Fran Hopkins's comments

Dating Advice for Single Moms (from "Mars and Venus Starting Over" by John Gray, Ph.D.) - Blog Entry

29 Mar 2006 05:19 AM

You are both welcome! The Mas/Venus books are great; he has a good web site too (I think it's marsvenus.com but I'm not sure).

Missmarketing, I know what you mean about how hard it is to take care of yourself without feeling guilty about it. Are you a widow like me? It sounds like it. My son is a teenager too (almost 16).

Two years isn't very long at all; the early years are so painful (it's almost 10 years for me now). I tried to PM you about this but it wouldn't go through. I also just started a thread over at the Single Parenting Forum to see how many other single parents here are widows/widowers.

Thanks again for reading and commenting here!

Book Review: Moms, Sons, Birds, Bees and "The 'What's Happening to My Body?' Book for Boys" - Blog Entry

26 Mar 2006 10:43 PM

That's good to hear. Thanks for letting me know!

Am I Qualified For This? Homeschooling Your Children. - Blog Entry

22 Mar 2006 06:14 PM

Kathy, I'm right in the middle of trying to choose a curriculum for my teenage son, so I look forward to your next blog on this!

An Introduction Into This Single Parent's Life - Blog Entry

22 Mar 2006 01:41 AM

Hi Valerie! I too look forward to working with you! I admire your spirit and your determination to meet this unanticipated and unwanted challenge in a positive way. Thanks for joining this Blog!

"Single Parents Should Look for Love" - Blog Entry

22 Mar 2006 01:25 AM

I agree with both of you that our children must be our #1 priority. I also agree that our dates should never be paraded in and out of our kids' lives. Jude2004, your son's friend's mother is doing exactly the wrong thing, both for herself and her children.

I don't think that the article suggests that single parents should engage in a desperate search for a new partner. It's definitely not saying that our needs should come first.

What it is saying, I think, is that it's a healthy, positive thing when a single parent finds love again. Maybe because I'm a widow, I think that, if anything, the fact that I'm now in a committed, loving relationship with a man shows my son that life does go on.

I found my new love seven years after my husband's death. My son had only been introduced to one other "date" before him -- a man I'd been seeing for a year.

People can certainly have different opinions about this and I completely respect yours. Thanks for commenting!

So Many Roles, Too Little Me - Blog Entry

18 Mar 2006 05:20 AM

We all seem to believe that everyone else is Super Mom except for us! I think that's a myth that only serves to make us feel less than adequate. In fact, I suspect that the opposite is true: we're probably "Super-er" Moms than most!

Thanks for the compliment, scrapbookguru! I appreciate it.

Snow Daze - Blog Entry

03 Mar 2006 03:09 PM

This is so true! No matter what decision the school makes, someone's unhappy.

We need to remember that administrators make the best decisions they can, based on the information that's available to them; but when weather's involved, the decision is frequently an educated "guesstimate" at best (which is not the school administration's fault!).

Virtual Field Trips - Blog Entry

03 Mar 2006 05:05 AM

These "virtual tours" would be great to incorporate into homeschooling. Thanks for the information!

Frazzled: A/K/A, a "Normal" Day - Blog Entry

02 Mar 2006 06:21 PM

Hi! Thanks for your comments! I know what you mean -- sometimes I feel that way too: that everyone else must be doing a better job at managing everything, that it's just me.

Single parenting is very hard. "One day at a time" is something I tell myself often too. It IS all worth it!

I'm glad you found my Single Parenting Blog. Let me know if there's any particular single parenting topic you'd like me to address! Take care.

As Heart Month Ends, a Reminder: Take Care of Your Heart - Blog Entry

01 Mar 2006 09:07 PM

Excessive sodium intake is known to increase blood pressure in people with high blood pressure. Cutting back on salt can lower blood pressure, even in people who have normal blood pressure.

Since high blood pressure can also cause strokes and kidney disease, reduced salt intake can help prevent these conditions too.

As to how salt affects the heart, I couldn't find much on this at all. One source said that exactly how salt increases blood pressure isn't known; but there is no question that there's a relationship between salt and blood pressure.

I also read that perhaps 25% of the general population and 60% of those with high blood pressure have what's called "salt sensitivity." Excessive salt intake in these people is even more potentially harmful. Since there's no test for salt sensitivity, moderate salt intake (no more than a teaspoon, or 2400 mg, a day, per the American Heart Association) is recommended for everyone.

I hope this answers your question! Thanks for asking.