I don't have any more answers than you have gotten here, but thanks to this thread, I've put our local services numbers in my phone and date books, since I often am out of town with (some elderly) family members are staying here. Maybe this should become a PSA thread.

Same here, but I have a big question for those who do use the N, S, E, W: Are your roads straight? Roads here are not the least bit straight. The closest state highway is an odd-numbered overall N-S route, but it curves around so much that large segments are east/west and a couple of segments near us you are actually travelling south in the northbound lanes. If I wanted someone to turn left out of a store, I really wouldn't know the cardinal direction in that area for every store.

Yes, I was hoping he was a helper and not in the "doesn't spark joy" pile. I tell you with my furbabies, some days... (Let's just say cleaning dog barf off the carpet doesn't spark joy and neither does that jug of Petzyme carpet cleaner :lol:)

All of the above. I am slowly trying to use Google Maps on my iPhone, but I still print the maps for security. I also have one of those giant map books in the car:http://www.amazon.com/dp/0875306675/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_eB2Svb1C39CTZ (though from looking at the price maybe I should keep it!) A small county map is never enough, because when I get lost sometimes I end up a couple of counties over.

The absolutely worst for me is getting lost, turning into a subdivision to turn around, then not remembering if I turned left or right to get in there. So when I come back out there is a 50/50 chance that I will continue on my lost route, instead of going back the way I came. I am a good map reader. If I can memorize a map (overhead view) of an area, I'm fine. If I'm on foot and have a map, I do fine (except walking into lampposts while reading). But directions are just hopeless. I was once told that "You couldn't find your way out of a brown paper bag without a map." Yep, that's me!

Does anyone here have so few books that they could pile them all on the kitchen table? I know I have too many, but it's in the thousands. There is no way I could relocate them all. I'd be in traction for a week! Fortunately books are exempt from my personal definition of clutter...they are just the common flora and fauna of the house. It's all the other stuff that must go :laugh: This thread has been good motivation for me. We just remodeled the kitchen and today I started putting stuff back. None of it "brings me joy," but I'm thinking seriously about each item I return to the cabinets.

I see my problem, she says she had to get to the third chapter to stop laughing. I don't think I made it that far. Does anyone have trouble with the "sparking joy?" When it comes to clothes, my wedding dress is about it. The rest are things I have to wear so I'm not naked. So much is in the category of "cable I need to use projector" and "X kitchen thing I need to cook Y."

That was our Christmas discussion this year. Someone is very unhappy that we have not found the Lord and will suffer eternally. I'm not too sure about the apocalypse, but I don't look forward to the holidays...

I probably look like an alien, too, though ds doesn't mention it ;) I use Solar Shield glasses: http://solarshield.com They sell them at many groceries, Walmart and Target on a rack in the pharmacy area.

Mama, I have a question?.... Do you know where.....?

I use my phone to get emergency calls. I don't want anyone texting or calling me during the night, because of the adrenaline rush over nothing. I never assume that others turn their phone off at night, I only call or text during decent hours

My elderly relative was paralyzed so care was different, but I have a couple of suggestions: Headphones for the TV! My dad has to have it so loud that there is no way the rest of us could function with it on. They sell a wide variety of wireless over-the-ear versions on amazon. We have Sennheisers and they were worth every penny. If you do that, then you can use a baby monitor and she will be much safer. Just tell her you couldn't hear her fall over the sound of the TV. Respite care is crucial, particulary for your dd. It was really rough on my ds. I did depend on friends to drive him to activities, but it was good for us to get out together, too. Is there any chance she or her dh were military during a war? They have a little known program called Aid and Attendence. It is much less rigorous to qualify for than Veteran's benefits, 90 days of service in war time. I know how hard it is...

My FAFSA EFC was already unaffordable, so it shouldn't affect me. It merit aid or cash pay here. It's frustrating that they made such a drastic change. Usually these things phase in slowly. Everyone here is trying to plan so carefully to make college work and then Wham! I've felt this way with colleges that change their requirements for homeschool applications each year. I'm trying to hit a moving target.

I think one of us might have missed the horse and whacked you in the head. So sorry ;)

But that's your religion, now. In the past it has been considered against Christianity to allow different races to commingle or marry. Religious reasons were used for segregation. If we step away from Christianity, remember that "religious freedoms" are for all religions. You use the words "biblically proscribed," so you are speaking of Christianity. But what if another religion "proscribed" that two races cannot marry or cannot eat at the same lunch counter? Would you want that religion protected? Would it be OK if restaurants owned by members of that religion excluded particular races because to do anything else would force them to go against their faith? We really need to think big picture here. Be sure that the restrictions/freedoms that one is asking for would still be desirable if the shoe was on the other foot. I made a post to JodiSue above and would be curious what your thoughts on it were (#555).

So if 2.) is true and there is a legal way to take a business private where you can serve only who you want, why is this not sufficient for opponents to gay marriage? I'm asking for answers and thoughts from those who oppose gay marriage even though I'm quoting ChocolateReign's response.

But what if you are in an area that is not majority Christian (which I think you are*) and many business start feeling uncomfortable serving Christians. What if every time you tried to contract a service, you started to hear, "I'm sorry, I'm not available." What if when you went to bakers for a wedding cake, they said, "This isn't a Christian wedding, is it?" What if this sentiment became a larger and larger majority and you had trouble getting services without driving a long way. What if you just couldn't get it through zoning to build a Christian church (or add on to the current one), but Hindu temples and Muslim mosques and even Unitarian churches had no problem? Would you feel persecuted? Would you resign yourself to move to a friendlier area, or fight...because in America businesses should treat everyone equal? ETA * I mean above that I think you are Christian, not that I think you are in that kind of area...I don't have a clue about that.

Big pot of chili in the crock pot, so the time it gets ready doesn't matter. I do a salad bar as a side, with things that people might use on a taco salad: corn chips lettuce tomatoes shredded cheese diced onions sliced avocados (cut up last minute) store-bought salsa store-bought guacamole refrigerated black bean and corn salad/relish (I make this myself the day before. It's good for vegetarian guest.) salad dressing Some people have a bowl of chili with toppings from above. Some have a taco salad with a little chili on it. Some people just have a salad. It I have vegetarians that eat hearty, I might also have another more substantial vegetarian dish or make a separate crock of chili with no meat.

I actually completely agree, but apparently it is a huge issue. Since we know that pastors and churches will be able to continue to discriminate, because they have always been able to pick who they marry and exclude women from service, the only argument that I keep seeing against gay marriage is that businesses won't be able to discriminate anymore. (Well, there is the whole "collapse of civilization" argument, but I can't even find a foothold to discuss that.). Cake baking seems to be the only one actually taken to court here, so I guess it's what we use as an exemplar. I'm just puzzling out how people who believe baking a cake (and who it is made for) is a religious act can still have "religious freedom" without opening the doors to allowing businesses to discriminate. The only thing I can think is that those activities have to become a part of a church, no longer a public business. This is mostly an academic mental exercise for me, because like many here, my emotions on the issue are quite strong. I'm trying to carefully temper my words.

But "God don't like ugly!" If you can stand the profanity, the video of the confederate flag parade had us ROTFL, though my sense of humor may be unique, so YMMV: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/29/confederate-flag-truck-parade_n_7692696.html

So is there a simple way around this? Obviously these business owners consider photographing or baking for a wedding a sacrament instead of a job. Could they change their business model and let the local church or pastor be their customer? So the religious house decides who they will marry (which I think everyone agrees is a right that will be upheld) and the baker, photographer, etc. works for the church to provide the services. I guess the money would have to be included in the venue or officiation fee. Maybe these exclusive (as opposed to inclusive) churches could start offering weddings as a package deal. If religion is the reason for discrimination, then these things (by these people) need to be clearly labeled as religious services. For example, priests aren't required to share communion with all. So instead of "photographer," the individual becomes "official XYZ Church photographer.". Does that allow them to exclude their services from all but members of their church? It seems like that would allow an answer for those that go so far to believe that cake-baking and photographing are religious acts. If the baker also owns a cupcake shop, he would still have to sell cupcakes to everyone as our laws require (though with public sentiment, I imagine in some places people would take their cupcake business elsewhere.) The thing I really hate about this idea...in my über-conservative area, it might be people would have to drive a ways to find a cake or photographer, and that sucks. I know that blacks once had to have books here to know how far they had to drive before they could find a hotel or campground that would take them. Still today, I'm pretty sure some businesses hang that rebel flag outside to let people know who is welcome, since they can't hang the offensive signs of the 50s. For the sake of inclusive Christians, I would hate for the cross or fish to become a symbol of "we don't serve your kind.". I already wonder if a woman in a hijab would be comfortable shopping in a store with the fish and cross prominently displayed on the window.

A genuine question here: The photograph was taken as he was leaving the park. He was at a large soccer tournament for little kids. The fields and stands were very crowded with kids of all ages bouncing around. Is it really safe to carry that way (stuck in the back waistband) with crowds of little kids? I think the chance of one of the kids grabbing the gun would be too high. It seems like an open carry law should at least suggest a holster or secure container for the gun.

That's good to hear from the pro-gun side.

Here's an open carry story from GA that had me concerned: http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/cumming/2014/04/24/armed-man-fowler-park/8121285/ I'm really hoping that most gun owners don't equate "carry" to "stick loosely in the waistband of my jeans" and then go to a kids' soccer game. Couldn't someone just come up behind him and grab it? For my own home, yes, I'd like to be told. If the person is LEO (or is a safe experienced gun user) and carries safely, I would be OK. But I think of the different, sometimes rather idiotic, service people we have through here, and I really wouldn't trust them around my family with a firearm. I'd like to have a choice.

Has she taken a placement test for French at the DE school? Ours considers the first and second year of a language at high school equivalent to the first and second semester at college. So they would consider her just repeating the classes she already had, not getting two additional credits. You may want to check at some other language departments to make sure colleges woukd see that as 4 credits of French instead of just 2. Colleges are so different that ours may be out of the norm there.