Stay safe! Hope the weather passes quickly. We get violent winds here but no tornadoes.

I just want to say, AGAIN, how I love this. I am not fond of my pictures, either, and rarely let dh take one. It makes me kinda sad to see other moms don't have a lot of themselves. I think of our kids, who might want pictures of us when we are gone. I think each one of you are attractive, I really do! Some of you have such light in your eyes! All of you look like people I would like to know better, irl. Thx for posting. If I had a printer here, I would print these out and hang them up by my desk so I could memorize your kind faces and really "see" you when I read your posts.

I think our brains are wired to try desperately hard to understand language, and to make sense of our world in general. I think it is to help us stay alive.You know how people are always seeing Jesus in the clouds or toast or something? (Well not always lol) Our brains seek understanding, and finding patterns and pictures would help with that. Same with language. You can probably find and remember those words that have a lot of meaning to you in English, or sound/look like English, or have been associated in your mind with something else easy to remember. And your ear will get used to the patterns and cadences in Spanish, too, as you gain more proficiency. I speak about 15 words of Arabic, but in church, I can follow our priests when they pray in Arabic if I have the written English in front of me; I mean, I know where they are, approximately, because of the repeated words, cognates and place names (never pronounced exactly as Eng but close enough) and pauses/breath patterns. Good luck on your Spanish journey!

Wouldn't tumeric stain teeth yellow?

So...A friend said Israeli hand sanitizer is not...idk the word...strong? enough?

Just want to say it is important to remember that there are females who use p also, and I don't mean just "romance novels" I mean the hardcore stuff, and it changes their brains, interfers w relationships and is addicting, just like for males.

With really good hair!

This thread makes me so happy. Thank you for playing!

🙄

But you wouldn't mind sharing what you look like, post one in this thread! I wouldn't mind sharing one except I can't seem to size it small enough. Here's a selfie. Add yours! I would love to know what you like! #greasyhair #nomakeup #whocares

Thx Wendy! These are exactly what I was looking for!

I like raspberry, myself. In response to other posts...Geez. What am I going to find in a week when I get back to the States? People that are posting about Costco craziness--are you all on the west coast? Can I expect shortages in Virginia?

You can still go to Israel (whoever asked that) but they are not accepting people from Hong Kong (and maybe other places, but USA is fine). Today in Bethlehem, our friend and local shopkeeper told us the Church of the Nativity turned away a woman from China (since she couldn't go in, her non-Chinese group members chose not to go in, too), and also denied admission to two Italians.

A young friend of mine, 5 and in K, just finished Captain Underpants. His dad is looking for fun books to give him, but wants them to be fairly good quality and appropriate for a k'er. I've looked at the Sonlight 3 collection of titles (meh) and recommended MTH (with caveats lol), Bunnicula and a couple Roald Dahl. Give me your best ideas to pass along! I am trying to steer clear of really twaddly books and would love some titles that are a little higher quality than most will recommend at his public school (not a ps slam, I just know his particular situation and would love to shoot a bit higher for them).

CNN just reported that 10 new countries in the last 24 hours have cases of the virus. 10. That is...a lot.

Israel urging citizens to not travel internationally. Great. I leave the 6th for USA. Hope I can get back. https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-unprecedented-move-israelis-advised-to-avoid-all-travel-over-virus-fears/

oh dang. That is where I am headed. Lorton is home. PM me where if you don't mind.

A friend in Ohio just told me there are 212 people in Ohio who travelled to China in self-quarantine now. Just a precaution. However, one has been tested due to respiratory symptoms and they are awaiting results https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.whio.com/news/local/coronavirus-person-under-investigation-for-virus-more-negative-tests-return/hmwmZ0Yte8FcoW4U5huVjI/amp.html

That "unknown origin" has a lot of people worried. I saw LAX airport is cleaning every hour. I can't imagine. Ds is in LA this week for work and flying out I believe Friday. I just want him out now, tbh. I heard there is a suspected case in Southwestern VA. Haven't heard an update. Flying home on a plane for 12 hours next Saturday ought to be interesting.

CNN is reporting the US has issued a level 3 alert for traveling to South Korea, basically saying better reconsider going. I haven't read this whole thread but wanted to share that at our Ash Weds service at St. George's in Jerusalem we were told to simply acknowledge each other while passing the Peace and to not hug or shake hands. And we were given only the Host (the "wafer") for Communion, not the wine, not even by intinction like last week. 😞

Feb here is super gray and rainy. I got depressed last year and cried my way thru. This year has sucked, too, starting in September, but there have been bright spots! I have to go home next week bc one of my besties has brain cancer, but...I get to go home next week. So, good and bad. (I woud rather stay here and have her well, of course.)

Not too old at all. However, have you thought about offering short'term trauma reduction? You do not need to be a therapist to offer Traumatic Incident Reduction. I can put you in touch w my dear friend who is a LCSW with her Master's, but offers the training for this. Just pm me if you want more info.

We lived in VA for 17 years and went twice. That was enough. Go to local fireworks. If you feel like driving, the fireworks at the old Lorton prison, now an arts center, are really nice, with a field to lie in and enough parking. Honestly, tho, I wouldn't go beyond whatever is in your neighborhood because traffic is crazy.

Is it fidgeting or stimming?

My son's was really bad. We tried the benzoyl peroxide plus erythromycin combo from our dr for a good long time, but he still had it. When he went away to college, he tried milk of magnesia, patting it on at night and letting it dry then wearing a shirt to bed. Cleared it up in a few weeks.