a day in the life....

The Dress Lodger. History will have the final word.

Funny she never realized before now the words-the blessing and the curse of all poor men and women, the words they live and die by-were everywhere she looked.....'Nothing without labour.'

A Diary from Dixie Rather a pleasant state of things when one's own husband is in good humour and cleverer than all the men outside.

Dilbert: When my grandchildren as me what I did for a living, I'm going to lie. Dogburt: I usually tell people you're a hobo.

Axsom is the 53,028th most popular last name in the U.S.

Ben Franklin said I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life I absented myself from Christian assemblies.

Molly Shannon: People who peak in high school tend to plateau. I think the kids who have to struggle blossom afterward.

3 Dec 2000 after eating beef fingers and Kraft Mac & Cheese, KJ said this was the best lunch ever! Thanks, Mom!

Nov. 2000 Katie It's not fair!

4 Dec 2000 Kevin's arm got smacked working on bale fork. Koren took over bedtime and we went to ER. not broke.

6 Dec 2000 Wayne Co Sheriff Dept. called to investigate Kevin's traffic accident?!?!

7Dec2000 KJ and I filled out an internet survey together. we'll use the $7 we earned to start him a savings account.

9Dec2000 KJ spent the nite with friends. took the girls shopping. I made a batch of Deb's Homemade Snack Mix (huh. I didn't know I had any recipes. 12 Sept 2022) M&Ms, white chocolate chips, raisins, honey roasted peanuts, and sunflower kernals. girls put away groceries while I fed dogs and read electric meter in the dark. (this is something I'd forgotten about...now it's electronically read and they send a bill.) Katie spent all day moving my book and losing my place. she slept last night 10:30p.m.-6a.m. nap at 10:30, woke her up at 1:30 to leave, she slept through Piggly Wiggly in cart and woke up in check out.

10 Dec 2000 KJ wanted picked up early. Katie fell asleep in car and slept till 1p.m. made Pokemon curtains for KJ's room. Koren made breadsticks and spaghetti for lunch. watched SNL X-mas shows. I made Kevin's chili cornbread casserole for supper. he adapted mom's recipe for pork and beans cornbread casserole. Kate had fun strewing my snack mix all over LR everytime someone would open the bag.

11Dec2000 school snow day. Kate to Kay's. Kevin to St Joe to pick up Boy Scout popcorn.

13Dec2000 kids sent home at noon. Kevin got Blazer out of shop and gave me and Ruth a ride home. we've ate Little Debbie X-mas Tree Brownies, Holiday Reese's PB Cups, and Blue Bunny ice cream X-mas trees.

14Dec2000 today KJ found Scotch Tape in his VCR. a few days ago it was gravel. school called off last nite.

16Dec2000 Kevin took me & Ruth to work and picked us up. KJ spent nite with Derek.

All Together In One Place I wonder sometimes just how much of a say in her own future any woman ever really has. Don't know how some folks do it, raise children who like each other instead of being at odds.

18Dec2000 "Date Day" we overslept, kids missed the bus. then school let out at 10 a.m. for snow. KJ & I made gingerbread.

Calvin Coolidge seems to have been a devoted, if domineering, husband, a man who insisted on monitoring his wife's whereabouts at all time and who, shortly after they were married, presented her with a bag containing 52 pairs of socks that needed mending.

X-mas Eve 2000 stovetop chicken dinner stuff, sweet potatoes, Piggly Wiggly hot rolls and decorated carrot cake. cut gum out of Katie's hair today for the first time....Koren modeled her clothes and built soccer Legos. Kate helped Daddy build her stove, and I got a SCANNER! watched Nat'l Lampoon X-mas Vacation.

X-mas Kevin to work with me for 1.5 hr. Blazer wouldn't start, he got Lumina running. dinner at Grandma Graces. Aunt Minerva, Uncle John, Fern, Mom, Dad, John, and the 5 of us there. Grandma asked me to copy some stuff for her. Koren to Jordan's moms wedding at 3p.m. took down all signs of X-mas. fixed Batman Blanket, Harley Quinn stuffy, and started putting his floor rug back together.

26Dec Kate up most of night. went to Krazy JR.s I wish I had pics of Grandma Grace in her overalls rolled up to her knees mushroom hunting or Grandpa on the tractor helping dad hay or crop...or pics of those tailgate picnics when Mom and Grandma would cook a bunch of food and fill their silver stacker things and fix a jug of coffee and we'd take it to the field and have a picnic.

28Dec. kate slept all night...I woke up early and baked Bisquick biscuits before work.

29Dec I took off work to take Koren to Dr but roads were bad so Kevin did. she has bronchitis and sinus infection. Koren made spaghetti for lunch. baked a chocolate fudge cake.

31Dec the only reason KJ watches Caillou is so Katie won't be embarrassed cause she's the only one in the house who watches it.....Kate had several tumbles climbing today. per tradition, Koren spent New Years Eve with Ashley.

2Jan2001 Katie has named the 2 big Grandma Grace dolls Emmy and Max from Dragon Tales.

3Jan2001 Koren says KJ sits in the cafeteria in the morning and eats breakfast with his hood up and it annoys her. Koren called for a ride home right after Kevin left and Kate wouldn't get dressed, finally left her here with KJ and ran uptown to get Koren. I am a bad mom. Koren made spaghetti for supper.

4Jan got my permanent crown. bought Butterfingers at Aryliner and they were MOLDY. not sure why I did this, since I got a moldy one there when I was pregnant with Katie....

5Jan 2001 KJ says Katie is The Chaos Kid. he told her in car we'd abandon her and remember where we left her later. I kept telling Kevin the walker thing I got at Krazy JRs wasn't working right, it fell apart while I was on it!

6Jan2001 today I saw a ghost sow in the hallway betwwen FW and G Barn. time for a vacation!

The Great Arizona Orphan Abduction But even a rumor can remind us of a vital truth: it is difficult to be sure who will be a good parent, and heaven knows that prosperity, white skin, and political power do not guarantee it...

built a snowman after work. Katie can hardly stand up in her snow pants so Kj's job was to help her up when she fell.

13Jan KJ BB camp. started savings account for the littles. KJ: $7 survey check, $5 Rock Port phone refund & $5 from Grandma Grace. Katie: $5 Grandma Grace, her change from her bottle bank. Kevin got KJ dressed, he and Kate both bawled, but got them to Mom and Dads for Sarah's Blues Clues Birthday Party.

14Jan family pic at Mom and Dad's. (guessing for a county history book?) Koren stayed home. KJ went to a friends house. Max was tired and had cough/cold and cried a lot. Katie was tired and frowny. Sarah's tummy hurt after lunch and had to be rubbed. a good day for all. Kevin trying to dig out the tube on curve. water is 3/4 across the road from rain/melt.

15Jan The Multicultural Fair was neat! KJ was in the Mexico group. he was proud of their cookies and tamale pie and adobe.

16Jan. Koren dentist. no cavaties. my application for Dental Care Credit Plan declined. so set up payment plan with office. Katie and KJ into it again. she bit his back and left a mark. he won't leave her alone and she has a violent temper.

17Jan Koren to dr. allergies?

19Jan. Kate sinus infection. 2'11" 37 lb.

19 Jan Koren permit test at the Mercer Co Courthouse...same place her mom and dad took it. let Koren drive home on old 65. KJ told me he went to the pizza party for kids who this years Terra Nova test scores were equal or above last years!

20Jan.. Katie. does. not. like. this. new. medicine. can't find KJ's missing library book. what does he do with them? Kj,Kate and I made homemade sugar cookies.

21Jan hurt my back tripping over Katie. put Kj's bday gifts on layaway.

22Jan. Kj homework marathon. Koren did dishes and made tacos for supper. (nowadays we have a dishwasher. how did we ever survive without it? laws.)

23Jan Kevin let Koren drive the Blazer on our road. he also battled a computer virus. Kate always runs to the door when I get home, all happy. that makes my happy. I consider us poverty level-we live paycheck to paycheck, and are overdrawn and can't give our kids the stuff they want. But then I read GAP CREEK and MOUNTAIN MAMA and THE DRESS LODGER -people are cold and hungry and working 2 jobs to sleep on straw on the floor with 30 other people, and I upgrade us to doing ok.

24Jan Kj. had. no. homework. Kate had a good idea; making gingerman cookies.

26Jan. KJ's mass is 80lbs. I had Kate's Rx ready on counter and spilled it making KJ's bedtime sandwich...she's coloring the dining room floor. Kevin took me to work in the Blazer and said 'there aren't many people like us who just go to work everyday no matter how awful it is.' or something like that there.Kate and KJ haircuts after school. she was an angel and sat still . Kj was squirmy and mouthy. Kate went next door to play with Jennifer.

27Jan (and I still remember this nite) went to pick Koren up from her boyfriends house, nighttime, got the kids with me since Kevin worked nights. rang doorbell. knocked. front and back doors. honked horn. KJ loudly lamented that we ever had Koren cause she always makes his late for bed.