I just woke up and my brain is not fully functioning yet, but I don't see why that should prevent me from pecking out an entry.

It's damn cold here. My thermometer says it's below zero and I am longing for Spring more than ever. Winters are always rough for us. Marty's work tends to be seasonal and it's difficult to establish work in a new place, but we're hanging in there. A friend loaned us an electric furnace for the winter, and the SOB costs a friggin fortune to run. It's running right now and, while I'm thankful for the warmth, I can't help but think about the enormous electric bill we're going to have (we've had some real doozies already). Oh well, this too shall pass, or so I keep telling myself...

The last few days have been peaceful and pleasant, with Valentine's Day, my Dad's birthday and my parents' 42nd anniversary. We were dirt poor, and they are in a perpetual state of decluttering, so we ruled out your standard gifts. Pie wrote them each a note: "Grandma is very nice. She likes to read. I like to go to the book sale. She saves me books. I love her.", and "Grandpop is very nice. He likes to fish and grow vegetables. I like it when he cooks me dippy eggs and pancakes. He gives me tooth money. I love him." I especially like the part about the tooth money. Every time you turn around, Pie has a tooth dropping out---I think she's up to 8 now, but we may be in a lull for a while. All she has to do is walk up to grandpop and smile a newly gap-toothed grin and out comes the wallet and a five dollar bill.

We also made up a coupon that entitles them to the "Goody of the Month Club", wherein Pie and I will bake them a homemade treat every month. They like to eat, so that was a winner. One thing about being poor---it forces you to be creative. I think the homemade gifts are nicest anyway:)

Aside from the festivities, we've mainly been huddled up, plugging away at our schooling, doing a little home improvement, watching stupid tv...waiting for Spring... Pie and I are reading Little Women.We tried it once before, but she was too little and lost interest. This time it was a go. I made it through the toughest hurdle yesterday---the death of Beth. I had prepared Maggie for it for weeks so she wouldn't be completely shocked, and I only cried a wee bit---nothing like the Little House debacle when Jack the dog died and I cried so much I had to quit reading for the night. I guess I handle fictional people deaths better than fictional animal deaths---LOL. If she ever wants to read Old Yeller or Where the Red Fern Grows, she's on her own.

Marty slapped some paint on some of the walls this weekend, just to give us the illusion that we are living in a home and not a construction site:) The bathroom is now a very pale blue, the living room a lovely shade of buttery cream, and one wall in the kitchen is a very deep red. It's so nice after years of rentals to finally have a place that we can paint as we see fit. His brother made us some beautiful shelves for around the kitchen window. We're not going for the upper cabinets, but more for an old-fashioned kitchen. One thing about living in the house while you work on it over an extended time---you can kind of tweak things as you go and figure out exactly what you want:)

I'm torturing Marty with another season of American Idol (and the poor man is in mourning over the fact that "24" has been put off til next year). Hell, we even watched the Daytona 500 last weekend...I'm not sure, but I think it's required watching down here:)

When I get a chance, I've been poking around J-Land finding out what every one has been up to. Some good things, some sad things... I've been out of the loop so long it's going to take me a while to get caught up. I was saddened to find out that Lahoma (mzgoochi) had passed. I "met" her way back when I first started journaling here and my heart always went out to her. I always hoped for a happier ending, but then I always do. No getting around it, life just sucks sometimes.

I could go on and on, but I have to stop somewhere:)