If there is a TV show the epitomizes Chris's dream life, it is probably Sanford & Son. Everyone is funny, and the characters make their livings selling junk.

Chris has always been a bit of a pack rat, holding onto or bringing home things that he thinks are neat or have even a minor chance of being useful. Okay, so I do, too. But within reason. He knows that I have a tendency to bristle whenever something "new" makes its way here. One thing I can't quite object to him bringing home are things that we can sell to make money. So, even though I was already freaking out about the amount of stuff we have crowded in our house, trailer, and shop, when he brought home a work-van full of things from the office that he wanted me to ebay, there was nothing I could do about it. So, here we are, living a little bit of his dream to be a modern-day Sanford & Son, making our Christmas money by selling junk  things on ebay.

Back to my side of the dream (I don't know how people can be ebay sellers full time. I would shrivel up and die.), we made another rookie mistake, and left some of the new trees that we planted this year unprotected. I had intended to put wire cages around the fruit trees this winter to protect them from foraging deer, but I didn't even think about destruction during mating season. At least three of our trees got rubbed by a buck.

This was a nice little pine tree, but now several branches are broken, and the bark has been rubbed off the mid section of the truck. I really hope this tree lives. it was a nice one.

In other news, Finley has her own room, now. I finally decided it might be time for Finley to have some privacy and a place to retreat from the sometimes-irritating antics of her younger brother. (Why is it that boys think it's fun to be a pest?) I did explain to her that this was a privilege and that unkindness could lead to her losing her door or even being forced to move back in with her younger siblings. We'll see how it goes. The first thing Finley did was to write out a list of rules for her room (including keeping it clean, hallelujah) and so far, she has done well, even making her bed every morning.