I'm feeling pretty revved up too TraceyOKC!! Yesterday I printed my labels for the Japanese red maple, beauty bush & crocosmia I'm planning to sow and the day before I finished prepping enough milk jugs to get me started. There's a compressed bale of Fafard growers mix in the living room that I brought inside back at Thanksgiving plus another one out in the garage. It's been in there since August so it's dry and won't be frozen when I bring it inside sometime in February. I'm guessing there are roughly 110-125 milk jugs inside the garage as well, either in giant contractor-size trash bags or strung together on string & hanging from the rafters. I hope there are enough...I've got lots of seed:

Thanks for the good wishes. However, I ended up taking most of my pay in merchandise. (Leaving your wallet at home doesn't help if you're gonna get paid there!) LOL Got a set of hand painted ceramic birds that I really liked and a stained glass ornament for a special friend, plus still had a little cash left over. I've been watching the birds hoping he would mark them down, but decided to just get them before they are gone. I want to use them in a tablescape, and can use them on top of my tv cabinet in the bedroom the rest of the time. (I'll post pics when I do a tablescape with them.) He's got a Barbara Mock picture in there that I really like too, but I thought it was priced too high. After doing some web searches tonight, I guess the price is right. Might have to get it next time if it is still there. It's the perfect colors for my kitchen/eating area and has birdhouses in it too. Also, one of the local TS is having a 50% off everything sale on Saturday, might have to check that out. And the church is having a rummage sale tomorrow and Saturday. And I just got a card in the mail for one of my favorite craft shows that is coming up next week. Guess the "spending season" has officially begun! LOL (Actually, I'm not sure it ever stopped since I've found this forum!) ;o( Luvs

Thanks everyone! He went out to dinner last night with someone who is high up in the ranks and been with the company for years and got more information. There are going to be 4-5 more people laid off in a company that has only 24 people total, plus some overseas. So I don't think it was entirely personal or ageism though that may have been a factor. You never know. The company is suffering right now because of the economy, like a lot of others. My husband's position was fairly new and created for what they projected the next year would be, but now they are cutting back on everything so the position became redundant. Or at least that is the official word, which looks good when looking for a new job. He sent out a ton of emails last night to others in the semiconductor business to put out feelers. Yes, he is starting to feel it and I think it is going to hit him emotionally though he won't admit it. He has been working as an engineer in Silicon Valley since 1977 and never been laid off before. He has his Masters in EE so that is all he knows, or feels like he does right now. I think he should think outside the box, but maybe that will come later if nothing comes up in his search. What worries me more then the money is insurance. Our son has a lot of medical problems and is on medication and sees a lot of specialists. I know he can extend his insurance through COBRA, hopefully it won't be too expensive. And he did get one month's severance pay plus can apply for unemployment for the next year. We have always lived pretty simply and cheaply because we have only had one income. We will exam things more closely again and see if we can cut back some more. Maybe I will look into going back to work myself, though that will be quite a change after 25 years of being home. I would do it just for the insurance coverage. I know we will get past this in time, we have survived many bumps in the road for the last 31 years, so I am not too worried. That is one thing you learn later in life, this too will pass. Clare

I get a salary, which means, paycheck year round. Yes, I do get summers and spring break, fall break etc. off. No, I am not going out for another job during that time. I will enjoy my time off, go bike riding, work in the yard, visit the grand children etc.! Our schools in OKC are considered year round. Which amounts to 2 weeks break for spring, 2 months break for summer, 2 weeks for fall, 2 weeks for Christmas (which is called winter break) and assorted holidays off here and there. and here is one of the cold frozen stuff pictures I took about an hour ago: Moni