I'm back online full time!!

Skippedy Do Da!!!!! They finally got my internet line working today, so I now have access from home too. I was almost going into DT's when I could only access from work, since I'm not spending a lot of time there either with the house building and campaigning. I'm soooo excited to have it back though. Now I can check in to see what's new and update my journals.

That's great. Goodluck with the house and the election.

Yipeeeeee!! Walk in love and in favor, Joan! :)

Welcome back Joan, we will be praying for the outcome of the election. Are you getting settled into your new house or still living out of boxes?

Thank you all! I'm taking a little break here from updating my journals and scrubbing up sheetrock dust.

MaryE, we are still living pretty primitively. We are still living out of boxes, and will be for quite some time yet. We have a shower, toilet, and a deep sink in the basement. We have heat, water and sewer. We are doing okay. Today when they brought the washer and dryer, I almost cried! Another comfort of home, and I was able to wash the sheetrock dust off our beddings. You never realize how much you should appreciate these things until you don't have them anymore.

Plus, I am so very happy to be back online again.

not more than we are to have you back!!!!!

So glad that things are progressing. Thinking of how hard you are working and the plants that are heading your way next spring.

You guys are so sweet. I have missed you all terribly.

Marcia...spring...oh what a sweet dream. When they moved the trailer out, they mowed down lots of my plants. I'm hoping some of them survive the abuse so I can move them into a new home around the new house next spring, but yes, I am going to need some plants to landscape the mess we made this summer. Thank you so much for thinking of that.

Jim, Kimberley, and tiG, thank you so much for your well wishes with all we are going through, and yes, I am so happy to be back online and "home". Tonight has been the most relaxing night I've had, even though I've been working my butt off. Just knowing that I can take a break and check in with all of you helps me get through all the turmoil. I think I'll even be able to sleep well tonight, which will be a first since the move. Everyone on DG means so very much to me.

Yahoooooooo joan's home again! I missed you girlie-great to hear that things are going ok and GOOD luck with the election!
Id luv to move out of this house and back in-just to clean it good! ;] I hope you are enjoying the new place-candle light dinners,breaking the rooms in..LMBO!
Im really glad your back here with us.

Congrats! Seems like things are progressively moving along just fine for you. (I remember your post this past spring about getting started building and having to get it dried in so ya'll will be in it before winter set in. And you did it!)

Your house is gonna really be a home!

Joan I have missed you also, proud you are back on line.

Yeah Joan!!! Good luck with the election and the ongoing work in the house.

Great news that you're no longer computerless at home! When there's so much change going on in your (and DH's) life, it's comforting to know that you can go online and meet with friends and talk.

Yeah! She's back! :-)

Welcome back Joan!! Boy, you sure got organized in a hurry!! Well, I mean......you do have your priorities in the right order!! :-) Good luck and prayers for the election!!

Hey Joan...good job! As long as we can get our daily fix of DG...things will be OK! Jo

Welcome back and good luck in the race. When is election day there?

Thanks everyone. It feels good to know that the computer is hooked up and functional, even if I don't have the time to spend here. At least I know that my link to my online friends is there, and I can check in briefly once or twice a day.

It's kinda like when your car is in the shop. You probably wouldn't have used it if it was home, but the fact that it isn't there makes the need to go somewhere that much more urgent. LOL

Doris, the election is November 5th. Just a bit over 2 weeks away.

I painted the master bedroom tonight, showered, and am now going to work on stuffing my campaign letters into envelopes. I just had to check in here for a bit, but I need to get to bed at a reasonable time. I gotta hit the campaign trail again this weekend.

Thank you all for being here with me through this trying time. I appreciate it more than you will ever know.

Hugs,
Joan

Hey Joan while you stuff envelopes is there some way we can stuff ballot boxes for you ;~)

Oh Zany, I wish there was! LOL!

Hi there Joan, welcome back to cyberspace. We've all been thinking of you and glad your back. Can't wait to see more pics.

Donna

Hey, Joan, can we all move to ND for a few days to vote for you? Joking, but only just! I have missed you so much my friend! I am so glad your life is easing a little. Praying for easing to be a lot more soon!

Best of wishes in your finishing touches to your new home. Be sure to share with us this winter what you want your landscaping to be like; I for one would love to help you make it a reality. Kathy

Just got home from a long weekend and am so happy you're back on line!

Baby steps! Just get this election over with and then you can focus on the other stuff.

Whew! I haven't been here for a few days, but I'm plugging along through this election stuff. I need to go out campaigning this afternoon, but it snowed last night and DH said the roads are pretty icy. I'm not looking forward to that. I'm working on my letters now, waiting until lunch time is past to go out. I hate to knock on people's doors when they are eating.

Yesterday I had a GREAT day. We took the day off from working on the house and campaigning, and went to town and ate at a chinese buffet. Then we went shopping for doorknobs and things like that. DH spoiled me a bit, and bought me a TV/VCR combination for my office. Now I can watch TV in here too. I really needed that day, because now I'm more refreshed and not so stressed out. I think this is going to be a good week.

Thank you all for your support. It means so much to me.

Hugs,
Joan

Joan, your husband did the right thing by taking you out of your busy environment for a day. I know that my DH makes me do things, to get away from a stressful situation and it really helps.
Watch those roads will ya please!!

Donna

Joan, how nice that you got to have a day with DH, all for yourselves. It's amazing how relaxing and healing even a little bit of change can be. Chinese sounds yummy! Can't believe your roads are icy already, am sure you'll be really glad when the campaigning phase is over and you don't have to be out in the cold and sleet. Best wishes on the election!

Joan, how exciting for you to be in your home. things will move along and before you know it, you will be unpacked etc., right now I know you are busy with your campaigning etc., how is life at work with your co-worker? is it a tight race? You know my thoughts and prayers are with you.

Hey all! I'm back home again after campaigning all afternoon. Our storm has progressed into a full blown blizzard. I spent two hours at one place where there's two families living. An hour at one house and another hour at the other house. I know I got their votes though. LOL! They fed me yummy apple crisp and coffee. I really needed the coffee, as by that point I was almost frozen to the bone. It would figure that I take two days off work to campaign and it storms. Oh well, I found lots of people home today, so that was a good thing. The county roads were pretty trecherous though. The people I caught at home thought it was pretty admirable that I was out campaigning in the weather.

Work is getting tougher all the time. My "friend" sent out her letters already, and today was the first time someone offered it to me. I read it, and there's nothing in there that is threatening to me at all. And, the letter I'm working on getting ready to mail out is much better, if I do say so myself. I feel good about things right now.

Tonight we are going to hang some more doors and I have a few more small containers of stain to try out. I'm trying to find a stain that will match the cabinets to use to finish the windows, baseboards and doors with. I hope one of the ones I picked up yesterday to test will be the right one so I can get to doing that. After I get that done, then I'll be stuffing more envelopes and will check back here again.

You all are my lifeline right now. I appreciate being able to sound off to you about all that's going on in my life. That's what's keeping me sane right now.

Love ya all,
Joan

Well, you may only have gotten to a couple of places today, but those folks will tell their friends about what a great afternoon they had with you, and you'll get those votes, too. A blizzard already -- good thing you're over that respiratory virus! Glad to hear your opponent didn't write threatening things in her letter. I'm sure yours will be a model of restraint. :D

Good to see ya back Joan!

Joan, keep up the good work. get your letter mailed out, tyr to relax in between campaigning and working on the house.

Joan, I saw where some towns in ND got 8" of snow (yesterday?) They didn't mention Medora, but I sure don't envy y'all up there: blizzards in October! Brrr, you and Evert must be part polar bear or caribou LOL He has had snow too!

Today I knocked off early and took my son to town to take his test to get his driver's license. He passed, even on the icy roads! So, we now have another driver on the road. He's a happy camper. LOL! Now if his pickup would just get out of the shop he could drive himself to school.

I came home and made some borscht soup the only way I could without a working kitchen, but I hope it turns out. We can eat on that the rest of the week then. We are all losing weight here, which isn't a bad thing.

Tonight we are going to work on the baseboards. I still don't have them stained though, but I'm going to put them up with wax paper behind them. I can finish them and then pull the wax paper out. I don't know what else to do, since I'm having such a hard time finding the right stain to match the cabinets.

DH is out campaigning now, and I have to go to the office the rest of the week. My deputy called today and said that she can probably work all next week, so I'll hit it hard then. My letters are scheduled to go out on Monday.

Soon all this will be but a bad memory. LOL!

Kathy, we have 6 inches of snow here. We got it all yesterday, and so far no more today. At least the wind quit blowing so the blizzard conditions are gone.

Take care everyone. I'm still plugging along, but I really appreciate all the encouragement.

Hugs,
Joan

Hang in there Joan! I can't believe it's snowing! I grumbled and mowed my overgrown yard again today...I'd let it go too long and it's a mess.The trees are just starting to tip with color and the mosquitoes aren't too bad.I only got bit twice today. All this talk about snow wants for a big pot of veggie soup and an iron skillet full of cornbread. Wish I could send a big batch up your way along with fresh apple cobbler for dessert. I wish all of us lived closer and we'd send in meals till after the election for your family.I'd even grab a paintbrush if it'd help.

Thanks Mel, I wish you all lived closer too. Cornbread! Now that sounds yummy and would go great with the borscht soup. I wish I had thought to buy the ingredients. Tomorrow I'll stop and buy the stuff I need to make them, since we will have soup for a few days yet. It turned out pretty good after all. LOL!

Obviously,you're not from the South....every Southern home has cornbread fixins at all times! *grin*

Add some chopped onions for 'onion cornbread'

Don't get the 'mix'...get Martha White self rising cornmeal.Break an egg into a bowl...add about a cup of milk.Whip..Add cornmeal and stir till it looks like thick pancake mix. Pour into an iron skillet that you have dropped a spoonful of bacon grease in and heated till it's HOT.Put in a 350 oven and bake till the top is just browned.Flip the whole thing onto a plate and cut in wedges.Enjoy!

Martha White self rising cornmeal....it's been added to my list. I'm not sure if I've ever seen it in the stores here though. I'll look. Thanks for the recipe too Mel, it sounds yummy!

Martha White is the BEST...you'd never believe it wasn't "made from scratch." Glad you're surviving the blizzard, Joan!

If you get the corn meal it IS made from scratch. It's the mix in the little boxes and small baggie things that aren't.

Sunflower is another good brand of meal too.

Melody is telling it right. That is exactly the way I fix it. If you don't have a working oven (camping or whatever), you can put a lid on the skillet and cook the bread slowly on the "stove eye" or on hot charcoal. We always flip the bread over once to make both sides nice and brown and crispy. We lay a plate on top of the skillet and flip the bread onto it and then slide it back in the skillet and cook for a few more minutes. Take the lid off right away because there will be a lot of steam and it will make the bread soggy if it drips back on it. Wipe off the steam and put it back on the skillet until time to serve the bread. The same batter can be cooked like pancakes also. Just put small amounts into a hot lightly greased skillet. These cornbread cakes are great with barbecued meat on top of them. (Think open faced sandwich.)