I've sat down several times this week to write this post...and each time I've gotten interrupted.  Hopefully this time I will finish. 

Every Friday, Allen and Lizzie take a 2-hour chemistry class at CSM in LaPlata.  They love this class!  We have met some wonderful folks there.  The class is only for homeschoolers...a real plus. 

I saw this license plate and just had to take a picture.  "Bless it."

Our basil plants love this cool weather. 

My lettuce growing on the back porch is also doing well.  I have two planters like this.

My mustard greens are still going strong.

And I have actually developed a taste for fresh jalapenos.  (Hard to see but there are 3 growing on the plant.)

There's nothing like freshly-picked lettuce for salad!

Today the weather is very cold and rainy.  Most of Maryland is getting some form of snow...some as much as 5".  I'm sure our first frost is right around the corner, so Allen is looking forward  to using his new AeroGarden that he bought at the thrift shop for $5.  Since this cost $149 new, he's doubly excited!  We keep changing our minds about what we want to grow...but I think cilantro and lettuce will win.

I didn't realize I hadn't posted Ruthie's winnings from the county fair.  She got Honorable Mention for sewing her doll clothes.  (Ruthie sews on a Janome treadle machine.)

She hand-appliqued a cross on this pillow for second place.  

First place for a dress.

Second place for a gift wrapped pillow.  We were blessed with a bag of ribbons and laces...and Ruthie just loves to sew with them.

Last year, Ruthie asked for Polly Pocket dolls for Christmas.  Since then, she has spent hours playing with them, sewing dresses for them, and building a dollhouse for them.  She got first place for sewing their clothes.

Ruthie took some of Maggie's honeycomb and mounted them in a shadowbox for Honorable Mention.  (The honeycomb has since slipped down.)

First place for sewing these felt pants.  (Why felt?  Because someone gave us felt!)

Ruthie made this owl candle for second place.  Not bad for having dropped it on the way to the fair! 

My children gave me this picture for my birthday.  I love it!  

This picture is for the folks at church.  Dan and his family moved to Florida last year.  Here he is at the Pensacola County Fair last week.  We miss you, Dan!

I took this picture today on my early morning run to the amish farm for duck eggs.  Our local highway is getting two new traffic lights this month.  As much as I loathed traffic lights in our once-rural county...I have to admit that every time I drive by there, I think about the 54 lives that were ended at this intersection. 

Anna made three thank you cards recently.  She made two of the above for Grandaddy and Mr. Harry for all the chainsawing they did.

The second card was for Uncle Glenn to thank him for taking them water skiing and tubing last month.  I always enjoy seeing her creative cards.

Lots of miscellaneous pictures on this post.  This shows my "new" washing machine that I bought for $50 on craigslist.  I love it...it has a supersize tub...huge!  Ever since Hurricane Irene came through, our appliances have been acting up.  We had to replace a part on one of my dishwashers.  And now the heating element on my Viking range doesn't work...again!  

Last week I had fun with an afternoon project.  I bought this bread bin at the thrift shop.  All year I'd been looking for something to serve rolls in when I'm having picnics/parties.  My overhead fans tend to make the rolls go stale quickly.  Now I can keep the rolls out of the draft!

Only a thrift shop would write the price in permanent marker...on wood.  But since I needed to sand the whole bin anyhow, it didn't matter.  I used a one-step stain and seal process. 

I didn't want to stain the inside because of the chemicals, so I used mineral oil to seal it.  Worked perfectly!

It's hard to see how much difference there is in this "after" picture...but it sure looks nice!  Wish all my projects required one afternoon...!

Here's a great picture of my nephew, Cody.  He's the same age as my twins.  

Hunting season is in full swing around here (blackpowder season)...so orange hunting vests are par for the course.

I came home to find my bedroom blind turned into Modern Art.  My new blinds are on order.

Mike drove Sarah and Maggie to NC to the Wilds for a College and Career weekend.  Anna and Lizzie are visiting their Aunt to help out with cleaning.  So it's just Allen, Ruthie and me doing our own housecleaning.  We are hoping the weather clears up enough to stack firewood on our porch.  We woke up to a chilly 62 degrees in our upstairs...so all our talk about not using electric heat was easily brushed aside as we turned on our pellet stove.  Now it's warm and toasty!

We are feeling very blessed these days as Maggie has returned to her pain management/acupuncturist dr.  She has even re-started writing again.  She's up to a small paragraph.  PTL!

Many blessings ~ Kathie