We seem to be safe at the moment. There were fires yesterday below Hallettsville, a really big one in Bastrop, one out towards Vsetin, another in Sweet Home, several around Gonzales, and one on 90A that I'm not sure about. The grass fire in H'ville got to within 200 feet of town. Oh, and La Grange lost a historic house. The news was they did not have to evacuate St. Mark's Hospital after all but they were prepared. The wind gusts did not help at all! Hope you are faring well with this awful weather.

A crown came off last night. I don't know if that is a good way to start the new year or not! It'll be next week or longer before i can get into a dentist's. rats!

I think the mixed-breed dogs have some of the hyper bred out of them. It is kind of a crap shoot as to what will work for you. It depends on your personality and the dog's personality. You might even have to "try out" a dog. It sounds kinda cruel but better to acknowledge that a dog isn't a "fit" for you than regret getting the wrong dog.

Stuffed sauerkraut. That sounds interesting!

We have black-eyed peas and pork. You were supposed to make as much money as the number of peas you ate. Guess it started when $40 was a good year!

Get a rescue pup! Actually, a grown dog would be better. Already house-broken and trained, or partially trained. A grown dog will love you just like a pup.

Anway the rescue folks have all breeds and even mixed breeds.

Definitely a neat pony tail. Oh, and a suit!

I, too, love a guy who can actually do things! But I've learned to do a lot of things myself. When I was able to install a new door knob and lock set I was very proud of myself. And being able to feed cows without someone standing by, well, it is very liberating to know you can do something that needs doing without standing by waiting for someone to help you.

This was fascinating reading! I made a chart for my ex-husband, my mom and my son. They all have many of the covert-aggressive personality traits. I'm surrounded! But my Mom was the winner! My son opened my eyes to my Mom's traits before I read this article. I just thought she was a good guilt-tripper. Probably he could see through all the trappings because he has so many of the covert-aggressive traits himself.

Jersey Coffee Girl: Was his name Robin????

So I should throw away the bank statements?

This sounds like my Mom. She kisses you on one cheek and slaps you on the other. If you tell her you had a busy day, she'll tell you that you need to take it easy. If you tell her you goofed off all day, she'll tell you that you need to suck it up and get on with what needs to be done. You can never win. Once upon a time my ex-husband broke his finger. I told her. She said, "That's nothing. I ALMOST broke my whatever!" How can an "almost" top a "did break"? It'll drive you crazy.

Loved your answers. I used to think I should make-up 3 by 5 cards with the correct answers printed on them. For instance, when you come back from the hair dressers, "My, you look lovely!". When you come back from a routine doctor's visit, "Is everything alright, dear?" After eating a meal that was prepared just for you, "Best meal I've eaten! What a cook!" All of these responses will make a lady purr and that can't be bad!

As in "bless his heart"!

Why blame the economy? You get free candy ringing on doorbells! I used to wrap Mom's scarves around me and go as a gypsy. Didn't cost a thing. And I used a paper sack to hold the goodies. Remember them? Walked everywhere. No gas usage. God, I'm older than dirt!

Sitting in front of the TV watching "Constantine" while playing footsie with a sweetie.

I had two trick-or-treaters: Dorothy of Oz and a female scarecrow. Since I know them, I don't know whether they count! A church is having a big to-do for the kids so I suspect they are all there. Well, lots of M&M's for me!

And a friend at work called me "Hope Springs Eternal"!

Yikes! That one was sad! My Dad called me Baby Doll and Mom called me Susie-Q. My grandmother called me, "The poor June Lynn!"

Last night I was watching a program on weapons: pirates vs. knights. They had this star-shaped ball on a chain that knights used. And they had a silicon "person" filled with weight equivalents of brains, etc. This "knight" took 2 slashes at the "person" and reduced him to jelly. Then the guys came over to see the remains and they were laughing about how they had reduced this object with the morningstar. I was appalled at their glee and changed the station. Bad, bad, bad.

I'd have Sandra Dee play the early, naive, optimistic years. And Diane Keaton for the more recent years. It would be comi-tragi-docudrama. Hopefully, there would be very few "thriller" moments and the curtain would come down on a happy ending as I'm ascending to Heaven in the arms of Jesus. Or maybe St. John Maximovich.