I would agree with this if it weren't for the comment about a good wife being one who doesn't rely on her husband. I mean, what the actual crap? Who says something like that??? (An unreliable husband, I guess. I feel sorry for the SIL!)

Oh, good, I hope it works out! I was going to mention that our vet's office *always* has signs up from people who found a stray that needs a home, had an emergency that requires them to give up their pet, inherited a pet they didn't want when a loved one died, etc. It seems like a good place to find a pet without all of the hassles of the rescue organizations. I haven't had any luck with rescue organizations either, though I never even got as far into the process as you did. Several times, and with several different organizations, I filled out their online application and/or called to get more info, and simply never heard back. I didn't really feel like begging them for a dog when our local shelter was overflowing, so I went there instead. Our local shelter must be more desperate than most to place animals, because they make it very easy and have very minimal requirements. I'm exaggerating a bit, but it's basically like as long as you have never been charged with animal cruelty, you're in. I did luck out once with a really good breeder, though. I got a young dog, but one that was old enough to be house-trained. The breeder had held on to her thinking she might be a good show dog, but had decided that she wasn't quite up to par for that purpose. She is a wonderful pet, though, very healthy, good disposition. So you might consider checking around with breeders in your area for a similar situation, though I realize things like that don't happen often.

I agree!

Yeah, my life is boring, but it's happy. I haven't been able to travel anywhere near as much as I would have liked. But the few times that I have (only once overseas), it was a life-changing experience. So I definitely advocate doing some travel once your kids have left home, or whenever it is feasible for you to do so! And in the meantime, you can have a lot of fun dreaming and planning! :)

I really, really love Paula's exfoliants! I tried another brand before I found Paula's and it worked great . . . until they changed their formula, and then there was so little AHA in it that it did no good. With Paula's products, you know exactly what percentage of AHA you're getting in the product, and I think that's important. All of her stuff is fragrance-free, which is great for those of us with sensitive skin, and really better for everyone anyway. I feel like the quality of the products is as high or higher than much more expensive brands that I've tried. If you want a really lightweight sunscreen that doesn't feel like sunscreen, then I recommend the one in the Clear line if your skin is oily or the one in the Moisture Boost line if your skin is dry. Some of the other sunscreens feel a bit heavier, and have that traditional sunscreen odor and feel. But those just soak in and disappear. They're amazing! I just recently ordered her skin lightening treatment to try to minimize some of the sun damage to my skin on my upper chest and collarbone area. I've been pretty good about wearing sunscreen on my face, but wasn't careful to protect that area, and it shows. :( So, no review to offer you yet on that product, but I will let you know! Another product that I've never bought, but always loved when I got a "free sample with purchase" deal was the antioxidant serums. They feel like liquid silk!

Thank you Heather, this is great!

Thanks for the info! Hmmm . . . haven't really thought about WY. That might be worth considering too.

According to that, better than where we currently live! http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Albuquerque-New-Mexico.html But not as much better as I'd like.

I really appreciate you mentioning this, because safety is a very big concern for us. We currently live in a pretty unsafe city, and I sure would like for her to relocate some place better in that regard. Does anyone know if Richmond has changed in this way in the last 20 years? Or would this still be a concern?

Thank you, that's a very helpful listing!

I see. Thanks!

Okay, I was trying to figure out WUE from the mentions of it on various schools' websites, and it was confusing. Turns out, if you go to WUE's own website, it's much clearer! So that would be a possibility for us, but it's not a guarantee.

We're currently in New Mexico, which is a WUE state, though I've had a hard time figuring out how that program works and whether we would qualify. Is it only for students whose home state university does not offer the particular degree or program that they're interested in, or does it work for just anyone? Either way, though, my husband is eligible for retirement in less than a year, and we are giving very serious thought to relocating at that time. So we could establish residency in CO before she would start college. Thanks, I will look for it!

Thanks, Jennay!

It sounds really nice!

Thank you guys so much! I had no idea, and no idea how to even find out. I appreciate it!

I asked about colleges in Colorado in a separate thread, because that's what my dd is most interested in at this point. But I thought that it would be good to at least find out which other public universities in the US have good programs in Fine Arts. How does a person go about figuring that out? She's not particularly interested in Art Ed or Art History, but in Studio Art. She's undecided about a specific area of emphasis at this point.

Thank you so much, Margaret! This is a huge help. :)

Thanks for mentioning this, I will look into it! I would love to hear about your visit, if you don't mind posting again then.

Oh, thanks, how did I not figure out that Boulder was the main campus?? Thanks for setting me straight! :) We currently live in Albuquerque, but all three of us absolutely adore Colorado. My husband has climbed all 54 fourteeners, and I'm sure he would love to do it again. My daughter wants to go to school overseas, but in the very likely event that we can't afford that, Colorado is her close second choice. My hubby is eligible to retire from his current job this coming spring, so we are considering relocating to CO and establishing residency there before dd would graduate high school. So now the question is, "where in CO?"

Yes, I firmly believe that the will power has to be exercised at the grocery store! :) A pantry full of carby foods is a recipe for disaster. It's tough when you have non-low-carbers in the house, but it's still doable if you make sure there are plenty of LC foods available.

Oh, wow, my daughter detests modern art. She likes traditional drawing and painting: figures, landscapes, that sort of thing. The only modern thing that she likes is illustration (mostly manga), and I have tried to encourage her in that direction simply because it seems more practical and potentially lucrative than more traditional art. But I don't know if my perception is true. Would you happen to know about Ft. Lewis College in Durango? Or if any other colleges in CO lean more toward the traditional? Oh, and may I ask which CU campus your friend attended? Or are they both (all?) that way? (I know of two campuses: Denver and Colorado Springs. Is that all?)

How is everybody doing? An extra 1/2 tsp of salt per day doesn't sound like much, but it has made a huge difference with my muscle cramps and other symptoms! Since I have this tendency to want to cheat/indulge over the weekend, and I was throwing myself out of ketosis every weekend, I decided to try a different approach. I had been eating a lot of LC sweets and treats during the week, so I decided to save *those* for the weekend, as my indulgence (rather than indulging with carby foods). During the week, the only sweets I am allowing myself are small amounts of fruit. I've only been doing this for a few days, but I can't remember the last time I enjoyed fruit so much! It really feels like a treat - tastes as good as any dessert when you're not eating other desserts! I'm still keeping the amount small enough to fit within my 40g per day carb limit, so just one small serving each evening as my dessert after dinner. Tonight I had half of a pear, peeled and diced, sprinkled with cinnamon and baked in the microwave until soft, with a little melted butter. Maybe that's weird, I don't know, but I thought it was delicious. :) The night before I had berries with creme fraiche. I hope you are all doing well!

I haven't read the books that were mentioned (though now I want to!) but this one helped me: http://www.amazon.com/Younger-Next-Year-Women-Strong/dp/0761147748 This will vary by person, of course, but I've found for me personally, cardio/aerobics has to be outdoors. I just find it so much more fun and rewarding that I don't bother with indoor stuff. But you have to find what makes it enjoyable, or at least bearable, for *you*. For weights, I don't like lengthy workouts or programs that involve a lot of repetitions. I want to get it DONE and get on with my day. So I use this program: http://stronglifts.com/5x5/ For awhile I was taking a class at my gym in which we would do about 140 squats (among other exercises). I got tired of it, plus I wasn't getting any stronger. I would never increase my weights, because knowing that I was going to have to lift that weight 140 times was too intimidating! Doing five sets of five is a breeze compared to that, and increasing the weight is not intimidating at all - it gives me a sense of progress and accomplishment. So I actually get stronger with this program, even though it's easier! (Oh, and btw, the first time I did this workout, I used bodyweight only for the squats, and just wimpy little 3-pound weights for the upper body stuff. You've got to start somewhere, and it does NOT have to be with that 40-pound barbell that he recommends!) I have to be honest, muscle soreness doesn't bother me. I know it means I gave those muscles a good workout, and I know that next time they'll be strong enough to do that same work without getting sore again. So to me, it feels like a victory. :) When I've really over-done it and the soreness was interfering with my ability to get around, a hot bath, a magnesium supplement, and some stretching seemed to help. I don't particularly like sweating either, but I don't have any advice on that. It's just part of the deal, you know? Not much you can do about it, except take a shower. Finding something fun for you, finding an accountability partner or workout buddy, using technology to track your workouts, all of those things can help too. Good luck!

Just in case you don't check the College Board, I wanted to post this here too. Does anyone happen to know which of Colorado's public universities/colleges have good art degree programs? Thank you! http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/563932-is-anyone-familiar-with-colorados-public-universities-and-colleges/