Michelle, Congrats on a great thread. It is very rare to have a thread attain 100 responses and you clearly will go way over that. Another first for Camelot in SW VA Fritillary (sp.) I couldn't get close enough to determine what species. BTW, This beats my earliest Fritillary ever by 3 days. mike

Good afternoon all, Thank you SO much for the continued thoughts and prayers for SP. The hoof trimmer was out again this morning and we got SP and the rest of the herd out into the pasture. Casey was kicking up her heels in a big way (maybe to encourage SP) and SP did not do that but she went and stayed out until 2:00 pm. She has not layed down once yet today but she must be tired. She is in her stall now so I imagine a nap is in order. It is chilly (21) but sunny here today. I cannot tell you how grateful I am that this snow is way south of us. It would be great hardship for both P and me if we were to get clobbered with snow right now. DH left yesterday morning to deliver in Virginia! I could not believe he was going. He got to NJ last night and then into Maryland today before he decided to pull it over and stop. I just hope he is at a good truck stop with the anmenities....like hook up for tv for the super bowl....good lord that would upset him! I am feeling encouraged still. SP is very, very lame and it's painful to watch her walk but it's the only way for her to get better. She takes baby step when she needs to but the thing is that she is doing it and has not given up. The vet has likened her pain to having all of your fingers slammed or crushed with a vise or in a big door. We all know how that feels - that throbbing endless pain. She says it ten times worse in the feet. The hoof is very much like a fingernail. My sweet brave girl.

Good Morning ...long time no post BUT I am reading when I have time. Christmas Exchange - I'm in! French Lick - I'm out. I will be in San Diego for my oldest DS's Police Academy graduation. Diet - I am doing very well on WW. I actually really love the program and it is working for me. I needed accountability and I was not good at all. I love food and as much as I loved some of the low carb diets...I cheated too easily because I missed some on the things that I loved to eat. On WW, I can have a potato, banana, popcorn...etc. I am not putting down low carb, it works for some but I don't remember the last time I lost 10 pounds so easily. I am doing their Core plan and I don't count points unless it is a treat like a Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich, fat free chips or something like that. I have to pay each week to get weighed and I find the meetings pretty good. I am doing with the SO and he is losing too. He needed to lose weight and I really was not into making different meals for each of us so I said I would do WW with him. He is losing too and being as competitive as I am...I think it keeps me on task. Work - BUSY and I lost my assistant so I have twice as much work again to do. Working out - I work in an office full of IT geeks. I was talking to one of them the other day and he was telling me about this program for the XBox. ( Video Game Machine ) It is called Yourself Fitness. It is like having a personal trainer. It creates different work outs for you according to your fitness level. It keeps you interested because the workouts change all the time. They even ask you what kinds of other workout items you have and incorporate that into the workout. ( weights, fitness ball, step ) I am seriously considering this because I really want to get back into shape. My car accident in 03 has really messed up my back. I haven't worked out since then because it seems like any little thing give me sciatica. I put on 10 pounds on top of what I needed to lose and that only added to having low self esteem about myself. I have one of the momentus birthdays next year and I really really want to look good for it. Kids -They are all well and happy! I cannot ask for more. I really feel blessed each day because they are so good and well adjusted. Alright - I wrote more than I thought I would have time for! Hello to all and prayers for those who need them! Gretchen

I was horrified by the behavior of the children in this novel. It took me back in time to a place where a "good" friend of mine and I competed for attention driven partly by a kind of jealousy we had for each other. It made me think of times when both of us were unkind to each other, but the young girls in this story really take it to extremes. I felt myself wanting to fight back for Elaine, all the while knowing I could not. So I guess this story really hit a familiar yet uncomfortable place in my heart which is why I had such a strong reaction to it. In spite of this, I have more Atwood stories in my TBR pile, as I do overall like her writing because she does a good job of pulling me in emotionally.