We burn it every day. Dragons Blood on weekends to rid the building of nasty negative stuff brought in by clients. My favorite resins are Benzoin and Copal. I buy it from a monastery or candle shop.

I hear you loud and clear. We started school a year early and skipped 8th grade. Even with a top 4%PSAT and top 3%SAT we are dealing with the reality that I will likely be moving with our daughter in order to make the transition possible. We tapped out of AP classes last year since I had to teach all of them and could no longer justify the time and toll it took from what I consider important. For me Latin , music and philosophy are important. At this point we have been laughed at by an Ivy when they found out that I will be moving with her, told she cannot attend at all at a public Ivy as the rule is no one may enroll under 18 or who will not be 18 within a month of enrollment, and to add insult to injury you think I made a choice to throw my career as an attorney in the garbage?? Because that degree without any experience makes it worthless. Dual enrollment is not a viable choice as the local community college is abysmal. So in order that she have real choices, I am pulling up and moving with her until she feels synchronized enough to live on her own. It is a wonderful and delightful experience to see her make choices but those choices are made knowing she will not be alone while the rest of her catches up with her brain. It is lonely, frustrating and isolating. On the upside it is exhilirating, astounding and lovely when you watch your child find a kindred spirit. Mostly it is lonely and really much like pissing in the wind to get any solution that works well for all involved. It truly depends on where you live. In a larger city I am certain that statistically it is more likely that enrichment, authentic gifted programs and radical grade acceleration are options. Also my friends in college towns have had far better experiences than we have with accomodation, programs and a lack of hostility and Little Man Tate jokes. However, in the final analysis she knows I did everything I could for her including a total embrace of the possibility of moving far from the only place I have lived for my 47 years. Forgive me for my audible frustration but we are in the thick of this and it is just so very difficult. You have no idea. And the College Board can kiss my erudite and broader by the minute derriere. They are useless as ***s on a boar.

Normally I would never use Wikipedia to explain that which I do not have time to explain myself. That said, there is a trade off that most do not understand in play . Here is a quick version of the law and how it was developed to respond to the conflicting interests of insurance companies and the rights of workers to a safe, healthy environment and they need not prove fault to be made whole from the injury. It saves all of us money in the long run but you have to see how and why it was developed as an alternative to pure tort law where one party is guilty and the other not or at least not as contributorily negligent to the point that there is no liability. It is not legal in our state to refuse to carry Workers Compensation for certain professions. It was not designed for small business. And I do see where that is problematic. Here is a succinct history that might prove interesting . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workers'_compensation Fraud does happen unfortunately but usually they are caught by being flagrant in displaying abilities way beyond their self reported pain levels. That being said it is relatively rare. You would not believe the poor souls who are denied disability by the Fed. I can only generalize but out of our 275 current live cases, there is not one woman who claims PTSD and agoraphobia who was not molested repeatedly by family members or close family friends.There are abundant medical and psych records to back up the claims. For years usually. They are plagued with self hatred, physical trauma, PTSD, substance abuse, suicidal ideations, the list is endless. They are so often so dysfunctional that they have NO ONE, their family is not trustworthy as they let the abuse go on, they are terrified of people, they live in absolute seclusion. Many are found able to work. As the saying goes, walk a mile in the other's shoes...We do both SSDisability and Work Comp. I cannot even describe the majority of cases due to respect for the sensitive people who read these boards. Degloving. Google it. I have seen the injury and the rehab, I would rather die than face what those clients have to go through. God love them. On the other side of the spectrum are the rare frauds who we spot along with the MD's and they are given the boot quickly. It is tragic that so many are injured so horribly and one fraud case or two casts a pall over the pool of those who are truly injured and the system is there to protect them AND their employers from tort cases where the employee can sue for negligence . Because heaven knows the employers are all responsible and swell with nifty protective gear etc. A guard not in place on a chicken meat extractor will eat your arm in under 2 minutes. Not mangle it but literally crush and consume it. Think it does not happen every day? You are fortunate...we live in meat packing country and see hideous short cuts taken every day to speed up production or save a few bucks that maim workers in that industry. Then we have a negligence situation and no punitive damages for the employer just a fine that means nothing to the industry. No one cares until it is their hiney in the sling. Then we want OSHA, the state legislatures, FDA the whole megillah when it is one of our own hurt. There are no easy answers but you must understand a trade off was made, no negligence by the employer need be proven,they fear no punitive damages or large injury awards.The employee is covered as long as it was in the course of and arising out of employment. The two questions as to in the ourse of and arising out of are where the litigation occurs. It is all crafted by statute in each state. I love discussing Work Comp and could do so all night but must now go forth and compile college application packets. Great discussion though. Many thoughts and issues at hand and they are life and death questions.

A vote of dissent here. For privacy I am not giving numbers but suffice it to say that even if you have nearly perfect SAT and top 10% ACT unless you are incredibly wealthy there is no comfort zone IF you are accepted. Early Admission binding agreements force you to accept the offer and withdraw from all other institutions applied to . You have to do this before the Merit Scholarships and FAFSA is filed. You are basically shooting blind and saying no to all other schools before even hearing whether it will be affordable or not. It has become like picking the Preakness or Kentucky Derby winner, they like to lock down the incoming class of freshman early to nab the geniuses early. To heck with that. I did not abandon a rising legal career to teach my child for a decade to give up our freedom to choose her school in order to secure her a place at one of the Ivies or near Ivy schools. Brandeis and Cornell fell off our list due to this rather recent development. Too bad for them, 15 year olds with stellar SAT w/writing are hard to come by. Pissed does not begin to describe my thoughts on the matter. It is about MONEY.After the PSAT and SAT scores came in we started receiving mail from the 7 sisters, some Ivies and some very, very selective state uni's as they buy those lists to see the breeding stock from which they "buy " their thoroughbred and ensure via the Early Admission Mandatory Withdrawal policy. If you are rich it makes no difference to you whether you get financial aid so long as they are accepted since you can pay for it. Bryn Mawr, Barnard, Smith,Brown,Columbia, the list is endless of the fine schools who have sent us armloads of documents, invitations etc. All use this policy to lock in their class early. Thank God for Jesuit universities!!

Pear brandy. http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/02/homemade-pear-liqueur-what-to-do-with-brandy-recipe.html I make my own dark royal cherry brandy with mace. There are not words but EVERYBODY stops by on Christmas Day for a cup of good cheer!!

:grouphug:

Yes my daughter performed better and enjoyed the SAT it will likely be her ticket to merit aid. The ACT we just received today was 3 points lower than it should have been to match the SAT score. Every point matters when you are seeking merit aid. She loathes the ACT with the passion of a thousand burning suns. She is retaking it in Oct. This time she WILL practice the science reasoning portions.;) We are just using the SAT scores for most apps but the school she wants in the most we had already picked as a report for the ACT so the less than stellar scores are going there, I hope they see a higher score in the Oct exam and a strong work ethic to get right back up and go at it again.

There is a lovely story in the Bible about this very set of circumstances...I just cannot recall the exact book it is found in. Ah yes the New Testament.

Use BIG manila envelopes numbered in order of how you wish to present the material to the admissions office. For example, the applications are in number 1, the transcript that is one full page overview in number 2, the detailed book list transcripts in number 3 ,report cards in envelope 4 etc. That way you spend one day organizing and then can simply go 1-20 into the envelope without stressing out whether or not you included all materials. And drink Nyquil all day. Just a thought. I am nearly certifiable by now. Here is a recent photo.:lol:

Are you able to control your bladder/bowel?? Is there tingling or numbness in lower extremities? If both of these questions are answered in the negative call an MD on Monday and get some muscle relaxers for a few weeks. If however you answered yes to either of the questions go in now. A ruptured disc can cause severe nerve damage. I am sorry I suffer with this in the cervical spine and feel for you. Take care.

It is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Because the frontal lobe of the brain is not fully functioning yet nor fully formed, in terms of the part that governs judgment and the ability to reason and delay gratification many young people suffer . Here is a link to survivors groups and you might want to just stay connected, listen, listen and listen to her. This is awful to live with but going on is what must be done. http://www.suicidology.org/suicide-support-group-directory'>http://www.suicidology.org/suicide-support-group-directory I have watched the ineptitude of so called" processing feelings" with those who are teachers but not trained in psychology and it makes for a gfreat deal of drama and group think. Stick with those who know wnat they are doing rather than trusting the school to handle it,cluster suicides are a relatively recent phenomenon that I think occur due to the saturation of feelings from those who did not even know the person who has died it is just one more drama. I often think if the students who wander around weeping uncontrollably and being drama queens had maybe included the deceased in their clliques, or sat with them at lunch, or defended them against bullies they might have done a hell of a lot more good than indulging in a day or two of penitential grief.The old saw that suicide is not preventable is absolute hogwash. Kicking patients out of mental hospitals in three days after a serious attempt is one of the primary problems. I know in this case your sister was close to the decedent but having had two suicides in my immediate family I know a bit more than your average bear about the dynamics in play. I also litigate wrongful death suits against mental hospitals and providers when they have been negligent. Full disclosure is my rule of thumb. I am sorry your sister has had such a terrible loss and I hope she can find peace in knowing she was kind and loyal. Here is a link ot survivors of suicide groups by state. There might be one that is for youths and that would be best as the adults there do not and should not censor the truths and graphic visual residue of the death they are dealing with. http://www.suicidology.org/suicide-support-group-directory

Congratulations to your son!!! This is wonderful news . Dd is a commended scholar,6 points from cutoff, but brought her SAT up to 160 points above her projected score so I am very hopeful for a large scholarship. And she was 15 at the time. I am just darn glad to have the testing behind us with the applications going out.

I am pleased she is bringing attention to the tragedy. She seems to be hitting her stride these days and it is wonderful that she is using her celebrity to bring attention to international needs.

I agree with William F Buckley.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_and_Bat_Mitzvah This might help explain the reason and it is nothing to do with the amount of money spent on a guest at the event. So often is a fine fountain pen the gift that there is a joke about this. "Today I become a ...fountain pen."Instead of the statement today I become a man or woman as the case may be. I think any gift given with love will be received in love and gratitude for sharing such a special day. If you are Christian and asked to a bar or bat mitzvah know that whatever gift you bring it is appreciated and loved.

Same here. Dd took the SAT and performed beautifully but felt the math was very hard compared to the practice tests on the ACT. She also felt the English and writing portions were far too easy and would give no indication a student could perform well at a college level of reading. The math gave her a fright although she is done with Trig and did VERY well on the SAT. Go figure.:confused:

Please go in. If it is the worst headache you have ever had with no prior history of migraine I would take you in to the ER . Please have yourself checked if it is persisting. This can be a warning sign of stroke. Or high blood pressure with a stroke in the making. My dh nearly died die to hbpressure and our only sign was an unrelenting headache. He is fine now. He takes a pill a day, watches his salt and all is well. :)

Knitting and crochet both cause carpal tunnel try using a hand brace and streching your hands as shown here to see if it helps. http://knittingguru.com/exercisesforknitters.html Do not even think about arthritis. No,no, no. :grouphug:

Both are a good idea if you want merit aid. They need to know that their investment will be a good one. It helps also to apply to the schools where your students score is higher than the average by a significant percentage. The SAT is much harder for most students as it requires nuanced thinking. That said a good score on either is a boon.

Some of us with chronic conditions limit our activity and Aleve would not even touch my pain ever. Not for a day. I would not sign up for things I know darn well I cannot do. Sorry to say but discretion is the better part of valor. I have Rheumatoid Arthritisand Fibromyalgia and have to take 6 medications a day some of them very dangerous but otherwise I could not walk. If I want to help with something I am passionate about I do what I can based on my realistic assessment of my condition... Harsh?? Maybe but unless you are putting food on the table and a roof over the family it is all negotiable unless you thrive on being a martyr. Truth. If this poorly thought out choice is worthy of prayers for continued actions against medical advice and science based treatments then so be it. My friends and family would say what the *ell were you thinking but they hold me responsible for doing everything possible to keep myself in a state of reasonable safety with my conditions. I just do not get it at all.

Have her take the test for practice. It is worth it if she is already predisposed to perform well, she might hit the magic number. I have seen this happen.:001_smile: Go for it. It is really a very important test.

I thought the pictures were adorable. Go Prince Harry. Fly your freak flag high buddy, you only go around once!! If nudie pics were the worst thing ever done by a potential leader of a country it would be a far better world. YMMV but greed, cruelty, murder and violence against other people are far worse than a bare bum in my little corner of the world. No big shakes.:lol::auto:

Order old SAT exams and have her do the work. Timed. Every week for a month and go over what is missed and why. It is a tricky exam in many ways. The Barrons guide is a darn good one and my daughter scored higher on the SAT than on the practice exams in Barrons guide. It is excellent if the only thing the student needs is refining for actual instruction in an area I like the McGraw Hill guides from Amazon. The most important thing is timed practice to get them used to mental fatigue so that when the day comes they can chug right along knowing the fatigue and stress are par for the course and all in a good days work. Best of luck.

Here is the information from the CDC. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/qa/qa15.htm Note there are not numbers.... If you read the thread you will see that I have thallesemia an inherited blood disorder and I have to have Iron infusions at least twice a year for 3400.00 per treatment, blood would be one third of that . No MD will do that due to the risk of HIV. There is a gap Catherine between the time the test is run and when it could have been developing and replicating unbeknownest to the recepient. Make no mistake ladies, HIV is decimating huge swaths of people still and they are generally poor, in dense population areas in large cities. I worked at Planned Parenthood for years, you cannot imagine what I have seen. Presently I practice disability law. We have dozens of HIV positive clients many of whom are young, as in under 30. I know this is not popular here but barrier birth control is the only way to stop this disease. I do not care what anyone "thinks" but if episteme ruled the day rather than opinion we could have a dialogue instead of talking past one another.

Thank you for this information. Due to the ever more diverse demographic of those who home educate one can never know how or when information may be of use to another person.