I am looking for a pair of garden gloves that don't let the dirt in. Most every pair I have ever had lets the dirt in at the tips of the fingers, and it destroys my manicure. If anyone has any suggestions, could you mention not only the brand but which ones are most protective, as each brand often has many styles and selections to choose from. I used some latex gloves yesterday, and today my hands are inflammed, red and itching. Guess i must be allergic to the gloves or else I got into some poison ivy or something. Anyway I am desperate for a pair of good, protective gloves that don't leak dirt and mud in.

This is not a silly subject. These are valid questions. I handle Georgian sterling (mostly II & III) and American silver through the Federal Period. I have been a silver lover for many, many years! I like my inventory to be clean and obviously don't wish to destroy it in the cleaning. The first thing I will tell you is to throw the silver polish away. It can and will remove more silver than is necessary (*all* polishes remove silver. period.). The gentlest thing for silver polishing, which works a treat on plate as well, is raw wool. It doesn't take elbow grease, it doesn't require exertion, just a delicate touch as you wipe the piece. The tarnish begins to lift as you wipe. After a nice once-over, then take a non-prefolded cotton diaper and tenderly wipe the piece. You'll be picking up lots of lanolin with the tarnish. Rotate the diaper to wipe the piece with a clean section. Don't put pressure on it, just wipe. Although this makes your hands black, the tarnish washes away from your hands easily with a little soap. And your hands will be softer for the lanolin. I'm not sure but think the lanolin is the actual 'polish' at work. Raw wool is easy to get, just ask at a sheep farm, or at a farm animal rescue. And to clean the diaper, wash in very hot soapy water on the longest wash cycle you have. I don't wash silver rags with other rags for fear of contaminating the silver rags. Rinse thoroughly without fabric softener or dryer sheets. Those leave residues that are harmful to silver. The silver cloths tend to keep a bit of tarnish here and there.

Linda, you made me cry. Thank you so much, I really needed that. There are several here that have boosted me with their stories. My lump was a 1.2cm but the grade was worst. They took the 3nodes but they were clusted. One had 3 and in one of those they found bad cells. Since clustered they think it was a first node and possibly got bad cells in there from leaking out during my procedures. I had 6 treatments, 3wks apart. I got all three of your same meds in each treatment. We anticipate 8wks of rad, 5times a week. Tamoxofin will start after my trip, just in case there is any nausea in the beginning. And yes, the rad is just the spot, so I feel pretty ok with that. Even if I get a little burn, which I doubt, it will be hidden by clothing. Everyone... I had port removed Friday. I was nervous about just using a local. Nurses and doc noticed my concern and offered sedation but I stayed strong. Doc said because of port he could still give me something if he begins procedure and I freak. So he gives me the injection of lidocaine, it burns a smidge and then nothing. It was fine. It was weird seeing him cut me open but it felt like he put a thick piece of rubber on me and was cutting that instead. It was wierd. I felt nothing but the tug when they pulled the port out. I asked if I could have it to show my kids, then run over it with my car. They laughed and said they get that request all of the time. My port is a really pretty shade of purple and is about the size of a nickel. It is titanium so they said it would be hard to smash. It has a place on edge where I could actually hook a keychain to ring to make a necklace. I think I might make it into a keychain. Seems fitting in an odd way to me. I have a nice little incision where they put it in. Doc who put it in took it out also. He was pleased with how the first healed up and anticipates the new one will heal just as nicely. I must say that this is such a weight off my chest- literally, that thing was heavy. I feel a little more normal each day knowing I don't have this think sticking out of me. I have wondered what my role will be after all this. Because of my determination to "just be me" through all of this I think I want to be a role model for others. I already got a shot at it when leaving the operating room. I was left to dress and one nurse had not left yet. I told her that I have shown my breast to more folk in last year than my lifetime so one more was no big deal. Somehow our conversation changed and she told me that she was having a biopsy next week on 4 differents spots. She too was 44. She said she liked my attitude and she also was planning to work that day up until the appointment. I told her that I got my diagonosis and actually went back to work to have a pizza party with my coworkers. She was amazed that I did that. She said she had appt set for Friday because she did not know how she would feel afterwards. I told her that I went back to work that day also, again with no one knowing what I did. She said that after talking to me she felt so much better. She agreed that we cannot change things, they are what they are and we just have to deal with it and move on. I think our chat really helped both of us. As I mentioned before, there are several of us on this board that have survived just fine. We have been chatting for a few years here and until I posted my situation and got feedback I never knew how many of us have had to go through this. It was so uplifting to me to already "know" the gals from all our decorating and chatting, and then to see them come out and show their support. I really got the impression that like me they may have HAD BC but it does not have them. It does not define them. Truly inspiring to me. So thanks to everyone who has said, or though, kinds things. And to the gals who have come out to share their experiences, just know that you are a huge part of why I am how I am. Just as you inspire me I hope to inspire others.

Your Golden was original bred to be a water dog...a bird hunter. Most water dogs have very oily hair/skin (Ask me about my oily boys, LOL) to help repell water and hold body heat. The oil will develop a rancid odor at times. Each dog has their own individual odor too. Not to play favorites, but Harry has a wonderful smell. He smells like the open, grassy prairie. Sam - not so much. He's much more oily, and smelly, than Harry. You don't want to bath a dog too much, but you do have to strike a balance between "clean" and "smelly." Sam gets nearly twice as many baths as Harry. Bad breath can be a gum problem. Harry's due for another deep cleaning from the vet in a month. Sam doesn't seem to have the problem.