My eldest daughter graduated from public school, with "A" grades on papers rife with spelling and grammatical errors. She also seems to not understand what the wavy red line under certain words is designed to indicate when typing communications. "Could of" is common, as are other phonetic interpretations. From my experience, the OP's niece probably does not understand the nuances of women's titles; all female teachers were referred to as "Miss X", regardless of known marital status, and despite what was clearly indicated by the name plate on their classroom doors and desks. I suspect she simply is unaware there is differentiation. To me, this - as most other interpersonal things - falls into the category of basic ettiquette: one should always act with more concern for others' comfort than one's own, including taking the time to properly construct even a simple note (and have it proofread, if necessary), rather than subjecting the recipient to the pain of having to decipher one that is poorly constructed.

I had a pinched sciatic nerve in a non-pregnant state years ago. My hip apparently rotates forward, which allows the nerve to slip into some crevice and have pressure put on it. Way fun. My doc sent me to a PT who shoved my hip back into normal alignment, did some infrared therapy and massage, and prescribed exercises. If I start feeling it again, I generally use a doorway to shove my hip back. Daily yoga keeps everything aligned well, though.

Uh-huh, me too, on both. I don't think a white (or a black) background floral was what the rule was meant to address. But I would ask the bride if there is any doubt.

Probably not, but we don't do flu shots in other years, either.

Also, I was buying some new Bite Blocker earlier and came upon their lawn & garden products. I had no idea they made such things and now I've put them on the weed and flea threads... weird. http://www.bio-block.us/

Weirdly, I was just ordering Bite Blocker and came upon their new products, including yard and garden products. http://www.homs.com/ http://www.bio-block.us/ (Their website is awful, but you can usually find their products - with better descriptions - in many other places.)

Yup. Bank of America (and I assume others) ALWAYS use the primary account name in their correspondence. When in doubt, you can always go directly to your online banking and look at the messages. I forward these things to abuse@bankofamerica.com when I receive them. They need to know about them.

I wouldn't worry about it, either.

We have a Suburban. The only thing that prevents me from setting fire to it in the driveway is the (entirely appropriate) felony charges that would follow. In addition to the horrible gas mileage, it is, single handedly, the worst, most unreliable vehicle I have ever owned. And I started with a British car. We have replaced every.single.major.part - including the engine at a little over 70K - and almost every minor one. The issues ranged from wipers that didn't work in the rain, a stalling problem that turned out to be a short in the fuel pump (which could have resulted in explosion), to the engine seizing for no apparent reason. I will never, ever, purchase a GM vehicle again.

FWIW, I'm not sure housework/chores necessarily equate to work ethic. I have a very strong work ethic and have always gone above and beyond in my work, whether professional or volunteer. I hated (and still do) house chores as a kid. There were screaming fights. It was ugly. But I have heard several people over 25 years of employment and volunteer positions (since I was 13) comment positively about my work ethic, from supervisors to co-workers to customers. I think, as Jennifer said, modeling is the best route. It sounds as if your daughter has a strong work ethic, given her position at church; it just doesn't necessarily translate to work around the home.

I was just watching our governor on a PBS show earlier and a man called in to complain about the foreclosed properties in his area being an eyesore. Gov. O'Malley said, in a nutshell: the people who own the property are still liable to keep it up. If that's the bank, they are, too. If it's a health/safety concern, you should definitely call the county. (which would certainly be the case here, where we keep hearing on the news about emptying standing water, etc.) If it's just ugly, it might be a good idea for neighbors to take turns mowing the grass because the local jurisdictions are rather swamped with these sorts of things. So, there you go. My governor doesn't think you're a bad neighbor. ;)

Irritable bowel symptoms that coincide with your period are pretty common. I imagine whatever hormonal disruption that causes the lower GI mucosal upset could also result in heartburn - after all, pregnancy hormones do a whammy on the tummy - and heartburn is usually worse lying down. On the itchiness, it could be that your body is stressed and therefore more sensitive to environmental offenses (I've developed hives in reaction to heavy stress before), it could be that you're storing more water in your tissues and it's drying out your skin, it could be a sensitivity to the products you use. If you're perimenopausal, your hormone levels may be changing, causing symptoms you didn't have before. I've switched to Sea Pearls and mama cloth and have noticed a marked improvement in the ease and length of my periods. They were never particularly difficult/painful, but they are much easier and even the profound fatigue that I would normally have the day before is pretty much gone. I have a latex allergy, though, so I switched to natural, latex/plastic free after years of contact rashes and other delightful things. I have to wonder if the chemicals that are hormone disruptors are used in feminine products and, if so, how many PMS/PMDD and other related issues would be alleviated by getting away from them. eta: Jessica, your description sounds like maybe the increased weight in front is throwing your posture off and putting pressure on your sciatic nerve. I had that once... once was enough.

Nestle markets infant formula to countries without safe water supply. Heavily. Which can increase infant mortality (mostly via dysentery), not to mention place undue financial burden on families in developing or third-world countries.

My conservative Christian friends let their children read the series. I think (as in I have not necessarily discussed the subject with them, this is just my assumption based on what else their kids read) they see it in the same light as Magic Tree House, Narnia and other fantasy type story lines. In other words, one alternate world is as good as another.

:iagree: Uh-huh. I spoke with my dad earlier and he was asking about my trip to ME next month, then made it a point to say that he knows I'll be busy (it's a full week of classwork) and completely understands if I won't have time to stop in and see him. My DAD. Who lives 700+ miles away. Regarding my trip to a destination 2 hrs from his house, which I have to pass on the way. (I plan on going up a couple days early and hanging out as his house so I don't enter my class week coming off a 12 hour drive). If any of my family wants to catch up with me, they can - and WILL, without question or balking - stop in at his house. It wouldn't occur to any of them to suggest otherwise. I won't even have the kids. Once again, everything Rosie said. And Summer, too.

WOW! I'm holding up the Mason-Dixon (Maryland) and all I have is flowers. Well, and some tiny Thai hot peppers that aren't red yet.

I'm reading The Biology of Belief (Bruce H. Lipton, PhD) and The Secret Teachings of Plants (Stephen Harrod Buhner).

:iagree: Why on earth would anyone feel obligated to pack up their kids and visit people on demand? I simply refuse to allow people who don't live in my house to dictate the details of my life to me. The "I'm far too busy to bother, but you clearly have nothing else on your plate" attitude strays way into the area of rudeness for my taste. I honestly can't think of a situation (other than some condition making it nearly impossible for one party to leave their house - like they're on a respirator in the living room) where this would be ok. "Bummer, maybe next time" sounds like the nicest of all possible replies.

I care more about business practices than political causes a company may endorse. Animal testing of products, unfair labor practices, etc would be a no. If a company supported a cause I don't believe in, I probably wouldn't get that excited. I buy educational materials from faith-based publishers and sellers, and assume they support a worldview that does not agree with my own. Advertising is tricky. I don't pay that much attention to it, so it would have to be pretty egregious. It annoys me to no end that certain NPR programs are supported by Monsanto, with some line about their focus being on sustainable agriculture... :001_huh: That might get a letter, but I'm not going to stop listening to Car Talk, you know?

We've had good experience with 1800PetMeds.

Uh, no, I beg to differ. *I* am clearly in charge. Don't make me force you to admit it. Captain Anne Bonney Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. You can be a little bit unpredictable, but a pirate's life is far from full of certainties, so that fits in pretty well. Arr! (Anyone else feel a mutiny coming on?)

I'm in line, too! You should put out a pamphlet on your method of child ruination.

Hummus and veggies on pita? Grilled cheese? Salmon salad? (that's what the kids had for lunch today) Burritos? Egg salad? Peanut butter (or almond) and apple (or pumpkin) butter? One of my favorites, since I was a kid, is spinach, havarti and sprouts on whole grain, preferably with Honey Cup or some other spicy honey mustard.

We're not veg, but I used to be, and we're leaning in that direction of late (in fact, I'm wondering if my husband has noticed that 90% of the meals around here recently are meatless... :001_huh: I'm afraid to ask him, lest he start noticing the dearth of meat.) Most breakfast selections are meatless, as Laurel listed. My favorites are muffins, steel-cut oatmeal with nuts, dried fruit and a drizzle of maple syrup, or cheesy grits with hot sauce. We have leftovers or sandwiches for lunch, usually - pb&j (or almond butter and jam), egg salad, hummus and veggies on pita, grilled cheese, salad, soup. It's getting to the summer when we'll enjoy cheese tortellini tossed with olive oil, with fresh basil, grape tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella. That's great right out of the fridge. Tomorrow it will be leftover black bean burritos from supper tonight. I make a big crock pot of beans (pinto or black beans) about once a week, and a stack of tortillas, and we eat them for various meals, with various fixings.

No, not at all. The idea is that commercial shampoos strip the scalp of its natural oils, which causes it to overcompensate and produce way more oil... Which, of course, leads the shampooer to shampoo more frequently, further stripping the scalp, etc., not to mention exposing yourself to more questionable chemicals, especially if there is then a need to condition, apply product and so forth. There are some things that are probably not best for straight, limp hair, though. I wouldn't recommend somebody with that type of hair run coconut oil through it. My hair needs to be weighted down, though, or it's just everywhere. Apple cider vinegar can make your hair feel very heavy, so you would probably want to use it in a more diluted form, and rinse it thoroughly. Honey is a great conditioner, too, and some people add a bit (a few drops) to the baking soda they use to scrub their scalp, but it makes my hair incredibly - think morning after a wedding hairdo - heavy and dirty feeling. If I use it, I dab it just on the ends of my hair. The conditioner-only method is intended to keep curly hair manageable and healthy, but I don't think it's detrimental to non-curly hair. I know people with straight hair who swim a lot find it helpful because their hair is exposed to a lot of alkaline chemicals in the pool. As mentioned before, it's largely trial and error, and there is an adjustment period which may be more pronounced if your hair tends to be oily.