I must be really dense today but I can't figure out what this means. Are they asking where your ancestors originated or where you were born or what? Perhaps it can be of some comfort to know that everyone gets their share of rude out-of-place comments from strangers. I can't tell you how many times I was approached to be scolded about my baby (infant!) not wearing socks or shoes. I even had a few elderly women approach and rearrange the baby blankets when I was walking with a baby in my arms! Pegasus

Thanks, everyone. I think I'll keep my eye out for a used copy. It looks good but I'm not necessarily in a rush to implement it. Pegasus

I'd let it go and take my business elsewhere. Exactly what would you do with a copy of the record, anyway? Our vet admitted to us that one of our cats was included on their "cats from h*ll" list. It was just their way of knowing which cats to be especially wary of. We just laughed it off. I do have to admit that if we found out we were listed on the "owners from h*ll" list, we would have been pretty upset. But still, really, our only options would be to let it go or go elsewhere. Pegasus

Found these folks for the first time at a local homeschool conference and listened to their spiel. I bought their "Botany 101 Course: Seeds" and I've looked through it but we haven't actually tried it out yet. It looks like they've attempted to include everything we might need for the experiments. If you've used these, what did you think and what age range do you think they are appropriate for? I think they told me K to 8th grade but I find that hard to believe. It can't be perfectly appropriate for a 5-year-old and a 14-year-old. If I don't get much of a response, I'll post back once we've used the kit and let you know how it goes! http://www.academyofscienceforkids.com/ Pegasus

It is sold through Geography Matters but their website says it is "temporarily unavailable." Is it sold out or are they bringing out a new version? I was just looking at this for DD11. It says 6th grade through high school. What levels have folks successfully used this program? How helpful is the extra activity book? Thanks, Pegasus

Here's my southern tea funny: A co-worker was on a business trip in the northeast and requested ice tea (she knew better than to ask for sweet tea!). The server replied that ice tea was "out of season." My co-worker, not to be denied, asked if they had hot tea. Upon receiving an affirmative reply, she then asked for hot tea and a glass of ice. She made her own sweet tea at the table. :D Pegasus

It's fun to see all the different ways to make Southern sweet tea. We make it differently so I thought I'd add it here: Fill a 1-gallon glass jar (we use an old pickle jar) half-way with very hot water. Dissolve 1 cup of white sugar in the jar (more or less to taste). Boil 2 qts water and pour over 2 family-size tea bags into the jar. Leave the whole thing on the counter and forget about it. Come back several hours later when the tea has cooled off, remove the tea bags, and put it in the fridge. We go through about a gallon a day so this is a daily ritual. Have fun. Pegasus

We haven't noticed a smell, and we use a no-scent detergent and do not use any kind of scented dryer sheet. HollyDay - You certainly don't NEED to add tennis balls to your dryer. ;) Some folks think they decrease drying time. Pegasus

Oh, keep the ideas coming. Melissa - I LOVE apple butter but haven't had any in years. It completely slipped my mind. Tammy in Germany - so you don't have to cook them before you can freeze them? Ria - I don't have a dehydrator but could I use the oven?

We don't have a pressing need for the money at this point so I think this is what we'll do for now. I'm going to save all the responses for future liquidation though! Pegasus

I donated plasma a couple times when I was in college. The plasma center was several blocks from campus, close enough to walk, so it was a popular place for students to get enough money to go drinking. The first time took forever with all the health screening questions and a brief exam. The second time was faster but I'd still count on at least a couple hours. If I remember correctly, they did have a minimum weight limit of 110 pounds. I was 115 pounds (wow, those were the days!) so I was just over the minimum limit. After the second time I donated, I passed out cold on their floor and woke up with a crowd of people around me. They had me rest and gave me some soda to drink. Even so, it was a tough walk back to campus. I kept having to stop every several feet and sit on the ground before I could stumble up and keep going. Needless to say, I didn't go back after that and I got a severe scolding from my Mom when she found out. Pegasus

We just have 4 tennis balls in our dryer. Other than a bit more noise, it seems to work fine. Pegasus

My sister says she has a bumper crop of apples this year from the tree in her backyard. I'd like to take some of them off her hands but beyond making some apple sauce and apple pies, I'm not sure what to do with them. Is there an easy way to preserve them for later use? I have a deep freeze but have never done any canning. Thanks! Pegasus

I've heard of such a thing but never have never seen it for myself. That would be enough for me to avoid that restaurant. Perhaps they have a "glass usage" fee for those who just order water. :D My sister loves to eat out, splitting an appetizer, an entree, and a desert with whoever accompanies her. I went for it the first time but quickly realized that she wanted to eat the choice bits and pass along her rejects to the other person. :tongue_smilie: Now, I insist we each order separately. Pegasus

Thank you, everyone, for your advice. Pegasus

I was thrilled to find the 70-page composition spirals at Walmart yesterday for 5 cents. We bought 3 cases! They were on sale for 10 cents each last year and I was expecting them to be higher this year. Instead, they were even cheaper.:D Pegasus

My father left us a heavy box of silver coins. I've checked with all my siblings and except for some grandchildren, no one wants to keep any of the coins. We let all the grandchildren choose the coins they want to keep and now we want to sell the rest. How and where do we do this? Pegasus

I had to laugh about the singing because I can't sing either and I've helped run a troop for several years. The leader, my sister, is even less of a singer. The girls don't seem to mind and yes, we still sing at the opening and closing of each meeting. Girl Scouts wants 2 unrelated adults to lead the troops. Your teen can certainly register and help but you may need to have one of the other parents register as the troop's #2. This is what we do. I'm not sure I understand what you are wanting to do with incorporating your belief system into the meetings. We are atheist and have girls of various beliefs in our troop. We don't introduce atheist concepts into our meetings or activities. We have had a couple families decide not to join our troop when they were looking for Christian troops, though. Have fun. It's an adventure. Pegasus

I've wanted to visit San Diego for a long time and now have the perfect excuse. DH's sister and her family have moved there. So, here's what I want to know: 1. What time of year would be best for great weather (not too hot or too rainy) and fewer crowds? 2. We loved our vacation to Chicago a couple years ago because we stayed downtown and didn't need to rent a car (we walked and used buses and the train). Is this feasible in San Diego? One article I read said that a car is pretty much needed. 3. What are your favorite activities in San Diego beyond the famous zoo? We will have 2 DDs ages 9 and 12. 4. How long should we plan to stay? We don't rush around cramming in as much as we can. We'd rather take it easy and plan on only one major "outing" per day, even if that means we don't get to do "everything." 5. Anything else you'd like to tell me! Thanks, Pegasus

I'm not a vet either but have always had pets. I agree with the others that I wouldn't worry about a suppressed appetite when the weather gets hot. We kennel our dogs at the vet when we go on vacation. They do just fine. Ours doesn't require any additional shots to kennel the dogs but does give the bordetella vaccine (I probably spelled that wrong). The lay term is "kennel cough." This vaccine is just squirted into their nose, like the flu mist is given to people. One time, we had a dog that developed kennel cough after being boarded, despite the vaccine. It's a respiratory illness and the vet gave us some medication that set him right in about a week. We did notice that our dachshund gained weight every time he was kenneled, despite that we left our own food along with feeding instructions. It turned out that the vet assistants thought he was cute and were slipping him treats. :tongue_smilie: Pegasus

How do you beat your eggs? :bigear: Pegasus

DD8 attended a science camp at a local community college this week. She enjoyed it tremendously and the leader seemed very enthusiastic and was great with kids. BUT. . .I overheard her coaching her two college-age assistants before camp started one day on blood "facts" such as how kids usually think blood is red but it really isn't. Blood is blue when it is in the human body and only turns red if it hits air outside the body. I didn't feel it was appropriate for me to interrupt so I kept quiet. Later, after I picked DD8 up after camp, she described how they were taught that blood is blue, not red. The kids who parroted back that blood was blue were actually praised as being much smarter than kids from a previous class who thought that blood was red. ACK! I guess it wouldn't bother me much at all if, say, an art teacher mentioned offhand that blood was blue. However, to have someone instructing kids in science to teach them this misconception really bothers me. I tried to explain to DD8 that blood inside the body that is fully oxygenated is a bright red and blood inside the body that is oxygen-depleted is actually a dark purplish red. It isn't really ever BLUE. I finished by telling her to talk it over with her aunt, who is a nurse, for confirmation. :tongue_smilie: I went back and forth on whether to approach the camp leader and even printed off some information from a university website to share with her but didn't end up saying anything to her at all. Pegasus is a chicken. ;) Would you have squawked? Pegasus

Yes, they were a huge boon to us. My DDs definitely needed writing broken down into little tasks. We had tried many many popular writing programs before finally finding EPS Writing Skills. We are doing much better now after a year with EPS and are planning on venturing out to other programs again. Pegasus

I looked at this pretty thoroughly last year. I like the concept but when I tried listening to the sample lectures, I almost nodded off. If *I* can't stay awake, I know it will be a no-go for my kids. Pegasus

Thank you! That should be enough to keep me busy for a while. Pegasus