That 3 dimensional backslash is bringing out the OCD housekeeper in me. I could not stand it. Beautiful, though.

My first job as a young teen was at a movie house; I worked behind the candy counter with the two screen rooms behind me. After the purchase of tickets, I would smile broadly and hand the ticket stubs to the patron. So, if the patron was attending the movie on their Right, I would point animatedly with my Left arm to the screen room behind me saying, "The movie is on your Right!" I am forever befuddled!

I just found the campus crime reports buried under the Campus Life section of our youngest's private college - eye opening, indeed!

Driveway is going up a hill; terrain on both sides of drive do not allow for sliding gate. In case you visit, you will see a sign on gate alerting you that gate swings open and to stay next to/behind keypad.

Love this idea. Husband is thinking he'd rather buy a vault than build something...first time I heard him prefer buying to 'do it yourself'! Anyway, I've wondered how vaults work - what if the package is too big (like an Amazon Prime Pantry box). It is very close to the road and, although we are way out in the country, I do not trust packages right at the street. I guess if they don't fit, they will just leave them against the fence...what choice would they have? Do not want to give anyone, even professionals, the code.

Really appreciate this info. DS was a bit skeptical recommending bid-based sites to me due to their critical reviews. It is that way with everything, though. A stint on one of those sites would give me a feel for editing. It would be wonderful to have regular part-time work, like for a publisher...but I freely admit that I have no idea what I am talking about.

Yippee! Our fencing is nearly complete. The only part needed to button our property up is the driveway. DH will be installing an auto gate and the small usps mailbox will stay at the curb. Right now, packages are delivered way up the driveway to our front porch. This will no longer be accessible. If someone is home, we could let someone in via remote, but that won't always happen. We've considered package vaults from Amazon, but can't figure out how/where to install since there is hilly grass on both sides of drive. There will be just enough space for someone to pull into our driveway and press the intercom while staying away from the swinging (forward) gate. If you have no access for UPS, USPS or others up to your house, how do you get your packages? Thanks!

Thanks you. Do you know his qualifications and education?

Editing makes me giddy. I also like to look for consistencies in data, etc, but I am somewhat inefficient (aka slow), so I would never work in a lab where lives depended on my fast exact count! My BS is in Dietetics. No longer registered or want to work in that field. I do not like to work with people as much as information. That comment reminds me about a post where I asked about being a private tutor. I was successful with my children, but not really sure if I have the personality to appeal to others' children. Haha, I am friendly and personable, just not 'Kindergarten Teacher' material! Plus I live out in the country. Way out. So, if you edit for a living: how do you find your editing jobs? Are there companies that hire at-home workers and give regular editing tasks? What type of educational background or professional training would be necessary to be qualified? A Master's of some sort? A different Bachelor's? I am looking for part-time reputable at-home work, no benefits, not even regular necessarily, but I do not want to google, 'editing jobs' each time I want a new gig. I am looking to make just a little extra income in the future, and I am willing to gain some education/credentials to make me marketable, employable, and confident/skilled in editing or proofreading jobs. TIA for thoughts and experience sharing!

Maybe get them addicted to books on tape? Here's a wonderful blog post I found about getting preschoolers hooked on them, but, if your children aren't regular listeners, you may find good ideas to adapt to them all. No reason for them all to share the same story...if they all had their own earphones, and you had set times for their stories each day, at least it would add some peaceful occasions...and the vocabulary acquisition they'll all receive makes this idea the bees knees for homeschoolers. https://everyday-reading.com/how-to-introduce-your-preschooler-to/

Essentrics The Ultimate Stretch Workout gives me the option of four targeted body area stretches that only last 15 minutes (I watch at 2x speed when super busy) or two other 30 minute routines. Good all around. Search function on their website is nearly impossible, although I wanted to purchase directly through them after perusing Amazon reviews. You have to go to their Essentrics.com site, choose 'store', then 'Essentrics DVD's' to find this particular one. The choices are overwhelming imo.

On the hunt for truly long-lasting regular lipstick, I was amazed to find this brand at walmart with a $6 tube! I used Clinique for years, then Loreal, but they are both no longer long-last. Milani it is, not sure how natural. It is infused with vitamins=) The color highlighted is mine, Matte Beauty, it is brownish, plum-ish nude. And, truly long-lasting!

IEW Our children deplore writing, but their writing is exemplary and used as examples in their college classes. They were imaginative and casual story tellers at young ages, not often writing, but not hating it. Adolescence shut down their creative flow. "I don't know what to write," they'd wail. They found WWE grueling - I must admit most of that was due to the fact that we had to spend so much time together executing it LOL...we love our time together, but while having FUN. At a time when they just weren't listening to me anymore, IEW came into the picture. I began IEW with each child with the B student package in 7th grade. Progressed slowly through their main programs through high-school. They found Andrew Pudewa different than me, i.e. funny. Admittedly, we did not write across the curriculum in high school. In high school, in order to not over-tax our non-lovers-of-writing children, they did very little writing outside of their English/Composition courses. During those years, we used either IEW or signed up our children for online IEW based writing classes (depending on the trustworthyness of the child being able to work autonomously). (added to this was extensive test-prep based grammar program) Again, much ease and success in their college writing assignments because IEW taught them how to do research or on-the-fly-writing...they may need to write on-the-fly even for a research paper when procrastination rears its ugly head LOL. Anyway, I believe IEW works by getting it done and being easy to implement. That is what I needed here. I didn't care if they loved writing, but I did care that they become excellent writers.

Yes, CS is so good to begin the day, whether more activities are in store for exercise or a quiet day. Just seems to loosen it all up so other activities don't do damage. Streaming got expensive, I purchased their DVD, Essentrics The Ultimate Stretch Workout and do a 15 minute targeted stretch each day (usually spine for me). Hope you feel top notch soon!

I just want to say, Scarlett, that I appreciate your honest interest in being a better person all the time in your family relationships. You lay yourself out there on the board and weather the good and bad advice/opinions/judgements so well. Often, I see at least a little of myself in your queries and learn a lot from the discussion!

Daniel Boorstin The Discoverers: A History of Man's Search to Know His World and Himself. This book is exceptionally written and fascinating. It covers history, science, civics, etc, all interwoven. A book I re-read frequently for just browsing. One Amazon reviewer said it well, "A liberal arts education in one book".

I've heard dehydration is more an issue due to blood volume not sufficient to accommodate the vaso-reflex. We are fainters and do three things before trigger-events: plenty of fluids (regularly), good meal, and, most importantly, do contract/release of lower extremity muscles (especially gluteus maximus) when there is any sign of it coming on. This helps by both increasing blood pressure d/t the moving of the muscles and keeps the blood from pooling in lower regions, which is what happens during a vasovagal episode. This exercise kept many boys from fainting while serving as altar boys.

Oh, it isn't an e-collar. It looks like a neck brace, low tech, to keep the pup from reaching. Do you mind, Pawz4me, to tell me more regarding 'constant vigilance'? Do you think I just need to watch pup & tell her not to lick? I'm willing to give it a few days. Just curious if that is what you meant. Worried about time spent alone but, since surgery, that has been sleeping time.

Thanks. I know we're taking about the dog, but here's a pic of our dear Hannah (can I highjack my own thread?): If you didn't see it above, we lost our cat yesterday to cancer.

Hmmm, good food for thought. Our dog/puppy (7 mos) has a love of eating up anything soft. I can just see her now, eating the body suit right of of herself! Ditto for fleece lining it, she'd see it as a chew toy. As for the air circulation under a collar, she does have issues with rubbing from her harness - hate to have that spread. Sigh! I wish the next week of healing would hurry along! We just put our older cat to sleep yesterday d/t advanced cancer, so I am babying the pup and a little more nervous about it all than I would normally be.

Anyone use these? I see collars on Amazon the are wide and stiff that prevent licking after surgery. A problem may be on the horizon for our pup licking after spaying. Those cones look so uncomfortable. Maybe I am over-worried and a little licking is not a problem... To clarify, this is a neck-brace looking contraption, not an e-collar.

pineapplemaui.com Maui Gold Pineapples - Reasonably priced, shipped quickly, a real treat we have shared with friends who have everything.

The replies are fascinating to me, too. Curious, peacelovehomeschooling, did your mom keep everything off the counter, as well? I have spent a lot of time in peoples' kitchens...as a babysitter, friends' houses as a child, friends' houses as an adult, etc, so I find it interesting that you were surprised by the 'counter keeping'... do you mostly hang with family that is also counter - clutter free and, hence, have not seen other examples? BTW, I wish to be like you! I have seen so many different ways to do kitchens - from the cluttered country kitchen types to modern gleaming ones. I yearn to be a keeper-off-the-counter type as you are, but I do keep plenty on hand (counter top) like my mixer, water heater, coffee maker, and food processor. I do not use or own an electric can opener. I only use the safety can opener, that no-one but the family knows how to use LOL.

Would love a photo! If you email the photo to yourself, you can choose the size. I always choose the smallest size (my phone automatically asks me the preferred size when I hit send on emails).