January 07, 2014 - Msg 96111: "Oh, grow up!"...bahaha...I love it, Ro. I am really looking forward to meeting Dale some day. I have a feeling we will hang out together in heaven. :)

I am inspired by the mac and cheese dialogue..that sounds wonderful. I have made it that way before and the only thing I can add is not to make it too far ahead. It is much better right out of the oven than if you try to reheat it later.

Wow Auh2o! You are an old pro at cold weather, though, and I am sure you are doing well. Wish I could have shared my soup with you yesterday. It turned out really well (even my kids liked it). I had a leftover hambone that I added to it and simmer it for a few hours. Really tasty.

Update on Dalton: He is home and they are going to see how thing look once some of the swelling goes down. If he is able to eat (he has a jaw fracture), he wont need surgery. They just have to wait and see. One good note, the community has come together to raise funds to pay for his medical bills.

I am fighting a sinus infection right now so feeling more tired than normal. I am trying to stay in as much as possible. It is supposed to get all the way up to 52 degrees today so things are thawing out, although we did have sleet this morning.

Stay warm everyone!

Boo
January 07, 2014 - Msg 96112: One more thing: You may remember my friend, Cynthia, that I asked prayer for because of an aggressive breast cancer? Found out yesterday that she is still cancer-free. :) Thanks for your prayers on her behalf. I think its been nearly three years now since she was diagnosed.

Boo
January 07, 2014 - Msg 96113:
Regarding mac and cheese, try adding some jimmy Dean cut up sausage links, and coat the top with
any kind of shredded cheese about half way thru baking. mmm! MDC
January 07, 2014 - Msg 96114: If I may put my 2 cents in about mac & cheese, in our house growing up Mac & Cheese meant made with grated Swiss cheese, there was an Amish cheese factory not far from us my Dad like the Swiss extra extra sharp! The kind that would put hair on your chest. Mom would grate it and put milk & butter in it. (that would cut down the bite of the cheese). So when our family gets together for things my sisters usually make it so we have our "comfort food". Most of the folks that marry into the family are not familiar with it but learn to like it. Mrs. G-F is NOT a fan so I don't make it much here. (Very picky eater)

Boo, My soup is on the stove, thanks for the idea.. (Except no homemade bread) RATS!..
Maybe if I yell out."BREAD" I'll get some from the bread fairy? Probably NOT!....

Stay WARM....G-F
January 07, 2014 - Msg 96115:
Maude and ASA-- I feel your pain about returning to work after va-cay, but hang in there, you'll get used to it again. ha
APB for all missing porchsters. Where's SPOT these days?
Possum--very interesting about CB. Who woulda thunk it? So that cozy, homey atmosphere is all a front?
AUh20, TOM, and others...I think anything below -10 would just be plain COLD, like anything here over 110 is just plain HOT! ha
GF--Mrs G don't like M&C?? How do you deal with that? haha
Sterling--I hear ya, what's wrong with "nor-easter?" Like here one year a "meteorologist" call a dust storm a "haboob," (a mid-east term for sandstorm) He got so many calls, etc, that he isn't even around anymore!
RO- I agree with BOO, Dale is one guy I want to meet someday!!
Hang in there all,
PRAYERS,
MDC
January 07, 2014 - Msg 96116:
OH, and good sweep BOO, hope all that work warmed ya up! :)
January 07, 2014 - Msg 96117:
Boo, besides that link I posted earlier, I found more information that could help Dalton's family. Inform them of the link below
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/managing-high-medical-bills-32221-2.html

Latest word on the weather here near Chicago ... the temperature has finally increased above zero. And although we are just in the single digits, for the rest of the week, we are expecting double digits. And by the end of the week, we might experience above freezing temperatures. Break out the bathing suits and suntan lotion.

from Poor Horatio
January 07, 2014 - Msg 96118: Thanks, y'all. My Dale was quite a guy, for sure. So was my dad, and I guess I was looking for a good man, because that's all I had ever known. I sure found one. However, I really can't say I was looking - he just walked into my life and that was that. Love at first sight, truly - and I was only 17. I think we probably beat some pretty serious odds, but it didn't seem like it at the time. He was the one, and I knew it, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

It's good to hear that those we have prayed for are doing well. What a mighty God we serve!

We're above freezing here, in the 40s, and not supposed to go below freezing tonight. There's still a big old iceberg hanging from the pond bridge, about three inches thick. The bird net is weighted down with leaves and ice, and there's nothing I can do about it. To try to clear it now would just tear the net. Best thing is to leave it alone, let it thaw, then I can clear the leaves. The fish are huddled in a little band in the deepest part of the pond. I haven't tried to feed them because they won't eat anyway when it's so cold, and stirring them up would just stress them. So, I'll just wait.

I just watched the first ep of TAGS, and am wondering whatever happened to Gulliver. Remember when Opie is praying for everyone before he gets in bed, and Aunt Bee is listening at the door? He prays for "my dog Gulliver", but we've never seen Gulliver, and he's never mentioned again.

On the subject of mac and cheese, I often make a batch of it as described, and if you use the whole package of elbow macaroni, even the small bag, it makes a LOT! Since it's just me most of the time, it would be easy to get tired of it. So, after I've had all of the plain mac and cheese I want, I add a can or two of tomatoes to it, to make an entirely different dish. You could add that sausage to it at that point, or even fry up a little hamburger and add it, especially with some onion fried in with it, and make a pretty decent goulash out of it. I often recycle leftovers that way.

Picky eater, huh, G-F? She'd have a tough time around here, I'm afraid. I eat anything, so you never know what I'll put on the table, and my theory is, if someone doesn't like something and others do, why deprive them for the sake of one person? So, I always have peanut butter and bread on hand, and the picky one or ones know where it is. The only exception I made to that when I was cooking for the family - I never cooked liver. Personally, I really like liver and onions, over rice. Dale wouldn't eat it, and neither would any of the kids, so I wasn't about to cook it just for me. Luby's Cafeteria did a pretty good job with it, so when we'd eat there, I usually got the liver. Then I went to nursing school, and in Anatomy and Physiology class I learned what all happens in the liver, and kinda lost my appetite for it, too! I still like it, but after knowing what all it does, it's a bit scary.

Well, guess I'll go rustle up some grub. Got some tasty leftovers - a bit of a broiled steak, and yep, mac and cheese. Maybe I'll open a can of spinach, too. Blessings, everyone! --Romeena
January 07, 2014 - Msg 96119: Back in the day, growing up you ate what was put on the table or you went to bed hungry. Rules were simple and not up for debate. Mom had to cook for 5 kids and Dad, she had to be creative and make things from what was on hand, I'm that way too, I can make something form most anything and it even tastes good most of the time, so I guess Mom was a good teacher. Not like now a days, if it doesn't come in a bag or a box it ain't food. That really cooks my grits! (even if I eat them in a strange way) haha, like tonight I had me some fried macaroni since you all been talkin Mac & Cheese it got me hungry for it. Yep I know I'm a study, but I am who I am and at this point in my life I ain't changing! So if you don't like fried Macaroni there is "peanut butter in the pantry and bread in the drawer"!...
AMEN ROMENNA?..... :)

G-F...

January 07, 2014 - Msg 96120: 2 "e"s not 2 "n"s in Romeena...sorry
January 08, 2014 - Msg 96121: Well, I am battling headlice again. This is the third time I have treated Erin in a month's time. Ive used 3 different over the counter lice killing agents, combed out nits over and over again. I want to scream! I talked to the little girl's mom next door and told her we need to keep the girls separated until they are all lice free and have been doing that but I treated Erin on Friday and she was scratching again today so found some new lice on her head. What now?! Are these some kind of mutant, resistant lice? I have washed everything more than once. Erin has a lot of thick hair and it is past her shoulders. Every time I mention cutting it she has a fit. It probably wouldn't help much unless I shaved it all anyway. I have spent so many hours standing by the sink, combing out lice and nits. I have read a lot on the subject and am finding that there are a lot of folks out there that are going through this kind of thing, especially with girls. Erin has had them before but when I treated them before, it killed them. Now, when I treat them, I am still getting live lice off her head after the treatments. Have mercy! If any of you have any advice, feel free to share. I have probably tried everything at some point, including mayonnaise.

Better get to bed...busy day tomorrow.

Boo
January 08, 2014 - Msg 96122: PS-thanks for the link for Dalton's family, PH.

Boo
January 08, 2014 - Msg 96123: PRAYERS FOR ALL IN THE COLD TONIGHT!
mdc
January 08, 2014 - Msg 96124: Thanks for the white sauce recipe, Romeena. It actually sounds a little like the Norwegian dish, Rommegrot, that my mom used to make us.

I don't know what to tell you on the lice, Boo, if Rid isn't helping. Sorry.

Tomorrow is supposed to be our last "cold" day, and this weekend it is even supposed to get into the 30's. I tell you, that's going to feel like a heat wave. I can already see people wearing their shorts. Seriously. I actually saw some teen wearing them even today.

-Sterling Holobyte
January 08, 2014 - Msg 96125: Thanks anyway, Sterling. Glad things will be warming up for you. I know what you mean about the heatwave. It was up to 50 yesterday and felt warm here..will be even warmer today.

Boo
January 08, 2014 - Msg 96126:
Morning Porch

Romeena-"My Dale was quite a guy, for sure. So was my dad, and I guess I was looking for a good man, because that's all I had ever known." Wow! As a dad, aside from Salvation, I'm not sure I could hear more comforting words, that's wonderful

Ro-We're gonna give that mac-an-cheese a go today, with the tomatoes.

Sterling-Our last cold day is today, right now we've made to -1, with a high of 7.

MDC-I know I've said it a lot over the years but I could not, and I'm not sure how you do, survive with temps over 100 degrees day after day. We've never had a 100 degree day here in WNY.

BOO-Lice are a bugger, literally, I guess. We have to deal with once years ago and once is enough for anybody. Good luck. Also Boo, that is fantastic news about your friend Cynthia.

auh2o
January 08, 2014 - Msg 96127: Thanks, Auh2o. :) I think that the problem is probably that Erin's hair is so very thick. You just wouldn't believe how much hair is on that head of hers so it seems impossible to treat every strand of hair, pick out all the nits, etc. Bruce told me last night that he would work on it tonight so I am going to get something called "lice freee" and try it. I used it when she had the lice years ago and it worked better than anything else. I tried it this time but I think I didn't leave it in long enough. It is a solution of concentrated sodium chloride that supposedly kills the lice and the eggs. Wish me luck!

Boo
January 08, 2014 - Msg 96128: We're having a heat wave, tropical heat wave. It's going to get to 18 degrees today! Whooooo!
Better break out the shorts & flip flops.

Boo, Just be glad those aren't "bat eggs" in Erin's hair, and you don't have to worry about going crazy...Good luck on retting rid of them again. Maybe the mayonnaise didn't work because it wasn't Miracle Whip.. Just a thought....

Romeena, What ya got cooking today? You're like a cookin' Ninja....

G-F...
January 08, 2014 - Msg 96129:
Boo, the following link offers some home remedies that you can try. Supposedly they work for long thick hair.
http://tinyurl.com/lu5j4x5

from Poor Horatio
January 08, 2014 - Msg 96130: Wow! You folks have got me scratching! I'm wondering - would diatomaceous earth help? Lice are soft-bodied, so it might. You could just dust it into the child's hair, pretty heavily, and put a shower cap or something on them for the night, then wash the DE out in the morning. Of course, it wouldn't bother the eggs, so you'd have to do that every few days for at least three treatments, to break the cycle. --Romeena
January 08, 2014 - Msg 96131: Actually, after reading the ideas in the link PH posted, I think they sound like better ideas. The DE might work, yeah, but it might not. --Romeena
January 08, 2014 - Msg 96132: Romeena you cooking today...im starved...here at work..busy...getting above freezing today at least....SPOT
January 08, 2014 - Msg 96133: Hello Boo: I don't have a solution for head lice, but am just expressing concern for the little kid. I can say safely though that I would get a doctors or pharmacists advice before I started putting household remedies on a child's head. I would worry about chemicals being absorbed into the scalp. Back in the day who knows what they said to put on the scalp to get rid of lice. But in this generation now some kids can't even eat a peanut without a allergic reaction. Mr. Sawyer
January 08, 2014 - Msg 96134: Boo, my mama was a school nurse & dealt with a lot of head lice. My siblings & I never had it so can't tell you of any product(s) that might do the trick. I think she told the parents to use RID. Anyhow.. She rarely saw lice in the black children's hair. The reason for this was due to the types of hair treatments they used. Ok, so you've used mayo,which to my thinking would be along the lines of the types of hair conditioners,gels,etc. used in black folk's hair.So, the other possibility that they rarely get head lice may be due to the use of the hot comb,which they use to straighten hair. Why not try running a hot comb or maybe a curling iron through Erin's hair? It's worth a try & won't hurt. And they'll be no harsh chemicals involved, like Mr. Sawyer worries about. Good luck!

Wonderful to hear about Jubi & Cynthia-will keep the prayers going for Dalton.

Y,all have a good night & stay warm!

P.S. Hogette gets her staples out tomorrow morning!

*******************
possum under a rock
January 08, 2014 - Msg 96135: Thanks for the links and tips. I went and bought some "lice free" today and will give her a good treatment of that. I read about using cetaphil, which is a mild soap to saturate the hair and leave in for an hour or so, and I did that tonight. When I combed through her hair with the special comb I didn't find a single bug. I think it is just going to be a process of continual treatment until they are done. Possum, I used the RID 3 times and it didn't work. Mayo works pretty well for the lice but then you get the nits hatching out later. I also bought some tea tree shampoo and conditioner from paul mithchell. We have used that before to prevent reinfestation and it seemed to have worked.

Hope Hogette doesn't have any pain when getting those stitches out.

Well, Sean called me today and told me that he had a meeting with his boss at work. You remember me mentioning that he was doing a full day of work and only getting less than minimum wage because they were paying him per vehicle that he cleaned? He was getting discouraged but it was important to him to continue to do the best job that he could and see where that would lead. He loves the the dealership, his co-workers, and his bosses and hated to think of moving on but he continued to do the best job he could and I told him we needed to pray. Today he decided to go to the boss and tell him that he loved working there but he would be forced to find other employment if they couldn't hire him on full-time. His boss went right to the owner and the owner said to hire Sean full-time and told Sean that he was one of his best employees and he did a better job at what he does than anyone else he has. They didn't waste anytime hiring him full time when they thought he might leave. Sean will be working M-F, 9 to 6, weekends off and will be making close to ten dollars and hour, which is a big raise from what he is making now. I am proud of him and thankful to God for answering prayer. Just wanted to share. I know you all care about Sean and know his struggles. Thank you for you many prayers for him.

Boo
January 08, 2014 - Msg 96136: Yay for Sean! I know you are a proud mama, Boo,and rightly so. I admire him for taking a stand like that.

I'll let you know how things go with Hogette tomorrow.. :)

Sounds like you may be winning the war on head lice-hope so!
Goodnight, Boo-goodnight, Mayberry..

possum again
January 08, 2014 - Msg 96137: Thanks, Possum. I forgot to mention, that along with the raise and full-time status, he got a promotion to what is called a "porter". He will have more responsibility and be able to go on dealer trades, which will include some out-of-town trips. He's pretty excited.

Boo
January 08, 2014 - Msg 96138:
BOO-maybe he could come here to the Barret-Jackson Auction. 7 million was top bid for a car last year!
Sounds like most of you took Barney's "big freeze" way to seriously! haha Glad the temps are rising a bit.
ASA--to answer your question, I would say the same thing about your cold. I guess it is what one gets "used to." T-shirt, shorts all summer, plus autos and all buildings and homse are all AC now. The worst part is doing lawn work.
However, the hottest job is laying hot asphalt when it's 115 !! Did I warm up any of you? ha
GUYS--any one else glad the BCS is now history?
I think a playoff will be a good thing.
Possum--keep warm under your rock! :)
God's blessings,
MDC
January 09, 2014 - Msg 96139: My brain just quit working, MDC. The "BCS"?

Boo, congrats to Sean. Sounds like he is "movin on up!" :)

-Sterling Holobyte
January 09, 2014 - Msg 96140: Thanks, Sterling. :)

MDC, if Sean got to go to Arizona, I would have to hide in the trunk and ride along. ;)

Warmer here today...supposed to be back in to the 70s, but very humid, lots of fog even at mid-day yesterday.

Better finish the coffee and get erin to school. She is growing up. Got herself up before I even got up and was dressed and making herself some hot chocolate when I got to the kitchen. She is loving school so far. She lost her glasses this week running into the building, though. It was the day it was sleeting outside and I dropped her off in front and she had her glasses in her jacket pocket. they must have bounced out when she was running and we never found them. I suppose someone picked them up and decided to keep them. Too bad because they cost me 200 dollars a month ago. I am thinking of seeing if the school will let me post a fifty dollar reward in hopes that whoever decided to keep them will turn them over for the money.

See ya'll later,
Boo
January 09, 2014 - Msg 96141: PS-I am discovering something that you with older kids already know, and that is that all the fretting about kids is a waste of energy. Given a healthy and loving environment to grow in, they will grow, just as sure as flowers come up in good soil. :)

Boo
January 09, 2014 - Msg 96142: PS-I am discovering something that you with older kids already know, and that is that all the fretting about kids is a waste of energy. Given a healthy and loving environment to grow in, they will grow, just as sure as flowers come up in good soil. :)

Boo
January 09, 2014 - Msg 96143: Guess that was worth repeating!! Sorry for chewing my cabbage twice, crazy computer.

Boo
January 09, 2014 - Msg 96144: Sounds like a good start to a "Rose" poem Boo. But it is true though, glad to hear Sean is finding his "nitch" & confidence to ask for what he deserves...Those kids! Just when you think you're worrying to much about them, they grow their wings a little more...

G-F...
January 09, 2014 - Msg 96145: Good morning, porch! It's 42° here, and rainy. Well, drizzly is more like it. We haven't had any real rain, but everything is wet. It's almost like it's raining up, from the ground! The ground is wet, the trees are wet, there are droplets clinging like diamonds from everything, even the wire of the birds' suet cage. There's a hazy mist in the air, but no visible rainfall. It's just wet, wet, wet. If the temp were to drop now, the streets would be like glass, but it's supposed to remain fairly warm.

Boo, that's a beautiful discovery about kids, and I agree with you. Well said. The analogy is a good one, because like flowers, some bloom right away, and keep blooming, others take a while, but they get there, and their bloom is beautiful. I'm so happy for Sean. He may very well have discovered a career, right there, and it could be a good one. If he keeps his eyes and ears open and learns whatever he can about the operation, and continues to give 100%, like he always does, it will be noticed. He's already shown himself to be ambitious and eager to work, so now they'll be watching him. Good for him!!

Well, I've got to get some lab work done, guess I'd better feed La Starr, and get dressed. She'll be in a pouty little snit when she realizes I'm leaving, but she'll forgive me quickly when I get home. At least she finally outgrew that pitiful shivering and shaking she used to do when I was leaving, with all the swallowing hard, watery eyes, barely-audible whining, and just generally looking miserable. I can handle her little snits. At least she's standing up for herself, instead of just being in a little pathetic heap. These days, when I come home and open the bedroom door, she's standing there with some toy in her mouth, tosses her head back and marches past me without so much as a look. I can almost hear her saying "Who needs you? My toys and I did just fine!" What a personality lives in that tiny body!

Blessings, friends! --Romeena
January 09, 2014 - Msg 96146: Happy to report that Hogette's staples are out,her head healed up well, and she's all set to marry the taxidermist what sewed up her head-LOL

Well,the first two are true,anyway-yep,her mama phoned to let me know she behaved well and went to school right after the doctor's appt.

A little warner here today,so that's a good thing!
Y'all take care & act like somebody!

********************
possum under a rock
January 09, 2014 - Msg 96147: Hello Front Porchers: I am trying to put some TAGS episodes together to figure something out here. The way I see it is that Barney Fife is dating Thelma Lou but he is also going on dates with Juanita from the Bluebird Diner. What is going on here? Mr. Sawyer
January 09, 2014 - Msg 96148: Hey gang...Sterling,Romeena,possum,MDC,Boo said something about cabbage..lets have boiled cabbage and franks for supper...cornbread?..Mr Sawer can you round up some sweet tea?...back in just a bit...busy here at work....send two plates please...co-worker hungry also...Thanks and prayers...SPOT !
January 09, 2014 - Msg 96149: It's pretty simple, Mr. Sawyer...Barney was a two-timer. ;)

Boo
January 09, 2014 - Msg 96150: No,don't tell me things went on like that in a perfect town like Mayberry. Shame, shame, shame. Mr. Sawyer
January 09, 2014 - Msg 96151: Yep,Barney was a player!

possum again
January 09, 2014 - Msg 96152: Barney was a big old player. About got hoodwinked with that lady prisoner. Actually a couple of them. The lady speeder also. Then the couple who was pretending to be a father daughter duo. Old Barn about got hiself sued. I still think one of the funnier scenes is when that gal is all over Barney while he's got his head stuck up that lampshade commenting on how amazing it is how much heat one of them 40 watt bulbs puts out. Yea, old Barney had a wandering eye.

Great news about Hoggette Possum, bless her heart. Glad she did ok.
And that is wonderful news about Sean Boo. Good for him. I know how you have worried about him. But your flower is starting to bloom. :) (don't tell him I called him a flower now. :)

Snow snow and more snow here the last couple of days. And more tonight. But we need the moisture so I guess it's all good.

Better go move some more snow.

Asa
January 09, 2014 - Msg 96153: Hmmm. "Better go move some more snow." I think I just figured out why I live in Texas, and not up north. If I had to move snow in order to get out of my driveway, I guess I'd just have to hermitize myself. Not gonna happen.

Well, I got a shock today. Went to pick up my prescriptions for the first time since retirement ended my group insur@nce. The bottle of 100 blood sugar test strips (about a month's supply) that have been costing me $20 are now $149. I have signed up for Part D, with Well Care, and that will help some, but I didn't have my card yet. It's still going to be a whole lot more than I've been paying, though. Seems like things are upside down. When you retire and no longer have a paycheck coming in, suddenly your expenses increase. Something is wrong with this picture.

One more beef - Well Care does accept the pharmacy I've used for 35 years - barely. It is on their network list, but doesn't have the little asterisk beside their name, that marks them as a "preferred" provider. That honor belongs to Wal-Mart. So, while they will share in the cost at Brown's, they would pay a much larger share if I went to Wal-Mart. So I'm asked to give up the pharmacy that is six minutes from my house, where I'm known by name, where I know them all by name, the one that delivered my medication to me when I was too sick and dizzy to drive up there to get it, and told me I could pay next time I came in, the one where I can park right by the door and be in and out in a couple of minutes. Instead I have to drive eight miles to Wal-Mart's six acre parking lot, walk uphill (yes, uphill) and into the huge store, fight my way through swarms of people all carrying snotty-nosed sick kids, find the pharmacy, and hope I can understand the broken English of the person behind the counter. Oh, and I'm so sure they'd deliver my meds to me if needed them to, and would let me pay on my next visit, aren't you? At this rate, our home-grown, grassroots, locally-owned pharmacies will disappear, and all we'll have is the big box stores who don't care if we live or die, as long as we have money when we come in. Again, something is wrong with this picture.

OK, enough of that. At least I have a warm home and enough to eat, and I know where I'm going when I leave this planet. Blessings, friends! --Romeena
January 09, 2014 - Msg 96154:
RO--I feel your pain. Med Part D was to help with that. Remember tho, before 2008, there was NO rx coverage with Medicare. Altho I agree that that is pretty bad deal about almighty Walmart. I heard that 10,000 a DAY are now turning 65 and going onto Medicare. Where will all that money come from? What we borrow from China goes to foreign aid! Soapbox away. bluey.
MR. SAWyer, yup Barney even said in one ep, when he was mad
at Thel, that he was going to "play the field." ha
STERLING- BCS is college "Bowl Championship Series." That is now no more.
ASA-- don't laugh (or cry), but on Saturday at a big Phx park, it is "snow day in the park" where snow makers blow in tons of snow for kids to play with/in/on here! Yes they "make" snow! And by Sat eve it will be all gone.
Also ASA, if that ep were made today,(about the bulb) Barn would be looking up at a mercury-filled CFL. ha OK, I better be quiet. ha
POSSum, very good news about Laci. Praise God.
BOO- tell Sean to try the new chili Monterry burger at What-A-Burger. delish!
MDC
January 09, 2014 - Msg 96155: Spot and MDC are "claiming their britches" over on FB! LOL
Don't ask!!

possum again
January 10, 2014 - Msg 96156: Those were some britches. Yukko.

Hey Asa..hope you stay warm today.

That really stinks about the meds/pharmacy situation. I feel for you. There is just no telling what will happen in the years to come, either.

MDC, I'll tell Sean about the Monterrey Burger.

Woke up far too early this morning after a restless night. Now that Erin is in school, I can come back home and nap if I need to, though. I got the bulk of the laundry done yesterday.

Hope you all have a good day.

Boo
January 10, 2014 - Msg 96157: Good morning, porch. Would you believe it's 64° here? It's a wet, drizzly day, really nasty out there, but at least it isn't cold. Somewhere, under all the leaf cover in the flowerbeds, my pansies are loving it! They don't like heat, but they really hunker down and hibernate when it gets as cold as it has been, and temps in the 60s are great for them. Just wish I could see them! I'm going to leave the leaf cover on them, though. This is January, and we'll still have some bitterly cold days, right on into February. My tulip bulbs are still not in the ground, and probably won't be for a week or so, and that concerns me. They should be snuggled in by now - they're going to be late, and may find themselves wilting in the heat, like the wax ones Ricky tried to slip past Lucy.

Well, I wrote a polite letter to my senator, the one who tackled the IRS and got my refund, when the IRS was saying it would take up to 18 months. I differ with him a bit on some of his political stances, but he did help me, and that counts for something. I told him what I ran into with the pharmacy thing. I said I wasn't expecting him to get anything changed, but just wanted to give him a grass-roots opinion on the situation, and lend my voice to any reform efforts that might be in the works. Probably won't help, but it won't hurt. It seems that letter-writing is about all that's left for us these days. Voting doesn't help much. The liberals have managed to buy too many votes, with their promises of freebies, and "a piece of the pie" and all that. You know what? I learned a long time ago that the best way to get a piece of pie was to go to work and bake one.

Boo, I'm glad you have an opportunity for some "alone time", now that Erin is in school. I cherish my solitude these days, and plan for it. Also, I love it that I only do laundry about every three weeks - when I run out of towels and underwear. Then, about five loads takes care of it, and I'm all set. Yes, I have lots of towels and underwear. I planned it that way! I remember those days very well, though - the days when the washer and dryer ran every single day. I also remember when there was no dryer, and the clothes line was loaded all the time.

For that matter, I remember a brief time when I did the laundry by hand, in the bathtub - sheets, towels and all. I had no washer! That didn't last long, though. Dale quickly got me a nice wringer washer from Sears. Why a wringer? Well, our little apartment didn't have washer connections, and I could hook up and drain the wringer machine at the kitchen sink. It was on wheels, and rolled wherever I needed it to be. Also, it was only $6.50 a month and the automatic would have been $8.50 a month and we couldn't afford that! Those were the days when I got three meals for three people out of one chicken. Times were tough, but oh, my! We were so happy!

Well, a man is coming from ADT to install a CO monitor on my ADT system. After David found that the flue pipe on my furnace was dislodged and no longer connected to the roof vent (apparently happened when the new roof was put on a couple of years ago) - I decided a monitor might be a good idea. It will add less than a dollar to my monthly ADT bill, and I think it's pretty much worth it! There is an installation charge, but they reduced it to almost nothing. Why? Because I asked!

Well, guess I'd better get out of this ratty old gown and into some clothes before that man arrives. He'll be here between noon and five, and it's after eleven now. Blessings, friends! --Romeena
January 10, 2014 - Msg 96158: Yes, we do a lot of laundry...I can hear the spin cycle as we speak. I had to do some towels..we go through a lot of them. I did enjoy my morning, though, and I did take a nap. It was just wonderful..it was raining out crawled into my nice warm bed and pulled the quilt up under my chin, and they I lay with my kitty warming my feet, listening to the rain on the roof. Perfect! I am loving this.

Boo
January 10, 2014 - Msg 96159: Romeena, a CO monitor sounds like a good idea as long as ADT monitors it correctly, what happens if it goes off? Does it call the fire Dept. which comes out and says nothing is wrong and goes back to the station? Or..Maybe you need some of those parakeets that they use to use in the mines to detect gases. You could get 3 of them and call them Winkin, Blinkin, & Nod. Maybe when Winkin tells Blinkin and Blinkin tells Nod and Nod tells Toye and Toye tells you it might be quicker then the ADT route... Just a thought... but needing to keep you safe is the 1st order of business.

G-F
January 10, 2014 - Msg 96160: G-F that was funny. You should be on one of those excursion boats. Mr. Sawyer
January 10, 2014 - Msg 96161: Thanks for the paints Possum !..good epts on the tube right now...first season..hey Boo,Mr Sayer,Romeena,MDC and all...and just when is national potato week....supper?...SPOT
January 10, 2014 - Msg 96162: G-F, you are a bird in this world! You always make me laugh. Also, I do appreciate you humor-wrapped concern. The CO monitor is located right by my furnace, which would be the source of any CO emissions, and it communicates wirelessly with the control box. If it reports the presence of CO, the control box will alert ADT. They will then call me, and if I don't answer, they'll dispatch the fire department. After the incident a couple of weeks ago, both ADT and the fire department database now have the code to get in my garage, so I don't think there'll be a repeat performance. Once in the garage, they can get in the house with no problem. All in all, I'm pretty well protected from all perils, I think.

Well, guess I'll go watch TAGS on TVLand. I'm tempted to go outside and prune something, but guess I won't. It's still pretty wet out there. It's 68° and partly cloudy, sun shining right now. I guess I could go wash my big window. Or not. I think I'll stay right here, where it's cozy. Blessings, porchsters! --Romeena
January 10, 2014 - Msg 96163: Romeena, Being a "Bird in this world" I should have been smart and flew South for the winter with all the other gooney birds..haha

TOM...Are you ok? We are getting news reports about a chemical spill in WVA North of Charleston, it's contaminating the water I'm not sure how far it is from you but they are trucking in water. They don't want anybody drinking, washing, bathing or anything in it. Hope you're ok...

G-F...
January 10, 2014 - Msg 96164:
MR SAWYer--GF and Mrs GF will join the circus as Frick and Frack! ha
Also, RO made a funny and didn't notice. After GF's statement about parakeets, she says he's a bird in this world. Oh well, maybe its just me. :)
BOO- glad you are getting a little down time.
Prayers for all,
MDC
January 11, 2014 - Msg 96165: What makes you think I didn't notice, MDC? I was just waiting to see who caught it, and you did! You're sharp!

Would you believe it? After replacing - what was it, six? - strings of lights on my Christmas tree this year, one more just had the nerve to go out. While I was looking at the tree, yet! Kind of an in-your-face thing, I thought. So that settles it. I am now on the trail of LED lights, and will re-wire the tree next year. I've already done a little net-surfing, and have found a couple of possibilities. The things are so expensive though! However, they're brighter, so maybe it won't take as many lights, and they shouldn't have to be replaced every whipstitch, so that will save in the long run. I'm not sure whether I want the bright white, the warm white or multi-color, so I think I'll get a string of each, and try them on the tree after I get the ornaments off this year, and see which I like best. Then whatever I choose, I'll get more of that one, enough to do the whole tree with a string or two left over, and the other samples that I didn't choose will be used elsewhere. I just wish I could find a showroom where I could go and see them before buying. That's the problem with buying online, you don't know what you've got until it's delivered. Tomorrow I'm going to chase that rabbit. Surely in this huge metroplex, there's a showroom for LED Christmas lights. Haven't found one yet, but I'll keep looking.

Well, I'm off to bed. Blessings, friends! --Romeena
January 11, 2014 - Msg 96166: Hey Romeena: You should store your old Christmas lights on your roof. That way if your ADT security system fails you can dump them off the roof for a machine gun like sound effect that can deter intruders. Mr. Sawyer
January 11, 2014 - Msg 96167:
Romeena, speaking of Christmas trees, last year, we purchased a combination LED and Fiber Optics lit artificial tree and absolutely love it. The fiber optics lights go on an off in different patterns. And yesterday, we just happened to be driving past that same store and noticed their giant 60% off everything Christmas sale (including trees). I did a quick internet search and discovered that Sears is selling all their Christmas Trees at 50% off including free shipping. So don't wait until next fall when the prices will increase.

from Poor Horatio
January 11, 2014 - Msg 96168:
Romeena, since you mentioned that you were looking for a showroom that displays the trees before you make a purchase, that may prove difficult after the Christmas season has ended unless you find a specialty stores like we did. It is called "American Sale" and they are only located in the Chicagoland area.
For your area, check out http://tinyurl.com/n3fx8gj.

from Poor Horatio
January 11, 2014 - Msg 96169: Hey.
Nice warm day 54dre.
G-F I live up in Clarksburg W V that is about
5hr from here.
I see that your all are have lake ice in the water line.

TOM

January 11, 2014 - Msg 96170: Morning dears. Morning honeys. I pray for all to have a good day.
Good to see you Tom. I hope you are feeling better.

GF, yer a caution old buddy and a delight. Thank you for your sense of humor.

Romeena, if you had more whims you would only have to wash your underwear every 3 months instead of monthly. Something to think about.

Boo, have you won the battle with the head lice? Hope so.

Getting all my chores done early today so I am free to watch the playoffs later. Some great games last weekend. Amazing comeback by the Colts. That Andrew Luck kid has no quit in him. Fun to watch. Reminds me a little of a young Brett Favre.

Well I reckon I better get rolling. Doing laundry today. Boo, where are you? :)

Asa
January 11, 2014 - Msg 96171: MDC...I can assure you Mrs. G-F will not be a part of any circus, as neither Frick nor Frack, she does not know funny! Our GranDaughter reminds her of that all the time which I think is funny, Why? As Brooklyn says: "Papa Knows Funny"!.. Maybe Asa or Mr. Sawyer could be a partner, he did come up with a good suggestion about Ro's Christmas lights..bada-bing!

I think I'll write a book titled: "My World as a Bird".. I just see things in life from a very different view maybe like a bird flying in the air? Hummm never thought of it that way.. Then I could get on Colonel Tim's as a warm up to Howard Sprague... Anyhow, thanks for putting up with me!

TOM good to hear that chemical spill is not effecting you...

Gotta lot to do today...better FLY!...

G-F


January 11, 2014 - Msg 96172: Good morning, porch. Really, G-F? Mrs. G-F doesn't know funny? Then how on earth has she made it this far with you, because, my friend, you are funny! I hope she's a good straight man. Every comic needs one, but I think you need a good comic sense to be the straight man, so not sure how that would work. Anyway, I feel sorry for her. It must be hard, for someone who "does not know funny" to live with someone who does.

I think I have a skewed view of life, like you said you do. I wonder about things that most people don't notice, like why a squirrel can come down a tree headfirst and a cat can't. (Finally figured that one out.) I've been known to buy flowers even when money was tight and I shouldn't have, but you know what? It always worked out, somehow. Fortunately, my Dale looked at life in much the same way, and had a wonderful sly sense of humor. He had a way of dropping these hilarious little comments, but you wouldn't catch it until later. You might get the main joke, but there were often little things hidden in it that took a while.

An example: Once, back when the banks and such were failing left and right, my dad said he had a good mind to just put his money in a can and bury it in the back yard. (He was kidding, of course.) Dale's immediate response was "If I did that, it would be my luck the penny worms would come and eat it." Funny, right? Initially, we all laughed because of the idea of worms coming and eating the money. About ten minutes later, in the middle of another conversation, my dad suddenly said, "Penny worms? Not just worms, but penny worms?" Everyone at the table cracked up. The implication was that Dale would be burying pennies, just pennies, which was about the truth at that point in time, and that made it hilarious.

My dad had a wonderful sense of humor too, and a happy-go-lucky outlook on life. I think I've shared some of his little sayings before, like "Don't worry about anything, because nothing is going to be all right." Or "If you have a problem that doesn't have a solution, then you don't have a problem, so forget it." My mom was a bit more serious, but she enjoyed a good laugh as much as anyone, and would sneak in a zinger of her own now and then. They both grew up in the depression, wore patched, homemade clothes, and carried biscuits smeared with bacon grease to school for lunch. They were resourceful, hard-working, always cheerful, and achieved financial security, but never lost their sense of balance and their values. I miss them.

Wow. How did I get to that? How I do run on! You folks are so kind to be patient with me. Blessings, friends! --Romeena

P.S. Mr. Sawyer, maybe I will put the burned-out lights on the roof. Might work!
January 11, 2014 - Msg 96173: ....Might Not!.....
January 11, 2014 - Msg 96174: Hello to all you regular Front Porchers, and you know who you are. There are about only 10 or so of you that I can think of. I do enjoy the daily banter here on the porch that all of you contribute everyday. I jump in every once in a while if I have a thing or two to say. I have been monitoring the "Front Porch" for a few months now and let me tell you that you people here almost have your own sitcom going. I think it is entertaining enough that I keep checking the Porch a few times a day. I can't break away from this site. Which one of the regulars here has been on the Porch the longest? You all seem like a great bunch of people. Thank you for the free entertainment. Mr. Sawyer
January 11, 2014 - Msg 96175: It is 7:00 p.m. central time Chicago area. TAGS is on channel 26.4 "METOO" OTA (over the air) broadcast signal. Some goof george just proposed to Mrs. Sprague. Good luck with that one george. They are moving to Mt. Pilot. Mr. Sawyer
January 11, 2014 - Msg 96176: Yep Mr. Sawyer, The porch is a real "Peeton Place" as Barney calls it. Ya never know what the discussion of the day may be.. From Bats to Mayo and everything in between. That Sigmon Frood guy would have a lot to study here, yep old Siggy would be busy here for sure!

G-F...
January 11, 2014 - Msg 96177: Yeah, makes sense to me. Still is cool. Do you guys and gals ever watch "Pawn Stars" on the History Channel? If Burt Mustin was the "Old Man" what would Gomer be trying to sell him? Mr. Sawyer
January 11, 2014 - Msg 96178: You know, it's almost you guys and gals Sabbath. Have a good one. Mr. Sawyer
January 12, 2014 - Msg 96179: That's a good question, Mr. Sawyer. I really have no idea who has been on the porch the longest, but I think I'd be in the running. Probably Tom also. He's been here a long time. As near as I can tell, after checking the few archives from before 2000, I came to the porch somewhere between April 9, 1997 and July 8, 1997. I know it was shortly after my husband passed in May of 1996, because I was in a very bad place at that time, and the porch folks helped me a lot. Very few of those original folks are left, and I miss them. The spirit of the porch has evolved just a bit, but not a lot. It's a unique place, and meets a need for many of us. Probably for all of us.

Well, it's bedtime. A little early for me, but I'm sleepy, so Toye Starr and I are going to toddle off to bed. Sweet dreams, folks! --Romeena
January 12, 2014 - Msg 96180:
MR Sawyer, I've been around since 2003. Found it by accident one day when I was looking up some Mayberry info. We do hit the gambit here that is for sure. Always try to inject some TAGS, such as
your parakeets becoming "a bird in this world" by RO.
PH--wow, that sounds like a neat store in Arlington! I'll have to see if we have one around here.
G-F--I challenge your missus to watch the Loaded Goat and not get some funny on! From still holding on to Richmond to Otis trying to laying on the mattress agin the wall, how can one not laugh!
SPOT--have you seen Possum on FB trying to put us in polyester bellbottoms? ha SHE is a real character! Good Sabbath to all.
Prayers,
MDC
January 12, 2014 - Msg 96181: Wait please Romeena:
January 12, 2014 - Msg 96182: Kind of like hill billys on the internet or something