I've been wearing a black zippered sweater under a black zippered hoody, lately. Nothing pretty or exciting, but they're easy on easy off. I'll need to replace the hoody soon. The sleeves are frayed and there are now official stains. Nothing gets the stains out, anymore. And of course (black) long-johns under my slacks. My shirts are always colourful. Right now I have purple and white shirts, but I do favour black in the slacks, and hoodies. Woody great to hear your results came back 'benign'. Sorry you have to see another specialist. My 2nd youngest sister has numerous health problems and is constantly seeing one doctor after another, and we always feel frustrated while waiting for them to do something to actually help. Usually we have to go and demand help, since they do seem to listen to the squeakiest wheel, so to speak. Love the pile of pooches. I know you just do this for friends, but I've started dog walking and dog sitting as a business. It's way to do something I love, which is be around animals, and to earn a bit of money doing it. GB loved listening to the music. That was cool. Sorry to hear that Skyler's mother is so difficult. I know some people never learn to put jealousy aside to work with 'new family'. It's too bad. Skyler's lucky to have you. You've inspired me to make stuffed green peppers. The rice is made. I just have to cut up a million veggies. My favourite part. Not. I agree about it being a compliment to our dogs to get a new one, but for some reason I just can't go pick out a dog right now. I wanted a dog just about right away after losing my last dog. That's how I got Jagger. He lived so long for a big dog that I thought he would stay forever. When I'm ready it will be time to decide if I want a pure bred, like Leah or a mixed breed like Jagger was. I don't care if the dog is a puppy or not. Jagger was 7.5 months old when we got him and Leah was almost 5 months old. My dogs have always had their own cats, but Jagger always wanted to chase other cats anyway. Leah just looks. She's got very good manners, unless she thinks she has to protect us, then she tries to act tough, by barking. Michelle sorry about the bad weather putting the kibosh on your tree finding plans. I'm with you on wanting the decorations up or as long as possible. It is a lot of work, but I love seeing the results for the whole season. Yum yum on the cookies. I'm going to try making my cookies with dates as I can't tolerate any form of sugar well. I owe $1.50 for overdue library books. :( I hate owing money. Oh well, I inevitably forget the date the books are due back. I have trouble getting into the good habit of writing when they're due on the calendar. Still, it's time to restock the reading material. I read everything, from scifi to best sellers and self help to business books. Richea only likes to read westerns and programming books. Oh, I forgot, add dirt biking magazines to that. If I had money right now that's what I'd get him for xmas. We'd donate magazines to the dirt biking group, so I wouldn't feel bad about getting him a subscription for a magazine. Maybe I'll surprise him when business picks up. Lol on the kennel jealousy V. At least the dogs couldn't quite get into the kennel. And they were outside if they had to pee! Leah met one of her possible Christmas companions last week. The dog I will probably be sitting for is almost deaf and close to blind. Anyway calm welcoming Leah actually growled. I realized that she was protecting a bone I had forgotten to pick up and put away. I'll have to get some spare bones for my doggy guests. Leah never tries to take another dog's treat away, so that will work out fine. Glad you found the comforter of your dreams. I love my down comforter. When I think of it, though, they word still comes to me in Danish. We say Dyne, and Dyne batrike is a down comforter cover. I always had to help put it back on after it was laundered. Time to sail to slumberland, Yeona

We moved in two days ago Kim :) It's taken this long to get the internet working (and it only works on the back side of the house LOL) More work to do I guess. Thank you :) We do love the house and grounds, although the sheer size is intimidating as you think about cleaning it LOL More so as we've moved in somewhat. Probably more so after we have 20 overnight guests next weekend. It was the oldest B&B in the pacific northwest, (35 years) prior it was an apartment building and prior to that a hospital, and then the original owners had it until their deaths. (early 20's) We are lucky that the folks who did the big restoration in the 60's and 70's didn't follow current fashion (painting all of the wood for instance) and they were sensative to the home. In addition, when the bathrooms were added in the last 20 years (another owner who was also sensative to the house) it was done incredibly well, taking a few feet of space from each room, but integrating them well (some B&B's cheap out and put the tubs and sinks in the rooms). They will be easy to upgrade to more victorian features (is that an upgrade backgrade?) There are three buildings on site. One is considered the carriage house (but really is the base of a 3 1/2 story water tower we will eventually rebuild). The other is the original gardners cottage. They take up one lot and the gardens take up the other. Talk about intimidating...too much garden LOL And on top of too much garden...I have 400 house plants (maybe not that but five or six per room). The poor things are doomed in my care. I'm thinking of a sidewalk give away very very soon to save their lives! Poor dears...even my husband feels sorry for them. I tried to convince my mother that they are guest gifts and that guests (her) must take one each time they visit but she hasn't gone for it yet (I sometimes think if she were senile my life would be much easier...) Today we turn the old office off the kitchen (our future family dining room after we remodel the kitchen, but that's a few years off) into a play room for DS. I hope this grand old home likes thomas the train LOL Oh here's a funny....we get about a dozen visits a day asking if we have a vacancy! It was funny but is getting annoying LOL They want tours and won't always take "private home" for an answer LMAO. "Oh dear...no rooms? Well can we just see it?" No go knock on the neighbors house and ask for a tour heh heh Oh let's see...nope not a B&B (I'm not nice enough since DS was born and keeps me up all night) :) And how many bathrooms? Sigh...12 Do you think the B&B potential guests might think that the tour includes a once in a lifetime opportunity to clean a victorian bathroom? I might let them in....

As a perpetual tourist (I live here), here's my take: 1) STATUE OF LIBERTY. This is an all day trip. Go early. Book your tickets ahead of time on the Internet. Pack a lunch. The kind of food they sell on the island is the kind that gets you sick on the ferry going back. You can go to the highest point, the crown, if you go on the first boat of the day. But it's not worth it (tiny little room, tiny windows, crappy view, horrific climb up corkscrew stairs to get there). The rest of the day, you'll go to the base, which has a great view. There is also a fantastic museum IN the Statue. You can buy combo tickets for the Statue and Ellis Island, but even if you whiz through the Statue, you will end up with about an hour to spend on Ellis Island--if you are really interested in Ellis Island, think about making it a separate trip. 2) I third the STATEN ISLAND FERRY. Here's what I usually do with my guests. Find out when sunset is (check the paper's weather page or the Internet). Make sure that you are in the waiting room for the Staten Island Ferry 15 minutes before that time. Get on the ferry. Watch the sunset of the Statue of Liberty. When you get to Staten Island, get off the ferry and get on the next one going to Manhattan. If you are in the front of the boat, facing Manhattan, you will get a postcard view of downtown Manhattan all lit up. Did I mention that this trip is FREE??? As I think of more, I'll post more.

Hi LoveintheHouse! Wow, that's so interesting! Thanks for the link to your blog. Have begun reading it and look forward to reading all the entries you've posted! How fun! Your house, btw, is absolutely adorable. Love the ferns you just added to the porch. It has tons of curb appeal...just darling. Wishing you continued good luck with "Bob!" Enjoyed the pics of you on the farm. You are obviously a hard-working lady who leads a fascinating life! Sorry it took me a while to get back here. I'm having a my large master bath gutted and re-done and I'm the "designer" & "GC." It's been a busy week, but progress is being made! I'm sure Ms. Daum would characterize my feeble attempt at "renovation" as "half-assed," and I would agree, as this is merely a "rip and replace." There will be no re-configuration of the layout, no space added to the room, no additional features created that didn't exist before. Still, I am hopeful that it will look one heck of a lot better without the giganormous yellowy-beige jetted tub, yellowy-beige tile surround, yellowy-being faux marble countertops, horribly faded oak vanities, beige tile floor with cracked grout, and (you guessed it) yellowy-beige plastic shower stall (with non-functional doors and skimpy circa 1987 chrome shower fixtures.) So... while the layout remains the same, at least the aforementioned nightmarish features will change! On my "farm" the lawn will be core-aerated and seeded this week! Ah, suburbia! At my previous house in PA I did gardening, at this house in VA I do "yardening." I don't watch much TV at all, but read that there is a new show called "Suburgatory." I'm going to coin that little gem for sure. One word that says it all!