Iggy

Gwen, thank you so much. I agree. After posting the original thread started here and at two other LDS forums I am on, I realized that I should have suggested a possible solution to the BP rather than let my frustration turned anger get the better of me. After ranting and raving at home (my husband is a saint, he let me fuss, fume and rave without chastising me.) I came to the realization that I should have suggested to the BP that he should give a lesson &/or announcement regarding the food and drinks. Way too many members have to have water to drink, including myself, during one if not all of the blocks. The water in the fountains are way too COLD- so I bring mine in a rubbermaid drink container. The others have bottles of water with lids or sport tops. She is the only one bringing in non-water liquids in open (non-spill proof) containers. Even the parents don't give their children juice EXCEPT in the kitchen. Vinyl flooring is in the kitchen. After posting my original post, the RS Pres called me regarding something else. I brought up what I said to the BP. She told me that she has personally taken this woman to the kitchen, explained that her drink is to be left there, and that she can 'visit' as needed during any class she is in. Anne, the majority of the members in my Branch ARE elderly. We only have 11 sisters who have children, three of which their child(ren) are teens. Then the remaing 30 sisters are from 50 to 86. That is all that come on a regular basis. Believe me, we know how to treat the elderly, and we do trreat them well. I dislike how she disrespects us. By disrespecting our Lord's home, she is disrespecting us. I don't dislike her personally. I see her sitting on the bench next to the post office and I wave at her. Had I time to stop and visit, I would, but my trips to the PO are included in our trips to Dr appointments. If we are late to them, we get cancelled and we still have to pay for an office call. Can Not Afford To Miss Dr Appointments. Thank you.Thank you all for your responses. Some I felt were real Body Slammers- some were so close to the mark it was spooky. Others were very helpful. I want to clarify some things. Our Branch is tiny- granted it is doubled in size because of a boundary change done last April, but we are still tiny. Our town is tiny. Population of 2070. We have one light and that is at the junction of two highways. We have three banks, a Subway and 6 other places to eat. Of those places three serve booze, one is actually a Tavern- so no children are allowed in. There are 9 churches including our Branch. There is no shelter for the homeless or displaced. There is a soup kitchen of sorts- but it is only for children during the summer. There is no soup kitchen year round for adults too. We don't even have city police. We pay the county to have the Sheriff's Dept. patrol are neck of the woods. We have approximately 12 empty commercial buildings, and next to the Post Office there are two homes that are recently empty. Renovation work is being done to those homes. We also have one school building that is empty and quickly going to seed, and by the 2013 school year the High School will also be empty, as will the Grade School next to it. All schools have been built on higher ground, well out of the tsunami danger area. As for the middle school- they are asking way too much to lease it or rooms in it. The doors & windows are boarded shut. The people who live next to it, keep watch. For all the empty buildings, there is NO vandalism! We don't have street people, because there is no place for them to go. They cannot sleep under our bridge because there is no dry land under the bridge. When the tide from the ocean prevents that! They may be in the woods, but we have bears and cougars (Mountain Lions), bobcats and huge raccoons in our woods. It isn't safe after dark. Oh, yeah, our street lights only light up the street- they don't shine up or around. They are more like spot lights. I am hearing impaired, as is my Husband. We both wear hearing aids – both ears! The PA system is the pits. The microphone is seldom plugged in, and when it is, someone is always going up and fiddling with the volume. Husband and I sit in the fourth row from the front, in the center pew, on the first two seats (we don't have benches, we have padded chairs) on the left. The families with children sit in the far right rows, and mostly behind us. Hearing aids don't really pick up sounds BEHIND you – thus you have to talk to the person's face if you wish them to hear you. Many, many times during not only Sacrament, but Gospel Doctrine too- I cannot hear enough of what is being said, so I have to "listen" by the Spirit. Yes, we have told the BPresidency about this. Their solution, call my Husband as SS President! This woman comes in late and almost always sits just in front of me, or either to the right or left of us. What I have decided is that until she ceases to bring in the fluids- I will get up and go to the RS room. Husband is able to totally block her. I don't want to not hear or be there during Sacrament and Gospel Doctrine (by the way, we only have one GD and RS class.- Like I said, we are tiny) As for the makeup- it was small and petty of me to go into detail about it. Except that the color she wears really shows up on our pastel mauve upholstered chairs! We don't have upholstery cleaner in our closet either. The multipurpose cleaner just makes it worse. In 2004, we finally got the 3rd phase of our meeting house built. Took 25 years of praying, and work for us, but it finally happened. After the construction and before the dedication we met at the next towns ward so that the rest of our Branch meeting house could be re-carpeted, textured wallpaper professionally cleaned and the painted areas repainted! Prior to the new and final addition to the building, one could not have told how old the carpeting and wall paper was. We took excellent care of our meeting house. There wasn't one stain on any of the walls, or even on the carpet in multi-purpose room, where we had uncounted meals in. We now have a tea stain on the carpet in the Chapel. And several of the new chairs have lime green spots, and black mascara smears. Martain, you are soo right, I do need to Let This Go. I will find out if there is a room where there is a speaker connected to the Chapel that I can go to and still hear what is going on. During GD I will just change seats so that I am closer to the teacher and not within eyesight of her.

At first I did. Hadn't thought of dementia – when she participates in Gospel Doctrine she is quite knowledgeable of the Bible. At first she was using one of the new age translations, and of course no one knew what she was reading. The following Sunday she brought her KJV. She vehemently refuses to touch the Book of Mormon , or the D&C or the Pearl of Great Price. Like I said to Anatess – we are on a really tight budget, my husbands SS and pension just- repeat- just covers are monthly expenses. Yes, next Sunday I will be apologizing to the BP. I knew last Sunday evening I would be doing that. I want to do it in person and not by email.

For the last 7 to 8 months we have had an elderly woman coming to church. She dresses like she lives on the street- though she is clean and the clothes smell freshly laundered. From the first time she started coming she puts her make up on during sacrament, or if she falls asleep during sacrament, then she does it during gospel doctrine. She brings food and drink into each block with her. Regular type mugs of coffee, glasses of ice tea, 32 oz glasses of sodas. The food she brings is anywhere from Cheeto's, Dorito's, cracker jacks, store bought sandwiches, etc. Last Dec. her 32 oz glass of tea fell over (she put it on the floor, under the chair in front of her and when the 3 year old who was sitting on the chair got up to leave to go to primary, it got knocked over. This woman's response: "don't worry about it, it was just ice tea". I grabbed her well worn, washed, cloth satchel and mopped up the tea, while my husband and two sisters dashed to the restrooms to get paper towels. I let her know that food and drinks were not allowed in the chapel. She said she was diabetic and had to have it. I told her that 1/3 of the members in attendance that day are diabetics, myself included, and we sure as the dickens don't NEED to bring food and drinks into the chapel. Then in RS that same Sunday, she proceeds to put on her make up. She is 80 if she is a day, and she is putting on lime green eyeshadow, thick eyebrows in black and orange-red lipstick. Not to mention the liquid foundation. Her hair is white, but she colors it "strawberry" blond. Orange is more like it. Okay- this last Sunday was our Stake Conference. We have it piped in- via internet. She brings in a full cup of coffee, cracker jacks and ding dongs. The cup is set on the floor, and she then proceeds to go to sleep. THANKFULLY, there is no gospel doctrine or RS. Thus she has to forgo the make up applying. Someone picked up her cup of coffee and when they tried to dump it in the sink- the brother who brought her took it. He didn't dump it out, he put it under the chair in the last row in the chapel, and gave it to her when she went by him. This member couple bring her to church, drinks in tow- satchel filled with food. Some of the members think she is living on the streets. I have seen her entering and leaving one of the apartments in the subsidized apartments next to the POffice. Chances are real good she is sharing this apartment. And chance are she comes to our church because our services are 3 hours long, it is warm and we do NOT Hallelujah, PRAISE GOD during the meetings. We are quiet. Last Sunday I blew up. I started to blow at the brother handing the full cup back to her. Then I heard the conversation between the missionaries and her. They wanted to set up an appointment to give her the lessons, she told them flat out she had her own faith, that she was a preacher, she had her own church. ((Then why is she coming to ours, and disrespecting it???)) I went hunting for the Branch Pres. I unloaded on him, told him how I thought it was rude, disrespectful of our faith, toward our church. And I also thought it was time the "Brethren" quit with the Politically Correct crap and tell her point blank that bringing in drinks: Coffee, tea, soda, juice is NOT allowed. That IF she has to eat between the classes, to go into the kitchen, sit down on one of the little chairs, take 5 or 10 minutes to eat, then go to class. As regards the make up- put it on BEFORE she gets to the church, and do NOT wipe her hands on the chair upholstery to clean them off!!! The Branch Pres. just grinned at me. I was oh so close to smacking that smirk off his face. I think I just might have told him to get the smirk off his face or else I will slap it off of him. I know I was thinking it- don't know if I thought out loud or not. His wifes eyes got real big. I have NEVER been that mad before. I took one step toward him, then I did a right turn and left the building. All the way home in the car I fumed, spouted and railed. Husband listened, then when we got home he asked if I had taken my HBPressure meds? And asked me to check my blood pressure. 138/83- not all that high for me. The branch pres said "they were working on that"- his 1st counselor says "they are aware of it"- What would you do? As a Priesthood holder? As a Sister? I think I probably should apologize to the Branch Pres for the comment about the smirk. I may be cooled off by next Sunday. He is an irritating little man to begin with- he doesn't smile, he smirks. And even when it accompanies a funny statement, I still want to SLAP it off his face. I know, I am bad .

Happy Birthday!

When I reserved the sealing room when hubby and I got sealed, I was told that I should only invite immediate family, our witness's and if space permits, two to four very close friends. When I asked the definition of immediate family I was told: parents, siblings & spouses, grandparents (if alive), Aunts & Uncles. In that order. If there isn't enough space, the Aunts & Uncles should be eliminated from the list. Also, your co-worker needs to call the Temple and ask for clarification. She can make an appointment to converse face to face regarding how many to invite to the sealing. A Temple Marriage/Sealing is NOT like a formal wedding where you fill the building to the rafters with friends, co-workers, 2nd, 3rd (etc) cousins, Great Aunts & Uncles, etc., etc. Safe all of that for the reception after in the rented hall or hotel conference room. There really is no need for a best man, maid of honor, flower girl, ring bearer. Granted, Hubby & I were married civilly, then sealed 1.5 years later. The Sealer told us that this sealing was the same as if we were being married & sealed. So, if someone was married/sealed in the Temple, if I am wrong, please correct me.

True story: I was working at the True Value store in town, when a customer comes in wanting to purchase a new vacuum cleaner. He kept saying how his old one just didn't suck up anymore. I showed him all of the vacuums, read to him the sales blurbs that are pasted all over them. He takes one of the vacuums we have already assembled. Not 20 minutes later he calls and is screaming at me. I sold him a bad machine, it won't suck. For five minutes he is screaming. Finally I get him to calm down, and I ask him if he has inserted the bag? Yes he says. Me: have you plugged it in - - - Customer: he interrupts me screaming that Of Course I Have Plugged It In. Me: Speaking softly now I ask him to look near the handle of the vacuum, see the cord there? Customer: Yeah I see it. Me: Follow that cord all the way down the machine... Customer: Yeah, yeah Me: Is it plugged into the MACHINE?? Customer: Click He hung up on me! I had to take a 20 minute break to get over laughing. Okay, now that weekend, my 1st husband worked at the local dump. I was there going through some of the things that were brought in (like end tables, lamps, old glass canning jars) and guess who comes in to throw away his old vacuum? Yep, Screaming Man. He was right his vacuum would no longer suck. It was because the vacuum bag was too full. (He really needs two signs, one for his forehead and one on his back) I removed the disposable bag, took off the cloth outer bag and beat it against the wall. Removed the over-full filters and cleaned them. That vacuum worked like a charm for the next 5 years!! I sold it for $50.00 and bought a cannister vac because I moved into a much smaller house and the upright was just too awkward.

Thanks - I do 95% of the driving- Hubby drives too close to the right for my comfort. Here in Oregon- there isn't much leeway on the right. Scares the beejeebies out of me! I know- the stores I can stay away from for about 3 months if need be. Will just have to do without fresh lettuce and veggies (really do need to get sprouting seeds so that we can then have fresh veggies) - but appointments - it was too late to cancel. PLUS his tooth was and had been infected for months and months!! The infection went into his right eye too!! THAT was scary. I think that is part of Fathers lessons on Enduring. Just like in my 1st marriage - hubby was abusive. Finally after 20 years I was so tired of it all that I left him. Yes I was afraid he would make good on his threat to kill me, but I knew that if he did it would only hurt once and then I would never feel pain again. When I no longer cared whether he hurt me or not, and he saw that, it diffused him. Never heard much from him after that. Actually it took me two years to catch him to serve him the divorce papers and get his signature. Had to get money from him to pay for it - that is why I chased him down. Of all the bad things that have happened to me, of all the trials and tribulations- the literal and metaphorical Icy roads- I have endured. I have grown closer to Father. I know that He answers my prayers and that He protects me as I drive that snarky and scary coastal Hwy 101 in icy snow or gale force winds & drenching rain. I also know that I have to do my part and drive safely and responsibly. Another comfort for me, is my hubby is in the seat next to me. He is praying too. He is also reassuring me that I am doing fine, my driving is good. Jenn, I have never had a child- so I have no clue what it would be like to be Great With Child and drive in ice and snow. I would probably call in sick, and not even feel a tinge of guilt!

I absolutely loathe driving in snow & ice- so much so that I end up be-fouling myself! On Jan 16th Hubby had an appointment with the oral surgeon in the town 45 miles south of us. The night before it snowed- and the temps stayed at 30-33 degrees F. No wind though(thank heavens). Hubby was in enough pain, he could not drive- so I did. We prayed sitting in the car as it warmed up, then I said prayers on the way there when I came across hairy/snarky areas. Going there, the ocean is on the right, the snarky areas are the curves where there are drop offs into the trees, the hairy areas are the drop offs into the ocean- all with 100 to 300 foot drops! We made it to the appointment with an hour and 45 minutes to spare- Hubby was hungry (he was having a tooth extracted whose roots were split!!! and he wanted to eat!) and I needed a valium! The worst part of the whole drive was when we got into town- the hwy and streets were NOT cleared or even sanded!! Going home was much better- it had warmed up 3 degrees and the packed snow had turned into slush. Those who lived there had it way worse the next day- it froze over night and that slush was packed ice! Jenn- had I had an accident I would NOT drive that route again or in those conditions! During the entire drive to & from, Hubby was praying too- for me to be calm, for the other drivers to use common sense and for the deer/elk/bears to KEEP OFF THE ROADS! Several weeks later the entire coast gets hammered by the Grand Daddy of all wind and rain storms. This, I will drive in! Yet way more damage was done by the massive amount of rain. Lost roads, they washed out underneath. Had mudslides that covered roads. Three mudslides on that route to the Dentist! Next monday we have to go back to that Dentist. Dr needs to see if the bone grafting is healing well and to set up schedules for the tooth implant. The weather should be better- but the dumb animals still pose a danger! Just thinking about it and I start to stress- Prayers help. From us now, and for you as you are driving. You are in my prayers-

She is adorable Bini.

Just moved back to a small town, my car is out of warranty- and lo and behold my hairdresser's father is a mechanic. The mechanic I used to go to here in this town has retired, so I knew I would have to look for another. I really hate going 25 miles to the next town to have the car worked on at a dealership, especially since it is out of warranty. Anyway, my "Change Oil" light and message kept flashing every time I started the engine. I had just had that done so the message shouldn't have been there. I checked the owners book, did what it said to reset the message and it still flashed. So I went back and told Shep what was happening. He, brought out a hand held diagnostic tool, fiddled around under the dash and then unscrewed the gas cap and screwed it back on. The message went away. He said that sometimes the gas cap doesn't get put on correctly and this will cause the messages. After I get gas now, when I get home, I removed the cap and put it back on - just to make sure it is on tightly and correctly. Shep has done some other really minor things for us- like attach the front plate on the cars. In AZ you only have the rear plate. Here in OR you have front and back. He didn't charge us anything for doing it. We were getting hair cuts (Hubby too) at the time by his daughter. He also attached the rear window wiper for me, and added washer fluid- no charge again. After the "Change Oil" thing, I stopped by and told him that my rear left tire felt odd. It acted odd - did I have a bump it it, or what. He tested it, then told me that I would be needing to rotate the tires shortly. I told him that Husband was going to get me new tires after our taxes were done. He recommended the place up in the next town, rather than the place in our town. Yep, we were going there anyway- they have such a better rep. Les Schwab Tires - love that place!!! Come Spring, I will be taking the car in for a complete check up- spark plugs, oil, fluids, etc. I can probably get an oil change cheaper up at Oil Can Henry's- but then I have to drive 30 miles one way to get there, and sit and wait until it is my turn. Here I drive 2 miles, and he or one of his workers will take me home. Then when my car is ready I get a call. Hubby will then take me there OR Shep will deliver it!! The extra cost is really worth it to us to pay to a local and for the added personal service. Finding a good mechanic is really hard to do. Just as hard, time consuming & costly as finding a good hairdresser!! Husband and I really lucked out when we found Shep and his daughter- Oh, they share a building too. He bought the building AND land, and added on a Salon for his daughter.

Reading the responses I looked into my past- near past. Before I married husband #2, my neighbor JR & I used to discuss (actually debate is more correct) our faith differences. He claimed to be "Capital" R Catholic. Yet in retrospect he "cherry picked" what he preferred to do, follow. He loved having the LDS missionaries over and then he would debate doctrine. Totally ignoring the fact that these young men were not here to be debating. I am quite the Mother figure and I went to the Mission President with a two hour tape recording I had taken during a dinner with the missionaries and this neighbor. He was then put on the 'Do Not Contact' list. Thus I became the one he would want to debate with. I don't debate my faith. I also don't defend it. It doesn't need defending. I gave him a Book of Mormon, and I also gave him The Book of Mormon Study Manual from the Institute (6 of these had been donated to our branch library and the BPres told me I could give him one.) I went to Easter mass with him, on the condition that he then come to church with me right after. Our first meeting (Sacrament) started at 10- his mass ended at 9:30. I stayed for all of his, he crapped out on me and only stayed for Sacrament. The only other person I have felt comfortable with discussing my faith was my Chiropractor in AZ. He is a Christian, yet I don't know what faith he adheres to. Nearly all the books/magazines in his waiting room are Christian based. He agreed to have the Book of Mormon in there. The missionaries stop by on a monthly basis to replenish them. When my husband and I got sealed (1.5 years after our civil marriage- we were really excited about it, and told him we were going, when, where and why. He was truly interested. Said that he would like to be married to his wife for an eternity and to have all of his children (he has 8) with him in the 'Eternities'. Then I have a girlfriend here in OR who I feel very comfortable talking about my faith with her. Again, I don't know what faith she is, other than she is a Christian. What is so refreshing for me is these two people don't swear, gossip, or talk negatively about others. They don't 'Praise The Lord' all the time either. When I have lunch with my girl friend we take turns asking for a blessing on our lunch- with LDS's this is the norm in restaurants, but not so much with other faiths. Even my daughter in law who is more into her Calvary Baptist religion than she is in her family, won't ask a blessing on her food in a restaurant- or at our table. We say it, and she fidgets. If given the opportunity, I would feel comfortable sitting with my girlfriend and discussing our faiths. Their similarities and differences. Oh, I can't forget our across the street neighbor. He is an ex-druggie, elderly wanna-be biker. He is pretty much crippled up with arthritis, smokes medicinal pot and has a morphine thing that dispenses a set amount for his pain. Had to go to the hospital recently to get it adjusted. He is Born Again. One afternoon Husband and Neighbor were sitting out on the tailgate of our pickup talking. I overheard snatches of religious talk. Well I had just made our lunch, and I thing Father had a hand in my cooking, because I ended up with enough to feed 12 people. Chicken Stir Fry! So I invited Neighbor to come eat with us. The religious conversation continued at the table. He asked lots of questions. You really don't sacrifice babies or animals do you? Do your templed women have to go bra-less and with out makeup? Does your Prophet and Holy Men pick your husbands and wifes? Is it true you have to pay your church money before you can get into heaven? Those are only a few of the questions. I wish I had written them all down. He was serious, but not predisposed to not listening to our answers. Husband answered most of his questions. I got the Scriptures, and to the more difficult questions, I looked up the answers. Later that day, I went on-line and ordered a Pearl of Great Price and D & C through LDS.org- when they came, we gifted them to him. He has his own KJV of the Bible. The next Sunday I got a copy of the BofM from the Missionaries and gave him that also. He was really glad that the Mormon church used the KJV- pleased him no end. Unfortunately we haven't him over for a meal since then. His son's and ex-wife have been there- they sell drugs, steal, use meth, etc. Husband didn't think it would be polite to invite him and not the other(s). Wouldn't have fazed me a bit- I would have told him point blank, this invitation is for you, and you only, because I only trust and like you. Not your offspring or your ex-wife. Any way- he and husband have visited a few times since he received the books from us. He has been reading them. He writes down his questions, then pulls his note book out when husband goes over there to see how he is doing. He is absolutely fascinated with all of those 'Mormon Religious Books'. They "ring true" to him. I'd like to see what he thinks of our Sunday block. Don't think he could stay awake for the three hours.

Good to see the two of you. Hope you both are back. Both of you have been missed.

Pam, my husband is the SS President in our Branch - he called the Stake, they emailed him the links to lds.org and to the CHI so he would know what he is and isn't to do. For the last two Sundays, the Stake Presidency has been visiting- they took him aside and told him he is doing a wonderful job.

I am in a branch too- just depends on how many members there are. We doubled in size back in May- so we are now at 160 members- 2/3 are active.

Sunday school president in the LDS Church does not give the lessons, he makes sure that the Gospel Doctrine (Adult Sunday School & Youth Sunday School), Gospel Principles (New Member Sunday School) are called. If any of them are going to be absent, then he finds substitutes. If he can't find any substitutes, then he decides if he is going to teach the class or double up on classes. He also makes sure that the teachers have manuals, every member has a Study Guide, and also knows where to find the materials on LDS.org. He is also in charge of the Library. He also schedules Teaching, No Greater Calling lessons, Temple Preparedness classes, on a need to have basis. At the beginning of Gospel Doctrine class, he conducts. In-Other-Words, he asks that everyone take a seat and quiet down. Welcomes everyone, asks visitors and new members to the Ward to introduce themselves. Before the meeting starts he asks members to give the opening and closing prayers, which he announces after visitors/new members. Sunday School is the only meeting where there is no opening & closing hymn. Personally I think there should be- think it would ready the members more. So you see PC - this is a calling you would excel at. Delegate - ponder on members who have no callings to see if Father wishes they become teachers/librarians, then turn the names over to the Bishop for him to call.

Welcome home, Slammy Baby . 1.5 years will fly by- and it will give people time to save some money~make plans to attend your baptism~get up the courage to drive there. ((I do great driving on the interstate hwys, it is taking the off ramps into the even busier cities and towns that scare the poo right out of me. Actually it makes me physically sick.))

I am a big lady- at Woman Within I am a 1X, at Lane Bryant I am a 3X. The slips at the Distribution Center/through the church run big. I ordered a 3X and my sister who is two sizes larger than me wears it! Penny's, Fred Meyer don't carry sizes large enough for me. WalMart does once in a blue moon- 4/5X. Bust is 44, waist and hips are LARGER. Oh, I don't wear a bra when I don the temple clothes- there is just too many layers- so the bra stays in the locker. Now my friends who know I am on this forum are going to know- I am so fearful of slipping and falling, so the slippers I use have a rubber sole. I wear cotton ankle socks to reduce the static. I now have a 100% cotton dress- It only cost me $68.00. Listen to the workers when you purchase you sacred items, they will tell you how to launder & care for them. The first gown, slip, etc. I got were all polyester/nylon. You could see blue sparks when ever I touched anything! The dress was 18" too long. Yep, I cut it off and hemmed it up, so it was 3" shorter than the gown. The envelope kept sliding out from under my arm and off of my lap! That was the first item I replaced with cotton. Then I sewed a white button on it and white grosgrain ribbon to close it by. Have had more compliments on that envelope. Here is a link at LDS.org that gives the sizes on the womens dresses & slips. Women's Dress Sizes- LDS Store and here: Women's Garment Top Fit- LDS Store In the slips I wear a 1X. Still have to cut the excess off and hem it. Oh, I had a friend tat a pocket for me, then I sewed it on the outside of my envelope. The outside of my envelope is decorated with tatted cotton lace- so this pocket fits right in. This is where I have my white handkerchief- I also have one in my dress pocket, and I also put a pocket about 4" above the hem of my slip- have another men's white handkerchief there- I am a crier- also have a medium safety pin sewed to the inside of my slip pocket- this is for the locker key. This slip pocket is not a dainty size either- it is a pocket I removed from one of my husbands old white shirts- I can put money in there for the cafeteria. Seems like the group always wants to eat after they change and before the sessions! One other thing- zippers in the back that one can not reach. First dress was like this- there is always a temple worker in the dressing rooms- she will be more than happy to zip your dress, and tuck in the interfacing at the neck.

That is not true anymore. What they require before you schedule the work is that one of their adjusters come and assess the damage. They don't even care if you ever get the work done after they have paid- just as long as you don't try to file more claims. Example: My house in AZ was broken into, vandalized and all of the copper wiring and plumbing was stolen along with the stainless steel sink in the kitchen. Total amount of damage done was over $10,000.00. We had an electrician come out, a plumber and a local contractor/handy man. The claims adjuster was there along with these professionals, inspected the damage and even told the plumber and contractor to amend their estimates to include plaster work + painting to repair the damage done in the kitchen. He also told them that the back door would have to be replaced as it could not be repaired. We were asked if we were satisfied with the estimate amounts? Or in other words was there going to be any other estimates coming in from different repair people? We had the house on the market to sell. The most the house & property was going to sell for was $20,000. Why should we put $10 grand into a $20 grand old house? I called the claims adjuster and told him I would be sending the checks back because we were not going to repair the house. He told me they didn't care if we repaired the house or not, the money was ours. Just don't file any future claims on the same damage. We could have had the work done by anyone - the contractors who did up the estimates, or our neighbor who is an unliscensed/unbonded handy man who works for way less. The insurance company doesn't give a flip. Just don't file again later on the same damage. But what the carrier will not pay for is damage that occurs after the original damage, when the client does not do any preventative measures to stop more damage occuring. What I mean is, there is water damage right now- by not notifing the carrier of the damage, allowing their adjuster/appraiser access to view and assess the damage, and by not stopping more damage occuring, you may not get all of the repair amount paid for by the carrier. Example: You have a hole in your roof caused by storm damage. By not putting up temporary repair, i.e. tarp, you are allowing more damage to occur. When I worked for an Insurance Agent, we had a client who waited to report a claim on the storm damage to one of his cow pens (this was a Saudi Cow Pen - http://www.agweb.com/article/made_in_the_shade_arizona_dairy_introduces_saudi_barns_to_texas_/). He was hoping that another storm that was predicted would cause even more damage so he could get the entire pen replaced. Cost of replacement would have been in the tens of thousands rather than the $5 thou to fix the current damage. His deductible was $5,000- he wanted to replace the entire pen. Well, the storm was just a deluge of water, no gale force winds. But, because he failed to turn off the electricity to his fans after the initial damage, they all shorted out. 10 fans @ $750 - $1500 each. The carrier refused to pay for the replacement of the fans. Had the client turned off the electricity, (prevention) and the fans sustained damage enough to be replaced, the carrier would have replaced them. In this instance where the repair cost is the same or less than the deductible, the carrier will tell you it is not in your best interest to file a claim. You pay your deductible and the $ amount to refund to you is $0.00. But had the pen been totally destroyed, then it would be in the client's best interest to file the claim, pay his deductible and use the check to replace with a new pen.

Call the claim in NOW! The longer you delay, they may deny your claim. Water damage has to be dealt with sooner not later. If your carpet got wet, it CAN NOT be dried out, the padding never dries, ever. It will mold, mildew and rot causing even more damage and danger to your health. You will not only have to have a plumber fix the leak, you will also need a contractor/handyman fix the ceiling, walls, floors. Remember you will only pay out of pocket the deductible. So, what is your deductible? The rest will be paid by your insurance carrier. Be sure you get a licensed/bonded contractor - plumber - you want quality work done, not cheap on the fly work. Also, the insurance carrier will be paying NOT you. So, don't pay a down payment UNLESS the carrier makes the check out to you. You can request to the carrier that the repair people be paid directly- to keep you out of the payments. You can also file a separate claim on the fence- name the person who ran into it- his car insurance will end up paying for the replacement, or he will. Believe me, your carrier will hunt him down until the end of time to recover their money. In that instance, you will be reimbursed the deductible once he pays.

Jennarator, I thought I read in a past post that you rent. If so, then the leak is the landlords problem, he will be the one paying for the repairs. If you own, do you have insurance? If so, call the claim in and your insurance will pay for the repairs, minus the deductible.

The Christmas holidays are traditionally the time for families to be together. My ex was similar to your ex. Though all holidays were for him only, not for us. They were also for him to get and stay drunk throughout the duration of the holiday season. I hated Christmas most of all. I couldn't be with my siblings, and I hated being with a 24/7 drunk. After I left him, Christmas was such a melancholy time for me. I blamed commercialism of the birth of Christ, rather than I had no one to share it with. I suggest that you volunteer you services and time. Is there a rest home that will allow you to visit and read to the residents? Or play parlor games with them? Is there a soup kitchen that needs another pair of hands? Any elderly singles at your ward you could visit, wash their dishes, vacuum their carpets, tidy their living room or clean & scrub their bathroom? Or just visit with? Read Christmas stories to? Hold their hands and listen to them? Invite them to your home for Christmas? In our Branch we have a Thanksgiving dinner at church, nearly all of the singles plus a few families always attend. But we don't have that for Christmas. Those singles can't always make it to their children's or families. Husband and I can't - we will be home, alone, and not doing anything more special than having baked ham and scalloped potatoes for dinner. (Guess I should follow my own advise, and invite as many of the singles & couples that will accept over for dinner).

John - Pam Could the insurance part that derailed my thread be moved to its own thread? Or you could just close this thread? Whichever is the easiest and less painfull. Thanks, Iggy

Amazing, Tide to me is the smelliest of the lot! I buy the cheapest liquid detergent I can find. I also DO NOT use the amount of soap recommended by the manufacturer of the soap. Rule of Thumb: 1/2 to 1/3 of what the soap manufacturer says. I also use the detergent to rub on stains prior to washing, and use the hottest water the fabric allows. I rinse in cold only. When I use fab softener, I do the same, reduce the amount used. The manufacturer wants you to use their goods, and lots of it, so they encourage you to use the maximum amount. I also DO NOT use fab softener on anything I want to be absorbent = pick up liquid. Stop using it on your towels and see how much more absorbent they become.

AHEMThe problem, Eowyn is that the subject aka topic as strayed from my rant about the Oral Surgeon making a tooth extraction into a two trip affair. Thus he is charging for not only the extraction but also for two visits. This is not about insurance coverage- at least not my intent. My husband and I have wonderful insurance coverage. It was the sole reason he went to work for ASU- the pay was the pits but the insurance coverage was and is the best! While he was employed with ASU we paid $75.00 a month for this excellant and amazing coverage. Now that he is retired, his pension minus $92.00 a month pays for our insurance, plus he also gets Medicare/caid. My insulin for one box of 5 pens cost the uninsured nearly $200.00- I only pay $40.00 for that box. When I get it through the mail- I get 3 months for the price of two. If I have to go to Urgent Care, my out of pocket cost is $75.00. No matter what they do or don't do. If I go to ER my out of pocket cost is $175.00, no matter what they do/give me or don't give me. To keep from paying the $175.00 at the hospital, they must admit me for a minimum of three days/nights. Then the insurance pays 100% of the bill. When we got our hearing aids, mine cost over $3,000 for two- I paid out of pocket $85.00. Husbands aids cost over $5,500- we paid out of pocket, $132.00. Because Husband is now on Medicare/caid, we aren't sure what the out of pocket expenses will be- they pay first, then our private insurance pays, then the balance we pay. There is NO deductible. Also, anyone who has $5,000 dedictible has been screwed. Check on the group plan and see about getting that deductible lowered. We are still hunting down Dentist's- I will be going to a new one, not the one my husband went to. I too have two teeth (partial teeth, as the crowns have shattered and the roots are left in my gums) that have to be removed. I do NOT want just novacaine. I want to be put under via IV to have them removed. At 58 years of age, wetting myself from the imagined terror I have as the Dr rocks and yanks the teeth out is beyond what I can endure. Put my under, then do what has to be done! To get back on topic with MY original post- it is about Doctors who think they are so clever in getting more money by forcing the patient to make more visits to them, thus charging them for the repeated visits. Back in AZ, we found Dr's who didn't do this. If a follow-up visit was required, like to remove stitches, or to check on blood glucose levels in a week, we were not charged an additional office call, or lab fee. John Doe, perhaps if you talked louder, others would have heard you. Pam, it is not John Doe who needs to have speakers turned up, it is everyone else so they can hear him. After the tooth is pulled, we shall see if Husband keeps going to this Dentist. It will depend on the after care he recieves.

I have a pair of DriSilque bottoms that have been stained in odd areas by a pair of light red capri's. Over time the red faded to pink and now after about 6 months they are barely pink. I use powdered bleach (all color bleach) and Oxi plus liquid detergent on our garments. About the only thing that won't come out is tomato based food stains. Hubby wears the cotton jersey and I wear DriSilque. I wash them separately too. You could see if Rit has a product to help you - Laundry First Aid