What is his talk title? I'm so curious to know what he thinks (and you, too, for that matter) about H.R. 875, codex alimentarius, and that sort of governmental bungling with the food system. But, maybe he'll just stick to more uplifting topics, like how to eat locally. I envy you. Take good notes. And a couple of books for him to sign, maybe. :D p.s. Somebody found me on Facebook to let me know about your news!

Our daughters received sheepskin boots for Christmas (not Uggs, but real sheepskin). Online sites tout the Uggs brand protective spray, but I'm feeling pretty resistant (heh) to spending upwards of $10 on a 6oz bottle of that stuff. Wondering if anyone has experience using Scotchgard upholstery spray for sheepskin suede? I can do a test patch, but always nice to have real experiences to go by as well. Thanks!

http://www.webrary.org/rs/bibhistfict.html http://teenlink.nypl.org/history.cfm Not sure what age or maturity level you're after. Some books which have been among my daughter's favorites may have content to which others may be opposed. I haven't seen The Chosen on either of the lists above (haven't dug too deep either), but we liked it. We've also enjoyed the Crispin series and Number the Stars. The Other Boleyn Girl was good but has mature themes as does Girl with the Pearl Earring.

My strong preference is a wood burning stove. I love them! For heat, they simply cannot be beat. But, after I skimmed the replies, but wanted to note, in case someone else did not, that wood burning stoves are not the *cleanest* option. They create lots of ash, and dust, more so depending on the type of stove and how it loads. And if you are using a true wood burning stove -- not an electric fired corn/wood pellet burning stove -- there will also be mess from hauling the wood inside. Not so different from a fireplace, in that regard. Do your homework on the appropriate size stove for your needs, too. Too small, and you'll not get much other than ambiance. Too large, and you'll overheat a small space. Finally, If you have anyone with breathing issues in your house (asthma, RAD) please read up on the down sides to wood stoves before making this choice. Enjoy!~

An appropriate word choice, nay!? :D

I had heard about Kilz (BIN is new to me), but wasn't sure if it was as effective as I'd hoped. Good to know there are a number of success stories "out there."

We recently purchased a house which had existed as a rental for some time. Woohoo for us!! :hurray: Unfortunately, what we knew was an existing pet odor problem has turned out to be some rather disgusting areas on the living room floor where it's clear that one or more animals chose to urinate repeatedly. We've already ripped up the carpet and carpet pads, and we've purchased some enzyme concentrate which we intend to use in these areas (there are many!). Then, we expect to lay down a new hardwood (or laminate) floor. But, I have lingering concerns that OUR cats, which are strictly litter box trained, will continue to be tempted by the smell of the other wayward critter(s), and develop some bad habits. Any experience with this and/or solutions to offer?

My first priority with regard to food is health. But, I'm only willing/able to take that to a certain extreme. I have an economic tipping point which gets in the way of my healthy ideals, and often, convenience is wrapped up in that same ball of wax. Bear in mind that my children now attend public school (:001_huh:), so by way of example, I'll dissect my purchasing habits when it comes to what they eat for lunch. 1. 4 days out of 5, they take lunch from home. Once a week, I let them buy a nasty school lunch. I consider it worth the trade off for the convenience it offers them and me, that one morning a week. 2. I buy Applegate antibiotic/hormone-free deli meats for their sandwiches. These cost at least 50% (sometimes 100%) more than conventional sandwich meats, but I'm not willing buy the other. Could I cook a whole ham or turkey (abx/horm-free, of course) and slice it up instead of buying the packaged meats, and would it save money in the long run? You bet. But, that's where convenience steps in and takes over. 3. They usually take along some kind of salty snack, like chips. I buy organic tortilla chips, but they get sick of those. I also buy a Frito knock-off made for Trader Joes which is also organic. I can't get to TJ's very often (it's 50 miles away, one way), so we run out of the organic goodies. When that happens, I buy regular old Fritos, because they are made with simple ingredients, albeit using genetically modified corn! :glare: And/or, standard sourdough pretzels. Or potato chips. 4. I buy little bottled drinks with screw caps a few times a year. The girls refill these bottles with juice (organic) from a larger (more cost effective) bottle rather than buying the small lunch-size versions all the time. 5. They take a sweet treat, too. Generally cookies. I encourage them to bake their own, or I'll make a batch as often as possible. But, when life is too overwhelming to keep up with the baking, we buy store bought cookies. Unless you catch me in a VERY weak moment, I refuse to buy anything with HFCS or hydrogenated oils. That leaves very few conventional cookie options. Safeway makes a Select brand with decent ingredients. Or, we may kick down for some Newman's O's. But, OREOs don't show up on our pantry shelves except by accident. 6. They also take fruit and veggies. I buy organic celery and carrots year round, because they are affordable and convenient. I'll buy organic apples, when I can find them in the stores I frequent. Other organic produce is not readily available to me except during farmers' market season, during which I buy only some organic. I work for a conventional farmer during peak season, and she gives me produce from her stand. I can't justify the cost of the organic when I can get local/fresh from her for free. I'm sure you really wanted to know all that. I'll stop now for your sake. :lol:

I don't disagree with you at all. But, in order to try to answer your OP, I chose to not take a particular stance. What I offered were the explanation(s) I believe those opposed to same sex marriage would give, not my personal opinions.

...another premise is that in redefining marriage to include same sex unions, thereby potentially opening up the slippery slope to which Strider refers, it is believed that we erode the institution of family. The result is negative impacts on our children, all our future generations, and ultimately society. Thus, you are affected by the long term fallout. You may find this link helpful.

Somebody tipped me off, and lucky me. You guys are a stitch!! :lol::lol: Throwing my hat in the ring... ------------- Tell me how you feed your vegetarian kids Generally by mouth, unless we're feeling really creative. So...does anybody here bellydance?? For exercise, of course! Yeah. For exercise. You bet. Singers...am I doomed? Of course you're not! But, I have the feeling we are. another etiquette question How rude! Activities & older children, esp if you don't do them. I know I don't. Older children are such an emotional drag. I gave mine away weeks ago. Channeling Doran! People. Please! Wrinkled maybe, but I'm not dead! ;) ------------ Hugs and laughs to you all!!

My father's death was just a little over a year ago, and similarly, he had been in decline. Nevertheless, nothing prepares us for the actual parting. It's so hard. I'm glad you have real and virtual friends with whom you can be authentic. That's vital in this time of heartache. I'm sure she was a dear, gifted woman. She certainly turned out a lovely daughter in you. Gentle hugs and sympathies to you.

Kind of a silly question, I guess. I saw a K'nex set at Goodwill this evening. It was a 350 piece tub for $5. In the tub were two cello-wrapped packets of pieces, as well as a few odd, loose pieces running around in the bottom. I had no way to tell how much of the original 350-piece set might still remain in those two packets. Wondering if anyone here has any idea. Might make a reasonable gift for a 6 y/o nephew, if I can turn it into a complete package. Pipe dreaming, maybe.... ;)

Don't fill it with a lot of fluff, but be honest about what you've done the past fourteen years. 1995-Present -- Teaching parent of four children, two of whom are now in university. Researched and selected age and chlid appropriate curricula Taught to levels of mastery the following subjects: Language arts, Maths, Sciences, History, Languages (whatever is true here) Coordinated extracurricular and enrichment activities Created lesson plans and structured daily lessons to maximize the learning experiences for each child etc....... Be sure to include mention of that vocational research you did, as well as any church or civic volunteer activities in which you were involved, assuming there was some managerial or leadership role being served. HTH.

Jennifer, I've got to hand it to you for having such a great sense of humor about this. The pictures are priceless, truly! Tell us you're actually going to use the first one. Please? :tongue_smilie: Before their 50th anniversary, my parents sent out a card to friends with a sappy "Blissful 50" something or other on the cover. Inside was a picture of them making the grumpiest faces you can imagine. A dose of reality in these sometimes saccharine situations is so refreshing!

Yeah, you were right. But, you knew that. :D Ideas, many/most of which have been mentioned here already: 1. Watch them at dusk to see where they might be going to roost. They are somewhat social creatures, so there's a good chance they are roosting near one another. But, they could be as high as 12' up! 2. How old are your birds? If they are already laying, you may be able to hear them laying. Laying birds tend to "cackle" while they are laying. If you can find one laying spot, again, you may find a lot of eggs as hens tend to share nests. 3. If you can figure out where they are roosting, you should be able to catch them at night. Trying during the day will be fairly futile unless you are really fast. Aim for the legs, either way. 4. Possibly put their feed in a space that you can close off once you have a few inside. Like, an open circle of fencing (yes, they'll easily fly over if you're not really quick). 5. Hire a posse of friends to herd them into a confined space. Hopefully one will be a chicken whisperer. Good luck. Chickens are loads of fun....once you figure out how to manage them.

Ah, yes, well....that. That siggy actually grew out of a much longer post here, many moons ago, through which Amy loves Bud and Nicole M sort of gave birth to the "tea" euphemism. To quote my teenager, it was epic. :lol:

Back atcha! And, congratulations!! :hurray:

{{{{Angela}}}} I understand, although in our marriage, it was I who was culprit, if you will. It was never intentional, just "who I was." It was excruciating for both of us (though it never got to the point of infrequency noted in the OP), and I expect that it might have killed our marriage eventually. Fortunately, we have both been able to change, to make concessions, and to learn. It took a great deal of love, humility, and tears. But, here we are, more contented than ever, as we approach 19 years together. I wish you the same.

...yes, it's OK. Of course! If nurturing friendships is more draining for you than it is enriching, then far be it from me to say that it's unhealthy for you to pull in. However, having gone through an inward pull of my own fairly recently, I will share that I think it's a little risky to do so. My husband is my very best friend, but he's not my only friend (far from it). And, relying on him for all the needs that my girl-friends fulfill might end up being fairly disappointing. It also might be wise to try to explain to your "now" friends that you are feeling a need/desire to tunnel right now. Otherwise, those friends may have trouble being there for you, down the road, should you decide it's time to reveal yourself again. Oh, and that brings up a final point. When I turned in, it was because I felt fragile and somewhat vulnerable in my life. I was processing a lot, emotionally, and I simply did not have the energy for anything else. But, it wasn't a decision made out of fear, or disappointment, or unmet expectations. You might want to carefully examine (if you haven't already) whether there are any external forces you are running away from to drive this new desire of yours. Ultimately, do what feeds your soul. :001_smile:

Where's the little "Bingo!" smiley?! :hurray:

...Hi. ;) Most of the basics have been covered, I suppose. If one believes that marriage should end only with the death of one or the other partner, then lack of sex is not grounds for a marriage to end. But, I think most of us, deep down, believe that there's got to be some wiggle room there, for sanity's sake (ladies, are we all paying attention here?). Does she have a right to expect a physical relationship with her husband? One could assume. Should the couple seek counseling for this issue? Certainly. But, it may or may not solve anything. Is the absence of intimacy a reason for someone to divorce? Well, that depends on whose rules you're following. Given what you've written, I would suggest that she consider, very carefully, two questions which I once asked a very devout Christian friend: Could he have decided upon a different orientation? Is he having an affair with another woman? In her case, it was the latter. She has been divorced for a decade.

I'm so sorry. It's not much different, to me, than losing a beloved human friend. (((Kids & Family)))

I sent you some ideas. Did you get them?