No tomatoes here. I am sorry for all your pain and disappointment. Sounds to me like the new guy is a flake. If you still have ownership papers, the mare is yours. However, I do believe that if the stable owners understood that a sale had taken place, and that the new owner was responsible for the mare's expenses, they should not be pursuing you for payment. The new guy was the one that asked that she be moved to the more expensive stall. Also, with respect to the vet.... Who called him? Who engaged his/her services? THAT is the person who is responsible for the bill. Were you consulted about the vet visit? Did you agree to it? I get the sense that you were cut out of that loop, (rightly so), because everybody understood that you no longer owned the horse. Here's what I would do: Find a new place for your mare that you can afford. Make arrangements to board her there. If the new guy doesn't pay up at the end of the month, move her and then try to sell her to someone else. (If you still need to sell her.) You were smart to hold on to the papers. You were also smart to notify the stable about the sale. I think you have a pretty good legal leg to stand on. Forget about the new guy's brother. He doesn't have the papers, so he doesn't own the horse. But maybe he would like to buy her in a separate transaction with you? Is he a good guy? Best of luck to you. Stand your ground. You have been beyond patient, and don't need to put up with that flakey behavior anymore.

My dd is taking French II at the local high school. I am very disappointed with the lack of forward momentum taking place in the class. My dd is used to a very rigorous schedule. She is also currently taking Latin II online, and she is learning so much more in her Latin class. Can anyone help me? What is the normal scope and sequence for a high school level French II course? The *only* new thing dd has learned this year is the passe compose. Come on!! :001_huh: Thanks, Jackie

Thanks to all of you for posting! This thread has done my heart so much good!! I am now ready to go teach my 3 average, and sometimes behind "grade level" children (whatever that means), and accept them where they are. I admit, it's a lot more fun to talk and think about my oldest, who has abilities that are frankly in the stratosphere. But my younger 3 need me more, and need my acceptance more. Thanks for putting me on the right track today! Cheers, Jackie

Yes! We all study Latin here! My oldest dd is now working at translating portions of the Vulgate. She loves it! It also made learning French VERY EASY. I would say that French (she is in French II right now) is a breeze because of her Latin. Do persevere! It will be worth it. I somehow managed to convince my dc that learning Latin is cool, so everyone is on board here. Best wishes, Jackie

The thing that bothers me about not having enough money, is not the "stuff", but the opportunities missed. I grew up never getting "stuff". We were ranchers, and we grew up just working, working, working. I loved it. A couple of my siblings didn't love it so much, but that's a different story. Instead of learning to have stuff, I learned to love work, and love the land. I wouldn't trade it. The only downside was that I also grew up "knowing" that I just couldn't do things. I couldn't go to vet school because it would take too long and cost too much. I couldn't study abroad because it would take too long and cost too much. There was a huge push for all of us to be as independent as possible as soon as possible. I felt like a bit of a financial burden. But now, with my own dear kids, I want them to look at things and say "I can do that". If they want to study abroad, they should. If they want to go to a great Liberal Arts college, and then have to go to grad. school, they should. With our current cash poor, land rich situation, they will not be able to do these things. That is why I'm back in school getting a 2nd degree. I want to make the money that is going to allow my kids to do things. We are not poor. My dd is basically getting a private school education with VP, lol. But we also drive 15 year old cars with a gazillion miles on them. We scrimp on food and electricity and clothes. We don't go out (except to the museums). I just don't want them to feel like I did. I want them to be able to do the important things. I want them to live fully.

Feel a bit like a broken record here, but I will just say that dd loves her Omnibus III online class. She took I and II previously, also online. She is pursuing a VP academy diploma, so we take many of their online classes, and for us it is worth the money. It seemed we really focused on World History in her grammar stage. Somehow we missed quite a bit of American History. So I'm glad that she's getting a really excellent year of it right now. Like you, I love the idea that she is responsible to another teacher. She does more work for them than she would have done for me! And I love the more objective grading. (I am harder on my dc than others). We have not had a bad teacher at Veritas. Quite the contrary; they have all been excellent. Right now she has Bruce Etter, and Christi Goeser. (Primary and secondary, respectively). I could never have gotten through all the suggested reading with her. She pushes hard in these classes, and is getting an excellent education. They just put their 2010/2011 class schedule up, and are starting registration, so your timing is perfect. You can also sit in on a current class if you want to get a feel for how they do things. Best of luck, jackie

Yes, I'm taking 2 pills 2x/day with a full meal. I just went and bought some Pepcid AC. Hopefully that will help?

Has anyone here ever had this? I was diagnosed with this 2 days ago, and my Dr. put me on a heavy dose of prednisone to reduce the pain and inflamation. Now my stomach is killing me. Do any of you know of a more gentle, or homeopathic course of treatment? One web site I looked at suggested bed rest and aspirin. Ahhhh, sounds heavenly. But with 4dc, an absentee husband, and University classes, very unlikely! :001_huh:

:bigear:

This is a wonderful post. As the mother of 3 adopted children, and 1 bio child, my experience has been much the same. So I will not repeat what has already been said here. I will just say that :iagree::iagree:. Best wishes to you as you consider the possibilities of adoption.

5:30 rise and shine 6:15-6:45 Geometry homework 6:45:7:25 Omnibus III Primary homework 7:30-9:00 Composition Class 9:30-12:30 Geometry class and French II class at Public School Lunch break/relax 2:00-3:30 Piano lesson (Dd walks to and from lesson. Lesson by itself is 1 hr.) 3:30-4:15 Omnibus III Secondary reading 4:30-6:00 Omnibus III Secondary class 6:25-8:00 Swim Practice 8:15 Dinner and collapse This is a pretty typical day. Dd literally runs from one thing to the next. Each day is different, but packed. She likes it. She's one of those kids that thrives on pressure and a packed schedule. I worry about burnout.:001_huh:

Thank you so much, Rebecca. This is very encouraging. We are just trying to do the right thing, so that all of her gifts are developed, and her life is rich and rewarding.... kwim?

Yes, that's it exactly. "Choices have to be made". The list I made includes the minimum requirements for the VP scholars diploma (honors level). Minimum. It is a lot. So far, after her freshman year, she will have completed math through Geometry, science through Biology, languages through Latin II and French II, Literature, History and Theology through Omnibus III, and Comp. I. I guess the problem is that she wants to do everything. She wants to study more Latin, and French. She wants to do more music. She absolutely loves Omnibus, and never wants to drop those classes. The only thing she doesn't want to do is the math and science. :001_smile: Do I understand correctly that your dd did less than 4 years of high school math? Or was AP Stats her 4th year? Is 4 years of math and science the new minimum for entrance into a liberal arts college? May I ask whether or not your daughter received financial help via scholarships? How is your dd doing in college? Does she feel that she was well-prepared? Your dd's track looks good in that she did complete more in-depth Latin. Is a modern foreign language not required? I have so many questions, and I sometimes wonder if I should just get on the phone and talk to counselors at the colleges that dd has interest in. Of course, 3 years from now.... who knows where she will end up. But she is not a flighty person. She will most likely stick to liberal arts. It's just who she is......

Dd is very motivated and hard-working. She wants an honors diploma from Veritas Scholars Academy. This means a pretty rigorous academic schedule for her. This is what she will have accomplished at the end of her high school career: Four years of math, culminating with Calculus 1 Four years of science, including Physics and Organic Chemistry Omnibus since 7th grade, ending with Omnibus VI Logic, Rhetoric, and a Senior Project 3 Languages ending with Latin II, Greek I, and 2 years Modern Foreign Language 2 Composition classes. Extracurricular: Swim team (she swims year-round, but only has time for 3 times/week in the off-season) 4-H where most of her time is spent raising livestock. (She has her own little flock of sheep and a couple of heifers.) This takes a lot of time during the summer. She has almost NO time for this during the school year, which frustrates her. Classical piano. She is in her 10th year, and doesn't have the time she would like to have to practice. She would like to practice 1 hr/day, but can only fit that in maybe 3 times/week. When you put all this on paper, it doesn't seem so bad, but my concern is that there is no room for flexibility. She wants to learn to play the flute, take orchestra, and more art classes. She would like to take more French, and learn Gaelic, and study Irish History. She would like to take voice classes. She would like to see how far she can go with piano. But she doesn't have time for any of these things. And as she progesses through High School, she will undoubtedly see other things she wants to do. She is already talking about a foreign exchange opportunity. All of these are good things that we can't do because of the core classes at Veritas. The academic requirements, I think, are huge. Is this what it takes to get into a good liberal arts college? She wants to go to Thomas Aquinas. Sometimes I think that when she graduates from High School, she'll be able to teach the great books at Thomas Aquinas! :tongue_smilie: The whole thing seems a little unbalanced. What do you think? What do we actually need to get into a school like Thomas Aquinas? Also, there is no money. She will need scholarships...... We are spending money now with Veritas, hoping that it will pay off with scholarships for college.

Dd started with Omnibus I in 7th grade. She is now in 9th grade and is taking Omnibus III Primary and Secondary, Latin II, and Comp. We tried Latin I with Regina Coeli, and really didn't like it. Next year dd will take Omnibus IV, Logic, Rhetoric, and Greek with Veritas. She would love to also take Latin Readings, but she won't have time. :sad: 2nd dd will probably start Omnibus as a 9th grader, as she just doesn't care for the reading. She will probably be ready for Latin in 7th grade, though. The cost for all of this is hard to swallow. I don't know how I'll manage 1 in college, and 3 in online courses.....:001_huh: But I am convinced that the online courses are worth it. I just cannot compete with the wonderful teachers out there.

.......Just a lesson in death and dying. The official end to our 7-year drought last summer was a flash flood in which we lost 11 calves and 2 cows. It was horrible. Calves in trees, cows under 5-foot hail drifts. Every time I rode out there I cried. And then some more calves are born, and they peek at you from around the back of their protective mother, and you decide..... this is what I love. Despite the losses. Despite the hardships. How do you stop doing what you love? Hang in there.

I am so sorry for the wreck. We've got two big reservoirs in our winter pasture which are frozen solid right now, but we're not sure how to keep the cows out once it starts to thaw. We haven't had to worry about it in the past because this is the first time the reservoirs have filled, after 7 yrs of drought (It's always something.....). We're thinking maybe solar powered electric fencing around the reservoirs. Could that be an option for you? Such a loss is hard to take. Prayers going out for you. Jackie

This looks to me like possibly a French name with some German or Swiss influence? Maybe from the Alsace region? If so, I would pronounce it Nor-es, with a long e. I recently encountered a french name "Etienne" with a German pronunciation "A-chin" with a long a. That one really threw me.

Can I just lurk and gain inspiration from that? I would like to tone up and quit eating sugar (again). I'd also love to find some sort of exercise that I can do that won't cause my herniated disc to scream! Can't afford the gym. During the school year, we live in town so I don't have the ranch work to keep me fit. I really hate living in town.

There are cultures where it is common to consume horsemeat. The French do, as well as other European countries. In our culture, it isn't acceptable. You may have read about the black market for horsemeat in Florida. Criminals were butchering horses (inhumanely) and selling their meat on the blackmarket, I think to Cubans and Hispanics? It is considered a delicacy to some, and commands a price of something like $20.00/lb. Crazy. I believe that the horsemeat in the U.S. used to go into cat and dog food. Beyond that, I'm not sure. I've been around horses all my life. I was a horse-crazy young girl, and now I'm a horse-crazy adult. I love my horses. We have 5 right now, and are currently awaiting the delivery of 3 more from my SIL. Her kids have gone away to college, and she doesn't want the feed bill anymore. She figures that since we have a ranch, it will be basically free to take on her horses (not true). Horses are expensive, as you are discovering. And that's when they're healthy. When they get old and/or sick, they can be a huge drain on financial resources. I wish more people would think about that when they decide to own them. It used to be that when our horses would get too old to live comfortably, we could take them to auction and sell them. We knew, even as children, that they would be slaughtered. But we accepted it as part of life. No different than raising livestock which we would care for to the best of our ability and then slaughter and eat. OK, I admit it is different when you send a horse to slaughter. Horses become partners in work and play. You develop a relationship with a horse. I shed tears every time. Even now. But it is far better "take care of them" at the end of their life, than to let them suffer. And as ranchers, we were too pragmatic, and too cash-poor to just let them retire, or hire a vet to put them down. Just my experience. Thanks for not over-reacting to my post.

I would seriously doubt that anyone is going to "come to their senses". They obviously don't care. I'm so glad that you do care. Poor animals. This sort of thing is happening everywhere, as people cut back on "luxuries", and rescue shelters become full to overflowing. Someone mentioned contacting a 4-H group, and I think that's a great idea. A club might take it on as a community service to provide feed for the horse. Make it public. There are lots of people who care, like you do. Hopefully they will help. And at the risk of making lots of enemies on this board, I will say that a large part of the problem with all the horse neglect that is going on all over our country is due to the fact that horses can no longer be sold for slaughter. And yes, I do think that slaughter, done correctly and humanely, is far better than allowing these beautiful animals to starve to death, or die of exposure. I think that point needs to be made. Because it is easy to jump on a bandwagon and say "There ought to be a law" (against the slaughter of horses), but then there are consequences for such actions. Imagine all the horses that are being abandoned and neglected, that don't have caring neighbors around. Thanks for stepping up to the plate. I hope you can get some help.

I have to give a plug here for Veritas Scholars online Latin. Dd took Latin I through Regina Coeli, and it just did not fit. I see that many others have enjoyed that course, but that was not our experience. Dd, 9th grade, is now taking Latin II through Veritas, and the experience has been wonderful. Mrs. Hensley is a great teacher, and has a great rapport with her students. We also find the technology at Veritas to be far superior to the technology at RC. (although things might have changed since last year). Just our experience, ymmv. :)

All of you are so helpful and generous with your ideas. I'm still not decided as to our course, but I'm leaning toward the TC program, (especially after Beth's endorsement) and the Life of Fred idea. I think my dd would absolutely declare a mutiny if I offered another full course like Chalkdust. She is really feeling a lot of pressure and a lot of worry over her math "situation". She also has what I consider to be a very full academic plate right now. So I'd like her review to be as gentle as possible. Again, thanks for your help, Jackie

Hmmmmm, I wonder if we're talking about the same course.... The description of the one I'm looking at lists Professor James Sellers as the instructor. ??

I'm thinking of using this as a refresher for dd this summer before she tackles Algebra II next year. She is taking Geometry right now, and her Algebra continues to be a weak point. Of course any other ideas are welcome. But I thought that a dvd series might be better recieved by dd than yet more book work....... Btw, dd excels in all things non-math. For Christmas she has asked for the sweatshirt with the slogan "I'm an English Major, you do the math". ;)