Oh, and I finished Zoobiquity yesterday. It had good things and bad things. I liked her level of detail, I believe in her thesis (animal and human medical research complement each other and should cooperate and inform each other more), but frankly I'm not sure she knew what she wanted out of the book. Subjects ran from the specific and academic to the frivolous and pop biology (cancer, sex, STDs, self-harm, eating disorders). In the end I think it was a good idea, but it's a pick-and-choose research project. Some interesting excerpts but not a rush out and buy. I'm probably half way through The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out a Window and Disappeared and I should finish it but I'm bored. There is some humor but it's at the level of farce and the set-up has the man character much more like Forest Gump than I would prefer. Eh. I may put it down because... I started Angela Carter's Burning Your Boats: the Collected Short Stories and she is far more pointed and fun. She has a fascinating way of mixing wonder and everyday earthiness. Her writing is really sharp and descriptive. Plus, she uses a lot of fairy tale motifs and set-ups and I'm not quite over my January fairy tale binge (every January I read at least 1 book of fairy tales...for me it complements the snow and the slower pace and the illustrations jumpstart my imagination for the new year).

Thanks for these recommendations Eliana. My freshman roommate was a 2nd generation immigrant from the Karen people. I heard a few interesting stories about their life in Burma and I remember them fondly. Thanks. I hope Robin doesn't mind...I posted the Bingo square on Facebook and several of my friends found it a fun motivational tool. Me...I think most of the things I've read could apply but they are so random I haven't made a bingo yet! I'm enjoying my Random Reading...ooh shiny!...and this thread definitely contributes to that.

The Beekeeper's Apprentice (Laurie King)? No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency? The Moonstone (Collins)? the Enola Holmes series (Springer)? The Wollstencraft Detective Agency? I enjoyed Christie's Tommy and Tuppence series, Sherlock Holmes, and Isaac Asimov's Tales of the Black Widowers in early high school.

I'm reading The Confessions of Felix Krull, Confidence Man (Thomas Mann) this week with side trips into Zoobiquity: What Animals Can Teach Us About Health and the Science of Healing (Horowitz) and The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. I picked up the Mann at a used bookstore. It's mannerly and easy to read. I've been trying to read Magic Mountain for ages and I love Mann's style, but I keep losing that book so this is a nice stand in. The themes are much lighter than Mountain. The main character is an obvious narcissist, which makes me wonder how much was understood about Narcissism at the time. I can't help but think this book was probably much more insightful in it's day because they had less clinical information about Narcissism. Mann is spot-on. It's fun. I generally don't like characters who are full of themselves but Mann is pointed enough to be humorous. It reads like Vanity Fair to me much of the time (without the sappy good characters). Zoobiquity is a bit dryer and more technical then I thought it would be. I support her main thesis (the study of animal medicine and human medicine would both benefit from being more intertwined) and appreciate the detailed discussions and citations she brings together. I'm not sure she knows exactly what she wants from this book. Overall an interesting book, and I hope the study of other mammals brings more data to our understanding of human biology. 100-year-old man is okay. Reminds me of Forrest Gump or O Brother Where Art Thou?...the Quest or Journey as a farce. 2016 Finished: Call the Midwife: Farewell to the East End by Jennifer Worth~memoir, ’50s, England, medical, series. Skunk Hill: a Native Ceremonial Community by Robert Birmingham~history, Native Americans. Uprooted by Naomi Novik~Fantasy, Polish fairy tales, magic. * Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel~speculative fiction, apocalypse, Shakespeare. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel~fiction, history, audiobook. 16th century, England. Strange Things Still Happen edited by Angela Carter~fantasy, fairy tales, female-focus, Africa, Palestine, Norway, Hungary, Mexico, US, China. Manners & Mutiny by Gail Carriger~fantasy, steampunk, series. A Guide to Forgetting by Jeffrey Skinner~poetry, sonnets, free verse. The Scavengers by Michael Perry~youth fiction, post-apocalypse, survival, genetic engineering

1. Space Alert is probably my favorite, but it's heavy and a ton of set-up. Pandemic is a good entry-level choice. We got Pandemic Legacy for Christmas and we're still in the early stages of that series. It turns Pandemic into a string of games like a tv series. You have to make 12 successful plays to beat the game (because so much of 2. Code Names, at least right now. 3. My all-time favorite is Stone Age but Samurai is probably more of a workout. (DH recently got The Duke and is enjoying the chess-ness of it. ) A game that fits between 1 & 2: Monikers. Kind of like a crazier version of Charades where you work in teams and move from describing something, to using one word descriptions, to miming, to puppet theater. Same cards, so once you get through the first few rounds everyone knows the answers. We laughed so hard. Warning: comes with some adult cards so look through and remove anything you're uncomfortable with before family play. Random bits of Useful Information: There's a group called Gamers Table on WTM. Often we talk about things we're playing, especially new things. Feel free to join in there, review games you've played, or read up on things there. One of the cheapest ways to try more expensive games, meet new people, and have a great time is to attend board game conventions. At most conventions you can join games you're interested in and someone will teach them to you. Worldwide board game conventions lists here and here. In the US, most people should be able to find something within an hour or two of their home. Most medium or large cities will have gaming groups that readily welcome new folks. Check your local boardgame store or Boardgamegeek.com for information.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China The Book of Lost Things True Grit

When ds saw a OT she recommended we put his paper on a slant...for instance, putting the writing or workbook on a 3-ring binder more than an 1" thick (so a greater angle). It makes it harder for them to push straight down and over time they lighten their grip. The greater the angle of the paper, the less they can press down. It took a few months with gradually less and less of a slant to retrain his grip. YMMV, my son has small motor control issues so he was over-compensating.

As Always, Julia: the letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto~non-fiction, letters, ‘50s, Europe, food. Naomi: a Novel by Tanizaki Junichiro~fiction, Japan, sexual obsession, Western culture. Waistcoats & Weaponry~Youth fiction, series, steampunk adventure, 19th century. 1177 BC: the Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric Cline~non-fiction, history, archaeology, Bronze Age 12th century BC, History Shelf Challenge. How Children Succeed by Paul Tough~non-fiction, education, children, character. Beauty by Robin McKinley~fantasy, fairy tales retold, Middle Ages, Beauty and the Beast. Knitted Jackets by Cheryl Oberle~non-fiction, knitting, patterns. Knitting Around by Elizabeth Zimmermann~memoir, knitting education, patterns. Wrap Style by Pam Allen~non-fiction, knitting, patterns. Souless: the Manga vol. 1 by Gail Carriger~fiction, graphic novel, series, steampunk, 19th century. Bag Style by Pam Allen~non-fiction, knitting, patterns. Northern Knits by Lucinda Guy~non-fiction, knitting, patterns. Simple Style by Ann Budd~non-fiction, knitting, patterns. Folk Vests by Cheryl Oberle~non-fiction, knitting, patterns. The Haunted Monastery and the Chinese Maze Murders by Robert von Gulik~mystery, China, 6th century, based on an ancient series. Castle in the Air by Diane Wynne Jones~YA, fairy tale, series. Russian Folk Tales illustrated by Ivan Bilibin~fairy tale, children’s stories, Russia. Life Skills Activities for Special Children by Darlene Mannix~non-fiction, education, life skills. Wild Iris by Louise Gluck~poetry, nature, death, God. Bookshelf by Alex Johnson~coffee table book, pictures, bookshelves. The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley~romance, autism, 19th century. Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson~memoir, trilogy, 19th century. * The Queen’s Man by Sharon Kay Penman~historical fiction, mystery, England, 12th century. The Knitted Slipper Book by Katie Startzman~non-fiction, knitting, patterns. The Thief of Always by Clive Barker~children’s fiction, supernatural quest. * Odd Interlude by Dean Koontz~fiction, series, supernatural quest. Easter Knits by Arne Nerjordet and Carlos Zachrison~non-fiction, knitting, patterns, holiday. Teaching Math to People with Down Syndrome and Other Hands-On Learners by DeAnna Horstmeier~non-fiction, education, Math. At Knit’s End by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee~non-fiction, knitting, humor, memoir. Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges~fiction & essay, short stories, Time, Argentina. Finally Finished. ** How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu~science fiction, Time. Finally Finished. Ultimate Mittens by Robin Hansen~knitting, patterns, mittens. Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd~knitting, patterns, socks. The Moon-Spinners by Mary Stewart~fiction, mystery, adventure, Greece. Statistics Without Tears by Derek Rowntree~non-fiction, statistics, math. Shoebag by Mary James~children’s fiction, fantasy. Prudence by Gail Carriger~fantasy, steampunk, series. 19th century Escape Velocity: a Charles Portis Miscellany~non-fiction, fiction, journalism, plays, short stories. Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman~speculative fiction, feminism, utopian. 19th century Ship Fever: Stories by Andrea Barrett~fiction, naturalists, history. 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th centuries. Canada. Europe. US. Indonesia. Brazil. * Hymns to the Night and Other Works by Novalis~essays, German Romanticism, love and death. 18th century. Germany. The Innovators by Walter Isaacson~history, technology, computers. 19th/20th Century. * Saga vol. 2 by Brian K Vaughn~graphic novel, fantasy, space Saga vol. 3 by Brian K Vaughn~graphic novel, fantasy, space, series. Eudora Welty: Photographs~photographs, interview, art perception. Ansel Adams: Classic Photos~photographs, nature, West. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey~mystery, classic, historical. 15th Century. Book of the Eskimos by Peter Freuchen~memoir, Greenland culture. * Age of Bronze, vol 3, The Betrayal, Part 1 by Eric Shanower~graphic novels, The Illiad. 14th Century BC. The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith~mystery, ethics. Scotland. The Conquest of Gaul by Julius Caeser~classics, war/battles, Rome. 1st Century BC. Wild Seed by Octavia Butler~fantasy, immortality, slavery. 17th 18th Century. central Africa. Dead Angler by Victoria Houston~murder mystery, Wisconsin, series. Dead Creek by Victoria Houston~murder mystery, Wisconsin, series. Robopocalypse by Daniel H Wilson~science fiction, robots, dystopian war. The Demon Under the Microscope by Thomas Hagen~nonfiction, medicine, discovery. Germany, France, US, UK. * Time and Again by Jack Finney~time travel, New York. 19th Century. The Young Visitors; or Mr. Salteena’s Plan by Daisy Ashford~fiction, humor, romance, child writer. 19th Century. The Lady Astronaut of Mars by Mary Robinette Kowal~space, female roles, future, novella The Learn-to-Knit Afgan book by Barbara G. Walker~non-fiction, knitting, patterns. The Children of Green Knowe by L. M. Boston~fiction, children’s, classic, magic. * Robogenesis by Daniel H Wilson~science fiction, robots, dystopian war, series. 200 Fair Isle Motifs by Mary Jane Mucklestone~non fiction, visual patterns, color, knitting. Case of the Missing Moonstone by Jordan Stratford~childrens, historical, mystery, Victorian. Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer~childrens, historical, mystery, Victorian. Treasure of Green Knowe by LM Boston~childrens, classic, magic, history. Robot Uprisings by various~short stories, AI, collection. Cotillion by Georgette Heyer~Regency, romance. 18th Century. Blood Child by Octavia Butler~short stories, aliens, relationships. Basic Illustrated Backpacking by ~nonfiction, backpacking. The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro~fiction, fairy tale, memory. 5th century. * Prime Baby by Gene Luen Yang~graphic novel, children, aliens. The Essential Guide to Color Knitting by Margaret Radcliffe~knitting, technique. The Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang~graphic novel, super heroes, families.. Lock-in: a novel of the near future by John Scalzi~science fiction, detective fiction. Redshirts by John Scalzi~science fiction, Star Trek, fiction writers. Mind of My Mind by Octavia Butler~speculative fiction, human evolution, series. Clay’s Ark by Octavia Butler~same, alien microbes. Patternmaster by Octavia Butler~same. Canoeing with the Cree by Eric Severeid~memoir, ‘30s, Canada. 7th Sigma by Steven Gould~science fiction, Kipling’s Kim, wild west. The Forever War by Joe Haldeman~science fiction, war. Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card~science fiction, war, series. In the Woods by Tara French~police, thriller, Ireland. The October Country by Ray Bradbury~short stories, horror. * Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie~science fiction, space, identity. * The Magician of Lublin by Isaac Bashevis Singer~fiction, Poland, forgiveness, secular vs. religious, finally finished. The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon~thriller, supernatural, New England. The Draco Tavern by Larry Niven~science fiction, short stories, space/aliens. The Eternal Smile by Gene Luen Yang~graphic novel, existence/meaning. Call the Midwife: a Memoir by Jennifer Worth~memoir, history, medicine, ‘50s, England.* Jingo by Terry Pratchett~fantasy, series, Vimes. Call the Midwife: Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth~memoir, history, England. 51 female authors 41 male authors 1 mixed 32 non-fiction 60 fiction 1 mixed Lots of knitting books, science fiction, and crime novels. Oh, and an enjoyable flight with Victorian girl detective stories (in between the Green Knowe books there was one about Sherlock Holmes little sister and one about a pairing of tween Mary Shelley and Ada Lovelace as detectives).

How many books did you read this year and did you meet or beat your own personal goal? 93. I don't have a personal goal, although I admit it turned out to be more then I thought. I go through periods where I finish a lot and periods where I read hardly anything. Share your top 5 (or more) favorite books. The Demon under the Microscope~non-fiction, pretty cool look at the invention of sulfa drugs over the 20th century. Ship Fever and other Stories~short stories with a biological perspective, the title story is based on the true story of a cholera epidemic on immigrant ships coming into Canada in the 19th century. The October Country~early, slightly ghoulish stories by Ray Bradbury. Neatly crafted. Ancillary Justice~like a really great episode of Farscape (SF tv show) but with the best of Ursula LeGuin’s insight into gender and identity. and the best was Labyrinths~Borges. What can I say…long awaited and so worthwhile. Dense. I read this a little at a time Which books or authors you thought you'd never read and were pleasantly surprised to like them? I wasn't expecting to enjoy the Robopocalypse books or the Larry Niven (Draco's Tavern) all that much, but I had a great time reading both out loud to dh. One book that touched you - made you laugh, cry, sing or dance! I had a real sense of wonder from the Green Knowe books (I've never read them before) and Clive Barker's youth novel The Thief of Always. Share your most favorite character, covers and/or quotes? One book you thought you'd love but didn't? The Moon-Spinners by Mary Stewart...too much hype I guess. What countries or centuries did you explore? I did a lot of Greenland and northern Canada, a lot of Eskimo and Inuit. Plus Europe, Russia, China, the Mediterranean, Japan, Persia, Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, central Africa. I tried to hit more pre-15th century...and I even got a 1st BCE, 12th BCE, and 15th BCE (and 5th, 6th, 12th, -15th) but mostly I read post-16th as usual. Especially crime novels...for some reason. What books would you recommend everybody read? Borges' Labyrinths. What was your favorite part of the challenge? That I get to tell you all about it now. For whatever reason I could not post here after June (Chrome problem, maybe?). I couldn't even contact support. I just stopped by to read everyone's lists. What a wonderful surprise that I could post!

hi Couldn't log on to the site most of this year and didn't expect to this time (!), so I'll be back in a bit to post my reading.

<Raised eyebrows to deciding the efficacy of someone's genre output based on one novel...but you realize what you're saying.> ;) Delta Wedding is better, simpler, although they both follow an extended family gathering. Losing Battles is more of a farce IMO. I'm not really a fan of farce, but I rated it a bit higher then you did. Probably because I didn't see the clan's life as a mud-wallow, but an equally-valid, very human, lifestyle. Think of the Miss Julia section as being one of the reaches of that farce. It winks at you, definitely. Welty isn't down on backwoods' folk. There's a lot of love in her descriptions. She loves people. But people are ridiculous, even the progressive, upright ones like Miss Julia and most definitely the rest when we're ignorant or clannish. What I enjoyed about that section was how equally she projected the two sides' ignorance of each other. Miss Julia, we feel for her, but she did not understand the people of the county. She came to save them, and most of the time people do not want to be saved. They resent it. Miss Julia never became one of them because she was too busy telling them what to do. Not that the local clans let anyone in easily. Watching orphaned outsider Gloria maneuver after marrying in to this family is painful, but it's also obvious that she wants to belong and if nothing else a clan makes you a part of something. Eudora Welty was a city kid from Jackson, MS with some extended family ties in the country. She's more like Gloria or Laura in Delta Wedding. She belongs, but is the outsider. She loves it, but she sees its ridiculousness. Off topic, but Welty has some excellent biographical stories. I think we had to read parts of One Writer's Beginnings in high school. I love her description of childhood and books and the library.

My son has medical issues so we see a lot of doctors, general and specialties. At this point I always interpret Check-in as 'be 15 minutes early if you are a new patient or have new information, otherwise be 5 minutes before the scheduled time.' I also like to think of it as the time we shoot for and the time we absolutely have to be there. Of course, this can come back to haunt you. It turns out that while my interpretation is completely reasonable for almost every physician and counselor we've seen, psychotherapists at our clinic actually do expect you to come in 15 minutes early. Check-in for them includes vitals usually done at appointment time for other doctors. They explained nicely to me that Check-in is nurse time for their office. No other office in the system has it scheduled that way, so it really depends on the office.

I was going to suggest Duluth Trading Co. as well. Tall shops like Long Tall Sally (which can be ordered from online) also have long shirts (longer arms, etc.) Both are a bit expensive but watch for sales. As a tall woman I'm not a big fan of Old Navy.

Irving annoys me. I've tried to like him. I actually threw Cider House Rules in the trash. I was that annoyed. And Widow for One Year (roll eyes). Irving has the gumption to say he never copies from reality..everything is original. Unfortunately, his people never seem real to me, especially the women. The Book of Imaginary Beings is so whimsical for Borges. I enjoyed it too. Losing Battles is all over the place. Love the prose. It was hard to care about the plot. Have you read Delta Wedding? :) My history geek can't watch National Treasure, but I didn't mind this. Of course it was incredibly biased. I felt the author did a good job setting the narrator up as a biased person who makes snap judgments based on physiognomy. He doesn't even get to find the information himself! It's all second-third-fourthhand anyway. I enjoyed the unusual take on the mystery genre and the questioning of history...how little is available to create the historical record..how the victor determines the culture and group memory. A fun little exercise.

DS3 kept making me check my bee-status and post total. I changed it so I could stop checking. Nomad is part of an old tagline and user name I've had over the years. My life is overly-settled right now but it reminds me that I'm still a Nomad at heart. I can still be a Nomad within my mental landscape.

I've been short on sleep the last 5 days for various reasons, and ds has been up or had medical problems every 3 hours every time I could sleep. And dh tore ligaments in his right foot so he can barely walk. He's no help at all right now. I'm exhausted, ds is totally unfocused on anything other than video games, and the other boys get out of public school this week so focusing my youngest is going to be nigh impossible. There is not enough coffee in the world for this. Hugs for everyone else.

Whoever linked to Sir Arthur Rackham, thank you. I've been enjoying his illustrations today because of you. I read too many things simultaneously and am too moody this year for good output, but I finished up a bunch of things. A bit of Charles Portis (mostly his non-fiction). A bit of German Romanticism thanks to a rabbit trail from Borge's Labyrinths (Novalis' Hymn to the Night and others). Herland (feminist utopia). Some photography books. I loved Eudora Welty: Photos more than Ansel Adams: Classic Images...perhaps because it was more unexpected? Or more people/faces focused? Which reminds me of my feelings of Welty (loved beyond reason) vs. Faulkner (respected but not adored)...is it an aspect of the depth of the personal vs. high and majestic contrast? Inner-to-outward? Female vs. male POV? Fun to think about. I do love the faces though. I think Welty and I just live on a similar wavelength. It was fun to read her interview in the front of the book. And dh borrowed the next few Saga collections and told me I was safe to read them. I'm kind of disappointed that I did, although it wasn't as edgy as the first book. I'm just a fragile flower in the modern age, I guess. Mmm...reading Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time and really enjoying it. The history geek approves. And some Peter Freuchen Eskimo stuff. Best to all of you this week. Read well.

I live in zone 4b. As mentioned later, rosemary doesn't survive as a perennial in US zone 4. You would have to pot it up and take it in for the winter. I'm not a fan of landscape fabric, but these berries and mint do spread. Worthwhile IMO, but it takes work each spring and/or fall to cut them back. Also, canes tend to have some kind of thorn. Depending on the age of your children, you may need to take that into consideration. Yep, chives are just fine in zone 4. Oregano and mint are very strong perennials as well (but both spread..mint more than oregano..I can keep oregano in one place with minimal work but I pot mint). Parsley, dill, and cilantro can self-seed but are finicky. I love the little wild strawberries. So tiny! If you can find them they're fun. Currants and gooseberry do not spread as much as cane fruits (raspberry/blackberry) but are easier to grow than blueberry (which can be finicky about sun/shade/soil ph). They also grow in partial shade. Speaking of shade, fern fronds are edible (the early curls), and parts of milkweed. The greens of ox-eye daisies are edible, as well as dandelions, chicory, certain kinds of nettles, but I wouldn't plant them unless you know you like them. For trees, I'm fond of pie cherries/sour cherries and plums. They're harder to find then apple. Also, the University of Minnesota has a great cultivar for hazelnut (bushes). If I had more sun I would grow that. For annuals, peas and beans (especially runner beans) have very pretty flowers. They do need a place to climb and spread out, but a tent of scarlet runner beans is very pretty. Sunflowers take yearly prep, but they can also be pretty.

Are band movies (movies about a band being formed) the modern equivalent of musicals? Once made me think of The Commitments and I have God Help the Girl in my interlibrary loan order. Which reminds me of Hard Days Night. I have a strange affection for Flower Drum Song and The Mikado. I know how ridiculous they are, but I can't help myself.

I watched a lot of musicals growing up. Singin' in the Rain Yankee Doodle Dandy Once Meet Me in St. Louis The King and I My Fair Lady The Music Man Mary Poppins

To whoever wondered if Fringe got too dark...it ended well. Probably one of the more satisfying show endings, IMO. I agree that Orphan Black (CBC), Fringe (US), and Bletchley Circle (BBC) are worth a look. Orphan Black is the edgiest of the group. Probably more edgy than anything else I'm suggesting. Blandings (BBC, Wodehouse) Sherlock (BBC modern SH) Mr. & Mrs. Murder (Australian, light modern mystery) Elementary (modern Sherlock Holmes in NY) Leverage (light show with weekly cons ala Oceans Eleven) Older shows: Pushing Daisies Dead Like Me Freaks & Geeks

I'm a fairly new knitter (6 months), and I think having a range of options for them to try during class is the best option. Allow them to chose and then buy what makes the most sense for them. If possible, make sure the project is on a larger size needle (6 or over). One of the difficulties of a lot of small circular projects is that the gauge is so small you're struggling with both the new process and working with a smaller yarn than usual. I frogged my first 2 DPN projects because I couldn't struggle with both aspects at one time. When I switched to a project with large metal DPNs, I had a much easier time. My first circular project was a hat on a size 8/16" circular needle. I wasn't sure I would like DPNs and I didn't want to invest in multiple circular needles until I knew knitting was something I would stick with. A hat was fairly simple and I could practice colorwork which was fun. I do like 2 needle circular knitting. It's pretty easy to figure out. I finished my MIL's slippers with it when I was struggling with DPNs, and I moved on to making a pair of socks with it. One of the nice things is that when you set it down it doesn't fall off the needles. Magic loop looks a bit complicated to me. I think both are great to show people in person (and maybe have a small sheet of pictures/directions or a link to a Youtube video to help remember). Many people don't understand flat photos of 3D processes very well.

I think all we can do is help teach nutrition (which foods are nutritionally dense and which are high calorie for little nutrition, which foods 'stick' with you longer so you don't feel hungry, how to balance foods together, how to recognize hunger and fullness, how dehydration can read as hunger, how to keep drinking water throughout the day), keep food at home healthy with occasional treats, and encourage them to be busy and active. I was an overweight child/teen. My oldest son is overweight (and his brothers are either average or underweight). If I could give my son one thing I would help him understand that he can influence his weight. He can take control of it. I did when I left home and went to college. Sometimes it's hard to watch someone else struggle, especially if we see our own struggle in it. I often remind myself that if I push him or control him now when he leaves home it will be harder for him. Better that I give him unconditional love now, teach him the tools he can use when he chooses, listen, and make our home as healthy for all of us as possible. People will make their own decisions. Give them the tools they need. I also want to mention that sometimes food can be a natural comfort to people. Being a teen is stressful, both physically and emotionally. I don't want to withhold food just because it's hard for me to remember how really hungry teens are. I want to teach them to deal with their anxiety and emotions actively. I want to be a support...and I can't do that if I control or criticize.

My mother is a lefty. She showed me standard English 'throwing' with the right hand, but when she knits herself she uses kind of an inverted English in the left hand (which is known as continental when held in that hand but she pitches or levers more like English more than picking which is what most continental users do). I don't know how to describe it, but she works with the left hand and forefinger and steadies with the right. She told me lefties often have to figure their own way to do things.