Delaying Everything - Who else, due to serious medical issues?
One Devoted Dame
3 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (35)
Related Discussions
Do you do canning/preserving due to health issues?
Comments (16)I have started canning because much like Dowlinggram, we have a young family. I became a stay at home mom who has gardened as a hobby for the past 7 years. So I just "upped my game" a little. I am finally putting up some good numbers although much healthier for my family (and way tastier) hubby and I joke we are still no where near in the money saving range yet. Between fencing, tiller, more fencing (stupid deer), humane traps for the groundhogs (over a dozen in our yard this year had to be relocated or we were going to have even more serious issues next year), and all the jars I have bought this year - maybe next year we will see the economic savings. I do have to say though, it has still all come out of my normal grocery budget and the food is not only much better, but it is all an investment. And to be honest, the stay at home mom thing was a bit of a shock to my system (don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade it for the world) so no matter what it gives me the feeling even if it is not "financial sound" yet that I am productive and doing something healthy and good for my family. I do have to say though, my husband and I took care of his parents for the last few years before they passed away. His father need to go on an extreme low salt diet. I did a lot of label reading and it is amazing how much salt they hide in everything. I really wished I was canning at that time. Low sodium was not NO sodium. It was extremely hard to buy anything that was pre-packaged in a store. Kalindi...See MoreThoughts and prayers needed for DH, serious health issues (long
Comments (21)Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers. Well it is Sunday and we got through the reunion all right. Actually it went great. We had 12 classmates out of 42 show up and 25 little kids. My folks rushed home and were there late Friday night and the girls stayed at my sisters that night. My folks put up 2 pools and also got one of those giant little tykes water slides that inflate. People showed up around 1:30 and stayed until after 8. We all had so much fun, 2 of my sisters came over and helped out with the kids, they had fun on the water slide and pools, my dad got one of the horses out and they had pony rides, he also had his full sized popcorn maker going and they ate tons of popcorn and we also had popsicles and watermelon to cool off. I made too much food as usual and my mil made several salads, we just grilled out hotdogs and had a lot of fun. Those that wanted to had brought beer so we just sat around talking about the high school days and comaparing current notes. I can tell you it was a blast and took my mind off dh. He did come down and had fun too. We go see the surgeon on Tuesday and see what he has to say. I think he is planning on doing more tests and another CT scan. They got his pain under control. They think that it was a combo of the gall stones and they discovered an infection in his intestinal area so put him on iv antibiotics. His blood sugar has really dropped since Friday and we are working on getting it under control. The Dr. thinks that the gall stones and infection brought out the diabetes. She is positive about it and that with diet, exercise, cutting out sugar and oral meds that we can get things under control. They won't do anything about the gallsones and hernia until the diabetes is under control. All in all it really has been a long week but in a way I am glad that it happened. DH hasn't had a physical in 11 years and is overweight. While there I asked Dr. to do a full work up on him and am curious to see what his cholestoral is. The hardest thing is that he really isn't a fruit or veggie person. I am sure you know that between the kids and I most of our diet is veggies and fruits and meat is a side dish. Right now his blood sugar has been staying around 180 which is in the high range of what the diabetes consultant wants but is way better than what it was before. Now to try and catch up on my sleep, we are also in the processes of moving the girls and Hayden down stairs and had carpet put down on Friday so the house has stuff every where. My mom is going to come up on Tuesday and stay a couple of days to help me catch up. With me being pregnant and Dan's hernia the furniture moving will have to wait until we get some family to come up and help move things around our 2 story house. Again thanks for the support and love, Stacie girlsingardens...See MoreDue Dilligence - Questions to ask BEFORE you sign a contract
Comments (19)saftgeek - I hate to admit it but you are all too correct about far too many attorneys! I was a high school teacher for 20 years before deciding to go to law school and I have been deeply appalled by the how truly unethical and dishonest some lawyers are. In the six years I've been practicing law, I've run into more dishonest, downright sleezy lawyers than I met incompetant teachers in twenty years of teaching school... and people are always knocking teachers for being incompetant! Shyster lawyers make me ashamed of this profession just as incompetant teachers sometimes made me ashamed of the teaching profession. I would urge you or anyone else who has evidence of a lawyer behaving dishonestly or unethically to report them to their state bar association. It might not do any good but then again, it just might. At least in Texas, I think our state bar tries to disbar the unethical lawyers whenever they can find them. It certainly sounds like your ex-boss was exactly that type. I also truly am not trying to paint GCs as dishonest. I believe the vast majority are honest folks who do their best to do a good job when building a home and, if they make mistakes, try their best to fix them. BUT, as in all professions, there are some people building homes that are either lazy, dishonest, or so downright disorganized that the homeowner who ends up hiring one of them needs to be able to go to court and get help. And, unfortunately, the contract promulgated by the Texas Association of Builders is specifically designed to protect these bottom-feeding GCs from facing the music for their bad behaviour. The funny thing is, I KNOW that it was the TAB's lawyers who drafted the d--n contract that protects the bad builders, so when I'm knocking the contract, I'm also slamming some of the members of my own profession! I actually suspect that most builders who use the TAB form contract do so because it is available to them cheaply and they don't know any more about what it really says than the homeowner does. And, so long as there are no major problems with the build - nobody is any the worse off. But, I defy any honest person who has ever READ the TAB contract to argue with a straight face that it is a fair and balanced contract. Among other things, it requires the homeowner to waive the "implied warranty of habitability". Basically an implied warranty of habitablity means that courts have said when two parties enter into a contract for one to build a home for the other, there is an implied understanding between them that the finished home will be inhabitable. The owner doesn't have to make sure to insist that language be put into the contract SAYING that the house must be able to be lived in when comleted...the courts will assume that since the contract was for the building of a home, the finished product must be something one can inhabit or it is simply not a "home." But, just in case someone WANTS just a shell - or something like that - to be built, courts will allow the parties to agree to waive the "implied warranty of habitability". Asking the homeowner to waive the implied warranty of habitablity might be fair if the homeowner wanted to build something totally new and different and the builder said, "you know, I can build that for you but I don't think it'll be something you can live in when I get done, are you SURE that's what you want?" But, I think you would have to agree that, except in those rare instances, a house should be inhabitable, just like a car should be driveable, a suit should be wearable, and a wedding cake should be edible. Would you agree to buy a new car from a manufacturer who insisted that you agree to waive the "implied warranty of driveability"? Would you purchase a suit from a tailor who refused to warrant that it would be wearable? Would you order a wedding cake from a baker who refused to guarantee that it would be edible? Why would you buy a home from someone who refused to warrant that it would be habitable????? Nevertheless, the Texas Association of Builders - with the help of its attorneys no doubt! - realized that implied warranties can be waived and that most homeowners don't ever really read or understand the contract they sign. So they put language into the form contract that waives the warranty of habitablility on every single home built under it. That means the homeowner may think he is contracting for a turn-key home but, even if the house he gets is so defective that he cannot possibly live in it - say the sewage pipe has broken in the wall so that there that raw sewage has contaminated all the insulation - the homeowner cannot argue that the builder breached the contract by building an UNIHABITABLE house. Fair????? The TAB contract also requires that the owner agree upfront to "binding arbitration" in the event of a dispute. This doesn't sound too bad...unless you happen to know a couple of facts about binding arbitration. First, arbitration is MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE than small claims court even though most building disputes are going to be over amounts small enough have brought the claim in small claims court. Second, arbitrators are selected and PAID by the parties to the dispute which means that arbitrators make more money if they are selected for more cases. If an arbitrator wants future work, they have to make sure that the party that is more likely to bring them future business is happy. Care to guess which party is more likely to NEED to hire an arbitrator for a second or third or fourth construction dispute? Some studies have shown that homeowners win less than 5% of claims that go to arbitration but win about half of claims that are tried in a court of law. Even those few homeowners who are nominal winners in arbitration almost never win enough money to actually repair their homes! The TAB contract also requires that the builder receive his final payment, in full, (i.e. NO RETAINAGE) at the time of the final walk-through even though it also specifies that a punch list of items to be corrected/completed/repaired will be made at this same time. In theory the builder is supposed to return and finish the punch list. But, WHY should the unscrupulous builder bother? After all, he has already been paid in full AND the homeowner can't even sue him in small claims court due to the binding arbitration clause I already mentioned? Do you think that is fair? I could go on and on about other clauses that are in the TAB contract but I suspect I've made my point. A builder who insists on using the TAB contract after having some of its many unfair clauses pointed out to him may not actually BE dishonest but, IMHO, neither is he the kind of straight shooter I really want to deal with. Straight shooters are willing to play on a level playing field....See MoreWho else feels bone dry now?
Comments (60)Defrost, I assume you have to use a drill to put your own drainage in. Turning cattle troughs into raised beds This arrangement has been said to keep rabbits out of the beds, but I imagine it doesn't keep voles or chipmunks or squirrels out. I'm not sure what to suggest. I hope the hardware cloth does the trick, but they can climb into the bed and knaw on your plants. I've often read threads on dealing wtih these critters and can't remember ever reading about any suggestion that was actually successful. I might think about this kind of arrangement - covers for the raised beds. A tunnel or row covers keep insects out but I doubt they keep out voles. The example here looks like they used chicken wire but you could use hardware cloth if the holes need to be smaller. Covers for raised beds I'm sure it is an expense and more work than you want to do. *sigh* It would be for me, but, it seems to me once installed, it would be very easy to use and you'd be done wtih it. Was it you who told me you were a fan of Eliot Coleman? I wonder what he does to deal with critters. He has to have as many as anyone else does. He has always come up with very inventive solutions. My wooden beds are 8 yrs old, hard for me to believe. They are starting to show wear and tear but I think I'd probably get another 4 years out of them. So I have some time to figure out what we want to do next. It's just what am I going to do in the meantime. [g]...See MoreOne Devoted Dame
3 years ago
bpath
3 years ago
This is the ME calendar page I slipped into my phone case. Pretty much sums things up. The pretending.One Devoted Dame thanked bpath
Related Stories
CONTRACTOR TIPS5 of the Most Common Delays in Remodeling Projects
It’s not just the weather — although that’s often part of it. There can be permit delays, scheduling issues and more
Full Story
HOUZZ TOURSMy Houzz: Everything He Needs in a 433-Square-Foot Boston Loft
A medical resident has room to entertain, relax, read and even store a surfboard and other sports gear in his Beacon Hill apartment
Full Story
ORGANIZINGHow to Do a Serious Garage Clean-Out
Downsizing or decluttering? This guide can help ease the pain of paring back
Full Story
LIFEYour First-Aid, Emergency and Medical Supply Checklist
Don’t wait until you need them to stock your first-aid kit and emergency stash. Here’s what to get and where to keep it
Full Story
KITCHEN OF THE WEEKKitchen of the Week: 27 Years in the Making for New Everything
A smarter floor plan and updated finishes help create an efficient and stylish kitchen for a couple with grown children
Full Story
FUN HOUZZEverything I Need to Know About Decorating I Learned from Downton Abbey
Mind your manors with these 10 decorating tips from the PBS series, returning on January 5
Full Story
BATHROOM WORKBOOKSee How 8 Bathrooms Fit Everything Into About 100 Square Feet
Get ideas for materials, layouts and more before meeting with pros to plan your own remodel
Full Story
REMODELING GUIDESConstruction Timelines: What to Know Before You Build
Learn the details of building schedules to lessen frustration, help your project go smoothly and prevent delays
Full Story
LIFESimple Pleasures: Spoil Yourself
Renew your spirit by indulging in treats, quiet time and letting someone else do your chores for once
Full Story
HOUZZ CALLHouzz Call: How Are Shortages Affecting Your Home Project?
Have you noticed higher material and product prices? Experienced project delays? We want to hear about it
Full Story
One Devoted DameOriginal Author