I would love to hear others' thoughts on this. I looked up the Collection Development Policy of my local (not school) library, and it said, in part: The [X] Library is dedicated to serving patrons of every age, ethnic origin, socioeconomic level, education and viewpoint. [It] strives to provide, within its financial ability, access to a collection of materials representing diverse areas of knowledge and interest. The library will make a reasonable effort to obtain materials based on contemporary cultural relevance, artistic and educational merit, longstanding value, patron demand, and community standards." I would argue that Brave Books do not have artistic or educational merit, as pure political propaganda, nor are they the type of quality books which have longstanding value. However--they probably do have contemporary cultural relevance, would be popular with patrons, and (however I might feel about them) likely meet community standards. I don't know. There are plenty of books on the shelves I don't like at all. But these are particularly irksome because they are aimed at little kids. What says the Hive?

Another death has been reported. 😞 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/panera-breads-charged-lemonade-blamed-second-death-lawsuit-alleges-rcna128036

I like them. I think they're fun and festive. But then, I tend to like gaudy, kitschy things in general. 🙂 I don't like the phrase "Ugly Sweater." I wish a new phrase would be coined. I think it could hurt people's feelings who don't see the old-school ones as ugly or tacky. Last year I had a Christmas dress, covered in snowmen wearing sunglasses, Christmas bells, etc. It was fun but it's too big this year (yay). Another year I had a long cardigan with reindeer on it. I keep my eye out at thrift stores but am not about to pay new prices for something that gets worn once or twice a year. I wear them to informal Christmas parties and get togethers--usually only when I know the attendees well. DD has several Christmas tees, purchased from TeeTurtle and thrift stores. She wears them in the weeks leading up to Christmas. DH would never, ever consider wearing one. He's too dignified. 🙂

I'm so glad you had fun!!! 🙂

"A Kansas grade school forced an 8-year-old Native American boy to cut off his hair after he grew it out for cultural reasons, the American Civil Liberties Union said. ...The boy, who is member of the Wyandotte Nation, attended an annual tribal gathering geared toward children over the summer. He saw many men with long hair and was inspired to adopt the common cultural practice of cutting hair only when mourning the loss of a loved one. ...In August, school officials told him that he needed to cut his hair to comply with the dress code, the ACLU said. His mother went to the school in September and explained that he grew out his hair for cultural reasons and offered to show documentation of his tribal affiliation. The ACLU said she was told there were no exemptions. The assistant principal then emailed the mother on a Friday, telling her she had until the following Monday to get her son’s hair cut or he would be sent home. Unable to reach the superintendent, she cut her son’s hair over that September weekend, convinced it was the only way to keep him in school." This is infuriating. They can't let an 8-year-old keep his long hair? Who is it hurting? We are *still* forcing Native Americans to assimilate? Related story from October: a black student was suspended and then moved to a disciplinary alternative education school for refusing to cut his locs.

@BlsdMama, any update?

And also threads like..."What's your favorite holiday cookie?", "Quick and hearty soup recipe?", and "Christmas menu." 😋

This is so weird to me, but DH and I did the math and it's true.

This too shall pass. My DD15 is now wonderfully easy to get along with. Preteen / early teen years were hard!!!

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Poor babe and poor you! Sending hugs this morning.

Nothing to add except congrats on your new dog. ❤️ Hopefully you will know very soon what the problem is and can go from there. Please do keep us posted! We will of course be expecting pics at some point. 😉

No, but I LOVE my flatweave cotton Hook & Loom rug. It's in my kitchen, so it usually needs to be washed several times a year. It comes out of the dryer looking beautiful. I've had it for 7-ish years. I think it's a 5' x 8'. It is not a "cushy" rug but I love how it looks and washes up.

She's only 20 years old.

@KSera, oops, sorry! Fixed. 🙂

Well, you likely have two options at the moment: a crown or removal. How much do you need / want that tooth?

I don't have dental insurance. They run between $1,000 to $2,000 each.

I have a fair number of crowns. I'm very grateful for them, because I'd have a mouthful of missing teeth otherwise. Yes, they are expensive, but a lot of skill goes into making and placing them. You're also paying for the materials and the technology. Most of mine have lasted for years. IIRC, I have had two break. When a tooth has had a lot of work, sometimes there's just not much left to work with. It's a crown or removal at that point. I did have a very back molar removed instead of getting a crown on it. It doesn't bother me and the extraction was much less expensive, of course.

Thanks so much, all! We used the Purdue Writing Lab site as a reference and went with MLA. I ordered this laminated quick guide to MLA Style for DD to use in the future: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1423248341?psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp

Title says it all. Do you have a favorite citation generator? Which citation style do you use when none is specified? (I'm thinking APA?) DD and I both thank you! 🙂

I'm so sorry. Huge hugs to you. ❤️