Thanks everyone! I still like it. :) Eileen - A good multivitamin and B I always thought were very good for hair. I take both. I attached a link with more info. on more specific vitamins and minerals. I will say, like anything else, I don't believe all vitamins are created equal. Sounds like not all of your hair was lost? That's good it's growing back but more importantly it's great you're doing much better. :) *I have no idea what vitamins they have on that site or how they are. I just did a search for vitamins for hair. Here is a link that might be useful: vitamins for hair

Lazypup, a big thank you for sharing your life's story and how Frog came into your life. If anyone thinks you are crazy, that's great, because there are many of us who are. Do you think maybe us both being former Ohioans has anything to do with it? LOL We too have a stuffed animal who is sooooo much a part of our lives, just like a child would be. I will share with you how Taury came into our lives. We've always had a stuffed animal mascot in every car and truck we have owned. When we were still in Ohio we bought a Ford Taurus wagon and since Taurus is the sign of the bull, we needed a bull mascot. At a flea market I found this little bull who was teddy bear sized. He was too cute to leave out in the car, so he would always be brought into the house with us. He went to all craft shows and car shows with us. In time I decided I wanted him to be toddler size so I oould dress him in real little kids clothes, so off to the fabric store I went, found furry material in as close a match as I could find, and made him a new body, legs and arms, then stuffed him into this new body. To this day he goes everywhere we go. He has been in the hospital with me many times, rode in the ambulance bringing me home. The nurses and doctors all loved him. To hold him close brings me comfort if I am upset. He will be cremated with me when the time comes. Meet Taury...bulls are nearsited, so he wears glasses. Please keep posting your Frog stories and pictures. Sending you hugs and love, and the same for Jan.

Two books I most associate with the Xmases of my youth are "Little Women" and a sad, 19th century tome: "The Bird's Christmas Carol." In the latter, Carol is a sick little girl, daughter of the Bird family. It is relieved only by the portrayal of the Ruggles', an Irish family next door, who are struggling to survive. It is now out of print. I have my own antiquarian copy and cannot read it withoug weeping. I grew up in the suburbs of the "old" Atlanta, before all the changes. It was a friendly neighborhood, and we all knew each other. We used to walk the old sidewalks going from door to door for Xmas cheer, when neighbors would have "open house." At our own open house, my father made home-made egg nog --- incredibly strong, with sherry. I think a few were reeling, afterward.... Christmas eve feast were a few relatives and friends, with a large ham served. (never, ever turkey!). The ham was studded with cloves. Alongside it was the traditional southern dish of sweet potato pudding with orange flavor and marshmallows. Dessert was always the traditional southern fruitcake, made with Bourbon. Children would go door to door singing the old Xmas carols in the evening. We always had a live fir tree in the bay window of our living room, decorated with very old glass balls and that dreadful silver tinsel draped over its branches. There was always a fire in our fireplace and it was the one night of the year that our dog was permitted to come into the house to lie in front of the fire. On Xmas eve night, a plate of cookies was left out for Santa. I had been told to write a letter to Santa to state what I wanted. ( really, very simple gifts, by today's standards -- a bike, a doll, a book). I got little sleep that night, as I recall listening for the hooves of 8 reindeer on our slate roof. I would arise early and sneak downstairs to peek at the few gifts under the tree. Later on, the neighborhood kids would all congregate outside on the sidewalks to compare gifts. One of my most memorable gifts was a cowgirl outfit, a la Dale Evans, with boots, a lariat, a hat, etc. One of the boys got a Roy Rogers outfit, so we were quite the pair! We never went to church on Xmas, although there were Xmas concerts we attended, with choirs. Later in his life, my father took to listening to Handel's "Messiah."

If you enjoy "cozy" mysteries, have you read Donna Andrew's books? She does a series set in Virginia which features a main character Meg Langslow and her quirky family and an always unpredictable cast of animals. The bookstores have a new rerelease of two of her Christmas titles (Six Geese A-Slaying and Duck the Halls) in one volume "Two Deadly Doves". Another series I like is Betty Hechtman's crochet mysteries---her Christmas title is "You Better Knot Die."There are always a few patterns at the end which feature in the story. Again, lots of humor and a fun series.