We thought for sure the lack of a driver’s license would be a deal breaker, but nope. We live on a farm, so no public transportation out here. We have some family in the area, but they can only do one or the other. Childcare, or transportation. If I’m called in, DH will have to take time off work and the compensation is hardly equal to what he would earn. It’s frustrating all around.

A question about jury duty, specifically petit jury... I got the notice saying I’ve been selected for petit jury duty, filled out the questionnaire and listed the reasons I was asking to be exempt (homeschooling, primary care provider, no driver’s license), received a notification my excuses were not accepted, and now I’m waiting. My “term” (or whatever it’s called) is from April 1st through the end of June, but I haven’t heard anything since we got the notice saying I had not been excused. From what I was able to find online, a petit juror serves for a month so does that mean if I wasn’t selected for April, I won’t be called in this month? We don’t usually go on vacation, but something came up that would interest all of us and we’d like to go away for three days...but then we remembered jury duty and now we’re not sure if we should go or wait until July.

If my parents had any concerns, they kept them hidden and were nothing but supportive. Some of my siblings weren’t excited when we announced #s 6 and 7 though because they’d been forced into being done at 3 (physical issues) or had a spouse who was done at 3. I could understand their disappointment even though it hurt that they couldn’t be happy for us. DHs parents were a different kettle of fish. MIL didn’t talk to me for two days after we announced #7 (mutlti-generation household here, so can we say...awkward!), wouldn’t speak of the pregnancy for months, refusing to acknowledge simple things such as adding a new nail to the family picture wall, because she was not happy we were having another. Then after several months she wondered aloud to another family member that she thought it was strange we never talked about the coming baby. As soon as #7 was born, it was a totally different story and Grandma loves #7 as much as the other grandkids. However, we’ve been told not to have any more, we’ve gotten ultimatums that will take effect if we dare to get pregnant again, and we regularly hear comments about us being done. I’ve told DH if we do decide to have another, then he’s telling his parents! 🙂

Not necessarily weird, but my Dad bought some books from an estate sale and one had an inscription written to a soldier, dated during WWII. Inside the book someone had pinned a swatch of pink silk.

Yes, on the website.

Board Game Geek lets you keep track of games you’ve played.

I threw the beans away when I finished my first homemade batch. They were old and a little dry when I added them to the vodka though. When I’m done with the bottle we’re working on, I plan to add the beans to the next bottle (that’s already brewing). I don’t know what it will do, if anything, but I’m not going to just throw the beans away! We get them at Kroger for less than $7/two beans, so the price isn’t such a huge issue, but if it helps boost the flavor at all, it’s worth trying.

I’m not the poster you quoted, but if you don’t mind a second opinion....I use two vanilla beans per 750 ml bottle of bourbon. It’s richer than vodka, although not quite as cheap. The vanilla beans at Kroger are less than $7/two, then we chose the Bourbon based on price, so altogether it was less than $20 for the bottle. We prefer to avoid imitation vanilla and this was the cheapest option. Someone else might know this, but years ago World Market sold vanilla beans for a really good price (less than $3 for two beans, I think). There isn’t a store anywhere close to us, so we can’t check for price there, but that might be a good place to get beans.

We placed the order in USD and at checkout they added GST (in USD) to our order. Now to see what, if anything, happens when it arrives. I’m not expecting Mum and Dad to have to pay anything, but it will be interesting to see how long it takes to get there. They don’t live on the coast, so it might take a bit longer to wing it’s way out bush.

I thought about changing the currency, but I’m not sure that would do anything other than confuse everything. I don’t know that there’d be a way for anyone to know I paid in AUD and with our billing address being here...that just seems a bit too confusing. I think I’m just going to make a small order and send it to them and see what happens. Once we know what taxes they have to pay—if any—we can take it from there. Thanks everyone for helping me out here.

Okay...what about if I order in USD? I’m not in AU. I’d be ordering online from the US and sending to my parents in AU. Would that mean the applicable taxes aren’t paid? How would anyone know? I could always send a package and see what happens, but it’s not much of a gift if they have to pay for it on their end. 😕

Thanks! I knew this was the place to come for help. I figured one of you would probably have ordered from BD and would be able to let me know what to expect.

Thanks! I wasn’t sure how it would work and can’t ask my parents without spoiling the surprise. I know we had to pay to get a box from the PO when we were visiting. It was a personal item of value (@ $500) so that probably made a difference, but I wasn’t sure if the taxes would apply to something like a BD order. In our case, we weren’t importing anything. MIL sent us a camera we forgot to take—a camera I bought in AU before I met hubby—and we had to pay taxes on it before we could have it. I don’t want to send my parents a “gift” they have to pay for, so I thought I’d ask. It sounds like a smallish order from BD might not be a problem though. So yeah...thanks! 😊

Bumping in case any Aussies are online now.

Just wondering if any of our Aussie boardies can answer this question... If I order from Book Depository and send it to Australia, will my parents have to pay GST or anything like that to get the package? Thanks!

Things might have changed since I left Australia 17.5 years ago, but back then some people would put their tree up at the beginning of November. Others would be closer to Christmas (esp. anyone who had a real tree). I don’t remember what the towns/shops did.

It might be, but I couldn’t find anything by her that sounded familiar. The book itself wasn’t, I don’t think, set in Australia. I was living there at the time and wasn’t sure if that would affect where the book would have come from. From the descriptions of Colleen’s books, I’m pretty sure my parents wouldn’t have allowed me to read them at 10. ? I haven’t thought of her books for a long time though, so thanks for the reminder!

Not yet. I hadn’t had time yet to do any digging, but just posted on the abebooks forum...so hopefully I’ll have some ideas soon. Thanks for the bump!

Thanks. I changed the title and I’ll look into the link you shared.

A little background....30 years ago, in Australia, I found a book on my Mum’s shelf that I read and loved. A year later almost all my parents’ books were destroyed by flooding, and the book was lost. Mum couldn’t remember the name of the book and I was only ten, so if I knew it then, I’ve long since forgotten what it was called. Here’s what I do remember.... —the main characters were three siblings; one boy, two girls; and their friend, another boy. —the younger girl’s name was Rosamond/Rosemary/Rosalind/or something similar —the brother’s name was Miles or Giles (I think Giles, but it’s been 30 years!) —the friend’s name, I think, was Robert —it was typical of the times for the youngest daughter to become a nun, but Rosea-whatever fell in love with Robert. She was going to take her vows anyway, but at the last minute, the older sister talked her father into letting her go instead —the brother was out in the country for some reason and fell in love with a shepherd girl who I think was named Rachel. They married, but soon after that the father decided the son was going to marry a rich girl. To please his father, he said nothing about Rachel and pursued the rich girl, and in the meantime Rachel gave birth to a child and died —when the father found out about Rachel and the child, he took the child in. —the son married the rich woman That’s all I can remember. I’ve tried some book searches, but without a title or author name, I haven’t gotten very far at all. I’d love to read it again, but without a name or title... I’m just hoping someone here recognizes the story and can point me in the right direction. ?

Bowing out of the conversation. It seems we’re talking about two different sides of the company—yours is a side I have no experience with.

Re: the highlighted part. This is not true. At all. News reports I’ve read would have you believe that, but personal experience has proven otherwise. They are more than fair in their requirements, compensations are more than fair, management are upbeat and cheerful, however it is required that you actually work, so I guess some people would struggle and claim poor treatment. It’s possible some facilities would be rough to work at, but I highly doubt the company policy would allow for tyrant bosses anywhere in the network.

Jean, could you add me too, please?

Thanks! I wasn’t aware that they built on each other. I’ll start with the first one. And while it doesn’t matter now, I was asking because I can only get one to try and wanted to get the best...

I’m interested in trying one of Katie’s books. For those who’ve read them....which is the best one to start with? Doesn’t have to be the first one written. That’s all. 😄