A couple weeks ago, my old computer died - then last week Richard's hard drive quit. No web searches, no e-mail, no blogs - we CAN'T live this way! Makes me wonder how we survived before the computer age. Anyway, that is why you haven't heard from us. It was good to catch up on the blogs, but too much information to digest and respond to quickly. One thing that I have wanted to pass on to HeatherDawn, is the web site for free home schooling: www.connectionsacademy.com It is based in Maryland...

Read the rest of this post

I almost forgot to post this. Did any of you watch the premier episode of Drive Sunday night? It is regularly scheduled now on Monday nights. I though it was an amazing show. I has more twists and turns than the Powers road and continually reveals more info as you go. I thought Heros was good. This seems similar but faster paced. There are so many unknowns and so many possibilities I predict a smash hit. No pun intended. Check it out, you won't be sorry.

One week from today life as we (that's us the Or. Todnems) know it will speed up dramatically. The order has been sent. The equipment is being prepared and installers alerted. We are going to satellite internet. After years of watching and many naps waiting for a page to load we have made the plunge. We will just have the basic package which is only 30+ times faster than dialup. No laser beams or death ray options. Hopfully it will meet expectations. Lately, between the Ameritrade accts, the...

Read the rest of this post

Hello, I know it's been a while. I've been thinking of you out there on the East coast - the weather reports on national TV lead me to believe it's been rather WET and WINDY. We've had rain and sun, alternating about every half hour, for the past few days. It's been a bit chilly. In fact, this morning about 10 am, I met a pickup in Powers that had about 3 inches of new snow on its roof - it must have come over the pass. But for the most part it's just SPRING - the grass is growing and the...

Read the rest of this post

Hope you have a wonderful day. Your dad is gone for jury duty again today - they are suppose to decide on the verdict today for the case he heard last week. Hope all are well back there and staying safe on the slick roads. Love to you and yours Peggy

All day, Richard and I have been reminding each other to call Zachary. Of course we spent the day away from the phone, moving buildings...to Coos Bay, then from Myrtle Point to the other side of North Bend. We got home about 4:45 and Richard went to work picking up trash ( Sarah had FUN while we were gone) and I started dinner and supervised homework. Richard arrived inside just in time for dinner and after dinner... well we remembered about 9:30 that we were going to call. Sorry Zachary. We...

Read the rest of this post

I don't know what the temp is this morning, but there was ice on my bathroom window.Yesterday morning, we woke up to a cold bed, colder room and no electricity (it went off between 3-4am.) I got up to get another comforter and Richard went out to start the fire about 5:45. Violet got up and wanted to go outside to play in the snow - this is the kid I have to drag out of bed at 7am on school days. About 8, Richard took the truck over to pick up Ed so he could share a warm breakfast and a warm...

Read the rest of this post

OK, I'm typing this on Word and HOPE I can transfer it to the blog without loosing it somewhere in computer space. Today is the first time I've read blogs since sometime before Christmas. I was busy! Or Richard had the computer tied up when I wasn't. Anyway, I'll try to remember all the topics I found important. 1. HeatherDawn - To cut down on the stress, and lack of Holiday Spirit, I know a home that is full of love and that could do with a few more people next year. All you have to do is be...

Read the rest of this post

I don't type very fast and just about finished a loooooooong letter to catch everyone up with our week. Then the lights flicker JUST ENOUGH to turn off the computer. If you want to hear what's been happening CALL ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE and MERRY CHRISTMAS

Just a short note to let you know what we've been up to. A week ago (Thur.) I spent the moning listening to second graders read. Friday, I woke with a sore throat - they weren't coughing all over me like they usually do and I guess I let my guard down.Friday, I baked for the Lioness' bake sale. Sat. a.m., we delivered the baked goodies then picked up and delivered a building, then picked up another building and brought it home. Sunday, after church, I roasted two turkeys and made a pie for our...

Read the rest of this post

That's strange... I started to type the text and instead it submitted my title. The problem with not being able to get on line was Richard left the computer on line. Instead of it kicking off after 20 minutes, as he expected, it got left on several days and/or nights and we ran out of service hours. Since we've spent most of our daylight hours out on the hillside lately, the problem wasn't discovered until I tried to get caught up with blogs last Tuesday.Besides working with Richard, I have...

Read the rest of this post

Just wanted to say we are still alive and kicking (but not very high.) I just read through the blogs for this week, but don't have the time or energy to answer. I did try to send a short note Monday, but it disappeared. Monday, I helped out in Violet's class and attended a women's meeting at church. After school, Violet and I cleaned up fallen apples in the orchard and took them to the cows. Tuesday, after dropping Violet off at school we went to Coos Bay with a list of errands. We got back in...

Read the rest of this post

I'm not sure if this is a bug or if you were working on site while I was. Yesterday, I wrote a comment to HD's blog and then tried to add a couple lines by editing. When I hit update, an error message said the www.todnem site took too long to respond. I clicked on try again and got the same message. The edited sentences were never added. This is the same thing that happened when I tried to add to Lisa's graditude list. Am I doing something wrong, or are you just messing with me???????????

Hello from Sunny Oregon, Yesterday we found another kink in the water line. It's amazing what wet ground can do to a PVC pipe, it looked like a very tight inverted V. Since we didn't start until 3:30 pm, we didn't get it tested and reburied yesterday, so will continue the process today. It does give us a reason to be out in the beautiful fall weather. Sending love your way.

I haven't had a chance to read blogs in a couple days, but was happy to see you got a day"off" so you could entertain us. I really enjoyed your 12 hour tale, but what was that about a Ford - it made about as much sense to me as your web instructions do. Guess I'm showing my ignorance - but what ever you have to say, I'm just glad you finally have time to join the conversations.After a couple days of playing in the dirt with Richard, I spent most of today doing laundry, packing, etc. so we can...

Read the rest of this post

This may be the same as the bug Richard was talking about in #2 of his 8/24/06, Bug Quaility Control blog. When I logged in yesterday, and again today, there were no blog titles showing.Instead, it said: you have no new blogs.I checked the tag clouds and reset the day search from Any to3 days.I then saw two or three blogs that, although they were not new themselves, did have new comments that I had not previously seen.Thanks again, for all your time and hard work.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEATHERDAWN(Just encase your friends read these posts, I won't say Happy 30th Birthday)Hope you have a wonderful day - I'm sending lots of love your way.Thursday afternoon, Grandma Anne and Grandma Dorothy joined me at Kathy's beautiful home, about a mile beyond Powers, for our annual Powers' Women's Retreat. We had a wonderful afternoon - sunshine, with a comfortable breeze - sitting outside in the shade, talking and smelling the turkey roasting on the BBQ. About 6pm we had...

Read the rest of this post

We have a building to deliver, here in Powers, at 10 am. Then we plan to pick apples - which means my kitchen floor will be sticky, but the pies will taste good. Then at 6:10 pm, Grandma Anne is due in at the airport. Richard said she had to leave home at 6:30 am in order to make connections. The scheduling always has a long layover in Portland, because the earlier flight from Portland to North Bend leaves within 5-10 minutes of the arrival from Seattle.I'm not sure how long Grandma will be...

Read the rest of this post

Jeff, I've asked before, but don't remember an answer.Can we have a spell check? andWhy do I sometimes get a knocking sound but no aspostrophe when I'm trying to type? The key works now, but when I tried to use it on the previous comment, all I got was a sound like a knock.