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Our schools are shut down, but the school district is sending free lunches to kids 0-18 years old via the school busses. No student ID required. They drive the usual bus route from 11am to 1 pm M-F and deliver sack lunches to the usual bus stops. I thought this was pretty cool! All restaurants are closed, except for take-out. One local guy on Facebook raises money every night to buy bulk from various restaurants and have the food sent to local shelters. The response has been outstanding so far. The local community theater will start streaming old productions tonight. Drive through testing opened today at our fairgrounds. I think you still need a doctor's order to get tested.

I don't know if this is on your list, but I highly recommend getting a chair that has power assist to help him stand up. He may not need it now, but it won't be long before he needs it. We got one for my dad and for my fil, and they thought they didn't need it, but both ended up really needing it to just stand up.

Hound of the Baskervilles

My dog ate 11 full-size Twix bars. My dog didn't die, and we kept finding shiny silver Twix wrappers in the yard, like little flags marking his droppings, for two weeks after that. All the best to you and your pooch!

My family would not be happy with this plan. I would not be happy with this plan. Your friend is out of line when she says you're being ridiculous. I would just tell her no and not argue or explain much. Let her know what you can do, and leave it at that. She truly may not understand why you can't get away with her, but she shouldn't chastise you for putting your family over her.

No problem. We've been saturated in ACT for the past two months, so I'm glad I can help.

Also, you will have time to complete the questions later, before the test or after the test. The main thing to do today is to pay the money and get him registered.

He doesn't have to. My daughter took the test on Feb 8 and we got her results yesterday. All the questions do is tell her what majors she may be interested in, based on her answers. Has nothing to do with the test or her results.

Have a wonderful time! Thanks for the pictures!

Oh I'm so sorry. Take some time to be a puddle, before you regroup and figure out what to do. Praying for you and your family.

very fun. I like the zebrafish one also. They were all interesting.

I was having frequent recurring infections, non-strep. Eventually they took out my tonsils at age 45. Surgeon showed them to me afterwards and said they should have come out years/ decades ago. They were full of infection, and just "overflowed" every few weeks, making me sick. Even though a tonsillectomy may seem drastic, it may be the best and quickest solution. Sorry. I know it's stressful. I hope you find a solution that works.

That's one of my favorite animal videos. 😂 He probably thought his job was to eat everything possible on the course. He must have felt so proud at the end!

I've recently enjoyed: Non-Fiction The Case Against Sugar (not flashy, but interesting and motivational for me to decrease sugar use) Call Me God (story of the DC Sniper investigation, but not too graphic) Inspired, by Rachel Held Evans (she's fun to listen to, brutally honest, and brings hope to me regarding faith and doubt) Any Great Courses by Robert Greenberg, if you have interest in classical music. Manhunt: The Twelve Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology, by Leah Remini Classics: Jane Eyre narrated by Thandie Newton Rebecca, narrated by Anna Massey To Kill a Mockingbird, narrated by Sissy Spacek The Chosen, by Chaim Potok, narrated by Jonathan Davis I have also purchased Hidden Figures because I loved the movie, but I haven't listened to it yet. Let me know if you find any gems. Joann

For the Land's End Mastectomy suits, you don't have to use the pockets. I use the pocket only on the left side. You wouldn't have to use either pocket if you want to go flat. The pocket area provides an extra layer of fabric, that's all. Non-mastectomy people could also use the mastectomy suits if they wanted to, so you could go flat with them. The neckline tends to be a little higher so when you bend over, the scars are not easily seen. Hope that helps.

I had my left breast removed after cancer. I opted for no reconstruction, and I'm at peace with my decision. I had to have several cancer surgeries, and I got to the point where I just didn't want any more surgeries or procedures unless they were absolutely necessary to save my life. I wanted to get on with my life and work back to a decent level of fitness and health. I have a prosthetic breast that works well for me. I don't mind looking at the scar; it's just part of my journey now. I do know that the scarring is traumatic for many women, so I believe you must work through your grief at your own pace. Counseling or a support group may be a good option to help you work through your loss. YMCA offers free Livestrong cancer support classes for survivors. The classes go for a couple of months and involve group talking and support and exercise/nutrition support. I swim, and had to research a little to find a swimming boob and suit that worked for me. Land's End has a great selection of mastectomy suits of all styles, with prosthetic pockets on both sides. For swimming prosthetics, I just buy cheap foam breast puffs from Amazon. For daily life, I use an expensive prosthetic that insurance covers. I found some really comfortable mastectomy bras at the cancer boutique shop that sells the prosthetics. Everyone's journey is different. You may want reconstruction and it may be the best option for you. Or you may decide against it. It sounds like you may need to take more time to grieve and recover right now. This is not a decision you must make right now. Give yourself time and space to get some equilibrium back. I'm sorry for your new normal, but I believe the core YOU is still in there and still fighting for a great and joyful life. All the best

My motto for this year is "Be brave enough to be bad at something new." I too, have started playing piano again, after 46 years off. I've started dabbling in the Russian language. I studied it in college, and it's the only foreign language that really clicked with me. My dd and I signed up for the Dirty Dash Mud Run (5K with obstacle course) in June. We also started playing racquetball. Since dd will be doing high school in college this fall, I'm looking for work/volunteer opportunities. I like hearing what other people are doing. Thanks for starting the thread.

I think you can optimize what you have, and I think you can gain strength in your core and back by doing safe and specific exercises. I'm 58 and I have gained definition and strength in my upper body and core over the last 10 years. I can build/maintain strength if I do a 25 minute workout 2-3 times per week. I'm in better shape than most women half my age. I'll never have the body of my 30-year-old self, but I can sure make the most of what I have now. I do Jillian Michael's 30 day shred or her Ripped in 30, and also take walks/hikes and sometimes swim/play sports. Some people hate Jillian's workouts, and they do get a little mind-numbing after so many years. Find something simple that works for you: there's lots of stuff out there. I like Jillian's workouts because she covers the whole body, there's variety within the workout, and she makes me do stuff I normally don't do with my own weight workouts, all in 20-30 minutes. It might be worth investing in a couple sessions with a personal trainer to help find exercises that help with your specific issues. I'm a bc survivor too, so I have to modify some exercises. You don't have to spend a lot of money and time, but you do have to spend some money and time, and you're worth the investment. All the best with your endeavors.

Our absolute favorite is: spread mayonnaise (really, I'm not lying, do it!) on the salmon. Sprinkle with a Cajun spice mix, and broil until done (about 10 minutes). I suppose you could use any spice mix, but we like Cajun. It's so easy and so good! (We have mayo-haters in the family who love this meal because they don't recognize the delicious sauce on the fish.)

Sorry you're going through this, Quill. I've been through something similar with my FIL and dad, but they were both more flexible and easy to communicate with. They both hated to give up their independence, and were also in a bit if denial, so I learned to initiate difficult conversations with "When the time comes, how do you want to handle _______?" In their mind, when the time comes... was very far off in the future, but I knew it could be sooner than later. If your mom is in denial about all of it, this may not work. But it might help your dad. And it might help you know their wishes and get a game plan. Also, you might try to help them realize that they have some say in decisions now, but if they put off decisions for too long, they will have limited choices in the future. Eg. My dad wanted to move across the country to be near us when the time comes... but he had to understand that if he waited too long, he would not be physically able to make the move. Fortunately, he made the move before he deteriorated too far. I think you are a good daughter and should "do what you can do", but I agree with PPs who warn you that you can't fix their decades of life choices with your life's blood, sweat, and tears. They don't get to ruin your life because of their poor choices/non-decisions. And you get to honor their life choices, even if it means watching them struggle with poor decisions. I'm so sorry. I know how very stressful this is.

I'm thinking of doing it too. The book-a-week is too much for me, but this looks doable for me. Thanks!

Susan, thanks for having the vision for this forum so many years ago. And thanks for sticking with us all the times we've made you want to pull your hair out! I've enjoyed homeschooling with this community so much, and now I just hang out to chat. All the best to you and yours for another year!

Our dog tried to kill our cat for a month after we got the cat. We ended up doing a lot of research on the internet and came up with something that worked for our dog: we put the dog in his crate when we were all at home and together, and we let the cat walk around so the dog could see her. We read that the dog would eventually get used to the cat and see her as part of the pack. We did not have anyone pick up the cat or control the cat while this happened, so the dog wouldn't associate the cat with any one person. After a few weeks in the crate, the dog was put on a leash and held while the cat walked around the room. Eventually the dog got used to the cat, and now they are fine together. We were surprised, but this actually worked. I do hope you find something that works for you. Good luck!

You have not failed. You have discovered something important about yourself. I believe this can be managed and you can do your MRI. You are not alone. I am a totally non-anxious, non-claustrophobic person in all areas of life... except for MRI machines. I take the pill, and it helps a lot. I realize that this is an area where I struggle, so I work on breathing control, dealing with pre-anxiety, etc. The MRI place usually has a pill you can take, or if that isn't enough, have your doctor prescribe something stronger. It truly makes a big difference. And, I would also consider going the extra miles to get to the more open machine. Yes, you will need someone to drive you. I would do whatever it takes to get the MRI you need, and get some answers for your health issues. Good luck with this! ETA: If you do take a sedative, you will feel relaxed and drowsy for the rest of the day, so don't plan anything that takes a lot of physical exertion or brain power afterwards. Snuggle down and binge watch something on tv while you doze off. It can become a mandatory self-care day.