My parents have a cat that always leaves her kills by the back door. Mice, birds, lizards, snakes - several times a day she leaves her dead things for her wonderful owners. A few years ago, on Father's Day, I called and woke Dad to wish him a good day. The sweet Kitty brought dad his present, a sweet field mouse- while he was in bed. And it wasn't dead. I have never heard my dad yell and move so fast. LOL. Of course, I keep my door firmly closed when I visit their house.

We had a 1992 240 wagon. That thing was amazing. Dh drove it and called it his battle wagon. We traded it and I still regret it.

Am older Xbox will play just about any game you could want, as well as video streaming, etc. I know the super-duper, brand-new, amazingly-awesome x-box was just released but you don't need that to get an awesome gaming system.

Here's a link - there are several places to look though. http://www.amazon.com/Factory-Reconditioned-KitchenAid-Artisan-Series-5-Quart/dp/B0001ZYYQU

Mine is the 6qt pro series - I use it for everything. Dh and my neighbors nought it for me for my birthday almost 2 years ago. They got it a Costco and I know it was pricey, but it has more than paid for itself. Look for a refurbished one as well - hey often come with a warranty. The salesman at our local kitchen store said they have to sell them as refurbished even if just the box was damaged during shipping. He had several that had water spots, just spots on the boxes and they we significantly marked down.

The best recipes in my recipe file have all come from potlucks. Its fun to see what the regional differences are. In TX of course there's always BBQ. In KS we got sauerkraut and hot dogs (gag), GA always had a plethora of peach desserts. We've only been to one in El Paso but had the yummiest cheese, hominy and green chili casserole. I have to figure out who made it so I can get that recipe.

My version of apple sauce is apple brandy. Much better for the nerves.

I had lasik 15 years ago. It was the very best thing I've ever done. I couldn't read the alarm clock either. On the way home from the surgery I could read the order board at Burger King. The next morning I was seeing 20/25. My vision improved to 20/15 and has stayed there. Eta: I worked for the opthamologist, so I got the surgery for free. Woo hoo!

We have a VW Routan which is essentially a Chrysler T&C. I do not recommend it. It's in the shop again for the third time in 2 months. Luckily we bought an extended warranty - without that we would have half the features on our van not working or would be out close to $10,000. None of the problems have been huge mechanical problems, but it only has 80,000 miles right now.

My bil had it when his twins were born. They were in nicu for two weeks over an hour from their home. The money covered all the copays plus gas, lodging, food, etc. while they were going back and forth. It was a huge blessing for them. That's all I know!

She's 13? Good luck. My 13 yo and 12 yo are constantly at everyone's throat and make me want to beat them. I'm pretty sure there's a reason girls used to be married off at 13. The survival of the species was in question of they stayed with their mothers on one room huts.

We did. It was before kids, but I went to Dallas for a weekend with a friend and loved it. Went home and told dh we were moving. He found a job within a few weeks and we moved. I love Dallas and the job market there is still really good in most fields. What kind of work would you be looking for?

There is a resource she has - WWW.militaryonecource.com. She can call them directly and get counseling immediately. I believe it is up to 10 free visits per topic? Double check, but she can call them. Now, as far as getting her to call - are y'all close at all? Emotionally? I would feel completely comfortable calling my sister out if I ever saw behavior like that. That may not work here, but consider it. She knows she is wrong - call her on it, tell her why its wrong (ie emotional abuse on already stressed kids) and give her resources to help it.

LOL. Dh and I were talking about treatment newest Snowden stuff this morning. Something about the NSA going through Google and yahoo. Is anyone really surprised by that? I just assume everything we do is monitored in some way because of dh's security clearance stuff. If they don't know it now, they will when he has to renew his clearance. Don't like it, but what can you do?

I have the kindle keyboard but am hoping for a paperwhite for Christmas. At night I have to read on my phone because I don't have a light. Makes me crazy!

I got a pair of Brumbys about 5 years ago and they are great. I wear them a lot, both of my dds have worn them and they're still going strong. I got them on overstock.

Just fyi - we went to one of the Strong Bonds marriage retreats at a GWL. The army kindly provided gift cards to local restaurants for lunch and dinner and vouchers for breakfast at the hotel. It was well worth the couple of hours spent in a marriage seminar.

When dh was deployed I got a collection notice for a check written to Ross in San Antonio. I hadn't been to SA in years, obviously dh didn't write the check - I called the collection agency to figure out what was going on. They were adamant that it was my dh's check. They kept insinuating that he had another checking acct that he was letting someone else use. Repeatedly they told me I probably just didn't know all of his financial details. I don't know that I've ever been that angry. Turned out that someone had made up checks with dh's name, someone else's ss#, and a third persons account #. I filed a police report and a huge complaint with the collection agency.

What size shoes do you need? My girls were clogging in GA but there aren't any classes in El Paso. We have two pairs - one is a size 8 women's (I think ) and the other is a size 1.

Dp

It can be very nice to have someone to unload on and help you get perspective on your problems and make a plan to resolve those issues. BUT - if you don't feel comfortable, ask for another counselor. We're military and have moved to the one place I never wanted to live. I went to the Dr for a specific reason and ended up having a panic attack at the office. They actually have 'adjustment counselors' in the office there and I was sent to talk to him. In the 20 min I was in there he managed to p*SS me off seven ways to Sunday. I made one more appt with him and it was even worse. Finally, I made one last visit with a different person and I quit going after that - the last person was actually very helpful though.

My recipe has tomato sauce, sriachi (sp?), garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar. - I think that's it. I'm not at home but I'll post it later if you want. I know the only orange used is the zest and it doesn't go in the sauce.

Relax. It isn't going to be nearly as stressful as you think it is going to be. Keep the things you will be taking in a seperate area. I use a bathroom from that normally. You do have to take down all pictures, curtains, etc. Our packers always left us a box for bedding and we just stripped them and stuffed the bedding in the box the morning the truck came. They don't box up mattresses or take apart furniture until the truck is there. If you have any high value items I keep those seperate as well. I have lots of China/silver/crystal from dh's family. I put all of those things on the dining table and request that one person be responsible for packing those items. I also keep.my own spreadsheet with those items listed including the cost to replace them. I feed them lunch - pizza or burgers, and keep water in the fridge for them. Some have been super friendly, some not so much but it hasn't been terrible yet! Where are y'all going?

We just went to our cabin last week and its cold enough up there that the rodents are crazy. A friend suggested peppermint oil and it really,really worked. Just get a bottle of peppermint essential oil and pour into a bag of cotton balls. Put the cotton balls wherever you see evidence of rodents. They hate the smell and will leave. The first night we could hear them running around like crazy - by the third night we didn't hear them at all.

Make sure you're taking care of yourself. A friend recommended the book The Hormone Cure to me and I've read it though. I realized my hormones are way off kilter which makes even tiny stressors enough to throw me over the edge. I'm working my way through adding vitamins and supplements plus focusing on some yoga and mindfulness exercises to help me deal a little better. I can't change the stressors, but hopefully I can deal with them in a more efficient manner.