natal, I don't understand hating forwards? Some yes, but there are so many great ones: funny like this one (always good to laugh), and just think of the take-your-breath-away nature photos you'd miss! I have friends I can count on to send beauties and I wait till night so I can view them in the dark. I took a "tour" through Paris and the Louvre via a forward. I'm a sucker for the darling critter pics and videos, too. Oh, and as for videos, some have put tears in my eyes, touching my heart. Of course, along with these are the ones I can count on to require an immediate delete, but the good ones make it all worthwhile...to me. So, natal, how come? I'm just curious, not critical.

1. I have to be in Houston in the morning at 8:30 to pick up a load of pet food. I dread driving in the rush hour traffic and it will be cold and maybe raining to boot. 2. I need to get ahold of the woman I met at the spay clinic who feeds feral cats and raccoons, and set up a time to meet her so I can donate some of the pet food to her. 3. I need to get an email address for my computer illiterate friend who wants me to contact a wholesaler that I found on the internet that sells really nice garden ornaments, wind chimes, feeders, etc. She gave her her tax info, but I left it in the truck and too tired to walk back out there tonight to get it. 4. I am cold and wish I had on a long sleeved shirt, but I am getting ready to go to bed instead. 5. It's 54 deg. here, right now. 6. I am glad I don't live where it is REALLY cold, I would die. 7. Wish I could find out something about my house that I want to buy. Vandals broke 8 windows out of it last week, and now dampness can come in from all sides. They also cut the sash cord on one of the windows in the dining room. Makes me ill to think about it. 8. My baby chicken that I got at the shelter a week or so ago is doing well. The dumb a's there didn't know if it was a chicken or a pigeon. How can anyone be that stupid? 9. My husband goes back to work tomorrow, and will be gone for two or three weeks. I'll miss his help in the evenings. 10. One of my new possums has a broken leg. I named him Hungry Jack because he eats everything I give him, every night and licks his bowl clean...no matter how much I give him, and he isn't very big. He is putting some weight on his leg now, and I am relieved about that. 11. I got Zelda, my dog, spayed on Friday. I am so glad to have that out of the way....no worry about puppies. Such a good little dog she is turning out to be. 12. My daughter was upset because someone hit her side mirror and broke it, but she took it to the shop today and got it fixed. Only took about 20 minutes, but they had to order a new one...and that took a day. 13. I got $4600 worth of pet food donated to me today. 14. I gave pet food to several people who are on limited budgets or feed wildlife. 15. The round bale of hay that I bought for the horses last week has lasted pretty good. They usually last about 10 days, and I think this one will last a little bit longer. 16. That's good, because I pay $79 per bale for it and with the feed that the horses eat, it costs me $420 to feed the 4 of them per month. 17. I'm enjoying all the gold finches that are here for the winter. They empty the feeders every day. I have 9 feeders! 18. I have a little squirrel that I don't know what to do with. He is too tame to release here, because a cat will get him. I need to find out if my friend, Tanya, has some non releasable squirrels that she can put him with. Or maybe he would be safer at her house. He is sooo sweet...loves to be petted. I didn't set out to tame him...he came in with about 25 other baby squirrels, but he was very sick for a long time. 19. I didn't eat supper tonight...but I'm not hungry. 20. Tomorrow I may have to go pick up someone I know who is in the hospital. She called me tonight and said she would call me in the morning and let me know. I told her I had to go to Houston, but I would come get her on my way back. 21. I have had to do so much driving lately, that I have filled my truck up every day or at least every other day for the past week. 22. I just took my bra off....I feel better! 23. I hate winter and freeze when I am sleeping by myself. 24. Tomorrow when I finish everything I have to do, I am going to treat myself by going out to eat at one of my favorite restaurants. 25. It's 9 pm. I'm going to bed.

Well, I talked it over with her husband this morning, and he is working on a different option. He thought the microwave may belong in a better place - less likely to have a problem. Since she uses the corner for her Mixmaster mixer which is used 3-4 times a week, the microwave can't got there (the mixer slides back on a tray when not in use). He thinks he can take the 18" upper to the immediate right of the sink and shorten the door so that he can put a small microwave on the bottom shelf and allow the door to close on the shelves above. The cord would come out of the cabinet and plug in behind the fridge. As a bonus, in the 30" keyhole area above the sink, he is going to fashion a stainless dish drying rack that will drip into the sink -- eliminating the need for pulling the drying rack out all the time when she does dishes! Since they use the same dishes for nearly every meal, they just need to take them off the drying rack to set the next table! He is marvelous! He already had attached a series of skinny lipped shelves under the 6' window (the one over the trash bins). She has all her jars of spices, oils, and flavorings there. (This family used to live in an even smaller apartment -- they know how to make the most of a space!) Thanks for the input -- as I said, it was just a random thought that brought about some good ideas and input.

I have learned to start checking the Misfits site about 2:50 our time to have it open and ready to go... Choosing time is 3:00 our time. Even so some things they say are on the list for the week never show up. I would jump though a dozen hoops to get a head of savoy cabbage but it's never on my available list :-( I do usually add a couple of things - add-ons are at an additional cost. Usually mushrooms and this week the fresh dill. I wasn't too happy this week though. The freezer pack had a hole in it somewhere and goo was all over everything. I washed the citrus and turnips with a bit of Dawn in the water but obviously can't wash potatoes with it. I had to settle for rinsing and rinsing with warm water but I will still need to peel the potatoes before I cook them darn it. I love redskin potato salad with the skins ON the potatoes. Sigh. They did tell me my delivery date is now Fridays instead of Thursdays but that's OK. Nice thing about being retired, don't have to worry about schedules! :-) PartyMusic, I tend to grow some "sacrificial parsley" for my swallowtail babies. I love them so!! Between the bees and the butterflies is why I refuse to use any "kills it all" insecticides. If I get bugs in the garden I try to go as minimal as I can - I mostly use bT or Neem Oil. This year I am trying insect barrier cloth over some of my heirloom tomatoes. Bugs don't seem to "bug" the cherry tomatoes so much. Worked great last year for my basils so I will be doing those that way also.