Oh you are so mistaken! You DO NEED THOSE!

I'd snatch those dishes up on a NY minute!

I would too! Probably get rid of some and replace with those!!!

Saw this! now I’m going down a rabbit hole looking at all the amazing ones !

Another unanticipated effect…

In my neverending quest for The Perfect Sneaker, I’ve ordered these from Quince.

And I ordered a greenish cashmere sweater. The color is called Olive Twist. Looks charcoal to me.

I have used the shorter box springs in the past and they work well when you don't want to add extra height to the finished bed.

I have never had a box spring so no big deal for me other than sheets that don't fit on the new mattresses sometimes..

As I was packing up our kitchen yesterday I threw away a multitude of spices, one from — wait for it— 2010 😳

Also my helper held up a few items asking ”what is this for?” In one instance I had no idea and it was tossed into the donation box along with the ricer that I had to have during the pandemic when I was obsessed with making the perfect mashed potatoes 🙄

We’re waiting on our local junk guy to pick up the stuff we’re getting rid of so that DH can park in the garage again. Our garage was painted Thursday and everything was piled in the middle of it. After the paint dried DH and I moved it all back and in the process are getting rid of half of it. Deeply satisfied with that outcome.

Before my husband went out of town for the weekend, he jokingly said to me, stay out of my office. I rarely go in there, it’s such an eyesore, so I asked, why would I go in your office? He said I was afraid your sisters might come over and you’d start getting rid of stuff from the office. D’oh! that idea hadn’t occurred to me, what a missed opportunity.

But then I DID go into his office because I needed some way to wear my sign for my costume. As I hoped, he did have a clip on badge holder. It held his yearbook photo from his class reunion. Which was two years ago. And still sitting on a shelf. 🙄

Good thing I don’t purge in there, his junk helped me out. I will NEVER tell him that. 😆

I have my 6 month appt with my dermatologist this week; hope she doesn’t find anything to biopsy this time.

I have been focused on protein and fiber but realized I am not doing so well on veggies, now that (in my mind) salad season is over. So my focus this week will be adding more vegetables. Also, avoiding the leftover halloween candy.

We had the easiest healthy meal last night, thrown together between doorbell rings from trick or treaters. A bag of frozen wild mixed rice from Trader Joe’s, a can of mixed beans (kidney, pinto, etc), pre-cooked grilled chicken also from TJ, and some salsa. Tossed together and heated up in the microwave.

Salivary gland update 😵‍💫 — I’m having a procedure to remove the stone from my parotid gland in early December. Gah. Not excited about it — but hopefully it will be straightforward and this will end the Salivary Saga.

It’s great knowing that you have that option, @gsciencechick. I get what you're saying about all of the administrative tasks that lead to burnout. That happened to me as well, and I found that more and more of my time was spent managing people and sitting in meetings. The higher that you rise in your profession, the more that seems to happen.

@Sueb20 Sorry that you have to have surgery, but hopefully it will take care of the issue.

We had a fun vacation, but I ate way too much. The food was so good that my willpower left me. Ha! We’ve been home for a couple of weeks, and I’m back on track.

I have a new allergist and will be starting allergy shots next week. I’m hoping for the same success that I had with them in my twenties. I also started cpap therapy, and though I don’t love wearing it, I feel more rested in the mornings than I have in years.

I feel more rested in the mornings than I have in years. That has to be a godsend.

I find actually writing a pros and cons list, from silly and mundane to major, is helpful. Statrt a notes file and keep adding to it. It may help.

Then after the analysis, flip a coin. If you are diappointed with the results of the coin flip, there is your answer.: )

I always say I do not like being a houseguest and really prefer not to have them.

LOL, I agree with the first part but I do enjoy guests!

Not on the defensive here, no need. I’m doing my bit for the economy, trying to buy in person when possible to save retail jobs and from small businesses to support our local economy, having things delivered to protect delivery jobs, donating things no longer useful or pleasing for the secondary market. And it all results in a nice variety of clothing to choose from daily.

One of our sons could not care less about how he looks but will spend almost anything on a new bicycle. Everybody spends money on something. 🤷‍♀️

I think I read and maybe posted sometime in the not too distant past...that there is enough clothing on the planet right now to clothe the next 6 or 8 generations - without manufacturing one more piece. It almost all eventually ends up in a landfill. Thrift shopping may make us feel better but:

"The staggering volume of clothing extends to the second-hand market as well. Thrift stores, consignment shops, and online marketplaces like Poshmark and Depop have blossomed, allowing for the reuse of millions of garments. Reselling helps keep textiles in circulation a little longer, but does this really alter the greater picture? Even with a thriving second-hand market, estimates indicate that nearly 80% of discarded clothes end up in landfills or are incinerated. This shocking reality only underscores the enormity of clothes produced versus those utilized sustainably."

Our kids and grandkids will be the ones trying to save their planet as a consequence of our vanity. Maybe some geniuses will figure out a way to build housing or other necessary things from our wasteful over consumption.

Just throwing in a few more, depending on your tolerance for pattern mixing or mixing contemporary with traditional.

Closeup:

I like a combo like this if not too bossy

We have a local community behavioral health clinic nonprofit, so maybe something like that is an option too.

I am so sorry to all who have lost someone to suicide. I agree with Annie’s suggestion. My best friend’s brother died by suicide, and she and her family were helped tremendously by connecting with other survivors through AFSP.

Thank you. The visitation and funeral was today. We waited over an hour to offer our condolences, and there were still people coming when we were through. Such a sad ending for a life that was seemingly so connected and supported . The family is just destroyed.

I did want to acknowlege how unfortunately, quite a few people on here who I have met as well as those I haven't shared their connections to this.

I just made the donation to the local chapter for afsp so thank you for that suggestion.

thank you all so very much for your beautiful words. You have made me smile through the tears.

I'm doing okay. We knew this day was coming for the past three years (since Mom's accident in July 2023) and while I am going to miss her terribly (I already do), I am at peace knowing that she is free. Our concern is Dad who is 93 and has alzheimers. He seems to understand what is going on, but no one is completely sure. Our goal is to keep family around as much as possible. Dad will never go into a facility and we're confident he is receiving incredible care at home from the team of aides who took care of Mom and are now shifting their focus to Dad. They truly thought of Mom as their mom which by default makes them my sisters. I adore them all.

At this moment, we are not planning on having a funeral. We think it would be very difficult and confusing for Dad. Mom wanted to be cremated and to have her ashes scattered near the summer community where she grew up and where I have a cottage. So do several of my cousins. It is the perfect place to have a celebration of life party.

Thanks again for the love and kindness. I am humbled by it all. ❤️

Jo

(Can I end on an unrelated positive note? Earlier this week I had an interview at Selby Gardens in nearby Sarasota to volunteer as a tour guide. The woman in charge of the program told me they never chose tour guides who haven't been volunteers already for years, or are very active visitors. Being new to the area, I didn't meet either of those qualifications. But guess what? She offered me the position anyway because of my Longwood experience. I'm so excited to jump back into the world of gardens and tours.)

“Can I end on an unrelated positive note?”

Great news! They’re lucky to have you. :)

I am so sorry for your loss. I've always enjoyed reading about your mother and admired the great relationship you shared. You were so fortunate to have each other. Cherish the memories.

Followup for anyone who cares and/or anyone who is facing MOHS surgery. This is my scar on the side of my nose from almost exactly a year ago. I had a skin graft from my ear, nasty and traumatic! But after a lot of healing and the recent laser, here is what it looks like…very up close and personal.

The opposite side (which required 12 stitches) is still a work in progress but after seeing this progress, I am hopeful that it will continue to improve.

Re: hip replacements, I know nothing about them, except that everyone I know who's had one regrets they didn't do it sooner.

Sue, that scar recovery is impressive! I remember when you had the surgery--I can't believe it's been a year.

I'm still in the middle of a reno (lots of delays) that's impacting my day-to-day habits, so protein powder has been a great supplement these past few weeks. When I don't want to cook or get takeout, I make a shake. It's never an enjoyable dining experience, but it gets the job done.

It is why I really wanted to like Yoga and Tai Chi but they are too much stuff that takes away from the plain workout that I personally seek that requires very little ” mental bandwidth”. This is why I no longer take yoga classes (I took a Tai Chi class a long, long time ago, too). I have my own practice at home instead. To travel to, set up, wait for, and get through any exercise class just isn't worth my time anymore. I felt the same way when I took spin classes, so I just bought myself a spin bike and use it at home. I go to the gym for weights, and I walk there and afterward, but it's always on my own time. But friends swear by their classes because they force accountability and add a social component to exercise. I think, again, what we've been saying here in our discussions--look around, try some new things, see what works for you, and then be consistent. Consistency over perfection wins every time.

I'm behind the eight ball on fall cooking, and need to look through a thread here recently that I saw was started. But I made great roasted butternut squash soup last week, and now have some Rancho Gordo beans on the counter that will turn into another soup this weekend.

I see eggnog is already available in the stores. I will NOT be making that mistake again this year.

I have them and do change the codes. What I found to be a problem when I first decided on a brand was that not all were compatable with my router. I think I went through a couple of brands before finding one that would work. Mine are old so that may not be a problem now.

I went on vacation a few years ago, in the dead of winter, to a tropical destination. I took no winter clothes, not even a coat. I hate the extra luggage and figure I just needed to jump out of my Uber and into my front door. I found the battery had gone dead on my Eufy and had no way to unlock it. OMG. What a disaster. I learned my lesson. Now I make sure I have some way to charge the battery from outside enough to unlock the door in a pinch. Hopefully technology has improved since then.

No explanation needed.

LOL ”who wants diabetes?”

The other night DH said he had a bad dream where he was somehow having a meeting with a well known political figure we despise. He woke up from the dream, disturbed and puzzled. Meanwhile, I was sleeping next to him having my own, very different dream, and in my sleep I said out loud ”…but will there be piglets?”