I’m not familiar with Bearss, but the lime trees my family had growing up were easy to tell when they were ripe—when they turn yellow. But really you can use them most any time. They’re perfectly useable unripe like grocery store limes, if not quite as pleasant. This was Mexican/key limes and standard Persian limes and one other kind, can’t remember what it was. The Persian limes would be ripe at just-turning yellow to solid yellow, but after that the texture would suffer. The key limes would turn solid yellow on the tree for a bit, drop off, and still be good after a few days on the ground until the snails got them.

This will be my first spring in our very own home, and I want to plant EVERYTHING! However, I am trying to decide what will actually fit in my personal time budget and in the financial budget (especially as dh is about to change jobs, and money will likely be tight for the first few months). Dh and I had very different visions for our 8/10ths of an acre. Dh was picturing mostly lawn with a few garden beds and a few small fruit trees. I’m seeing permaculture gardening/mini food forest, swales, edible landscaping in the front yard, plus a goat pasture, chickens, play structure . . . yes, I can get a little carried away. After some discussion, he is okay with me doing whatever I want, so long as there is some lawn somewhere, the front looks fairly neat, and any areas that are going to have to wait until down the line for my extravagant plans can be planted with grass in the meantime so they aren’t eyesores for the intervening years. Which is great; I am super excited to have the go-ahead, but it does mean that much of what I had begun to set aside for planting this spring needs to go to boring old grass. After some searching online for what works best in my climate, I ordered a goat pasture seed mix and a grass seed that will need less water and less mowing and looks a little more medowy than most lawn grass, and a low-growing wildflower seed mix I’m going to add to the grass seed in some spots. I am going to try pig-tilling. For close to the same amounts I could get a small front-tine rototiller that would not do a great job at tilling the hard ground, rent a big rear-tine rototiller to get the job done, or get what I need to move a pig around our yard every few days to dig the ground up for me (which materials will come in handy later for the goats). And when the yard is done, the pig can be bacon. I pitched this plan to my dh expecting him to balk, and he suggested we name the pig Rototiller. He has sure come a long way over the years in his acceptance of my hare-brained schemes. Besides the grass and pasture, I am hoping to at least get in a line of dwarf cherry trees in the strip between our driveway and the property line with some groundcover (strawberries maybe) beneath them. I would love to also plant asparagus, raspberries, some more fruit trees, hazelnuts, grapes, and hardy kiwi—but it may be too late in the year to start in on these by the time the budget loosens up again.

This is a sign of severe anemia. Go see a doctor.

It's this one: https://carlsbadcravings.com/creamy-white-bean-ham-tortellini-soup-recipe/ I've never made it before, but so far my family has loved pretty much everything I have made from this website.

I did meal planning again yesterday. Specifically trying to use up some things in the freezer and pantry. Yesterday: Pizza Movie night, with walmart pizzas and salad Today: Bang Bang Shrimp and rice with pear sauce cake for dessert Monday: dh and I are going on a date. The kids are having tomato soup and grilled cheese with the babysitter. Tuesday: Minestra soup (because I love it but dh does not, and he will be gone teaching) Wednesday: Creamy Ham and White Bean Tortellini Soup Thurday: Honey Balsamic Tuna Veggie Bowls Friday: Rigatoni Saturday: ? ? Leaving this one open, as I’m not sure of our plans yet. Sunday: Enchilada Casserole and cilantro lime rice This will use up rice, beans, canned tuna and tomato soup, shredded cheese, and some frozen ham and turkey and pear sauce.

This thread has me thinking about the anime series Hetalia. It is hilarious (but don’t watch if you will be offended by the stereotypes).

I think with us it may have been that we have four stair-step kids with mostly fair hair--several tried to pet my daughter's very straight, blond hair. We don't get it as much now. Not sure how much of that is the kids not being as little, or their hair darkening as they age, or how much is me learning to be more assertive when it comes to strangers near my kids.

My (US public school) education covered certain topics in history very thoroughly, while glossing over or never mentioning all the rest. I have learned so much as an adult and while teaching my kids. I'd of course heard references to and excerpt of Churchill's "we shall fight on the beaches" speech, but never knew before setting out to memorize it with the kids last year that the next part was an appeal to my country to come rescue the European Allies. "Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old."

I have a question. First, I agree that this is totally ridiculous and rude : But I'm curious, do you think the Allies would have won WWII without the US's involvement?

This is the only foreign tourist behavior that really bothers me. I've had Asian tourists following us to take photos of my kids, trying to get their attention, and stepping around me reaching for them taking more pictures as I am actively stepping between the tourists and my kids asking them to stop. I could get it if it were just that this was acceptable in their culture so they didn't realize it might be a problem, but trying to sidestep me to keep shooting pictures as I'm asking them to stop, and following us for ten, fifteen minutes through the crowds after we decided to leave the area to get away from them?

Oh, yes, I misunderstood.

The second here is interesting. I didn’t know it could be rude to ask for a bill. Just in case I can ever afford to travel someday, where is this considered rude? In Asia?

Sometimes, but not often. It’s quite common to wave down a passing waiter with your hand, but the snapping thing always seemed really rude to me, like you were getting a dog or small child’s attention.

Thanks to all those non-Americans who were willing to come and share! Musing now on how closely people I know from other countries do or don’t fit the stereotypes that exist about those cultures. Our long-term Aussie expat family friend is one of the nicest, funniest people. She’s also very loud and projects a self-confidence that fills the room (in a positive way). Now I’m wondering if she has always been like that or if she would consider herself “americanized”, or even if she does it on purpose to try to fit in?

What’s an elevator girl?

I’ve never actually heard of the swearing drunk Aussie stereotype before. The American stereotype of Australians that I have encountered is: really friendly, great sense of humor, great food, and perpetually surrounded by kangaroos, koalas, and crocodiles. 🙂 This is probably the result of us all growing up loving Steve Irwin. I’m from the west, but was born in Tennessee while my dad was serving a judicial clerkship there. He’s told me how occasionally, a northern lawyer would take a condescending attitude with the slow-drawling southern judge, and the judge would eat him for lunch. Out of curiosity, where is this perspective from?

That post was from a while ago. We eventually opened a savings account for her, after confirming with the credit union that when she leaves our care, we will maintain control of it until she reaches adulthood.

Just thought I’d post an update: Our little one is still with us. She is like an entirely different child. This child has music in her soul. She is always dancing and bouncing her way around the house, or singing to herself as she goes along. She is a bouncy, bubbly, giggling little girl. She still has bad days or weeks, and can revert back into “fight mode” in an instant if something sets her off, but her default is her natural bubbly self. It has been miraculous to witness this transformation. She only occasionally tries to hurt others (beyond normal preschooler behavior), and rarely hurts herself. She has made about ten months’ worth of developmental progress in the past four months, and is now about a year behind. She has many words, and we hear some sentences from her as well, though there’s still lots of indistinguishable babble. She also eats all kinds of foods (she’ll try most things so long as I eat them myself without trying to offer her any until she sidles up and asks for it) and has grown taller without gaining weight so that she is a healthier shape. She has the cutest little glasses that are repairing her farsightedness. Her hair has grown in so much—longer and much thicker, so she has two distinct layers. For a while it was very hard to do her hair as the shorter thicker layer would stick up all over, but it’s now long enough to reach the hair ties. Her sister never came to us, as she was doing well where she is at, but they continue to see each other about twice a week, at visitation and then either Skyping or getting together or having a sleepover in between. We love our little girl very much. We would adopt her if she became available for adoption, but I don’t think she is going to. I’ve had this foreboding feeling lately that our time with her is coming to an end.

We got the new European expansion of Wingspan, and are loving it. My son recieved Azul and the kids got Dust in the Wings. We all love Azul; dh and I are a little disappointed in Dust in the Wings, but my nine and ten year old girls love it. Dh got Teotihuacan. It looks really intimidating, but gameplay is surprisingly easy to learn and quite fun.

Lately, my meal planning strategy consists of flipping through recipes on a favorite cooking website and jotting down whatever looks good. Consequentially, we're having a lot of chicken this week, but at least the flavors are very diverse. I generally just plan my dinner main meals. Raw vegetables, fruits, applesauce, etc., make low-prep side dishes as needed to round out meals. Lunches are leftovers or sandwiches.

This is what I planned for the week: Wednesday- personal pizzas on biscuit dough crusts Thursday- Cajun Chicken Fettuccine Friday- dh won't be home, so something easy and cheap. Maybe mac and cheese, or leftovers? Saturday- Arroz con Pollo Sunday- Thai Red Curry Monday- Stromboli Tuesday- Teriyaki Chicken, Rice, & Egg Drop Soup

Mere Christianity and The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis.

Oh no! We love Treasured Conversations, and I had been hoping 8 would write another level!

No. Apparently we used to have that, but they had problems with bedbugs getting into the waiting clothes. Those are some good ideas.

This sounds like a great idea, once I know the kid’s sizes. Maybe next time a quicker trip in to figure out sizes and just grab something for the first day or two, then order the rest online and pick up later? We don’t have a Target here, but I think Walmart has something similar. Thanks!