I find purslane growing wild in my front yard -- southern exposure in a hot desert location, in a non-irrigated spot amongst gravel. I have no idea where it came from. Elephant Food, which is related to purslane, thrives in the most challenging spot in my yard -- southwest exposure, with reflected heat, in a pot. I can readily believe purslane could become a pest in the right climate. My Russian sage certainly did. And Mexican evening primrose, which caused me to leave a community garden when it invaded from a neighbor's plot (she planted it on purpose!) and I couldn't get rid of it

I wonder if she could have walking pneumonia. I had it once for months before I was correctly diagnosed (by the 4th doctor I saw) and I had shortness of breath as a persistent symptom.

I use Pear Tree every year and have been happy with them: https://www.peartree.com

I agree that a peace lily would be a good choice. They wilt before they die, so they give you warning that they are being neglected -- Then they bounce back nicely when you give them a good deep soak. Mine have not been fussy about light. You may find them labelled with their scientific name: Spathiphyllum.

I have salt stone blocks for foot warmers and they can be heated in the microwave.

Has he been worked up for a hiatal hernia? The parasophageal variant would fit his symptoms, I think: https://columbiasurgery.org/conditions-and-treatments/hiatal-hernia Signs and Symptoms Most small hiatal hernias do not cause symptoms. The most common symptom of hiatal hernia is gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). Giant hiatal hernias may cause symptoms including heartburn/regurgitation, anemia, aspiration, chest pain associated with eating, vomiting after meals, difficulty swallowing, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Symptoms of parasophageal hernia may include problems swallowing, fainting, and vomiting.

Now I'm picturing Andy Bernard at the Michael Scott's Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race For The Cure. I thought the nipple bleeding was made up! Good luck to your son, and may he not chafe!

Ella Enchanted (The book is much better than the movie!) and other books by Gail Carson Levine The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place Rabbi Harvey books (The same author wrote some fun history books for kids, like King George: What Was His Problem?)

Think of it as a small, portable oven with a few differences: it preheats much faster, and all cooking is timed, so when the timer rings the oven turns off. Other than that, as long as the pan fits you can broil, bake or toast just like you can in a full sized oven. Do you have a Williams Sonoma near you? I think they have them in their stores. The standard size oven comes with a 12" square pan and also fits a 13" pizza pan. Here's a link the the Williams Sonoma website listing: https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/breville-smart-convection-oven/?cm_src=AutoRel

The Breville Smart Oven gets a lot of use in our house, especially in the summer. It functions very well as a small oven, and is a great toaster, too. More expensive than most, but the build quality seems good and it has held up well. I have seen them a few times at TJ Maxx for about $150. They come in multiple sizes, so there is a more compact one for tighter spaces.

My first thought was a pinched nerve (from disc disease), possibly in the cervical (neck) region. Is he holding his head carefully, or reluctant to jump or move as usual?

I have the washer dryer set (about 4-5 years old). The dryer works fine, no complaints -- I'm not very picky as long as the clothes get dry in a reasonable time. What I do like is that the lint collection is very accessible and easy to clean out. And, I can put a ball of aluminum foil in the lint collector which helps with static electricity. I won't use dryer sheets, so I really appreciate this option. Other dryers might have similar set ups, but none of my previous ones have.

For those of you who do it deliberately .... can I ask why? I have known a few examples of this, but they were either cases where someone disliked their given first name OR they were called by a "cute" childhood nickname -- examples from my life are Ducky, Bunny, Dobie and Newbie (the last one was because a sibling kept calling the "new baby" Newbie and it stuck).

Two things that haven't been mentioned yet: 1) If she isn't already doing so, shave every single day, year-round. Shaving exfoliates the skin and skipping days can cause hairs to be trapped under the skin 2) consider laser hair removal. I wish I had done it sooner. It hurt like crazy (that varies from person to person and with the type of laser) but was very worth it for me.

How about a cool birthday card, with a letter inside .... a "50 years ago today" (or however many years is appropriate) sort of card to spur some memories. What music was popular, what phrases were common, clothes and hairstyles, some memories of hobbies or activities you shared.... Maybe include some nostalgic candy you liked if you can still find it on short notice.

You could make your own! Bagels are time consuming but not hard to make. https://strengthandsunshine.com/homemade-gluten-free-mini-bagels-vegan-allergy-free/ https://strengthandsunshine.com/homemade-gluten-free-mini-bagels-vegan-allergy-free/ https://www.mamaknowsglutenfree.com/gluten-free-bagels/ and many more recipes searchable on the web (Disclaimer: I've made bagels, but not these particular recipes as I'm not gluten-free)

Do you think you could videotape the decluttering process and talk with them on tape about the significance of the items they find precious? I think sometimes there is a worry that without an object around to look at, the memories associated with it will be lost. If you could preserve those memories it might be easier to let go of the items, and also provide some family history to pass on that others might cherish.

Have you tried eating recipes made with Einkorn wheat? Supposedly some people who are intolerant to modern wheat can eat this more ancient version-- Einkorn has 14 chromosomes vs modern wheat's 42 chromosomes, so it's changed quite a bit over the years! Here's an article that discusses Einkorn wheat.: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2014/11/einkorn-a-wheat-for-the-gluten-free/ I get Einkorn flour and wheat berries from the Jovial website. I have made Jovial's basic bread recipe with Einkorn a few times and enjoy it quite a bit. It makes a pretty dense, hearty bread, but I like that. It can give inconsistent cooking results, so I stick with recipes designed for Einkorn.

We use a bowl filled with equal amounts water and apple cider vinegar and a drop of dishwashing liquid to break the surface tension. It seems to work best if replaced daily.

I think it is all co-ed, but my son loved his school trip to Catalina Island, and they offer summer camps. https://catalinaislandcamps.com

They sell a version with a cushion, though it doesn't look very plush .... https://www.crateandbarrel.com/aspect-walnut-47.5-open-bench-with-cushion/s370232

Something like this? https://www.crateandbarrel.com/aspect-walnut-47.5-modular-open-storage-unit/s327802?localedetail=US&a=1552&campaignid=622767084&adgroupid=28469965136&targetid=aud-482748511171:pla-307358584950&pla_sku=327802&pcat=FURN&ag=adult&scid=scplp327802&sc_intid=327802&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrdjnBRDXARIsAEcE5Yk-y8ceE0hqH6FNCz6eQoAqGtSzsYkeuDjLhsE8IqD6Hdwt3utfCTwaAlVgEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

The closest I can come is this quote from movie 300 (final battle scene): “My king, it’s an honor to die by your side.” and the reply, “It’s an honor to have lived at yours..”

Thanks for the repy -- fyi, those links to Richard Erickson and Professional Turf Center are dead ends and don't produce any useful info. I have used the DIY concentrated vinegar many times (and it does need to be handled carefully, especially the 80% that I bought a couple times!). I was just hoping to have a commercial product to keep on hand for quick treatments when I'm short on time.

This looks great, but hard to find. Do you have a source?