Hello & Good Morning!

[Joanna]

   Good morning friends!  The sun is shining and our baby boy is home... scratch that... our college student is home for Christmas break.  Our other son graduated from K-State a couple weeks ago.
   Today we plan to take Clay's broken pickup to a body shop ~ he slid on the ice a couple weeks ago on his way back to Pittsburg from Chris' graduation.  So sad, but only the truck was hurt so it's okay.  Anyhow, we'll get it up & running again soon.
   After that I think I'll go do some window shopping.  We haven't got a single Christmas present for anyone yet.  Love our kids to pieces, but they are getting so independent that when they want or need something, they just save up till they can get it themselves.  Gone are the days of long Christmas lists.  Usually I just watch throughout the year to find things I think they'd enjoy and plan on that...  This year I must have been caught up in my own busy-ness though, and don't have any good ideas.  There's always the "cash" standby and I can cut out pictures from magazines to enclose of what I would have got if I was sure of the model/size/color they'd want.  We're having our family Christmas celebration the weekend afterward anyhow, so I've got plenty of time.
   Our wild kitties go in for surgery tomorrow morning.  I am still looking for a good home for them, but it'd better be soon because we are getting a little bit attached and they are not techically wild anymore... they try to come in the house sometimes when the door is opened and we have to shoo them out.  I don't know how good of barn cats they will be though, I think they may be a tad bit spoiled and they are definately chubby.  Don't worry, you can laugh at me if you want, my family is ROFL that I'm taking stray cats to the vet.  PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't give anyone the idea that they can drop off stray animals here though, I've about reached my quota and there are already 2 HUGE toms in the area that regularly clean out Lester & Fifi's food dish when we don't bring it in.
   The slate tile for our kitchen backsplash all came in over the weekend, and I got it all glued up on the wall.  I got the first part grouted yesterday.  Yech!  Not my favorite job.  I have to let the second half of the kitchen 'cure' for another day before I grout it.  I'll sure be glad when that job is done, but the part I finished does look great.
   Have a great day everyone!
   

[Bonnie M.]

Wow, Joanna, you have a lot going on at your house!

I can certainly relate with how difficult it is to buy Christmas gifts for the "children," once they are out of the "like anything" stage!  And now, for us, it's the same thing with our grandchildren.  So, I do end up giving gift certicates to quite a few members of our family.  Not the same as a "gift," but in the long run, a lot more convenient.  And, cash is even better, because then they're not restricted to needing to buy a gift from a certain store.  Most of our grandchildren give us gift certificates to different restaurants, and those are very welcome! 

We're getting a bit of rain today, which is also very welcome!

Have a good day!

[Judy Harder]

Good Morning, All
Well, the sun is out, it isn't quite as cold and it promises to be a fairly
nice day (for winter.)
I don't have any plans for any different type of chore today.

Monday I got my laundry caught up and finished my ironing yesterday.
while the laundry was going, I knew I needed to get the car out and
warm it up............(well.........surprise surprise........it needs a new battery)
I sort of expected it...........but, now that is a poor gift for Christmas.....but,
very necessary.

I plan on going to Topeka for Christmas and joining in the all out fun of a family
that gets together a lot and does have a good time.

My brother and sister-in-love host the party and we all chip in for the extras.
We stopped exchanging gifts several years ago.....mainly cause it got too much for
us to figure something nice that didn't cost a lot and we got to be too full of older
kids who have expensive tastes and wants and all of us decided that was just a
tad too much for fixed incomes and with steps and grands and almost family and the like,
it just seemed like a good idea.

Instead we take white elephants and play bingo and who ever takes the bingo game gets to choose
one of the gifts. Now most of those are from either regifting or else some piece of Junk (oops) mustn't say that
word in front of Mother........it is recycled good stuff .....LOL.....got to keep mom happy.

But, the good times we all share is better than all the gifts and for the past several years  I have had to miss
out on it all.  Either weather was bad, or car was down or I just couldn't afford the trip....
Well, this year I have planned on going and kept a little cash back to do it.

Now the weather is threatening, but if God wills I will be heading up there come Monday and if not then Christmas
morning.

Anyway just wanted to say good day to you all........and hope you are having a good day. I am heading up to cafe and friends and some laughter and good will..........got to plan for the cabin fever that will come back sooner or later.

Hugs and God bless

[Teresa]

I'm getting ready to leave for ElDorado.. Going to the back cracker.. (LOL) and then on to finish up some odds & ends.
Keep the forum under control while I'm gone. I know its Christmas and all ...but..No loud parties!
Joanna & Ta Ta.. you are already being watched because you are the youngest and you most likely will be the instigator's...
( I KNOW as soon as I close the truck door, the music will start and you all will be up to no good)
Wilma...keep your clothes on and no dancing on the table!   
Rudy? No spiking the punch. ..Mama? No drinking the punch!
Bonnie and Flo...leave the Karaoke machine at home. Last time the dogs howled for hours after I came home. 
Judy..remember that you wanted to leave for the holidays??.. DON"T make me ground you.
sixdogsmom, Ole Granny, Diane, Mom70x7...if you call that male dancing service one more time and use the Forums credit card.. there will be big trouble..
Karen, I expect you to not use the bathtub for a beer cooler.
All the rest of you?? If you are invited to a party.. don't attend.. 

Have I covered everything? Can I leave without worry?



have a wonderful day everyone..

(((And if anyone wonders how I fired off all those "don't do's.. it is because they were burnt into my skull as I was growing up..  ; Did it do any good? nope..  )))

[flo]

  Teresa, would you just hurry up and get gone - we have things to do, right gals??? 

[Ole Granny]

I'm dialing the phone right now!  Now where is that credit card number?

Actually, I'm headed out to find some little Santa gifts for Santa to hand out Saturday!  No wrapping -these I will bag!

[Judy Harder]

Well shucks...................and I had plans today to at least kick
up my heels at the cafe ..........now I have to change my plans.

wonder if I sneak up to the bar if anyone would see..
Of course they would.......in this small town every time someone
steps out someone else will tell you just how much fun you had.

Love it here, both on the forum and in Longton.
Have a great day and hurry home........just be careful and watch
out for the drivers that think the interstates are sky-ways.
Hugs and God bless watch out for the speed traps.

[Bonnie M.]

I want to sing, sing, sing!  Instead, I'm going to work for a few hours at the Chamber of Commerce office, and then I'm going to an "office party!"  But, we're sort of beyond the "wild days" that you might think of, when you think "office party!"

Have a good day.

[Rudy Taylor]

You girls quit stewing over the credit card charges for male strippers.

If you don't mind a 238-pound, 62-year-old, bald grandpa, I'll be glad to come and dance
for your party. Of course, Mama won't let me take off any clothes but I can surely jiggle
around and take everybody's mind off your overspending at Christmas-time.

My telephone number, if you need me, is the same ol' one ... BR-549.

[Judy Harder]

boy, Rudy, this is one show I would pay to see and
you do know this old lady is on a very limited income.
I loved the chubby chip and dale dancers and really
miss seeing them.

You would fit in just fine and you don't have to take
it all off, just what is needed for the show.

Yeap, this old lady would refill her blood pressure pills just for you.

Bring it on.
Hugs and please pass the smelling salts. 
God help us all......LOL..aoyp