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I remember that thread & I wondered what happened to him.

Dear future midwife! I commend you for wanting to learn and be of service in Africa. Also, I have to recommend that you be very very careful about the organization that you will be working with abroad. I also, years ago, when I was in midwifery school, went to another country for an "apprenticeship" there, and I was completely deceived by the (american) midwife in charge of the program! There was no program, and I understood from the first day that she was not knowledgeable, and I also found out from the national staff that she was only able to be at the site at all because she had paid a bribe to the head of the hospital, and the local staff did not like her or want her, and they had no idea that she was accepting large sums of money from American midwifery students to "teach" them. The other American student midwives could not speak the local language. Of course, after I told her I did not want to be involved with her program, she refused to refund my money, even though we had a contract... long story short she stole my passport and would not return it until I promised I would not try to get a refund... the US Embassy could do nothing for me... the local police got my passport back, and her husband was arrested for some other small-time mafia stuff, but of course I was out the money I had paid. :( I wish I had paid attention to some warning signs before I left home-- vagueness, and less-than-stellar recommendations from other participants. This was in another country, not in Uganda, and I have little information about Uganda... you just remind me of myself years ago, and I wish I could spare you what I went through! I hope that the organization you work with will be honest and that you will learn a lot-- it could be invaluable. Just be careful, OK?

Every so often I take a break from the boards, for this very reason. For example, during Lent or other seasons of the Church liturgical year-- that gives me a natural stop/start point. I try to be very discerning about internet use. It is TOO easy to get sucked in.

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I don't think it was morally wrong, or incorrect, but possibly it might have been more prudent not to rake it up again? I'm not sure I would like to participate on that board, whatever it is!

2.50-5.50 depending on the store and whether it's organic or not.

1. TWTM lists 2. library: I browsed the Middle Ages shelves and found a Magic Treehouse research guide for the Middle ages, and realized that King Arthur & Robin Hood fall under that time period, so there you go, we have a good start and there are 2 whole shelves to go! 3. I'm going to look at the Ages of Grace reading list 4. Random internet searching:001_smile: 5. books of saints' lives for medieval Christian saints 6. random memories of books I've read

Electrolysis works much better than laser, it's cheaper, and it doesn't make your skin break out.

Maybe she was hoping to stay for dinner-- it probably smelled good! But if I had been you, and I have been in this situation often, because I am not a cook who cooks more than is needed as far as I know, and I'm not a very organized cook at all, I would have said something like, "I'm so sorry I can't invite you to stay! If I had only realized that you'd be coming at dinnertime, but I really don't have enough food for 2 more! Sorry! Hope I can have you over another time!" and walk towards the door with her, smile, and off she goes. Done. Awkward, yes, but at least I don't have to feel guilty about it later.

Dear OP, it's great she told you about this. You should not feel guilty. But she does not need hormonal treatment or talk therapy to start with. If she is hearing voices and suicidal, she needs medication ---and perhaps even hospitalization. I hope you can have her see psych tomorrow. If you can't find one that quickly then go to your primary care doctor. In the meantime stay with her. There is no stigma to psychiatric illness, or should not be. You can look at the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill website for more information. There is a lot there for families who are supporting someone with psychiatric illness. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

Having been involved in a lot of church helping ministries like this... I agree that calling or going there would be better than emailing. Bring any utility bills with you, because they may be specially able to help with those. Explain your situation calmly-- you don't need to be embarrassed. And, if there's any little service that you can do for them, something in kind like gardening or stuffing envelopes, I'm sure they would appreciate it. And I'm so sorry, but there are a lot of scammers out there-- we have been burned! so please don't be offended or put off if they don't realize that that's not you, right away. Appeals out of the blue are always doubtful at first. And, there are food pantries everywhere, so I am sure there is one in your community.

some ideas-- 1. Let her in! but limit 'couch time' to 1 hour or 1 cup of tea. Then you have to get up & go about your day. It's up to you to set the limits. 2. Can she play with some of your DC while you school the others? that way she's involved & doesn't get sent away, but is helpful to you also. 3. Some PPs suggested sign on the door, refusing her admittance altogether-- to me that seems a little harsh. I would try my first two ideas. Good luck!

:001_smile: You have a castle near you? Wow!

Hi, after one wonderful year HSing, we'll be going to PS in Sept and afterschooling. I have a Ker and 2nd grader. We'll definitely do: SOTW 2 + supplementary literature (not activities) Hey Andrew NT Greek Garden of the Theotokos (Orthodox Christian curriculum) FLL We'll let the PS experience sink in for a little while and then may do: a little Latin Singapore-- depending on how math is in school May postpone for a while since I think PS will be very time & energy-consuming at least at first: music, scouts, dance

The Velvet Room by Zilpha Keatley Snyder-- an "Okie" family arrives in California to pick fruit in the Depression.

I'd stay-- she likes it, and being there for the long haul may make her more comfortable talking with people over time-- you are building a foundation for long-term friendships. ALSO I would very much value being able to drop her off at a safe, nice community, if I were you, so that I could have a break from 3 kids and only take care of 2 for a few hours. Will your DD4 soon be old enough for the group? that's what I'd be looking towards.

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It's hard to answer that, because you can't tell what religion a person is going to end up as, unless you know them up to the end of their life. Everyone is on a journey. Of course I would love for people to join my church because it has brought me so much joy. BUT I would be satisfied if people just begin to consider God as important in their own hearts. If they would just take a step towards Him, from wherever they happen to be.

Well, this is not really light summer reading, but I have just finished Zen and the Birds of Appetite by Fr. Thomas Merton. It was fascinating. I read it interspersed with bits from Frederica Matthews-Green's The Jesus Prayer. I am reading Alice through the Looking Glass to DC right now; we just finished Linnets and Valerians by Elizabeth Goudge.

DH put our big sofa on small black car mats he got at Lowe's. The kind you might put where your feet go when you are sitting on the front seat, to catch mud, etc. So the floor is protected and the sofa won't slide around when someone sits down, and you can't really see the car mats under the sofa. :D

Wow, thank you for all the responses! BlsdMama, I especially appreciate the comparison to Fred Meyers since we have one near us. Dawn, the local Costco does have raw almonds, and they were sampling them yesterday. Thanks everyone!!

Washington is a wonderful place to live. There are lots and lots of HSers here. One place you might start is the WTM social group for Washington. We moved here last year (a couple hours away from Seattle) and I found it VERY easy to get connected.

I would call the Dr's office-- I just called ours with a similar question 2 days ago.

Hi all... I am just switching over to shopping at Costco... I dislike going there because it is so dreary and grey and industrial, and often the shoppers seem crabby, but in this economy I realized I have to do it, and be cheerful about it!:001_smile: So, I have found lots of things that are bargains there, which is good. Other things I see on the shelf, I need to take a minute to calculate whether they really are a good buy, and it is hard to have the presence of mind to do that when I have to compare different size bottles in the different stores, how much the price/ounce would be, while DC are hanging on me and the carriage, squabbling, bumping into people, and trying to make impulse buys for me! Also I feel flustered because there are so many products and people... I am tempted to buy things without calculating, and just go on faith that Costco must be cheaper... yet I am keeping a notebook on prices, and I see that it is NOT always cheapest at Costco. For example, yesterday shampoo was 1/3 more expensive than TJ. I don't mind going to two different stores if I have to. Going without kids is not an option right now. Can anyone clue me in about whether there are certain things that are NEVER a bargain at Costco? Also, if you see something that is a good price, will it be a good price again the next time you come? Or do the prices and products change from week to week? Thank you!!! -- your clueless, flustered, yet economical, Nyssa