Common Ground Coffee House #105

[I Am Blessed 24]

We have a 3 bedroom nice but not fancy house.

We do too. We don't pay personal property taxes, but the taxes for the house ran a little over $1,100.00 per year. I don't know what they'll be this year since we put up a fence...

They must be so high because we live a block from a school.

 

[menageriekeeper]

LOL, Ann! I can't post pics cause my house is never clean! I know all about pine shavings (guinea pigs) and dog hair (huskies shed a LOT), cat hair, cat litter (why can't she keep it in the box?), SHOES! 5 people make for at least 10 shoes in various spots in the foyer, living room or dining room even though there is a closet for them. Let it be a Sunday and you can double that!

I tell folks that we actually live in our house. You notice I'm not talking about our bedrooms either!

Our land taxes are low in Alabama because we voters won't vote for new taxes hardly ever. We are of the belief that more taxes=more waste and/or corruption and we stand firm in that belief. A few years back, our governor tried to talk us into a new tax plan. Managed to get the support of most of the state as it was a good plan and would build for the future. There was one problem. The majority of the taxes weren't going to be subject to any sort of accountability. Supposedly they were going for projects like education and roads, but there was nothing in the law said that is where the money would go. The legislature refused to put language into the bill that would specify where and how and for how long the money would go.

Guess what? The voters said absolutely no! All it would have taken to get the new tax plan was a little accountability, but the legislature didn't want to "hamstrung" about what the money would be used for. That means they didn't want to be accountable when it got wasted or "misappropriated" (fancy term for stolen!).

What did it mean for the state? Well the gov that introduced the plan got himself re elected for a second term because he got busy, found where the waste was at and last year we had $6 BILLION dollars extra in the budget.

Well, it's almost time for church so I'm off!

 

[Gwen]

Ann, I only thought my taxes were high! lol We pay about $2400 a year for a 5 bed/3bath house. I'm gonna tell my hubby about your taxes and see what he says! Hehehe

By the way, thanks for sharing pics of your lovely house!!

 

[Helen]

NEWS FLASH -- it's snowing! The rain has just rurned to snow. It's not sticking yet but it looks like it is a serious first snow for us. The flakes started very tiny but are getting larger now. We should wake up to a white wonderland in the morning!

Your home is lovely annsni, and thank you for the pictures. We have a digital camera but it appears to be broken, so I can't get pictures up of our place.

I guess our taxes are medium from all the posts I have read. One nice thing, we get no tornados, no earthquakes, no hurricanes, no droughts, and not as much rain as Oregon is famous for, but still have a lovely, lush valley to live in and wonderfully friendly people. We do love it here.

Flakes are bigger and swirling around. Oh yeah!

Have a lovely evening, folks!

 

[annsni]

Aww! Helen - Send that snow here to NY!! We've STILL not had snow on Long Island but today was the FIRST snow of the season in the City - just some snow flurries but this is the latest snow ever in recorded history in NY City!! Wow!!

 

[Jim1999]

Now In Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, tonight 180 people are snowed in at the Cosco Store and they can't even get home until the snowplows can get through......Now that is called snow.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[annsni]

Now In Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, tonight 180 people are snowed in at the Cosco Store and they can't even get home until the snowplows can get through......Now that is called snow.

Cheers,

Jim

Cool!! Well, they have all those great ribs, rotissere chickens, yummy chocolate chip cookies and cheesecake so I think that's not a bad place to be. Plus they have mattresses, sheets, blankets, pillows, pjs, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, deoderant. Then for entertainment, there's the 15 TVs, tons of videos and couches to sit on, and even batteries if they run out of power! Oh, wait! There are generators there! If you're going to get stuck someplace, Costco is the place to be!! ROTFL!

 

[I Am Blessed 24]

Good morning all,

It is 34º here and we're expecting some rain later in the day and tomorrow. Then we'll have some snow mixed with the rain, and finally just snow (later in the week). 20-30mph winds today.

I made the Sloppy Joes last night. I used 10# of hamburger so everyone should get their fill! I just have to put it in the two crockpots and heat it up this morning and ice the pop down, then load the car down and head for the school around 11:30.

I shut Brent's alarm off last night after he went to sleep. I'm gonna wake him up singing the birthday "dirge" very loudly. THAT oughta get him outta bed! :smilewinkgrin:

Time for some hot chocolate!
§ue

 

[Friend of God]

Good Morning Everybody,

Sue, are you dressed in black since you're "mourning the passing of Brent's childhood?"

Ann, your house looks just like my mansion will when I get to heaven.

Helen, I told you I liked to cook. :smilewinkgrin: You could ask some of the fabulous cooks here in the coffeehouse for their recipes, their meals are great. Mine are therapy.

I brought in Breakfast Calzones, Sausage Scramble, and Oven Breakfast Hash for breakfast. Enjoy.

Time to get my chores done, then make Buffalo Chicken Enchaladas with Creamy Ranch Sauce, and Nacho Chicken Casserole for dinner.

 

[menageriekeeper]

Helen, don't let Rob fool you. I steal his recipes all the time and they always work and always taste good! If he lived closer I'd help him out with his therapy by hiring him to good for my crew! I hate to cook.

Good morning everyone.

Brent!

Good luck Sue! Life changes when you get a teenager in the house. Soon there'll be loud music and girls calling all hours of the day and night and.............

Guess what I have today? A whole day with no errands to run! I almost don't know what to do with myself.

Ann, how did I miss "two blocks from the beach"? That would almost be worth paying those sort of taxes....almost. (I'm too tightfisted) T would never live there though, the beach is not his favorite place. I solved the problem by buying a house with a pool. We can swim and he can watch TV and there is no annoying sand!

I'm going for more breakfast, ya'll have a nice day!

 

[Helen]

Good chilly morning, folks!

We woke up to about an inch of snow on the ground. Just enough to look beautiful and not enough to cause problems. There'll be black ice on some of the roads that aren't used much, so that will be a problem for inexperienced drivers...

It's just getting light here and the world is all black and white and gray, but kind of glowing. It looks something like a very difficult and very beautiful jigsaw puzzle!

Have to pay bills this morning, notify the garbage company there will be some extra bags at the road (we get charged $3 for each extra, but cleaning out that barn was worth it!), and then dental appointment at noon to get the new crowns and bridge in. I have temps now from a major re-do before Christmas when they found decay under the crowns and on the sides of the teeth that connect the bridge. YCH! At least I won't need to be put out for this. It will hurt a little when they pull the temps off, but I think I already cracked the bridge eating almonds....LOL.

Tonight is a night with no company, nothing. I love nights like this with just us.

It's getting lighter out now -- and the world is still back and white and gray. Across the field I see the house of some friends with smoke coming out of the chimney. They're up. I got our wood stove going a bit ago and will go back in to check it in a minute.

It's a hot chocolate morning -- except I have tea. But hot oatmeal will be yummy.

Lighter now, and layers of clouds moving gray against gray across the sky. Still black and white and gray out, which looks weird because I am looking out of a window with a warm wood sill and the walls are full of pictures of family with colors in them -- very much gives a 'Twilight Zone' sort of feeling.

Ah, some patches of pale blue up there and I can see the last quarter of a very pale moon. The sun will come out and probably melt the snow and the mud will be back. But right now.....it's so lovely! There's splash of color -- a student with a red parka walking down the street and around the corner to the bus stop for school. That and the smoke rising from our friend's home are the only movements out there. The eastern sky is starting to streak with bits of pale pink...

God bless you all, and have a wonderful day.

 

[annsni]

Ann, your house looks just like my mansion will when I get to heaven.

I hope your mansion is neater than my house!! Seeing those pictures made us all motivated to clean up the den - and it almost looks as good as it did in the picture!! LOL!! It was BAD, guys!! You should see the living room now too - tree is still up (need help with all that and we haven't had the time), and stuff is strewn everywhere. Oh well - we'll deal with it all this weekend. I want to get the house in ship shape before my surgery so that I can relax afterwards (LOL - yeah, like that's going to happen!!).

Today is homeschooling, laundry and then I go ride after Nicole gets home from school. I guess we'll have a later dinner tonight but that's OK - I'm going to try that Bruschetta Chicken since I can make it up ahead of time and Nicole will just pop it in the oven when it's time. LOVE recipes like that!!

 

[I Am Blessed 24]

Sue, are you dressed in black since you're "mourning the passing of Brent's childhood?"

Well, of course I am! Brent was really 'got'! He did not have a clue. When he saw my car, he thought he was in trouble. I guess I'm good at sneaking around. LOL

The principal took a picture of Brent and I with his cake. If it turns out good, I'll post it here.

Everyone enjoyed the lunch. I've never heard so many "Thank you's, Please's, May I's, Yes Ma'am's and No Ma'am's" within 30 minutes in my life!

I made two batches of Sloppy Joes. Each batch feeds 30/40 people. I think I may have enough left for supper...

Rob: Your bad habits are rubbing off on me! Since the kids take cold lunches everyday, I suggested having one of the parents bring in a hot meal once a week. Guess who gets to go first???????

That was the first time in three weeks I've been outside and, of course, the weather turned bad! I am NOT going to get sick again! Brent has a home basketball game Friday night and I'm going! The fact that I have been sick and all of his games have been 'away' games since he started, I haven't gotten to see him play yet.

Good luck Sue! Life changes when you get a teenager in the house. Soon there'll be loud music and girls calling all hours of the day and night and.............

Thanks, Cindi, but did you forget that I had already raised six teenagers? The phone is off limits after 8:00pm and I didn't allow my kids to accept phone calls, from the opposite sex, at ANY time.

The only music we listen to is Christian music and the volume doesn't break any windows, so I guess it's all right. But, alas, you're right. There WILL be changes...

 

[menageriekeeper]

No, I didn't forget, Sue. But time has a way of dimming our memories. I know positively that I didn't do any of the stuff my kids get to do.

You and I must have been made in the same mould. The boys don't call here for Cass for fear of getting me and my "Do you know the rules for calling this house?" spiel.

The girls haven't tried calling Chris yet but I have an all new "What on earth do you think you are doing calling a boy?!" spiel planned for them.

Tonight is basketball and karate. Jenna will be worn out cause she has to participate in both. It's a good sign though that she can make it through both since her bout with mono this past spring. I was beginning to think she would never get her energy back.

Oh, is it possible to post a meter in our sig lines? By that I mean a counter that counts up or down days. It has now been 6 days since school started and all my kids have gone all 6 days. The last time we got this far was.....well, it's been so long I don't remember. I'd have to get out the calander and look, but I think it has been right at a year.

Have I said my house is clean for the second day in a row? I've forgotten how much I can get done when there are no kids to distract my attention. I'm beginning to get excited and hopeful that we are on the right track in treating the kids illnesses. Yay!

I want snow! We haven't had snow in 3-4 years. I want snow on a Friday or Monday and I want it gone the next day!

 

[horsegal16]

I want snow! We haven't had snow in 3-4 years. I want snow on a Friday or Monday and I want it gone the next day!

Amen to that!!!! Same thing here in S.C.!!!

 

[Jon-Marc]

This is my second year without snow, and I LOVE it! Over half a century of snow, ice storms, bitter freezing winds, and power outages for days at a time, I now enjoy winter days in the 60's and 70's. Winter of 2005/2006 I went swimming outdoors for the first time in the winter, and it was great. I wish I had been born and raised here. God willing, I will be here for the rest of my life.

 

[menageriekeeper]

Hey Jon-Marc and welcome to the Coffee House.

Now notice that I put limits on how much snow I wanted, when I wanted it and how long I wanted it to stick around. You are to far south to know that us folks in AL appreciate a good snow day especially when it falls next to a weekend. Here abouts, if they predict almost any accumulation, everything closes: schools, offices, you name it. We get so little that it is a waste of money to keep equipment to deal with the snow, so mostly everyone just stays home and makes snow cream.

The menagerie is off to karate. See ya'll later!

 

[I Am Blessed 24]

Welcome to the CH, Jon-Marc! We're family here. Kick off your shoes and stay awhile!

Good morning all,

It is 47º right now, but the temp will drop throughtout the day and by suppertime we will be having rain/freezing rain/sleet, and all that good stuff. This is one circumstance where I'd welcome SNOW!

I don't seem to be any worse for my 'outing' yesterday, so I am thrilled to be going to Brent's basketball game tonight. Pray for traveling mercies for the team who is driving quite a distance to play us - given the bad road conditions tonight.

Brent and I were BOTH so worn out last night that we went to bed at 7:30!!! I slept right through until 4:00 this morning and Brent will sleep until his alarm goes off in about 8 mintues. He gets up at 6:00.

Time for hot chocolate!
§ue

 

[Gwen]

Morning, everyone!

It's gonna be cloudy and 60 degrees today. We still haven't had much of a winter. I'd love some snow! But I want it just the way MK said.:laugh:

We're leaving in a few minutes to visit my son and new DIL! It's the first time we have been to the new place. I'm excited!

Glad all went well, Sue. Stay well.

 

[Friend of God]

Good Morning Everybody,

It is 44 degrees outside right now, with light rain. :thumbsup:

Sue-Good to know you survived Brent's 13th birthday. You better start planning for his 18th birthday. It'll be here before you know it.

So part of me rubbed off on you huh? I knew that power had gone out from me, but I couldn't see who'd touched me. :laugh:

I brought in Sausage Apple Quiche, Skillet Sausage with Potatoes and Rosemary, and Fruit-Filled Petal Rolls. Enjoy.

Today after my chores, I have to go grocery shopping and replenish the pantry. I went to the cupboard to make my poor grandkids some food, but when I got there the cupboard was bare, so I made oatmeal cups instead.

When I get back, since part of me "rubbed off" on Sue; she'll make Southern Crabcakes with Remoulade Dipping Sauce, and Grilled Scallops and Vegetables with Cilantro Sauce for dinner tonight.

Them chores they are 'awaitin.