Covering you all in prayer today...

Praying for you all this morning...

I am so sorry. Praying for you all.

If Putin is as weak as some credible sources claim (apart from the nukes, anyway), there may be hope for avoiding another world war. With the current state of his military (and the weight of economic sanctions), can he take on another country or three?

I understand. I did think, though, that the hope was to give him some way out... to save face by negotiating an end to this, if possible. Of course, things are changing rapidly.

$3.54 at Costco. I haven't seen anything in the $4 yet.

Lots of reminders to pray for the people of Ukraine, praise for their courage, discussing best ways to send money. I haven't heard anyone saying anything pro-Russia.

Ftr, I'm not suggesting that they should accept Russia's terms. I didn't see the point you mentioned above, but I thought the Ukrainian prime minister was already an appointed position (appointed the president). The lack of authority for the president would of course be a problem. ETA: Can you cite your source on the bolded?

Oh, I understand that they're demanding a lot, but I suppose Russia could carpet bomb Ukraine now. Donetsk, one of the cities mentioned in the terms is way into Ukraine's interior. They evidently already operate, as I understand it, as a separate sort of city-state. The separatist movement in that area has been ongoing for a number of years. I understand not seeing Moscow as a trustworthy agent in any agreement, and the terms offered may not be practical, but if there's to be end to this situation in the near future, they'll have to "trust" the Russians at least a little.

Russia outlines its terms for peace: https://www.yahoo.com/news/kremlin-says-russian-military-action-115703035.html "Dmitry Peskov [Kremlin spokesperson] said Moscow was demanding that Ukraine cease military action, change its constitution to enshrine neutrality, acknowledge Crimea as Russian territory, and recognise the separatist republics of Donetsk and Lugansk as independent states."

Hello: I haven't posted on the K-8 before, but I'm teaching 2nd grade this year and a parent is asking about using iXL for extra math practice for her ds. Has anyone here had experiences, good or bad, with it? Has anyone had a good experience with another subscription-based platform for building and practicing math skills? Thank you. 🙂

Your sweet sister is still in my thoughts, along with you and her family at home. I hope she is on the mend soon. Thank you for keeping us updated.

Positive thoughts for your dear sister and for all who love her. I'm sorry.

OP, I'm so sorry to read about your troubles, and I admire the way you seem to be bearing up. I have a friend who is going through this sort of thing right now. She is devastated -- it is so painful. There's no winning in these situations. I agree with the middle of the road approach suggested by others upthread. A small box of things you guess she would want most -- not that she needs them or even remembers them. It's a gesture. That, along with a simple gift and wishes for happiness in her new marriage would be a generous indication of your goodwill toward her. I also like the idea of sending photos of the other things along with a suggestion of her coming to collect them from a neutral location. If you do decide to send anything, I would make it signature-required. Just my $0.02. Many hugs - you are in my thoughts.

Dallas World Aquarium Frontiers of Flight Museum Texas Discovery Gardens and Butterfly House Six Floor Museum (in the former Texas School Book Depository from which Oswald shot President Kennedy) - might be boring for your littles, though You should probably eat Barbeque or Tex-Mex. There's an El Fenix right across the street from the Perot Museum. That restaurant was founded over 100 years ago and offers classic Tex-Mex food. Mi Cocina is also excellent.

North Dallas here. The two stores I've been in this week have empty-ish spots here and there -- those missing Fritos! -- but I'm not seeing or hearing about shortages that last. Someone said yesterday that her Walmart was out of millk on Thursday, but it was restocked yesterday. I did stop by the cold/flu remedy aisle at my Tom Thumb this afternoon for saline nasal spray and there was only one left. Now THOSE shelves were missing lots of stuff.

I would love to be invited. Thank you!

Praying for you right now. I'm sorry... that is so painful.

I read an article about a woman whose insurance company wouldn't cover the colonoscopy she had following suspicious results from a Cologuard test. Usually, a colonoscopy is a screening test that's covered 100% by one's insurance company. The other kind is diagnostic (like that second-look mammogram) and is subject to deductibles. YMMV, but it's something to keep in mind.

Though the Texas Supreme Court on Sunday sided with the governor about prohibiting local mask mandates, the Paris school district (about 100 miles NE of Dallas) is going forward by integrating masks into its general dress code. https://www.yahoo.com/news/texas-district-makes-masks-part-054645876.html Other districts are simply defying his order. I thought the wording of the directive was interesting, since they aren't including masks to mitigate Covid specifically. 🙂 "For health reasons, masks are required for all employees and students to mitigate flu, cold, pandemic, and any other communicable diseases" — will be revisited at every monthly trustee meeting and could be changed later, The Paris News newspaper reported.

My district -- I'm a teacher -- has encouraged masks, but hasn't require them because our governor prohibited it. Our county judge sued Gov Abbott, and a district court judge ruled that local leaders are permitted to issue mask mandates. So this afternoon, the county judge issued a mask mandate for Dallas county that includes businesses, schools, and government buildings. Masks will be mandatory in my district beginning tomorrow. Our governor and the AG are fighting this. We'll see...

Thinking of you all today.

I'm praying for your boy and your family -- so sorry he is sick.

The NFL let its players know about league vaccine policy today: https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nfl-cardinals-de-andre-hopkins-nfl-vaccine-policy-making-me-question-my-future-in-the-nfl-222155154.html "In a memo to teams on Thursday shared by NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the NFL laid out what the consequences will be for teams that experience breakouts caused by or among unvaccinated players. The NFL will no longer be bending over backward to postpone and reschedule games if one of those breakouts occurs. Teams will be forced to forfeit if the game has to be cancelled, and players on both teams won't get paid."

A favorite about people who choose not to see truth -- from my late father, whom I'm missing these days: "Don't confuse me with the facts. My mind's made up."