Howdy Guys...and Gals... That picture is sooooo Funny !!!! Thanks Karen...!! It's snowing here in Illinois !!! I'm cold.... But I have so many things to be G R A T E F U L for !!!! I always like to make a Gratitude List on Thanksgiving and all of Ya'll are on my list... I'm so glad to live in America the Land of the Free and the Brave!!! Thanks to the soldiers who make it that way for us !!!! and I'm sure glad to be a Grammie Jean !!! and I am glad that ya'll inspire me to be Creative it helps me to see the Beauty in ALL THINGS !!! * * * * So On this Snowy Thanksgiving Day I remind each of you to not only stop and smell the Roses and be grateful... while you are stopping to smell that T U R K E y and/or ~~H A M or the whatever...(tee hee!) remember Susiesunshine is grateful to each of you for being such Good ~~~ Kind ~~~ Loving and Creative People to take time to share your ~~~Knowledge ~~~ Ideas ~~ Creative Ways and Instructions ~~~ Pictures ~~~ and mostly W O R D S OF I N C O U R A G E M E N T with "ME" and with eachother!!!!! T H A N K S * * * * Y A ' L L !!!!!!! Give yourselves a (((((( HUG!!!!! ))))) from me !!! GOD BLESS ! susiesunshine

You're getting things done. I have my small HFGH covered with a white Queens size sheet from GoodWill Store. It cost $1.50. We just tossed an old tarp over the Rion to protect it from the sun.

Sarah: Yikes! When I linked that Kichler light it was on sale for $67. Now it's $134. I wouldn't pay that much. If you're interested, keep an eye on ebay. I really like the first sconce you posted but, again, too expensive. Keep looking. You'll find the right thing. I beg you not to give in to the Lowe's syndrome. Lighting is one place where you can get creative and separate yourself from the hordes, so to speak. Though Lowes and HD have good choices, I hate having lights like everyone else's. I think this fixture might be too small for your (lovely) Morton Building. Also, I'm not crazy about putting nickel fixtures outside. I think oiled bronze would look better.

Oh, gdogni. I tried to make this short, but it can't be said in a few sound bites. Who was doing the jobs before the illegals came? They were being done. Have we been quick to buy the idea that Americans don't want to do these jobs because we, ourselves, wouldn't want to do them? Americans have done jobs for many years I wouldn't want to have to do. I would do anything I could do, if necessary, but I do have my 'druthers. I wish you could have talked with the young woman I just spent time with the other day. She was almost in tears because she was pretty sure she was going to loose her jobs because the company had just brought in a new group of illegals. She commuted 60 miles - one way - to work on the assembly line of a chicken processing plant. I've been just in the office of a processing plant and my stomach lurched from the smell. It's a job I don't want to have to do - but others have for many years. She said, in a shakey voice, 'I've just got to have this job.' The shocking thing she told me is, if this company lays someone off, not fired for reason, but laid off because of slowdowns, etc., they will only rehire you one time. That means you can be rehired, but if laid off again (because a batch of illegals come in) you are no longer 'qualified' to work for that company. By way of their hiring practices, they are creating 'unqualified' workers in the area. People know to not apply for the job again. So when the news media goes to the spokesman for that company he/she can say things like 'we just can't find qualified workers', or 'we just haven't had any applicants' or the old stand by 'no one wants to do these kinds of jobs'. Neither they nor the media are going to tell you they fixed the situation. When you see jobs being filled by illegals - the only thing that means is they have the job. It means absolutely nothing else. We don't know how many others applied for the job, and didn't get it. One thing you have to realize is that in many areas, people are aware that only illegals will be hired, and they don't even apply. I saw illegals building the houses that got built in the frenzy of the last few years. Can we assume that Americans no longer wanted to do carpentry, dry walling, electrical,plumbing, bricklaying?? I don't think so. I know a lot who wanted the jobs. They are a bargain to employers because the employers have no responsibility. They don't have to comply with overtime laws, collect and match taxes, worry about OSHA regulations, workman's comp. If one gets hurt, they are taken to the hospital and the taxpayers pay for it. The media and the politicians are not giving out the true story on this. Now the reason I mentioned illegals was the fact they are working here. Americans already are competing with them for jobs, and if things get bad, it will be even more so. There is nothing wrong with mowing lawns and bussing tables, but that is not the only jobs they are doing. We will be hampered by the fact employers will have to work within the labor laws when hiring Americans, so given the choice, they will take illegals. The illegals are also getting benefits that are going to be needed for American families who loose their jobs. Again, just because Americans aren't doing the jobs, don't assume they won't or don't want to - now - but especially in the future.