Southern Porch Extension

[Joanney]

I started my new job today. I am working the before shift of the before and after school program. I can still sub and today I subbed from 11-4 in an elementary LifeSkills room. Tomorrow I will be in the same school as a noon supervisor.

Not much else going on here. The kids came inside from recess today with frozen ears. It was about 45 degrees. Not unusual temps from March in MN, but very cold compared to the last week or so. Many of the kids were unprepared for the weather. They were dressed as if it were still 70 degrees.

[Laurie]

Congratulations, Joanney. What will your hours be for the new position? I'm so glad you can still sub.

Don, I like the quote you shared.

Carole, it sounds like you're having fun.

I think someone mentioned the ads here at FW. They help make a little money for the site so I don't believe you can do anything to skip them. I occassionally click on them to help make a few pennies for the site. You can't click on them multiple times because the program is wise to that. I should click more often, though.

I wanted to post over the last few days, but I'm just so consumed with my mom's matters right now - plus wading through dealing with some family things. I hate that I let things get to me.

My mom signed the paperwork yesterday for the duplex in town. She'll move in over the next month or so. The auction will probably be in May or June.

[ready2go]

My mom signed the paperwork yesterday for the duplex in town. She'll move in over the next month or so. The auction will probably be in May or June.

The sale of a farm that has been in the family for several generations is a very emotionally exhausting event. My parents (mom) inherited the farm from my grandfather when he died. There were two houses on the farm...one for my grandparents, and one for my parents (I grew up there).

Since my dad was employed elsewhere, he did not work the farm, and chose to rent out the farmland for several years following my grandfather's death. My parents bought a place in Phoenix...and spent several winters there, and summers in the old farmhouse. Eventually, they decided to sell the entire farm and move out permanently. (The farm was first offered to me, but I refused the offer...much to their dislike)

I was there that day to help with the auction. Everything had to go...two houses, the farm buildings, all equipment and tools, the land, tractors, pickup trucks...everything imaginable, including two horses, a dog, and barn cats. The auction took a full Saturday to complete. Several hundred people showed up.

My dad followed alongside the auctioneer as each item was sold. In many cases the items were sold at nearly give-away prices. However, everything had to go. Late in the auction, my dad collapsed from emotional exhaustion, and had to be carried into the house to rest. During the auction, my mother just sat alone in the house and stared out the window. She had lived on that farm for well over 60 years...and it all quickly became a distant memory for her on that day.

Don

[BeachGrandma]

I can't believe these companies have gotten away with this for so long! It's terrible besides being utterly dishonest!!

http://tv.naturalnews.com/e-video.asp?v ... 025962&s=1

[Verna]

Thanks, Mariane. I'm not crazy about blueberries, but if the package says "blueberries," that's what I want!

[Laurie]

Don, I can believe it was really hard on your folks to have the auction and sell the farm. I don't even know how many years the farm has been in the Glass family. My dad was born in that house and lived all but 4 of his 80 years there. The house started out having two rooms, then four, and was built onto two or three more times after that. I'm sure that auction day and farm sale day are going to be very difficult. She will sell the homestead/80 acres. She'll keep the 220 acres just down the road. They always said they wouldn't sell the other place unless they absolutely had to. The crop land is rented out, and family members hunt on that land.

I worked on questions for the insurance agent and auctioneer today. I'll clear off my camera today so I can take pictures inside of Mom and Dad's house tomorrow (before she starts packing). I spent time on baking today since I don't often have time for that these days, and it isn't good when I get behind since it isn't like I can just pick up something at the store that's ready to eat. Tomorrow I will help my mom with her insurance matters as well as other business matters.

Mariane, how are you feeling?

[Verna]

This was good news for me!

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162- ... udy-finds/

[ready2go]

This was good news for me!

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162- ... udy-finds/

According to that report I am in big trouble. It tells me I suffer from serious "chocolate consumption deficiency" since I only eat a bite of something containing chocolate a few times a year. And, I hate dark chocolate, too. If it's not Hershey's milk chocolate...then, I'll turn it down.

Why couldn't that report have been about the health value of eating brown sugar or caramel? Yumm!

Don

[Laurie]

I can't take much more when it comes to some family stuff right now - not on top of everything else. And we have a long road ahead of us yet. Please pray that I can let things go and that I'll stop and pray instead of letting things get to me. I can't get sucked back into all the hurt anymore. I've come too far to go back there. God has shown Himself to us in so many ways that I think the enemy is really working.

[BeachGrandma]

You can always count on the enemy of our souls to cause friction whenever people are worn out, sick, tired, exhausted and vulnerable. He is such a coward he picks on the weak, the elderly and those hurting badly. He even picked on my dying mother who during the last days before she died kept telling her she wasn't worthy of heaven, that she wouldn't go there, that faith in Christ was nonsense, and a host of other lies. That's why I hate him so. He is cowardly and conniving and capricious. Drive a stake today and say, "NO MORE! I COMMAND YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS MY SAVIOR AND LORD TO LEAVE ME AND MY FAMILY ALONE AND STOP CAUSING DISCORD AMONG US!"

Laurie, you've probably heard me say this before but once I had to bake a cake for an important church dinner and it turned out terrible! So I threw it out, baked another one and it was worse! So I took my broom, opened the kitchen door and yelled to the evil one, "Get out of my kitchen and out of my house! On the authority of Christ my Savior, I command you to leave!" And I swept him out of my house with a flourish! (Good thing no neighbors weren't walking by. LOL) So I baked a third cake and it was like a picture on the cover of Bon Appetit. It was gorgeous.

I told that to friend one day and she said she once took her broom and chased the devil all the way around the outside of her house and into the street! And she didn't care if the neighbors or passersby saw her, either! (grin)

[Laurie]

Thanks so much, Mariane! He's bringing up old thoughts and feelings that were dealt with and that I absolutely do not need to relive. This week things are getting intense, and I need to keep a calm head and not let any of this take me down or cause any other trouble. I figure I better not give much detail, but there is urgency to this prayer request.

[BeachGrandma]

Laurie, this will encourage you and everyone on the porch including Ole Blue. Please please please please take a second to watch it. Please.

http://www.godvine.com/Shy-Boy-and-his- ... -1318.html

[Verna]

Dear Mariane, your counsel is so wise, and dear Laurie, I'm praying for the inner strength you need to not let others disturb the peace in your heart from the Lord.

As for the video--"You can't tell a book by its cover" surely fits here!

Now I'm off to find some chocolate!

[BeachGrandma]

Verna, I just had my chocolate du jour -- Hershey's kisses with almonds or Hershey's Nuggets with almonds.

I have a secret drawer in my bedroom where I keep them because John shouldn't have sugar and I don't want the boys to have much sugar either because their last dentist's report wasn't that great. Anyway, I noticed the bags of Hersheys were emptying a little faster than usual so I kept a watchful eye and sure enough, two pint-sized chocolate burglars had found the drawer and were having a chocolate feast every day. When they were in my bedroom playing games on my computer after school, they'd innocently ask if I'd mind getting them a drink of water from the kitchen. While I was gone they'd make a mad dash to the chocolate drawer and stuff some kisses or nuggets in their pockets. When I'd return with their bottles of water which we keep full and in the fridge, they'd innocently suggest that I'd probably enjoy watching TV or reading in the family room since they tend to get noisy playing computer games. What a crock! And to think I fell for that ruse several times before being suspicious of their concern for my happiness and a quiet environment in which to read or watch tv.

I love those adorable little monkey burglars with tell-tale melted chocolate on their chins and cheeks!

[Carole L]

I am HOME !!!!


A very uneventful flight ending a very good visit. Had great weather with a near perfect day yesterday. We went to Daytona Beach. I felt like a kid playing in the waves. I got my feet knocked out from under me twice, but I wasn"t out there by myself so I had a hand to pull me back to my feet. That was the hard partt, getting your feet back under you!

Loved getting to spend time with my sister and made some new friends fron Canada who stayed in the trailer across the road.

I've been trying to nap all afternoon, just cant seem to really fall asleep, but I can't seem to keep my eyes open, either. Really surprising considering how exhausted I was last night after a day in the sun and surf followed by a VERY short night. We had to get up at 3am, leave for the airpot by 4, to go thru security by 5:30 for a 6:30 flight.