critter

My son ripped off the top of my young pine tree (pinus eldarica, I believe) that I had wanted to plant. It was only about three feet tall (now two). Is it likely to grow back? We were going to put it into the ground this evening... should we wait to see if it recovers? Thanks.

We decided to call our second daughter Evelyn when we picked our oldest's name, six years ago, but we've gone back and forth on middle names. We want a form of Mary, after our grandmothers.

My mother likes Mary Evelyn, but we don't want the confusion of going by her middle name.

I suggested Evelyn Mary, but hubby isn't sure he likes the flow.

Hubby likes Evelyn Marie, but I think the middle name's too overused.

Now we're looking at Maria, and it's really growing on the two of us. What do you think?

I'm working on a short story, and I need an item which can be found only when at sea and brought back as a keepsake that would fit in a pocket. A pearl would fit nicely except that it seems too stereotypical. Any ideas? Thank you very much.

There are also a few I haven't decided on completely.

Evelyn Louise (sometimes called Evie-Lou)

Sadie Julianna

Rebecca Helen (Becca)

Charlotte Marilyn (Lottie)

--The last three can have the middles switched around.

David John or Caleb John

Ross Matthew or Ross William

Jeffrey Christian or Geoffrey Christian

I'm looking for a dog name that has to do with pioneers. For a boy I was going to name him Pioneer, with "Pi" as a nickname, but I'm not sure if we end up getting a girl.So far I've thought of Bonnet or Legacy, but I'm not so sure. I don't want them to be too common for people (and I love nicknames like Sadie and Molly for future kids, so I don't want to think of them as dog names). Any ideas?

I like to have a name prepared, though we aren't planning to have another for a while.

We want it to go well with Callie Jean, James "Jamie", and Nathan. The middle name will be John, and our last name is Purple (close enough).

Right now our top picks are Caleb John, Samuel John, and Patrick John. I like having cute nicknames for when they're small, so we'd probably use CJ, Sammy, or Paddy/Ricky.

Which one do you think would fit best?

Thanks.

BQ What pros and cons do you see for each name? .

My husband and I love both of these names, and we're having a hard time choosing which one we like more. The more questions you answer, the more chance of best answer. Thanks!

1. Which do you like best?

2. Which goes best with sister Callie?

3. Which flows better, Mary Evelyn Purple or Evelyn Mary Purple?

4. What sort of person do you picture with each name?

5. What style do you think of, with each name?

I like traditional, slightly old-fashioned, vintage names with cute nicknames (probably Becky when she's small, then Becca as she gets bigger). The middle name is after my mom-- the only other middle I'd consider is Julianne.

Thoughts? Opinions? How do they flow together? How would you picture her?

We have a large black trash can with the bottom cut out. Our idea is to layer kitchen waste, chicken manure, and shredded paper in the bucket until about a foot from the top. Then we'd put in purchased soil, either garden or potting soil, on top and plant a vegetable in it (such as tomatoes or zucchini). So the idea is that the plant would grow in the top, any roots that got deep would find nutrients but if they got burned there's still plenty of root space on top. We'd water very well and excess water would drip down and keep the compost pile moist, so hopefully we'd have nice compost after the growing season. I also thought maybe a vining plant (like indeterminate tomatoes) would drape over the sides and look really cool. My main concern is about heat--we live in zone 9 or 10, and I'm worried the heat of the compost plus the sun on the black trash can would be too much, even if we put it in a partially shaded area.

Any tips or ideas on our plan? Do you think it would work?

Dear XX,

She can change her form, but not her father’s mind.

Every year, seventeen-year-old Keita Sage watched her brother chosen to accompany her father to the Summit, a gathering of the leaders of every magical clan. Now it’s her turn, but her invitation is not what she expected. Her father and the other leaders are planning marriage alliances for their children. Keita’s grandfather once left the clan to live among humans, and Keita wonders if she should follow in his footsteps rather than accept this unknown future. Neither choice will give her what she wants most—to remain in her homeland, investigating hints of rebellion only she seems to notice. She soon discovers how little she understands her own world, much less the forces manipulating it. She, her family and friends, and a boy she has no idea what to think about must discover the truth if they want to survive.

THE SPECTRA: SEEDS OF LIGHT is the first of a trilogy. It is my first novel, complete at 70,000 words. Symbols of light and color create a world of fantasy, adventure and magic. My degree in Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation has helped me shape the world of the Sprites, who connect to the plants and animals around them. I am sending multiple submissions to other agents but will let you know promptly if this manuscript becomes unavailable.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Please no picking the same name twice. Thanks.

Juli names: Sophie Juliana, Sadie Julianne, Rebecca Julianne, Charlotte Julianna, Abigail Juli

Marilyn: Abigail Marilyn, Charlotte Marilyn, Rebeca Marilyn, Elizabeth Marilyn

Clyde: William Clyde, Benjamin Clyde, Aaron Clyde

John: Aaron John, William John, Caleb John,

My husband's favorites are first, mine are second.

Evelyn Marie or Evelyn Mary (Evie)

Sophie Juliana or Sadie Julianne

Abigail Marilyn or Charlotte Marilyn (Abby or Lottie)

Aaron John (AJ), Caleb John (CJ) or Patrick John (Ricky)?

We have a daughter named Callie Jean, and our last name starts with P

My husband really likes this name. At first I thought it sounded too old, but it's growing on me. I love the nickname Abby. By the way, we would not change the spelling.

What do you think of the name? Does it sound good with our children Callie, James (Jamie) and Nathan?

We'd want to use a family middle name with it. Which is your favorite?

Juli/Julianne/Juliana, Marilyn, or Mary

My childhood dog, a purebred dachshund, recently came to live with me. She is 13 years old but she doesn't look or act elderly. We had decided not to get her spayed because we thought that at her age, she'd be more likely to have trouble with the surgery than with not being fixed (she has had litters in the past, so many of the health benefits wouldn't apply). However, a stray dog recently got into our yard, and she looks like she might be in heat, so there's a chance she's pregnant now. He's about twice her size, so not huge but definitely bigger than she is. In the past she had small litters (especially compared to her mother), and several times she was bred and didn't end up getting pregnant. I'm not sure if we should do an emergency spay or not-- would the surgery be more risky than a possible pregnancy, or less? Morally I'd prefer not to do anything abortive unless there's a high risk to her.

Before anyone criticizes me on it: yes, my parents were backyard breeders, but I am not.

I've finally decided on my second son's name, Nathan Walter. So now, of course, it's time to play with my future boy list.

My favorite two names are Caleb John and Ross Matthew.

Any comments? Do you think they go well with older siblings Callie Jean, James Valentine "Jamie", and Nathan Walter?

BQ:

If you don't like these two you're welcome to make suggestions.

My other favorite first names are Jeffrey, Benjamin, and William

Other possible middle names are Clyde OR Edward. If we don't use Ross as a first name, then we could also use Alan as a middle.

Do you think it flows well? How does it sound with Callie, James "Jamie", Nathan and Evelyn "Evie/Evie-Mae"

Background (you can skip if you want):

My great-grandma's name is Cora Belle, and even as a kid I thought that was just the prettiest name. I haven't considered it for awhile because I thought my hubby didn't like it, but now he says he does.

Marilyn is my mother-in-law. I love it as a middle name, and I love the story behind it. I've been searching for a middle name that sounds just right with it. Elizabeth and Rebecca were pretty but very long, and hubby didn't like it with Charlotte. I loved how it sounds with Audrey and Rachel, but I'm not super fond of those names. But now I think I've found a match.

They'd be joining Callie (3), James "Jamie" (1), Nathan (due in Feb), and Evelyn "Evie" (for sure our next girl name).

Please pick a first name for each of these middle names, so that they'd sound good with each other and with our kids' names. Thanks.

1. Juliana

2. Marilyn

3. Helen

4. Lou

5. Christen/Christie/Christiana

First names: Sophie OR Sadie, Charlotte "Lottie", Rebecca "Becky", Miriam "Miri", Cora, Laura OR Leah

My great grandma's name was Cora Belle, and I've always loved it. My husband once said he disliked it, but recently he's changed his mind, so I'm putting it back on my possibilities list.

I've already picked out middle names, so if we use Cora it would be with one of these. Which do you think sound best, and which do you think don't work at all?

Cora Julianne/Juliana, Cora Marilyn, Cora Helen, Cora Lou/Louise, Cora Christen/Christiana

I really like Cora Evelyn, but I want to use Evelyn as a first name, so this will be if one of my siblings uses Evelyn first.

BQ: What do you think of the name? I like traditional, vintage sounding names. Do you think it sounds good with Callie and Evelyn?

BQ 2: I don't normally like double names, but what would you think of using Cora Belle as the whole first name? Maybe Cora Belle Julianne or something like that.

We have the middle names picked out first, and they determine the order. For each one, please pick a first name (you can use my favorites below, or other names you think I might like). Nicknames are for when they're little, by the way--we probably wouldn't call a teen/adult Ricky or Benji.

1. Walter or Eston

2. Clyde or Edward

3. John

4. Christian or Christopher

5. Alan

Firsts: Nathan, Benjamin "Benji", Jeffrey "Jeff", William "Will", Caleb, Aaron, Seth, Samuel "Sam/Sammy", Derek, Patrick "Ricky"

Looking for ideas. The middle names are all family names.

Boy firsts: Nathan, William, Jeffrey, Ross, Caleb, Derek, Aaron, Seth, Samuel, Andrew

Boy middles: Walter, Eston, Clyde, Edward, John, Matthew, Alan, Ross, Christopher/Christian

Girl firsts: Evelyn, Elizabeth, Sophie, Laura, Marilyn, Sarah or Sadie, Rebecca, Charlotte, Leah, Heidi, Tessa, Miriam

Girl middles: Evelyn, Juli/Juliana, Marilyn, Mary, Helen, Lou, Marie