Oh Robin, thank you for the kind 'shout out' from you, especially! : ) Re: Nerdishly. "Ayup." Lol...BTDT and a I've been a follower of hers for a long long time now... Years ago, way before she became a WTM legend, she kindly assisted me in navigating Chicago neighborhoods. We did not relocate, but I have never forgotten her time nor her kindness. #respect Totally unbeknownst to her, her private personal tragedy of a few years ago, served as the catalyst for my dh, (who watched as I cried for days) to spend an entire morning warning, "his military troops" (and at that time, he had A LOT of troops) about vehicular safety. An untold number of lives were at least warned... Thanks for 'remembering' me! #hugerespect for you and your BAW thread! You too, are a WTM gem! Thank you!

Years ago, one of my nurse buddies invited me over to her home to be her "test recipe guinea pig" before she served this recipe to her parents over the upcoming Christmas holiday. The rest is history... I :001_wub: :001_wub: :001_wub: this recipe, although in the interest of full disclosure, I do use a much larger tenderloin (while correspondingly also increasing the stuffing ingredients proportionally) and I also at least double or triple the Merlot Sauce. It is so delicious drizzled over rice... https://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/gorgonzola-and-mushroom-stuffed-beef-tenderloin-with-merlot-sauce/8b9c0c16-aeb5-40e7-b8f8-d5887fd63828 I generally serve this with either wild rice or a long grain and wild rice combo, a green vegetable of some sort, a snazzy green salad of some variation, and some type of bread...usually a croissant. Dessert, however, is a whole 'nother topic! Care to share your own personal all-time favorite recipe?

Indeed it was and I do catch her BAW posts, I'm just not active in that group, (I have nothing profound enough to share...lol) although I follow it regularly. :thumbup1: It genuinely made me smile when I saw Read.Think.Learn. popping off the hanger this morning... :001_rolleyes:

Would something retro work? :lurk5: Etch A Sketch seems to grab the interest of a variety of ages and abilities. The classic runs about $15.

Guys... There are simply not enough hugs and likes to go around on this thread. My heart goes out to each and every CA boardie going through this tragedy right now. The number of lives impacted by this situation is truly staggering. THANK YOU so much to all of the posters who are chiming in with updates and information! :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

Yes, that is correct...with one word per "line." Many years ago, a previous (and formerly) prolific poster created that phrase as a sort of life mantra and used it as a motivator on these boards. For a brief period of time, she sold items on Cafe Press bearing that phrase. Nice memories... :thumbup1:

It is cold (for FL anyway) and rainy here today with the temperature projected to head steadily downhill. I woke up this morning and mindlessly reached in my closet for a random hoodie on a hanger. Just your basic over the head gray hoodie...and this is the one I ended up with... it made my day and made me smile. Read. Think. Learn. That's all. :coolgleamA:

Noooooo....

:lol: :lol: :lol: Well played!

I have NEVER seen purple on the fire maps before and SoCal today is nothing, but purple. :ohmy: :ohmy: :ohmy: This is so frightening and I am so sorry you have to deal with this situation. My sister lives on a hillside out in the San Pasqual Valley and they are very nervous. Does everyone here have an evac plan and/or a place to go? You are all in my thoughts and prayers. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

Honest to goodness, you just explained this more clearly and completely than most gate agents! Totally tongue in cheek, but a certain airline would LOVE to have you on their payroll and a certain boardie would LOVE to have your priority status! :tongue_smilie: Enjoy the holidays!

This thread is full of ideas and possibilities. http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/663156-favorite-winter-recipes/ Skimomma wrote an amazing post in reply to my query about stuffing squash. Scroll down thru the thread. I missed her kind reply initially and it was fabulous! :001_wub:

You were the very first person I thought of as I read this earlier tonight. We live locally... :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

Some Fast Thoughts: And you certainly do not have to answer publicly if you do not care to... You should be able to get out of your current lease via Military Clause. It depends on where you are living now and where you formerly lived. Which locale do you like best? Which is the best fit for not only the children, but also for you. Is this potential deployment for six months or for one year? Or the full fifteen full months? Or do you know definitively? Assuming he is in a military ''Reserve" unit, is there a strong local command presence for the families? Amazing bonding can happen and many new friends can be made with an active unit support system and hard charging Ombudsmen. Do you have the ability to "deal out" a bit and live in an apartment or condo during deployment and let someone else deal with maintenance and yard upkeep? Do you have pets that factor into this equation? Where does your family support live in comparison to where you are now living? Are you close enough to see them regularly without leaving your current location? Do you WANT to live close to family? I personally would not simply move somewhere random unless you have been secretly dying to move to say, Latvia or something. I mean, why? The bulk of these answers really center around YOU and what YOU feel would be best for those of you manning the home front. It's not a job, it's an adventure, right? Been there. Done that. A lot. :grouphug:

YMMV, but a few years ago before all of my chicks left the nest, I purchased Pottery Barn Teen bedroom items including brightly colored canvas window shades, coordinating bed sheets, and matching comforters. Not cheap here either and I have never been so disappointed. They looked absolutely gorgeous in the catalog. We drooled over them. :svengo: They arrived and looked amazing right out of the box. The canvas shades faded in just a couple of months and the sheets and comforters all looked very worn and faded irregularly after about two or possibly three careful washings. :glare: Sigh. That was the end of my love affair with Pottery Barn Teen. I think you could make one! Or you could hire a professional seamstress with a workhorse machine to stitch the cover for you. The labor cost, fabric, and stuffing (buy really nice heavy fabric from an upholstery outlet) would be less than $200 and probably of far better quality. #teamquill :hurray:

For Dad: A gift subscription to audible.com. He could select his own books and listen as he drives. For Mom: Hmmmmm... :confused1: still thinking!

This site has lovely items and wonderful customer service. www.bellalunatoys.com

:grouphug: I can't 'like' your post... :glare: but I can relate. Don't you wish life was slightly less complicated especially for the kiddos who have had to overcome the most obstacles? We also have 3 twenty-somethings (all daughters) and it has been a roller coaster ride here too...for one in particular. You just never know what lies just around the corner. Hopefully something amazing will pop up. At least it's never dull! :laugh:

Oh.My.Word. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! :party: There is a very sweet little six year old boy I know who will be rocking a Loog Mini and probably losing his mind... :lol: :lol:

Chewy's autoship program has revolutionized my life! We are a multi cat household and we have not run out of either wet or dry food in over 15 months. This is seriously life changing...don't you just hate those beady little eyes glaring at you because you have run out of wet food for breakfast?? :001_wub: :001_wub: :001_wub: Chewy!

This comment is so funny on so many levels!!!! I'm a fan... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Too cute for words! :lol: re: trucking accident proof American Tourister. Carol's husband for the WIN!

I've read many of your posts. YOU are an amazing woman! :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

IME, this advice is spot on! There was a similar thread recently (Carol in Cal.'s funny purse "what if") where folks were discussing how to handle this issue. Maybe one of our "Super Searchers" will graciously link it... Some people simply do not possess the imagination gene. I am blissfully (and woefully) married to one of these types. :laugh: Even a specific list is risky, so we now play a game where I select my own presents and everyone wins! It works for us which is all that matters in this situation. If you do not want the pots and pans, tell him before Christmas and offer up some desirable alternatives. Your happiness matters. ETA: To correct Carol's screen name.

This saga closely mirrors a conversation I recently had with one of my grown daughters. Good roommates are not required to be "bffs." They simply have to be able to successfully coexist peacefully! :rolleyes: CONGRATULATIONS! :hurray: