GA has the fried chicken and waffles thing.

MD - Chesapeake Bay blue crabs and all things related: crab cakes, soft crabs, Old Bay seasoning. Maryland Beaten Biscuits and Smith Island cakes are a local thing, but that may be in state regional, rather than a widely known sort of thing. VT - maple syrup, cheese

I have given adults non-negotiable directives in settings where it's not rude. It's not rude, for instance, to assume authority in a chaotic emergency situation and give a command. I'm sure there was more than one instance of me telling someone to calm down as a paramedic, much in the same way one would speak to their child who was spiraling into hysteria. However, in social conversations, I think it's always rude to assume authority over another adult. And implying that someone is coming unhinged because they've asked for clarification or expressed a concern is always rude.

My first thought was to wonder if you live near me. I just thought it was some weird cultural thing here (I'm a transplant). Kind of not nice to know its everywhere.

I thought the same thing. Honestly, my other common send-off is "have fun!" but that would obviously not apply. Now I'll have to ask one of my young friends if she feels demeaned when I say such things. I'm guessing she doesn't, since she uses the same sort of language... It has to be the funeral stress. Right?

Maisie Dobbs is a lovely series. http://www.jacquelinewinspear.com/maisie-dobbs.php

Only just do what works for them. Mine are boys, and 8.5, and still sleep in the same bed. (They have two beds in their room) When they were 3, their older sister (7 at the time) lobbied for a shared room with bunk beds. They shared that room until last year, when she turned 11 and decided she would like her own space. Eta: If I was planning, I wouldn't split them in a new environment at that age. Obviously, if they were older, you could just ask, but I would think they would enjoy the security of being together in a new home. Or maybe not, depending on how they are together... I guess I've just circled back to "do what works for them", haven't I?

Also, bobby pins are not designed to hold to great chunks of hair. If they are backing out as you put them in, it's because you're trying to jam too much inside. Hair pins work better in that role, with bobby pins to hold strands in place when you're doing finish details.

I think the problem with tap water would be chlorine and other nasties. The method I use has you boil the water for 5 minutes before adding the sugar and tea to dissolve/steep, so that would take care of any concerns, I would think. I've always used tap water and have never had a problem.

This is true of my family name, also... It's derived from Southern France (accurate, according to the family genealogy), but the spelling is slightly different (100% Canadian). The state distribution rings true, as well.

:grouphug: I appreciate your words, umsami and shahrazad, but I can't help but wonder what kind of people we (generally, our society, not the boards in particular) are that you feel the need to apologize for an act you are not related to, let alone culpable in. Shameful.

And let us not forget that many (most? All?) of the idiot roles are written by men. White men. The same group who have written idiot roles for women and minorities, just a different generation of them. Let's just not watch their shows. Because they're stupid. This is akin to finding a "white rights" website. It would be laughable except it's crazy enough to be scary. Also, since there are scholarships for left-handed people, I am going to start a group for right-handed rights. Away with those green handled scissors!

And Timothy McVeigh was home-grown. My point is that those who would invade a country/area/region whose values they abhor, for the purpose of terrorism, are not likely to pursue citizenship. One doesn't have to be of a certain background to turn out to be a nutter. Focusing attention on religion, ethnicity, education or any other random piece of information without any actual information is really not conducive to determining motives.

Double

This doesn't really jibe with people who have gone through the trouble of being naturalized citizens, does it?

:lol:

State median income $72,419. Median home price $319,800 County median income $61,021. Median home value $232,600. Before the housing boom, the county had much lower figures, but professionals from other areas, priced out of their markets, moved over here, added income, and inflated the home prices by 3x. Well, and we have a lot of farms that exploded in land value during that time.

I generally respond as soon as I see one. Sometimes I don't because I'm on my phone and need to type something more than a few words, or look something up before I reply. People seem to appreciate timely replies.

We don't have bandaids, either. We can start an IV, deal with your sucking chest wound (including decompressing your chest), probably suture whatever you've sliced open, but I can't seem to wrangle a bandaid into the mix. My poor children, they come in with cuts and scrapes and get the parents who look like :blink:. And then we sometimes construct one out of a larger sterile pad and some lacrosse stick tape. We're hopeless. We have a thermometer box. No idea where the thermometer is. Tweezers. With a light in them. Because I am over 40. A bottle of Zyrtec. Various tubes of face stuff. Sea Pearls. And a tin of Badger Headache Balm. I keep my herbs in the freezer, and any syrups I make with them in the fridge. Otherwise, I mostly make teas and decoctions to be used fairly quickly. Oh! I have a box of butterfly bandages, after I had to construct one out of odd strips having dragged a kid with a head lac to every store in town only to discover nobody had any butterfly bandages. :confused1: So now I have a hoard. It wards off the head lacs, as far as I can tell.

I've not read the article (though I intend to when I'm done with my assignments later today) but I find regentrude's comments very interesting. (Not suspiciously so, just something interesting to think about) My children have parents of mixed educational and socio-economic background. I do think that one can be happy, successful, fulfilled without college, but I think the key to happiness, success, and fulfillment is choice, so we educate our children (academically and socially) to excel in order for them to have choice in pursuing their interests as adults. Looking forward to reading and pondering the implications later...

I agree. Pregnancy at the time of the wedding, or rushing the date because of it, don't seem remarkable unless they're a couple of teenagers (and thus not really ready for long term commitment) or didn't have much of a relationship already (as in a casual or short term thing). One thing I *can* be sure of: no one knows what goes on in someone else's relationship. Especially if there is no contact with one or both of the parties.

Two steak tacos, Mexican style (onion, cilantro, squeeze of lime), and beans & rice at our favorite tacqueria. We were out running errands after 4 lacrosse games.

When I had young nurslings, I felt exactly the same way physically, to the point that I wondered if there was something medically wrong with me. I had all the symptoms, down to the tender spots, of fibromyalgia. Turns out, there was a study involving otherwise healthy college students in which the researchers induced fibromyalgia symptoms by systematically depriving the subjects of sleep. Once my kids night weaned - and the boys were 2 1/2 when we night weaned them after our pediatrician pointed out that there was no developmental reason for them to still be nursing all night... Duh. I must have looked like a woman on the edge. Anyway, once one or more nurslings night weaned, and I slept like a normal human again, the body aches and tender spots and whatnot went away. And I was able to think. And the weight started coming off because my body wasn't stressed to the max. All that to say I don't think it's all that uncommon, and it does go away. :grouphug: Oh, and I didnt do it all. My younger three are roughly the same age split as yours, and my older daughter was in school. I did very little other than the very basic requirements of life. I remember my mantra from those days, which I would say out loud often: This is only a phase. It can't go on forever, even if it feels like it. (Repeat)

For some reason, when I was pregnant with the boys, parmesan cheese started smelling/tasting fishy to me. I've only recently been able to eat it again, and they're 8 1/2. On the other hand, I've never been a fan of peanut butter but I've recently been on quite the pb bender. Maybe I got yours. :D

I've found that, in maternity hospital lingo, "best" generally means highest intervention. I'd have been berserk at the suggestion of breaking my water and the discussion would have gone downhill from there.