Well, my mom is 90 and got her 2nd Pfizer yesterday. I am so very glad she did. She said earlier in the pandemic that she doesn't mind if she dies, but she doesn't want to die alone in a hospital with none of us there. I don't want her to, either.

This is us. Neither is offended in family of origin. I will say that I was shocked one time when visiting ILs. We have a large family, and I always took food to help with both work and expenses. It was the way I did at my parents', and there was no big deal about it. We had to travel, so usually stayed several days at a time, which could be a lot to host. Also, my kids tended to snack more while there. Once, MIL, usually very sweet, made a comment like, "Do you not think we can provide food for you all?" in a kind of sarcastic tone. I was so surprised that that was even a thing she would think. The other dils brought food, so why was it an issue when I did? (We lived much further away, and I married the baby of the family, so it seems she never became accustomed to our being at the family gatherings or bringing food.) But to me, it was weird, and would have been for my family, as well as my sils at their house.

I think the flower girl dresses are going to be adorable!

I have no idea how many were given at the location where I went. They were moving people right through, though. I sat, then stood up to take my coat off, then it was my turn. With questions and everything, it took maybe a minute, maybe half/minute. Then I went to the 15-minute waiting room. When I left, there were more people sitting in the waiting areas, so I might have just hit it at a good time. National Guard was handling it, with some Health Department people on hand as well. Very, very efficient.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out I was getting Pfizer. All the other locations noted which vaccine was being offered on the appointment sign-up page. The only place that wasn't booked up did not list it. I wondered if it was as simple as that the name of the place was longer and maybe it wouldn't fit into the software? I had to go to a more rural town (but not as rural as Soror's) to get it. Again, I was pleasantly surprised at how many people were showing up, and at how well/efficiently the clinic was being run. I don't know what I would do if I were not given a choice and J&J was the one I was offered. So far, only Pfizer and Moderna are here; I'm not crazy at this point about the J&J. Perhaps when more information is available on it, it will look better. Or they will offer a second dose.

I'm so sorry. May God hold you tight and comfort you as you grieve.

When I went on to make an appointment, most of the places listed the vaccine name. I mean, they need that name for the second vaccines. Does anybody know if, when a person who has had covid (diagnosed by testing + symptoms) goes to get a vaccine, are they told there is no need for a second one? I read that only one is needed here and elsewhere, but was wondering if that has become the practice everywhere? (Not asking for me, but for a friend.)

They are only on the opening page, as Spryte said. I just ignore them.

Ddil had all the bridesmaids choose their own dresses, but in jewel colors. So there was a variety of color and style. They did look at them beforehand to make sure they would work together. The flowers were handmade bouquets of a variety, including sunflowers. It looked gorgeous, with rich color. One dd had a very small family wedding with no attendants (didn't want to choose between siblings). I'm afraid I can't remember what the other dd did for bridesmaid dresses (embarrassed face).

I got my first vaccine a couple of days ago, and signed up so I can report any side effects, etc. (Some see that as an invasion of privacy, but I see it as a way to increase the database of information for researchers.) So...if I report that I had mild arm soreness, is that considered an "injury report"? Because it seems like it might be, according to that report, but it was no more and maybe less that I have with any other shot. ETA: That type of mild response (and the mild headache that could also have been attributed to allergy issues) could skew the number of injury reports to look like awful things are happening much more frequently/seriously than they are.

I had an email this morning that my phase had opened up, and was able to get an appointment, but I had to travel to the next county to get it. About a half-hour away. I was glad to do it. There were a couple of sites very near our house, but all those slots were full.

When we were overseas, marble was cheaper than wood (at that time and place). So we had a wooden base made, and a marble top. That thing was indestructible and perfect for homeschooling. Besides, it was pretty. It was very smooth. Paint on the table? Use nail polish remover on it. Markers? Crayons? Glue? Just wipe it off. While I love the look of wood, I have often thought that if I were starting over with kids (I'm not), I'd consider using a countertop material of some type (quartz, marble, etc.) on a wooden or metal base. I personally don't care for tablecloths except for special meals, especially with kids, though they can be pretty and cheerful. Ours always seemed to get pulled off-center, or were hard to write on, etc.

Well, I grew up in the South, and as an adult have lived in some very cold climates. As a child, we played outside summer and winter. We never had snowsuits or the kinds of clothes we later used in the cold climates. As a parent, after having lived in the cold climates with the appropriate clothing, all-weather tires, snow shovels, etc., then later living in the South again with our large family, it just wasn't a good use of our resources to spend money on harsh-weather winterizing for each of our kids when it might not even be used once. Unless you are rich with plenty of storage room, you just can't be prepared for every single eventuality at all times.

This thread reminded me of that book as well. And it is so true that some things that others want or expect would drive me nuts. I have a friend who recently moved closer to us. She and her dh are great, but they interact with each other in very different ways than my dh and I do. When I told him some of her comments, he said, "I really don't want or need you to do that (act of service) for me." It would annoy us more than make us feel loved.

This reminds me of a couple of friendships of mine that were harmed by this kind of thinking. On my part, I just didn't expect of my friendships the kinds of things that they expected. So I failed to recognize that I wasn't meeting their friendship "needs" until it was too late. One was very hurt because we didn't do something that I never would have expected of my friends (attending an occasion that was important to them, but distance, small children, heavy schedule, etc., were involved). I'm a very practical person, and it just wasn't on my radar. The other also had expectations that I/we didn't meet. I really hated to lose the friendships, because they were important to me. But it was also stressful to always feel like I was failing and had to be someone I wasn't/guess what they might be using as a guide for my faithful friendship. I have a relative who keeps count of "signs" that people don't care; "if it isn't important enough to you to remember what I want you to order at the fast food restaurant, etc." Oh boy, if I counted that as real concern, by dh would be forever in trouble, lol.

While I don't care to be around those who do this, as I read your post, I realized something about myself. There are times I have done this when I felt like it wouldn't do any good to "speak up" because I wouldn't be heard (or I would be blasted/ostracized). So during the in-between time from recognizing there was a problem to the figuring out how I was going to handle it, I have sometimes fallen into the passive/aggressive camp. Of course, that doesn't help with understanding those who choose to live there, but it might be helpful for those who are transitioning from feeling helpless to finding their courage (or to finding options).

My father was a family practice physician. He once told me that about 80% of his job was just listening to people. They just needed somebody to care.

I'm so sorry for the loss of your brother, as well as the lack of support and other issues you are dealing with. I'm thinking of you and saying a prayer for you tonight.

As "exciting" as adoption is, as one looks to success stories and seeking to give a child stability and the best outcome possible, I realized (not just in my head) that all adoptions are borne out of some kind of crisis. Even the "best scenario" ones. So you do what you can and work hard and hope for the best, but sometimes the hurt is so deep and it isn't your fault if you can't make it disappear.

I'm sorry, Scarlett. Hugs to you.

Our golden doodle pup (about 8 months) is asking to go outside repeatedly today. He comes in all excited with his muzzle snow-covered. He stays inside for awhile, then heads to the door again. It is in the single digits here, but he is having a blast. It's kind of driving me nuts, though. ETA: I have let his coat grow--his last grooming was early December--except for around his eyes, so he has a nice thick coat right now. We were going to get him a sweater earlier in the winter, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't need one after all.

I know this was mentioned, but I can't find it. What was said about receiving other immunizations in relation to covid vaccines?

Sigh. I miss homeschooling littles.

I will make them again. I doubled the recipe because I wanted leftovers for tomorrow. The only change I made is that I did not double the cayenne pepper; I used ½ tsp for the double recipe. I wanted to make sure it wasn't too hot to enjoy the steak flavor, even though we do like spicy, generally. It was perfect that way.

The Cajun steak bites were really good. I used sirloin. They would have been better if I hadn't put too many in the skillet at once. I also should have had the butcher cut them larger (I told him 1 ½" cubes because I didn't look at the recipe first, which says 2" cubes). Cooking too many at a time made them produce more juice and they cooked more in that than searing in the pan, which made them not as tender. So next time, I will cook in smaller batches so they will cook faster by searing, and not overcook. The "gravy" made by butter, garlic, and the spices left in the pan was yummy, and I sopped up what was left on my plate with my bread. The potatoes were delicious. They didn't say Yukon gold, but just golden potatoes. I rubbed them lightly with oil, sprinkled with salt, and put on a baking sheet (no foil) at 325 for 1 ½ hr. We all preferred them over the potatoes I usually use for baking. The skin was thin, and the flavor of the potato was more subtle and tasty. Served with a spinach/tomato salad and bread, and we'll have ice cream with strawberries later this afternoon.