Dh felt fevered and chilled on and off yesterday. He complained of a stiff neck. He is still running fever (100.5). When does a stiff neck become a problem? Touching his chin to chest is "no problem". Yesterday he would alternate between working on the pool to getting in bed with a popsickle and watching Bonanza, then off to check why the gate wasn't working properly. No vomiting, confusion and so-so appetite. How worried should I be about this? Thanks!!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vietnamese-Sandwich/Detail.aspx I made this sandwich for dinner this evening. I grated some carrots and added a half tspoon of sugar and a little vineagar as one reviewer suggested. Also I cut the pork into strips to make it more manageable. So delicious and very few dirty dishes! My 15 yos told me later...I can't stop thinking about how good that sandwich was!

that part of my yard has poison ivy. My understanding is that some farm animals like goats (?) will eat PI. Otherwise the suggestions of getting a (human) kid to do the work would be fine. I just want the PI gone! Also...as far as containing the critters(I guess I am leaning towards goats) my Feed Store sells an enclosure that has a roof on it. So it is like a little chain link cube sort of. Surely that would hold goats...? Thanks for all the help on this! Alexandra

I just treat stains with a little stain treatment and wash the rest w/out soap. Saves a little money and less stuff going into the environment imho.

I am interested in a goat but seem to remember that sheep are better "lawnmowers". What smallish animal(s) could I get that are not a ton of trouble. I plan on investing on some sort of enclosure btw. Thanks!

I have come across this ingredient several times and wondered where one finds Lime Leaves? Is it a dried spice found in the spice aisle or is it found in the produce section? Is it a "worth the trouble" sort of ingredient? Last time I saw it in a chicken noodle soup recipe. (On the cover of Fine Cooking). Thanks for any thoughts on this.

Or.....How about you go by yourself and do something closer to home with your dear family? I think your kids and husband should be your priority over your ministry or parents. If you go by yourself you can really just sit with your folks and be there for them without it being a major drag for the rest of the family. Ministry...? Egads! They are your parents - not homeless orphans. Go with a happy heart or stay home. I am the main go-to person for 2 relatives with mid to advanced Alzheimers so I do understand how trying elderly people are.

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I have heard about this camp but wondered if anyone here had any experience with it... http://www.supercamp.com/ It looks neat but would love to know more.

Are there some good staples to have on hand that you can always use for breakfast lunch and dinner? I am just trying to figure out how to plan for this and would like to start tomorrow (going shopping today). Thanks for any thoughts or tips!

I was poking around the site and understand how to build the menu for the day but what if I want to go out to eat or cook a recipe of my own? Thanks!

The vaccine is for dogs!

I love to walk with our dogs. We go every day and my big dog roams back and forth in the pastures (we are in Central Texas). I worry about rattlers all the time! Has anyone heard anything or had any experience with this vaccine? I think it is pretty new... Thanks!

Falls, infection, aspirations....were some of the factors that she mentioned. My fil has had all 3 in the last 10 months. In the last 12 months he has had MRSA, broken hip from a fall, UTI, pnemonia twice, the most recent was aspirational and required a 1 week hospital stay. He no longer knows where he or who he is. He cannot feed himself and is having trouble swallowing. (He is in a nursing home.) I am not really arguing the decision (ok maybe I am) but how low does one need to go to get in with Hospice? I was not the one to broach the subject of Hospice. His doctor was, but once I found out about Hospice, it just really made me want that extra layer of care for this poor, ailing man. KWIM? I am the main go-to person for both mil and fil. MIL has mid-level dementia btw. Thanks for your post and thoughts Jean and everyone else. Not trying to be a whiner here....

Thanks for the thoughtful replies as to why it might not be a good idea to have a family member be under Hospice care. Everyone seemed to have such great things to say about the organization. It was so helpful! My fil was evaluated yesterday and the RN said that he did not qualify for Hospice. She said that he was not far enough along. I wondered how they determine this? It seems like "not far enough along" in an Alz patient would be pretty subjective. Anyway I suppose this is good news.

I have a family member who has advanced Alzheimer's. He was recently hospitalized and his doctor has suggested Hospice for him. Another family member (other side of the family)who is also an MD made hospice out to be a bunch of Dr. Kavorkians(sp). At what point in the dementia continuum do you say the end is coming? His hospital physician and personal physician say he is on the last leg of his jouney but what if they are wrong? What metric does one use?

I might try that. I don't know if she would find it scary - she is already so skittish. OTOH this might make her feel safer.

As far as a tattoo goes where does one find a tattoo? She is so sweet. I think that she is a boxer/lab mix. I did let animal control know. I did not think about Craig's List. Good idea. I really like her and had hoped that she could settle in here.

On Tuesday I found a little 1-3 yo female mutt. The no-kill shelter was full. She was injured and I took her to my vet and asked them to do what they could for $100.00. She is in good shape but has a banged up paw and is on antibiotics. I also have a 6 month old (neutered) Catahoula. He can be sort of wild and annoying. When he gets close to her she growls at him. Normally I would take them on a walk together to bond and burn off energy but it has been raining and her paw is pretty sore. I am worried that I might have a big fight on my hands one day. I know that she is hurting and pretty scared. Would you take her to a shelter asap or would you let a little more time pass and see. I just feel so sorry for her! She has another 10 days of antibiotics to go. Seperating them is not possible. I also have a family member in the hospital so I have plenty on my plate know kwim. Thanks for any thoughts.

Anyone have an easy recipe they would care to share?

The director of Spec. Ed. said my ds was the worst she had ever seen (gee thanks!) and I tried everything. Barton was what did it for my son. He reads well now.

Is it possible to lose weight just by counting carbs and filling up on veggies and lean meats. I realize that calories are important as well but wondered if anyone has had success just with a focus on carbs.

It is so nice of you to do it short term while they make some sort of formal and consistent arrangements.

Is there a product that anyone can recommend that would allow a child to do a clay project and finish it in a regular oven or to allow to airdry? Ds wants to make a certain project out of clay and there are no businesses or facilities nearby that allow use of their kiln. Thanks!

That rooster had it coming...mark my words.