Oh dear, just reading some of these posts is most disheartening. I am in Alberta and it has been non stop rain for the majority of the spring and summer. I wish I could just move the sprinkler out east! If it's any consolation, I can't do any gardening for the rain and the mosquitos. The dogs don't even want to go outside cause they are not water dogs, I raise shelties, and 7 wet shelties in the house is not a fun party.The basement is flooding constantly! Never mind the basement, the whole yard. Guess we just have to grin and bear it. Lets hope the weather trades places for the month of August! Under the apple tree July 22 in the dog run

I remember when the afro was popular and I asked my Mom if I could have one and she said no. I was in the 7th grade and thought how mean. Well when I was a freshman(14) in high school, I asked again and she told me that I could do it IF I was responsible about it and kept it neat and always looked presentable. I remember it as one of my first big decisions and I was so proud of the fact that she had enough faith in me that I would do the right thing and I did. Fast forward a gazillion years later and my D son asked if he could grow his hair out so that he could wear it braided. At the time he was 14 and I remembered the encounters with my Mom and I said the same thing to him. My hubby immediately said no and we had a family meeting and we made it clear that if he didn't take care of his hair AND save up the money to pay for getting it braided himself, then it would be cut off. Well my son is now almost 22 with hair below his shoulders and he is very responsible about taking care of his hair. Actually he is almost obsessed about it :-) That was one of the first real mature decisions for him, just like it was for me. I think depending on the maturity level of the kid, 14 is not too young to start experimenting with hair. As long as it is made clear to the kid what the potential ramifications are, then I think it is fine. I think we as adults have to remember what it is like to be that age and struggle with individuality vs what's popular and how hard it can be for teenagers. It is just hair and it will grow back. I have had every imaginable hairstyle under the sun,afro, long, short, asymmetrical, mullet and braids. Each style represented me during a particular period and I'm glad that I had the opportunity to do different things. We have to support, be honest but let them discover who they are. Oh yeah one other thing, as soon as my son started growing facial hair, he loved it and I hated it. He would let it grow long and I would beg for him to please shave and my hubby gently reminded ME about letting him express his individuality :-) To me he looked like Grizzly Adams but to my son it made him look older. Ughh.... So the running joke between us was that I would call him Grizzly but if he wanted to look like a mountaim man, that was his choice. Again fast forward a few years and he has a very nice goatee that is now well manicured and he looks great. I remembered my own experience and let him be and he eventually grew out of the Grizzly Adams look. Thank goodness!

When (if) you are mathematically challenged and .. . 3/100ths of an inch = .003"? 3/100 ... 3/1000 ... 3/0000000000 Didn't we learn at the age of 7 that zeroes = nothing? You can have all the 0's of something that you can get in your bowl and you'd still have 0. One or many!! Zero

Thanks Karen! I am feeling better but still have my low moments for sure. I am really trying to work on my mindset. It is good but can be exhausting. I am constantly trying to push out the sad and dark thoughts. Just taking things day by day. I do not think being a designer would be a possibility for me given I have no formal experience, no degree etc and I feel doing it as a job would take all of the fun out of it. I did do some staging for a while and it was hard work and I started to loathe it. I am currently working on getting into a an alternative teaching certification program. I have my Masters in Counseling and would like to ultimately be a school counselor. I would have to first teach for two years. I am trying to figure out which route I would like to go in teaching (grade levels and subject matter). I do need to get out and exercise more. I have never been big on exercising but need to try and start. I do love nature and agree that being out in nature is a great help to lift one's spirits!