I do love TA, though. Do you know that they have forums not just the reviews/listings? Perhaps you do, but if you google, say, "Trip advisor traveler forum Bonaire" you will get to it (maybe there's a better way through their site). Anyway, I do find by skimming those, I can weed through the 'what do I wear to Bonaire in April??" type posts and get a feel for whether the locale is a good fit. Also, there are a lot of past threads re: favorite vacations and I search our boards better by googling this: " forums.welltrainedmind.com xxxxxxx " where x = my word, ie vacation. I hope those suggestions are helpful, sorry if not. But, I know, wherever you go, you will have a great time...sounds awesome!!

Yes, you are right...the linear foreign body bunching the intestines to tearing could take that long. (that is awful to even type, my hospital experience is helping me be objective) UPDATE: Went to vet. All okay for now. I just couldn't wait until symptoms began for her to be looked at or talk face to face with vet. I gave it a few hours after the (sometimes missed) mid-day doo-doo didn't show up and went in (yes, Saturday emergency call, but I don't mind one bit). X-rays revealed normal stomach contents/no distention at all. Small intestine had normal looping with only a small area of gas. Dr. thought that could be where the fabric was, and she hopes it stays/stayed in one piece, and it could be a normal gas pocket - it was very small, but she wants us to watch her very carefully. Dr. wants normal diet followed, saying that forcing stool unnaturally, especially with a foreign object such as yarn, would, at least partially, be bypassing the normal movement of the bowels that are, hopefully pushing it along and out. Dr. was very reassuring that in her experience, our dog would show signs of bowl obstruction before the linear foreign body would cause tearing. Not that a bowel obstruction would be a walk in the park, it is just that she was reassuring that our vigilance was the best thing going for our dog.

Thanks for the encouragement, @Pawz4me She certainly is my ever present companion & quite watched, except nighttime crating, so I think I’ll see signs, although she’s also quiet mannered , so I’m paranoid she’ll suffer in silence for awhile. Having experienced a traumatic dog health situation in the past is beckoning at me to increase anxiety, so I’ll admit to having to fight that hard! doing a good job at making myself just ride it out here at home as normal. Its the fact that it’s yarn that gets me and concerns vet - just don’t know if we’re dealing with a very long object that could be very dangerous or a clump that could pass ‘easily’ with time. Vet didn’t want induced diarrhea because of potentially exacerbating the long line if that’s what’s there. I was hoping for an X-ray, too @gingersmom They also said X-ray wouldn’t pick up the yarn from the stool. Also, they said days 3-5 were the days to look for, but I would think things pass more quickly. This dog is so supervised & in an environment that is kept dog-proof friendly, It’s always that one time...

The advice of the vets is not consoling me as we settle for the day. Our sweet girl is fine, voraciously hungry and gave dinner a little late, but as usual. I was hoping to hear from you, @Ktgrok but I cannot leave a pm for you. Here are my questions: Are they not bringing me in for x-ray because they assume I do not want to pay for it or because they cannot see anything on x-ray this soon? What are the percent of dogs that come out ok with this type of situation vs those that (gulp) die or (awful but still) need surgery? Should I just go in tomorrow, or, again, is it too soon? I read (I was going to stop googling it, but I just had to read more) that it can stay in stomach for a ‘long time’ and work parts through later...won’t it, cotton yarn, eventually dissolve, or will we be on pins and needles for weeks/months?? I wish I knew if she swallowed (what we think to be 2 more feet) as the piece of knitting, unraveled, or chewed up.

Both vets I have called said now that she has vomited such an amount (two, close together episodes revealing a little yarn, the micro-skein of yarn & some remainder of breakfast), that more vomiting was not a good idea. Once it clears stomach, which they believe it has, it will (hopefully) pass without problems this weekend. I cannot google it anymore, I am worried enough already=( I will be watching her like a hawk this weekend!

I know, @StephanieZ, I am quite worried now. Here's an update, but I am not through with worry... I gave peroxide via syringe/enticed to drink. She vomited. A foot of yarn, but also a small skein of yarn (micro skein) that my Dd spun that was lying around unnoticed. Yikes, I had no idea she had eaten that...we try to vigilant about those types of objects due to our pup's desire for soft items. She is resting now, and vet said that we should just watch for any uncomfortableness this weekend. Do you know if one full vomiting episode equals empty stomach? And, once it clears the stomach and enters intestine, is the only recourse to watch and wait?? I am wondering if I need a second vet opinion.

Thank you, @Selkie I'll just go ahead & call... Yes, I worry about those, too. We never give her anything when she is unsupervised except (empty) kongs. She just isn't trustworthy. Loves fabrics! Someone forgot to place the shake can back on the chair to keep her from this seat cover. ------------------------------ So, the vet wants to see a photo and says sometimes they have people give peroxide for the dog to drink...ack!...better go look that up; never heard of that!

Is it problematic that our 100 lb dog ate some yarn from this knitted cloth? She is behaving fine. Quite happy with herself, I imagine. All that is missing in the photo below was eaten - about a 4x5 inch piece. Remembering that it is of concern when cats are left alone with balls of string due to the risk of causing bowel obstruction, I now am borderline worried about our pup...

Yes, this has happened for years to me when I attempted to sell 'more recent' textbooks. I sell items that receive that error message on eBay.

My foot issues are: prone to plantar fasciitis, wide toe box yet regular width heel area, uber high arch. I have found three things to be the gem: 1) must feel good in the store without obvious tightness, rubbing, etc 2) these insoles from Amazon.https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002675TYM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I detested them the first few days because they are hard and just so different than the 'Dr. Scholl's' I have used, but DH made me wait them out. They are wonderful! I even use the pop-out arch supports by themselves in shoes that are 'tighter' or whose style make my foot too 'high' when the entire insert is in, like my dress Maryjanes. These insoles come with an adaptor for sandals...a way to adhere the insole to the sandal bed. I have not used that feature. 3: if lace ups, keep loosely tied. I mistakenly used to tie where it was 'comfortable' when putting shoes on, not realizing that this was 'gently' putting pressure on my arch from above. The telltale sign of this is a slow burn sensation on the bottom of my feet. So, if you have high arches, check to make sure you are not putting pressure on your arch from above. I think of this as like braces...that slight pressure can have an enormous, and in this case painful, effect.

Let’s finish yesterday’s list: swish/swipe bathrooms put all travel things away birds/vacuum their area Then I am off to the big city to visit an art museum and have a fancy lunch out with a friend. ETA - Oh yeah, the dog, why do I always forget the high-maintenance dog?? Have a great day everyone!

Just hopping late into your discussion, ladies, because I need serious accountability to get something done today! Tomorrow I spend out of town with a friend, so I must go into it feeling accomplished: clean kitchen to shining final unpack from NYC trip (includes all the guidebooks, maps still laying around) laundry fold & put away swish/swipe bathrooms cat boxes/birds/vacuum areas cook dinner Really, just my basic daily grind has not yet happened!

Funny, that I do know how to quilt & crochet. I guess it’s the minimalist in me that keeps from buying, the lack of fortitude for the hobbies that keeps me from a project. I think that receiving something that someone spent the time making is what I appreciate and desire. Just have never had that type of love in my life - on the receiving end. Ok, eldest DD has since given me wonderful handmade items. I get that many here have purchased and made for themselves, but my first thought, reading this post was the memory of watching my friends opening those handmade gifts, and realizing, when we were swaddling our first born, that I had not received anything like that and owned no baby blanket or throw except the blanket the hospital sent us home with. Granted, a few more have entered our home to cover the necessities, but even most of DD’s creations are display items and hers, not mine. I love the suggestions for how to prioritize them, especially by @HomeAgain

I was the girl present at your wedding and baby shower feeling all of those homemade quilts and crocheted blankets saying, "Ahhh, pretty!" I was also the girl who received no blankets as gifts or hand-me downs...we just barely have enough, decades later=( I have blanket envy!

It is likely a dying breed, but piano tuners were frequently also refurbishers. As long as the sound board is intact, it would likely make a good beginning piano after some TLC. Replacing keys & strings, refinishing the cabinet, and the needed tuning is easy...for those who know how. My Dad used to get pianos for free (as long as he paid to haul it home) and sell them for 250-300 back in the 70's after he worked them over. He even made some into 'honky-tonk' pianos with pink & purple keys, little metal strips in front of the strings for the hammer to hit, and mirrors behind the keyboard...groovy! Advertise on Craigs list as a "Piano - Needs Fixing" or call a piano tuner and see if there's a piano tuning guild nearby who knows of someone who will take it away.

As a back to college gift (aka ‘get into college’?) I have made a homemade quilted zippered pencil case.

These answers amaze me - it seems like overkill to complete change your wash detergent or clothing! I simply keep a spray bottle of diluted laundry detergent (I use tide) next to my machine. As I load the machine, I spray the underarm areas of the shirts of ‘odor offenders’ in the family as I place their shirts in the wash. (I will add that, with this crazy water-efficient washer, I do smaller loads, and do the ‘fast (30 min) cycle’ since it didn’t clean any better on the ‘clothes (55 min) cycle’.)

Is DH now able to work toward the goal of working at that courthouse? Because, if he does not really plan to change, then I would vote, wait. Commuting everywhere is no fun. OTOH, if you do not go out that much and love being at home, the property sounds so wonderful for you.

We like to make face to face contacts here.

Thank you for the advice regarding not choosing curricula for her. And, your suggestions for proper perspective @NormaElle discussion is great. I have never had the experience of having children in school, but I can see how that would lead a parent to having comparison issues. Mixed with low self esteem on the part of the mother, it could be exacerbated. I need to stop back and not try to rush in and save her.

I am sorry that you had that experience, although it does sound like it has worked out. No, she is not really for academic rigor, she is just a rather timid person. I think, if she were to 'come to know' that children each have different ways of expressing their intellect and different speeds of learning she would be fine with it. I know that when my confidence was lower at times (new things...so everything with first born=), I am more likely to not think clearly and blame others, when it is really only my own lack of knowledge to blame, and that, being temporary, is really okay. I would like to tip her off to that very real potential and help her nip it in the bud...seeing this first year especially as a time to let go of expectations and enjoy their time together, rather than judge everything harshly and be scared that her kids aren't learning much.

A friend (ESL friend I had asked about earlier) is going to take her children out of school to homeschool next year. They are girls going into the 2nd and 5th grades. Mom lacks confidence. Well, I can relate to that. What I cannot relate to, and is concerning to me, is her expectations. She expects perfection (a common homeschool newbie mistake that goes away fast or leads to quitting), and she compares her children relentlessly, placing a huge burden on the younger child. The child has seemingly struggled with math and reading review at home, but what I really see as the problem is that the younger child is given work for review at home that is 'what her sister was doing at the same age', not work at her own level. Her own level, IMO, is age-appropriate, and she is a smart child. So, she is punished (verbally reprimanded) for not doing, say, a multi digit subtraction math sheet in a reasonable time and doing poorly on it. When I asked my friend if the child knew her subtraction facts cold, she expressed that she didn't think so. I gently suggested that she have the child work at her own level, and she would progress steadily and, likely, speedily from there. My friend was really skeptical, being attached to the idea that her sister had been doing better at that age. I just can't relate to that thinking. As a matter of fact, it makes me rather frustrated. I believe most children are rather bright and can be brought along from wherever that are to really amazing places, when there are not underlying health problems or learning issues. My frustration makes it difficult for me to know what to say to lead her along from where she is. (haha, I can do this with children, but I have no patience with adults🤣) She has asked me to collect materials for her to begin, but, to me, the most important gift I could give her is to help her perspective on expectations be reasonable so that they all enjoy that time more. Her stated reason for homeschooling - family togetherness and the potential of a more enriching lifestyle for the girls - is about the same as our own family's reasons back in the day. So... What can I say to encourage her to have healthy expectations so they can enjoy the experience? Thank you!

Yes. I can see how learning along side her children is a great idea. I hope I can help instill that attitude. I am going to begin another thread on the gen ed board to discuss helping her gain confidence in the process... But, in the meantime, AAS? I think it provides solid phonics-based information. I just wonder, is it for everyone? So many like the multisensory angle, but I find that stressful and would rather 'read and discuss' to learn. Generally, I didn't consider my children's learning styles when choosing curriculum. I figured that if the teacher could use it well and liked it, that made it a good fit for the child...as a curriculum that would be used with gusto. I had great success, but maybe the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.