Back to my old self again....I like my avatar! But I have to say this has been fun to see everyone's beautiful faces. Yes, we are real people behind these many posts! Blessings, Lucinda

I know I can call a local shop because I used to be a florist, but I was wondering if anyone has a good online source that has a proven track record of sending out a good product. And if I can save money, that would be even better. Thanks! Lucinda

Thank you! That's enough for me too. I'll go for the 3rd edition on that reason alone. Bless you, Lucinda

Does anyone here know if there is a big difference between the 1998 and the 2003 editions? I have the chance to get a '98 edition for free, but if there is a big difference then I don't want it. Thanks! Lucinda

We've always called our dd Punkin, and I've referred to her often as "the ray of sunshine in our lives." But I think the best one is something I've said to her since she was a baby. I tell her that I love her "...more than the moon, and the stars and the whoooooooooooooole world"! Blessings, Lucinda

Well, there's an older picture of me on my profile page, but here I am again. Blessings, Lucinda

I would in your shoes as well, but I would keep her writing! Across curriculum would be ideal, as you could build it in to your regular subjects - that is, if you aren't doing that already. We're going to do something similar this school year as well because we need to really focus on foreign language, math, writing and literature the very most. Blessings, Lucinda

:001_smile: You're welcome!

Aaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!! (insert scream here) I am SOOOOOO scared of spiders!!!!!!!! I would have had a heart attack on the spot. :ack2: Blessings, Lucinda

If you act quickly you could get this one on Amazon at $28.92. I have a copy that I got a couple of years ago for the outrageous price of $7.00. There was a surge in the market of available copies from Great Britain and so I grabbed it. I've never compared it to the newer edition, but from what I've read on these boards the older version was by far the better one. Blessings, Lucinda

:001_smile:

I just bought the 5 bundle package of Progeny Press Literature guides through the HS Buyer's Co-op and thought I'd pass on the word. When you buy 5 of the PDF versions of the guides you get a savings of 35%, and since they're downloads there are no shipping charges. I'm planning on using them for next year as we highlight a lot of literature for 8th grade, and was glad that they have a bundle with combined age levels so I could add in a couple of the high school level books with some middle school level books. There are several choices depending on your needs. Here is a link to the website if you're interested. Blessings, Lucinda

I honestly think that you misunderstood what Jenny in FLA was trying to communicate. It wasn't meant to be a direct quote, but rather a summation of what she interpreted that you were saying; perhaps what she thought was "reading between the lines". And those of us that posted weren't arguing with you, we were simply stating opinions in response to you stating your opinion. As far as my own remarks go, I truly meant no harm or hurt feelings. I was being respectful to you and your position regarding your daughter and her schooling, but wanted to give you some added food for thought. My main point (and a point made by others as well) was that there is no single situation that fits all individuals and families. We are very fortunate to have options. Just remember that we are all here to share ideas, and whenever a thread is open it is subject to a variety of opinions. Whatever you can take away to think and pray over, please do so. If there are comments that don't ring true to you then please don't take them to heart. Just let it go. Blessings to you and your family - really! Lucinda

What a fantastic idea. Are you coming all the way to the end of the trail? If so I have some suggestions. I'm from Oregon and know of three really great interpretive centers. I've been to the first two and they are wonderful. Of course there are many options in this part of the country, so I'll list some that come to mind, and the above mentioned are at the top of the list. Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Baker, OR (eastern part of the state) End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Oregon City, OR (Willamette Valley) Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center located about an hour east of Portland, OR along the Columbia River Fort Clatsop - National Historic Park (Lewis & Clark wintered over here) Fort Vancouver - National Historic Site in Vancouver WA, just across the Columbia from Portland Metro area (A lot of history related to the Oregon Trail here) I'll chime in again if I think of anything else. Blessings, Lucinda P.S. My dd had the awesome opportunity two years ago to travel with a 4H group along part of the Oregon Trail. They had horses, covered wagons and a chow wagon, but mostly they WALKED. Yowsa! She'll never forget that trip!

:iagree: :iagree::iagree: I could have said the very same thing. And as we grow and mature we toss out the bad and hold on to the good things that we've encountered. Blessings, Lucinda

I think that trying to "fit in" is completely normal for teens and young adults. It's also a good consideration to have a child do this while in the safety of home with parents standing by rather than later on in college or in the workforce when they eventually leave home. Another consideration is that this is a transition age between childhood and adulthood where many things change both as individuals and by the influence of peers as kids learn and experience more. I'm not saying that I completely disagree with your POV or that you're making the wrong choice for your own child, but I do challenge you to consider these possibilities. As a mom of children who are now adults I have to say that during the teen years I watched them open up more to the ideas of others while teens, but then formulate their own ideas and ways of doing things as adults. It was a process. Blessings, Lucinda

Pretty much our story too. Flannel or fleece pj pants and T shirts, or shorts and T shirts. Occasionally regular clothes like jeans and a top, but like someone else said, we couldn't vote for both, so I voted pajamas. Blessings, Lucinda

Being the artist and visual person that I am, I have several favorites. It's hard to narrow down, but these are at the top of my list. The Snowman The Quiltmaker's Gift Miss Rumphius Anything by Jan Brett Duck on a Bike Oh, I could go on and on, but you DID just ask for one. :D Blessings, Lucinda

:iagree::iagree::iagree: There is no one solution that is ideal for every person and family, and so I agree and am thankful that we have options that will help us give our dear children what they need at each season and situation in their growing up years. For us, dd will go to a private Christian school for high school because she is completely lonely to the point of being depressed here at home by herself year after year. We get her out in the community, but day-to-day in the past two years she has become miserable. We're catching up on math and Latin this coming year and then enrolling her in the school for 9th grade the following year. We've prayed and we know that she desperately needs to go to school and be in a classroom setting. I have noticed by hs'ing the past 5 years that there is something to be said about group discussions, classroom experiments, learning to work together as a team and engaging with conversations each day that my dd just isn't getting here with me because she is an only child at home. Blessings to you as you continue on with your hs journey. Lucinda

Sounds perfect! We love fish tacos at our house and this is very similar to how we do it. Blessings, Lucinda

Thanks for the plug. This is the school where I work, and I'm usually a presenter at the conference too. Not so this year, but I do plan to attend. It is a wonderful conference, every year. :~) Blessings, Lucinda

:iagree::iagree::iagree: Wow, you've stated this very beautifully. I wish I would have written it myself! Blessings, Lucinda

I have some questions for the op and for those that seem highly suspicious of the young man in question. 1. What if this man is completely honorable? If he's sincere, what harm is being done? 2. What if the young man has learned from others and from his own experience that physical contact with the opposite sex causes distractions when it comes to really getting to know someone? So what if he wants to save kissing and sex for the "right" woman? I'd love to have someone with those values date MY daughter! 3. And what if this young man sees good things in your dd and wants to get to know her, really get to know her? If he shows her respect by being a complete gentleman when they are together, what is suspect about that? 5. What if he feels led by the Holy Spirit to get to know her either as a friend or a potential life mate? It seems to me that if that is the case, then everything will take care of itself and no one will need to worry. Good heavens, I would think that a 20 yo woman is old enough to decide for herself what spirituality she wants to embrace or not embrace. Let her figure this out for herself! Finally, you may want to know that there is a growing movement among Christian young people that has nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with denominations or church affiliation that encourages abstinence until marriage. There was a book written by Josh Harris called "I Kissed Dating Goodbye", and it has had a big influence on young people that see the damage premarital sex and promiscuity have caused to countless people. This growing movement is striving to follow the guidelines taught in the Bible about remaining pure. I personally feel that this younger generation is doing a whole lot better job of that than my own generation did! I admire and respect them completely. Blessings, Lucinda

In addition to believing that the Bible is wholly the inspired word of God, I embrace the Nicene and Apostles Creeds. Anything else is subject to interpretation and not worth argue and debate. As to the creation of the world - the main point should be that God DID create it, not HOW He created it. I would stay away from any group that insists that they know the answer to that one because it comes across as condescending and arrogant, not at all the attitude that Christ had and modeled for us to follow. Blessings, Lucinda

Absolutely true. My son has told me on numerous occasions that being manic is a highly euphoric experience, one that he's completely enjoyed. As I said before, when you are mentally ill you are completely self absorbed, so you have no concept of how it affects those around you. Glad you mentioned this. I usually do when advocating for a better understanding of mental illness or am reaching out to family members. NAMI has a wonderful program for families called, Family to Family. I highly recommend that the op gets signed up for this as soon as possible. I did it many years ago and STILL to this day find that the information was invaluable. Joining NAMI and attending support meetings while dealing with seasons of stress connected to the loved one's health issues is also very helpful. NAMI is awesome! Blessings, Lucinda