I had a great ending to a stressful week. We had a magic show at school today and it was great. The kids really enjoyed it and about 12 of them got to go on stage and be "stars" for the day. We had all the kids come at once, so I got the afternoon off! TGIF fer sure! I went shopping for something to wear for graduation. Not sure I like what I got, but maybe it has more to do with the fact that I tried on the skirt with black knees highs. LOL I need to see if I can pull the outfit together at home before I decide if I want to keep it. debi - I hope everything went well for you! Post as soon as you can so we can stop worrying. Tikanas - You are right. If you miss more than a few days, it is impossible to catch up and address everyone. Sometimes, that keeps me from posting, cause I don't want to leave anyone out. Speed dating! Hmmm.........kinda glad I don't have to deal with that. I am terrible at on the spot witty conversations. I always think of something witty I could have said the next day! LOL BJ - I think every one of us has gone through some periods where we have self doubts and bouts of depression. I know I have. A few weeks ago, my DS called and said that since DD wasn't graduating in May, he wasn't sure when he was coming home. Maybe not until Sept. I got off the phone and cried! He's been gone for over a year and it just seemed to hit me that he won't be back! I am slowing coming back to acceptance, but I was in a bad way for a few weeks. But I have to say that more than once, when I have been in a jam, I have said "What would BJ say or do?" Besh - Did you say that you had read Jodi Picoult's new book? I have it on the top of my TBR pile. I have officially filled up my new bookcase, so now I had better read one of my books before I buy a new one! LOL But I can't seem to stay out of the halfprice book store. It calls to me when I drive past. I only have 19 days of school left! This year has flown by! I was keeping track of my food intake on fitday.com and was on track until yesterday. I couldn't get enough to eat for some reason. Then we went out to dinner tonight and I over ate again. Guess I will try to get back on track tomorrow. I would kill for some chocolate right now though! John - Wise and wonderful as usual! My DS has a wonderful wicked sense of humor too. I think he is learning that he has to keep it in check now that he is out in the "real" world. But it is one of the things that I love most about him. miscindy - I love to quilt. I won a Viking sewing machine a few years back but was disappointed to learn it was the most basic of their machines. So I saved some $s and traded up for the quilter's machine and I love it. I have a Christmas quilt that only needs the borders sewn on and it will be ready to quilt. I sewed it all by hand and I want to finish it by hand, so I refuse to use my machine for that. Finishing it is high on my list of things to accomplish this summer. Milkdud - You seem to be on the mend. As Martha would say, "That's a good thing." Hope your trip to the mall was successful. DeeMarie - Have you come up for air yet? LOL You are one busy gal. 3 days of meetings? Not sure I could do that. But then most people say they couldn't spend 10 minutes let alone 2 1/2 hours in my preschool class with 24 kids, so I guess I am where I should be! LOL Raeanne - A riding lawn mower could be fun!! I would be h*ll on wheels on one! Patti - Where are you? Come visit please! Donna - I hope your friend is feeling better. Don't you love 4 day weekends? Joanne - Hugs to you. Did you fit in those golf games? Jen - Is Erica almost done with preschool? I can't believe it is almost May. Maddie - Have a great weekend in your "new" digs! LOL Hope the dinner goes smoothly and no one chokes on those staples! LOL NHSuzanne - You are our own Dr. Doolittle. We get to hold baby chicks and baby ducks at the farm we go to every spring. In fact, we are going there next Thursday with our 3-year olds. I always look forward to that field trip and hope every year that there are also kittens and bunnies to hold. zig - I went shoe shopping today but I couldn't find what I was looking for. I need dressy brown sandals that I won't break a leg trying to walk in. I am not sure who some of these shoes are designed for, but I guess I will have to keep looking. Has anyone heard from Magic Kitty lately? I know she was moving and I was wondering how she was doing. Hi to anyone that I missed. I tried, honestly, to include everyone. Have a great weekend, Marci

Good Friday morning! I've already worked out and had breakfast. It looks like rain is heading our way. We've been teased with droplets all week, but nothing happened. Today it's dark and muggy, so we have a good chance! Happy birthday, Magic Kitty! Hope to see you posting again when you can. I'm going over to my youngest Dson's house tomorrow for the weekend. We'll all go to Alexis's soccer game at 1, then Dson and DDIL are going to a birthday bash, and I get those girls all to myself! I'll be back Sunday afternoon. This time, I'm planning ahead and taking snack foods and ingredients I'll need to have in order to stay on WW. Not going to get caught without this time!!! I love the feel of mud squishing through my toes. I was allowed to play in it when I was little, I let my sons play in it, and I'd encourage my DGDs to do it also. Nothing else quite like it! I've FINALLY finished those little cloth books for Aubrie!!! I am such a procrastinator sometimes. I know she'll be happy to see them. She loves books and having people read to her. When she stubbed her toe the other night while I was talking to my son on the phone, she tried to shove her new "Bambi" book through the phone to have me read it to her! Can't wait to do that in person. Marci, I know you're going to have a wonderful trip. We'll miss you, but so happy you're getting to do this. McPeg, enjoy your time with your in-laws! BJ, do tell us what kind of act you're doing tonight. I'm betting it's something very interesting! Dee, I noticed that you take a Geritol Complete at bedtime. Is that a multi-vitamin? Does it not bother your sleep to take it then? I think that I've actually read somewhere that it was most effective to take a vitamin then, but I worry about getting too much "energy" or whatever by taking it then. Got to get busy picking up around here and packing my food and things for tomorrow. I'm going to work out first, then leave from there to go to Beaumont. Have a great weekend!

Hi Guys! Thanks for all the nice b-day wishes and personal emails. I have had a lot going on, but also felt like I got so far behind here at the "garden" that I felt like I couldn't catch up---so I kept putting off checking in. I know Maddie and Dee Marie know how I feel about that! Sometimes time slips away so quickly and then it seems very uncomfortable to try and catch up. I knew everyone here would say, "Just hop back in!" But even so, I wanted to read everything and know exactly what was happening. I keep thinking I'll have time to read the few months I've missed, but it'll have to wait for my yearly trip to KY. I'll print and catch up while in the airports, and getting some time in the bluegrass state. This year, I am taking my oldest DD with me, so it will be a little different! Joanne~ I haven't rec'd the package yet, but the mail system and connections between our 2 countries is not super great yet! Anyway, I'm sure I'll get it soon. I have had a LOT of negative change in my life in the past few months and hopefully, with the summer arriving, the light will be brighter and I will be able to understand more of why I was planted on the earth for. I've had a bout with depression and adjustment and couldn't get it very together for a while. Me? Yes. Imagine that! I was surprised myself. It's nice to be "home" here though. Checking in and seeing that I was still welcome means more to me than any of you can ever imagine. Thanks so much for the emails and all. You are truly an amazing group of friends. Always there. Never invasive. Perpetually accepting. All I can say is wow. PS: Raeanne: Thanks for the link, sis, but I hadn't forgotten how to get here! But you KNEW that was the key for me. Smoochies and Huggles. And Dee Marie, you too. And Tikanas. And NHSuzanne. And everyone. You are simply the best.

Maddie, many thanks!---you're such a good singer!!!! lol. Wow! That's quite a compliment you gave me. I finally caught up on my reading and found I will miss you this year in KY. Bummer. But you still need to come to Seattle and so this makes the trip more necessary, don't you agree? My mom and dad and I will miss you SO much! We're missing the Colonel's pic nic this year since my dad thinks it'll be a madhouse in its new location. Anyway, I'm a love-a, love-a, love-a you and wish you the best in your at-home biz. You shine, sister! Go girl! And you WILL have an auction house someday---check out how far you've come already! Have a great trip on your upcoming vacation! Raeanne~ Thanks for the e-card---I love Maxine! You are so cool to start my day like that! Smoochie! Hey! You've got to start checking in more----you're kinda quiet lately---me too. I have had my hands rather full of DD with mono and spring break, but this weekend, I'm catching up on laundry and life and diet chat. My older sis sent me a book called The Crystal Bible. SO COOL! You'd love it! The local star gazers shop has just about every crystal you can imagine, so I've been reading up on them all---and of course, every time I crack the book, I think of you! Amy~I just got a new domain name registered for a website I'm building, but TIME---I need TIME! You ideas sound like a lot of fun! My oldest DD has started drawing this year and is having a lot of fun at it. I love her stuff. She does realistic-looking drawings of all kinds of stuff. She aslo dabbles in abstract photography. It's been great! Back later to finish this; my dryer is buzzing at me! Love to all!