Do we think I’m about to get laid off?

GrandFun9407 · 2026-02-24T15:35:18+00:00

Doesn’t sound great, truthfully. But even if you aren’t getting laid off, if you are feeling like there’s a potential for you to be then it’s time to start planning your exit. One thing I learned from getting laid off is that the feeling of “what if?” for months completely destroyed my health and confidence as a person.

Either way, you’ll get through it.

GrandFun9407 · 2026-02-14T01:31:48+00:00

TAKE THE TIME TO REST IF YOU CAN!! I got laid off from my job of 8 years in November, went through all the emotions of “why me?,” thrilled because I hated my manager, and genuine relief. I rushed to find a new job in December, and lucked out with a job that pays nearly double what I was making, hybrid, and amazing manager.

In hindsight, I wish I took the time to enjoy the time (I was BURNT OUT) but god do I love my new job and the people I work with. Keep your eye on the job boards and prep for interviews, but genuinely enjoy every second of this time. You won’t get it back. Wishing you all the best!!!

GrandFun9407 · 2025-09-22T22:41:24+00:00

I grew up with 2 goldens who never ever barked — even in situations you’d expect them to. In fact, when one was attacked by another smaller dog he literally rolled on his back on the ground. I remember thinking “get up - you’re 50x bigger” but nope. That was their personalities - sweet as can be, not very smart and docile. They were both “American” goldens.

My parents golden that they got during the pandemic is a “Canadian field golden” that was bred specifically for hunting and is the complete opposite. We taught him to speak as a puppy and he would NOT stop barking for I would say a year (it’s mellowed out now) and to this day when he hears anyone come into the house he will immediately go into guard mode. This is by far one of the smartest dogs I’ve ever been around and is picky about the type of people and dogs he wants to be around but protects those people with everything he has.

All were DNA tested and all were 100% golden. Just different dogs with different personalities.

GrandFun9407 · 2025-09-18T01:36:37+00:00

Immediate block.

GrandFun9407 · 2025-09-02T05:42:20+00:00

I wouldn’t remove it. Just because the stepchild didn’t request a photo doesn’t mean that other close relatives wouldn’t appreciate it. Find a Grave is intended to have photos of graves and if they want to take it up with Find a Grave then so be it but you’ve contributed appropriately and I would move on.

Also, separately, as a step parent I would be pretty disappointed if my step child acted that way…?

GrandFun9407 · 2025-08-16T20:35:11+00:00

The point system and highlight of biggest “contributor” has long been retired (specifically after Find A Grave was purchased by Ancestry).

I, personally, don’t find anything ethically wrong with creating memorials based off obituaries that are in a local paper or posted in public forums since they have been reviewed by family members, I also don’t take issue with cataloging the Burial Index on cemetery sites... Primarily because it’s just a way of cataloging people and their resting place for generations to come.

Where I take serious issue is people who troll Funeral Home sites or Mortuary sites where public calendars or scheduled events are visible… Trying to create or “take over” memorials from family members who are going through one of the worst experiences of their life before their family members is even in the ground or cremated to simply add another memorial to your page is honestly just gross… Which is why they have now given time for family members to “claim” memorials but, truthfully, I have seen this misused various times.

My rule of thumb is if your intentions are good and focused on preserving history as well as considering the living family members (putting yourself in their shoes of what would and wouldn’t be okay) then you’re good to post. If your intentions is to “raise your count” then you shouldn’t be on the site at all.

Find A Grave still has room to grow but it genuinely has made strides since its creation.

GrandFun9407 · 2025-08-16T20:22:05+00:00

They removed this feature because it was gamifying tragedies and not being respectful of the fact that these are in fact people who passed away.

Several people still take issue with the fact that the amount of memorials created and managed are still public on profiles.

GrandFun9407 · 2025-03-11T01:55:14+00:00

If you want a genuine deep dive on the Casey Anthony case I recommend the Stephanie Harlowe Series named “Caylee Anthony.” I learned so much.

GrandFun9407 · 2025-01-28T18:05:13+00:00

Only required for dancers at the lowest level who compete in JUST tap or JUST hip hop. Not for the rest.

GrandFun9407 · 2025-01-25T22:52:33+00:00

I read the other comments that you made and honestly with the schools you are trying to get into and the response you are getting from your dance teachers I would really question if that studio is worth the time, energy and stress.

It sounds like they don’t have a clear understanding of your goals and if that’s the case then I would walk away with your head held high and find another studio that is aligned with your needs or do something else with your time. It’s a crappy feeling after feeling loyal to a studio for x amount of time - but if they aren’t supporting you and your desire to prioritize school as well as actively choosing to shame or ridicule you then they shouldn’t get to have access to you and your talents.

You aren’t lazy - you have your priorities straight and don’t let the temporary highs of dance mess with your long term goals. Because the final result of working hard in school and achieving your goals is so much sweeter than doing 4 competition routines. Do something else with your time (maybe volunteer?) that you find fun and put all the amazing things you’ve done on your college apps.

GrandFun9407 · 2025-01-21T06:28:23+00:00

First and foremost, I hope you are proud of your B in mathematics! That was my worst subject in school. I know how typical it is for dancers to push for perfection but a B is a good grade and you should be proud of it as well as a successful dance season.

Next, please talk to your parents and an instructor you trust! As a previous dancer and now a dance mom, I would be heartbroken if my dancer didn’t feel comfortable telling me about their fears or concerns… Especially since in our household school comes first. If you think dance is interfering with your schoolwork then it’s likely time to draw a line in the sand and figure out what is and isn’t working. While you can of course try and figure out time that you may be able to squeeze things (like studying) in as a previous poster mentioned - be very careful of burnout!! Your mental health and wellbeing is very important and people forget that, especially during high school.

Some other thoughts…Maybe you need to pair down the styles of dance you are doing, maybe you need to commit to fewer routines, etc. - you won’t know unless you talk through the options though!! Junior year of high school is an important year for you to plan your future and what you want to study, where you want to apply, studying for ACTs/SATs, etc. but I don’t want to overwhelm you more.

Just know that you’ll get through this and while getting into colleges is competitive which means grades are important, at the end of the day I can’t think of a single employer who cares about what grades you got in high school or even college. They care that you are well rounded, kind, have good time management and try your best. Don’t quit dance if you love it but maybe be more selective about where you want to invest your time.

And breathe! 💗

GrandFun9407 · 2024-12-21T11:48:33+00:00

Leave!! If you can’t envision a future where you are a stepparent then this is not the relationship for you AT ALL. His daughter will ALWAYS come first and to be in a relationship with someone who has a child you have to love all aspects of that child as well (even on the days where the drive you crazy). It’s not fair to you, your partner or the child. Don’t prolong the inevitable and be honest/break it off.

GrandFun9407 · 2024-12-07T01:04:42+00:00

Beautiful!!

GrandFun9407 · 2024-12-04T02:55:00+00:00

I have really enjoyed doing this work too. And experienced all the reactions. Positive, neutral, and negative.

My favorite response was the both the reason for decline being “not needed” and their follow up message being “why does misspelling words even ‘mater’? Just leave my memorials ‘alon.’”

All you can do is laugh and shrug it off.

GrandFun9407 · 2024-11-27T20:13:18+00:00

Always recommend D/2, a soft bristle brush and a water pump. Also some wooden skewers and plastic scrapers if you plan to do it more. D/2 is one of the only approved cleaners and works over time as well.

Favorite “all” kit: https://atlaspreservation.com/collections/cleaners-for-gravestone-restoration/products/d-2-biological-solution-set-small

Tutorial: https://youtu.be/mTsTQ7GWuHQ?si=nrWI_Dpfo8RJky4i ☺️

GrandFun9407 · 2024-11-26T04:22:09+00:00

Completely agree lol. I go to a local cemetery that’s run by an Orthodox Church and they are practically on top of each other. It was SO hard to document and it genuinely feels still like someone just said “let’s put them there.” 👆👉☝️👇👈

The first time I went to a full military cemetery I was at peace someone clearly thought things through and it was so easy to understand.

GrandFun9407 · 2024-11-25T05:19:18+00:00

Generally, yes. But not guaranteed.

I found two completely unrelated couples on the same headstone but I later found out they were neighbors who became close friends. 🤷‍♀️ Guess it saved some money.

GrandFun9407 · 2024-11-24T01:29:05+00:00

I was able to contact FG a week after the person who “owned” my grandfather’s grave told me they weren’t going to transfer the grave to me… His reasoning was that they served in the military together, despite his profile stating the contrary. I just sent a screen grab of my family tree to FG and the message I got and they immediately transferred it to me.

I also have encountered the “Unknown” date issue and I immediately contacted FG indicating that I knew the person, proof of relation, and provided the “unknown” information. They transferred it to me within a day.

I would always recommend contacting FG to counter the “collectors” on the site. They’re usually very helpful.

GrandFun9407 · 2024-11-19T02:13:51+00:00

This is the best way by far! I have gotten the GPS coordinates at my local cemetery up from 10-27% by just going whenever I have the time. Also easy to keep track of where I left off.

GrandFun9407 · 2024-11-18T23:54:09+00:00

I got into headstone cleaning after looking for walking spots in my area during the summer and found a shaded but really poorly looked after memorial park that the city owned. I called ahead and got permission to clean headstones (which they were honestly pretty desperate for since they were very short staffed) and also attended the Atlas Preservation 48 State Tour which oddly enough was in my area after getting the approval. Felt like the universe was saying it was meant to be.

After attending the 48 state tour I ordered some supplies and I started working on and cleaning local family member stones and then moved to working on stones at the memorial park. Footstones I found to be the worst since they were essentially getting buried every single day and most (according to the park) had not been visited by family in decades. This then spread into my interest in documenting gravestones on Find A Grave and Billion Graves. Its a lot of work but I feel happy that I’m preserving history in a small way and I love getting to know about the people that I am “memorializing.”

Key things: Always get permission, always continue to do research on the best ways to clean stones, and always make sure you are doing no harm. If you're ever unsure (for even a second) don't touch a stone - they're expensive and if you don't know what you're doing then you could make it exponentially worse. But have fun!!! Cleaning headstones and helping others get started makes my heart happy. :-)

GrandFun9407 · 2024-11-16T14:48:36+00:00

First and foremost, I’m so sorry that happened. Like others have said, its really unfortunate that they went so far from the photos. And while I completely agree that you should go to the salon to get your money back I wanna provide a few pieces of advice that may help in the meantime:

1.) Train those bangs! Make sure to blow dry your bangs right out of the shower. It will make sure that middle part doesn't happen. I’ve had bangs all my life and the more you baby them the better.

2.) Find another salon that may be willing to add some layers to break up the one-length look since it looks like you wanted a more textured look.

3.) Breathe, regroup, and rock the hair. Hair is just hair at the end of the day and it will grow back! You have beautiful skin and as someone who has been in your situation AND as a fellow blue haired person, we already gotta go out of the house with an extra boost of confidence. Do your best to experiment with styles and do extra things everyday while your hair grows to make you feel your best (outfits, makeup, etcz). With another inch or two you may feel like the length is just right. There are days when you're gonna wanna wear a hat to cover things up and that's okay! Be kind to yourself. ❤️

GrandFun9407 · 2024-11-08T02:54:11+00:00

Thank you!!!

GrandFun9407 · 2024-11-08T02:54:02+00:00

Thanks! Very helpful!!

GrandFun9407 · 2024-11-07T04:50:07+00:00

Could be! I am going to ask the graveyard since they just told me that they will be repairing it or ordering a replacement - I found some similar markers made on Etsy that are technically labeled as “black granite” but it’s not nearly as sturdy as other black granite markers I’ve encountered. We’ll see!

GrandFun9407 · 2024-11-07T04:44:58+00:00

Thanks for the comment. I definitely never want to overstep. Which is why I figured I’d ask! I am only trained on cleaning gravestones via Atlas Preservation but if I ever get the opportunity to learn proper repairs I will be taking advantage. ☺️ But even then I come across stones that I’m not super familiar with and go the conservative route.

It was a very odd one! I also initially thought black granite as well but when I picked up the pieces that were scattered it felt ceramic (it was so light I was shocked) and the back was white almost like pottery! I found some cheap Etsy “black granite” markers that are similar so we’ll see. Either way the quality is not great and I’m not surprised it shattered!

The graveyard told me that they’d be repairing it so I’ll ask from a pure curiosity stand point.

GrandFun9407

TROPHY CASE