Haven't read all your replies yet ... but you have a lot to be overwhelmed about! You're not thoughtless ... just incredibly busy and overwhelmed. A counselor and medication might help you through a difficult season. Might not. Worth a try. (For me, it's been years of both, but I am finally seeing improvement. And I'm not even a pastor's wife.) I want to also say, it's not just you. If your dh is working all these church jobs and not getting days off ... he needs to work on setting boundaries. (As perhaps you do ... reading the book "Boundaries" is good ... helps with the guilt too.) A good pastor knows his limits, and that of his family, so that he can balance work and family and not break either. It's a skill he'll need if he does want to be a full-time or part-time minister, and it sounds like NOW is the time to be learning it. And perhaps the churches he's been serving need to learn a bit about setting boundaries too. (If you've read the Mitford books ... the character Cynthia has a great deal to say about being married to an Episcopal priest, and what she will and will not do as her responsibilities. Of course, they were both much older ... but it's good perspective. Good stories too.) Many hugs to you, and I hope you get some help/relief/rest VERY soon!

Maybe you can put up a sign, too, warning about hidden cameras and how pet-dumpers will be reported to the authorities? Even if you don't have a camera...

We had three pregnancies. To the best of my knowledge, only the final one might have been user error. Not that we were against having kids, just at first we wanted to wait (got pg not too long after the wedding, and I was horribly ill at the time), and then with my PPD we really didn't want to go there again (though we are delighted with the two healthy babies we have, and saddened by the loss in the middle). My sister was told that due to her severe endo, she'd never have kids. (The doc was later proved to be an idiot.) Anyway, I suspect user error on her first, at least, but they have three kids and finally resorted to more permanent measures. Who knows. Although ... the ten year thing is a bit scary ... because I doubt very much I'll be in menopause by the time that rolls around ... and I don't have anyone to compare with because the other women in my family have had hysterectomies.

Well, I've always believed the stock market was a mass hallucination ... now I need to read about gravity (but not till I have time to process it!). Sounds fascinating. I gather from the chatter here, he's not dismissing gravity, just saying it's not the fundamental, and there's something more basic underneath? Kind of like we break matter down into molecules, and then atoms, and then we discover sub-atomic particles and all their crazy rules?

I haven't read the newest, but I love that series. I don't think there's an actor alive who could capture Ramses properly. Although I was appalled at the casting for Prince Caspian, and Ben Barnes (?) did a pretty good job with the role he was given (even if it was nothing like the book, sigh). They tried a movie based on the Mrs. Pollifax books once, a TV movie, and they slaughtered (literally) the series ... I shudder to think what they'd do to Amelia Peabody. It helps when the scriptwriters actually READ the series so they don't kill off someone who turns out to be a recurring character a few novels down the road. A juvenile series based on Ramses would be a blast. (Also probably literally.)

So ... we use our inhaler rarely (my son has mild asthma), and we use a spacer. I looked, and it says no CFCs. So ... I see now that I need to prime it each time (good to know!) and I need to clean it out ... tell me about this? We don't use it enough for me to ever have noticed it gunking up (when he gets bad, it's usually virus-induced and he's miserable anyway and prefers his nebulizer), so I have NO idea how to clean an inhaler. I didn't even know you could. I do know to rinse out the spacer. Help?

FWIW, I am on Xanax along with other meds ... it does help, but for me it has to be 'round the clock because of the severity and frequency of my panic attacks. But we've made breakthroughs this summer and I might get to taper down soon. Weirdly, my stepdad was prescribed a MUCH higher dose for as-needed ... I didn't even know it came in that high a dose! (And I wonder why my former docs never suggested it??) Anyway ... most folks swear it calms a panic attack in 15 minutes. It doesn't for me, but my panic levels are usually pretty high to start with, which is why we are doing more long-term dosing. It's worth asking. I also hear good things about klonopin from others.

Sounds like she got the whole set for that price ... which is great!

Ah. So a good study of the copyright info page of most books would be enough to teach them those basics, and then when they see it on a card, they will get it. If they've learned to cite a book for a report, they would also know that information. Perhaps that's why they kept it ... just because it covers all those bases? If it asked about other subjects and keywords that the book might be under, that would be trickier.

Don't forget, folks, you don't have to call 911 to report these things ... especially smokers and, er, tea makers ... they aren't in a hurry! Call the non-emergency number ... it doesn't tie up the emergency lines. And the police DO need to know about these things. If it happens in the daytime, it can happen at night too ... and perhaps with not such willing partners. Would YOU want your neighborhood park to turn into the next teen parking area? AND it is illegal. The security guards used to catch kids in the stairwell at our public library!!! And it's NOT a private stairwell...

Assuming I had known what they had, I would have considered calling too. (Might have chickened out, but would have at least considered it.) Whatever was in the thingy, they aren't supposed to be smoking under age 18. Unless they were just having fun blowing bubbles or something. And in a children's park (which our neighborhood park is), it sets a terrible example. Plus, like you said, one young lady was incapacitated ... I would be concerned for her safety. Did they walk there or drive there? What advantage might her companions take? That in itself is another concern. Which reminds me ... it would probably be sensible to program the police non-emergency number into my tracfone that I never use, just in case.

At least have the kids wear long-sleeve shirts and long pants ... and then change and scrub right after the party? (This is what I have to do for hiking in case of poison ivy ... would it work for you?)

I have a card catalog at home. :D But then, I miss the real ones too. I keep a spreadsheet of my books, but also a card file ... I guess I am weird. I would want to teach my kids the Dewey Decimal basics, which would probably be enough to get them through a card catalog question. But I am curious precisely what they asked?

Maybe they can make a list? Put bookmarks in the good spots in the books? Take photos of the castles? And then have 'Show and Tell' at the end of the day, or over dinner, or something?

Now, on the other hand, if we could find some good bribe to get those on our Administrative Council at our church (basically, the heads of the major committees) to actually show UP at the meetings to cast votes and help decide things ... that'd be great! LOL. Or maybe bribes for those who bring in the most potential volunteers .... now, there's a worthy cause! :D I do think it would be a hoot if everyone involved in a situation like that banded together and rotated from group to group. Obviously. Loudly. With clear planning. It just might get the point across... I've never seen an Awanas around here run that way, and I know my sister has helped lead Awanas and never mentioned such a thing (if so, I am sure my kids would have been first on their invite list, as they always loved doing things with their cousins when they lived nearby, and would've been happy to help earn a prize). So it must be something most sensible churches find an alternative for. (We don't have Awanas at our church, but some of our kids attend at another church and have really learned a lot from it. It can be a good program.)