... All the time. I never seem to know when to stop, even with hubby calling out the door "Time to come in now". When it's hot I pin a pillow slip with crushed ice in it around my neck. When it gets dark I turn on the outside lights, but try to come in by 10 PM so the lights don't bother the neighbors. I'd rather be outside than inside any ole' day and gardening gives me an excuse to be there. Incidentally, for insect bites Bob happened to notice that HEB brand antibiotic ointment has a topical pain reliever in it so it stops the itch of mosquito bites very nicely. Maybe other brands have it too. Well, almost time to put the rolls in the oven. My computer is right next to the kitchen so it's easy to take a little rest from cooking in that chair :-) Wishing you all a blessed Easter Sunday ...

Wow Jane, I am tired just reading about what all you did! Sounds like a wonderful time and lots of work and effort on your part. What a large group to entertain! So nice that your DH helps you with the decorating. Mine does not help with the inside at all. I carry everything up from the basement including the trees, all the boxes, ladders, etc. The only thing he does outside is put a blow mold Santa on our mailbox, although this year, he did run an extension cord from the backyard for some of the lights as they kept tripping the breaker this year! Again, getting everything down out of the rafters, off of the shelves, and put up is up to me! Sorry, I just needed to vent a little. I get a bit envious when I hear of other DH's that help with decorating. Anyway, looking forward to your pix. TFS, Candy

Darn, I wrote out a long response and lost it to cyberspace. Alice, thanks, I'm glad you love that pendant too. I love the lamp you posted from HF and it's on my short list. But I'm wondering if I should find something completely different that co-ordinates. I'm afraid it will look like I tried to match and missed and not like I made a planned decorating decision. Yeah, engineery feel - I love how that triangle holds the bowl. Organic, I purchased it from a local lighting store where they had a ton of catalogues. I wish I can remember what company it came from, alas I can't. It's 10 years old and I have not seen anything like it on any of the websites because I was hoping to find co-ordinating lamps. Yes, I think I'll need something with a different form but I'm clueless. The finish is shiny silver - I guess stainless steel or whatever? sky

Yes she has to call stepmom Mom. She does it so she won't get into trouble. She doesn't like it because it's awkward to her. Dad and I divorced when she was 4. Dad met stepmom during seperation. Dd met stepmom right after divorce. Dd called stepmom by her first name for the next 4 years but then all of a sudden, she has to start calling her Mom just in the past 8 months. It's so weird. Oh Dd asked me a weird question today. I had a lightbulb go off in my head and I wanted to tell y'all. She just out of the blue said, I think it's so weird that my dad has to pay you money but you have a car and he doesn't. I just paused for a minute not sure how to answer because I have never told Dd about child support. So I asked her to explain her concern further because I wasn't understanding her point. She said you and Stepdad work, Dad works but he makes more money than both of you and you still have a nicer car than he does, he doesn't even have his own car.. So many thoughts went through my head and later, my Dh and I brought it up to each other and we laughed that both of us had the same thoughts... 'well if stepmom would get a job then maybe your daddy could buy himself a new car! AND SM drives a car that cost what mine and DHs cars combined cost... But alas that wasn't my response. I just told her yes Dad pays what is called child support and it's court ordered. You live more time with me and so the state says that both parents have to equally provide for their kids and that means he gives us money to help pay for your clothes, shoes, toothpaste, roofing, heat, water, etc. AND daddy doesn't have a car of his own because he has a vehicle that is provided for him by his boss and so he doesn't need one of his own, right? She said OH that would be so silly for him to have two cars. Every morning he would have to flip a coin to see which one to drive! Why does this jerk think he has to share every detail with our daughter?? She does not need to know the ins and outs of family court... I do wish there was a way to prove all of this and put his butt back on supervised visits where he belongs!