I love the new terminology! And am a sufferer of P.C.D. My running partner is almost ten years older than me, and sets the pace. She has been running longer than I have but still I feel some shame. I am trying to improve, and have, but I've got some ways to go. I also play the "well they're twenty years younger than us" game. Whatever works! lol! Oh, and BTW, my running partner is at least two inches taller than me. That MUST be why she can run faster!

(Almost 11, 12 and 12 yrs old) and haven't needed it yet. But as soon as I smell anything funny, I won't hesitate to buy it for them!

It's 2 1/4 cups boiling water not 1 1/4 cups (my sister was kind enough to point out this typo. when she tried the recipe this weekend.) My apologies!!!

It's very sad and even though we have two other dogs it seems very empty in our home tonight. I will think of you during this time of adjustment and grieving.

Daisy is not the one that ran away it was her sister Ruby who is still alive and well. Thanks for your condolences.

She died at home after a brief (around two weeks) battle of cancer. We had a glimmer of hope on Thursday that she might recover (according to one vet we saw) only to wake up in the night and realize that today was going to be her last day. She was our gentle princess and we will miss her.

I love all these variations. It makes for interesting eating.

Irish Oatmeal Bread 1 1/4 cups boiling water 1 3/4 cups steel cut oats 1 tablespoon salt 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons light brown sugar Combine these ingredients and let sit for 20 minutes. Dissolve: 5 tsps yeast dash sugar 1/2 cup warm water Let yeast foam. Mix yeast mixture with: 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour 3 cups whole wheat flour And the oat mixture. Knead until smooth dough. Let rise until double (in bowl) about one hour. Form into two loaves. Let rise again for about twenty minutes. Brush top with a beaten egg. Bake at 350 F for about 35 minutes. Yummy. I hope this makes sense. Also I would use all whole wheat (because I grind my own). Enjoy, Rose

And it has doubled in price!! (Just like you all were saying.) I normally paid around $23/50lbs and today it was $40/50lbs. I felt like crying (okay that sounds dramatic but suits the day I'm having.) On a plus note, I tried a new bread recipe which was a hit. It was a whole wheat/steel cut oat recipe. Nothing like fresh bread . . . to wreck a diet!!

And we're not Australian, rather Canadian. (And they're runners regardless of whether running is the actual activity taking place or not.)

I have two older sisters. My oldest sister (13 years older than me) took me and my little sister when we were 8 and 10. We tried to hide it from my dad, who, of course, noticed right away. He wasn't really that mad. He just said he could have done it for free! lol! I'm not sure why he was opposed. My mom finally got her's pierced when she was 68 (with his blessing).

Okay, for your ice cream too but being Canadian I was thinking 37 degrees celsius. I now know you meant 37 F (about the same temperature here).

She made written invitations. Sent them out over a week ago (I'm pretty sure my boys wouldn't have been thinking about my birthday a week ago. lol!) She even got up this morning and made my breakfast (and I have very specific likes in the morning). I'm very blessed with three lovely children and a caring husband. (Got to keep that in perspective when times are tough.)

You Are a Daffodil You have a sunny disposition and are normally one of the first to show up for the party. You don't need too much attention from the host once you get there as you are more than capable of making yourself seen and heard.

I emphatically said no. Too much stuff going on here. I definitely don't feel like company. Today is my birthday and I spent most of the morning sad at some of the things going on here (my sick dog, my sick SIL, etc, etc.) I hadn't slept well last night so I lay down for a nap only to be awoken by 6 of my lady friends "surprising me". And you know, as much as I did not feel like company prior to their arrival, I was so cheered by the end of the visit. Friends are good. And what a girl I have. She planned the whole thing and truthfully I did not catch wind of it. I figured after I said no two weeks ago she would not go ahead with it. You got to love daughters.

I have such a helpful, industrious husband I would feel guilty doing nothing. Although my husband never, ever says or does anything to make me feel this guilt and in fact says to me that sometimes doing nothing (which usually means reading) is a necessary part of life. BTW, I have a mother who never does nothing -- the only difference is she did make us feel guilty for doing nothing (and still does). I love my mom, though. Couldn't have had better parents.

I live on the north coast and am happy to raise my family here. The weather, however, is not always cooperative. It's relatively mild but wet (with the potential for lots of snow in winter). My mom lived in Kelowna (Okanagan) which has a dry climate and warm summers (good fruit growing area). It is, however, unaffordable to buy or rent homes there. My niece lives in Smithers which is a lovely, small town with a drier climate than the northcoast (and only 2.5 hours away from me). She complains it is too small and expensive. I love Vancouver Island. I have never lived there but all three of my children were born there and we spent time in Victoria during their adoption process. My sister lives in Nanaimo a city on Vancouver Island. Victoria is great. Probably expensive -- I don't know. I have family in the Fraser Valley (inland of Vancouver). We enjoy visiting there. Lots of amenities. Expensive. I guess I would say another advantage to my area is housing is relatively inexpensive. British Columbia is overall a beautiful province.

Usually one day a week, sometimes more. I do have the freedom to say no if I have a busy week at home.

I'm sorry you endured that trauma. I kind of get the idea of re-writing history. Sometimes I would like to re-write the first four years of my boys lives given that we adopted them at the age of four. I often have to "pretend" or just imagine those years we missed. This was particularly painful for me while doing their scrapbooks. Fortunately we did get infant photos but I had to write my own captions (which are completely fictitious) based on what I think happened in the photos. And I wished I was there right from the start to protect them and love them. BUT, this was not an abusive situation (at least not for me). Re-writing abuse is difficult. I'm not sure how one really gets over these events but I do know that you were not the pathetic one in the situation and that in life we do the best we can with the tools we have in the season of life we're in. Maybe it's true that what doesn't kill you can make you stronger? It is encouraging to see how your life as changed for the positive as a result of good decisions you have made to make those changes. (Okay that sounds like a mouthful.) Enjoy your evening with your company.

Yesterday she was at the cancer clinic for body mapping to prepare for radiation following a lumpectomy, 4 months of chemo and in preparation for a mastectomy to happen after six weeks of radiation. At the mapping she was asked if she noticed any changes in her breast and she did. They did some biopsy's yesterday and told her today they found cancer cells. So tomorrow they will find out what this means. It's very hard on my brother and their five children (all young adults). She was diagnosed on a routine mammogram and went from a healthy adult to this virtually overnight. It does put in perspective how quickly things can change in a person's life.

I just worry that I'll get compulsive about food at our house (which isn't necessarily bad in itself). I have always struggled with weight and have finally, in the last year and a half, come to a place where I think I've figured it out. I've lost 60 pounds. Eat in a way I enjoy and yet is healthy. Exercise daily. And when I slip up I just pick up where I left off. I don't want my child to struggle with weight all his life (or the related health issues). Anyway, it obviously isn't serious like diabetes or they would have had us in right away. We'll see Tuesday.

I've posted before that I have been concerned about my 10 yr ds weight. He is active, eats well (I mean he does love food but I follow and cook a ww diet for the whole family) yet he carries a lot of excess weight. So I took him to our doctor who, because our son is adopted and I have no medical background info., said it would be prudent to rule out things like thyroid, diabetes, etc. He didn't thinks so but just in case. So today the office called and said it wasn't an emergency but could I bring him in next week to go over the lab results. We go Tuesday a.m. Of course the only thing I'm doing is speculating and I'm speculating that the doctor is going to say that if the kid continues this way we're heading in the diabetic direction. My poor child because if this happens I know my personality and I'll become a drill seargent with food. I'm going to really pray that God gives me grace and balance in this situation. Of course I'm speculating. Then my sister-in-law who is undergoing breast cancer treatment is waiting for the results of some biopsy's they took yesterday because she found some weird growths that the oncologist couldn't readily diagnose. This just as she has completed her chemo and is awaiting radiation. And my dog is dying and we live in a rural area where the only vet in our town died two weeks ago and the vet we usually go to in the neighbouring community is gone for two weeks and the only other vet in the entire region is booked solid for a week -- even for emergencies -- which he's not taking!! I just needed to vent all these things before I tackle latin. When it rains, it pours. I am going for a long run this afternoon.

I buy approximately 120 pounds twice a year -- so probably 20 pounds a month. Approximately.

I generally use hard red for virtually everything -- even cookies, coffee cakes, etc. I usually only use the soft white for fine cakes or maybe biscuits, etc. I get so many comments that my cookies are unbelievably delicious and truthfully I can only attribute to the freshly ground whole wheat flour.

I broke a molar about a month ago. My portion, after the insurance, is still $500. It's the last thing I want to spend $500 on BUT I do not want further problems down the road so I will do it. BTW, I have several crowns and have been happy with them.