DO NOT go off BP meds on your own. I have taken care of many, many people who have done this. here is a short list of some of them Subarachnoid hemorrhage Cerebral Vascular Accident (Stroke) Dissecting Aortic Aneurysm Hypertensive Crisis they don't call hypertension the silent killer for nothing

Have you ever thought about getting some professional counseling? I understand the pain that comes with loosing a beloved family pet, but when grief interferes with your daily life and affects your decision making skills it may be time to seek help to deal with the overwhelming emotions and what may or may not be an episode of transitional depression.

Believe it or not, I found ground & whole bean coffee at Aldi to be surprisingly good. Not as good as what I get from an elderly friend who buys his own green beans and roasts them in his basement, but better than Duncan Donuts. So cheap it has become my favorite.

funny, my boys are just so excited that they get to go to the next book, I've never thought of a celebration.

We kept the egg sac in a big pickle jar on a stick with some leaves. When we noticed the babies, we let most go in the garden and kept a couple. We didn't have much luck with them in captivity. We (and by "we" I don't mean "me") have, however, captured big ones and let them roam around in the house. They've lasted a couple of months, but I don't recommend it.

I am continually frustrated that every single one of my in-laws here in the MidWest cannot start something or arrive somewhere on time. My husband is former military, so he is prompt. I'm from the Pacific Northwest and was raised to be prompt. My in-laws who have been in the Midwest for generations...grrrr They are so chronically late Easter Brunch was at 1:30 in the afternoon!

My daughter is the same way. She is the only girl and desperately wants a baby sister. Every time she brings it up, I say "I'm sorry you're sad. We are not going to ever have another baby in this house." There is no more I can tell her. I don't want to give her any inkling of hope that her wish might come true. I don't argue with her or try to give her reasons. It does get better (dd is almost 6 now and although she gets wistful from time to time, the tears over no baby sister have stopped). I do let her have a sleep over from time to time with my neighbor-friend who lives right behind us (within shouting distance) and has 2 little girls age 4 and 1. This gives my dd some time to be a "big sister" to her two little friends. The baby cries when dd leaves, she loves her so much. I also have the two little girls over here when I can. The three of them get along wonderfully and it gives dd time to be the boss instead of the bossed.

I have never had a completely solo vacation, but have had a spa getaway with one close friend. We were both on the same page about soaking up the sun, little to no television, relaxed pace, etc. I came home refreshed and felt the money was well spent. I also have had my dh take the children away for a full day and overnight (to his mother's). This gave me time to clean the house, then read, relax, nap. I went to a bookstore, then out to a solo lunch and a walk. It was lovely. Just when I started getting lonesome for my family, they came back. That may be an alternative if money is tight. My SIL has gone away by herself to the convent her aunt used to be part of. The cost was minimal, as were the accommodations (single bed in a small room, but lovely meals prepared by the nuns). She enjoyed the solitude and the constant atmosphere of prayer. It was not too expensive. Even though I'm not religious, I have considered doing it for the solitude and the atmosphere. Every time I've visited, the nuns have been delightful and the setting peaceful.

Well, Steph, not all Christian denominations teach "once saved always saved" so one could have a deep understanding of the Christian faith and have turned one's back on it. Some may look upon such a person as "backslidden" and believe that person will eventually "return to the faith." Whether you believe it or not, it is possible for one to have intimate knowledge of Christianity, including a salvation experience, and then decide it is not true. This does not mean one does not understand Christianity.

Last time (which was my first time) I made Red Beans & Rice, we had to eat it for five days because I had no idea that one bag of beans would swell up and almost overflow my crockpot after soaking overnight.

yes, but never in the crock pot.

Oh - I love it when I find something excellent at the thrift store! Good on ya!

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well, now you know. <wink/smile> We'll have to start our own club.

yes :iagree: I once saw pillows made of human hair at a museum and that also creeped me out (didn't matter that the ladies pulled the hair from their brushes). I'm also a bit unsettled by the fact that William Shatner was able to sell his kidney stone to a casino museum. I will confess to saving the first baby tooth each of my children lost, but I do not have them on display (although I have joked about making a necklace out of them).

thanks for the link. The site is a bit hard to navigate for me, but I like that I can buy just one thing. My dh just told me he saw "a lot" of gf products at a store in a neighboring town, so I may make a trip over there and grab some items. I do like the Pamela's flour you linked. I made pancakes this morning and everyone liked them! I'm going to make some cookies this evening. I'm really missing my pastry.

Thank you for the recommendation. While I really like the stuff I bought, I really don't want multiples of the items. Since I'm newly GF, I want to try stuff without being committed to 12 packages of one item. It gets a little overwhelming to see all the products, too. Add to that the fact that some items are advertised as "gluten free" when I think the regular store-bought items are naturally gluten free (like corn tortilla chips).

Just recently purchased some gluten free products from Amazon. I am very pleased with the quality (I'm newly gf) and the quick shipping (I ordered enough to get the free shipping). My area is woefully bereft of gf products, so it is not a matter of price, but ability to obtain.

Well, I can't answer those questions because I'm not inside either the soldier you quoted, the OP's husband, or SM's husband. These are relationship/emotional questions that need to be sorted out by the involved persons. Separate from (but often intertwined with) the military's BS (Bureaucratic Stuff)

asta - I always appreciate your forthrightness. But SecularMom's dh is active duty right now, so I'm pretty sure she is giving accurate information based on her current experience, just as you are. Perhaps what she said is "How it works" for her situation, and the OP & SM are speaking of emotional things, not logistical bureaucratic ones. Both posts (yours and the one you quoted) are coming at the situation from different angles.

Put me in the camp of love for TT also. Yes, both boys tested into one grade higher than their actual grade level, which is fine by me. They still need occasional help from me, which is also fine by me. After all, I am still their teacher. I sit at the table with them and read or knit so I can be easily interrupted. For those of you worried about being "out of the loop" you can always view the lesson with your child. Sometimes when my one of the boys has a question, I'll say, "Well, let's see how MathGuy (that's what we call the guy on the DVD) taught you before I try to help." We then review the lesson (or portion of the lesson) together. Sometimes I am able to come at it from a slightly different angle, sometimes just the review helps. From time to time, I sit through the lesson with each boy (we each use one earbud) so I will be familiar with the terminology in case it is different than what I would use. I suppose TT could be totally "hands off" for a homeschool teacher, but that's not my style. I'm here anyway and look upon teaching my dc as my job, so I might as well be involved. When I'm working (at my actual job), they do do TT independently (Dad isn't quite as "hands on" as I am).

Ummm, yeah - I'll stick to having my kid as a "reminder of the birth"

Here are some remedies we use: eat a spoonful of sugar eat a spoonful of peanutbutter eat a spoonful of honey (notice a trend) For very bad hiccups, take a small drink of vinegar. For me, just smelling the vinegar does the trick.

@ Rosie - a handshake and a banana. I like it! :) I may find a way to incorporate that into my personal vocabulary...."oh, just give them a handshake and a banana" is now code for maintaining appropriate personal space.

Ugh, the public hugs and stuff turn my stomach. I have always, always told my kids (in front of anyone) "you don't have to hug anyone if you don't want to." I never understood why forcing kids to hug people was a good idea. Some people don't understand, but how can I tell my children to trust their instincts, that they can say "no" when it comes to their own bodies, etc., and then give in when a virtual stranger (to them) insists on physical contact?