I think I'll call my doc tomorrow and see about allergy testing

I'll tell you what it is...just plain sick...nm [2008-11-22]
ss

Go to etsy.com. You'll find a gazillion [2008-11-22]
xx

make a call [2008-11-20]
Look in the phone book under Alcoholics Anonymous and call the central office. Tell them you need someone to make a 12-step call. Someone from your local area who is in AA will come over to your house and talk to your husband and you can leave with the kids during this time. By the time you get back, your husband will have decided whether or not he will sober up. Usually the person he talked to will assume responsibility for taking him to the meetings or finding someone who will sponsor him. So you are off the hook at this point. On the other hand, he may decide no thanks and then you will have your real answer. AA is free and pretty crowded with new people around the holidays, so the timing is good. The average age of a person coming into AA is 25 to 45, so there should be plenty of people for him to talk to. At the same meeting place there should be meetings for you called Al-Anon and for your son called Alateen. Good Luck!

No, Blondie, give the dogs back or call the Humane Society.....s/m [2008-11-16]
who can take care of 10 (t e n ) dogs? This is CRAZY! Your husband is a coward. He should protect you. God knows what a 'deal' he made with this 'friend'.

May be she'll learn a lesson? [2008-11-13]
I'm glad to hear you made an official police report.

Always, always call the cops sm [2008-11-13]
My husband was nearly killed by a tractor trailer driver who changed his story a dozen times, themedics were called but unfortunately, the other driver went his merry way and was not cited until days later for following too close, reckless endangerment, speeding, mistake in log book, and a laundry list, first he said my husband going too slow. Reconstruction said no way, but while my husband was in hospital having his scalp sewn back on, this guy ran away. Had to hire a detective to find him, went on for years before we got our bills paid, he got off with heavy fines and warnings he would go to jail if it happened again. It had happened in another state previously but could not bring that up in court. My sorrow - I should have had him arrested right that moment but I was not there. He should have been tested for drugs, etc. He went from saying husband's fault to that he dropped his coffee and was picking it up off the floor and then changed it again to something else. He still drives and my husband is totally disabled. Please get the cops involved the minute something happens - don't wait. I had no choice, I had to travel to another state to the hospital. I wish my husband were conscious enough to have him arrested right there. You did the right thing calling the cops, everyone should do that. Believe me, she could have killed you or someone else later. I hope you scared the pants off her.

Seems to me the people you call friends... [2008-11-11]
were trying to teach you a lesson. You are the one with the cell phone who doesnOkay. You don If I were you, IThank you very much. Your lesson was very well learned now get the h**l away from me. For crying out loud, with friends like that, who needs enemies. Life is too short to deal with that kind of crap. Go find some new friends who don't care if you text or not.

you'll have a retainer for life to wear while sleeping. sm [2008-11-08]
and please do. a family member had braces in elementary school and they came out beautiful. somewhere after marriage, kids, she stopped wearing the retainer. she is not in her 40's and her teeth shifted back to almost day one. wear the retainer while sleeping - it's no biggie compared to the waste of time and money and beautiful smiles.

Wake Up Call [2008-11-06]
Wake Up Call lyrics http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/m/maroon_5/wake_up_call.html

monthly plan her with 10.00 extra for unlimited testing = 30/mo. no msg [2008-11-01]
.

Starting the first week in November, so tomorrow [2008-10-31]
there are two radio stations in town that plays Christmas music 24/7. I like Christmas music, but I think it's a little early to listen to it all day every day. Although, my daughter watches Christmas videos all year round.

If you do this tonight, you'll not run into any problems! - sm [2008-10-30]
Tomorrow's Halloween!

I hope I'll see a message like that! [2008-10-29]
My daughter will be going away to college next year. We're very close, but it would still completely level me if I got a message like that from her! What a precious gift you have!

On phone call: Yes, this is her. ARGH! Should be: This is SHE sm [2008-10-27]
and I was taught (112 years ago in school) that it is she and her brother not her and her brother. I know it is not always her or she, but I am not clear which is which. I often default to my elementary school English lessons.

Does anyone know if we'll be changing time?? sm [2008-10-27]
I thought it would Every Halloween it I haven't heard or seen anything about time change.

She'll be waiting for you at the Rainbow Bridge [2008-10-26]
She will still have that little piece of your heart. I hope you feel peaceful, you did the loving thing. Wise

Well I'll let you know how it turns out [2008-10-22]
Since I ordered one, we'll see. Talked to hubby and he said he had talked to somone who actually has one and they think its great, they also heat with wood and use this to supplement at night, that's why he left the article. I don't want to give up my wood and convert because its free and I love the smell (hubby cuts me hickory!) but I know someone who has a corn stove and they love it. I love my wood stove and wouldn't go back to central unless forced to, its the only time in my life I've been truly warm in the winter!

Thanks for the affirmation - I'll talk to him. - nm [2008-10-20]
xx

I'll bite [2008-10-17]
But first I will have to point out the differences between this and a gay person going about their every day life. No gay person is standing on the corner collecting anything, recruiting, or taking one nation under God from anything. They (we) are simply asking to walk our own paths unassaulted. Period. Don't put your hands on us in anger or hate, keep your discriminatory legislation out of our lives, don't key our cars, don't burn our houses, don't threaten our children or have your children threaten our children. If you don't like who we are, don't associate with us. It's that simple. Leave us alone. With that in mind, no, you would not be shoving anything down anyonelifestyle. WHO you are is not a lifestyle.

Today's children are tomorrow's leaders and [2008-10-16]
your future neighbors be closed-minded and intolerant of you? What if YOU had something about yourself that was [gasp!] 'different'? Would you want neighbors and community leaders who persecuted you and limited YOUR freedoms? Or would you want to be an equally-valued member of society?

God says to call sin for what it is. [2008-10-16]

Ok then, list yours out for us and we will call them out for you (sm) [2008-10-16]
No one is without sin so I guess we should all go around pointing the finger at each other all the time and not worry about what we ourselves are doing?

I'll second that! [2008-10-08]
I have only done it once though because I feel incredibly guilty doing it...well make that twice...I did it tonight too. :)

Poor MT..I live in Michigan, pick me up will you? I'll even bring my own plate and fork. LOL. nm [2008-10-02]
nm

I would call. [2008-09-24]
They might be waiting to see what applicants show a true interest in the job. Doesn't hurt to have your name out there to be noticed and remembered...better than being lost in the shuffle. I wouldn't call again after that though.

Bring ads from other stores. Most pricematch..sm. [2008-11-22]
So you donThus eliminating running all over town in a mad rush. All you have to do is get to the sale item at that store first before it It makes it sooo much easier and a lot less stressful. I hope I worded that so it makes sense. I'm tired. Or, get together the day before with a few other people who are going.Each of you is designated a different store and picks up what the others want at their designated store. Then meet for breakfast afterwards to exchange the purchases as well as horror/humor storiesfrom theadventures.Thus, again, eliminating the rushing from one place to another. I think I I heard you can do that for theblack friday sales and some store will even let you buy online and pick up at the store. (later, after the rush and madness is over!) Forthe virgin poster, beware, some people can be downright mean, nasty,rude and even violentthat morning. Seriously.Oh, and NEVER leave your cart unattended if you were lucky enough to getone of the limtedamounts per store items. People will literally take them right out of your cart if you And keep your purse in sight at all times. If you bring a purse, have it hang in front of you and not on your side. I like to just keep my money and/or credit card tucked snugly in my front pocket of my jeans and not even bother with a purse.

My town has 25,000 people but when I first moved [2008-11-22]
here 23 years ago, it only had 5,000. We had a Tastee Freeze and a Chicken Country and that was it. Our town has gotten to big for our liking but the school system is excellent so I suppose we'll just bear with it for a while.

OMG! I did the same thing. I have a picture..sm [2008-11-21]
I My kids were younger so the dollar store was great! Seriously, my living room was full! It For little kids that was easy. But now they I miss those days of buying from the dollar store and filling the living room. Now, theyonly get 1 or 2 presents and I hate it. It makes me cry every year. I'll look for that picture on my break and try to upload it.

Birthdays with holidays. [2008-11-21]
Sometimes I like that the birthdays are around the holidays because then I can buy extra stuff and look at it all and decide how to split it up between the 2. Other times, like this year, we don't have much $ so I would really prefer them to be separated more but can choose that one! My husband normally leaves the lights on all night. Turn on when he gets home from work and off in the morning...not this year. I think its reasonable to just do a few hours each evening. I don't think we'll put up as many as we normally do either. Usually we line all the windows, roof, bushes, etc. Probably keep it simple this year.

Help is a safety net you have paid for sm [2008-11-21]
Food stamps are a safety net we all pay for, all forms of public assistance are things we have been paying for all along. TAKE the help you need! Do move closer to family if you possibly can. I have been in your shoes myself. I lost my home to foreclosure 4 years ago because of having a near-fatal drug interaction and losing my job of nearly 7 years. I made a couple of moves and finally ended up in a small town out of state from where I had lived for 30 years. I lived with a close friend for about 9 months and had the opportunity to buy a mobile home for $3000. The people I bought it from said I could make payments and I was able to pay it off in 5 months. It needed a lot of work and it has gotten it, most of which I have done myself. This project really helped me to regain parts of myself I had lost. It gave me a reason to get up and get going on my days off. I turned this ugly old thing into a lovely, comfortable home I cherish. I have lost about 50-60 lbs since living here and I have brought the idea of vastly cutting expenses in line with making more money. The end result is that I am very well off financially, better than in my entire life. DO get medication to help you if you can. I didn't have medication to help because I am allergic to every psychotropic in existence. I did this by pulling myself up by the boot straps, but if I could have had help, I would have. There IS a brighter future out there. You CAN have that brighter future because you DESERVE IT. That said, no one expects you to get there alone!!! Don't be embarrassed to ask and receive help. You will be able to help others later. Years ago, when my kids were young, I was a single parent, no support and it was Christmas time. My kids didn't even have adequate clothing or food. A neighbor I hardly knew handed me a Christmas card. Inside was a $100 gift card to K-Mart. She said that many years before that, she had been in my shoes and someone had given her $100 one Christmas, she was now paying this forward to me. The only provision was that I return this favor when I could, and that I bought something for myself too because I deserve nice things for my hard work. It was a turning point for me. I have been more of a giver since. Although I could have paid this back last year, I didn't know anyone who would appropriately benefit. This year, I do and I had to tell her that I was going to do this and why. She cried and felt embarrassed because, she said, she was usually in the position to give and it hurt a little to receive. I reminded her that she was GIVING me the gift of giving with pleasure. Others are going to give to you with pleasure, love, friendship and concern for your well being. TAKE IT. One day you'll post back here about how good things are and I'll want to hear it.

Has our country taken a turn for the ... [2008-11-21]
Our once great country, I afraid, has just turned a corner for the worse. I have watched as the mentality of our country has gone from setting your mind to something, working hard, and you can accomplish it to giving up, sitting back, and letting somebody else take care of them. I was brought up, as many were, with a good work ethic that was instilled in us by our parents. With the idea that if you want something you had to work for it, and by working for something you learned quickly the difference between wants and needs. There were always incentives for a person to strive to better themselves. Whether it were financial incentives, or just the pride you gained in knowing that you did something yourself, it didn�t matter. I wasn�t long ago that people had that �small town� mentality, and everybody knew their neighbors. And those neighbors helped each other out, in any situation, it was just what you did. And people were so proud that some times help would have to be disguised, you remember the lines like..�Mom made more stew than we could eat, could you help us out by taking it so that it doesn�t go to waste?� But, somewhere along the line those thoughts of some (I guess now the majority) have changed. Some how, if somebody works hard to gain something others feel entitled to have the same things, even if they didn�t have to go through the struggle to earn it. Some how, things like big screen TVs, cell phones, and shiny new cars have wrongly slipped from the �wants� list to the �needs� list. Somewhere the incentives to strive for betterment have been replaced by incentives to be lazy. The easy way out and hand outs are now the norm. The feeling of pride about being self sufficient is supposed to be replaced by guilt for having more than others. The �small town� mentality is gone and our neighbors have turned into strangers. People no longer help out their neighbors or even themselves, instead they sit and wait for the government to come solve things for them. And when help does come they complain that the help wasn�t good enough or didn�t come fast enough, the pride is gone. Well, I refuse to think that way, my small town roots and work ethic runs to deep. I refuse to let somebody take care of me while I am willing and able to take care of myself. I will continue to meet and know my neighbors and help them out when they need it. I will continue to work hard to take care of my needs and by doing so, my wants will take care of themselves. I will continue to volunteer for things and give to charities of my choice regardless of what the government wants to take away from me and give to the undeserving. My hope is to change the thinking back to the way it was. The sun will rise again tomorrow, I�ll keep doing what I do, and this country can be great again�.at least in my little corner of it�

Lolabug...lol...sm [2008-11-21]
Well Lola kinds of sounds like my first name and my husband used to call me (sorry this is really sappy)...butterfly...so I came up with bug out of that. Everybody's stories behind their names are pretty interesting!!!

observation [2008-11-21]
Sounds like a good time to call mom and get some tips.

I am when I can get a hold of her...sm [2008-11-21]
I have been trying to call and can't get an answer.

Our children are grown, our only grandchild is due to be [2008-11-20]
born tomorrow and we all talked about it and this year we are only going to buy 1 gift per person (except for the new grandson). So, our budget will be very small this year and, for once, I am actually not stressing about Christmas.

According to DH, our budget is $1,000 [2008-11-20]
But more likely I We have 3 kids. We usually get them 1 big gift to share and then round it out with smaller gifts. This year, they It The breakdown of the other $350: Parents $150, Grandma $25, Gift Exchange $60, Siblings (from my kids $20, Niece/nephew: $40, Teacher Gifts $30, Student Gifts: $15. The remaining $30 will go to Toys for Tots! Each of my kids like to pick out a $10 gift to put in. I have 3 siblings and 1 that My brother that Of course, my 2 unmarried siblings also buy small gifts for my children, so we always get them a little something from them -- usually lottery tickets or a gas card for Sheetz. $10 used to fill We do our exchange party on Christmas Eve. It keeps the kids entertained and gives them a little preview of what I have to say I enjoy Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day. It Teacher gifts kill me. It I usually go for a coffee mug with a Christmas scene or teacher saying on it and fill it with candy. Of course, DH thinks I do all this for Christmas for $1000, but why tell him and spoil it? We do a Christmas Club for $1000 every year and I just buy the other stuff here and there. We already got our Christmas gifts for ourselves -- a 46-inch LCD TV for DHand a Dooney Bourke purse with matching wallet for me. Now you all got me excited again about shopping next week. I I always wait until the day before Thanksgiving to do that so I know I won For those of you below who posted that you don Let me just say that I don I sometimes snag a deal or 2, but I learned a long time ago not to wait until Black Friday to get the most sought after items. Best to get them in Sept or Oct.

Do any of you have a spouse [2008-11-20]
who can How do you work it out? Are you just stuck always being the bad guy? Unfortunately, the entire United States is having a difficult financial time. It is obviously not just our household. We have cut back everywhere we can, and I mean everywhere. Our families are having difficult problems as well. We also have an ex-spouse and have had unexpected increases in child support, etc. recently along with unexpected additional expenses where this is concerned. Basically, the child needs new glasses, etc. even though the child really doesn It just seems like it is one thing after another and I know it is for everyone, although the circumstances may be slightly different. My problem is that I have been telling my husband for months that this was coming, along with Christmas, birthday, etc. He hasn Although we have cut back on many things, on my initiative, it just has not sunk in for him until now...when everything finalized and we dont To top this off, he can Ibad guy because he is ok with all of it although he admits he has no idea where the money is going to come from. I have been upfront with my family and when people ask me but is it too much to ask that he do the same? I dont But of course he wants to constantly remind me (the cheap skate and tight-a$$) to cut back on groceries, etc. which I cannot possibly do any more than I have already. We have nothing left in savings. We have no Christmas fund. I I donI told you so but I did tell him and he had no concerns until now...when we are seemingly headed towards financial trouble. I have been working OT but his OT has been cut indefinitely from his employer. I I must say he doesn't buy things for himself..its just the piddling away of $20 here and $20 there on top of our already mounting unexpected expenses.

My husband is oblivious to our finances [2008-11-20]
Sometimes that It sounds like maybe your husband is too proud to tell his family that he can I I would suggest talking to the leader of his family, the person who hosts the get-togethers, and let them know that you do the finances and you just don It doesn I would certainly let your husband know that you are going to say something beforehand, but he doesn I For birthdays, we take the time to call and wish that person a happy birthday. We don My brother lives about 2 hours away, so we don Unless his family is loaded, I'm sure they'll understand. As for the glasses, I just took my son for new glasses yesterday. The eye doctor said he needs a new prescription, but I asked if just the lenses could be replaced and the frames reused. He said absolutely. Our insurance covers new frames, lenses and the exam, but my son has a tendency to break things at the most inopportune time. We just bought him these glasses in June because he broke them and according to the insurance, it wasn Now that he is eligible for everything new, we asked for just the lenses. If he breaks his frames later in the year, we can just get new frames (covered by insurance) and pop the lenses in. The only problem there would be is they discontinue his frames because the new lenses probably wouldn So, something to consider here is, if your stepchild needs a new prescription and already has glasses, then I would check with your lawyer to see if you can just buy new lenses for the current frames. The frames are what normally cost the most anyway.

I don't think I understand [2008-11-20]
so just let him do whatever, support his decisions, and hope for the best? He has a good job it is just that so much of it is eaten by the attorneys, support, transportation, and crazy things the ex dreams up that the child must have and we are told we just have to pay it. It costs more than what I make to cover the mandatory expenses of my step-child. I gave up our finances about a year ago to give him a taste of what it was like. Stupidly thinking this would help. Obviously it hasn't but has made things worse. I always reassure him and tell him we will get through it, etc. but when he asks me to make a decision I tell him honestly. Recently asking if I mind if his teenage nephews come stay for the weekend I ask where is the extra money going to come from to feed them and get them to/from work as its an hour round trip. I offer maybe just one night instead of the entire weekend. Automatically thatthey asked for the weekend. He says he doesn't know where the money will come from and he won't ask the his brother either and asks me to call and tell them no. Of course when I refuse I can tell he gets upset although he won't say it. We don't argue about stuff its just more of one of us getting pi$$ed off until it blows over and then starting again the following week when another circumstance comes up. Honestly, I'm just getting tired of putting up. It has been nearly 10 years now but only 4 since our finances went together. We are also expecting a child, which we could afford before the last 6 months came crashing down on us. Of course this is part of my anxiety over finances but being a man and his usual self he wants to live in la-la land until we don't have money to buy diapers. I'm just so frustrated. Thanks for listening and letting me know that there is hope things will change. Atleast I know when the step-child becomes an adult it will be like winning the lottery!

Thanks [2008-11-20]
Maybe I would feel better if I did take over the bills again. It can't add any more stress to me than I already have with the current situation. I thought him seeing it would bring reality but obviously it still hasn't and how much further do I want to go down this path to the big black hole. I guess we'll have to sit down and I'll have to do my wifely duty of giving him a pep talk and trying to relieve his stress and mine. He is just going to have to realize, whether he wants to or not, we do NOT have the money for xmas and all that if we want to have a xmas in our house. I just don't see any way around that one but I'll do my best to guide him to making the decisions about what to spend, etc. so he doesn't feel like I'm giving him an allowance or telling him no and we'll see how it goes from there. Thanks again, I appreciate your talk this morning.

Sorry you are feeling so down (sm) [2008-11-20]
First of all, relax. You need to go to a doctor and get on an antidepressant? No insurance? If you can get the money to go to the doc for one visit, you can get them to prescribe an antidepressant that is on Walmart's $4 list and get it for $4 a month. Call United Way and see if they can direct you where to get help with your rent. Don't worry about whether or not you have cable, you'll be okay without that unless you need it for your job? Don't worry about not being able to give Christmas gifts...just explain that you don't have the money. People will understand and your grandson can have it explained to him. I have the same isolation issues that you do because of the job. Can you go to a temp agency and see about getting a job outside of your house so you can be around people more? There is a website called Exercisefriends.com where you can meet people in your area who want exercise buddies, maybe just someone who is starting out trying to walk every day or something like that (not sure what your fitness level is). Or advertise on Craigslist for a walking buddy (but be careful of course when first meeting the person). I met one of my best friends this way and have known her for 4 years now. If you want an email buddy feel free to email me. I think everyone is struggling right now and it is hard. I would be happy to have you vent to me via email all you want. :-)

make a call [2008-11-20]
Look in the phone book under Alcoholics Anonymous and call the central office. Tell them you need someone to make a 12-step call. Someone from your local area who is in AA will come over to your house and talk to your husband and you can leave with the kids during this time. By the time you get back, your husband will have decided whether or not he will sober up. Usually the person he talked to will assume responsibility for taking him to the meetings or finding someone who will sponsor him. So you are off the hook at this point. On the other hand, he may decide no thanks and then you will have your real answer. AA is free and pretty crowded with new people around the holidays, so the timing is good. The average age of a person coming into AA is 25 to 45, so there should be plenty of people for him to talk to. At the same meeting place there should be meetings for you called Al-Anon and for your son called Alateen. Good Luck!

Please know you are definitely NOT alone! [2008-11-20]
Lots of us are struggling these days. Times are touch all over. Can you look into getting a second job to help with expenses? That's what I do, just to make ends meet. I'm alone too but don't mind that - I have pets to keep me company. The best thing you can do is not sit around doing nothing. Make a plan, set yourself some goals and KNOW you can get through this. Just take it one day at a time and/or knock off one goal at a time and you'll persevere.

I've been there [2008-11-20]
I have been in your shoes. Last year my husband died unexpectedly at age 56, I literally woke up one morning and he was dead in our bed next to me (aneurysm). That started a downhill spiral . . . . since then I I canhow depressed III am working now and starting to pull myself up out of the dark hole I've been in. The poster above is right. You need to see a doctor. I found out that most major health systems have programs for those of us with no insurance and no money. Call their financial offices and just tell them point blank you need to be seen and you have no insurance. They will not refuse you. I found a clinic near my house that is part of a largehospital. I was able to see a doctor for a physicalandget my annual Pap and mammogram done at no charge. They gave me samples of my medications (I have asthma) for a few months until I had insurance again. They prescribed an antidepressant which worked wonders and they gave me that as samples each month. Move closer to your family. You My family has been supportive of all the decisions I Spend time with yourgrandchild, kids can make you feel so much better.If you I did. I didn Forjust myselfI was given 174.00 a month for food and it helped outtremendously. I know it You may be hesitant to take free medical care or ask for food benefits, but remember THIS IS ONLY TEMPORARY and you will get back on your feet. It may take a while, but you will make it. Good luck to you.

Deenibeeni, you are right on sm [2008-11-19]
and the question is...why do you have creditors that have to be paid before you can eat? Is it his high spending habits that got you into this mess? He is starving you because why...you don't make the same money he does??? Toro poo poo! Email me...we'll find you a better job at the very least. We need to talk and I won't harp on you, I only want to help. I'll pay for the call if you send the number and tell me when you are safe to talk.

Sorry about your baby... [2008-11-19]
Losing a pet is like losinga member of the family. We lost our beloved 9-year-old black lab 4 years ago, the week of Christmas. I had to take him to the vet because out of the blue he had an episode, that he just lied there and wouldn I thought he was dead then. He came to and I took him to the vet. She couldn He died the next day. It broke all of our hearts and when I saw my husband cry (I had never seen him cry before in 13 years of being together), it made the hurt that much worse.

chicken soup [2008-11-18]
Good olJewish penicillin - chicken soup. Use leftover chicken or steamed chicken thighs or breasts if no leftovers are available. Use Swansons natural chicken broth (nosodium) but can use bullion, but it contains a lot of sodium. Use about a quart or moreof natural chicken broth. I like to usebaby carrots whole,but can certainly usesliced carrots. Season with lots ofminced garlic and a little dill weed (maybea teaspoon).I slice in a couple of things ofcelery or sliced celeryhearts with leaves. I sometimes add noodles, or rice, sometimes I use a package of frozen mixed vegetables which are really terrific, depending on what I have available and what type of soupmy family wants.Add some white pepper, not black pepper. Simmer until carrots and celeryare soft. If using pasta or rice, add that last, otherwise it soaks up too much broth and gets soggy. My family would eat this even if they were sick and nothing else appealed to them, that is why I call it Jewish penicillin. This is a Jewish mama Enjoy - it is so simple and so delicious not to mention nutritious and healthy. Note: Never let your chicken leftovers go to waste - make a pot of chicken soup!

chicken soup [2008-11-18]
Good olJewish penicillin - chicken soup. Use leftover chicken or steamed chicken thighs or breasts if no leftovers are available. Use Swansons natural chicken broth (nosodium) but can use bullion, but it contains a lot of sodium. Use about a quart or moreof natural chicken broth. I like to usebaby carrots whole,but can certainly usesliced carrots. Season with lots ofminced garlic and a little dill weed (maybea teaspoon).I slice in a couple of things ofcelery or sliced celeryhearts with leaves. I sometimes add noodles, or rice, sometimes I use a package of frozen mixed vegetables which are really terrific, depending on what I have available and what type of soupmy family wants.Add some white pepper, not black pepper. Simmer until carrots and celeryare soft. If using pasta or rice, add that last, otherwise it soaks up too much broth and gets soggy. My family would eat this even if they were sick and nothing else appealed to them, that is why I call it Jewish penicillin. This is a Jewish mama Enjoy - it is so simple and so delicious not to mention nutritious and healthy. Note: Never let your chicken leftovers go to waste - make a pot of chicken soup!

I have a tracfone - sm [2008-11-18]
the minutes do not expire per se. Your service plan does though. I buy mine one year at a time, $99 for a year of service, then you buy minutes. Granted I buy a service plan and minutes together, and have the double minutes for life plan too. You can rollover minutes when your renew your service. You can get service either every two months or yearly I believe. I can text with my phone which is one of the Motorola flip phones. I used to have an old dinosaur Nokia but upgaded to a new phone for $10 or so at the Dollar store, phones are a lot cheaper there. If he is a yakker then it will get expensive fast, texting is a bit cheaper but he gets into the habit of doing that all the time his units will disappear fast. It is a good phone to have for the occasional call, etc. I would not use it as an everyday general use phone though. My old model phone actually worked better and got a signal just about everywhere, my new one is good but does not work everywhere my old one did, but I like it much better as it is smaller and lighter.

We eat out mostly at the local pub. [2008-11-18]
We're lucky to have a real neighborhood Irish pub, and we like to meet up with friends there, listen to music, have a beer and a sandwich. It probably costs us about $30 for two of us. Since we're nearly empty-nesters, it's just DH and I who go out. Big, fancy dinners are usually just for birthdays or anniversaries. When wefend for yourself night . My sons know how to cook. DH not so much. But he can make a sandwich, and there's usually something leftover that he can make. My youngest son is a good cook, and if I ask him he'll usually make dinner for all of us when I'm just too tired to bother. Also, a Crockpot is a marvelous thing! I love it. A little planning and effort, and dinner is in the pot cooking all day and ready for dinner time.