I big puffy heart the Texas Gulf coast! Your backyard is so pretty - hope your trees survive! I'm ready to get back to or regularly scheduled winter weather -- about a week from now. Maybe.

Great suggestions - a couple I would never have thought about (thyroid, low iron). Thank you all. 🙂

It's very cold here in North Texas -- the local forecast I just saw calls for a low of 1 degree(!) on Monday. Very unusual. I can keep my body warm by dressing in layers. No problem. But my feet are like blocks of ice. I have wool socks. Right now, I'm wearing two pairs of socks and some shoes that aren't tight (so the air can circulate around my Arctic toes). My feet are still cold. Those of you especially who are experienced with living through cold winters, do you have advice to share about keeping one's feet warm?

The judge posted it to his Twitter account with a PSA about checking the Zoom Video options prior to joining a virtual hearing. This is hilarious! Thank you for sharing.

FWIW, I visit my mom at her apartment often. She's in her mid-eighties and needs a little help with things, so I visit. We wear masks. I'll probably continue to mask around her (at least indoors) even after she's been vaccinated because I volunteer at our local food pantry, so I'm around people. Waiting a month after their vaccines should be more than adequate. Life is uncertain. I say see them while you can!

I just wonder whether your dh's brother realizes (or whether the bride realizes) what this means for your particular family. I think this bride will one day be mortified that she left out a single member of one family who missed the age cut-off by two years or less.

So, if my entire little family, apart from my one youngest son, was invited, well YES, I JAWY. I would be beside myself! However, I would at least try to contact the bride to explain my feelings (probably breaking all of the "rules" in the process). I simply cannot imagine a single reason your son would be left out, apart from the bride thoughtlessly following the precedent set by her siblings. If she remained firm about excluding my boy, I wouldn't attend either. I wouldn't make a scene, and I'd send a nice gift and a card, but I wouldn't go. My dh would probably agree with me, but if he wanted to attend without me, fine. (That's a lie. It wouldn't be fine, but I can't control him.) Honestly, I'd probably attempt to persuade older dd, who doesn't live with me, not to attend either, in solidarity with her brother. Yep. I'd absolutely do that.

So you and your dh are invited, and your older two kids (one of whom is on her own) are invited, but you're supposed to leave your youngest at home? Am I understanding that correctly?

Next time, you could just stand there loudly saying "beep beep beep" until she stops backing up. Then eye smile or say "I'm sorry", or whatever is regionally appropriate. 😀

(Quoted myself while trying to edit.)

Praying now.

I have this one. The highest fan speed is pretty loud. Eta: We keep it next to our bed (out of the way) and use the lowest fan setting because the second setting is just a tad too loud. If neighbors were having a loud party or we needed to drown out barking dogs, I feel sure level two would do the trick. https://www.amazon.com/LEVOIT-Purifier-Home-Allergies-Pets/dp/B07VVK39F7/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=air+purifier&qid=1611928933&sprefix=air+pu&sr=8-3

I had to scroll to the top of this page to be sure I wasn't on the politics board.

Praying right now. I'm so sorry.

You could air the place out and go through it with cleaning wipes or disinfectant spray before your whole family moves inside. My plan is to rent a place in the TX Hill Country (2-3 hour drive) this May or June so that we have a break from being in our house. The long, hot Texas summer looms and I don't see a break in the virus situation on the horizon. Staying in a vacation rental seems pretty safe to me, but my situation is probably different from yours.

... and you can get up and have your coffee in your pjs!

OP, are you concerned about traveling to get to a rental or staying at the rental itself? I think renting a house somewhere at least allows your family a change in scenery. It's helpful if the weather is mild and you have access to walking trails or similar, but many vacation rental owners build recreation into their properties with ping-pong tables, fire pits, swimming pools, and outdoor dining areas. You can check out area grocery stores and eateries for curbside services or take most/all of your food with you. Take board games and the Wii (or whatever) with you.

I'm comfortable. I look for a place that has excellent reviews for cleaning, but I've always done that. If someone had vacated a property the morning of our check-in, I'd open windows and doors for a while, and I always take cleaning supplies (wipes or disinfectant spray and paper towels). In an AirBNB or VRBO, you can easily be quite distanced from other groups.

Well, Biden is a lot older, frankly (my parents' age). I call my parents' friends Mr., Mrs., Dr., whatever. I can find all kinds of ulterior motives if I look for them. I usually don't, but that may be a result of my privilege. Re: the Vogue cover - Anna Wintour says they meant no disrespect, and I believe her. https://pagesix.com/2021/01/13/anna-wintour-defends-controversial-kamala-harris-vogue-cover/ From the article: "A different image was used for Vogue’s digital cover, featuring the VP-elect in a pale blue Michael Kors Collection pantsuit. Some on social media speculated that Harris’ team believed the same photo would appear on the print edition as well, but Wintour stated that there was “no formal agreement” about the two shots." and “And we felt to reflect this tragic moment in global history, a much less formal picture, something that was very, very accessible and approachable and real, really reflected the hallmark of the Biden-Harris campaign and everything that they are trying to, and I’m sure will, achieve.” The day before Harris’ cover leaked, Wintour spoke with Kara Swisher for the Times’ “Sway” podcast, calling the chosen image “charming and relaxed” as well as “joyful and optimistic."

Or maybe VP Elect Harris really is just more casual and approachable.

During the VP debate, the moderator accidentally called Sen. Harris "Kamala" and immediately apologized. Sen. Harris said something like, "That's alright, I'm just Kamala". I use her first name when I think of her -- I think it's because she seems so approachable. I never think of Secy. Clinton as "Hillary", though I don't dislike her.

I don't know, but I would look into it first. Bear in mind that Medicaid rules vary by state. If your dad has enough money to fund the addition and to pay for in-patient care, too, or if he has a LTC policy, this won't be as important.

This may not apply to your situation, but it's good to be aware: Does your dad have enough money to do this? If he pays to add a bathroom to your home or buy a tiny house that would later become yours, would he still have enough to pay for Memory or Skilled Nursing care in a couple of years if he needs it -- at least to pay for it for a while? Does he own a Long Term Care insurance policy? Consider looking into whether his paying for either of these could disqualify him (at least for a while) from receiving Medicaid assistance to pay for in-patient care. There's a "lookback" period for assets that were gifted to someone else -- maybe for the previous five years(?). The bathroom addition to your home might be considered a "gift", which could temporarily disqualify him from receiving Medicaid. That said, you could consult with an attorney, preferably one who specializes in Elder Law, to help you structure such a gift so that your dad won't be penalized if he happens to need more care within that lookback period.

Do you get headaches from wearing masks for such a long time? I wore a mask basically all last weekend and had terrible headaches afterward. I think it's actually jaw pain - I've had TMJ issues in the past.