I think you may want to communicate your intent to them prior to submitting it elsewhere. BHG may get upset, and perhaps rightfully so, if the article appears elsewhere or you tell them after you've placed it in another publication. Do you have a contact there you can write to and let them know you'll be sending it out? Maybe you can word it like: while I am delighted by the possibility of appearing in BHG, I also care about this piece and want to pursue venues for having it published this year (2004?). You know your contact there and relationship with them better than I, but I guess I'd recommend strongly letting them know your intent in some extremely diplomatic way. How frustrating for you, to have such a neat project not published. On the other hand, it's two years more mature now and might be better served by your own work. Good luck and let us know what happens! Arbor

dazzle--the colors are by Valspar, (although I used BM's Aura paint), Coastal Villa, and Italian Leather (which is the darker color on the hood wall and the fireplace wall). There is a 3rd color that no one can see, it's on the clock wall. It is actually the color that is inbetween these 2 on the paint strip. It turned out not to be significantly different so nobody notices my "accent" wall. But I was just telling my dh that we should have used that color instead of the Coastal Villa, it is richer.

I'm sorry it made you cry, FD. That was definitely not my intention. It makes me cry when I think of her standing at the gate as we backed out of the driveway and back out of her life. I think you're right...he just has to keep on trying and keep on visiting, even though it hurts. I started tearing up when SD read the birthday card DS gave her. It broke my heart! It said "Dear SD, I hope you have a very happy birthday. You should come visit sometime. I want to go ride bikes at the park. I miss you so, so, so much. Love, DS". It seems so unfair to him. He was 3 (almost 4) when he met SD. We spent every weekend DS wasn't with X (and some weekdays) together for 5 years. And then, all of the sudden, she's gone. Maybe it's easier for her to avoid talking to and seeing us than to have to say goodbye. I think her head has been filled with so many things that when she does see and/or talk to us it contradicts everything she's been told and doesn't know what to think. Maybe it's easier to live 90% of her life believing the crap BM tells her than to actually think and decide what she believes for herself. I'm not perfect and I know I've made mistakes where SD is concerned. I probably still do. I don't know any parent (step or bio or both) that doesn't. But I came to this forum to better my relations with BM, SF, sister, SD, DH, DS, X, and X's GF. I really do try very hard not to be like some of your SMs, and I definitely don't want to be like BM when she was a SM to DH's son. I want to encourage DH in his relationships withhis kids, but not be a catalyst for trouble. So when he asked me to go, I saw one of two scenarios happening: 1) they think "well I guess he just can't do anything without her now that they're married", or 2) they think I'm controlling him. Neither of which is even remotely true. The truth is that DH has no connection with his own daughter anymore and knew he would be spending a lot of time either alone or with BM and SF. He asked me to go because 1) he's scared to death of being hurt by his daughter's ambivilance to him, which he knew was probably going to happen; and 2) he didn't want to be alone all the way there, all the way back, and while he was there.

She looks like Brody did when he was a baby. You can see how much she's grown in the picture of Brody holding her. You, of course, are as pretty as ever. I love that green blanket she's wrapped in. Did someone make it for you?