I have Cream's White Room as my general ring tone, the bit where the lyrics start. But like others, my phone is usually on vibrate.

I'd have to go with The Pioneer Woman's recipe!

I came across this Mayo Clinic info on Stress Management the other day and think it's great. It may give you some ideas. Best wishes in your journey. Janet

We have both. DH got an iPad from work and he gave me a Kindle for my birthday. Here are my thoughts: 1. I can fit the Kindle in my purse. Not an iPad (unless I changed to a really big bag.) 2. The iPad has a lot of glare, and it's rather heavy to read on. I like to read in bed, sometimes on my side, and it's just too big. I also like to read on the subway and I can hold the kindle with one hand. 3. The Kindle doesn't really do anything else except offer reading material (and a few games.) I also have an iPhone so I use it for mobile access to the internet, social media, email, and my calendar. 4. Hubby uses the iPad on his exercise bike to watch movies, listen to music, watch youtube whatever. The Kindle would be too small to read on while exercising. 5. A half- or two-thirds-size iPad would be perfect for me, except for the glare. I'd still probably prefer the Kindle for reading. 6. There are zillions of apps for the iPad, so if you're looking for an all-purpose device, that would be it. That being said, my iPhone works for me, along with the Kindle. Hope this helps!

Like the previous poster said, major roads in cities and highways are plowed quickly and well kept up, but if you're travelling in "deep winter" (say, late Dec to April), you should make sure your tires are good All-Season type. Have some blankets, energy bars, candles and matches in your car just in case of a blizzard or if you are going into rural areas. Jumper cables are also handy in case you leave your lights on and the battery dies. But in general, you are unlikely to have much in the way of difficulty as long as you drive carefully. You'll need warm coats, gloves or mitts, a toque (hat), scarf, and some kind of warm footwear. (That being said, I live in Toronto, walk a lot, and just use my Lands End clog-like shoes most of the winter.) Layers are key. The weather varies quite a bit depending on where you are going to be. Toronto, and Kingston are relatively mild compared to Ottawa and southern Ontario due to the moderating influence of Lake Ontario. But it can get very cold regardless of where you are. Re health insurance: your US policy could probably be fine, depending on the fine print. Health costs are much lower here than in the US (in general). But getting travel insurance is probably not a bad idea. You cannot fill US prescriptions in Canada so make sure you have enough of any meds. You will have no problem being seen at a hospital or at walk-in clinics if you need medical care. Right now, the Canadian dollar is very high compared to the US so you may find prices high here. There are lots of winter activities. Bring skates if you have them....there are lots of opportunities to skate outdoors (esp. largest skating rink in the world, the Rideau Canal in (downtown) Ottawa.

Vidalia Onion Dip 2 cups chopped vidalia (or other sweet) onions 2 cups mayonnaise 2 cups grated swiss cheese Mix and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until bubbly. Serve with crackers or veggies for dipping. Most excellent reheated in small bowls in the microwave for late night snacks. Seriously.

Thank you so much. I really came to appreciate her once I had time to spend with her, not to mention became Catholic. A lot of things suddenly made more sense. Janet

Thank you. It seems especially difficult right now because DH was the only one who could travel for the funeral, so I'm kind of alone with my feelings. Hence my verbosity on my blog (multiple posts).

I have been in a mixed marriage for 26 years. I am the product of a WASP mother and Jewish father. My husband is Syrian Catholic, ancestors from Turkey...he grew up in Lebanon. We met in grad school and married while still students. Inconveniences? Most of ours were the Catholic/Protestant thing until I converted (very willingly, by faith, after instruction) 20 years in. Before we were married, his parents weren't too thrilled, but once we were together, I became like another daughter to them. They lived in Europe, so it was expensive to travel to see his family (that can be a good or a bad thing ;) ...). I need to communicated with his parents in French which is my second language and a bit difficult for me to manage on the spur of the moment, but it's easier than learning Arabic. All of his siblings speak English though. Advantages? Like another poster mentioned, we have gorgeous-looking kids! They have the advantage of a multi-cultural background and know a lot about the world. They have cousins in many countries and are comfortable travelling. The Lebanese culture is extremely family-oriented and I have learned to cook in large quantities and love leftovers. My FIL passed away a number of years ago and never saw our younger son. My MIL passed away two days ago... DH is in Paris now with his brothers and sisters preparing for the funeral. I reposted a blog post a couple of months ago when we knew she was ill that you might enjoy. It speaks to some cross-cultural issues. Janet

Here's another online resource: http://www.catholicculture.org. If you click on "Liturgical Year" they have calendars with lots of info for each day/season along with readings, songs, recipes, etc.

Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz all show you the hotel names. You're probably thinking of priceline.com. I have found that I get the cheapest rates either using my AAA membership (through their site) or through travelocity or similar. Sometimes the hotel site will also have promotions, so I usually check all three. Good luck! Janet

Put my own email address in the To: spot and the mailing list in the BCC: line. You may have to click on the <Add BCC:> link to get it to come up. Janet

Thanks for sharing your picture! Regardless of their issues, they're very cute boys!

I used the Book/CD combo "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra".

I lived off campus after my freshman year, and my older son is living off campus this year for the first time. He's in a house, shared with five other students, a five minute walk from campus. He's completely comfortable prepping his own food, and has already been doing his own laundry, so he'll be fine. He found the house himself with a group of students that he knew from the dorms in his freshman year. He's looking forward to having his own room, after sharing last year, and is moving furniture down this weekend. I shared small apartments with another student in my post-freshman years and it was great. That's when I learned how to cook and manage those aspects of my life. I never had a washing machine so had to take my clothes to the laundromat. My son will have a washer and dryer in his house, so that's great. We have told my him that he will have a certain budget to work within for all his expenses each month, and he'll need to get a job if he needs more money. Most (Canadian) universities do not offer housing to upper year students, so it's pretty much the norm to live off campus. My son is totally looking forward to this, and I think it's a time of great growth for young people. Janet

My teen son did not respond to any non-prescription lotions and so he has been on Minocin (a new form of tetracycline), as well as some prescription topical meds. It has been a lifesaver for him, really restoring his emotional health as his skin cleared up. His family doc said that hormonal issues completely overwhelm some teen skin, and that is the case with my DS (as was the case with his father at his age). Janet

I'd let him go. My 14yo DS was permitted to attend similar events, but he has a cellphone and is very responsible. He is NOT a follower and has nice friends. That being said, I live in a different country and perhaps the environment is different. I tend to the "free-range parenting" end of things. I guess what it boils down to is: do you think your son would get involved in drinking? what are the chances that he would get into a fight? In my case, the answers are "no" and "nil". Janet

Lucy and Ricki Fred and Ginger Anna and Vronsky Harry and Sally Barnum and Bailey Nick and Nora

I am guessing that you're considering the same one that I am (Kobo) as we're both in Canada. I am really torn about the internet downloading thing. I currently download books from the public library and then transfer them onto my iphone which is (as far as I'm concerned) a PITA. I also don't like reading off the iphone, which is why I'm considering an ereader in the first place. I am trying not to buy any more books as we have no more space for them, so I'm a heavy library user, for both ebooks, regular tree-based books, and audiobooks. I am really torn between the Kobo and the Kindle....possibly like you! Janet

I would have. At 12, my DS was taking public transit to school on his own and back (45 minutes each way for bus/subway/streetcar). He also walked to the barber to get his hair cut on his own, and walked the dog in our urban neighborhood. But he didn't have any interest in hanging out at malls at that age. I have great faith in his ability to make good decisions. He is now 15 (and I have an older son who is 18). For the past couple of years, he hangs out with his friends from Japanese language school after class on Saturday and they wander around Chinatown, get some lunch, and then he comes home on the subway. Perhaps things are different up here in Toronto, but for us, the benefits of this kind of independence outweigh any risks (in our mind).

Just finished Nick Hornby's latest Juliet, Naked and am starting The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover Bartlett. My most recent list is at my blog here.

This is probably included in most of your categories, but we avoid products marketed as low-fat or "diet". While we use processed food to some degree (e.g., canned tomatoes, store bought yogurt), we try to buy them as close to home-made as possible, with the fewest added ingredients in processing. Janet

I was in your position with my son and a middle school trip to Europe (France/Spain/Italy). I decided NOT to be a chaperone because I wanted him to experience the trip without his mother along. He had a great time, and the only annoyance was that he got to see Rome before I did! Janet

Canned tomatoes and paste Tetrapak organic chicken broth Muesli (Finax) Larabars Yogurt (we make labneh (yogurt cheese) out of it sometimes) Lo-sodium vegetable juice and the occasional tetrapak of fruit juice Wine, beer, liquor Pasta Ice cream, frozen yogurt Crackers, tortilla chips, tortillas, pita, some bread (I make most of our bread though) Frozen waffles for 15yo boy (in Costco 60-pack) :) Cheese (although I dont' consider this a convenience food) Turkey breast and salami (organic, from local farm, sliced at counter)

We have one, we use it, and love it. I simply do NOT believe the articles about the issues with microwaves. But I also use olive and canola oils, sometimes buy non-organic food, let my teens use cellphones and the internet in their rooms, and eat tuna. Mercola and the ilk give me the heebie-jeebies. Call me crazy. I'm just a statistician who tries to be realistic about risks in life and evidence-based in decisions. Here's an article from the Centre for Science in the Public Interest.