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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Dec 5, 2010 2:43:24 GMT -6
Why us ut that people in AZ have to totally over react when it gets the slightest bit cold-ish?
"OMG it's going to drop below 70 we have to turn on the heaters!"
Can't even wear my favorite sweaters cause the damn heaters make me sweat at work!
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Post by Phalon on Dec 5, 2010 9:15:12 GMT -6
I'm sure it's the same reason, Scrappy, as people around here (guilty as charged) feel like they're melting when the temperature gets above 85 degrees.
It's nowhere near that now, of course - the wind's picked up, it's snowing, and it looks like the Lake Effect has finally kicked in.
You two are in cahoots somehow, aren't you? I'm pretty sure those were nearly his exact words....although he offered his precious tool and truck space....after I explained to him that my precious dining room space was not the optimum place for a couple of frozen flower boxes to thaw. Besides...
<shrugs>....there's been worse things of mine taking up precious Man Cave space other than a couple of flower boxes.
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Post by stepper on Dec 5, 2010 12:46:36 GMT -6
That's a sports bar, right? It's right next to Hooter's, but for old guys who are also interested in football, etc. And no, I've never been there and never seen your husband there either - not even a similar looking vehicle in the parking lot - so there! Really? Maybe that's why I got the odd look. But that table is centrally located so things warm nicely there - and it helps remind you about finishing that project up - and it keeps it/them from getting under foot in the garage where they don't belong. Not for very long though I bet. It's a sanctuary of testosterone protecting men of the world from overly frilly intrusions. Women have an entire house in which to express their feminine side – we have the garage which consists of tools, power tools, yard tools, mowers, gas cans, cars, and if we’re really lucky a small fridge! <Picture Tim Allen doing his men are pigs routine…UH! UH! UH!> We can’t even go to the bathroom without running into something pink and flouncy – we need our garages!
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Post by Phalon on Dec 5, 2010 23:28:25 GMT -6
BOLL! You know I had to have Hubs read your response, don't you. There was a lot of laughing and nodding in agreement on his part....or maybe it was in commiseration. "A sanctuary of testosterone"...oh, sheesh, I'm never going to hear the end of that one.
But ha! He got my x-country skis down from the Man Cave rafters today, and they remain snuggly in there laying in wait until tomorrow. We've got enough snow! Whoo-hoo! Course, it's windy as hell outside, but <shrugs> skiing in the warm garage is out of the question. So is the dining room table.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 7, 2010 8:23:38 GMT -6
So, I did not go cross-country skiing yesterday. Hearing the wind howl while I was nice and toasty inside the house, and the sound of the Lake roar when I stepped out on the porch was enough to keep me from taking the plunge. As much as I'm anticipating the first snowy glide of the season, I couldn't bring myself to brave 20 degree temperatures and wind blowing at 20-30 mph.
Probably not today either; the Lake Effect Snow Warning is still on until mid-day. It hasn't produced a whole lot of snow yet; I'd guess there's only about five inches on the ground, but the wind is still fierce. Snowblowing and shoveling though is a different story! It's early enough in the season that it hasn't become a chore yet, and it doesn't require a whole lot of mobility like skiing does, so I can bundle up in enough layers so I can barely move, and still have fun doing it.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 10, 2010 6:53:05 GMT -6
The scenery was beautiful yesterday, as I drove on what seemed like a cross-country trek to get BP's cross-country ski boots. Snow-covered rural roads wound past country farmhouses, fields, and woods all sparkly in the bit of sun we had.
I don't know what's more disappointing. Having the time, like I did Wednesday, to get out for that first ski and it being a bust; the snow was all wrong, and stuck to the bottom of the skis, making that first glide of the season impossible. Or not having the time, like yesterday, and just knowing the glide would be perfect.
Ah, well....doesn't matter. We got two or three more inches overnight, light and fluffy, and I've got absolutely nothing planned for this morning.....except the first real glide of the season.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 11, 2010 8:17:22 GMT -6
I missed my brief window of opportunity to go skiing yesterday. I had to run an unexpected errand, and by the time I got home the temperature had risen drastically, turning the snow to unskiable mush. It got up to nearly 40 degrees by the end of the day!
Though it froze overnight, it's supposed to get warm again today. Forecast for this afternoon is rain, changing to snow and ice as the temperature drops again toward the end of the day, then snow squalls for the next two days.
I hear the storm is supposed to hit much of the country. Everybody ready?
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Post by stepper on Dec 11, 2010 11:30:35 GMT -6
NO! We're supposed to get a glancing blow here and that is more than enough. We've already had a day where it went down to 31 just before dawn and that was enough thank you very much. But it looks like it's going to happen again. I thought gloves were supposed to catch things. Can't you catch a little more of the Canadian cold air before it comes this way? The weather guessers here are saying it will go from mid-TX east. I guess that means Siren will be okay - we'll get the edge of it - and Kat is completely out of danger. Vox and Moonglum (who hasn't posted in a while now that I think about it) are having their own problems. I heard they were setting cold records over in England. I have no idea where Lesa ended up. Scrappy and Joxie will be okay - they're Admin's and all admin's are hot blooded - and no I didn't name everone but if you are under the weather - literally - good luck and stay warm! A friend of mine at Wrightpatterson said they were expecting 18. Not inches - degrees. And the day before it was 9. Nothern tier people are a strange breed! Give the country back to the beavers and move where it's more reasonable and seasonable. There's very little chance the Canadians are going to invade - it's okay!
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 11, 2010 18:28:15 GMT -6
I don't watch the news, so I've no idea what's headed my way. Was surprised when I heard the rain start last night. Lesa is back in MI, (as far as I know), and she is an admin here too, so she should be hot blooded as well.
After 15 days and nights without electricity, I think I can pretty much take on anything ... except tornadoes, earthquakes, lightning strikes ... okay, maybe I should curl up and cry like a baby.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 12, 2010 8:33:01 GMT -6
Maybe this was the storm that wasn't? We were supposed to get five inches overnight, and another nine today. All we got so far is rain, and even that's stopped. I can't say I don't mind, even though most of the snow we had is gone, and the grass is showing in some spots. I've got a Christmas party to go to this afternoon, and really didn't want to drive out into the country in that kind of weather.
And whoo-hoo! I went early enough yesterday, to ski before the rains came and snow melted. It was a sweaty power-ski; slick and slightly icy on the crusty layer of snow that melted Friday, but refroze overnight. Oh-so-good - the perfect first ski of the season.
The forecasters are saying the storm is still coming. I have a feeling though, the girls are going to be disappointed. They, like I sure every kid in town, are positive school is going to be closed tomorrow.
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Post by stepper on Dec 12, 2010 12:29:16 GMT -6
Sometimes, those are the best kind. You wouldn't want to miss out on the party! Uh. Okay. That sounds just so..., uh, so much like something I'd never do except for clearing out the driveway since I don't have a snow blower. Sweating over crusty layers of melted and refrozen snow? Sounds like eating melted and refrozen icecream - bluck! Maybe the stuff that collaped the Vikings football dome is on the way to fix this? Really? Ice is better than snow for this form of self abuse you practice??? I remember those days - hoping that snow would grant me an unearned day of freedom. I didn't get my day off very often, but I the ones I did get were always great.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 13, 2010 7:12:03 GMT -6
No, no, no - it is nothing like melted and refrozen ice-cream, which I agree is just blucky! Picture the glaze on top of a cinnamon bun. It's not really like that either, but doesn't it sound good right about now? Actually, it is like glaze in a way - slightly hardened, and oh-so-sweet.
Ok - this is your crash-course (HA! There's no training wheels here!) lesson on cross-country skiing. Lesson One: It is a sweaty sport. There is no way you're not going to break a sweat unless you're on the ground breaking a leg. I've been skiing in 30 degrees wearing just a long-sleeved t-shirt, and gotten sweaty. Sweating is good; it let's you know you're moving quickly at (hopefully) a forward pace.
Lesson Two: The Snow. Snow is just not snow. There's good snow, bad snow, and in-between snow. Wet, heavy, sticky snow, which turns to slush as you pass over it, causing huge icy clods to stick to the bottom of your skis - not fun; impossible. Wet, heavy snow that doesn't turn to slush - way fun because it's fast, but sometimes a lot of work if deep because your skis must plow through it. Grauple - dry, pellet-like snow with a consistency of Styrofoam - not good.. Powder - good. Ice - not good. Snow with a crusty layer on top because it's melted and refroze - way, way, way fun because it's fast, your skis run on top of it so no plowing is necessary, but it's not solid ice either, so unless you haven't mastered the art of moving forward you're going to break a sweat and not a leg.
We got snow yesterday; I have no idea what kind because there is no way I'm going outside to test it. School's been canceled - not a snow day though, because there's only a few inches out there. It's an inclement weather day, which is not nearly as fun for a kid as a snow day. High winds and a dangerously low wind chill means they're going to be stuck inside all day....which means it's not going to be fun for me either!
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Post by Siren on Dec 13, 2010 20:53:52 GMT -6
Hello, my friends! I have missed you. I hope this winter storm has spared my stateside friends any inconvenience or damages, and that you're enjoying any affects it might bring your way (or, at least, are coping well). And as for you friends across the pond, I hope you're enjoying Christmastime, and your holiday plans are coming together.
I am all moved in to my new/old house. Not unpacked, but at least all moved in. And it has been an easy transition; I like the feel of small-town life. I'm five minutes from work, with none of the stress-inducing traffic I dodged every morning in OKC. I see my parents and family often. And the new job suits me well. All in all, I am very fortunate. And I am very grateful, as well.
I'm glad to be back among you!
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 13, 2010 21:24:45 GMT -6
Doing fine here. Glad to have you back.
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Post by stepper on Dec 13, 2010 22:46:22 GMT -6
Welcome back, and congratulations! I'm glad it's all working out so well for you.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 14, 2010 5:34:23 GMT -6
Siren!!! It's good to see you back. I've been missing you!
I'm glad the transition has been easy for you. I prefer living in a small town, myself. Though we enjoyed living in D.C., Philadelphia, then Cincinnati and were sad to leave the friends we'd made along the way, moving here was like coming home (although neither of us had been here prior). One thing we definitely never miss is city traffic. You just wait....it won't be long until there will be a day that you'll have to wait for two or three cars to pass before you pull out of your street, you'll get to work, and say, "Sheesh! The traffic was bad this morning!"
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Post by Phalon on Dec 16, 2010 7:36:15 GMT -6
It was beautiful yesterday. We got about three inches of new fluffy snow the day before, no wind, cloudy skies mixed with intermittent sunshine, and temperatures in the high twenties and low thirties.
My bosses and I decided it was too good a day to pass up, cleared a few hours from each of our afternoon schedules, and went skiing through the woods, down the trail. It was so peaceful and quiet out there, except for a very squawky flock of Canadian geese that flew overhead. Oh, and except for Boss Lady and me yakking the entire way. Boss Man was quiet though. Probably because he couldn't get a word in edgewise. Some things don't change even when the nursery's closed for the season.
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Post by katina2nd on Dec 16, 2010 17:52:11 GMT -6
Hello, my friends! I have missed you. I hope this winter storm has spared my stateside friends any inconvenience or damages, and that you're enjoying any affects it might bring your way (or, at least, are coping well). And as for you friends across the pond, I hope you're enjoying Christmastime, and your holiday plans are coming together. I am all moved in to my new/old house. Not unpacked, but at least all moved in. And it has been an easy transition; I like the feel of small-town life. I'm five minutes from work, with none of the stress-inducing traffic I dodged every morning in OKC. I see my parents and family often. And the new job suits me well. All in all, I am very fortunate. And I am very grateful, as well. I'm glad to be back among you! Great to hear Siren, I guess the old saying that "good things happen to good people " is true ............. that is an old saying isn't it, or did I just make it up? Well whatever, it's true just the same.
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Post by Siren on Dec 17, 2010 7:52:03 GMT -6
Thank you, Kat. What a nice thing to say! I appreciate all the good wishes here so much.
Gams, how much snow did you get out of that big storm? I was thinking of you.
We have a small chance of snow today, though the weatherman says we'll get little, if any. I wouldn't mind; it would make it more Christmassy.
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Post by stepper on Dec 17, 2010 23:31:07 GMT -6
We have no chance of snow. The local weather guesser was answering the yearly question about Christmas and snow bumping heads. The short version is that it's not impossible, but the chances of snow here for Christmas in any given year is less than .3% - yes, less than 1 percent. And that's not snow on Christmas - that's snow at all on Christmas. It has snowed before Christmas and stuck around long enough for Christmas day but that's as close as our area has gotten.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 18, 2010 8:01:20 GMT -6
Not a whole lot, Siren. I'd guess about six inches fell here, most of it coming after the storm. A lot of areas got more, some less; up at the nursery there's hardly anything.
Unless it warms up, it looks like we'll have a white Christmas. It's always prettier fresh, though.
That's a strange question, Stepper. What exactly is a 'snow bumping head'? Oh, wait! I think I know. That's when you've just finished shoveling, and then the plows come by, dumping a new heap at the bottom of the driveway - which makes you want to slam your head repeatedly into the mound that is now blocking your way out into the street. Yes?
I think they make protective head gear for that.
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Post by Siren on Dec 20, 2010 6:23:46 GMT -6
"That's a strange question, Stepper. What exactly is a 'snow bumping head'? Oh, wait! I think I know. That's when you've just finished shoveling, and then the plows come by, dumping a new heap at the bottom of the driveway - which makes you want to slam your head repeatedly into the mound that is now blocking your way out into the street. Yes?" You guys crack me up! Read more: whooshorg.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=80&page=52#ixzz18eawgqqbOne of my mother's Christmas rituals has always been to send out a Christmas card, carefully selected. Folks even told her they knew it was her card before looking at the name because hers always featured a cardinal. When we were kids, I remember Mama running out of room on the tv and shelves, she received so many cards. But now, that tradition, which I love, seems to be dying out, along with many other kinds of land-delivered mail. Every year, I receive fewer Christmas cards. And I have wondered if, in just a few years, I will receive any at all. And I have wondered if I'm crazy for still sending them out. This writer addresses that very topic: lifestyle.msn.com/your-life/bigger-picture/staticslideshowrs.aspx?cp-documentid=26615824>1=32060
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Post by Phalon on Dec 20, 2010 11:17:26 GMT -6
Like mother, like daughter...
I have to say, Siren, you always have the best cards. I was cleaning off my desk the other day. I have this wooden thing on top of it; it reminds me of an old-fashioned mail-slot. In one of the slots, I found one of your Christmas cards I saved - way back from 2006! If I looked hard enough in the drawers (which I try not to because they're even more disorganized than the top of the desk), I know I'd find another Siren card in there.
I've received fewer and fewer cards each year too, and I have to admit I guilty sending out fewer of them than I used to. It's not that I have that bah-humbug attitude like the person in the blog did at first - I LOVE getting Christmas cards; I don't think they're a waste of time at all, (the photocopy Christmas Newsletters that sometimes sound like brag lists are another story). My problem, I think, is that I start with the cards that I just sign our names to first, saving the ones that I want to write notes in for last. Last does not always come - I tend to run out of time, and they never get written.
I had this same conversation with a group of friends at a Christmas party last week. We all agreed - it's so nice to get a Christmas card with a little note, even if it's just a sentence or two. Few of us, though, actually got around to doing it ourselves. Someone mentioned that Hallmark even has a service now: you can send them your Christmas card address list, they'll address your cards, electronically stamp the inside with your name, and get them in the mail. That, to me, is as impersonal as it can get - worse than those brag lists.
I'd better go....I've still got a stack of cards to get out in the mail!
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Post by stepper on Dec 21, 2010 20:19:05 GMT -6
Oh! So close! But no, you have to go back to Sailor Speak for this one. The situation you're describing is curse·i·super·much·ious flipping·snow·plow·driver·can·go·to·h3ll·frustrate·us. As you might expect from the longer description, this is a much more serious problem which requires special handling. Here in TX, "special handling" is synonymous with ".38 special", and (my preference) the ever popular "30-06". While red snow at Christmas time adds a certain festive feeling to the season, the police never seem to feel as festive about it as you would think. And, trust me on this one, red snow is even harder to hide than yellow snow. So assuming you have an active police force, the next best thing is to bribe the person with the snow plow. Use week old Christmas cookies, or a fruitcake from any year so long as it's more than three years old. (Drivers love ripe fruitcakes from what I hear.) Once the plower is bribed, as the plowee you should use the testerone temple for vehicle storage as much as possible because your driveway will be cleaned out regularly -- and that's nice except for when your new car is buried under the latest snow drift. Yes, yes they do! Armour plating for the 30-06 and ear muffs for the Sailor Speak. Nothing protects them from the fruitcake - but that's the idea anyway. Don't worry Siren, Phalon likes to take these little side trips but we usually get back to the subject. And sharing is just oh so educational don't 'cha think? It's just that eventually all threads take on a sense of "Everything Including the Kitchen Sink". That's part of the fun! It's also a reflection of my attention span but we won't go there. Wait - I just did. Well, let's not go there again. Or did I do that too? I find I agree with both of you on the cards, for the most part. My handwriting is not exactly optimal - meaning it's not always readable. Rather than confuse the elderly with incomprehensible scribbles - which has its entertaining points watching them get furrows in their brows while trying to figure out what the card actually says - I will usually simply sign names and mail them out. A few get more than that, but since I have perfected poor penmanship, most appreciate the thoughtful gesture of only signing my name. ( A couple of SILs insist on their right to revenge and will write double sided two page notes. Since their writing is only neglegibly better than my own, I save their notes for bathroom visits when I might be there overly long if you know what I mean. ) I'm not a fan of the flowery "everything is great here" Christmas letter either. If I'm going to write, then I'll sit down at the computer and write something. It's much easier, I find it much faster, the computer spells better than I do, and since it's intended for a particular person it'll be more personal too. I wish I could say I was surprised, but I'm not. Like Linus taping on the metalic tree - "This REALLY brings Christmas close to home." NOT!
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Post by Siren on Dec 22, 2010 1:36:23 GMT -6
Lol on the Linus reference, Step! Good stuff. I think Hallmark probably thinks as little of it as we do. They're just trying to come up with SOME way to get people to buy snailmail cards.
I, too, tend to dislike Christmas newsletters. One exception is my cousin Karla. She and her husband and two little girls live on their ranch in far southern Oklahoma. Her newsletter is full of tidbits on their life in the country - anecdotes on the fancy chickens they raise, the girls' pet horses, and helping dad bring in the cattle. Karla's a born writer. I look forward to the newsletter every year.
My cousin Kevin's wife sent out an "everything's great" newsletter, accompanied by Kevin's year-end recap, which included a monthly blow-by-blow of the family's various injuries, illnesses, car trouble, driveway washed out repeatedly by storm water, the nurse daughter's new car getting scratched, the distance-runner-daughter getting an infected toe, wandering dogs decimating the goat herd, Kevin going deer hunting, losing his deer, and re-injuring his shoulder, etc etc. Despite the seriousness of some of the stories, seeing them one after another made it funny, which I think was Kevin's intention. Better to laugh than to cry, they say.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 22, 2010 7:01:39 GMT -6
That is the kind I'd enjoy getting. There are many people I send cards to, or receive cards from that I only hear from once a year, at Christmas time. At one time or another they touched our lives in some way, and I'd love to know what's going on in their lives since we last met. A newsletter is a great way to do that. I don't think it's an impersonal way to catch up everyone in one fell swoop either. I know not everyone is a writer like Siren's cousin, Karla, but too many of the letters read like a grocery list of accomplishments, or illnesses and injuries.
Clean up on Aisle 7!
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Post by stepper on Dec 22, 2010 19:07:07 GMT -6
I found out just a few days ago that SIL loves Cardinals, especially at Christmas. It's a trait she inherited from her father. Surprising what you can find out after all this time. When I was young I used to wonder where the heck they nested. I'd see them at the feeder - bright red against white new fallen snow - and wonder how such colorful birds could disappear in the winter in barren trees. But somehow they did it. I've never seen a Cardinal's nest - not with a Cardinal in it.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 28, 2010 7:22:11 GMT -6
I know where they nest - in theory, anyway. They prefer thick, scrubby brush, (which, btw, is why cardinals typically fly in a zig-zag or wavy pattern; they are used to darting branches). We've got a hedgerow of very old spirea, and I've seen them darting in and out of it, so I assume they might be nesting in there. I've never seen an actual nest, though.
The closest I came was one summer when I heard incessant chirping out on the front porch, and watched both Mama and Mr. cardinal flying from tree to bush, and back again over and over, very near to the porch. They never got that close while I was out there before, and I wondered what the heck was going on. I soon found out when I heard a small chirp coming from the clematis vine that climbs up the porch railing. It was a baby ball of fluffy cardinal feathers, newly fledged. We ended up using the back door for the remainder of the day to give the parents some relief while their baby learned to fly.
If they do nest in the spirea, I probably could find it now, while the bushes are bare. The nest would be bare too. In the winter, the cardinals roost in small flocks, usually huddled in pine trees for warmth and protection against the elements. I don't think any bird nests in winter - here anyway; I don't know about warmer climates.
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Post by Siren on Dec 28, 2010 8:31:05 GMT -6
Sorry I'm just getting back to you about Christmas cards, Gams. I got about the same number as last year, though my sis reports she got far fewer. I think I'll always be one of the few holdouts who still send them. And every one I receive is a treasure. And thank you for the sweet compliment about my cards. That's a very nice way to be remembered. It takes time to find just the right one to send, and often requires going to several stores. I found next year's cards THIS year, but ended up giving them to my mom, since they looked like something she would send, too. I hope she doesn't lose them between now and next year!
We had a rare treat one year when a Cardinal built her nest right outside our kitchen window - in a bush literally just beyond the glass. We drew the curtain so she could have some privacy, but couldn't resist a peek at times. As stealthy as we would try to be, she was always glaring at us when we looked through the crack in the curtain. When her babies finally hatched, they were the homeliest little things. But what beauties they quickly become.
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Post by stepper on Dec 28, 2010 19:21:32 GMT -6
I believe we received the fewest cards ever this year, and fewer e-cards too. Only three e-cards - it's not just the cards that are disappearing - even that brief communication that says "I'm alive and still breathing" is melting into the past.
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