:grouphug: I'm so sorry.

I have zero personal fashion/ home decor abilities, but my recommendation for bedside lamps is to get touch lamps. You touch them to turn them on. You might have to pay more for them, but they eliminate fumbling for the switch in the night. /decor advice

When alive: ~90 miles or, since I seem to measure distance in travel time, about 90 minutes. Now? I'm alone in this world regarding my side of the family.

I wonder if people today (not us, of course) think RSVP means Regrets Only, when "Regrets Only" means "Regrets Only." Threw a double graduation party for my kiddos (one graduated from college, the other from high school) and had similar problems w/ responses to R.S. V. P.

Linking that thread.

I saw several by her when I looked on Amazon. Which do you recommend? TIA!

This is so great!!! Someone upthread mentioned how handsome he is too. As I looked at the pictures I thought, "No fair! He's brilliant AND beautiful!" Congrats to him - and to you, proud mama!!!

LOL. That's kind of my thing. I started it many moons ago, probably starting w/ Mr. Ellie and now it's even part of Ellie's vocabulary. What a coup! I hope they have series (we call them seasons) 4 at your library. If not, it just might be on YT. It's best to start at the beginning, of course. /obsessing

If you're a Netflixer, Mr. Kareni can watch The IT Crowd there. Right now *all* the episodes are on there! Remember, if he tries a few episodes and thinks it's only mildly amusing, have him watch Series 4, Episode 4 "Italian for Beginners". There are a couple of blue references in it, but the rest is pure gold. :lol:

I don't think it's weird at all. Seeing how many came to my mother's wake and/or funeral meant an awful lot to me and to my father.

I want to use this for your dh's drama about the clean up: :lol: but I don't want that karma coming to me! I just bought emesis bags and plan to put them in vehicles, bedsides, bathrooms, everywhere! Sorry you're dealing w/ all this.

I did too!!! Wow, 94 years old.

I will wait for it to be restocked by Amazon. It will not be a problem to do more than one page in a day if it comes later in January. ;) Let me know what your DH thinks of it. A friend whose taste lines up w/ mine on most TV shows and movies never got into it. Maybe Chris O'Dowd doesn't slay her like he does me? She likes him, though. Regardless, she quit watching before she got to "Italian for Beginners". Tsk, tsk, tsk!

Well, there ya go. Hence the "I" in "IB"! Thanks, Laura!

I think it's ok to add that link to your signature. Right, HIVE???

WRT the 4th year class: No, the 4th year is not automatically AP at this school (or county). She teaches French IV (for example) and preps for that w/ the book the county bought for it AND has AP French students in the same class. I understand a school system's not being able to justify a course if enrollment is small, but she has two preps for and is expected to simultaneously teach two different books/syllabi/classes during the same time slot. Maybe this is standard now? I've been out of teaching in the public school system for decades now. She believes, and I agree, that neither level is served fairly w/ this arrangement.I don't know the pass rate for the AP for her kids or how many even take the AP exam. WRT the IB, sorry. I have no idea!

Bold #1 That is so telling of how immature I am! And true! Bold #2 I know there's Instagram and SnapChat and whatever else, but I really wish FaceBook had been toppled by now. *Sigh*

I have 2 friends who teach foreign language (not the one subject you're discussing, I realize, but bear with me) at two different high schools in the same county. One has 4th level in w/ her AP student(s). The school just thinks, "Close enough!" The teacher says, "No, not at all." She actually said the words, "Of course they won't be prepared for the AP exams." I feel bad for the kids and that teacher. The other one? She has done her homework enough to do what she can cover the requirements for IB in the time she has. I am not familiar w/ IB. Is there an exit exam that shows proof of learning? I know it's a challenge for her to get to it all for those IB classes. All this rambling is to say, which I bet you already know, it varies widely by school district. Some kids (or their parents?) just want the AP classes on the transcript. Others take the AP exams. If you can talk to the teachers to see if they truly have enough TIME to teach what they should, that would be great knowledge to have. Tangent: Back in the day, my dd was in a music co-op type program for AP music theory, but the syllabus had not been approved by AP. I brought this up to the instructor (who was in charge of the co-op) and a co-leader whose son was in the class. The co-leader said, "I'm going to put AP MT on his transcript." They thought that just b/c the class used the official APMT guide, it was OK. Me? I put "Advanced Music Theory w/ AP Exam" on my transcript b/c that's how I roll. The leader eventually got it approved.

Gotcha. Sorry you're having to deal w/ so many unknowns. I'm not quite type A (no matter what I've been called, lol), but I'd be very frustrated by all those unknowns.

InstaGram stories. Don't follow anyone I know, just some ladies who talk about makeup I probably won't buy and home decor I will never buy. I realized instead of perusing magazines, I do IG. Mom. Allison Janney just cracks me up. "Are you insane?" (asks Christy, her dd). "Yeah! So be careful!" (Bonnie) This board. And currently: spending as much time at home in my snuggliest pajamas. It's very cold here today. Brrr!

The thing about the tickets would bother me the most. How many do you need? Is the event sold out? One of his brothers is performing at this event, right? I would think both brothers would want to go, and then wives and maybe children (if old enough). Many questions! The food thing is the easiest. Make a lot, save the extra if you go out or don't need it, but that event...yeah, that'd bug me.

I've tried to get more than 1 on flash deals and have been unsuccessful. What's the secret? So glad you found such a good hit!

What?! There is a JUMBLE CALENDAR? It's out of stock on the 'Zon now, but I just ordered it. I'm practically a Jumble savant! :lol: Love this. One of the few things I miss about no longer taking the local newspaper. Thanks for this! I hear ya on partial shares. I confess, I gave DH this, (it was on sale and I had a GC, so paid ~$20) but added my name after his on the "to" part of the to/from tag. The series is funny, but you only watch the whole thing to get to season 4's "Italian for Beginners" (funniest thing I've ever seen on a TV show) and "Bad Boys" (and you watch all the episodes leading up to it to appreciate That Line in this epside - and Moss! I :001_wub: Moss!) Warning: episodes and themes and lines can be a bit blue. Regarding The Martian: you do realize that Matt Damon's uniform resembles a certain droid, don't you?

I would - and did - welcome whatever the Lord sent us, but I have always wanted two of each. Congrats!!!

That is so sweet! Now, about that electric kettle...we need details.