An audio message from my 2yo granddaughter singing "B-I-N-G-O" or another of her favorite songs. French press coffee Sewing, knitting, or another creative project Bicycling Singing in a choir Cello music

I love our pull out trash can cupboard. We had it added when we remodeled six years ago. Ours has space for two bins, one for trash and one for recycling.

I agree that people have the right to enjoy their possessions. I loved and respected my parents. They were such good people. When we were younger the house and yard were well cared for. However, as they got older things went downhill. We tried to help but we live three hours away and could not keep up. My mom had years of illness and my dad, a highly educated professional, had no clue about anything domestic. Things just piled up. He found the clutter daunting. They were not enjoying all the stuffed closets and drawers and piles, things no one had used in many years. It was not bringing them happiness. They would have had more peace in a decluttered home. How I wished that had been possible, but we could only do so much. After they were both gone, we spent FIFTEEN full weekends there clearing out, donating, and having a sale. A month's worth of days. It was a large house with a full, finished basement, lots of storage, and a two-car garage. Mom and Dad weren't trying to leave us with a burden but that's what happened. I'd like to avoid that if possible, and downsize now so that our kids' future burden will be lightened, with the added benefit of a more peaceful environment now.

I would bet they have never had to do a big clean-out of someone else's overstuffed home after they died. Once you do that, you realize how exhausting it is both physically and emotionally, and you don't want to place that burden on your kids' (or anyone else's) shoulders.

We're empty nesters now but we raised seven kids. I never did the 5-gallon bucket things, but I did do large glass jars of beans and whatnot. I'm all about saving money and trips to the store, but I needed to go every week anyway for dairy, produce, etc., so it was not a big deal to pick up whatever else was running low. We still have a ton of books. Books are hard! I know I need to purge our shelves again. I will keep old, rare books and my very favorites, but there are so many that don't fall into those categories. Someone else can enjoy them. We are not limited on space since the kids have moved out, but I think about the future. I cleaned out my parents' house a few years ago. So much stuff. Stuff in all the closets and drawers and garage that no one had used in decades. I want to save our kids from as much of that as possible. I don't want to keep putting it off because someday I might be too old or ill to do it.

I don't see how this can be called a Christian book. Sprinkling references to Jesus and the Bible throughout the text doesn't negate the focus on self and the prosperity gospel. I think I should give my honest opinion to the young woman who gushed to me about Rachel Hollis and her message. She won't like it but oh well.

That was my thought, too. It's the worst book I have EVER read, and I read a lot. Sometimes a book just isn't for you, and the next person loves it. With this book, I'm not sure what the point even is. When stating *how* to work through a problem, she says things like, just do it. Don't give up. And the chapter on marital sex. Bragging about how good you are? Seriously??? It kind of reminds me of homeschooling mommies who have a preschooler and a first grader and start a blog/write a book giving homeschooling advice like they are experts now. Wait a few years maybe. Hopefully you will gain some wisdom, some insight, and perhaps a little humility.

Do you take them back into the bathroom and point out the dirty areas? I would do that while trying to remain calm. And, as said above, walk them through exactly how to clean those things. Sometimes people feign ignorance because they don't want to be bothered. Maybe they know you'll come after them and clean it to your standards.

A young mom raved about Rachel Hollis, so out of curiosity I borrowed the audio book from the library. Wow. I give it one star and that's being generous. The book is nothing but a bunch of strung-together tired platitudes like "keep pushing through your hardships", "eat healthy and exercise to lose weight", and "be sure to have some me-time". She bares her soul with deep, dark secrets like the fact that she sometimes pees herself a little since she's had three babies, and she shaves her toes. Her husband was a real jerk and she married him anyway. She had an emotional eating habit and she also drank too much, so she gives the sage advice to not use unhealthy things as crutches, and to keep them out of your house if you're seriously tempted. Hey girl, it's the wisdom of the ages. Her self absorption and materialism run deep. She lusted after a $1000 Louis Vuitton bag and the day she finally made enough money, she practically ran to the mall to buy it. I was waiting for some reflection about a ridiculously expensive bag not being worth it, how it didn't really enrich her life after all, but nope. Now she has a goal of owning a vacation home in Hawaii within five years. She has been through rough times like her parents' bitter divorce and her brother's suicide, but even so, she has nothing insightful to say about any of it. To be fair to her, I played the book at 1.5X speed which made her sound extra chirpy. Maybe I missed some nuggets, but I'm not going back to find out. This all sounds pretty hateful. I don't hate her. I am just dumbfounded at her wild popularity. At least my time wasn't totally wasted as I listened to it while doing housework.

Greta, I am so sorry. You and your family will be in my prayers. Your beautiful words were filled with grace and love.

Aw, she is adorable! Congratulations!!

I hope so, but I don't always feel very positive about it. There is so much opposition to it, as well as misinformation.

My dad was an MD and he complained constantly about how much he hated fighting with insurance companies. For example, a patient of his in the hospital who had Condition X was only allowed by the insurance company to stay Y number of days in the hospital. Because profits! If that patient needed to stay longer due to a complication or an underlying medical condition or whatever, too bad. Dad would try his darnedest to convince the insurance company. Sometimes he was successful, and sometimes he had to discharge patients too soon. So incredibly frustrating, to not be able to do the best thing for his patients. That is only one way insurance companies ration health care. We could do so much better.

This issue hits me very hard. One of my older brothers very likely has undiagnosed Asperger's. He is in his 60's. Our parents (mostly Mom) supported him going to college for fifteen years, then living on his own, and then moving back in with our parents for over twenty years. He had a few very part time jobs decades ago but mostly did not work. Mom passed away years ago and Dad passed away less than two years ago. They never did anything to really help him aside from financial support and a vague hope that he'd figure out something. Dad had a friend (in the last few years) who was a psychologist and she strongly suspected Asperger's but there was never an evaluation. When Dad died, there was no fortune left but my brother got a little money to tide him over for a few months. Then he found a small rental place and, wonder of wonders, a real job! Not a high paying job, but over minimum wage. He lives very frugally. He has one close friend and a handful of acquaintances. His close friend is a 90-something neighbor. He visits her almost daily. He never realized everything that goes into supporting yourself, how much everything costs, etc., until he was past sixty!! I don't know what will happen to him as he ages. If he qualifies for SS, it's not going to be much. I don't think he could live with me because he is extremely messy, undisciplined, unhelpful, etc. He isn't trying to be annoying on purpose. I know that and hope I don't sound mean. I'm grateful he has a job, but wonder about his future. OP, I hope your son will get his evaluation and that you will start to get more answers about what kind of help he needs. I'm no expert at all but I wish the best for your son and for you and your family.

I think it's a common thing for past friendships to mean more to one party than the other. Sometimes it's just a difference in personality. Some people move on easily while others tend to be more sentimental about past friendships. Neither is right or wrong, just different. Several years ago we received a wedding invitation and did not recognize the bride OR the groom, at first!! Then I realized that the bride and her family had been in our homeschool group probably 15 years before. Her brother is married to a young woman we know and they go to our church. That was our only connection. We had never been close to this family and had never socialized with them outside of homeschool potlucks years ago. So who knows what goes through people's minds when they are making wedding guest lists? If you want to go, go. If not, send your regrets and a nice card. Sending money or a gift is totally up to you.