Jojo as one who sometimes has what I call drama with my two I totally understand where you are coming from.

Blfenton, yes to sharing your dress!

Most every day has more good news then not so good when I look for it.

The important stuff is that my adult children are happy, our grandchildren thriving. My husband and I are healthy, and we still love each other.

(Costco had plenty of toilet paper this morning!)

My son and his fiancée (wedding in June) are joining us for dinner tonight, always a merry event. They are house-hunting and the low interest rates are wonderful for that endeavor. My daughter performed several surgeries this morning (she's a veterinarian) and she'll join us tonight, too. (She's a relatively new veterinarian, so the surgeries are a little anxiety-causing, but she texted that all went well.) She's dating a Smithsonian scientist (romance is always perilous for her, so I'm thinking good thoughts). My husband has been teaching a graduate-level course at Johns Hopkins and he is delighted with his class this semester (his day job is at CBO). And I just got a contract for a project that will keep me busy for the next several months--publishing isn't what it used to be, so I'm thrilled!

Gscience! That’s exciting and impressive! Congratulations!

Thank you for this uplifting thread. We are still on the hunt for a different house and of course, I'm worried about the chances of selling our house in the current economic environment. However, the weather is beautiful...crisp, cool and clear...my favorite combination. I love March, April and May!

Congratulations, @RNmomof2 zone 5, it's a great feeling to get past the bald stage. You really begin to feel you are leaving CancerWorld when your hair starts to grow and the time between medical appointments lengthens.

I am feeling particular happy with things! Business-wise, my husband just added ANOTHER crew to our business that has increased ten-fold the last few years. Things are booming here and everyone seems to be in great spirits.

And, with DS, I have been trying so hard to not micro-manage his school work and control everywhere he goes-he's 16 now and it is so hard, because you want everything perfect, but I have come to the realization that he needs to take the reigns and to my surprise, he has done quite well. I am still quietly and cautiously waiting in the wings, however. He still could do a little better, but I am happy that he is doing this by himself and not because I say he has too. Very hard to do, when you know college is right around the corner. I just feel I am doing him a disservice for the future, if I don't let him manage himself, somewhat. He seems happier and I am happier, so hopefully, he will keep it up. He still knows what is expected in school and has curfew, of course.

I am ready for Daylight Saving this weekend, happy about that!

Congratulations, Gscience, and everyone with good news.

My oldest grandchild has been accepted to Harvard, which is her father's alma mater, but she would rather go to Columbia, NYU, or Stanford. They are both, shall we say, adamant, so we shall see. They have a wonderful relationship that won't change over this.

But most hopeful of all is that my daughter has been undergoing IVF treatments and will soon be implanted. This has been a years long process with three miscarriages, but this looks like this time will be the one that counts.

I think a lot of people are experiencing the same sort of feelings these days. I read this on the Cup of Jo blog yesterday and loved it, so wanted to share here.

If I were a superhero, I’d be anxiety girl — “able to jump to the worst conclusion in a single bound!” — especially nowadays when the news can make even the calmest person’s heart pound. But I just learned a trick that instantly chills me out… A reader named Beth recently left this comment: “Brené Brown talks about ‘dress rehearsing tragedy’ and how it robs us of our joy. Once I became aware of it, I realized it stole joy away from my time with my kids. I would think: ‘I love her so much, I would be lost if something ever happened to her,’ or I would say, ‘Careful on that branch or you will break your arm…’ I have learned to turn my ‘what ifs’ around. What if she grows up healthy and confident and we stay friends our whole lives? Or what if she doesn’t fall and feels an amazing sense of accomplishment from climbing that tree?” I’ve tried this approach since reading Beth’s comment, and it has worked like a charm. Because, after all, what if…everything turns out wonderfully?

I'm working from home today (just to be free from the distractions of the office), and one of my cats, Arizona, is curled up on my chest tucked inside my bathrobe, which is her favorite thing to do. I call her my chest limpet. She is purring rather loudly.

I am moving ahead with a kitchen remodel, finally. I will post about in a new thread soon. I will need advice from my online design peeps!

My choir has a concert coming up at the end of the month. The music is in pretty good shape, and it should be a fun show.

Well, and today is International Women’s Day, so a big Cheers to all of you. We are so supportive of each other here, and this thread emphasizes that once again.

I forgot to say, hugs to RNMom on your good news and getting through this last year. And congratulations to Gscience on your awards. As someone who was in the science field too, these awards mean a lot, especially to us women. The struggle is still real in many places.

Mtn, I know how you feel, as I do too with our grandkids. The last of the 6 just turned 15 and all have bright futures, thanks to diligent parents (hey, we raised some of those parents!). We too know some substance abuse survivors. Most are kids of friends or friends of our own kids. Success stories to be grateful about for sure.

@jojoco - oh I know! But I am so fussy about what I wear and what looks good on me (tall, no chest, tiny ribcage and then runners thighs!. Plus I don't have access to a lot of the designers etc that you guys post about. Although I did look for and at some Eliza J dresses because of the one you bought which was gorgeous

ETA - But when I think about it the dress from the boutique is a similar style to Eliza J and the best thing is that it's from a Canadian design company, Joseph Ribkoff. and is manufactured in Montreal

Thank you, @hhireno.

The snow is melting. It's sunny and 38 F, which feels warm at this time of year. I was able to wear a vest instead of a coat today. One of the cats had her first ever dental cleaning this morning - no extractions! Leaving soon to fetch her. Everyone I love is still on the right side of the dirt. I'll bake bread this afternoon. Romance the ordinary.

I just got back from my daily walk to the beach. On my way back I stop at a little bluff top park to catch my breath after walking up a long steep hill. Every day there is a mockingbird singing through his/her repertoire. As I take in the view of the ocean and hear the sweet songs, I'm reminded of how lucky I am.

This is pretty lame but I thought it was kind of good. I'm eight weeks into attempting to go gray. I had a lot of the color foiled out so I'm now blonde (which was a shock to get used to) and then I got it cut short again because I wanted a perkier haircut if I'm going to be gray rather than the droopy bob I'd grown into. I was getting it colored every four weeks so I'm not too far into the gray but it's blending in nicely and the gray roots don't bother me like they did before.

Now for the good news. I was at an event last night where two ladies, probably a bit older than me who were clearly coloring their hair, came up to me and told me they liked the color of my hair! I was not expecting anyone to tell me they liked the color of my graying hair. Wonders never cease I guess.

That's not lame at all, 3katz. It's the seemingly "little things" that spark joy and create an overall BIG picture of happiness in our lives. And I'll bet you are looking gorgeous with your "new" hair!

Blfenton, that dress looks perfect!

My happy news is that my youngest daughter just put an accepted offer on a home. Long story but after years of struggle and hard work she has a job she loves, a new baby, a new engagement ring (Im not quite as happy about that) and now buying her first home. She is buying the home herself (in her name) because stuff happens and she wants to be able to stand on her own. Im so proud of her. Her fiancé just got a new job and will be starting next week. I think I can start to breath now.

Blfenton, that dress is beautiful! it is so similar to my elizaJ one, just a different tone and shorter. May I offer one suggestion? I wore the bow in the back. For me, the bow in front broke up the dress too much.

HhiReno, thank you for this thread. Very uplifting to hear everyone’s news. Here are mine:

first, it’s almost a year since my mildly autistic son started working as a software developer. I’m trying not to anticipate troubles and micromanage.

second, it’s been a year since he started, out of nowhere, weight-lifting. This has been a game changer for his self-esteem and overall mood. He entered a state-level contest and won second place in his category. (Winning itself is not important or meaningful, but to him, it was a great deal.)

third, the son (with special needs) of one my best friends got married to a very warm, kind and interesting young woman. It was a beautiful ceremony that left all of our hearts full. My son was one of the groom’s men and looked so handsome, if I may say so myself. It was all so lovely.

Three months since I retired after a very intense and rewarding career ( which turned a tad meaningless toward the end). Still trying to find my pace. Trying to be active. Lost 6 pounds. many of my rose cuttings from my October pruning have taken and beginning to bloom.

Youngest grandkid has gotten 3 teeth and is working on #4, enjoys cruising and can say his name. Oh, he's six months old.

Thank you for this thread. I heard that a hummingbird was spotted in our neighborhood this week and I'm hopeful they will find my feeder soon! Our winter was relatively mild, but it's been gloomy so I'm looking forward to more spring weather....and SUN, please!

It's spring in central NC, things are in bloom, and today it was getting light at 6:15. It's been an easy winter, but I'm ready for warm breezes.

We sold our house in December, and have been house sitting for my in-laws while they were in Florida. Since the middle of January, we have made offers on four small houses, and had issues every time. We were supposed to close today, but on Tuesday the deal went south, and we backed out. The same day, we made an offer on our Plan B house, which was our favorite. It had been under contract, so we couldn't make an offer. It was available again, we jumped, offer was a accepted the same day, and we should close early next week. If all goes well, 7-day turnaround.😁

And my in-laws coms home tomorrow.

Jmck, I spent an hour today scrubbing the H. feeders so they can be ready to hang mid-March. Excited because one hangs right out the window where I lay in bed to read.

"...this is the girl who at one point was declared four years behind in math.....I am still getting over that parent teacher conference."

As Sandy from "Grease" said, "Tell me about it!" We checked our kid's bookbags, homework, and graded papers every single day after school, and we were on top of things. When DS1 was in 5th grade the teacher called me the night before 9 weeks grades came out. Apparently DS1 was getting an F! No way. Way.

We never received notification, his math seemed fine. In 6th and 7th grade we put him in a special class for math every day after school.

We made both boys take a math class every year until graduation, and DS1 usually got a B- or C+.

He's a Civil Engineer now and the youngest person to be promoted to Head of a certain engineering department. So take that Miss 5th grade teacher!

I did lose a valuable friendship over it, my friend was a teacher and when I confided in her she told me she always takes the teacher's side. Sigh... So take that Miss Ex-Friend! Meow. :)

@jojoco - sorry to be so long in responding I was out enjoy the sunshine. I remember you mentioning the bow at the back and I was going to try that and also try just tying in a smaller way off to the side.

I am also excited about DST starting on Sunday!

I put out our hummingbird feeder yesterday after seeing a map and mentioned it to DH... who then said he thought he saw one the day before. I fed the birds at the house we raised our children in for over 20yrs. Then we moved and the wind would blow so hard down the valley, any rain soaked the food. I thought deep in the woods and on a lake there would be so many birds. There wasn't any! It took several years of our neighborhood developing before the birds showed up. Who knew?! After moving almost 2yrs ago, I began feeding the birds here and enjoy seeing them all day every day off the kitchen.

I don't brag about things like this on FB, because who wants to hear that! LOL. But DGD1 is 7yo/2nd grade and took the CogAT test at school a few months ago. She scored in the 99% rank in all 4 categories, and was given a 9A. She has been reading at 5th grade level since last Fall. We already knew she was gifted, and her pediatrician told her parents about 4yrs ago she was MENSA material. DS and DIL have always supplemented her learning at home. She is just a doll - red curly hair, fair skin, blue eyes. She's a very social child and is always doing things with her friends. Loves gymnastics, swimming and animals, but her mom is allergic, so she gets her fill of pets here. She wants to be a nurse like her mother.

Congrats to RNmom and Gscience! Sueb, having your father nearby in assisted living will give you peace of mind as well as much more time with him.

No complaints here—-kids and grands all happy and healthy. Two oldest kids traded up to larger “raise the kids” homes recently. Youngest son and GF are having a “commitment ceremony” in June—a casual, low key affair at their little 1920’s bungalow. Yay, I don’t have to shop for a MOG dress! (I feel your pain blfenton)

And BFF since third grade just moved back to the mainland after 8 years in Hawaii!

What is a commitment ceremony? I've never heard of that.

Visiting my mom in memory care today, she was happy to see me! Later, she introduced herself to me, and asked my name. Still later, someone asked her who she was with. She said “nobody”. Well, I was behind her chair, so she didn’t see me (Like, the chair was rolling by itself?) So I came in front and she said “this is my daughter.” Two out of three ain’t bad!

(i never take the non-recognition personally, I go with the flow.)

blfenton—-a commitment ceremony is like a wedding but it’s not legal. We wish they would get married legally, but are OK with their decision. They are a great match—-we love love love her and I’ve considered her a DIL for a few years now. They march to their own drum—-she runs her own non-profit and my son works for a non-profit in the same field. Both are very dedicated to their cause and they’re both smart and fun to be around.

Thanks, everyone! It's really exciting to be recognized. The award ceremony is in two weeks.

She's a little hard to see, but here is a beautiful rare piebald doe who was hanging our in our yard maybe a week or so ago. She is quite famous on the Nextdoor app, but I never saw her in person myself until that day. Please ignore neighbor's junk behind the fence. Normally the shrubs are fuller, but the deer like to eat those. That's one of the reasons they like to hang out there. Unfortunately, with development of a 10 acre plot where they used to hang and then the greenway, they have nowhere to go and spend time in our yards.

My almost 14 year old girl was doing poorly. After numerous trips to the vet and a chicken and rice diet she is back to her old self. She is loving her new diet and it’s a joy to see her back to normal. She is our Craigslist dog as she was given away at age 6. She has brought us joy and companionship for 7 1/2 years. That my good news

I want to cry when I see those big floppy ears, they remind me of my late Gracie, an English Pointer who slept with me every night while I held one of her ears in my hand as I fell asleep. :( Beautiful dog and thank you for taking her in!

Gscience, do the deer let you sit outside while they're there?

Allison, that's great about your GD! My GS is reading three levels ahead, he's in 5th grade. Keep her as normal as possible, don't let the intelligence go to her head like I've seen in older teens who know they're smart and act like it.

Love hearing everyone's good news.

Thanks, Oakley. Both of her parents are gifted, and do not tell her she is. Just that she is learning because she enjoys learning, listens and loves to read.

I've never heard about piebald deer before. Interesting. I follow a photographer on FB that has albino deer on his acreage. "Life in the Northwoods," is anyone is interested. Here is a recent photo he posted (Photo Credit: Life in the Northwoods). Her mother and father, Frost and Frosty, were hit by cars. Frost just last year. Blue Eyes, below, is 12yo.

My sister is pregnant! She's much younger than me, and married and started a family later in her life after earning a doctorate and working in her field for a while. I raised her, and now it's such a joy to observe her as a mother. Her kids are like my pre-grandbabies since it will likely be a while before my young adult children have kids.

Joaniepoanie, the commitment ceremony sounds lovely. I've heard of those recently, and have a feeling at least one of my children will choose that over a formal marriage ceremony when the time comes. (My only recommendation is they have their legal affairs in order to reflect their medical and financial wishes for the other. Young adults often don't think of potential ramifications.) Enjoy the ceremony.

Blfenton, that dress is beautiful!

Thanks everyone for commenting on the dress and 'Liking" it. It makes me feel a little less anxious about my choice. I really like it and the rosy/mauve colours are such pretty colours .

Joaniepoanie = thanks for explaining the commitment ceremony. I wouldn't be surprised if my older son and his GF did something like that. They own a house and have been together for 7 years and are now talking kids but no marriage.

Oakley, they are not too afraid of people. Unfortunately, some people in the neighborhood hand feed them, but I will not get near them. If we are taking something out to the trash or recycling totes, they may get up and head to the corner of the yard but they rarely jump the fences. Another issue we get is lots of poop, but it is mostly concentrated along the back fence. Still, you have to watch your step anytime you head out back.

We have to put up netting for our garden. They love to eat the tomato plants. We have some blueberry and fig shrubs in large containers, and one of them is coming back, but the other three are probably dead. We are moving from more beds to containers that can be moved onto the deck. One of our beds is falling apart, and even with having the trees pruned, it now gets too little light to use.

Allison, I follow Life in the Northwoods, too, and always enjoy seeing the albino deer. Around here we have only the "magical" deer, the brown ones that disappear by camouflage the second they step into the trees.

This makes me smile every time I walk by - the blissful ignorance, peace and joy in the midst of much anxiety and uncertainty.

This really is an uplifting thread!

Both DH and I have advanced degrees so when our oldest didn’t want to attend college it was a bit heartbreaking for me. He is a huge people person. It isn’t an exaggeration to say people are drawn to him. Talk about apple falling far from the tree!! He also loves to cook. In a couple of weeks, his new restaurant will open! I’m so excited (and nervous) for him!

Oh Mimou - Congratulations to your son. What an adventurous undertaking. I wish him all the best, you must be so proud (and I get the nervous part)

As of Friday, I will have raised a baby to teenagehood. For me, that's a big accomplishment given the fact that I can't even keep a cactus or goldfish alive.

I popped into a preschool this week and read The Hungry Caterpillar to the brightest, most adorable little kiddos you could possibly imagine.

It's a pre-K that sends students to kindergarten with skills far above the national average. The school is primarily comprised of children of migrant and immigrant farm workers. All sparkly-eyed and smiley.

The program takes the kids through high school. 98% college acceptance rate. These kids are ambitious, polite, eager. They look you in the eye and shake your hand and say hello.

It's enough to restore your faith and optimism in the future.

I just avoid the news if I need to. I usually watch our local news updates (airs during the Today Show) and the national news updates are shown on the Today Show, but mostly pay little attention.

We are in similar shoes as my father moved to an Assisted Living facility this week. It's been a hard week, mostly emotionally. I know it is best for him and his attitude is great, but it's just hard to see someone leave their home of 56 years. Wide open with a bit of acreage and privacy. He has a nice big room/bathroom (private) and thankfully we were able to get him on the backside of the villa, which overlooks woods. There's a large screened porch also. He's very used to peace and quiet (especially at night) and was worried about that. Thankful for the amazing caregivers he will have. We used this facility with my grandmother and they previously only had memory care. Now they have opened two villas for assisted living. My dad's mind is great but at 90 (in two weeks) his body is wearing out.

Looking forward to a better week - it already is as the sun is shining and spring is in the air!

Tina (tinam61)

((hugs)) Tina.

Thank you sweet Allison! I had a day with a major melt down. Seems like it took a few days to hit me and then that day I was just an emotional wreck. But dad told me and my sister he was "not looking back" and realizes this is where he needs to be. He is already bonding with two of the caregivers and has made friends with the maintenance man LOL. He is a talker, and is friendly to everyone. He does not complain, has a good outlook, which is amazing the shape he is in. They are going to start some agility therapy with him, so we are hopeful that will help him get around a bit better and maybe his old joints/bones will benefit too! I'm going down this afternoon and I am feeling better about things too. We plan to start clearing some things out of his house this weekend, so I'm prepared for the emotions to kick in again!!

My daffodils and forsythia are blooming and we have had a day or so without rain, wish we could save the rain until July, The yellow is so nice.

What an uplifting thread. My DD was named teacher of the year at her school, and she is now in the running for district teacher of the year. She is only 26 and in her third year of teaching kinder.

Ah, tina, those emotions are going to hit you hard this weekend. It's one of the hardest tasks there is. Cry, savor, laugh and get the job done. You're doing the right thing.

Texanjana, as the mother of several teachers I know how proud you are. Congratulations.