lukk-- you hit the nail on the head re: venting! I've been through this before with my DH (being laid off) and I know there is NOTHING to be gained by stressing ourselves out. I am doing my best to be completely positive, and honestly, I feel good. (Crazy as it sounds!) I figure, we have our children and our health-- nothing is more important. ttodd: Woo hoo on the name! It's funny how it does make sense to me, too. I tell people, "Easy to say, hard to spell!" I think I remember a discussion about your son's name and it was obvious to me, too. So cool that you might take a sewing class! If you have a machine now, I say jump right in and start on your own. I started off making skirts for my girls, and they are so much fun. (link below) flyleft-- I will definitely have to get that shirt! My 2nd DD is taking about wanting to go to Kindergarten this fall and I am dreading it. If we could afford Montessori or a school w/ a play-based curriculum, I'd be far more enthusiastic, but the investment of time for our local school . . .no. RE: my job, thankfully, YES, I got one in October, and I am so happy. I work hard for the money, I admit, but there aren't too many jobs that I can do, given that I am still a SAHM with 4 young children who are with me at all times! This one works well, as I am an adjunct instructor and I do just about everything online, so I can make my own schedule (it usually means staying up until 1 a.m. to get work done!). I love my students and it's nice to use my brain in a different way, so it's a dream come true! (Now if only I'd get a raise!) You've remodeled so much of your house! Is there a flyleft thread out there with your pictures? awm: Thank you so much for the good wishes!! The phone has been ringing lately so DH has possibilities (not for permanent work, but we'll take a contract job!). Thank goodness! It's nice to be back! Thanks, everyone! Here is a link that might be useful: lazy days skirt

Hello again Oakleyok, I hope you're feeling better now. I just watched the season finale of PLL, now I just want to get the books and find out the rest of the story, I can't wait for Season 2, no way , it's too long a wait. I'm going to search in order to find out which book coincides with the storyline as it stands on tv. Are the books all written already and the story concluded ?

Hi Rob, Not much to add ... and hope that you're back at least part way out of your blue funk. Brother, retired farmer who lives 1600 miles way, has one son, only child, in a city 100 miles from here, a couple of small grand-daughters from son's second marriage, and comes to visit them a couple of times a year. He'd called to say he was to be in the neighbourhood, and we got together on Friday, I called son and he and his partner were there for lunch, as was brother and wife ... and a couple of favourite cousins were, as well. Brother spent a few years when he was very young with the family of our Mom's brother and their two children when she was ill, so he considers one as almost a sister: the son, a local farmer, died several years ago. The other cousin lives locally and I see her at church fairly often - she, who had voice training, has sung in the choir for 75 years. The brother and I went to deal with some complications over inheritance of cemetery plots that Dad owned ... and it looks as though resolution is to be easier than we figured. Then we sat and had a chat ... and he's rather worried about future viability of his son's marriage. We don't see one another often, but we've been close, over the years. Our brother died over forty years ago, when his kids were in their teens, and our ready-made sister that came with our stepmom lives near brother in Saskatchewan. It's a red letter day when we get together. ole joyful

I noticed a while ago many comments were deleted, not just mine. I'm glad. I feel that someone obviously felt his ideas were under attack and made a big mistake by digging in his heels instead of making sure of his facts....and after all it was not me that barged onto someone else's thread and started an argument with no proof. I never went after anyone and I think any honest person would admit that the facts are exactly what I said they were. Your comments throughout however have been personal and I certainly haven't misconstrued that, but thank you for giving up on interjecting rude comments and expressing your 'dislike' of me and especially for the blatant call for me to join the email clique you founded to 'take it outside' which any reasonable person could see had no other reason for existence other than to spit on me. I notice that post has been deleted as well.