What IS this thing? It's about an inch and a half long. It's hanging in a spider web. I'm in charge of getting rid of it but I'd like to know what it is first. Some kind of fungus? A spider egg sack? A decomposed spider or other bug? Someone here has to know. 🙂

I'd get as much off as I could with a dry paper towel first. Then I would use dog or baby shampoo. Then I would use Dawn carefully if necessary. Once a cat showed up at my house absolutely covered in motor oil. I took her to a cat clinic and they bathed her about 8 times with Dawn.

That would drive me bonkers. I wouldn't go on the Minnesota trip, and if there were any kids who didn't want to go, I'd let them stay home, too. Same goes for the "getaway" trip. I'd just say something like, "We need some downtime with just the [x number] of us" or "I just need some time alone to unwind. I hope you all have a great time!"

I've had both. Front loader: no problem with musty odors, but I always, always kept the door open. Great for large items and stuffed animals. 🙂 Harder to add items after starting. Harder to soak things. Didn't like not being able to use more water if I wanted. Top loader: The agitator does seem to get things cleaner. I would not have noticed if it weren't for my towels. They were SO much more fluffy and clean-feeling with a top loader. I love being able to soak things and control the water level myself. I like to dye clothes occasionally and the top loader lends itself nicely to that. I still leave the lid open when not in use. I wouldn't get rid of a new front-loader. I would get a top-loader when it eventually broke down.

I love this. ❤️

For a few seconds I thought you mean the first definition and I was so confused. 🙂 mor·tar /ˈmôrdər/ noun 1. a short smoothbore gun for firing shells (technically called bombs) at high angles. "mortars and machine guns" 2. a cup-shaped receptacle made of hard material, in which ingredients are crushed or ground, used especially in cooking or pharmacy. "a mortar and pestle"

Yes and yes.

SBC churches are autonomous. Each church chooses their own pastors and have their own requirements for those pastors.

This appears to be a case in which both sides did wrong and hurtful things. 😞

He was accused of posting photos of others without their consent, including minors, and falsely implying that some of the minors had transitioned. Please note that this article is from the conservative site which outed him: https://1819news.com/news/item/to-say-i-was-a-stalker-would-be-a-bit-of-an-understatement-curvy-transgender-smiths-station-mayor-copeland-wrote-fiction-about-murdering-real-life-local-businesswoman-assuming-her-identity For those who don't want to click, the article says in part: Copeland frequently used pictures and details from local residents in his online life. On his Reddit page and elsewhere, he would often post fictional memes featuring young boys and girls with the illusion that the young people in the memes were one person who had undergone a gender transition. One meme featured a local brother and sister, at least one of which is a minor, with the caption, "Take the shots, get implants, become the whore." The meme was designed to give the impression that the young boy had transitioned into a young girl. After the initial story ran, the father of the two children contacted 1819 News, asking the picture to be removed to protect the children's privacy. The image of the minor boy appears to have been taken from the father's social media, as it is currently featured there. One featured picture is a meme, once again created with the illusion that the two people in the picture are one and the same, having undergone a gender change. In reality, the two pictures are of English actor Alex Pettyfer when he was very young and a popular social media personality and Jamie Andries, who was a 15-year-old cheerleader when the picture featured in the meme was taken. One woman contacted 1819 News saying she had discovered her social media postings on one such porn site. The woman, whose name is being withheld for privacy, said that she knew Copeland from when she was young and living in the area but had not seen him in years. "[S]omeone came across one of his sites that he posts on, and he's posted photos of myself! Now my photos (from Facebook) are on all of these nude/porn sites," she said. 1819 News was able to verify the existence of the photographs on the porn websites.

I haven't seen any record of him preaching or personally campaigning against equal rights for LGBTQ+ people, regardless of his church's stance. Are we sure his church was part of the SBC? There are plenty of independent Baptist churches out there.

Are you referring to this quote? He said, "Yes, I have taken pictures with my wife in the privacy of our home in an attempt of humor because I know I’m not a handsome man nor a beautiful woman either." I think he meant he and his wife took the pictures of him together. I haven't seen anything about her being in any of them.

So unnecessary and so sad. "A small-town Alabama pastor and mayor killed himself Friday, days after a local conservative news website published a story that included photos of him wearing women’s clothing and makeup." https://www.thedailybeast.com/alabama-mayor-bubba-copeland-kills-self-after-right-wing-1819-news-outs-his-cross-dressing More details: https://www.wrbl.com/top-stories/lee-county-sheriff-smiths-station-mayor-bubba-copeland-took-his-own-life/ https://www.wtvm.com/2023/11/03/smiths-station-mayor-phenix-city-pastor-commits-suicide-sheriff-confirms/ I can understand his church taking issue with some of his online activities and addressing those privately. Posting this information publicly for political reasons was just cruel and sick. I doubt we'll see an apology from the news site that did it. ETA: It appears there is more to this story than it seemed at first glance. He posted photos of others online, including minors, without their permission, and published fiction online about the murder of a local woman whom he specifically named.

It would be a cute succulent pot. You'd definitely want to use a plastic pot / insert with drainage holes AND a plastic drip tray inside. If you add some silk plants or flowers (or maybe berries, for Christmas) to the handle it could make a nice votive holder. You'd want to use an electric candle. You could fill it with potpourri.

These are simple but cozy and happy: Lucy and Tom at Christmas by Shirley Hughes Christmas in the Country by Cynthia Rylant Christmas in the Big Woods Also: Peter Spier's Christmas (wordless, but fun to pour over) Of course The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! For you, Mom, who enjoys emotional stories: Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck (definitely makes me tear up)

Would he enjoy Usborne Maze books? Search & Find / Look & Find books? Design and Drill Marble Maze? Teetering Towers Building Challenge?

I'm so sorry, Katie. I hope you feel better soon. 💐

Look what I found in my travels through Fashion Plates land, also by Tomy toys. From 1981, "Wild and crazy souped-up vans!!!" 🙂

Yes, I had a set and loved them. 🙂

Dover Books has an extensive paper doll line for collectors, as well as some for children. This site has lots of beautiful paper dolls, including reproductions of vintage books. Etsy has both physical paper dolls (handmade and vintage) and digital download paper dolls. I loved paper dolls and sometimes cut "dolls" from fashion catalogs, too. 🙂

They've had a third release as well, here and here.

I love this so much. ❤️

Love my new-ish Bosch. Definitely get the third rack at the top for utensils if you can--very handy! It cleans well. It pops the door open after washing to help with drying.

Thank you for reminding me of this. I did get at least one batch of clothes from thredUP that had quite a few items not measured correctly. It was annoying but they refunded me. Overall I've been pretty happy with them, though.

Thanks! Do you have one??? The hip and length measurements are listed on thredUP. If only it were a Trekkie or a Firefly or a Supernatural dress...then I would snatch it up myself. 🙂