We bought this house at the end of June last year, and found out on the 4th of July that we had a cat. We named her Liberty because of the holiday - Libby for short. We don't know if she belonged to the previous owner (it was a foreclosure), or if someone dumped her on our property. It took a couple of months for us to develop a trust relationship, and since my oldest ds has an allergy to cats we kept her as a barn cat (she really lives in an open-access entryway near our door, not in the barn). We got her shots and had her fixed. She has stuck around pretty close to the house since the fall, came to the door every morning and evening to be fed, came to the back door slider to look in and get a short-cut to her living space, and liked to be patted (by everyone except the 2 year old who wants to pick her up and hug her all the time). She came out to greet us when we'd been out and about, and followed me as I was working around the yard. She has been a good watch cat - scaring off other strays and intruding raccoons. She has been a good mouser, and squirreller, and batter... The last time I saw her was last week on the 4th of July. I'm afraid she went out hunting and some coyotes got her, as I've been hearing them down in the neighbor's corn fields and over by the river (about 1/4-1/2 mile away). We live in a very rural area, so posting signs won't help. I think she's gone, but I don't want to give up hope. In the past year we have lived through the death of various found baby animals, pond fish, chickens, and even the guinea pigs we had for 3 years. None of them really affected me. But now that Libby is gone I'm feeling a great sense of loss. I keep looking for her and calling her, but she doesn't come. This is a new thing for me, and I'm not sure what to do next. Any words of wisdom?

But I bet you refolded as soon as she left, right!?! ;)

Same here. I can jams and pickles, but I dislike canned veges. I puree my tomatoes and freeze them in measured containers to use through the winter in recipes.

I had to run and check, but whaddaya know! The Reynolds foil has the tabby things, and the generic parchment too! But the Reynolds wax paper doesn't!? :001_huh: And neither does the Sam's plastic wrap that I purchased at Walmart. That is one feature I will be shopping for in the future! :) Thanks, Peek!

Our 4-H year is ending here, and we're planning next year: Woodworking/Heritage Arts project - making a stool and then caning/weaving the top Heritage Arts/Recycling project - Crochet Grocery Bags using Plarn (yarn made from plastic grocery bags) Sewing Cooking Rocketry Gardening Shooting Sports My own kids will be working on a poultry project at home. Most projects meet on Friday afternoons for a month, although some (like shooting sports) meet only once per month throughout the year. We are also required to do a community service project and participate in at least one county level event. My own kids do all of the non-animal county events (Food Show, Public Speaking, Craft Jamboree, Pinewood Derby, Fashion Revue, Presentation Day, Fair). We include our 4-H projects as part of our homeschool. We do the sewing, cooking, and gardening every year. In the past we have done astronomy, small engines, theater arts, dairy, knitting, electricity, wildlife, and hiking. In the future we hope to do possibly beekeeping, possibly goats, create a wooden lamp base, pressed flower lampshade, and (electricity) wire it, felt wool and make slippers, geology, braided rugs, hooked (wool) rugs, basketry, and linoleum block printing with our club. My own kids will also do the Focus on Finance, Marketing Me, and Leadership projects.

The humidity makes it seem hotter than it really is. I used to bring two 1/2 gallons of water when we went to the park for a couple of hours - one to drink and one to dump over the kids' heads to cool them down. There are no seasons. You can't play outside because of the mosquitos and fire ants. You can't go to the beach because of the tar and the jellyfish. The traffic is horrible, accidents plentiful. It's like living in a nonstop parking lot. One anecdote I like to share - NH has 1.3 million people living in approximately 9,000 sq mi of forest and field. Where we lived in South Florida has the same number of people, crammed into a 20 mile stretch of pavement between the Everglades and the Atlantic. There are some really nice community parks. There are great museums & theater. There are wonderful and *huge* homeschool groups & tons of great activities to sign up for. The pay might be better, but the cost of living is higher too. Unless he lives in a cheap studio apartment, you might not realize an actual increase in your income.

Wanna see something cool? I'm gonna do this with my 4-H club this year... http://www.ccthita-swan.org/pdf/Crocheting_bags.pdf

Yup. I second Pioneer Woman's recipe.

I say finish it, but only go part time and keep your kids home. I say that, because that is what I am doing. :D However, I'm not going for a teaching credential, so I don't have to do the field experience and worry about finding daycare for my kids. It is something good for *me* to do to keep my mind sharp, get some interaction with adults, get out of the house once in a while when I have on-campus classes (always in the evening or on Saturdays), give myself more career opportunities for when my kids are grown, and it's great modeling for children of the importance of education to watch Mommy go to school and do her homework!

And if you want to throw in some "fun" songs, I'd suggest The Chicken Dance YMCA Shout Hokey Pokey ;)

At the Beginning - Richard Marx & Donna Lewis How Do You Fall in Love - Alabama Born to Make You Happy - Britney Spears Take My Breath Away - Berlin My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion Angel Eyes - Jeff Healy Band High Enough - **** Yankees That's What Friends Are For - Dionne Warwick Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper Sometimes When We Touch - Dan Hill A Whole New World - Disney's Alladin Can't Help Falling in Love - Elvis Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton Breathe - Faith Hill Feels Like the First Time - Foreigner On the Wings of Love - Jeffrey Osbourne Iris - Goo Goo Dolls Sea of Love - Robert Plant Crazy for You - Madonna Here & Now - Luther Vandross If I Fell - Beatles Stand By Me - Ben King Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Middler I Don't Want to Miss a Thing - Aerosmith Just the Way You Are - Billy Joel Straight From the Heart - Bryan Adams Because You Loved Me - Celine Dion You're My Inspiration - Chicago Love Me Tender - Elvis What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong Save the Last Dance for Me - Drifters Unchained Melody - Righteous Brothers You've Got a Way - Shania Twain The Finer Things - Steve Windwood I Knew I Loved You - Savage Garden Now & Forever - Richard Marx In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel Wedding Song (There is Love) - Peter, Paul & Mary Can You Feel the Love Tonight - Elton John Interstate Love Song - Stone Temple Pilots I Will Remember You - Sarah McLachlan Everything I Do - Bryan Adams Truly Madly Deeply - Savage Garden I Swear - John Michael Montgomery No Ordinary Love - Sade From This Moment - Shania Twain Track 4 - Night Ranger From a Distance - Bette Middler When I'm Sixty Four - Beatles Still the One - Orleans When a Man Loves a Woman - Percy Sledge True Colors - Cyndi Lauper Faithfully - Journey Time of Your Life - Green Day When I Fall in Love - Luther Vandross & Celine Dion Almost Paradise - Loverboy I'll Make Love to You - Boys 2 Men Suddenly - Billy Ocean And I Love Her - Beatles Lean on Me - Bill Withers Love Song - Tesla Follow Your Heart - Triumph I'll Be There - Rembrants How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You - Take 6 This Kiss - Faith Hill Endless Love - Lionel Richie & Diana Ross Through the Years - Kenny Rogers You Sang to Me - Marc Anthony Unforgettable - Nat King Cole Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx The Last Dance - Frank Sinatra Saved the Best for Last - Vanessa Williams

I wouldn't keep trying to please her, or live my life around her demands, or feel guilty about it either. Do what you think is reasonable, and let her be angry. Like you stated, she'll *never* be happy! I call my mother or she calls me about 2-3x/week. My kids almost never talk to her on the phone, although they are always happy to see Grammy & Grumpy. They usually come to visit about once per month (on average), and we go down to see them (it's a two hour drive, one way) about 3-4x per year. Their house isn't really kid-friendly, and we don't have the money for gas, and they understand that. They are very good to us. My father lives in NV, and I talk to him on the phone about once every month or two. My kids talk to him on the phone about never, although they are happy to see them when they come. We haven't seen him for at least two years. Times are tough, and neither of us have been able to afford a trip. But they spent their frequent flyer miles to send my oldest son a plane ticket last year, and he went out to visit them for two weeks. They had a nice time visiting and camping together. My Dad is always good about sending fun birthday presents, and the kids really adore him. My DH speaks to his parents on the phone about 3-4x per year (mother's day, father's day, and birthdays). The kids don't talk to them on the phone at all. They drive the 1500 miles to come visit SIL once per year, and they spend a day or two here while they're up. This past week was our annual visit, and I spent my time entertaining them after they told us they were coming at the very-last-minute. I don't know if we'd ever see them if SIL didn't live downstate, & I think DH talks to my folks on the phone more than his own parents.

I also buy the SAF vacuum pack of yeast from either Sams or food co-op. I store it in the freezer where it stays fresh for at least a year. I use Norpro bread pans. They weren't very expensive & I really do like them. I bake 4-5 loaves at one time.

I take 1 class per semester, 3 semesters per year. I think that's just for me. Right? I mean it is furthering my education toward a career goal for when I'm finished homeschooling in another 18 years. And the career will further my goals toward retirement, and hopefully ease our financial burden, and maybe help out our children when they are young adults. So is that for me? I don't know. As I'm typing this, I am spending the only kid/DH free time I've had in about 3 years. I'm so pathetic, I couldn't think of anything to do today, just-for-me, that isn't related to my regular household/homeschool/student/volunteer responsibilities while it is raining and without any money. And I overheard my husband tell my visiting MIL this morning that I "don't do anything". Hmmmm...

Well, my skin isn't quite THAT old yet, but it's starting to respond differently enough to the makeup of my youth to make me search for something else. SO, I like Almay products. They are a bit spendier than what I used to use, but they have some decent aging cream that doesn't cause my sensitive skin to break out & makes my skin look better.

It could be tomato horn worms. We had those for the first (and hopefully last) time last year. Look closely on your plants, esp under the leaves. The worms are green and blend in quite well. They start off small, and get HUGE (bigger than my index finger) with a silver dot on one end. They are squishy and yucky, and you have to pick them off and dispose of them. I kinda hope that's not what your problem is because I don't know how to get rid of them altogether other than getting some free-range chickens. ;) Maybe put down some beer cups or diatomaceous earth like for slugs? Good luck!

I think I would say that I have family visiting so I'm not having a big party this year and hopefully we can get together next year. That's the truth, right? HTH!

I haven't read the other replies, but here goes: Understand what is age appropriate behavior Set clear limits Follow through with natural and logical consequences - every time! Don't ever give in to crying/whining/tantrums Be willing to listen and negotiate when appropriate We are a family, so aside from a couple of special items, we share everything (including the work) Follow the Golden Rule along with "if you don't have anything nice to say..." Use your words, and respect those of other people

I have not read them, but my 11 & 13 yo ds love them. They have read or are reading all three series.

I just want to mention that I have used this method in the past, and it was worked wonderfully! Especially with my hard to reach/rebellious middle son with whom I butt heads.

I just typed a long post, and then lost it :( Look up cryptic tonsillitis or chronic cryptic tonsillitis. Can be exacerbated by certain foods. Can be diagnosed by ENT. Can be repaired by tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy. HTH!

I wouldn't bother going to Walden. It is really a huge disappointment. I grew up in Southern NH. There are a lot of fun things to do in that area. Southern NH: Canobie Lake Park is an amusement park in Salem NH SEE Science Center is a children's discovery museum in Manchester NH (in the same building where the Segway was developed) If you drive over to the Portsmouth NH area: Strawberry Banke living history museum right next to Prescott Park - a beautiful grassy place to eat lunch, explore the flower gardens, and stay for free theater in the evening if you hit the right day across the bridge from a nice playground down the street from the Portsmouth Children's Museum all within a very easy walking distance of each other There is also the Urban Forestry Center and instead of hitting the crowd at Hampton, Portsmouth is quite close to a beautiful beach at Wallis Sands in Rye right next door to the Seacoast Science Center at Odiorne Point with some great tide pools to wade in There's also Whale Watching out of Rye Portsmouth also has a water park - Water Country? I think is the name which is just down the road from a place called Jokers, with a giant climbing structure, a few indoor rides, a huge arcade, and indoor laser tag. (I don't know if they're there anymore, last time I was there was a few years ago). If you decide to stay in Northern Mass: Get a subway map and ride instead of driving Interesting things to see: Freedom Trail is a walking trail with historic Revolutionary period stops Boston Aquarium Boston Museum of Science with Planetarium and IMAX theater Boston Children's Museum Boston Museum of Fine Arts and if you do go to Boston, you have to go to Fanueil Hall/Quincy Market the Duck Tour is neat The Butterfly Place is also nice. Have fun!

We don't have too many mosquitoes here (compared to everyplace else in NH) because we have an attic full of bats instead. Don't know which is worse. I think I might like the bats, though. Stock up on insect repellant and citronella candles?

Yep! Same here! A family friend is moving across country and gave us their Explorer globe a couple of weeks ago. The pen didn't work, but the website instructed us to return just the pen to the company, and they replaced it for free. So, for $2 postage, we have had a TON of fun with this thing, and learned a bunch to boot!

Is this for one loaf? My recipe calls for 10 cups of fresh ground flour for four loaves, which works out to 2-1/2 C per loaf. Maybe you're adding too much flour? Are you using hard or soft wheat berries? That would make a difference. You really should be using hard wheat for bread making. The dough enhancer makes a difference, too.