Here's what I've been up to.

This morning I have bread baking, so the house is smelling great.  I bought my first-ever bread machine when I saw what a great deal (and great reviews) Amazon had on THIS MODEL.  It's over $100 at Walmart, but I paid $43.  As of now, it's still that price.  Missouri now requires tax on Amazon purchases, but I guess that won't break my budget.  

Cora is growing and learning.  I now have her five days most weeks rather than four.  She and I have discussed the months of January and February and I let her turn the calendar page to February.  I had a song playing on the Echo that featured a harmonica and told her we were hearing a harmonica.  Then I looked up a Youtube video of a man playing one.  Of course it next occurred to me she needed to actually see and handle this instrument, so once again I went to Amazon, found a harmonica for six bucks, and ordered it.  She may drive me crazy with it for awhile, but I know how to make things temporarily disappear if I find myself losing my mind from the noise.  My daddy played a "mouth organ" as he called it, but I could never figure out how to make a tune on one.  

Last Friday night the Knights of Columbus in Lexington had a fish fry we attended.  The food was great!  I always see people I know at these fish-fries.  We got there early, thank goodness, because the place was packed by the time we left, with a line extending out the door quite a way.  Terry, a friend I used to work with years ago, was there with her husband, so we sat with them and had a good visit.  I should say all of us but Cliff had a good visit, because he has such a problem hearing... even more so when there's a crowd of chattering people.  Terry and I used to get together and play our guitars and sing.  Those were the days!  We've also attended various church services together.

There's a new tractor club that's formed recently.  Meetings are in Buckner, just thirteen miles away, so Cliff wanted to check it out and we went to their meeting.  He's decided to try being a member of two tractor clubs at the same time, but we aren't officially joining this one until June, when they meet again.  Let's see if we can keep up with both clubs.

Sunday granddaughter Natalie and I went to see Stomp, which was very enjoyable.  Because the show started at 1 PM, Cliff and I didn't attend church (he's always wanting a break anyhow).  When I got back home I found out he had purchased another Oliver 550 tractor from a neighbor.  It was a good price because it's just been setting in a shed for years, but it has some better parts than the one Cliff is restoring.  So it'll be a parts tractor, and perhaps be a later project too.  

I'm gearing up for my trip to Cozumel, Mexico, by watching videos of the beach there and strolling around the streets on Google Earth.  It's just a little over a month before we go!

I'm sorry for the lack of updates lately.  Some mornings I lack motivation.  Other mornings when I feel I have to choose between blogging or 45 minutes of meditation, I choose the latter because I really hate to miss a day of meditating.  Once our little girl arrives, there's not much possibility of blogging.  I ride my exercise bike while she takes her nap.  She's a well-behaved, typical little girl who chatters constantly.  Lately she plays with dolls all day, dressing and undressing them, laying them down for naps, changing diapers, being their doctor... I don't know when I've seen a child play with dolls so much!

So there you have it.  All is well here.  

Peace.

Adding this later:  I've baked bread all my life, but the loaf I just made using the basic recipe that comes with the bread-maker is the best I've ever made.  We had bread for breakfast... me, Cliff, and Cora.  We all had seconds.  As I told Cliff, I believe I'd better pace myself with bread-baking or we'll end up fatter than we already are.  Cora could handle it, but alas, we can't.