how about drinking?
Comments
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Goldie: thank you. I had trouble finding one too. Is that a typo for the amount of vodka? It looks like it is mostly sour syrup and lime and lemon juice. Maybe it is 1 1/2 oz? And maybe Torani is sweeter than the English one I have, which is mouth puckering. I'll experiment.
NativeMainer: the rattlesnake was delicious. Do I say the usual "tastes like chicken" or "Tastes like white fish" I have also had crocodile in an ettouffee sauce. Also yummy. A friend said I like to have some "fear factor" in my food. Ha ha. Many moons ago I worked with a man who every New Year's eve he'd bring in some weird food to try. So I had chocolate covered ants (the legs get stuck in our teeth) Deep fried Brazilian earthworms. Did not know an earthworm could be that big. It was cut into segments and tasted like Piggy Puffs. Those boys won't eat spaghetti or hot dogs? That is beyond fussy eating.
This is the recipe I came up with in an attempt to duplicate the drink I had in Sedona. It wasn't much a duplicate but it is delicious on a hot day
SEDONA SUNSET Martini
2 oz vodka (I use Lukosawa Potato v)
2 oz watermelon juice
1 oz lime cordial (I prefer Rose Lime Juice Cordial)
1/4 oz prickly pear cactus syrup - Cherie's (or more to taste) ---- shake vigorously with ice and pour into martini glasses. Stick a couple of small junks of watermelon on a stick for decoration
I am still experimenting but cannot get get Cherie's cactus pear syrup here and the company doesn't ship to Canada and I haven't been able to do any cross border visits, not can my Seattle pal come here with it. Well she can now as of the 9th but both of us are reluctant even though we are vaxxed. The Delta variant has us spooked.
The forests fires in BC are out of control and threatening not just the little villages and town up in the mountains but much bigger cities. The province is basically on fire. The is rain here in Burnaby and has cleared out the smoke but everywhere else still in flames.
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Reader, you lost me at PB! I thought it looked similar to something like Tirami Sue. Maybe you should grab that relative, instead of the kid, and go swimming. (If ya know what I mean!!!!) Just kidding of course, don't want to get in trouble here.
Elderberry, I think you've had too much to drink! Here are the ingredients again. That amount of vodka is 1 and 1/2 tablespoon, or 3/4 oz. Those are some interesting foods indeed that you have had.
2 Tbsp (1 oz.) Torani Blackberry Syrup
1 1/2 Tbsp (3/4 oz) Vodka
1 Tbsp (1/2 oz.) lime juice
1 Tbsp (1/2 oz.) lemon juice
Still nothing exciting going on here. There was lots of rain around us, not so much at my house. Person that is supposed to buy our business left here yesterday and when he got to the road, it was flooded and he couldn't go anywhere, had to sit and wait it out. Water was a foot deep.
DOTD: Flood Jelly
Pretty intense recipe, but looks yummy!
Ingredients:
2 cups milk 2 tablespoon sugar 2 tablespoon condensed milk 1 tablespoon subza seeds 1 cup boiled rice noodles/ falooda 1 packet strawberry jelly Chopped dry fruitsHow to make:
1) Make rex strawberry jelly as per pack method and keep aside for cool.
2) Put water in a bowl and soaked subza seed in enough water. Allow the seeds to bloom. They will begin to swell within 15-30 minutes of soaking. When you observe a transparent jelly-like coating over the seed, they are ready for use.
3) Take some water in a pan; let it come to a rolling boil. Add falooda sev, let it cook for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and leave falooda in hot water for 5 minutes. Drain it and rinse it with cold water.
4) Meanwhile, take Milk and sugar in the pan. Let it come to a boil on medium heat. Put condensed milk and then lower the heat and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes. Then chill it in the refrigerator. Milk becomes little thick.
5) Take a tall serving glass and pour jelly cubes in it.
6) Add 2 tsp of Subza seed and 2tbsp Falooda over it.
7) Pour ¾ cup of chilled sweetened milk over it and top with cut dry fruits and few drops of rose syrup.
8) Falooda with a strawberry jelly shake is ready to serve.
9) You can have the drink immediately or store the drink in the refrigerator and have it after few hours.
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Good Morning, Loungettes!Wow, I did not realize I hadn't been in since Sunday! Not sure how I let that happen. I know I am really looking forward to going back to work next week, and getting back into a daily routine of getting up and getting out of the house. I can't figure out if I'm being lazy and not getting stuff done or just disorganized.
Spent a good while yesterday peeyem texting with my SIL. A tornado touched down about 50 miles away and they were under a severe thunderstorm warning. Over the course of the peeyem at least one other tornado touched down within 50 miles of them, but both were moving away, which was good. She was looking up places on her paper map, I was using google maps, trying to figure out which way things were moving. Not sure if all this was part of tropical storm Fred's leftovers or a separate weather front. Poor woman never did get into her pool yesterday. My brother was at work a few miles from their house and didn't hear a thing about the weather until he ran out to the bank! I'm telling myself that any business in that area must have a plan for dealing with severe thunderstorms and tornado watches and warnings, so their town probably wasn't in any real danger. It was scary all the same.
Karen--I've got to take a look at the research behind the 3rd shot and see what that is all about. I know that people over 65 generally don't get as strong a level of protection as younger people, and it would make sense for them to get a 3rd, same goes for immunocompromised people. But I would like to find out more about the level of protection from the Delta variant, I'm wondering if what is really needed is a variant-specific shot. I'm really thinking COVID is going to be like the flu, we're going to end up needing a shot every year to manage the mutations.Sadie is quite the character, I agree. That's part of why I call her Silly Sadie!I'm in my last week of relative freedom before going back to school.I say relative because I am spending a good part of the week on the computer doing educational things that I missed last year due to coming in half way through the year. That plus the COVID stuff is still being sorted out, so there's all that to ketchup on. My district is going with mandatory masking, which I agree with even if I don't like it. I did learn more about the pool testing schools are being pushed into doing. Students who are a close contact to another student who tests positive can continue to go to school and participate in school-sponsored activities as long as they are participating in the pooled testing, but still have to quarantine for everything else. That is going to be one fun detail to explain to parents." Your child can come to school, and play after school sports, but can't go to church or shopping or visiting other family, or play with other kids outside of school." I do not see the logic in this one, other than it's a way to say we are doing something so the kids can stay in school.It's getting crazier and crazier.
Goldie--I suspect Sadie was faking, too, at least a little. She got some really good treatment at Dawna's and loved it for the most part. I don't know where the summer has gone either, and I don't know why the winter can't move as quickly. Maybe it will this year with my February vacay plans already in place to look forward to.
Reader--that pie looked delicious! I love the plan of grabbing a kid and going swimming every time negative relative gets going! I bet others will join you. Nothing stops a Negative Ninny like not having an audience!
Morning, Jazzy!
Elderberry--it sounds like rattlesnake doesn't have a really distinctive taste by itself, not like venison. I bet it was fun to try those funky foods, even if ant legs got caught in your teeth. I wonder why so many companies don't ship to Canada? It seems like there would be quite the market for many things. I imagine the rules and regulations for international shipping are pretty complicated. I don't blame you and your friend for not wanting to do a cross-border visit just now. Just because the border is open doesn't mean we HAVE to travel. I do know there are a lot of families on the Maine/Canada border that are glad of the opening so they can see each other again, though. There have been some heartbreaking stories of spouses that haven't been able to see each other in person for a year or more due to one working in the Maine and one in Canada. I hope you are safe from the forest fires in the province. That can be a really bad problem.Love the Sedona sunset Martini recipe!
Goldie--Good alternative plan for Reader! We can help her hide the body in the swamp out in back of the HTL! Imagine having to wait for foot deep flood water to go down to drive on! Do flood waters really recede that quickly there? Is the sale going ok? I had to look up subza seeds, those are new on me! That is quite the drink, alright!
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NM- our gov is mandating that all healthcare orgs require their workers to be vaccinated. We got a notification yesterday if any of us are not vaxed, we must do so. And masks are going on again indoors, but already been doing that when things began spiking here. Our hospitalizations are spiking and mostly with unvaccinated folks (about 35% of the population is not vaccinated here this state).
I think the delta variant is moving through the office. Our director told us he thinks he had it (and is vaxed) and several in the office have been out sick too.
I will take a booster whenever they get offered to us.
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NM, I bet you are glad you left your brother's before that storm! The guy that got caught in the flood ended up sitting there for like 2 and 1/2 hours. I don't know how long it takes for the water to receed. I did not look up anything from the drink, I was just looking for something that related to flood. I believe it was an Asian drink and they had a video as well, which I did not watch. I thought it looked refreshingly pretty! February is Vegas right? Ahhhh yes, the swamp. There are days I'd like to dump my DH there, yesterday was one of them. The sale hasn't started yet, I've just been taking stuff up there and cleaning. The stuff was so dirty since being in there almost a year and a half, and the mice had moved in during the winter. I share the photos/video when I get one. Saie is not this weekend, but next.
Jazzy, I don't see how any company can require one to get a vax. I am not vaccinated, not because I don't believe it, but because I'm scared it might mess with my treatment. We had our visit with kids (X2), one visit from Tammy and BF, been to 4 restraunts, doctors and groceries, that's it. And I have not stopped wearing a mask. I assume you will probably end up working from home soon. My brother works for a big company and never did go back into the office. Have you had contact with those that are sick?
Shipping to Canada is horrilbly rediculously expensive. For me, sending a timer, small box, maybe 2 lbs, $35-$40! And if shipping UPS, they have to pay duties and taxes on it as well. Ok, so here's what peeved me. DH got a call from the company that ships his medicine and the supplies and he wanted to know what we didn't need. I said I would have to look and count. He says he can wait. Sooo, I say "ok, wait a minute". My husband hates that, as he wants it and he wants it now, and it grinds my bones. Anyways, he says to this guy "nothing worse when a woman tells a man, wait a minute". I try to let everything he says or does roll off my shoulder, but this one is a bit stubborn. I need to use his comment when I ask him something and he's busy. Instead of saying in a minute, he'll say "I'm busy right now". He can be a real jerk sometimes, let me tell ya! I find it hard to be mean, just not me.
DOTD: Swamp Water
Ingredients:
2 oz. or (60ml) Tequila of choice
3 oz. or (90ml) Sour Apple Pucker – so fruity!
3 oz. or (90ml) Melon Liqueur (we used Watermelon flavor)
2 oz. or (60ml) Sweet & Sour Mix (you can find it anywhere)
3 oz. or (90ml) Lemon Lime soda like Sprite
Splash of Blue Curaçao (the drink will not turn blue)
Garnish with a Lime or Cherry Skewer
Directions:
Start by filling up your glass or your pitcher with some ice. Then pour in the tequila, the pucker, the melon liqueur, and the sweet and sour mix. Then add in the soda and stir it well.
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.....and on a sweeter note. Y'all know who this is!
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Awww, Lori---she is indeed aNORAble.
Can't believe I've played hooky from BCO for a week already! I guess I've been too busy letting life happen.
After I had my Walgreens-issued vax card (a slip of printer paper with the Walgreens rather than CDC logo) be near-challenged by the security checkers outside the Ed Sullivan Theater last month, I began to get anxious as more and more venues are requiring proof of vaccination. One of the things that made the security checkers skeptical was that I had copied the "card" (which I keep in a secure home location) on to heavier paper, which has a very slightly ivory cast, and then laminated it. After my sister vouched for me, and I offered to dig several layers deep into my Clear app for the QR code, they relented and let me in. But it got me to thinking, especially since a booster seems imminent (no later for me than Oct. 24, maybe even sooner) and there'd be no place to enter that info on the lamination.
So I called Walgreens (my local one, not all the way out in Norridge where I had to get my shots). I explained my concern, and the clerk agreed, saying in the early days of vaccine availablity their stores were allocated only 10 CDC cards apiece. She asked for my name, date of birth and date of second shot; put me on hold for 5 minutes to look it up in the corporate-wide database; and then told me to come on over. I did, sauntered over to the "consult" window (rather than stand in the prescription line, showed my "stopgap" card and I.D., and was handed an already-filled-in CDC logo card. Success! When I got home, I photocopied it, snapped a pic on my phone, and put both the original and copy in the special badge-holder sleeves I bought from Amazon. I have mask lanyards that perfectly fit the sleeves.
While I was on hold for Walgreens, the recording mentioned that "immunocompromised" patients could walk in now and get a third shot of the mRNA vaccine they originally got. I messaged my melanoma oncologist (mentioning the eye brachytherapy from last year and that I'm 70), but he said that since I didn't have chemo, biologics or immunotherapy and my cancer is not "myeloid" (bone marrow, blood, lymph) I should still be "robustly protected."
But I have read that 75% of serious breakthrough infections are in those over 60, and that the average age of breakthrough death is 82. ("Average" means there are younger oldsters getting sick & dying too). The CDC, NIH and Surgeon General all said today that data from 5 states shows immunity starts to wane at 6 months out and by 8 months it decreases from 90% down to 65% against infection and from 95% down to 75% against hospitalization & death. That's why they're authorizing boosters for everyone regardless of age & immune status beginning Sep. 20. Fauci is saying that healthy vaccinated people should wait till 8 months after their second shot to get the booster--and that at 8 months (per trials data) a third shot boosts antibody titers 10-to-20-fold. I wish I could get a serology test for my current antibody titer and find out whether (despite my cancers) I am immunocompromised enough to warrant not waiting till Oct. for my booster. (I could, but it'd have to be 100% on my own dime).
Anyway, my DsOTD all week (on days I did drink, which wasn't every day) were some form of bubbles: prosecco, cava (the latter two rosé, the prosecco being in a can from the Millennium Park concession when we went to the outdoor Classic B'way symphony concert and the cava on the patio at Remington's across Michigan Ave. at late-ish dinner.). Last night, with fish I grilled, Ste. Michelle WA Sauvignon Blanc (which Bob brought home from Costco for $7) that was surprisingly good. Not sure about tonight--I don't think we have anything chilled. Tomorrow & Fri. are the wine pairing dinners at Cellars.
Should also mention my 3-mo. ocular onc visit (actually, only a month after the 2-mo. visit was cut short by the lack of an ultrasound scanner) went well--the lesion didn't grow since May, so I don't have to go back till Nov. (unless I want the slight capsular clouding behind my L lens implant lasered. But if it ain't broke....)
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Thirsty Thursday! Here I thought it was Friday or Saturday already! Sadie and I went to visit Cousin Dawna yesterday peeyem. We had a great visit, and Sadie was such a funny pup. She's got Dawna wrapped right around paws and can make her get down on the floor and rub her belly just about any time she wants. And she kept looking at me to make sure I saw what was going on. She also wouldn't let me out of her sight, to make sure I didn't leave her there. Super supervised potty break, normally she's content to sit outside the bathroom door at Dawna's (she moves her garbage can in there and keeps the door closed when Sadie visits to prevent trash getting dumped all over the kitchen floor) but yesterday she bulled her way right into the bathroom with me! No way she was letting me get on a different side of a door from her!
Jazzy--I think our gov is going to mandate COVID vaccination for healthcare workers pretty soon. We do have a masking recommendation, I'm not sure masking can be mandated when we are not in a state of emergency, so I'm kind of expecting that to come back in the next few weeks, too.
SOAP BOX Warning! (feel free to skip over my soap box ranting)
I am pro-vaccination and am fully vaccinated myself, but I really do not like the idea of mandating vaccination for anyone, but especially not healthcare workers. To me it's the government saying "we expected you to continue working when there was little to no information, when you couldn't be provided appropriate PPE, to take cuts in pay, lose jobs and/or benefits, or work 24 hours a day, accept not being eligible for unemployment and most other relief packages, risk exposing your family members or arrange to live away from your families, and do it all silently, and now we are going to take away your right to accept or decline healthcare control over your own body while you make sure that doesn't happen to anyone you take care of because we can't trust you to make informed choices for yourself. I don't have any issue with employers making the vaccination a requirement of employment, that leaves me with control over my own health care, as I can choose to work or not work for any particular company. Mandating seems like the government telling me that I have to give up my right of control to work in health care. I suppose it's semantics, but I have started seeing facilities advertising that they will not require COVID vaccination as a condition of employment. I'm hearing lots of nurses and therapists and even doctors talking about getting out of healthcare work entirely if a nation-wide COVID vax mandate goes through. And to be completely honest, I am very glad I am so close to retirement because this is going to open the door to a lot of other mandates that will strip healthcare workers of their right to privacy and autonomy. Remember in the early days of the HIV crisis? There was a movement to require nurses to inform patients of their HIV status, while it was made illegal to require a patient to disclose the same information. That movement got squashed based on the impossibility of giving a nurse back his/her privacy and choice to disclose HIV status when the nurse became a patient.I don't down play the seriousness of the delta variant. I don't disagree with people getting boosters, even though I don't think it's going to make much difference, Until world-wide vaxx rates are a lot higher, new variants will keep emerging to quickly to keep up with. Giving doses that would be used as boosters here to other countries with very low rates of first-time vaccinated populations would be a lot more protective in the long run, but people don't want to look at the long term, they want protection now. People want protection without inconvenience. Vaccinated people who wear masks in public, carefully manage being in crowds, practice distancing when in public are just as protected, if not more so, than from just a booster shot.
SOAP BOX WARNING: GETTING UP ON IT AGAIN!
Sorry to have gotten up on the soapbox. No vaccine has ever been mandated before it was in use for at least 5 and more often 10 years or more, when long term effects were known. No vaccine has ever been mandated before being fully approved by the FDA. No vaccine has ever been mandated for a brand new disease. Before we start mandating the COVID vax lets gather data and study both the vax and the disease for at least 5 years. Let's make sure we really know a good amount about both before mandating. If employers want to require the vax, that's fine, let them accept the risk of getting sued5 or 10 years from now if employees experience negative long term effects. We missed the chance to stamp out COVID before it became pandemic, so now we need to learn to live with it. COVID will be part of our lives 5 or 10 years from now no matter how many people are mandated to get the vax this year, because there is no way to get it to everyone in the world this year. Time to accept that fact and stop acting like we can stamp it out with one more action.
Apologies again for getting right back up on the soapbox after stepping off!
Goldie--I am glad to have missed that storm! February vacay is Orlando, a Disney vacay. We're a bunch of adult Disney fans! Nothing like mice and dust to clean up when something's been in storage! Hope the sale goes well. I can understand being miffed with DH for comments like that. When medical supply companies call to check on supplies, they EXPECT someone is going to have to go take a look and make a quick count! It's not like in a hospital where every piece of equipment is electronically logged in as received and out as used! Good for you for throwing his comment back at him next time he's busy. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, after all!
Oooh, that Swamp water looks and sounds pretty!
More oohs and ahhhhs!So sweet!
Chi--Walgreens did pretty good by you with your card! Not being able to add boosters and other immunizations is why vaccine cards can't be laminated. IN this day and age I suspect someone will come out with an app that people can use to scan vax info when going into a venue, much like the way airports scan boarding passes off phones now. Glad to hear the melanoma is stable. Don't blame you about the other thing if it's not bothering you.
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It's happening 😎
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Hi ladies- day off today (whoot) and new countertops are going in. I have been so curious to see the final product and where the veins in my granite were going to land. This one is a big wrap around for my kitchen and it's stunnning. I have another pretty one in the master bath. New sinks going in too and plumber comes tomorrow to finish the hook ups and new faucets. It's really beautiful so far. I have put a lot energy in to this since earlier in the year with planning a number of things and the time went quickly.
Goldie- the hospital I work for is a state/county hospital so they follow what the governor says. I am not sure she can mandate it for private hospitals. I am vaxed as is just about everyone I know over there. There was a woman across from me who was out sick and coughing a lot but they make they stay home and get tested before they can come back in so hopefully we are okay. I am masked a lot of the time again.
Chi- I am glad your eye growth is stable.
Where is Cami?
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Just a quick poop in. Had to go to town yesterday, groceries and some other stops. Before I left, DH clogged up the toilet with a number 2. Anyways, town is all day, left around 8:30, got home around 2:30. Was going to defrost my freezer, but he asked me if I had checked the batteries (solar). No, I haven't had time. So I went out and looked and they needed water. 24 batteries, 3 cells in each one, so I had to fill those. Toilet still clogged this morning after putting something in it to break the matter down, which it didn't. I did pick up a snake thing yesterday for this reason. Heading to Phoenix around 6 am, DH has appt with neuologist.
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Good Morning, Loungettes!Happy TGIF day! The remnants of Tropical Storm Fred have driven up the humidity here again, but not quite so much the temperature. It is so muggy and sticky that even Sadie wants to move way more slowly than usual. It's making me miss my brother and SILs pool!
Jazzy--Pretty, pretty! That countertop looks wonderful!
Goldie--good grief, what a time to be dealing with a clogged toilet! I hope you have a second one you can be using in the meantime? How long does it take to water all those battery cells? Do they need a lot of water each?
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Freddie Fuddpucker
Ingredients
- 1 1/2ounces tequila
- 4 ounces orange juice
- 1 ounce Galliano L'Autentico Liqueur
- Orange slice, for garnish
Steps to Make It
- Gather the ingredients.
- Pour the tequila into a highball glass filled with ice.
- Fill with orange juice, leaving a little room on top of the glass.
- Add a Galliano float by slowly pouring it over the back of a bar spoon.
- Garnish with an orange slice. Serve and enjoy.
From <https://www.thespruceeats.com/freddie-fuddpucker-cocktail-recipe-760820>
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Happy Friday,
Gorgeous Colorado day - not too hot, blue sky and light breeze. Looking forward to a long walk later this afternoon. I'm treating myself to a mani/pedi so I want all the cooking and cleaning up done. Most is done, but making cookies.
Survived first week of the school year. The kiddos start next week.
Kim - Denver's mayor is requiring full vaccination for health care, schools and several other fields. I'm looking forward to getting my 3rd shot end of September. At our synagogue, we've had at least 12 people who are fully vaccinated test positive for Covid. Masks are required at school for everyone and meetings are staying virtual. I agree, this Covid is a moving target and still lots not known but we have more cases now than in May. It's got to get better!!
Have a wonderful week-end.
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On my own soapbox, Kim, I'll agree to disagree (slightly). First, the government--neither Fed., state nor local--is NOT talking about mandating vaccines the way that, say, they mandate obeying traffic laws. If you agree that employers have a right to set conditions of employment--and your employer happens to be a governmental entity, well there you have it. Moreover, it is not wrong to set up disincentives for vaccine-resistance, because up till now the "carrots" (perks, freebies, cash payments, etc) haven't worked as well as envisioned the more disinformation people--yes, even some health workers--soak up from social media, gossip, rumor, etc., especially when they start to dig ever deeper to tease out spurious "information" that supports their preconceived opinions and reject established scientific & epidemiological facts that contravene them. Time to bring out the sticks.
The reason it used to take 5 yrs. for governmental entities to mandate vaccines is that the technology to make them, and conduct, gather, process the and interpret data from clinical trials, simply didn't exist back then. (Trials were also far smaller then). When we kids were mandated to take our polio shots (which, IIRC, were much newer than 3 years old), there were no computerized databases accessible to anyone without training in data science. Remember keypunch operators (a common clerical occupation a generation ago)? Remember spreadsheets filled in by hand, and numbers calculated by adding machine? Remember when everything that wasn't handwritten was typed on a typewriter (heck, I remember manual ones and Bob still has his from childhood) and copies were made using carbon paper, rexograph & mimeo? And there were no faxes--even "telexes" were new. Vaccines had always been made by culturing the pathogen (sometimes in chicken eggs), and the immune response was generated by a weakened or killed version of that pathogen. The mRNA COVID vaccines are new--but the technology began developing at least 20 years ago and was suggested to be used on a coronavirus (2003's SARS). It took that long to figure out how to first isolate and then study the part of the virus responsible for invading & replicating in the mucosal surfaces of the human body--to-wit, the spike protein--and then engineer the instructions (not the spike itself) for the mRNA to deliver to the immune system as to how to make just enough of it to recognize and begin crafting antibodies against it. Both the mRNA and the temporarily created piece of spike break down and are excreted within hours. Similarly, introducing the pathogen's DNA (not the pathogen itself) via a "vector" of a dead or inactivated virus as its bearer, is a concept that while seemingly new, was also in the works for quite awhile, as a way to address the risks and inefficacies of culturing and then injecting just the right dose ofthe pathogen itself--with the side effects of allergies to the culture medium itself and lower efficacy. In a way, we'd spent a couple of decades perfecting the mechanism of at least the mRNA vaccines and were waiting for the perfect pathogen to "plug" its information into it.
SARS-Cov-2 is a novel virus causing more severe manifestations of an existing disease, severe acute respiratory syndrome (actually, manifestations producing a constellation of symptoms not formerly encountered in a respiratory disease)--but how many more lives must be lost, ruined, and families devastated if we follow your suggestion that we "study it" for 5 years? As horrifying as AIDS was, its spread was limited to very specific mechanisms--blood and genital secretions (mostly semen). In just a year and a half we have learned the original strain was as contagious as smallpox; the alpha & beta variants as contagious as polio and more contagious than Ebola; and the delta variant at least as contagious as chicken pox, with measles being the only communicable disease more contagious. We simply don't have the luxury of studying COVID before we act to prevent or at least mitigate it. We're already approaching 630,000 deaths in the U.S. alone. That the rate of increase in deaths is growing less steep is a direct result of both mitigations and the effectiveness of vaccinations. Remember, back before vaccines when all we had were mitigations (including masks), we quickly topped half a million,
To put it in lay terms--we have a novel virus causing a new type of disease that is spreading in exponential numbers exceeding the 1918-20 flu. If more people remain unvaccinated and unmasked (they usually go hand-in-hand), walking Petri dishes for viruses to latch on, replicate and mutate, a new variant could emerge that could not only spread faster than measles but also evade every vaccine & antibody treatment we have. Dunno about you, but the thought of a rerun of the pre-medieval plague that took out half of Europe for a couple of centuries is one that keeps me up at night (and gobbling CBD/CBN gummies like they were Jelly Bellies).
And the point is that not all personal health decisions affect only the decider. My body, my choice? Well, nobody can "catch" an abortion--nor chemo, radiation, immunotherapies, opioids, plastic surgery, etc. But sometimes (like now), someone's personal choice can harm their families, friends, communities--by transmitting the disease they caught because of the personal choice they made.
OK, I've stepped down off my soapbox. I will say that today I got my booster shot--being 70, asthmatic, user of nasal steroids, allergic to several antibiotics, survivor of one cancer and current patient of another (the latter of which required enough radiation to make me unapproachable for days and cause me to even SEE it twinkling when I closed that eye and for weeks after) was good enough for Walgreens. Why didn't I wait? Because though I know I can probbly endure a mild breakthrough infection (but maybe not long-haul aftereffects), with my even moderately suboptimal immune system, the latest date for those of us over 65 is showing a rising percentage of hospitalized and even ventilated people having been double-vaccinated >6 months ago. Some breakthrough patients claim to have been masking appropriately as well--so I am loath to refrain from taking every precaution available. I'm just not willing to roll the dice and assume a possible breathrough will be a mild, even a non-disabling and survivable one.
Oh, and one of Bob's hospitals is offering boosters to all staff >50 who want one, starting Wednesday.
Will post the lovely wines from Thurs'. & Fri's dinners tomorrow--the CBD & melatonin are kicking in, and there's a short window between trying to sleep to soon and too long after. Meanwhile, have a pic:
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Sandy, sounds like good news on your eye.
OH NM, that Sadie is not only silly, she is SMART and she so loves you! Love that she bullied her way into the bathroom with you. She doesn't want you going anywhere without her. Ahhhh Disney, I remember now. Yes, we have a second bathroom! The batteries can take a couple hours, depends how low they get. Sometimes one cell can take 16 oz. They are all in a large box, and so you have to lean over to get to them, especially the back 2 rows. Making it really tough on the back!
Jazzy, I love that countertop piece. Oh, and I saw the finished probject. You did good girl!
Karen, back to school. Wishing you a good year. Are you glad to be back? I think you have said before, but I don't remember. When do you plan to retire?
Ha ha, our soapbox seems to be busy!
The bacteria we put in the terlet worked. DH's doc wants him to go off the IV med for 3 months. His gate has gotten quite a bit worse and that could be from the med, but it could also be progression. So only way to know is to eliminate the drug. Getting an elec. w/c in about 3 weeks to take for a test drive. Recommended by PT at his visit. Doctor also told him to use his stand up walker and not the rollator anymore, due to the bending over. Also gave him some excercises to do, but he won't do them I'm sure. Some as simple as just moving his foot and ankle.
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Good Morning, Loungettes!Happy Saturday! Last weekend before back to work time! I'm actually rather anxious to get back to work. I think I really do better with the structure of a work schedule.I think the remnants of Fred have finally passed through, now we're waiting to see what Henri is going to do. He's expected to impact locally Tuesday into Wednesday. Looks like he'll hit hurricane level sometime today. Looks to make landfall in Mass, south of Cape Cod. Hurricanes and storms that hit there often turn right and skim the Maine coast or go out to sea, depending on how far inland they get before weakening. Once storms get into the Gulf of Maine the cold water tends to start shutting them down pretty well. So it looks like some rain and wind coming in next week. Parts of Maine could still use the rain, that's for sure.
Karen--COVID is a moving target, and will be for some time to come, I fear. It's creating so much dissention and anger and angst, and we really could do with a break from all that, but with schools starting, it's getting fired up big time again. The superintendent sent out a survey and found that 60% of parents would keep their children out of school if masking were optional. I was surprised it was so high, I keep hearing so much from people who don't think children should be masked at all! With all the distancing requirements and recommendations changed to "as facility space allows" and the push toward 100% in person schooling, and the pooled testing program keeping exposed kiddos in school until/unless they test positive or show symptoms, I'm really worried about in-school transmission this year. And not just of COVID. RSV is circulating in the area day care centers and communities already, very early this year. And guess what the symptoms of RSV are?Coughing, fever, running nose, sore throat, fatigue. Sound familiar?
Chi-you do make some good points, but there are more things that are playing into the mandated vaxx issue for nursing home and hospital staff. The Maine Governor is mandating all staff working in all hospitals and nursing homes in the state be vaccinated. No vaccination, can't work in the building. It's not being left up to the employers in this instance. This is coming on top of nursing home staff being told over and over again that if the virus gets into a nursing home, it's because staff brought it in. The expectation is that staff working in nursing homes in particular are still isolating when not working, so as not to be exposed and bring it in. We are expected to be living like we are still in lockdown status.Contact tracing has shown several nursing home outbreaks to have been started by a visitor (who is not mandated to be vaccinated), but the message is, it would not have spread if the staff was doing everything properly. Yet staff cannot do everything properly. You can't change amask every 20 minutes (the time most are effective before getting too moist from exhaled breath) when you are allowed only one mask per 8 or 12 hour shift. The feeling of being mistrusted and blamed by management has gotten worse, and now to have the right to choose what goes into our bodies taken away (while being preserved for the residents and visitors) is being felt as one more slap in the face. Every nursing home in Maine is struggling to find enough staff and often still open only because current staff are working extra shifts regularly. The anxiety level on the floors is high at the end of every shift as staff waits to find out who will be mandated to stay for another shift due to short staffing on the upcoming shift. 16 and 18 hour shifts have become the norm, and working 20 -22 hours is becoming common. Telling us that we need to be beaten into taking the vaccine in return for the privilege of working when contact tracing proves we staff are not the only way the virus is getting into the building by the very people who failed to provide adequate supplies that would have been and still would be effective does not make us feel valued as human beings, let alone as healthcare providers. The predictable result is a staffing crisis that will close down nursing homes across the state. The mandate will be the last straw for a work force that is struggling more now than at the beginning of the pandemic (when it was already struggling with staffing levels to begin with). Two-thirds of nursing homes in Maine depend on staff from staffing agencies to meet state required minimum staffing. Most of these staff are "travelers" who come to Maine and work for a facility for a pre-determined number of weeks, then move on to the next assignment. Agency staff choose where to go and what facilities to work for. Staffing agencies are reporting that travelers are delaying committing to Maine contracts until the COVID mandate is settled. If vaccination is mandated, most will not come to Maine. So for the lack of treating nursing home staff as human beings entitled to the same rights as the residents they care for, many nursing home will have to shut down due to not being able to meet minimum staffing requirements. One last item--the mandate for nursing home and hospital staff does not make allowances for allergy to any of its components or if the worker has any medical condition making vaccination inadvisable. EVERYONE has until Oct 1st. Nurses being treated for cancer or a neuromuscular disease or autoimmune disease must skip treatment or change treatment schedules, to get vaccinated or stop working (and lose their health insurance). Healthcare workers with allergies must stop working or get vaxxed and suffer the reaction (and hopefully survive). If the government can treat healthcare providers like this, how long before patients will be mandated to stop treatments to get vaccinated so as to be allowed into the hospital for treatment?
I do actually remember going to work with my Dad and watching the keypunch ladies working. It was fascinating!
With all due respect, your information about the polio vaccine is incorrect.
Recorded scientific research on polio began in 1905.
The first polio virus was identified in 1908.
1935 Polio vaccine trials began.
1954 massive US polio vaccine trial conducted.
1985 a goal is set to eliminate polio in the Americas.
1988 the Global Polio Eradication Initiative begins.
1994 polio declared eliminated in the Americas.
The 1954 trial was conducted very much like trials are today.There were 19 years of vaccine study before the mass trial, 31 years between the mass trial and the start of the eradication initiative and mandated vaccination. Yes, data gathering and crunching was labor intensive, and could take longer, but there were also people whose jobs were to do just that.
I say again that I support vaccination. I am fully vaccinated. I need to research the subject before I decide about a booster shot for myself. I am glad you got your booster shot. With thelesser response to the vaccine in people over 65 that is already known, age alone makes ita good choice for you. I heartily agree with the need for EVERYONE, vaccinated or not, to continue with masking and distancing and symptom-monitoring. No one action will be enough, just like only the vaccine isn't enough for the flu. But don't be taking away my right to choose for myself because I am a healthcare worker and you don't trust me to make the choice you want me to make.
How about a classic DOTD?
Hurricane
Ingredients
2 oz. light rum
3 oz. dark rum
6 oz. passion fruit juice
6 oz. orange juice
2 tbsp. grenadine
Ice
2 Orange slices
2 maraschino cherries
Directions
- In a large liquid measuring cup, combine rums, passion fruit juice, orange juice, and grenadine.
- Pour over iced-filled glass.
- Garnish each glass with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry.
From <https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a5631/best-ever-hurricane-recipe/>
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NM and Sandy, I hear you both. Personally, I don’t support “mandates” but I am not anti-vax, just cautious. We wear masks anywhere indoors and public. I don’t agree with mandating the vaccine for employees in situations where it was not a condition of there employment originally but for I don’t think routine testing is unreasonable, it should be an option before firing people.
Even if I didn’t have a critical allergy to the vaccine ingredients, I would want to wait for more post vaccine information, blood clots and other problems. While I agree it seems safe for most, those with allergies like mine were excluded from the vaccine trials, so we don’t really know how risky the vaccine itself would be for me vs covid. I also seriously question the data available and as a lover of facts, this makes me sad. According to census and dept. of health and human services data for my zip code, only 118 people out of more than 100,000 are unvaccinated, which I find impossible to believe.
I can’t wait to finally move out of my city of 4 million to a solitary location outside of a town of less than 15 hundred where the virus and politics are not a part of daily life, I’ve had enough.
Hello to all and since this is a drinking place, here’s a pic of me enjoying a beer with my seafood boil lunch in celebration of my name day on Wednesday.
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Well, not all jurisdictions are refusing to allow exemptions for documented allergies to components of the vaccine, nor mandating that healthcare workers stop cancer treatments in order to be vaccinated. The active cancer treatments make people MORE at risk of severe COVID, as they definitely suppress the immune system. If anything, people receiving active cancer treatments should move to the head of the line for boosters (as they are now) and certainly get vaccinated if they aren't already.
Most nursing homes and hospitals here are once again prohibiting in-person indoor visits to patients (I can't have Bob accompany me to my scans or oncology visits at UIHealth or Kellogg--I couldn't even have him walk me past the front door of the hospital on the days I had my brachyrherapy plaque inserted and removed). I know you are a responsible and conscientious person, but not every nursing home employee is. The fact remains that the highest incidence of COVID in congregate-living facilities correlates to the lowest % of staff being inoculated. And at the very least, NO first responders should be allowed to interact with patients unless they are vaccinated & masked. In so-called "freedom-loving" states there are a distressing number of incidents of EMTs refusing to wear masks on the job and actually bragging about having made a choice not to be vaccinated, even as they load heart attack & respiratory patients into their ambulances. I thank my lucky stars I live in a city were there are still plenty of ICU beds available for non-COVID patients. Some hospitals--mostly in high-minority neighborhoods--are nearly at capacity but the majority have ICUs that are nowhere near capacity to which patients can be diverted.
We don't have the luxury of 19 years to run vaccine trials for a disease that is exponentially more transmissible than even polio was--and the reason the polio vaccine trials took as long as they did was that compared to today, the technology was primitive. And in the meantime, polio claimed lives and permanently disabled many times more than it killed. And sorry--if you are at risk of getting a serious reaction from a vaccine (which is overwhelmingly likely to be reversible and short-term), you are at FAR higher risk from the disease it's meant to prevent--both at higher risk of catching it and higher risks of severe disease, permanent disability & death.
As I said, let's agree to disagree. But I hope to high heaven I don't find myself a patient in a healthcare facility where staff vaccinations (and heaven forbid, masking) are optional.
BTW, I did get a nasty fever (100.8) & sinus headache 12 hrs. after my booster--but two Tylenol knocked my temp down to 98.6 w/in 2 hrs.
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I have not stopped masking and since this pandemic started we have been to 4 restaraunts. That was when things started looking good, people were getting vaccinated. But now that's it's getting bad again, I'm back to doctors and groceries, period.
NM, Sadie is going to be so confused when you go back to work!
Cute pic BabyGirl.
My allergies have been through the roof. Going back to take more stuff for the sale, which is next week end. I also have beans to can and 3 dozen ears of corn to put up. My house is a dirty mess. Oy Vey! DH is supposed to use his stand up walker, I brought it into the house and so far he continues to use the rollator. I'll give it a few more days, then back out to the warehouse it goes. There is so much stuff he buys, uses it for a few weeks, and then there is sits, collecting dust!
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Good morning ladies- whew, what a week between work deadlines and also my house reno. We got er all done though but this girl is tired. I am working to put my house back together now after cleaning off counter tops as well as under sinks. Also an opportunity to reorg and purge.
The installers came Thursday and were here for a long day, leaving by 7 p.m. Then the plumber came back to hook up the sinks and install the new fixtures. Also a sealer came to put the final seal on the surfacing that keeps it from any damage or staining. Everything went really perfectly and reminded myself although anything can happen with these things, the more planning you do, the better things go.
Yesterday, I took a little break for myself and went to do my usual yoga practice in a nearby park, but then went down to a local farm where you can pick your own sunflowers. They had all kinds too, the traditional yellow, but also some light yellow, peach, and burgundy. I came away with a beautiful bouquet I have on a vase in my kitchen area. I also snagged some early harvest apples and also some freshly roasted green chili (our big crop here that is now in season). I know a few of you know all about our green chili (MinusTwo?)
I know the east coast is getting hammered by a hurricane this weekend. I have people from NJ up to Maine and hearing about flooding along the coast areas. My people have told me so much rain this summer and ground is saturated (nevermind high water tables in many areas). Anyways, FB post just said it's downgraded to a tropical storm so hopefully there won't be a lot of damage.
Ill- that is a cute photo. I think you will enjoy being in a quieter location for sure. I am tired of the pandemic and all the politics too.
Goldie- I wish you luck with your sale. I have fall allergies too, the chamisa is blooming here. Ah choo!
Chi- my healthcare delivery system did not require everyone to be vaccinated until they Gov just mandated it. Now everyone has to be if they have not been so far. And I mean everyone, including us support people. But most of the folks on our team have been. We follow the mandates of the state as we are state gov driven. I don't think it has been mandatory at most places until very recently. Other healthcare orgs here also mandating it even before this week.
I will be posting some photos of the final results later today here. Also, I am taking a break from ALL social media in Sept so I will post next weekend and then see you again into the fall.
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Just thought I would add my thoughts here...... Yes, we have been vaccinated.... last Phizer vaccine was in March. And yes, we will get the booster shot if we can! And yes we are older!
Yes, we wear masks everywhere we go, which is usually only to the grocery store! I am so afraid of getting sick, and not being able to take care of my Husband!
My brother, who just turned 83 is now in Intensive Care. Has been since they took him by ambulance to the Hospital, he was movef to the ICU a couple days ago. NO! He was against getting vaccinated! Got very sick from the flu shot when he was in the Navy, so he is STUBBORN, and it makes me mad! I'm mad because the hospital will not let me talk to him.... I got the "code"... and nurses say they will call back, but..... nothing! I hear from one of his Daughters', and his Grand-son, when there is anything new!
Makes me mad, because he also exposed his wife, who is getting Dialysis 3 times a week. Don't know her status yet. He has been taking care of HER, in their Assisted Living place, but she had to go to a nursing home a couple weeks ago! He just wanted to "see" her.... So he waited for the ambulance to bring her back from her dialysis, and he got out of his car, just to see her and talk to her...
Then he got sick! And I lay awake just worried about him. It's all so needless, these people running around without getting vaccinated, usually not wearing a mask, and yes I am cranky.! I am scared for my stubborn little brother who is 83, and trying to pull through getting that sick!
I am just tired and mad.... and I feel bad for the way things are now. I just want to lay down and cry,
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Chevy - sending you hugs.
They are saving booster/3rd shot 8 months after 2nd shot, so that is late September for hubby and me. I can't wait. When we had serology tests, my numbers were way lower than my hubby -he had more than 50% more. If antibodies decline with time, by the end of September, I won't have many left.
Illi - love the photo of you.
Lori, I'm planning 3 years including this year, but also if any time that I quit enjoying it, I will finish up the semester and hang up my 'shingle". So far, I still enjoy it. I would like to get Miriam out of University but it may be more than 3 years for her, but she knows as do my other two kids, we will always help the best we can.
DH wants to get a new front door - I told him not till we paint the outside of the house. Front and back doors are probably the original, almost 40 years old. Last time we painted, our son did it. He's working too many hours to do it now. I'm going to suggest to hubby that find find a reasonably priced painter to do the outside before the end of the year as he is thinking or retiring - and would rather spend the $ now than after he retires.
Yesterday, I sat outside all afternoon reading and finished a book in one day - i've read 3 books by the same author and love them all. Need to find more books.
Have a great Sunday.
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Karen, bring your serology test report to your pharmacy. They may give you your booster now.
(((Chevy))), Prayers for your brother & his wife--I'm not one for schadenfreude, just for the hope that those who denied the danger have an epiphany should they recover.
Illi, love the photo. Wish my metabolism could handle a real beer, or even an NA version (which has more carbs than the real thing). I'm limited to the ultra-light stuff which has as much alcohol as the real thing. For that much alcohol, pass me a flute of bubbly,
Speaking of which, I am feeling great this a.m. Temp. is back down to my usual 96.9, have my energy & appetite back. Did carb-cheat (a cookie) last night, but it was "medicinal." (My story and I'm stickin' to it). Right now, I am enjoying a fresh pour-over of Anticonquista coffee. (Yesterday was just a couple of Nespresso shots). It's from a family-owned small finca (plantation) in Guatemala--one of the sons (who has a green card) comes up to Chicago (Rogers Park, a mile north of me) each week to roast the beans (plus make some cold-brew packets) and sell them at our city's farmers' markets. They even bring a grinder to their stall and will custom-grind for auto-drip, press pot, Hario pour-over, perc and espresso. (I believe in grinding just before brewing, but then again I am a lady of leisure with the time to do that--when I was working, I'd brew a K-cup into a travel mug).
My other DOTD at brunch today will be either cava, prosecco, or a Virgin Mary.
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Photos of new upgraded space
kitchen
New farmhouse sink
Guest bath
Master bath
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Nice, Jazzy!
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Looks great Jazzy
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Jazzy - yes, I wait for it. Our Central Markets have 'everything Hatch'. I got a batch of the Hatch Chili scones from their bakery again this year so I'll have some for the next 6 months. Just wish that the Hatch Chili didn't come in the same time as the Olathe, CO. corn.
Edited to say - kitchen & bathroom are gorgeous.
Karen - who is the author of the 3 books you loved?
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Monday Monkey day! First day back to work for me, yeah! I am excited to get back in the school and get my office set up. And to see everyone and meet the new people. It's going to be an interesting year!
Illi--facts are good to have. In a new situation like this it takes time for all the facts to come to light with reliability. In your situation I would not get the vaccine either. The bottle of beer looks really good, and I am not a fan of beer!
Morning, Teka!
Chi--We agree to disagree. I'm glad your booster shot side effects were mild and easilymanageable.
Goldie--yes, Sadie is going to be a bit confused. But since her main daytime activity is napping in comfy spots, I don't think she'll suffer very much. She adapts quicker than I do to schedule changes these days! Sorry allergies are acting up. That's never fun. Nor is having a house full of stuff collecting dust!
Jazzy, I am so glad the renovations went smoothly!The power of planning, indeed. I'm not really expecting much from the remnants of Henri. It's been downgraded and has been slowing down and losing power since landfall. I did all the usual prep things, just in case, but don't expect much from it. Other places are expecting some flooding from the rain. It's funny, parts of Maine are still in a drought, some are expecting flooding, and some places are onlya few miles apart. If I don't catch you before then, enjoy your social media break!
Chevy--oh my, I am so sorry for the situation your brother is in. And for the worry for his wife and the people at the assisted living facility and nursing home and dialysis unit. Saying prayers for everyone involved. Hugs.
Karen--isn't it great fun to find an author you like? And the luxury of reading a book a day, I LOVE when that happens! Try not to freak out too much about the antibody levels declining over time. It's been proven with the early hepatitis vaccine that even when the circulating antibody level is lower than the test can measure the person is still protected. Antibody levels jump up to highly effective levels when the person is exposed to the hepatitis virus. My mom was counting out months until she can get the booster, she's got until November or December to wait.
Jazzy--BEAUTIFUL!!
Morning, Minus!
DOTD--not EXACTLY a drink, but sounds so wonderful!
Chandon Rosé Granite
Ingredients
- 1 bottle Chandon Rosé
- 1 3/4 Cup simple syrup
- 1 Cup sparkling water
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Directions
In a large bowl or plastic container, combine the rosé, simple syrup, sparkling water, and lemon juice. Stir thoroughly. Cover and place in the freezer until solid, 5-6 hours. To serve, use a spoon or fork to scrape the ice into a martini glass or any other small stemware.
From <https://www.thedailymeal.com/recipes/chandon-rose-granite-recipe>
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Jazzy, the vein on the curved counter looks way cool, and so does the one in what I think is your larger bathroom. bathroom. Any other projects coming up? I've never had fall allergies before, this is a new one on me. And I'm not liking it!
OH ED, I am so terribly sorry about your brother and his wife. You didn't come out and say it, but I assume he has Covid? Praying your SIL does not get it. Who is taking care of her, while he can't? Sending you my love and huggles. I can hear your frustration. Just remember, you have to take care of you and your DH.
Karen, you can look for groups on FB for your area and ask about a reputable person to paint your house. They chime in and give you recommondations and how good they are. That is how I'm going about the sale. DH and I painted ours last summer, with BRUSHES! Took quite awhile!
Sandy, glad you are feeling better. Doesn't sound like too much of a cheat with the cookie!
Haha NM, Sadie adapts easier cuz she doesn't have to change anything! She will be like "I thought we were done with this, you being gone all day". DOTD doesn't have to be a "drink". We've had jello shots I think? Why not adult slushies. Looks yummy and a great summer drink. Cheers!
Well, lets throw another wrench in Lori's pile. Tammy called DH yesterday and informed him that she will be here with her BF Fri-Sun to help with the sale. So on top of a million other things I have to do, now I have to hurry and clean the house. Nobody seems to care what all this does and puts on me. I was going non stop yesterday for 14 hours. Don't sleep well because of the allergies. I've tried 2 different medicines and neither did anything and I don't have 2 and 1/2 hours to run to town to get something different. Since my garden didn't do well, I don't have much, but have to do what I can. So 4 pints of green beans yesterday morning before going to the warehouse. Last night I blanched 27 ears of corn and got the corn cut off the cobb. So have to bag and freeze that today and do my video and ads for the sale. I'd like to gather up more stuff for the sale, but I have to clean for guests.
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Cami is having puter problems again! She can read, but she can't reply. She tried to fix it herself, but can't. So she will wait for Joey to get home and help her. She has also fallen 2 more times and messed up her beautiful face some more. Had tests done, but they can't find anything.
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