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It’s rare I buy avocados since we have a tree.☺️ I’m assuming the tiny ones you got are Hass…? Occasionally the small ones show up due to weather conditions. They’re perfectly good and tend to ripen faster. For me, the best thing to do with avocados is not much. Sometimes just s&p can be enough for me.
We have neighbors down the street with a big box of really nice Hass avocados out in front by the curb. They have a container for money and brown paper bags. Their sign also says to ”Feel free to just take some if you don’t have any cash.” They’ve do it frequently.
Her daughter is giving her mother a gift, and by not standing in her way, a huge sacrifice. The Mom is fortunate to have this option and of course fortunate to have 96 years. I would talk about how wonderful her Mom is, and then mostly listen.
I'm so sorry. Dealing with an end-of-life is sad. It's nice to have choices to end the suffering. My aunt had terminal cancer so bad, she was bed ridden, cleaning up the bed pan...just a prisoner waiting for it to eat her away. She called to say she was going to stop drinking water, put herself into anaphylactic shock, should take a week, then it would be over. I'm glad she had other options than just waiting...in pain...dependant.
96 is a long life. I'm glad your friends mother lived such a long...full life!
I would focus on how much her friendship has meant to you. As someone said, mention a couple of fun things you did together that made you both smile. Let her know she will be missed and that she is loved.
Don’t worry about breaking down while talking with her. Completely normal and to be expected.
May she go in peace.
I listened to a really interesting podcast with Mark Hyman and someone named dr tyna about GLP-1's. She minidoses them from a compounding pharmacy and had a lot of interesting things to say about how many different issues they can help. It was a really interesting conversation and her account seems to have a lot to say about the positive use of this type of drug. I don't know anything about her, just thought her take on this was an interesting addition to the conversation that is mostly going on.
I did great with pickleball last week, but no weight training and had Mexican both nights this weekend with way too many tortilla chips and a margarita both times! So, I need to get myself back on track. Plus I was playing in a tournament, so I ate more carbs than usual to make sure I was ready to play. I'm traveling again this week, so weights probably won't be in the picture either. I should try bands or body weight exercises so I can be more consistent. It really does seem like a missing link for me.
I like my new blanket, and I got a great new fan which actually does seem to blow cool air - of course we'll know more when the weather really heats up. But I have been sleeping better with these adjustments.
I finished my first week of tracking and didn't mind it at all. The apps make it easy and I didn't feel obsessive about it. I had a healthy and simple food week. I'm only weighing myself once a week. My goal here is to make sure I'm not creeping up by being mindful about eating and happily, I met that goal.
My main goal with this has been to use food for nutrition, not entertainment. After my horses died, my hair started falling out and I developed bronchitis. I had been basically living on candy and cheese for quite awhile, I think my immune systemm was just reflecting my emotional state. I'm rarely sick but the bronchitis seems to have settled in a bit. Last month, I saw my Dr who ruled out lung cancer and I'm seeing him again tomorrow and I hope to get some management tips. I don't want to do rounds of testing and analysis about it.
I walked pretty regularly although the breathing flared up pretty badly on a couple days. I think I need to add more of an exercise component. I don't enjoy walking, unfortunately, it's just easy around here. I'm thinking weight training or pilates to start. One would be at the Y and one at a studio - both in the nearest big small town about 45 minutes away.
Thanks for the encouragement. You really did get me started down a better path.
I wish I didn’t always want to soothe jangled nerves with food! Yesterday we did a pre-offer inspection at the house we’re hoping will be our son’s. The market is so crazy here, no one is doing contingencies but you can do an inspection before making an offer. Add in the fact that DS is far away so we are touring on facetime. And the house is in a very coveted location…there were 7 pre inspections scheduled and they expect at least that many offers to be submitted today. DS, his wife, DH and I are all nervous! So anyway, after a weaving class (first one, so much to learn I was feeling dumb and stressed) then directly to the inspection, I had to go to the grocery store. It took all I had not to buy ice cream and cookies and cake…lol the cravings were strong. My concession was a fresh loaf of sourdough bread and some turkey and cheese to make a yummy sandwich when I got home. We rarely have bread any more so it was a treat without being a ”bad” treat.
Oh and I had a beer last night. Today is offer day, I might need a beer by noon.
This afternoon -
Photo number three reminds me of when Thomas first appeared at my house, sitting on the porch railing that is nearest the back door, peering in and loudly asking to come in, during snowy sub zero weather at dusk. He just came out of nowhere - a stray? dump-off? a new neighbors' cat?
Anyway, I didn't let him in that night but he's been here nearly 12 years now. Was a feisty tom cat, surgery finally fixed that, even tho I wasn't sure who he belonged to at the time. I love him.
Beautiful coloring, but it's not a special breed, just a plain ol' DSH (domestic short hair.) Cats generally don't roam more than a block or two from their house, so it probably lives nearby.
It reminds me of when I was staying in the country. One morning I was home alone, lying in bed, looked out the window and saw a cat. At first I thought our cat had gotten out; then realized that the color was wrong. I grabbed my phone and took a video to help find the owner. The cat turned and ran with kind of a hopping motion. So then I thought, "Poor rabbit, something happened to its ears." I felt guilty that I hadn't gone out to feed or rescue it, but I wasn't dressed and didn't want to get out of bed. When my husband returned, I showed him the video. He said it was a good thing I hadn't gone out because what I had seen was a bobcat!
I’m old school, but have sent music gifts using iTunes. Do you have an apple device?
quick search results….
”How to send a gift from your Mac or Windows PC
- On your Mac, open the iTunes Store in the Apple Music app. ...
- Find the item that you want to send as a gift.
- Click the arrow button. ...
- Choose Gift This [item type].
- Follow the onscreen instructions to personalise and send your gift.”
Nope...can't do it. I am not adopting a dog...I looked at a 2yr old white golden doodle. I took him home on a trial basis. He was neutered, up-to-date on his shots. I gave him a large rawhide bone...he loved it. A toy. Fed him, Walked him. Threw the toy. He should have been worn out after a few hours. Then the drama started: .....he tried to hump me...I had to fight him off...THAT is NOT going to be my life....😂 I put bedding down...he tried to shredd it. He tried to shred the rug, my shoes I took off. I went to take a shower... he barked incessantly. ALL the clothing I had on smelled. Not in love....at all...with THIS particular dog. He's NOT house trained. He'd just peed outside on his 2 walks. We turned talk radio on, it helped with his anxiety...but still barking. The only way to stop the shredding...put him in a kennel or play with him non-stop. Humping? He's VERY high energy...bouncing off the walls....literally!
I'm going to be a happy cat lady. 🐾 Yeah...a little female dog would be fine...but...I think...I need a break. This is too much pet drama.
As you're scanning the online profiles, look for a beached whale. He's been the best!!
And I know his toenails are a little long. We need a vet visit for that.
OK. Beached Whale. GOT IT! ❤️❤️❤️
I love his spotted tummy! He looks like a character. Hanging out ..... enjoying life.
DH went in for his annual check up Friday. His cholesterol is @ 215, his blood pressure 130/80, he's 66yo. He's just gettting over a month long bout of bronchitis/walking pneumonia...I thought he did OK. He hasn't been able to exercise hard, with a cold. Not being able to exercise hard makes a difference. We celebrated by going out for burgers & fries, a favorite of his....luckily nothing I crave. :0) I'm still toying with the idea of getting a dog...keeping me on a more regular walking schedule. Funky.... wishing you a boost of energy!
Now that tracking has become second nature to me it no longer seems obsessive, just something I do as automatically as I brush my teeth.. Some days I don’t even look at the calorie total, but I get a weekly summary from Lose It! and of course I also track my weight daily. Those metrics— two daily and one weekly— guide me with very little effort. This past weekend we had an Easter make-up for all those who were not home for the actual holiday. Honeybaked ham, cole slaw, potato salad, kale and beans and fennel, strawberry shortcake….it was a delicious Southern food fest! Monday morning when I got my weekly report I saw the macros and the scale kindly codified that information into a number 🙄 I already knew I was in dangerous territory without the report but there is something very compelling about hard data, for me anyway.
Today is my 700th day of consecutive tracking. I have not weighed every one of those days (sometimes we’ve been out of town with no scale and sometimes i was in a rush or just forgot) but I’ve weighed more than 90% of those days. IMO maintaining a weight is as or more important for me than losing, and it takes both mindfulness and resolve— and the accountability built into the daily measurement of food and weight— for me to maintain. Yesterday I walked the dogs on a very hilly route again, trying to make sure I am in shape for our next trip. Still doing the elliptical at the gym and have added a few workouts on various nautilus machines for strength and targeted toning (I’m talking to you, arms!).
Sounds like a great week, GS .. just love your mustang (even if it is red LOL)! Don't do too much work this weekend... make sure to give yourself breaks/walks, etc.
I had a good birthday in the sense that it was a non traumatic transition to 60 lol. I did spend the entirety of my birthday (and a portion of the next day) working on a deadline-- a submission for a national award for my last project. It is exciting but it was a LOT of work and the deadline was moved up. The good news is that the executive reviews have gone super well-- only minor edits-- so I feel good about what I was able to accomplish. Still-- the official submission is a month away and it is a highly competitive award so all this work may not result in anything ... but still, it is an honor to have made it this far.
I will be celebrating with my sisters and some of my nieces this evening -- and with SO (from afar) this weekend (and then again when we go to NYC in May). I am all about celebrating Birthday Weeks .. and Months!
I held on more or less this week-- nothing great and I did have some indulgences: sister/niece had thai food delivered to my doorstep while I was working on my deadline .. and I had half a lemon coffee cake to eat over the week. Still, I did fairly well given the way the week played out.
The botulism toxin has been around for quite a while as a medical treatment. I had a student who received regular shots in his heel to relax a too-tight heel cord. That was in the early 1990s.
@jilly FYI…(it works for me.)
“The 2022 American College of Gastroenterologists (ACG) guidelines recommended left lateral decubitus (LLD) sleeping position as one of the lifestyle modifications of GERD management with unequivocal evidence[5]. However, although it is common practice for physicians to educate GERD patients to sleep with the head elevated to prevent nocturnal acid reflux, there is a lack of interest in recommending that patients sleep on the left side. Recent evidence has shown that sleeping with the head elevated and lying to the left side reduced gastric acid exposure and improved nocturnal GERD symptoms and [6]. This improvement can be explained by the pathophysiology and anatomy of the faulty gastroesophageal junction in GERD patients. Lying on the right side would position the esophagus inferior to the gastroesophageal junction, further precipitating reflux and promoting longer acid clearance time[7,8]. This systematic review aims to evaluate and consolidate accumulating evidence regarding the effect of LLD sleep position on nocturnal symptoms in GERD patients.”
Update. Unfortunately, she was unable to do botox for my jaw. Long story but apparently most people who grind their teeth have built up their masseter muscles. That is where the botox is injected. My muscles are not built up, she could barely even feel them, so botox isn’t applicable. I was so bummed but also very thankful that she was honest. But, well, since I was there….I got just a dab of ’tox in my crows feet. It was nothing! Tiniest pinch and over in minutes. She was conservative and said if it’s not enough I can go back in two weeks to get more. I doubt I will. It is too early to see effects and part of my brain is saying omg I can’t believe you did that while the other part is saying you go girl.
I have an appt for acupuncture next week (more needles!) for my wonky foot. Maybe she can help with my jaw, we’ll see.
Latest update - I have a deposit on a White one. Should be picking it up on Friday if nothing changes. I'm paying MSRP - which I expected to, however I hate car shopping. Apparently this dealer adds some package with tint, some kind of clear wrap on hood/door edges, and some other exterior/interior protection which I did not want for $3495. They tried to give me $1K off that and I was going to just skip and go elsewhere. White is a lot easier to find. Thankfully they took it completely off so back to MSRP. As part of trying to sell me on this package they said it is already on the vehicle. So we'll see if it bothers me or not when I see it on Friday.
pics the dealer sent.
About the only thing I'm not fond of is the exhaust tips being chrome, but I'll likely get some high temp paint and paint them. Haven't fully decided on that yet as I'd need to make sure to cover everything as they are welded on. But certainly would be easier to do before I have to clean them as well.
Hi, I did pick up my new wheels a little more than a week now and it has already amassed more than 500 miles even with a super busy work week. Had to spend the weekend cleaning out the garage so I could fit two vehicles in there. Boy did we have a lot of stuff in there that’s just been sitting for years taking up valuable parking space. Facebook market place worked out great for giving it all away since we are not on a street where you can just put it out on the curb. Here’s a few pics of my new ”Lady friend."
Happy Birthday! Hope you have a wonderful day, week, and year!
Thank you all! I had a nice day! ❤️😎
I won't be celebrating until Friday but then I am a Birthday WEEK kind of gal!
I hope your day was filled with love and joy!
Kitschykitch & Kswl,
thank you for thinking of me . things are getting a bit better every day. there are times i can go a few days and manage quite well and then for no reason I go to pieces.
but that said i do see more light at the end of the tunnel.
i realize now that i still have a daughter and grand daughter that need me so I am working hard on trying to stay strong for them and i guess myself.
i am lucky to have them and am trying to be positive and count my blessings.
i know my DH would have wanted that.
Since it looked like I was giving an update, I decide to do just that. As far as my hair goes, I’ve kind of let it go feral. And I’m fine with that. It’s got browns and whites and grays and probably looks odd to some, but I like it. Every so often I get tempted togo back to Brown with blonde highlights but then I remember how much I hate the upkeep so I don’t.
Life has been busy with family and work and travel. I’ll start an update thread one of these days.
This was taken a couple months ago
We had 100% totality in NNY with thin, high clouds. The second pic is during totality, it looked like a sunset in the sky, but facing due north.
what an interesting experience. As partial totality approached, the temperature dropped and the birds were silent. The clouds parted enough to see it . It was clear for the beginning and end. Here’s a photo i took through my glasses near the beginning
It was a beautiful clear spring day. With 95% coverage where we were, it just seemed a bit like dusk for a few minutes, though the light was different. Without the glasses, there was nothing to see. With glasses, it was fun to watch the moon gobble up the sun.
I might be tempted by totality in Egypt in 2027, but for the fact it will be in August and over 100 degrees!
I have been pretty involved with a food bank charity and for us at least, getting people over the stigma of accepting food is a far bigger issue. "Rich" people, whatever that means, was a non issue.
I find it very hard to believe #1 in the article is the truth. Rich people using food banks? I don't think so.
This article is what people posted on reddit. Not actual facts.
The only thing that really rings true is the housing market. My DD and DSIL lived in a tiny 2 bedroom condo until she was pregnant with their 2nd child and needed a larger home. They set a budget. There was nothing in that budget that was livable. They are not DIYers. The only way they could buy a home is with help from all the parents (SIL's mom, DD's dad, and me and my DH). We all gave them $$ toward the down payment to make the home affordable for them. They are lucky to have parents that could do that. I do not know how young people today can buy a home without help.
They bought their house about 5 years ago. Today they would not be able to buy that house even with the help we gave them. It's just crazy.
Im waiting for my work computer to reboot, so i took a look….
What struck me was it was a lot of whining without perspective.
Example #1: I bought my first condo in California in 1993. It was 1br/loft/2ba. It was $133k, today many have extended and enclosed the loft pushing the value to >$600k.
I made $32k annually and worked a second full time job four months a year for another $10k. Today’s 28 year olds with the same qualifications would make a lot more in that same job.
Example #2: As a lifelong 2nd hand buyer and seller, the real issue is the stuff people buy new (which feeds the 2nd hand market) is now mostly crafted as disposable goods. So there are fewer quality things to buy on the secondary market and the expectation of price to quality is incongruent.
This has been a fairly good week-- despite lots of long hours and stress, I have stayed pretty steady. My hunger increased the last few days-- perhaps because it has been cold and rainy. I more think it was nervous energy. I am stocked with celery, hummus, oranges and grape tomatoes so I will snack if hungry but keep it to relatively healthy bites.
I have started to do some short exercise breaks -- think really short, like 5 min of wall exercises as I am on the way to/back the bathroom lol. Barely a blip of an increase but it has been feeling good. Also planning to get in more walks this week -- I need it both mentally and physically! I have spent too many long hours sitting at my desk (plus I have new sneakers!)
My 60th is in 10 days -- I am not near the weight I had hoped I would be at this time last year but I feel good about staying committed and making progress, even if slow.
Otherwise all is going well here ... how is everyone else doing?
Some of my friends freaked out when they hit 50. I had zero issues hitting 50. 60 on the other hand was very rough. It was the first birthday that ever had any effect on me. Like how in the world did that happen? I will be 64 this summer and I'm now totally fine with it. I think because I realize how close I am to retirement and boy does that make me happy!
I again did not work out this past week. So much going on.
Work - moving our apps to the cloud. Been working all weekend resolving issues. On teams call right now waiting for developers to investigate issues.
Personal - primary bathroom remodel starting a week from tomorrow and getting ready for that. I need to try and get into a routine this coming week before my house is filled with contractors the following week.
Happy early birthday @Funkyart
I think it diminishes the value. There are only a few people who eventually need one and in the meantime its a reminder that the grim reaper is coming closer. Why not have a curbless shower with a shower seat?
Anyway, Id rip that sucker out.
Is that the only bath?
Summer, that is the only bath tub.
I looked at the condo this afternoon. The walk-in tub is just as ugly as I thought it would be. However, there are other redeeming features that may cause me make an offer in spite of the tub.
My real estate agent had no opinion on whether or not it would be a detriment when I went to sell.
I‘d imagine most people who go on diets are either dealing with health issues or trying to avoid them. People like me didn't get to where we are because of one slice of pizza a month. I ate healthy food but I ate a lot more than that. Seems like each time I went to the cardiologist he'd up a dose or add a new drug. Now in the span of just a few months my BMI is down over 6 points and I’m off of two medications with the doctor’s blessing. How? No, not by counting calories or going hungry. By eating HEALTHY food and mostly avoiding BAD.
I haven't been on these threads before so, hi, I could use some motivation. I used to be outside and moving anywhere from 2 to 4 hours a day. That stopped at the end of December, which coincided with grief eating of Christmas, then Valentines Day, then Easter treats and candy. I am sober but fairly hooked on sugar. I have managed to keep a brisk 30 minute walk in my schedule most days but that's it. As a result, I've put on 6 pounds and don't feel the least bit healthy. I know I'm slowly swimming out of depression and have decided to turn this around. I think I know what to do but just thought I'd check in for the encouragement of others who have a similar interest.
Update: I got the Steve Madden sneakers. They are good though I was wondering if they’d be too small but it’s been so long since I wore leather vs fabric sneakers it’s such a different feel. These are really more fashion/casual vs workout.
Spanish, I lean that way too “ Speaking for myself, I am into labels but not logos….But, I have learned that the label may not tell the product truthfully. Whenever the item has been made for the discount market .. in this latest case, I am looking at you Cole Haan and Nordstrom Rack...buyer beware. Loved my C. Haan Grand Court sneakers, so bought a new pair at N.Rack. The inner lining was merely a thin piece of foam that had made the shoes unwearable after a few weeks. Ugh. I‘ve learned , in So many cases, the once upscale brand has been sold strictly for Its name. It feels unlawfully dishonest to me.
That may not be the Cole Haan story, though the family brand was sold awhile ago.
I've always called them tennis shoes instead of sneakers, but then I did wear them to play tennis.
In San Francisco, I would buy Tretorn tennis shoes because they were all white, and I would buy Tretorn tennis balls because they were also white, whereas other tennis balls (in the 1970s) were fluorescent chartreuse or orange, and I wanted my tennis to be all white. I even made my own tennis shorts.
I recently bought some more white leather Tretorn tennis shoes, and I feel that I can wear them all year in Palm Springs - especially since so many people wear golf outfits there.
@gsciencechick - I've had cat sitters for probably 30 years - most of them excellent. I used to use them a lot when we both traveled for work. Now it's just for vacation travel but right now I won't go anywhere (during MN season) because I don't have anyone I trust to take care of my cats, especially the senior one with IBD who needs medication. It would be torture for them if they were boarded and unfortunately we don't have family who can take care of them. On the plus side I think I have a good cat sitter lined up in SC - referral from a neighbor. I have not used her yet and only talked with her over the phone but will meet with her when we go back. Only drawback is she is very busy so probably no spontaneous trips that aren't planned well in advance. I could live with that.