Oh, Kate, I hate to admit this, but I was silently giggling. The things we do for our animals! Just yesterday I miraculously talked DH into studying some YouTube videos on how to express the dog's anal glands. (BTW, after I had viewed a couple of them I almost hurled.) But I mean, come on, $25 bucks at the vet every time she scoots her butt on the floor?? I made sure that he understood that this was HIS dog, HE brought her home, and it was HIS duty. I was asked by the vet with the last dog if I wanted to learn how to do it myself, and very rapidly replied: "NOT!" Anyway, I am glad your dear kitty is pulling out of this.

Here's what I think is sad: No one says that the GIRLS are having sex because they enjoy it. No.....it's always because of peer pressure, some boy wants them to, they might lose their boyfriend, looking for love, blah, blah, blah. I lost my virginity at 14. After that, I was date-raped twice; once I was drugged by my best friend's brother and the other I was held down. I met my X when I was 16. Got pregnant and married at 19 and divorced at 23. Basically, throughout that entire period of time, I believed sex was just something that a woman did for their man. I never knew it could be enjoyable and pleasureable until I met my SO. Everyone else just "took" what they wanted from me. My SO changed all of that. For the first time in my life, I didn't feel like a means to an end. I felt like a partner in something wonderful. I know that sounds sappy. But what are we teaching our girls when they have sex to make someone else happy? Are we afraid that if we let them know how wonderful it really is that they are going to run out and do it? I really don't think that's the case. No one ever bothered to tell me that I would get to feel connected to someone at a spirt level when that person was right for me. I think that if a girl knows how great it is to be "partnered" with someone in every way, I think they will treasure their innocence more so they have it when they meet that right person. I would give anything in the world if I could give my SO the gift I gave away so freely to someone who didn't even care. I wish I could take away all my baggage and sexual hang-ups. Did any of you ladies have the same view?

Wow....what an amazing list of people.... too many of them no longer with us or active here. It is nice to remember some of their names and their struggles that we shared. Thanks for the memories.

We had our first real freeze last night. Crap. I wasn't expecting it and didn't move the house plants back inside. I moved them once when we were supposed to freeze but didn't really...not completely anyway. But we did freeze last night--water in both the dogs' bowl and chickens' waterers were partially frozen. Sigh. And it was the plants we received when my mother in law passed last February. And the watermelons that are growing right next to the house froze too. Yes, I have "bush" watermelons growing in a narrow bed right next to the house on the west side. It's weird, but weird is what I do. And I"m trying to be okay with that. How many eggs per person do y'all use each week. I'm curious. My sister and niece were out tonight and as it was getting dark they were looking in on the chickens who had put themselves to bed. They were peeking into their window. As soon as I came over to them and started talking the chickens all came down their ramp. They (sister and niece) were amused that the hens know my voice. It was warm today so we put the outside lights up. My job was to put those plastic hanger things on the light bulbs (Yay for not have to staple strands of lights to the roof [Clark Griswold]) and the chickens kept pecking at the red lights...I was sitting on the ground and they couldn't resist. They've been obsessed with the front yard lately. I was just glad to be home. I love being home. And I even baked cookies while my son and daughter played Christmas music on the piano. Could life get better?