@Arcadia that sounds so easy! And that's lovely that they bloom all year! I'm in zone 6b. Edited: I should have started a new thread for this question. Your plant is beautiful, Ginevra!

How do you all get yours to flower? I have had mine about 3-4 years, and it never blooms. It has grown a lot and looks healthy. In the fall it gets tiny pink buds, but they never grow into blooms. I have followed Google instructions about fertilizing in spring and summer, putting in a cool place where it gets at least 12 hours of total dark a night, and decreasing water. Any tips for me? (I live in a four-season state, so it is outside in the summer and inside when it gets cooler in September.)

That would be interesting. It would also be interesting to have the same person rate his/her reaction with different Covid vaccines over time, since all bodies are different. My personal experience was that I had minimal side effects with Novavax. My shot history is J&J followed by three Pfizers. I had Novavax yesterday, late afternoon, and, if I didn't know I had gotten a shot, I wouldn't have noticed any effects. I was cold when I went to bed last night (but didn't take my temp). I had a very mild headache when I woke up that went away after I ate breakfast. I went to work and was tired and a little brain foggy, also my neck was somewhat sore; however, by 2 p.m., I suddenly felt completely normal: focused, energetic and no aches and pains. I keep pushing on my shoulder because I can't believe the shot site isn't even sore! (I definitely felt the shot, but my arm wasn't even tender last night by bed time.) I did notice the study said that shot #2 of Novavax tends to have more side effects. So, if I get Novavax again down the road, I may not have the same experience. Edited to say: I didn't have a hard time with Pfizer. I had the strongest reaction to J&J (one day), and I needed to take it easy for a day after Pfizer (a bit achy and needing to nap).

I bought one last year. I have only used it in the winter months when it's still dark when my alarm goes off. (Hmm, it's about time to start using it again!) Some days the light wakes me up, but usually it's like others said that it helps me begin to wake up. I'm never in a deep, hard sleep by the time the bird noises start. I also like the room light when I open my eyes. When it's pitch black and cold, it's just sooo hard to get out of bed!

This is the article I read about Novavax that cited the difference in side effects: https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/novavax-is-here It's referring to a January 2022 study, so the specific vaccines would have been different. I'm planning on getting Novavax because of — I hope — minimal side effects and to mix up the vaccines I received. (So far, I have J&J and then three Pfizers.)

We clean out houses when we sell, but we have found some very odd items in the homes we buy! Our 1st house: many dead pine roaches in the furnace closet and a carton of rotten eggs in the unplugged refrigerator -- Bleh! 2nd house: Lots of stuff in the basement we had to clear out, including an old couch. There was a large piece of plywood in the backyard where they had parked a tractor. (This was in the city; I have no idea why they had a tractor.) Anyway, when dh moved the wood, there was the well-preserved, flattened corpse of a cat! -- double bleh!! 3rd house: nothing weird left at that one Current house: The children found a pair of dirty, stiff men's whitey-tighty undies wedged under the downstairs bookshelves (laundry is one level up and bedrooms and bathrooms are three levels up, so...?) And then when we had to have some plumbing done, they found a handsaw in the wall!

🎉 Congratulations!!! 🎉 I'm sure you are tired and overwhelmed but, like everyone else, I think this sounds like a great opportunity for you. I hope you can take a deep breath and celebrate your nice job offer!

KSera and Yael, thank you! We don't have Costco, but I called one in the larger city 45 minutes from us, and they have Novavax. Thank you for the tip!

According to vaccine.gov (not sure how comprehensive that site is from other comments I've read here), my city doesn't have Novavax yet, and the larger city 50 miles away only has it at one health dept. and only for Bridge Access participants. I hope it is more widely available soon!

There is one venue by us that has a fireworks add-on. They are out in the country and the company set off the fireworks across the lake from the reception building. None of the venues that are close to the city or in town have fireworks.

Ugh! So frustrating. I feel for you and your son. May just the right opportunity open up for him!

Hooray! Our Walgreens are currently stocking Novavax. In case anyone else is interested in checking, I selected the vaccine I wanted in my area on vaccines.gov.

That's so disappointing. I'm sorry! What is his field?

I was wondering about the "other locations." I hope that will include Walgreens! We don't have Costco or Rite Aid, but we do have a CVS on the other side of town. If it's not readily available in our city, I would be willing to drive to the larger city an hour away.

Yay! I'm happy that Novavax will be hitting the shelves! I agree that it will be interesting to see who carries it locally. I'm also curious to see how much interest there will be in it.

PODs (payable on death) and listed beneficiaries worked really well, in my mom's case. She didn't have a will, but everything seamlessly transferred to my brother and me. She also put our names as co-owners on a checking account so we could pay bills out of that immediately after she passed. So, a will wouldn't be crucial, if your state allows PODs and the person is willing to do the work to add those to everything (cars, house, etc.).

Praying. 💓

Thank you! I just signed up as well and shared the link with my adult kids.

What I am seeing on FB that frustrates me is people who are anti-vax posting stories of young athletes who die from heart problems with the only comment an angry face or "Another one." They believe that these healthy young adults are dying because of the vaccine months or years after getting vaccinated. It is so frustrating to me because if a death is related to Covid at all, I would imagine maybe the connection is to a previous Covid infection and not the vaccine. It just seems like a big assumption to support a position.

I'm starting to mask again in large gatherings I can't avoid and in stores, but I'm the only one I see masking. I work at a university, so if it's an optional large gathering I skip it (like a back-to-school lunch/fun event), but there are some large meetings (like all-faculty business meetings) where I need to go and will, most likely, be the lone masker.

Our dd28 worked as an RBT, and they hired her without certification, and then she became certified within a couple months after she started. They expanded her duties after she was certified. After about a year, she was eligible for a promotion where she would have been trained to have a more supervisory and administrative role. (She moved and shifted her career path, so she didn't pursue the promotion.) Background: She does have a child care certificate she earned while in high school at a technical school and has years working with children as a preschool teacher and a dance teacher, including special needs students. The companies in her areas really needed staff though, so I would definitely apply if you are interested!

Thanks for the video link, Rosie, that was really interesting and helpful, whether someone is autistic or not.

I like the bag you chose. Here is another option that is similar to what our younger daughter carries to work. She really likes all the pockets: https://www.amazon.com/Waterproof-Leather-Computer-Business-Briefcase/dp/B085Q6XMQC/ref=asc_df_B085Q6XMQC/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=642070668411&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11205001257394071884&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9024006&hvtargid=pla-1569913211018&psc=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsvn_ldSygAMVYC3UAR3UsgkYEAQYASABEgKA5vD_BwE Also, your daughter sounds very thoughtful and mature. I hope she has a great year! Our younger daughter is also a homebody. Although she homeschooled all the way through, she was not ready to go away to college, but — like your daughter — she thought that would be the healthiest step for her growth and development, and it was.

Yes, I commiserate with the big-picture question (changing the "mom is last in line" dynamic). We don't have the cooking issue, since we're empty nesters now, but I do tend to take care of everyone else before myself — whether it's preferences for scheduling a get together to where (or if) we eat out to buying things for myself (so much harder for me to spend $ on myself than on my family). It's a process for sure. I'm trying to do the difficult mental work of learning/truly understanding that I am mentally and physically healthier when I take care of myself, and my health — in turn — is a huge gift to my family.

She made a bright difference in the world! Lovely!