Yea, its been a really weird winter for Minnesota.

At one point I heard mentioned that there were parts of Texas that had gotten more snow than Minnesota!?!?

too strange lol ...we didnt get snow until late january and I am in michigan ... for us that is not normal lol

i just heard on the news that people in mn was jealous because we got all the great weather. i tell you we got ALOT of snow. school and bfi is closed again today. today the temps are below zero regular and like 20 below with windchill. so the boys wont go out. i dont really blame them though. people are still trying to dig out.
Lori

I live in the south and we don't get much snow. It has been cold here for several weeks, lows in the teens and low twenties, highs in the thirties. This is really cold for us and I don't like the cold. I am longing for spring and warmer weather. I haven't been drawing as much because the house always feels chilly even though the furnace runs alot. When I am sitting still in one place, on the computer or drawing my hands get cold. I have seen all of the snow and cold reports on the news from the northern part of the country, particularly New York and I really feel sorry for anyone that lives there.

Lori I bet the kids love no school .. mine sure would .. they have fri and mon off for mid-winter break .
Twincedar where-abouts do you live in the south ?

I live in North Carolina in the center of the state. Actually not too far from J-Lynn. We met for lunch the other week. She said she doesn't like the cold much either and we plan to get together again when the weather is warmer.

Yes i remember her mentioning you guys got together .. that is so cool .. I know I live near venus .. and maybe laurs and lori .. not sure how far into ohio they are ...I have only ever met one person from online .. and that was long time ago ..I got lucky and they were nice people .

Kim ..

just been reading as i havent come on the forum much but starting to miss it alot



i left school at 13 years old as i was badly bullied at every school that i went to and i had to be home schooled the teachers didnt do jack about the bullying well anyhow thats life aint it

Oh the last person i meet online was a bilnd date on Vals day 3 years ago yestoday and i married him 3 months later and hes still my husband today

Awww Nicole that is sooo cute!!! I didn't know that was how you met your hubby. I am glad that you were one of the lucky ones and didn't end up meeting some lunatic!! Too bad we didn't live in the same country and go to school together, no one would have bullied you if you were one of my friends then cause I would have wooped their tushies. I never let any of my friends get picked on. I was way violent in school but not a bully if that makes sense. I didn't take crap from anyone. I got bullied once when I moved back to Michigan from Texas and had the hillbilly southern talk, people made fun of me and then started picking on me and I learned not to take it real quick. Still don't. I feel bad for people that have to go through that and it boils my skin. Recently, my daughter came home from school saying she has a girl in her class that has been picking on her, I intend to go to the school after my brakes on my truck get fixed because I told her that if the girl did it again and after she goes to the teacher to tell and nothing gets resolved I was making a visit. Well it happened again. School did nothing about it, so now its my turn. If they do not do as I ask when I go then my advice to my daughter will be to knock the girl on her butt. Thats how I feel. There are a couple of other issues as to why I don't think the school is doing to much about the matter and I am soo sick and tired of issues in the schools, and thats basically what it boils down too (without going any farther). Sorry if I offend anyone because I am not trying too.

Heh... What a coinkeedink, UK. I started homeschooling after bully troubles as well.

Although, I think I'll stay away from the subject of romance. Not my area.

Soory about the bullying thing UK .. my daughter was bullied bad .. and sad thing is I was the worst bully when I was younger ...until I changes my ways ...and said I was sorry to almost every person I bullied ..and I feel bad I ever did it .. so I feel for you hun .

Venus i hope that u can get it all sorted out hun!



well no worries here we all have our bad times in life .

when my youngest was in fourth grade he was small for his age. and there was this big kid, really big for his age, and he picked and picked on my son. my son went to the teachers and the principle and my husband and i went to the teachers and the princliple and of course they said they would take care of it and i mean this went on for months and months and finally my son couldnt take it anymore and he knocked that kid for a loop. he did get suspended from school but that kid never bothered him again. in fact they became friends. my husband told the principle that he would not get any trouble at home because he had done everything he was suppost to do and so did we-- this was just the absolute last resort and he just had enough. i dont believe in violence at all but sometimes you got to what you got to do. and he just knocked him one time and walked away.
some of the teachers and the principle was really getting my middle son and thats one of the reasons why i pulled them out. he wore a rock shirt to school--it did not have any drugs or violence or anything bad on it at all and the principle told him he couldnt wear it. well of course me-- i told him there wasnt a dress code at this school and there wasnt any thing violent or drugs or se# on it so he could wear it. he loves music and he doesnt color his hair but he cuts it different than normal. but it really does look good. he did well in school and never missed a day of school always had perfect attendence til that principle came here. he told jason he was going to get him kicked out. he would tell him all the time and always picked on him and said things to him and one time he said something about me to jason and jason threatened to punch him right in the face if he didnt shut up right now. i called the super and of course he didnt do anything so hubby went up there and got in his face asked him if he was tired of being an a## hole yet. he tried to get jason expelled but it didnt work, he finished the year and then i pulled him and his brother out. i had never run across such a hateful man in my life. and never want to again
by the way the shirt had a cartoon zomby on it-- and i told the super there were scarier cartoons on scooby doo. he said that some of the religous people would be offended. what i told him is a whole other subject- i am very spiritual but not religous. my husband grew up in a very very strick christian home and things were not good. but like i said-- that a different subject.
Lori

You know I think its just sad when you have to pull children out of a public school and defend them from a principal. Its bad enough when they are bullied by classmates but that with your son Lori was just wrong. I don't blame your husband one bit either.

Bullying is one of my pet peeves!!!!!

My daughter comes home everyday from highschool complaining about other students. She doesn't take any crap, but she doesn't get physical either. She has joined groups in school against bullying...she takes a very proactive stance!!! I'm very proud of her. Since the school system has basically tied the teachers and principals hands in their ability to discipline students who break the rules and bully others there's not alot you can do except raise your kids right in the first place. Teaching starts in the home.

Laura

Sharkwaffle,

You've got a cat in your pants? Hehehehehe

Racedoll,
Sorry, hadn't read your post...Our schools are the exact opposite...the teachers aren't permitted to do more then give a demerit or detention and so they do nothing. It's very frustraiting!!! My daughter carries excellent grades...she's a very creative artist and writer. She dresses dark and different so she draws wisecracks and abuse like a magnet. So I feel for you!!!

Laura, I agree with you 100%!!! Teaching does start at home and I am against violence too. But if the school refuses to do anything about a child hitting mine in the face with a ball 3 times in a row, the girl punching my daughter in class or pushing her in line, I have a big problem. The girl was sent to the principal and supposedly written up, but still continues to do it and nothing is being done about it now. The last time it happened my daughter told the teacher and she said they did nothing. I was hoping to get to the school this week to have a talk with the principal myself but unfortuneately we are down to one vehicle being as how my truck needs breaks and with it being so cold it doesn't want to start, for hubby to go and fix it. So now I have to wait until after the 27th to go to the school which is when they return from Mid-winter break..Yayyyy a whole week with kids home..NOT!!! LOL. Now as far as I have taught my kids they don't hit others (just each other at home..LOL) but not in school. I told her though if it did continue not to take it. My view is if the school won't do anything about it there is no sense in taking it, so hit the girl back as a last resort. I am not going into full detail about one of the big issues in public school but I do know why they are not making a big deal out of it and know that this other child is probably learning it from her family...which I think is totally wrong. Those are just my views. I grew up hard and learned alot of things on my own. My parents were for crap and I grew up in tough surroundings, such as state group homes and the foster care system. My foster mother though was and still is the best person in my life. So I can honestly say that I had a good exsperience with it but others haven't. I know I am probably in the wrong for telling my daughter to do what I told her, and at the moment and am proud to say she hasn't acted on it, but I refuse to let her be bullied. She is a good child and I am proud of her. Hopefully she will not have to do anything. I could even be wrong when I say the school hasn't done anything, I won't know until I can make it in. Boy, its hard being a parent sometimes....

Indeed I do. Little purple plastic one.

Different draws trouble like a magnet....I know I said that once, but it's true. Lorrie and I (twins) were very shy and so we were picked on from the get go. Our parents told us the same as you have told your daughter. Lorrie and I were not fighters and so we held ourselves back from violence and also from telling our parents about any further abuse, or teasing from others. They didn't offer any other solutions to us...it was a different time...yanno? It's sad to say, but in telling us to fight back they actually closed the door of communication between us and them. I'm not saying that is what has or will happen with your child, but the possibillity is there so keep talking to her about it.

Teaching starts at home as does learning...good or bad...unfortunately that's the way it will always be. For as many good parents...there will be just as many who are indifferent and uncaring...or just flat mean!

It sucks, but nobody ever said life was fair! I just hope I can do my job as a parent and raise my daughters to be strong capable happy women who care about others! That's all a I can do.
Laura

Thats so true, Laura. Even though I told her if she has to to defend herself, I still ask her about it everyday when she gets home. I try to keep an open mind and keep up on the situation. Hopefully, she doesn't have to resort in acting like the other girl. Like I said my parents were horrible parents and should have never been parents, period. We grew up poor and looked poor. I was picked on probably up until the time I was taken away from my parents until I went into my first group home then I changed and the way people treated me changed. I had friends and no one bothered me. I was never a bully..I hated them. I stayed away from them, vice versa. Open communication with our children is the #1 priority though, I do believe that.

I have brought my kids up to not bully and they dont .. my oldest hates bulling .. and she was bullied in the same until the day she had enough and she punched a boy right in the office after that he never bothered her again ... she was suspended from school .. but I told her it was for a good cause .

Suspending students is funny. And for such stupid reasons!

Reminds me of the time I was suspended for jumping some kids ganging up on my little brother. xD

Good times, good times.

Sharkwaffle, been there done that...aren't younger siblings just great???

Only when they're not doing everything in their power to ruin your good day. D:

But other than that, yeah.

i agree with everyone-- i really try to teach my kids to be honest, and to help others. and they do, i get alot of good comments from people about my boys. they get labled by the way they dress or wear there hair. but for the people that get to know them, they say nothing but good things about them. now dont get me wrong they are not angles by any means but they are good kids. there boys and do boy things. and they fight with each other. it is so hard being a parent-- i tell my husband all the time is sure doesnt look like it did in the brochure. i think we have dealt with almost everything from drinking to drugs to fighting to curfews to anything else. we watch them carefully, watch where they go and who there with and what they are doing. one time an older kid put my middle son in the trunk of his car and drove across town and let him out. of course we found out and confronted my son first(he still doesnt know how we found out) and then i confronted the other boy. he will not go around my son to this day. i will do everything in my power to keep my kids on the right path and it is so very very difficult at times.
i am sooo sorry venus that you had parents like that. my parents made mistakes with all of us but they were good, loving and supportive parents. i miss my dad and cherish my mom every day. i really believe they did the best they knew how. my mom was 15 when she and my dad where married. they were married for 42 years. it was nice to have that stability. i think every kid needs that stability. my husbands parents are a whole different story. my husband has told me things that make the hair on the back of my neck stand straight. i just will never understand how a parent can do things to there own kids. i look at mine and want to pertect them and care for them to much probably. i just dont get it at all. i grew up poor to but i didnt know i was poor when i was growing up. that i think is good parenting.
Lori

Hi all.

I don't know if it the right thread or if it doesn't belong to our drawing-space, but I think it is important enough.

We all love dolphins I think. They are wonderful beings full of love and - for an artist such good to draw and paint.
Now the dolphins need our help. Maybe you know what japanese fishers do to them every year. They massacre hundreds of dolphins. But we can help - or try to help.

There is a petition where we all can give a vote against this cruelty. I did it yesterday. I trouble all of you to sign this petition. It is a letter to the prime minister of Japan.
Here is the link:

PETITION

I didn't watch it because I cannot stand such cruelty and my sleep would be gone for days after watching it, but maybe there is one who wants to see it with own eyes. But attention, a friend of mine watched it and he was very horrified.
Here is the link to the film:
Terrible!

Many greetings, Martina.

If it is not allowed to post something like that or if so did it before, please tell me and I will delete it.

Lori, don't feel sorry for what I have been through..it was hard at first to get used to the idea of not being with my parents but I got over it really quick and learned that life was better for me without them in it. I mean I still went on family visits and such, but it came to a point where I would have rather not been around them. After being in group homes for a couple of years I went into foster care and loved in with a loving woman who treated me then and to this day as her daughter. I found what a real family environment was like and I do the same with my children now. I have grown into a stronger woman because of this. I know had I stayed with my real parents I would have had a worse life and probably somewhere where I don't even want to think about. Yes, parents can be cruel and stupid, and some people just shouldn't be parents, but think of how many loved ones in your life wouldn't be here if some people weren't allowed to be parents..So in ways I am greatful for my life exsperiences.

Martina...This is the thread for any discussion. Thanks for the post of the petition because i am a huge dolphin lover. Infact, they are my favorite animal. I have tons and tons of knick nacks. Another hobby of mine. I will look at it later.

Ugh... Flaming porcupines. I promise I will ALWAYS extinguish my porcupines before swallowing them, from now on. Just make the pain go away PLEASE?

I'm so sick of hot cocoa, and coffee, and warm tea... Been sipping warm liquids for 3 days now to keep my throat lubricated.

Sorry. I just had to get some whining out of my system. Been home alone all day.

Carry on.

My Mom says gargle with salt water and drink hot water with lemon and honey. I say go out and buy Dequidin throat lozenges.
Feel better
Paulette

I had those flamin porcupines a few weeks ago. Doctor says gargle with salt water. I used lozinges. Also ate a lot of jello cause real food hurt too much and the cold jello felt good on the sore throat.

Hope you're feeling better soon. I'm sure you will be in a few days.

Actually if you can handle it, a lemon (real lemon) to suck the juice out of will also help with a sore throat. My grandma used to make us do it and it works alot...

I hate being ill ... its been going around here just waiting for it to hit home .

i think we already had everthing going in this house. hope you feel better soon.
Lori

Its wierd because other than the flaming porcupine lodged in my throat and a little congestion in my chest, I feel fine.

And I don't know why I'm stuck on the porcupine metaphor. Someone used that phrase here a little while ago and the image just stuck in my head. I picture a cute innocent little porcupine, normal in every way except for the fact that it is perpetually on fire. When I breathe or cough, it is like a blacksmith pumping the bellows to stoke his fire. Maybe its some kind of demonic porcupine. I mean, how else could it burn continuously like that without being injured?

Ok, maybe I'm NOT feeling so good.

thats why they call it a sore throat lol ... thats why they say to drink tea with honey or suck on a lemon .. it lubrecates the throat for easier swallowing ...sour things tend to cause your mouth to water .. well your throat does the same thing .. thats why if you have some lemon or lemon drops would work as well .. I take those and motrin .. cause motrin helps with inflamation and your throat is inflamed . does that help at all . ?

Hmmm Strep throat is bad this time of year and you can catch it from anywhere I know, just got over it a month ago..have you gone to the doctor yet to make sure thats not what is the matter? Cause strep can only be cured by antibiotics. I pray that isn't so. Good luck and hope you feel better soon!!!

That would be me -- the flaming porcupine comment . It lasted four days, the sour throuat part anyway. I ate nothing but popcicles, echinecea complete care tea by Celestial Seasonings- helped a little-and chicken soup for four days. Finally I just got the throat spray and even that, way over doing it, was not enough. This has been the virus from heck. It seems to be engineered to have a bit of everything in it. Here we had high fever/chills, GI issues, extreme fatigue and extremity pain, the soar throat, sinus infection and whooper headaches, and now just coughing. They said the coughing will last a few weeks. Yeah.
I wished I had crushed ice so bad. We couldn't find it anywhere. I could not escape the irony of being surrounded by a foot of snow with a three inch ice crust and wanting more than anything -- ice.


If you take a LOT of vitamin C it will help. It isn't possible to overdose on vit. C because it processes so fast so you can take a few thousand milligrams at a time. It has anti-oxidants and does cell repair and minor anti-viral/bacterial properties. But one of the reasons it helps so well, is at high doses it causes an induced fever or ups the one you have, and helps kill the infection off faster. So don't take large doses with a very high fever. A zinc supplement will help and potassium - just eating a bannana or yogurt, is supposed to help them all work together.

I found steam helped a lot. Our house is so dry it was irritating. Run the shower hot for 15 minutes and sit in the bathroom or pour boiling water in a bowl put a towel over your head and hang your face over the bowl. It'll help.

Good luck.

Hi,
I thought I would share my deer. There are about eight or so in this picture. There were about 12 all milling about at that time. My neighbor two doors down feeds them. They have been showing up on and off all day today.
Paulette
[attachmentid=2874]

Gorgeous scenery you have there, Paulette.

Thanks for all the remedy ideas, everyone. I have had a pot of water simmering on the stove to keep the humidity up. That seems to help. I've gone through a couple quarts of orange juice. I'll give some of the others a try and I think I will go in for a strep test tomorrow. I'm not a big fan a being poked and prodded by doctors, but there comes a time...

Thanks Paulette - that is something you don't see too often. Sometimes we have them come right up to the house - I've seen as many as 7 or 8 at a time also. It is such an awesome sight.

Thats got to be breathtaking to have them so close .. its a lovely back yard hun .. I love deer .

paulette i wish i lived where you live. that is just beautiful. you are very lucky.
we have some type of sinus infection that seems to be very hard to get rid of even with anitbiotics. some have sore throat, headaches, even pneominia (dont know how to spell it). i still have some of a sinus thing. my throat got a little soar but not strep at all. some have got strep. but if it is strep venus is right you need to go to dr and get antibiotics to get rid of it.
Lori

maybe we all need to move in by you .. and hang out on our back decks watching deer in the winter and cooking out all summer . lol you would get sick of us . lol

Sounds great Kim. I love having people over. Every once in a while the deer will show up while I have company over, that is the best. I love the winter with snow on the ground, because you can see them so clearly. In the summer time the leaves (and bugs) keep you from seeing them. Sometimes on a walk you'll startle one and get to see it flee. It is cool to see so many, because they interact with one another. Constantly moving and playing. When they startle, they have these huge white tails that go up like a fan, and they run like crazy. These animals are so big yet it is almost impossible to hear them, even when they are running. It took me a long time to realize that when I heard lots of noise in the woods, that it was squirrels not deer! The woods behind me is a conservation area. We totally lucked out getting in here. Most similar areas have homes in the million dollar range. The developer here made small lots and sold them for reasonable. Of course if you remember my stair and driveway request in the Santa exchange, you'll realize we still paid too much for us. We left stuff unfinished rather than get into too much debt. We have been here for nine years and there is still stuff undone. We put stuff off further when we put in a pool, having four boys, that was just a sanity measure for summer holidays. The boys love the woods. There is a little creek in behind us (drainage ditch), trees, water, mud, what more could they want.
Paulette

My daughters boyfriend would be in heaven with all that back yard for hunting or whatever guys do in the woods lol my daughter would be also with the built in pool .. in michigan its not worth it cause its not warm for only but three month out of the year ...when I lived outwest in las vegas we had a pool it was great ..we swam everyday all day lol

Kim well I would think Ontario would have about the same weather as Michigan (since it just above Michichigan in Canada..). Pualette how far into Canada is Ontario? LOL I live about 45 minutes to an hour from the border...and your house sounds lovely and tempting, can I leave the family home though???? I swear I am gonna stow away with Kim and her family and go to Florida with them in June...LOL. I need a vacation...bad..Kids are driving me nutts with day 1 of mid-winter break vacation... they need a twitching smiley face..

We're by Detroit. We have opened the pool as early as March and closed it as late as Oct., of course we have to heat it. My brother goes to Michigan to hunt with cousins. Every time he sees the deer he says "where's my gun." I a have a funny story, or maybe odd is a better description.

My husband sees some deer outside. He calls out to my 4 year old nephew "come see the deer". He picks up my nephew and points out the deer. "Look isn't that cool" says my husband. "Yeah" says my nephew, "let's get a knife and cut off his head". My husband practically drops my nephew on the floor, he is horrified. When the parents showed up to get their son, my husband relates the story to them. Of course showing how disturbed he is by this. My Brother is falling on the floor laughing. My sister in law is rolling her eyes, and tells him how my relatives had gone hunting and asked my nephew if he wanted to see a deer. Unfortunately the deer was mostly already dealt with and all that was left was the head hanging there. She proceeded to tell me and my brother how wonderful are relatives are. My husband was just relieved we didn't have a psycho nephew.
My meat comes on a tray, usually deboned and skinned. It is a whole different world out in the country and on a farm.

oh yeah me too .. I dont eat alot of meat anyways .. and if it mooed or blahhh ed just days before .. no way .. I dont like it even looking like meat on my plate .. no bone nothing lol I am so picky .. i myself do not hunt...and my husband will not hunt either .. he rather look at them .. but we understand they will starve if the population gets too large and I have no problem with those that hunt .
Paulette your story is too funny kids just say the funniest thing lol

kim my husband is the same way except he does like meat but it has to be all prepared before he see's it and it has to be boneless.
venus let me know how you are going to stow aways and i will meet you at your house so can stow away with you. my boys are getting cabin fever and i need fresh warm air and nice sun!!
Lori

LOL Lori, do you think she'll notice us in her trunk??? Or maybe we can just sneak on top of the hood?

The most skilled in stowaways hides in thye open... And is never noticed. We call them...

DRIVERS!

Seriously, nobody suspects the driver. It's brilliant.