A thank you from me too. :001_smile:

VA (multiple times), NC (multiple times), SC, GA, CT, HI, Guam (very briefly when I was very young). Places I would like to live: Seattle area; Charleston, SC area; Northern Italy (Val Gardena in the Dolomites) -- feasible only if I win millions of $$; Brugge, Belgium; or somewhere in Scandanavia. Of course, a Pacific island would be another great option. ;)

The phone number of a local hotel (and your cellphone)? ;)

This is what I would love to do: kooky, kitschy Americana, lol. Roadside America :D Let us know what theme you pick! Sounds like a great idea!

Could it be...??? Bed of Nails

Hoping the following will be hits for us: SL 3 science IEW SWI-B Brimwood Press materials Spelling Wisdom Handle on the Arts and whatever Spanish curriculum I end up choosing

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson (on my to-read list after high recommendations by both dh & fil The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science by Natalie Angier (on my to-read list) Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner (recommended by dh; I haven't read this one yet) Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond I've liked Dava's Sobel's books Longititude and Galioleo's Daughter. She also has one about the Planets that I haven't read yet) The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester (about the making of the Oxford English Dictionary -- fascinating, well-done book) A Short History of Myth by Karen Armstrong (I didn't like this book, but perhaps it would be of interest?) Passionate Nomad: The Life of Freya Stark by Jane Geniesse (fascinating biography) Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin (I haven't read this but a friend highly recommended it to me) Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley & Livingstone by Martin Dugard (recently finished this fabulous book). Because I enjoyed it so much, I'm getting ready to start another one by this author: Farther Than Any Man: The Rise and Fall of Captain James Cook. 1776 by David McCollough (Well-written & I learned a lot.) Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History by Penny Le Couteur (on my to-read list) Thomas Cahill's books

I can sympathize. I come from a long line of packrats & don't want to go there myself. But, my mom & my sister are constantly loading me (or the kids) up w/ stuff. Sigh. Anyway, I try to keep it going back out as fast as it comes in. One book that I liked (from the library -- not adding to my clutter piles, lol) was "It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff" by Peter Walsh. I actually checked out a bunch of books from the library about simplifying, clearing out clutter, etc.... I skimmed most of them, but found that doing so really did motivate me. The nice thing is that once you start clearing out stuff, you'll find that it's easier to clean, put stuff away, etc.... Flylady also has some good tips/daily emails to get off your rear & do stuff, if that's the type of thing you're looking for. A good tip for cleaning out clothes that I read (more for you vs. kids): take out 3 complete outfits from your closet that are things you like, you wear, and are in good shape. Then, also take out something that you would wear (complete outfit again) to things like: a dressy dinner, a b-day party, a funeral, etc... (the not-everyday items). After that, you can better assess what's left & it's easier to get rid of stuff because you'll know that you already have some complete outfits on hand for everyday & special occasions. Good luck! You can do it -- it will just take some time. :001_smile:

>>Walton is like a private school (more AP classes than any other hs in the state)<< I graduated from Walton, lol. It had that reputation even way back when.... But, I moved here in the middle of 9th grade, having started high school in VA (suburb of DC). Even coming into the *best* (or one of the best) high schools in GA, it was nothing compared to the school in VA. I pretty much slept/did little work for my first 3 years of high school because it was so easy (and I was one of the the very serious/studious type of students). Finally, in my sr. year (AP classes), I got around to doing the same stuff I had been starting in 9th grade in VA. Says something, eh?

Would a small greenhouse work? Or, have you read the book "All New Square Foot Gardening"? I heard about that book here on these boards & went & checked it out from the library. It has some great ideas -- so much so that I'm pondering a small garden here (and I know nothing about gardening). Hope your dream comes true one day! :001_smile:

I know what you mean. I also don't like the 'scary' looking ones. Too much, imo. Maybe try Kohl's, Gymboree, Land's End (Sears), Target (don't know if they have anything good).

I replied to an earlier thread on this, but since I still feel the same way, I'll just cut & paste my answer here again. ;) ----------------------------------------- I'm just so mad over this whole mess. I've been following it in the news this week. :mad: I was writing a long, soapbox speech, but my words aren't coming out correctly, so I'll spare you all. LOL. ;) But, really, I'm so upset over the education (or lack thereof) that our students are getting. They are not getting what they need or deserve as an education & they are going to be woefully unprepared to head out into real life or even college, if they so choose. I know that tests are not a good benchmark; regardless, it is not just test scores which are showing that there are big problems out there for students in our state. Ultimately, it affects all of us -- our communties and nation as a whole. To quote Sesame Street, "These are the people in our neighborhood, in our neighborhood, ...." And, I'm mad that our tax dollars are funding such a substandard level of education in this state. It screams incompetence at so many levels. Blech! :ack2: ------------------------------------- P.S. When I say 'our' students, I just mean all schooled children in GA, even though I'm hsing my dc.

I love picture books. I hope I'm never too old for them, lol. I love Sandra Boynton's books, esp. Blue Hat, Green Hat. And Moo, Baa, La, La, La. Some of my favorites when I was a kid: Ma Lien and the Magic Brush by Hisako Kimishima The King and the Whirlybird by Mabel Watts Pretty much any & all Richard Scarry books Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion Miss Nelson is Missing! by Harry Allard (alas, my dc don't even like this book!) Other faves: Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss (great read aloud) The Mitten by Jan Brett Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown A Porcupine Named Fluffy by Helen Lester Do The Good Times Travel Agency books (by Linda Bailey) count as picture books? The Tomb of the Boy King by John Frank A lot of the Angelina Ballerina hardback books (the original ones, I guess, not the newer paperback versions) have lovely, lovely illustrations. I know there are a ton more that I'm not thinking about right now....

Yeah, me too! :lol:

That marshmallows grow on trees/bushes. There was a commercial when I was a kid that showed that. I remember seeing it at my friend's house. We kept pestering her dad about it (he was watching tv w/ us) -- whether it was true or not. He just laughed at us, but never answered us. So, we looked it up in their set of encyclopedias. Did you know there is actually a plant known as a marsh mallow plant? And, that parts of it are used for food/are edible? That's what really threw us for a loop. We were confused & unsure for quite awhile. LOL. Guess I'm older & wiser now. (At least I hope so.)

Oh my gosh! Hugs to you and him. How scary. Glad he will be ok. Hope you're doing ok too! (I would have had a heart attack!) :grouphug:

I'm just so mad over this whole mess. I've been following it in the news this week. :mad: I was writing a long, soapbox speech, but my words aren't coming out correctly, so I'll spare you all. LOL. ;) But, really, I'm so upset over the education (or lack thereof) that our students are getting. They are not getting what they need or deserve as an education & they are going to be woefully unprepared to head out into real life or even college, if they so choose. I know that tests are not a good benchmark; regardless, it is not just test scores which are showing that there are big problems out there for students in our state. Ultimately, it affects all of us -- our communties and nation as a whole. To quote Sesame Street, "These are the people in our neighborhood, in our neighborhood, ...." And, I'm mad that our tax dollars are funding such a substandard level of education in this state. It screams incompetence at so many levels. Blech! :ack2:

Oh, thought of another one: If you get a lot of cactus hairs/spines (what are those things called?) in your hand, spread a thin layer of glue over the area, let it dry, then peel it up. It should remove most of the cactus thingys. (Yes, I sound so scientific & accurate, lol.) Fortunately, we've never had to try this (though I learned this tip *after* my dd as a 2yo had a handful of cactus hairs that her uncle & I picked out w/ tweezers -- it took a pretty long time).

Ok, I can't think of many here.... If you ever have ice cubes left over in your glass of water, put them in your plants instead of throwing them out. Ice cubes are a great way to slowly water house plants. Every once in awhile, grind up some lemon, lime, or ice in your garbage disposal. It helps clean it out. Mesh laundry bags are a great way to wash small toys in the dishwasher (i.e., legos, etc...). My motto is -- if it can't go in the dishwasher or washing machine, I don't want to own it. LOL. :D (And I have to say I love the Bounce Color Catcher sheets -- those things are awesome!) I also cut the color catcher sheets & dryer sheets in half because I find that it's plenty. I tend to do that w/ lots of things -- laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent, etc.... I've found that I can often use less & it is fine.

What is the ratio in your mix of vinegar/water? Thanks!

Do you have one of those plumbing snakes? (Are they called augers?) Maybe that's something you could use to get up inside the bendy pipe....

If you had the time/inclination, you could create a zoo scavenger hunt. Type up questions/riddles/clues & they have to try to figure out what animal you are talking about (and then you go visit that animal's exhibit). The level/type of question could vary based on the level of your dc. So, it could be simple stuff (I'm commonly known as King of the Jungle) to much harder (I am a carnivorous reptile that is found from TX to NC. I can grow up to 6 ft long & up to 800 pounds. I'd be considered elderly if I lived to be 50 or 60.) I did something similar many years ago for young dc. I took stickers along & as we figured out the info/saw the animal, they put a sticker on the sheet to show that we had done the item. So, if you know 10 or 15 animals you plan to see tomorrow anyway, do a quick google search on some facts & create a scavenger hunt. If they figure out 90% or more, I think that calls for ice cream! LOL.

Thanks for all the details. This is the type of stuff that makes it 'real' to me. Hmmm, I'll be pondering this for awhile. Guess I should start out by coming up w/ some goals, huh? ;)

That's what I do (when I remember to pull the CK books out). Recently, I've had my dc read some of the science & lit sections in the books. I figure it's good review, is a good thing for one to do during 'downtime' while I'm helping the other one, etc.... Also, I just started my dd w/ IEW & I've used a couple of the paragraphs in the CK book (science section) for key-word outlining & writing practice.

I think a bob would look great on you. I like the idea of wispy bangs too (not just a severe, straight-line type of bangs). I think your hairdresser is just being chicken. As someone else mentioned, maybe it's time to try a new hairdresser. Sometimes it's nice to get a new perspective on things. I'd definitely look for someone good, even though that often means pricier too. Have fun! I love getting my hair cut, lol. (I just got it cut yesterday. I wore mine super-duper short for soooooooo many years. For the past year or so, I've been growing it so that I could do something different w/ it. It finally was down to about the bottom of my neck -- and driving me nuts. I got a short bob yesterday myself -- it's long enough to tuck behind my ears, and the back is actually shorter than the front. I'm happy!)