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Julia Sneden wrote: So I miss them, those children we reared, but all things considered, I'll settle for the way things are now. Besides, when I feel a deep need I can look into the face of my youngest granddaughter and see my son's merry brown eyes looking back at me. And that's no small thing for which to be thankful. more »

We tend to make fewer fires than most who have fireplaces which means that the leftover wood in the cord is nice and dry for the next season/s. We discovered how wet wood can be really smoky so we appreciate letting the wood age. But what about the environmental cost of having a fireplace? Occasionally a hawk will come closer, just above our backyard trees. Most of the time the birds are savvy and disappear when the hawk is around, though not always. The woodpeckers found us again this year.   Cozy in Our Indoor Backyard   This past week has been cold and often rainy so I decided to enjoy our backyard inside. We stacked firewood from a two-year-old cord (now nicely weathered) in the fireplace in our den then added branches that had… more »

Rose Madeline Mula writes: My friend Emily has a pathological aversion to making decisions, both major and minor.  A while back, she had her kitchen remodeled — a project that spanned two and a half years.  No, she hadn’t hired the world’s slowest contractor. It’s just that it took her forever to decide every detail I usually make snap impulsive decisions, some of which I later regret, I do admit. But mostly they work out pretty well. I know it’s stupid; but usually if the item in question is a color I like, I whip out my credit card and seal the deal immediately. more »

Joan L. Cannon writes: What I didn't do was to vacuum the carpet. I didn't polish the brass (that really needs it because Thanksgiving will be celebrated here next week.) Ditto the silver in the china cabinet. I did the laundry, and then I even folded it and put it away, but dusting has almost disappeared from my vocabulary as well as my chore list. So now I try to feel better for bothering to mention all these things on paper. more »