Rebecca D.'s Comments

Please help me with asnother plant/vine/weed? by Jule's dreamin of a wonderfilled life for all research mode again

Sep 22, 2009 | comments: 15

Rebecca D. Sep 26, 2009, 4:46pm EDT

That looks like what my mother called "bindweed." It's similar to morning glories but smaller with white flowers. It's very invasive, with long roots that break off when you try to pull them out of the ground. I've found it growing out of the foundation of the garage, even. I don't use chemicals, but you can control it if you just keep pulling and pulling and pulling. Good luck.

A Bad Day n Gather by Deloris Wright

Sep 25, 2009 | comments: 98

Rebecca D. Sep 26, 2009, 4:03pm EDT

I find this lack of civility very distasteful and counter-productive. Why can't people debate the issues instead of name-calling and ranting? Don't bother to post a vitriolic reply...I won't be back to read it.

Can we shape our past for a better tomorrow by Richard Regener

Sep 23, 2009 | comments: 14

Rebecca D. Sep 26, 2009, 3:37pm EDT

You cannot change the past. It's past. Over. You can change your response to it, but the past is what it is.

This Could Save Your Family's life. by Deloris Wright

Sep 23, 2009 | comments: 27

Rebecca D. Sep 26, 2009, 3:31pm EDT

Where exactly did this information come from? Getting info "from a friend" isn't all that convincing. Please understand that I'm not necessarily contesting the validity of the information. It all sounds plausible enough, I suppose. I just make a habit of not automatically believing everything I read on the Internet, especially when no source is cited.

Freedoms by Lionel LaVergne

Sep 22, 2009 | comments: 7

Rebecca D. Sep 26, 2009, 3:14pm EDT

Government is required for high school graduation, at least in Illinois where I teach. My students complain because I cover the same material over and over. I tell them that I'll quit saying it when they can answer questions such as "What is the Constitution?"

Freedoms by Lionel LaVergne

Sep 22, 2009 | comments: 3

Rebecca D. Sep 26, 2009, 3:08pm EDT

I teach a high school special ed government class and had a pop quiz the other day. We've covered three chapters, so there was one question from each chapter...what was the Magna Carta, what is the Declaration of Independence and what is the Constitution. Mind you, we'd gone over those chapters in depth. At the end of the period I told my students that they would not pass the class if they couldn't answer those questions by the end of the semester. How discouraging.

A Question by Christopher N.

Jan 16, 2009 | comments: 19

Rebecca D. Jan 17, 2009, 10:15pm EST

I think that the attempt proves that you think it's possible to succeed.

Oops.....I'm Sorry! Strange, Not Strange? You Tell Me. by Chana M.

Dec 26, 2008 | comments: 33

Rebecca D. Jan 17, 2009, 9:13pm EST

I think it's sad. The whole point of apologizing is to ask for forgiveness. You can't do that anonymously.

I Am So Worn OUT! by DIANE D.

Dec 24, 2008 | comments: 35

Rebecca D. Jan 17, 2009, 9:07pm EST

Too late to do anything more about it this year, but think ahead. Summertime is certainly not too soon to start telling people that you won't be "doing" Christmas this year. Then stick to your guns. Of course, you'll want to do some small things for your immediate family, but they've already seen the house at its worse. And you might think about telling Junior that he needs to help out REGULARLY if he wants to keep living there. Don't wait till you're all stressed out in the middle of a crisis. Take baby steps...give him small specific tasks to do and tell him he doesn't get supper till they're done. Always remember that you are the Queen of your castle. You are the all-important MOM and with that responsibility come certain rights, including the privledge of rank. You outrank everyone else in that house because you are the Keeper of Good Things to Eat.
Strength to your Sword Arm.

Proof that America Wants to be the Fattest Nation on the Planet by Jennifer G.

Jan 5, 2009 | comments: 92

Rebecca D. Jan 17, 2009, 8:50pm EST

My goodness, this article generated a lot of response! This is clearly something that people feel passionate about. It's been mentioned before, but portion size is one of the biggest problems we have when it comes to losing weight. I am becoming more and more suspicious about all the chemicals in our food, and try to make from scratch as much as I possibly can. But 20 years ago, when my kids were little, I didn't have that option. I tried to keep the junk food to a minimum, but fresh fruits and vegetables are very expensive, and organic and chemical-free foods even more so. A can of pears in syrup costs less than a couple of fresh pairs and you don't have to worry about spoilage. Even so, a can of pears is better than a bag of fried chips. But it is difficult and expensive to buy fresh food.
In answer to someone's earlier question, yes it really does cost more to produce those organic and chemical-free foods. There's reason they put all those preservatives in the food...to reduce loss from spoilage. They use commercial fertilizers to increase yield. They add sugar and corn syrup so that we crave more of it...there's a biological need for the"high-energy" boost from sweets. It's leftover from the olden days when sweets were rare. Now we still have the craving, but the sweets are so plentiful that we eat too much of them. Commercially prepared foods that are actually good for you are very difficult to produce and even more difficult to sell because they just don't taste good. It's easier for you to do it than for the big companies. Making natural foods at home is easier and tastes better because you don't have the added steps of preserving and packaging.
My rule of thumb is to by food as un-processed as possible, because every step in the processing is another chance to lose nutrients and gain chemicals. It's taken me many years (I'm 50) but I am finally in a position to make or grow most of what I eat. I'm even learning to make my own cheese from raw milk that I purchase from a local farmer (legal in my state, but not everywhere, unfortunately). Getting my own cow is the next step.
So, while I'm taking steps to reduce chemicals in my own life, I would seriously hesitate to be so judgemental about someone else. Every person faces their own challenges, and college life just isn't concucive to healthy eating. I think I lived on Hershey bars and Dr. Pepper my freshman year!

I Should Stay Away from Auctions by Mark H.

Jan 2, 2009 | comments: 14

Rebecca D. Jan 17, 2009, 8:02pm EST

That's a beautiful gun, and it sounds like you got a good deal on it...I love auctions, but you have to set a price in your mind and have the self-discipline to stop when you get to that point.

What to expect and what do do in a hostage situaton by graham Lear

Dec 5, 2008 | comments: 11

Rebecca D. Jan 17, 2009, 7:55pm EST

I pray I never need to know all this.

Good Idea? Bad Idea? Full of Crap? by hannah w.

Dec 22, 2008 | comments: 16

Rebecca D. Jan 17, 2009, 7:27pm EST

As someone seeking to develop a sustainable self-sufficiency, I'm looking forward to all the wonderful manure that my milk cow (once I find one) will produce. My garden soil isn't all it could be.. WILL be....Of course, thousands of cows on a feed lot are a whole 'nother story. If we just have to have all those cows, we should do something useful with their by-products.

Dill Potato Wedges - Recipe by Jan S.

Dec 9, 2008 | comments: 19

Rebecca D. Jan 17, 2009, 7:10pm EST

This would be wonderful with any kind of heavy fish.

Oven Fried Chicken by Mary C.

Jan 16, 2009 | comments: 8

Rebecca D. Jan 17, 2009, 6:55pm EST

Sounds great...fast and easy.

What's Your Opinion? by *Carol ~Bronx Southern Belle D.

Dec 28, 2008 | comments: 43

Rebecca D. Dec 29, 2008, 8:04pm EST

There have been some good points raised. Is your mother mentally competent? Did she have the ability to make a real decision or did your brother manipulate her? She should only come to live with you if YOU have POA. However, consider the possibility that your mother may be abused if she goes to live with the Evil Brother. While it may seem on the surface may seem that she deserves what she gets, I often (daily, in fact) thank God that I seldom get what I really deserve. Justice can be terribly harsh. As for the Evil One (and to help you decide how to respond) remember that what goes around comes around. Always Always Always treat people with more kindness than they have coming.

When do you take down your Christmas Decorations? by *Carol ~Bronx Southern Belle D.

Dec 27, 2008 | comments: 54

Rebecca D. Dec 29, 2008, 7:48pm EST

Stuff that's really Christmasy comes down Jan 6th but more generic winter decorations stay up till I replace them with Spring decorations...but it also depends on how dried out the tree gets, and my mood. This was a really tough year, and I didn't have any Christmas in me. It was the first year ever in my whole life that I didn't have a tree. I'm just glad it's over.

Thanksgiving by Jessica Helvenston

Nov 13, 2008 | comments: 4

Rebecca D. Nov 17, 2008, 11:12pm EST

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I just like the whole idea of it. This year, however, my husband's family is talking about going to a restaurant for Thanksgiving. A RESTAURANT! I can't believe it. My own family lives too far away to come to my house and I just don't want to eat out on Thanksgiving. I'm sure the food will be great, but it just won't be the same. I can see some advantage, of course. For me, because I cook too much, it will be cheaper. And there won't be any cleanup. The same few people (including me) won't be doing all the work. But it just won't feel like Thanksgiving. It'll feel like going out. We can do that any time. I don't handle change all that well, and I've seen too many family traditions come and go over the years. I'm a good sport, and I'll go along with whatever the rest of the family wants, but I'll be whining under my breath.

Comments About Sarah Palin from A Citizen of Alaska by Carla G.

Oct 6, 2008 | comments: 13

Rebecca D. Nov 2, 2008, 2:20pm EST

Whatever she says, a woman does not get to be a VP candidate by NOT believing in women's rights. Surely she cannot be one of those "sit down and shut up" Christian women who think they always have to defer to men? In that case, what kind of President would her husband make?

To Be or Not to Be a Mother, That is the Question by Allison Frederick

Oct 8, 2008 | comments: 8

Rebecca D. Nov 2, 2008, 1:49pm EST

Obviously, this is an intensely personal issue. I will say that having children changed my perspective on the world and my own priorities. They helped me grow as I had to learn to consider how my actions impacted innocent lives. We could all do with a little more awareness in that area! The fact that you are asking the question tells me that in your heart of hearts, you probably do want a child. The fact that you are asking US tells me that you need help justifying it.
A child is a blessing. Some are mixed blessings, to be sure, and some are born into less-than-optimum circumstances, but a child is always a gift from God and a joy. I had my children earlier in live (early 20s) but I have known a lot of women who had children in their late 30s and early 40s. I think that people who have them early have more energy, but people who have them late have more resources and more wisdom. I probably would have been a better mother if I'd waited a few years and gotten my own wildness out of the way first.
Follow your heart.