Lois

While I was shopping this afternoon, picking up extra food items before the nor-easter hits this weekend I spotted a hard bound holiday victorian craft book. It looked so good and it was 30 % off at the register. The book was marked $4.99 plus the additional 30% off at the register. I knew that this price couldn't be correct as I have been buying craft books for years. When the girl scanned it the price said $4.50. I told her that wasnt right, and that I believed the book was originally priced wrong. She took it to the courtesy desk and came back, handed me the book and said "merry christmas early". She told me that I was right and that the delivery company that brings the books to them had marked the price wrong on them. And that since I brought it to the store's attention the book was mine for free. Got home, peeled all the lables and barcodes off the book and my goodness it is a $29.00 book... sure made my day!

When I cant sleep i usually get on the PC or watch TV for awhile... if that doesnt work, I do some house work and then try going back to bed after I take the munchkin to school.

Battin down the hatches Ed and everyone on the east coast, we're in for another nasty storm! Going to the store for bread today, have enough of everything else to see us through the weekend and into next week. T.

tHAT'S GREAT lOIS.. ITS THE ONE THING I MISS THE MOST, NOT BEING ABLE TO CAN RIGHT NOW.

Snow I am so happy that your son will be with you soon. Divorce is never pleasant and top it off with having to leave his children behind and being unemployed has got to be so very, very hard on your son right now. I'll continue to hold your son in my thoughts and prayers for things to get better and for him to find a job quicl;y. T.

Reci, I have those cycles too, more often than I care to admit. But I turn it over to the guy upstairs and say let your will be done lord not my will. Then I try to find something to keep myself busy. My health isnt what it was 3 years ago and with 2 mild strokes and the hanta virus behind me in that time frame, I cant do the things that I always did for myself and my family. To be honest there are days I just feel plain useless, but in reality I know I'm not.

In 1992 I had 5 teenagers at home and one of my older sons had just moved back home from Alabama. Now let me tell you, with my Ex-DH being very ill there wasnt much $$$ to plan anything let alone Holidays and gifts. I had a family meeting with the kids right after the first of the year and told them that Tom was in the hospital, & needed several heart procedures in the comming months and that other than bare essentials there wasnt gonna be much $$$ for anything. I let them help me devise a game plan for the birthdays and holidays for the comming year. They said "Lets do garage sales". I agreed, and they agreed to $5.00 a week per person to work with and they would be responsible to think and plan on what they would get each person in the family. I put $5.00 aweek aside myself for new clothes and such for birthdays and christmas. Each person received a pocket size notebook and pencil to keep track of what they bought and for whom. Let me tell you, the thinking and planning and buying that those kids did was amazing! and the bargains and collectables they came home with blew me away! My stepson bought me a set of 8 demi-cups and saucers that Rachel now has in her her antique shadow box hanging in her dining room. I found 3 pieces of Hummel figurines from Germany for $5.00 each and both of the girls got one and I gave the other to a dear friend from nursing school who helped me take care of Tom so I could work full time. I found 3 floor length formal gowns with the price tags still on them, for about $2.00 each; snuck one of Rachel's good dresses to a friend, who was a seamstress, and she altered the formals for me using the fabric she had cut off for the hems to make rachel satin roses and hair pieces to match the formals. I gave her one dress a week early for her MCROTC Christmas Ball and she was in pure heaven. The only thing new we had to buy for the ball were her shoes and even her clutch purse came from a second hand store. Our living room was so full of gifts and presents that we ran out of room under the tree and they spilled out to go up the stair well to the loft on the second floor, piled to over flowing in an antique steamer trunk in the dining room... and for the first time in their lives, no one cared if someone else got more gifts than the others. This planning allowed me to order my sons class ring for the holidays and suprise him with it. He had told me. "Don't worry mom I dont need a stupid ring anyhow!" Well I knew he wanted one badly and he wasnt ashamed to let his brothers and sisters see him cry when he opened up the box and saw his ring. Birthdays became more special that year too. Piles of gifts for the birthday person and I made the cake myself and was able to decorate the house special. Needless to say I love garage and yard sales and thrift shops! They have given me such special memories with my children and a tradtion that they use with their own children now. "Aint no sin being poor, the sin is in feeling sorry for yourself cause ya are poor!"

I am a firm believer in garage sales, yard sales, and thrift shops. My children had some of the finest, namebrand, second hand clothing you ever wanted to see and for pennies at that! My Grandbabies wear second hand clothes and they are very well dressed. Taught my kids to shop the closeout racks too at kmart and walmart at the end of the season... they can get brand new clothing and coats and such at the end of the season for next years wear... believe me In St. Johns, Az no one cares if you are in style, only that your clothing is clean and in good repair!

I could live with it!

I buy my dishwashin detergent at the dollar store and alot of office supplies, plastic ware and such.... anytime I can save a few $$$ i do it.

I boycot DuPont products as much as I possibley can... they used to have a chemical plant right here in Pompton Lakes and some of the rivers are still showing signs of pollution. I try to buy only american made products also, why should our unemployment be so outrageous because other companies are going over seas to make a massive $$$$$ profit while our families are being forced to live in poverty and on food stamps because its economicaly more profitable for the stock holders in a corporation to make more $$$ using child labot and pay below poverty level wages to families over seas?

Yeah Ed just what is a pocket T-shirt? HUH HUH ???????????????????????? Getting out my binoculars and my BIG fire department fan.... I'll just make us some wind!

Yeah Ed just what is a pocket T-shirt? HUH HUH ???????????????????????? Getting out my binoculars and my BIG fire department fan.... I'll just make us some wind!

So glad you're ok suzze I know i argued and argued with my brother on the phone, in zanesville, till he took his family down to the basement to shut me up! Ive lived thru an F5 tornado and I dont like the danged things at all. Green skies terriorize me now!

How are things going Snow? I am holding your son's impending dovorce and family and need for money up to the lord... he is greater than all of us. He and frannie saved my life when i just wanted to give up and he will help your son too. luv ya KOTC twi

Sorry to hear this Big Brother! People like that make me sooooo MAD. Wonder how they would like it if someone did that to them?

So sorry to hear this Sis... keep her and love her and when her sight is gone, hand feed her if you have to... I did mine.

Make room for me in that field or on that stone wall!

Make room for me in that field or on that stone wall!

It's beautiful Spit! I'm so happy for you and your family. YOU GO GIRLFRIEND!

Thought you'd like my fish story Big Brother!roflmfo........... I wish I could have been there to help you Sis... I love doing things like that, makes me feel useful! T.

HI Snow... your card and ornament arrived in todays mail! It is so wonderful! T.

WEll,I was able to beg the rest of the boxes from my local dollar store so the rest of my packages go out in the morning. LOL the boxes weigh more that the ornaments do , but that's ok, I enjoy doing this so much every year! [This message has been edited by twilap (edited November 12, 2002).]

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss ND!Been there done that in the floods of 78/79 in Arizona. Take time to take care of you first hun, the ornaments will come later if need be. Twi

Senwolf, ya cook the way I do. After raising 6 kids on make it from scratch meals, I dont know how to cook any other way! Thank you so much for the recipe, I have a freezer full of trout from the river out back, as well as sea bass, striper, and black fish!