"Do you wish to re-word your statement "Sourness is basically a taste sensation that detects acidity"? Sourness can't detect anything. It's a taste quality, not a procedure." No, Charlie, I do not. Rather than playing grammar police, do you have anything to back your claims about sourness being therapeutic apart from 'my beliefs are very very old'? More specifically, do you actually think that we can manipulate our body pH to make it more acid (sour)?* There are elements of "traditional Chinese medicine" that to this day endorse consumption of feces, urine and human body parts for their alleged health benefits. Does the fact that these practices date from ancient times make them valid?** *this runs counter to the usual alt med belief that acidity=bad, and we're supposed to make our pH more alkaline, which is similarly impossible. These misconceptions can be remedied through a basic (sorry) course in human physiology, reading the link above, or checking out this article. **"Flying squirrel feces is used to "invigorate" the blood and dry-fried to stop bleeding...The text Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology notes that flying squirrel feces has a "distinct odor" that "may decrease patient compliance" with ingesting it." It is believed to have uses for amenorrhea, menses pain, postpartum abdominal pain, epigastric pain, and chest pain. It is boiled in a decoction with other herbs prior to ingestion. If it is to be used in a formula to stop bleeding (dark purple uterine bleeding with clots, retained lochia due to stasis), it is dry fried prior to making the decoction. Flying squirrel feces has been associated with typhus fever." How do your patients out in Glendale feel about squirrel poop remedies? ;)

I have various experience in Starbucks too. From, here, take as much as you want, to looks like I am crazy. I hate that feeling of not knowing the reaction as well. So I just go by one Starbucks that rebags all their UCG and puts them in a basket with labels: Grounds for your Garden. The little label even has instructions about why it can be helpful for your garden and/or compost. I grab a few whenever I'm in there. Never offered a free drink though! That's too cool. My funniest experience was once I asked at a Starbucks and they gave me this HUGE garbage bag of UCG, must have been 30 or 40 pounds and the other patrons were looking at me weird so I told them that it was good for the garden. It's cool when someone with purple hair gives YOU weird looks. ;) My husband was a bit embarressed though, oh well. On the plastic thing, from what I've read there are different levels of "badness" of plastics which you can sometimes tell based on their number in the little recycling symbol on them. If I remember right I'm avoiding 3, 6, and 7 for the BPAs, but not strictly if you can tell I can't even remember. But I'm not really worried about it being in the grinds going into the compost. ;)

Jumping in late to this conversation and went back into past posts to find out about the books. Like you, Trailrunner, I would be very upset. I have all the books that belonged to my children. And there is a memory with each one. DS #1 loved The Poky Puppy, an inexpensive Golden Book. We read that book multiple times a day for 2-3 years as it got smaller and smaller because a little boy liked to sleep with parts of it. When he was expecting his first child, I bought my son the book. He read the book to his unborn child and today it is one of our grandson's favorite books. I wish you the best of luck in retrieving this memory-filled box. As a poster said in the original message, start the collection again through resale shops, garage sales, etc. On a happy note, grandbabies are the best! Our third grandson was born October 28 and our 4th grandchild will arrive in May. Perhaps I should change my moniker to 'Mimiof4'!

Thank you so much for your thoughts and concern. Here is the latest. The letter from our Attorney seems to have worked in terms of getting the girlfriend out of the move and live-in situation. Biofather sent a letter from his attorney stating that the girlfriend would no longer be making the move. We have ceased all attorney and legal correspondence. I called the girlfriend's father to check-in and hear from him what was actually decided. The girlfriend's father was upset at me and my wife since we had objected to "his" daughter moving in with single Biofather and our daughter. I explained to him patiently the situation/concerns and he ended up hanging up on me! Incredible! This girlfriend's father calls me back the following day leaving a message apologizing for his rude manner and explaining that his daughter would not be making the move, and "with 5 kids on a modest income, this was a good idea to him due to a lack of money to educate them" and "he wished that I would reconsider my objection." I did not return the call and this is really sad; that this father is allowing his daughter to move into a very unsafe and risky situation just for the money savings aspect! Just incredible and sad. My stepdaughter left today on a flight to Florida, 2 large suitcases and her dog in tow, to start her new life living with BioDad in this "fantasy" life in Florida (ticket paid by biofather of course). Looks like it will be just Biofather and daughter living together. Biofather and stepdaughter have only spent 5 to 7 days together, 2 or 3 times a year, for our 17 year old stepdaughters entire life, so she really does not know this man, as a parent anyway. Stepdaughter will start immediately in the local public High School and the big ticket toys will surely be lavished upon her. Life in the "country club" home with her living in the "mother-in-law" suite with her personally chosen deluxe bedroom furniture will surely be nice. Stepdaughter will complete her Junior year of High School down there, and perhaps her senior year as well if BioFather has his way. This is our only child to raise. My wife and I are devastated and we are crying. We could not stop this move (legally or emotionally with stepdaughter), and our stepdaughter has walked away from us, our beautiful loving home, her extended family up here in VA, her friends, and her first steady boyfriend. Her boyfriend even went with us to the airport to see her off today. Stepdaughter seemed happy at the airport, just like she was going on a vacation or something. We are sad and we will keep in touch with her as best we can. As a stepfather I feel like a fool! I have raised this child since she was 4 yo, and now she says she hates us and walks out. Just incredible! Her biofather has poisoned her mind against us, and we just simply continued to love her, and we know that we were good parents, tolerant, kind, and loving, and we did not trash her biofather ever!. This is what we get. We will go on. Thanks for your kind words.