Yes. I believe, particularly in young, inexperienced people ("inexperience" being lack of the fully developed social understanding that comes only with, well, experience in the world), that such viewing creates a terribly skewed, one-dimensional view of women and appropriate interactions between people. I don't take exception to nudity. I don't take exception to graphic depictions of s-x. I take exception to depicting any human in a role that does not accept them as a wholly formed person, and porn tends to portray people only as interactive objects. Such a point of reference is damaging to interpersonal relationships. It gives viewer the impression that people are a disposable commodity, without depth or worth in their own right. I have no advice about consequences that you haven't already thought of, though. Sorry.

Maybe the monster in your belly button has a little fork. :D

Greg & Steve? They're from the 70s (I remember the albums from my very short nursery school career) but have those types of songs. The color song, I think, has the kids who are wearing x color stand up, etc. - Oops, my bad. It's the shape song.

Yup. We have an Animal and a whole house full of hardwood and two area rugs. Works great. I sweep the kitchen multiple times a day, though. You have to empty it every time because you're disgusting. I don't mean that in an abnormal, freaky, derogatory way. I mean that in the way that I have to empty the thing after every room and am ashamed of how disgusting we are every time I vacuum... for the past 6 or so years since we bought the Dyson. (I cling to the notion that we are not actually as disgusting as indicated, but that it is sucking up the dirt floor from the craw space) :D We got an extra HEPA filter so we could have a clean one all the time. I remember that in-the-canister job in our previous vacuum, though. What a PITA! I'm with you on that one.

Bite Blocker is very effective. I just got the BioUD spray because it's effective against ticks, and we are having a very.ticky.year. (BioUD is tomato based) I don't care for their "Outdoor Extreme" one. It works fine but possesses a scent I can only identify as "depression-era soap" that doesn't fade at all. :ack2: The original just smells sort of herbal/floral, and the BioUD adds a sort of wintergreen scent to that, but it's not very strong (the scent) and fades into the background quickly.

Yup, we usually have leftovers (I make a big crock pot of beans just about every week, and a stack of tortillas, so we'll have lots of bean burritos), PB&J (almond butter for Mr. Peanut Allergic), tuna or salmon salad sandwiches, grilled cheese, homemade mac & cheese... I also get mini spring rolls and pot stickers that we keep int he freezer and pull out for lunch sometimes. Sometimes, we have salad, but that's usually for supper. Hot dogs happen occasionally.

I think acai is tasty. It has antioxidants. So do blueberries. So, my opinion is that acai is the 2009 version of oat bran in the 1980s (and all other magical superfoods since then). Good for you, not a panacea. ;) eta: Acai is an exotic, though, and blueberries aren't. I'd be more inclined to eat blueberries, which are local, and I can get fresh.

Excellent! I'm glad you got it worked out. Having to replace a vehicle can be such a bugger.

Hey, thanks for saying that! I was pondering whether agave would work in marshmallows, in lieu of corn syrup, being of similar structure... now, I'm guessing not.

Wow. Are we not allowed to have "problems" any longer? I know several people with "issues". Trust me, none of them is a service opportunity. :D

I would spend a lot of time with a big, crazy looking smile slapped on my face and a lot of time talking to myself in the pantry.

:iagree: too. And if there were any surviving pictures of the unfortunate home afro I sported in the early 80s, I would post it as a warning to all. (And, seriously, perming for the POOL? wouldn't that just completely fry your hair?)

Right. Now I get you. I don't know that you're going to get a "jam" from pumpkin. You can cook it down to pumpkin butter, though. No pectin (or any other thickening agents) needed for that, you're just cooking the moisture out of it, like apple butter. For making preserves without commercial pectin, I just made sure there were a few unripe blueberries in the lot. I threw 4 or 5 quarts of them into my roasting pan (because it has high sides and spans two burners) splashed in some water to buffer them on the bottom of the pan before they started juicing up themselves, and I think, about 4 cups of the rapadura (any sugar will do, I just like that it's less processed and the deep flavor is good). I cooked the heck out of them, to the "soft ball" stage on a candy thermometer. Between the sugar getting to that point and the naturally occurring pectin in the blueberries, it set up nice and thick. I think this is the strawberry recipe I used. You could substitute apple cider vinegar for the lemon juice. Here's another one, which is closer to the candy making method I used with the blueberry. Again, apple cider vinegar would provide the necessary acid to activate the natural pectin in the berries. Pectin-free is the traditional way of making fruit preserves. It's ironic (or sad) that it's so difficult to find recipes.

What are you making? I made fabulous blueberry preserves last year with about 1/2 the sugar called for, but with Rapadura, and no pectin. I also made a pectin-free strawberry, I think from Southern Living. I don't understand about the Pomona's / citrus. Are you avoiding citrus or making a citrus jam or... ?

Wow. That's really offensive, isn't it? I mean, the "product" in this case is simply connection to other people and self-esteem? How desperate. ETA: The only "women's circle" I'm aware of is the one at the UU church. I don't think the ladies are paying to get in. ;)

I have a withdrawal headache if I don't have a cup of coffee in the morning - I wouldn't call that an addiction, but there is a definite physical dependency (though I'm not exactly sure what my body is "depending" on it for). In other words, if I don't have coffee, I'm not pondering what lengths I'll need to go to to get a cup, I just say "****. I'm going to have a headache later" or "what is up with this headache? Oh, look, there's my still-full cup of coffee from 4 hours ago." A friend's mother was "addicted" to blood pressure medication, inasmuch as she was psychologically dependent on it AND had no physiological need for it. Long story short, 20 years prior, her doc prescribed it when she was stressed out and her BP was up a little (because, of course, why would anyone suggest something like stress manangement when there's a pill for that, right?). She had been on them, with very low BP, since, and completely freaked out if a new doc suggested she didn't need to keep taking it. Sadly, we seem to live in a culture of addiction, in which we need a pill for everything in order to feel ok. (I'm thinking specifically of my pediatician's comment once that, with other parents, he would not be able to take a "wait and see" approach with an ear infection because they demanded antibiotics with every cold... :001_huh: "Just say no", doctor.) I think addiction, like any mental illness, is defined largely on how a dependency affects the rest of the function of your life.

The beginning of your post sounds a lot like my days. My kids are "typical". (Except two of them are 4 and I'm pretty sure that's just numerical code for "personality disorder") I get up full of plans and hopes for a great, productive day. By noon, I'm ready for a nap. By the time they go to bed, it's about all I can do to sit and stare at TV. I'm fried and there are always still piles of stuff that remains undone. I can't imagine adding other challenges. :grouphug: The best days I have, really, are the days when I don't plan anything other than to be present in the moment. It seems like we get more done, with less discord, than when I have a ticking clock in my head.

I bake bread by hand, so I'm not sure what the differences between a regular loaf and a machine loaf would be, but I generally don't have issues slicing bread. I just use a bread knife (serrated, long blade). My husband cuts wacky-thick slices, but I think that's just him... They have slicing guides you can use if you're really having trouble with it.

Sleep disorders are medical diagnoses; enuresis, body aches, memory loss, etc, are outward signs. "Bed wetting" may not be covered, but a sleep disorder should be. I would totally spend the money, and I would submit the bill to my insurance company. Even if they only pay part, it's helpful.

I don't have a preference - most "ezines" are blogs with a different name, as far as I can tell. I just subscribe to blogs I want to read daily (or whatever the update is). I enjoy yours, though, whatever you want to call it, and First Start French. And thanks for the reminder - I need to update my email address so I keep getting your posts. :001_smile:

I am the same type - a fixer - and I've been in that place you're in right now. It is one thing to go into crisis mode and fix a crisis, something entirely different to live in that mode. Chronic stress like this does make you sick. It is physically and mentally exhausting and your body cannot make its regular repairs or fight off illness in that state. First, you need to focus on controlling things you can control. Also, try to focus on the small picture, whatever task is at hand at the moment. If you're like me, the looming stuff is distracting you from just completing the simple, every day things which, of course, leaves you with piles of half-done stuff that distracts you further. You don't have enough energy reserve to run on the hamster wheel after things you can't control. If you start hearing this in your head, it's a sign. Heed it. ;) Second, delegate. Seriously. Make a list of what needs to get done, gather the family and say, "These are the things that are going on and still outstanding. DH, I need you to do X and make Y call tomorrow. DS, please take care of Z." Make sure you have shared your vision for the end goal, they honestly might not see how those pieces fit together. As Redudamom said, state your needs (in whatever tone of voice gets results). Make it clear that you cannot be the sole fixer in this kind of chaos. Screen your calls. You just don't have to answer ever time the phone rings. If somebody is returning your call with an an answer that will check off a task, great, pick it up. If not, you can get back to them - or not - later. Screen your to-do list, too, for that matter. Ask yourself what the worst thing that will happen if X is not done. What would be the worst possible outcome if you didn't answer the calls about the water meter or power company? They would have found the answer themselves, by calling the appropriate agencies. The town knows where the water meter is. They read it, for Pete's sake. There can only be so many power possibilities in any given area. (I am a bit galled that anyone would call a former owner, regardless of the circumstances of sale, to ask these questions... the utter, bloody laziness of people is just astounding to me.) When I was living with chronic stress, people (well meaning people) kept trying to tell me I needed to plan a day for myself, to unwind, do what *I* wanted to do, etc. To me, that would be another day lost to non-productivity, and the planning for it would just add to my to-do list. I did, however, take opportunities for some limited quiet time as they presented themselves - coffee with friends after our food pickup, etc. Make sure you avail yourself of such opportunities when they come along whether it's coffee or just taking a walk. They can be very refreshing and energizing. Above all, just keep reminding yourself that this period is finite. It is. :grouphug:

That is so funny! I, too, have been assigned yellow. I wonder what that's about? :001_huh: I really don't have a favorite color. I like deep, saturated colors (she types, from the red couch in the orange living room, gazing into the green foyer...) but my preference has to do with the application.

How very, very vulgar. What ever happened to dignity in reporting? :ack2:

Yes, and blood spreads much further than other liquids. (You lose less than 1/4 cup with your period, if that gives you a point of reference.)

Well said, Joanne.