I have some first hand experience with the adverse effects of soy. I realized a couple of years ago that I was lactose intolerant. I also have to take thyroid supplements due to Graves disease, that required the removal of my thyroid. Well I had been on the same dose of thyroid medication for almost 2 years, finally had it requlated. And then at my next appointment, about 8 months after switching to soy, my levels were completly out of whack. This led my doctor to run other tests, which came back with upset blood levels. Primarily low platlettes, which function to make blood clot. This is often caused by an auto-immune disfunction, the body actually destroys the platelletes faster then you can make them. Well it just happened that we had the day before my appointment read a medical journal that published a report about soy preventing the absorbtion of thyroid hormones. So my doctor, who I am thrilled to have as she tends to not jump to conclusions and start writing prescriptions, decided to see if quiting the soy would help. In 3 months my thyroid levels regulated. However it took much longer for the autoimmune function to stabalize, almost the better part of a year, but with small improvements almost immediately. I will occasionally eat things with soy, primarily soy beans or fermented soy products (miso etc), but in very limited quantities. I think all things in moderation is generally a good rule. My problem came from drinking a couple servings of soy milk a day (one with cereal and one with coffee). I also tend to believe that each person will react differently to soy products. It is just good to be aware of possible issues, so that if something comes up medically you can look to solutions that are simpler then taking more medications that most doctors are quick to prescribe. The hardest thing for me to find an alternative to that doesn't have soy is a good mutli-vitamin. Read your labels, most multi-vitamins these days have the soy isoflavens.

At this point, most crop producers have been able to secure enough bees to provide pollination for the 2007 season. There are no anticipated shortages of any crops for now. This may not be true if CCD affects bees again this fall. Crops pollinated by bees and commonly grown on the east coast include: (curcurbits) Cantaloupe, cucumber, watermelon, squash, pumpkin, etc. (Rosacea, Ericaceae, Umbellifera, Amaryllidaceae, Cruciferae and others) Apples, Pears, peaches, plums, almonds, Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, onions, turnips, radishes, cabbages, broccolis, etc. If it has the word "berry" in its name, most likely bees are involved in production. If it is an edible fruit growing on a tree, bees are likely part of production. Feed crops that are pollinated by honeybees include alfalfa, clover, vetches, etc. These crops are fed to cattle as hay. This group includes about 40 common legumes. Major honey plants are in this group! Crops relatively unaffected by honeybee pollination include most of the solanums such as potato, tomato, pepper, etc. Poacea which is most of the true grasses such as corn, triticums such as wheat, etc is in this group. If you would refer to it as a grass, it is unlikely to be affected by bees. Most of the plants we refer to as beans are in this group including green beans, limas, cowpeas, etc, not because they don't produce nectar, rather because the flower shape prevents honeybee pollination. Fusion (Who consulted his honey plants manual to get this information)

Hi Lazygarden: Let's make this clear. I have a B.S. degree in Computer Science, minor in chemistry, graduated in 1986 from Grand Valley State University, MI. I also took Biochemistry, Organic chemistry, Pathophysiology, Child-development, and Abnormal Behavior Psychology. I'm also a Mom of a 12-year old who had speech-problem since she was 3. Lazygarden: What university did you graduate from, and are you a parent of a child with developmental problems? ReganMom, the poster of this thread, specifically asked "Has anyone had a similar situation, and how did you deal with it?" If you look at Amazon reviews on Carlson liquid fish oil, most recommended by M.D. to lower blood cholesterol and triglycerides, you'll see this review by a parent: http://www.amazon.com/Carlson-Finest-Liquid-Omega-3-Lemon/dp/B001LF39RO "our family has been using carlson's fish oil for many months now. i initially purchased it bc my son's speech therapist told me that a couple of her student's parents swore by the stuff. they say it's good for brain development. i was curious to try it out. i ended up giving it to the whole family (a spoonful in juice/milk/smoothie) every morning for health reasons." This is from livestrong.com: http://www.livestrong.com/article/353655-fish-oil-for-a-toddler-with-speech-developmental-delays/ Cognitive Benefits Omega-3 fatty acids are highly concentrated in the brain. They are important for brain function and may be effective for improving thinking skills. According to Special Kids Today, fish oil may improve language skills and eye contact in children with apraxia of speech, which is characterized by difficulty planning and producing the movements needed for speaking. Although there is no substitute for speech therapy, your child's doctor may recommend combining fish oil supplements with therapy. Below is another Mom who posted on CircleofMom, see link below: Michele - posted on 10/20/2012 "Hi we have had good luck with using Omega 3 supplements with our daughter. She was diagnosed at 2 with dyspraxia and SPD. She did not talk until she was 5. She is 15 now and talks your ear off. But we are still working on sentence lenght and clarity as her misarticulations are a result of a habit, We started using the Omega 3 about 3 years ago and we can tell when she is consistantly taking them and when she is not... She speaks clearer and with more words in a sentence. For those who are starting the road of therapy I offer that I would be happy to chat at anytime. Or answer any questions...we have done it all. I also offer that I have a website that tells more about Elizabeth and her journey for those interested. www,michelegianetti.com Here is a link that might be useful: Omega-3 helping with apraxia This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Fri, Oct 10, 14 at 16:55

Yes, I called the police even before the person (people) got completely off the property. By the time the police arrived the vehicle was no where to be seen. The police also came back after daylight to see if they had missed anything in the dark. I think they took some tire casts, they took a lot of pictures, and they are checking repair shops. The damage to my fence is below my homeowner's deductible, so I won't be filing a claim for that. In fact, I don't think I will even report it in case it makes my premium go up. (They don't have to pay out, you know - all they need is to know there was a potential claim) There is always so much crime this time of year - criminals wanting to do their Christmas shopping, I suppose. And some of them have the mistaken idea that old people tend to be wealthy and stuff their money in old socks under the bed. Bah! Humbug! If they only knew how little money most of us have, and what we do have is not hanging around in the house anywhere. I always write checks or use my bank card - seldom have over $20.00 in cash. I asked the police about doing drive-by, and they said they would whenever possible. It's a large county and each officer has as lot of territory to cover. So I've done what I can: made sure my guns are loaded and where I can get to them quickly, have posted those tacky Beware of Dog and NO Trespassing signs, have added another outdoor flood light, and have had a relative park his old beat-up pick-up truck in the back yard. I will continue keeping all dogs inside at night - am afraid they might get some poisoned hamburger tossed to them at night if they were outside. Having them inside would likely be a deterrent to someone attempting entry since my male collie weights about 75 pounds - he's huge and very protective. They seem to have been patrolling the house more than usual last night and the night before. Listening to their nails clicking on the wood floor, it seems they are taking turns making the rounds I guess Saturday night was a wake-up call for them, too. Anyway, I need to quit obsessing over it. I need to send a few cards out this week. My list is always short. I just can't get into the sending of cards to people you don't really care about just so you can get a bunch back. I only send cards to people I really care about and won't see or talk to over the holidays