I went to our county fair last weekend with my best girlfriend. They had the chocolate covered bacon, but I didn't try it. I had my old standby favorite: kettle corn. Had a lot of fun looking at the animals and shopping. Here's what I got. Cute t-shirt Tuberose bulb Keepeez Have you seen these? Very handy lids which can stick on almost any conatiner. Hand crank salsa maker

Hi all! Hope all is well! Alma, your seedlings look awesome! I planted mine are Aug 21, 2016 mine are tiny compare to yours. I was being cheap with not giving them as much light or heat but good thing is that are did survive the winter tho. We been having nice weather so I did bring them outside for some fresh air but they're back in at night because it's around 50's or less at night but the rain and cooler weather is coming back again so back inside they go. Here are some pic of them: some are branching out nicely, tallest one is around 5 inches and the smallest one is 1 inch lol

Finished The Girl with the Louding Voice. About a 14 year-old girl in Nigeria, a tiny twig of a girl refusing to curl up and die in the face of unspeakable horrors. What a dynamite of a book! Heartbreaking at times yet so uplifiting and inspiring. The powerful, piercing, raw language is a fitting voice for the main character — her unbreakable spirit, her searing but unschooled mind, her naive but resourceful ways. I think the story is a believable one, and unfortunately even a common one. I shared an apartment with a Nigerian roommate in grad school. This was 35 years ago and she was from Lagos. Though we are not close friends, I got to know her well and have kept in touch with her. I believe the values and norms of the society described in the book are — unfortunately — accurate ane prevalent even now. The treatment of hired help in the book rang true too. I grew up in India though I’ve lived all my adult life in the US. The dynamics of the wealthy and the working class in the book is, I’m ashamed to say, prevalent in India too, though it’s changing. Finally, the power of education to lift lives out of poverty and oppression can never be as real to others as someone gripped by unspeakable desperation. I come from a relatively privileged background and can’t pretend to understand the life of someone like Odunni in the book, but it was education that allowed me an escape from the vise of patriarchy. Feminism is not a fancy notion, a notion many struggling women around the world don’t even know about. It’s simply a woman’s rejection of her lot in life and her fight to survive. It’s as simple and real as that. The book lays it bare in the most unadorned way. I teared up occasionally. My heart swelled with thrill and pride for the little girl at other times. I laughed out loud at her cheeky little obervations. She will stay with me for a long, long time. salon, faftris, 4kids, thanks for the recommendation. This book is an unforgettable experience. Loved it. 4.5 stars.

Judi, that video of the Amazing Race was fun to watch. Thanks for sharing. I have often tried to place myself in the contestant's shoes on both Survivor and AR and wonder how I would react in a situation. I don't think I could maintain my cool, unfortunately. I kept trying to get DH and our son to apply for the AR, I thought they would do great. My husband is definitely a Macguyver type who seemingly instinctively can figure out a way to do something the most efficient and easiest way and my son is sharp as a tack with a photographic memory and language skills. They were never too interested but now that hubs is retired......ha ha, he is probably not physically able to run around like that anymore. I know I'm not!