Neither. Not seen dad in the 21st Century, but did see mom to meet my stepfather. sm

I don't meet the survey target , but [2008-09-10]
my two boys had a 10:00 p.m. curfew on school nights when they were 16. Curfew was 11:00 on weekends, unless something special was happening. I was told I was absolutely barbaric for setting such early times. My kids didn't tell me that. Other parents did. Not that I cared, mind you. Each son proved himself to be trustworthy and responsible, and so the day they turned 18, all curfews were lifted. I only asked as a matter of courtesy that they tell me where they were going and give me an approximate time to expect them home so that I knew when to officially start worrying. They didnWhy are you asking me? You LOL! They are 18 and 20 now, and doing just fine. The 18 year-old is commuting to a university in our city. He refers to us as his college roommates.

go see Meet Dave with Eddie Murphy. [2008-07-14]
The kids will love it - and so will you. He played it so well! Cracked me up...several times.

Neither. Not seen dad in the 21st Century, but did see mom to meet my stepfather. sm [2008-06-18]
They were very young when I was born, only 16 and 19. I have a younger brother who is gay and they have both pushed him away too, though mom a bit less. They were very controlling, highly critical and verbally abusive. The only thing I regret about the lack of relationship is that they managed to drive a wedge between my brother and I. I would thrilled to see him and build a new, grown up relationship, but they have made that impossible. And for the record...I didn't see either of my parents for about 10 yrs and then decided to try again in my late 30s and early 40s. It proved fruitless. They were more angry, more belittling and just as abusive as ever. I tried, but then again I have changed and I no longer need that sort of negativity in my life.

Any ICs with Northeast Health going to meet and greet today? [2008-05-20]
I ERMT, you do Samaritan, don It'll be nice to have faces to put to names!

Meet and greet [2008-05-20]
I'm going at 1:00. What a shame - I'd love to meet you!

Ladies how did you meet your hubby? [2008-04-08]
Where and when and did ja' like this guy ?Was your heart justa jumpin'?

Good for you! I had to stand up to my stepfather (sm) [2007-12-19]
When I was about 15 or 16 - threatened to burn him with the iron I was using once. He decided to leave me alone from then on. The ones who are mean to children are really just cowards much of the time. Never hit my kids and don't need to.

My stepfather is a big jerk too (sm) [2007-11-09]
When I go visit my family we stay in a hotel and visit back and forth with them. That way I don't care if I feel unwelcome and I still get to see my mother and other relatives, and if he starts acting jerky, I have somewhere else to go.

My mother chose my stepfather over her kids [2007-11-09]
I have been in the same situation for the last 20 years. My mother figures she only sees us once in a while, so she would rather not be alone the rest of the time. I know how much it hurts to not feel welcome in your mother's house. It shouldn't be that way.

I think you need to get out of the house and meet people in real life. [2007-10-25]
Any man can seem fabulous on the phone or through email. Your relationship has become inappropriate and you know it. IF he cheats on his wife, he WILL cheat on you. For your own sanity and well being, you need to end things now.

Off to Vegas to meet up with my best friend from high school. sm [2007-10-09]
I have not seen or heard from her since our 30-year-old sons were babies. Then we found each other again on Classmates.com and arranged this little vacation. Tonight I will see her after all these years. I I Plus I booked Business Class tickets. That Classmates.com is pretty amazing. I have connected with not only her but my first real love (and first broken heart), 2 girl friends,and 2 old family friends. I really love having this connection with the past because I have very few memories of my years until I was about 23 due to much trauma and it is great to go back and visit some good times. Wish me luck!!

I am so tired of hearing so many people I meet say they SM [2007-10-01]
hate cats. What is with these people, and what in the name of God do cats do to offend so many people? One of my friends told me on a shopping trip last fall about 15 times how she hated cats, but LOVES dogs. Finally I just fired back at her and asked her what in the world was wrong with HER? She got red in the face and muttered something about hating when they rub up against her. Give me a break. I could not take any more thatt day. Every shop we went into and she saw a cat on a picture, a mug, ANYTHING and I had to hear how she hated these wonderful, clever little creatures. All my life I have heard this nonsense. What is it with CATS?? My sister and nieces have cats and always have had them and we could not love them more. Would you believe last year my niece was in line at the store waiting to pay for cat food, when a guy behind her actually tapped her on the shoulder and looked at the cat food she was buying and proudly stated I HATE CATS. I agree with my niece when she said to me a few months ago that cats just don't get the recognition they deserve. When her cat of 20 years was failing but according to the vet not in pain, she took him to bed and slept next to him so he could die in her arms, which he did. We will never forget our Willie. He had a sweetness that will live on forever.

I figure it'll be a cool, 21st-century version of - [2007-09-16]
*

Nice to meet ya! [2007-09-06]
From the Cape May area on the bay. Are you that far south? - Deena

I think it's better to meet people in person around where [2007-07-29]
s

Ours attend local college PT and still live at home. Hard to make ends meet "out there" on [2007-06-20]
s

Guilty! But I only work PT and do meet personal quota. Also spend too [2007-04-08]
s

There's a line in Meet The Parents... [2007-04-05]
*You can pretty much milk anything with nipples.*

So where does one meet these days? [2007-03-18]
So how does a single person meet someone then, especially if not into the bar scene at all? Okay - let me list where I might meet someone: Church...which usually is very limited because almost everyone is married. Any other suggestions? I know what a huge list I have....

In my case, my children were not happy about having to meet and [2007-01-22]
get to know another of dads girlfriends. You seem awfully supportive of the girlfriend. Are you, perhaps, in the girlfriend position? To me, it is selfish of a parent who pushes their girlfriends/boyfriends off onto their children. My children were old enough to say WE DON I didn My job was to protect my childrens best interests. If that makes me sound selfish, oh well.

It doesn't matter what century [2006-12-11]
either.The fact is homosexuality is a sin and I will have no part of any business that supports it.

We hardly wear skirts ever and mostly meet at the church (basis of prayer) [2006-12-06]
n

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.

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�

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. :-)

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.

Dailystrength.com....an online community..sm [2008-11-20]
There It I No one bashes you, everyone understands, you meet people in the same boat, etc. Give it a try. You I hope things work out for you and I wish there was something I could do tohelp. It What I can do, though, is be a shoulder to lean on. Sometimes the friends you cansee are the easiest to talk to. I know it is for me.

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.

Is your car foreign or American? [2008-11-17]
I have a 2005 Chevy Malibu Maxx. My last car is a 93 Buick Century wagon. I sold it to my nephew and he's still driving it. My car before that was a 2004 Chevy Malibu Maxx. Both Maxxes have 3.5 motors. I'm squeezing out an average of 24 mpg. I do mostly city driving. On a road trip last month the average was 38.6 mpg. The Buick wagon has a 3.3. The car is bigger so the mileage was lower but around 18 mpg. I have not owned a foreign car since 1996.

My DH drives a Chevy Malibu Maxx... [2008-11-17]
I have a 2005 Buick LeSabre and we also have an older Ford Explorer that DH kept to use for hauling stuff..... I've never had anything but an American made car........... LOL, I'm not exactly a car salesperson's dream customer........ I keep my cars forever...... 1972 Plymouth Duster 1984 Buick Skyhawk 1996 Buick Century 2005 Buick Skyhawk.......... only 4 cars in over 30 years......

OMG!! I have cried a river reading this...sm [2008-11-17]
I am a softie for dogs anyway, and I especially have a special place in my heart for pit bulls and beagles too. This goes to show what wonderful dogs a pit can be. I am not surprised at all that this dog did this because a pit is one of the most smart, loving, feeling dogs you could ever meet. If they are raised right that is. It is so typical of a pit to risk his own life to save someone in need. This pit who some people claim are dangerous could have very well saved this woman and her son from a tragic end. And then for him to jump in her back seat as if to say please take me home. I just would have begged them to please let me take him home. I am glad to know if nobody claims him she will take care of him now because he deserves it. He truly is an angel. THIS is why I love pit bulls. Until you know one you don't know the love they are capable of.

Extended warranties are the biggest waste - sm, [2008-11-15]
of money, and the all time scam of the century. The couple times I was d*u*m*b enough to buy one they never, never paid for themselves. I never buy them now, haven't for years and have never had a problem with any of the products I bought that offered them. Believe me the companies that offer them (just about everyone) are laughing all the way to the bank....they take in way more then they ever have to pay out for repair work/replacments, etc.

very displeased with 2 of my friends right now [2008-11-15]
We all work for the same company. Our employer offers three types of employment: Full-time, part-time and on-call. Well, work has been low and the on-call gals have been asked to halt production and allow those of us full and part-timers to meet our quota. They know I work full time, as I must, being the sole-provider for my family. They both have husbands and only work on-call for spending money. So, of course, I ran out of work today. Friend number one calls and tells me she I don I asked her why she was working, knowing work was low, and she stated to me that with the holidays coming up she needs a much larger paycheck this next time around. ARRGHH! I already talked to our supervisor about the two of them. I feel that since we are friends, I should not have to be the one to tell them that they are taking food off my plate. I I know there Thanks.

Before you push the panic button sm [2008-11-14]
This is a recession, quite possibly the mother of all recessions. It may turn into a depression, but it will run a very distant second to the Great Depression, IF it does. Pre the GP (Great Depression) you several things going on that are NOT true today. We had come out of WWI not that long before. It had been a very bloody war, the first war with mechanized destruction. What the Doughboys witnessed was for them what we saw on 09/11...unimaginable death and destruction. It changed how they viewed America. When these boys came home from the war, they came back to the farm, by and large. We were an agrarian country and with the exception of east coast, there were hardly any factory jobs and most people worked the land. Plenty of places all over the country people worked on shares and they were not all in the deep south and they were not all black. There was not nearly the land/home ownership that there is today. Most of these dirt farmers lived in poverty and barely scraped by enough to eat twice a day. When the great Dust Bowl came through Oklahoma, it took the enormous clouds of dust eastward and dumped it into the Atlantic Ocean. This was a man-made disaster and the story of the Joads in the Grapes of Wrath centers on the Dust Bowl and the farming habits of families, like the Joads caused them problems. It was their fault that the top soil blew across FDR's desk in the Oval Office. There was no infrastructure to speak of, in those days. There were roadways, but not the spider web of paved roads there are today. Goods were carried on the rails, not over the roads. You didnin town and the Sears-Roebuck catalog. If you couldn't find it there or could not afford it you either cobbled something together or did without. You can look the Coal Miner's Daughter about being so low-down dirt poor it is unbelievable. That movie is quite cleaned up and Hollywood presentable. You could look at the sparse surroundings of the ranch house in Broke Back Mountain where Ennis goes after Jack dies, and while the time frame is more modern, the very plain, only the very basics of life appear in that ranch house. They are both a bit sanitized, but reasonably realistic. Today, Americans live extraordinarily different lives than we did 80 years ago. Most people have a vehicle. Most people have more than a dirt floor shack to live in. We, have thanks to the Great Depression and FDR's recovery plan, electricity, roads, water, sewage and other sanitation. We take these things for granted, but we should not. The GP did bring some food shortages, not because of the depression, but because of the lack of infrastructure combined with people on the move to find work to subsist. The food shortages you are thinking of came with WWII and rationing...another problem secondary to lack of infrastructure and subsistence farming where there was not enough food produced to meet the need. If you are going to stock up on food, let be for more common sense reasons. If you put your money in the bank, you will make 2% or 3% return on $500. If you put that same amount into nonperishable food (think canned goods), you make a better return on an investment. You don't earn 2% or 3%, but you can end up leveraging against future price increases that will meet and exceed what interest you make from a bank, which is nothing right now. You will need food whether you buy it now or buy it later. Squirreling away extra under the bed or whatever place you can find room, is a wise investment...financially and in peace of mind.

Are you saying this couldn't have ...sm [2008-11-09]
happened with a Great Dane or a Great Pyranees or Lab, etc.? Are you saying these dogs aren't capable of killing or mauling? I don't think the old man was their master. I think the pits belonged to the daughter and her boyfriend. Unfortunately this happened and it shouldn't have. These dogs for some reason chose to attack. I don't know or you why. I would like to know but we will never know. I just don't believe that dogs attack for no reason. It don't make it right for them to attack but I think there is always a reason. Something provokes them. I guess the daughter and boyfriend thought the dogs would not hurt the man but something happened there that day and a dog should never kill a person. But something happened. These dogs were not quite as stable as thought to be or either the man wasn't stable enough to be staying in the house with the dogs. You are right you never know what the dogs will find to be threatening and something must have made these dogs feel threatened. I take every precaution I can with my pit bull. He is not mean or vicious but he has that protective instinct for his family and that is what I have to protect others from. But so do German Shepards, Dobermans, etc. My dog also looks for me to tell him when it is okay. When someone is okay. When we introduce him to people we tell him it is okay CJ. He/she is nice. And we let him sniff them and then he will go have a seat and just chill. He don't want to hurt anyone he just wants to make sure nobody hurts his family. As soon as he knows we are fine he is fine and goes on about his business. But that is only if a visitor wants to meet CJ and then we will let them but otherwise he will stay in his fenced in back yard. I try to be as responsible as possible.

unstable? LOL [2008-11-08]
Hey just to let you know I go to this girl's house when I get the chance to & her pitbull is a very grounded, well-behaved dog. As far as ownership, I believe she is one of the best owners I have ever seen as far as pitbulls go. When she got her pitbull realizing all of the controversy that surrounds the breed she really did her homework & researched the breed thoroughly to get a good understanding of every aspect. She introduces her pitbull to strangers in a way that she knows he is comfortable to meet them & he is fine after that. It is all in knowing your dog's personality and what he/she likes/dislikes. I would just like to say that her dog couldn't ask for a better owner & she couldn't ask for a better dog.

I understand, believe me! [2008-11-07]
They're not helping? Oooooo, no meals cooked, laundry done or picking up after them, then! Kids big enough to walk to/from school? Let 'em if they're not willing to help. Until they start helping me, I'm not helping them! A functioning family unit is not where the papa makes some money and comes home and does what he wants while the kids go to school and come in and do what they want while mama works, cleans, cooks, does the housework, shopping and carting kids around and never gets to do what she wants! Nope, nope, nope! Be strong!! MAKE them do it! Otherwise, schedule your dinner at a local restaurant and meet everyone there! AND DON'T TAKE ANYONE WHO REFUSED TO HELP!! Hot dogs for them on Turkey Day! LOL

Glad to have found another fan [2008-11-05]
If you can believe it, I have one friend who lives across the street who has never heard of them! And the women I bowl with never have either. Their Website is www.maroon5.com. I put their CD on my list for Christmas (the new one they have with a DVD- do you have that one)? I'll have to look out for the 90210 episode. They were on CSI Miami last month and I forgot all about it and missed it. I was upset that I didn't join their Fan Club. The fan club members got a Meet & Greet at our concert :(. I'll know better next time.

The 90210 episode is season 8, episode 3 - sm [2008-11-05]
I remember sometime last year when we were getting Rolling Stone magazine we got an issue with them all over the cover and a huge article inside, certainly coinciding with the release of It Won't Be Soon Before Long. I didn't know who they were then and let the magazine be thrown out. I could kick myself! haha. A Meet and Greet?? Oh what a dream come true that would be!

How about a spoiled rotten 40-year-old [2008-10-31]
Amazon Parrot? She is so beautiful and knows it! She has a bright yellow head and talks to the dogs, and all the dogs we have had prior to this one. About 3 years ago I bought her one of those parrots that will talk back and flap its wings and repeats everything you say. She loves BIRDIE so much that I tried to pick it up (have to admit was teasing her with it and kissing it) and she got so jealous she bit my leather jacket and made a hole in it!So much for the jacket, but I love my Morry. We thought she was a boy so we named her Morris, then we were told she was a female. . . I switched her name to Morrisa, i.e. Morry. Wish you could meet her. She is just darling and spoiled and rotten and . . . . . . . .

Find a lawyer, find out where you would stand - sm [2008-10-26]
in the event of a divorce/separation, regarding custody, house, etc. Custody was my main concern as well since I lied on numerous occasions about the finances. Where I am I was told that would not factor in to the custody at all. I can prove that I am my kids caregiver 90% of the time, I ferry they around everywhere, help with homework, get ready for school, meet at busstop, etc. I could also point out my husband is an alcoholic, self treats his depression with alcohol instead of getting proper medical treatment, has threatend to kill himself (or me) numerous times (though he always says he was joking and did not mean it.....that is his standard answer to everything, or that he never said that). Now I do love him enough to deal with all that because deep down inside my DH is full of it, luckily for me, he has never followed through on anything he says he is going to do. But I thought my confession would be the straw that broke it all and send him over the edge. He still is angry with me, I am sure he will be for a long time, but is keeping it together pretty well, though he has said the stress was going to kill him, now he know how I felt I guess. I am sorry your husband is such a smuck. I feel like a dog sometimes with the sex demands, have to do it the night before he goes out of town....he will be traveling a lot for work for the next 3-4 months, which I am more than glad about, much calmer here then, though it gets tiring for me but as he is not really helping much right now it really won't be much of a change. As for yours going on 5 day weekends.....have you considered having him followed, sounds like there may be some infidelity afoot, and if so that would strengthen your case in the event of a divorce and custody I would think. Sounds a bit fishy going out until 1 a.m. and his frequent trips. My DH fishes too, but he goes 2 miles from here with one of our male neighbors, they shoot the breeze and he gets to unwind some which I encourage. Very rare weekends with a buddy of his, I am talking once every 2 years, which again is fine with me. Start keeping track of all you do, when he is home, where he supposedly goes, with whom, etc. He cannot show he will be a responsible dad if he is never there or never interacts with his own kids. My DH would probably suggest I take our older daughter and he the younger, spliting them up, he has the same perception, the oldest is mine, the youngest is his. Our younger daughter is much easier to deal with, our older daughter drives him nuts and she is only 10. My younger one (8) knows something has been going one though, and worries we will divorce, which she does not want. She is very perceptive for her years. I hope that if you do go the divorce route, which would actually probably be best in your situation, that it all works out for you and you get your fair share of assets, etc. Make sure before you do anything like that you have all your ducks in a row, so talk to divorce lawyer. I talked to one for 45 minutes, cost me $160 but was worth it to set my mind at ease. Good luck.

Christmas gifts will be practical sm [2008-10-22]
Fortunately, was able to start today but bought warm, fuzzy clothing, will put a little something to play with in with that to lessen the blow of clothes! I have grandkids and they don't want clothes. Kohls had some great lounge pants at 50% off, Guitar Hero, Mario Bros., etc. Used another 15% coupon off. The grownups are getting warm PJ's,etc., working DIL will get something to wear to work. I was poor as a kid, and I can remember getting a 16-color paint set and thought I'd hit the lottery. I went to Michaels Craft Store and bought some craft kits instead of toys today with coupons. I don't think I'll be too popular this year but I'm being practical. I know it isn't what the holiday is about and think many are going to be suffering. I can remember my mom rooting plants early on, buying white cotton cloth, and every grown up got a beautiful plant and a home-sewn apron. I know what it's like to have lean Christmases and if you can start now, you can come up with something basic if possible. I hope the house of cards does not blow down any further for us. I feel for those struggling to make ends meet, everything is affected. I will probably spend much less. Church bazaars are good for some things as well, every little bit helps. Gift for transcriptionist? HoMedica's heated rolling massager on sale, helps with the back problem and husband uses it also,best gift I ever received (aside from home made cookies and brownies). I hope some positive change is in the air for everyone so no one goes without this holiday season, especially the children.

I think it's all in the delivery -- [2008-10-22]
start with your parents first (i They Explain that you Suggest to your parents (if theywant to exchange gifts, they can meet at someone else I don

I have banned my mom from seeing my kids [2008-10-21]
Your situation is similar to mine, but my mom has gone a little further. I have 4 children,2 from my first marriage and 2 from my second. My second husband has been with my older two children since they were 4 and 5 and we have been married for 11 years (so obviously he is not going anywhere). I found out about a year ago that she had been talking to my oldest two kids for years about how horrible she thought my husband treated my older kids and how he doesnown children. We had been having problems with my 16 year old daughter at the time and everything can now stem back to much of this. We couldn But they were being fed information behind our backs. Everything from he is cheating on your mom, he is abusing your mom, he is a scumbag, etc. My mother also believes in the other side which is fine with me, but don We don She would frequently talk to my youngest two, who are only 7 and 8, about traveling out of body, talking to spirits, and how they were reincarnated. This was on top of stuff like after being told not to take the kids bike riding down a road that is 55 mph (no sidewalks) with no helmets on and she did it, not just once, but 3 times. Then when I caught her lying about it, she paid off my daughter by taking her shoe shopping! No wonder my kid is messed up. She was told over a year ago to knock it off or supervised visits only (she was told once previously as well). She didnworship her enough for mother It has been the hardest thing that I have had to do, but to save my marrige, my sanity and my kids, I did what I had to do. We live in a small town as well and of course mouths are wagging. The schools are under strict order to not let her in to see them as well and know the situation. My stepfather is dumbfounded and doesn But he is only hearing her side of things. I told him to get her into counseling and that would be the ONLY way I would even think of mending this, but it has yet to be done. You have to do what is right for your family and if this creates this much uproar in your family, then only you can decide how much you can take.

Chances are, this is an outdoor, nondominational [2008-10-16]
codes against taking them to a church service, because that would open up a whole nother can of worms. But really... home-teaching shouldn't be the ONLY input a child gets in life. They will ultimately make their own choices in life, and the more viewpoints they learn, the better their choices are likely to be. Some of the wildest, most out-of-control kids I know are the ones with ultra-strict parents. Worse yet are the home-schooled, who go out into the world without a good working knowledge of how to deal with diversity. And look where home-teaching about sex, birth-control, and abstinence has gotten us. More and more teenagers giving birth every day. sex education in the home is pathetically lacking for most kids, and so is home-schooling when it comes to morals and values. And I'm not talking about biblical 'morals', I'm talking about an every-day, common-sense personal CONSCIENCE. Far too many parents I meet appear to be sadly lacking in common sense or a conscience.

See, the problem is, you're taking YOUR personal [2008-10-16]
adhere to it, or else they are morally 'WRONG'. This teacher isn't forcing anyone to attend her marriage. Whoever wants to stay home, can. It's just no big deal. How you think as an individual IS your right in the US, whether you believe it is God-given or not. But the deal is, that right may also be Buddha-given, or Allah-given, etc. I find it really strange that people feel there is a different 'lifestyle' associated with homosexuality. Except for a brief period of time spent in the bedroom (which is really NOBODY's business but theirs - not even God's), for most gays, every other aspect of life is exactly the same. They still set their alarms, get up in the morning, go to work, and contribute to society. Actually, a large number of them contribute far MORE to society than your average 'Joe Sixpack' or 'Joe the Plumber'. Among my own gay friends, there are: - An astrophysicist - A doctor - A lawyer - A teacher - A scientist - On individual who graduated from both Harvard AND Yale When it comes to contributing to the outward appearances of the city, the gay community has moved into some areas (like the Castro) which used to be seedy, dangerous neighborhoods, remodelled, repainted, rebuilt, opened restaurants and boutiques, and turned it into one of the city's best neighborhoods with a strong tax base. There are homes in my own neighborhood owned by gays that they put their effort and money into, and now those homes shine, increasing property values all around them. I've been on this earth far more years than I care to admit, and I have to say - I have yet to meet a single homosexual person, male or female, that I didn't like, and who didn't make a significant contribution in life. That can't be said for many of the heterosexuals I've known. And finally, let me tell ya - the best 'girlfriend' you could ask for is a gay guy. My friends keep me laughing nonstop, and brighten my life. Condemning a person's entire existence because of a mere 20-minute difference in bedroom behavior is wrong. If that's what 'God teaches', then I'm glad that's not MY God. My God is tolerant of all those that he created.

Soooo cute! I have a lab/great dane mix... scary to some 'cause he is so big. But he is a big wus [2008-10-14]
Are those mini-pins! A while ago I was running with Walter (my dog) and we came across a lady with 2 mini-pins. Walter wants to meet everyone and the lady said they were friendly so we let them sniff, but all of a sudden they were all over Walter with little tiny flashing teeth. Walter yiped like a little baby and skulked away and the lady said oh my they never do that. Why do they always say that, like it is my big dog Well anyway, just this weekend I saw the mini pins in her car at the market when by coincidence I parked next to it. When I opened my door they were up on the dash and leaping at the crack in the window and snarling and barking at me. I know they could not get to me but I cringed and hustled away. They looked really scary! I swear I felt like they could jump up on me and grab on something like my ears or something and not let go. But I am sure they are sweet... NOT! But it goes to show you never know... they are all animals, after all. And like people all have very distinct personalities, very much formed by their family (the people family, I mean). I could tell the owner of the mini pins was kind of a ---- well you know, not that nice... she left them in the hot car, after all... and they were pretty much a product of their upbringing. I too actually think pits have some of the sweetest dispositions I have ever met in a dog.