My parents are in one. If they deplete their savings, the facility will still keep them. My folks wanted a faith based non-profit because they didn't want to go into a good place only to have it sold to some other worse entity. Those places can turn over quickly, and quality can suffer. The well established faith based non profits are less likely to sell. Luckily the best facility around here also happens to be faith based, non profit, so it worked out well. The facility has been around for decades. However, my folks had to show substantial resources before getting admitted and pay a big amount just to get in. They are in independent living now but all the options are there for more advanced care.

That's the one I got - the full rain fly one - and I snagged it for about $175 on Amazon earlier this year. I had been stalking it for awhile.

It's a great tent at any of those prices compared to the competition.

My kids loved the plastic cutting food at my ILs. It was the cutting option they loved the most.

I plan on it. Some of my 23 things will go on 24 since I didn't manage to do them all and still think they are important enough to do. One thing I'll probably repeat even though I completed it in 23 is hiking all the trails in our nearby park system. That was wonderful.

In my circle of seven long time friends who are scattered in seven different places across the country, there isn't a one of us who hasn't experienced a national news headline mass shooting within a half hour or less of her house/workplace. I mean, I just had another a few days ago (stranger opened fire in a grocery store), but since only the shooter died (self-inflicted) and the multiple victims all lived, it was local news.

I use the 15 bean mix and make the absolute easiest soup ever that still tastes good. This works in a crockpot or on the stove, but I do it in my dutch oven in the oven. I put in the bean mix and beef broth (I use fake beef broth since I'm vegetarian and toss the seasoning packet that comes with the beans), a bay leaf, and 8 cups of water and bake at 350 for a couple of hours until the beans are soft. Then I dump in a can of diced tomatoes and bake for another 15 min or so. Slow baking like that seems to make a delicious broth like magic, and it tastes even better the next day.

My favorite way to eat parsnips is to roast them with carrots. I cut them similar size and roast with some olive oil and salt and then add some chopped parsley when done. I think a little parsnip taste goes a long way (I made parsnip soup once - just once) but I think they meld well with carrots.

I get my parents gift cards to Amazon for their Kindles and include two or three recommendations of books I think they'd like. It's more personal than just a gift card but still gives them flexibility if they've already read it or don't like the suggestions. I've been doing it for years now and they really like it. I keep an eye out all the time for books and write ideas down so it's easy to pull it together.

I used to use the three bin method - one adding stuff, one cooking, and one ready, but they were open and dh didn't want to attract mice or rats. Now in the summer when my veggie beds are in use I add everything to a lidded trash can that had holes in the sides and bottom. I have two, one to add stuff and the other to cook. Once I clean out my veggie bed for the season I dig furrows and then just add all my kitchen scraps directly to the soil and cover as I go. I plant on top of that in the spring and go back to the trashcans until fall again. I use the trashcan compost whenever it is ready.

I really like Connections. Nothing makes my day like returning to a tough one several times until it finally clicks. I struggle with my lack of knowledge about rapper names and horror movies, both of which seemed to be popular themes for a bit there, lol.

It's one of those fermented foods that they've discovered are good for the gut biome, so you want to protect the bacteria in miso to get the benefit. I just heat water, not to a boil, and then dissolve some paste into it. I often add some diced tofu and/or leftover veggies but plain is yummy as well. I add it to other dishes for an umami kick too. In my area, we can get white or brown miso, the white being more mild tasting. It's called white but it still looks tan, while the brown is darker. Oh, and when you are dissolving it, I like to take my clump and add just some hot water and make a watery paste first, then add that. It doesn't always dissolve easily otherwise.

I understand the possibility that people change their minds about the care they want as they age. My MIL is 99 and very demented but generally happy. She probably considers her life to be just fine - she's certainly not suffering. Her kids, however, are turning themselves inside out trying to care for her, and she even has financial resources. Part of my reasoning in not wanting to live in that state is the toll it takes on others. I might feel fine, but I'm demented and don't understand what is actually going on. It's a huge burden on the loved ones. It's easier when the person with dementia isn't fearful or angry or otherwise negative, but it's still not easy. I don't want to live with dementia, even if I am happy, because I'm no longer myself. Plus, I can understand now that I'd be a burden even if I wouldn't understand that I am then. We will almost certainly have the financial resources for our care, but even then, I would rather my kids have a better inheritance than live like that. And yes, I'm willing to take matters into my own hands while I still can, though of course I don't think that is the solution for everyone.

I would think she'd have symptoms before the field trip if she's going to have them. Fingers crossed!

I'm glad the song is back, but I like covers that are different in some way from the original. He pretty much sings it like she did, and while that's fine, I'm wondering why bother? I have no opinion about it being a girl song.

I haven't heard great things about the rock shower floors - uncomfortable and really hard to keep clean. They do look nice though.

I used to visit a family that had one, and he would always come over to be friendly when I was sitting in a chair. That was fine, but he'd be eye level with me and that slobber would slime my face and neck if I wasn't vigilant which was gross. He wasn't being rude, just wanting some pets, but even standing quietly next to you means you are sitting in the danger zone when a dog is that tall.

I would put a plug in for tea (not the drinking kind). We had to shift our expectations and make some adjustments after I was menopausal, but trying to make it a priority has done wonders for both of our stress levels. The hormones released from that are so calming and relaxing, and we get the bonus of connecting with each other which lowers stress too. Like I said, though, we had to shift mentally and not compare tea in our late 20s to now (late 50s) and feel like it's more trouble than it's worth. The other night I got a hip cramp at a very inopportune moment for me, and we just cracked up. It is more trouble than it was, but still so worth it.

Some nonprofits or organizations have garage sales with donated things to raise money. I belong to a group that cares for a feral cat colony, and we have garage sales twice a year. Everything is donated and we don't put prices on anything - it's whatever you are willing to pay (though we might negotiate a bit on big things if someone is being cheap). The money we raise goes to food and medical care for the cats. We make about a thousand each time. I have heard that Curves does this too and they donate the money to nonprofits helping kids. Anyway, if you can find something like this, it's a great way to get rid of things while also bringing in money for a good cause.

Well, that's really something.

Those sound like Honeynut - a close relative of Butternut. If so, consider yourself lucky! I think they taste better than Butternut and I like them best when I cut them in half, take out the seeds, and roast them cut side down on a sheet pan until slightly browned and tender. A little salt and pepper is all you need. I roast several at once and then save the flesh. So good.

Both my deliveries were with a CNM and no drugs. With my first I waited about half an hour after reaching 10cm for an urge to happen, but never did. Contractions were coming hard and fast, but no urge. I ended up pushing during contractions because my midwife said to, and it took about two hours of pushing for him to come out. I never felt the urge. With baby two, I also never felt the urge. Same midwife told me to push separate from contractions because she knew it would go fast. It did - maybe 20 min after reaching 10cm. I don't know if I ever would have had an urge to push if I had just waited for one. ETA both of mine were water births in a large birthing tub, though I doubt that had any effect on me never getting a pushing urge

This! I collect mugs and also bowls that are roughly soup size. I love the various glazes, but it's the feel in my hand that I adore. I use them everyday. I have a few pottery vases and pitchers that are decorative and I love those too, but those are also are pretty traditional in shape and glaze. I'm not really drawn to the more artistic stuff when it comes to pottery. The feel of a warm bowl of soup in a bowl that someone crafted from hand and made beautiful with earthy colors just feeds my soul.

I would argue that abortion rights very much can impact women with careers and women's safety from violent men (especially that), but also don't want to derail. It is very hard to do this in a way that isn't discriminatory because while you can find small differences when comparing large groups of men and women, there is considerable overlap between the sexes. So while, for example, men tend to be stronger than women, there are plenty of women who are stronger than plenty of men. Do a bell curve of male and female strength or nurturing or whatever and the part where they overlap will be most of it. It isn't particularly helpful to try and develop policies around this, IMO, because the variance among the sexes is much greater than the variance between the sexes. Give me any particular man or woman and I would often be wrong if I tried to say one is better at x. It really depends on the person more than the sex. Editing to add, this is why I think language around sex and ability is so fraught. Yes, there are some biological differences, but we don't understand them well at all, and we really don't know how much culture impacts those biological differences (especially brain differences which are a big chicken/egg thing IMO). Bringing sex into the equation when talking about the specific ability of a person isn't all that helpful generally, IMO. We know language has impacted generations before us and their opinions of what men and women can do, and we aren't over it yet.

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