Humor will not be tolerated!! -Portia

yeah, I second what Katya said--sometimes it really is the thought that matters. Something like a store gift card would be something they could use no matter how the pregnancy ends.

We can thank Ezra Taft Benson for this particular strain of political conservatism wedded with Mormonism. He was a vocal member of the John Birch Society throughout the 60s and 70s and wrote lots of polemics warning of the satanic influences of Communism and the Civil Rights Movement. Some of these...

(For the record, I'm tried some online alternatives, which may be better than nothing, but certainly feels like the concept of a YA novel.) Were you the one who recommended some meditation apps? I tried out Pacifica, which had some interesting exercises, but I couldn't bring myself to emotionally i...

I submitted my scholarship application, which I was feeling really good about essay-wise, ONE MINUTE too late (missed a button on the bottom of the screen). I'm in second priority, also known as "HA HA HA HA HA NO MONEY FOR YOU" I was passed over for another solo in choir. I've been in ch...

I think focusing on compassion is great for families, and the advice is pretty good. It seems like some people base most of their identity around their political ideas though, so it can be difficult to think about something else to talk about. My dad listens to conservative talk radio all the time, ...

my grandma is very much like this, to the point where she flat-out said something like Obama is the antichrist or something like that. Luckily she doesn't push her political views on me very much any more; maybe she just got tired of disagreeing with me. But I pretty much try to change the subject t...

C is for wrote:I'm loving these ideas. Last night at midnight (which is about 2.5 hours after my preferred bedtime) I came up with the brilliant idea of "Snape is the Worst, don't fight me on this" but I'm not sure if I want to pursue that either. I've got two days

tell me how Snape is the worst!

sorry to use that phrase, I don't think it's helpful and I should have been more thoughtful with my word choice. Although I think in an LDS context, any sexual desires often feel like a struggle, because LDS culture has a hard time accepting that sexual thoughts are normal (just my experience).

not every person who struggles with same-gender attraction is exclusively homosexual, so I think that some mixed-orientation marriages can work. It's obviously not a good solution for everyone though.

since I've been doing work research on Lu Dalton and Alice Reynolds, I'd probably do a presentation on both of them (they were both interested in women's suffrage). I hear their wikipedia pages aren't bad...

but yes, all the pregnancy books make it seem like you'll kill your child if you so much as eat lunchmeat without microwaving it. So if it helps lessen your anxiety, it's a small thing to not eat soft cheese for 9 months. my favorite cheeses: gouda, mozzarella (no shame!), cheddar, goat cheese I thi...

I love brie, chevre, bleu, roquefort, and feta. On sandwiches, havarti, pepperjack, and provolone are my favorites. The fact that pregnancy limits my cheese options is possibly my least favorite thing about pregnancy. double-check your local soft cheese--if you're in an American grocery store, it's...

having an existential crisis about childcare. Am I saying caring for my child isn't worthwhile because I pay less than minimum wage? Or am I enabling my friend to make a little money on the side while she does the SAHM thing?

I still call my parents once a week and I'm happy with that

For some reason, this makes me think of that time a few years ago when someone thought sandals were immodest because he had a foot fetish... anyone else remember that one? yes, which helped me realize that... at some point I don't care if it turns someone on, I'm just going to have to wear something.

Portia wrote: I MUCH prefer Target/Amazon gift cards to restaurant ones. I'm picky with where I eat, and it seems like an economic loss/loss when I get one for, like, Cheesecake Factory.

that's what regifting is for!

So, you know those water bead things? They expand in water and are kind of pleasantly squishy but smooth and they hold their shape? used to use them in sensory tables when I worked with toddlers. My girlfriend once mentioned that she loved those things and that she would love to get in a bathtub fi...

hey welcome!

hooray for good board game design!

I go to Valley OBGYN, and they've been fine so far. I found Heidi approachable and matter-of-fact (in a good way).