Hi Sarah. How about the obvious? (For me, any way.) A float highlighting the *ultimate* gift of selflessness and caring? That is the real meaning of Christmas, isn't it, not Santa!?!?!?!? A float paying tribute as well as drawing attention to the importance of Service Dogs for Hearing and Service Dogs in general? Maybe JJ and KAO would be available to take a ride in the parade? Certainly it would spark an interest in at least a few people either with a monetary contribution or to help with puppy donation and the training! It would be a nice way to draw subtle attention to a very important but overlooked aspect of life. People seem to be more in a giving frame of mind around Christmas. It probably would be very nice day for your latest team too if not too cold! :-) C with 3Ds

Cute flowers & nicely done. I think I would sew the pins on the back neatly as i think it will look more professional. if they turn it over & it is stuck in glue they might think it is easy to do.(my thinking anyway!LOL) Love the pincushion. I would try just covering a lid with any old piece of cloth & stuff it full(can hold cloth on with large safety pin pulled over whole thing(not making myself clear- this is just to see how pins go in-GF just made a cotton Sugar & Spice pin cushion-Didn't work so well, the cotton yarn doesn't want to accept pins, it is crocheted. So she used acrylic yarn & made another,needles & pins go in great. The pincushions are kind of like a sock that fits over a glass to absorb sweat from the glass-imagine that you make 3 sizes & each smaller than last & put large 1 on outside, med. 1 in center & small one in center like a miniature 3 tiered cake-higher in the center(center open for thimble. Lesson is cotton yarn doesn't work, acrylic does. Foam wouldn't work, fiberfill might. Those store bought "tomatoes" that have a strawberry added full of pumice are full of some kind of polyfil or similar material. I'm too tired to be on here. Probably goggle "crocheted pincushions & come up with pattern. She copied mine that someone made me. Hope this makes sense! Jan

Thank you all so much for your replies and ideas. The phyllo dough demo went over very well last year and we did not have anyone in the group of 20? (ages 30-60) who had ever used it. They all seemed to really enjoy seeing it used and had a lot of questions. I talked briefly about puff pasty and none had used that either, so hence, this year it is. A few of the ladies are good cooks but cook basic southern cooking. I have no idea if anyone will actually make anything I show, but it is fun and entertaining! The cured salmon made me laugh...must be a northern thing. Now if I made jerky venison.... One of my close friends always brings something to our groups that is lovely, one year she brought smoked salmon and lots of garnishes...beautifully presented. It went untouched. Dh and I pigged out afterward on it. Most social occasions seem to have an abundance of chocolate fountains, m&m's, hotdogs, store bought french onion dip... So, I did think about yeast rolls and I may do a savory filling for the turnovers. But not mushroom (sorry Ann, but I appreciate the recipe- I like mushrooms as much as you like carrots) I would like do something really easy but if possible, not bready. Can't do canned biscuits- just hate them. (I know, P. Farm puff pastry isn't much better!) I have a recipe for ranch dressing, rosemary grilled chicken that is a little different, may do that on skewers. Hmmm, how to use a pastry bag? How to pipe whipped cream into strawberries? Caramelized onion dip? Stuffed, rolled, turkey breast? (I like this idea) I truly am reading and pondering everyone's ideas. Thank you so much.

All I can say is that if I found out that my husband had posted his photos and a profile on an internet dating site, it would be a very, very big deal to me. It would be an even bigger deal if I knew that he was corresponding with other women and (once I found out) told me that he only did it for a "joke" and because it made him feel good to know that other women found him attractive. And then tried to put it on me by saying that it was my fault because things I said or did made him feel unloved. To me, that kind of thing is the start of infidelity. Even if I found out during a time when he hadn't physically cheated, I would see it as him starting down that road. I would have a hard time even starting to put it behind me unless I felt that he fully realized the seriousness of what he'd done and would never, ever do something like that again. If he was still voicing the excuses you've written here, I would think that he still doesn't get it. If you have other problems in your marriage-- and it sounds like you do--I think that this was more than just an inappropriate way to deal with them. This seems more like creating a new problem to add to all of the others. If you do try to work things out, my guess is that this internet flirting thing is going to be one more issue you guys have to address.