"Without you, I'm as lonely as an abandoned dog on the side of a highway. I have gift anxiety, even through I don't know when your birthday is. We can spend perfect days shopping and cleaning together." (100 Girls, 2000)  Shopping is only fun when you are there with someone fun.  End of story.  Thank you for shopping with me, Amanda.  It was a perfect day!

After shopping, it was a mad dash to Heather's house where Josh installed a fish tank and then we all enjoyed delicious homemade chili.  Heather is a fabulous cook!  We sat around watching Are You Being Served? and imagining what the tank would look like filled with colorful saltwater fish instead of the cloudy water (it's always cloudy when you first add the water).  Here are a few pictures from the evening:

      Taz and the fish tank                                 Chessie and Taz

Wonderful and useful gifts from sweet Heather:

Yesterday we moved the chicken coop from the backyard to the side yard during the power outage.  This was no small task.  I made a nice beef mushroom soup as soon as the power returned and vowed to bake bread in the morning so I could take it to the local store to sell.  I'm also proudly reporting that in the last 36 hours, I knitted a hat and a dishcloth.  Pictures soon!