Skinny jeans dangerous for you

Good morning Brentwood!
Just saw on the Today show that skinny jeans can be dangerous for you, constricting nerves and such. Of course, I don't have to worry about that. Can't wait for tomorrow's report on plus-size ones, however. Now that's something I care deeply about ...

As I get ready for the day, want to share some links for you in case you haven't seen today's Brentwood Journal:

• Half-done homes in trouble: http://tinyurl.com/BWabandon
• Economy can't keep youth football down (story on the Blaze): http://tinyurl.com/BWblaze

Finally, Jill Burgin, one of Brentwood's best writers, responded to my posting about Tuesday's Dear Abby column on the challenges of living in an affluent community. It's something I've struggled with for years but never have been able to put it on paper.
Jill explains it as only she can: Clearly and to the point. Here it is, in case you missed it:

I have been on both ends of the spectrum, and living in an affluent community involves more than just whose house is bigger and who's a snob or not.
If you don't "have" as much as your friends, it limits how much you, your friends, your kids and their friends can socialize together. Hitting restaurants four times a week or attending fundraiser luncheons that are $50 or $100 a plate may be out of the question. So are $50 concert tickets and $75 hockey tickets. Girls weekends in Atlanta or spring break trips to the Caribbean aren't just a few phone calls away. If you're watching your budget, $3,000 school trips to Europe are not a given. Neither is Disney twice a year. So shared experiences with your "richer" friends can be few and far between.
Sure, you can do free stuff together and bond through a book group or Bible study. Yes, volunteering at a soup kitchen reminds you of your own blessings. But it doesn't change the fact that a limited budget means you have to limit yourself, even when it seems others never have to, and maintain the constant, exhausting gut check you go through whenever your friend or your kid's friend gets something or goes somewhere new.

Do you have news to share? Thoughts on recent posts, story ideas? Please let me know at brentword@comcast.net.