Ruth Ann, you look gorgeous! I'm sure that your hubby enjoyed getting all dressed up with you. Congratulations! Hugs, Stephanie

Barbara, Another way of polishing stones is to put them trough a tumbler. I know there have been times when I felt I have gone through the tumbler and I hope the final result are worth all of the crashing around to get here. I know they are, but it just illustrates what a wild ride this can be for all of us. Thanks for helping us see "the diamond in the rough" Have a great day, Rick

In case you have been MIA for a while...I have this crazy idea that the MARCHers should up the exercise in October and do some walking in a beautiful month. Our goal is to walk across America - on paper - 2,780 miles from New York City to Los Angeles, CA. Rick is leaving from Washington and I am leaving from New Hampshire and we hope to at least meet somewhere along the Mississippi River!!! Think of a nice place close to you that you would like to walk to (on paper) during October. Log in your miles and keep track of them. If you don't have a pedometer - maybe you would like to get one. You can keep track of your miles each day - just walking around doing your normal activities. Omron makes a great pedometer. I have really enjoyed watching my steps each day on it since I got it. My immediate goal is to get 10,000 steps a day. Anyway - we will begin our walk on October 1st - everybody who agrees to participate will receive a certificate from me and the one who walks the farthest will get a small gift from me. I would love to post on the main board in November to tell them of our total miles logged for the great group of March 2006 folks. Will you join me? Ok, so far I think I have the following people who will be helping the MARCHers walk from NYC to LA (on paper)! Rick, Barbara, Jannine, Stephanie, Emil.....have I missed anybody? STYLZ - where are you????!!!! Rebeka - you started this madness with the pedometer story....will you walk? Robin - are you in? MD is nice in October! Ruth Ann - keep track of walking around on your new job - perhaps with a pedometer? Mimi - we are hoping the kids are not sick in October and I know Waverly can be nice in October - are you joining in? Darlene - where have you been? You want to walk in AZ??? Trish - you have been MIA...although I have been enjoying your Apple Crisp! PA is also nice in October - you in?!!! Rebecca - we need you too....OR has to be nice in Oct! Who am I missing? Where are the rest of our MARCHers? If you are lurking - please know we miss you and wish you would check in more often!!!! Let me know if you will be joining us. If anybody wants to take pictures along their daily walks, I will put them together in a little picture show and email to everyone. Snap that beautiful lake you walk by, or the squirrels picking up winter nuts...or those cute kids playing on the play ground...lots of things to see while you are out walking!!!! Get ready to walk MARCHers!!! us walk across America! Barbara

You little bitty cutie you! Thanks for sharing....Barb

He who finds diamonds must grapple in mud and mire because diamonds are not found in polished stones. They are made......Henry B. Wilson Well MARCHers, right now we are grappling in mud and mire heading toward that beautiful polished diamond!!! We have to do some more grappling before the diamond sparkles like the true gem it (we) is (are)!!!! I don't mind a little more grappling because I know the end result will be such a precious stone - as we all will be. Well, actually I think we are all pretty precious as it is, we just need to get the final stone polished. And - how will we polish off this stone to near perfection???? WE WILL WORK HARD....today is a new day - a new way to head towards the polished stone. Can't you see it starting to sparkle already? Won't you be proud of the finished stone???? Come on MARCHers - go with me today towards the polished stone. Follow the rules...MORE.....water, vitamins, exercise, protein. You can do it MARCHers - make the stone glow....let's make everybody envious of the final product! What will you do today to polish up the stone? Hugs to all....Barbara