Brrrrrr, that's cold. Be careful getting the paper tomorow morning. My former neighbor, born in northern Main, used to call it 2 union suit weather. We have about 2" of snow, but just below freezing.

Hi...Finally down from the attic. Been there all day and got almost everything done. DH helped me today and we stopped to have supper about an hour ago(went out to Wendy's with my parents). Ugh, what a long day. DD watched the little one all day for us. I did cancel the flu shots and put off d-day for my baby for another few days. The guy who is doing the installation called this morning and said he wanted everything stacked down the middle of the attic instead of all at one end like he said before. Sooooo, we had to move and restack all the bins I had moved to the far end. Sorted thru lots of things that just got stuck up there when we moved from the downstairs MIL apartment to upstairs and hadn't been gone thru. About 4 big bins of craft wood pieces and projects that I want to paint. Just everything that we don't have room for, but don't want to part with...you know how it goes. Anyway, we pared down big time and have all our garbage cans full (garbage day on Friday so I don't know where we'll put our regular trash this week!) and our trailer is piled up with junk, a bunch of stuff going to the TS and I still have all the kids toys to go thru. They don't have enough room for all their favorite toys so we swap them out from the attic every 6 months or so and it's like they have new toys again. Youngest DD is very good at purging, the other kids like to hang on to everything, but to their credit they do play with it all. It's mostly action figures. I have a whole bin full of Rescue Heros that I think I'm going to donate to my church nursery or the shelter. Little kids love them, but my kids have outgrown them. So we'll end up with maybe 2 bins to put back in the attic. The good thing is that we got rid of all the cardboard boxes and bags and put everything neatly in plastic bins that stack up so nicely and take up way less space. So we got all our stuff sorted and stacked, but my parents still have a bunch of stuff up there to tackle. I told my DM I'd help her go thru her stuff. I think it's mostly books. They just got back from the deer hunt last night late. They were gone for 2 weeks so they are still unpacking their camper and washing, etc. You know I already have a bad back and I haven't done it any favors by doing this, but I'll take a Tylenol PM (they knock me out)ha and a heat pack and hopefully I'll get some rest tonight. It's only 8 something and I'm ready to go to bed. ha You have a good one and I'll see ya later. I'm gonna go soak in a hot tub and hit the hay! ~Anj

Hi Anj, So glad you are feeling better. I know how you feel about the gift buying--I need to get started on mine too. Usually, I at least have neighbor gifts ready by now--but I'm still looking for inspiration! LOL Talked DH into going to the Sugarplum Craft show about 45 minutes from home today. It was fun, and he actually did pretty good about letting me take my time to fondle and enjoy all the decorations. Gosh, there were some cute gingerbread things and lots of wooden stakes with words on them like Joy, Hope, etc. Would you believe a simple stake with a large cutout of a star and the word Joy on it was priced at $14.99? I just can't see paying that much for something so simple to make. There was also some cute gingerbreads in three sizes stacked together and tied with a ribbon and they were $14.99 too! DH was really surprised at how high the prices were. I told him now he knows why I go to the shows and often don't buy anything--but I still enjoy looking and just the fun atmosphere of it. There were some cute picture holders made with those round computer cd's and scrapbooking papers. They were linked together with the letters on each one to spell FAMILY and a cardboard square covered with pretty paper attached that you could put your own pictures on. Does that make any sense. They were $12.99, and of course I figured I could make my own--like I'll ever get around to actually making them! LOL Speaking of prices, remember the long narrow mirror that I painted the coffee cups on? My friend has it in her shop and priced it at $29.99. I had figured maybe $14.99. I'm curious to see if it sells. It ended up raining all day the day I drove out there--not crazy about driving the freeways much anyway let alone in the rain! And not one single person walked into the store that day! I felt really bad about that, but it just wasn't a very pleasant day for shopping at all. In fact the shop across the street with all the roses and white furniture that I love wasn't open at all that day. On top of that, she had warned me that there was no heat in the store--so I took our little space heater with me--but it was still pretty chilly. Think I'll enjoy doing that more when Spring comes! LOL Anj, you are right about the decorations. I thought I was getting an early start, but I've still got the family room to decorate and need to put the boxes and all the things I've removed away out of sight until it's all over. Then I'll have to put it all away! Ugh! I think I'm getting to the point where I'm going to start scaling back too. I love looking at it, but hate the work required to do it! I would probably be finished, but my little friend ended up at the emergency room on Sunday afternoon, so I've been going to visit her once and sometimes twice a day this week. Her daughter will be here from Oregon by Sunday, so that will be a big help. Oh, DH just told me to be sure to tell you that not only did he go to the craft show with me, but he even took me out for dinner tonight to the Red Lobster. LOL I think he's trying to get some brownie points or something. ;o) Sure you can show a pic of the Christmas cow. It just seemed like a good thing for your kitchen. I've got my painted jar that I should show a pic of too--I love it! Our temps are in the 40's and 50's here, and I'm freezing--don't envy those of you with those zero and below temps at all. Just remember that it is only going to last a few months! Anj, did you ever get one of those "natural light" lamps? Just wondering if it makes the dreary winter days a bit better by using it. Good luck with your shopping, and enjoy your date night. I'll be back tomorrow. Luvs

I ventured out today. First time since last Wednesday when I was so sick I thought I was going to pass out in Publix. Went to our mail center and got the mail and mailed out some bills, then went to the grocery. I went to Winn-Dixie, which is just outside our gate in a shopping center. It's never very crowded and I didn't need much. I like that store. The aisles are wide and not crowded since everyone goes to Publix a couple blocks away. Felt a little shaky when I got home, but not bad. Now Harry's coming down with what I had. Poor guy!! Nothing else I really need to do around here since the house got a good cleaning last week (when I was sick) before my sister came and the laundry is pretty well caught up. We had such a good time, but we sure talk a lot!! You should just hear it when all 7 of us get together. We're worse than "The View".