Cool !!!!!!!!!! Lots of extra special things !!!! I love the rocks also.. and the candle holder !!!! and boy that is some red and white stocking !!!! wow!!! thanks for sharing the pics !!! *** Don't feel bad I was late sharing my pics also... I don't compute very well.... but at least we are trying !!!!! My Darling Daughter has to H E L P ... me do it !!! GOD BLESS ! SusieSunshine Here they are..... Lovely stained glass votive holder & WONDERFUL carved Praying Hands !!!! From the Dynamic Duo ... Santa Kirk & Christmas Carol!!! I love them !!!!!!!!!

First, I haven't made my thank you cards, much less sent them and I do every year, usually between Christmas and New Years. This year I had been ill and I just opened packages and I really don't know who gave me what for the most part so I'm having trouble figuring out what to say. I usually say thanks for whatever I/We love it and plan to do whatever with it. But I'll try to get it done soon, I'm feeling guilty bigtime now. My first Christmas with my husband 11 years ago, we did the frantic Christmas eve in a nearby larger city shopping. We both hated it, big fight, spent way too much money and I said, no more. The next year we either bought early or put things on layaway and it was better. I finally got brave enough to make things the next year. He was sceptical at first but when he saw the response and the extra cash in his pocket, I took care of the supplies bought early, he was behind me 100%. Luckily all of the women are crafters or quilters, ect. and their spouses and children know about these things. We receive verbal thank yous and sometimes notes on my Jan. birthday cards. While I've never had the awful experiences of most of you, especially you, Jude, how heartless of anyone. I love having someone take the time to make me something. I can relate. I've only had a problem with a bachelor uncle. I sent him two knit stocking caps, he likes to jog and hike, lives on east coast so don't know where he does this, never heard if he received them. I'm still mad him. Every other year we've jumped through hoops over his gift.We cut down on what we spent on boughten gifts this year and still spent three times on him what we did on everyone else, he is always very generous to us (even though sometimes the gifts are nothing we really care for either, but still thank him) so makes my husband feel cheap if we don't spend a lot. That's it, though, next year he is in budget and if he doesn't like it, too bad. He wasn't impressed this year when my husband told him we were using his Christmas monetary gift, (easier to carry on plane and since he really didn't know what to get us, he explained,) to buy a hay ring for my horse and goats. My husband had already suggested before Christmas doing this with any cash gifts we received. Thought uncle was going to rip the check out of our hands, oh, well. We love the hay rack and it saves us time doing chores and the expense of hay wasted. Revenge is sweet even when you don't plan it. Should this be a hehehe? Janie

Softball, I see some good ideas for next year in your list. The kids gave us a digital picture frame for all our pictures from when we got married to now, 40 some years later. Can't remember what it is called. It plays them or freezes. Older DS loaded it so we could use it as soon as we opened it. I had forgotten some of those pictures. Gads, I looked thinner and better in my younger years! I wanted and received a screech owl house from younger DS. We live close to a preserve, and this area is over run with mice and rats. I wish I could have gone for a barn owl house for the rats, but they make too much nocturnal noise for us and the neighbors. This will help and be interesting to watch. DH gave me a new closet to be installed later. New shelves, rods, etc. by California Closets. We are not do it yourselfers and the builder's lousy rods and shelves are kaput.

I love cast iron. Hoping to find a 12 inch at an estate sale! I have 2- 10 inch that I use a lot!, a small pan, and another slightly bigger. I've also inherited my Grandma's cast iron dutch oven-waiting for winter to put it to use. Your library may have a book about cast iron. Mine did-it was either cast iron for dummies or idiots guide to cast iron. Learned all kinds of things about 'rescuing old crusty rusty ones, care and keeping, and it had recipes too. I never use soap on mine-haven't had a need to. If there is an occasional stuck on something, either salt and a brush, or even better-get one of those thin flat square shaped scrapers. Stuff will flip right off the pan with that. The best way to strip them down and reseason (for me anyway) was to put it in the oven on self clean. To season I use shortening. Then the first several items I cook would be high fat items such as bacon or burgers. Other than seasoning a new (or rescued) pan, I've never had to do it again, Never soak them for later and always dry or a low burner then rub with oil. I read in Cooks Illustrated to store them in unsealed ziplock bags if you are stacking them in a cabinet. prevents clanging around,