When we had this issue we would go to the local bookstore that had coffee. We'd sit down with our yummy flavored coffee (favorite time was Christmas when they have gingerbread coffee!) and discuss the book. We both really enjoyed it. Afterwards, we'd usually scan the titles for a new book to read, and usually buy another one.

Once I would have said no way. However, we now have a family member who ended up on the registry. He was 20 and girlfriend was 19 (so everyone thought). She lied to him, to his family and friends, on facebook, etc. She sent him pictures unfortunately. Her dad didn't say anything until 5 months into the relationship. Final outcome: The young man is on the registry for 15 years, the girl is still out there lying about her age on facebook, etc. She had NO ramifications for lying and so she is still doing it. Unfortunately, more young people are ending up on the registry lately, I've noticed. So I would say it depends on the situation.

I second grain free and tree tea oil. I wonder if it could be fungal. One of our rescue dogs came to us with a fungal skin infection and itched like crazy until it was diagnosed. She was on a oral anti fungal for a bit until it went away. Hope the pup feels better soon.

We are dealing with an expensive treatment for our dog right now. She has a rare infection and at a local pharmacy the medicine is $900/month and she will need to be on it for 2-3 months. She had this last summer and we treated her then. She was cured, but now she has it again. Thankfully we found Pet Health Pharmacy. They compound the medicines and it is significantly cheaper. The cost for her medicine is $200/month. Still a lot, but nowhere near what we were facing. Their number is 1-800-742-0516. Another pet pharmacy is Dr. Foster & Smith. You might try either one and see how the price compares to what you would otherwise pay. I understand. If we had to pay the $900/month there is no way we could do it this year.

The other day, dd18, got her eyebrows waxed. Some of her skin came with it! She went back and complained, and they gave her her money back without a problem.

If he was already on Iams, switching him quickly might give him diarrhea. If you decide to switch, do it slowly over a period of a couple weeks. That way he can adjust to the new food. I would try a puppy food or at least a small breed food so his teeth can chew it easier. You can also soften the food with water. One thing I have heard is that some regular foods have too much protein for puppies, so you do have to be careful of that. I would consider changing to a different food anyway. We used to feed Iams, but the recipe has changed over the years, and is not too good anymore. One of the sites I like is for reviewing dog food is: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/brand/ I feed Taste of the Wild to my dogs, but since my budget is tight right now I mix in Kirkland, which is less expensive.

I am so sorry you are dealing with this. You probably already have heard of this site, but just in case: http://www.attach-china.org/

We do a modified approach here, too. We use cc but pay them off every month. And I do a budget, but give ourselves a little more wriggle room. We did just refinance to a 15 year mortgage and hope to get it paid off quicker though.

I didn't know about Oreo - sorry. I have a rabbit outside but today he is an inside bunny. I have dogs and cats so he has to be in a closed room in the basement, but it is air conditioned. Usually I have a fan going, and the bunny gets ice water bottles, also, but this heat is just too much. At a farm a friend owns, she has all the barn fans going, and all the animals stand in front - they are not dumb!

Dh lost his job back at the beginning of the recession in 2008. He was an engineer in land development and the construction area got hit early. He found another, better job that has more security so it worked out. I lost my part time job of 20 years in March. I just found another part time job, so I hope it works out. My best friend's husband lost his job back in March and hasn't found anything and her hours have been cut. The unemployment in Northern Virginia is supposed to be fairly low, but I know a lot of people out of work. Both teens are looking for jobs and ds has applied to over 35 jobs with no luck. It is really frustrating!

Our shepherds met at Petsmart for the first time. Once we decided to bring the 2nd shep home, we brought our shepherd with us and they rode home together in the car. We had a 3rd dog at the time, and we all met at the park behind our house. We then walked them all home together. No problems at all. The older cat took a little bit more time accepting the youngster, and even now she just puts up with her.

We had a similar year last year with ds. We ended up going with NARS to get his diploma. We could have gone the summer school route, but ds had a very good paying job lined up, and we felt the responsibility was better for him. Ds had more than enough credits - 27 or so - to graduate from NARS.

If the parents were sitting there I would say something to the parents, especially if it was a younger child. I'm not excusing the behavior, because I think it's awful, but it is possible the child has a problem - mentally or emotionally.

We've taken care of friends' chickens, rabbits, horses, etc, and in return they've taken care of our animals and gardens. My dc were involved in 4-H and we met a lot of other families that way.

I'm sorry. We had a dog that suddenly started having seizures at 8. After each seizure she tried to attack someone or something. She tore about the garage after one seizure and tried to come after my dad - who she loved. We had to put her to sleep since this was just too dangerous. I know it's hard.