My 2 cents

My 2 cents [2008-05-09]
Seems like you are caught between a rock and a hard place, so to speak. But, I would be very cautious about pointing fingers towards someone because they make racial remarks or act different. This boy may very well have come from a family where they donn word, not to mention lots of other filthy things. Blacks and whites call each other names, often harmless friendly banter, but that's how it is. I understand your small community situation, but that could also be a horrible thing for that child to have to live down and accusing him unfairly could push him into even more bad feelings.... I'm sorry you are in this situation. Maybe talk to your son and ask him to not discuss this in school or with his friends anymore. Talk to his school and ask them what are they doing as a precaution today and for days to come.....hopefully, they are taking other measures as well.

Just my 2 cents... [2008-04-04]
There were occassions that I remember when our church was in deep financial trouble - both times it was because of apastor that people didn However, we still had to pay the salary of said pastors, as well as heating oil andelectricity at the church, payroll for other employees and payroll taxes, church upkeep, etc. Our treasurer would come to council meetings and say - I canpay the bills, and he even stopped taking a salary at one point. If we wouldIknow we woulddoors. Thankfully, God is good and we are in much better shape now. I Sorry so long winded, but I don It Just my opinion.

My 2 cents. [2008-02-19]
If you really want to teach her responsibility, have her make TIMELY payments to you, just as she would if she had to take out a loan (although I wouldn't charge her interest). Have her pay for her own insurance bill and gas, although if she is running errands for you, you could work out a deal for gas--one tank a week for example. If she's too busy to have an outside job, I would come up with some type of home job for her (washing all vehicles, cleaning out the attic, etc.) so that she understands the car comes with a price tag.

my 2 cents [2008-02-19]
My kids aren't old enough for their own cars yet but here's what my parents did with me and I think it was a pretty good deal: I worked parttime to pay for my own gas and most of my insurance. My parents picked up the rest and since the car was paid off they just gave it to me. Also if there were any upgrades I wanted I had to pay for it myself. I was a decent student but in no way compared to your daughter. My hubby and I have already decided that when our oldest turns 16 we will buy him a car (older & cashola, of course) and what he will be responsible for depends on his grades and extracurricular activities. If he's on the same level as your daughter, I see no problem picking just about all her expenses. Perhaps give a weekly allowance for gas. If she has a way to earn money (i.e. babysitting) then perhaps start with just minor expenses, adding on more as she can afford it and still keep up her activities/grades.

my 2 cents [2007-12-21]
I don't really thing that hearing Merry Christmas sends so many people reeling, it is just the few that do not like it make so much more noise than everyone else! Our small town has always had a nativity display at the courthouse/city hall. This year, ONE person in a 35,000 person town complained that it violated their rights to have to drive by and see a religious display every day. They were offended that it was just a religious display and not a true holiday display. So our mayor got very creative. He had someone create a Frosty the Snowman, Santa and Rudolph out of plywood, painted them, and then placed them next to the manger. Santa is holding baby Jesus! I don't understand why people get offended by other people who do not believe like they do. I really think it is just a power trip, because this event proved that ONE person can change a whole town!! Merry Christmas all, and if you don't celebrate Christmas, then happy holidays!

Just my 2 cents, but some ideas from a former homeschooler...sm [2007-12-19]
I homeschooled mine until circumstances dictated that I could no longer do so. While homeschooling, I was a single parent, so I know what yougroup teach and babysit with a rotation. The kids in our co-op really enjoyed the change of pace, and the moms with younger handfuls got a break. Not all were cool with the idea, though, so the daycare backup is a thought. Mine did pre-K a couple of days a week before I started homeschooling, and it gave me a break. I didn't consider it anything more than a break for me and a social experience for her. Also, keep in mind that not all kids (even in the same family) are cut out for homeschooling. Some need the more socialized or structured (I don't know if you're a classicist, eclectic, unschooler, or what so it may or may not apply), but some kids need a differnt type of environment than being homeschooled can provide - which BTW says nothing about your abilities or the kids'. Just that there really are different strokes for different folks, even within the same family.

postcard stamps are 26 cents...sm [2007-12-18]
There used to be a time when you could buy all kinda holiday postcards. Have you ever made your own postcards outta your old cards? Just cut off the front, draw a line down the middle, addressand send...pinking shears or regular scissors work just fine....Ilove it....It Cat

41 cents [2007-12-17]
nm

41 cents, but..... [2007-12-17]
You can buy Forever Stamps for 41 cents which will not go up in the future. It helps.

All of the above is good, but adding 2 cents [2007-12-03]
If you are constantly checking on the birds, it will make them nervous. Think about what birds do in the wild for protection. If they lay a clutch of eggs, then they notice a snake hanging around, they will eat the eggs and abandon the nest until the snake goes away for good. I did not read your other post so I don't know what bedding material you are using, but for my finches, I would go outside and find tall grass and tear off several hand fulls. I put some in the nest and some on the cage floor for the birds to carry to the nest. My first egg laying experience was from an Indian finch who laid 11 eggs, sat them just fine, but the instant the first one hatched, both parents clung to the opposite side of the cage like some monster had invaded their home! I had to hand feed that baby every 45 minutes for the first 3 days! Oy, was I tired! One thing to add to their diet is a boiled egg - crush the complete egg, shell and all, into small pieces. They get the protein from the egg and calcium from the shell. Sprinkle some shavings from the tops of brocolli on top. Depending on what type of finches you have, they may need live worms for the protein. You can buy meal worms (more than 20% protein) at your local pet store pretty cheaply, but if you want to grow your own for free, write me (some people think it's disgusting, but these worms are very clean). There are other worms that are over 35% protein, but they are impossible to breed and expensive to have shipped, but the more exotic finches require them. I really do suggest that you don't check on them so much. I also don't know what kind of nest you are using, but I highly recommend a wooden box hinged onto the back corner or side of the cage. You can lift the lid when you see both out of the box and it will disturb them less. If the nest has nothing around it to conceal it from the rest of the room (like a cup-style canary nest), it will be hard for them to settle down. Write if you think of anything else you would like to know. I was a certified avian breeder and there were several difficult finches I was able to breed successfully.

Can i add my 2 cents worth? In a mall I saw this young woman (sm) [2007-11-27]
wearing a black plastic garbage bag! She had on black tights, a black turtleneck and the garbage bag with a hole cut out for her head and arms. She had it cinched up around her waist with a really wide black belt!!

My 2 cents (sm) [2007-10-25]
I However, if it helps, take your last sentence and use that. He has made you a better person. Use that to begin anew. Good luck to you. There is someone out there worthy of you, trust me, there is.

I use itunes. 99 cents per song... [2007-10-13]
I like it. I just use my debit card, and I can make a great mixed CD for $15 to $20. You can also download a lot of CDs for $10, which is a great deal. I have heard some people complain about the sound quality, but I don Once you download itunes you can also preview each song before you buy it, which is great. It Itunes is the only one I've used, so there may be better ones out there, but I'm happy with it.

My 2 cents....... [2007-10-01]
In this case I would say the breed and size definitely matter. These are two dogs that were bred to do a lot of damage. My mom has a chow and he is very sweet but I could see, if he felt threatened, that he might tear another dog's head off. I had this situation with a neighbor and we walked our dogs up and down the street, letting them see each other every day for a while. We didn't stop to talk to each other for a few days, then would stop across the street from one another and talk. Neither one of our dogs showed aggression towards the other, just more curious than anything, but mine was a lab and hers a large terrier mix. If one starts growling it would be best to jerk their leash to stop the behavior without saying a word and keep doing this when and if that behavior shows back up....every time without fail, no matter how much. If you act nervous, your dog probably will too. But again, if both dogs are very docile and laid back, it might go very well. But once you put one dog in another's house, there are territorial issues and your dog and your neighbor's will have every right to feel territorial and a fight might ensure whereas there wouldn't be one outdoors. This will definitely take time to overcome. Good luck!

Just my 2 cents - from prior experience, sm [2007-05-03]
When my husband retired early (pre-65), I received SS because we had a child under the age of 16 (so both parents and the child received SS). Once she turned 16, mine stopped but hers continues until 18 or she graduates from high school, whichever is later. Once she graduates this month, then she will no longer receive SS, just my husband. Also, he turned 65 this year and receives Medicare. I and my daughter have to have our own insurance. So, if your sister-in-law has a child under the age of 16, she could be right about receiving the SS, but not the Medicare.

Just my 2 cents, these are great ideas! [2007-01-27]
I like the card making especially.

just my 3 cents - Spin The Bottle is okay for you... [2007-01-27]
very curious............

my 2 cents [2006-12-01]
My opinion is that you should just move on. I know you were offended and I feel that no one should have to put up with things like that. You have to just think about it from a retail point of view... I have worked retail before and sometimes associates make small talk with customers about returns...products ect.. because that is their job.. This guy might have been just trying to be nice and SAID THE WRONG THING TO YOU! Maybe it just slipped out. I believe you need to give people the benefit of the doubt... He did apologize and felt bad over it.. I think you scared this guy into THINKING about what he says before he opens his mouth!!

just my 2 cents [2006-10-12]
I was raised in the south. I can tell you right now that if I had told my parents not to hit me, it would not have been pretty. I raised my children in the same manner. I fully believe that children should be spanked, on the bottom, in order to press home vital issues. I have raised 2 children, boy and a girl, both now 21. My son was a handful and then some. My daughter learned the limits and basically stuck to them. My son got mixed up with the wrong crowd and that was what changed his attitude. When you love your children, you will do whatever it takes, even if it means spanking when society says not spanking, time out. Although, if you have not been spanking all along, starting at 14 might not be the best course of action, as it will just make him more angry. One thing I tried, when my son had to serve early morning detention for not obeying the rules, I made him walk to school (8 miles one way). I told him that his bad behavior was not going to change our family routine. (I did follow him in the care, he did not know). Believe, me he did not do this but twice. This even worked as a behavior modifier with the teachers. One made a comment to him about 8 miles was a long way to walk and he straightened right up. Have enough strength in yourself to do what society may say is wrong or mean if it means saving your child.

My 2 cents, FWIW [2006-10-12]
I learned a long time ago that if I went to Church for the people, I'd always get hurt. If I went for my relationship with Deity, I'd avoid much of the drama that exists in these sorts of environments. And it does exist in ALL religious environments. Concentrate on SPIRITUALITY rather than RELIGIOSITY, and it can really help one to have a lighter heart. I hope this helps.

This works! [2008-06-27]
I did the same. It only took one summer (last year) of doing this and then we slowly tapered off the chore chart. I would forget to print it off the computer from time to time. Since then I no longer have to ask but when I do it is already done, just had to get in the habit of doing it without question, I think. My child is like OPs that he really is a great kid but for some reason brushing teeth was a nightmare twice a day every day. The only difference in our allowance chart was that for each item completed (without being asked or questioned) my child would get 25 cents - totaled at the end of the week. He still had to do everything, it was just a matter of initiative and no arguments on his part. I think max would be $5 a week or something like that. I had it calculated out so I new there was a limit. Truth be told, he asked for more than $5 of stuff every time we went to the store (and that was another fight) so this did double-duty in that if we went to the store he had to use his own money. Amazing how picky kids get when its their money.

ANY money is worth recycling for! -sm [2008-05-22]
With the cost of groceries what they are today, and aluminum cans getting 5 cents ea., it adds up pretty fast. Even if I only have 2 grocery-bags' full of cans, I take them to the recycler just before I go shopping, and then I have an extra $2-$5 in my wallet - the equivalent of several good coupons!

Are they for real? [2008-05-21]
I can cents per line - I wonder how many people can (or would)work for that??

What would you suggest? [2008-05-21]
Would anyone have suggestions for MTs looking for a higher pay rate? If one has good references, background, experience, and skills - what more can they do to earn a starting pay greater than 7 cents? I agree that it is not much financially but with all things considered this seems to be the going rate these days for an MT with less than 5 years experience.

No, you are not the only one. I do too. [2008-05-10]
We have an 11 yo son. He doesnbut everybody else can _________. (Fill in the blank). My standard reply.....If everybody else jumped into the sea, would you jump too? That kind of shuts him up. He is an only child and as such, does get his way up to a certain point, but after that, he knows not to push. He knows not to back talk, knows we will take away his priviledges if he doesn't do his chores (and he doesn't have a lot, but he has enough), no computer, no video games, no anything. He is a pretty good kid 99% of the time, and I guess I can't complain about the 1% that he isn't. You need to do what you need to do and to everybody who says different, a great big raspberry. THRRRRRPPPPP. Just My 2 cents worth.

I use coupons when I can get them, but lately [2008-04-27]
Safeway gives a few in its weekly mailings, Lucky practically ZERO. I.31 cents per oz., etc.) If I product I formerly bought a lot of (for example, granola bars) turn into incredible shrinking products, which seem to get tinier each month, then I stop buying them. I figure, if you can eat an entire granola bar in one bite, it is no longer a granola BAR - it is a granola BITE! And Ibars, when it takes all 6 to make you feel like youbreakfast - now it's more of an on-the-go tidbit. And $5 for a box of Corn Flakes, where the level of cereal contained within the box is now hovering right at or below the halfway mark, and the rest is AIR? Forget it. Cereal has got to be the biggest gyp in the entire supermarket. Nowadays I pretty much just have oatmeal and coffee for breakfast. Used to eat a cup of yogurt, but those have shrunk drastically in size, as well. I have to laugh that the Pres. thinks a one-time economy booster check of roughly $600 is going to be of much use in convincing people to spend more. It would only work for me if I got an extra $600 every month!

We can our veggies every year...sm [2008-04-26]
We go out to the countrysideto U-Pick veggie fields. Last year picked lots of tomatoes for 20 cents a pound. Also picked or bought eggplant, peppers, pears, apples, peaches. We canned the tomatoes andfruits; froze the peppers, and ate the eggplant (not sure how to preserve those yet). We also freeze snap peas from the garden and some other stuff. Whoa, I sound like a little country Cathy, don Anyway, hopefully this helps support the farms/farmers and keeps their land away from developers. Off my soap box now.

Linda Chavez has great articles and makes a lot of sense. [2008-04-19]
This is long but I think worth it. As if a housing crisis, rising energy costs and a soft labor market weren't enough to cause economic anxiety for the average American, now consumers are feeling the pinch of rapidly escalating food costs. The United States has long prided itself in being the breadbasket of the world, and Americans have traditionally paid a smaller share of their income on food than citizens of other developed countries. But the days of cheap milk, bread, beef and poultry may well be over � and Uncle Sam is partly to blame. In 2007, the cost of a gallon of milk increased 26 percent; eggs went up 40 percent; and a loaf of white bread went from $1.05 to $1.28 from 2006 to 2008. Steep increases in the price of oil have contributed to these higher costs, but the federal government has played a pernicious role as well. By mandating that oil companies increase the amount of ethanol they blend with gasoline, the government has not only artificially increased the cost of corn, which is what most U.S. ethanol is made of, but has driven up the cost of other grains as well. Inflated corn prices encourage farmers to divert more acreage to corn, which means they plant less soy and wheat, which, in turn, drives the prices of those commodities up as well. The aggregate price of wheat, corn, soy oil and soy meal in the U.S. will be $61.7 billion higher in the 2007/2008 crop year than it was in 2005/2006. Corn prices affect a host of other food prices as well. If you've ever looked at the ingredient labels on everything from bologna to canned tomato soup, you'll see that corn syrup is a common ingredient of many processed foods. Corn is also a common grain used in feed for cattle, poultry and hogs. As a result, prices for meat and poultry are going up, but even with higher prices, some companies in the meat industry still can't make a profit, and many are being forced to cut jobs and close plants. I've seen this firsthand as a member of the board of directors of Pilgrim's Pride, the nation's largest chicken producer, where we have already had to shut down one plant and close six distribution centers to cope with record losses directly attributable to soaring feed costs. But what is most galling about the impact of government mandated ethanol production is that it does little or nothing to solve our energy problems. Ethanol proponents argue that it is cleaner than petroleum � which improves air quality � and that it and other alternative fuels will reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Both claims are dubious. Corn-based ethanol is inefficient as a fuel for automobiles, reducing vehicle gas mileage by 20-30 percent in vehicles using E85, the highest ethanol content fuel. Fewer miles-per-gallon of gas essentially eliminates any savings achieved, even by mixing ethanol with gasoline in the lower 9 percent ethanol blends required in all U.S. gasoline today. And of course, it also takes energy to produce ethanol � for farming and distilling the corn and transporting the final product to the pump � and much of that energy will come from carbon-based fuels. None of these arguments has stopped the aggressive ethanol lobby from getting its way with Congress, however, and pressure increases in presidential election years as Iowa farmers encourage candidates to pledge allegiance to ethanol during the Iowa caucuses. If ethanol really were the miracle fuel its proponents claim, you'd think there would be huge profits in producing it in the free market. But that's not the case. Consumers not only pay for ethanol at the pump, they're paying taxes as well to subsidize ethanol production in the U.S. � and they're paying a hidden tax to keep cheaper, foreign sugar cane ethanol from competing with the domestic corn-based product. Subsidies to gasoline blenders amount to about 51 cents per gallon, and the government imposes a 54-cent tariff on foreign ethanol so that it can't provide a cheaper alternative for U.S. consumers. And matters will only get worse as government mandates higher bio-fuel content in U.S. gasoline from the current 9 percent to 15 percent by 2015. Ethanol won't solve the energy crisis, but it may well lead to a food crisis in the U.S. and elsewhere. The U.S. Agency for International Development reports that the cost of providing wheat, corn, cereal and other foodstuffs to poor nations has gone up 41 percent since October 2007, which will mean we can provide less assistance to starving people around the world. Federal policy is literally diverting food from the table to the gas tank � and it's time we stopped it. Linda Chavez is the author of An Unlikely Conservative: The Transformation of an Ex-Liberal. To find out more about Linda Chavez, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.

The cost of groceries - WOW!! [2008-04-18]
I nearly had a stroke at the register today. Eggs here in AL are, get this, $3.49 where I am, but you can get 50 cents off by being a store member, which I am. That is still 2.99 a dozen - good grief! Sweet potatoes were $2.51 a pound, outrageous! Normally I do not look a whole lot at prices and just buy what I like, but these prices are even making me look! Gas just went up to $3.35 a gallon here. They are saying $4.00 by summer.

Summer Gardens will be worth it this year. [2008-04-07]
Went to the grocery store for green peppers and milk yesterday. I just needed two green peppers and milk, that The produce department is normally really good at our local grocery store but the peppers they had didn Normally they would be 2 peppers for 99 cents or something like that. They wanted 3.00 for 2 peppers! Holy Cow! I passed on the peppers and decided then and there I I haven One year we lost an entire row (20 feet long row) of carrots, half a row of onions, and most of our corn to critters in one night. Going small and compact this time. Barrel gardens. Keep the critters out and most of the weeds too. Carrots, cukes, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and squash. What's going in your garden?

Pantene [2008-04-02]
After years of watching my husband spend 99 cents on Suave, I finally convinced him to try something new. He wanted the same thing, just basic shampoo for normal hair. He I'll admit that their bottles look very similar but each has a different color, this one's blue and it smells good but not manly smell you know what I mean?

I, too get that kind of money. sm [2008-03-21]
My experience negotiated more than the 8 - 9 cents offered. depends on the company, depends on the account and what they are paying the company, depends on the region sometimes; mostly it depends on me. I have to be worth it and prove it to them.

I am homeschooling my 15 yo son now. SM [2008-03-11]
Not by choice but because I had no other viable alternative. He went from a Christian school to public school last year and has been failing miserably ever since. He went from a classroom of 10 students per teacher to one with 30 students per teacher and he got lost in the shuffle. His grades started to slip and I was told constantly they didn Not to mention, the society he has been exposed to in public (a rural public school as a matter of fact) have been a bunch of undisciplined, foul-mouthed, druggies who's parents could care less what they are up to. My son was expelled from school for defending my nephew after another kid threatened to slit his throat over a girl! My son was put on long-term suspension for threatening to kick the other kids butt, but the kid who made the threat, was coddled and only got a stern talking too. His father died of cancer four months ago so apparently he is allowed to behave however he wants with no repercussions. I started homeschooling him in January and he is on his way to passing the 9th grade whereas before he was going to have to repeat. My opinion is this, if states want to start regulating homeschooling parents and requiring teaching credentials or certificates, then they should start paying the teachers in their public school system more. How can they require me to have a teaching certificate when I make more than a school teacher does right now? Public school is a joke. Yes, I went to public school. I grew up in a small town and was successful in school, but not all students learn at the same rate or in the same way. My son is a visual learner. If I sit him down in front of the computer with a software package that he can play with, he will learn twice as fast as he did sitting in a classroom of 30 kids staring at the board and listening the teacher drone on and on. I have a first grader and she attends public school and she does amazingly well. She loves school, makes good grades (1s, 2s, and 3s can be considered grades!). Every child is different and approaches learning differently. I will let her stay in public school for as long as she is successful. That's My 2 cents on homeschooling.

Never declawed any of the dozen cats I have had over my lifetime - sm [2008-03-11]
It is rare, in my opinion, that a cat cannot be trained to claw in appropriate places and not on furniture, etc. Are you providing good places for the kitty to claw, such as a nice scratch post (mine really love the sisal rope kind)? They also love those simple cardboard inserts that are in the Turbo Trackers and the Alpine Scratcher. When I get a new kitty I direct them to the appropriate places to claw and lavish praise. These acceptable places need to be some place you pass by often because the kitty wants you to be there when they are good. Mine run to the scratching posts because they know I am going to lavish praise on them. :-) If they claw somewhere they are not supposed to I immediatly squirt them with a water bottle set to stream. Something called a Scat Mat also keeps them away from the inappropriate places should they want to test you further. I have had young kittens, adult cats, you name it, and not a single one of them could not be trained to scratch where appropriate. I also have nice furniture (even leather). I would only declaw after I had exhausted all other options and it was a choice between that and giving up the cat. Just my two cents, for what it is worth. :-) Let us know what you decide. Best of luck!!

At least you have kids trying to sell them to you....sm [2008-02-27]
around here wemoms with tables set up outside of Wal-Mart and grocery stores selling the cookies for the troops and have maybe only 1 scout around at that time. We also sold them for 50 cents/box when I was a kid. I still love to get the thin mints and freeze them, then pull the box out on a hot day in July. Ahhhh -heaven!!!

hayseed see inside [2008-02-26]
don't go to the store! Use this URL http://www.yankeecandle.com/yc/html/retail/Email_HTML/registerForCouponsWebNEW.html every few days there is a new code for $10 off. They do the tarts 24 for $30 so I end up paying like 87 cents each. I have bought at least 5 boxes of candles this year doing that, mostly at their winter clearance. I have a lot of christmas presents already!

Girl Scout cookies are here! [2008-02-26]
I love Girl Scout cookies! They are $4 a box this year. I always tell the little girls they were 50 cents a box when I sold them and they look at me like, okay, old lady, just buy the cookies.

My favorite [2008-02-26]
For some reason these cookies are the best ever anywhere! Probably because I was a girl scout for 10 years and sold cookies every year with my sister. They too were 50 cents when I sold them and yes I feel like a dinasaur when they look at me like I'm the oldest thing they've ever seen. My favorites are the samoas and lemon cookies. Yum! I'm so excited...now if I can just find where to buy them around here. Hopefully some girlscout will come to my door like I used to go door to door when I was a girl scout.

you mean WASP males only?.... [2008-02-19]
white anglo-saxon protestants/christians...This country didnLincoln for that matter and they were all Christians trying to make majorchanges....It's still a white man's world here in the US. We, as females still make only 77 cents compared to a manALL the candidates are just blowing smoke...say one thing and do another once they get in. These posts should havetheir own board...religious political radical board. Cat

THANK YOU PAT!!! This is amazing! I am now searching for my local sm [2008-02-14]
charity, Teen Challenge of Georgia. Wow! I'm so glad they are on there! They only had 29 cents in their acct. so far for 2008 and after I searched a few names I jumped them up to 31 cents in about 2 seconds!! I am SO excited because I search ALL day long MTing. I am thrilled that they will earn a little something through my efforts! Thanks!!

It is my understanding that the owner of the --sm [2008-02-10]
property has the right to ask anyone to leave. It is their property and they do not OWE you to live there, even if you have been there all your life. If you are paying less rent than the average renter, I can see why he is doing this. You may be a good tenant, but everything, these days, comes down to dollars and cents. He may not have to do too much to renovate, but he can get a much bigger price in rent. I really don't think you have a leg to stand on and I am sorry for your situation, but the owner can do anything they want to with their property.

Ya done good!...sm [2008-02-07]
Hi Retta, Great to see ya on board again!I like to do the same,stretch it as far as you can. Start with a 10 lb bag of legs and thighs with backsat 59 cents a lb. Cut it up, wash it,putsome in ziplocs and freeze. With the restmake any one of many variations of chkn dishes. I make chicken broth from the backs then strain it clearand put it up in the freezer for other recipes...Thechicken backs are then peeled off and made into chicken salad and the bones and skinare saved for the dog. Nothing gets wasted here. Over the years, Ithink someone took) my campbellpkgs andthe labels from the soup and sent in for them....(remember SH green stamps?)Cat http://video.aol.com/video-detail/the-chicken-lady-on-jay-leno/847113252

Just my observation..........sm [2008-01-26]
First of all, I noticed you said the baby was just born 8 days ago, but also said the husband took off for 2 weeks. Are you positive he is back to work by now? I really see where she could be withdrawing due to the clubbed feet and embarrassment as the others stated, but at the same time she knows you know about that so why would she avoid you because of it? She is experiencing some extreme let down that her baby is not normal in the life we know of having a good, healthy, non-malformed baby and wanting to share and show off our baby; not that her baby isn is that a possibility? I would say the news or the site that her baby has clubbed feet in itself could definitely set in postpartum depression. I would suggest and talk to her mom about it who is closest to her. I would call and ask to speak directly to her and not leave a message for her to call back. If you get no where with that, either cook a meal for them and take it over hoping to get a chance to see her and baby or pick up a gift for mom and baby and take it by and try to visit with them. If you don't want to do those, definitely send her a card letting her know you care and hope she is feeling up to a visit soon. I also wonder if maybe she wonders why you haven't called in the 8 days to check on her? Maybe having the baby is more important than the normal of you not calling when her husband is around and she wonders why you haven't called. Just My 2 cents.

Go along to get along (sometimes) [2008-01-07]
I am still working on this, as I tend to flare up easily. I have learned to smile and nod a lot. I went to a seminar on this and was told to go around the difficult person which is very hard because I consider this-two faced. I had to be around a bunch at Christmas and I just practiced smiling and nodding a lot and when the conversation turned religion or politics, I excused myself to the ladies room once, then again changed my seat by saying, Oh, I think I Sometimes a bunch of females especially can get together and attack you like a rabid dog. Best thing is to stay out of these situations. I could very easily become a hermit but this is not healthy. Sometimes if you just repeat their last sentence, it kind of reaffirms what afoolish remark they just made without adding your own two cents. It takes practice, patience and restraint to put up with itchy women (and men) but for me it's mostly women in a group who find strength in numbers and ATTACK! Hate it but it's everywhere.

After Christmas sales [2007-12-29]
Wow, the last few days have been fantastic! 50 percent off and 60 and 70 percent off all merchandise, Christmas and other... Toys at a bargain. I tell you, from now on I am saving my cash for after Christmas to buy gifts for peoplefor the whole year... Give simple things for the holiday and then go spend for the whole year at a fraction of the price the days after Christmas. Only 1 error for me this year... I actually got gift cards and cash for Christmas because I am always crabbing I never have money in my wallet justfor me. So what do I do? go to Walmart and K-Mart with the KIDS and get hornswaggled into getting them more stuff. Yep. Between groceries and them I have exactly approximately 60 cents in change, no lie!Shame on ME. I cut down from Santa this yearto show them themeaning of Christmas, but because they are good consumers on sales and good con artists to me (puppy eyes) I gave all my money away. Never again. Never ever again. That will be my Christmas gift to me to keep that promise. So, love the sales, but beware to save ahead of time and don't bring the kids!!! Happy New Year everyone and may 2008 be the best year yet!