I am so sorry, @Teaching3bears. I cannot imagine how difficult that must be. I wish we were nearby to offer some help.

and the high that day is projected to be 100*. I have a lot of opinions about football, but this seems to just be heaping stupidity onto obsession. That is all.

This is hands-down one of the little sorts of things that added up to make me leave teaching. I never understood why the powers that be could require so much of teachers in terms of planning ahead but not actually do it themselves.

OJ's acquittal--I was in the student union at my university

I was sitting in my sixth grade classroom watching it on TV when the Challenger exploded. I was teaching high school in public school when the Columbine massacre occurred. I was sitting outside the elementary school where my MIL taught when 9/11 went down. (I later went inside to work in a few classrooms and we still didn't know what had happened.) I was on a trip with my family to Disney World, pregnant with my fourth and final child, when the Sandy Hook massacre occurred. I don't know but what that one wasn't the one that made the biggest impression because I had children then.

I prefer stainless with the silicone cap

Thanks for sharing the link! According to the article, it's safe to paint brick that's indoors because of its lack of exposure to the elements. That means my painted fireplaces are safe! 😅

It does need to breathe! That's one things that comes up over and over. However, that did not prevent me from painting my two fireplaces, and I don't regret it. 🤣 I'm leaning toward stain.

My husband has a huge aversion to vines on buildings. Of course, things grow fast and lushly (is that a word?) here in the Deep South, and all he can imagine is crumbling and discoloration underneath when it comes up.

After watching the video on the Permatint link above, I wonder if that is done well if people would even know that the brick has been changed. I mean, obviously, the neighbors who live here now would know, but after the fact, I wonder if it would just look original to the house. Based on the video clip, it looks like it.

I believe there are three on my street now. (My street is about 4 blocks long, so a fair amount of houses.) However, the houses on my street are varied in style--ranches; cottage-style; tall, imposing "mansion"-style; and a few new builds. Each home is pretty unique.

Disclaimer: blue is my favorite color. I like the blue best. However, I think I'd go for something deeper/less dusty. I think it will fade fast enough and end up even lighter, so I'd work toward avoiding that.

Oh my goodness! This is something I consciously avoided, too! Ha!

I guess I do worry about it being dated too quickly, but honestly, some bricks are, too. That's why we want to change them! 🤣. Mine is orangey-brown variegated. It isn't TERRIBLE, but I have decided as I approach my 50th birthday that I, too, deserve to make my house what I want it to be. (We've always owned our own home, but it has always been what we could afford that is the size we need. This is still true but it's the house that's closest to my ideal and thus the most realistic to make my dream home.)

Are we related? Ha! I usually resist trends on general principles.

It feels like a small thing but we also have work we both need and want to do, so I figure, why not at least consider it and add it to the list? I do think it would make me more satisfied with our home if I could change the overall aesthetic.

I have some new things to research! Thanks! Our brick is brownish but it is quite variegated, which is why I don't love it. 🤔

It's a huge trend where I live. We have half brick, half siding, and I don't love the brick. For a long time I disliked the notion of painting brick, maybe because our last house was painted brick but I didn't like the color. Anyway, I guess I'm just looking for some BTDT advice. Did you do it yourself? Did you hire it done? Has it weathered well? Do you regret it?

This is a large part of my problem, too. I miss Sunday school. There are various other small group opportunities, but that dedicated hour on Sunday mornings was priceless to me. Nothing will ever take its place.

I don't sew garments but I adore prints and color. Thanks for sharing!

Has any other listener had trouble with a few of the later episodes? I'm listening on the Apple Podcast app and it's like a part of it is cut off and it goes back to earlier in the episode. Anybody else?

I think my problem is. . .partially me, maybe. Ha! I attended a tiny church with many relatives as a kid. It was (& still is) a close-knit community. Hugging was normal but didn't feel weird. Now I go to a large church with a bunch of strangers and I have 0% expectancy that they'll ever be much more than that. It is what it is, as they say.

Not to derail the OP's post, but I have wanted Beddys for my younger kids forever. So you think they're worth the money?

Neither of these is a brand new finish, but I am pleased that now they BOTH hang on the wall. (Excuse the glare and shadows). Isn't it a little bit maddening how we put off projects that take 5 minutes?

I think for me in the case of standing for reading, prayer, or whatever the ritual is--it's not as personal as invading someone's space. Also, I can opt out of any of these, and often do when it's a forced response. (I attend a charismatic church which doesn't mean I'm opting out of some sort of liturgy, but instead, some in-the-moment appeal.). I don't know. My feelings about church are complicated.