Youtube = https://www.youtube.com/@fromtheinside-outschoolofe1411/videos

Rabbit Trail, or smaller budget: Lego Puzzles, only $7 this week at Walgreens. Our 21yo son loved assembling the mini-fig one with his roommates. *** The Millennium Falcon and the Statue of Liberty are classic large Lego sets, which I think have been released in several different styles over the years. Don't be afraid of a vintage set from Ebay!

I'm now Friends with my now Retired Rural Mail Carrier. Last Christmas, I left a small treat in our mailbox every day of December. It's really really a brutal time, delivering all those Amazon boxes. *She* leaves a frozen water bottle in her mailbox for her mail carrier (on a hot day). (Also thank you notes when they do Click & Ship, stamp orders, etc.)

I discovered the Tyson chicken pieces on vacation . . . & haven't looked back since! Definitely use pre-cooked chicken like this. My dh eats low-fat, & the easiest (?!?) step was to swap out condiments. Fat free Ranch Dressing. Walmart's Light Vanilla Yogurt (it's like dessert), but dh uses it instead of butter. Baby carrots, fruits, vegetables = these are easy to serve. Bag salads Olive oil Spray, if needed to grease a pan for frying egg whites. Soup with BBQ sauce, Teriyaki Sauce . . . other lowfat broth flavorings. IMO: It's actually more likely that you'll find MIL doesn't WANT to eat lowfat. If she's over 80yo, I would just let this whole effort DROP, & let her enjoy her final years.

Your life seems excessively without margin right now. My main tool is to (try to) only have one day a week with outside commitments. We just ruthlessly say no to 90% of outside activities. Not a popular response, I realize!

Bumping this. My dh bought a spray can of this a few weeks ago, which is supposed to work for 4 sets of clothes. He hasn't used it yet, but I'll report back when he does. He gets ticks all the time while doing yardwork.

Agreeing that you can do what you need to get out in 2 weeks. Possibly ask friends/family for help, babysitting, meals, etc. Having a cash buyer is fantastic.

Day One of Engineering School, our son asked his two parents (who took Calculus 30+ years ago) for help on his Calculus homework. We both looked at it & said, "We forgot it all. We cannot re-learn Calculus to help you." So he went to the tutoring center, & then studied with classmates. (Suffering thru Calc is what made me want to major in Accounting in College!) Best wishes---you're a supportive parent! (It was just beyond what we could offer our son.)

Third Time's a Charm! We had several kids take more than once to pass---it's quite common. But more importantly, there are OTHER achievements in life that will take more than two attempts to overcome. It's really a good life skill to learn to shake off the dust, get back up on the horse (or whatever metaphor works for her). The tester has BTDT with lots of other kids failing the test, so she is just part of a GROUP . . . who eventually pass their drivers test! It all just takes awhile to adjust to the challenge. P.S. I think that ACTUAL driving can be an extremely nerve-wracking experience. 80% of our kids have had minor accidents in the past 6 weeks. Taking the test, learning to steel the nerves, have courage . . . is actually a skill that helps with ACTUAL driving.

Five Daughters?!? Pride and Prejudice! 😉 And then a Marathon Movie Week, watching all the film adaptions.

I do a lot of Armchair Traveling via Youtube. It could be a fun way for you to narrow down your choice.

IMO, this happens frequently in churches. Sometimes volunteers need to quit! I would act obtuse and not succumb to the pastor's pressure. It's just a statement of fact---your dh cannot volunteer anymore. Then Pass The Bean Dip! 😉 Our long-time church secretary handles the church finances, with 2 Elders double-checking her work.

A bit of a Rabbit Trail, but our Library director & co-worker did a "Hot Reads" kickoff with hot sauces.

I've practiced hand-lettering, & make postcards for friends' birthdays, Bible verses for encouragement, etc. It's really inexpensive (Hobby Lobby card stock and Tombow markers) . . . and lots of Youtube instruction!

Zombie Thread!

Yes. My dmil gifted me some fabric to sew 1980s Laura Ashley style dresses from. All cotton, finely woven, floral print. Yes, it wrinkles, but it's just very, very comfortable to wear. I found this on Etsy, as an example (for the uninformed).

May be overstepping, but you could buy a Walmart + membership, which would deliver groceries to her house for a year. Maybe your dd could create Meal Train (there's a website) for her friends/church to sign up for meals.

Adding that I found an annotated version of "Pioneer Girl" at a recent book sale. This is the pre-cursor to the Little House books. And "Libertarians on the Prairie" (which I thought was mis-titled) at the library. This is a more detailed biography of Rose & Laura's later adult life. I've also enjoyed Rose's pioneer books "Let the Hurricane Roar" and "Free Land". They are a bit more intense than Little House. The movie "Young Pioneers" (1976) is based on these books. Of course, I loved making my "The Office"-loving children guess who the female lead was!

The yellow set . . . much loved!

My dh is about to retire in America at age 62. We plan to utilize ACA, and hope to qualify for subsidies. They greatly increased the level of subsidies during Covid, & continue to renew them. My understanding is that my dh's COBRA plan would be very expensive. Another option is the Christian health-sharing companies. I know several friends who have had success as members.

FYI = The final (10th) podcast is an hour long interview with Melissa Gilbert. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-wilder-112847598/

Adding to the wealth of encouragement----I use this type of time to clean out a closet or the attic! Lots of euphoria in the Sense of Accomplishment!

The misspelled word jumped out at me.....

We do cash for married kids, gifts for single kids & modest gifts for grandkids. We have a large extended family, & I oversee the Cousins Name Draw, using Elfster.com. We reassess each year, & encourage each person to choose their level of involvement. If the married kids are visiting, I do something creative with the cash. Agreeing with the focus being on Being Together, not a pile of gifts.