Well, I was glad I posted my Christmas message when I did. I was unaware until the end of the day on Dec. 22 that the library was closed Dec 23 (Thursday), so this is the first time in nearly a week that I've been able to get online.

I wasn't able to get a morning paper route with the Amarillo paper; such a route would have given us a little extra where the current route puts us just about square with bills, so we have to get on with selling our Olds with the broken transmission (I had originally intended to change the transmission before selling it to mak a little extra), and hopefully get around to fixing the old Dodge in the backyard. I'm also going to see if I can't get some part time hours at the local convenience store; handyman and errand jobs have been slow (read: virtually nonexistent), and we have to skate through until we can get a garden planted and some lawn jobs in the spring (plus some -- UGH! chickens! They're cheap to raise and a good food source, but man, I hates raising them). All in all, though, things are progressing at a pretty even keel.

Tax time should bring us a couple of bonus bucks as well, and when the weather turns in the spring, I plan to hunt up aluminum cans. I need to get a sufficient quantity to make the 75 mile drive to Amarillo for the extra 10-12 cents a pound (not exactly sure what the going rate is here) worth it. But, it's been a pleasant winter, and I know that, if we can make it through the winter with our heads above water, we'll be setting pretty well come spring (the main killer over the winter is, of course, the heating bills).

We were able to give the kids a good Christmas; not a great one, but enough of one to consider it a happy one. We did get one icky piece of news, though (following blog), but we're not worrying about that until/unless it actually becomes a problem.

I hope you and yours had a very merry Christmas as well.

Respectfully submitted,

Gideon MacLeish