Oh lordy, Linda, that old lady is camped out at your house too? Please KEEP HER THERE! She has been messing up my typing all night over here. I heard she likes warmer climates ... Lori, your snow angel looks like a little bear! lol! She is adorable. We had a golden retriever when I was a kid who just loved the snow. You couldn't shovel with him around because he knocked all the snow back on the sidewalk chasing what you threw off to the side. Even telling him to fetch a snowball shot across the yard didn't help. He was great at making doggy angels in the snow too.

Ah...you gals are too sweet. I took a personal day today just to do Christmas things. Everyone's gone so I'm home alone all day. My 7 year old daughter and I went out in our woods this morning before school and found the perfect Christmas tree. (It was like a moment out of The Homecoming, the original Waltons movie. A beautiful memory.) I just went back and cut the tree down, and I'm taking a break before I put it in its stand and trim off some branches. It's a beautiful fir tree...I needed to thin out the trees anyways where I cut it for healthy growth of the other trees.) So, as I'm resting, I thought I'd check the GW site. Things have been busy with childrens' concerts, Christmas shopping, getting ready for Christmas at school and at home. I make each of my students and my parent helpers gifts. Haven't even started making my Christmas cards and newsletter yet...but it always gets done. :o) Sandy, you're right about dial-up! ARRRGH! We can't get speed connection out here in the boonies yet... Bummer! Countrygrl, we go through the 21st so not many days off before Christmas. I'm not complaining, because I'm enjoying getting ready for the holidays. That hasn't been the case the last few years with the passing of my parents and then my brother last fall. Between our preparations and watching the joy derived from the Secret Santa exchange, it's been a FUN time. Along with all of that, I've really been talking and thinking about Jesus and the reason for the season with my family. THANKS FOR CARING! You're the best! I'm off to work on that tree so the family can decorate it tonight! Bear Hugs! Kirk

I am not certain how it'll work this year. I was going to decorate the whole house yesterday, but thought better of it when, after 30 minutes, I was saying Maggie Down! Murphy NO NO! every second, :( when all I'd done is drag out the boxes. I wanted to "do it up big time" (every square inch in greenery/decorations) for the little fella, but it's looking like it probably won't happen. I did put up a special little tree in his room with unbreakable ornaments on an artificial tree that I flipped the end of the branch over the loop of the ornament to keep it on the tree. Does that make sense? That doesn't keep them from knocking it down in whole. I might do the same with the bigger tree if it looks ok when I get home tonight (((heavy sigh))) I was just thinking about Gruver (how do you spell that kitty's name?!) and all the animal troubles you've had Michelle. You handle their maladies with greater aplomb than I ever could with Keegan. Any little thing and I was a shambles.

Not flagging as spam... just though I'd say the subject of the thread is slightly alarming. :-) I wondered what sort of "test" you might have conducted.