The sears repairman finally showed up and fixed the icemaker. He was very nice, and showed me the broken part. He said they have had problems with that part and was surprised they didn't do a recall on it. It cost me $260 to fix it!! When I made the appt, I had a coupon for 10% off any parts and 10% off labor. I gave the appt rep the coupon codes. She told me that would give me the discount automatically. The repairman would have nothing to do with it-it was all done on her end. Well, guess what--it was not reflected on the bill. So, I had to call customer service. This time I got someone who actually spoke English, and she said no I was to give the coupon to the repair man. ONLY thing is, it isn't exactly a coupon--its just a blurb on the credit card statement saying call 800-my-home to make your appt and give them this code. WHY would I want to give the repairman my credit card statement??? That makes no sense. So, she is going to do some checking and call me back tomorrow. It amounts to $26-worth fighting for. Anyhow, my Sears has gone from a $12 balance to $272.00. But, there are no finance charges, as what was on there was 12 months interest free, and its almost paid off after only 3 months-plus I earned a certificate for $50 off a purchase by putting the bigger item on it 3 months ago. I am getting a new vacume cleaner this weekend with a 10% off coupon. With that $50 certificate and 2 gift cards, I should only have to pay around $25 for a $300 vacume. My old vacume is 24 years old, and moves slower than I do....

I hate this. I am waiting on the Sears repairman. All the customer service could tell me is that he will be here between 8 and 5. It would be nice if hey could narrow it down to either morning or afternoon, but no, 8-5 "eastern time" and I live in CENTRAL!!! yikes! The rep keep saying my state was MA instead of MO, so I hope they are sending the man to the right location.... (English was not the Sears reps greatest asset)
So, we are stuck at home till then. The girls are supposed to be at a halloween harvest party at 4, which means we will need to leave around 3:15.
She said he would call first,--I tried to tell her we homeschool and the computer uses the phoneline, and to use my cell, but instead the did yesterdays and this mornings reminder calls to the house number.
Our ice maker is doing thing thing where it works, then doesnt work. Now it just doesn't work at all. The fridge is only 2 years old, but out of warrenty, of course. I'd keep using the ice cube trays, but I have little wrist strength and it hurts (MS) so I'd rather pay $150 to fix it, than pay out $150 in copays and PT. We use a lot of ice, since we are home most of the time

We have been getting ready for winter. We have had several heavy frosts, but I did manage to pick the last of beans, okra and green tomatoes before the frost hit.

The last of the hay has been cut and is in the barn for this farm, yet we still need to go over to the other farm and bring the big bales over to this one.

I brought back 2 loads of firewood so far, from my house that I rent. (I have about 1 load left) Right now it is vacant, as we have been doing some painting and such to it. If I leave the firewood there, it will just get stolen. I have set up the wood holder on one of the porches and filled it. I started making firestarters last week (I save our TP cardboard tubes and fill them with dryer lint)

I located the box of rugs from the basement, and moved it for easier access. In about another week we will be ready to put them down on the kitchen, diningroom and bathroom floors. They are hardwood and our feet will feel the cold thru them.

I have had all the girls try on their winter coats. I have 2 coats I will need to donate as they fit last winter, but not this winter.

The propane tank has been filled, and I got birdfeed.

We plan on butchering a steer as soon as deer season ends, so we are eating down the deepfreezes to make room.

We are stocked up on candles and kerosene. I also bought my "winter supply" of tea, cocoa mix, powdered milk sand and ice melt.

So, what do the rest of you do to prepare for winter??

In this tiny tiny town (blink and you will miss it), there are no jobs. Decent ones are 25 or more miles away, and in Northen Missouri that is not a fun drive in the winter for a part time job. For months I have been trying to find something nearby (nothing) or clean or babysit (nothing). This is rural farm area, and most women around here are SAHM, and just do their own cleaning and childcare.

Well, today I went up to DD#3 bedroom. I admit, I have not been up there in probably 3-4 months. Her room is on the opposite end of the house as all the other bedrooms. She puts her own laundry away, brings down her own trash...so no reason for me to go there. OH MY GOSH!!! Last time the room was fairly decent. Today, I could not find the floor!!!! It looks like a clip from Clean House on TV. 3 of my DD and I have spent about 3 hours each up there, and we are maybe 10% done. It looks like a tornado came thru. Its so bad, I took pictures of it for future reference.

As I did so, I wondered if I could put an ad in the local paper and put before and after pictures of her room and sell my cleaning and organizing childrens bedrooms as a service???

I'd have to charge by the job--no one could afford it by the hour. To be honest, I'd probably pay someone $250 to do her room. It made me so sick and mad I cried the first hour.

Her sisters and I are tracking our time--we plan on her working it off. I first got her sisters involved, as I know they had some part of it as they have slept in there they last 2 nights--although, I can't see where--even the bed is piled 6 foot high with clothes.

How does an 11 year old manage this??? I have a huge pile going for a garage sale. Trouble is, with 5 girls, things get passed to her that end up in boxes under her bed that don't fit her now but will next year, and then there is what she has outgrown that will fit her sisters next year. With 5 of them you can't afford to get rid of it now and then buy or remake it in a year.

Its my own fault. I used to do daily inspections, but thought she had grown past that stage-but NOT. Daily inspections are now back in her life, along with no CD player and no portable DVD player for 3 months.

And, since I know you are all wondering, the rest of the house is very clean. In fact people often comment on my clean house when they visit. Her sisters rooms are also clean--just this one DD and her room and bathroom.....UGH!