J D

My husband and I have been married for 12 years, and things are progressively getting worse. When we were dating and engaged, we had a lot of fun and spent a lot of time together. He was always very respectful to me, and I honestly thought that no one could love me better than this man. Things in bed were ok, but I knew he didn't have a ton of experience. I figured with time and some instruction that he would learn and improve. Twelve years later, his work is first priority; I am last. I'll ask him a question such as "Hon, have you fed the cats?" (so that I can feed them if I need to), and he'll snap at me and tell me to quit nagging him. I know it's not my tone--imagine your tone when you ask if someone has already started the washer. He has started telling me and our son to shut up and has started swearing at me. Anger radiates from him like heat waves. Meanwhile, things in bed are getting bad. He's always been hesitant to go certain places, but the last time, he did not move below my neck. It was the worst, most unfulfilling sex of my life...worse than when I lost my virginity. I often ask for what I want, he just won't do it. I really don't ask for anything crazy. I don't think it matters to him that it's not good for me. For a while I thought that maybe there was something wrong with me that he noticed and I didn't. I went to the doctor, everything is ok. I think I'm attractive. Men hit on me regularly, so I know that I'm not unattractive. I'm a good wife. I take care of the house, I cook, I take care of our son, I bring home a paycheck, I take care of the yard, I am good to his mother, and I am very respectful to him. The only things I ask him to do are to have sex and roll the garbage carts out to the street. I don't think that he's having an affair. He is 42. What is going on here? And, how the heck to do I talk to him about how bad things are in bed?

I would like to paint the wood-burning brick fireplace in my den (the exterior only, not inside the fire box) and would like to know your experiences before I take the plunge.

Sherwin Williams recommended using exterior latex paint even though it's not heat-resistant past about 110 degrees. There is also a product on-line called Brick Anew. To paint my fireplace with this would cost me over $500 because of the size (8'w x 8'h x 2.5'd). I looked at some of the high heat paints for stoves, grills, etc. But, they are mostly all spray paints (won't work for my application).

Have you painted your bricks? What did you paint them with? How frequently do you use your fireplace? How did it hold up to heat around the fire box opening and on the hearth where embers may have landed? Has it been easy to keep clean? Anything you wish you had done differently?

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

I just got a lot of books from my mom that used to be mine when I was little. I am trying to read them to my son, but the mold is so bad in them that it gives me an allergy attack and then a really bad headache. Is there any way to kill all of the mold spores? I know that for wood, you can spray on a product like Shockwave, let it soak in, and then wipe it off. It kills all active spores and also deals with the dead spores. But, how could you do something like that with a book? I want to do more than just deodorize them; I wouldn't mind the smell if it didn't give me an allergy attack. Any help is appreciated!

I was showing a home the other day that had these beautiful, tall shrubs with cascades of light purple berries in clusters. I am pretty sure that they were elderberry bushes and not American beauty berry. I would like to plant some in my yard for the birds. However, we have an extremely large deer population. (I've only ever had lantana, butterfly bush, and nandina/heavenly bamboo survive.) I know that they will probably like the berries, but do they find the actual shrub tasty?

If I buy a Kindle, Nook, or Kobo from Amazon, B&N, or Borders, respectively, does that mean that I have to buy all my e-books from that store? For example, if I get a Kindle, am I limited to only Amazon? Are there any e-readers where I could buy books from anywhere that I want?

Do you have an e-reader? Which one do you have, what do you like about it, and what do you wish were different?

Thanks in advance!

I have one rabbit who tries to kill the broom, one rabbit who tries to love the broom, one who tries to eat it, and one who is indifferent. They are all fascinated with the dustpan though and will go sit in it. (It's the kind on the long broom type handle that you use standing up, and it is rather deep.) I have to chase the rabbits out of it to use it. I would love to hear your stories!

My son has been weaned since the beginning of September. Since the middle of September, he's been sick with one thing, then another. First it was a cold, then some type of virus, then he got an ear infection, then a double ear infection and reactive airways, then a stomach virus, now he's got a cold again. He was never sick while he was nursing...never even had a cold. I was talking to my ob/gyn today, and she suggested that his dairy consumption could be contributing towards his illnesses (he didn't start on cow's milk until he was weaned) and suggested eliminating dairy from his diet and moving him to soy or almond milk once he turns 2. She said that with my allergy history and my husband's allergy history that my son would be more susceptible to having problems with dairy.

Have any of you experienced this same problem with your children?

Did you eliminate dairy?

If so, did you see any improvement?

If not, did you see any improvement in your child's health as he aged?

A few details: My son seems healthy otherwise. He has a good appetite, good disposition, no wheezing or asthma symptoms (other than the one incident of reactive airways), no stomach upset when he drinks or eats dairy. He does not seem to have any dietary problems other than an intolerance to oats. He is a good height and weight for his age. I do not drink milk, and the only other dairy product that I eat regularly is a small amount of cheese. I didn't drink or eat it when I was pregnant or when I was nursing. I am allergic to just about every antibiotic, and my husband has just about every environmental allergy there is and is also allergic to shellfish.

My ob did give me a lot of good research about this, but I just want to get your thoughts and see what others' first-hand experiences have been before I make the decision to take him off of dairy. I know that once you lose the taste for it, it is often hard to go back to eating it. And, I don't want to make that decision lightly.

Thanks in advance!

Hola,

¿Puedes explicar la diferencia entre estas palabras?

¡Muchas gracias!

Just wondering if anyone has ever used the Furminator (http://www.furminator.com/products/small_animal/to... to groom your rabbits?

My vet recommended it for our Flemish/Florida White mixed breed rabbit (Princess Buttercup). Princess Buttercup has that thick but really fluffy/frizzy fur that tends to matt close to the roots. A slicker brush doesn't work well, neither does a soft grooming brush. When she sheds, she has all these little tufts sticking out everywhere. The only good way that I've found to remove them is by pulling them out by hand very gently.

I have always heard that the type of groomers with a razor in them are dangerous to rabbits, which is why I thought that my vet was nuts when she recommended it. She's normally an excellent exotic vet. If you've had any experience with using this type of groomer, I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts and tips on using them.

Thanks!

When can a child start to sleep with a pillow and top sheets/blankets tucked in at the bottom?

My son is 16 months old, and wears size 6 diapers during the day. He is nowhere near being potty trained. No matter what I try at night, his diapers always leak. I have tried size 6 Fisher Price night diapers, Pampers Baby Dry, and Huggies Overnights. As well as Luvs size 6, Pampers Cruizers size 7, and Huggies Pull ups size 2T. I have even reduced the amount of fluids that he drinks for an hour and a half before bedtime. Has anyone else experienced this problem, and did you find any good solution to it? I don't mind changing his bedding every day, but I hate that he wakes up cold and wet every morning.