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I listen to more Audiobooks now. I still like Podcasts and just started Dear Alana. But the books have me hooked! I do a lot through my local library (FREE!) and I have an Audible account. I buy some and I also check out the ones that are free on Audible.

I do like Music sometimes when I am in the mood for it.

So you would keep 30 foot of trunk? Would it be dead, or would you let it regrow? Either way - I would encourage you to not do this. A dead 30' tree trunk isn't going to attract what you want in your yard. Plus it will rot and fall. Regrowth on a topped out tree of that size isn't pretty either.
Maples tend to look good on the outside, but old ones have all sorts of issues on the inside.

Take it down and grind out the stump. Or at least take it down to short as possible.

Yep. Maples sometimes don't look too bad (big old ones) but once you start cutting, you see what a hot mess is going inside. My husband hates cutting maples, as they tend to snap back and that can be very dangerous.

The Iowa State Fair is the grandaddy of the Butter Cows! I have seen many! It was fun to watch Duffy Lyon work on the sculptures. Also, free hard boiled eggs on a stick right next to the butter cow, from the Iowa Egg Council. LOL

I'm zone 5 and I would say nope.

I saw the price tag and passed. $50 was too much. My daughter promised me my granddaughter had one that was approaching "Weird Barbie" status that I could have! lol

On a normal day -nothing.

I don't know if this counts as self-protection, as I am not worried about boogey men, but I do carry a small spade or a very heavy livestock cane when I am going to be in with cattle. The cane is used to sort cattle and also to prop me up once in a while. I did have to use it once to beat a very angry cow back. I also sometimes use the small spade for the same reason. I carry the spade in my Gator to dig weeds in pastures and help me check hot fence in the pastures.

As a rule, I never carry a fire arm for protection. Sometimes I have one along for a varmint that needs taken care off. I did carry my rifle when we knew a cougar was in our area, but honestly I was so freaked out, that I doubt I could have taken a shot. I would just skedaddle the heck out of there if I saw it. I'd rather take a picture of it. I would only shoot it, if I saw it actively hunting our calves.

If there is a stranger out on our road, I will usually take a photo of their license plate as I go by.  There were a couple guys out walking one day, and that slightly freaked me out, so I texted my husband a photo of them.  He came out and talked to them.  They had spent the night in a county park down the road from us and were "walking back to town" - so DH offered them a ride in the back of his pickup to get them out of the neighborhood.   

We paid for our daughters wedding, and the grooms parents paid for the open bar.
My daughter bought her own dress and paid for the photographer - I wanted to do that, but she had it paid for before I had a chance.

The wedding was not terribly expensive - A full catered meal for 225 plus tips was under 2K .. I love the area we live in! LOL

My main concern would be luggage.
You, of course, could not check a bag. And carryon's seem to get gate checked so much now. I don't fly much, but I did fly some this spring, and every flight was gate checking carry-on's. The chances of having to gate check your bag would really mess up the plan on this one.

But I guess if you only have your personal bag (purse), and not a carry on or checked bag, I would do it. I fly so seldom and usually never on the same airline, that miles, etc. really have no significance to me, if they pulled that.

I fluctuate on this one.

I'm not a Jason Aldean fan, or a huge fan of this type of music in general. I don't like Toby Keith 'boot up your ss" songs either. I also thing CardiB's WAP and some other rap songs that are incredibly racist and hate filled are terrible too.

I would probably be considered far left, by most of my friends and neighbors, lol - but I feel like I am a down the center line moderate.

But I am from a small town, all my life. There are things that resonate. Cheryl Crow is from a town of 10,000. That's 5 times as large as the town I live near, which is 4 times larger than the town I grew up in. We are not going to put up with some of what we see happening in cities. If someone comes to my house/farm with the intent to harm or thieve, there are consequences. There was a couple gals that had a pill problem, and they were teaming up to enter houses and rifle through everyone's medicine cabinet. One gal would call the other when she could see that a whole family was at a ball game or out too eat, so the other gal could go in and look for pills. They know who had knee surgery or cancer and would have pills. They would bypass jewelry and cash and only wanted the pills.

They were good, and this went on for a long time. Finally someone got a pretty good look at the van one of them drove on security video (this was a couple years ago, so the cameras were not as good as now, and not everyone had a ring doorbell). Once the basic description of the van was out there - the farmers and ranchers kept an eye out.
The local law said they had it under control, but nothing was ever done.
One guy saw her pull into a farm she shouldn't have been at. Busted. But it took people who had been ripped off and had some security videos they could post online before the Law would step in. Seriously. They said there was nothing they could do, since they hadn't witnessed her doing it. But once that 'small town' posse kicked in they had to deal with her. So many people posted their images while they were breaking into their houses, onto Facebook, the Law had to do something.

Same for a local guy getting a bunch of copper wire stolen from his business during the middle of the DAY! He saw the video, knew where the tweaker lived and went and had a chat. He was definitely armed, but he didn't draw down. But he had the deputies hot footing it out there, when before they wouldn't respond.

My neighbor died and her house was ransacked. So many things stolen. Does the Sheriff know who did it. Yes. Can her family get anything back? No. They don't have solid proof it was the person that did it. Ha. This guy is a part of the same crowd that steals everything around here. Nothing NOTHNG happens with law enforcement. They simply say "we can't do anything at this time".
Someone else got broke into and a 4 wheeler was stolen. You know what they did. They didn't call the sheriff. They went to this @ssholes house and stole their own property back. Not alone, but with some backup. Told the dude he better not ever step foot on their property again, or he would never be found. That is what happens in a small town now. There isn't one single racial implication behind any of it.

I only use Dawn.

Dawn Platinum
Dawn Foam
Dawn Powerwash

I have ordered this summer and was not unhappy.

MEASURE yourself. Look at the size chart for each item. If you normally wear a certain size, I can guarantee it will not be that size in Bloomchic - but I do feel like it is pretty true to size if you measure yourself.

I normally wear a 2x-3x on tops, and 4x to 5x was a better fit for me. 5x was bit too big, and I only ordered one shirt in that size, just to check out how it fit. I returned one shirt, and it was easy peasy. Printed return label, stuck it on the bag and took to Post Office. If your hung up on only wearing a certain size, you have to let that go. Don't go by what they size it as - go by your measurements.

Quality is decent for the price. I have worn and washed the shirts several times, and they are holding up nicely. They are 'fast fashion' , so the quality isn't high end. But for what the price is, I would say it's better than I expected.

My order came fairly fast. I will order again. Clothes were fun and something that I don't see around here.

That would have been very tough to do! An honest person is good to hear about.

Is this an in-office thing only? Not an at home thing?

I hope all is above board, but from the very moment I heard about this I though it sounded very suspicious.

Everyone around me is going NUTS about 'trafficking' since the move "Sound of Freedom" is playing in the theater hear. I haven't seen the movie, but they say it is very powerful. And all the conspiracy theory that "they" whoever "they" might be - didn't want the movie released. Oh boy....


I know that trafficking is real, and the though of young people and children involved is so heartbreaking. My (limited) research shows that a lot, if not almost all, cases are linked to a family member or trusted person being involved it this happening. Which is tragic! But the amount of people I know that are convinced a trafficking ring is waiting outside of Walmart for them is astonishing. Their cars are being marked with a zip tie, or a dollar bill in their windshield wiper. Or a "creepy guy" is following them. Every time it has been proven to be absolutely false. The person is either attention seeking, or just plain coo-coo.

I have to say, I believe it could happen to anyone, anywhere. But use that fear to increase your situational awareness.