Jamie,

Go to gilberthwild.com and request their catalogue. They have a very large selection of live Daylilies and Iris plus a lot more. I received their catalogue a few weeks ago and haven't stopped drooling over it yet! LOL! They offer quite a few specials on their plants.

Hardyplants.com was another good source for some of the hard to find seeds that I was looking for. They also offer some specials at the checkout stage online. Discounted Perennial seeds packs after you spend X amount.

Then there is T's Flowers and Things at tsflowers.com. She packs her seeds beautifully and ships them out very quickly. Very nice and offers tips on planting, achieving a higher percentage of germination, etc.

Have a great time in MS! I would love to see pix of that ladies gardens. I am starved for color at this point!

Becki, you should chime in here! You are the go to girl for awesome catalogue resources.

Iced Mint Green Tea
EW (Test Kitchen)

Crisp and refreshing, you just may find yourself craving this beverage on a hot summerÂs night.

Servings: 4 servings
Total Time: 45 minutes (including chilling time)
Ease of Preparation: Easy
Health: Low Calorie, Low Carb, Low Sat Fat, Low Cholesterol, Low Sodium, Heart Healthy

Ingredients:

Iced Mint Green Tea
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
3 green tea bags
2 tablespoons honey
4 cups boiling water
2 cups sake , divided
4 stalks lemongrass for garnish

Steps:

1: Combine mint leaves, tea bags, honey and boiling water. Let steep for 5 minutes; remove tea bags. Refrigerate until chilled. Divide among 4 large ice-filled glasses. Add 1/2 cup sake to each glass. Garnish with a stalk of lemongrass. Non-alcoholic variation: Omit the sake.

Nutrition: (Per cocktail)

Calories - 76
Carbohydrates - 11
Fat - 0
Saturated Fat - 0
Monounsaturated Fat - 0
Protein - 1
Cholesterol - 0
Dietary Fiber - 1
Potassium - 67
Sodium - 11

ok i thought with spring coming one and us out working in our garden and getting all hot, this would sound nice to come to for a nice thirst qeuncher (sp) LOL
hope everyones having a great morning :'))

updated your wants list?? i know i shoulda mentioned that befor, but ya know how that is. LOL always forgetting something!! LOL i just finally did mine, as if it needed anymore, LOL well, not all the way, just what i could think of right at the moment. LOL :')) Have a Great Day!! :'))

We're floating away here! Help!!! LOL
Some of you may remember, but our house is built on an old creek bed, and has the propensity to flood from time to time. The last horrible one was back in '64/65, when the water got over the front porch and into the house. ICK
Well, this morning, we started getting really heavy rains, and our yard started flooding. Never fun. Now, our carport is under 6" of water (nothing major)....and our yard is under 3' in some places!! ACK!

I walked out to the mailbox this morning, and took some pictures. This was before it got REALLY bad.
If you look closely, the entire road is under about 8" of water here....the mailbox had about a foot, and it's rushing really fast into the ditch along the front of the house.

The ditch stopped diverting water about an hour ago, and everything has risen to about 2-3' since then. The water is now up over the reflector on the mailbox. I went to put some mail in the box, and the water is over my knees and REALLY strong.
EEEKKKK!!!! I'm gonna get my kayak!!! LOL!

geez melissa!! tabor went out and dug out our ditches cuz the city wont do it, u knwo its their responsibility, and the water is flowing great!! FINALLY!! otherwise our yard'd be like that!! LOL
here's a thingi for some really cool stuff, i always forget who i'm suppposed to call and blah bla bla, so i thought hey!! and when chart jungle gave me thingi and it had butterflys on it i had to look at it!!! LOL
TO DO Chart (Butterfly)
Garage / Yard Sale Chart
now if it son't show up right, i'll put the link for the whole place!! who knows, you might find something you like!! LOL :'>> i think i copied like 10 things already!! thank goodness dh bought us a laminater for the homeschooling. then i can reuse them LOL cruddolla, they always showed up befor, ohhwell you have the real link now :')) HEE HEE :'))

Here is a link that might be useful: chart jungle way cool charts!!! LOL

geez melissa!! tabor went out and dug out our ditches cuz the city wont do it, u knwo its their responsibility, and the water is flowing great!! FINALLY!! otherwise our yard'd be like that!! LOL
here's a thingi for some really cool stuff, i always forget who i'm suppposed to call and blah bla bla, so i thought hey!! and when chart jungle gave me thingi and it had butterflys on it i had to look at it!!! LOL
TO DO Chart (Butterfly)
Garage / Yard Sale Chart
now if it son't show up right, i'll put the link for the whole place!! who knows, you might find something you like!! LOL :'>> i think i copied like 10 things already!! thank goodness dh bought us a laminater for the homeschooling. then i can reuse them LOL cruddolla, they always showed up befor, ohhwell you have the real link now :')) HEE HEE :'))

Here is a link that might be useful: chart jungle way cool charts!!! LOL

The counties here are pretty irresponsible about that sort of thing. They never even put in a ditch along the road, and after the flood of '64, the owner of this house actually BUILT the small ditch & large bank that runs along the front of our house, in between the road & the yard. He lined it with rock & concrete..so it works fairly well. Otherwise, we'd be in a LOT worse shape than we are now!

No cars (obviously) have been able to make it on the road today, and the county sent someone out to "inspect" the road conditions.....Hmmm...And he just stood there, hands on his hips...and says..."ah-yep, it's flooded, alright. not much we can do 'bout it".
LOL! No kidding!!! :O)
IF this rain ever stops, we'll be fine. It's risen QUITE alot since I took those pictures (about 8 hours ago, now!). But I think we'll be fine.
I hope. :O)

YAY! Tomorrow the kiddos go back to school! They've been on spring break for the past 10 days! They had extra days left, so they just extended spring break. Boy, are the kids B-O-R-E-D!! LOL Especially since they've been stuck inside today. Yuck.
Bowen will, of course, be staying home. But that's good, we're all looking forward to it. And then next year, I hope to have them ALL home! It'll be fun. I think. :O)

Well, I'm off to see if my hubby has floated in from work yet. He says the roads are ALL horribly flooded. It's a good thing he took the suburban today. LOL At least it's heavy enough that it won't float away too easily! :O)

ok so today we went out and "played" and i saw a thornless raspberry that tabor had run over last summer, had rooted itself, so i brought it in. and i'm like yay!! i'll have 3 now instead of 2!! but they all will be new plants since the buger ran them over!! LOL one day i will have so much berrys that i won't know what to do with them!! LOL yep!! i can't wait for that day!! LOL just think berry ice. for flavored water. sounds interesting. has anyone read any of the stuff on the tofu?? gm is bad and the unfermented is also bad. i'm trying to learn all these things and it will never stick with me, i will retain 1/100 of it, LOL that's it!! LOL well good night all, sleep well, i'm going to try to for a change!!

Okay, so we need to eat fermented tofu? LOL...Um..Eew. :O) That just sounds unappealing.
Good to know, though, because I cook with the stuff all the time! :O)

Well, we've dried up (compared to yesterday...today we've only got 12" of standing water! LOL), and there is a new grand canyon down our road. Yay! The kids can not wait until the weekend, when they get to go play in it! All day yesterday, the kids were looking at the water, and saying "MAN! I wish it was summer, so we could go play in the water!!" Uh, NOT!! Not the way that stuff was running! It was STRONG, nearly knocked me off my feet, so I KNOW it'd be worse for them.
Most back roads are closed around here, since we are near a really large lake. Alot of overflow. But we've been lucky, in that there are only 2 people that have been swept away by the waters...one was rescued, but they still haven't found the other. It's very sad. & Frustrating.

I've got 2 boxes of bulbs & plants that I can't do anything with right now! UGH!! I hate that feeling! I'm itching to get outside in the dirt, and it's mud up to my knees!! This weekend should be near 70, so hopefully it'll dry out enough that I can at least get SOME in the ground. :O)

I've got a box full of goodies that I'm anxious to get mailed out, but I don't have an address for. I'm partnered with Sharon (scottrell)but having trouble getting in touch with her. No responses to my emails either through here or directly, so I don't know if they're getting through or not. Does anyone know of another way to reach her?

Thanks,
Kathy

Hi Kathy just sent ya an email girlie.

Smiles,
Pixie

Yippy! I started my Easter Shopping today! Emma and I went to the Chocolate Factory today and stocked up on our 10" chocolate bunnies and all sorts of chocolate goodies for when the Easter Bunny comes hopping through! I need to go out again and pick up some dye for coloring Easter Eggs and lots of other goodies.

We stopped in at JoAnn Fabrics after that and they have their Easter Decor on Sale for 50% off. There were quite a few deals there. They also had lots of wrought iron planters with the coco fiber liners on sale for 30% off. They were still stocking the shelves with that so I am going to go back in a few weeks with my coupons and get some of the window box kind to put outside my kitchen window.

WOW Tracy now I am going to have to hit JoAnn's to see what they have and also going to go to Hobby Lobby. I LOVE after Holiday Sales!!!

I LOVE doing Easter Baskets for the boys, even though they are older they still like them. I mail a basket to Nan and have Alan's sitting out on Easter morning. Hmmmm wonder if they are still going to expect one when they get married.....

I am going to take Coles Easter basket and decorations out to his place later this afternoon or tomorrow. I am also going to put a flower bed out there for him, I am trying to decide what to plant there, its full sun and he loved all kinds of flowers. I never thought a cemetary to be pretty but Katy's is really pretty. Full of windchimes and lots of plants, wildlife out there is amazing also so I will also do my bunny and bird food cake for Easter.

WHOOOHOOO Today is the LAST day of Winter!!!! Spring comes at 12:48 am!!!!! CELEBRATE SPRING!!!!!!

Smiles,
Pixie

Thanks Michele and Trina, now I can get Sharon's box mailed out tomorrow :)

I still do Easter baskets for all of my kids, even the grown ones.. I do one for my SO too :) Cliff isn't really sure what to think or expect, he just knows he's getting one too. I do the candy and filled eggs and the dyed ones too, for the little kids they get toys and outdoor stuff. The older girls get body spray, face masks, small loofahs, pedicure stuff. The older boys get cologne, body spay, ball caps,etc. They all seem to enjoy it. This year I'm even doing one for me, I usually don't thinking someone else will think of doing one, but this year I've gotten myself some new hand tools for the garden and a cute little garden caddy bag. Easter around here is kinda like Christmas it seems sometimes.

Weather update, it's getting warmer now that the monsoon rains have gone away. I know the feeling about almost being swept away in the torrent! My kids bought me a small azalea from WalMart today, so we got it planted and I've been doing some bulbs. Next week comes the direct sow and winter sown stuff :) I'm VERY excited!

Kathy

ok now i want to go to wallyworld!! LOL and lowes and homedopot!! LOL the kiddos filled the bird feeders!! i can't wait to see some hummers!! this next week they are going to do a deep study on hummingbirds. so they will be doing alot of prjects!!! LOL mostly hummingbird feeders and such. so i want to have them have lots of fun with it!!!! :')) i know talla will!! she always have fun with anything to do with flowers and tabor does with stuff with birds. so long as he can have a chance to shoot them down. but i'm trying to get him out of that phase. dang boys!!! so the time after that i think we will do a study on birds, and somehow incorporate GOD into it. and somehow, SOMEHOW figure out a thing where it will say why GOD wanted birds here and their purpose!!! yep!! that's my plan!!
62 today and 67 tomarrow!! now i just need to pray hubby makes it thru tonights work and safely makes it home tomarrow and all will be ok!! he's going on 4 hr of sleep, well less, i know him. at least when he's here i know how much sleep he's getting by him snoring, and when he's gone i know he don't sleep at all, he needs the noise of us, we left the house one day so he could sleep, and wouldn't ya know it, he couldn't sleep at all, the whole dang time!!! gee!!!!LOL i want azalea's!!! they are soooo pretty!!! :'))

My box for Deb went out today, by priority. I have the DC# on the side and will post it if needed.

I went to Home Depot today and checked the plants out, nothing really new yet. They need a shipment of new plants in immediately! ;) Snow is expected (up to 6" by Friday). I'm so tired of cold chilly weather! No bulbs are peeking out of the soil yet. My yard looks so bland! The grass is still that yucky yellow-brown color.

Deb

Debby, don't you dare tell me we have more snow on the way! We had rain here all day long, then it started freezing, now we are supposed to end up with 3-4" by morning! I have finally had my fill of winter! I want to put the boots, snowpants, hats, mittens and scarves away! Come on Spring! LOL!

Trina, that sounds lovely for Coles place. I think you will make it look even more lovely with whatever you decide to plant. Definitely check out those sales. JoAnn's had so much that I loved! They had windchimes, little garden caddy's, tons of ceramic pots in every size, those little rolling plant stands, you name it! It was a garden decorator's dream! I had a hard time walking out with only the things I needed. lol!

Kathy, I know what you mean about Easter turning a little Christmasy. We always hide the baskets that are filled with candy and a few small toys. They have to search pretty hard for them. Hubby and I get a big kick out of the kids trying to find them. We even hide my oldest son's basket (he is 17). Last year we hid it so well that we finally had to give him hints in the end. It is hillarious watching a frustrated teen find his Easter Basket! When the in-laws show up is where it turns into Christmas. They always go nuts on the toys and candy. Way overboard! They don't have kids of their own so like to spoil the nephews and nieces like crazy.

Michele, I can think of one story about birds in the Bible being the dove in Noah's Arc retrieving the olive branch after the flood and presenting it to Noah signifying that there was land.

Tracy,
Yep.. more snow 90% chance! My area's under a winter advisory starting tonight. Snows expected Friday- Sunday. With the heaviest tonight, tomorrow up to 10" in some areas!

I'm going shopping early today, I can't even imagine lugging groceries, trying to push a shopping cart through all that snow.

Deb

Morning All! Popping in to ask advice about a plant. We have a huge area that is washing away. I'm wanting to plant something to help stop it. I have had several offers of ivy off of freecycle & craigslist. Just how bad will it take over? Will I regret planting it? Please let me know if any of you have any thoughts. Thanks!!
later...April/dirt

April, well, I probably wouldn't go with ivy, it really can take over in the right circumstance... I know that highways use various wildflowers.. or perhaps some kind of ground cover moss? I know that Irish moss is a gorgeous color, loves the damp and is "clumpy" enough to hold the ground together. Might also check with your local railroad office and see if they have any rail repairs due soon and see about a couple of ties to shore it up. I'll do a little looking for you, something in particular is niggling at me about some of the natural anti wash out plants they use around here and in Louisiana. I'll see if I can find it and post it for you. Something about them looking for wildflowers that tend to clump and put out lots of thin root that helps hold the earth together... I'll dig for it :)

Alright, I'm putting my box to Sharon in the mail today. So, would it be appropriate to post the next trade? If there are no objections, I'll put up the post in a new thread tomorrow :)

Kathy

The sun's out here but it's calling for snow...yuck! I"m sick of this weather. I have itchy hands to get into the dirt. I did rake up some leaves the other day and made some more piles that I have to deal with yet (maybe they'll just blow away?).
I think I may have talked my husband into trying a little gardening with me. He just semi retired and needs a hobby..BAD!.."L"

~Michele, I am slapping my forehead right about now. I totally forgot about sending you the velcro!! I am SOOO sorry!! Do you still need it?? I will get it out TODAY ~promise!~ if you do!! :O)

Hi all - just popping in to say hello. Am almost finished working on my goodie box for Tracy - will let you know when I mail it. Have been busy with all kinds of plant stuff and trying to do some spring cleaning around this house before I really start looking for a job LOL Hope all are well. You snowbunnies be careful and stay warm!
Em.

My Cliff got me a new gazebo this morning! He's outside putting it together as we speak! I adore this man! He soooooo spoils me! Hehehe

Kathy

how sweet!! kathy!! i've always wanted one of those!! flowers all around them and then those window boxes up higher and flowers in them!! yes!! i am a flower nut!!! if i could have flowers inside i would!!! LOL all year :')) your sooo lucky :')) how ya gonna fix it up?? don't even say youu don't know, cuz you know ya already have lots of ideas :')) LOL your capricorn right?? :')) and the female/flowernut in ya has it all figured out!! LOL HEE HEE

how's everyone's 1st day of spring?? i always get it mixed up, for some reason i ALWYS think its on the 16th. they said on the news it was today. well HAPPY 1st DAY OF SPRING!!! LOL

hmmmm.....ivy?? i don't know about that. id' look it up in your zone, they have a website for stuff like that. is it in the shade? full sun, thatll make a difference too. not for ivy, in my moms yard its great for it, i try every year to get clippings of it and bring it here to mine. i only have some other kind a ivy. it grows on my house. dont care for that, so i'm always taking it out.

windy here, i DON"T want any more snow!!! or rain, or wind!! i want 1 week of calm 70's weather puleeeeeaaaasssseeee!!!! i want my gh set uppppp!!!! geeez!!! then my house will be cleaned out!! thats my goal!! :')) ok i'm soooo happy!! hubby made it home safely!! YAY!!!

No, Michele, I don't have a plan one! :P~~~Well, after we stuck sandbags into the corners to keep the Oklahoma wind from blowing it away, it took 120 lbs in each corner! I've already been thinking about fixing it up. It's got shelves made into the corners that are just begging for some potted plants or flowers! And I'm thinking I'm gonna get some long window styled planters, or perhaps some corner planters to go on the outside. It has a sun roof that can be undone to let the sun shine directly down through the middle of the top and there's a hook there that's intended for holding this candle holder, but I'm gonna hang a potted plant, perhaps a trailing carnation or my spider plant :)I'm gonna figure out something to side in the corners inside to cover the sandbags. As far as the supports on the inside of the roof, I think I'm actually going to get some artificial flower vines and twine around them. That way I'm not damaging the canvas and I can have them all year round! We're gonna put a table and some chairs out there to be able to enjoy the garden I've spent some time PLANTING today!!! Later we're going to go to this stone place here in town and get some shale looking squares to lay a floor in it. She had some gorgeous stuff there. OHHH!And she had this really gorgeous almost glowing green small slabs that will look beautiful in the bottom of a pond!! Which Cliff has pretty much told me I'm gonna get :)

He also wants to get a picnic table and some benches to go out in the yard. Oh, and we got me a wheelbarrow today to use in the garden! I'm telling you this man really spoils me!! We got up to 75 today, so we've spent most of it outside! I'm gonna plant my Morning glories and we're gonna call it a day today. Tomorrow the rest of the vines in the back go in. Then Cliff's gonna ask his Mom to borrow her tiller to make my veggie patch and to do me three round garden areas in the front yard for flowers. So next week everything will be planted and transplanted! And I've got green already. I went and bought three good sized, very healthy tomatoes at Home Depot, so they got planted today. I've already got my azalea and Naked Ladies and Calla's in the front yard. Once I start getting everything growing, I'll try to get some pictures to share. After all, you guys should enjoy it too, most of you have helped me make it with your seeds and bulbs!!

Kathy~ Absolutely adoring her man!

A gazebo! How wonderful Kathy! I think they're just awesome. How about sending some of that great weather this way??.."L"

Kathy that is so wonderful! I bet you are the happiest lady on Uranus today! Good for you! I love when our friends have nice surprises! That is fantastic.

Deb, I just saw the news and now they are issuing a Winter Weather Watch for us too. They are only saying 3 inches of snow for Saturday but they said more than likely that this number will change and be much larger! Ack! Has it hit you yet? I hope you are staying nice and warm inside! I feel bad for the birds that just made their way up north. I need to go refill the feeder before it hits again. It was so sweet waking up to them chirping outside our bedroom window. I thought what a great start to the first day of spring!

Em, you are making me antsy in anticipation! I can't wait! I have been working on my box for Sonja too!

Sonja, I sent you a new email yesterday. I have your addy, I just have a few questions for you sweetie.

I spent Tuesday and today at the dentist's getting a root canal and crown done. I woke up in miserable pain on Monday night and finally bit the bullet and got this darn broken tooth taken care of. I have to say that now I understand all of those people who have horrible stories about them. I had one once before and it was no big deal but this one took the cake. This is what I get for waiting too long, it had gotten very infected and the dentist had to do some major work deep in the jaw. I got pain pills but they made me feel horribly drunk (you know the put your foot on the floor feeling kind, lol). Not a fan of that feeling so I am taking them very sparingly. On the good side, I have cut down on my food intake! lol!

Hehe, a very happy woman! I'd love to share some of the gorgeous weather we had today, sans the wind, of course! We were outside working in shorts and tank tops. And just yesterday it was ugly and cold and wet. But, the weather man, the squirrels and the birds are telling me it's finally springtime, so I'm more than happy to agree and start getting all my planting done!Just not working with the teeny seed until i can get a reasonably windless day.

so i spent the last hour working on all three of the kids ears , ya know, the peroxide treatment and then the sweet oil afterwards. geez its amazing what comes out!! i'm like a very happy mommy now!!! so now they are like running aroundyelling cuz they can't hear that well with the cotton in their ears!! so talla is like this cotton bugs me!! i think i wish i could tape it on there so she couldn;t take it off!! LOL she has the worst ears!! :'(( but we'll be doing more of this if i find it's ok to do this. cuz i know some bacteria is needed. ahhhhhh i'm soooo tired today!! its the spring!! i absolutely cannnot believe this weekend is easter!! ok i cannot believe when we were looking up the meaning of easter so i could do a thing on it, i decided not to, uhhhhh i decided against it because i can't teach my kiddo's a whole thing on esther and who she was . WHEW!!! sosoo i decided we did a thing about spring. LOL mostly what its about, new beginnings, new animals and things like that. well talla is ready for bed so i'll say goodnight and go for a bit!! LOL snow saturday!! who in the world asked for the snow?? well its the last one i believe. for us!! hee hee so i'm happy about that!! :'))

Wow! This thread's been really quiet today! Taking a break from planting and thought I'd take a minute to say HI!
Oh, and I'll be posting the After Dark RR details tomorrow :)

Kathy

ohhhhh my goodness itsss sooooo windy and chilly here todya!! and these kiddo's want to play out in it!! but tomarrow the snow and then the warm again, LOL WOOO HOOO the kids brought me in some crocus in, that was so neat, they were yellow, i know/thought i have some purple one's down there, LOL we'll see, HEE HEE and i see that the naked ladies are starting to come up around the chimney!! how cool!! :')) i have some serious buds on my lilac bush out front!! i'm so happy!! this year it will bloom!! :')) last year it didn't cuz of the freeze. and some peony's are coming up in my garden, so i'm gonna have to move all the ws stuff. actually its talla's garden, and we have peony's all around in a circle. and we decided to put the fairy garden in the very center of the garden area, and then make a village out of it, and put castor beans on 2 sides for shade, i know they are deadly. she won't mess with them, she hates stickery things, and knows not to mess with them.
then we'll plant the garden around the fairy village. its no longer a garden LOL :')) HEE HEE i mean they will have the pond, the benches, the houses, and such, so its a village. LOL
so how is everyone's day today??? i hope well!! any boxes today??? i'm sooo anxious to hear about them!! LOL :'))

I received my box today from DebbyA. Thank you so much for the bulbs, seeds, hand lotion (I love the scent), and the gardening gloves. Now if this snow would just go away, so I can get outside!!

Does anyone have Sandy's address?? I e-mailed her last weekend, but haven't heard back from her.

Thanks,
Deb

no, i wish i did, i lost it when talla got ahold of my stuff. i'll try to get ahold of her. nice box :')) what's your fragrance?? i can just imagine the smell!! LOL i was hoping you'd tell us whaat kinda seeds and bulbs she sent ya :'))
next week is supposed to be really warm here, and the last frost date isn't till april 21st i think. geez another month!!! ohhh man ohhhh man!!! i'm like sooooo itchen to plant these babies out NOW!! LOL :'))

ok it looks like a easter lilly, with the foilage of a peace lilly. and some awesome fragrance, so now what kinda flower would that be?? do any of ya'll think?? well it has like trumpets or something. we have to make laundry soap and fabric softner either tonight or tomarow. i finally got it to where we get it out on the same day, kinda!! LOL :')) so he was, "i never have to buy 2 of the fragrances, i told him well sweetie we are never out on the same day!! now we are!!! GEEEEEZ!!! soooo touchy!! it only costs like under 10 bucks for like a month i think. so hey!!! LOL and that's doing like 3 loads everyday!! HEE HEE except when i don't (he hates it when i say that!!! LOL) now talla is glued to chronicles of narnia!! LOL did ya ever notice how much its like the bible?? so one day tabor and i were trying to figure out who represented who, jared- my brother told us to watch it its a good movie, it really is, well ever since, when talla gets in her things, she has to watch it!! so now we're on a mariposa break, ohhhhh darn!! LOL i like them fairy cartoons!! LOL
i decided everyday we/they will write a proverbs. it will be good for them and good for her handwriting, his cursive! that's the only way i will except it from him. he will just LOVE that!! LOL after proverbs it will be james then psalm then jeremiah. ya know old then new, back and forth.
so they will have the bible 2 times a day, morning AND night.

Deb (momcat) - I had replied to your email last weekend, but must have gotten lost in internet cyberspace.

I'm resending. Let me know if you don't receive it.

Sandy

Michele, what do you use to make your laundry soap and fabric softener? I'm rather curious and thinking about doing that myself. Do you have a recipe you can share?

Kathy

Michele - I think that's really great you teaching Tabor cursive! In our schools, they teach it, and then don't expect the kids to use it. We've asked the teacher about that, as all William's papers are in whatever you call not cursive (I'm stumped on that at the moment), and she said they just don't have the time to concentrate on it anymore, and it's not worth it anyway, because so much is done on the computer now. I think that is kind of sad!

And yes, I'd love the laundry detergent recipe too!!!

Take care everyone!!

Hugs,
Becki

Michele, I am happy to hear that you are teaching cursive too. It really is getting lost in the schools. Pat actually prefers cursive to printing which is a change from my oldest. Ted likes to print and hates cursive. I think cursive is so nice because it is so fluid. No stopping and starting like with printing.

Becki, I totally agree. Our schools don't stress neatness in handwriting as much as when we were kids. We used to lose points on our papers if they were illegible or mispelled. It will be a lost art before you know it.

Unfortunately our schools have lost the emphasis on many things, cursive writing among them. When I was in school, legibility still counted. I understand a lot is done on the computers, but do we have to lose even simple hand written things? And they no longer teach children how to manage a checkbook, or fill out a job application or how to interview. Those were always taught in Civics, which has always fallen by the wayside. I look at some of the stuff my children are learning, and it's several years advanced compared to what I learned at the same age, but it's frightening at the same time. Yeah, we need to keep up with a growing, expanding, fast paced world, but when do they get to be children again? Now, don't get me wrong, my kids are really smart and catch onto concepts very quickly. I always wonder though about the kids that don't. It must be even more awful for them than it was for the ones who struggled when we were in school. I keep considering home schooling myself. But I'm not even really sure *I* can keep up with a lot of the math and sciences they're teaching them so young now. Geometry was the last math class I didn't have problems with, Algebra was a nightmare for me. English, histories, Literature, those types of courses I excelled at, but like most who do well in those, I suffered with the higher maths and some of the sciences. So, I'm not really sure I could brave my children's futures with me homeschooling them. I give MAJOR props to those who do,these days I'm not sure that MY education would keep up with doing it. Kudos to you, Michele, and to all the others who homeschool. With the violence and all in schools today, I'd love to be able to do it, just not sure I could do it well and my children have the right foundation for collage and the workforce if I did.

And Sharon, I just checked the tracking number for your box, it look like you should get it today cause it got to the post office at 5 something AM this morning. :) Eager to see what you think of it!

Kathy

Duh- printing! Why couldn't I think of that?? Can you tell I didn't have enough sleep last night? Yes, I remember all through school, papers were expected to be written in cursive. If you printed, it was expected to be done over. William's teacher did say she counted one thing wrong, because she just couldn't tell what he was trying to write, it was so sloppy. So, we had a good talk with him about trying to keep his handwriting neat. I myself, unfortunately, have to put my signature on so many things, that I find it is often unledgible, which is sad! But, the checker at Walmart hands you the little slip to sign when you use a check, and I just sign VERY QUICKLY, or you have to sign on the little computer thing at the pharmacy - forget about reading that! But, when it matters, I try to write neatly. I have actually found that I tend to write in a mix of printing and cursive. Like I print the capital letters, and write the rest in cursive. It's kind of weird. But, yes, I definitely like the fluidity of cursive!!

I have my daughter (she's 17) in Agora cyber school. It's an online school that is really wonderful. She had alot of problems in high school with all the drama, stress and crap. I like this program because the teachers are right there online and you can also call them. If your child is having a problem, they call you. My daughter likes it because there is more one on one with a teacher. The school has "get together's" where students can meet other students. Her grades are the best she's ever had. Also, with her working, she can go online anytime and go to school with a 24 hour period. It's a really amazing system. She was on 5 stomach pills because of all the drama in school, now she's only on 2. If I had known about this program earlier, I would've put her in it then!

Kathy, I have your box packed up and ready to go...it will be at the post office on MOnday...unless Monday is a holiday for them.."pondering"...

Monday isn't, as far as I know, Linda. The holiday is on Sunday and they weren't off on Friday, my SO, Cliff, is a postman :)

So,tell me more about this school. Is it very expensive? Is there somewhere I can get more info on it? Is it nationwide or just in your area?

I gotta run to the store and get some stuff. Cliff's Mom invited the children and I to Easter dinner and an egg hunt at her house. Neither Cliff nor his siblings have children, so she's pretty tickled to have mine as grandchildren :) I think she's more excited than the kids! I also know that his whole family is hoping we'll get married. It's very tempting, despite my issues after my last marriage. He and his family are so wonderful to us! Well.. maybe we'll see once he gets his divorce final.. odd story on that.. apparently Oklahoma is a common law marriage state and if you file taxes as married filing joint, then you're married, even if just living together, as he was for 7 years in his last relationship. I wasn't aware that H&R Block could act as a justice of the peace or licensed minister, but apparently it's so. He didn't really pay much attention to it when he filed his taxes last year (after they'd ended the relationship). But they told him again this year that he'd have to get a legal divorce if he wanted to file as single again. Considering he wants to present me with a ring in the next year (which he's already purchased and it's GORGEOUS!), that caught his attention. So,he's gotten it filed and since they had no children, it should be final in like the next two weeks or something. So.... and I'm still kinda shying on this.. well, if he pops the question, I'm probably gonna say yes. This man has restored not only my belief in good men still existing, but the kids' as well. They are all encouraging me to marry him and already calling him Dad by their own choice. So..hmm... we'll see when the times comes that he proposes.. it'd be kinda nice not to have to have two houses and everything.. and we've both gotten a good handle on debts from our last relationship.. anyway.. we'll see.

Heh... there I go again, using this as a 'sounding' board. Sorry, sometimes it helps me to write things out, then examine it. :)

Kathy

i use 2 gal vinegar "at sam's 3$>
rain forest florasense "at walmart 1.84>
2 cups of washing soda make sure its WASHING soda
warm water to dissolve the washing soda, ya pour the washing soda in the water, i think its like 4-5 cups. and stir. till all dissolved. it may be more. LOL just add a little at a time till its all dissolved. then ya add this into the big tide or gain containers. then you add the florasense, then the vinegars. shake it all around. now what i like to do is if ya have room add ammonia, alcohol.. cuz ya don't have to add any pre wash, and one them smelled like alcoholish.
that's for the wash, for the fabric softner i use:
2 gal vinegar
florasense
and that's it!! and the smell go's away!! no static cling. the vinegar smell. LOL
and no build up in my lint trap. also on the plus, no allergies, cheap, i also add 1/2 to 1 cup baking soda sometimes to the whites and soak them and whey comeout whiter! no bleach. and i don't have all the suds which, ladies, did you know is bad on your washing machines?? i didnt' know that. you can use essential oils. like a 5-10 drops it says.

Okay, call me dumb.. but I've never head of washing soda.. and florasense? What's that? HELP! Michele! Tell me where to find these things in the store!!! I'm definitely interested, especially if it saves money and there's no allergies. Around here we go through a LOT of laundry soap and fabric softener, so I'm very interested and wanna learn!

he gets washing soda at dillons on the top shelf towards the back, in the laundry isle, if all else fails ask. LOL and i think IGA, applemarkets,
florasense is in the craft isle where all the potpouri's are. the liiquid one's are. they are the one's that are tiny, like 2-4 oz?? but they smell sooo good!! LOL i also use about 1/2 cup per load, except for the towels, on them i use 1 cup on the rinse! LOL
and i keep a little spray bottle of vinegar around for bug bites and scrapes and such. LOL it heals very fast! and the stings go away fast, ya also know that if a bee stings that ya can put sticky tape over it and it'll pull it right out!! i did that with tabor!! it sooo works!! :'))

Kathy,
If he treats you good, and the kids accept him, then, girl, I say go for it! I've been married a few times (we won't mention how many) and I finally got a good man...found him on the internet actually. They are few and far between..."putting on sunglasses to help with the glare of the shiny ring that Kathy almost has".."L"

I'll be mailing your box on Monday.

Also, the school Sara goes too is state funded. It doesn't cost anything,. In fact, they reinburse twice a year for the cost of the computer hookup. They sent her a laptop and a printer/fax to use during the school year. I went online and typed "charter cyber schools for PA"..try that for your state and see what comes up. The only thing is that it helps if you don't work because the kids will need supervision if they're younger. I know one parent have all five of her kids in it. I wish I would've put her in it sooner.

Thanks, Michele! I'll see if I can find all that and try it myself!

Linda, I agree, and for me this will be my third marriage. The first lasted 14 years, the second was a nutcase and I seem to have finally gotten completely rid of him, Thankfully we didn't have any kids.LOL, I found Cliff on the internet too. On myspace, actually. We're both red heads, so I initially dropped him a note remarking on how cool it was to find another red head. The emails started at that point, then instant messaging, then phone and after several months, we met face to face for dinner and a movie :) We've been together ever since. Actually, this Tuesday past was our 1 year anniversary as an "official" couple. That was what he bought me the gazebo for :) So, more than likely, when he pops the question, I'll probably say yes. LOL, I know he's still waiting for me to indicate that I'm ready :)

Jal,
Both angora and caliva use the K12.com website, it's not listed as funded in Ok, but as private pay it's about a grand a year. It's the program I use with the upper grades here at the school, 12 kids between k-3rd grade. Long story short, the public schools here are just awful, and my 1st class of preschoolers, many parents asked if they could keep thier kids here for K as well (they knew I was keeping my Evan out of the schools in town, he was way ahead, and they couldn't accomidate a 5 year old doing 2nd grade math).

Last Monday would've been 8 years married to mr fishy the 2nd, so we went down and took flowers, Evan understands that his fater is in the cementary, Erik not quite yet. We've decided to stop the fertility treatments, and start the adoption process, as much as I hate to say it, I think we'll be adopting from overseas, it seems that his status as an amputee is a huge issue in the US, even with the good carrers we both have. It feels somewhat odd to be buying a baby (there are places that will overlook his leg, for enough money), but it's clear that that's only because of the fiances we have.

ok i put 8 cups of water, and i put in ammonia and alcohol, ummmmm i wouldn't put in a whole lot of alcohol, it'll rip the paint off!! literally!! LOL ummmm hubby isn't to happy that it ripped the paint off his chair of his chair when he was a child. OOPS!! i ALWAYS seem to screw SOMETHING up!!! hmmmmm.....but i do even out in the end!!! LOL i save money but i screw up stuff. LOL hmmmm..... how do i manage??? LOL

yep i'd go for it!! kids have a way of knowing, especially them young ones :'))

maybe i can use some more of that stuff and repaint his chair another color??

i don't like the public schools cuz the kids have to deal with so much peer pressure and if ya dont fit in your kinda sc*****. my talla is very shy til she gets to know ya then watch out!! LOL :'))