Thanks Bill, but I doubt you would like my work ethic. Do you allow nap times :) I swear I don't know how you do this all the time. It sure looks easier than it is. I spend hours on it and after having just gotten up a couple rows, I stand back and say "What in the heck took you so long!" And I am serious when I when I said my arms were sore. I kept thinking about Karate Kid... "Wax on, Wax off". Thanks for not picking on my for the crooked tiles. Can you see them? The mosaics to the right of the soap dish had slid down to the right and I did not notice until the next day. Grout hides a lot of sins huh? I asked my husband to get me a new blade for my tile saw the next time he was at Harbor Freight. He asked why. I said, this one is about done. No rush. I just will need one before the next project. He said "WHAT NEXT PROJECT!!!". Yeah, like there's not going to be a "next project". He's dreaming!

Lori, my dear child! Let me tell you what it feels like at 83! LOL. And has been feeling like that more or less, off and on for about 60 years. (I was first diagnosed with arthritis when I was 23.) And getting worse all the time. I have not tried G/C. I have not tried the Gin and raisins, which by the way I think that idea came over on the Mayflower, it is so old. Don't do magnets, either. I've never believed any of those things would help. I could be wrong, but I've never known anyone who would vouch for them over the long run. I have tried a lot of things, including all the Nsaids; they all help, for a while, or until your stomach ulcers appear, or your liver goes screwey. or they are taken off the market, whichever comes first. I did water aerobics for 12-15 years, until just the going and doing was exhausting. I have had several rounds of physical therapy, including through the Pain Clinic. I've had both knees replaced, and yes, they still hurt sometimes. I have had the left elbow problem, which my Rheumo doc called "golfer's elbow." Never played golf. My spine? You don't even want to know. Cold weather? Horrible! I haven't even finished putting away my Christmas decorations, because they go in the garage and it is freezing out there, even though it is attached! We are up to a sizzling 32 right now. Golden years? I've said many times: My golden years turned out to be brass plated! Enough of, no, not complaining, just stating the facts. Even so I still insist that I'm going to live to be a hundred! It does beat the alternative. Stay warm as best you can. Sue

Quite frankly, I don't think it's ANYONE's responsibility to buy gifts for anyone... kids make stuff. My kids always made me stuff in school for Mother's Day & Christmas... they made me card or picked me flowers on my birthday. Or they just gave me a hug and said I love you mom... and that's pretty much all I ever needed. It's nice if parents get along well enough to take kids to buy something and if they want to... no problem. If it's an issue where you want nothing to do with ex and kids ask to buy something, I'd say "why don't you make something?" I'm probably alone here, but my opinion is that the world is too darn commercialized and everyone has to buy a card for this or that or send flowers or buy a present. Thank you to Hallmark! We see aisles of gifts for Christmas BEFORE Thanksgiving.. sometimes before Halloween. We see gifts for Halloween... who gives a gift to their teacher on Halloween? WHY? It's a holiday to trick or treat, not give a card or gift. I just think it's silly and really should be a non issue. From the time my kids were 7 or 8, maybe I would give them a little cash & let them buy each other a Christmas present at a dollar store or Target... just a little something. (not always, but a few times & my daughter always bought me a scented candle at dollar tree... I loved it because it was from her, but a hug would have been enough too) I don't get why it is such a big deal nowadays. After my parents divorced, neither of my parents took us shopping for the other... I would have thought "why is he/she doing that?" since I was well aware that they are divorced. (and yes, I was witness to my mom doing some of the things SM's complain about BM's doing for the DH's... and yes, her motive was to piss off my SM and hoping my dad would want her back.. so although I know all BM's don't do it for that reason, I will admit that I am biased as that goes.) As a child of divorce, it was very uncomfortable for me when my mom would say or do things to interject herself in dad's life because I knew dad didn't want her to but he also didn't want to be mean to my mother... because she was my mother. So, I get why these DH's do put up with a lot, but I also wish my dad had stood up for himself more than he did. If he had put her in her place, my life would have been less uncomfortable.

We also have low silverware holder in dishwasher. Sometimes I just put larger utensil items in with the glasses in top rack, esp. the spatulas, ladles, potato masher. I never open the dishwasher to insert a single item in lower door or in lower rack. There are days when the dishwasher is truly my enemy. (Gallon jugs of cider are also enemies of a bad back.) I usually keep all silverware in a pile on countertop or soaking in sink until I'm ready to make the bend. I only go down there when forced to do so. THEN,...I remove the utensil holder from the door of the dishwasher and plunk it on countertop to fill or empty it. One bend each way. Sometimes I just open the bin door on this gizmo and let all the silverware cascade into the drawer unsorted so I can heave it back into the dishwasher and out of my sight fast. Sometimes I just wash things myself because it's more comfortable. I can see why people mount dishwashers higher up on wall. Wish I could. ___ Not sure which thread I saw this on, sorry if redundant posting, but will definitely put adhesive sound-deadening insulation inside the new dishwasher housing in my next kitchen. Great idea.