Update about dentist from below post sm

Great post! nm [2008-12-01]
xx

Yes, this post is very true...sm [2008-12-01]
She claims to love her cats but she can be very mean to them. She constantly screams and swears at them. I wouldn She was one of the select chosen and with her narcissistic personality, she will absolutely refuse togive up her weekend at the cabin because she has no one to feed her animals while she is gone. She would rather see them starve.

The update on kitty - sm [2008-11-30]
I have been overthere at various times of the day and making sure I was there at the regular times I had seen him previously (sometimes 4 times in a single day!) and have not seen him again. I have waited in my car for him and gotten out to call *kitty.* I still have the carrier in my car and I am ready to bring him home. I have put out 2 cans of really yummy canned food over there for him, but they have gone untouched. I sure hope the little guy is okay. I will continue towatch outfor him!

Yes, will you post the recipe please? [2008-11-25]
I think I know kind of what you are talking about, but I don't think the ones I am thinking of have peanur butter in them, so I would love the recipe! Thanks

You missed the point of my post [2008-11-24]
The only things she chose to complain about were nitpicky things -- what they serve for dinner. Most kids don Last time I checked PBJ and yogurt were pretty healthy. Her GS has ADHD. He isnbehave on command. Any MT would know that. First she complains because they don Instead of criticizing her kids, she should be trying to help the situation. Did she hit a nerve with me? Absolutely. My parenting skills are always being critiqued. From the time my oldest son was old enough to eat until about the age of 6, I had to pack PBJ everywhere we went. He refused to eat anything else. Was it because I didn It was because that My other child has ODD -- oppositional defiant disorder. Is it because I didn No, it I have 2 other children who are not like this. They were all raised in the same house under the same rules. I am constantly berated by my father for not cracking the whip on him and by my mother for being too strict. It Then after upsetting DS or DD, you can go back home and not be the one who on top of your feelings of inadequacy now has to deal with a difficult child. I could see if it the OP said the children were malnourished or not cleaned and clothed properly, but she She

I was up last night but missed your post [2008-11-23]
So I was up last night at that time but missed your post. I see you are on PST, where are you located? I am in the Seattle area. I guess you could call me a Goth MT as well : )

In relation to the grocery shopping post, let's talk eating out [2008-11-18]
We eat out for dinner once a week (usually on Friday nights when my husband gets back into town) and then usually end up eating lunch out on Saturdays and maybe even Sundays (fast food). I/We really need to cut this expense from our budget or at least just greatly reduce it! Would love your suggestions. How often do you eat out and what is the average you spend per meal? For those of you who donfeel like cooking, serving, and cleaning up? My husband won't cook unless it's to grill (too cold to do that now) and then my son is okay to help clear the table some but not to actually rinse the dishes, wash pots and pans, etc.

Post Your Favorite Soup Recipe Please [2008-11-17]
Now that the weather is turning chilly in some areas (mine included) soup sounds wonderful! Would you all please post your favorite soup recipes -- thanks!!

What a kind post..sm [2008-11-16]
I am a very caring person. I have an extreme soft spot for animals. Dogs especially. I have a stray that was apparently dropped off here, and he is a big dog. My husband said he is a Catahoula Kur dog. He is such a sweetheart, but he can aggravate you to death. He is bad about running in the house when you open the door, and he is so big I can't hardly get him out. I have had to literally drag him by his feet out the house. As annoying as that is I can't be mean to him. I feed him everyday and talk to him and pet him. I don't need another dog but I feel so bad for him. I feel like he needs a home and and someone to care for him. So I guess I am stuck with him. I don't have the heart to take him to the pound. I just can't do that. My husband loves dogs too but he says I am just ridiculous. He thinks I treat them like people. I just see it as they are living breathing animals and they feel. There are some people who say I wouldn't feed the dogs that belonged to the guy. I could NEVER let those dogs starve. That is the thing, I think the guy knows what a softie I am and he knows I will not let them do without and he takes advantage of it. This guy, by the way, is single and fully capable financially of feeding and caring for the dogs. He just is lazy and doesn't want to be bothered when he gets home from work. It isn't my place to care for his dogs but I can't let them starve either. I don't know. I am caught between a rock and a hard spot.

Thank you for your post.......s/m. [2008-11-14]
I have never met a person with a 99.6 percentile IQ. Now that you explained all what comes with it, I see it quite differently and I agree that people with an IQ of 125-140 are the most fortunate. Because they go with the flow, they are smart, they fit in , they are not 'different.' Being a beauty queen is also not always a bliss, too intelligent, too beautiful, too rich, ect., it's not good. But it should not make you unhappy or even suicidal.

This is a test post [2008-11-12]
xx

Let's all post a pic of our pet...sm [2008-11-12]
This is my darling Pit Bull, CJ, and my other darling Beagle, Darla. They are the best of friends.

Excellent post! [2008-11-11]
xx

Post again when you get your electric bill and [2008-11-11]
DON'T FORGET to send your warranty in. Hopefully, it will last longer than my Eden Pure. Do a follow up, please. I'm still thinking about it.

The video I tryed to post didn't come...sm [2008-11-09]
through but here is the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCSh8f8V66g

Great post...nm [2008-11-08]
aa

This was supposed to go under post "That's crazy!" nm [2008-11-07]
X

Sorry, I was upset at the time I wrote the original post [2008-11-05]
Basically, I sent a voided Wal-Mart check to a creditor by mistake and they cashed it and the bank let it go through both times. I called them on it. I was thinking that someone must have found that check and cashed it again. At the time, I did not realize my mistake. They then cancelled the payment to Wal-Mart, don They added $30 to the original amount.

A few weeks ago I included in my post [2008-11-01]
that I will include the ASPCA in my will. Yesterday I got a letter from them thanking me for deciding to do this and telling me all the ways they help animals. They said that anyone who includes the ASPCA in their estate gets mentioned in their printed reports, with or without your name published. Am I being too proud to want my name printed? It is my wish that my family and friends remember me most for my love and dedication to animals. It would be wonderful for me to see my name printed, declaring that I support this wonderful organization. Sometimes people say you should just give anonomously.

Post on Weight Loss board. nm [2008-10-29]

Never mind, saw the post below with link. [2008-10-28]
x

Your post reminded me [2008-10-25]
that my boyfriend says bring when it should be take. The odd thing is, when it finally came up on conversation we got in a big discussion on how to tell which word should be used when. It is kind of confusing and rather subjective. Anyway, we had a good time over it. :) P.S. Flapitations is cute. Sounds like a good name for a movie!!

Wow -- after that post -- I actually felt [2008-10-23]
like I just got a massage. My hubs bought me a GC for a massage this past spring but I haven I At least now, I don't feel so funny about getting it.

To me this post is not really just about the Bible sm [2008-10-22]
but opinions/beliefs. Your mother had no need to talk about those things - just as you probably would not have wanted her to make a racist comment or an inappropriate sexual remark. She was out of line and if she cannot respect your house rules - then she needs to stay away. We all have opinions - we need to know when they should be shared.

Update on coffee. [2008-10-22]
I used the tablespoon method fromthe poster belowand then measured into my cup measurer. It was almost 1/2 cup of coffee grounds. The coffee tasted just a wee bit better, but still not good enough. I was thinking about buying some already measured coffee to see if that makes a difference, but ya can't just buy one (to test), so I think I'll play around with the measuring a little more. I'm also going to break open the 100% Columbian coffee hubby bought and see if that makes a difference. I had noticed that over the last few months, whenever I opened a new can of coffee, that whoosh never happened like it used to, so I'm thinking these stores/manufacturers are just keeping the coffee in storage too long....probably because of the high prices, people aren't buying as much. LOL

These 10 things definitely ain't right: [2008-12-01]
1) MTSOs who want people with top-notch skills and experience, but don't want to pay them what that skill is worth. 2) HMO's: So-called *health-maintenance-organizations* --yet they spend every minute and every dime of their far-too-large profits on denying healthcare, meds and procedures to their patients. These organizations have ruined American healthcare, and many American lives. HMO's have been a con-game since their inception. 3) The Bailouts: Giving money to companies who can too bad for the rest of you.* Then the Big Three show up in DC to beg for a handout, and fly there in private Lear jets. My answer to them would be, *I too bad for the rest of you.* 4) Apartment managers that won't allow even a single quiet, well-behaved pet, but will rent to people with continually screaming small children, and out-of-control older children and teens. Give me the pets for neighbors, ANY day. 5) Businesses that give an age-discount to absolutely everything that walks, runs or flies, but not to the middle-aged middle-class, who need it the most. Take the ski-industry: Young children ski for next-to-nothing, and sometimes nothing. There is a Teen Discount. There is a Student Discount for college kids. There I'll probably never be old enough - it's a carrot-on-a-stick, always just out of reach.) There are even corporate (UGH) discounts. But for those in my age group, who barely make ends meet but like to go up once a year for a couple days of bliss, there is NOTHING. 6) Travel-lodging deals that are always based on double or quadruple occupancy. What about singles? NOTHING. 7) TV commercials that are about a million decibels louder than the regular shows. Why can't it all be the same volume? Same with online newscasts. THEIR commercials will blow your eardrums out if you aren't quick enough turning down the volume before they start. 8) Surround-sound: Everything is too loud, already! Why do we need it coming at us from 4 directions? Why do people living in tiny apartments feel they need it? I've lost count of how many fights I've had with neighbors over this issue. Same with movies and music concerts. Why do they feel we need to feel the music in our SPLEENS? I went to Universal Amphitheater last week. (Now named something else). There is actually a sign outside warning that the decibel level inside might damage your hearing! (?!?!?!) Why do they need this? (To avoid lawsuits, obviously). If it's so loud you have to post a warning sign outside the entrance, then DUH.... it's TOO LOUD! 9) Banks that charge you a fee to use their ATM. They (I haven't actually been INSIDE a bank in YEARS).... and they want to charge US for using the machines instead of the tellers? Forget it. I won't give those banks my business. 10) The Post Office: Talk about rewarding slow, inept performance! The worse their employees are, the longer they seem to stay there. I'd rather have a root canal than go to a P.O. during the holiday season.

Has society become this bad and why [2008-11-29]
I saw the post down below about the Wal-Mart worker. Here is a new article that just came out (link below). The police are now looking at video surveillance to see who trampled this poor worker to death. Personally I hope they find all responsible and prosecute them to the fullest. It doesn I like their store just fine, it is what society is doing to people that nobody even bothered to stop and help this person. I grew up in the 60s/70s in a small town in New England. Maybe I'm old fashioned but my parents/grandparents taught me better than this. I just can And for what? Getting a Christimas item? This is one of many reasons why I do my Christmas shopping (what very little I do) online and gift cards. I think the traditions of the big shopping day the day after Thanksgiving should go away. I really donlove thy neighbor, not trample, bite, and spit at them so you can grab that item. (BTW - you can shop online at Walmart too). I think to myself that I thought the spirit of Christmas was supposed to celebrate Christ. Oh yeah, I'm sure he is so proud of people like those who harm others and cause death so they can get what they want. I hope those guilty are sitting at home worrying about whether or not their face is going to show up on the video camera. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20081129/D94OJ4NG0.html

This is what thanksgiving is all about...a must read [2008-11-28]
At turkey time last year, Monique White was unemployed, living in a cramped motel room and pining for the Thanksgivings of her childhood, when dozens of people would gather for a holiday feast. Today a receptionist at a dentist's office, she has a townhouse in Littleton, Colo. And, thanks to an Internet posting, a list of Thanksgiving dinner guests � strangers all � who will help her eat nine turkeys, four hams, 16 boxes of stuffing and a dozen or so pies. How did this happen? White, 36, was feeling a bit lonesome a week ago; her two sons were planning to spend the holiday with their father. And though her longtime partner, Doug White, would be there for her on Thanksgiving, she longed to be surrounded by many more people. So she posted invitations on Craigslist, the Internet classifieds site. In part, one read: Maybe you are someone who is new in town and doesn She figured four folks, maybe five would answer. But then the replies poured in: People laid off from work. People with no family. People ashamed to bring their children to a Thanksgiving dinner at a soup kitchen. I thought: There White says. In all, 32 people are expected for dinner. When White's boss heard what she was doing, he offered to pay for the food. Then a local hotel offered to provide tables and chairs. Then a professional magician said he would like to perform for the kids. Certainly a far cry from Thanksgiving 2007, White says. Last year it was just us two. It was horrible. Doug White has been busy baking turkeys, putting one in the oven as soon as another comes out. People need to stop being so worried about me, me, me, my bills, my life, he says. You stop worrying, and look what happens?

Hay catlady - did you get the kitty??? [2008-11-27]
Please update !

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

wearing your heart on your sleeve [2008-11-25]
I too have spent too much time thinking about this. From your post, your description of your daughter's intelligence and your own dismay at the rudeness of these people, I can only come to one conclusion.....You are hanging around people less intelligent than you are. Not figuratively, but IQ. You are sensitive, they are obtuse. However, I have also discovered that the people who use a simple hello as currency to give or take away, are broke. The worst snobs in my neighborhood are broke and don't want anyone to know. They try to hide their financial status, but you don't so you are scary. I have been treated the worst by the mean and stupid. Think about what a breath of fresh air your daughter is to that little boy. I am glad you went to the party.

This all comes down to the parents [2008-11-25]
I think those women are making a big mistake. I love my sister and nephew, don But he is like that 7 yo and it drives me crazy. BUT my sister and BIL are to blame, I feel. He gets a toy every time they He gets a new toy if he My sister feels guilty if he likes something and she doesn They buy him major video games just because, instead of reserving these things for birthdays or Christmas. They will go out and buy him a $200 item in the middle of the week and when I ask what the occasion is? Nothing, we just thought he'd like it! He is well behaved and they don Yes, it Growing up when we would talk, my sister had definite opinions about what she would and would not do when she had children, and this is not how she felt back then. But he doesn In my opinion, they Just my opinion.

My butternut squash sm [2008-11-24]
After the squash is peeled and cut in squares, I put them in a glass baking dish, add about a half stick of butter (I use a lot of butter on Thanksgiving), dot the squash well, according to size of the dish of squash (you may need more) and add a cup of apple juice (add more if larger dish of squash) and cover the dish with foil until soft, I also add some cinnamon and brown sugar, however, I now have someone who hates cinnamon, so I have to adjust the recipe to please all. You can also cook them the same as you do your potatoes and mash them, add butter and seasoning, but they are a bit watery and my family prefers them baked with the apple juice and the little spice I mentioned. I use brown sugar, cinnamon and butter in some of my vegetables such as the squash and carrots (I call them candied carrots) but as the family grows, you have to please all and that sometimes means changing up the things you add. I have one guest now who canon Turkey Day.Happy Thanksgiving!

Alton Brown's "The Chewy" [2008-11-24]
I've tried all of the chewy chocolate chip recipes out there, and this is the best by far. The recipe calls for giant cookies, but for Christmas, I make them mini-sized, using about 1 heaping teaspoon of dough per cookie. They bake faster, so watch them carefully. I also add pecans to the recipe. I've made them with bittersweet chocolate chips and macadamia nuts, too, and those were INCREDIBLE. Be sure, however, to really take your time creaming the butter and sugars. And let the melted butter cool to room temperature before mixing with the sugar. The creamed butter and sugar should be thick and fluffy and smooth, almost but not quite peanut butter consistency. If it's not, the cookies will go flop when they come out of the oven, and they don't look as pretty. They still taste great, but they aren't high and pretty. I can't get the link to post, so here's the URL: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/the-chewy-recipe/index.html

Wow! Was a nerve hit??? [2008-11-24]
I didnLeave it to Beaver. That's just not the case. By the end of the 1960s and into the 1970s the pendulum had started to swing so far toward women having careers that we were often belittled for choosing to be home with the children. Remember Hillary Clinton's cookie baking comment during her husband's first campaign? In fact, stay-at-home moms were the norm for only one brief period in our history right after WW II in the post war boom times. There was a pretty awful recession in the 1970s, and I remember gas rationing and long lines at the pumps. My mother had to work two jobs, and my father, who was in construction, was often one of the first to feel economic ups and downs in his paycheck. But we had dinner together every night at the kitchen table. Before the stay-at-home mothers of 1950's t.v. fame, most mothers worked. They had to. Only the very privileged stayed home and waited for Ward Cleaver to come home from the office. My grandmother, who lived to be 94, God bless her soul, was born in 1908. Her mother died during the great Spanish flu epidemic in 1918. My grandmother was the eldest of four children, and at the age of 10 she became the woman of the house. She stopped going to school so that she could cook and clean and took care of her father and siblings. And no one thought that was wrong. It was expected because there really weren't any government social services -- no welfare, no foster care. Eventually, when her father's depression over the loss of his wife became so great that he couldn't manage to bring home an income, people in the neighborhood just took over. The two eldest children went to live with other families. The two youngest went to an orphanage. My grandmother's father just drifted away and his children never saw him again. My grandmother married at age 20 and had four children during the depression. Talk about having it hard. When I was a young mother trying to make ends meet and I'd cry to my grandmother, she brought me around to reality. She told me what it was like for her to raise children during that time. Many a night she cried over whether or not she could even feed her children or if they would have a roof over their heads. And she wasn't alone. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, was in the same boat. The Great Depression was enormous. She and my grandfather worked wherever and whenever they could. They brought home a dollar or two at a time and fed their children buttermilk and potatoes. They didn't sleep, they worried all the time. Today, my grandmother's washboard hangs in my kitchen on the wall next to my dishwasher. It reminds me that I have no right to ever say that things are harder on us today. They aren't. Generally speaking, most Americans have so many more advantages, choices and opportunities than those who came before us. Yet many in my generation and the one or two generations behind me are just whiners and crybabies who don't think about the big picture. They even dare to say they have a harder time as parents today. Please. Not even close! Every generation seems to believe that, but just a short trip through a history book proves otherwise. I'm not that very old. But I've raised my children and I raised them well. I know what it takes to do that. It takes self-discipline, sacrifice and consistency. And you know what? That's exhausting. Parents today are tired. So what? All parents are tired. Offer it up, as the old nuns used to say. The kids have homework an hour a night. So what? They should have homework, and parents should make sure that it gets done, because education is important. There are parent-teacher meetings to attend, coaches association meetings, scout meetings, dance lessons, school recitals, etc. etc. etc. So what? Balance it out, quit what can't be done, do what can. Work because you have to. The kids have to be fed. It's still easier than it was a generation ago, two generations ago, three and on and on. We're parents to young ones for only a short time. Which reminds me, let's not forget about birth control. Most of us have 2-point-whatever children these days. I'm the youngest of 7. Most of the families in my neighborhood when I was growing up had 4 or more children. Today women can choose to have as many or as few children as they want. That means that we parent for far fewer years than the generations before us. I'm done with day-to-day parenting after just 20 years, and in fact, it got much easier on my day-to-day schedule once my boys were in high school. But my mother had children at home for 34 years. Imagine the number of cloth diapers for 7 children for year after year after year. Yes. I had it far easier, and I know it. So when I was exhausted raising my two boys, I just sucked it up and kept at it. The OP, I think, probably didn't want to be as blunt as I'm willing to be. She IS helping by babysitting her grandchildren while her children work. I'm sure she loves her children and grandkids, but I'm willing to bet that if she dared to say to her children the things I've posted, her children would react just as you did and she'd end up cut off from her family. To the OP: I hope it helped to vent a little, and I want you to know that I understand.

Not a grandmother but parent myself [2008-11-24]
Well maybe you were a little defensive then and not resentful but reading your post it sounded like the things you do with/for your kids were more like chores instead of things you chose to do. I am not a grandparent but still a parent as both my sons still live at home as they go to college. I see toomany people who just leave their kids to fend for themselves, 2-3 nights every week and every weekend during hockey season and other sports seasons...sorry if I offended you but that's the way you came off.

My kids and I are chocoholics [2008-11-24]
and one of the recipes that we love and is really simple is the No-Bake Cookies. That's what we called them when I made them (all the time!) as a kid. Also called Refrigerator Cookies, and the recipe I use today, from a cookbook my Mamama gave me that her church put together, calls them Quick Fudge, I believe. I call them Chocolate-Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Yum-Yums. They are made with sugar, butter, and cocoa boiled, then add the peanut butter, quick oats, and vanilla, dropped on waxed paper and cooled, then chilled in the fridge. If you want to make them post here and I'll grab the recipe tomorrow to give the quantities. Also, I absolutely love Pine Bark, and it is very easy to make as well. Lots of recipes for that on-line. Have fun!

perhaps I was a little hyped in my reply, [2008-11-24]
but it only comes from the fact that I I don The OP hit a real nerve with me because my parents are always on me about how we raise our kids. We My mom worked nights. She wasn She got home late from work (1 or 2 in the morning) and got up to get us kids off to school and then went back to sleep for a few hours in the morning. All the while, my 4-year-old brother was home with her watching TV. He knew to wake her up after a certain show was over, so she could get him lunch. My mom was never a heavy sleeper, so I My dad coached my brother My mom yelled at me one day because I brought McD It was 4:45, and she thought it was awful that I didn My mom worked at McD Many of nights, she gave us a frozen pizza for supper before heading to work and then brought us home leftover chicken nuggets and apple pies. We lived for that stuff, but here she was berating me for giving it to my kids. What she was really upset about was that my kids were hungry and they were asking her for something to eat, which she didn She was watching them for me after school that day until I got home from my appointment. But that No one Criticizing others won I just felt like the OP My suggestions in my original post were meant to give the OP some insight into what the other shoe feels like.

I do quilting [2008-11-23]
My most artistic quilt was one that I took photos from my husbands grandmother and relatives from the late 1800s early 1900s (his great great grandparents and their siblings). These are all black and white photos and in photoshop I made collages. Then printed the collages onto material and turned it into an heirloom quilt. I actually made it for my MIL, but my husband refused to let me give it to her because it is so beautiful. If I can ever get him to take photos I will post on the board. It has his favorite pictures in it. One is of his grandmother when she was maybe 3 years old and she is looking up at her grandfather laughing. The pictures are precious and one day I'd like to get it mounted to hang on a wall.

I was up last night but missed your post [2008-11-23]
So I was up last night at that time but missed your post. I see you are on PST, where are you located? I am in the Seattle area. I guess you could call me a Goth MT as well : )

I read that a lack of vitamin D and boron can [2008-11-23]
cause psoriasis. The article said that a lot of vegetarians don It is because vegetarians eat food high in boron and vitamin D, i.e., veggies, fruit, etc, and the soild the veggies are grown in is high in these nutrients. There was a post on here about helping psoriasis so I thought I would throw that in! Hope it helps.

Does anybody live near Trenton, NJ? If so a hospital position 40 hr week is available...sm [2008-11-22]
This requires a quick response on your part, because there are two positions open and I don The ft position is hospital transcription, hourly wage, all bennies and PTO and holidays. The other position is team leader for the MT department, directing work flow and working with staff. People are now interviewing, but wanted to give a chance. email me if you want to, because I will not name this on post. Thanks

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

I really appreciate this. [2008-11-18]
Notice I'm the only one who didn't post an answer? I have totally lost track & think I need to go back to the drawing board. I haven't done an actual tally in quite awhile (I think I'm afraid of what I'm going to find out). This can happen when you live alone. I live in a very small mountain community in southern California & things can be expensive up here at the regular markets. I do a Costco run about once a month & try to keep my sanity when I'm there. I make things ahead & freeze, that sort of thing. & I try not to be hungry when I go there. I make my own bread & yogurt, things I eat a lot of. I'm not a vegetarian but eat very little meat. Anyway, you all seem to be doing an incredible job, & this gives me something to aim for when I do get up the nerve to look at my spending habits. Wish me luck. Thanks!

Almost never [2008-11-18]
Idown the hill (mountain-speak for a trip to Costco-land, around 60 miles away), I stop at In-N-Out (famous LA burger chain). Cost: $10, including 2 small plain hamburgers with nothing but bread & meat & cheese for...guess who? Yes. My dogs. I know, I know. The starving kids in China. You can see my kids in the Doggy post: http://forum.mtstars.com/misc/v/5/42327.html Can you blame me?

Post Your Favorite Soup Recipe Please [2008-11-17]
Now that the weather is turning chilly in some areas (mine included) soup sounds wonderful! Would you all please post your favorite soup recipes -- thanks!!

Hope venting made you feel better... [2008-11-16]
The thing that struck me the most in your post is that you help a friend by listening to dictation. Is this during *your* work hours? If so, try not to answer the phone. I know, it sounds so simple, but if you have kids, this can betough. Anyhow, if the friend asks why you are not answering, tell her you need to focus on getting lines so you can pay your monthly bills (stress this!). Maybe she will get the hint. I had to do this when a coworker called me constantly. I As for the friends working when they were asked not to, well, unfortunately, it is a supervisors/managerHopefullys/he will take care of this. Good luck.

I think you are an inspiration for wanting to do this....sm [2008-11-16]
I guess a lot of us can relate; I have 2 or 3 people from my past that have moved far away and I have no way of finding them right now, but please believe me, I truly want to do the same thing, go to them and make peace, to say be able to forgive each other and leave things on good terms. Regrets and guilts can slowly eat away, and it is good for your own personal health to do this, you must feel so much better. WE all mess up, we all need forgiveness now and then, or to grant forgiveness. You are a lovely person with integrity, honor, and caring to do this, such a lovely post to read!!!

Thank you, Cyndiee. [2008-11-16]
It is amazing how much joy our beloved pets bring us and how painful it is to lose them. I just had to post something in Fred's honor, and I truly appreciate your thoughtful and caring response.

This Is So True [2008-11-15]
When I took an IQ test and scored 166, I thought it was a huge mistake.I struggled in school, which I believe is because I was bored. I am very good with technical things (computers and such), but I learn by doing not by reading. ThereI have had depression my whole adult life, but Iwrote about those with higher IQsare just like me. I always thought I was dumb because I did not get As or Bs in school and could not retainmost of whatI read. Of course, like I said, ADD plays a big role in that. Thanks for your post. Made me realize some things that I hadn Only my husband knows my IQ score...I don't want my friends or other family members to know (I don't think they would believe it).