Hi everyone,

Car-ie-Okie. That's brilliant. Sounds like something that would have come in handy on our road trip. (Although I have to admit there was plenty of bad singing going on in New Paint. I'm a chronic crooner, and the kids took to singing songs from the movies they watched on the van's enterntainment system. I endured "Give Dough to the Ethyl Show" from "Dinosaurs" from one end of America to the other.) There's a website called Mom's Minivan that's full of ideas for keeping kids happy while on roadtrips. I'll shoot a message to the editor about our conversation here and make sure she knows about Car-i-Okie. Sounds like something moms in minivans everywhere should know about! I'm also sensing a new blog post topic coming on... Actually, you ladies have given me ideas for many future blog posts.

The next Osmonds, eh? How about the next Osbornes? Maybe you and your clan, smilinize, could star in a reality show in which families on long road trips have to sing their way across the country,with a Simon/Paula-like panel of judges eliminating the worst singing families as they roll through America.

Dotsie, glad you enjoyed the "Eyeball to eyeball" story. I knew some of you would be able to relate. Adam is now nearly six feet tall, but that mother-son moment in the Route 66 Auto Museum was a watershed moment in our relationship.

Thank you for the lead about Carol and JustSay Go.com. I will certainly get in touch, and I appreciate being able to use your name. Your post is timely. I've been falling behind on getting queries and submissions "out the door" lately, and I resolved to focus on that in the coming weeks. Just this morning, I sent a submission (a book excerpt, actually) to Chicken Soup for the Horse Lover's Soul, and I feel good about getting back on track. I spent 20 years in sales and marketing, and I know the importance of having lots of things "in the pipeline."

I'm truly enjoying this thread, too, Dianne. Again, so many topics to get back to. Safety, villas and D.C. coming up. But first, here's the link to the White Ribbon Campaign that I told you about. I can't find the link to my article. The paper I wrote it for archives stories online for only a few months, so it's evaporated into the ether, but here's the link to the organization: www.whiteribbon.ca . The men who join White Ribbon resolve "never to commit, condone nor remain silent about violence against women." There are White Ribbon chapters all over the world, and I know that they work in concert with other organizations fighting domestic abuse. Perhaps there's an opportunity for you to create some synergy with a chapter near Nashville.