Just curious--- in which NE state do you live? We have friends who moved to the Hendersonville, NC area. I don't think it's especially conservative, but they ADORE it. astrid (taxed to death in CT!)

I totally agree! I've NEVER heard this name, and I thought I'd heard a pretty good cross-section of trendy names. I work with urban populations in our big city. I've Ne-vay-uh heard this one, though! :lol: astrid

OOH we LOOOVE our sweet hens! We have Barred Rocks, Amerucanas and Buff Orpingtons. My favorites are the Buffs while dh and dd favor the Rocks. I second the recommendation for BYC Board.....SO much information there! Happy Chicken Planning! astrid

Dd has a friend who is unschooled. Radically.....the kid is 12 and can barely read, cannot do any math, etc. The dad is a ps teacher; :001_huh: but we respect their choices. So this family just got a new puppy-- a large mixed-breed. Knowing that my dd does a lot of dog training, the friend asked if my dd could come over and give them some pointers about how to train the dog for basic house manners: no jumping, no biting/mouthing, sit, stay, walk nicely on a leash, etc. My dd was happy to help. She just came home so frustrated because the family REFUSES to teach this pup with any consistency. They say, "But she's just a pup! She'll outgrow it! We can't always be the bad cop and tell her "No."" My dd knows full well that the key to training a dog to do/not do ANYTHING is consistency and clearly defined boundaries/expectations. This pup is nearing a year old and these behaviors are getting unmanageable. Exasperated, dd just said to me, "Mom, they're trying to unschool the puppy! You can't unschool puppies!!" So please, if you are unschoolers--- maybe it works with kids, but really-- it doesn't work with puppies! :D astrid

:iagree::iagree: It's one of Molly's favorite movies. She watches it every time it's on. astrid

Put them in your dog's bowl! He'll be thrilled! :D Sorry--- not a fan! BUT if I had to choose, I'd try and do some kind of fish tacos. That does sound sort of yummy! astrid

I agree. Both dd and I would be thrilled to get an email like this. How fun! And what a great opportunity to learn about another culture! astrid

Maybe it's because it's kinda rude? These people sound like they're trying to reach out and be friendly, why not accept their overture? I'd think it would be a nice way to model Christian love to your children. What could a park play date hurt? astrid

I like the concept, (spreadable chocolate!!) but wish they'd make it without the hazelnut flavoring. I detest hazelnut flavoring! Sigh. Such a waste of good chocolate. :confused: astrid

We don't show cavies, but there's a girl in our 4-H club (dogs) who also shows cavies, and dd knows another girl who shows cavies. I don't know how it works in other states, but in CT it seems to me to be kind of a case of "He who shows up with the most animals wins!" There are two girls who have over 75 cavies. Yes. That many. They enter between 35-50 of those in the fair. Points are then tallied for each 4-H'er, and it's a mathematical given that with that many animals entered, they've got the competition sewn up. It's these same two girls who are High Point Champions every year. The kids who enter one or two animals just don't stand a chance, unfortunately, and I think it's very frustrating for those kids. Don't get me wrong; it's not all about winning, and 4-H is worth every minute of the rest of the year's worth of meetings and work with the animal, but it does seem daunting. Just my thoughts, for what its worth. astrid

I have the Kaustby chairs in my kitchen. They are used and abused, and boy, they are HANDS DOWN the sturdiest chairs I've ever had. They are also quite comfortable too, and we're picky about such things. Nice wide seat (for my wide seat! :D) and tall back for comfort. I have recommended them to many people in the past, and they love them. I can't recommend them highly enough--- in fact, I worry that when I need to replace them IKEA won't carry them anymore! astrid

:iagree::iagree: Bravo! Here in expensive Connecticut, that's an almost unheard-of total! astrid

Looking for some secular programs for logic. Any suggestions? Thanks so much! astrid

WOW!!! REALLY?! I've always loved my name (and Astrid is actually my given name!) so that's what gets my vote! :D astrid

I've got no especially pithy or insightful advice, Perry, but I can't get the image of Sue Sylvester out of my mind. :lol: astrid

Thanks for the feedback. I"m not aspiring to veganism, but like you, would like to eat less meat. I think I'll add this to my library queue rather than my purchase queue. Astrid

Anyone have this book? What are the recipes like? I looked for it at my local Barnes and Noble yesterday but they didn't have any in stock. I'd like to know a bit more about the recipes, etc. before buying it online. thanks so much! astrid

Then that makes two of us.....because I agree with you completely. astrid

Liberal here, waving from CT! Astrid

Yes, our plan has always been to put dd back in high school. We pulled her out in second grade to escape our horrendously under-funded, broken K-8 system. The high school is not under the purview of our local board of education and is privately endowed. We have always wanted her to attend high school in preparation for college, where classes will not be one-on-one, etc. We're not in the "public schools are BAAAD!" camp, but we'll probably supplement her high school course load as well. Also, Molly dearly loves band and has always attended our local school for band and chorus. Music is an important part of her life. astrid

But you and your dh likely were not raised in similar circumstances to Baby Briana. Just as a previous poster vowed not to allow her children to witness/participate in violent activities, we don't know that anyone took that sort of care when raising the children who eventually became these heinous abusers. I DO think it's about education-- it's about community outreach and extending support systems to people who are at risk. There is so much more I could say, but I am just too horrified by that video to think much more clearly. My two cents. astrid

Here's a twist on chocolate marshmallow fluff fudge. It really does taste like those yummy frozen treats. I've made it several times and it's a HUGE hit, especially with those who prefer something other than chocolate: Orange Creamsicle Fudge 7 oz marshmallow creme 12 ounces white chips (1 bag) 1 cup sugar 2/3 cup heavy cream 12 tablespoons butter (salted) 3 teaspoons orange extract (I sometimes add more--- maybe 4 t.) Some drops of red and yellow food color Line a 9 inch square pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray. Place marshmallow crème and white chips in a large mixing bowl. Combine sugar, cream and butter in saucepan. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring once or twice, until mixture reaches 235 degrees F. Pour hot cream mixture into mixing bowl with chips and marshmallow crème. Beat a few times with a wooden spoon. Remove 1 cup of mixture and set aside. Stir orange extract and orange food coloring into mixture which remains in bowl. Pour orange mixture into prepared pan. Pour white mixture on top. Drag a knife through both to make swirls. Let cool to room temperature (about 40 minutes) then chill for one hour or until set. Lift fudge from pan using foil handles and using a large knife, score into squares.

YAY!!! ANOTHER KNITTER IS BORN!!! .....aww...look how cute she is! And already knitting scarves! :D Welcome to the ranks, Nakia! Have you found Ravelry yet? www.ravelry.com There's a WTM forum there. Totally addictive, yet supremely inspiring! astrid

:iagree::iagree: In fact, I"ve been pretty flabbergasted by this whole topic. I mean STEALING BOOKS? Because you don't think ANYONE ELSE should read them? (not saying Bethanyiez advocated this, but it's been mentioned in these threads) I mean, isn't there a Commandment against that or something??? Seriously, not many things on this board throw me for a loop, but reading these related threads really does. astrid

Hi Lynne, TELL YOUR DH TO GO FOR THE SLEEP STUDY!! Seriously-- My dh went in late December and has been on the CPAP since that time. His study found that his apnea was so severe that his dr. called in the prescription for the machine and told him to go get it ASAP. It has made a world of difference to him. He's a new man-- no lie. Funny thing is that Ray didn't have any of the physical symptoms that lead to apnea. He's not overweight and doesn't have a large neck size. The dr. thinks his soft palate is malformed which makes it close off more easily with sleep. Dh was always a side sleeper as well, and adjusted instantly to the CPAP. He still does sleep on his side, but usually falls asleep on his back now. He feels so much better that he says he'd sleep standing on his head if he had to. There are several different mask styles, too. The respiratory therapist who fit dh with the machine said they can usually find one that works for just about anybody's sleeping style. Ray wears one that just covers his nose, and the hose is long so he has a lot of range when he sleeps-- back and either side easily. You'll be surprised how much better YOU sleep too. I didn't realize that I was getting a lousy night's sleep as well-- always half-listening for dh to start breathing again, kicking him to "jump-start" him, etc. It's made a world of difference for us both. Really-- I cannot overstate how much better he feels. His sleep study found that he was waking up about 100 times PER HOUR all night long, which meant that he was only getting about 5 seconds of uninterrupted sleep at a time. FIVE SECONDS! Poor guy! Have a heart-to-heart with your dh and tell him you love him and want him to be around for a long time. He'll adjust to the mask and he won't believe how good he feels. Ray didn't even fully realize how lousy he felt until he started actually sleeping at night. Best of luck to you both! astrid