lavender's green
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Posts posted by lavender's green
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Most of my family loves soup! Last week I made an "everything" soup because I needed to clear out old veggies. It had onions, carrots, celery, garlic, red bell peppers, summer squash, acorn squash, granny smith apples, a late jalapeno from my garden, and some homemade chicken broth. All blended together. The apples and jalapenos really brought it to new tart and spicy level, and it was good hot or cold. No recipe, just eyeballing it.
We also like cream of mushroom soup, tomato soup, lentil soup (everything from a smooth and plain red lentil soup to a chunky and meaty brown lentil soup), leek soup, veggie soup, squash soup, minestrone...all the soups!
I kind of inherited a chestnut tree. It belongs to the neighboring property, but the new neighbor built a fence and excluded the tree because it would be awkward to build around. Since those prickly things land on my property and there's now a fence between us, I decided they're mine. No one's going to fight me for them except the squirrels. Anyway, getting back to soup, I really want to make a cream of chestnut soup. I'm getting about ten nuts per day, so any day now I can roast them and put them into a soup.
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We've been without a microwave twice. Once was for a year in an apartment with a galley kitchen. Our microwave took up fully half the counter space, and when it started acting funny we didn't bother to replace it. The other time was also for a year and ended recently.
It's not difficult to live without microwave. Just re-heat on the stove top, adding a little water or sauce if needed. It just gets annoying to dirty a whole pan that I'll probably need later in the day, vs a microwave where I can use the same plate that I'll eat off of, then stick in the dishwasher. Not a dealbreaker, but it gets old.
Now that we have a microwave again, we're all kind of giddy about it. ? The kids were blown away by microwave popcorn, LOL. And I think it's so cool to not pull out a pan and then have to wash it every time I need two tablespoons of melted butter, or a half cup of warm milk. And leftovers get heated up just like that!
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Oh, Quill. Prayers and hugs and spears and whatever else you need.
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Oh, and he liked to change around the numbers in ages. Like, "If only you were 51 instead of 15, and I were 79 instead of 97..." Yeah, you'd still be plenty old enough to be my father! Every year I volunteered there he'd come up with the new numbers. Some sounded worse than others.
And once there was a large family event, and I was serving the tables. He had me come over and sit with him specially to meet his children, and show them (I guess) what I catch I was. They were my grandparents' ages!
Anyway, I reiterate, he really was a nice man and not as weird as this might make it sound.
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I used to volunteer in an assisted living/nursing home, depending on building. The building I was usually in had private apartments. There was one man in particular, mid-90s, who was definitely on the hunt. I have no idea what he actually got up to. But every time a woman so much as looked at him, he was convinced that they shared a special connection and could have had an amazing relationship, if only. Including me. (Insert darting away emoji.) Nice man, though. Not creepy or pervy. Just a hopeless romantic who was lonely.
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This is the first year I've started before November/December! I guess I had a couple of babies in the fall and got in the habit worrying about Christmas after all the baby stuff. And I have to work around those fall birthdays as I plan Christmas; sometimes it's easier to get through one gift occasion at a time. But I feel so on top of things this year!
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My DH has made statements to the effect that he'd be living without a purpose if I were to die. Nothing like "woe is me, there's no woman to take care of me." He doesn't get man colds, either, for what it's worth. Anyway, to lose your purpose in life sounds devastating. I wouldn't be surprised if he had to remarry, lest he fade away and die.
I think I'd get my needs met through raising our young kids, my friends, maybe a job, etc. I don't know if I'd want to add a man to my life, or blend families, until the kids are grown, and by then I may not be interested. OTOH I'm pretty young. Family history suggests I could live another 60 years. That's a long time to go without companionship.
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What a sweetheart! I'm sorry for your loss.
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My experience with giving it to kids is that it's good for falling asleep, but not for staying asleep. An eighth of a pill works fine for them (these are little kids taking kiddie pills, YMMV), so you might try breaking up a pill and seeing what amount works for you. I don't like using it because it can leave them feeling groggy the next day. I find that we don't need it much, anyway. For us it works best as a re-set, something to do for just a few days to get the body used to a good sleeping schedule again. I think it really depends on the nature of your sleep problems. Good luck!
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I have a child with autism and a different child who occasionally elopes. My eloper has mostly outgrown it, but a couple days ago he chased DH's car because he felt Daddy hadn't said good-bye properly. I wasn't wearing shoes and had a toddler on my hands, and had to make a split-second decision to keep both children safe. I decided to drive after him, but safely buckling the toddler into the car cost us a few moments. I knew which way he would go through the first two intersections, and at the third, a neighbor who I know had caught him. Lucky thing, too. I don't know which way he would have turned there. So I can totally see how a child can get away from you, get surprisingly far in a short amount of time, and you have just a second to evaluate the situation and figure out what to do.
Also, autism and autistic traits can run in families. I haven't watched any videos but I understand the father has acted a little funny. I wouldn't be surprised if it's simply some familial autistic traits coming out, and the whole thing was a tragic accident.
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Count me as another former wardrobe minimalist. I just kept winding up with a small wardrobe of dingy clothes! I'm trying to face up to the reality of modern clothing, and I'm forcing myself to buy more than I think I need, just to spread out the wear/tear over more items.
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I basically wear your stay-at-home mom person wardrobe, but if I had clients or needed to look more professional on occasion, I'd add another capsule or two.
It's taken a while, but I've built up two seasonal capsules, mostly dresses. It's not strictly necessary for where I live, but I got sick of sweating in the summer and freezing in the winter half the time. My winter dresses are more neutral because I can accessorize without getting uncomfortable. My summer dresses are brighter/bolder because I'm not going to layer on scarves or anything.
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I love the rides but have spent a lot of time with the younger kids while others are on the big rides, or wandering around while they sleep in the stroller. My parents once met us there and took the kids for six hours, and I think DH and I only rode one or two rides, and spent the rest of the time wandering around shops, watching shows, eating, etc.
I think the hedge maze in Britain at Epcot is a pleasant place. Mary Poppins does meet and greets there, and if you have kids who like to explore the hedge maze she might go all English Nanny on them. ?
Epcot also has little spots to rest around the lagoon. It's nice to just feel the breeze and get away from the crowd for a bit.
The train in Magic Kingdom is nice. I guess it's a type of ride, but it's more a way to rest your feet and see the park. You can stay on as long as you like.
Some of the shops have places to sit. My toddler came down with a sudden fever on our last trip and I cuddled her in a rocking chair in the shop by Splash Mountain while I waited for the others (yes, we left immediately after that. I know exactly how miserable it is to get sick at Disney and we didn't want to expose others). Anyway, it was surprisingly pleasant to just rock in the chair while listening to Clementine and watch people shop.
Tom Sawyer's island is fun. Especially if you have kids who need to physically interact with things after all the sensory bombardment of Disney.
People Mover is a ride, but it's very gentle and it's another way to rest your feet and just people-watch. It takes you through some other rides too.
Animal Kingdom is a particularly nice place to just grab a drink or snack and wander around on trails.
I don't think I've said anything about HS. DH doesn't like the bigger rides there, so he's usually on kid duty, and usually can't find anything to do, besides maybe meeting Goofy (toddler's favorite). Sorry, not much help there... There are some good shows, though! He was just waiting to see them with us.
You can do a google search for fun little secrets of Disney. Like in the chapeau in MK there's an old telephone that you can pick up and listen to the message. There's are tons of little things like that.
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Update in OP. Thanks so much everyone! Never would have thought of chiggers.
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Not heat rash - it was in the 60s.
They don't look like my experience with hives, but maybe I just haven't seen that type...I'll watch for other signs.
I doubt it's bed bugs, at least not from this camping trip. They used our own tent and everyday bedding (this was not a cabin and cot type of camp).
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I have no experience with chiggers, so I never even thought of that. Hopefully that's all it is!
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14 minutes ago, Storygirl said:
Chicken pox look different than mosquito bites, to me. The pox look more pimply, in that they are a smaller dome shape, and the dome can look almost translucent, so that you can see a yellowy liquid inside.
It's been many years since I had them myself, but that is what I remember. I was 11 when I got them, and at first I thought it was a weird pimple.
One of my children did get a weird bite that looked more like a pox -- raised and bubble-ish and golden -- when we were vacationing, once. I thought it was probably a spider bite or an unusual insect bite, and it cleared up on it's own. She only had an isolated bite, or maybe two. So I think some bug bites can look like that.
If it is the chicken pox, it could be a mild case, in which case there might be only a few spots. It doesn't always cover the entire body in a giant rash.
I say, call the doctor.
This is what they looks like. Will call doctor in the morning.
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26 minutes ago, Lady Marmalade said:
Where was he camping?
Flooding at the end of August has unleashed the worst mosquitoes I've ever seen here in Wisconsin. I'm not exaggerating- we go camping and have seen bad mosquito times before. This is seriously something else! Bug spray doesn't even help- and they're biting through layers of clothing in impossible ways. A friend's son was helping his uncle with firewood for a few hours and was literally bit over 100 times. His mom took a picture, and it looked exactly like chickenpox. Once mosquito bites finish that initial swelling up, they frequently diminish to looking more like a poc-mark than a pink and puffy mosquito bite. One trip to my apple tree to pick a bowl full of apples and I probably had 20 bites on my legs and feet alone- and I was wearing jeans, wool socks and athletic shoes. Bites. In. My. Shoes.
Also, if he actually received that many mosquito bites, he could be having an allergic reaction. Can you give him some benadryl or other allergy med and see if he finds relief?
It's possible, which is why I'm posting here rather than rescheduling my whole week. ? I just don't think it looks like his usual bug bite profile. He takes after DH's side and gets enormous swellings from mosquito bites that take a while to cool down (more like the size of my bee stings). Also, DH, who is normally a mosquito magnet, was with him, and wasn't particularly bothered by bugs. It's possible that he didn't get sprayed well, or it got washed off (I'm told he accidentally ran into the lake, not all the way, but maybe enough to affect the spray on his legs). Anyway, it's definitely not an allergic reaction. These are puny compared with his normal mosquito bites.
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7 year old came home from a camping trip with what we thought were mosquito bites all over his body. On closer examination they look a lot smaller than typical mosquito bites, and his dad and brother each got maybe one bite. They're also under his clothes, including places like his hips, under his underwear band. He wasn't undressed at any point (very short overnight trip). I think they look like chickenpox, though he's not as badly covered as a lot of the google pictures. He has no fever, but he does have a mild sore throat and some chest pain. He can't tell if the chest pain is from his muscles or his airways. He's been vaccinated according to the normal schedule. What does the hive think?
UPDATE: Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond. I really appreciate all your ideas. He woke up seeming more sick, so we took him to the doctor, who says it looks like bug bites plus a cold, and possibly the start of a more serious virus, but not necessarily. I felt a little silly dragging him to the doctor over bug bites, but I've never dealt with chiggers despite extensive camping experience (I think most of my camping was actually in one of the few areas that doesn't get chiggers, go figure).
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Thanks for reminding me about magnesium. I haven't been taking it recently, but I would say that over my lifetime there's been a correlation between taking it and having reduced symptoms.
Speaking of which, I've had a headache all day that I just can't shake, and the weather forecast shows some stormy, colder weather rolling in for the weekend. OTOH, the hurricane didn't faze me. Different hormones between this week and last, maybe? Or just a big fat coincidence.
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I'm sorry. I have some crazies in my family, too.
First of all, good for you for protecting your kids. I know it's really, really hard to always be "the bad guy" for doing this basic maternal thing.
Speaking of which: you are always going to be "the bad guy." You just are. No matter what you do.
These people live for drama, so I would do things strictly by the books. As in Emily Post books. Only RSVP who will actually attend, brush up your etiquette game. You want to be as blameless as possible in all this. You want outside observers to see you did nothing wrong. And there is nothing wrong with sending regrets for the rest of your family.
Is your mother the type to throw an ugly scene in front of complete strangers? I had a personality-disordered person (not sure if NPD or not) threatening to ruin my wedding, and my therapist pointed out that for all their bluster, for all the scenes they'll make behind closed doors, they actually really want to come off as "the normal one" in front of others. They want YOU to look crazy, weird, irrational in front of others, and they accomplish that by needling at you when no one is watching. ***I don't know if this strictly applies to NPD or just the thing I was dealing with, but I found it to be true. Just ponder it a bit.
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I think palladian blue or sea salt. I once saw a picture where the exposed beams and ceiling were all painted sea salt, with the walls ever-so-slightly darker. I could see that in this room.
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When I used to get migraines, they were often weather-related. Now they're less frequent and rarely painful (often it's just an aura plus a weird feeling for a day or two). I'm in NC where the weather can change rapidly, so I'm glad they don't affect me as much as they used to!
I know two people who broke their femurs and have a metal rod in there. They feel weather changes very acutely.
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It sounds like a relationship destroyer. I'd only do it if a greater good were at stake, like my child's life or a serious health issue. And even then I'd let the professionals handle it.
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Some light-hearted fun - help us name our new kitten. Updated with new photos
in The Chat Board
Posted
I know it's not in line with what you were thinking, but...he totally looks like a puffy little toasted Marshmallow! Sort of square, sort of rounded. Such a marshmallow.