Quitting my TV news career has come with many benefits but perhaps none as important as how it has affected my ability to parent. My relationship with the Producer would have consisted of about an hour in the morning (stressed about what I’d cover that day) and an hour at night (still stressed about what went wrong with my report that day). I’ve started “Hold On to Your Kids” by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Maté and I highly recommend it. They describe the era since World War II as one where peers have taken over the role of parenting, calling it “peer orientation”. They write, “Orientation, the drive to get one’s bearings and become acquainted with one’s surroundings, is a fundamental human instinct and need. Disorientation is one of the least bearable of all psychological experiences. Attachment and orientation are inextricably intertwined. Humans and other creatures automatically orient themselves by seeking cues from those to whom they are attached.” This has also got me thinking about my pressing question about why so many journalists prefer group think over curiosity. Are we adults also suffering from “peer orientation”?
Our hens decided to take holiday break starting around Halloween. So today I gave them a pep talk and let them know that they may have made it to Thanksgiving but free-loader soup is on the menu for Christmas.
I got a real chuckle out of this one. A sweet 4H teen agreed to help milk our goat while we visit my parents for Thanksgiving. I noticed right away we’d have a bit of a challenge, given the 2 inch long acrylic nails. She just had them done and said, “I haven’t had nails in 3 years!” Perfect timing. 🤣We tested them out. This is why I never have nice nails and had one person comment, “you look like you play hockey.”
I can’t believe I’m 44 making marshmallows for the first time. It’s so easy and they taste great, not to mention they’re so much healthier than store bought marshmallows. Here’s how we made them.
++ In a mixing bowl, combine 22g grass-fed gelatin & 1/2 cup water. Mix. Set aside.
++ In a stove top safe pot, combine 1/2 cup water, 1 1/2 cups sugar (we used organic maple) and 1 1/4 cups syrup sweetener (we used organic maple syrup). Add a pinch of salt. Boil at 240 degrees for 5-6 minutes.
++ Start whisking your gelatin on low speed and add the hot syrup. Slowly bring speed up on mixer until it’s on high. It took about 6-8 minutes before our mixture looked like marshmallow goo.
++ Prep your pan for the goo by greasing it and sprinkling powdered sugar all over it.
++ Pour goo into pan, sprinkle powdered sugar on top, let sit for 12 hours.
++ Grease your knife and dip it into powdered sugar, then cut your marshmallows into whatever shape you want.
++ Sprinkle more sugar on all sides
++...
This whole show is ridiculous. First a judge RIGHTFULLY told Donald John Trump to get troops off the streets in DC. Less than a week later a shooting odder than anything occurs. Now, it's back to the old blame immigrants, Arabs and Muslims game.
And by the way, Epstein didn't kill himself!!!
Trump vows immigration crackdown following DC shooting of National Guard members - ABC News
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-vows-immigration-crackdown-dc-shooting-national-guard/story?id=127930219
November 20, 2025:
Judge orders an end to Trump's troop deployment in D.C., calling it 'unlawful' : NPR
https://www.npr.org/2025/11/20/nx-s1-5615399/dc-troops-deployment-blocked-trump
