Thank you for sharing that. If she isn't better in the morning, I'm taking her in first thing.

We are very fortunate. I've been lucky the few times I have had to take a pet in, they have been able see us pretty quickly. I have a feeling they are having trouble finding veterinarians to staff these facilities.

As it turns out…I can’t get her checked out tonight. All of the ER vets are at capacity and not taking new patients. I went to my usual place, and they had a sign out diverting to 3 other ERs in the metro area. I went to the next closest one, and their one dr just went into surgery. A vet tech graciously came out and took a look at her. She said because she’s bright and alert, she felt like it could wait. So I’m taking her back home and monitoring her. If there is a change I’ll call around first to see who can see her. Otherwise, I need to wait it out. I forgot to say in my first post that her tummy has been making a lot of noises too. Oh well. I guess I’ll sit up with her tonight.

She seems nauseous but doesn't throw up. She is just laying around mostly. She did go outside a few minutes ago and bark at something, so I thought maybe she is okay after all. She is the same though. The thing that has me worried is that she keeps stretching. Like stretching her front legs out in front of her. I read that can be a sign of bloat. She's a small dog though. 18 lbs. But she is deep chested. Do you think this is something that can wait until in the morning? ETA: I have decided to take her to the ER vet. I hate when my dogs are unwell. 😞

I planted garlic today. I have never grown garlic before, so I hope I don't mess it up. It is German Extra Hardy and has been in my refrigerator since the beginning of October. I have daffodil bulbs to plant, too--another first for me. I hope I'm not too late.

That’s funny! I had pulled all of mine and tossed them on a pile to compost. A couple of days ago I went out to break down the dried vines and found two perfectly ripe small tomatoes. They probably won’t taste very good, but I brought them in. I have also gotten two tomatoes from my Dwarf Rosella Purple. They are about 4 oz each. I ate the ripe one, and it was pretty tasty considering it was out in the cold up until last week. I brought the plant in and put it under a light. It’s got one more good sized fruit and a couple babies.

My understanding is that only young children shed the virus for up to two weeks, but even then there’s not much evidence that it’s infectious past a couple of days.

Congratulations!

@Melanie32 @KSera's post reminded me of a recipe I came across this week for peanut butter fudge. No flour in those either. I'm not a chocolate person, so it sounded yummy to me--just the plain peanut butter fudge. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/276663/grandmas-creamy-peanut-butter-fudge/

That is very exciting! I'm sure it feels long overdue for you though! Tonight I am making these pumpkin cookies that I haven't made in years. My older kids always loved them. Then I got sick and stopped baking at the holidays. I'm feeling better than I have in years, so I may actually enjoy the holidays this year. 🙂 This is an experiment. I am using mostly freshly milled soft white wheat in these. It calls for all purpose. Fingers crossed they turn out. It would make them a slightly less guilty pleasure. 😉 ETA: experiment was a success. 👍

If it's only two month old grout, it should not be permanently discolored. Try Comet and/or Oxiclean with a grout brush. Then after it's white again, maybe put on another coat of grout sealant. I have those gosh awful white 6 inch tiles with wide (used to be) white grout in my 1995 master bath. Once or twice a year I go over it with my Oreck Orbiter--which is a powerful buffing/scrubbing machine. I sprinkle Comet on the floor and then spray it down with a water and go over it with the Oreck with the scrubbing bristle attachment. I can get it to a dull off white even though it's 28 years old. There is some sort of grout paint that you can buy, I think. I plan to do that after I scrub it the next time. If it turns out that your new grout really is permanently discolored, I would absolutely call the contractor to come check it out. Also, whoever thought the big ole "glamour" master bath was a good idea...There is NOTHING glamourous about cleaning 100 square feet plus of white tile. I miss the 3/4 bath in my 1970s rancher in San Antonio. So much easier to keep clean. ETA: steamers like the Karcher or Dupray Neat work well on grout, too. Not a substitute for a scrub brush, but they are great for loosening up the crud first. I wear a mask when I use mine in the shower though because I'm sure it aerosolizes any mildew. I always get a little pink stuff in the corners.

I have to revise my comment on Bar Keeper's Friend. I have always thought it was harsher than Bon Ami, but apparently it is safe for fiberglass. That is good to know. I may try it on my cultured marble shower--in the soap dish. That is always tough to get clean.

Thanks for the warning! I have never tried the Dawn/vinegar concoction. That's very interesting.

Hmmm. You might want to skip the Bon Ami if it's fiberglass. The instructions say to test fiberglass in an inconspicous spot before using. Magic Erasers work on soap scum, too. If you decide to go the fume/chemical route, Scrubbing Bubbles works pretty well on fiberglass. You just have to let it sit. And it might take a few times to get all of it. I don't use it anymore because of my asthma. I guess you could wear a mask with a respirator if it bothers you.

I like Bon Ami. It is less likely to scratch than Bar Keepers Friend. I am pretty sure it is safe to use on glass, too. I am still really bummed that they discontinued the original formula. It was even gentler.

Is anyone willing to share a good thumbprint shortbread recipe? That sounds so good. I usually make basic sugar cookie cut outs to decorate, but this is really my favorite Christmas cookie... molasses sugar cookies After reading through this I feel like I need to step up my game!

Ours are Eufys! We love them. We even have the older, less smart ones. The newer ones are smarter and pretty amazing. We have one older one that we use upstairs. Two of the newer mop vacs on our main level. And another older one for the basement rooms. We recently had to replace the batteries on the older ones, but they work fine.

Yep. Honestly, it doesn't have to be ideal climate. I even love the beach in cool weather. I just bundle up. One of my favorite spots in November… the monarchs are migrating. It’s magical. And in winter the skies are clear in this area with very little light pollution, so we bundle up at night and watch for shooting stars. Haven’t been there in years, but good memories—no matter the season. So as long as it's not Alaska or Antarctica, I'm game. I mean...I definitely prefer water warm enough to swim, but I am grateful for the salty air and scenery, too. 🙂

This is really beautiful. 💕

I am grateful for this community. I am grateful for my husband and my children. I am grateful for my new, wonderful son in law and his whole family who are loving on my daughter this Thanksgiving. I am grateful for the Robovac that is currently vacuuming AND mopping my floors. I am grateful for the sweetest gift! My oldest dd got me this pin the last time she was in Auburn. (I have a chi mix grand-fur-baby that I adore) I am thankful even though it didn’t work like I hoped it would. 😭 I am grateful that my husband and kids went to the game today, and I was home alone to watch the Iron Bowl because my husband is FOUL right now. He has a whole 2 hour drive home to cool off. 😂

Yes—she’s on YouTube. Tons of free videos.

That is not a want. That is a need. 🙂 It is less expensive than therapy, but equally effective at boosting your mood.

Looks like we need to plan a girls trip. 😂

Trip to the beach for me, too.

My minor annoyance: I was sure this nasty little cold would be better today. An hour ago my temp was 99.9. Again. For the 4th day in a row. The frustrating part is that I actually don't feel as bad with this viral thing/cold as I do with an autoimmune flare. So I'm bored, but I don't want anyone else to catch it. It could be RSV. So I'm still in my basement guest bedroom--isolating. I have 2 adult dds home that I haven't been able to visit with. Again...minor. just frustrating. @Ausmumof3 I know that is so frustrating. I hope you'll be able to get everything fixed up quickly. We have a lot of stuff that needs to be done around the house that we are also putting off due to budget constraints. It really is a never ending cycle of maintenance and repairs.