Shellon

Yes please I am going to try the beer brats recipe on the site dooj gave me. Sounds wonderful.

HA Dooj, thanks I was at a picnic a few weeks ago and they served them grilled. Loved them and bought some for when Suda, Lori and her daughter, Abi, Sushi and boys and Oeno are here this weekend.

I have some Brats that the local grocery store makes, they look gross. I've heard of Beer Brats Can I just stick em on the grill? Any ideas?

.Should be a required course for every human being

Hi Lingo, this video reminds me I mentioned you last weds in Presentational Speaking Class. We were doing our finals and one student did his on fishing in Alaska, said he goes every few years with his dad and had some really cool pics on powerpoint for us to see. A friend of mine, an attorney here, she dumps her life on the side of the busy track every few years and heads for Alaska. She works and plays until she's done then come back with great stories! My mom and step dad did a motor home trip through much of Alaska in 2000 and again, great stories of beautiful things seen. Thanks for all your stuff you keep showing us, very cool!

Beautiful!

LOL! That's what I'm talking about. Kelly loved singing to you and it could have only been better had you seen our dramatic arms holding the song in a few spots. My sister in law shares this day with you and we called her after we sang to you and shared our voices again. HEE HEE my brother was in the background hollaring "Sis, take a voice class before you finish school" Brothers.........sigh. He's not funny. But I digress, I love you and love it when it's your birthday 'cuz it's fun and funny and you get to take a day off for just you and enjoy whatever comes your way. It is indeed wonderful that God made you.

The parade Oh, wait, no that's not it

Oh dig this! Congratulations to him!

Happy Birthday Bowtwi. I hope this one is the best one yet! There should be a parade, truly. I love you, my friend

That's more like it! Kelly and I have been hollaring at the tv all day.

My point is that I can't believe you typed that stuff. And I'm not being argumentative, I was being sarcastic. I was stunned you considered it and reminded of our society that sets strong parents back so far with generic suggestions and doesn't look at the bigger picture. I know, in my field, that a daddy in the home just to have a daddy in the home is the worst scenerio. The facts as you've stated them are not as I know them, not at all. And why is it beside the point when it's through no fault of their own? I could have given my children a daddy after theirs died, I still can. I choose not to and it's a helluva lot more work doing it solo. The data that suggests kids raised without a father suggests that they are at a disadvantage IF the one who IS raising them does a crappy job. We sometimes forget to finish that statement. Just like the stats that show that it's not always the best for the mama to have physical custody, but the daddy. A woman shouldn't be able to say that just cuz she's the mama, she should raise the kids. Thankfully those stereotypes are changing slowly too. A few words from a Princeston Study Whether or not these outcomes are caused by the divorce itself, as opposed to something else about the family, remains controversial In sum, the evidence is mixed with respect to whether divorce causes children to have problems, or whether the problems associated with divorce are due to poor parenting or even poor genes. McLanahan concludes that three general factors account for the disadvantages associated with father absence: economic deprivation, poor parenting, and lack of social support http://www.asanet.org/cs/03262002_5 That is but a teensy tiny bit of quotes from one article. My point is not to paint with such broad strokes. It depends on the family dynamics, the familial support, the interaction of the parents, whichever one is with custody, the schools input, environment. It's not fair to make a general statement and not look at the bigger picture. The stats are true that kids need both parents and the absent parent leaves a void that brings with it potential for great problems. But, my point is that it's not black or white. What about the mom who isn't in the home? The stats are similiar and it's up to the dad or whomever is doing the lions share of the child raising to see that the disadvantages are lessened for their children. What if both parents are absent, and uncle, aunt or grandparents are raising the babies, as has been mentioned. They have to work twice, or thrice or more as hard to see that the needs get met. It's just not a stat that we should feel comfortable throwing around with assumptions that it takes a mommy and a daddy for the family to be a healthy happy one. And we can't assume that because one is gone that the kid is doomed. Finally, no it's not about my knowing better. Arguing about this kind of thing is what's needed in this society that feels if daddy is gone, the kids are sunk. Disadvantage? Yes, the kids are, but it also depends on the sex of the child; again it's not just black or white. A male child needs some male influence, be it dad or someone else. A female child needs the same. If mom is absent and dad is raising her, he needs female influence to help with that child. It always depends on so many things, so many variables. What I do know better about is what I do study when a mom refuses to leave the daddy that should not be in the home and her kids pay the biggest price. What I do know better about is the mom who sells her kids to get a daddy for them. What I do know better about is the daddy that should never be there and the mama that should never be there. And worse, I do know better about the kids who suffer greatly because they are. What I do know better about is the system that messes it all up and leaves us with statements that need so much more and beliefs that a woman somehow can't be strong enough to make it work when daddy blows. Shellon Fockler-North

"............ facts are facts and children raised in homes without fathers present are at a SEVERE disadvantage" My poor children, how have they managed? I'll run out and find an SOB abusive drunk, so they can have a daddy. He might beat their mama only once a day and treat them like sh!t and do unspeakable things but they'll have that daddy. hmmmmmm

You all need a street named after you

kids are a hoooot!

Thank you gentlemen, can I listen to it from that link? The last time I was able to find the link was when excath was interviewing paw (LOVED it by the by!) but I had to be walked from thread to thread to get there. I don't understand the hooking up to participate without someone babystepping me through that too, so I've not done that, but would like to listen again.

Where does one listen to it? I can never seem to find it without someone holding my hand and walking me through several threads to find it.

This subject interests me because my husband would have been diagnosed with Sleep Apnea had he lived and been tested. His snoring could peel paint off the neighbors walls 6 blocks away (some would actually complain) and he'd stop breathing. For 16 years I slept lightly so as to hear when he stopped and elbow him or something and he'd pick it back up. He had a massive heart attack 10 years ago from which he didn't survive. Our daughter, from about age 4, started that kind of snoring and breathing interruption. Doctors said she'd grow out of it, blah blah. When she was 10, I took her to ENT specialist and they removed her tonsils and adenoids and explained to me that the stress to her heart would have eventually been as much as it was to her dads. He had other major heart problems we didn't know about, but this apnea weakened what was already poor. Since her surgery, she no longer snores, she no longer quits breathing and her sleep is much more rested and restorative. Whatever it takes, do it. A machine, surgery, anything.

Happy Birthday! I love you, I miss you, I hope your birthday is wonderfully wonderful!

ROFL! She's sweet. Kelly and I watched it over and over.

:) watered garden My step mom that I mentioned...she's 45 and my dad is 71 now. It took some getting used to for alot of reasons, but they have been together for 12 plus years now, which is pretty good. It's very possible she'll be caring for him and it looks like that is in the near future if he doesn't just close his eyes in his deer blind some November. Then again, who's to say he won't have to care for her. Who can say what two people will be good together. It's obvious that there are no 'rules' about same age relationships.

Yup, love doesn't come along nearly enough and being age similiar promises nothing. If your partner makes you happy so what if you have to make some accomodations at some point. My husband died when he was 35, life offers no gurantees. But then my step mom is younger than me, so what do I know? Life is too short, dance with who you want.

I have a very tiny rose that noone sees but me. My eldest daughter has several that don't seem to bother anyone but her maternal grandmother. :blink: Grandma's face. I don't particularly like them but it's her body. I took her to get her first one when she was 17 so she wouldn't have a friend do it in the garage with a dirty needle. I liked them before they were so popular when they were still a bad girl thing and 'taboo'. The popularity of them now seems to take something away. Great business for tattoo artists right now tho, eh?