Mary in VA
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Posts posted by Mary in VA
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Starbucks has one of the highest amounts of caffeine in their coffee. Maybe that's what's drawing you back to Starbucks every day. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thrillist/caffeine-in-coffee_b_3671665.html
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My 19 yo dd, home from college, homeschooled, ballet dancer (dance major) was watching the news with me last week when they started talking about Bergdahl's background, i.e. homeschooled, ballet dancer, parents "Calvinists." She said, "Oh great, usually they just point out the person is a Christian who homeschools, now they have a ballet dancer too!" And of course they kept showing pictures of him "dancing."
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Update in #1
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I am so excited for DH! He is musician, pianist and singer, and has written music for years. Over the last 10 years, or so, he has written 11 hymns. Our church has sung them and they have been passed around to people we know. Over the last year he has written a devotional for each one and put them together in a booklet (32 pages) form. They cover the life of Christ. He hired a graphic artist and worked with a publishing company to self-publish. I got an email to tell us the first shipment is on it's way to us!!! We haven't actually seen it in printed form (just electronic files) so this will be the first time we can hold one!! He is in a meeting all day so I can't call him to tell him. :sad: So I thought I'd share it here.
It is already available on Amazon, where a description is up. http://www.amazon.com/Hymns-Harvest-David-M-Fillman/dp/162952624X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399919142&sr=8-1&keywords=hymns+for+the+harvest+david+fillman
Barnes and Noble has a picture of the cover but no description yet. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hymns-for-the-harvest-david-m-fillman/1119466238?ean=9781629526249
The email said it could take 7-10 days to get to us. Hope it's faster!!!
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I still get a drop down menu when I click on it.
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I hesitate to post this because I had a wonderful Mothers' Day. In the 23 years I have been a mother this is not the typical. This was the highlight. This was the best!! Sometimes it was forgotten, or a card was given at the last minute. I want to share this as an encouragement to those disappointed yesterday, to say it can get better. :grouphug:
In the Love Languages analysis of me, gifts, cards, etc., don't even make the chart. So Mother's Day has never been high on my list. I usually don't even notice my birthday, but Mothers' Day was totally different for me this year. Both my and dh's mothers passed years ago, so I'm the only mother around in our family. Both dds are adults now (more or less), 19 yo and 23 yo. I am out of the trenches of motherhood!!! I gotta tell you it's wonderful!!! Hang in there ladies, you will get there too!
Oldest dd gave me a vase filled with only red and pink Starburst and two artificial flowers stuck in it :001_smile: She also gave me a flower she had made (her 3rd grade class had made them) of 5 yellow construction paper petals and one green leaf fastened in the middle with a brad. The leaf said, "I love you because . . ." and each petal had a reason written on it. They were sweet, but I have to share two with you. One said, "You educated us for excellence" and another said, "You raised us to be responsible adults who can stand on our own feet." I gotta tell you it made me cry. As a side note, she had to buy three bags of Starbursts to get enough pink and red. I asked her what she was going to do with the orange and yellow. She said she'd use them as rewards for her class.
Younger dd gave me a computer made gift card for the next book in a series, she gave me the first for Christmas, and a sweet card. She hand wrote a note, which she's never done before. She said many sweet things, but the thing that made me cry was, "You have always set a great example for me and have spent my life preparing me for the world--and you did a great job, I love you so very much." I gotta tell you to have your grown children tell you they appreciate what you did, particularly homeschooling, is the highlight of ALL my Mothers' Days. And then to see them sitting next to each other at lunch joking with each other and being sisterly and kind with each other sent me over the moon. I despaired for years over their arguing and prickliness and annoyance with each other. (Of course they did have an argument last night, but quickly over :001_smile: )
I just want to say that there will be lousy Mothers' Days and fantastic ones. Being a mother is a constantly changing experience as our children change. Some days it seemed like we'd never complete homeschooling, and that I was a failure, or messing them up, or that they'd blame me, or never get along, that I was always losing my temper and yelling, etc. And then last year we graduated the youngest and homeschooling was done! I'm still their mom, but the relationship has changed, and I gotta say it is better then I ever imagined when I was in the midst of it. So hang in there!!! Even if they don't say it on Mothers' Day, your kids love you and they know it. You are all just in the middle of the process and sometimes it's hard, and busy and things like Mothers' Day fall by the wayside.
Happy belated Mothers' Day to all you great moms on this board!!!!!
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The Honda Fit might work for you.
:iagree: :iagree: :iagree: We loved our Honda Fit so much that when our dd needed a car we sold her our Fit and bought another!!! Our younger dd is lobbying to get that Fit when she needs a car and telling us to then buy a new one. Then we'd be a three Fit family :001_smile: We have had them for 4 and 3 years now and have had NO problems with them at all. They are fun to drive, get GREAT gas mileage, are very roomy inside for a compact car, can carry a lot, are reasonably prices and reliable. My only complaint is I lose it in parking lots between SUVs and vans.
Edit: Well I was obviously too late to this conversation :001_smile: Congratulations on your new car!
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I will look into this. That sounds much easier than doing repairs ourselves. If we had good renters that could be a blessing but I suppose it could get expensive if we have someone that calls for the littlest things.
You would still need to do maintenance, etc, but for things breaking down it is great. Look and see what is covered in a contract before signing. A lot of plumbing is covered with our company; but leaks aren't; faucets, shower heads, etc. aren't; toilet hardware(stuff in tank) is. So it can be worth exploring and thinking through. Most appliances are covered. We have kept a policy on our own home. Our 17 year old frig/freezer just quit last month and we had it fixed for $75. My dh is not a fix-it kind of guy, so it has really given us peace of mind as homeowners.
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We were a military family and had a rental once for three years. We won't do it again, mainly because we don't have the right temperament for it. :001_smile: I don't really have any advice on which way to go, but one thing we did that made repair costs more predictable was to keep a homeowners' warranty on the property. We didn't have to worry about the repairs. The renters were authorized to call the warranty company and they paid the service fee (was $60 at the time) and then deducted it from the rent. The cost for the warranty was about $40-45 a month. It ended up being a good investment because both the furnace and A/C needed replacing while it was a rental. The warranty covered most of it. We just had to pay for a few code upgrades.
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I have observed that the 4-5 year age gap is the hardest for sibling peace. I think it's because when the younger is at their most annoying stage of development , the older is at their least patient stage.
:iagree: :iagree: :iagree: My dds are 4 yrs 4 months apart. They drove each other CRAZY. I was an only child and it made be so sad because I wanted them to have a good relationship. I don't really have any answers but I want to encourage you that it can get better! Fast forward to today, dds are 23 and 19 and they get along. Actually I see them getting along better every time they are together. Oldest is able to offer advice now without having to sound like a "know it all" and younger can listen without getting annoyed, and even take the advice! Youngest can actually see that older does care about her and wants to help. I think they are confident in who they are now and in their relationships with us (mom and dad), so they don't need to be constantly jockeying for position. So listen to all the wise advice given here, and take heart, it can get better!
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Loved that! Thanks for posting the link. It made me want to read Laura's first draft of Silver Lake :001_smile:
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He is risen indeed!!
Here is my favorite Easter hymn by the Gettys. I've played it so many times today, but of any day, today is the day to do it.
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well, to play devil's advocate. It could be the gum tissue is receding around the implants. It could be that, compared to "normal" gingival tissue levels, her tissue levels are considered as receding. A new dentist only knows that they see in front of them. They can't magically see what the beginning, before surgery, etc. her tissue and bone levels looked like. You don't need dental xrays to diagnose recession nor grinding/clenching. Recession can be proven with the dental probe and grinding isn't proven by xray, period.
Many people grind and clench and are totally unaware. It is imperative to NOT in any circumstances grind or clench on dental implants or they will eventually fail. So, it is good to be highly cautious and take care of your implant investment. Is this dentist a little too eager? Perhaps. Perhaps not.
You can go to a second dentist for a second opinion or you can state to this dentist that you understand their concerns and you would like to watch the tissues for changes.
I understand what you are saying, except the implants look exactly the same as when they were put in. You could aways see the darker bottom part of the implant. DD commented at the time they were put in that she was glad they aren't front teeth because you can tell they are implants :mellow: I know he can only see what is in front of him, but he seemed unwilling to hear anything DD said to him. THe fact her retainers have NO damage to them and she has never had to replace retainers for damage is telling, especially since he is adamant this has been happening for years! It seems like a second opinion would be the wisest course at this time. We have been blessed in the past with wonderful dentists that we had absolute trust in. It's discouraging to get one that doesn't seem to want to listen or doesn't really "hear" what is being said.
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Thanks for confirming our thoughts! They took regular x-rays of her teeth, but none of her jaw. She said she disagreed with him immediately when he said she was a clencher and he kept adding reasons that got scarier. First damage to top of teeth, then damaging her implants, then "shattered jaw", then her jaw was "trenching"(whatever that is) and she had bone loss. He said he could tell because "this is his job." It was all by feeling her jaw. He said she has been doing this for years. Until her implants she had invisalign retainers. The hygienist she spoke to said she would have ground through them if she was a grinder. She is NOT going back to him. She is going to get the records from her last two dentists and see what a new one says. Then she may file a complaint with whatever the state dental authority is.
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My 23 yo has had good dental care her whole life. She had many years of orthodontic care, with a palate expander, rubber bands in all sorts of configurations, head gear, etc. She has worn retainers every night since getting the braces off. She had dental implants for two congenitally missing teeth two years ago. THe jaw had receded where those teeth were missing and the oral surgeon built it up with what he called "bone in a bottle" when he put the implants in. It has been a year since her last dentist visit (longest stretch in her life) due to lack of dental insurance. She now has insurance and went to a new dentist for an exam because our family dentist doesn't take her insurance. She didn't trust the new dentist at all. He told her she had two cavities, which she believes is plausible. BUT, here's the part we're skeptical of, he told her she has a big problem with clenching her jaw and she has shattered part of her jaw. He said it is causing the gum to recede around her implants, and that she needs a night guard at $500.
She told him she doesn't think she is clenching her jaw and night and damaging her teeth. She wears her retainers EVERY SINGLE NIGHT and there is NO DAMAGE to them. With the retainers in her back teeth barely touch. He told her she could be clenching during the day. She told him she is a third grade teacher and is talking from 7:30 in the morning until 3:30 in the afternoon. It would be impossible to clench then. He took no panorama x-ray or x-ray of her jaw. He did this by feeling her jaw. SHe has no pain, tired jaw, or headaches. He said the gum was receding around her implants and she told him they look exactly like the looked when they were put in. We are just skeptical that her family dentist growing up, dentist in her college town, oral surgeon and orthodontist never saw a problem.
She just got off the phone with the hygienist from the dentist in her college town. SHe said there were no notes in her records indicating she is a grinder and her x-rays from a year ago show no evidence of grinding.
We are of the opinion the new dentist is shady. Are we missing something? Could she have become a "clencher" in the last year and "shattered her jaw" in that time?
Any opinions would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Mary
UPDATE- DD went to another dentist for a second opinion. This dentist said there was NO evidence she grinds her teeth and the "cavities" were just some discoloration, no decay. DD was VERY happy and we went out for frozen yogurt in celebration :001_smile:
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Both my dds were very compliant. Oldest dd (23 yo) still wears her retainer every night because after all she went through (7 years from start to finish with 1 year off in middle) she doesn't want them to move AT ALL! She had a palate expander, braces, off for a year, braces again with head gear at night and rubber bands in a myriad of combinations. She has had them off about 7 years. Younger dd (19 yo) has had hers off five years and still wears her retainers a couple nights a week. She only had treatment from about 20 months. She got off easy compared to her sister but she was compliant with her treatment too.
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Arlington National Cemetery also has Arlington House, which you can tour for free. It was the home of General Robert E. Lee. I've never done it, but always wanted to. It seems when you live somewhere you don't see as much as the tourists do :001_smile: Admission is free. You can read more about it here http://www.nps.gov/arho/index.htm
Another place I've wanted to visit is the Newseum. You can read about it here http://newseum.org It does have an admission charge and is a little pricey, but does look fascinating.
HTH,
Mary
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I don't think it's odd that the Duggar girls have the hairstyles that they do. There's nothing weird or creepy about the way they wear their hair. They have beautiful hair and they always look very well-groomed -- but so do many non-Gothardite teenage girls. Their father is proud of his girls and compliments their appearances -- just like many non-Gothard-following fathers everywhere.
I think the Gothard stuff is weird and creepy, but I don't assume that every little thing about the Duggars can or should be traced back to Gothard.
:iagree: Both of my dds (23 and 19 yo) have long, naturally curly hair, one extremely curly. They like it long because it is easier to control the curl with the weight of the hair, plus they have more options for styling it.
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Just saw that Jill Duggar is now engaged. Announced today.
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Oh my goodness! My 23 yo dd wanted me to watch with her. I finally had to tell her to be quiet or go away because she was making anguished noises the whole time. The whole thing was SOOOO AKWARD!!!!! We thought all of the parents were totally inappropriate. They all asked questions about how Jessa and Ben were feeling about each other, what they thought when they first saw each other, etc….. Who does that? My dd said those questions might be appropriate on a fifth anniversary, NOT when they are just getting to know each other. And these questions were in front of each other, the family and CAMERAS!!! And as soon as they were officially "courting" Jim-Bob, and really all of the parents, were talking as if this was a done deal. He said in a few months there could be a wedding! Talk about pressure. They claim this is supposed to be a time for Jessa and Ben to get to know each other to see if this could lead to marriage, but they are all but planning the wedding. It would be hard for either one of them to back out now.
We agree with SOME of the ideas of courting, like getting to know each others family, etc. But this was bizarre. It was like their relationship was being dissected under a microscope. I felt the parents were getting a vicarious thrill through their children's "romance." Ick, just ick! My dd said repeatedly toward the end to me, "I love you so much. I love you and Dad so much!!!" She was just repulsed by the whole thing.
All that being said, Jessa is one of our favorites, she has spunk. And we liked Ben and thought he had guts to go through all that and on camera too. BUt the whole process was just yucky.
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When we got married I would have chosen the right, but dh said he absolutely could not sleep on the left. So I took the left and that's where I've been for 26 years. Now I think I couldn't sleep on the right :001_smile:
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Mr. Holland's Opus
1. When they find out their son is deaf
2. When the young man who had no rhythm dies in Vietnam.
3. When Mr. Holland leads the school orchestra in a performance at his son's school for the deaf and signs John Lennon's Beautiful Boy and inserts his son's name in the lyric
4. The end where Mr. Holland leads the past students in his Opus.
Every stinking time I cry at those four points. My oldest dd had a class in college where they watched the movie over several weeks. I asked her to figure out where the four places I cry are and she nailed each of them :001_smile:
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Super Bowl Sunday, 1985. We were at a course at the Air Force Judge Advocate school after first entering active duty. He walked into a Super Bowl party some of the students were throwing. He was wearing a grey University of Arizona t-shirt. Neither one of us like football and we ended up talking all evening. We sat next to each other in the classes we were in together for the next 8 weeks. We studied for tests together. He graduated first in the class and I graduated second :001_smile: My mother asked if I "let him" come in first, no I didn't, I'm too competitive. He went overseas and I stayed in the states. I had horrendous phone bills. I went and visited him 8 months later. Believe it or not we were treating this relationship as "friends" although I knew he was "the one" back at the school. It just took him a long time to pick-up on it. We went through a silent period, no calls or mail. He didn't know this but I'd given the whole thing over to the Lord and said, "If you want this to work out it will have to be You doing it." I got stationed overseas at least in the same time zone as him. He called in the first week. Seven months later he was reassigned to my country, three hours away. Ten months later we got married. So when people say, "Long distance relationships don't work out" I say they can, they're just not very fun. Of course this was pre-email, cell phones and Skpe/Facetime! It really wasn't fun! But 26 years later I'll say it was SOOOOO WORTH IT!!!!
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Whoo Hooo! Such good news!!!
Military people, how do you do it?
in The Chat Board
Posted
We're a retired AF family here. My dh retired after 21 years active duty and I retired after 21 years combined active and reserve duty. As a reservist I was attached to an active duty office, so I never had to deal with Air Reserve units or Air National guard. I really had no problems with ID, and other paperwork. The only time I had to deal with a reserve unit was two years ago. Our 22 yo dd was graduating from college and her ID would expire on graduation, but we were paying for her to have medical insurance through the Tricare Young Adult program and she needed a new ID card for that. She was over 600 miles away so she went to an Army Reserve post near her to get a new ID. We had sent her all the paperwork she needed. She spent FIVE HOURS dealing with them and left with no ID card. They DID NOT have their act together. DD said it gave her no confidence in how the military reserves are run. When we went out for her graduation we went with her to the post to help her. They took TWO HOURS to do the work and at the end their "system was down" and they couldn't activate the card. Since she wouldn't be going to a base for medical care, but to civilian practitioners (so the card would never be scanned) she left with it and never went back to the post.
I have a huge respect for the job our Reserves and Guard (and their families) are doing for us. It is so far beyond what was envisioned for them back when I entered active duty in 1985. They are an indispensable part of our military. But for some reason the administrative arm of these units often fall short. If you are anywhere near an active duty base it may be worth the trip to try to get some of your problems ironed out there if possible.