I figured if I would go back later in the week and get a couple more. Wrong. Doesn’t work that way. I was certainly allowed to buy the product (no harm there), but it did not generate a second Register Reward. It turns out since I tried to pay for the new Thermacare products with the Rewards I had earned earlier in the week, the register kicked it back. No rewards. 1 per family. I learned my lesson. Read the fine print. I still bought them because we use them. I just know now that the drugstore is only going to let me get a couple.

I also had to add a small item because their coupon policy states that you need to have as many items as coupons even if you are stacking them. I only had the 2 Thermacare and something else I wanted and had a coupon for. That was only 3 items. I had 2 Register Rewards (which apparently they count as a coupon), a Walgreen’s coupon and a manufacturer’s coupon. The grocery stores don’t do this so I was a little surprised, but store policy is store policy. Make sure when you do these that you get a copy of the store coupon policy before you go. That way you will have less issues at the register.

I would love to hear from some local shoppers who also coupon and if any of you have figured out how to do these drugstore deals.

A moist and filling Pot Pie

This first photo gives an idea of what the inside of the Pot Pie looks like. The top was fluffy with a slight crunch to the crust, and the inside was creamy and thick.  The recipe comes straight from The Gluten Free Gourmet, and is called Bette’s Best Chicken Pot Pie.

Pot Pie Filling:

• 2 small chicken breasts (about ½ lb.)
• 2 c. chicken stock
• ½ c. diced carrots
• ½ c. sliced celery
• ¼ c. minced onion
• ½ c. frozen peas
• 1 c. peeled, diced potatoes (about 2 small potatoes; this wasn’t in the original recipe but I added it in because I think Pot Pie needs potatoes)
• 3 T flour (regular or gluten-free)
• 2-3 T water
• ¼ c. cream (I used milk)
• salt & pepper to taste

In a large frying pan, sauté or poach chicken breasts until cooked through.  Remove from pan, cut into bite-sized pieces, and set aside.  Place chicken stock in pan and bring to a boil.  Add carrots, celery, onion, and potatoes, and cook for 15 minutes.  Add chicken and peas and cook for five minutes longer.  In a small bowl, mix flour and water to make a thin paste.  Thicken stock with flour paste, cook on low one to two more minutes.  Add cream, season as desired with salt and pepper.  Spoon into a greased, 2-quart round casserole.  Preheat oven to 350, and prepare Pot Pie crust.

Pot Pie Crust:

• 1 T sugar
• 3 T butter, melted
• 1 egg
• ½ c. rice flour (if not making gluten-free, substitute flour)
• 1/3 c. potato starch flour (if not making gluten-free, substitute cornstarch)
• ½ t baking powder
• ½ t baking soda
• ½ t salt
• 1/3 c buttermilk

Mix sugar, butter, and egg together.  Sift together dry ingredients, add to sugar mixture, alternating with buttermilk.  Spread evenly on top of Pot Pie.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until top is lightly browned and liquid bubbles around the edges (see below).

To see what’s happening in our kitchen, or to share what’s going on in yours, please stop by, or become a fan on Facebook.  Happy (gluten-free) cooking!

As you read my story, you may have a story of your own you would like to share.

I remember my son Paul’s 8^th birthday party.

Here was the birthday party plan:

1.  No more than 5 kids. The number was arbitrary but that seemed to be the amount I thought I could handle.

2.  It should be easy to organize.

3.  Shouldn’t need a lot of preplanning

4. AND MOST IMPORTANT…my son, his friends and I should have fun.

You may ask, “why did I create these very restrictive rules?”  My answer is simple: I was going to school to complete my master’s degree and commuting to Westchester at least three days a week. Some days I was so tired that I would pull off at the Sloatsburg rest stop just to take a quick power nap.

Now on to my son’s great party. It was May and a beautiful day. I look five kids in my station wagon to Bear Mountain Park. I was living in Monroe, so it was a short trip. Because it was early in the season, the park wasn’t crowded which gave us plenty of room to spread out.

I had balls and bats, Frisbees, kick balls…anything that was light and fit in a large duffle bag.  Bear Mountain has some big open spaces that allowed the kids to play any game they could imagine. They had fun playing and I was hysterical watching them organize themselves. I provided the venue and they created the activities without my interference.

Now it is food time. By now you realize that my menu was simple, Sandwiches, cupcakes with a candle and some candy bars did the trick.

The kids helped me put all the stuff back in the car and we then went for a short hike up one of those legendary Bear Mountain trails. I huffed and puffed, but the kids had a ball. We found leaves that we saved, and I brought throw-away cameras so they could all take pictures to remember the day.

It was a full day and I was ready to drive back home.

An unexpected ending to a great birthday party

The kicker…I couldn’t find my keys. Although the car is no longer around, those keys are probably on one of those Bear Mountain trail sites.

Friends came to pick us up so it wasn’t a total loss, but to this day I always carry a spare key with me.

After that our parties remained simple but not necessarily outdoors. As you can imagine, fast food places, although not considered healthy, was just up my alley.

Have a birthday party story to share?  We’d love to hear it.  If you like this blog, please share, and feel free to comment.

 Hearty, healthy chili

My husband, who does precious little of the cooking but tends to have very discerning tastes (I love him anyway!), found this recipe online when he decided our chili recipe was boring.  I have to admit, we’ve enjoyed this one since we switched to it last year.  I’ve made a few changes to make it a little healthier and family friendly.  Those who know me well know that I almost never cook a recipe as is.  Recipes are just jumping-off points, right?

To start with the meat, I brown and drain a pound of lean ground turkey in place of the shredded turkey.  I skip the green pepper (no one in our house is a fan) although next time I think I’d substitute red pepper.  Since we don’t like our food spicy, I halve the ground cumin and chili powder, and omit the red pepper flakes entirely. Of course, adjust this to your family’s tastes.  Rather than two cans of kidney beans, I go for variety- one can of kidney, one can of either pinto or a white bean, and a can of black beans.  Drain and rinse your beans if they’re canned.  Lastly, and for my favorite part, I add the vegetables.  Grate in two medium zucchini (peel them first, or use yellow squash, if you think your family will pick out the green) and add in 1/2 cup of pureed butternut squash, pumpkin, or sweet potato.  Serve over brown rice, with sour cream and shredded cheese, and I promise, everyone will eat it up.  My husband’s friend came over recently when we made this, and afterwards he admitted that although he didn’t usually like chili and was hesitant to try it, he loved the meal and asked for the recipe.  Success!

One word of caution.  If you are gluten-free, double-check your ingredients.  Although everything in this recipe should be naturally gluten-free, I was dismayed to find that some canned beans, bags of dried beans, cans of diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and spice containers stated, “Processed on equipment shared with wheat,” or “Make contain traces of wheat.”  When we became gluten-free, I switched some of the brands that we were using, and made calls to companies to make sure their products were safe.  An easy fix, but worth your time to ensure safety.

To see what’s happening in our kitchen, or to share what’s going on in yours, please stop by, or become a fan on Facebook.  Happy g-f cooking!

(Summer camp really offers a host of new activities.)

In the past, my girls readily went anywhere I took them.  To Vacation Bible School, to the local summer enrichment program at the Monr0e-Woodbury schools where they took arts and crafts classes, or drawing, or a learned to swim program.  (In fact, it’s where they DID learn to swim.)  So, this summer, I had a battle ahead of me.  “You’re not going to sit around and let your brain go to mush,” was my cry.  And her response was, “Mom, you can’t make me.”  And I really felt like a bad mother.  Here I was, forcing my daughter to “have fun.”  She just wanted to sleep late and be on the computer.  But I was not having any of that.

Finally, after suggesting topic after topic, which she flatly refused, I said, putting my foot down, “Then you are going to go to the local summer camp, run by the town.”  It was called YAC (Youth Athletic Camp, I think.)  She stamped her foot and stormed away.  Later that day, while I was out with my youngest and she was at a friend’s, she texted me that phrase.  It stopped me cold.  “They’re just words,” a mom friend told me.  “She feels she can say that because she’s not in your face.”  So, I tried to shake it off.  I texted back something like, “I didn’t get you a cell phone so you could text me messages like that.”  And that was all.  The initial shock passed, but the words remained in my head.  She’d never, ever said that before.  My friend added, “And don’t forget, she’s a teenager.” 

Fast forward to July 5th or 6th.  The day camp started.  I dropped my youngest daughter at the arts and crafts class, and then dropped my oldest at YAC.  She got out without a word.  My attempt at a friendly goodbye was interrupted by the car door slam.  In guilt, I drove away.  I took a deep breath, and felt my heart beat faster.  These are the hard days of parenting, when your child can fight back against the decision of the parent.  She knew my rules, she had plenty of opportunity to choose a summer activity, but she decided to, as I call it, “play me,” and see if I would give up.  She should know me by now.

I held my breath all day, waiting for more emotional texts about how I was the cruelest mother on the planet and how come so-and-so didn’t have to go to camp.  And so on.  But, you know, around 2 pm or so, my cell phone buzzed.  A new text arrived.  Seeing it was from “camp-girl,” I sighed and read these words, “MOM! ur rite, I like it”

I felt my throat tighten, and the biggest relief ever came over me.  How hard it must’ve been for her to admit it, yet type it.  And how hard it was for me not to text, “I told you so.”  Instead, I typed the words, “Im glad. “ 

P.S.  My oldest made a ton of friends that summer, and has since become a counselor at the camp, and even now — at 19 — she  plans on returning each summer until she gets going in her career. 

For a rundown of the best camps in the Hudson Valley and some great stories on choosing a camp, click here.   

I remember those days when my kids were young and I was going to school.

When I first mentioned to my husband that I wanted to go back to school full-time, he looked at me like I had two heads. “Back to school? Are you crazy?” he said. At that point I had two kids…one in kindergarten, which was full time at that point and the other was two.

So I held off thinking that I would do full-time school when my youngest started kindergarten. Wouldn’t you know, it the district instituted half-day programs.  Eliot was going to kindergarten fewer hours than when he went to nursery school.

Another year past and now both my kids are going to school full-time and I am in school too getting my bachelor’s degree. 

The next years become trickier.  I am working and trying to coordinate school drop-offs, after school programs, dinner and then fit in whatever plans my husband had. Needless to say those first six months on the job were hell and nothing seemed to go right.

Needed a job-kids-husband solution. Here’s what I did. (It may not be right for you, but it helped me survive.)

1. I gave up housecleaning. I kept things somewhat neat and that’s about it. My husband didn’t even notice, and you can be sure the kids didn’t care.

2.  I didn’t cook most meals. Simple take out was fine for us for that first year. Each of my sons “cooked” a meal of their choice. My six-year-old did pigs –in-the-blanket in the toaster oven with Mac and cheese as a side for his first meal. You can laugh all you want, but both my kids have turned out to be very good cooks.

3.  For emergencies my kids came first. That was the rule I lived by. So if someone forgot his homework, so what? If they missed the bus, they took a cab. But if someone was sick I was there with no questions about what came first.

4.  My kids could play after school activities if they could find a way to get there. I worked 45-minutes from the house. There was no way I could take them, but I was always willing to take them and their friends home after the program. If they could find a way there, I would drive everyone home. My kids became very resourceful, and they only picked the after school activities that were important to them.

Those are my four rules. Do you have rules that you live by to balance work and family life?

So when I had kids, I assumed they would love going away as much as I had. What a mistake.

The first summer I tried day camp for Paul; he was three years old. I was pregnant and about to deliver my second son. I thought he would enjoy playing with other kids, enjoy swimming and enjoy crafts. Every day Gus from the camp would come in his car to pick up Paul. My son stood there crying and Gus would  pick him up and put him in the car.  Paul screamed like he was being accosted. (Apparently, once he got to camp he was fine, but leaving the house was a trial by fire.)

One morning I was feeling so guilty, that I was about to terminate this “great day camp experience” when my son came up to me before Gus arrived. “Mom,” he said. “When Gus comes and I cry, I don’t want Gus to pick me up.”

“Okay,” I said. And that ended our trial by fire mornings.

Who’s to say that three-year-olds don’t know how to press our buttons?

As this blog goes forward, I am keeping an emphasis on healthy, uncomplicated, creative family meals.  Everything featured here will be appropriate not just for the gluten-free cook, but for all.  Feel free to make whatever substitutions are best for your health and lifestyle, whether it be traditional flour in place of gluten-free flour, non-dairy substitutes in place of dairy, or whatever tickles your fancy.

And sometimes, we want a meal that requires no substitutions.  The other morning at breakfast, we were in the mood for something different.  I perused my fridge, and found an almost-empty carton of OJ, a few bananas who’d seen their hayday and then some, and the yogurt I’d made the day before.  I thought for a minute, and then pulled out the blender.  We were tickled how this turned out; to quote my husband and daughter, “It was the best smoothie ever.”

A Sunny Smoothie

In a blender, combine 1 c. vanilla yogurt (I used Greek), 1 c. orange juice, 1 1/2 c. frozen mango chunks, and two bananas.  Sprinkle generously with cinnamon (about one teaspoon) and blend until smooth.  This was a nice and thick, sweet but not over-the-top, and really filling.  It’ll definitely be a part of my smoothie repertoire from now on.

If there are any readers out there who are gluten-free, have Celiac Disease, or any type of gluten-intolerance, I’d love to hear from you.  Each day is a learning experience on this new journey, and I’ve found that we gluten-free fanatics tend to stick together.  To see what’s happening in our kitchen, or to share what’s going on in yours, please stop by, or become a fan on Facebook.  Happy g-f cooking!

It took me about 5 hours to put the trips together just to start with so beware, it does take time and effort. I buy at least 2 newspapers a week for the manufacturers coupons they offer. I also print some from 3 major coupon websites. I use coupons.com, redplum.com and smartsource.com. You can search for the products you want and print only the ones you need.

These coupons can be used in conjunction with the store coupons. This is called “stacking” and is what will help you to get the most bang for your buck. I also used 2 different “loadable” websites. You register your store card, go through the coupons you want, add it to your card and clip nothing. Just add the product to your list and it comes off at the register. One is Cellfire.com and the other is SavingStar.com. The combination of careful planning, some clipping time and a detailed list saved me $134.30.

As for what I bought, everything is stuff my family uses. I don’t buy it just because it is discounted. I got a several jars of spaghetti sauce, 4 feminine products, several boxes of cereal and eggs just to name a few. I also did not clear any shelves and followed the limit guidelines. This saves time and possible issues at the register.

I also must thank the blogger that I follow for all of the great info I get from her or I would never be able to do this. Kudos to livingrichwithcoupons.com for her awesome matchups. Check her out. Like her on Facebook. Follow her on Twitter.

There are also several other bloggers that I follow. Go to one of my earlier blogs and you will see a list at the bottom of bloggers to check out.

I happened to be on yahoo this morning just before I wrote this and read this nice little piece. Check this link out for some rules and regulations of couponing.

For those of you who know me, you know I still like to chatter. But a RED U in Kindergarten? That is a bit much.

Now I am 5’6” tall. Not the tallest kid on the block, but, in the early days, before the boys had their growth spurts, I was usually the tallest kid in the class and always got to sit at the back of the room.

Can you guess my problem? Back then they were not so smart.

When I talked out of turn, I had to sit in the corner with my back to the class. Or the teacher made me take off my shoes and socks as punishment. (I am not sure what that was all about, other than to embarrass me.)

This went on the entire school semester until I got an eye test in the first grade. Glasses…that’s what I needed.  Of course I chatted. I couldn’t see the board so I just talked to those around me. It was more fun than trying to see the board from the back of the room.

I know today, kids get tested for everything, so this couldn’t happen to your kids. But we still can learn something from this. When things go wrong for our kids, the solution is not always obvious. And professionals don’t always have the answer.

But I must say that he made me stop and think about what I am eating.

If you read nothing else, read his 12-page introduction. It is an eye-opener because he suggests ideas that we all (or most of us) can agree on but are never willing to say out loud.

1. Even though we have all heard of the following words: antioxidant, saturated fat, folic acid, carbohydrates and omega-3 fatty acids, we are no closer to knowing what it takes to eat healthy. We have learned the “talk”, but it is not leading us to a better understanding of food nor a greater understanding of good nutrition.

2.  The way we eat, the so-called Western diet, leads to disease – everything from obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular problems and cancers. And the bad eating cycle not only continues but continues to get worse.

3.  The Western diet is great for business…the food manufacturers continue to create more “manufactured” foods” and the pharmaceutical companies develop new drugs as an antidote to our terrible eating habits. They win. We lose!

So what does Pollan suggest? He lists 64-somewhat simple rules that he simplifies into one statement:

                                         Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Let me share some of Pollan’s rules that made the most sense to me: 

Rule #3:  Avoid food products containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in the pantry.  He suggests that if you wouldn’t cook with these ingredients, cellulose, xanthan gum, ammonium sulfate, than why let others use these ingredients in your food?

Rule #5: Avoid foods that have some form of sugar (or sweetener) listed among that top three ingredients.  He suggests that no matter what we call it, sugar is sugar and it does not lead to weight loss.

Rule #6: Avoid food products that contain more than five ingredients.   (Or his rule #7: avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce.)  The more ingredients in foods and the more processed, the less healthy it is for us.

Rule # 20: It’s not food if it arrived through the window of your car. Good-bye Duncan Doughnuts, Sonic and all those other burger joints.  

Pollan is a well-respected journalist and popular speaker. Whether you get Food Rules from the library or Amazon, get it now. It’s a fun read with lots of ideas to chew on. And maybe we can all get healthier along the way.

photo by Ken Light.

In her work with astronauts, Dr. Joan Vernikos discovered “that constant movement that challenges the force of gravity is essential to good health.”  Astronauts, she realized, developed muscle weakness, heart problems, and poor balance and coordination, plus a lack of stamina from their time in space.  We all have heard that sitting too much shortens our lifespan, but did we know that’s the case for those who regularly exercise?  Unfortunately, yes.  Sitting for long periods of time — despite breaks for exercise throughout the week – is not good for the body.

Dr. Vernikos found that “systemic damage” was done to the body when the astronauts were weightless in space, or existing in an environment without gravity: the force that holds us down on earth.  When they returned to earth, the astronauts showed a “pattern of symptoms that collectively resemble those seen in older persons….The lack of gravity,” she writes, “causes rapid progression of the kinds of changes in their bodies that we on Earth associate with age.”   Examples included reduced stamina, greater risk of muscle injury, muscles no longer supported spine, blood pressure was affected, coordination problems, and more.  Effects that Dr. Vernikos associated with aging.    Thus, her theory that living with constant resistance to the force of gravity is essential to good health. and calls it the “head-to-toe gravity vector,” or the “Gravity Deprivation Syndrome.”

And it does make sense.  It gives more of an explanation of how our sedentary lifestyle is hurting our bodies…the drive-thrus that keep us in our cars, the comfy lounge chairs that encourage the “couch potato”  pose for hours in front of the TV and the computer screens, sitting in class, sitting on long commutes to work, on long airplane flights.  The remedy:  every day, balance how much you sit with how much you move.  

Just standing up frequently from your desk, chair, seat, goes a long way.  “Every time you stand up,” Dr. Vernikos writes, “the body initiates a shift in fluids, volume, and hormones, and causes muscle contractions to occur and almost every nerve in the body is stimulated.”  Standing up 16 times a day for two minutes is better for the body than standing up one time for half an hour.  Each time you stand up provides the stimulus your body needs: your heart rate increases every time you get out of your chair.

Let me consider my day.  I get to work at 9, and usually work nonstop at the computer until lunch (4 hours), then I go get lunch  for 1/2 hour, then back at work until 5pm (3 hours).  I go home my activity level rises with the dishes and laundry and walking the dog, but compared to the time spent sitting, my three times a week/45 minutes gym visit is not cutting it. 

What does Dr. Vernikos suggest?  Start gravity habits throughout your day:

• park your car further away from the store,
• walk around your building at coffee-break time,
• when working at your desk, every 15 minutes stand up and stretch, raise your arms
• work in the yard, rake the leave, garden
• create a meal from scratch: involves standing, reaching, bending, and many motions of the arms and wrists as you wash, slice, chop, stir, lift pots and pans, etc.
• sweep the floor with a broom, even use a broom outdoors to move a light snowfall
• don’t forget to play: a favorite sport, an instrument, or ride a bike
• shop the stores, or walk the mall, but skip the internet shopping
• learn new things to work the brain: take up a language, learn bridge.  Research does show that working on a crossword puzzle increases the brain’s blood flow.

I found Dr. Vernikos’ book a real eye-opener.  I will look upon that long-distance parking spot as a good thing, the “elevator out of order” sign as a gentle reminder, and my dog will be glad for our longer walks. 

The bottom line:  go back to the basics, think about the generation that came before us and how they lived.  The more active we can keep our bodies the better.  Keep up the visits to the gym, of course, but keep moving throughout the day.  Limit your sitting, and WALK into that fast food restaurant.

My grandson, Robert, at his first spelling bee

My grandson, Robert, called last week to let me know he was participating in a spelling bee and he had to raise $50 to enter. His parents, two sets of grandparents and two uncles all chipped in to raise the money. I was so impressed that he entered, that I agreed to give him fifty cents for his piggy bank for each correctly spelled word.

The money all went to the Lakewood Trumbull YMCA for scholarships for kids in the region.

I never attended a spelling bee nor have I participated in one. In fact, I am very grateful for the spell checker which comes with Microsoft Word. Without it I would be out of business.  So watching Robert do his thing was going to be a unique experience for me.

There was a rush of excitement as we entered the school with kids laughing and joking around as they got their “official “spelling bee t-shirts.  Parents, kids and grandparents all settled down as the 35 participants entered the auditorium to the tune of Rocky.

3^rd, 4^th and 5^th graders took their seats ready for the challenge. After the first round only two were eliminated and you could see the rest of the kids beginning to settle down.

An hour has gone by, maybe more, and we are on the fourth or fifth round.  Robert is still on stage waiting for his next turn.

• Almost                  correct
• Full                    correct
• Deaf                        correct
• Notch               correct
• Terrible                correct
• Scratch            correct
• Poison                      correct
• Entertain         correct
• Apartment              correct

 Now, in Robert’s group of 4^th graders, we are down to 3 kids.

• Conscience         A wrong spelling but the other kids get it wrong too.
• Detrimental        Again, wrong spelling but he is not out yet.
• Treachery           Wrong and he is now in third place.

We have been there for three hours and the three winners for each group have been finally been chosen. Those kids who lost bravely left the podium, many crying or sad. Some just flung themselves into mom or dad’s arms.

Roberts just jabbered about why he lost. He was mad. But the best part was when he said, ‘I will do better next year.’ I am glad he saw this as a challenge that he could face again.

Yesterday, my husband Clay and I had lunch at a local diner with the kids and grandkids. Much of the time both the grandkids played with their games on their computer tablet but there was some conversation. I mentioned to my daughter-in-law, Caroline that last summer the kids were big on manners at the table. Things like:

• Don’t put your elbows on the table when eating!
• Don’t talk with food in your mouth!
• Chew with your mouth closed!            
• Don’t eat until everyone else is served!

But now that the summer is over, everything returned to “normal” and table manners has never come up again.

Caroline said that they were learning manners because the group was going out to a restaurant to eat and the counselors wanted to make sure that the kids learned the basic rules of eating out.

What a good idea. But it only good if we parents and grandparents remind our kids what good manners is all about.  

Do we share the basics like how to properly use a fork and knife? Put a napkin in your lap? Eat small portions so that our mouth isn’t stuffed?

My grandmother use to take my brother and I out…separately. She took me to The Plaza on 5th Avenue in Manhattan where we had tea and small sandwiches. We went to Bergdorf Goodman’s and enjoy a drink and something small to eat while fashion models walked around the tables with the latest clothes. We never brought anything but my grandmother showed me how to act like a “lady.”

For my brother it was a different story. He went out with my mom, aunt AND my grandmother. He had to hold the door for them, pull out the chairs at the table and make sure he used the right fork, spoon an knife with each course. He definitely got a workout.

Although we have become a very informal society where women no longer wear white gloves and hats, etiquette and manners still make a difference. Take advantage of small teachable moments like waiting until you have your food and are sitting down before the rest of the family eats. It is something they can carry forward as they grow up.

Hope you have a eitquettely happy day

There is a terrific alternative to holiday shopping, and trying to get the next best electronic device.   Plus, it’s in a direction that’s opposite of where everyone is heading, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  My 16 year old daughter joined me — be still my heart — on my day’s outing to the Bethel Woods Museum.

Bethel Woods…it’s a performance arts space for both large and intimate events, it’s a memorial to theWoodstock concert of 1969, it’s an educational center for school groups and pre-K, and it’s the caretaker of a host of historic documents, film, photos, memorabilia, groovy apparel from what was truly the wildest and transforming decade in recent history. 

I asked my daughter — a big Woodstock fan — to tag along with me, to see the museum for the first time, and experience the Pig Light Show, a visiting exhibit running through December 31. When we turned off the main road and made our way along the country road to the site, I could see her sit up in the car, take notice of her surroundings.  I knew that she knew she was somewhere special. 

The grounds of Bethel are so scenic with its rustic fencing and rolling hills and with the light blanket of snow, it looked magical and surreal.  Temperatures had dropped, so we didn’t linger, but headed right to the warmth of the main building.  There was a Hansel & Gretel live production going on in the main room, so there were many families with little ones; staff members wearing Santa hats handed out gingerbread cookies.  It was very festive. 

During this time, while the majority of guests were watching the live fairy tale, we toured the museum.  My daughter ended up wandering on her own, taking it all in at her own pace.  I’ve been to the museum a handful of times, and still I see something new, so one visit won’t do it.  On this visit, I was paying more attention to the history of the concert, how it came about, the players involved in making the deal.  (The movie, Taking Woodstock, I believe gives a good representation of how and WHY the concert was moved from Ulster County to Sullivan.)

I hadn’t realized that so many big folk acts were living in Ulster at the time, i.e., Bob Dylan, the Band, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, so the guys behind it were thinking why not put together an all-day concert of peace.  How it went from being a one day concert to a three day love fest has to be seen to be believed.  You can’t make this stuff up!

My daugher was more into the concert footage, as I figured.  She caught the two movies that played continuously: one focused more on the backstage activity, and the other solely on the performances.  She was riveted to it, and even in her quiet way, I could tell she was enjoying it.

After awhile, we decided to head to the downstairs “special exhibitions” area for the Pig Light Show.  I’d heard about this last month when it started, and glad I got to see it. Not often you get to see a “pig light show.”  The show is a tribute to the psychedelic light shows from the mid-1960s and 70s that accompanied concerts with performers like Jefferson Airplane, Frank Zappa, and Grateful Dead. 

A master of the art form, Joshua White, created his light shows for the Fillmore East in NYC.  Learning from him at the time was Marc Rubinstein, who has gone on to be a master of the light shows himself.  His shows are created from computers, and today, my daughter and I sat in the observation benches and were hypnotized by two large movie screens featuring the kaleidescope of blobs and swirls, and stars and orbs.  It was just the coolest thing.  The music accompanying it included the Beach Boys, Peter Gabriel, and one of my favorites, The Moody Blues. 

You can also walk around the smaller cubicles to listen with headphones to your own movie light show.  Great headphones..puts the earbud to shame.

We hit the gift shop — how could we not — and picked up some groovy Christmas presents (couldn’t resist the 25% off sale).  I have already accepted that I am and will always be a Bethel Woods fan, and now I can enjoy the thought that my daughter is as well.  There’s not many things we have in common, so I will cherish this day.

(Bethel Woods is located on Route 17B, off exit 104 of Route 17.  For museum hours and ticket information, log on to bethelwoodscenter.org.  1-800-745-3000

P.S.  This experience has explained why we are so hooked on electronics: the sights and sounds of our world today are truly mesmerizing. It’s no wonder we don’t want to miss a thing.

As you know, our Hudson Valley Parent office gets lots of products to review, talk about and giveaway.  I’ve had this product on my desk for awhile, and because it has to do with reading, and encouraging connections between the generations, I wanted to try it out. 

The “Read me a book! Anybook!” product by Franklin Discover caught my eye because it allows a relative, or the child him or herself, to easily record their voice as they go from page to page.  Having lost my mom recently — a great lady who was also a Grandmother and Greatgrandmother — it would’ve been wonderful to have her voice in a recording for her grandkiddies and great-grandkiddies. 

The package, which retails for about $19.99, includes a recordable device resembling a large pen, or microphone.  Through easy to follow instructions, any age can get their voice on the recorder.  By holding the pen onto a special sticker (supplied), and holding the correct buttons, the reader’s voice is captured, and can then replayed by the child when they place the pen onto the sticker.  The playback quality is not bad considering the relatively inexpensive price.  It runs on two AAA batteries (not included), and can hold up to 60 hours of recordings.  These recordings can also be deleted if you want to add new books as your child’s reading level grows.  Some stickers come pre-recorded with fun sound effects like choo-choo train and airplane sounds that add to the fun.  I’m sure that a young one would get such a sense of success by manipulating the pen and hearing Grandpa’s voice.  It works motor skills as well. 

I wanted to give mention to the book I practiced on.  It’s new, called, The Flyaway Blanket, by Allan Peterkin.  What I liked about the book was its Note to Parents in the back which explained a little bit about the thought behind the story.  “At its heart, The Flyaway Blanket is a simple story about the strength of the bonds between parents and their children.”  The author is a Toronto-based physician and writer, an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Family Medicine, and Head of the Health, Arts, and Humanities at the University of Toronto.  When Peterkin writes, “Transitional objects [the blanket] symbolize a parent’s love and become a familiar presence that allows children to soothe themselves in new situations or when they feel alone or insecure,” it takes on a whole new meaning.  The book is a sweet story about a cherished blanket that flies off a clothesline and makes its way on the wind past farm animals, and country scenes.  How does it end?  Will the blanket and the child be reunited?  (I’m sure they do..but I don’t want to be a spoiler.)

The Flyaway Blanket, Magination Press, $14.95 hardcover/$9.95 softcover. 

Be the first to write MJ with the words…”I read the review” and you will be able to get the Read Me a Book Pen WITH the book I practiced on.  (Pen has been used only once..and yes, you can keep the batteries.)

Terrie's winter jacket bargain

I am not much of a bargain hunter. I just don’t have the patience. When I cut coupons I feel like I am giving this craze for “best deals” a good shot. But every week or two I am sorting the coupons in my handbag to see which have expired before I had a chance to use them.  I think coupons and shopping for the best buy required organization and patience. Neither of these traits is well integrated into my personality.

But last week I couldn’t resist the buy of the century.

My husband, Clay and I go to the Wappingers Buffet on Rte 9 somewhat regularly. (I am a sucker for Chinese food.) Afterwards, I stopped at Just a Buck to see if they had my $1 magnifier eyeglasses besides any other dollar bargains that I can’t refuse. Then we walked back to the Good Will store. I convinced myself that this is one way to get in a good walk while helping me digest the food we just ate.

Clay was looking for corduroy slacks. He culls through the racks rather diligently and finds a pair that appears to be good quality. Me. I just walked around until Clay was finished.

He’s at the checkout, which is very busy. I am looking at a rack just inside the front door with dresses, slacks, shirts, and then I spotted a winter jacket. Great colors.  Looked good.

50% off is a great deal.

“I am ready to check out,” Clay says. “Do you want the jacket?”

“How much?” I ask the sales clerk.

“ It’s 50% off,” she replies.

How bad could it be at 50% off, I think and pile the jacket on top of Clay’s slacks.

The total bill is $10.48. You can’t beat that!!! (The jacket was $7.99)

What’s your “deal-of-the-century”?

I’d heard about the Dead Sea Scrolls but didn’t know any more than they’d been found in the 1940′s by some shepherds, and their discovery was probably the greatest of the modern era.  That got my attention and ventured there early Saturday morning during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season in Times Square.  It was a beautiful and unseasonably warm day for December, but the corner vendors selling hats and gloves and scarves were doing a brisk business.

I got to the Discovery Center, 44th and 7th, as soon as it opened.  I don’t do well with crowds, especially when trying to absorb something intellectual.  After showing my ticket, I was instructed to go down to the lower level where there were actually two exhibitions going.  One for the CSI fans (how to read a crime scene) to the right, and the scrolls’ exhibit to the left.  We were then instructed by very nice workers in blue polo shirts wearing headsets, into the large waiting room.  It’s very dramatic, like we were about to start a 3D ride at Disney.  Hebrew music began to play over the loudspeakers, and a psalm from the Old Testament was read.  All very much “in the mood.”

(sample of the Dead Sea Scrolls)

Then the big doors opened, and we were welcomed by a college-aged narrator, who stood alongside gigantic screens playing a video of what looked like the Dead Sea itself.  He told us about the findings of the scrolls, about the other items found in Jewish city ruins, like coins and jars.  I figured that the scrolls themselves would not fill out the tour, so other artifacts discovered over the time were added in. 

We had to keep moving, and then headed into another section, this time, with displays built into the walls, so that we could walk along and read bits of descriptions, like any museum display.  There was a lot of time and thought put into this, with the artwork depicting those early, early days, now called, “BCE” for “before common era,” and the traditional BC and AD not being used for “cultural diversity.”

There was a lot of pottery discovered, and many pieces had etchings and carvings which gave an indication if the owner was a king or a commoner.  Pomegranate-shapes were in, as we were doves: signs of divinity or fertility.  We could the history of the eras along the walls as we walked.  The rooms were spacious, darkened, and quiet. A piece of the Western Wall, from the Second Temple in Jersusalem, considered the Holiest of sites, was also on display.  According to the description, it was where Abraham made his sacrifice, where Jesus challenged the chief priests, and where God gathered the dust to create Adam.

But, what’s the big deal about these scrolls.  First of all, that they even survived over the thousands of years is a miracle in itself.  They were pages and pages of parchment, written by hand, using inkwells and whatever pens they had at the time.  The parchments were then rolled up in linen, tied with a leather strap and placed in jars in caves at Qumran, near the Dead Sea.  At the time, nearby cities were being sacked, and these documents were seen to be too valuable to lose.  Shepherds in the late 1940′s came upon them by accident, and they moved from antiquities dealer to dealer eventually being purchased by the state of Israel. (There was even a NY Times classified with a portion of the scrolls for sale.)   

According to What Are the Dead Sea Scrolls and Why Do They Matter, by David Noel Freedman and Pam Fox Kuhlken, the scrolls, “changed the course of biblical scholarships in that they prove that the text of the Hebrew Bible that has come down to us is more reliable than previously thought – that fewer scribal or editorial changes or errors had occurred over the centuries than scholars once imagined.”

In short, it legitimizes the Hebrew Bible: the book that inspired the religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

The last room featured the pieces of the scrolls in the round, with translations alongside.  Films were available to view, that ran in a loop, which described the discoveries, and the painstaking steps in preserving these documents.  One interesting fact was that the scrolls were originally scotch-taped so they wouldn’t fall apart.  A good try then, but now that we know more about caring for historical artifacts, scientists had to, piece by piece, remove the scotch tape so they could be cleaned, and protected. 

For kids who enjoy archeological stories, enjoy history, or want to learn more about the bible, this was an excellent exhibit found at a great time of year to visit NYC. If your older kids are studying religion, they might enjoy this visual proof of some things, like the 10 Commandment, for instance.

Tickets are $19.50 for kids 4-12, $25 for adults, and $21.50 for seniors.    Pricey?  Not for what you’re seeing, and not for the care these scrolls are being given.  Seeing them upclose was a very humbling, and an almost once in a lifetime opportunity since the scrolls are on loan by Israel’s Antiquities Authority.  The exhibition runs through April.

This Thanksgiving as we gathered around the family house in Brooklyn, we did it again.  Though our parents are gone now, the games continue.  This day, we played something called, “Anybody’s Guess,” which entailed guessing a term, or an occupation, or a celebrity from clues that ranged from really obscure to super easy.  Everyone plays, from my teen to the oldest uncle, and round and round we go.  ?Throughout the year, we even get together for “family game night” usually hosted by niece.  It’s a schlep to their Queens neighborhood, but we go.  The torch has been passed.   

With that being said, here are a few games that have crossed my desk that are worth noting.  After all, if we don’t discuss these games, especially the  new ones, how do we know they’re out there? 

The perfect holiday stock stuffer, for any age is Lumps, “the Elf Coal game.”  A bunch of dice in various shapes come inside this red stocking.  But while it’s a very cute game and very seasonal-looking, it’s easy to learn.  Perfect for that “sitting around the table and you just want to play something easy” kind of thing.  The goal is to score the most points in three rolls by rolling pairs.  Roll a pair of 3′s and score 3 points.  A pair of 10′s scores 10 points.  What makes the game more challenging is how the different shapes come into play to give you more points.  There is even a solitaire version.  It retails for only $7.99 and was a winner of Creative Child Magazine’s Preferred Choice Award.  continuumgames.com. 

The next game we tried out was You’ve Been Sentenced!, which came with a timer, so you already can feel the frantic nature the game must come with.  In an egg-timer’s worth of time, players have to put a sentence together from the cards they were dealt. Each card has a circle of words, a variation of the same word, so the card can offer multiple opportunities.  It levels the playing field since I was playing with two teachers, and my sentences made just as much sense as theirs.  I think one of my sentences was something like:  “George Washington sat in the mud and then ran through a sprinkler.”  Now, you know things about George Washington are always true, which was my explanation for such a sentence.  Oh yea, I forgot to tell you that you have to explain to the other players how your sentence makes sense or not, and with a vote of a “thumbs up or thumbs down” players are awarded points.  Additional cards with specific themes like “sports” or “science fiction” can be purchased to keep the game going and going.  It’s a keeper.  It retails for 24.95, with extra cards priced at $7.99. This game is a winner of the Parent-Tested Parent-Approved Seal of Approval for 2011.   mcneilldesigns.com.

You’ve Been Sentenced is being given away on our contest page:  http://www.hvparent.com/Contests – but to win your “Lumps” game, just write to MJ at editor@excitingread.com, and write “lumps” in the subject line.  The first one I get, gets the game. 

If you have games to suggest, that are popular in your house, we’d love to know about them!!!

I love reading, and I am always on the lookout for a wonderful read. Recently I was online reading the BBC News and saw that Andy Mulligan won the Guardian Children’s prize for fiction for his newest book Return to Ribblestrop. I never heard of the award before but when I am on a mission to find great books I plow forward. It was worth the search.

Ribblestrop, his first book, was published in 2009 and will be part of a trilogy, with the last book being completed now.  Trash, published in 2010, tells the story of children who live under a military regime and survive by tramping throw mounds of trash to find anything saleable.

Getting his books in the US is not that easy. First I went to our library catalog and only found Trash. The other books I ordered online from Amazon.

His stories, at least the two I read, are told from the vantage point of children. All his kids are curious, bright and full of adventure. Not all succeed at what they try, but they persevere until they find satisfactory resolutions to seemingly impossible situations.

The stories show an appreciation of humor against a backdrop of some of the real problems that kids face. 

Millie, the only girl at Ribblestrop , breaks all the rules about hitch-hiking when she tries to return to school. “Rule number one is don’t hitch-hike, but Millie spent all her money one unbeatable bargains. Rule two states that if you have to hitch-hike, don’t do it on your own and if you broke rule one and two, then tell people where you are going, start early, take a phone, keep your door locked, and don’t every ever ever find yourself penniless, on the side of a deserted road…..  Millie broke all the rules.

If you are a fan of the Montessori or Waldorf methods of education you will love meeting the staff and kids at Ribblestrop. Kids set the tone for their school days and decide what they will learn and when. Each child seems to surpass my expectations of what kids are capable of. Kids as young as five are dissecting rats. One rate was pregnant and Sanjay separated out the fetus.  Oli built a remote controlled submarine from old parts he found. And Tomaz creates an apartment within an underground tunnel.

Both you and your kids can have some fun and explore new worlds with Andy Mulligan.

Let me know what you think of this author and his approach to children’s literature.

When it comes to local healthcare news involving our pediatricians and obstetricians and heart surgeons, we don’t really hear about it.   

Did you know, for instance, that the Hudson Valley will be facing a big doctor shortage?  Or that larger medical groups are gobbling up smaller medical practices?

I called Dr. Seth Levin from Hudson Gastroenterology Associates. The office staff answered, ”Horizon Family Medical Group.”  The Children’s & Women’s Physicians of Westchester group has new alliances with Washingtonville Pediatrics as well as other medical groups. Groups like Mid-Hudson Medical Group can’t acquire medical practices fast enough.  The world of local medicine is changing and we hear very little about it.

What does it mean for us?  Well, as these groups get larger they now offer services once exclusively the domain of hospitals. At one time, we went to the hospital for mammograms.  No longer. We also had our colonoscopy procedures at the hospital. Not anymore. 

What does that mean for our hospitals?  They’re losing money left and right every time a medical group takes over a procedure. 

David Ping, Health Quest's strategic planner

I went to the chief architect for strategic planning for Health Quest, David Ping, to find out how their hospital group, which includes Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Northern Dutchess Hospital and Putnam Hospital Center, is handling these changes.

1. What should Hudson Valley residents know about the state of our medical services?

First, people don’t realize that locally we are absolutely being impacted by doctor shortages. Every three years we look at the number of doctors we have in the region and what the needs are.  We also look at the aging of physicians. The fact is that within five years we will have a need for 102 additional physicians including internists, obstetricians and gynecologists, family practitioners and general surgeons.

We are part of a national trend of too few physicians.  We might feel a greater impact because we are close to large metropolitan areas that are attractive to physicians and their families.

        2.  How is your group trying to meet those need

We are developing medical practices under Health Quest to help bring more doctors to areas that have a need.  We have 150 practitioners; 60 primary care practitioners alone who practice out of 13 offices.

Angela Keleher, MD, FACS

(Guest blogger, Laura Pink)

Yes, I am one of those moms.  You know the ones that I am talking about – the ones that always have their phone in their hand.  I admit, it’s like an extension of me.  The few times that I have forgotten it, I felt like part of me was missing

When I got my first smart phone a couple of years ago, it was more like a shiny new toy.  As my life has gotten busier between my kids, my husband, my job, and writing, it’s become more like a lifesaver.  Ok, that’s exaggerating some, but it really does help me every day in many different ways.

Here is a list of ways that it helps me to keep things together at least a little bit.  

1.    Calendar:  I put EVERYTHING in the calendar in my phone.  If there is any question as to if we have anything going on, I can quickly check it no matter where we are.  I also set it up to send me reminders of appointments and such so that I don’t forget them if I am out and about.

2.    Notes:  I have used the notes function on my phone for many different things.  I have typed in the number of the fields my girls’ soccer games are so I don’t forget when we get there.  I have typed in my license plate number that I had to turn into the state park when we were camping.  I think you get the idea – pretty much anything I need to remember I have put in the notes so that I have it with me.

3.    Blogging:  It’s hard sometimes to find the time to sit down at my laptop and get a post out.  I love that I get publish a quick post from my phone.  Just this morning I wrote a quick blog post while I was waiting for the kids to be able to go into school.  It’s so easy to blog on the go.

4.    Email:  It’s so easy to shoot off a quick email from my phone no matter where I am.  I can send an email to my mom, my husband, or a potential writing client.  If I am waiting for an important email from a client, I don’t have to sit at home at the laptop.  I always have my email with me. 

5.    Entertainment for my kids:  We were in the car for a bit the other day unexpectedly, and I just handed over my phone to my 5 year old so she could play a game of Angry Birds and then watch some cartoons on Netflix.  This is not something that I do often, but it’s nice to have the option sometimes. 

6.    Camera:  My phone has a great camera and since I always have it with me, I can take pictures of my kids (or whatever) anytime.  I can even upload them online so that my dad in Florida can see what we are up to at all times.

7.    Reading:  I have the Kindle app on my phone.  If I am waiting somewhere, I can pull up the current book I am reading and sneak in a few pages.  As a busy mom, I have to read  when and where I can.

8.    Cloud computing:  I use various apps such as Evernote and Dropbox so I always have my important documents with me if I have a minute to do some writing or need to reference something.  It’s so convenient to have that right at my fingertips.

9.    Social networking:  I can check Facebook quick or even Twitter.  I don’t have a ton of time to spend on these things, so it’s nice to be able to check them quickly from my phone if I am waiting at the doctor’s office or for my girls to get done with school.

10.  The Internet:  I don’t do a lot of browsing online from my phone, but it’s nice to have the option if I want to look something up quickly.

Honestly, I would so lost without my phone.  I don’t know how I functioned without it.  As a busy mom of two girls who works full time and is also trying to manage a freelance writing career, it’s seriously a lifesaver.

Guest blogger, Laura Pink is a writer/editor at Not Just 9 to 5 and blogs at the Working Mother magazine mom blogs.  She will have a piece published soon at Liberating Working Moms.

DO YOU LIVE AND BREATHE FOR YOUR CELL PHONE? SHARE AT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, OR WRITE US AT EDITOR@HVPARENT.COM.

Because that’s its name: The Amadeus’ Bride room.  It’s just one of the wonderfully wacky rooms at the Roxbury Motel in nearby Delaware County.  I had the wonderful opportunity of visiting the Roxbury this past weekend along with three other ladies: my 16-year old daughter and her girlfriend, plus that friend’s Mom, KC.  We were just in the mood for a change of scenery, and fun scenery at that. 

The Roxbury Motel opened up around 2005 by former Manhattanites Gregory Henderson and Joseph Massa.  Both were in the advertising world, and when 911 hit, decided to make permanent roots in this sleepy town about two hours north of the city.  They have used their contacts in the design world here in the US and around the world to create this truly, and I mean truly (because it’s a word that’s used way too much) unique ”must-see.”  I’d been there a few years ago and stayed in the “I Dream of Jeannie” room — yes, some of their rooms feature a TV-sitcom theme.  (Another example is their “Flintstones” room where you feel like you’re living in a cave with lopsided windows.) 

But our room was just as over the top, and we loved every inch of it.  The girls were wowed by the spiral staircase, painted murals on the walls featuring an 18th century fashion-diva (probably THE bride herself) and the sparkling chandeliers, tile work, and artwork.  They grabbed the pullout couch and immediately searched for the WiFi so they could share their excitement.  KC and I checked out the refrigerator, complementary water bottles, and grabbed the Godiva chocolates beside the nighttables before the teens could.  Featuring two king bedrooms, there was plenty of space to spread out and not be in other faces.  We bunked down for the night, ready to take advantage of the motel’s new spa in the morning.

After  restful night, we woke to bright sunshine and mild temperatures.  The moms headed to the spa, on the floor above us, and like a visit to the shore, enjoyed the cool blue decor.  A goodies’ table featured iced lemon water,  and plates of nuts, raisins and rice crisps.  Magazines lined the shelves if you wanted to just chill by the panoramic windows and read, or just look out into the expanse of sky and distant mountains.  There are private massage rooms for various treatments, and a steam and sauna rooms to just escape in — no reservation required.  The Roxbury gives you that “queen for a day” feeling by loaning each guest a plush bathroom and brand new flip flops. (Yes guys, you’d enjoy your own king for a day feeling, too.)

A community kitchen features muffins, croissants, cereals, coffee, tea and various juices, plus a “make your own deli sandwich” platter that gives you all you need to get started for a day’s sightseeing.  We sat by the outdoor gas-powered firepit for a bit to take in the blue skies and hot coffee.  The moms brought treats back for the girls because, well, they’re teenagers, so they slept in.  Bidding so-long to the Roxbury, we headed out to our destintion for the day: a visit to Woodstock. What more could we ask for?

For more information on the Roxbury, and see some of their creative room themes, visit them at  theroxburymmotel.com

                                                   Wal-Mart is a mass marketer
                                          that is not really concerned about us! 

Wal-Mart set me off. What’s with Wal-Mart? As a huge corporate monolith, I know they feel they can do just about anything, and they may be right. But at some point I have to stand up and scratch my head in wonder. Just 6 weeks ago they announced they were increasing premium sharing costs for employees subscribing to their health insurance plans and cutting the benefits for part-timers. And then this past week they announced they are planning to offer medical services through their Wal-Mart Centers.

They offer us poor folks healthcare, just not their employees. What’s up with that? Is it safe to say that money is the bottom line not their employees health. Keep that in mind as you track their progress or shop in their stores. 

                              Target needs to offer healthy food alternatives

Then I turn to Target. You must understand that my daughter-in-law just loves that store, especially since they have Starbucks at the entrance to most (or all) of their stores. I am not sure she can start her day without a good strong drink.

So why do I have a bone to pick with them?  It started in September when Target unveiled their “Missoni for Target” fashion line with everything from sheets to boots to bikes. The interest was so high, that the stores sold out within hours, which caused shoppers to scramble online to buy these hot items. So many visited the Target site that it crashed. Now people used their phones to place orders but Target could not keep up with the demand. And I understand that another hot designer is unleashing his wares in February…Jason Wu.

So what’s my problem? Let’s move out of the general merchandise isles of Target and walk over to food. I am shopping for peanut butter. A simple enough commodity, but is it?  They have about six to ten different labels and I look at them all. What’s the one ingredient they all share…SUGAR!! How healthy is that?

I ask you, if Target executives can get top designers to create clothes we all clamor for, why can’t they encourage food companies to give us healthy alternatives on their grocery shelves?

Maybe I am crazy. People have suggested that before but I keep plugging along.  What are your pet peeves? Maybe we can do something about it together.