I agree with Prairie. I have been doing a lot of research and reading about the effects of climate change on crop collapse, reduced yield, the amount of currently used farm land that will become too arid or too flooded (in many cases both depending on the time of year) to continue to be used for food production. It is frightening and some of it is going to happen in the next 15-20 years. There will be large areas, just vast, that are going to be nearly uninhabitable. Think about last summer, the record highs, the places where touching your car or your door knob resulted in an ER visit. The American Southwest was nothing but misery. It lasted for 31 days in Phoenix. An entire month of being dangerous to be outdoors. Within the next 25 years, Arizona is likely to see 3-4 months a year like this. It is a total waste of water to try to keep up with that. We are also seeing soil collapse in places that are still prime producers due to unsustainable, conventional farming. I am NOT pointing fingers at farmers. They have fed the world. They get paid nothing to do it. This is not on them. But, we have to face facts that a lot of soil is spent. It can no longer produce bumper crop after bumper crop of cereal grains that keep the world from starving. The younger generations know their future has been robbed from them. They aren't inclined to bring more people into the misery. Trying to pay them to have kids through government programs is not the answer. I am staring directly at Alabama here who decided embryos are constitutionally protected humans while also cutting funding for food for children. We cannot continue to promote " have babies" when this is the kind of crap from our leadership. By 2050, it is estimated that 38 trillion dollars will be used each year for the endless recoveries from climate disasters...the annual "500 year" floods, mudslides, wildfires, droughts, hurricanes....That kind of economic woe far outpaces low birthrate woes. Economically the problem won't be lack of humans. The problem will be the planetary wreckage. I also think, for the sake of children, the big drop in teen pregnancies is a very good thing. Again, we shouldn't think of children as economic units.

Demographics in the US will change for sure. Gen Alpha is the first generation in which white children are not in the majority. Of the new the many millenials and Gen Z folks that I know, very very few intend on having children. Some of the GenZ males in this group have already had that taken care of permanently. It is hard to tell how GenAlpha will think about child rearing, but given they are a very traumatized generation from pandemic schooling to constant school shootings and bomb threats, my guess is they may be rather against having children to put through more of the same. It seems like leadership only lives in the here and now, and that is definitely the way big business behaves so I don't think any true, long-term planning has occurred. We still have a school district in my county whose high school student body is 52. The graduating class this year is 8. How are they even keeping the doors open and still offering the full Michigan Merit Curriculum. I don't get it. That district borders 3 other districts all of whom have much better educational outcomes. Why hasn't the state divided these students among those districts, and closed up, and saved the huge cost of running the district? Michigan has to give them a startlingly huge amount of money above the per head funding and property taxes in order to keep it going. These are the types of issues that must be addressed going forward.

If Andy Weir is to be believed, robotic nurses will be able to babysit our comas on the way to a new solar system! But I am skeptical. I could see a robot arm that administers shots or hands out pills by dispenser or something. I think things like grave digging and closing (maybe every cemetery will have this robot), ditch maintenance that is autonomous, possible autonomous fruit pickers, that kind of thing. But they will be so expensive up front, that most businesses and retired folk won't be able to own the automated appliances/machinery so there would have to be some way to make them readily available to the masses. I could see some sort of automated mop being used in medical facilities and schools, and sweepers as well thus lowering the number of custodians needed. I think we will run into problems of not having enough people to do certain things long before the tech catches up.

I think wages will go up a lot because with immigration so tight, there aren't all the worker bees that many corporations want. I also believe manufacturing will slow down since there won't be as many people to buy the stuff, and they don't pay the humans being trafficked into their dangerous overseas factories enough money to buy the stuff being produced. So the economy, in terms of never ending growth, is going to stall if not contract. That will mean the status quo is going to change with a lot to negative reaction. I am unsure how that will play out. Schools will consolidate. On the one hand, bad because students will have long commutes. On the positive, running fewer districts and buildings will be more cost effective, and might allow for programs to expand instead of contract bringing back more academic flexibility which is needed. There will be fewer tax payers and more retirees. I think it could force the issue of universal healthcare because as a percentage of GDP it is way less cost, and if the workers have to pay higher taxes, they can't also be paying thousands and thousands out to pocket in premiums and deductibles. It isn't sustainable. Or the opposite effect if the powers that be are particularly evil, and Medicare and social security gets cut to the bone, workers live like paupers, and the elderly die, miserable and unattended. Given the current state of leadership, that isn't far fetched either. We will probably see some LACs and smaller universities close because the well of potential collegians will shrink a good bit. GenZ and Gen Alpha seem to be more into experiences and making memories than stuff. So travel might expand much more than we would expect. That is all I can think of at the moment.

I have no good words of advice. For me, I found that the atypical hours of music studio and performances just became to hard to manage with college kids, aging parents, etc. Mark and I were only in the same room half the time to sleep. But I also would not have tried to move in the middle of all of it too. It is hard. Very hard. Hugs from me to you!

I am so sorry. I had an uncle with progressive MS, and his personality changes just prior to diagnosis were very, very startling. I hope they find out what is going on very soon! Hugs

They attend often because it is all they can afford or because those places offered the best financial aid package. It is very difficult for parents and students to find out who will be teaching their individual courses. Often a professor's name and credentials are listed as the educator of record, but then that individual doesn't show up to teach and a TA is in charge. The cheapest to attend universities in Michigan are often the ones with the most adjuncts, guest lecturers, and TAs teaching the undergrad coursework. But when the cost to attend U of MI is $30,000 a year and very little financial aid or scholarships are forth coming, but the commuter university with all the part time staff is $10,000 and the student can live at home without exorbitant room and board bills, the bottom line often wins. Parents just cross their fingers and hope for the best. I suspect in the next decade we will see some majors become practically extinct at many, many schools. I don't like it, and wonder what the world is coming to when we don't value art, music, theater, writing, foreign language, social sciences, and many others. But I really do not see it getting better since the powers that drive this don't care in the least. They and theirs will always get to attend tippy top and Ivy while they write the check for it or donate a building in order to get that sweet spot. We are also WAY too top heavy on administrators vs. educators. This really needs to change. However, it is "management" that gets to decide how the money is allocated giving them a vested interest in turning self and friends, not the actual education part of it. I also suspect that a lot of religious and private not highly ranked LAC's may go belly up. It is getting harder and harder for parents to pony up the cash for these institutions, and both GenZ and Gen Alpha are taking a hard look at debt costs. Any kind of university at half the price is going to look a lot better. Mark and I attended an expensive, highly ranked private school on great scholarships back in the day. But our alma mater just does not provide scholarships at the same percentage of cost to attend. We had entirely full time faculty to show for our lower cost to attend too. When our own kids were applying to college, the alma mater was not even remotely an option. I am not sure the present situation is sustainable.

Big happy update: We used the sprinkler system last night. Though it got down to 24°F (-4.4C) which would have been a 100% kill rate because our blossoms were at the pink tip stage, the ice coating seems to have worked. 2/3 of the ice has melted off, and the blossoms look really healthy! We had young honey bees yesterday afternoon. I bet they were feeling rather confused and unhappy by the time the temp got that low. It is warming rapidly. We have a low predicted of 33-34°F (.55-1.1) tonight. But that is okay for the blossoms. Then the ten day forecast is nothing low at all, and some nice, warm spring days which makes me happy. I have row covers, so I think if the raised beds that are covered with windows have reached 55° (12.7C), I will transplant the seedlings I have been hardening off except peppers and tomatoes. Those will wait another couple of weeks. I am going to move the windows to the tomato bed though so that soil can be warming faster. I am also going to sow the radish, carrot, and scallion seeds.

Yay!!!.So glad to hear this. 👏👏👏👏👏

Just gorgeous! Congratulations to the happy couple.

Marvelous! I love it!

I wore this to the last wedding I attended. They originally indicated black tie, but then quickly switched to formal/cocktail. I think k they got some feedback that black tie was too expensive for a lot of guests. I really loved the fit and color. It is comfy to wear and looks really nice. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DHXZQ28/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s04?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I wore these sandals because there was a lot of walking to do between the chapel and the reception venue, plus dancing, and I hate having tired feet, and my bad ankle barks I'd I am in heels too long. These sandals actually have a gold shimmer. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BQ8MLRHR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I did not wear hose. I wore a gold chain, ankle bracelet which was a dressy touch with the simple sandals. I had a gold chain necklace with a pearl pendant that worked well with the neckline, matching wrist bracelet, and my hair was down but loosely curled and finger combed with one side pulled back on the side with gold clip.

Wonderful update! I am so happy for you.

Love it! I am a bunny foo foo fan so long as they are not eating my garden! 😂

Here is what Mark rigged to save our apple trees. Due to those 70 degree days in March and early April, once again, my Apple girls have been in danger of blossoming too soon. He built it on the weekend and we tested it Sunday night when it was going to get down to 30°F (1.1C). It worked like a charm, creating icicles on the blossoms which insulated them at freezing preventing them from a hard freeze. No damage at all, and blossom looked beautiful. Tonight is going to drop to 26°F (-3.3C) so it will be turned on at midnight and allowed to run until 8am when our temp gets just above freezing so the ice can melt. Though the sprinkler is mounted at the crown of one tree, it throws water far enough to completely coat the apple tree next to it. I don't know if you can see it going up the center of the tree, leaning against the trunk. It is just two 10 ft piece is lumber screwed together with the garden hose run up the middle, secured with zip ties, and then the sprinkler screwed on at the top and a few tie downs so it doesn't work it's way loose from all the vibrations and of course wind since it had been crazy windy here. It didn't cost us anything because it was scrap lumber that we had in the shed, zip ties we already owned, and my mother's sprinkler.

Melissa, I am so sorry you are still struggling. But, I am so impressed with how you are finding ways to be involved, and especially to keep the twins engaged. You are an amazing woman, and I hope you know that!

I don't know where you live so this suggestion is just being tossed out generally for anyone who might be in Michigan or visiting and wants some ideas. There is a new, sensory trail specifically designed for kids on the spectrum (which makes me think it would work for many children with a varieties of disabilities) in Rochester Hills (a northern suburb of Detroit). The trail is in this park. departments/parks_and_natural_resources/trailsandparks/avonnaturestudyarea.php

Sadly, this is very likely true.

It is a gorgeous bowl by the way! Now I am thinking, "I need pasta bowls!" 😂

This is not the same pattern, but similar style and colors. It is on etsy.

Oh, I can totally understand that! I had a flight attendant one time want to take my sterling Yamaha flute from my hands and stash it wherever over head. I held tight and said I would be keeping it under the seat in front of me with my feet holding it nice and tight in place. And I doubt though it was a very high end flute, it was not nearly as expensive as your double bass! Also, if you can get a seat with lower lumbar adjustment, I highly recommend that. My 6'2" son says a lot of seats do not fit his back well. He likes our equinox for driving because it is one of the models that have that adjustment, and he can make it support his lower back much better than our Sienna. Since you have a son who will learn drive on it, this might be another good consideration.

I have heard that the Buick Enclave is comfy for very tall people. It seats 7 and has some nice configurations for cargo. I think 3 people and a double bass would work. It might be worth going to a chevy dealership with your kids and the double bass, do some test driving, and take a tape measure so you can see how much headroom is left above the boys. I think there are some good adjustments for the seats so it might be possible to create legroom, and the steering wheel is adjustable for both tall and short folks. It is a more upscale model than the Equinox and roomier.

At my niece's recent wedding, the photographer announced, "We will now be taking photos of family only. Please check with me if you are unsure if you should join." She had a list of folks the bride and groom had asked to be photographed with them. Since I have not been personally enclose with Mark's nieces and nephews (they live 13 hours away, and due to schedules as our families grew up, it didn't work out for the in-laws and cousins to be in each other's orbit more than for a few hours every three or four years), I didn't approach the photographer to even ask. I was chatting with the plus one of a distant relative at the time, and didn't think I would be included. So we just kept chatting. Mark was talking with his brother so of course they skittered off for photos. Later, Mark said niece asked where I was because she had expected me to be in the photo. Oops! I think the bride and groom could submit a list of pics/poses they want with a list of names of who should be in each photo to whomever is the designated photographer, and then just have that person call out names for each pose. This way if the bride isn't interested in having sister's plus 1 in the pic, it is handled in a more professional manner. If the bride was worried about offending her sis, she could ask for just one photo of her and hubby with sis and boyfriend, then either not buy/print that shot if she is uninterested or send one to her sister, and not give one to everyone else. Then if it turns out boyfriend joins the family in the future, there would be a photo of him at the wedding that could be framed and hung up so he feels included.

Yes. I am aware of the history of it. Still very heartbroken about it despite it being "normal". I don't know why humans have to be so awful to each other.

Boy do we need this sign where I live. A family from Rochester Hills bought property here across from a beef ranch/farm, and then petitioned the township to run him out of business because smells and "doesn't look pretty". Well duh! Yes. He was laughed right out of the township meeting.