Nanny wrote: "So, when Natal, or I, or someone else added those cranberries or nuts to their recipes, it was not to disobey your request, but to show others how their recipes were prepared. It's very easy to omit ingredients from any recipe, which is what I presume these women expect you to do." Thank you for replying, I wasn't going to come back into the topic but it's been bothering me all day because all I did was jokingly say "Ick" to a food I don't like. What I notice here is that others have made rude comments about Miracle Whip, a food *I* use, but were they called out on their "rudeness" to me? No. Why is it ALWAYS me, especially when I go out of my way to let you all know I'm laughing, just as I would if you were sitting before me. I'm not laughig AT you, I'm laughing at an ingredient in food! I have to disagree with you about people adding the ingredients that I specifically asked NOT to be added. Just as everyone goes into other's topics and apologizes for "hijacking" it, this was MY topic, and MY question. I'm not saying this to be mean, but I was the one who wanted some recipes which do not use fruits and nuts. Unless it was a fruit salad. :) So yes, when I get a reply I expect it to be for ME, and others are more than welcome to chime in. It's no different than if you did a topic on the other forum asking for painting advice on any color EXCEPT black, and everyone replied showing you their black rooms. lol. So I don't see how it was wrong for me to RME when I got the recipes with fruits and nuts. When we do a topic asking a specific question, should others reply for the sake of themselves, or to answer the OP's question? Lastly, I cannot believe how the word "Ick" offended others when no offense was meant at ALL. You all don't know me, but I'm known as the "Peace maker". Sure, I get my feelings hurt just like everyone else does, and I hate arguments especially if they're so trivial as me laughing and saying "Ick." I find it extremely rude to correct people on something so minor especially when it's obvious there was no intent on insulting anyone. I said it good heartedly. Just as I said the word "Yankee." Others have been calling themselves Yankees on this board all the time, but when I say it, it's considered offensive? I just get the feeling that some people here, but not all and just a minority, love to nitpick and bicker with others ad nauseum. We were having a fun and fascinating conversation about sandwiches and Miracle Whip vs. Mayonaise, until... I even found a place that sells the Mayo the "southerners" here like that I can order it online. Now, as far as being southern, I think I said this before. Both of my parents were born and raised in southern Virginia, and moved here to Oklahoma after they married. My father is a graduate of VA. Tech. Every single person in my family except my brother and myself are from Virginia. My uncle had a tobacco farm. I grew up with parents dipping cornbread in Buttermilk. ICK!!!! lol. See? I'm laughing about it, I still laugh at it to my mom when she does it! It's not a derogatory term because it's FOOD. But if you were to serve it to me, I'd be polite and eat it and if I didn't like it, you'd never know. Talking about food tastes is one thing and to turn it into nasty, nasty personal insults is another. Which I know you didn't do. I do however take offense because you are insinuating I am not "sophisticated" because I don't like fruit and nuts in my sandwiches. What? You have no idea what I eat. BTW, if anyone even cares at this point, I decided to make some Vegetable Bars and Tuna Salad finger sandwiches. :)

I had a friend back in grade school who went to the same church as I did with my family, she had 4 sisters and the oldest 3 would rotate who got their own bedroom each year and the rest were in bunks in another bedroom while parents had their own as well (of course). I only had a brother and we both had our own room. My mom was born in Houston in 1946, my dad born in California in 1945 - her family moved out here (California) when she and her twin were 5 years old and pretty much all on both sides except for my immediate family (brother had been living there since 1996 then my parents left for Nebraska in 2007) has continued to reside in California. But we're all basically what one would think of as the definition of "nuclear family" - I have an aunt and an uncle through my mom's side and an uncle on my dad's. My maternal uncle had 3 kids, my aunt had two, my paternal uncle had 2 kids from one marriage and one kid from his second. I remember when my brother left our parents house for air force basic training, his old bedroom was turned into a home office within 24 hours - I think my mom was happy that the computer could finally be set up somewhere other than their bedroom!

This is already so helpful. Thank you all! Sammy, YES about the cords. There are two in this room that I need to cap or otherwise "disappear." To answer your question, the brick is old and really sharp. (I know that sounds weird, but it's true.) I wonder if NoSoccerMom's idea about bookcases/storage could happen around it. My3Dogs, that's a great question about the radiators. We haven't had to use the heat yet, but we might soon! I'm hoping that they don't get too hot, as the covers don't touch the actual radiators much in the front. And good news is that the covers have backs, so I'm hoping they're not falling hazards. Cawaps -- Great ideas! Thank you! Yes, a new rug is in order! I'm torn between going with one of those foam square things in fun colors and keeping it more "grown up" with a low-pile rug. Either way, I'll try pulling the wall color into the floors without getting things too dark.

This is difficult to narrow down. Here goes: Book: "To Kill a Mockingbird". I read it at least once a year. Song: "Till There Was You" , Beatles. DH and I used to sing it to our babies. He would play it on the guitar and we would both sing. Maybe that's why they went to sleep so quickly-to escape our singing! Movie: Dr. Zhivago. On a snowy night DH and I went to see the movie and were only a handful of those who braved the storm to see it. It was in an old theater with the red velvet drapes around the screen. It was a very romantic, memorable date night! History behind Dr. Zhivago