Sounds like she is trying to get attention to me and it is working. sm

It sounds like she needs brushing, but [2008-11-30]
not a bath right now. You might find a kid right in your neighborhood who would brush her for you for a small fee - their first job. That's assuming your dog has a tolerance for kids and brushing. But I know you don't want to put water on a tangled dog. Always treat the tangles before a bath. My Siberians could go 6 months or longer without a bath most of the time. It depends on the coat and whether the dog has an odor or oily skin or skin problems.

Sounds like a very nice way to get [2008-11-25]
pregnant. Great post!

that sounds great, with apple juice, [2008-11-24]
but would you give me some idea of temp to cook at, and how long it might take to get soft? Do you wait til its done to add cinnamon and brown sugar? God bless, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Your menu sounds yummy - what time do we eat? [2008-11-24]
:)

Well, at least they're working to [2008-11-24]
support their children. Raising kids in this generation isn The pressure are on parents these days isn In addition to making sure our kids are well taken care of and that we attend the all important PTO meetings, baseball meetings, wrestling club meetings, soccer meetings, football meetings, dance recitals, cheerleading practice, on and on, we also must make sure our 1st and 2nd graders are doing their 1 hour worth of homework each evening and in addition to that make sure we are reading a book to them every night. These are the requirements now set by the schools. The parents must also deal with sex, drugs, and peer pressure at a much younger age than you probably did. Just last week, I had to explain to my second grader what a virgin was. Did he learn that word at home? No, he learned it on the bus because our school district decided to save money by busing all the kids together, high school through kindergarten. The meals you mention your GKs eating, that More than likely, your GKs won You seem very harsh on your kids, and IIs either one ofthe parents involved in their children Do you have any idea how much time that takes? Arethey struggling with finances? Were you a stay-at-home mom or work-at-home mom? Having to get kids ready in the morning and get yourself ready, then spend 8 hours a day working, only to come home and pick up the same kids and do homework with them is not an easy chore. More than likely, your DS and DDIL are tired. Instead of criticizing, why not ask where you can help? Maybe you could offer to make them dinner once a week after work. Give them an evening out without kids to just relax a little bit. I As for the kids But aren Maybe he Maybe mom and dad didn I, myself, grew up in a home where I had frozen pizza at least 2 or 3 times a week for supper. My mom worked nights and my dad didn If my mom could make us a meal before she left, she did. Frozen pizza didn I graduated high school at 140 pounds, normal for 5 tall. My mom and dad were there for everything for me, though, and it It Your words are so harsh and I just have to wonder, if you think they Is it because you know the children are well taken care of, just not up to your standards? Perhaps you should have a conversation with your DS and see what his impressions of your child-rearing of him were. Perhaps there were areas you could have improved on.

That sounds great - I'll give it a try. [2008-11-23]
A plus is they grow really well. Another item to add to the garden next year if we like them. Thank you so much. I will always try something new with an open mind. However, I still hate beets and did when I was a kid. But I do like snails. HA HA.

Sounds very much like to do with RAM or HDD [2008-11-21]
These two components are ones that make the computer freeze......the life of RAM and HDD depends on the usage, so 3 years can be quite some time...sorry, if this does not help you! Just another suggestion

sounds like you will have to be the adult in this situation as the ex is not --- [2008-11-17]
and follow the mother she is being the adult in the situation as you are, so don't lose it. food for thought: she was hurting at the funeral. sometimes people put all their hurts in one pocket and never deal with it, never heal. gram died, the pocket opened and out it all came. you may be only one situation she put away for a rainy day.

Sounds to me like [2008-11-15]
you own those dogs now and if he wants to take them out to maul other animals he needs to pay you a hefty fee.

Sounds like you could easily turn this into a meal [2008-11-11]
by tossing in some chicken breasts. My MIL bakes pork chops in cream of mushroom soup, bet you could use that too for something a little different.

Well it sounds to me like everyone thought you already knew (sm) [2008-11-10]
I mean it just sounds like they thought everyone was meeting back up for a movie and wondered where you were.

Sounds like [2008-11-06]
you are saying a company Wal-Mart uses is charging the fee. Find out the name and contact them. If you don't get anywhere with them, ask your bank to straighten it out with them. It should be obvious it was a mistake, and you should have been contacted. Things are getting ridiculous these days!

That sounds like my neighborhood [2008-10-31]
Don't you just love it? I hear a lot about awful neighbors and neighbors being unfriendly, and I can't even imagine. I used to just walk into my friend's house and vice versa. They're definitely like family. Unfortunately, they moved about 10 miles away, but we see each other every weekend for get togethers. In the summers we have no less than 20 kids running around pool jumping from house to house and general fun.

Sounds interesting [2008-10-23]
Would you like to share your recipe?

Hmm, sounds like my ex-husband. [2008-10-21]
NN

sounds delicious -- my little boy is in the kitchen [2008-10-21]
i set him up with the mixer in the sink so he doesn he loves baking cakes cuz it's like a science project (he's 8)... loves baking...

Your life sounds like mine and all [2008-10-16]
the other gays out there. I cannot believe someone actually said that we had an agenda and pushing it down their throats. They are just uninformed and ignorant and unfortunately, they worry too much what goes on behind closed doors. Perhaps if they would not concentrate on the bedroom so much, they could actually see that we are no different from them. I am out and my family and friends accept me for who I am and not what I am - I am no different from anyone else just because I am gay. It still amazes me that people can be so ignorant but that is just the way they were brought up. I was raised to respect all people no matter the color, orientation, etc. Obviously the poster here's why is the one with the agenda.

Everyone belongs somewhere; it sounds like you are in the right place....see msg [2008-10-16]
So enjoy that you live in a place that is right for you and accept that not everyone thinks the way that you do, just as you expect people to accept that you think differently from them.

Sounds like your dad...... sm [2008-10-15]
is regretting the decision that he made by cheating on your mom and now is having to lie in the bed he made and not liking it. Can He is lonely, and at his stage of life, making these kinds of changescan behard on a man; hence, his always coming around, etc. He has lost his marriage and is now very close to losing his daughter. With all of that said, however, I do not think what he is doing and has done in the past is right, and he is putting you in a very hard position. He needs to realize that you have your own household to attend. Unless he is literally demented and needs your help, you need to learn to say no in order to make him stand on his own 2 feet and to preserve your own sanity. I disagree with the poster above who recommended you and your mother sell your properties and move. Why should you have to be the one to move, even if he is like he is? My recommendation (if the floosie won At least he would have running HOT water and electricity and access to a laundry. He can learn to operate a washer and dryer. I know he is your dad and I know you feel trapped between your duties as a daughter and your feelings about what has happened in your family. I hope you can find a resolution soon to this.

Anyone else working today??? sm [2008-10-12]
What was I thinking? I did too much yard work yesterday and am sore all over, stayed up too late last night and have a bunch of work to do today! Did I forget I am a transcriptionist? lol! I am soooo tired today. Is anyone else working or is it just me?

I'm not working either; it's a good thing, since my thumb feels like it will soon fall off - n [2008-10-12]
:)

I'm not working - so why am I at my computer? [2008-10-12]
Today is the first day off I've had in about 2 weeks or more. Sometimes it feels like I haven't had a day off since the 5th grade. Weather is getting cold here in Oregon so bringing our plants inside (we're expecting a freeze tonight). I should be cleaning, quilting, and doing a ton of other things, so now that I've read this board I ask myself - why am I using my off time to type? HA HA HA - Okay I'm off to clean.

Sounds like your not talking to him [2008-10-08]
yelling and complaining. After a certain point he probably just tunes you out.

Sounds interesting..but I would ask your SIL since she already has one for her son.. [2008-10-07]
she probably knows more details about it

Sounds great! [2008-10-06]
Thanks for the tip. I am going to oven dry some tomatoes today.

My family decided last year to just enjoy the holidays [2008-12-01]
We're all adults, no children, and live in small homes or apartments. I NEED tons of stuff, but have no place to put much of anything, and can't afford to reciprocate with a gift. Same with a couple other siblings. My mom's been impossible to buy gifts for, for probably the last 10 years. I was the first to bow out the year before last. I started the ball rolling because I just plain couldn't afford it anymore, and was too busy working all the time to spend hours on end in a department store. I had a new job, no PTO, and NO money, so I alerted everyone that I wasn't going to play the game that year. Turns out it was a relief to all! And last year, without all the holiday 'getting mauled at the mall' disasters, each of us had quiet, happy, stress-free holidays. So now that we've eliminated the gift-giving aspect of Christmas, I finally can look forward to the season and enjoy it again.

Why don't you just hang out with [2008-12-01]
your older sister that you enjoy being with? Simple as that. Nobody is forcing you to feed your sister You probably just want to get along with everybody which isn Just don You sound like a very nice person but maybe too nice to your sisters and they take advantage of you. Remember, nice guys finish last and start getting a little tougher. Don It sounds like you worry too much about what your sisters think of you. Go a week without talking to them and see if your self-esteem improves. Your sisters sound very toxic. Good-luck and let us all know how you are doing.

I agree with Stardust and Deb...... [2008-12-01]
your sisters are toxic and you need to let them go. Even though they are family, there is no reason why you have to put up with that crap. When people take away your happiness knowingly, it is time to let go. It sounds as though you have done all you could and things obviously are not going to get better. Keep your relationship with your older sister but cut ties with the others. I have an aunt who is like that. Unfortunately she is 80 so because of that, I try to suck it up but it is so hard. If she were younger, I would have cut all communication long ago. She is abusive, insults me at every chance, etc. Funny how I am the only one who calls her every two days and goes up to see her all the time. When I call or go up, it is very stressful. I know what you are dealing with and no one should have to feel inadequate at the expense of another person.

About the coming change to all... [2008-11-30]
If there's anyone left on the planet (well, maybe it's just this country) who doesn't know this, and isn't sick and tired of hearing about it, seeing TV spots about it, etc. It's been going on for what, almost a year? It started before Feb 2008 because some got the idea THAT was when it was going to change, but it was 2009- over a year away. I haven Thinking it was some big news story, I read it, and I don't know if it's been saying this all along but, along with saying you won't get (or might NOT get) good or any TV when it changes, unless you get a converter box, it also says YOU CAN USE A VCR OR DVD (as a convertor)! Not a lot of people don't have a VCR or DVD player and if not, you can get a cheap one for $39.99 or so. So, you can hook up your antenna to the VCR or DVD player and that converts it to the digital the TV needs, and you also get the VCR and DVD player (if you don't already have one)? So, why haven't they said this before? Or, if they have it wasn't stressed. People can get coupons to buy a converter box, more wires and things to hook up, when they can use their VCR or DVD player (or buy a cheap one and watch tapes or DVDs or record, etc. on them, too)? Maybe I have this wrong, but I know it said you either MIGHT need a convertor box, OR a VCR or DVD player to get the digital signal (just not with your TV and anntenna) Just thought I'd pass this on, in case anyone who uses an antenna still hasn't gotten a converter box but might have a VCR or DVD player (or would rather buy one, instead)

Men [2008-11-30]
I think his quality of life would go up if he'd be willing to see an audiologist and have his hearing evaluated. There are a lot of new technologies on the market these days. They will usually allow a person to take a device home for a trial before purchase. But it sounds like he doesn't want to admit his body is aging. He still wants to act like a kid and spend money on toys instead of health. My hubby is 50, and is just now realizing sometimes expensive electronics just aren't in a real-world budget. I haven't cared about gifts since I was a kid. I found gifts very disappointing and giving them a lot of work, so thank goodness we only buy for nieces and nephews now and all the adults go without. It had just become a silly exchange of gift cards anyway.

Silly Girl shouldn't have to treat her [2008-11-30]
husband like a dog or a child. After all, she is his wife, not his mother. If she wants a pet, she can go to the animal shelter and get a dog. She married a man and he needs to act like one. It sounds like she gives and gives, and he takes. I think Silly Girl should start taking care of herself for a change.

A lot of us have things in our past........ sm [2008-11-30]
that we are not proud of, and while we do not deliberately try to hide them, sometimes it is just easier not to talk about them as it is painful and very often misunderstood by those around us, even our spouses. It is not my business what this secret is that your husband has, but it sounds as if it is something that he has learned a lesson from and probably will not end up repeating in the future. My own personal opinion is that if this is not something that is threatening your marriage or your children right now, I would let the past stay in the past. In other words, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

We got our tree today [2008-11-29]
We went to a tree farm, took a tractor ride and cut down our tree. We have 12 foot high ceilings and usually get a 12 foot tree, but this year we put it at the other end of the family room, and we got an 8-1/2 footer. We used to have a fake Christmas tree up until about 8 years ago or so when our cat began eating all the fake pine needles. Long story short she ate so many she had to have emergency surgery to remove them (she wasnt' able to pass them) and $1,500 later we decided no more fake trees. She's no longer with us, but when she was younger she would climb in the tree and actually knocked it over one year. We had to anchor it to the wall. Our other cat never really bothered the tree except batting around ornaments at the bottom. He's been over sniffing it today, but hasn't paid much attention to it over the past few years.

Wow! [2008-11-28]
I was in a WalMart and some lady not paying attention rammed her cart right into the back of my elderly mother. Of course Mom didn What a jerk that lady was, and she didn

Older folks sometimes lose it before they really lose it sm [2008-11-27]
It sounds like she having some issues with money and thought processes. Four potatoes and three sweet potatoes? She has lost touch with reality. I don't mean this in an unkind way. I think she didn't stop the think or plan the budget around this. Perhaps she has lost the ability to properly plan on some level. This makes no sense. In my family, food at grammatoo expensive and started using shavings of naphtha soap. She started saving little soap slivers and making new bars of soap with them. She stopped buying shampoo unless it was in the markdowns at the grocery store. She started using a baggie for her vacuum cleaner bag. You get the picture here. The interesting thing is that truly, that gramma never fully lost it. We considered this idiosyncratic and went on. She kept the rest of her faculties, but had these odd ways of saving money. My other gramma who never did any of these things did, in fact, suffer from profound dementia the last 10 years of her life. Of course, that set of grandparents had the issue the other way. Toilet paper: Bought in bulk 6 cases at a time. Find a salad dressing you like, buy a couple of cases. You never did want to tell them you liked a certain food, paper product or soap something because if you did, along would come a few cases of it! We all do something when we get older. Help her out so she isn't embarrassed by this!

6 pumpkin pies, 2 vinegar pies and a chocolate chiffon pie sm [2008-11-27]
So now that I have caught your attention...just what is a vinegar pie, you ask. In the south, they are referred to as transparent pie. You will sometimes hear it called sweet and sour pie. It is good real cider vinegar, the kind with the mother at the bottom, brown sugar, white sugar, butter and eggs, a bit of flour. It is like water when you put in the shell. You bake it for an hour and it comes out about like the goo in a pecan pie with no nuts. It is not sour a bit, nor is it sickly sweet. It is sweet with a bit of an apple bite. The kids love it and when younger son is home for the holidays, he will devour one of them at a sitting. He literally comes in and sees the vinegar pie, takes one and says: So...what is everyone else having? The other son won't eat pumpkin or vinegar, so he has the chocolate chiffon. The rest of us are pumpkin eaters.

i told him he could stay, but his testicles would have [2008-11-26]
I already had two rescue cats, when the neighborhood stray came in through the cat door two years ago. He was so sick with pneumonia, limp and lifeless. I nursed him back to help and swiftly had him neutered. Of the three, he is by far the most grateful, any food, any attention, any place to sleep. When you have more love to give, what's the harm in just one more???

Take a sewing class, and take the machine - sm [2008-11-26]
with you. There you will learn how to use it and how to sew too. I have been sewing since I took home-ec in 7th grade. I have a Singer that is about 20 years old or more. It is a pretty basic one with about 12 different stitch types. Have never had an issue. Sounds like you donhow to sew class. Call a local craft store and see what they offer. Even one private lesson would probably do you a world of good. Good luck.

Would you be worried [2008-11-26]
Would you be worried if at 13 your daughter had a lot of friends who are boys? My daughter also has a couple female friends but not around this area. I am working so I can She is downstairs in the kitchen now making lunch for the 2 neighbor boys because I told her she couldn These kids are driving me crazy today! What would you do?

Thank you to all for suggestions/advice [2008-11-26]
It It is so isolating working from home sometimes. I don Working from home is a mixed blessing sometimes... I do this so I can be available for my kids, but at the same time I feel I am always working and can On the days they don Iguess I thought it would be easieronce they got older, but it is just as complicated in many ways.Well, another day off from school is almost over and at least we all survived.

boys [2008-11-26]
My son is 15 and I cannot tell you how many interviews and interrogations we have had to go through. Every time he has been on a date the parents want to meet us and see our house, etc. I has been a flipping nightmare, especially since these little flings last about a week and are over after the dance! In my humble opinion, find her something else to do. That is what I have had to do with my son. I just can't take the pain anymore. Join some super busy, mega overly scheduled adult supervised something! Shoo, shoo, mama is working!

*ears perk up* cherry cream? [2008-11-26]
That sounds YUMMY! Oh, and if you had a piece of chocolate cream with it... I think I'm going to follow you. Wish I had a MIL that made good pies. It would make it all worth it. lol I wouldn't have to worry about keeping my mouth shut...It would be full of pie!

Try to work an earlier shift. Your [2008-11-26]
daughter should be able to keep herself busy with homework, chores, etc, until you get done working. Then when you aren You don She will just have to understand. But I would let her have her time with her friends when you are off. It will be less distracting for you and you won't have to jump up to see what is going on.

If the store is still open.... [2008-11-26]
If you have a big platter or can get a throw-away one, make a nice cheese and cracker platter and put a bowl of grapes in the middle, that way youScoops with salsa. Just happen to have them in your trunk. Hurry up, it's getting late, maybe the drug store is open or a 711.

Early X-mas shopping at walmart.com..sm [2008-11-25]
Does anyone know if the specials that Walmart offers on black Friday in the stores are also available online? I am working Friday and I do not want to go to Walmart at 5 am just for 3 or 4 items, but on at least one item I would save 30 bucks. I do not want to over extend myself by getting up and going to Walmart and then coming back home trying to get in the work mode. I am usually so frustrated by the crowds and disrespectful people that I am irritatated when I return home.

I tried to email you and it wouldn't let me [2008-11-25]
Everything sounds pretty obvious on what to do, but can you send me the recipe for the peanut butter kiss cookies please? Thanks!

STOP IT [2008-11-25]
quit putting yourself down - Your child will never hate you - your husband will not hate you - You have done nothing wrong.. SOME people today do put too much emphasis on material things -but you know as well as I do that material things are not that important. . Your heart is what is important. . Love your child and husband and continue being the good person you are - Do you think those people are better than you because they have a lot of land? No - they may have more money but they are no better - and from the way they treat other people - it sounds like they are not as good as you. . And the gifts you gave the child were fine - people would be a lot better off playing board games with their kids than letting them play video games all the time.

nest of vipers [2008-11-25]
Your family deserves better friends. It sounds like the boy is already a clone of his materialistic parents & is not a good influence on your daughter. Get away now & start your own group of solid, level-headed, smart, low-impact-living, Nintendo-less do-it-yourself-ers. You don't need these idiots. Here are a couple of interesting links: http://www.lewrockwell.com/westley/westley17.html http://www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_tveffect.shtml

No I feel better about not having one. NM [2008-11-25]
Sounds like they are more trouble then what they are worth.

No I feel better about not having one. [2008-11-25]
Sounds like they are more trouble then what they are worth.