Carlene

In the criminal justice system of most states, the murder of a pregnant woman constitutes the killing of TWO people - not one. I don't understand how that statute can co-exist with the notion that it's NOT illegal for a doctor to kill the same child via abortion. Is it because the mom wanted a live baby in the first instance, but not in the second? Maybe that's logical to some people, but not to me. If a woman is to be allowed total control over what happens to HER body, then why are other laws allowed to intervene, but not laws against abortion? It's not okay - legally speaking - for a woman to use her body to make a living (prostitution). It's not legal for a woman to abuse her own body with drugs. To me, the it's-my-body argument doesn't hold Water. Unless, of course, you are a TRUE advocate of freedom of choice - in all matters of the body.

I've never quite understood this line of reasoning....people will not consider adoption as the best solution to an unplanned pregnancy...why? Wouldn't you feel better about yourself, knowing that you gave your child life, and gave another woman who desperately wanted to be a mom that opportunity? Is it just the convenience factor? The selfish motives, it's-all-about-me mentality....I don't want to go thru a whole pregnancy and get nothing out of it? Or it would be "too hard" on me to carry a baby to term, only to give it up for adoption? I am the mother of an adopted child. If abortion had been legal when he was born, I would not have my Tommy. The thought makes my blood run cold.

Does everyone own a treadmill except me? I walk outside...on the grass and the sidewalks - sometimes even in the street. I feel so deprived.

The only one of those things you can't fix is your mom's Cancer. Don't hate happy people. You deserve to be happy, too.

My grandmother and my mother were raised on the "home place" in Argyle, TX. It was so rural, my mother and her sisters could not have gone to high school, let alone college, had their family not bought a car and taught "the girls" to drive. The closest high school was in Denton. The area is now highly developed. (Anybody know if Gibbons Road is still there? It was named for my mom's family many, many years ago.) There are 5 generations of my family buried in a small "country" cemetery in what is now Flower Mound, TX - right smack in the middle of some very pricey real estate. That makes me very nervous on behalf of my interred relatives. I'm afraid some greedy developer will try and pave over them!

Thanks for the heads-up. I knew something had stolen George Bush's soul. Evidently it was all those photo ops.

Which faction do you mean when you say "If Iraq wants us there"? From an article from the AP just a couple of months ago... BAGHDAD, Iraq – In a bid to stop sectarian bloodshed, Shiite and Sunni religious figures met in Mecca, Islam's holiest city, and issued a series of edicts Friday forbidding violence between Iraq's two Muslim sects. It is uncertain, however, whether the edicts, or fatwas, will find resonance among the country's Sunni and Shiite militants whose tit-for-tat attacks have created a deadly cycle of violence that gains momentum and brutality daily. Previous attempts to reconcile Iraq's rival sects have failed to stanch the violence. There is no unified Iraq. It's like saying, "If the Irish Catholics want us there, we will help them overthrow the Protestant government." I don't believe the USA has any business getting involved in a religious tug-of-war between two Muslim sects. And I think that when the chips are down, both the Shiites and the Sunnis hate Americans (unclean heathen Infidels) far more than they hate one another.

I'm curious as to why you felt the need to visit two fast food restaurants in the course of one meal. Most of us couldn't eat one sandwich, let alone a sandwich and "more food".

The bin Ladens are wealthy Saudis but not "ME leaders". Any relationship with the president would not, therefore, be a matter of state. I think, considering the publicity regarding the large sums of money being funneled from Saudi Arabia to the insurgents in Iraq, that Mr. Bush would be wise to disassociate himself from any Saudi family at this point in time. It just looks bad for our president to be hangin' with the bin Ladins....know what I mean?

Are we taking a vote? I'm in favor of providing supporting documentation. Otherwise, it's not a debate - it's just an argument.

A BLONDE GOES TO THE POST OFFICE TO BUY STAMPS FOR HER CHRISTMAS CARDS. SHE SAYS TO THE CLERK, "MAY I HAVE 50 CHRISTMAS STAMPS"? THE CLERK SAYS, "WHAT DENOMINATION"? THE BLONDE SAYS, "LORD HELP US, HAS IT COME TO THIS"? "GIVE ME 6 CATHOLIC, 10 PRESBYTERIAN, 10 LUTHERAN, 14 METHODIST AND 10 BAPTIST"!

I don't know anything about what goes on in Crawford, TX but I read the other day, I think it was USA today, that the Saudis are shipping large sums of cash to the insurgents in Iraq, presumably to buy weapons. Some of the couriers have confessed to their part and some of the shipments have been confiscated. There are many extremely wealthy Saudis that sympathize with the Iraqis. Whether any of them are bin Ladens or not, I don't know and the article did not say. Osama bin Laden's family have publically distanced themselves from him, that is true. I wouldn't bet the farm on it being the absolute, whole truth, however. Blood is thicker than Water.

This might be a "head hunger" issue. I struggle with it, too. If you are truly hungry, a pickle will do the trick. But if the only way you can feel full is by eating carbs, that's not hunger - it's just a chocolate craving!

I think we've talked about this before. My mom had Parkinson's Disease for a number of years before she died. It is very difficult to juggle your own life, your family's needs, and the responsibilities of caring for an aging parent. My mom was not a happy senior, either. It made everything all that much harder. And she was extremely controlling. If she wanted mashed potatoes for dinner and I said, "Okay, I am going home to fix dinner for my family and I will bring you back mashed potatoes," she wasn't happy with that. She insisted that I cook her potatoes there, at her house, before I went home to feed my husband and kids. (I only lived half a block away.) We went to a doctor every week. My mom had a PCP, a Neurologist, an Orthopedist, and a GI guy. She really needed a Phychiatrist, too but wouldn't even consider it. She got addicted to prescription drugs on 3 separate occasions (Vicodin and Xanex, plus others) because it was easier for the doctors to give her pills than to deal with her. I guess now I'm glad I did it because my mom is dead, but I wasn't very cheerful about it at the time. Then my husband got Cancer and I had to start all over again. God and I are going to have a serious talk about this someday if there aren't some major rewards waiting for me in heaven.

I don't know why, but I thought your kids were older. I must be losing brain cells faster than I thought...LOL

I wore the gauchos, vest, and boots but with a different top. I had one in a darker red with a V neckline that aligned perfectly with the vest, so it did look much more alluring than the original choice. We had a great time. I only see these people once a year, so I got lots of compliments on my new image. The hostess asked if anyone was cold and I said I was. A woman I have never met before said, "That's because you're skinny." I was tempted to kiss her, but restrained myself. There was lots of food, of course - some of which I could eat and some I didn't dare try. The host served some amazing meatballs - very moist and tasty - and I posted the recipe under the "Food" forum. I had two glasses of wine, though. Shame on Carlene. I particularly like one of the women there, although DH thinks she's dippy. She talks every bit as much and as fast as I do and she does go off onto all kinds of tangents in mid-topic and she does speak in weird, disjointed sentences, but she's still hysterical. They have a 16 year old son (actually his by a previous marriage) and the husband thinks his wife is too easy on the boy. He says she's the good cop and he has to be the bad cop. He felt it was time to have "the talk" with Son after a visiting uncle reported some missing condoms. The mom thought it was unnecessary. "What if he's already having sex?" asked Dad. "Don't be silly," said Mom, "He isn't having sex. He still likes Beanine Babies." Fast forward a few months and Mom finds a condom wrapper in Son's bedroom. She calls Dad - hysterical. "Our son IS having sex! I found a condom wrapper in his room!" Dad, of course, was not surprised but decided to have a little fun anyway. "What about the Beanie Babies?" he asked. "They're still there," answered Mom, "I can't believe he had sex in front of the Beanie Babies, especially the praying one."

Here's a great recipe....tasty, easy, protein-rich, and band friendly. Meatballs in "wine" sauce Meatballs: 2 lbs ground chuck 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon seasoning salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs Sauce: 1 bottle chili sauce 1 jar grape jelly Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine garlic powder, seasoning salt, pepper and bread crumbs with ground chuck. Mix well and make into meatballs. Cook in preheated oven 30-35 mins or until done. While meatballs are baking, combine 1 bottle of chili sauce and grape jelly in a saucepan and heat until jelly has melted. When meatballs are done, remove from oven. Drain and transfer meatballs to saucepan and coat well with sauce before serving. Enjoy!

I am in favor of anything that saves the consumer money on drugs. The drug companies are making a killing. It's just obscene, what they charge for some of these - and I'm not talking Viagra, I mean things people really need. Protonix is hugely expensive, and it works better than some of the older ones, but who can afford it? My Boniva IV is $500 for a single dose. Then I have to pay the doctor to administer it. Anytime I get a script for an antibiotic, it seems like it is at least $100. If we didn't have insurance that pays a big part of our drug bills, I don't know what we would do.

Thank you, Kat!!! You are my new best friend. PS....I am never going to see 50 again...or 51, or 52, or....well, you get the picture. AND I have another BD coming - Christmas Eve. RATS!

I don't have sexier tops....LOL I'm OLD, for crying out loud.

Thank you, ladies. My DH had me a little worried. He thinks the gauchos are "short pants" and not very attractive.

I need quick responses here. Tonight is the season's first Christmas party, hosted by one my DH's old crew (pre-retirement). It's either the outfit in the Christmas portrait photo, or this one. You kind of have to use your imagination, as there was no one available to take a pic of me actually wearing the outfit. It's black velvet gauchos, red shirt, and plaid vest trimmed in black velvet. I can button the vest, or leave it open. The boots actually go up higher than the bottom of the pants. My DH isn't too sure about the gauchos. But he's not exactly a fashion maven, either. Tell me what you think. Oh....I do have a Christmas sweather I could wear in place of the vest, but it's a tad big on me. I also have a red velvet skirt (a tiered skirt) and it fits okay because it's an elastic waist, but it's very full and kind of overwhelms me.

I was amazed a few years ago to see people in Kentucky walking thru the grocery store, puffing away. Tobacco is to Kentucky what coal is to West Virginia, though. It pays the bills.