Yipee ! Its been raining off and on all day, though I fear that the precip totals will not be impressive. We shall see what tomorrow brings. I got my new seedling heat mat today and it is duly installed . And I triumphantly declare that I have made it almost to Friday without messing up my nice tidy garage. On Saturday Ill deal with the last rat-hole, which is the paint supplies area. This may require a trip to the hazardous waste facility.

My fantasy baseball league is beginning preparations for our annual draft day-Ive offered to host it this year. At least the house need not be spotless for a bunch of guys, lol.

Deanne, we will be very disappointed if we dont get a pic of the classroom setup at the Uof D. If we all lived within a commute distance we could take a class-imagine a group of rowdy Idyllers demanding cocktails and hors devours before we attend to our lesson.

Mary, thanks for updating us on your young man. Your 10 to 30 % possibility of avascular necrosis is also a 70 to 90 % possibility of not. Better sounding odds right ?

Saucy is the bachelorette week nearing an end ? I took those pics out the window of my car and did no adjustments to the exposure-I probably should have lightened it up a bit. It is a bit moody isnt it ? Im going to try and get a couple of pics this weekend of the green hills.

Chelone, one would hope that V would be a dutiful Idyller and post us from the internet café. The keyboard Cynthia posted is the very same keyboard that graces my computer at the awfice. It gives me many hours of service every day, with the only maintenance being a dose of can o air every Friday.

Take your time Denise-after all we are speaking of the South !

Time to sign off for tonight

Kathy in Napa

Kathy, you mean I should do that can o' air more often than every six months? I used it on the laptop today and I swear a small chihuahua came out of the keyboard. True story - I did this task while listening to our ex-gov being interviewed by Letterman, so I was gassing cold air while he was gassing hot air!

Chelone, I fear that I have been daunted. Painting the walls will not be tough, I'm just not sure I will be able to get to the d*** walls. Serious degree of crap that needs to be relocated. :(

The fire at Holy Name Cathedral was quite sad. It was only a couple of days after the beam in our church cracked that a piece of their ceiling fell in their sanctuary. So both churches had no sanctuary for several months, but Holy Name beat us and got back in to theirs in August. Now it looks like they will be out of theirs again for some time. I have a lot of sympathy for them.

I also feel like I have a lot of loose ends around the house right now. Time to go tie some knots in them.

The internet cafe visit will be tomorrow.

V.

V...

What impact do you suppose Can o' Air would have on ex- gov's coiffure ?

K in Napa

Brrr! cold one here this mornin', too. But there were still coals in the stove, I dutifully raked them forward, twisted up some newspaper, tossed in some tinder, a few pieces of kindling, and few small oak splits. It was hot enough to close the by-pass in 5 minutes and we're on our way to a fire that will bring the house back to "cozy" status. The beauty of our soapstone stone manifests itself in its ability to burn hot and efficiently, store and release heat for longer periods of time, and retain a viable bed of coals for over 12 hrs.. Bug, what did you finally select for your new stove? I can't remember.

Thanks for the keyboard suggestion, Cynthia. My BIL could open a store with the stash of components he has squirrelled away in his garage, so I'm going to snoop around over there to see if I can't score a FREE one before "forking over pork"; a penny saved being two pennies you don't have to earn if you believe Andrew Tobias. ;) And it's actually time to replace the whole damn set up in front of me, anyway. I hate that "planned obsolesence" thing, though.

I have always wanted to visit the Gulf Coast, so look forward to the report from Denise. My experience with the great South is very limited but I could happily settle in the area, I'm sure, if my time in ole Virginny was any indication. Actually, I could probably settle just about anywhere and be reasonably content, as long as my family was with me. :)

Wondering how Jerri fared with her test and how her foot is doing. How much longer must you wear a cast before getting down to the business of serious rehabilitation? I'm also hoping for a heartworm treatment update.

Does anyone remember that hairstylist, Jose Ebert? he used to wear a cowboy hat and his "thing" was always, "shake your head, darling"... bet he'd have a field day with the late, great governor... lol. I'd like to see the gov. toolin' around in a convertible, too. ;)

V., I should take some pictures of the "Board Room" to make you feel better. The Board Room was the "garage" and "cellar" combined in our home. Everything that you'd normally keep in those two places was stashed there and now we're (correction: I'M) faced with hoeing it out, disposing of the culls, etc.. Unbeknownst to the helpmeet I'm already hatching a plan to "repurpose" the area and turn it into useful, attractive living space. Hehehe...

OK, so we clearly need an update from newly reconnected Eden and her adventures while she awaits the spring thaw. And also from Michelle who's refurbishing her digs, too.

That's all for now... time to put together my list of chores for the day, check off some little ones while I kill time waiting for the rest of the world to get up and get to work!

Oh Mary!!! I just now read about David's serious injury! How terrible this is for you all (especially for David!).

To make you feel a little more optomistic, I had a very serious elbow fracture 30 years ago and avascular necrosis was an almost certain consideration - which never happened. Also the very badly damaged radial nerve recovered completely. I was also told that I would recover only limited elboew movement and NO wrist movement - and I have virtually 100 % of both. I was 28 years old and was told that youth was my biggest ally - and David is much younger than that! So be optomistic. The recovery, treatment, and mental stress of such a serious injury is the pits for sure, but way way down the road there is this little light...

Also, two children in TCS's school are suffering from avascular necrosis resulting from an infection. One is now almost fully recovered, the other is temprarily wheelchair bound outside but is walking (not running yet) inside the school. Both have been told to expect complete recovery - because they are young. So my hopes and prayers are with you, and I m thankful that he will have his wonderful music to sustain him thorugh the long recovery period.

I'm just popping in her to send hugs expecailly to Mary et al. TCS and I are to depart fot a ski lodge (oh dear!) this afternoon, after I prepare the 300 hotdogs for hotdog day. I haven't packed or prepared a thing for the trip so will be very busy the rest of the day. I will have limited access to a computer while away, but will check in a few times if possible.

Cheers,

Julie

Have fun Julie!

I'm avoiding making antlers for Sarah's play....she and some friends wrote a play back in November, and another mother got us some time on the local stage, so tonight they're going to perform. This has really been 10 y.o. girls all the way, from writing to stage management. It's fun to see it come together.

They decided at the last minute that they needed antlers...so here I am glueing construction paper to headbands :)

Yes, Kathy, Bachelorette Week is coming to an end! Tomorrow around midday to be exact!

They'll surely send David home as soon as he's up on crutches and can perform all the normal bodily functions. He'll feel better once he's on familiar turf with all his creature comforts. That new video game might come in handy at the Mary household like it is at Sarah's!

GB, you're walking at a pretty good little clip there! The silliest little thing helped my shins: I had my shoes laced too tight at the last hole (closest to the ankle)! I forget who told me that, but it worked....if not, then slow down to 2.5 - we need your shins to stay well!

That's all from me, folks.

Saucy

Good morning

Julie - I DO feel more optimistic hearing about your recovery and the children you know. Before Monday night I'd never heard of avascular necrosis so to hear something positive is just what the doctor ordered!

Kathy - yes, I like your odds much better too.

Saucy - the thought of uninterrupted time on the Playstation is very comforting to David. In the grander scale of things, winning it was something that was meant to be. I'm so glad I didn't turn it away. DH has already bought two new games and David is avidly reading the instructions.

Yesterday 3 friends from school came by and they brough cards from everyone in David's classes - there must be 150 of them!! Some are hilarious, it is interesting what kids that age focus on (they had all made the cards themselves.) About half had guitars or basses, there were lots of pictures of pigs (David's favorite animal), drawings of femur bones and one card that admonished "Be careful next time" and had a stick figure skiier falling down a slope LOL! The writing and poems some of the kids put inside were touching.

This morning David came off the morphine pump and had his dressing changed. The incision looked great but he is uncomfortable again and resting before getting up out of bed. There is talk of going home today or tomorrow.

I should be feeling better but am very weepy instead. Little things are bugging me like the fact my boss has not once called or emailed to see how we are doing. I guess soemtimes its easy to get stuck on small details instead of the bigger picture. Thinking of GB and family, we are really incredibly lucky to have everything we do. I hope it has not been tackless writing as much as I have done about David's troubles.

Mary

Mary, just wanted to let you know that I am thinking of you and David. Thank you for taking the time to keep us updated. It sounds like he is moving along in the right direction. I'm sure you'll all feel much better when he is home. Great that his classmates took the time to make cards for him!

Nothing much is new here. It is very cold now, single digits this AM. They say we'll be in the 40's tomorrow and Sunday, hard to believe!

Saucy, use cardboard so that the antlers don't droop!

V, the vision of a small dog being lifted out of your keyboard by bursts of canned air cracked me right up! I've never used it on my keyboard, now I'm a little afraid too...

I popped in here for my TGIF - where's Sue??

Not at all, Mary! this sort of situation is precisely what friends are for. Betcha the whole gang wishes they were closer, too. I suspect the weepiness is a reaction to being overtired, a little under the weather, and worried. Tears are a great way to relieve stress.... I say, go for it, turn on the water works, baby. ;)

I can't wait for an update on the stage debut of the latest work, Saucy.

I've dealt with the banking, the bills, and property taxes. It's time to deal with the prep. work on the Salon floor but I'm dawdling.

TGIF!

Good grief, Mary, I was so sorry to read about David's accident! Skiing can be an incredibly dangerous activity even when done responsibly. I try very hard to stay at a speed and in conditions that are within my comfort zone but it's impossible to always predict conditions or control the actions of others. Easy to catch an edge wrong or miss a turn on some ice as well. Hope he's comfortable and you're all home soon.

It's been very cold here this week with another icy storm on Tuesday that made for treacherous road conditions just in time for the evening commute. I have been spending at least one night a week shoveling and it's gotten beyond old. Better weather supposedly for the weekend-40s F. I'm heading up to VT later this afternoon to ski tomorrow. Unfortunately I have to come into work on Sunday so will be coming back tomorrow night.

Sue

Mary - I'm happy to hear David is coming along well and hope that healing proceeds smoothly with no fearsome effects! (That whatever-it-is sounded like a scarey possiblitity...)

Chelone - very little about invasive plants in the course - very little/nothing about individual plants at all in fact. This is not a plant based course at all.

gb - what does 3 on the treadmill mean? - a speed setting? what speed? If you're doing 30 min. twice a day, that's a lot more than me! With my treadmill I got after Christmas to replace the exercise bike that was starting to hurt my right hip, I just do 1 mile every other day at a speed of 2 mph. No incline - bad for arthritic hips according to PT... (in fact the cheapo treadmill I got doesn't do inclines...) I find the treadmill even more boring than the exercise bike! At least I could read while biking but can't do that on the treadmill.

Mary, I'm sorry to hear about David's skiing accident, but glad he is doing better now. What a scare that must have been. You have not written too much-don't even worry about that. Keep us updated.

Just checking in for a David update. Glad to hear things are going better. Video games will be a great way for him to pass the time and he must have loved the cards from classmates. Mary, you're probably just now processing your feelings since you've been totally focused on David up until this point. I really appreciate you taking the time to give us updates.

Nothing of interest going on with me. We've all had colds and it's still winter :) That about says it all.

Eden

I decided to take a sick day which I rarely do. The head cold I've been battling spiked a fever with all the accompanying aches last night.

Mary, it sounds like David is heading in the right direction. I'm sure the video games will be a comfort to him, especially since its such a new thing in your home.

Chelone, since you asked, the laundry that we started nearly a year is almost complete. Some of the trim needs to be added around the sink. Do you remember the "befores" from the "Icky" thread over on decorating? This is the room that I filled the panelling cracks with joint compound, sanded and painted. I added the molding to the cabinets of which there is one over the washer as well. I made the bulletin board and DH and I made the coat rack.

I mentioned the fact that my parents house is just sitting on the market. My siblings and I have decided its time to take action and are going to have a painting/repair weekend. Mom and Dad in in Texas and in the past when it was mentioned they didn't think it was necessary. They mentioned maybe when they come back. We are thinking lets just get it done.

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As promised, I am posting from the new coffee house/internet cafe. The coffee is yummy (their mocha is just a touch better than Starbucks) but the internet is getting mixed reviews. I couldn't connect for a long time, and a couple of other patrons couldn't either. One of the employees was helping someone else change their settings, but I didn't want to tinker so much that it wouldn't work when I went home, so I just worked offline on some things. Then, just a few minutes ago I noticed that I had connected. So it wasn't my computer after all. But since it is a brand new business, I will allow for a few kinks. I will say that the tables and chairs are comfortable, the jazz music is pleasant, and there's just enough background noise to keep you on your toes but not enough to be irritating.

Mary, I'll join the chorus of "no, you're not posting too much". As others have said, that's what we are here for. I am thinking about David quite a bit and understand your concern for his recovery. I hope for all the best, and yes he has youth on his side. The good news is that, while his skiing career may be sidelined, once he recovers this should not affect his guitar playing. Keep us updated, and don't worry about being a pest!

Today's tasks included having the basement measured for new carpet, picking up paint samples, paying the deposit for the rehearsal dinner, picking up the wedding invitation envelopes and buying a new book. Oops, didn't "need" to do that last one, but T.C. Boyle's new book on Frank Lloyd Wright's wives looked too good to pass up.

On the computer front, I have updated my resume (just in case!) and started working on a gardening presentation. I decided I would write this one on my own time so that it is "mine" if need be. By the way, has this group trademarked "WALAT"? Because it's going into my presentation, and I think I shall throw in a wine glass as a prop also.

It's about time to head home. I need to start chipping away at the mess in the basement, as well as evaluating my paint chips. I'm trying to decide if I want to go with DH to a jazz evening tonight. I'll probably see what I feel like come 7:00 pm.

Hope you all have a happy weekend! We are headed to Chicago tomorrow for an all day workshop and then an early dinner before the train home, so I probably won't post tomorrow.

V.

V, sounds like you're making the most of your days off. Busy, busy, busy.

Michelle, I love the new touches in your laundry room. The painted black wood, the fabric, especially that window topper, and the details, like the rope trim and tassels are all great. I have that same beadboard wainscoting on the walls in my bathroom. Oh and I smiled when I saw the tractor calendar too! Great job I think!

Saucy, how cool that Sarah and friends are putting on the play. Can't wait to hear how it went.

Marie, you're coming along great with your fitness program. You had mentioned the Olivia books a few days ago. She's a favorite around our house. I think there are about 5 books out on her now and Nickelodeon just started airing a cartoon about her last week that's very cute.

Bella and I have been working on her valentines today. She peeled and broke up all of the crayons and we finished making the crayon hearts last week. Today I traced circles for the cards on cardstock and she cut them out. I wrote on the captions and she signed her name. We have half of the 16 she needs finished. We'll finish the rest tomorrow and then decorate the envelopes on Sunday. That'll be her favorite part. She loves using glitter and glue. I've been surprised how much she's able to do by herself on the project. Guess she's growing up.

Eden

Mary, you know we would be tapping our toes and fretting if you were not keeping us up to speed on Davids progress- A word about your boss- (from a boss perspective) it is sometimes hard to know how much an employee wants to share family matters; some people like to keep the home and work life very separate. I never expect my employees to share any info about their personal life that they dont wish to. Your boss may just be wanting to respect your privacy and not intrude at a difficult time for your familyheres hoping that David gets out of the hospital soon, and what arrangements might you have to make for his care when he comes home ?

It rained on and off all day today..a very good thing. When I got home tonight I lifted the lid on my seed starting rig, and after about 24 hours of bottom heat, lo and behold I have Zinnias ! No sign yet of the Amaranth or Nicotiana , but not much germinates faster than Zinnias (maybe Cosmos).

Michelle your laundry room is fabu ! My laundry room is actually the garage , lol. However my garage is nearing showplace status..Dare I ask what is behind the curtain? Not the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz by chance ??

I looked up a couple of newspapers websites last night in Marians area, and there is still quite a bit of discussion about power restoration and internet connectivity. Lots of crews working OT trying to get things up and running .

Chelone, I encourage you to post current pics of the Boardroom , as it may very well result in an Idyll cheerleading group, rooting you on to victory ! Helpmeet may find the momentum impossible to stop ..

How are you Jerri ? Hi to PM if youre reading

See yall later

Kathy in Napa

Good evening all,

Well Mary, have you never heard the expression, "Thats what friends are for." ???? So that is what we are here for. Im so glad you are keeping us informed of what is going on and taking the time to post here. Vent as often and as long as you want. If good wishes could make everything come out perfect David would be back on his feet at 100% in no time. Dont forget to take a bit of time and have a good cry or a good scream or a bubble bath, whatever will help you release the anxiety youre dealing with. If you need to do it to a real human you have my phone number! Im here anytime.

Sue, be careful skiing tomorrow!

Eden, absolutely cracked up when I ready your post that "Weve all had colds and its still winter". You bet that about says it all. Here Dougs had a cold, lost his job and Ive got shingles and ITS STILL WINTER!!!!! ARRRRGGGGHHHH!!! This is the first year I ever remember that Im actually fed the (expletive deleted) up with this. The snow banks are five to six feet tall and its boiler plate ice. It is either snowing, sleeting, icing or zero degrees out. Enough already!

So speaking of this nasty winter. The "THUMBS" party is still on for the last weekend of the month and there is room for all Idyllers. Just send me an email and let me know your plans.

V. Sounds like you are making good use of your extra free time. What is your garden presentation going to be on???? ~~~ You wont believe this, when my laptop crashed last August, my color for the garden presentation was lost!!! Yep two weeks of work totally gone. I was so bummed but refuse to obsess about it. Im just going to be better about backing things up from now on.

Michelle the laundry room looks great!

Kathy, glad to hear you are getting some rain. How fun that your seedlings are germinating. Like a Christmas Present!

Wendy, great to hear from you!

OK Im crashing and burning and have to teach tomorrow so am saying nighty nite for now.

Deanne

Wendy? who is this Wendy person who keeps popping in occasionally and up in conversation? :) It is great to hear from you and you must be pretty busy what with the young 'uns 'n' all. Miss your special brand of understated humor. I certainly hope you'll show up at Deanne's.

Lol about reminding Sue to be careful on the slopes. Timely indeed! But skiing carries risks just the same way crossing the road to retrieve the mail does. Life's a crapshoot when you get right down to it. Even the best precautions can't guarantee safety.

Kathy, thanks for the update on the conditions in Marian's neck of the woods. I know how long it took the crews to get everyone back on the grid after the monster ice storm in 1998. Some areas in northern Maine were without juice for close to 3 weeks, and for several years afterwards you could clearly see evidence of the destruction in every large stand of trees you passed while driving. In the immediate aftermath it looked as though someone had flown a helicopter upsidedown over the forests, trees were snapped off at the tops and the debris was incredible.

Michelle, thanks so much for putting up pictures of your fine new laundry room. What a pleasant space to perform such a mundane task (my own is tucked into a large closet off the short hall that leads to the boudoir). I love the addition of the roped trim to the cabinet... how do you think such a thing would look in a pickled trim or, get this! guilded in fake gold leaf?? And is that a blue ceiling I detect (love it)? I do recall that you'd filled the cracks in the panelling and I'll bet that was rather tedious work, too. It's a great idea, a lot easier than ripping down icky panelling and facing the prospect of drywalling and all the attendant work that goes along with it. I hope you're feeling better and pestilence decides to leave your home shortly.

I have dutifully snapped several shots of the Board Room (the helpmeet groaned, "you're going to show people?") and think you'll get a kick out of how much crap one male packrat can stuff into an enclosed space that no one needs to see. ;)

We went to see "Slumdog Millionaire" yesterday afternoon. It's terrific. We were particularly struck by the graphic portrayal of how masses of humanity live in Mumbai and the contrast between the "haves" and "have nots". And the ruthlessness of daily life for those on the bottom rungs of the economic ladder. I will flash back to the movie the next time I hear the lilting Indian accent on the other end of the telephone. This is not a movie you should miss.

OK, time to go out to the Salon and touch off the stove in preparation for a full day of floor prep.. I have decided to use phenoseal to fill the nail holes and the cracks between the sub-floor. It is fully paintable after a 2 hrs. cure and remains flexible enough to withstand any movement in the floor in response to changing humidity (plenty of that here). While it's tedious to do, it cleans up easily (water based) and I know it will do the job. My new knee pads will get one helluva workout to day. :)

Later!

Had a few minutes sleep last night...UGH. One of the worst ever, so naps are on my agenda! But first, off to get my haircut. First appointment in the morning means I don't have to read about Tom & Katy or Angelina, Brad or Jennifer. Phew.

Last weekend in Toronto we saw "Slumdog Millionaire". Having been in Mumbai, I thought it lacked color compared to the real place. I think the kids were terrific! Many people in the world lead the have/have not lives. Brazil was the first place I experienced where it was so pronounced. Of course Europe in 1950 was similar with all the war victims in black, begging on the streets while others were merrily going about their days. But that improved quite quickly. By 1955 I noticed a huge change.

I must be off...
'bug

Good morning, It's 42F here and climbing. The ugly old snow is melting for the first time in more than a month and I think it's supposed to be warm for the foreseeable future so bye bye snow! (Hello mud, lol).

Deanne, you and Doug surely have had a rough go of it this winter. Spring's around the corner now so if we keep busy it'll be here before we know it. Glad to hear the shingles are subsiding. Hope your first at home class goes smoothly.

Chelone, moving right along on the salon. You've been especially motivated this winter it seems. Good for you and I'd like to know the secret of how you're doing that. I saw some neat Frank Lloyd Wright inspired stencils on a website the other day and thought of you and the stencils you're creating. I'd really like to use the FLW ones somewhere, just can't figure out where they'd fit in around here.

Marie, not being able to sleep is just the worst. I went through a period of that last fall. These days I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow and I'm able to sleep 10 hours or so if I'd let myself. Once garden season arrives that will change. Then I'll want to be up at first light.

Kathy, always nice to see those little seedlings pop their heads up. The only seeds I've ever had to use a heat mat with are datura and I think that was at Cynthia's suggestion. Worked like a charm and I had one datura plant that year that was about 10 feet tall. Most of the seeds you mention I just wintersow which amounts to planting them in a milk jug and throwing it outside to fend for itself.

Hopefully David's doing better today and is either tucked in at home or on his way there soon!

Finishing up valentines and housework are on the agenda for today. Probably a game or two of Go Fish and Old Maid will be thrown in too. Hope you all have a relaxing weekend.

Eden

Good morning.

The play was a total success, and we were surprised that we filled our chairs with an eager audience! The girls did great, and were total professionals! We had a play bill and everything....

Today we're meeting other families for a quick lunch and then headed to Wauchusett to do some skiing. Nick should be home in time to join in.

I'm off to get ready for the day. I don't envy the job Chelone is doing, crawling about on all fours! Be sure to take lots of breaks, stand and stretch!

Saucy

So Michelle had two projects ongoing, the laundry room and a home office for DH? A strong contender for Kathy's Best of 2009 list! The colors are so rich. I love dark cabinetry against light walls. Doing laundry here today would involve getting one's backside drizzled on, with the laundry shed attached to the back of the house, plein air. Rain is less and less frequent, so it's usually not a problem, more a garden photography issue ;)

Anyone else hear a limerick when reading: "I lifted the lid on my seed starting rig, and, lo and behold, I have Zinnias!"

'bug, those stories about young people who find a way to make a living doing what they love and are fit for...keep 'em coming. Of all the travails of raising young children (not including injuries!), I truly don't think any hold a candle to holding your breath while they're young adults trying to sort out how to make a living and remain reasonably happy doing so.

Sleeplessness hit one night in the hotel room in Daphne, Alabama, very close to Mobile. Got up, ate some satsuma oranges, opened the laptop to read NYT, and Mitch IM's me: "Is it really you up at this hour?" Anyone else got IMing kids? Still amazes me the myriad ways available to stay in touch.

Mobile Bay is gorgeous. Water ripples everywhere, the wetlands stretch for miles. The stands of tall pine trees everywhere surprised me. I expected the camellias, azaleas, sago palms, very similar to SoCal. Crepe myrtles will grow here in SoCal but there's lots more in Bama. Even in winter the bark is so distinctive. Temps are about 10 to 15 deg cooler than home, and one morning there was ice on the windshield. The enormous live oaks are the real stars, festooned with moss, studded with lichens. We flew into New Orleans, where my brother picked us up (easier than Atlanta airport apparently). On the way back we ate at Copeland's (also one on Bourbon Street in NO) blackened redfish, corn macque choux and "hot potatoes" (little red ones cooked in crab boil). That meal set the tone for the rest of the trip. Here's a secret: IT'S ALL ABOUT THE FOOD!! I bet Saucy knows. The gumbo, crabcakes, the chowders, the fried crab claws, spicy crawfish tails. The fish from the bay is so different, the grouper, etc. I brought home a great cookbook "Cookin' Up a Storm" whose inception began with all the people displaced from Katrina, losing everything including cookbooks, beginning to write into the local paper asking for lost recipes.

Get this, on baptism day, my SIL and the godmother were head to toe dressed in....black!

My brother says Mobile is sublime October through May. He was transferred there for a four-month stint....at least four years ago. I know it's felt like living in exile to him, but he's been able to get on his feet financially, has a great job, an enormous, beautiful house (built on an old battlefield). I'd be surprised if he ever leaves voluntarily now, though may be transferred back to Los Angeles eventually. In December he too had the RIF jitters, and there were layoffs, but he ended up being promoted to the head of his dept, general counsel of legal, and moved into his new office last week.

My nieces are the most delightful kids. It is so odd to see these latent behaviors just bubble up in one's self, dormant for so many years, like getting on the floor and taking apart castles, carefully inspecting princess dresses with suitable gravity, even watching a football game but narrating it in terms a child can grasp. You think you've lost the "touch," but there it is, strong as ever. Bet you grandmas know what I'm talking about. I really miss being around such young children.

What really struck me is seeing such horticultural wonder for the first time without a single interested person to share...what a geek I sounded like, calling out plant names. I thought of the idylls many, many times. We are a very rare bunch, you know? ;)

Eden, there is nothing like inviting a bunch of friends for a big summer weekend to provide motivation. ;) It's been a long time since I've been able to easily indulge this side of me, too. Being sad and mourning a loss takes a lot of energy and that means there's less left over for getting certain things done. My year of mourning is definitely over and that feels great. I really like the stencils you linked; my brother would probably be all over something like that.

Saucy, I hope you'll keep the playbill for presentation to Sarah on, say, her 21st. birthday. Did you use construction paper or cardboard for the antlers? :)

When did they stop calling it "Bombay"? You know, I still use "Ceylon" and "Formosa" occasionally!

It has been a really busy week for me, and I just checked in and read about David's injury. Mary, I hope it is going better for you, you are all in my thoughts.. My son was hit by a car when he was in 8th grade. Two days later my boss called to ask me when I was coming back to work. He had multiple fractures on leg and arm. She said that had rearranged some sort of meeting based on my availability. (That was before the accident). Sometimes they just don't think.

I have to run, but wanted to say hi!
Drema

OK, I'm in from the Salon and I didn't quite finish jamming phenoseal caulking into all the nail holes. My knees held up well, but my wrist and trigger finger are really tired. It takes a lot more oomph that you'd expect to force caulking out in controlled amounts!

Let's embrace our inner 12 yr. old, shall we?
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I selected brown phenoseal for your enjoyment.
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It took most of the day to get this much finished:
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I have to move the remaining stash of furniture to get underneath it. I'll do it first thing in the morning, right now I'm "plum tuckered out". I suppose I could always take a break here...
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And here are a few shots of the Board Room, to lift V.'s spirits. I understand this is too large to be termed a JulieJob, but perhaps it would constitute a vacation's worth of JulieJobs?
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OK, I'd better cut it out right now or poor Norma will never be able to load this thread!

Great to see you, Drema. Some story about your son being hit by a car (I was, too).

Now there's a good shot of Cynthia's couch. Throw in a couple small rowboats, and the "board room" looks a lot like our garage before the office conversion.

Rereading, I'm wincing over my childhood travails/injury comments, made with David in mind but included in general remarks to 'bug, and in that context they seem completely tactless, so I do apologize. That's what comes from rushing through a post before catching up on errands.

Denise

Hola from the left coast- a pleasant springlike day, cool sunny and breezy . The rain dusted everything off and the Cymbidiums got to go outside to daycamp. More work done in the garage today with all paint supplies organized and an automotive section created.
I overslept this morning, woke up at 5 and did not want to get up so I let myself fall back to sleep and had a very vivid dream involving a dinner party hosted by George Harrison. Cant recall who any of the guests were but I still see the room it was fabu with dark walls and rich fabrics. Where does one come up with this stuff ? Also spent a couple of hours at the office trying to clear up some paperwork. Monday will be less overwhelming as a result.

LOL Denise .. how did I not hear the cadence as I was typing that phrase ? Were I a better poet I would try to come up with the beginning. Yeah, food in the Southalthough I have always found the coffee to be awful . Ive had some great meals in New Orleans, but the after dinner espresso was nowhere to be found. Had to settle for Bourbon ! My Grandma was native to NO and she was proficient at Gumbos, Jambalaya etc. And the black garb at the baptism- You are either a trendsetter or the mysterious awfice clothing event , where everyone shows up wearing the same color was in effect.

Bravo to the Saucy family and the theatrical triumph.!

Chelone I must say that when I scrolled into your post I though one the the felines had had an accident on the salon floor. Im sure that was your intent ! You are clearly not well. The Board room looks pretty damn bad (sorry helpmeet) but I am here to say that my garage was very close to that level of disarray .. Get yourself some really loud rock and roll piped in and go for it. We expect a tour at IU6 speaking of same , I need to go send some info out on that very topic.

Eden, I am very interested in trying the winter sowing thing some time. Im going to plant up some Wave Petunia seeds tomorrow.

Hi Drema !

A little more spring...

I love this dusky Hellebore
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Another Primrose

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Heres what the roses are doing.

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Kathy in Napa

I'M BACK!!!!!
Twelve days and 7 hours we were out of electricity!
We were out of water only a couple of days, but I had plenty on hand.
Many many trees are badly broken, but no yard trees downed.
I took gobs of pics and will post some later.
It will take a long time to do all the clean up around our yard. Thank God we had no structural damage.
It was a very memorable event. One that I hope is never repeated in my lifetime!
I will read all your posts tomorrow.
We will not be having a church meeting at our building. The electic connection was torn from the building and has not been repaired yet.
If Nolon is up to it, we will go on to town to the meeting there. He has not had the use of his nebulizer all the while the power was out. He had to just use a little 'puffer'. He has seemed to fare okay.
I will sign off now, and not chance losing this...talk to you all later.
Marian

Hi Marian !! Welcome back , glad to know that you and Nolon have weathered the storm. I look forward to your report from the trenches..
Kathy in Napa

Good morning :-)

Very little to report from here. DH made it home from the hospital on Thursday but is still looking and sounding like it is going to be a long haul before he is back up to speed. I haven't been feeling well either so DS and DD are playing tag team trying to help out. Good thing they have different hours at their jobs. Then yesterday, DD showed up with a mask, she caught the office cold. So we had to send her home. Brother. And the beat goes on... *sigh*

I did a quick scan and what a shock to hear your news Mary! What a stressful time for all of you. How great that Julie and others have had some very encouraging healing experiences to share with you. Hoping that David will be home soon and making progress.

Marian! Twelve days without electricity?! How the heck did you and Nolan survive that?

Kathy...it's spring there, wow! I hope you enjoy every minute of it. Love your photos...gorgeous Hellebore. Great shot of the mustard in the vineyard. We still have more than a foot of snow on the ground with very little melting. Today is supposed to be in the high 40s...a heat wave...so maybe a little melting today. At this point, I am hoping spring will delay long enough for our household to feel well enough to enjoy it. [g]

Great job on the laundry room Michelle. Such a cheerful, cozy little space. You have had a busy winter.

Chelone...it's a lot of fun watching all the steps to finishing off the Salon. You really make it look doable. I would have never thought of painting the floor that way. I can't wait to see what you are going to paint. Will you stencil the floor at all? I hope you are going to do a photo journey when it's time to make the curtains. :-)

Sorry...just all that I could catch up on today. Hoping to be up to some novella posts sometime in the near future.

Waving to all... :-)
pm2

Hey, it's the long awaited return of Maid Marian! It's good to see some news from your neck of the woods. OK, you have to fill me in on how you could be without electricity for 12 days but without water only a couple of days. Do you have a drilled well with a submersible pump, or whats the set up? At any rate, I can imagine 12 days without juice and with nary an Idyll to amuse you must've been a long time. Talk about quittin' "cold turkey", lol. I daresay your experience in "Frontierland" puts my own puny attempt in December to shame. You go, girlfriend! :)

And then some news from PM, though I wish it were better news, at least from the standpoint of health. I'm looking forward to another day of warmer temperatures, too. I hold scant hope that I'll finally be able to remove the last 1 2/2-2" of accumulated ice from the deck. I'm looking forward to the next novella. ;) PM, I'm not going to stencil the floor, but I am planning a low-key, tone on tone pattern for the field of the floor, laid out on a diagonal grid. I'm still playing with ideas, like the floor of the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court, but have to burn some brain cells and come up with the scale that most pleases me. I may opt for something less "busy", just spot medallions on an open field, for instance. I'm presently wrestling with the worry that the more ornate patterns may prove too distracting once the room is furnished. It's my hope the tone on tone will be "quieter" than traditional black and white.

The plan for the day is to get out the nail set and hammer and sink the nails that remain at or above the floor surface and then finish the caulking. I will tape off the mopboard and then start priming. I've never worked with this composite Advantec sub-floor before, so there may be some unpleasant surprises along the way. I noticed on my sample board that it really sucks up the primer and the already uneven surface becomes rougher as the "grain" is raised after drying. I'm not quite sure how to address the need to sand it, frankly. The idea of a palm sander and more time on my hands and knees is less than inspiring. Anyone here ever used a floor sander before? Anyway, a painted floor is certainly not going to last forever, but it will allow me to staple into it for projects requiring that, and aside from the time involved (of which I have assumed mastery!) it's a pretty cheap finish and allows for some creativity.

Time to fire up the stove and survey the work that awaits.

Glad to see that Marian is back and that she and Nolon weathered the power outage. Twelve days is quite the ordeal!

We had a great day in Chicago yesterday. We went to an all-day conference on natural areas and restoration that offered multiple sessions throughout the day. DH and I split up and went to different ones to get the most out of it. DH and I had planned all along to stay in the city for dinner, and yesterday morning there was one of those uncomfortable moments when we discovered we each thought the other was going to make a reservation at the restaurant. Well, there was quite a turnout from our area, and as we were standing around after the conference, a few others mentioned dinner. DH and I decided later that the lack of a reservation was OK because we would have looked a little silly asking them if our table for two could be enlarged to 10! But how fun to get such a large group together at the last minute. And DH and I took advantage of the lovely weather here yesterday to walk from the University of Illinois-Chicago campus to the restaurant just over a mile away. We actually beat the drivers!

DD is spending her weekend at another college where several of her HS friends attend, including the ex-HS boyfriend. Who cut his finger while they were cooking dinner last night and had to get four stitches! I need to hear more details on that one.

Denise, my kids don't IM me but my future DIL does. Go figure?

Time to hit the shower before church. Later, friends!

V.

Marian! Great to see you back again - and I'm sure the pictures will be very interesting! You guys are tough folks...:-)

This has been such a dreadful winter for so many of you! M2 - I hope all of you recevery quickly.

Chelone...I like the idea of the tone on tone. I actually was remembering a hardwood floor I had seen a photo of in a decorating magazine once. They had also done a diagonal pattern. They had whitewashed the hardwood floor first then outlined the design in taupe, leaving a border around the design, making it appear like a rug. Then stenciled on diagonal outlines of diamonds in a light taupe whitewash within the border. Very subtle effect but added so much that the floor was the focal point of the room. Very simple and did not appear busy at all.

pm2

Hi Idylls

Good to have Marian back!!

We have had a couple of set-backs and are still here at the hospital. Apart from a few hours Wednesday night I've been camped out on the chair in David's room but it looks as though he might be relased this afternoon. I'm keeping fingers and toes crossed. I'm sure David will be more relaxed in his own home and I know I'll feel a lot better waking up in my own bed rather than with my face stuck to the blue nogahide of the bedside chair. David gets very stressed if I'm not here and adding that to his condition does not help. DH and Annie are taking care of the home front and providing me with moral support and coffee so we're all working together.

The staff have been awesome! There is so much wrong with our Health Care System but this past week I've felt incedibly lucky to have the level of care and expertise we have had. I hope to be back later wtih updates.

Mary

Good morning, well, I have missed most of this thread, but see Mary's dreadful news - glad to see tho that David may be released and that will be comforting to you all -- hugs to all -- I know that must have been so scary and worrisome; I'll be cynical and say that I suspect that a lot of the great care David got in your medical establishment might have been due in part to you being there 24/7, Mary - altho I do think most children's parts of hospitals are run differently than others (altho I may be mistaken in where David ended up)... in any case, enjoy some crying,; you know it's just your body letting down after all the trauma it too has been thru... Keeping my fingers crossed that you're all at home today!

It sounds as tho many folks have had a tough winter - PM, your family has had more than its share of medical woes, too. I do hope all make a quick recovery! And Deanne -- you and Doug have such a strong foundation individually and jointly, tough as the times have been for you, you could be role models for us all on how to weather tough times....

Work has been crazed and little time for idylling, enuf on that. I was excited that we got mid-60s for temps yesterday and supposedly today too! After vegging yesterday a.m., I was so excited, I went outside to try to turn a pot back over (that's been a blockade from a neighbor cat's dumping ground in the front bed)... but after the 60s most of the day, the stinking pot is still frozen to the ground... guess I cant weed, uh? Im a little premature on thinking that winter will be waning soon. Im sure winter will be back this week...... Stock club mtg today so I best not tarry here too long.

But it was great to see your laundry room photos, Michelle -- lovely and so efficient looking; Im jealous -- I'll likely never get mine built out; it lives among the house studs... that's a wonderful idea of painting your parents' house - with a group of folks you can knock it out in no time at all. What a lovely surprise it would be.
Hope you feel better soon - I've been hearing that cold has a boomerang to it (I've been trying to avoid one being sprayed about at the awfice by Toaster Woman..)

Chelone - you crack me up with the quips that keep you going on your project - as you say nothing like motivation of a visit to get those vibes going for sprucing things up.

I love your descriptions of your sojourn in New Awlins and 'bama, Denise -- you'd make a great short story writer! And I guess we've learned that black seems to be the all occasion color for any event any more.. times do change....

Well, I better turn my attention to some details needed for the meeting this p.m. Altho I'd much rather go see Slumdog Millionaire after 'bug et al's descriptions of it.... a lazy day at the cinema sounds like a wonderful relaxing idea....

--Cindy

Good Morning,

Sunny and relatively warm here today, 34F. We've had lots of melting the last day or so. Good riddance to all of that stale snow! Lots of dripping houses and puddles though.

Mary, I'll be keeping everything crossed that you and David both get to sleep in your own beds tonight. And no more setbacks!

Saucy, did you videotape Sarah's play? I think it's so neat that these girls were able to go through the process of putting together a production from beginning to end. What a great experience for them!

Chelone, I really like PM's idea of the tone on tone pattern for the floor. It would really warm up the room. The pattern you linked is great too. Black and white's always good but like you mentioned would be more busy. Whatever you decide sharpen up your math skills to get a pattern all mapped out. I was impressed how much you got done yesterday. You are really moving along quickly. I'm linking a photo of a look that I think is pretty and could be simplified by doing just the diamond pattern minus the stenciling too. I love thinking and talking about this kind of stuff and searching for just the right idea. Whatever you decide will look good I know. You've got a good eye for design and I love watching your project come together.

Marian, glad to hear you survived your power outage. Hopefully that will be the end of the bad weather for you this season. Good to have you back!

Not much time this morning. Brad's off to a racquetball tournament and Bella will be here shortly. We're going out to do some shopping. I'm setting up a writing center for her. More on that later.

Eden

More seeds are started. I went through my seed drawers and pulled out old partially used packets to see if any would geminate. Amongst them was a pack of Salpiglossis seeds that I failed miserably with the last time I tried them. That was however, before I had a heat mat. Today I could also see the Amaranth seeds beginning to germinate. Made granola, and almost made V.s meyer lemon cookies, but hadnt enough confectioners sugar-maybe next week.

PM, good to see you posting a bit..what a challenging time at your house ! Caring for and worry about others can surely get one run down . I hope you are feeling better soon and can visit more often.

Chelone, will there be any rugs on the salon floor ? I was also interested in you mention of stapleing work down could you elaborate on this ? I think if I was going to paint the floor I would tend to grey-out the colors in keeping with the cool theme. Its going to look splendid whatever you choose Im sure !

Well Cindy, having a pot frozen to the ground is something I have yet to experience !

Wondering if David got to go home, how Univ. of Deanne progressed and if the after class Martini is allowed during shingles recovery ?

Im off to finish the laundry Waving to all.

Kathy in Napa

Im glad to see that its spring some where. Although, weve been having warm temps and a lot of our snow has melted.

Kathy, I really love seeing the shots of the vineyards. Although, there are a few around here you really have to look for them.

We wrapped up most of the home office project this weekend. Im about done in, but will continue with painting at the parents house. Then I hope to leave the painting supplies lie dormant for a while. I really need to do some Julie jobs before spring hits here. Thanks for the kind comments on the laundry. Its just 1000% nicer than it was.

There must have been a problem at the pool and it was closed for nearly the last 2 weeks, so my excersice routine needs to get going again.

Chelone, what were you doing in my basement taking pictures? If the floor were a little more smooth in the garden shed, Id love to have a painted floor design. Maybe I could put one in the playhouse.

Denise, you sound like me after seeing the live moss, camellia and such in Florida. The spanish moss was just so foreign looking to me.

Marian, great to have you back! Im sure you have a few stories to tell.

PM, great to have you back as well. Sorry to hear that you arent feeling well either.

Mary, I sure hope David is released, as Dorothy would say "theres no place like home"

Here is the nearly complete office, the paint color above the desk doesnt really show up the correct color on screen. It's a greyish taupe. We started with unfinished cabinets, painted them and added the crown molding. It was challenging in many ways since in this old house the walls werent straight and the floor wasnt either. Luckily DH and his son did the hanging of the cabinets. The fabric between the cabinets and desk is covering a tack board. We made our own for about $15. To buy them for that area would have been over $200 from an office supply place. Chelone, the fabric is upholstery fabric that we found on the clearance table for 50 cents a yard. I dont believe Ive ever gotten fabric that cheap. All the cabinets are for DH's clutter, I'm hoping it will work ;o)

Michelle
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Nice Michelle, and look at all that storage! You can never have too much though can you?

Eden

Very nice Michelle! Will you sit there to post ? Wish I could hire you, Eden, Chelone, and Mary to do a few remodel chores around here. All the the wine you can drink and 1st dibs on the Zinnia seedlings.

Kathy in Napa

Quiet day here on Idylls. Warning! This will be a purely "grandma" post from me.

Bella and I hit Borders this afternoon and picked up a couple of valentine themed stories and a few little golden books. Then a quick stop at McDonalds for the special treat of a Happy Meal with a Hello Kitty watch as the prize. She was very happy with that! Stories read and then naps for us both. Later Bella finished up her valentines. Here she is putting the finishing decorative touches on the envelopes.

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Brad's home now so time for dinner and then it'll be time for Bella to go home. It was a busy but fun day. Things we're looking forward to this week include her Valentines Party and going to see Sesame Street Live.

Eden

So much going on elsewhere...compared to here!

First Sue must be back from skiing but closeted at work. I hope she is home relaxing with the dogs by now!

Marian, I certainly hope you get to share your story of the last 2 weeks soon! We usually manage OK without power, but I think 5 days has been our maximum so far. Right now ice is our major problem, but the 2 pair of Yaktrax from DD we got for Christmas got a good workout today! No photos from me though. I hope the kitties managed OK too!

I sure hope David gets home to his own bed today or tomorrow. That kind of adventure just is no fun for anyone, although it is good to get messages from friends at school!

PM2, health issues really wear one down I'm discovering. Especially tricky when there are others to care for...and pets too! I hope spring weather will help everyone's attitude and health at your place.

Eden, you're just the most amazing grandma! It's fun though isn't it! I enjoy having Skyler here more than watching him at DD's house because his friends there are such wild competitive, sometimes nasty devils. Here we can do all sorts of healthy projects together. Lately DD & DSIL have been working on perfecting his writing skills. He is always too impatient to do things correctly, but they are making a big effort with it. (Much to his mother's annoyance. She feels she is being "shown up".) The difference with Bella's fine coordination activities and Skyler's wild Indian antics is very pronounced! She far surpasses him and he is almost 10. Well, different skills for different folks!

Today we bought some things at Staples so that I can organize my recipes and declutter the kitchen somewhat. A project for this week. For dinner tonight I tried quinoa for the first time, and it was fine, very like couscous I think.

DH is going to get me more hanging folders for my filing cabinet and that means ano0ther project of tidying up my work space. It will never look like Michelle's new office, but at least it won't look like the Board Room did yesterday.

Today DSIL is spray painting the ceiling of their renovated sunroom. He is re-motivated at last to work on things there after a friend visited him last night and marveled at the changes so far. The heat is being retained there quite well too so it was warm enough for the painting job today. Tomorrow he leaves for Ontario where his qualification tests for work take place. (Firearms etc...)

This afternoon I gathered courage and began some knitting of tiny garments once again. I'm starting with a tiny beret with a pompom on top, later matching booties perhaps. (Chelone insists I think.) I'm using leftover yarn in beige and white. Later maybe I'll make another set in dark brown and blue.

Phoebe got a nice bone today but while I was out of the room briefly, she ate almost all of it. The last bone we got her lasted months! Never will I buy this type again. In fact, I'm convinced she only needs 2-3 a year as she'll destroy her teeth! The kitties got a new scratching post and are shy about this new thing. Not for long I'm sure. At 5AM today Vita found a mouse and the antics from all 3 cats were crazy! DH and I caught the tormented thing and threw it out the kitchen door into the snow. It will no doubt reappear in our basement...but I hope not!

That's about all she wrote friends. Tomorrow is another day!
'bug

I think I am suffering from anticlimatic depression. :-(
I cannot seem to come to the realization that things are back to 'normal'.

I have down-loaded all my pics to my computer, but haven't decided which ones I will post. I will start a thread for them, when I get out of the doldrums.

The weather is very unwinterlike the past 3 or 4 days. Highs are in the 60s and lows in the 50s. Since I no longer have to cook on the woodstove, or make coffee on it, I just started the fire this morning to take the chill off the house. I will do the same tomorrow.

We glorified in the taking of our showers this morning, and I have stripped the beds and put on fresh sheets and pillowcases. :-)
We went to worship at the cousin's congregation this morning. A few of the members are still out of power.
It was great being out amongst friends again. We also stopped at the One Stop and had hamburgers.

I want to tell Mary how sorry I am about David's accident. What a bummer! I do hope and pray he heals up nicely, and has no after effects.
I hope Pm2 and her DH are well soon ( I hope I have that right), and everyone else that is ailing or injured.

I guess I will be taking Nolon in to his Dr tomorrow. He seems to have been suffering a pain in his stomach for some time. I tried treating it with an ulcer type diet, but he is still having pain. I am afraid he is not going to enjoy the tests that may be ran on him.

After he has been diagnosed, I need to get myself in for tests to find out why I am having such severe pain in my upper right torso. I can't quite decide if it is my chest, or my back. Maybe even my gallbalder? It is espacially painful when I carry in the wood.
My Fibro has flared up again, and awakes me with pain during the night. It's a great life, if you do not weaken! LOL...:-(

Marie, I have gone back to jigsaw puzzle making, and have completed 6, and working on the 7th now. I am putting together the Hummingbird puzzle the GDs gave me in 2007. It is a difficult one. Nolon no longer helps. His tremors have got too bad, and he can't do them without messing up what he has done. Another bummer!

BTW, I think I have earned the Pioneer Woman award, after our 12 day without power ordeal. Chelone, the reason we were without water for a brief period is because the Community water, that we are on, ran dry. We are one of the last on the line, so had it longer than most others. Then the community got a generator (from the National Guard, I think), and refilled the tank. It is very 'fuzzy' water...full of air...but I'm not complaining. :-) It is even 'fuzzier' now that the power has come back on. It spits at us when we turn on a faucet, or flush. It even did some loud thumping in my toilet!

Oh yes, The varmint under our house, that is so fragrant, is an oposssum, not a skunk. That is good news. It's scent soon dissipates when it moves. Hopefully, when the crawl space is opened up for the spring it will move on.

I will share the most amusing incident connected with the iced down trees. The Heritage Birch had it's canopy bowed clear to the ground. It was failing to return to an upright position, like the other trees were, after the ice went off. I decided the tip was frozen into the ice on the ground. I went out and tugged on it to release it. It came lose and sprang up soo fast, it almost took me with it! I laughed uproariously!

Okay, that is enough from me for tonight.

Marian

I'll bet you have a lot more free time on your hands now that the electricity is back on, huh Marian? In the brief time our's was out I found there was a lot of thinking and preparation involved to keep some hot water ready to go and to accomplish even the easiest chores. I knew you'd be fine because you're resourceful, but it's easier to have electricity! You're suffering from "Post Hookup Blues". :)

Nice break in the cold weather yesterday. The helpmeet worked on gouging channels through the ice on the driveway so the melt water is directed to the sides of it. I was amazed at how quickly it melted from the area directly in front of the garage bays. And there is no ice left on the back deck for the first time in nearly 3wks.. Nice! cold again today, but another warm up for later in the week.

I spent yesterday adding another dollop of phenoseal to the nail holes. The product is water-based and as it dries it contracts and the depressions left were deeper than I wanted. The key to a successful, strong, longer lasting painted floor is to minimize the places where the paint will be asked to flex as that causes cracking (learned that the hard way). I masked off the mopboard (until I ran out of tape) and have primed the perimeter of the room to about 12" out from the wall. That will make rolling the floor a lot easier and will minimize any roller spatter. The prime coat is always the worst one to apply as the substrate is thirsty and it's important to work the primer in. I used a 3" brush and by the time I was finished my hands and wrists were toast. They're still a trifle sore this morning, so I'll take it easy for a few days.

Michelle, your new office area is terrific. So neat and clean, bet DH can't wait to start stuffing things into all those cabinets. I love the use of the fabric in the area over the desk top; it adds a nice, quiet bit of interest, one that won't be overwhelmed and look messy when things are tacked to the board it covers. Very clever, and for .50/yd. how could you go wrong?!

Bella looks most industrious, Eden. Valentine's Day is serious business, clearly. ;) I love the floor you linked above, too. I have several excellent book on decorative painting techniques and there are a couple of floors pictured in it that have that same "frosty" feeling you get when you used diluted paints or stains. The first thing I thought when I looked at the intricacy of the central motif was, how many coats of protective clear coat did they lay down to ensure its long life??? I used 5 of oil-based polyurethane when I made the floorcloths I have here. I share your (and Michelle's it would seem) enthusiasm for "doing things around the house". I have learned to ignore the helpmeet when he questions my decisions to do things like squirting phenoseal into holes and cracks. I usually look at him, roll my eyes and say, "there's never time to do it right but there's always time to do it again, dear...". (and he goes back to whatever sporting event is on TV).

'bug, I'm thrilled that you've once more hauled out the "knatting noodles". I'm certain the emotions run the gammut these days. I looked out the window last night at the magnificently round moon and thought (as I always do now) of my Idyll friends and Reed. Since that full moon last Sep't. I now think of a full moon as a Reed Moon. I applaud the addition of booties, and can't wait to see them revealed. :)

I'm out of juice right now but wanted to comment on more... have to get moving on this fresh new week, you know.

Good morning

Still at the hospital:0( Physical therapy did not go well yesterday and as they will be the people to release David it meant another night here. David is trying with all his might and has worked through anxiety and pain to become mobile but the nerve damage is making it so hard. He got a few steps with the walker yesterday using his hands to bring up the damaged thigh but he needs to be able to do more than that to get out of here. The fact that no feeling has returned to some areas is not a good sign. I am terrified he might not be able to walk again. Last night I was at breaking point. The pain and drugs have changed David's personality to the point I have no idea who this child is who is yelling and snapping at me to do things - all of which I seem to do wrong, yet he cannot bear for me to leave. Perhaps things will seem better in the light of day and after soem coffee.

Mary

Good morning all,
WE had a successful first seminar in the new classroom. All went very well and this group is going to come back in May for another weekend. This is a very good thing!! Im going to have to start painting on a more regular basis but that isnt necessarily a bad thing. There will just be less time for plants and gardening.

Kathy, I dont know if I was allowed a post seminar martini with shingles but I had one anyway! LOL and boy did that go down smoothly. ~~~ Im loving your spring photos. Its always amazing to me to see the flowers and greens when all is still incased in snow and ice here. Speaking of which

Marian. 12 days without power!!!!! Holy cow! Thats awful. We were only four days here and had a generator and I was fed up with it. You did really well and are definitely a Pioneer Woman to have come through in good shape. Glad you are back and all is well. I lol over the birch tree springing back.

Mary I surely hope you were able to sleep in your own bed last night and that David is home and comfortable.

Cindy, thanks, you made me smile. I got really lucky in the husband dept. and somehow married the right one at the tender age of 19. ~~ Hope work eases up soon.

Eden, looks like you and Bella are having some great times together. ~~ WE had a lot of melting here going on the last two days also.

V. sounds like you had a great time at your conference.

PM glad your DH is home from the hospital but sorry you arent feeling well. Hoe you are back to normal soon.

Denise, it sounds like you had a wonderful trip! I know what you mean about visiting gardens and seeing great plants and not having anyone to share the delight with. Doug is a good sport about visiting gardens but doesnt get all excited about individual plantings. Im spoiled having so many Idyllers close by so I can have my fix of plant talk whenever I need it.

Saucy, glad the play was a huge success!!!!!

Chelone, the salon looks like it is moving along at a good clip! ~~ Have you seen the Bluebirds again?

Michelle, I absolutely love your home office!!!! Wonderful job and what a great work space. Im envious of all that storage!

Bug, how lovely you are knitting again.. That made me smile.

OK Ive got to get out of this chair and off this computer and get some exercise and start my day.

Have a great one all
Deanne

OH Mary! Ive just read your post. Hugs, hugs and more hugs! David cant help the behavior changes, pain and stress do that to people and the people first in the firing line are always the ones they love the most! I so wish there was something I could do to help. Just know we are all thinking of you and sending our love and support!

Mary, ditto what Deanne said about pain. Lately I have discovered again how much energy pain saps from me, and I'm sure it is even more frustrating to a young person. He is focusing hard on one thing alone, and it is almost impossible to to be your normal civil self. You are all working for his best interest and the very best outcome. And since he is putting his best effort forward, things will improve. Take good care of yourself so that you can help the others in your family. Hugs to all!
'bug

Yes Mary, remember it's the drugs and pain talking. And you're exhausted which always makes things seem extra bad. Sending my love and support too and hoping it helps to give you the strength you need.

Eden