Best/Worse &What did I learnt today/Chat with Friends #77

Chocolate Chip Cookies for Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I want to see an "ass-up" bird too, I believe I have some of those!

Worst! Still no Cedric. I called the Post Office and they say they think he is probably hung up in customs. Hope they don't strip search him.

I don't think I am allowed to give my opinion of US Customs on DG am I!??!!?!?!?

Hi...
Woohoooo, First guest a female Cardinal!!
How exciting.

My goodness, I have had an exciting evening...LOL, playing the chatter box me...
Enjoyed conversations with my dg friends!! Liz, Deborah and Our Shar...

So sweet to chat with each of you.

LOL, got to say "ass up" is giggling fun, cuz well thats how they seem to be!!

Betty, so glad you got your perm. Feeling mighty pretty I bet.

Calling it a night here, LOL, tired of cleaning...paper and blah,blah...
OMG bring on the Miller...OH LIzzzz whatchyadoin???

Carol, waving hello!
Ruby, where are ya?
Sweet Shar, so nice to chat with you...hehehe, fast or slow.
Stacey, so nice your finding your b-room items, little here and there is cool.

Sisster Dawn...You hooo...Girl, what are you up to??? Hope your Holidays were great.

OMG, VES!! My girl...Hope all the holidays have been great, stress free(hehehe, I know as much as possible)

GG...Was nice to see you post, glad Murph and Sailor girl doong well, as you all too! Yikes, sorry 'bout the getaway digs.
Well, so are you quilting this season???

Hi Gillibean, I sure hope you are all doing well. Think of you all often. Such a beautiful family.

Wonderhug!! Was great to see you post! Happy New Year, I hope all is well and continues to go that way....Woohoo giant armwraps.

Bev...so wish I would have thought about your location. Next tim3e for sure. Glad you are all doing well.
Still loving your photos.

I sure am, hoping you all are doing well, some are not due t weather...nice cup of tea, a warm blankie and a LIL NAP HERE AND THERE,...oops sorry caps got on...

So, I know some people are Lurkers...Just want to wishYou a very Happy New Year! A warm smile and armwrap...Some day you might jump in on conversation...otherwise, a wink and a wave hello to you!

Oh Gosh, Janice...
I am sure you are worried sick about Cedrick and Bailey.

Yikes, customs sure takes there sweet time!

Well keeping fingers crossed they will arrive on the morrow.

Oh gosh, Also

Trish!!!
Your Silver Santa..is Fantastick!!
I really love the color, where the heck are you finding velvet in Silver???

Hope you are feeling better too.

OK really, I am saying goodnight again!

heheh, Good night!

So I get this phone call and can I understand one word of what she says????noooooooo, I can't, so I say "Judy slow down"...does she, noooooo, she doesn't.......so i say "Judy, 'tween yuah nawthen brogue and my southen drawhl, we cain't be makin' much sense...."

Finally we reached a happy medium, and could understand each other. Thanks, Judy my friend, for calling. I did appreciate it, and needed to laugh for awhile.

You all stay warm if you are cold, and be well if you are sick.

This is the amaryllis that I forgot and left in the coat closet for 2 or 3 years. Found it early December, and look at it today....it is about 28 inches tall, not including the pot.

Life isn't always beautiful, but it's a beautiful life.....

Thank Judy, the silver was one of the 60% off fabrics I got a JoAnn's right after Christmas.....wish I had gotten more of it.....I really like it too.....but I picked up a few different fabrics yesterday when I was up that way. Will see what pops up next?!!

Morning all..Hi Judy..so pumped you are..love to read your posts.

Shar that is amazing..so beautiful..isn;t it a ownder that after neglecting it for years it will pop back and bloom.

Trisha I have seen all your creations..what a talent you have..

Up early... before I go look after my grandaughter...and saw this huge full moon..and tried to get a photo..

I am thinking Betty's "ass-up" bird would be the little house wrens. Small brown birds that always have theri tail up.
They have quite a loud chatter in the spring..and they always nest in my bird house gourds.

would this be the bird you mentioned?

This phto came from Google search when I put in house wren

Those are what I have in my yard all the time and didn't know what they were-thanks!!

Morning Stacey,
You are very welcome..
I love watching the birds..
Judy..here is a red cardinal in my planter and a starling at the suet feeder.

Have a good ay everyone

You got it Carol, house wrens...nice to know their REAL names..lol maybe I should finish some of the gourds I have here if they tend to like to make it their home...
it's a cold one out there Carol so best you dress warm...one of those morning when you breath in your nostrils stick together...

Janice goodness gracious some parcel take a long time, should have driven him over the border...strip search, so laughing...poor little fellows will be frantic..I'll be mailing Bullwinkle and the lads out this afternoon, have had them 2 weeks and it's about same time I mailed Cedric..he must be cold without his boots...let's hope today they arrive..what tales they'll have to tell you..

Trisha, best not put my santa molds away, you are most likely going to need more to keep you going through the summer..is your new found 'hobby' an addiction? lol

OMG Judy can just here you going a mile a minute on the telephone with the girls...quit smoking sure has given you an energy burst, not that you didn't have it before but look at you now girl...

OMG Shar, isn't that a beauty, in the closet? hmmm maybe there is still hope for my christmas cactus that I put in a pot along with plastic vine...think it's dead..going to check it out..maybe I too can revive it..

Crissy still tasting those chocolate chip cooking...

My canadian friends Bullwinkle and the lads will be shipped to another DG canadian friend today..I'll be lonely for sure after having Cedric, Bailey and the gang...
Here is Missy saying her final goodbys before I ship them off...

Stacey, do they also have their ass-up all the time..lol...

Now here is Bullwinkle and the lads who were at work with me yesterday, helped me paint but soon got me sidetracked, thought I would have finished it but NOT...

Forgot to ask, been invited to Texas for a gathering of DG friends at B.J.'s...can you tell me when your Memorial Day is? might just book that big bird to fly me there...

You are right-they always do!!LOL

Bj's get together is over Memeorial Day weekend

Stacey just not sure your memorial day weekend is same as ours...what date would that be...

Oh girls just went and checked my Christmas cactus...in a little trouble here...

Edited to read:

Will tidy the pot of dead strands this afternoon and I think there may be one or two that could survive..will post after the clean-up...

Not good is it?

This message was edited Jan 9, 2009 8:27 AM

Good morning My Friends!!

LOL, Betty yep got a newfound energy. Been on a non stop go morning till night. then see thats what happens when i don't talk to people...yack,yack,yack on the telephone...Now I am back in business LOL.

Carol, Hope you have a good morning with the Grand daughters..OH My goodness, you know I will be watching for the the variety of birds...Camera in hand here. Isn't it wonderful to catch the full moon in progress. Haven't seen it in ages so was real nice to see yours.
I'llbet the photo didn't really do it justice, I mean to what your eye saw...enormous? I can see it was extremely bright though.

Shar, Always wonderful to chat with you. Was really glad to chat about Ethan. Love the Bloom. Pretty soon we will be dreaming of the gardens again.. And woohoo, this year I will be able to WORK my garden...hear that critters?

Well hope you all have a good day.
See you in a bit..got to start some paper work.

Our memorial day is 5/25-a monday

Hi Stacey!! Hope you day is goin well.

OMG Betty, I am so laughing...I am thinking you are way past trouble.
LOL, I knew I was fogetting something...and that is you weekly reminder to water indoor plants.
oooopps well too late now!

Trish, OH my gosh, I am going to have to travel to other JoAnns, mine is just not all that great. in fact I hate our store.
LOL, thats pretty strong but true, they never have much. We only had a red, black and I think maroon, I happened to find my green on clearence....ROFLOL, yikes didn't mean to get on B*()* session. But i am real glad you got some good deals! Are done with Santas now or you still creating?? I've to finish my Purple one then I am done for this year!

Wrens! We have those down here, and Cardinals! I love Cardinals, they are pretty.

Judy you always make me laugh..yep, put a real flower in with plastic in hopes it looked a little more lush..lol..but then one has to remember to water..think when I looked at it there was 3 strands of green, going to try doctoring it up..room is slightly cool, that's good I think???

OMG talking to my sister Sharon is like being part of a soap opera..

Her being ill, bedridden for several months, troubles with her son, taking on raising 2 adopted daughters in her later years, finding out just days before Christmas that her 16 year old (hadn't realized she had turned 16 in Sept.) is pregnant, then for the daughter to pack up her bags and move on Monday to of all places here in Barrie with her boyfriend only to find out yesterday that she and boyfriend were trying to stay in a shelter..well this morning Sharon tells me that the boyfriend who is 17 got picked up for breaking parole for assault, break and entry..in till Monday when he gets court date and bail..imagine being in that situation...apparently when Rhonda and Ryan showed up the other day at Ryan's house his mother hadn't a clue about Rhonda being a girlfriend let alone finding out she was pregnant...said Ryan is welcome home but NOT Rhonda...

The mother's best friend brought Rhonda to the Elizabeth Fry Home..think she's only allowed to stay there for a few days...

Imagine, it's just mind boggling to me, but then I have to thank the Lord that I didn't go through any difficulties with my boys...that someone who has a dad and mom (now divorced) who each have what I would call mansions, unlimited funds, being sent to private school, every type of entertainment and travel lavished upon them can be so 'stupid'..she's living in a fantasy world as is her boyfriend...have no idea what is to become of her...prayers would certainly be appreciated..

Sharon's nerves aren't the best this past year with so much thrown on her, feel so helpless .. even though I offer her some advice which I'm not so sure is the right advice she never follows it...

Can't imagine how frustrated she must be...

Betty, do you have UPS or FedX up your way? When mailing Christmas presents I found that they were cheaper than USPO and they are far more reliable and speedy. I am going to check that out when mailing my DG things from now on. My UPS store is close, has great hours and they will compare prices for all kinds of mailing options. This deal with the post office is driving me crazy.

We have wrens, cardinals an robins here. I love the big, fat, robins! My neighbor keeps a large planter saucer full of water for them in the summer, and if I'm very quiet, I can watch them bathe! The robins will hop around looking at you out of the corners of their eyes, and I talk to them. Seems they understand I'm holding a one-sided conversation with them, and they'll cock their heads and listen!
A wren built a nest in my petunias year before last, and I watered it along with the flowers! Didn't bother them a bit! Wish I had a birdfeeder up so I could watch the birds now!

Well Audrey..I'll share my birds with you...LOL

Cardinal ...nice and close..Blue Jay at the side waitng his turn.

Carol you must have a great camera to capture them so clearly..beauties aren't they..on some of my canadian threads they've been talking about a lot of robins which have stayed here for the winter, apparently scientiest are befuddled as to why? some think some think it's global warming...HELLLOO there, no global warming in this community...thanks for sharing the photo


Janice do you know when I post something in Canada it's almost 1/2 more than if it was going to USA..asked the post mistress as to why, she just shakes her head..hope those custom people don't take off with the santa without boots..lol maybe tonights mail will surprise you..will go in search of my postal slip to check on it's whereabouts..although doesn't tell you much..tell you when it get to the Mississauga plant, then that it is across the border, then when it arrives...

Audrey it's quite a passtime watching the birds isn't it..know I got rid of my sectional couch because it had to sit infront of the window, now I can see clearly and do have a birdhouse hanging from front deck, mostly I see squirrels...have about 10 birdhouses in back yard but most days in the winter it's waist deep in snow, must figure something differently for next year...

What I also don't understand is that Bernice and Cliff have a zillion birds in their back yard and they are only across the street and yet I don't have many, might be the sort of food I'm feeding them although it is a high quality mix...they may start earlier in the fall as well, that could be it...I'll keep trying though...

It's been another crazy week here. School started again on Tuesday and I've babysat every day. I also babysat for part of the last week of the Christmas holidays too. The daycare shuts down for the holidays so the parents who still need to work have to make alternate arrangements. I had babysat her a bit when she was too young for the daycare centre. It was really nice to have her here for a few days. So far I'm scheduled to babysit for all of next week as well. As much as I like babysitting (and the 'fun' money it provides) it makes it difficult to get much decluttering done.

We have UPS and Fedex in Canada. It's not really a good idea to use them for cross-border parcels though. UPS, especially, is notoriously bad for charging huge brokerage fees for taking parcels through customs. Many times those fees are worth as much as the contents of the package. I've known people who have been charged $30 or more for things that were worth maybe $100. With using the post office there's no charge for a value under $20. Sometimes one will be charged the 5% tax plus a $5 handling fee on parcels with a value greater than $20 but it tends to be a random thing. Also, UPS can be really inconvenient. My sister lives in an apartment and something was delivered UPS when nobody was home. Because they live in an apartment where there isn't really a managers office the parcel wasn't left for them. They got a notice that said that the parcel was as the pick-up location over 30km away. If it had come through the regular mail they would have received a parcel notice in their mailbox and would have just had to go to the post office down the street. For me (although I'm quite isolated) a UPS delivery means a trip across the river (at a cost of at least $20 round trip) since they will not deliver to the island. They actually consider their parcels to be delivered once the freight office in Cochrane signs for them. They the train takes them to Moosonee where they wait at the freight office (with inconvenient hours for anyone who works) until you get a chance to pick it up. Once, I was waiting for a package for ages and finally called over to see if it was in the freight office. It had been there for a couple weeks but since the sender didn't include my phone number they had no way of letting me know it was there. Anyway, sorry for my little rant. It just really bugs me that UPS seems to advertise that they have this great delivery but fails to mention that it's only great if you live in a regular house in a regular city/town and also don't plan on sending anything across a border.

Well, I guess I better get lunch served. I made some chicken/turkey soup today - perfect for a cold winter day.

Chilled here Gillian, your homemade soup sounds wonderful..yes I've checked both as well when mailing packages and I'd be better off just sending $$$ because of the fees they charge..item value $25.00 mailing charge $50.00..goodness but I am annoyed that to mail something within my own country costs so much more than if I was sending it across the border..no reason for it..

Bet the children love having another child in the house..can understand why you'd not be able to get much done..full time job watchng over these children..knowing you, you've many planned activities for them...

My cousin who lived next door to me when I lived on Little Lake because we were away from the store had a wonderful method...her children would earn money for chores etc. and twice a day, let's say 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. she would open a well stocked store and they were allowed to spend their money..it was games, some clothing, toys and candies..they had a weekly budget these children and learned the true value of money and buying power by shopping..they'd have to add up their purchases, make change so it was twofold...a treat and learning math...it always impressed me...

We give Sonora a weekly alowance of $2.50. She pays 10% to tithing and 10% to long-term savings. I had to laugh a couple weeks ago. I took her to the store with me and she was going to get some candy. Well, she has quite a stash of money at home but only takes a little bit when she goes shopping. She had already spent some and so between that and the fact that she thought the candy was cheaper than it actually was, she didn't have enough to pay for it. I was being very strong that day and I didn't 'bail her out' so she was about to put it back when the person behind her gave the cashier the money for it. Sonora said thank you and then after we left the store she went back and gave the man a sucker that she had received earlier (from lady who was selling things in the foyer and thought that she was sweet and so gave her some candy).

Sonora has also started asking if we'll pay her to do things. Many things around the house are just expected but I'll pay her to shovel our driveway. The other day she asked me to show her how to shine her black leather shoes. Then she offered to shine my boots - for a small fee. It's interesting to see how her perspective about the use of money has been changing over time.

I think that's good for them to learn the worth of money! My youngest grandson started early, before he was 10, to earn and save money. He saved enough to buy his first AND second vehicle! And he's putting accessories in this one! He'a learned to Of course, he's 18, now, but he knows how to make and save money. I'm so proud!

How sweet Gillian .. wonder how many kids are learning that way..my boys had everything BUT they had to earn it (or did they) lol

Noah is a spender but I'll tell you Kyle watches every penny..he has his own lawnmower and snowblower and is out earning..now when he sees something he wants, he'll plan and save but it has to be something special to part with his money...

We were in the office at 1:30 all feeling down because when we worked in Toronto office we'd leave Friday at 1:00...now Paul said 3:00 here in Barrie..I went to book an appt. with the guys in the Toronto office around 11:00 and they said they were leaving at 1:00 so to book it for Monday..guess the girls were feeling even sadder than Suzanne and I, LeeAnn texted her dad..said we were to work until 1:00 until he tells us it's later..you never saw anybody scramble to get out of the office then we girls..but Suzanne and I did stay an extra 10 minutes to clean the entrance..that salt used on walkways sure does make a mess...

I've already done my groceries, did the snowblowing and shovelling, put a nice stew on, made 2 of Ruby's applesauce cakes and now it's bath time waiting for stew to be ready and a quiet night...

LOVE Friday nights...at one time it was to get dressed and go out, now I look at the fireplace, couch and say 'oh my what a lucky girl'..guess that comes with age..lol

Sounds like a wonderful cozy night..well deserved..
Enjoy your evening Betty.

Gilli..that is a smart girl you have there..love the story about the boots..
Say hi to Sonora and Ian.
You are raising them so well.

Betty, sorry the rates are higher there in Canada and that UPS wont help you. They all really have us at their mercy, don't they? If you can give me a routing or other # so I can check on the pakage, I will. The PO asked me if you had filled out customs papers and I told them you we not a newbie at mailing from Canada to the US.
I hope Cedric is alright and not afraid when he doesn't get here right away. He and Bailey should know what it is to go through customs.
Wish I had some of that applesauce cake but I will have to settle for homemade meatloaaaaf. Haven't made any in years and it just sounded like a cold weather dish for tonight.
We had bunches of snow, but Stacey got and is getting more than I did. We only got 3-4" but they are looking at 7-8". I shopped for fabric for swaps, valentine stuff for a decoration for the office, and food. Now I am set to staya in for the weekend and sew, sew, sew!

yup-6-10" is what they are calling for:(

Oh that sucks, way too much snow. I read that you all are supposed to get slammed up there. I want everyone to be careful and stay warm during this cold spell.

I think it's supposed to get nasty here tonight, too! Just checked Weatherbug, only 48 tonight, tomorrow night 24! Well, I did my shopping today. Got tired of being ice cold from my butt down and having to go to bed to get warm! I got 2 pair of thermal pants to wear under my clothes! If I get it very warm in here, I can't breathe!

After all we have been through these past weeks I will definitely take the snow over the rain!!!!!!!

Hmmmm, I think I have everything to make an applesauce cake.....maybe Sage and I will do that tonight.

That is me, I have fabric, leather, all the stuff I need from Michael's.....I can stay in and play....except for Taxi Service.

Morning friends...

Moving us over, do hope you'll join me...

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