coming down early on Saturday to go swimming in the indoor pool, play games, have dinner at the buffet again then open gifts. With the haul I bought this year, I will need two carts to get the stuff up to the room! I also had to buy my sister a bday present as her bday is the day after Christmas and a card for bil as his birthday is the day before! I only buy bday gifts for my two sisters and get the couple something for their anniversary.

Joyce: I bet your sibling was thrilled to see her dd. We never had to be stationed overseas thank goodness, but visits home were few and far between because of the expense even here in the states.

Well I hear Jack so I have to get going to take him to work

Faye

[GailR]

Good afternoon!

We got a little snow last night. Not much. Maybe 2 inches. Enough to cover the grass but the roads are okay--just wet and a little slushy in spots...which will turn to ice tonight.

I'm taking off from work this afternoon to go to the mall to do some Christmas shopping. I'll be home before dark. I'm a little leery of driving at night right now ever since we hit that deer. I'm sure we are on THEIR hit list! But truly it's because I know the roads will be slick after dark.

Gloria, did you stay in a hotel in Newark?! Gosh, the next time you think you might be doing that (if that is what y'all did), I'll email you my phone number--I'd love to meet you! Both north and south bound lanes at this particular area of I95 can get a little backed up at times.

Joyce, I was watching the news this morning before going to work and I saw scenes in Colorado of high winds of hurricane force. All that snow and that windy. Scary. I thought of you. What a wonderful surprise about your niece coming home and surprising everyone! Especially this time of the year.

Faye, you picked up a hitchhiker...I'm sitting here reading this with my mouth open. You have to be care of FEMALE hitchhikers too! But you know that NOW. Pembroke Mall brings back memories. Do you remember Independence Blvd.? My father-in-law lives in a neighborhood off of Independence Blvd. about 3-4 miles from the mall. My parents live in the south-end of the resort area at the Beach. I graduated from First Colonial High School and hubby graduated from Bayside High School.

Well, I need to get a few things done before I leave work...

[Jean]

Good Evening, Flowers! It is -1 degree, but it was a sunny day, in my corner of the world. I am ready for spring! We were so spoiled with such a nice fall and now this deep freeze. It was another typical day at school and life goes on.

I really do need to get my 'Christmas' started one of these days!

'Gma' -- Bob did find a cheap VCR at WM but it wouldn't work; the picture was snowy and you could barely understand what they were talking about. I've seen DVD recorders but they are a bit pricey yet . . . kind of like VCRs when they first came out. I think we spent close to $400 for our first VCR and now they are $29.99! We ended up staying home last night . . . I fell asleep in the recliner. It was too cold to stand around outside anyhow!

Gail -- Do you have to take vacation time when you take an afternoon off from work or are you just able to take the time w/o pay? I'll bet the mall isn't as busy in the afternoon as it is after the 5:00 workers descend on the place. The older I get the more I dislike shopping of any kind!

I went to WW tonight and lost a 1/2 #. . . .I'll take it since it is better than a gain any day! Have a wonderful Wednesday tomorrow!

Jean -- : in Iowa!

[gma22]

Good morning gals! I am kntting like a fiend to get a scarf done for Thomas. When I blocked the one I made, it thinned out so much that I decided to do another one with round needles, which I had never worked with before.

Gail: First off the hitchhiker was 33 years ago, so it wasn't so iffy then, and of course I know Independence BLVD. When we lived there the second time, we lived in an apartment complex right off the blvd. We then moved into base housing, that was 1980-84 and that was out General Booth highway. My kids went to North Landing to elementary school, which was clear out in Black something or other. I can't remember what it was called. Man, the brain is going. Jack was stationed for awhile at NAS Oceana then aboard the USS Kennedy in Norfolk. I worked for 4 years at the OB/GYN clinic at Nas Oceana with the Red Cross and worked at Lynnhaven Elementary for awhile too. We were stationed in VA Beach twice. I really liked it there but money was always a problem with us. Thanks for the tips on the knitting. I have about 40 rows done on the round needles. I had to jerry rig the needles as they were too long so I cut the plastic then spliced it back together again with strapping tape!

Well gals, I have to get back to that knitting and I have floors to mop today so better get to it all

Faye

[GailR]

Faye, glad to be of help with the knitting. You need some shorter circs! Isn't that yarn dragging over the mended spot? It's great "talking" with someone that knows my hometown. I know of all those places you speak of.

Jean, yesterday was taken as vacation time but I have a great boss who let's us close up the office early on Fridays. We're supposed to get hit with some snow tomorrow night and into Friday. Friday is the first day of final exams so it will have to snow a lot in order for the university to close but I'm sure my boss will let us close up the office earlier than usual.

Hubby has jury duty today. Which means he will be home tonight for dinner. This is a treat! We may decorate--drag out the tree and stuff.

[Joyce in CO]

Good Morning Y'all

Brrrr, is it ever cold.... -6° when I came to work this morning. It is now all the way up to 0°. At least we didn't get much snow. The wind storm we had was fierce. There was a semi that got blown over on the highway about 2 miles from our house.

You gals and all your knitting have got me itching to get my scarf done so I can work on something brand new. I need a bright new afghan for me and my recliner. I think that is next.

I hope to get our internet at home hooked up tonight. Then I can get in here more often, I hope. Then I can sit and "chat".

I sure wish "they" (the personnel people) would hurry up and let us know if there are going to offer the "buyouts". Dh (41 yrs in) and I (36 yrs in) are eligible to retire. We just keep putting it off. But if they want to buy us out of here, fine with me. I'll go!!!!