lynnem, yea, there is something about the smell of a barn on a cold winter day, it's such a earthy smell, that is the only thing I can think of to discribe it, guess you have to do it to understand. I too never minded the cleaning up. Back when my barn was full, I would go out all covered up for the cold, but after a while, the body heat of the animals and the physical work would get me so warm, I started shedding clothes. I miss those days, clean a bit and then take a break and fuss with the critters. I'm afraid my two goats and few birds don't require much cleaning, a fast sweep with a push broom pretty much does it. Like, oh WOW on the mosiacs and jewelery, just beautiful, plain and simple, no other word for it. And Margo's birdbath is way too cute, such a nice garden accent. Now I am a cross stitcher, been doing it for years and am not happy unless I am doing an impossible pattern on the most difficult of fabrics, I get bored with anything less. I haven't done any in years because I have not had time, but I'm itching to get stitching again and decided to do something for myself for a change, I have never kept any of my work. I made a seperate post asking some opinions as to which picture to do. As soon as I decide, I'll make the pattern and get all the floss and fabric ready, I have every known dmc floss all organized and plenty of fabric, I'm all set to go as soon as I decide what to do.

Milosmom, so glad Drago has a good home now. IKWYM as we've had many other dogs and a few thot they were people! This one is spoiled too but we didn't want her to be one of those little dogs that is held all the time. It's harder to let small dogs be dogs and not treat them like babies. She loves being a dog tho and doesn't mind baths. OA our Cinderella is a Schitzu cross, about 11 pounds of spunk! Glad you saw the insulator hose guards, they work well altho I have knocked one off but they don't break easily.

Christmas gift-giving within our family is minimal so our first tradition starts a couple of days before Thanksgiving, when all of our family members go out and buy $20 worth of $1 holiday or winter themed scratch-off lottery tickets. Our gift to ourselves is seeing surprised and then mostly smiling faces when we give them away to a clerk at the supermarket, a woman with a whining child, or whenever the mood strikes us. We usually have refill our pocket as the month progresses and itÂs amazing to see the power that a dollar can still have. On Christmas Eve, we usually have beef or cheese fondue or both and then attend a church service. Most years, DH was singing in the choir. Starting when our children were young, Santa never put presents under the tree. Instead, theyÂd open their Christmas stockings and in the bottom was a clue to find the first gift. TheyÂd bring it into the living room and open it. On the back was another clue to find the next gift. As they got older, the clues got harder, sometimes involving going outside. It slowed down the pace of Christmas morning and seemed to make them stop and appreciate the gifts they received, instead of having a frenzy of unwrapping. This tradition continued when grandchildren came along and what they all remember and talk about most was the scavenger hunts themselves instead of the gifts. I think thatÂs why we just do small or handmade gifts now. Another family tradition is NOT to cook a sit-down Christmas dinner. When I was growing up, my parents always had an extended Open House on Christmas Eve and added a few hot items to the buffet for Christmas Day. Most things were made ahead of time so it was always a relaxing day with people dropping in as their schedules permitted. Soon after we were married, DH and I began hosting a Christmas Day brunch from about 10 to 3 and a buffet of homemade soups, breads and cookies on Christmas evening. Chicken-rice-leek is the one that always has to be on the menu. Both DH and my parents are now deceased, as are all of our aunts and uncles except for the two we visited at Thanksgiving. Our children and GCs are scattered about the country so sometimes even when they were at home, weÂve done different things on Christmas, like serving Christmas dinner trays to hospital patients so more of the food service workers could spend Christmas with their families or shuttling truckers who had to spend the holiday at a truck drop to a Christmas dinner. Last year, we went to FL and spent the holiday at SD & SILÂs, cooking a Dickensonian goose on Christmas Eve and learning salsa dancing at their South American neighborÂs holiday celebration next door. This year, DD will be here for her last Christmas before reporting to the Army and her only requests were no gifts, saving a tree for her to decorate and chicken-rice-leek soup on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

My dogs LOVE to ride, so they get to go TO the grocery store when it's not too hot or cold for them to wait briefly for me in the car. A local grocery store (large chain - Shaw's, for those in the northeast) has a hearing impaired cashier who brings his service dog to work with him, and the dog sits quietly right beside him at the register, wearing his service dog vest. Just after Christmas last year, I was in another large grocery store and saw a man with the tiniest dog all bundled up in a blanket in the child seat area of his cart. You could barely see the dog, who was beautifully dressed. I asked if I could pet the dog, and he told me her sad story. He was a retired state trooper who had a 'friend' adopt this sweet pup, and proceed to crate it and completely ignore it. Long story short, he told the friend he was either going to report the treatment to authorities, or turn the dog over to him. He got the dog, and told the person that if he ever found out he had another dog, he would report him, as I guess he had this history with them. I could tell that this tiny dog was going to be loved so much by this man, as when I asked if I could pet her, and we talked, he was speaking to the dog too. It was so cute to see this big man talk to her and say, 'Daddy will never let anyone touch you who wouldn't love you.' Since she was covered and only her tiny head stuck out, and she was quite shy, I don't think many people would have even noticed her, but he wanted to acclimate her to public places.