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Post by Merge on Sept 20, 2024 16:50:32 GMT
Twenty years or so, and it would have been a Creative Memories or Stampin' Up party.
I'm so glad most MLMs have subsided.
ETA: I spoke too soon! Just got an invitation from SIL to an online Tastefully Simple party. 😂
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Post by Merge on Sept 20, 2024 16:15:51 GMT
I think the bigger problem is all the processed foods. Eating Whole Foods, whether plant or animal is better for our bodies than anything that comes in a package. Fast food is killing us and the planet. ^^^ this. I grew up with a mom who cooked from scratch (meat and potatoes, mostly), and we had a garden... when I got out on my own, I did NOT cook. I never learned how to actually 'cook' while I was growing up. Processed food items EXPLODED during the 1980s and beyond. During my 20s and 30s, I lived on Lean Cuisines, WW frozen entrees, frozen pizzas, canned soup + grilled cheese (processed American cheese food slices), and the like. My all-time favorite cereals are Lucky Charms and Honey Smacks (previously called Sugar Smacks); my all-time favorite snack food is Cheetos. Cheetos is NOT an actual FOOD. None of what I lived on for most of my adult life was actual food, except the frozen vegetables I added to my frozen entrees. Most of what's in the interior aisles of the grocery store is not actual FOOD that ANY person could replicate with a recipe. MOST of what's for sale in stores nowadays is industrially-processed, artificially sweetened / salted / fattened edible food-adjacent items developed in a LAB to hit the 'bliss point' for addictiveness-- to make us want more, so the companies can make more and more money. The big industrial "food" companies are doing the same thing the tobacco companies did, and most people don't even realize it. eta: maybe my viewpoint on this is too cynical, but I don't think so. Another good book on this topic is The Pleasure Trap by Dr. Doug Lisle and Dr. Alan Goldhamer. (I haven't read the book yet, but I've heard them speak on this topic on a lot of podcasts.) And Salt Sugar Fat is a REALLY good book- and sobering / scary at the same time, when you realize how easily the big companies can manipulate us into buying what they want us to. You’re absolutely right, and the fact that the crap is usually cheaper than the good stuff (unless you really do cook from scratch) only helps it jump into people’s carts. I really learned to cook well from scratch during the five years I was a SAHM and we had no money and I had plenty of time. Necessity plus opportunity. People need both to push them in the path of change, and opportunity is lacking for a lot of people.
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Post by Merge on Sept 20, 2024 15:30:46 GMT
I think one of the things I love about my local Buy Nothing group is that more and more I see posts where people are saying "Hey, does anyone have a widget that I can borrow for one day/a few hours, before I go out an buy one?" And that seems to be working well for people. They don't have to buy items just to use once and then store away. And that's something I try to get DH to think about as well. He'll want to do something around the house and his first thought is "Go buy a new tool!" So I've been trying to say to him "Do we know anyone else who might have this tool?" Especially if it is something we'll only use once in a blue moon. Years ago we had friends who lived in a different neighborhood but set up a kind of tool co-op in their cul-de-sac. Each household had and maintained certain things for the group - they had like two lawnmowers between six families, one leafblower, a couple of trimmers, and then the one guy who was super handy was the keeper of the tile saw and other things that you only use once in a blue moon. I was always very impressed with that but couldn't imagine doing it myself. These days we tend to hire someone who already has the tools rather than buying the tools ourselves.
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Post by Merge on Sept 20, 2024 1:44:36 GMT
I was thinking more about this and wanted also to put in that a majority of Americans likely don't have the time or skills to cook plant-based meals every day. Never mind the money. It's a position of privilege to be concerned about the origin of what you eat - I suspect most Americans are just looking for the cheapest and quickest way to fill their families' bellies. I find this interesting because I have no idea how to cook most meats and find the idea of most to be incredibly daunting. You have to somehow magically know how to get them cooked to the right temperature inside (and different meats have different temps), but without drying them out, and I don't have a clue how to do that. Plus, I know some people buy certain cheaper meats and make magic with them, but when I was buying chicken (the only meat I ever bought aside from ground turkey), I only bought boneless skinless chicken, and even then I felt like it was an ordeal to get them ready to cook. Those weird little tendon things were fricking impossible to remove. Plus growing up, while we were not served vegan meals, which I do think require more thought & effort in some cases-- as a kid when my parents were having hard times, we ate a regular rotation of meatless meals each week to cut down on how many nights my mother had to buy the meat, which was the most expensive ingredient. Pierogi, spaghetti, homemade pizza, rice & bean tacos, pancakes or eggs, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup (canned): these were regular things for us for awhile. We'd have in season fruits or veggies with them, so all winter long we ate apples, oranges, and because they were always cheap, bananas. We also ate a million pounds of cucumber slices and carrot & celery sticks, and during the winter, we used to eat thinly sliced raw sweet potatoes. (I have to say, I have never eaten raw sweet potatoes since then---I did not like the mouth feel of those things!) Fair. I would say that a majority of Americans have neither the time nor the skill to cook from scratch with meat or without, and in most cases find processed foods (which often contain animal products if not actual meat) cheaper. And those who live in food deserts don't have access to all those vegetables and fruits, and when they do have them, their kids won't eat them. It's a complex issue. My mom grew our vegetables and canned them to save money, but that's also a skill most people don't have even if they have the time and space.
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Post by Merge on Sept 20, 2024 1:04:05 GMT
I was thinking more about this and wanted also to put in that a majority of Americans likely don't have the time or skills to cook plant-based meals every day. Never mind the money. It's a position of privilege to be concerned about the origin of what you eat - I suspect most Americans are just looking for the cheapest and quickest way to fill their families' bellies.
So maybe we can't rely on legislation or corporations, but realistically, we also can't rely on the vast majority of Americans to fix what needs fixing.
(We did whole foods, plant-based eating for a year and a half before Covid and the amount of time needed to make it work was incredible. And I didn't necessarily find it less expensive, one because you eat a greater volume of food that way and two because we have tended to limit our meat consumption anyway. Also, when I would "cheat" and buy some plant-based "dairy" items like cheese or yogurt, those things are outrageously expensive. Ultimately it wasn't sustainable for me to work full time, manage my family's schedule and needs, keep the house up, AND spend several hours every weekend on meal prep plus cooking time in the evenings.)
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Post by Merge on Sept 20, 2024 0:16:13 GMT
I will never understand how a parent can do something like that to their own child. Thanks for being a safe place for him.
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Post by Merge on Sept 20, 2024 0:13:58 GMT
People in other countries shaking their heads at us right now. I'd call the insurance company and ask what info they need from the doc to give you a quote. Alternatively, your doctor's office may be willing to coordinate with insurance to give you a quote (that's what they should do). Raising my hand Canadian - so if bloodwork is wanted by my family doctor, it's covered. Although we did pay $100 out of pocket for DD's gluten testing a few years ago. But bloodwork ordered by my Naturopath is not covered. So she sent me to my doctor to get things ordered - it wasn't out of the blue, I'm in peri-menopause so it was time to go and say "hey it's time to..." and then once I had the request form, she looked it over and added to it (separate form). I only had to pay out of pocket for the tests the Naturopath added. And then DH's benefits covered that under my Naturopath coverage so win win! I have an appointment with a peri/menopause specialist next month and I'm scared to find out how little will be covered by insurance. 'Murica!
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Post by Merge on Sept 19, 2024 18:10:04 GMT
Interesting thoughts. I’d say we tend to do the opposite with most things - buy what we need and rent or make do on the rare occasion that we need something larger. But of course there are some things you can’t do that with. And then we were the annoying parents who didn’t have an extra room for sleepover guests and the annoying family members who provided a list of nearby hotels to family because, again, no spare rooms. So that can be a downer.
I think a lot of people feel a certain sense of comfort in abundance, in having more than they need. Perhaps because they grew up with less than they needed or perhaps because that’s how they’re wired. IDK. I don’t feel that way with our house or car but I do with clothes and certain other things, like dishes. Something to ponder.
Ohhh one more thought - food. I seem to be physically incapable of cooking a nice meal that would feed fewer than ten people. Even if there are only four of us at the table. I need to work on that because with the kids out of the house, leftovers don’t get eaten up the way they used to.
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Post by Merge on Sept 19, 2024 17:54:09 GMT
jeremysgirl do you truly eat tofu in place of beef? I'm just curious as I've never eaten tofu. (Don't come at me, I'm a midwestern girl raised by a farmer.) Tofu can be delicious when prepared properly. I often choose it at Asian restaurants even though I’m an omnivore. You don’t have to replace beef, but you can try some plant-based options to see if you’d like to include them periodically.
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Post by Merge on Sept 19, 2024 17:33:05 GMT
I mean … no, but because information like that has already influenced what we buy to some extent. I’m comfortable right now with the balance we’ve struck between caring for the environment and living comfortably in modern America. There are a lot of corporations that need to change their ways to protect the environment in big ways before I make my life harder to make a negligible difference. I agree with you that there's a balance to be had. I had to find the line with my consumption of clothing. There is no set answer. The more of us that make changes, the more impact we have. Beef and cheese consumption has skyrocketed over the past 30 years. That's a change people made that might on an individual level seem negligible. But when many do it, it's big impact. Like what we are seeing right now. It happened gradually. What if we rolled back the dial on it? Right. And I feel I’ve made the changes I need to make. I’m an advocate for eating fewer animal products and sourcing those you do eat from humane, non-corporate farms to the extent possible. But I’m not going to be pressured into eliminating them all (again - BTDT) while the big players continue on their merry way. I’m also not about telling other people how to live their lives. Regulations should be for big corporations, not so much for individuals.
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Post by Merge on Sept 19, 2024 17:09:00 GMT
I mean … no, but because information like that has already influenced what we buy to some extent. I’m comfortable right now with the balance we’ve struck between caring for the environment and living comfortably in modern America.
There are a lot of corporations that need to change their ways to protect the environment in big ways before I make my life harder to make a negligible difference.
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Post by Merge on Sept 18, 2024 19:34:22 GMT
Remind me, was he the one who left the country on a private plane a while back to avoid these charges? If so, why did he come back?
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Post by Merge on Sept 18, 2024 19:21:15 GMT
People in other countries shaking their heads at us right now. I'd call the insurance company and ask what info they need from the doc to give you a quote. Alternatively, your doctor's office may be willing to coordinate with insurance to give you a quote (that's what they should do). They might, but most office staff does not have the time to check with every single insurance provider for every patient to figure out what might or might not be covered. That's really on the patient, unfortunately. It USED to work that if the doctor felt you needed it, it was covered. Those days are long gone and insurance covers less and less. It's true that not everything is covered any longer, but my experience has been that providers affiliated with larger hospital systems at least can generally put what is being prescribed into the computer database and find out what it will cost the patient through their insurance. More and more, of course, providers here are leaving those large hospital systems and going concierge or setting up a private practice that simply doesn't take insurance.
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Post by Merge on Sept 18, 2024 13:55:19 GMT
People in other countries shaking their heads at us right now.
I'd call the insurance company and ask what info they need from the doc to give you a quote. Alternatively, your doctor's office may be willing to coordinate with insurance to give you a quote (that's what they should do).
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Post by Merge on Sept 18, 2024 2:20:40 GMT
It looks like they took two jackets that didn't sell last season, cut them up and sewed them together.
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Post by Merge on Sept 18, 2024 2:13:45 GMT
Both scenarios are bad. I think that if Trump dies, however, I’m not super confident everyone will fall in line behind Vance. I mean ... unless they've already set aside the constitution (possible), doesn't the VP have to become president if the pres dies? Not saying he'd be elected for another term. I think Vance is even worse than Trump. He's in the same box with Ted Cruz as far as I can see.
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Post by Merge on Sept 17, 2024 19:42:53 GMT
My dad's family (his dad's side) came to Ellis Island from Scotland in the late 19th century. My sister knows more, but apparently my great grandfather ended up as part of the organized crime underworld in NYC, and the gang ties extended to the next generation because my mom swore up and down that my grandfather sent her and my dad to "a friend" who was supposedly a jeweler who laundered money for the gangs to get a diamond for her engagement ring. Dad's mom's family came from England and were apparently just respectable working class people.
My mom's family were homesteaders/pioneers from England and France who ended up in Iowa and South Dakota also in the late 19th century (the French side may go back further; I'd have to ask my sister). My grandmother actually taught in a one-room schoolhouse until she married in 1930. They were all farmers and some of my cousins still farm in that area today.
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Post by Merge on Sept 16, 2024 16:24:07 GMT
Ah yes, another "assassination attempt." They're the new "migrant caravans" when Republicans need to take back control of the news cycle.
Florida is an open carry state. Why should they care if some guy is sitting in the bushes with his rifle? We're all told to think that's totally normal and to go about our business.
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Post by Merge on Sept 16, 2024 16:19:02 GMT
So we're discussing dealbreakers elsewhere, but I've been thinking lately about my wish list for the new home we hope to build as our "forever" home. Most of these items are not dealbreakers for me, but just a wishlist.
1. Large kitchen with ample storage, including walk-in pantry with adequate light and shallow shelving. 2. A sort of butler's pantry/keeping room/mudroom situation off the kitchen that also has an exterior exit to the back yard/garage via covered walkway. 3. Garage behind the main house, not visible from the street. 4. Hobby space for DH above the garage with full power/AC and a bathroom. 5. No formal living or dining. Large family space adjacent to eating space. 6. Music room large enough to hold all of our instruments and host rehearsal sessions with others, with lots of outlets. 7. Two offices, one each for me and DH. 8. Separate MIL quarters that are either attached and very private or else a separate structure. 9. Large laundry room with space to hang clothes to dry. 10. Utility storage closet in or next to laundry room. 11. Large linen closet near the bedrooms. 12. Three bedrooms that are not offices - one primary and two guest, each with their own bathroom attached. 13. Separate his and hers walk in closets in the primary bedroom. 14. Large shower in master bath. No tub. 15. Covered patio area with outdoor kitchen and TV. 16. Xeriscaped/native plants yard with just a little grass for dogs to do business.
What would you have in your dream home?
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Post by Merge on Sept 16, 2024 13:11:56 GMT
I cannot now find the post/video, but there was a Harris/Walz truck train with waving flags in Edinburg, TX recently. Edinburg is in a light blue county in the Rio Grande Valley, so plenty of Trump supporters there as well. An act of bravery in such a heavily armed state.
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Post by Merge on Sept 16, 2024 13:00:17 GMT
No tub and a large shower in our current primary bath. That's how we like it. I don't like baths at all. Bathtubs with jets are gross to me - I've seen horror stories of the jets having mold in them that shoots out when they're turned on.
I'm fine with keeping the tub/shower in the secondary bath in case of young kids, but in nine years no one has ever used that tub for a bath.
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Post by Merge on Sept 15, 2024 22:16:35 GMT
one of our leaders started talking about voting, following the news etc.. then he switched to a survey he wants us to fill out---"make your voice heard".. on our pastor as we rehire him... it is to be constructive and not a vote. it was sort of funny cause he got our attention --with the beginning something we never hear from the pulpit. our message is vote.. up to you to figure out who or what. taxes would put many churches out of business.. Which other type of business do we allow to pay no taxes because their business model might not be strong enough to afford them?
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Post by Merge on Sept 15, 2024 17:10:43 GMT
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Post by Merge on Sept 15, 2024 15:07:42 GMT
I've come to realize that I pronounce words differently depending on the time, place and audience. Years of voice training rounded my vowels and made "our" and "hour" roughly the same. If you've ever spoken with a voice major there's, um, almost a standard and kind of affected-sounding speech pattern that they use. I tend to still use that pattern when speaking in public, in meetings with admin, etc.
But in casual conversation now, either my old midwestern flat vowels or the Texas twang comes out and "our" sounds like "are."
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Post by Merge on Sept 14, 2024 23:39:16 GMT
No.
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Post by Merge on Sept 14, 2024 14:36:08 GMT
I don't really think Trump's going to put them out of business, but it was time to order spices for fall/winter baking anyway ... I think they are worried about their physical shops, not necessarily their full business. I am going to shop in person today. I see. IME they tend to put their shops in blue cities/areas, but I guess anything can happen.
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Post by Merge on Sept 14, 2024 4:09:00 GMT
I don't really think Trump's going to put them out of business, but it was time to order spices for fall/winter baking anyway ...
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Post by Merge on Sept 13, 2024 19:17:27 GMT
As others have said, one syllable but more like two-r.
Two syllables would be very southern IMO.
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Post by Merge on Sept 13, 2024 18:41:08 GMT
Why won't they hit the space bar after they type a period at the end of a sentence before they begin a new sentence? A lot of the software, apps, etc. will automatically add a space after a period so they probably just aren't used to it. They need to be taught to go back and look to make there are spaces between sentences as part of their proofreading process. (Meanwhile, I'm still training myself to leave only one space after a period instead of two.)
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Post by Merge on Sept 12, 2024 17:05:56 GMT
I actually love how independent many kids as young as 7-8 are with technology. We always joked at school that if you have trouble with your computer, call a 4th grader to fix it.
I haven’t found most to be lazy with it. The online composition tools I’ve used are really interesting to most kids and they work much harder and more thoughtfully on their projects that way than if I gave them a pen and paper project.
Personally, the laziness I see seems more related to parents doing everything for their kids, removing any productive struggle and making the kids believe they must be incompetent.
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