"Sittin' round the Pot Belly Stove!"

[weatherlover427]

Yes it sure has been rainy here. There is more coming too it looks like. We aren't done yet by a long shot.

Hope everyone is doing well. Today was the 2 year mark of my dad passing away, so I've been sleeping a lot today. Partly cause I've been tired, partly cause I've had that on my mind.

Going to have to look for a job soon probably, because I have some things that I need to buy and save up for. I have to buy a bigger hard drive for my computer and also upgrade some of the software on it. I also am planning on taking a vacation in about a year and a month since my friend is getting married in Arizona.

[Miss Mary]

Furry - wondered where the heck you went to! And it was the TV!!!! Hrrrrmmmmphhh!!! Just kidding.....and you're welcome for the xmas card. We managed to pull off another with the dog. She HAS to be in every xmas card photo. It's a must! If you look closely our smiles are probably strained or in check, b/c we were hoping Hope would sit still long enough for the flash.

My girls have exams Tuesday thru Thursday this week. So they've been studying a lot and using the computer, or one has set up camp in the computer room. So I'm a hurrying here at the keyboard - my time is limited this week!!! Short school days, so much so that I made a schedule for them. Who goes in at what time, gets out at what time, if I'm doing the drive duty. Hubby was shaking his head - it is confusing. I said imagine if we had 4 kids in HS, one for each grade....I'd say ah you're all staying on campus the full day!!! And mom's staying home.....well, would I really say that? Naw.....

So my time will be short this week. Already sense it. I've been saying I need to start the repainting job around here (after 15 years so many rooms are knicked up, dingy, etc.). We have a huge HS grad party to host in May so I could get started this week.......LOL Let's just see if this hibernating ole person can get going this soon!!! I was going to start in February (I have no less than 6 rooms to paint, LR, DR, K, FM, Hall, 2 bedrooms, oh a kids bath that has been thru the wringer, etc. Make that 7! Plus the Hall). Rooms I know guest will wander thru. Yikes!

Just wanted to pop in and say hi everyone!

Mary

[pojo]

Shannon... we stayed at Best Western at the airport... we were on a budget, so we really couldn't afford to stay near the french quarter. Either way, we didn't mind driving back and forth.

Mary.... english is not my strongest suit! I'm a math and science person.

Here is the next 10 weeks...
5-6 Feb drill weekend
26-27 Feb drill weekend (extra...must be in attendance)
5-19 March Ramstein Germany for my 2 weeks
*(5-6 March drill weekend)
*(19-20 March extra drill weekend... must be in attendance)
1 April graduate (have to accelerate my classes)
3 April deployment (IF I am going)

*** Possibly made my school decision.. University of Hawaii! If I'm not deployed... in July or August, I'll Permanently change station (PCS) to Hickam AFB in Honolulu for 2 years.

School starts next Tuesday. My LAST semester at UWGB! woohoo!!!!!

I'm bracing for this massive arctic cold blast.... this weekend we may not reach zero for a high!

[azskyman]

Hi Shannon...as always, a VERY ambitious schedule. You have lived more and done more at your age than many of us with a lot more miles!

I have a pressman being deployed to Afghanistan the first week of April, too. Must be a series of rotations due about then.

Good luck in all that you do in preparation.

[isobar]

Guten Morgen!!! (Good Morning!) Hope you're brushing up on your German, Shannon!

Our German exchange student arrived last week, and things are going very well. He knows English better than many Americans. He's a great kid and just fits right in with our family. Heck, we may not send him back!
Actually I better guard against getting tooooo maternal. It occurred to me after he arrived that I also would have had a 17 year old if I had not miscarried in 1987. I think God is giving me an opportunity to see what it's like having that older child and may be putting final closure on that for me. He certainly works in mysterious ways!

Have a great weekend gang! God bless!

Go Colts!!!!!!

Donna

[pojo]

Donna, I remember some basic phrases from HS german... which was 7+ years ago. (soph and junior year of HS). A couple years back, my aunt and uncle had a german student for a year, she was 16 when she came to America.

Poppysky... I'm not sure where I am going after Charleston. The commander is 80-90% sure that we are going to CHS, but he's not sure until the orders come out (or he isn't telling us that he knows where we are going). We could stay the whole rotation in CHS, or we could leave immediately to places unknown. It would be nice to know where we are going, but hey, that's the military. Right now, I'm on the alternate list, fence sitting if you may call it. We have to be fully trained, but we may or may not go... But if we dont' go, we'll probably get a 72 hour phone call to leave. I would like to know if I am going, but will not find out until I get my orders (or not). There are way to many dilemmas right now, but heck, that comes with life.

I'm trying to stay warm.... its rather cold around here... temperatures are hovering right around zero, windchills well below -20*F...whole weekend will be down right COLD.

Classes start on Tuesday.

Have a nice weekend.

[weatherlover427]

Howdy to all. Sure is a nice day here ... much needed to help us dry out after all the rain of the past couple of weeks.

Not much new here, just rearranged my apartment (big time I might add) so I am finishing up with that. Other than that not much else is new, so I will run off now since I am at the library. C you all soon!

[Miss Mary]

Hello everyone! Noticed this porch hadn't had a visitor since January 15th!!!

We recently added a gas fireplace to our basement. Maybe that's where I've been hanging out instead of the PBS? Oops....

Well, just wanted to say hi to all and see who else would pop in today!

Mary

[Pburgh]

Phew, this wood is heavy!!!!!!!!!!! Dennis, is this alligator wood??? Anyway I thought I'd get this stove fired up and brew a pot of Earl Grey.

Mary, how do you like your new stove?? That's something I think I'd enjoy in my family room. I had a woodburning fireplace when my girls were growing up and kept it going all thru the winter. It was wonderful!!!! I loved just sitting nearby reading a book ----- Oh So Cozy!!!!!!

Well, the tea is brewed and I've left some KKs (Please don't eat the chocolate ones - they're for David.

Have a great day everyone
Stay Warm
Karan

[Miss Mary]

Karan - we love the new FP. It's gas and we don't even need to add a blower, since it's in our basement. It warms that area very well. Almost too well! Neat thing is if the power goes out and we need heat, we can still operate it. We bought ours at Lowe's, for around $600, it's light oak with mantle. I had wanted a gas FP that looked like an old fashioned wood stove but once I learned the top wouldn't heat up, I wanted to put a kettle there, it didn't seem to make sense. Also the gas pipe/fitting would have showed and a wall FP with mantle covers all of that up. Our basement isn't exactly a farm house kitchen style room anyway.....walls are painted in lime green, and it has this funky teen/dorm thing going on. We've had many compliments on the wall color (something I wasn't sold on at first). But on the dreariest of days, it's very bright down there. Never dark. I love hearing the girls friends' reactions when they come over - cool basement! How'd you get your parents to let you paint it THIS color? LOL Jim was behind the color choice too.....anyway, we love hanging out down there. We did a pay per view movie last week, first time ever, popped some popcorn and were all warm and cozy.

We've stayed at cabins with pellet stoves before. I could have easily gone that way too. But this is instant. Well, after a few days/tries of installation it was instant....I'd love to convert our woodburning FP upstairs to gas. But Jim says no....we're probably not going to build many fires up there anyway!

Mary

[furluvcats]

Hello....just wanted to pop by and say hi-hello-how are ya? My days are still very hectic and I just don't seem to find much time to get online anymore...omgosh...how do you working moms do it??? We've still been up to our usual...traveling and then some. We have house guests arriving on Monday from NY, and another later in the week...looking forward to seeing old friends!! Our weather is wacky...goes from rainy and cold to 84* and gorgeous....I'll take the 84* and gorgeous any day! Hope everyone is doing well! Talk to you soon.

Furry

[Miss Mary]

Furry - fess up...you've started a Bed & Breakfast haven't you? LOL We had neighbors that had quests on a monthly basis and sometimes a weekly basis. So much so that she wanted to hang a shingle out - the Allen's (their last name) B & B!

Guess that's what happens when you move away from family!!! In our case everyone is in town except one sister. And friends that come back to town usually want to stay with relatives.

Mary

[pojo]

we're trying to stay warm around here also... chilly this morning.

Semester is getting busier! I'm trying to get as much done possible before I (possibly) leave. I'm still fence-sitting per se... still no word on our orders yet... probably not until late February/early March. I'm off to Ramstein AB in Germany for our 2 week tour in March (thankfully one week falls right over Spring Break... so only miss one week of school).

As for college decisions for a continuation to get my second bachelors.... I have decided!!! University of Hawaii in Manoa. Yup, Hawaii. I have a tuition down payment due on March 1st, but because of the possible deployment I get an extension to April 1st. Yay I have to talk to my squadron commander and first sgt. because I am PCSing (Changing Reserve stations) to Hickam AFB in May right after graduation.... I'll wait and see what their comments are and if that will take me off the deployment list. I will keep you updated!

Breathe, Shannon Breathe!

[furluvcats]

Shannon/Pojo...congrats on making your decision!!!!! And you picked the school I wanted you to go to! Best of luck to you!

Miss Mary...hee hee...a bed n breakfast....not on your life! We cherish our privacy too much for that! But yeah, when you live across the US from friends and family, they're always welcome to come visit and stay a while! :O)

[vbhoutex]

I've been away for too long!!! Karan, as always you take care of me. You are such a sweetie!!!

Shannon, I am out of breath just reading your post!!!!(as usual)

You are prepared for visitors when you start school right? I will make the first reservation!! Keep us posted!!!

Feels good by the stove tonight with our rain and coolness outside!!! I'll just rest for a while..zzzzzzzzzz

[pojo]

Shannon, I am out of breath just reading your post!!!!(as usual)

You are prepared for visitors when you start school right? I will make the first reservation!! Keep us posted!!!

I hope so... I have a long laundry list of people that want to come and visit.... but I have things to do FIRST and foremost before anyone comes to visit.

[Pburgh]

Good morning all.

Shannon, I'm great at organizing and a terrific cleaner. Now can I come and visit?? I love Hawaii.

Let's see, I'll stop at Furry's Famous Bed and Breakfast and then fly on over to see Shannon!!!!!!!! Hey Miss Mary, wanna join me?????

David, I take good care of you. I don't wanna get on your bad side!

Well, it's busy here at work and I wanna get out of here early. Both my Daughters and Grandchildren are coming home this weekend and I gotta make everything PERFECT!!!!!!!!! I feel a sled riding party coming on tomorrow. YIPPEE

I'll brew some Earl Grey and stoke the fire.
Have a great weekend everyone!!!
Karan

[pojo]

It seems everyone is hoping for a vacation to the warm beaches of Hawaii. I can't wait.

[Skywatch_NC]

Hey all!

Looks like lower 60s here for late weekend through at least next Wednesday!

This week while shopping with Mom at a Raleigh Food Lion supermarket I spotted some Earl Grey tea and I thought...hmmm that name of tea looks familiar from the former TWC mb's days and now at Storm2K!! So I bought a pack of it and Mom made some iced Earl Grey for her and me this week...we absolutely love it!!! Finished the pitcher today at lunch so will have to make some more sometime soon! I'm more into the iced kind than hot usually.

Have a Wonderful Weekend, S2KBuds!!

Eric

[Miss Mary]

Hi all.....have a sad funeral visitation service tonight to attend. Our neighbor's 18 year old son committed suicide. He jumped off a 5 story building. Sadly, he had attempted suicide before but the family was doing all they could to help him with depression, seeing the best doctor, medications, etc. This has really devastated and shocked my neighborhood. Especially since many of us are parents and of teens, on top of that.

Didn't want to dig up the prayer topic but if anyone is reading this, please just say a prayer for this boy's family (his name was Ryan). They will need ongoing prayers and help. And sadly, I know firsthand this is something you just don't get over. We lost a dear nephew at age 16 two years ago (car accident). You miss that young person each and everyday afterwards and imagine what they'd be doing with his/her life at that point.

Thanks everyone. Have a heavy heart today. We all do on our street.

Mary