Gabby, you are a sweety! My kids don't find my stories interesting -- ok i kindof stretch the story instead of getting mad and yelling i tell them stories about (fill in the blank)and i make them boring and they always end with some kindof motto, i get the rolling of the eyes, and then i end it with that's not being very Christain of you!-lol -kids. i am still mourning over the loss of "Buddy" and i just can't let it go, it's so terrible, i know he's at the Bridge, but he was so shy and quiet and afraid of everything, even leaves falling off the trees! I burst into tears at the most stupidist of times,--like right now and in the grocery store! I thought Al might have had to go into the hospital earlier this week, he had alot of pain in his shoulder and used alot of nitro stray. Good news our medical carrier at his work (almost everywhere you work here in canada you have medical,dental,prescription care) we won't be paying out 100 percent and get back 85, we will get a card and only have to pay the remaining 15 per cent out of pocket! even though it will be election time here in a few weeks, here in canada we have nothing to complain about we are very blessed, free hospital, doctors etc. I fell off a chair on monday nite-no i wasn't drinking, i don't drink, i was putting Christmas stuff away and fell on my hip,back and head, the doctor on call said i had a mild concussion i am black and blue and sore! Carley is still home from school and is busy filling out her university forms and driving us up a wall with that. The two of us have spent quality time doing nothing! it's nice she goes back to school on monday for 21/2 weeks and then is on a break again then goes back for 2 classes and high school is done. Matthew calls us atleast 4 times a day and actually slept over the past 2 nights this week, he says work is boring, even with after Christmas sales the mall is dead, so many people are out of work here too, we have many pulp and paper mills, but 3 have closed down here forever and 3 out of town too, one may be going on strike. probably the 2X4's that your home is made from came from our city! yes they go to the states so if you see Abitibi that's from where i live. most of these men and women do not even have their grade 10 and they thought they were set for life plus they made more that Al did in one year at the College where he works, now it seems that all you get here are call centers and new one will open up soon and their head office is in Penn. also when you call Target credit department you are calling someone here in my town too! we are lucky we don't have much snow only about 1 1/2 feet of it and it's so warm - are you ready - 9F out a heat wave! -lol. i remember Indianapolis and the road the Speedway" and going to a mall there too!
At this time though after me babbling i would like you all who are reading this to say a prayer for all the Miners and their Families at 9pm this evening (that would be whatever 9 is where you live).
enjoy your day and drive carefully! debbie

Sorry, but I sent a long letter and it would not submit....soooo I am just saying keep the letters coming, keeping this short and sweet, and know that I enjoy hearing from you.Keep WARM...and continue taking care of that sweet family of yours.Will try later on a longer one. DH says send some "mahogany wood", he does woodworking, and says that is where it comes from, Canada...lol...Lets eee if this will send before I write a book...lots of Hugs....Gabby

HI Deb and Gabby....I would LOVE to be able to do woodwork. Surely do need kitchen cabinets repaired or replace in this old house!
The computer has been ill...that certainly is expensive. It is not all that old, so hope it can recover. Glad you guys are OK. No news here. Derry

Hello to you all.....always good to come and check in and read your news...think about you all often.
Hey Derry....I also need to redo my kitchen cabinets...dear husand is just not like yours Gabby...just no talent when it comes to doing things around here. My problem is just getting started...seems I am getting lazy as I get older. LOL Thoughts and prayers, Nora

Hello All....Gosh Derry and Nora. My DH would love to redo your cabinets. If only you lived closer. He loves doing woodworking, and enjoys the time off to do it which we have now. He is laid off now and we are home. The neighbor guy is taking advantage of it also and getting him to repair some ladder back chairs, and make new spindles for them. They are done with it now and you can't even tell they were repaired. Also he wants some adriondack chairs, like my DH made me.

So is everyone enjoying the above temps we are having? In Kentucky today it was in the 60's and sunny, unusal for January, but we won't complain. Also husband does the old fashioned way, "dovetails drawers" ....put everything to gether with biscuits ,glue and some dowel pins. Does it with mortis and tendon, and ect, all forgein to me but to him, he knows what he is doing. There is a sight ,you can go too, and see some of it, at WWW.fergusons woodshop.com. Let me know what u think? You all take care, think of you all often.....HUGS Gabby