Conference turris::womannotes-v1

    Women aren't often in the position to control their lives or their
    bodies. Controlling their environments (via never-ending housework) 
    sometimes suffices.
   
    For example....I sometimes get enraged that the towels and sheets 
    are mixed in one stack in the linen closet. I get equally enraged 
    over Oliver North's audacity and totalitarianism. I don't do 
    anything about either situation.
    
    And....My in-laws, and several of my husband's siblings (and their
    families), were visiting this week. My mother in-law had no opinion about
    the restaurant we should choose, the places we should visit, the
    time of night we should go to bed, or the decor of my house. Instead,
    she insisted on keeping the kitchen spotless for the entire week. 
    
    
    And....My sister is in her mid-thirties. She still decorates her apartment
    like she is in college, with no furniture and no nice (that is,
    expensive) household items. My family wishes she would "settle
    down" (that is, assume her natural role in society as an adult
    consumer). Somehow, we will know that she has decided to do 
    this when she starts decorating her apartment.
    
    And....I am always the one to throw out rotting food from the refrigerator.
    My husband always cuts the lawn. I don't know which one of us divided
    up the work in this way. 
    
    And....I feel extremely competent when something I've cooked tastes great. 
    I feel slightly ashamed that we don't live in a "House and Gardens"
    house. 
    
    I like to think that I am a liberated female....I know I'm 
    really a product of this society.
    
        -Barbara

Well, radical feminist that I am, I spent the weekend organizing the 
medicine chest and the kitchen cabinets, washing and starching my 
lace table runners, framing a picture, getting a haircut, taking my kids
for a subway ride so they'd learn their way around their new home, going
to a movie on Saturday night (La Bamba, recommended), buying and
assembling a computer table, having a long personal talk with one of my
oldest friends who's going through a tough time in her marriage, going
out for ice cream in the rain, and re-arranging my bedroom. Not to
mention buying groceries, fixing meals for family and friends, doing the
dishes and the laundry.  I made plans for how I want to landscape the
yard, and berated myself for not waxing the car and changing the oil yet
again . 

I suspect that all women do these kind of things, and they are so much a 
part of the ordinary fabric of living that they aren't talked about any 
more than you talk about brushing your teeth.  I don't mean to 
minimalize it, because it is the real stuff of living.  I've just bought 
and moved into a new home, and I enjoy every shred of nesting instinct 
that has me buzzing around constantly moving this, setting up that, etc.
I get a real thrill as a room begins to emerge from all the boxes and clutter.

I don't think that probably being more career-oriented than a random 
sample of women really makes this membership very different.  Women 
brain surgeons still pick up hamburger for supper, sew up their hems, 
and clean out their closets.  It's just that these tasks are so devalued 
in our society, no one ever mentions doing them well as a particular 
source of pride.  It's too bad.  The world would be most unhappy if no 
one did these things at all.

    Well I know I am a liberated female and I feel I have the right to
    express my nesting instincts if I want to. Now actually I hate
    to clean my house, so I guess I have the nesting instincts of
    a magpie, but as my house guests say - the house looks "lived in"!
    
    But it is good to be able to direct your energies to other kinds
    of activities after work and on the weekends. I love to get out
    in my garden, and am very proud of how my flower and vegetable
    gardens are going this year.  I also enjoy cooking but I haven't
    been very creative recently largely due to the presence of five
    food critics all of whom have their various likes and dislikes.
    :-)
    
    So what did I do this weekend? sorted clothes, washed dishes,
    read books, worked in the garden, played gin rummy with my oldest
    and actually beat him 108 to 62 (he says it was a fluke) shopped,
    talked to friends, cleaned ( a little :-) ), sent a kid off to
    camp....
    
    Bonnie

                 -{The only Way to KEEP the dust out  . . }-
    
    In  my opinion, the only way to keep the dust out from uder the
    bed is to put the mattress on the floor so that there is NO space
    under the bed to gather dust. . . . .  Or, you could fill it up
    with clothes and belongings, like my 15 year old does.  I thought
    weekends were for catching up at home - The garden, the cleaning,
    the laundry, etc.  However, I don't mow the lawn - I hate the lawnmower
    we have!!!   

    
    I threw my cares to the wind last weekend.  I went shopping with
    a friend *all*day*Saturday* until oh-dark-hundred.  We went out
    for lunch and dinner.  She called her husband and told him to pop
    a TV-dinner in the microwave.  She bought more than I did, but I
    came out with a nice haul - four art books and three new bras. 
    
    Usually I feel obligated to do laundry and clean house on the weekend.
    I hate to spend money "frivolously" and only shop when the necessity
    arises.  I always buy treats and trinkets for the rest of the family
    but this time I played hooky and did it for me.
    
    I won't do it again real soon, but I know it'll feel just as wonderful.
    
    CC

    p.s. - I still didn't raid the job jar on Sunday - I played in the
    garden! :-)

    
    
    
    After working all day and week, I'm not about to spend the weekend
    WORKING at home.  I do the basics along with my husband, enough
    to make the house comfortable and make sure we have clothes on our
    back.  We take turns cooking so that leaves time for fun stuff.
    
    I read, ride my horses, ride my bike, clean stalls, work outside,
    and lots of other things.
    
    I guess I don't have any nesting instinct either.  I really don't
    think there is such a nesting instinct, it's just the way mos
    women have been brought up to believe they should behave.  Just
    like having 50 pairs of shoes or listing shopping as their favorite
    passtime.
    
    So I don't think we should label all women as being like this,
    because I know some men that can be VERY particular about how they
    keep house.
    
    

	What I did with my weekend. Went for a 3 hour trail ride followed
	(after a shower) by a 3 hour shopping spree (vacation comming up).
	I had a rehersal and a concert Sunday night. I did laundry and
	loaded the dishwasher. Under pain of extreme embarassment if anybody
	saw our house Ray and I cleaned and picked up a little muttering
	about getting a maid after the vacation. I hate housecleaning with
	a passion most people reserve for the tax man. It's only shame that
	makes me do any at all. What happened to my nesting instinct? I
	dream of one day moving to a house where someone else has already
	put up curtains and wallpaper and I can just move in. liesl

    I dislike cleaning but I also dislike a filthy apartment.  Because
    I have two cats, there is a never ending supply of kitty litter,
    especially while walking barefoot.  Then there's all the hair
    they shed, everywhere.  My apartment would be a lot cleaner without
    them, but also a lot lonelier.
    
    Now why would I ever need to get a husband and child for those
    housecleaning instincts when I have the cats?  ;-)
    

    I agree that weekends are for FUN.  I try to get all of my chores
    (laundry, cleaning, watering plants, cooking, etc.) done during the
    week - an hour or two in the evening, another half hour in the morning,
    each day and voila!  there's time to play all weekend.  (Of course
    I don't have any kids, so I can do it this way :-) )

    I also don't mind the "earthy look" in my house ;-)
    
    I also have the world's smallest house (a shack, really), so there's
    not much to clean.
    
    	-Ellen

    Gee, I feel like a slug!  I spent most of Saturday draped on a lawn
    chair at a party, and most of Sunday draped about my room reading
    Josephine Tey and Dale Spender and taping Brahms.  And a little
    laundry. (Oh drat--forgot to fix the shop vac, I knew there was
    a reason I didn't vacuum.)
    
    Of course, my nesting instincts are strong but restricted to my
    bedroom.  After living for nine years with n male roommates in various
    stages of their 20s...well, I rapidly adopted their attitude: not to 
    clean anything I didn't have to, or I'd be doing all the cleaning,
    and not to have anything you cared keeping in good shape within
    anyone's reach, or within their ken, if it was something really
    precious.  (Well, actually, the few female roommies sometimes didn't 
    rate much better--I'll never forgive putting my OED under the rabbit.)
    So my room is a little oasis from the general chaos, and with two
    desks, five bookshelves, plus stereo and the usual bedroom sorts
    of things, it is tightly organized.
    
    Lately the pace has been so hectic, I tend to rest up as much as
    I can and only sort of poke at the accumulating clutter.  When I
    come home needing to exert lots of control over *something* will
    be the next time I go on a dusting rampage.
    
    I suppose I might grow up someday but it hardly seems likely :-)

    oooh!  I *hate* cleaning!
    
    I worked for a couple of years and Tom did all the housework.  Now
    he's employed, and we alledgedly split it 50-50.  That really ends
    up (true confession time) being 75% for him, 25% for me...sigh...
    
    So, this weekend, I'm lying on the waterbed being the lazy slob
    that I am - listings and books in a mostly anarchic arrangement
    form the decor of our bedroom.  And I'm reading "Sisterhood is Powerful
    - A Collection of Writings From the Women's Liberation Movement"
    (- his copy; his collection of feminist lit outnumbers mine by 4:1.)
    
    And I'm reading an article called "The Politics of Housework". 
    Said article gives all the myriad ways that men traditionally oppress
    women and get out of their share of the housework.  All the excuses,
    right there in black-and-white.  GAASP - I've use all of them!

    I said, "Ooohmygod, Tom, I've been oppressing you!"
    
    He laughed so hard he fell off the bed.  Then he said, "Yah, I
    noticed."  Then he cleaned the kitchen.
    
    I gotta hire a maid - the guilt of being the opressor is more than
    I can cope with, and is nearly as bad as houswork.
    
    Rita
    

	Well, I spent the weekend camping with my sweet baboo, skinny-dipping
in the brook, reading my book and driving my 4x4 up the side of a mountain.
Housework gets done when I have nothing better to do or if I need something
like clean dishes.

Jenna Pooh

    What a cheerful topic!  A gentle breeze wafting into the window
    of the file, cooling off those who are arguing passionately around
    the dinner table.

    I watched the Sox game on TV, and put off vacuuming and cleaning
    the kitchen for yet another week.  And did the Globe crossword,
    same as every week.

    I agree with the people who say weekends are for going places and
    doing things and having fun.  It's bad enough I have to work at
    a job I hate all week.  I'm not going to spend my whole weekend
    doing things I hate, too - like cooking and cleaning!
    
    Lorna
    

    Definitely a no typical weekend for me.  I stood up as best man
    at the weeding of my best and oldest friend in Michigan.  Now that
    was a busy day but it was a blast.  Decorating cars, getting the
    groom to the church on time, getting my picture taken, dealing with
    rings and envelopes, walking down the isle, Driving and honking,
    Moving luggage, undecorating cars, making a toast to the bride
    and groom and lots of dancing.
    
    On Sunday, after the newlyweds left for LA, me and another of his
    friends set up the stereo we bought him as a wedding gift in his
    apartment for them to find when they return. (The groom left too
    early Sunday to return his tux so he left the tux in the apartment
    and gave is friend the keys)  The rest of the day was spent flying
    back to Boston.
    
    Not your typical weekend.
    
    						MJC O->

    I spent the weekend on the banks of the Tuolumne River, and climbing
    Hermaphrodite Flake and The Eunuch.
    
    Ahhhhh....   
    
    	-- Charles

    played with my daughter, cat and dog.  went into a oilpainting frenzy
    till I ran out of canvases. then my daughter and I made an experimental
    dinner.  sunday, we napped, and watched rented movies.  no guilt
    here.  just zzzzzzzz's.
    vivian
    

    
    My weekend was unusually busy.  I made a dinner for 14 people.
    I was practically catatonic(sp?) by the time they arrived. 
    I'm not fond of entertaining for more than 4 at a time.  After
    dinner (which is still kind of a haze to me), my friend called and
    said that she thought her labor had started.  I'm her lamaze coach,
    so off to the hospital we went.  7 hours later she had an adorable
    baby boy and I had had the most interesting experience of my life.
    (BTW, I haven't had a baby yet myself so this was definitely a new
     experience).   When I got home, my husband, as usual, had cleaned
    up the whole dinner mess and I fell in to bed!
    
    Our weekends are usually not that exciting.
    
    Anna

    
    My weekend was spend trying to learn the X Windows colormap
    scheme. Also, went out hiking at Los Trancos, with a friend.
    Stayed on the trail long after dark... thought we were lost.

    
    	I'm planning on spending this weekend working on my SO's
    	 car. (then maybe I'll be able to get mine back.... ;-)
    
    	Next weekend we're taking off Friday and going to Asheville,
    	 North Carolina.  We've got a suite at the Comfort Inn.  Nothing
    	 really fancy, just a nice weekend alone.
    
    	Should be a lot of fun, visiting Biltmore Mansion, the Blue
    	 Ridge Mountains, etc.
    
    
    				-Rich

    Housework ?
    
    Paper ... paper everywhere .. magazines ., clippings to share
    with friends ... envelopes with cryptic messages scrawled o n the
    backs in the middle of the night or on the phone ... unread mail
    stacking up ... (occupant type from 'respectable' return addresses)..
     Newspapers .. table piling up with paper .. printouts  of garden
    notes ... notes from "Jason" ... funny stories ... books to
    read ...
    
    Gohd forbid I should put "any" of it in a 'safe place' !
    
    In the background there's a  couple of 'nice pieces' - the 
    golden oak sideboard (NOTHING gets stacked on that) .. fresh
    flowers in a vase ... ratty windowshades waiting to be replaced
    ... new lace doilies in place (handmade) ....
    
    Cat furballs redecorating the floor .... chipped white paint
    settling on the floor from the ceiling ...
    
    So much to do, so little time to do it.
    
    Food rotting in the fridge because noone throws it ot .. dishes
    stacked in the sink waiting for  a kind "washer woman" ...
    
    No, no .. just kidding. 
    
    I throw out the food, and wash the dishes ... that's only right
    .. for now ( chuckle chuckle ) ..
    
    Organizing papers .. notes ... helpful hints .... packets of seeds
    ... coupons ... phone numbers ... TODO messages ... notes_of_inspiraton
    ... dance announcements ... antique auction flyers .... churche
    bulletins ... empty film cassete cans ... letter openers ...
    maginifying glass .... stuff needing to be "handy", but fills three
    wicker baskets (4/$1.00) variety ...
    
    Hey, thats what we need .. a file for "making the home more orderly"
    ... helpful hints for male homemakers .... :^) 
    
    .bob.
    
    

    re .22
    
    Don't feel bad Bob.  What we need is a 'how to' for male *and* female
    homemakers.  I think I found one at the book store titled
    Getting_Organized.  I didn't buy it...yet.   I figured it was just
    going to be another book...piece of paper...pile of
    never_to_be_discarded_important_to_share stuff that is oozing out
    of all the corners of every piece of storage type furniture that
    I own.
    
    Like your style.
    
    			Kathy C

Put dishes in dishwasher last weekend.

Plan to take them out of dishwasher tonight.

Or Sunday at the latest.

Martin.

    I finished up a week with two house guests ages 8 and 11. Since
    I work a part time job , Saturday didn't allow much time for
    entertainment.  I got them some Ninja vidios (there request) and
    went too work, came home and prepared them the meal they requested,
    steak on the grill, corn on the cob, and macaroni salad, strawberry
    shortcake with homemade pound cake.
    
    After dinner we went out to mow the grass which haden't been mowed
    in two weeks (wouldn't have been bad if it hadn't rained). It was
    so thick it kept shuting off the mower. The boys fought to rake
    the biggest pile of grass and then to feed it to the cows. I had
    forgotten what 8 year olds were like. The mosquitoes drove us in
    at about 8:30. We then packe up so that I could take them home the
    following morning. Then I did dishes, vaccumed (4 cats and 1 dog
    keep the fur flying). I have to vaccume every day.  
    
    Sunday I drove the boys home to Manchester NH., visited with my
    son for a short while, went to visit a dear friend at his appliance
    store in Merrimack, did some shopping at the Phesant Lane mall,
    ate a Dove bar, and went home and read a trashy book. 
    
    Not a typical week end but the change was nice. 

Friday, cooked big dinner for five relatives visiting with us.

Saturday, relatives and my husband recorded "meeting sounds" for use on a
tape my husband is making, took relatives to Boston's Fanueill Hall, took
90 minute ferry boat ride from Commonwealth Pier to Georges Island, had
drink with them at the Royal Sonesta ($85/single, lowest we could find),
kissed them goodbye, drove home. 

Sunday, cleaned house and was amazed to find onLY one pair of socks left 
behind.  Basked in lawn chair and read the last unread Agatha Christie. 

Went to local bar to watch the Chicago Bears first preseason game on ESPN.
They won, of course. (I used to be Catholic but now I'm a Bear fan.)

And completely forgot, all weekend, that I turn 42 tomorrow. (I was born 
two days after WWII ended, 8/19/45, probaby baby boomer number 5000.)   
                                            Meigs

    	RE: -1
    
    	Happy birthday to you,
    	Happy birthday to you,
    	Happy birthday, dear Meigs,
    	Happy birthday to you!
    
    	I couldn't find Placido, or he would have sung it.
    
    	Scott   8-)>

    Saturday, after we did the grocery shopping,  I dropped J and his 
    windsurfer off at a friend's (they went down to the coast) and went 
    up to Reading to buy a exercise mat.  Used the mat to lie in the sun 
    in the back yard and read ... later took it inside to exercise ...  
    after which went for a bike ride ... Tinkered with the bike (sticky
    brake).
    
    In no time at all it was time to pick up J, stopped to chat with
    friends, had a brew (the reason for exercising), came home to make
    dinner (a combined effort for us).
    
    Sunday we drove down to the coast and took a walk.  There wasn't
    any wind for J to surf, so we stopped at my aunt and uncle's to
    visit.  My parents are in the country for a few weeks and are staying 
    there.  Refused to be baited when my father asked why I am still 
    a secretary (and presumably why I'm not a vp).  I've learned that
    as far as my father is concerned there is always something better
    to be doing than what one is currently engaged in.  

    This weekend was better than last.
    
    Friday evening began with dinner.  T brought most ingredients,
    and we prepared curried chicken over rice.  We watched a bit of
    "The Comedy of Errors" on videotape, I explained to him about my
    parents coming by for dinner on Sunday, then we went to see
    "Robocop", with excessive violence.  On the way home we scouted
    for a good place to view the Perseids from.
    
    Saturday, we dumped the trash, and looked for a special doohickey
    in the local gardening store.  Then we drove into Malden, and
    brainstormed Boskone programming for three hours or so.  Then we
    went into Cambridge, I bought some shoes and shirts suitable for
    scrambling over the tors of Dartmoor at Banana Republic, he/we
    (birthday present) bought a carrying case and a few amenities for
    his new camera, and had a snack.  On the way home we scouted
    for a good place to view the Perseids from.  We got some Chinese
    food for supper.  After that, we slathered ourselves with "Off",
    gathered up charts, binoculars, flashlights, and an enormous sheet
    of plastic, and marched off to view the Perseids.  We saw two.
    
    The next morning I mowed the lawn, and adjusted the sprinkler
    system.  T whacked weeds, then left for his bi-weekly game.  I
    bathed, and went to the Nesfa Other meeting in Hudson, exchanging
    notes, apa contributions, and money with people.  Drove home and
    finished cleaning and tidying the house (including vacuuming!)
    before my parents arrived, bearing dinner (There are advantages
    in belonging to a family with a hundred year old tradition of
    catering.) and gifts.  After dinner I presented *them* with gifts,
    my mother gave me a list of crossword puzzle books to look for
    in England, and I told them about T.  (~Long term, not serious.~)
    They were very pleased, and we parted cheerily.
    
    							Ann B.

    
      Went to Ossipee, NH with a group of friends.  Did advanced camping,
    waterskiing, sailing, and the cooking.
     
                                    Mark
    

    re -1:
    
    What is "advanced camping"?

    	-Ellen

    
    weekend?
    
    oh sure, lemme see...
    
    Friday, out to dinner at a rather good restaraunt in Springfield.
    
    Saturday morning up early to catch the Armand Hammer art collection
    in Holyoke, which had several rembrandts, van Goghs, and of course,
    one of the "Helga" portrataits by Wyeth.
    
    Fascinating.
    
    Later that afternoon, over to Tanglewood to see the Shanghai String
    quartet.  Delightful.
    
    Back to Agawam to have fish over the grille, a cold beer, and good
    conversation...
    
    weekends were not made for Michelob, my freinds
    

re: .31:

    What is "advanced camping"?

Haven't you ever seen the Hasty Pudding Show?

    Unfortunately, I've been here at work for 11 hours and will be
    working 8 tomorrow.  That certainly cuts my weekend up.  
    
    My SO is at home, preparing an elaborate meal (I hope), and we
    plan to share a bottle of the bubbly to celebrate.  
    
    (no witty responses forthcoming due to being brain-dead)
    
    Theresa.

    
      Sorry it took so long to answer the question on Advanced Camping,
    but business before pleasure.
    
      My definition of advanced camping is:  A 30 foot trailer with
    a microwave, VCR, color TV, a tent with regular beds in it, get
    the picture.
    
      Actually a friend's parents have a trailer that they use all
    summer at the same place.  Imagine my surprise when I saw this
    set-up and was expecting to be fighting mosquito's all weekend
    out under a tree.
    
                           Mark
    

    Went Kayakking.  Ooooh, I'm still on cloud nine.
    
    Lee

Finally emptied out the diswasher.  Lots of stuff waiting to go in.

Went to the Canoe-orienteering on Sunday with a friend.  2nd time canoeing
since Boy Scouts.  Friend and I decided to do the "long" -- 13 mile
course.  Wind blew in our faces the entire way.  We did complete the
course in just under four hours (including a beer break half-way through.)

Typing with the tips of my fingers today.

M.

    
    	Corinne and I went to Asheville, N.C. for the weekend.  We rented
    	 a suite at the Comfort Inn, and spent all day Saturday at the
    	 Biltmore House.
    
    	Drove back to Atlanta yesterday via the Blue Ridge Parkway and
    	 other small roads.  Talk about beautiful scenery!!  Mountains
    	 everywhere you look, waterfalls on the side of the road, etc.
    	 Sure makes you appreciate the wonder and beauty of Nature.
    
    
    				-Rich

    	Saturday I started on a 50 mile bike ride. Fifteen miles into
    	ride I lost the front tire. I couldn't find the stupid hole,
    	but I know it was there (couldn't inflate tube). Only tube I
    	had was for a larger tire. Called (and awakened) wife, who
    	very graciously came and got me. Go to bike shop, buy new tire
    	and tube. Replaced old tire and tube with new. Leave again
    	for rest of the 50 miler. Six miles into ride, raining like
    	crazy. I just love it. So, what the heck. I finished the
    	ride (more like 48 1/2 miles), and went home. When sun comes
    	out, hose down bike to remove the 2 pounds of accumulated road
    	grime.
    	
    	Sunday, we head to Pawtucaway for some camping. Real nice, except
    	for winds that must have been gale force.
    
    	Scott

    Spent 6 hrs. Saturday looking at antique jewelry at the Topsfield
    Antique Show.  It was heaven.
    
    Sat. my SO invited a bunch of DEC music noters to our house to jam
    so we sat around listening to live rock and roll all afternoon by
    such Digital music noters as the Bugs from Hell!
    
    Lorna
    

    This weekend we got our oldest off to college. This actually
    took most of Thursday and Friday as well. I was so exhausted that
    I slept most of Saturday afternoon!
    
    Sunday we went to a cookout with the people in my group at
    work, a welcome break!
    
    Bonnie 
    

    
    
    I had a baby...
    
    Well, actually I had the baby on Friday and I rested Saturday and
    Sunday (does that count?).
    
    For more info see note 125.34 in the SABRE::Parenting file.
    
    
    Jodi-
    

    Congratulations to both (all?) of you, Jodi!   
    
    What were you, a week early?  :')  :')
    
    						=maggie
    
    
    ...after all, Labor Day Weekend is *next* week.

    This weekend I went to Canobe lake *twice*! Once for the
    WMO rain date and once for the ZKO date. My children had
    a wonderful time. Me? I'm still aching. :-)

    	This weekend:
    
    	1. I rode my bike around Nashua.
    	2. I watched my daughter's soccer team lose. (Jessica Dufoe,
    	   break a leg. Not serious)
    	3. We started on my daughter's room.
    	   a. We build the floor.
    	   b. We put up a wall, during which I hit my finger with a
    	      framing hammer and bled all over the studs
    	4. Watched Minnesota cream St. Louis.
    
    Scott (my little finner still hurts)

    A busy weekend around our place:
    
    Got up at 5:30 on Saturday to go scuba diving with Sally and Scott.
    Had lots of fun even though they are much more experienced than
    we are (too bad the hobby is so expensive!).
    Ate lunch, drove back from Maine in time to return the rented equipment
    to the scuba store.
    Cut the grass while Paul took a nap (he's still recuperating from
    bronchitis, but the doctor said he was well enough to dive - he
    had a ball, in fact).  Grass hadn't been cut in a month because
    mower was broken - Paul fixed it a couple of nights ago but cannot
    mow himself due to bad knee.
    Put down more grass seed in the area where the gas company made
    a big mess digging up the gas pipe a couple of months ago.
    Took care of the mail and washing the salt water off and storing
    our diving gear.
    Was feeling tired, so sent Paul off to get a pizza!
    Went to bed early - I'm not good at getting up at 5:30 on weekends...
    
    Sunday was my makeup Canobie Lake day, but I was too busy to go.
    Got up and made breakfast.
    Sent Paul off to help Chuck fix his radio antennas while I fertilized
    the lawn.
    Planted a whole lot of crocus bulbs.
    Went inside and washed up, and read the paper.
    Paul came back, so made lunch.
    Paul repairing broken radio while I limed the yard and did a bunch
    of work in the garden.
    Took a much-needed shower!
    Carl dropped in (delaying dinner, but that's OK).
    Carl went away.   Bob calls on phone and chats for 45 minutes long
    distance!  I'm starving...
    Paul still fixing radio while I made dinner (double-cooked pork).
    Tried to go and pick up this month's volunteer work from Peter,
    but he is already in bed (8 pm??  They are leaving for vacation
    in Maine very early Monday morning) -- this will have to wait until
    next week.
    Finished reading Saturday's collection of new magazines, except for
    two.
    Gave up on Paul and went to bed about quarter of midnight - Paul
    still fixing radio!  He eventually got too sleepy and came to bed
    too.
    
    I am a little sleepy this morning!
        
    /Charlotte

    I took Friday and Monday off and went to the Big Apple.  Yup,
    Manhatten, 44th Street, with my husband and some good friends. 
    We saw two Jerry Garcia Band shows at the Lunt Fontaine, went to
    the Cloisters, ate, ate, ate some more (groan), drank, staggered
    around Times Square and the Village, spent mucho $$$$, brought home
    lots of electronic goodies from the Manhatten gray market shops,
    and acquired a Jerry Garcia mug for my coffee.
    
    FUN FUN FUN!
    

    Wife and Mother-in-Law off to Church women's retreat Friday through
    Saturday night.  Took son to 9:00 a.m. soccer game (tied 2-2) then
    went with other DECdad + 3 other cub scouts to Canobie Lake for
    the day.  Got home about 6:30, spent time at other cubs house, then
    went grocery shopping and tried to find someplace for son to pick
    out birthday present for classmates party Sunday afternoon.  Couldn't
    find anything worthwhile at Zayres.
    
    Sunday morning off to Church.  After Church down to my Mother's
    for visit and Sunday dinner.  
    

If anyone didn't go to Canobie Lake Sunday, be glad that you didn't go!

Drove up to Salem, found out that they were making us park at the Salem plant,
and hoof or shuttle bus it to the lake.  Lunch was standing in line for an hour
and a half while they ran out of various things.  By the end of lunch I looked
at the 1/2-1 hour lines for rides, and said, 'forget it, let's go home'.  It was
almost a relief that I didn't have the kids...

Jim. 

    I went to the Home Show at the Bayside Expo this weekend.  I came
    home with a magnetic device to clean windows and it works.  I live
    on the third floor and our windows have not been cleaned for over
    four years.
    
    I tried it on one window and it worked well.  I will complete the
    others next weekend when it is a bit warmer outside and my Windex
    won't freeze.  I could have used windshield solvent but I was to
    lazy to go out to the truck and get it.
    
    BTW I only 'do' five windows that are located here in the South
    End!