I'm going to order this for the library where I work. Dh and I met there when I worked there 26 years ago, so it is meant to be. Thanks for the review!!

I'm intrigued by what you describe. What brand is your fridge?

Great point about the party tray!

Youngest is 10

So--the temp on your drawer is adjustable? I could see using it as a freezer. 🤔

We're in the market for a new fridge. I'm pretty sold on the French door, freezer on bottom models (I've had one before), but I don't know if the kind with the external middle drawer is the way to go. Thoughts? If you have an external middle drawer, do you find it indispensable, and if so, why? (I'm attaching the two styles I'm looking at. I don't know why one picture is blurry and the other isn't. Sorry!)

We're in our third home in 24 years. We've never had a home that ticked all the boxes. Housing prices in our city have skyrocketed since we bought our first home--as in it sold for $100K more than we paid for it sixteen years later with nowhere near that much in remodeling/upgrades. I have made peace with, over time, making my homes what I like. We did significant work on our last house (a complete remodel of the kitchen--we changed the footprint--and we put up a plank ceiling ourselves), and it sold in one day mostly thanks to that kitchen. All that to say--most of the time I look at houses as a project, even when I don't really want to. We bought our current house because it is the right size (smaller than our last monstrosity but not the typical 2k sq feet of most houses in our price range), has an in ground pool, and is down the street from my mil whom we depend on for a lot of help with getting our younger kids to and from school. It also happens to be a few blocks away from my job--it's basically smack in the middle of town, but we have a large corner (double?) lot with a couple of mature trees. Does it need a lot of work (in this case, as it turns out, some structural and a whole lot cosmetic)? Yes. We're finally in the beginning planning phases of starting this work. But--all of that is to say that for me, finding some things I like and adapting to or changing the rest has been the name of the game. I can't say for sure we'll never build (my sister is building a house on my parents' land right now and we've considered it), but the cost and convenience of already-built structures has won out for us. And school had a DEFINITE impact on buying this house when we did it. ETA: I've never lived anywhere with a HOA. It goes against my personality, my pocketbook, and what I believe about home ownership. I'm not saying I'll never--just that I'd have to do a lot of mental work and acceptance to be told what I can and can't do to my own property. 🤣

Welcome! With my name, you'd expect I've read Noel Streatfeild, but nope, I haven't. (Actually, I THINK I might've started an audiobook--or something--with my older kids a decade plus ago on a trip, but I don't recall finishing it.) I've been meaning to ever since she really came to my attention thanks to You've Got Mail, but seeing (and googling, to figure out what I was missing) your name now has me doubly curious! I'm moving her up on my mental TBR list!

Hi, all! I'm jumping in because I FINALLY picked up my cross stitch after several months' hiatus. This is Owl Forest Embroidery's FREE Alice in Wonderland pattern. I'm using 36 count linen and silk floss. I only started it 2.5 years ago. 😂. It's huge!

Intrigued!

@teachermom2834 ((hugs)) I can imagine that felt bad. My plan is to pre-pay, for sure. (I'm hoping against hope this isn't a "best laid plan.")

I understand that. We live in the same area where both of our families live (& our kids, though nobody is through college yet, so that could change).

My vision would be a green burial on family property (which actually could be possible--my parents own about 100 rural acres--but what legalities are involved in making a cemetery?)

Your vision is close to what I'd prefer!

I thought the casting, especially of Armand, Rene-Marie, and Isabel LaCoste, was so good! I admit I cried several times over the Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women storyline, which I found to be much stronger in the show than in the books.

Wordle 732 3/6 🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟩🟨🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Who's responsible for my falling in love all over again with Inspector Gamache via the Amazon show Three Pines THAT WAS CANCELLED AFTER ONE SEASON??? What a cliffhanger ending. I'm bitter.

@Ginevra Just beautiful! (((Hugs)))

Lovely. I understand this.

This sounds delicious!

I'm curious about this. I looked up a green funeral and it doesn't APPEAR to be more expensive than the whole shebang we just had for my great aunt two years ago. (I went with my parents to make arrangements which is how I know the cost. She didn't have anything overly elaborate--more middle of the road casket, etc.). Maybe these things vary greatly by region.

This is similar to what I'd expect where I live in the Deep South.

I'm partial to green punch (with green sherbet, natch)

I looked this up and am interested in watching later tonight. Do you have a favorite/most interesting/one to start with?

I agree with this. As I literally can't think of a single person in my circle who DIDN'T have a funeral, it feels like there's something missing in the process if we don't recognize it. Even my non-religious, hard-living relatives had services that created a sense of closure for everyone, regardless of relationship. The stories shared were priceless, too. ETA: I tend to be a "live and let live" kind of person, so I'd probably just consider it odd and move on if someone didn't have a funeral. However, I wanted to come down on the side of seeing the value in having something related to the process of living and dying.