redhenfarm

Mommyof5: We've had the same house since 1976 and we don't have software but we've had to work on and redo about every inch of this house at one time or another. Our on-going project is how to make a postage stamp kitchen more usable. We say "when our ship comes in" we would check with the local home improvement store who can show you how to use existing space more effectively. An idiot who never cooked built my kitchen. So much dead space it isn't funny. Jan

These are beautiful. Isn't it amazing how different colors change the look. I could happily find a place for any of them. How long to finish one of them? I'll bet as busy as you are you do a bit here and a bit there. Jan

It's still morning here and it looks like another nice day. This is really unusual for us in March. I'll do some weeding out front and have tons to do inside. Snowmom: Your deer would be so much fun to watch. They are so beautiful and graceful. I haven't seen any here yet but then my roses aren't ready to bloom. Mommafitz: Hope your move is going well. Mommyof5: It's so much fun to dream about where you want to live eventually. We were just talking about that. This was our first home, then we moved to the big city and rented it out, moved back and it is our "last" home, too. Brigid: Glad you are back and running again. Jan

Hillbillee, That would be me except I won't reach that magic age until October and I'm not a grandma yet. That is amazing to read through. I remember being required to go to the new high school to get the polio vaccine (a dose on a sugar cube) - all too real because a friend several houses down the street came down with polio. I also remember my first pair of nylons were the kind with seams and you had to hook them up to a garter belt which was very uncomfortable. Our first dishwasher was a Westinghouse and all the enamel stuff came off after awhile. I remember Dad saying he'd put it in front of the appliance store saying "this is what Westinghouse makes" (but he didn't). Ah, I could go on and on. Jan

Great pictures. Looks like a fun day at the park. What is your brother doing in Japan? Jan

Good morning everyone. I enjoy hearing what everyone is up to. Yesterday (sounds like a song) was nuts at work. The optometrist was in and I had to reschedule about 4 people to keep her busy. We pay whether the student shows up or not. In this case one student is gone for good and two others went home on leave. Made my life interesting! My regular part of the job was going on with that. I came home, went to bed at 7:30 and slept til 6:15 and I feel good. I can hear the robins chirping outside and this morning will be nice. Rain's coming back. I want to do some weeding. Snowmom: Your news about no gas money for the kids reminded me of a friend who used to say (about someone who was irritating her) "Put 'em in a big box and shake it up real good." I think it meant shake some sense into them. Never heard that anyone did that or that it would work. Dr. Phil never says that. Anyway, will continue to pray about that situation. I'm glad you are having Lynne's daughter today and I hope it works out you can visit the kids. Hope everyone's having a good day. Jan

Good morning. I got here earlier than usual (for me). Snowmom, it's hard to believe you are so cold over there when we've been having a sunny week. Yesterday was nice when I left home but when I got to work it was all covered with fog (we're right by the river). Just makes my fingers itch to pull some weeds! I was awake in the night from about 1 to 2:30 so I'm dragging a bit this morning. Having dreams about work. Anyone have clotheslines? When Snowmom talked about laundry I thought of how wonderful things smell when they dry outside in the sunshine. I have one of those single pole ones with the square of plastic lines on top. My Mom used to have the two t poles with lines across and my aunt had one out her back window (her basement was ground level so the back porch was on second story with a big window that opened so you could hang the laundry out the window). Snowmom's laundry would freeze today! I baked chicken last night so I'll make chicken salad tonight. Have a great day everyone. Jan

Just answered my own question looking at the website address you posted. Jan

I didn't know the connection between this and low fiber in industrialized nations. Sounds like fiber is good for us in many ways. Anyone know where there is a list of what foods have high fiber? Jan

Good afternoon. I'm home for lunch. The weather has been great here this week. Amazing for March. This is my busy day and I just hang in there until it's over. Snowmom, Glad the pills are helping you. I think my Mom had a bout with that. Not fun. Becca Anne, Hope you get that help with Jake and also your other son's problems. Seems like stomach aches are often stress. School can be such a hard place to be depending on class/teacher. Okay, I just have to say where I work (the department I'm in - it's a whole big campus but the place I'm at all day- has a real nasty little clique thing that rears it's head at times and now is one of those. Not fun to be there when this happens. I'm not the only one who gets the snub but that doesn't make it any more palatable. When my boss notices it she just goes and parks herself in the area they tend to congregate in. Jan

Oh, drat! I forgot about chat tonight until just a few minutes ago. I had to go in to work early today (started at 7) so it was a long day and I'm tired. Didn't have time to hop on here this morning. We had a gloriously beautiful day - almost 70 degrees. I really should have gone outside but busy, busy, busy. Really neat thing-the guy DH plays golf with was getting new furniture today and wanted to get rid of a hideabed so DH brought it to our son. DS and his wife had just been talking about getting something at a thrift store and this one sounds so much nicer than that. The kid's apartment has a large living room but there was almost no place to sit down anywhere until now! They have a futon bed, a hassock and two chairs that need new stuffing and recovering (they'll be cute when they're done) that sag way down if you try to sit in them. So when we are there we sort of stand around or I eventually sit on the hassock. This will be luxury! I'm so glad for them. Hope to get in here earlier tomorrow. Good night! Jan

((((((((((((((((Snowmom))))))))))))))))))) Praying for this situation. Jan

Good morning. Cloudy and some rain here today. Our high will be 52. We're off to church pretty soon and then grocery shopping. What neat Graemlins! Jan

4 cups water, divided 1/4 cup chopped fresh lavender leaves 2/3 cup sugar (I'm going to try Splenda) 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons) Lavender stems Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Combine the boiling water and lavender in a medium bow; cover and steep 30 minutes. Strain the lavender mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard lavender leaves. Combine 3 cups water and sugar in saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook one minute or until sugar is dissolved. Combine lavender water, sugar syrup, and lemon juice in a pitcher. Cover and chill. Serve over ice. Garnish with lavender stems, if desired. Serves 5 found at http://www.foodnouveau.com

I'm going to add a recipe for Lavender Lemonade at the Woodstove. Jan

Good morning everyone. It's not raining right now so I plan to walk around the yard to see what's happening out there. When I replenished the bird feeders yesterday I noticed buds on lilac and snowball trees we planted last year (we! I bought, DH planted ) Also today will be menu planning and grocery shopping. And who knows what else? I was so disappointed yesterday not being able to visit Mom. The woman who was supposed to cover for me at work called me at 7:30 in the morning to tell me she was sick which meant I had to go in to take care of the essentials. That put me behind enough that we couldn't make it to see Mom for lunch and then her energy lags in the afternoon. DH and I did go to the city later but it wasn't the same. I'm not happy that this woman seems to get sick a lot but shows up the next day happy as a clam and looking fine. She is very part time and likes to work when she wants to. She leave early a lot because her husband is sick, her grandchildren are sick, her aunt Lulu in Timbuktoo is sick. Makes it very hard to trust her. I moved 5 years ago and I'm trying to remember who to notify.Mommafitz, hope your work day goes fast today. Snowmom: have fun with the grandkids tomorrow. Isn't it funny when computers are down how much time we seem to have? Still, who wants to go through that?! I hope everyone has a great Saturday. Jan

I love lavender. I have quite a few plants and the thing I especially love about it is that it's evergreen. It's nice having something live (not dead leaves) in the winter. Also rosemary is like that. Mint can spread like wildfire and take over the whole area. I made the mistake of planting some in a dahlia bed one year. Was I surprised the next year! Another thing I absolutely love, but it dies back in winter, is pineapple sage. In the fall it gets red flowers and if you brush the plants with your hands the most heavenly fragrance comes up. Also with the lavender the fragrance is in the leaves as well as the flower part. Jan

I'm lagging behind late again. It's my lunch time. I'm busy today catching up on lots of things because I'm taking tomorrow off . But I do like to have time with Mom (who is 92). We only had 14 students arrive yesterday - which is a much more managable size group. Then after that was all done we had a staff meeting and we decided to fire my student who wasn't following instructions. So I got to do that today - not a fun thing. Normally I should just have to call the person who assigns them but that lady is out sick. I finally found out who to report that to. Then the kid called me and was saying "Well, I went to the Review Board (for his misconduct) and .... blah, blah, blah" - just like it was no big thing and get on with it. That kid needs to learn consequences. So now I'm really going to be glad for that 3 day weekend! Time for me to head back. It's fun reading what everyone is up to. Jan

Hi everyone, I'm home for lunch. Raining here.Busy day and I'm just glad to be able to stop here and think about something else for awhile Momo: You will be well-practiced about what to do when you are sitting in the doctor's office. Hope all goes well. Mommafitz: We rented out our house for awhile and we were told you had to do the 30 day notice thing by mail or when the renters moved you weren't even allowed to go in the house until you got a court thing posted on the door for a certain amount of days (in case the renters left something in there)-that's our state. And I agree, it gives you protection, too. Moving is plain tiring. Snowmom: Don't have a clue how to do a website like that, but hope you find an answer. Well, almost time to head back to work. Fourteen new students arriving today. They come to the clinic for their medical stuff like brief eye exam (which I learned to do-if their vision is not good we refer them to an optometrist), dental, tb test, drug test and on and on. So I won't be sitting down again until about 3 and then I have to take meeting minutes. So glad when Wednesday is over. Jan

I didn't think I was in March denial but every day I send out to about 12 departments our appointment schedule for the next day and wouldn't ya know yesterday's list said Tuesday, February 2 for everyone to see! Jan

Happy Birthday! It can be your birthday week. Jan

Good morning. I should be in the shower or already out but here I am! It's foggy here this morning and I can hear the fog horns blowing away. That will burn off to a sunny day in the low 50s I think. Work pile up? Tell me about it and there are only the two of us and DH really pitches in and does most of it now that he is retired and I'm working full time. It would be the same if it was me at home and he was working - it just never goes away. I remember a doctor's wife, who had quite a few kids and a great sense of humor, said to her kids "Who do you think cleans this up? The pixies?" Mommafitz: If we all showed up to help you move do you think we'd get a lot done or we'd slow down gabbing a lot? Really nice of your friend to bring lunch. Snowmom: Glad to see you back. Loved the picture. Off to get ready - bleah! Jan

Great picture! How hard it is to get a picture of four people and they all look good. How did you do that? Thanks for sharing. Jan

We had a beautiful day here and it didn't rain for a change. It was cold this morning but by this afternoon we had windows open (probably 50ish). We have the goofiest old building that once it starts to warm up it gets too warm. I have been seeing a couple of deer right across from the building a lot. Tonight as I left work they were right above the parking lot looking at me. I have Friday off this week so one down and three to go! Hooray that you got the keys. That is an exciting part of moving. Sounds like you are getting everything spruced up. I love easy paced days but don't have too many of them anymore. Jan

((((((((((((((Goose Liver)))))))))))))))))) So sorry to hear of your Dad's passing, but understand you are relieved he is out of pain. We're here for you. Jan