Saturday ~ Feb. 21st

[Pat B]

Morning all

It's my Saturday to work, so I'm up and at 'em.

Erin isn't speaking to me. I called her Granny yesterday to check on her and she tried to give her phone, but NO.

She comes home tomorrow - it should be exciting. NOT.

I'm off to the shower and on to the office. Y'all have a good 'un.

Paula - if you haven't posted that Andouille recipe you mentioned yesterday in the kitchen yet, would you please?

[Schmitty]

Good morning rounders....been up since 3 am....as usual sitting with Snoopy on my lap...watching some TV programs I have saved.

Had a great day yesterday.....Marianne had the day off...and my granddaughter Angela was here in town ...she is staying with family at Mark's families home...they have a huge house and lots of room for them. Angie brought little Niko over for us so we could hold him and play with him....he is a little sweetie... Markus was with us later in the day. They will be here in town til tomorrow morning...It is both Angie's and Mark's birthday this week....I took Angie shopping last night for whatever she wanted in the line of clothing. It was great for me to spend time with her....daughter Marianne spent time with the little ones.

Marianne and I went to a favorite fish fry event for dinner....was good as always. Get a plate with plenty of fish, cole slaw and fries...which I don't eat....but don't get a choice....too bad to waste it...but have never had a liking for fries.

Going to Hannah's recital this afternoon....it is the one where there are two different critiques done of each of the individuals playing in the recital. Went to the first one Hannah was a part of last year....like watching her play she has so much confidence....impresses me

She and her Mom...are going back to Kentucky this week with Dave....Hannah's Dad....he was there working there this past week...and has one more week to be there....hated to be there without his family.

We are still in frigid weather....can't wait for Spring....terrible to be in below zero temps...but have no choice...Wow! just checked the temperature for today and it says 30 degrees.....will feel like Spring to me...it has been below zero her for several days.

Sending wishes out to all rounders for a good day.

[ladyebug]

Good Morning.

Oh Pat! She'll come around. Welcome to life with a teenager.

Mickie, sure wish we had photos of Markus and Niko. Don't think we've ever seen Niko and been a long time since we saw Markus. So glad Angie and her family are thriving.

Will Dave post Hanna's playing on Youtube like before? Would love to see and hear her.

Well, can you believe it is 69 here? Winds all night long and temps will drop throughout the day. Seems like everything is backward today. LOL

Museum sitting and newsletter folding is on my agenda today. Lots of visitors in town, so maybe someone will drop by.

Hope everyone has a very good day.

[karlinann]

It's 35º now and going to 72º today and 81º tomorrow. Get your shorts out!

Just another Saturday and grocery shopping for me.

[Mayebarnes]

good morning...

14 degrees and predicting snow today...4-6 "... two would be sufficient thanks... guess its another stay-home day... and thats ok... got food in and furnace is working... and so are the phones... so if I get lonely ,will call some old friends.

I have been hunting a recipe for muffins that took poppy seeds.. finally found it this morning... also takes bananas.. which I have .!.. may just make them today.. been years but I remember them as Good..

Pat. words of advice from Nana ala Aunt Maye..ala, a Mom who got 4 kids through some rough teen years( and we all survived),,,,.. HANG TOUGH... be nice, sweet, kind ,understanding.... but don't let her bribe you into buying her something. or let her get under your skin with more "behavior".. Wearing the Parent Hat is hard work... you can do it.. you can do it.. be praying for you both...

Agree with Elaine , picture of the boys would be nice Mickie plus I would love to hear/see a video of Hannah playing again..

been up since 3.30.. just could not get back to sleep . so spent the 1 1/2 hr reading until David got up...
got the outside kitty fed. laundry in washing.. and some new games planned for the Game Forum.. now I could take a snooze. .

see you later...... hi Paula and Donna.

[JoGee]

Good morning, all.
Our weather is like Paula's today. Looking ahead, it's crazy. It gradually cools down til Tuesday when it'll be 65. But they've diddled with the numbers every day, so who really knows?
Today I think I'll diddle in the garden. I need to add a few bags of real soil to it, so a trip to the Garden Center will be in order.

Pat, I totally agree with Maye. Raising kids is not for sissies. There will be bad days as well as good ones,,; just hold your ground. It's so satisfying when they come back in some future time, and they say, "Mom, you were right all along." One stepdaughter did, and later so did my other girls --- once they turned about 25. You both WILL get past this.

So, not much happening here. I'd better dig out my sunscreen today and take advantage of the weather and deal with the yard.

Have a great day.

[BarbCA]

Good morning, all. 38º. Possible rain tomorrow and into Monday, Crossing fingers.

Went to the pot luck on Thurs. It was OK but the potatoes weren't baked as they should be in my opinion. I like fluffy baked potatoes and they won't be fluffy if wrapped in foil and baked for hours. I'm with James Beard on this one. No wrapper and Bake at 400º for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on size. I like to rub a little bacon drippings on them.
It was still fun and just because it was Chinese New Year I made a tray of Chinese Almond cookies to go along with the broccoli cheese sauce.

Pat, be glad it's only one teen. Try having three at once. Eldest was hell on wheels, second wasn't much problem, third was another teen beast. My fourth was 10 years younger than the third and almost like an only child but we got along most of the time with a few minor eruptions.

Eyes are not liking the screen today as they are itchy burny so will just wish all a great day.

[bethina]

Good morning...Not going any where today.....everything is covered in ice....the weather people say it should get above freezing this afternoon...but it may all refreeze tonight.

[cookielady]

Good Morning! Yesterday was sunny but frigid. Today there is no sun & the snow is coming down steadily.

Yesterday was a bumpy day. Got some done, but my emotions were roller coasting. If it keeps up, I'll be calling the doctor. I went to the gym and had her weigh me & take my BMI reading & water reading....all were bad. What's the sense of eating right & exercising if it's not going to do you any good? Thank goodness there was Ladies Night Out at the church. There were 15 of us & we had a pleasant evening. Did you know you could exfoliate your lips? REALLY! They are now nice & smooth, which I thought they were before until I did the treatment & now they are super smooth...very kissable!

Not sure what today will bring. I need to do some paperwork. Don't think I'm going to leave the house today.

Have a good one all!

Pat...you are a LOT stronger mom than I ever way. I never ever said & did such things to my parents....they would have KILLED me...do I had no idea how to handle such horrid behavior. I'm still recovering from the horror, but I'm starting to see some glimmers of hope.

[maxie]

No idea how much snow is out there but any footprints from the last are covered and there is a pile of snow at the foot of the drive from the snow plow. I do not want to go out and shovel! We missed the ice that Beth has so I am grateful for that. It is still flurrying ...so so so over winter! Looks like I'll stay in this weekend and eat or I could go out and shovel. Decisions decisions..

[Nalani]

Good morning all!

Pat, hang in there! You are doing it right.

Patty arrived just in time for lunch yesterday and it's good to see her. We'll go over some papers this morning and then I go to a Birthday luncheon and she will either eat here or go somewhere like the mall maybe.

Have a good day all and above all stay warm!

[Paula A]

Oh, I am late today. Good morning and hope you all can weather your weather. I watched some of Good Morning America about the ice on the roads and people in their vehicles for more than 12 hours! I always say have a case of water in your car no matter what season it is, either to drink or to share.
Pat, I will post that recipe and it is one that I had all the ingredients on hand, so pretty easy if you have that sausage...
Are all the grown ups on the same page with Erin? Dad and Granny on the same page? I can remember a lot of slammed doors, feet stomping (yeah, really!), and some upset kids and parents.
I wish someone could just say to her, You know your mom has been through a lot for you...but she will get it in the end. Just don't get sucked into the anger. It is only a power struggle when you let anger take over. True with toddlers and teenagers. Choice and accountability. Two's and teens are the years that is the top lesson!
Elaine, we, my mom, Becky and I are going to a Victorian house museum tomorrow after church. The kids here all go in elementary school but for some reason, my mother has never been..
It is Victorian "mansion", for Red Bluff standards and the volunteers act as the original owners. It will fulfill a requirement for Becky's humanitarian class and just be fun, I think. Anyway, I thought of you when we decided to do this.
I am trying to pick up 10 thins in every room today to get rid of. Wish me luck. and then there are the tax papers I have to make sense of. Going back to get all deductions and put them in the right category is not for the feint of heart. And every year I say, Next year (which it already is) I am not going to be so disorganized. I can hope, right?
I will get that recipe into the Kitchen right now before I go out to the store...anything to put off the dreaded paperwork!
Please be safe and stay out of the weather if it is out of your normal kind!

[JoGee]

Just thinking...kids are all different, their timing for these things, and they know how to push your buttons. You're still wondering what buttons they have that you can push. Catching them off-guard can be fun. They storm off after an argument....when they return you say "I've missed you. Guess I'll always love you no matter what." They might stomp to their room without answering, but they won't stomp out as loudly. Usually.
Lots of kids think adults do whatever they want, they need to know that adults follow rules, too. Now I'll shut up.

Cookie, I wish I could say I never stood up against my parents. I think I had excellent reasons, but I always wished I had parents who I could really talk to, who'd encourage my interests and talents. But I never lied (except to get a job in my senior year) to them, or tried to hurt them. I tried to always do what was expected of me. But Mom was dead set on my marrying a rich guy who had no respect for my feelings. I did all I could to dissuade him, but he courted my parents, knowing he'd get his way if they liked him. I told mom how it was, how I felt.....her only comment was "but he's RICH !) so I told her to divorce dad and marry this guy herself. (Sometimes my brain wouldn't stop me from saying sarcastic things.) At one point she said she hoped I'd get pregnant and have to marry him. Which she denied afterwards...she lied!
The other time was mom got mad at me for something I don't even remember, but I hadn't done anything wrong. But she told Dad to get his belt and beat the sh** out of me. Fortunately, I could talk plainly to my dad and give my reasons for whatever.....and with my explanations he'd shake his head and say to just stay out of Mom's way for the rest of the day.
I give him credit, he was fair-minded. He'd get really angry, always ask why X was done, and wait for an explanation. He'd always found that I had excellent reasons and did no harm in any way, and he'd probably do likewise....then go into another room to work off his anger. Whereas, Mom enjoyed telling me and everyone that I was the "perfect child" til I was 12, then I changed. Actually, the only change was that I began thinking for myself, and everyone else thought it was for the better.
Dad may have been my buffer from her, but I had other problems with him, dodging his wandering hands. One day I finally asked him what his Bible said about that. That's the day he backed off.
But my ultimate rebellion, was after graduation, I had a suitcase packed, and a few days later in the middle of the night I left home. For good. I really couldn't take any more belittling and humiliation. It was a few years before they accepted this and we could begin visiting. By then, the past was past, and there was no discussing any of it; that was their way.

For what it's worth, I did my best with my kids. I faced the normal problems with them. Not always easy. But most of it was a lot of fun. I'm anxious to put my old photos in albums, so they can see, lest they ever forget. I think about my son, with some frustration these days; but he's basically a very good guy, probably doing his best as he knows it.