Hope you'll have had a memorable time, when you go seeking the sheets at the end of day. Good wishes for a great year coming, as well. ole joyful

HaPPy DaY, oh, HAPPY DAY...do whatever ya want the whole day through, will ya??? nola anne

What a month for you--a birthday AND retirement! Hope you enjoy both to the fullest!!! Happy Birthday, dear girl!

What lovely nostalgic stories! My memories of a cold winter morning were of the rattling coming up the big old round furnace pipes as Dad shook the ashes out of the grates and put some more wood blocks on the coals to start the fire going ... the heat came more quickly if he'd bought some coal in the fall and put some on the fire at night, for there'd be more coals left. We cut our own wood from trees that were dieing in our woodlot. Then Dad went to the barn to milk the cows and feed them - as we got older, we had to go out to help, mainly feeding the cattle. We fed the work horses and the beef cattle and pigs (we didn't call them "swine") in another barn after breakfast - but went to school on school days. Eight kids in one-room elementary school, separate doors for "Boys" and "Girls", with toilets over a tank in the separated basement. We'd line up by the "Boys" entrance door from cloakroom and march around to our desks as the teacher played, "English Country Gardens" on the piano. The big kids helped the littler ones with their work, part of the time. Once a bit of a distant neighbour came into the little general store in the village when I was there, about 4 years old, I think and Dad was in a side romm getting something, and when he saw me is reported to have said, "No need to ask who you are - Dick Baker will never be dead as long as you're around!". Dad died 23 years ago ... and there was 28 years difference in our ages. When he was in his 80s, he'd drive 2,000 miles alone every year from the Prairies down here to London to visit old friends ... in 3 days. We used to say that he was crazy ... but agreed that when they're 80 or so, you may as well save your breath to cool your porridge as tell them what they should do. Did I say that? Brother said that he was too tight to spring for more than two nights in a motel on the road ... and when I asked what was the difference - he'd spend about three weeks in a motel when he was down here, brother replied, "Oh, yeah - but he gets a weekly rate from them!". Did someone say something about apples not falling far from trees? Have yourselves a great spring weekend, everyone. ole joyful