Patti: Yes I was watching when they broke in and told about it... I am sadden for all the families... and the mall and the workers...and the firefighters.. and the Police... and even like you ... you would do Christmas shopping there... IT is like a V I O L A T I O N a very personal attack... How truly sad... At a family time... a sick derranged how ever you spelll it !!!!! mean ole person has this hate in his heart... instead of just doing something to himself... he has to hurt sooooo' many > I will pray and pray.. but it will probably effect the Christmas shopping economy... GOOD THING most of us junkers.... etc... shop at other places.... God must be sad toooo Hey Christmas is just around the corner... It's snowing up a storm here in Illinois and Wisconsin.. And We will not let terrorism steal away the true meaning of Christmas... or any other day in our lives.... This is our Country... these are our families !!!!! Dang those crazy bad guys... didn't any body know this guy was acting up or crazy...? I do thank God that he did not do anything to the President. That would really be a blow to our country we don't need right now.... or ever... I was thinking of when I was at lunch in the 9th grade ... when President Kennedy was assassinated ... it was a scarey horrible thing... Well..... We must pray and we must try to stay safe. We should all talk to our family members and get a plan just like you do for a fire...or bad weather... that sounds so awful to say... But it is the time of unrest with disturbed people.*** *********** God BLess You Each One Stay vigilant... Keep your chins up and Remember God Loves You !!!! susiesunshine

marisa.. I posted stress as a factor when you were going through this awhile back. After being a licensed hair designer/colourist for almost 30 years, I've seen alopecia areata occur in numerous clients. In the cases that I've seen, it always happened after a trauma or stress to the individual in some way. Being curious, I've questioned clients that proclaimed NO stress was in their lives. I perceived total different conclusions, and they are all hypotheses. I had a couple of clients I believe were wrongly diagnosed for alopecia because the area was not 'slick' like my other clients. I noticed one lady in particular getting stressed when I was running late one day. She said absolutely nothing, but started reaching for her scalp. She unconsciously went for this patch in her crown that had almost completely lost every hair. Not being able to grasp the hair, she moved her hand under her hair behind her ear as she sat in the waiting room. To the unobservant, it looked as though she was just fingering a small section of hair about the size of a nickel, then twirled it around and around her fingers. She was PULLING her hair out little by little. Within a few haircuts, that area, too, was almost 'bald.' I asked her if she had gone to the doctor and he said, "Alopecia areata." I told her what I observed. She denied it, then caught herself one day when someone else pointed it out. She eventually went on Prozac and believe it or not, she stopped pulling her hair out. Other cases of stress: A man denied stress in his life. His beard starting having slick, balding patches. He shaved his beard, then the it "moved" to his head. He swore no stress. I was really surprised because he was literally "Joe Cool". As it turned out, he was cheating on his wife and had gotten caught. His wife confided to me. So, I stood firm in my mind my previous conclusion: for whatever reason, his body 'unconsciously' responded to the stress he consciously denied, in my opinion. Another lady lost her her husband and three of her four children in an automobile accident. Her rich, medium brown hair turned WHITE OVERNIGHT. All pigment gone. Stress was the culprit. College students, children of divorce, students under pressure have exhibited alopecia areata. I personally had a child stay with us over a 30 day Christmas break, from an orphanage in Korea, that had alopecia and eczema. After one month with us, her symptoms were improved dramatically. Once returned to the facility, her symptoms returned. I could go on and on. Obviously, I am not a doctor. However, it does not take a degree to connect the dots here. We do not understand, nor do physicians, how our mind and body work hand and hand for health and disease. As the mind, will, and emotions merge, I believe the soul can be wounded and manifest in some way (like alopecia) that we would never have perceived in the natural realm. How can science "prove" stress causes alopecia? By hypothesizing...just like they "diagnose" stress as a factor for high blood pressure and heart disease. There is a direct evidence and the outside factors or environmental changes that have been present in other cases. I would do everything I could to try to find out all about what's going on in your child's life. Is there a bully at school? Is someone approaching your child inappropriately and they fear telling you? Is there too much pressure to perform academically or performing some talent? Has there been a marriage, divorce, death, etc? Has the child done something that they have remorse for, shame over, or fear something (real or perceived) that you may not have privileged knowledge about? (i.e., Have they stolen something? Cheated on an exam? Are they antagonizing/terrorizing someone themselves?, etceteras...) My two cents. Hope you get to the bottom of this soon. May I gently suggest, that there is no cream to grow the hair back, why go for another opinion? I am gently suggesting you strongly consider finding a sensitive, compassionate female psychologist (possibly one at the county health department) to see if they might have someone that might be able to talk to your daughter one on one to try to get her to open up. I am sincerely avoiding housework to offer some questions to ask and suggestions to help you find some solution to help your daughter. Please, don't just quickly dismiss my suggestions. I'm persuaded to believe there is something going on that you may not be aware that exists that is causing this stress. An FP doctor may not be the right professional to be seeking for solutions. Sheri

Carolyn, How you doing on that formal for you granddaughter Jessica? I'll bet she is going to be thrilled when she wears it. Can you take a picture and download it here for all of us to see? I think I have just about reached my limit with works in progress. Soooo many quilts are in the making, the one for donation to a needy toddler is coming along nicely. Tried stiple quilting it but that didn't turn out very well. I unpicked my stitches and have stiched in the ditch only. Just trying to figure out some easy quilting pattern (perhaps a star?) to stitch (with a walking foot) in the 6 x6 inch squares. Then to put the binding on and it will be finished. I'm 2 lessons behind on my block of "the week" log cabin sampler quilt. It will just have to wait. Don't know how some women in my quilting group finish their projects so quickly. Oh well, one thing at a time I say. All the best, Nanna

Congratulations! "now, what would you do? is it understandable for me to be upset or not? is it normal to not even send a card or a small gift? would you say anything?" 1. What I would do is exactly what you are doing. Venting :) 2. Yes, it's understandable, I'd be upset too. 3. "Normal". Hm. Well, from what you've described it is normal for him and his relationship with your DD. It appears it's not normal for how he treats others. Unfortunate. But probably normal. 4. I'd say something if I thought it would do any good. And I'd say something like what was suggested above: DD worked hard, I know you're probably busy and it's easy to forget, but would you give her a call or send a card letting her know how proud you are? It would mean a lot to me. I received no gifts/cards/etc. for my college graduation from family members. My friends, their parents... they gave me gifts and I appreciated their tokens of pride so very much. For me, taking the time to really congratulate someone for accomplishing a goal is very important. Regardless of what it is. Your dd sounds like she's gone above and beyond many graduates, and that is worthy of extreme pride (so please don't take this wrong because it has nothing to do with your DD, just a generalization). My feeling is that if someone graduated Summa Cum Laude from Harvard or plumbing school it shouldn't matter insofar as they should be shown by their family and friends that their efforts and accomplishment did not go unnoticed. Praising someone for success (even if it's something that may be considered by others to be not that hard or unusual) is important. Acknowledging achievement is important. I have a friend who recently completed a marathon. Ten miles is not very much. I can run 10 miles faster than this person. I have another friend who has won the Ironman and many who have competed in similar elite marathons and triathlons. But I am so proud of her and I'm her biggest cheerleader. She set a goal, she worked toward it and she accomplished it! It's so cool to see her look of pride, and see her self-worth rise and to know that she knows that she is more capable than before. To me, that's cool. And if your brother is too ignorant to see just what a cool niece he has, it's his loss. Heck, I'm proud of her and I don't even know her. (((virtual card congratulating dd)))