Any parent who feels that way probably shouldn't homeschool anyway....it isn't likely to be a positive for them or the kids, so I never feel the need to try to change their mind. "Yeah, it doesn't work for every family, I'm grateful that it's worked so well for ours." THat's what I usually respond....what I really want to say is more along the lines of "yeah, what do you expect when you don't parent them...you delegate that responsibility 99% of the time to a classroom full of other kids instead, or the summer camp kids, or the neighborhood kids...."

People like that really get my goat......but I've learned over the years to turn it back on them. "Oh, Mr Boss, I'm not sure I can legally do that.....let me call the legal department at headquarters and find out what they think we ought to do. No no, it's ok, I'll be happy to do that for you, no need for you to trouble yourself, you're the big boss afterall." And while I may not actually say that.....if I were leaving like you were....I'd gather as much concrete evidence of his request (and I'm guessing there are others such questionable requests in the past).....and on my way out the door I'd drop them into the nearest mailbox addressed to the highest management level I could find. Let them decide how to deal with him, lol. Good on ya for standing up for your intgerity. And yeah, they can still fire you even though you gave notice....but hey, then you could put in a legitimate request for unemployment....and of course you'd have to appeal it because if you were fired for cause you aren't entitled, so you'd have to appeal and prove that you weren't fired for cause. Yeah, that ought to go over well, since it will be someone else in the company at the appeal, not your boss. "Your honor, I was fired because I refused to do something unethical and possibly illegal, and here's the proof."

I'm so sorry that you have such a jerk for a Judge. I won't give my opinion on your ex....since he reads here, lol.

Sheesh....it was a challenge...not a dare or a demand. And I don't recall saying that you had to post that you were even doing anything. Sorry you took it that way. Don't.

You really ought to get in to see an attorney (many offer a free consultation and also many will start a case with a very low fee, usually the filing fees, when they know that the other party is the breadwinner, because they know the courts will eventually award your attorney fees to be paid by them.). Leaving you and the children without money to buy necessities is definitely frowned on by the courts...big time. Now...if you mean that he's living there and paying the bills, semi-filling the fridge, perhaps not with what you want, but there is food to available, then it's a little harder, but not impossible. But if he's basically making you and the children go hungry or forcing you to ask shelters/food pantry etc for food, then the Court will not be happy with him. And...if his being there is causing emotional distress on you or the children (or worse), the attorney can request that the Court order him out of the house. Of course, many factors weigh in on this, but it's never quite as hopeless as some people think, and an attorney will be able to give you some idea of what you are entitled to and what to expect.

Forgive me as I don't know your specific situation....but government aid is based on the income of those living in the household....so if you're in the middle of a divorce, so long as the spouse isn't still living at home, then the fact is that your income would be zero, or whatever you might be earning personally. You wouldn't be including his income because you don't have access to his paycheck anymore (I would presume). After loss of job, divorce is apparently one of the largest segment of new claims filed. Unemployment is seldom enough to keep a family going (since it's based on your previous salary and doesn't take into account whether you are single or have 4 kids)....and divorce of course often leaves the wife with the kids and abruptly no source of income. You may find that your benefits have a time limit on them, so that the state can re-check your income because they'll assume that you will get court ordered support at some point so you may have to verify income more often than others....and some states have it automated with the court system to know when you get a raise in support. They should also be kept updated when ex doesn't pay said support as your benefits should be adjusted for that as well. It's not fun, or easy to go through the hoops, but if you're in need then it's necessary and better than the alternative of hungry children. My heart goes out to all those on this board who are receiving assistance.....how awful you must feel when we on this board are talking about you and often in an unflattering way. As I said in my long diatribe above, I try very hard not to judge because I don't know the situation of others......and as so many have posted it's true....none of us know what the other person is truly going through. How awful would you feel if you were looking down your nose at that mother buying her dying daughter her last birthday cake. Makes me wish that somehow I COULD know these things standing in line behind her.....because I know that I would have added all my food stuff to her cart and paid for the whole thing....know my family had food in the freezer we'd just live on that week, so that this family could have the pressure of survival off their plates for a short time so they could concentrate on the truly important things in life....their daughter. We've left our share of bags of food on porches....and my kids have twice had birthday parties at our church facility asking for food pantry donations in lieu of presents. But sometimes....like now reading this thread, it makes me wonder if I really do enough. Maybe it's time for a food pantry shopping spree. Yes, it's probably guilt, but if that's what it takes for those us with a little extra to give to those without...so be it. So....I issue a challenge......for anyone that feels that their cart is full of treats that their kids don't really need....who picked up the filet mignon instead of the london broil.....who bought two bottles of wine for dinner instead of one.....or who has the time/energy/knowledge to make their own cake but chooses instead to buy a store bought one for convenience.......my challenge to you is to make a few changes to your cart choices this week and use the saved cash to pick up some non-perishables (be they staples or treats) and drop them off at a local pantry....if you don't know where one is, stop by any church along your route....I guarantee they'll know what to do with the items. Or before you leave for the market, check online for the nearest food bank or shelter so you drop it off there on the way home. I just yelled off to the kids to get ready to go to the store....we don't have a shopping list, but I feel so motivated right now I'm not gonna let it fade.....next week we're eating out of the freezer and not buying anything but milk and fresh veggies. The rest of that budget is going to the food pantry. So...how about you????

It's popularity was because it was among the first comprehensive curriculums that was classical. We enjoyed it, using it along with SOTW and MOH (yes, I'm a junkie).....I found it went in depth on many topics....but because it did it also left out many other topics. It was fun, easy to implement and your kids will definitely get a fine education from it....but, it would probably be best improved by not spending as much time on some topics at the expense of others. I will say that of all the curriculums we've used, this one had the best customer service long after the purchase. There is a yahoogroup of Dorian followers that you might want to join if you decide to use it, as they are also a great support and place to gather and share ideas. It also lost a lot of popularity at the time because it was taking so long for the next volume to be released.....people weren't willing to put off their child's education for months or even as long as a year waiting for the next volume. While almost all new curriculums go through this (anyone remember the nail biting waits for the next volume of SOTW??).....if I recall Dorian was working full time so she wasn't able to focus her energies nearly as much on writing. MOH had similiar problems, though I don't believe Linda was working full time (though she was still homeschooling which is almost a full time job, lol). Now that all the volumes are out that certainly won't be an issue for you.....but we homeschoolers are fickle....we all love the latest thing until something else comes along. Since she couldn't get the momentum going I think it kinda killed off the popularity because people moved on to other things out of necessity. I think I still have my binder of this somewhere.......if your post generates a rebirth I may have to hunt it down and sell it, lol.

Don't know about other states, but here you can't really tell if someone is using food stamps anymore. For a couple of years now they have issued something that resembles a credit card. My understanding is that it is "refilled" each month with your allotment. One that I have seen, did have a small state logo on it, but unless you have been on food stamps, or know someone who has, the casual observer in line would simply see someone pay with a swipe through the card reader. Sometimes you'll see someone pay for some of their food with cash as well, if the card doesn't have enough, but I can't imagine that people standing in line would even notice that....I've paid at Walmart with a gift card and cash....would someone therefore think I'm on food stamps? Now WIC on the other hand, still issues the papers....and the clerks have to ruffle through them to find the specific paper for the item being purchased. So those transactions do take a bit of extra time and it's pretty clear to anyone standing in line that has a clue what WIC even is. Of course, many people think that WIC is food stamps, but it's not. It's MUCH easier to qualify for WIC.....the purpose is for pregnant woman and children under 5 to ensure that they get extra nutritious food. There is NO WAY that you could feed your family solely with WIC...it's simply not enough food quantity. I have never been (knock wood and PTL) on food stamps....but because my DH was military when our first 3 kids were born, we qualified each time for WIC. In the early years of our marriage and his enlistment he could have earned more working as a clerk at the grocery store than he did putting his life on the line for his country. WIC is very specific about what you can buy.....I remember buying oatmeal for my kids and not being allowed to buy the packages that had flavors in them....the plain I could but not the flavors. I have mixed feelings about food stamps being regulated.....on the one hand, I do have an objection to my tax money supplying the means for someone to have a BBQ for friends....but on the other hand, I don't know that this family didn't choose to eat beans and rice for themselves all month in order to have that BBQ....perhaps it was to celebrate their child's graduation from high school....or a birthday. Heavens knows that I have cut our budget down to beans and rice with the knowledge that Thanksgiving or Christmas was coming and I wanted those to be special. Who am I to say that just because they are economically disadvantaged that they should never be allowed to throw a party, drink soda or eat chips? Even when my food budget was squeaky thin we would occasionally buy soda or another treat for "special" times. I'm very sure there are HUGE abuses, but I'm also just as sure that standing in line at the grocery I don't have the whole story about what's happening in that person's life. Perhaps they drive an expensive car because they are stuck in a lease and can't sell it....or they are hopeful that their need for food stamps will be short term and they'll get a job soon and be able to keep their vehicle. Perhaps they just got on food stamps and the car is listed for sale, but not yet sold. Perhaps it belongs to their parents who have lent it to them because their vehicle was repossessed. We had only one car for the first decade of our marriage....it was usually ok because DH was deployed anyway or we lived on base so he could walk to work and I could have the car to go to commisary (also on base, but try walking with 3 kids and a week of groceries). When we were based in the same town as my parents, they often lent us their vehicle when we both wanted to use a car. Or, my mom drove the kids and I places. Now...I don't exactly know what a coach purse is, but I'll guess that's because it's so beyond my budget that it doesn't matter......and so this I would say feels like an abuse....but again....who is to say that this person didn't save up for a year to get something that meant so much to them? Wouldn't be something I'd spend money on.....but to each his own. There are many things that my family doesn't have that others consider "basic needs".....cable TV....a TV that's newer than 14 years old, lol.....cell phones.....steak for dinner more than once a year.....a bottle of wine......pre-made foods.......a car newer than 11 or 13 years old. On the other hand.....we go to Disneyworld which is definitely NOT cheap at least once a year, more if we have a windfall! And for many THAT would be considered ridiculously extravagent. But, the lack of cable and cell phones and such enables us to save enough to go to Disneyworld, which is more important to my family than cable TV. I know several of our friends who think I'm harming my children because we don't have cable TV, don't buy the latest in clothes (99% of our clothes are from Walmart), don't buy DVDs (we borrow from the library) and therefore generally are depriving our children of something all so that I can stay home and educate them instead of going back to the corporate world and making big bucks. It's a lifestyle choice that we have made that they can't fathom. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the idea of trying to regulate another person's lifestyle choices even when my tax money is involved. However, I WOULD love to see these agencies have more staff to investigate the abuses. Same thing with Worker's Comp and Social Security Disability. Yes, it would cost money, but perhaps if the government started arresting those who are abusing the system, others would think twice before doing so and eventually we'd see a return on those costs. Right now, it's so easy to cheat and be very confident that you'll never be caught, that it's easy to see how someone with a very low self-esteem, and morals that are apparently lower than my own, could milk the system that allows itself to be milked. Judge not lest ye be judged.

Drat, I looked at Rainbow Resource but they don't seem to carry Living Memory. I searched under title and author. That would be cool because I always put together a group order so that we have over $150 and get free shipping. Is Living Memory actually available from anywhere except lulu??

Ok, you know it's ridiculous when it's actually cheaper to pay the rasied price and the lowered shipping than it is to pay the "retail" price and the higher shipping. Hmmmm, wonder if Drew gets a larger profit if we buy it at the higher Amazon rate? Still too much for me, but curious.

Well, it's not much consolation, but the shipping is ridiculous for the United States as well. I would very much like to get a copy of Living Memory, but they want to charge me $7.21 to ship it MEDIA MAIL and have big red notes that this method is not trackable and won't be replaced if lost in the mail. I've had way too much trouble with the post office to take that chance, so in order to be sure that I receive it I'd have to pay $18.62 for priority shipping. Well, this is a paperback book of 452 pages.....I weighed a 500 page HARDback book and found that the media mail shipping would $3.55 and priority would be $9.35 (I live on the West Coast and used an East Coast zip for comparison as I don't know where lulu is located). So they're definitely making their profit off shipping and I find that ridiculous. I have forgone many ebay auctions because the seller has doubled the reasonable shipping costs. Since the post office provides the packaging FREE for priority mail, I don't accept the argument that packaging costs the seller (and my opinion was solidified after I did pay ridiculous charges with this argument only to receive it in a reused box, lol!) So...until Drew finds another method of delivery, my family will wait patiently and hope that someone wants to sell a used copy on ebay or this board and is reasonable in their shipping costs. Drew....might I suggest that you create a pdf version and sell it yourself? Not only would lulu not be taking some of your profits (so hopefully you could pass a little savings onto us for our having to print the book ourselves), you'd likely get a lot more sales from those of us who don't think it right to double/triple the shipping costs to up profit. (And yes, I know that Drew is NOT responsible for the shipping costs charged...it's lulu making the killing).

Don't forget that you have 45 days after payment to dispute the transaction if you paid through Paypal. A common dispute is that an item is "significantly not as described". And since it was described as "Very Good" then missing pages and written pages are definitely not as described. Even "Good" which is a step down from Very Good aren't supposed to have missing pages. When Paypal finds in your favor because of "significantly not as described" it's the seller's responsiblity to pay for return shipping if they want the item back. I know a lot of people feel that Paypal isn't always fair and sides with the seller, but I have filed several disputes over the years for items not described properly, and always won my case. It costs you nothing but time to file, so since you seem resigned to not getting your money back anyway, you've got nothing to lose and a few extra dollars to gain. I'd open the dispute saying that the $3.50 refund she offered was not acceptable and request a full refund. The Seller is likely to go ahead and refund it to you rather than have it escalated to Paypal making a decision....because Sellers with too many losing disputes can lose their paypal and ebay accounts.

What is the original file name of the pdf??

Ahhh, ok, without kids....... first choice: San Francisco. I wouldn't chose SF with kids for a relaxing vacation because there is simply too much to do that the kids will want to keep you on the go 25 hours a day. But for relaxing, romance.....yeah, San Francisco. My recommendation for hotel.....Seal Rock Inn.....and then make reservations for the Sunday Champagne brunch at Cliff House (or if you won't be there on a Sunday, do lunch at Cliff House....and when you make your reservation request a window seat). Strolling on the beach at dusk......romantic and relaxing. If you choose to venture out of your hotel for more than meals, there is plenty to do within walking distance. And if you decide you want to do more....cab rides to Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, or really anyplace in the city and you have more than a day's worth of seeing. Oh yeah...and if you still want to do some wine tasting....a rental car makes it a day trip to Sonoma. Ahhhhh, I so wish I was planning a vacation for ME...but thanks for letting me make suggestions for yours.

Your tastebuds have been trained to only like veggies with those high calorie additions. You CAN retrain them, but it will take time. It's no different than cutting back on sugar.....you have to give your taste buds a chance to accept the new flavors. My DH used to drink about 5 or 6 cans of Coke a day.....as he got older and slowed down a bit he noticed he was gaining weight and couldn't really figure out why. I pointed out the sugar count in Coke....and multiplied it by 6. But he complained that he wanted a cold drink and didn't want diet soda.....and water was boring and didn't taste good. I drink only water so I disagreed with him. We got some sugar free syrup like they use in mixed drinks and such (brand I use is Torani) and for a while he used a half dozen squirts of it in a glass of water......and still complained....but persevered. Eventually he started cutting back on the squirt count.....and now he likes ice cold water plain....the Torani is considered a "juice" around here. He will occasionally get a soda when we eat out, but usually ends up commenting on it being way too sweet. The same for you and your veggies! Make the changes gradual, but keep making them. Cut out the fried, as there is just no way to gradually change those, lol.....but for the others, find a low calorie salad dressing SPRAY. The spray lets you get dressing/flavor on the veggies but you don't need to use nearly as much because it disperses so well that each piece will have some flavor, but no need to drench them. You will likely start out with quite a few sprays, but eventually your taste buds will let you cut back on those little by little. Another less caloric sauce for veggies is low-sodium soy sauce. Or try just lemon juice and garlic. We have steamed veggies several times a week....I slice up whatever veggies, dump them in the steam tray and sprinkle some seasoning on them....Italian Seasoning is an easy one...but ginger and garlic make it a great side for an asian dish.....garlic makes it great with lasagne or spaghetti......dill on carrots is heavenly...and there are many others. Another idea would be to check if your library has any of the below books....they have you adding your veggies into other foods in ways that you can barely (and often not at all) taste them. These are obviously geared towards moms getting veggies into picky kids....but they work wonders for adults. I like their recipes not because our family dislikes veggies and I have to hide them...but just because the addition of veggies into things like spaghetti means that our dinner can have twice the veggie kick. While I can say that my family doesn't notice the flavor of the veggies, some people claim they can....but my own experiment with a MIL who claimed she knew from the taste proved that wrong, lol. So YOU may a little more trouble not remembering what you put in that spaghetti (or whatever), but keep an open mind and give it a try a few times to see if your taste buds will stop remembering. Sneaky Chef (she has a series of books, all have Sneaky Chef in the title) The Art of Hiding Vegetables Deceptively Delicious (this isn't just about veggies, but there are many good ideas about them in it...and the other suggestions are really quite easy to implement making your other foods healthier without even noticing much difference in taste). Sneaky Veggies...this one concentrates almost excusively on veggies, and has some wonderful seasonings to try out. He does hide many veggies but some he proudly serves in all their glory but with such a flavor boost (and not heavy calorie) that you may find yourself taking seconds! Again...the main thing is that you have to retrain your taste buds....this won't be easy for a couple weeks, and it's best not to "back slide" during this period....but you CAN do it if you truly want. But flopping back and forth before you've retrained your buds won't work. And now is probably the best time to make these changes because with summer approaching you have the best chance of finding really wonderful veggies. If at all possible, head for a farmer's market instead of the grocery store. Farmer Markets tend to have locally grown veggies, which mean they were probably picked the day before they're sold, so they will have rippened on the vine, which gives them MUCH better taste. The grocery store produce may have been picked a week ago and trucked in, ripening in the bed of the truck. Fruits will be much sweeter from a market as well. If you're not sure where to find a Farmer's Market in your area....call the chamber of commerce, they typically know (call the neighboring town chamber as well).

I guess that depends on his definition of "relax not play". Does he simply want a comfortable hotel to lay around the pool.....or would he be up for a little bit of sight seeing but not "see the world in 7 days"? Some recommendations: The Cliffs Resort (halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles) They offer amazing pampering services if that suits your fancy.....or just lounge by the pool or jacuzzi..........and if you do actually want to go somewhere, there are dozens of wineries nearby, and it's a short drive to some tourist things if you and the kids want to get out and do while he lounges. Hearst Castle is nearby and is amazing and the zoo is always fun. There is all of Wine Country in California....lots of beautiful luxurious hotels to lounge by the pool and easy going wine tours or just tastings....and of course the incredible restaurants at and around the wineries. Our favorite luxury hotel there is Lodge at Sonoma, but there are many others. Lake Tahoe is beautiful and relaxing.....if you're interested in gambling it's available (on the Nevada side), but unlike Reno and Vegas it's not nearly as wild and crazy and it's definitely much more kid friendly than Vegas. I love to go to Tahoe to relax....it's all green and beautiful and the air is so clean compared to my big city life. There is plenty of action if you want to do it, and there is plenty of just easy going relaxing or staying by the pool if that's what you want. If you're into hiking, it's probably one of the most beautiful places with trails of every level.

Yes, they still do pins....big time. Probably 90% of the Cast Members have lanyards and you can trade up to two pins. There are also "boards" that have probably 50 pins on them for you to choose from (still only 2 trades per person)....one of the boards is in Epcot at the African trading station between China and Germany right by the cash register. There is also a board in Animal Kingdom at the pin vendor just inside the turnstiles to your left by the restrooms. At both locations you have to ask to see the board, it won't always be obvious. I think there are other places, but I can't remember right now! DO NOT plan to rent a stroller at Disney.....it costs $15.00 PER DAY for a single and $30 PER DAY for a double and it's hard plastic. While there aren't as many stroller thefts as you might think given how often you leave the stroller unattended, it does happen, and of course is typically the high end ones. I'd bring along the combi. Besides the idea that you don't want to worry about a nice expensive stroller disappearing, do you really want the Peg getting wet during the rain showers? Having a child in a carrier is fine.....some of the rides they want you to take the baby out of it for safety, but they're let you know. Some people who don't want to deal with packing a stroller on a plane have stopped off at Walmart and bought a $20 umbrella stroller for their stay and left it with the resort to pass along at the end (there are even swap groups to join to share strollers). If you absolutely have to rent a stroller there, on your very first day, tell them that you want to pay for a "length of stay" and you pay for however long you need it (2 day minimum) for $13 single/$27 double per day, payable in advance, no refunds for unused days. A better solution requires a little planning, but there are several off site stroller rental places that will deliver to your resort on arrival day....they're typically MUCH cheaper than Disney's rate and are often not the hard plastic so they are a bit more comfortable. I don't know that I should "advertise" any companies, so if you need this information, PM me for it. One last hint about strollers....while you're inside the attractions the Cast Members may move your stroller, and every one else's to keep them in neat rows so more will fit....this makes finding your stroller in the sea of strollers that all look similiar a bit of a challenge. Bring along the brightest boldest wildest scarf you can find to tie around the handle to help you spot it in the crowds. Beach Club is very nice and has "Stormalong Bay" where the pools are located...yes pools...it shares with Yacht Club, but each section of the pool is different, so check out both. There are also wading pools for the littles and hot tubs for us biggers. You can rent tubes and noodles. No need to bring your room towels as they have extras at the pool. And Beach Club has a wonderful restaurant for a breakfast buffet, the Cape May Cafe...and in the evening the same Cafe has a clam bake. Beach Club is also the home of Beaches and Cream the biggest and bestest ice cream parlor in Disney....often very crowded so plan to wait for a table as they don't take reservations, but so much fun and so yummy. They have a wide selection of sundaes that are large enough for 2 adults to chow down on....but they also have something called The Kitchen Sink. It's 8 scoops of ice cream, every topping they have all inside a massive bucket with a cute faucet! It's definitely a meal. (Oh and they also serve burgers and such if you actually want real food for lunch/dinner instead of just ice cream, lol). And then there is all of Marketplace.....kinda like a stroll down a beach boardwalk with little shops and restaurants. Best of all to me, is that it's a quick boat ride to my favorite park, Epcot. Buses take you to the other parks if you don't have your own car. Have a wonderful time....wish I could go!

This thread has really touched me and made me think. And I think the reason I'm not understanding it is because I've not lived with the problem personally. Maybe chalk that up to where we live because apparently that makes all the difference.....we very rarely have power outages and when we do a 2 or 3 hour outage is one that people consider ridiculously long and will talk and grumble about for months, lol. Typically our power outages are during monsoon season (July/August if we even have one that year) and the power will go out for 10 minutes or so.....and then it's up and running. On the other hand, I know I see on the news where people can be without power for days on end....and wasn't part of Kentucky or somewhere without power for weeks last year due to a storm???? In that case, yeah, freezer and refrigerator food would definitely be a financial loss. Even for our "long" outages all you have to do is remind the kids to not open the door and everything will keep itself cold. The worst part is not having air conditioning for a couple hours....in 110 degree weather that is a necessity! So maybe that is why I'm not understanding stockpiling....I was born in the midwest but we moved to the West when I was 8, so to me, all my life has been lived West Coast/Southwest.....we don't have blizzards that lock us indoors for days.....even on our worst weather days when it's 120 degrees all week we can still go out if we have to.......we don't have hurricanes or tornadoes that can wipe out the shopping center and have to wait for trucks to bring stuff in.....heck, even the worst earthquake I lived through (where the bridge and a freeway that I used 30 minutes earlier collapsed)....even that didn't cause any food shortages.....yeah everyone ran to the store and the shelves were empty, but the next day they had trucks in and were restocked. We had a day where they worried about the safety of the water because of damage, but that even turned out to be a one day concern. The worst part was getting to work without that bridge and freeway!! We were also there when over 3,000 houses burned to the ground.....ours included....but the worst of that was the week that the fire raged because life just wasn't normal....but the Red Cross/Salvation Army took care of our food and shelter needs....they never had any shortages because the next town over wasn't affected even though our town was blocked off for safety and for emergency vehicles. So perhaps that is really the crux of my not understanding.....I've not had to live through any real shortages or even really any preceived shortages. When my DH was laid off a few years ago money was very tight and I that was probably the closest I have ever been in my life to worrying how I would feed my children. But, of course, our friends and family weren't in the same boat, and they all were very generous in lending us a hand, as was our church. But then, I've done the same for others before and since our need. Otherwise, I really can't think of a time that I worried about these issues, but apparently it is a real and immediate worry for many of you.

It felt like it rained at least a little bit every day that we are in Disney, lol.....I'm told that is typical Florida. But, we didn't let it bother us...it was nice to cool down a little....the lines were definitely shorter......and if you really don't want to get wet, then the minute it starts raining go into one of the shows, or a line that is all indoors, or shopping. I don't live there so can't say it's always this way, but we've been going to Disney for many years and their rain showers seem to last less than an hour (and often less than half an hour) and then the sun comes out you dry quickly and the lines start to get long again. If being wet bothers you one recommendation we read in the guide books was to get plastic ponchos at the dollar store to whip out put on and because refolding was nearly impossible and they were cheap (I think they were 4 for $1) just toss them in the trash can after the storm. I do recall one year deciding to get them, but they were a bit annoying to get opened and on and so we gave up....we didn't mind being wet anyway as it cooled us down. Nighttime might be different, but we never had it rain on us after the sun went down. If it did, we'd probably call it a night since we'd likely have been there since opening anyway. Disney in the rain beats home in the heat any day. Enjoy!

Ok, well that makes sense for garden canning (done that myself....beginning of the season you have so much you wonder if you'll ever eat that many tomatoes....then months later you are hoarding the last cans until the harvest comes in)....and even meat as we do buy that in bulk for financial savings....but what about all the paper products, health and beauty products, cleaning supplies, and canned foods? I understand buying a bit extra when it's on a particularly good sale, or you have coupons to go with a sale.....but since those sales are cyclical why would you need to stockpile a year's worth of laundry detergent and deodrant?

I bought this years ago also....but it was only available as a download. Any chance that your copy is lurking on your computer or burned onto a CD somewhere? Thankfully I ran across mine recently so I don't have to buy another copy, lol.

I wouldn't buy these.......I'm not a fan of Grolier as a publisher to begin with and I don't personally like condensed versions of most things. If the author had originally wanted it that way they would have done so. There are a very select few where that doesn't apply for me, but mostly I want to read it as the author intended. Same goes for movies...drives me nuts when they make major changes (not little things, but leaving out characters, introducing others, leaving out entire chapters). Check your local library to see if they have some of these available so that you can check if the condensing is acceptable to you. As I recall these have been "reissued" not too long ago (in the last decade) so they may have a different copyright date, but look it up by Title and Publisher and see what you find. Of course, the reissues can sometimes make a bad book worse too, and I don't recall whether there was reported to be changes or not. As I recall it was something that was sold at the big warehouse stores like Sams or Costco.

Yipee! Don't know why none of us suggested talking to them about putting younger in the enrichment class. I love when the solution is so simple.

Ok, my local mini-mart doesn't have that much on it's shelves. I have never quite understood, nor gotten a really comprehensive answer from the few Mormans I know, about WHY they stockpile a year's worth. I totally understand those who live in extreme weather places having a stockpile for a month or maybe even two, but a year? Being prepared makes sense....but I'm almost 50 and cannot recall a single time that the winter conditions have been so bad that people haven't been able to get out of their house to do shopping (or the stores not getting stock delivered) for more than a couple weeks. Certainly not months on end...and certainly never a year. Those who live far away from cities would of course need more as travel to the store would be more difficult for them, but again, even if you lived where it snowed you in for the entire winter, that's two or three months max isn't it? Once spring hit you could get out. Those in hurricane or tornado or even earthquake country wouldn't you only want to have a couple of weeks stock onhand? Thinking of Katrina, which undoubtedly is the worst disaster of this type in my lifetime.....even if you don't take into consideration that these houses were flooded and therefore any storage would be ruined.....for the houses that weren't flooded, they were all evacuated within a week or two weren't they? And the delivery of goods went to most parts of the states within 2 weeks (I recall this length of time being blasted in the news as our Government failing to act quickly enough....and later the government acknowledging that this was too slow, so obviously their expectation is that they should be able to get delivery flowing again in 2 weeks. So why would need more than a month, maybe two if you live farther away from city? If you live in hurricane/tornado/earthquake area, wouldn't the risk of losing a years worth of stock be rather high? Hurricanes and tornados wipe out everything....earthquakes, I know from experience, can level a house too. I find threads like this very interesting.....but a bit bewildering. Perhaps I just live to much a city life, but even the 4 years we lived 70+ miles to the nearest grocery store and another 10 miles to the nearest library.....my concerns were more having room on our twice a month runs to town for library books than for more food, lol. You do learn to be prepared, and that has thankfully carried over into our city life, so I don't find myself having to make quick trips to the store for something forgotten. Our menus are planned for a month rather loosely....for the coming two weeks rather solidly. I shop for two weeks at once and except for fresh fruits/vegetables and milk, I don't have to shop again for two weeks. We do fresh fruits/vegs and milk every week, first going to the farmers market and then to the grocery if the market didn't have something we wanted. Most times it does though. My pantry is a double wide kitchen cabinet, floor to ceiling, and it's chalk full of stuff, and there is some larger items here and there, but that shopping is based on sales not on thinking I'm going to need it to sustain us for a month. We have a freezer and buy meat in bulk, but again, that's the frugal part of me, not the planner. I would guess that if we locked the doors to the outside world and didn't go out for a month we'd survive. Nicely at first and then with rather bizarre meals as we put together whatever was left. I'd really miss fresh fruits/vegs, but we have some canned and frozen so we'd probably avoid scurvy, lol. Not having milk probably wouldn't phase the kids....they enjoy water just as much, but I like them to have the vitamins that water doesn't provide. We don't eat cereal so no milk required there. I have been watching the flu thing, mostly because we have immunity compromised family members, so they are at higher risk. We've had a few schools close down, but I have yet to see the store shelves appear less than full so I don't think my state is stockpiling yet. But even if this flu went to it's worst potential where 1/3 of the population was sick, would that really and truly bring the world to it's knees? I can see where there would be a lot of employees at home instead of working to move our supply across the nation, but I just don't see it stopping indefinitely. My sci-fi mind sees the worst case scenario being the government tells people they have one day to stock up and then they can't leave their home, period. (ok, would be very glad to have a stockpile to avoid that shopping spree!) And sends out military to keep people locked inside (military in haz mat suits for their protection). Ok, so effectively you've stopped the possibility of spreading the disease.....it runs it's course in a week....but to be safe, you'd keep the quarantine for what, 2 weeks, maybe 3 just to be sure everyone in the nation (world?) has recovered (or died I guess in a worst case). Then you can all slowly start opening your doors and squinting at the sunlight. Everyone is recovered so there is no one left to start the spread over again. So even my sci-fi scenario has you needing 2-3 weeks, maybe a whole month of supplies. Certainly not months or a year. Again, those of you who stockpile a year, I'm not bashing you....I'd love to understand your thought process. What disaster are you planning for and how can your time estimates be so large when I can't think of anything, including war here on US soil, would mean that supplies don't get through for a year. Rationing, yes....difficulty getting everything we WANT, yes....but not getting enough to survive, can't see it. I've heard the stories first hand about war rationing, and while it doesn't sound like fun, they weren't starving to death, it was more an inconvenience. Nuclear would mean your supplies aren't safe either, which is about the only scenario where I see supplies being scarce, but more so because nothing would be safe. Of course, I've already said to my family that if the nukes come, I'm going outside to greet them...I don't want to live in an post nuke world. I think if your scenario did come true....I'd also worry more about the potential of violence for others wanting to get my food stockpile. So maybe if I were going to stockpile I'd keep it hidden from view from everyone....you never know when that friendly neighbor might be willing to resort to violence so his family doesn't starve for lack of planning? I can say today that I can't imagine doing that myself....but then again I've never seen my child withering away from starvation either, so I'm not sure how I would react to those desperate times. Would I resort to violence for their survival? Scary to say, but I think I might.

Growing up my DH used to keep the dog food in a (clean) 30 gal trash can. Keep the lid on and mice and other pests won't get into any more than they do your regular garbage. Then setting it outside your house won't look bad to the neighbors or attract theives like a storage unit might. So, from your Tent City reference, can I assume you're in Arizona? If so, humidity won't be a problem...even now with all the rain we've had the last couple of weeks it's not humid enough to worry about food storage. DH grew up in Florida...now there's a humidty problem!