I am guilty of doing this. I was talking to a couple of ladies after church, and one mentioned that it was her 9xth (somewhere in the high 90's) birthday that day. I exclaimed, "Wow, that's amazing! Congratulations!" They looked stricken -- it was awful. I think my comment brought death into the conversation in an uncomfortable way. They could never have understood that my response sprang from my own long standing health woes and anxieties. When I have a birthday, I see it as so incredible and somewhat unexpected, despite being as (relatively) young as I am, and I have never felt in my heart that I will reach old age. I am naturally melancholy and muse about death a lot! I could sincerely congratulate anyone, at any age, on living another year.

I live in WV. Just now, I checked my local drug store testing options. There are still 4 locations near me and they all have many times available for PCR tests, though some have Monday's slots full. Plus I know the urgent care centers have been and still are offering walk-in rapid and PCR testing. [General comment, not directed at Spryte] I spent most of my life in the suburbs of a major northern city and have been living in WV for about 10 years. I have to say, I feel that this state and its citizens are too quickly painted with a myopic brush by other Americans.

Oops, I should have written "I've never seen a post-meal number reach 130." Going to fix that. Usually my glucose will be about 115 one hour after I started eating, peaking at 2 hours where it gets into the 120's before slowly decreasing. The highest reading I've ever gotten is 128, I think? I'm eating high fat/moderate protein/low carb meals, which slow digestion and delay the peak a bit. Honestly, when I consider tweaking my macronutrients, it's so confusing because I read that too much fat or too much protein can increase insulin sensitivity, and of course those nefarious carbs... all the macros are suspicious!

Would it be dawn effect if I have been up for 3+ hours (testing around noon or 1:00)? I usually test right before my first meal.

For a long time, I'd been meaning to pick up a meter and monitor my blood sugar. In my last two pregnancies, I failed my initial glucose screenings but passed the 3 hour ones. For my last 3 hour test, I crashed at the end down into the 40's. I knew then that I probably had some metabolic issues, but I just let it go. I just haven't felt right in forever, and a lot of sugar/carbs made me feel worse. I cleaned up my diet about 3 years ago, going low carb (these days net 40 or less), trying to get in X cups of vegetables a day, etc. It helped with some of my health issues. Most of my daily carbs would come from 1/2 cup of white rice at my main meal, which is the grain my gut can tolerate the best. I have been intermittent fasting, too, which also helps with digestion... but I'm flirting with being underweight, so I have to be careful to get enough calories in. About a month ago, I finally started checking my glucose. I was surprised to see fasting numbers consistently over 100 -- for a week! I cut out the rice, replacing it with oatmeal or wheat, and my fasting numbers dropped a little, but they are almost always in the mid-90's. Only once have I seen a number below 90. It wouldn't take much to push me into the prediabetes numbers. I've never seen a post-meal number reach 130. However, I bought an at-home A1C test kit and my result is 5.2. I feel good about that result, but I am afraid that my fasting numbers still indicate that something is up with my metabolism -- or that they may be just high enough to label me prediabetic when my doctor does my universal screening in a couple of years (even if I'm really not). I'm a little stuck in thinking of ways to improve my numbers. I have my digestive issues, which don't handle higher fiber grains/starches well at all (lower glycemic generally means higher fiber). But I feel I need that serving of grain/starch at dinner to help keep my weight stable. I've tried going back to three meals a day to help with eating enough, but that takes me a step backward in my digestive progress. I'm doing it anyway to gain a few more pounds, so that I have a cushion to remove the high glycemic foods completely and see if my fasting numbers are better. I can exercise more, to be sure, and I'm trying to do that. Of course, that means working in more calories, somehow! I don't want to overreact, but I also don't want to ignore early warning signs. My immediate family includes Type II. What do you think?

Letter board (nicer ones can be found with felt backings) https://www.target.com/p/12-x-12-letterboard-room-essentials/-/A-76524486 Miniature dollhouse DIY kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0895HYYG3/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_3J15BHZ73BNNRXSS5QJH Blank flipbooks https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G4DLPV2/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_T1MC7TWT70XYJX0167Y6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 Cut resistant gloves https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IVM1TKO/ref=sns_myd_detail_page Make your own music box https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HAUEFY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_C8X2HD5KHVG9TSDVQ1HR 3D butterfly temporary tattoos https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XNRGC4Y/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_QJVY1DHGVYWSJ7A39Z0Z

Oh yes. I often feel like a ghost in this world. I see and hear and may attempt to communicate, but I'm just forgettable somehow. There are plenty of my own traits (both conscious and innate) that work against me, so it's not necessarily the world's fault. Sometimes it makes me sad. A lifetime of this has given me significant social anxiety. I am even reluctant to post online in communities where I often lurk, like this one. Will she post this, she wonders, or will she delete it? I probably make this all sound terribly depressing, but I really don't mind being limited to just myself for company. I find myself quickly exhausted by interaction outside my immediate family, even when it's overwhelmingly positive... so in the end, being isolated is probably for the best. (INFP/INTP)

How about making chocolate-dipped spoons to go with your gift? Other things that come to mind are dipped pretzel rods, dipped biscotti... https://abeautifulmess.com/hot-chocolate-spoons/ Our plan is to make a bundle of yard/potted plant decorations for each extended-family-household. Each piece will be attached to a wooden or wire stake. My 17yo is going to make roses from soda cans. He wants to try wind spinners, if he has time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPJNPORr3_8&list=PLZw787EV4QuTqSNoYAAVwzaIbQHZegIS5&index=7 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA5CDx5wcug&list=PLZw787EV4QuTqSNoYAAVwzaIbQHZegIS5&index=3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KkoK57up9Y&list=PLZw787EV4QuTqSNoYAAVwzaIbQHZegIS5&index=1 My 14yo is making dragonflies from craft wire and, perhaps, faucet handle flowers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU4H6Bw6ju0&list=PLZw787EV4QuTqSNoYAAVwzaIbQHZegIS5&index=17 http://www.robomargo.com/IMG_1393.jpg My 7yo is making wire flowers that are coated in wood glue and then painted with nail polish. He may make some bracelets with the leftover soda pop tabs for his cousins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47ILIYV9E3A&list=PLZw787EV4QuTqSNoYAAVwzaIbQHZegIS5&index=13 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ecu-2oePmY&list=PLZw787EV4QuTqSNoYAAVwzaIbQHZegIS5&index=18 I am going to make some butterflies either from wire or soda cans (or both?). I'd like to try out some raised embossing of aluminum. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRjY7wB-_vw&list=PLZw787EV4QuTqSNoYAAVwzaIbQHZegIS5&index=8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17_X_qgDEHM&list=PLZw787EV4QuTqSNoYAAVwzaIbQHZegIS5&index=11 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoUX8IRRCKA&list=PLZw787EV4QuTqSNoYAAVwzaIbQHZegIS5&index=16 I bought a Calico Critters upright piano (furniture set) on clearance, and ds7 and I are going to make a mini wire-wrapped doll that looks like my kids' piano teacher to go with it (as a gift for her), using the techniques in this link: https://faithandstring.com/fairy-princess-tutorial/ That's all I have planned so far!

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-58202468

I was tickled pink to discover my best match is Mr. Darcy at 80%! Just one more reason to love him... https://openpsychometrics.org/tests/characters/

Well... maybe. What we consider obvious common sense behaviors may actually be questionable when talking about something like influenza. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/5/19-0994_article?fbclid=IwAR2V1hPqN0WKb2kXVExP_1UE9ARvru6mtPZvZN0w1jx0S3l3fXLhxMP_bXs https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24010919/

Thank you. Honestly, what you quoted is a bit confusing to me, but I ran it down a bit further and found this press announcement which is written in layman's terms. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-takes-action-help-facilitate-timely-development-safe-effective-covid

I said "who feel they were sold a bill of goods." Many people only got vaccinated so that they could be rewarded with going around maskless, traveling, attending events, and "going back to normal," while feeling confident that they're "safe." Would they define "safe" as "not hospitalized or dead"? I don't know... plenty of posters here have expressed much concern over long covid and the hidden damage of even asymptomatic covid. Others were vaccinated because they want to hug Grandma freely without having to worry about spreading the virus to her. I don't know about you, but the TV ads in my state have been (and are still) incessantly hammering the vaccine promises for many months, without any caveats. People can talk about how that was then, and now Delta has changed things, and how could anyone have known --- but I'm not going to be at all surprised if many of the vaccinated are angry and direct the blame at public health because they were promised a carrot, and they ain't gonna get it! Disclaimer: I have also been very angry at the CDC/government response to covid since this whole thing began, but not for personal reasons like those stated above. I went into my vaccine decision after much agonizing, tons of research, as aware of the risks/limitations as I felt I could be, and I take responsibility for whatever outcome lies ahead. (My time/ability to do that research was a luxury, and I am so grateful that I was not limited to the public health messages.)

From the article I linked:

I feel like public health in general in the U.S. is going to experience a huge hit in confidence going forward... from the anti-vax conspiracy theorists to the furious vaccinated who feel they were sold a bill of goods.

The vaccines would never have been approved for EUA with that level of effectiveness. https://www.biospace.com/article/fda-s-guidance-on-a-covid-19-vaccine-must-be-at-least-50-percent-effective/ If effectiveness is only 40%, I really don't understand how mandates can still be floated for the general public.

Israel's Health Ministry recently reported that Pfizer, in particular, is only 39% effective against delta (in preventing breakthrough cases, I assume), 88% against hospitalization and 91% against "severe illness". I have also read that the widely published effectiveness statistics are of relative risk reduction, which are not dealing with a vaccinated population alone, but comparing a vaccinated population to a control group. If of a 100 million unvaccinated (control) population, 10 million or 10% contract covid, then at a 93% RRR the accompanying 100 million vaccinated population would expect 700,000 breakthrough cases. This sounds a lot better than 7 million out of 100 million! But when the numbers change to 39% effectiveness, you could expect 6,100,000 breakthrough cases in the vaccinated population. Keep in mind that both predictions are at a fairly low attack/exposure rate (not as low as 10% exactly due to previous immunity/luck/etc. - but given the high virulence of the delta variant, that's probably conservative). I'm no statistician, so someone please correct me if I'm wrong. 10,000,000-700,000=9,300,000 9,300,000/10,000,000=93% RRR 10,000,000-6,100,000=3,900,000 3,900,000/10,000,000=39% RRR Anecdotally, I haven't heard of anyone local who has recently tested positive for covid, vaccinated or not. However, I know of several people who have been suffering from "summer colds" in the past 3-4 weeks, and as far as I know, there is little/no concern that it could be covid and no testing being sought.

"Aaaand, it's gone..." (at least no longer current) https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/as-covid-19-becomes-endemic-focus-will-shift-from-daily-covid-19-case-numbers-to

My rising freshman has substantial hearing loss, and he has a hard time clearly hearing people speak on recordings. Seeing their faces up close helps, because he lip-reads subconsciously as he's listening, but captions help him the most. He's been using Duolingo for some early French practice over the last year, and he would like to continue with French in high school. Does anyone have a recommendation for an online class that makes heavy use of captions? TIA

Melt candy melts in microwave. Coat pretzel rods halfway, shake on sprinkles. Lay on waxed paper or set upright in drinking glasses until set. Easy...

It's serious. It's been their main career plan for years now. How would you feel about it? Would you be encouraging them? Discouraging them?

I feel like this is a stupid question, but Googling is getting me nowhere! One of our closets had a couple of badly leaking AA batteries lying in the back, encrusted into the high-pile carpet. I dabbed the buildup with vinegar and tried to get the big chunks bagged, but I know some went deep into the carpet. Then I scrubbed the area with carpet cleaner. Now I'm debating whether to vacuum there and if that's enough to be safe for kids. Looking for advice... TIA! (Also, I don't have a wet/dry vacuum at my disposal.)

I am involved in music and crafting of various types, but I just want to share a recent story... I used to write poetry and short stories all the time, decades ago. Over the years, I feel like I have lost much of my writing creativity and generally become a much more analytical, practical, and generally scattered person. For our anniversary this year, I decided to try writing some poetry for my husband. It was a challenge to make myself focus on it, clear my mind and be open to inspiration... but three amazing poems just flowed out of me in two days, each one better than the last. This part of me was still down there somewhere, neglected but not dead. Perhaps there is someone else out there reading this who has similar self-doubt, who would like to rekindle a long-lost creative spark, but feel too old or altered or distracted to give it a real chance. Try it -- the results might surprise you!

I have tried intermittent fasting solely to try to help with my digestive issues (not weight loss - I will be underweight if I lose much more). The problem is that I have a tendency to overeat at the fewer meals, which is counterproductive for those digestive issues. Most of the time I don't even realize I've eaten too much until I'm past that threshold... I'm still SO HUNGRY looking at the emptied plate and can't help going back for "a little" more. I know there is an underlying fear that if I don't eat enough, I will continue to lose weight. My eating window also slides later and later, especially because I need to leave several hours between meals for digestion. If I get caught up in morning stuff and don't get to my first meal until after 2pm (finishing at 3), I can't start my second meal until 8pm. Meals take a while because I have to chew them well, etc. -- and then I have to wait so many hours between the last meal and bedtime, which can put off bedtime... I've also noticed that when I throw all my eating rules away for rare special days like Thanksgiving, I will binge so badly if I am not extra careful! So in a way I understand your point about control, because there is a lot that I feel like I control in IF, but at the same time it can easily get away from me, and suddenly the schedule/process is controlling me more than I am controlling it. I will also say: personally I would not follow IF as a long-term lifestyle if I were free of these health issues. But everyone is different, and you may be very successful with keeping on track and making it work for you!

I have really enjoyed looking at all of your different nativity sets. This is our child-friendly nativity that comes out every year on Christmas Day (I have more fragile sets that are put away until the youngest is a little older). It is handmade from Peru.