Yes...BIG BEAR HUGS to you. Carol and I will be lifting you up in prayer this holiday season. Keep your hubby's memory alive...remember the wonderful times. We lost my parents and brother right before Christmas... made it through by remembering the good times. On a side note, my Dad had bought Christmas presents for us boys right before he died...you can imagine the joy as we we opened his gifts on Christmas Day. We'll be thinking of you. Bear Hugs! Kirk

Thanks, all, for your sweet comments. Vickie, no there are no lights in the globes. The blue one actually has a very large chunk of it missing - my poor hubby was trying to "fix it up" somehow one day (he didn't like the way the top was attached or something)... and dropped it. I almost cried, it was/is my favorite globe and so far has been one-of-a-kind - I've never seen another one like it! I now have a dark green one from my dad's estate waiting to go "into production" to join these others. By the way, Armored Guy actually replaces Connie the Conquistador - Connie was a plaster statue that I found dumped (along with that pedestal Mary's now using) in a Pizza Hut parking lot a few years ago. Conn did not make it through the flood, he completely fell apart. Here's his picture from an evening in 2004 - VERY 60's/70's, no? :)

Lots of thoughts today. Speaking of rain, we were planning to go to Bar Harbor, ME, this weekend, but since our main purpose was to explore Acadia and it's closed, we just cancelled our hotel and instead are going to NYC. Now I checked the weather forecast for NY and it looks pretty lousy...well, 30% chance of rain, better than 100%. DH wonders if someone is telling us something and we should just stay home? But I know he'd be mopey all weekend if we did. He was more excited about Acadia than the rest of us were, because he is obsessed with his camera. Meanwhile, DS surprised me last night by saying a local university has moved into the "favorites" on his college list (he is a senior, working on early action apps this month). So he now has 3 favorites, one 5 hours away and 2 very close to home. I suspect he is setting himself up to stay close to home, because he is that kind of kid, but he won't ever admit it out loud! DH and I would be thrilled if he stayed close, but we're playing it very cool and actually have been almost pushing the far-away school. For anyone wondering: Syracuse, Northeastern, and Boston University. Unfortunately only NU has early action, so he'll have to wait quite a while to find out about the others. (He's applying EA to 3 others, too.) Finally, I have been working very part time as a decorator for several years. I don't advertise and all work has been via word of mouth, or from people who read my monthly column in our local newspaper. Business has been very erratic but that's fine with me. I enjoy being busy but also enjoy down time. Over the summer I thought gee, maybe I should pack it in and get a "regular" job with stable hours. OTOH, I like making my own schedule, taking most of the summer off, and being my own boss. So I was in a quandary. Well, as of the end of August, I have been CRAZY busy. Like never before. I have been laughing, thinking as the third new client called me within a week, am I being punked or what? I guess word has just gotten around. Who knows, but even though it's been a bit overwhelming, I'm loving it. It sounds silly, but I've noticed I have a bit of a spring in my step and in general just feeling more productive feels good. My kids need me less than ever (and one moved out over the summer) so the timing is good, too. At the moment, I think I have 6 or 7 projects at various stages. Finally. The whole wheat bread I made in my bread machine last night tastes like cardboard.

This is my first post on the forum. My wife spends a lot of time talking about washing machines here. I don't want to start a fight but do want to offer a different side to this. I could be considered absent-minded as well. I try to keep my calendar updated (the old saying "tell me and I'll forget" really applies for me). I normally have a lot going on in my head(hey...that hamster wheel may be rusty, but it still turns). If I am without my calendar, I would easily agree to something that happens on a scheduled date. I believe most guys have a one track mind (no...it is not just about sex either). If I am thinking about something...that is all that is on my mind. If my wife throws something at me while I am thinking about something else, it is tough for me to remember. I have to stop what I am doing and refocus. Come to think of it, that may be one of the reasons guys think women are all over the place in conversations. Women are much better at keeping about 20 things on their mind at one time. If a guys is on a mission, you have to refocus him. If you shift his focus, the last thing on his mind is pushed way back into cold storage. It is not that I don't care, I can focus on one thing. I was also taught to make a decision and follow through with it. I try to involve my wife in decisions. It seems like she can spend hours picking out a jar of mustard. I feel like I have a goal and must accomplish it quickly to move on to the next task. I don't try to make my wife angry. I do my best to make everyone happy. I know that is impossible but still try. She would agree that she has to be a witch to get me to do what she wants. I will let you know...it does not work. She does get her way but it builds resentment. I don't like being told what to do. My impression is many (not everyone one) of the guys you are talking about try to be nice guys. They are trying to help others and do good. I was once taught to use "I" messages. I feel ______________ when you______________ because____________. Telling a guy "I feel neglected when you spend so much time with everyone else because I would like to spend that time with you like we had already planned." A lot of the women I know try to sugar coat it and use some secret code. I don't always get those subtle hints. If the message is simple and to the point, I get it right off the bat. I hope I did not make everyone angry in here. I always appreciate a friendly reminder about a future event...and often. I would rather be told 20 times ahead of time than yelled at once for forgetting. I NEVER intentionally do things to get my wife angry. Most guys will pick (it is a childish thing...I know) but don't want a wife angry at them. That is never fun. Oh...one more thing. My mother once told me a story of an old man. The guy said the worst day of his life was the day a pregnant woman got up to give him her seat. We like to feel important...and we like to feel like we can make the entire world a better place. I feels great when someone makes us feel important..attractive...or like a hero. When a women "flirts" with me, it does feel good even if I would never act on it. I like to feel important and desirable even if it is just an illusion.