Yes. Climate change has shifted things. When I was a child, this area was 4A/B. Now it is 4B and if close to the lake for the insulation from the currents, 5A. I am not supposedly quite close enough to the lake to be 5A, however I planted this year for 5A because we had an unusually warm early and mid-April. As a child with a middle of April birthday, there was almost always still a little snow on the ground and no one put plants in until Memorial Day. This year it was short sleeve weather by the end of April. All my plants went in around May 1st, and I just watched to see if I would need to cover them at night.

Thanks for that clue! I will have him check from my mom's computer. She doesn't use it to order anything.

I don't know. We went to that exact website this morning and tried to get something handicap accessible/wheelchair, and it gave us a total of $1023.

Mil has never seen the Nutcracker, and has been lamenting that she has never been to the ballet at all. She is 87, turning 88 next month, and well, her health is a grab bag of mess. So we decided we would take her for her birthday. Y'all, the Flint Institute of Arts/Waiting Auditorium which is there closest place to us that is having it this year is $341 a ticket. With taxes if I go along, $1023. I just about fell over. Midland Center for the Arts which is usually a reasonably priced venue for us to take the mothers to for special events. Sigh. Mark is checking Fox Theater in Detroit, but that is hard because she doesn't like to ride so far, and it is a 3 hr drive each way. But, that is going to be the only option and still very pricey at $90 a piece plus parking. I told Mark to take her without me. I have seen it a gazillion times, and with some of the best ballet companies America has so I don't have any burning desire to go. But, he doesn't like to travel that far alone with her. I know these productions are so expensive to offer, however, I feel like these places need to hit up wealthy donors for contributions for "we the peasants day" prices so us lowly commoners have a chance to afford these things. Sheesh. UPDATE: Mark called yesterday before the ticket office closed to tell them what he thought of the data tracking/dynamic pricing thing. He was so angry. And we donate to FIM every year so it was just really to him like a stab in the back. There was the usual apology/not apology, and of course the person he talked to didn't have any control over this kind of policy, so he just asked them to please relay his message to upper management. He also indicated that if this ever happened again, we would no longer be patrons and they could kiss our annual donation goodbye. He didn't expect any kind of follow up. We aren't wealthy, so we aren't customers/donors he would expect them to give a crap about. They called 5 minutes ago and said they have 3 tickets for us on the orchestra floor aisle JJ. They are giving them to us at the regular ticket price. Mother in law is over the moon! I could hardly believe it. My guess is that one of the season ticket holders decided not to attend and gave their tickets back to FIM to re-sell. I imagine they expected to try to get some ungodly price for them with the dynamic pricing crap, but maybe the complaint made it high enough up they decided to offer it to us at the fair rate. We will never know. I have learned my lesson though about searching multiple times while hmmming and hawing about whether or not to purchase. Either don't look until you know for sure you are going to buy, or make sure to always clear cache/cookies after doing a search.

LUNCH 2 cups broccoli and red pepper salad Red pepper sticks and hummus Just ate 2.5 cups of carrot, potato chowder that also contained leeks, onions, and celery. Total was 7 servings of veggies. I didn't weigh it all, probably wasn't near 800 grams. I need to make sure I have tummy feeling really good before we make the long drive this weekend.

On the headstone? 😂😂😂

Very simple. Turkey Mashed potatoes and gravy (roast sweet potato for son in law who cannot have nightshade) Roasted green beans Cranberry orange sauce Artisan bread Roast Brussels sprouts Homemade ice cream for dessert None of us feel like having a complicated meal.

Well, today the last of all the supplies arrived that I need to make some of the fancy foods I am giving away. I am not starting all of that until I get back from our Thanksgiving in Alabama. I also received the outfit that I bought for my mom for her trip to France. I wondered if it would fit, and it did. She looks like and adorable, somewhat chic, old granny and was thrilled with it. Sigh. I should have all kinds of warm, fuzzy feelings about making her so happy, but I feel numb. I just haven't really gotten past the trust issues after what she and dad put us through, though it has been 8 years, so I don't have the connectedness that my sis has with her. So I am just trying to feel satisfied about doing well for my children's grandmother. They still feel very very close to her. The books we are giving for Christmas Eve for the grandkids have also arrived.

I feel like as human beings go, she is one of those that could be labeled "a walking disaster". I have no idea what is so incredibly wrong with her thinking other potentially narcissism.

Many hugs, I'm so very sorry for your loss.

I hear you!!! Right there in the No Man's Land with you. My.mother.in.law. Sigh

Monday was not my day. In terms of ratio of what I ate that was veggie to what I ate that wasn't, I did great. But I ran around like a crazy woman after teaching my middle school zoom STEM class, and then took my MIL to a medical appointment. Lunch - small side salad, probably 1.5 cups Dinner - 2 cups Brussels sprouts. Since a boiled egg on the salad, and a 1.5 cups of homemade gruyere mac in cheese, a lot of what ate was veggie. Just not 800 grams or even 5-7 servings. That said, the jump to 800 grams has caused some occasional intestinal disturbance. I may back off to 650 and continue to try to get 5 servings, and then slowly increase to 800. I think that will be fine. I just need to adjust to the increased bulk fiber. Plus, I don't want to have this issue while making the 12 hour drive to Huntsville on Saturday!

A trip to somewhere tropical and sunny. Bask in the sunshine. Low light is beginning to kick my butt and my energy levels. That isn't happening. So I would settle for my middle son's employer not being a wicked asset. But that probably isn't an option either. After the 1st of the year, his resume' is going out to many places. I can't think of a material thing that I really want. Can some of our Aussie bees bottle sunshine and send it to me?

These are really cute!

Today was a light day. We had lunch at my mom's, and I have been full ever since. Huge baked potato -334 grams 2 cups salad, heavy on vegetables - 100 grams 2 cups roasted broccoli -350 I came close. But, I also just can't eat anymore bulk so 784 is it.

I am in the same boat. I just can't make much because of the tax rate and the potential of pushing us into another tax bracket which makes it a financial lose lose. So what I am doing right now is teaching STEM/Aerospace zoom classes as a volunteer through an organization. I am loving the work. On the side, I still take some occasional wedding/funeral/piano performance work, and that money goes into a Roth. It will remain this way until Mark retires, and then for a few years, I will so something higher earning. Right now the stuff I am doing will provide a lot of references and show continued experience and hopefully that will allow me to get full time work.

Ya. It has nothing to do with mom. Seriously. Of all the things to NOT take a cancer patient to, a crowded child infested, spreading influenza and covid infused, noisy, over stimulated environment is the thing. Sheesh. They are most certainly not thinking about what is best for her. You husband gets a vacation because HE gets to go off and do his thing while you single parent. He is trying to manipulate you emotionally and using his mother as the screw he tightens. That is truly disgusting and gross.

You did just fine. He needs to not be condescending and show you some respect. You don't need to answer if answering will not improve his attitude. I really hope he leaves the kids home with you. It could be a nice time to make some memories with them, do things they like, relax and have some down time to plan the new schedule after they return so everyone can be informed of when you are and are not available.

Mini glow in the dark play doh and slime doh is very popular.

One time in college. This was of course many epocs ago. I hated it, felt like my whole pizza experience was ruined. I didn't want them to begin with but the rest of the party did. I have refused to have them ever since. So we are talking 36-37 years ago!

We have two different fire options in our backyard. One is a fire pit, a hole that Mark dug and squared which is lined with fire brick, and has weed wacking and mowing done around it. The other is a ceramic wood stove, think chiminea, set on pavers which has a screen for the opening and has a short chimney also of ceramic. It is meant to heat a large room indoors, and is a leftover of my dad's fireplace shop inventory that was never going to sell for any kind of money. We took it and put it on the papers. It radiates much more heat than a campfire so we love it in the spring and fall.

Thank you, Sid. I appreciate that thoughtful tip! 😁

I am using this recipe for hot cocoa mix. https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/best-hot-chocolate-mix-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-113807 I am making up pancake mix as well. We will be giving away a quart to each person, two to each couple, of dried cinnamon apples, and dried pineapple. I homemade canned peach salsa pint jar and one pint of my canned beef roast. Mark is the candy maker, and will give away tins filled with chocolate fudge, English toffee, and peanut brittle. Those who will not be celebrating Christmas Eve Smorrebrod with us will receive a desert tray prior to the holiday with Kringle, Honninghjerter, Peppernodder, Finsk Brod, and Vaniljekranse. I have made Danse Lagenkage in the past, and it was very good. But, I have so much to do and that is best made the day of, so I am not making it this year.

I used Amtrak last month, and had a carry on, personal item, and a suitcase. No additional fees.

This is amazing to me. I have never attempted this type or quilt.