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If You're Going Through Hell


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Ugh, I heard about the possibility of snow too.  My other big concern is the winds.  I have a terrible fear of power loss without Steve to set up the generator and too much pain to run around lighting candles like last time.  This place has too many trees they can’t keep up with trimming.  

Another big change being alone.  Even if he wasn’t Mr. I’ll Handle It, just not being alone makes for that inner security.  Even if it’s dark, cold and way too quiet.

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5 minutes ago, Gwenivere said:

Ugh, I heard about the possibility of snow too.  My other big concern is the winds.  I have a terrible fear of power loss without Steve to set up the generator and too much pain to run around lighting candles like last time.

Gwen:  I hope the possibility of snow falls doesn't happen.  Darn, the high winds can mean more outside work for me picking up branches afterwards.  Just went out to put last bag of garbage in the garbage tote and noticed how much the wind had picked up since returning home at 4:30 pm.  Missed the last weather report so will be sure to catch the next one.  I have two gas fireplaces in my home so can stay close to either one to stay comfortable should I lose power.   

Keeping you in my thoughts and hoping you don't lose power.  I wouldn't know how to start a generator if I had one.  Bob used to have one for the freezer full of game and seafood.  No worry about my freezer food now - it's minimal.  Did you ever convince Melody to sleep with you like Allie used to ?  Would love to have a cuddly fur baby during these cold days.  Take care, Dee

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It's been snowing and hailing all day, finally quit, electricity on & off.  I know how to hook up my generator but don't have the strength to run the 60' heavy duty cable to the meter box, my neighbor said he'd do it if/when the power goes out for long duration.  I start up my generator once a week and let it run so the battery doesn't go dead and also so it comes natural to start it up when I need it.

Debating whether to take Kodie for a play date today as it's so cold & windy!  It won't daunt him, I might have to wear thermals under my jeans!

Freezers that are full of food will keep well if not opened at all, usually several days!  I keep a SF dilly bar in the top of my chest freezer near where the leaky seal is and if it's not melted at all, I know everything else is okay!

Kodie sleeps in his kennel, but sometimes I wish he slept with me, maybe I'll have him start doing that someday.  He's very sweet and cuddly!

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16 hours ago, widow'15 said:

Darn, the high winds can mean more outside work for me picking up branches afterwards

Yep!  Guess what I've been doing today!

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17 hours ago, Gwenivere said:

Even if he wasn’t Mr. I’ll Handle It, just not being alone makes for that inner security.

No kidding!  That's what I hated the worst about that snowpocalypse two years ago, being all alone and hearing all the trees crashing down all around me, pitch black...

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17 hours ago, widow'15 said:

I have two gas fireplaces in my home so can stay close to either one to stay comfortable should I lose power.   

Oh, you lucky woman!  We contemplated a gas insert decades ago and I wish we had done it.  Light is easier with candles.  But cold is tough.  

I cant get Melody to stay all night.  She’s gone after a couple hours and I’ve tried calling her but she won’t budge from her bed in my office til the alarm goes off and I call her.  That means breakfast so I know HER priorities.  I wish she were a cuddler.  But just being in bed helps.  Maybe it’s a Golden thing.  I don’t remember Belle being much of one.  She definitely dislikes being pet on the head.  Don’t blame her on that, I don’t either!

Kay, Kodie wants to sleep with you?  Wow, I’d love that!  Is it just he is more used to his kennel?

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5 hours ago, Gwenivere said:

Oh, you lucky woman!  We contemplated a gas insert decades ago and I wish we had done it. 

Gwen:  I might be lucky this year, but if I survive my move, my new place, will be all electric. 

When we purchased this house in 1997 it had a wood burning fireplace and was all electric.  As soon as we could we converted to natural gas for hot water, furnace, and put in the gas fired fireplace.  The wood burning fireplace wasn't efficient, plus our community limited wood burning fireplaces more and more.  I do love the ease of pushing a button. 

At least Melody starts bedtime with you.  Maddie would stay at the foot of my bed in her bed until she thought I was asleep.  Then I'd hear her get up and walk into hallway, lie down and throughout the night she'd move to other locations in the house since she had a bed in every room almost.

6 hours ago, kayc said:

Yep!  Guess what I've been doing today!

kayc:  Oh so sorry.  😞    Dee

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17 hours ago, Gwenivere said:

Kay, Kodie wants to sleep with you?  Wow, I’d love that!  Is it just he is more used to his kennel?

Not always, just sometimes, he cuddles with me on the couch before bedtime, I love it when he cuddles, but he doesn't every night, sometimes he moves to the other couch, I think he sees it as his.  I got him started on the kennel because he was so young when I got him, not housebroke, chewing everything, and I frankly needed a break, I'm not young anymore!  It's like watching a baby/toddler 24/7!  Now we are more down to routine, he's been housebroke nearly a year, finally stopped chewing on MY stuff and limits it to HIS stuff, fortunately.  I have rugs everywhere to protect what's left of my carpet, he chewed it all the way to the sub-flooring in four places, add that to where my granddoggy did the same on a larger scale.  I would have replaced it all by now but have no one to help me "move out" and back in so they could lay it.  Ahh, well, the rugs work.  I may wean him off the kennel someday.  He never cries or complains in it, but I do NOT put him in it in the daytime, nor does he go into it of his own accord.  He doesn't use the doghouses I have for him either.  I just gave away one of his beds as he never uses it and it just took up space.  He has one left (Arlie's) and rarely uses it, he prefers the couch.

11 hours ago, widow'15 said:

I do love the ease of pushing a button. 

When I am older I may do that, I heat solely with the wood stove, but my Blaze King I got 3 1/2 years ago is efficient, although a lot of work/mess for me.  It is way cheaper than electric and I love the feel of wood heat.

More sludge to shovel, deeper this time, hard on my back, I will shovel right in front of my car and a path to the driveway and hope someone takes pity on me and plows the driveway!  If not, I will either shovel or not go anywhere.  The thing is, I don't want it to freeze up this way as I will have a hard time getting my car up the driveway in one piece. 

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I’d love to press a button and have heat if I lost power.  I know the blower wouldn’t work, but it’s at least some heat.  We did duraflames when we moved in in 84.  Neither of us ever had fireplaces so it was fun.  Couldn’t use real wood because the crackling  bothered the dogs.  

Wow, Kay, Kodie was a chewer to the full extent!  They all do it and what they focus on is always a mystery.  My coffee table legs were hot spots. Would wrap them in duct tape during several puppy hoods.  Thankfully never the floors.   As I babysat for months, it was only the house training to be vigilant about.  Overnight was the small kitchen til they could go all night without incident. Mel fooled me-as she did that from the start.  But during the day there were accidents.  I like that she’s older and in the routine.  If only she would stop aging now.  6 is a nice year.

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13 hours ago, kayc said:

It is way cheaper than electric and I love the feel of wood heat.

kayc: Yes, the feel of wood heat is great, and I love to hear the cracklin noises.  I'm going to miss a fireplace in my new place, not enough floor space for even a small one.  My son heats his house with a fireplace but also has furnace when he can't burn wood.  He is still young and strong enough to cut firewood.  Like everything else in life, there are trade-offs.  Sometimes life forces us to make those changes whether want to or not.

Take it easy on your back shoveling.  Dee

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I buy my firewood from a neighbor that sells it.  He's also the one that cleans my chimney, gutters, roof, trims trees or takes them down, even paints houses!  He's more reasonable than anyone else.  He has more energy than anyone I've ever seen and loves working, I'm sure he'll be healthy for years, he's about ten years younger than me so I imagine he'll be doing this another 20 years.  Hopefully as long as I need to be here!  

Kodie hasn't chewed anything he shouldn't for nearly a year now, he's really good in the house!  He doesn't come when I call him and digs holes so I have to watch him in the yard and let him out before my meal so I have something tempting to offer him to get him back.  I wish I could get across to him that he's have more freedom if he minded.  Huskies are known to be strong-minded.  Arlie was tempered with golden retriever, that wanted to please, thankfully!

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I like wood fires...My new place is Gas, its second best....I have two electric space heaters....Our weather broke, melting and feeling good....Need some vaccine shots and all will be fine.....Need to spend weekend in hot tub...

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A hot tub sounds wonderful!  Your new place is gorgeous!

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Didn't know where to post this but figured hell or venting one or the other would cover it.  ;)

Some of you know I've been battling Thrush for 2 1/2 months.  Even ended up switching doctors over it (I see my new one in a few minutes) and my new medical insurance will start next month.  the roof of my mouth and gums are very sore, still have some in the back of my throat as well...it occurred to me last night that MAYBE it's allergies!  I've never had an outbreak of this fashion but my face was burned a couple of days ago (allergy) and I went on line and yes it can display this way, on all counts!  So will mention it to the doctor.  I took a Benedryl last night and can breathe better this morning, mouth still hurts though, it can take a while to get it out of your system.

Now to find out what is causing it so it can heal!  I'm suspecting BBQ pork rinds as I started buying them in January, I'm bummed because it was the ONLY substitute I had for losing Doritos and Cheetos due to my diabetic diet, but if it keeps me free of pain...

I put in a call to the phone number on the bag to find out what the spices consist of, if there are any jalapenos or habaneros or fish in it.  I hope they call me back!!

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Yuck, that sounds unbearable.  The process of elimination with allergies can be time consuming, but ultimately worth it.  The way food is processed these days makes that a necessity so you can protect yourself as best as you can.

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I never got a call back from the company (surprise, surprise!) but my friend emailed me a PDF on the product and it has chili peppers, I'm allergic to hot peppers so that explains it.  Wondering why the company didn't just tell me that when I told them what my allergies are.  Anyway, now I have bags to return, I'll miss them as it's the only crunchy thing I could have since my diabetes prohibits others but I'll be happy to get this behind me and less pain!  Could take a month for the sores/soreness to go away...

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I googled the ingredients and just about all said 'spices' but no mention of chili seasoning.  Did find one.  You’d never know so I see why you tried to call them.  Shouldn’t be a secret.  I liked them as a kid.  They actually were said to be somewhat nutritious and good for keto diets.  Who knew?  :)

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I got a fresh outbreak last night, I'd been off them since Wednesday, I guess you can continue having outbreaks until it's out of your system, but it shows how highly allergic I am.  :(  In addition to new legions on the back of my tongue, sores in back of throat and gums, my lips are burning...that's a sign of allergy for me.

I have a PDF with the ingredients, my friend is savvier than I am, she somehow found it!  Can have seed oils too which brings on inflammation.

It lists chili peppers, paprika, onion, tomato spices (whatever that is) and garlic is listed on pkg.  

 

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As I understand it, "Spices" in ingredient lists is usually code for a neurotoxic chemical(s) that causes reactions of some kind in some people.  Same goes for "flavor/flavoring."  Some of these neurotoxins are natural plant defenses in certain vegetables and fruit, too.  That's why research is so important--and tedious!

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Usually I cook everything from scratch, so aggravating!

So much for the USDA.

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I so hate cooking now.  Mostly because it hurts to stand, but after the first couple years doing so for myself, even with the dogs factored in, it got so tedious.  I kept taking more and more shortcuts til I surrendered to the microwave mostly.  It wasn’t fun anymore getting a take and bake pizza.  Cooking a roast to cut it up to freeze.  Veggies have been the hardest to do mostly without as reheating them isn’t that great.  That’s why I go to the places on the weekend to pickup hot meals I have to reheat as I don’t eat that early, but they are rounded out meals.  I like that, but I don’t like that I’m doing it because I am alone.  Especially on date night when we should be dressed up a bit and totally focused on each other.  

Im so tired of being sad from the littlest things.  I know it is an allergy for you, Kay.  But I miss having a bag of chips struggle with the big guy.  Kinda hijacked this, but it got me to thinking of the smallest things that live on in us from the very fact of having that someone in our lives.

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Well if it's not diabetes it's allergy prohibiting food for me.    Everything else I cook and yes, that hurts my hands, but I do it.  If not for Voltaren I would not have slept last night, my arthritis was killing my hands!  I literally had to smother my hands in it after Kodie went to bed and wash it off in the morning (he wants to lick it off and I can't imagine it being good for him!).  At $45/tube it can go fast, not even tax deductible as you can get it over the counter. 

Lately I haven't had time for cooking nor room in the refrigerator.  I got takeout while waiting on my tires yesterday and they SMOTHERED it in BBQ sauce, NOT good for diabetes!!  I was afraid my BS would be sky high this morning but fortunately only 107.  Unfortunately I have half of it left and can't afford to throw it away, it has caramelized onions in it so I can't give it to Kodie.  Will have it for brunch as it's better early in the day taken with my Apple Cider Vinegar and Berberine than at dinnertime.

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Annette used Voltaren while it was still prescription only. Now I see commercials for it and it's a grief trigger of course- That, and Humira, which she took for over a decade. They advertise the heck out of that. My family is weird and insists on watching commercials- even when it's on DVR. Annette and I always fast forwarded through that noise. It's maybe why I don't watch a ton of TV. Annette never thought that Voltaren worked as good as good ol' Icy Hot. 

I think about her all the time...How mad she would have been at The Masked Singer (which she liked) and Kermit being the "celebrity". How lame. I guess I shouldn't expect quality entertainment out of it, but still, it's an intriguing concept. So weird how they CGI a crowd in there to make it seem normal. 

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