Thanks! I wasn't aware of the study guide, so I'll look into that. I have never read Dante. :leaving: Is The Divine Comedy a different book or part of Inferno? I know it has three parts.

I want to go through Dante's Inferno with my rising 6th and 7th graders next year as part of our SOTW 2 year. I'm looking at the John Ciali version, but I'm not sure if it's best. I need something with footnotes because I don't know it well enough to explain it myself.

Adam of the Road Call it Courage Following, too. Any other favorite resources to go with SOTW 2 besides chapter books? Favorite activity books, biographies, etc.?

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

Loved it, but the last couple episodes were hokey. I've also enjoyed Foyle's War, Broadchurch and Bletchley Circle. What else is good?

Moxie - I didn't know you weren't homeschooling anymore! That's what I get for taking six months off the boards. We were all set to put the kids in school in the fall but ds12 didn't get in (charter school lottery). How's it going? How has the change been? I know almost no SAHMs. I'm in an interesting position because most of my friends' kids are now in elementary school on up, and they've pretty much universally gotten jobs, although many are part time. The only SAHMs I know have toddlers or are homeschooling, which I don't really consider 'not' having a job.

Congratulations!

I'm halfway through Exodus. :lol: But I'm not stressed. I'll get through it. The OT always takes longer for me.

I suppose it's about women being empowered by making money selling their clothes. Here's what the site says: LuLaRoe invites and encourages you to “Join the Movement,†to take back control of your time and your life

Hee hee. I keep waiting to be kid-free so I can watch this. Might never happen, but it looks hilarious.

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Hospice was invaluable to us. I can't say enough good things about the wonderful nurses who were with us.

I don't have much of an issue with the clothes. I don't like them, but I'm sure others do. I don't like clothing companies that call themselves 'a movement'. The fight against human trafficking is a movement. Designer leggings are not.

I've done this a few different ways. When my oldest was preschool age, I taught a friend's daughter along side her for free. It was fun, my dd liked having her friend there. No pressure, because it was free. I would get irritated, though, when the other mom wouldn't show up or cancel at the last minute because they didn't feel like coming that day. My issue, not hers, but it made me realize that I took it more seriously than she did. I also did in-home daycare, and for a couple of those years I had a few kindergartners, and one year a fourth grader. It was great. I liked having the responsibility, because it meant we would for sure do what we needed to do. Having a few more kids made some of our activities more enjoyable, and I found my kids responded better and were more polite during school with the other kids there. And the money was great. I think I charged $80-100 per week, but it was four full days. We kept our Fridays free for other things. There were downsides. I felt I had to keep my house company-ready every day; that was stressful. No sick days, no pjs days, no 'let's not do school today because we don't feel like it' days. I was uncomfortable asking for payment when parents forgot. Scheduling vacations was tough. Getting the older kid to do his homework was tough (mom and dad were more relaxed about school than I was). But overall it was a positive experience. And I had a baby and toddler the year I had four other kids every day, so it's doable.

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

My dad had no memorial, or service of any kind. He and his wife were very introverted and had few friends. Their close friends, his siblings, her son and my brother and I were all at the house the last week of his life. While there were certainly friends and people they knew through their business who would have come to a funeral, all the important people said their goodbyes before he died. They didn't regularly attend a church, and he was cremated. It just made sense not to. It was hard not to have an 'official' moment to say goodbye and put some closure on things, but it was what he and his wife wanted.

"Chemical free". Snort.

Thanks guys! It's been a huge blessing to have these boards to come to. You guys are awesome. WoolySocks, I hadn't heard that. I'm so sorry.

Congratulations! How exciting! I took gummy ones, couldn't handle the others. They made me throw up. Of course, everything made me throw up. :)

For those following my little drama, my dad passed last June. I have been in only sporadic contact with my stepmom since then - not because I don't like her, quite the opposite, but because it's so danged hard to call and know my dad won't answer. And then have to talk about stuff, which I don't do well. The whole thing is a big, emotional mess. The last time I called was Christmas and I haven't gotten up the courage to face the emotions since. I called her last night! It was great! We cried! I feel so much better now.

Geez, notarized?! I'd just call and tell them she's sick. But I'm a rebel like that.

It becomes offensive when you're trying everything and consulting professionals and someone who isn't close enough to you to fully understand what is happening makes suggestions. Those giving suggestions often make those receiving the suggestions feel like they aren't trying hard enough or doing the right thing. No one cares more about healing the person involved than his or her family members (or self!). For example, someone told me my dad's stage 4 lung cancer could be cured by vitamin C and wanted to know why we weren't using it, as though we were refusing something that could save his life. It was insulting. Uggghhh. Eggs are the worst.

I'm looking for your best living book biographies from the medieval/renaissance period. Thanks!

True. My point was that he is a generous and selfless person, so any difficulties that might arise due to mismatched desires would be handled by him in a generous and selfless way. I try to be the same for him. As someone else stated, some amount of incompatibility is inevitable in marriage. I think it can generally be worked through.

Just an insert - when I think of 'tools and strategies to help a spouse get in the mood' I am not imagining anything coercive. I'm thinking of dh bringing me flowers and romantic cards or doing the dishes so I'm not so tired in the evenings. These are the underhanded strategies he uses to coerce me. :) I think our own background and experiences color our feelings about these issues significantly. I'm in the 'do it when you don't want to' camp, but I think we're having a massive misunderstanding about what that means. To me, it doesn't actually mean 'do it when you don't want to'. If I don't want to, I don't do it. It means noticing when it's been a while and reminding myself what a great guy dh is, and how much I enjoy our *ahem* time together, and thinking that maybe I should give him a little encouragement or get something started. I have a pretty good drive but I'm busy and easily distracted, so, yes, sometimes I work to get myself in the mood. It also means that when he gives me the eye and I don't immediately feel it, I don't automatically say no but try to figure out why I don't want to. Am I just too busy thinking about other things? Do I need a shower first? Am I touched-out from having kids all over me all day? If it's something I can change, I will. If I'm genuinely too tired or cranky, I'll say so. As far as compatibility goes, I was dh's only partner and my own experiences stopped short of actual intercourse, so technically he's my only partner. Our compatibility has gone through different phases during our marriage, but some things are constant. I chose him because he is a selfless, generous, kind man. That translates into the bedroom. I imagine men who are selfish or greedy tend to be that way in all areas as well. I didn't need to have sex with him before our marriage to make sure we'd be okay. FTR, I think sex is for marriage but I don't judge others based on my faith's precepts if they don't share them.

I didn't know you were a theoretical physicist! In that case, you could stimulate your mind by explaining the oscillating universe theory to me. :) Among other things..