Thanks Kimberlee for starting the journal. I was missing it but didn't want to get greedy with it. LOL. Wonder where Harry ran off to? I enjoy reading what everyone is up to. We moved rabbits this afternoon. We had several young ones that needed cages of their own so DH and I got that done. We have also been working on getting all our fall and winter veggies set out and ready for the first frost which has been predicted twice this week but thank goodness hasn't arrived yet. I had Doctor appointment Monday and DH became ill at school yesterday and has to go to the doctor and was still feeling poorly this morning so stayed home today. We are having Fall Festival this weekend here in Philadelphia. DH has a booth for his craft items. So we have also been trying to get some of those all ready to go. I have to get his table covers ready tomorrow. I hope he is feeling up to doing this Saturday. I have been collecting seed from various veggies and flowers for next spring. Mostly flowers, although I did save okra seed. We are very dry here. Really need some rain. The dust has been terrible and the pollen even worse. Every time I go outside, I come back in wheezing. But the skies have been the bluest I think I have seen in years. They have been so beautiful. I have been reading a lot of articles about keeping rabbits in a colony. DH and I have talked about trying this with a few of our rabbits. Just the ones that we keep for ourselves. The processor that I talked to about our meat rabbits told me that she did not want any that have been on the ground. But I thought it would be nice to put the ones that we keep for our own personal use in a colony. Seems they would be easier to care for. My little chicks are growing like weeds. I am keeping food there for them all the time. Want them to grow off so I can put them in the freezer. Will keep a few of the pullets to put in with the laying hens. But hope to have at least 20 for the freezer. If I have 7 more young pullets to go with the ones I already have I will have 16 hens to lay. I already have one lady that wants brown eggs so maybe I can sell enough to buy the food anyway. Trying really hard to get things going where we can pretty much raise all our food and become as self-sufficient as possible. Plus have some to sell. That is my real dream. I would love to get our grocery bill down to almost nothing. Keep on dreaming girl. LOL Hope the rest of everyone's week is good.

I had a great ending to a stressful week. We had a magic show at school today and it was great. The kids really enjoyed it and about 12 of them got to go on stage and be "stars" for the day. We had all the kids come at once, so I got the afternoon off! TGIF fer sure! I went shopping for something to wear for graduation. Not sure I like what I got, but maybe it has more to do with the fact that I tried on the skirt with black knees highs. LOL I need to see if I can pull the outfit together at home before I decide if I want to keep it. debi - I hope everything went well for you! Post as soon as you can so we can stop worrying. Tikanas - You are right. If you miss more than a few days, it is impossible to catch up and address everyone. Sometimes, that keeps me from posting, cause I don't want to leave anyone out. Speed dating! Hmmm.........kinda glad I don't have to deal with that. I am terrible at on the spot witty conversations. I always think of something witty I could have said the next day! LOL BJ - I think every one of us has gone through some periods where we have self doubts and bouts of depression. I know I have. A few weeks ago, my DS called and said that since DD wasn't graduating in May, he wasn't sure when he was coming home. Maybe not until Sept. I got off the phone and cried! He's been gone for over a year and it just seemed to hit me that he won't be back! I am slowing coming back to acceptance, but I was in a bad way for a few weeks. But I have to say that more than once, when I have been in a jam, I have said "What would BJ say or do?" Besh - Did you say that you had read Jodi Picoult's new book? I have it on the top of my TBR pile. I have officially filled up my new bookcase, so now I had better read one of my books before I buy a new one! LOL But I can't seem to stay out of the halfprice book store. It calls to me when I drive past. I only have 19 days of school left! This year has flown by! I was keeping track of my food intake on fitday.com and was on track until yesterday. I couldn't get enough to eat for some reason. Then we went out to dinner tonight and I over ate again. Guess I will try to get back on track tomorrow. I would kill for some chocolate right now though! John - Wise and wonderful as usual! My DS has a wonderful wicked sense of humor too. I think he is learning that he has to keep it in check now that he is out in the "real" world. But it is one of the things that I love most about him. miscindy - I love to quilt. I won a Viking sewing machine a few years back but was disappointed to learn it was the most basic of their machines. So I saved some $s and traded up for the quilter's machine and I love it. I have a Christmas quilt that only needs the borders sewn on and it will be ready to quilt. I sewed it all by hand and I want to finish it by hand, so I refuse to use my machine for that. Finishing it is high on my list of things to accomplish this summer. Milkdud - You seem to be on the mend. As Martha would say, "That's a good thing." Hope your trip to the mall was successful. DeeMarie - Have you come up for air yet? LOL You are one busy gal. 3 days of meetings? Not sure I could do that. But then most people say they couldn't spend 10 minutes let alone 2 1/2 hours in my preschool class with 24 kids, so I guess I am where I should be! LOL Raeanne - A riding lawn mower could be fun!! I would be h*ll on wheels on one! Patti - Where are you? Come visit please! Donna - I hope your friend is feeling better. Don't you love 4 day weekends? Joanne - Hugs to you. Did you fit in those golf games? Jen - Is Erica almost done with preschool? I can't believe it is almost May. Maddie - Have a great weekend in your "new" digs! LOL Hope the dinner goes smoothly and no one chokes on those staples! LOL NHSuzanne - You are our own Dr. Doolittle. We get to hold baby chicks and baby ducks at the farm we go to every spring. In fact, we are going there next Thursday with our 3-year olds. I always look forward to that field trip and hope every year that there are also kittens and bunnies to hold. zig - I went shoe shopping today but I couldn't find what I was looking for. I need dressy brown sandals that I won't break a leg trying to walk in. I am not sure who some of these shoes are designed for, but I guess I will have to keep looking. Has anyone heard from Magic Kitty lately? I know she was moving and I was wondering how she was doing. Hi to anyone that I missed. I tried, honestly, to include everyone. Have a great weekend, Marci

Hi all! Jan--omg, I feel so terrible as I missed your post that Bobby passed. I am so very, very sorry. I feel like such a jerk, whining and kevetching about my "problems", when you are going through this. You're in my thoughts and prayers, and please accept my condolences. ((((((hugs))))))) (But I didn't realize that you're my long-lost SIL, b/c it sounds like we have the same MIL--ugh.) Amy--gad, I must have missed your post also--did you lose Heather? ((((((hugs!!!!)))))) I swear, I must start reading more closely. I will read something, and then it just falls out of my pea=brain. Sigh. Can I blame it on school? Marci--congrats on your retirement! What a sweet word that is--retirement. :) Have a great time in FL! BJ--how's your mom doing? IvA--I'm so glad that your treatments are going so good!!! Tikansis--yooohoooo! Come out and play!! Where are you? I hope you're feeling better form that nasty fall! Well, It's quiet on the homefront. MIL showed up one morning ,and and a performed a sob-fest, and then borderlined yelled at me. In.My.Own.House. I apparently have a spine, and told her in no uncertain terms that I will not be spoken to int hat way in my own house, and if she could continue in an adult manner, then I would listen. She blamed everything on me, and blah, blah, blah. Same ol' story, different day. I think I am going tomorrow, just to be sickening sweet... I feel a couple of "bless your heart"s coming on. :) Hope all is well! Hugs, Maddie Besh--I love Maine Coons--Renee that used to psot years many moons ago had one named Moose. :)

Truckin' - Grateful Dead (Working Man's Dead) On the Road Again - Willie Nelson Can't Find My Way Back Home - Blind Faith Raeanne - Be creative and think outside the box. You can use buttons, scraps of paper, ribbon, lace, stamps, etc. Tear edges of paper as opposed to cutting and layer papers for different effects. Make pockets with paper and slip things into the pockets. You can glue, staple or fasten things down with brads and/or eyelets. Make good use of your computer. Print sayings, quotes or definitions, headings etc. on your computer. Layer in unusual ways. Make things stand out by using Pop dots to raise them off the page. (I found mine at the $ store.) Cruise the dollor store or the bargain bins for little odds and ends. (I found packages of small wooden letters for 25¢.) There really is no right or wrong. It is your book and an expression of your ideas. Just have fun with it. If you need help along the way, email me!! Gotta run, Marci