Sorry you got hit by storm Susie -loves -roses. I've been through 2 quakes so I know it is rough living with the messes. Rather have quakes tho, than water running through or house flying through the air. So sad especially the towns that got flattened. At least you are not alone in the neighborhood, helps to talk to each other & gets you through it better because"outsiders" don't have a clue what you are going through unless it has happened to them. Hope you are straightened out on BP medicine. Anyone on it should have their own BP machine/kit? so you can take it at home. Good way to find out if salt is a factor also. Take BP couple hours after salty meal & see if it shoots up each time, get rid of salt on table & check foods before you buy them. Frozen veggies can have almost no sodium or up to 1 day's worth in 1 serving, especially if they have a sauce. Jamie Oliver came to L.A. trying to get better food in schools- they don't want it. My kids collected wonderful fruit other kids wouldn't eat at their schools & that was 30 yrs ago. Now even private school my GK's go to have caved in & it's Pizza,McDonald's etc,all week. Sad,young kids have high BP now. Hope your roof isn't gone, can you use your kitchen? Good Luck with workers & hope you know some or they will really charge an arm and a leg! Jan

Hi I also have been a member for a long time and generally find the quality of the forums has went downhill over time . Was so excited when I first found GW as the list of forums was mind boggling. lol I'm particular interested in various types of plants as well as methods to grow them. Some that have declined the most are "Tropical, Palms terrariums,aquariums, I particularly enjoyed the posts from people in tropical countries where you got to see a glimpse of true tropical gardens. Venezuela, Malaysia ,Phillipines, Australia. And the growers of botanical garden rarities. They frequently sent pix of things I could only dream of seeing lol I think most notable is the decline in the numbers of posts . many have declined to almost no posts I still have a post on the first page of the Botany forum that is several years old . One fantastic post was from a man who was visiting Madagascar and he sent me pix of actual habitats!!! And he knew the dif betwen a Lace plant and an Aponogeton .lol WOW where would you get that kind of help?? Oh well, I'll keep coming back .What else are you going to do at 4 in the morning??? gary

Diane, I'm glad to see you here too, I've missed you. This recipe is something the girls love, it's from Carol/Dishesdone, she posted it here years ago. The notes are hers. Brisket by Dishesdone 1 4-pound beef brisket Kosher salt Pepper 2 onions, thinly sliced into half moons 1/2 cup ketchup 1/2 cup prepared chile sauce (Heinz Chile Sauce) 3 tablespoons brown sugar (I use more) 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 12-ounce bottle beer Salt and pepper both sides of the meat. Place beef in a roasting pan. Cover with onion. Combine ketchup, chile sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and beer. Pour mixture over meat. Cover securely with foil. Bake at 300 degrees F for about 4 hours or until the brisket is fork tender. You can puree the gravy if you like it thicker. NOTES : Use more onions if you want to. I like lots of onions in the gravy. I don't puree the gravy. Freezes well. It tastes even better the next day! Elery mostly does our in the smoker, that's our favorite way, but I also like this one from Tyler Florence: Beef Brisket Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence 4 large garlic cloves, smashed 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, needles striped from the stem and chopped 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 (4 pound) beef brisket, first-cut Coarsely ground black pepper 4 large carrots, cut in 3-inch chunks 3 celery stalks, cut in 3-inch chunks 4 large red onions, halved 2 cups dry red wine 1 (16-ounce) can whole tomatoes, hand-crushed 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 3 bay leaves 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (optional) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. On a cutting board, mash the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt together with the flat-side of a knife into a paste. Add the rosemary and continue to mash until incorporated. Put the garlic-rosemary paste in a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil; stir to combine. Season both sides of the brisket with a fair amount of kosher salt and ground black pepper. Place a large roasting pan or Dutch oven over medium-high flame and coat with the remaining olive oil. Put the brisket in the roasting pan and sear to form a nice brown crust on both sides. Lay the vegetables all around the brisket and pour the rosemary paste over the whole thing. Add the wine and tomatoes; toss in the parsley and bay leaves. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 3 to 4 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices, until the beef is fork tender. Remove the brisket to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes. Scoop the vegetables out of the roasting pan and onto a platter, cover to keep warm. Pour out some of the excess fat, and put the roasting pan with the pan juices on the stove over medium-high heat. Boil and stir for 5 minutes until the sauce is reduced by 1/2. (If you want a thicker sauce, mix 1 tablespoon of flour with 2 tablespoons of wine or water and blend into the gravy). Welcome back! Annie

Do not force your son to "be a friend" Your son is establishing his place also and feels like people may not like him either. Since you are kind of involved, maybe you can go to a counselor or have your son talk to a counselor or Principal or the teacher. Many schools will step in when they see problems start. Our schools here are very active in the program Character Counts. They have programs, special speakers, etc. If your school does not have that program, I would suggest talking to the school officials. You did not say what grades but it sounds like around 7-8 or middle school. If it is not corrected, their could be violence later. Good luck