I use a spring loaded small curtain rod installed in my craft closet to hold ribbons. It has gift wrap ribbons on one side, sewing ribbon in the middle, and crafting ribbon on the other side. The rolls spin to unroll and I cut to length, without sorting out the 3 ft. diameter ball of unrolled ribbons at the bottom of the closet each time I need one. Thanks for this thread. I'm looking forward to the helpful info!

I have somewhat of a personal stake in the ruling yesterday, and honestly my feelings span from one end of the spectrum to the other. I live in the state in which this punishment has been overturned. And I have a close relative awaiting trial for such a crime. The thought that he may be put to death for his crime leaves me completely sick, but the actual crime itself eclipses those feelings. I am a mom and I see a hurt child and want to take someone out, and I can't fathom what the victim or her family is going through. Then I see the hurt in his mom's eyes, and think she's a mom too; the mom who loved her baby, cared for him, patched up his boo-boos and ultimately watched him grow into a monster. And my heart aches for all. How do I feel about his potential punishment? Well, we are a society of laws and the law clearly states the sexual assault of a child under twelve in the state of La is a capital offense. If he knew he was committing a crime with the potential for death then he should receive the punishment given to him (He hasn't gone to trial so I don't know the verdict, let alone the punishment. I'm generalizing here.). If the state lawmakers along with a majority of the state's citizens deem it an appropriate punishment, then I'm not sure Justice Kennedy's opinion of disproportionality was appropriate either. A court system that legislates is overstepping. Due to the increased publicity of this decision, I'm curious to see what changes take place in the laws for crimes against children. I do feel that we, as a society, tend to be much too focused on the rights of the criminals. I see too often how they become portrayed as victims only acting as they did due to various extraneous factors. I hate to hear that person X did the crime because of his drug use, childhood abuse, neglect, alcoholism, gang affiliation, etc. I don't know if capital punishment is truly a deterrent to criminal behavior, but I genuinely believe that a move to having people take responsibility for their OWN actions (as opposed to making excuses for their actions) followed by the appropriate, proportionate punishment could be a much better deterrent. I didn't vote, because my feelings are all over the map on this issue. :confused:

November just won't be the same without his whiteboard and dry erase marker. How very sad for his family, friends, and fans. :crying:

I don't have much of a chance to use ours because my dh likes it so. He was heading out for a run this morning when the rain started. He used the Wii Fit instead and commented several times what a nice workout he had. He lifts weights three to four times a week and runs four to five times a week. He likes the change of pace from his usual workouts. My boys (9, 7, and 2) like it very much too. I say go for it, and schedule some time to use it yourself!

:iagree: Make it a spousal poker game. "I match your hug and raise you a smooch." I'm sure he'll take the next hand. Send the kids outside to play, then have a sweet little make out session in the kitchen when he gets home. Give him something to think about all evening, and see where it leads later. We've been married 15 years and have had quite a few peaks and valleys. Some valleys are lower than others, but they're usually followed by a higher peak. Some upward turns begin with an emotional connection, some with a physical. They do contribute to each other with a surprising synergy, though. Begin with what feels right and let the other aspects follow suit. I'm so thrilled he reached out. Take advantage of it. ;)

Can I say you have nothing to worry about. I do the team photos for a local high school (cheerleaders, basketball, and softball teams of girls) and let me tell you I'd be more likely to choke them than anything (of course they're not my type, either, but still :) ). Between the screeching, the giggles, the eye-rolling, the looking at the birds flying over, etc. I think they are quite annoying. Add to it that they are attempting sexy pouts that look like they're sucking on lemons instead of giving me natural smiles, and giving me the big cheesy grins when I call them on it. Ugh! Dh has a nice bottle of wine chilled for me after those assignments. :001_wub: The girls your dh worked with are not much older and I tend to think they'd not be much more mature in some cases. I bet he couldn't get past the annoyed stage to think of them as attractive. Give him some extra special attention since this really is a tough assignment.

I read both articles and honestly it seems to me the two men have two specific agendas. First, it seems he wants to create a more powerful school board; one where the school board has control over a certain element of public law enforcement beyond the typical school campus police officers. Second, it seems like the next move on their part will be to petition for more rigid homeschooling laws. I certainly don't think the school board should be in the law enforcement business. The control over the homeschoolers should reside with the lawmakers and the people who elect them. These men need to be watched and I think I'd quickly look at a HSLDA membership to assist in that effort, if I lived there.

Some of my favs: "The word 'genius' isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein." - Joe Theisman You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me. Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Some days you're the top dog, some days you're the hydrant. I'll be conducting a seminar on time travel in two weeks ago. I think animal testing is a bad thing. They get all nervous and give the wrong answers. I used to have the most wonderful best friend. Then the rope broke and he got away. A real father is a man who carries pictures where his money used to be. What if this wasn't a hypothetical question? Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity. Follow your dream! Unless it's the one where you're sitting in class in your underwear and forgot to study for the final exam. One good turn gets most of the blanket. Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings; they did it by killing all those who opposed them. Okay, I'm done now. I love interesting quotes!

I wore maternity jeans in a tall length from Old Navy a couple of years ago. They were great but didn't fit as well during the last 6 or so weeks. I'd never made it that far along before so I don't know if it's something that happens to most maternity jeans, but they did start to slip down a little.

Perhaps I can share some insight. A medical facility nearby recently experienced a tornado warning and asked all people inside to remain inside. One lady did not heed the warning and left the building. Long story short, the tornado picked her up and she died from her injuries. I'll look for the story to link. Maybe this facility heard the story and decided to become a bit more proactive in their warnings? I don't know if it is a directive from a government agency or a policy of the medical facility but it sounds like they are protecting something, themselves or their patrons. It also may be the recent tornado experiences across the country that has everyone on edge. Here is a link for WWL's coverage.

Janna, you poor dear. Your post is breaking my heart. Trust me, though, it will get better. Cactus is right and I was told the same thing. The liver breaks down the bilirubin and eliminates it through the bowel movements. Lay him down on his back and move his legs like he's marching. This will move his little intestines and hopefully get things moving inside. Also, take him out in the sun, or lay him near a window with as much skin exposed. His numbers are not alarmingly high so a little sunshine should do the job until his liver catches up. If he wants to nurse a lot, sit out in the sunshine to let him do it. It will be good for you both and may help lift your spirits. For the blood testing, is there a local, closer to your home, lab you can use? I'm assuming all you need is to be stuck each time, not a full fledged exam. A lab should be able to do it and hopefully be a faster trip for you. Either way, it will probably only be another visit or two until you're released. I'll be praying for you all.

That's what is so great about digital. You can use different formats, different ISO levels, and more without changing a single roll of film! It will all be captured on the same card, and if you need to know what settings you used it records everything in the EXIF info. That sounds like a great vacation. Have lots of fun!!

I have to say if I were in the hospital and someone came to me with "forgiveness for the trouble I've caused" when I haven't honestly and specifically asked for forgiveness, I'd wonder what the doctors are not telling me about my condition. I understand wanting to forgive and communicate this feeling, but I think there may be a bit more appropriate time and place. In the meantime, just concentrate on helping him and showing your forgiveness with your actions. I'll be praying for him and the rest of his family. :grouphug:

Well, please take this in the spirit in which it is offered but...*hanging head in shame* that cookie dough thing was not him. I'm very sorry and I'll try not to do it again. But could you put in a few more nuts next time? ;)

He is so precious! Congrats Mom and family.

I saw a great technique last summer, and it seemed to work. The young man visited the neighborhood men who were mowing their lawn on a very hot weekend. He delivered ice cold bottled water with his business card attached. The card said something to the effect of "I could be doing this for you right now." I did see him mowing quite a few yards by the end of the season. ;) So much of marketing is good timing. :lol:

I really hated my Maytag Neptune. It was so bad, in fact, that Maytag totally replaced it four times. The first three machines were other Neptune front loaders and the final one was a Maytag top loader. The front loaders did not make it over a year before needing repair. The top loader made it three years. And it shouldn't surprise you that both models were discontinued. I just tossed the washer to the curb and replaced it with the LG front loader. We bought the 2016 model and I really, really like it. I'll not buy another Maytag appliance, ever!

You can do different things depending on your preferences. I like all one color. I've done white shirts/blue jeans a lot. I've also done blue denim shirts or blue tshirts and khaki shorts. I've even had a few who dressed mom and girls in pale pink, and dad and boys in light blue. It turned out well too, but (my opinion) not quite as nice as all one color. I'd not worry if some want shorts, some long pants, and some skirts. Pictures should show the personalities as well as the appearance. Have fun!

Hmmm, the southeastern part of La is a booming area though. We see signs everywhere seeking construction workers. I thought the I-10 corridor was in good shape throughout the state due to rebuilding efforts. Hopefully it will pick up where you are. He'd likely be a sought-after commodity around here. :)

I've had that happen before. I've also had the obscure person I met briefly ten years ago call me talking like a lost best friend and give me the "couldn't wait to share this great opportunity with my friends like you" story. I said no thanks and hung up, never to hear from the person again. Sorry you had to go through that.

:confused::confused: I'm not sure I understand the throwing up part. Good luck with packing and unpacking. It's not fun, but it does give you lots of opportunity to teach "outside the box." Moving is an adventure. Whether good or bad, it depends on how you portray it. As a child, we moved frequently. My parents made it fun for us and I really look forward to moving to this day. We just don't get to do it very often. ;)

Ours came from Academy. I've seen them in the sporting goods department at Walmart as well as at hardware stores. We put one in each of their rooms too. They make great reading timers. Wind them up and read until they go out. Then it's time for bed!

I agree; bring flashlights. Mine each have the windup flashlights that don't use batteries. If the light goes out, I can still locate them in the dark by the winding sound. :001_smile: Also bring glow sticks. You can get them in lots of colors. The glow sticks "transform" into such interesting and creative things, from light sabers to monster eyes and more. I want to go camping again...now. :auto:

:iagree: Yes, Geocaching is a must do for us when camping. If you don't have a gps, it can be done with Google Earth. It just may take a little more work. Print out maps and hints and everything you need before hand. If you can swing $100, then the Garmin Etrex H gps is all you need.

This reminds me of my late night Walmart *shudder* run. I was getting ready for bed, about 10-ish, and saw a mouse run across the floor. Well, to live in my home you must either marry me, be birthed by me, be a chosen pet, or pay me rent. I don't do rodents. Period. I grabbed my keys and told dh I'm off to buy a trap. Being the galant gentleman he is, he'd not let me go alone. He volunteered to go for me. I'm not staying in the house with a rodent...see above. This meant loading three sleepy kids for a quick run. I ran into the store while he sat with the kiddos. I came out with *24* traps, a huge slab of cheese, a jar of peanut butter, a pack of Hershey bars, and a six-pack of beer! I wasn't going to spend the night with rodents and nothing to take the edge off. Of course I had to see three people I know in the store. :blushing: The cashier gave me the funniest look, but I'm sure he's seen much stranger stuff go through before.