I don't think there's a risk of rabies. These bunnies live in cages inside a building, and are supervised when they're outside in exercise pens. So they have no contact with wild animals. But I think a tetanus shot is a good idea; I'm thinking it's been 20 years since I got one! Wendi

Thanks so much! Wendi

Am I hallucinating, or did I hear something about a Veritas Press reading contest? I found a printable form on their website, but no info. Apparently, this was mentioned in the latest Epistula, which I must have deleted without reading it. :confused: Can anyone help me? Wendi

The thread about getting a tetanus shot after a dog bite made me wonder... I get bitten by rabbits on a regular basis. Because rabbits are herbivores, usually this results in shallow little cuts that barely bleed at all. Some bites are little deeper and messier, but not really "puncture" wounds. Once a bunny bit me right where a vein is, and it bled like mad, but that's not typical. Should I have a tetanus shot, since I'm working with animals? I usually just was the bite area, or if it's very minor and I'm busy, I slather it with hand sanitizer. But that other thread has me wondering... Wendi

We've been thinking of seeing it. I hadn't heard from anyone how it was. Wendi

It's a fun way for rabbit owners to connect. And we get to see all the cute bunny photos!! Wendi

missionary house parents for home for unwed mothers take classes at university and seminary own a coffeehouse bookstore that caters to families, offering classes and book groups, Bible studies, etc. or just volunteer - at our church, at the hospital/nursing home, at the zoo, at an animal shelter --- all of them! Wendi

I'd define comfortable as: being able to buy the basics (mortgage and utilities, food and gas, basic clothes and household needs) without wondering where the $$ will come from living in a neighborhood that feels safe being able to build up savings to absorb unexpected medical bills, car repairs, loss of employment, etc. being able to afford some entertainment and luxuries, although not extravagant (a restaurant meal once a month, an inexpensive vacation every few years) saving for retirement, kids' college Wendi

I bought them both at Costco within the past couple of weeks. Wendi

It's Electrolux. Wendi

Yeah, it's electric. The unique thing about it is that the part with the blade attaches to the top of a cup, then the whole thing goes on the base. When it's blended, you unscrew the blade part, then you can put a little ring around the top of the cup, and drink right out of it. You can wash the blade part in seconds. Then all you have left to wash is your cup. So it's easier and less messy for ds to make his own smoothies without my help. And if he wants a strawberry smoothie, and I want a coffee "frappuccino", I don't have to wash a whole blender out in between. The product gets mixed reviews on its other functions (chopping, grating cheese), but I mainly wanted it for smoothies, and it works just great for those. I have made smoothies with both frozen fruit and ice cubes, and either works fine. You can check out their website to see what it looks like. I like it because it takes up very little space, too. So we leave ours on the counter, ready to go. HTH, Wendi P.S. At Costco, the "Deluxe" package is $49.99. Comes with big and small blending cups, five "party mugs", and blender (smaller than a typical blender, but at least twice as big as the large size blending cup).

In the past month, we have made two purchases I'm very happy with. I thought I'd share in case anyone has been thinking of buying something similar. One is the Pronto 2-in-1 stick vacuum. It's cordless, and charges on a stand which can sit on the floor or be mounted on the wall. It has a built-in "dustbuster" that can be removed when needed. It rocks! I use it all over my downstairs (Pergo). It has good suction, and the built-in dustbuster is so handy! Lightweight, swivels great to get under the dining room table, around chairs, etc. When it's time to clean it out, I just use the hose on our regular vacuum to vacuum out all the dust and stuff (there's a little door that opens on the front for this purpose). I got it at Costco. Also, because y'all recommended it, we got a Magic Bullet. We use it at least once a day. Ds can put a handful of frozen fruit and a cup or so of soy milk into it, screw on the cap/blade, and make a smoothie in seconds. He rinses the blade part, drinks right out of the "party mug", and that's it. The mugs can go in the dishwasher, and so can the blade part. We've also used the blender attachment for larger batches. I even came up with a "recipe" for a coffee frappuccino on our elimination diet (instant coffee, almond milk, blue agave nectar, ice). Perfect for our small family! Wendi

A dear friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer a year and a half ago. It was a major stress for their family. She underwent chemo, suffered major (and life-threatening) effects from the chemo, etc. It has taken awhile to physically bounce back from the chemo, and emotionally it has been hard on the whole family. An adoption is going to be stressful, too, even if it goes well. It's a major transition. The adopted child is likely to have some "issues", and so may the other kids in the family. I would want to be in a stronger situation for it, KWIM? And that's a lot of stress to put the other kids in the family through. Wendi

Then we'll be debt-free except for the house! I think there will be a little bit left, which we would probably use for a loft bed for ds's room (from Ikea). Wendi

Elementary & jr. high: All I can remember are the usual Christmas plays. Once I was Mary (this was before schools stopped doing Nativity plays). Sr. high: I was vice president and then president of our Drama Club, so I was in a lot of plays. I was Sister Rita in "The Runner Stumbles", a prostitute in "California Suite", and a few others. College: I majored in theatre my first couple of years. I was in the chorus of "Anything Goes" and stage manager of "The Mikado". I was also in "The Pirates of Penzance" at the community theatre. Plus lots and lots of scenes and one-acts. Since college: My most beloved performances have been doing dramatic readings for my ds. I am especially good at English accents (we read lots of C.S. Lewis and E. Nesbit books) and character voices (my Gollum was pretty good). Wendi

and have willpower! I find my Costco's prices on meat to be excellent, and the quality is good. Other things are also a good deal (bottled water, paper products, office supplies...). We have also bought some things like vacuum cleaners there (saving usually 25%, plus bonuses like a year's supply of bags). I love their return policy, too! It's great to know that if I decide a few months later that it's a lemon, I can return it. Gas is cheaper than anywhere else, and thankfully our Costco is 5 min. from my house, so I can fill up there frequently. I've also been very pleased with many of our clothing purchases there. They tend to have high-quality name brands for very good prices. It's definitely been worth it for us. I just have to be careful not to fall for impulse buys. Wendi

Babette's Feast The Color of Paradise Children of Heaven Monsoon Wedding Wendi

I think maybe I have lost a pound or so. Tonight's dinner (thrown together as I went along): boneless chicken, cut up, browned with garlic added some fresh broccoli florets and shredded carrots then some chicken broth, and a little flour to thicken (no cornstarch in the pantry!) served over orzo, with a drizzle of sesame oil Not bad, although a bit bland. I need to work on seasoning things without chili pepper, black pepper, etc. Thanks again, Wendi

Well, we've made it through the first week of ds's new diet. No sugar, no yeast, no olive oil, no tomatoes, no milk or cheese, no chocolate, no chili peppers, no black pepper... it's a long list. Hits: homemade muffins and pancakes made with soy milk and sweetened with honey, soy milk and fruit smoothies, tortilla sandwiches (natural peanut butter and sliced strawberries). :tongue_smilie: Still working on: dinners. We used to eat a lot of Italian and Mexican-style foods (can't do them without cheese, tomatoes, chili peppers), so I'm looking for some new recipes. Soy sauce is out, too. Wendi

I grew up in FL. My mom (from MA) would call it hamburger. And my MIL (from NJ) would call it chopmeat. Wendi

We are doing an elimination diet for 11yo ds. Here are the major no-no's: sugar yeast tomatoes milk/cheese rice mushrooms black pepper Can you suggest some recipes for dinners? We like chicken and ground turkey breast more than beef. I'm finding it tough, since most sauces we would normally use contain either tomatoes or sugar. Thanks in advance, Wendi

My mom and dad never went to college, and they really pushed us to do well in school. (Which we did.) I am sure that my mom always imagined me having a big-time career, since I was an excellent student, in the gifted program, etc. I taught for a few years, then married dh and served with a missionary organization, then became a SAHM and homeschooler. I expect that she thought I'd be working full-time and have my dc in school. Perhaps in a sense she feels I "threw it all away"; I certainly had opportunities she never did. Wendi

that my parents bought him a CASE of them for Christmas! :eek:(Wasn't his only gift.):001_smile: When he was in college, he'd open the can of Spaghettios (yes, he still ate them), place the can into a pan of boiling water on the stove, and heat. Then eat right out of the can. Toss the can, wash off the spoon, dry out the pot. Sad. Good thing he married a good cook! Too funny. Wendi

Now we like to put our hands on our hips and laugh like Robin Hood! :D

My 11yo ds (not Aspie, but SPD, language disorder, etc., etc.) has started having OCD-type anxiety in the past several months, since right around his 11th birthday. I think hormones have brought it on. Currently, we're seeing a naturopath to see if she can help. We'll consider medication if we need to. Wendi