Beth S
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Posts posted by Beth S
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15 hours ago, Terabith said:
It's actually over near where my friend in Carbondale is. Can be seen from Paducah right now. Kinda doubt currents will bring it my way, but maybe.
Thanks to your tip, @Terabith, I found this on our local news station's coverage!
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It's great to learn more about his beyond his assassination. Thank you!
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2 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:
Thanks. I think I need to step up my game with scholarships for youngest. He's an excellent candidate and if I can demonstrate that DH might relax a bit.
As homeschoolers, we weren't trying to get a golf scholarship. 😉We focused on ACT scores, and those charts for automatic merit scholarships are generally published on the university's website.
Yes, we needed a tutor to get Child #5's math subscore high enough.
Honestly, I think the student loan crisis has demonstrated that the sky CANNOT be the limit when choosing a college.
And your kids become more mature and informed as they research the TRUE options that are available to them.-
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I was your DH. I honestly didn't think we (us + each kid) could afford college.
But you know? It worked out.3 ended up locally, with mostly full scholarships.
2 ended up with tuition scholarships and very affordable/thrifty room & board.I remember being low-level anxious about it, & am just now relaxing as Child #5 is a junior & has maintained the GPA needed for his out-of-state tuition (yes, which was about $100K over 4 years).
Ways you can help? Research automatic scholarships. Talk about finding affordable options, not huge student loans.
We contributed a set amount to each child, each semester.
They knew they could count on that money.
We offered to LOAN them additional money, if they needed it.
Some took out a small amount of student loans.I'm just trying to say that there are ways to "meet in the middle" --- but I think it ended up being conversations between ALL of us.
(We did the same thing for weddings---offered a set amount. They then budgeted accordingly.)
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4 hours ago, WildflowerMom said:
Here’s mine….
4) Read a classic, "An enchanted April" Did not end up finishing. Started off good, but got boring.
Please at least WATCH Enchanted April (1991). It's one of our favorites.
My husband's dream is to LIVE at that Italian Villa.-
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2 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:
There are forms for advance directives.
. . . The hospital we used with my mother, required a new one. every. single. time. she was admitted.
It was actually good to have it on file there anyway, because when my brother was causing trouble - the fact she had one on file meant they wouldn't listen to him, and called me.
Our local hospital now has online accounts for everyone. I posted my living will/advanced directive documents there. I was asked about them last week (pre-colonoscopy) & it was simple b/c they could access the documents in My Chart.
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I just finished reading the book (over 2 days), and now I feel comfortable participating in this thread.
At the end of the book, I felt like I had been to a funeral (and NOT the Queen's....). Like I had witnessed a divorce.
I'll link the first Amazon review, which is an extremely lengthy overview, entitled "Darling Boy" (Charles' nickname for him--they ALL have nicknames, it seems).
I feel like Harry was a "Boy" in many ways up until now---both in the way his family treated him, but also in the ways that he dodged responsibility, and heavily partied when things got tough. I'm not sure what he SHOULD have done as an 19yo (instead of joining the Army after his gap year), but I don't think his options were as limited as he stated.
I'm really not trying to "stir the pot"---I just feel incredible sorrow for his wasted young adult life.
ETA = I missed seeing where he had any close relationship with ANY of his extended family. It seems like he didn't regularly socialize with any relatives. I was surprised he had not befriended Princess Margaret or Prince Andrew (who were "spares" as well, & obviously had difficult times with their roles).
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For donation = most towns now have a "Maker's Space" which caters to all kinds of crafts.
The owners of our local (small town) Space, and my brother's large city Space, said just call before you come.I love sewing, and did take some of my mother's & MIL's stash when we emptied their houses.
We left the rest for the liquidator/estate sale director.If you have crafty friends, they may enjoy picking out what they would like to use.
But it's really, really hard to get "money" out of a fabric stash....Agreeing with PPs, taking photos & selling local on FB Marketplace would be an option.
It's just very time-consuming. -
My current mode is having a Google Photo Album for each child.
I continue to scan their best work (& recognition, photos) and add to that album.
They can access it anywhere, any time they want to reminisce.
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We keep inexpensive male & female urinals in our van (and we don't car camp).
ETA: The main thing causing the traditional stink is to mix the Urine and the Feces. Keeping them separate is a challenge, though!
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18 hours ago, Ann.without.an.e said:
What do you mean mean by you "thought you'd only get his and my earned benefits"? Please explain, I may be misunderstanding something too.
I worked quite a bit before having kids. I qualify for Social Security Benefits tied to MY wages.
However, spousal benefits means I qualify for 50% of my husband's SS benefits---depending on the age he & I file to receive benefits.
I think it works for divorcees as well.
Again, lots of rules, but helpful to research . . . b/c it can be a huge game-changer.Here's a link to My SSA = https://secure.ssa.gov/RIL/SiView.action?URL=%2Fmyssa%2Fbec-plan-prep-ui%2F
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Honestly, this was one of my first "Empty Nest" projects.
Learning the rules/amounts/taxation of Social Security Benefits, Medicare, etc.
Spousal Social Security was a game-changer for me---I thought we'd only get his & my earned benefits.
We're planning to downsize our house, reduce our expenses.
(Repeating a prior post) I went to a local CPA & showed him our "numbers".
His advice was that we'd be fine . . . if we didn't: buy a fancy car, attempt to bail out our 5 kids . . . OR treat them all to a lavish vacation!
I think your time is well spent learning about what to expect.
(We too have a Caboose, now in college, to consider!)-
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Large online financial companies like Vanguard, Fidelity and others provide self-directed retirement accounts.
Agreeing with the PPs.
It's helpful to learn a bit about investing first, but the main thing is to open an account, and begin.ETA = you can start with just a Money Market account, for example.
Stock Market Index Funds are the basic tool used for many personal finance bloggers.-
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Baklava?
ETA: Great Minds Think Alike!
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That folded spoon is a great idea.
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Thanks again, @Terabith!
Many years ago, I was fascinated to read "All the President's Men" (which is also a 1976 movie).
I'm going to get that out today!-
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Our adult kids (4 of our 5 kids) know we'd discuss the $$ arrangements for a vacation.
I'd do some research & then I'd talk with the adult kid(s) and explain the options & cost.
I really think it helps to have the conversations early, so the expectations are in line with reality.
(Dh & I *never* treat the entire family to a ticketed activity. But we usually do free things!)-
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My understanding is that it's helpful to correct the jaw alignment during puberty, before the jaw grows into its adult form.
And yes, you want to finish the treatment with the same orthodontist.
I would compare pricing, too.
I don't think ANY kid (or parent) ever wants to go thru the hassles that braces require, but a crossbite will wear the teeth in odd places until it's corrected.Three of our 5 kids needed braces (& rubber bands), all with underbite/crossbites. The 4th kid got invisalign for semi-cosmetic reasons at 22yo (our ortho had told us he didn't *need* them), and it was much quicker, etc.
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I watch a lot of organizing Youtubers.
Some people prefer having clear plastic bins, so they can see (generally) what is inside.
Other people prefer the uniformity of the opaque bin.I've also heard (& strived for) using the same style bins so that they all stack & can be moved around as storage needs change a bit.
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In the freezing weather last week, my pillowcase always seemed cold in the middle of the night.
I found some fleece fabric at Walmart & quickly sewed a fleece pillowcase. Big improvement!
(My crafts are mostly like this---mending, or a solution to a small problem.)
Love this thread!
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2 of our sons received Engineer's Rings at graduation.
Wonderful backstory.
Worn on the pinky of their writing hand, as a reminder of their commitment.
I'm sure theirs were low-cost, but you could scale up.
Link = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineer's_Ring-
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IMO this is quite a setback for your Mom.
I would look into options where she can move to live in your town, or your brother's town.
Sometimes the Independent Living Village has a "next step" when the resident as a decline like this.
It could be that after the holidays are over, more staff will be available for advice & help.And also = No senior EVER wants to move. It will nearly always be against their will (or preference).
Our current strategy is to give the parent 2 options to choose from.ETA - when my elderly father got covid during the lockdown, my cousin loaned him a Pulse Ox monitor.
I called every morning, & talked with him on the phone while he checked his levels (twice).
It gave us some peace of mind, when we couldn't visit in person.ETAA - if your relationship with your Mom is not healthy, then I would reconsider moving her to your town.
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Vice-Presidents becoming Presidents are fascinating to me. They didn't expect the job.
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I'm laughing. Thank you (again) @Terabith!
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Making my secretary feel appreciated
in The Chat Board
Posted
A prepaid Visa debit card. 😉
Or a nice card with a nice handwritten sentiment.
Give her a bit of flexibility if she needs to leave early for a legit reason.
You want her not to quit. 😉