Greetings all! Since I've taken the time to enjoy this whole thread, I thought I would contribute something - woodie2, thanks for the link to the hanky panky, and I will look into those myself. On that same website, I found my favorite bra for work: http://www.herroom.com/Le_Mystere,Mys001-955,4.cfm I admit it is not my absolute most comfortable (that goes to my Wacoal), but it looks like a million bucks every day. I have several (they are worth the $ if you wash in a lingere bag and hang them to dry), and wear them every weekday. On the thong-wearing topic - if you are considering trying them, it is very much like learning to wear contact lenses. First, of course, you need a good fit (let me recommend the cossabella mesh thong). Then you will find that you can only wear them for a few hours the first day, then a bit longer the next time, and eventually, you don't even notice they are there. Would love to go au naturale myself, but there is no way - talk about uncomfortable. I guess we are all constructed differently!

Well, from my 45 years of experience being single, there are several "marriage waves" that a person can ride. One is the high school one. Virtually everyone in high school is single and so lots of people meet and pair up then. After that comes the college wave, ditto. Then comes the first years out of college/career establishment phase. A lot of people who meet during this time meet as they are both starting out work. This phase is a little more difficult, because some careers are going to take a lot of time and energy to establish. There are issues that can arise in a woman's life at each of those stages that makes it hard for her to ride the wave to matrimony. After that, the pickings get slim, because a large proportion of the people in your age/social marriage class have gotten married. I think there is a fourth wave, the divorce wave starting in the 40's, and then finally a widowed wave. I'm not sure which wave you rode Mary, but after 35, things get really difficult on the dating scene, no way to sugar coat it. Men who want and are able to accomodate committed relationships tend to get into them by the time they reach 35 or so. Notice I said TEND, this is just a generalization and there are exceptions. And therein lies the challenge, you are looking for the exception in the haystack. They are there, but you have to root around, which is an emotionally trying and time consuming process. If your friends are really serious about the hunt for a good relationship, they will have to do some rather "unpleasant" marketing of themselves, and they will need all the support they can get from you. You are the perfect one to give it, since you're not the "competition." My best friends have been absolute gems this year supporting me trying to find someone decent to date and have a relationship with. It is just unbelievably hard but I won't go on and on about it here because that isn't the subject of this post. I just wanted to tell you Mary that your friends are lucky that they have you. I would have curled up and died long ago had it not been for my wonderful friends. BTW, a book that I have been using to assist me is called "How to Find a Husband After 35, Using What I Learned in Harvard Business School." It is one of the most "out there" books you will ever find on the subject of dating, but I don't mind it so much, you don't have to agree with everything the author writes about. Basically the author's premise is that you can use the same guerilla marketing techniques someone might use to get a new project or business going to get a marriage going. Having worked in a situation where I reviewed lots of resumes, interviewed and hired lots of people, I can say that I do believe that the two processes are similar. I've had to market myself in order to get a job, and I've used my techniques to help friends get jobs. So tell your friends if they can get a job, they can get a man, and if they can make a good "hire" they can choose the right partner. That approach sounds cold and calculating, and to some exent it is, but the book also has lots of suggestions on how to reach out to your friends and neighbors to assist them in your "quest" which for me has actually been kind of spiritually uplifting. My friends now all know I am looking to get married and they are being very supportive. Another book I found helpful that I picked up in the bargin book bin was "The Dating Secrets of the Ten Commandments" and it is written by a rabbi who used the spiritual guides of the Ten Commandments as starting points for a series of essays on male/female relationships. See, that book really isn't about "dating" as much as relationships, but which would sell better, "The DATING Secrets of the Ten Commandments" or "The RELATIONSHIP Secrets of the Ten Commandments." One is a racy anomaly, one sounds preachy. It's all about marketing! :-) Anyway, the rabbi doesn't take himself too seriously, there are a lot of funny bits in the book with some of the serious ideas. It is a little on the schmaltzy side, a little overdone, but there are a few pearls in there.

They were probably some sort of moth eggs. Moths are well known for getting into closets and eating holes in people's clothing. Typically they go for cotton fibers. That's where the term "moth-eaten" comes from. That's also why people put "moth balls" in their attics and storage closets--to keep moths from laying eggs. As far as your questions, they do not pose any health problems. They can eat holes in your clothing, if the eggs hatch. I'd worry more about exposure to whatever chemicals are in moth balls. Cedar wood has an anti-insect effect. That's why there are cedar chests and cedar-lined closets. You can buy blocks of cedar on a hanger to hang in your closet, or similar blocks of other fragrant compounds. Lavender and/or eucalyptus might have similar effects. Hope that answers your questions. Martha

I used Clorox Clean-Up then switched over to Tough Jobs Bathroom Cleaner with Bleach when my mother-in-law, who has Alzheimer's, lived with us. I know they're not made for fabric but the combination soap/bleach made a tedious job much easier. Rinsing, soaking, disinfecting, borax, Biz, Clorox, Oxi, Oxydol, detergents with bleach, etc. First, I tried the new undies route, with pads, but the Alzheimer's was more advanced than we thought. Resorted to the Depends. The ones we order for her now are more like Pampers. Laundry IS personal. At least we're talking about actual dirty laundry on an actual laundry forum. Colored panties might not hold up to the toughest cleaners and you may notice some skin reaction if they aren't thoroughly rinsed. I always washed my MIL's undies separate or with her washcloths which were about the same...sigh.