Wishing you and your family the very best and that everything will work out as you hope.

A sash would look lovely.

I like the thinner belt. Do you have one in a lighter colour? One of the colours in the dress maybe? The Opshop might surprise you.

My mom passed away when I was 18, so no. It didn't occur to me to have my MIL over to help. She lived about an hour's drive away and she and I never got on well. The in-laws did come to see Dd early in the morning after the evening that she was born.

We have had mixed experiences with Airbnb. Some super ones with lovely hosts, a few that were meh, and one really bad l, where the property advertised was not the one we were given. It had less rooms and no shower in the bathroom, was dirty and dingy. We arrived late at night and had a very full day of competive sport the nect, so I ran to a Mall, bought clean sheets and we stayed. After emailing to and fro with the Airbnb bot and owner, I just gave up on getting a refund. We apparently had to complain the minute we walked in and not after.

I've read your story over the years Melissa. It has been a tough journey and I have the utmost respect and admiration for the compassion and dedication with which you care for your twins.

Yes to all of the above! My mind is on my job and retirement at the moment, so thinking of those first. I straightened my hair for years for the "corporate look." My hair is now gray, curly, and often frizzy, and I love the ease of it. I've also shifted to wearing flat shoes and comfortable clothes. Comfort over conformity. I've noticed that initially, some new consultants or colleagues might overlook me based on appearance, but a few sentences into a conversation, they start to notice. My reputation and accomplishments speak for themselves. I'm circling and will be coming in to land for retirement soon. My filter has always been a bit shaky, and now it's completely broken! I speak up and share my unfiltered thoughts and call things as I see them. I can coach and mentor younger colleagues to boost their confidence, identify their strengths and to reach their goals. They trust my "wisdom" and see me as a confidant. I've worked hard at building an emotional vocabulary and understanding psychology We did not speak about how we felt in my family. You were stoic and kept your chin up. As Ive got older, I learned to identify and express my emotions and clearly articulate my needs and wants. When I was young, I couldn't name what I was feeling. My girls have a headstart on myself at their ages. I'm not afraid to show my vulnerability with close friends and family. It has strengthened our bonds. I have a bit more time to 'do my own thing' now that the kids have flown the coop. I started art classes and found that as I no longer fear judgement, it just flows. I've made some drawings and paintings that I am proud of! No more underwire bra's! If you've stared long enough to notice the 'books' are not completely lifted and seperated, you've stared for too long. I'm post menopausal. What a relief! I can coach and mentor younger colleagues to boost their confidence, identify their strengths and to reach their goals. They trust my "wisdom" and see me as a confidant.

Thank you for the helpful and interesting replies. Please do keep them coming!

Dh and I have been juggling our corporate careers and home life for 30 years. Twelve of mine were part-time work and part-time homeschooling with an au pair to help. Weekends were a whirlwind of competitive sports, chauffeuring the kids, errands, socializing, and squeezing in a bit of hobby time. We live in a 3rd world country where having a cleaning service and gardener is common, so we need to spend little time on chores. Since last year, we are empty nesters. We see one or both of the kids most weekends and they're obviously more independent, but basically its more of the same with a bit more time for our hobbies and for (online) volunteering. When the girls have completed their studies, we can retire, Last night, we had discussion about how we'll fill those extra 50+ hours each week. It's a bit of a blank canvas, and we're curious to hear from those of you who have already taken the plunge into retirement. What does your daily routine look like? Or, for those on the brink like us, after you've ticked off the big bucket list items, what are your imaginings for a life without the responsibilities of children to care for and no more nine-to-five grind?

I have a similar story to you Melissa, but it was in a pool. I was about 6 and we were visiting an aunt. My 3yo sister fell into the pool. I yelled at my sister to hold out her arm. When my Mom came running as she heard me screaming, she found me lying on my stomach on the edge of the pool, holding up my sister. I wasn't strong enough to pull her out. We were playing it the garden while the adults were inside. The pool was fenced, but we somehow managed to get in.

For direct calls to landlines or cellphones Skype credits. Business (and some family) meetings - Zoom or MSTeams Business texting - Signal Social and personal texting - Whatsapp ETA: For signal and WhatsApp, the recipient also needs an account. For Zoom and Teams you can send a meeting link and the recipient can connect via the Web

This

Katie, with the amount of people let go at once, could they start their own company?

I'm glad that your brother is clear now Melissa!

This.

Dh's diagnoses of Esophageal cancer has been extremely stressful, but I am glad that it was discovered early due to a related, but different condition, and I am very very glad that we have good medical insurance so that he can have the treatment needed. There have been some serious complications of the major surgery that he had (oesophagogastrectomy) and some of the last nearly six weeks - and counting - in hospital have been very tough. I'm very glad that he is improving and I'm also glad that this has given us a lot of time to just talk, reconnect, and set goals for the future.

You really do have a good eye for products Kareni!

I'm so sorry that this has happened to your husband, and to you Katy.

Thank you for your thoughts and good wishes.

Thank you Saraha. I appreciate you thinking of us. The holidays were unusual, but we were together and made the best of it. Dh was moved back to high care today, so unfortunately he is starting the New Year with a bit of a setback. We are, however, thankful for good medical insurance through work and that he has access to the care he needs.

There are many jobs in the logistics industry that you can work towards (or that is the case here) Logistics scheduling of trucks / rail Redistribution scheduling Freight forwarding Receiving / dispatch in a warehouse Running a bagging plant Etc

While sitting at Dh's bedside, I have just completed 150 small tokens of appreciation to hand out to the staff in the ward he is now and in high care where he was for 2.5 weeks.

This is so sad - a life wasted unnecessarily US man innocent after decades in prison In the longest known wrongful imprisonment case in modern US history, an Oklahoma man has been declared innocent after nearly five decades in prison for a crime the court now says he did not commit. Glynn Simmons, 71, served 48 years, one month and 18 days for the murder of a store clerk during the armed robbery of an Oklahoma City liquor store in 1974, wrongfully convicted after a witness lied on the stand. His lawyers are now considering litigation against the state to compensate Simmons for his time in prison. Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/oklahoma-man-declared-innocent-after-five-decades-prison-2023-12-21/#:~:text=Dec 21 (Reuters) - In,Michigan registry of such cases.

The Czech government declared Saturday a national day of mourning to honor the shooting victims.

She does. It may be that she has the need to control one aspect of her life and make everyone 'stick to the rules' - even though she may be the one making them - because other areas of her life are falling apart.