I agree it depends on body shape. My skirts range from mid-calf to a couple inches about the knee. I have several summer knit skirts that are above the knee while the rest are longer. My knees aren't too ugly yet. I don't think it depends on your age. However, no mini skirts or muumuus, for me.

My dd's very close friend committed suicide four years ago. He was 15 and she was 14. It was extremely hard on her. She's not very forthcoming with her feelings so it was hard to talk to her. We did talk when she was ready. Each year around the time he died she would sort of shut down. This year is the first time she hasn't done that. In retrospect, I should have done more. Maybe counseling? I just asked her, and she said the hardest part, especially when it's a very close friend, is not blaming yourself. Because when you're that close, all you can think of 'is I should have done something'. This is something that she never mentioned to me before, and it's been four years. It's so hard to watch your child suffer through this kind of grief. And I still feel guilty for not having given her more help. I wish I would have known better how to help her. I imagine with a foster child there's so many other layers. I pray this never happens again, but if it did I would seek some counseling. I'm so sorry this happened. It's awful, and it doesn't heal quickly.

We love potato soup, but I never follow a recipe. The main ingredient for me is bacon. I cook the bacon first, then saute garlic, onions, celery, diced potatoes in the bacon grease. Then I add in milk/cream and seasonings. I top it off with cheese, scallion, and add the crumbled bacon back in. I always use russet potatoes.

My dd is traveling to Germany this summer. Currently she has a Cricket phone. What would be a good cell phone service/plan to have while in Europe? I'm clueless. Oh, I have Virgin Mobile, if that makes a difference.

I am reserved and express joy. The better I know you, the more open I will be about expressing my joy. If I don't know you well, I'll probably appear very reserved and boring. Get to know me, and you will see your first impression was wrong. However, I'm not very open about sharing grief and sadness. That I keep within my own home. Bottom line: I need to feel comfortable and able to trust someone before I express myself too openly.

I'm more on the liberal side and usually wouldn't censor, while reserving my parental right to do so (and have on a couple occasions), but... I agree with Scarlett. I would print out the lyrics and ask him to read them and if he thinks they are appropriate and share a good message. Hopefully, he would see why they are not appropriate or good, and that will take care of this problem. If he doesn't see the issue, I don't know. I would think he would be embarrassed to read them to you. Anything that demeans women, promote violence, or basically devalues human life I don't tolerate in my house. Thankfully, my girls never pushed this issue with me. While I didn't like all the music they listened to, the lyrics never pushed my limits. Of course, what they listened to in their cars or away from the house, I don't know. I would think giving him some other options - with lyrics that fall within your family's rules - might be a good idea. eta: I admit it, I don't even know what the lyrics mean. DM? BM?

I see dresses every day although I couldn't say I see more dresses than pants. My older dd always wears dresses, always has. The other day she showed up in a pair of jeans, and I about fainted. I like skirts and tops myself, but every morning I just grab a pair of yoga pants or comfy, worn out jeans. I don't know why I don't wear skirts more often.

I totally agree with you about Red Badge of Courage. Watership Down is a favorite of mine. It is sad and intense, though. It doesn't sound like what the OP would enjoy.

Yes, my girls are able to talk to me about any issue they have. I say that with confidence because they have discussed about every subject under the sun with me. If there is some subject they aren't comfortable discussing with (can't think what it is), I don't know about it. Often they have a different opinion than I do, and they've never been hesitant to share that different opinion. I wasn't as open discussing sexual matters with my parents, especially my dad as it would have embarrassed him (in his generation fathers didn't discuss those matters with their daughters). I don't mean I couldn't discuss sex with them; I could and did but it was never personal or or intimate. Most of those conversations were between my mother and me. Other than that, I never felt there were any taboo topics. And, it's not that sex was taboo; they were just from an older generation (born in 1924) and it was uncomfortable for them if it got too personal. Speaking generally was fine. I never was afraid to disagree with them I had a wonderful relationship with my parents.

I enjoy them. It helps me relax and requires very little thinking. I need better pencils, too.

We have, several times. The prep work seemed never ending. Yes, we saved money because or labor is cheap and our kids were big enough to help. As soon We could afford it, we had siding put on.

So these demanding, entitled minded young adults - where did they come from? Who produced them? Raised them? Taught these lazy, selfish, spoiled values? My generation. My parent's generation. I can see problems with the current young generation, but I also see many problems with the older generations. For every entitled minded young person, I can show you an older person with the same attitude. I'm a little hesitant to keep complaining about this spoiled, self centered young generation when I know my generation raised them and plenty of them (my generation) are not exactly a shining example themselves.

Who would be paying for the goods if not the students through their tuition/fees?

I think Virgin uses the Sprint network. One dd and I use Virgin and have decent coverage. My other dd lives out in the boonies and they have Verizon. I dread having to deal with cell phones and providers. I don't understand any of it and don't want to. I just want my phone to work.

I do agree with this. The word 'demand' almost automatically makes me say 'no'. I had to move away from it and think about the issue without 'demands' in my face. I don't this it was a good way to go about it.

It would bother me, but at the same time, I understand. I have stayed in hotels where there were kids running up and down the halls, talking loudly, and disturbing the guests after 10:00 PM. One time I complained since we needed to be up early the next morning. I don't appreciate paying $150 a night or more just to be kept awake. Just because I wouldn't allow my kids to behave like that, doesn't mean everyone does likewise. So, more rules.

I didn't put our favorite picture books away although I did move them upstairs and store them on the bottom shelf of my largest bookcase in hopes that some day I would be wanting them. Ones that weren't favorites, I donated. Just yesterday I pulled out some of our old favorites and sent my granddaughter home with all our Frances books. I'm getting all sappy in my old age, but just thinking about my dd snuggling with her little girl while sharing some of her favorite pictures books makes me get teary. I think I might be losing it! Another thought - we still read our favorite Christmas picture books every year even though my youngest are 16. My youngest was so excited yesterday when she saw Miss Suzy she had to sit down and read it.

When I first read the article, my initial reaction was 'good grief, what next', but after reading the replies in this thread and thinking about it, I started to change my mind. We're discussing a necessary item. I had no more control over my body deciding to bleed (heavily) and needing feminine protection than I do when I need to relieve myself and need toilet paper. It's a bodily function, and not something that I'm responsible for by abusing my health. No choice involved. Also, I frequently hear people commenting how colleges are providing so much more than they did how ever many years ago, usually in a complaining tone because of the cost. Even here on this board. I get that. When I look at the university my dd is attending (same one I attended 30+ years ago) I see many, many changes, with the first being the astronomical growth in student body size and fees/tuition. Many of the changes are very nice. Take for instance the 104,000 square foot rec center. Wow. My dd can go rock climbing, swimming, running, do yoga, whatever. Good for health and stress. But is it absolutely necessary? Being able to work out while on campus is not required in order to get to class, but tampons/pads sure as hell can be necessary in order to get to class. When I think of it in terms like that, it doesn't seem like such an outlandish request (I don't like the word demand, either). I'm not talking about spendy, name brand supplies, just the cheap stuff. If someone isn't happy with that, well, then they aren't really in a position of need. That's just one example. When my older girls started at the same university, they got a welcome package that included a box of condoms. They must of stopped that because my middle dd didn't receive that. I don't find that a necessity. Having sex (excepting rape) is a choice; menstruation is not a choice. Anyway, I think they're already spending many millions on items that, while nice to have, are not absolute necessities to getting a education. Tampons/pads seem like a small item.

All this conversation about tampons/pads makes me think if I were designing the female body, I would have come up with a better, less painful, and less messy system. I'm not sure I see this as an entitlement attitude. I don't know any woman who would choose to bleed every month. I sure as hell wouldn't. Makes me wonder if this would be common practice if it was men who needed it.

The persons involved in the affair are solely responsible for the affair. The cheating spouse is responsible for his/her behavior. End of discussion.

I miss my mom and dad, and I believe that I will always miss them. I'm used to them being gone, but yes, I miss them. I miss their love, wisdom, support, and encouragement. I miss them being the older generation. I miss the security and comfort I felt when they were alive. They always seemed to have an answer or advice. Now I'm in that position, and I don't think I'll ever do it as well as my parents did.

I'm appreciating our hens right now. The way we eat eggs, we would be in debt buying them at some of these prices.

In our area, I have seen them priced from $3.50 to $5.00 a dozen. I have an overabundance of eggs right now and have a couple people wanting to buy so I'm tossing around what I should ask.

Just a 'tad'. Was it a phone call? Cause I'd be rolling my eyes.

Judging solely by her, that could be. Then again, it might just be her pure cussedness.and stubborness.