Let's Babble Our Way to Post #4,000,000 And Win Prizes Too!

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Sarthur2

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Margret Margret

Perhaps you can get on a payment plan with the medical bills, so that ultimately some of the payments can come from income earned by your husband over time, rather than all of it from your principal.
 

donutte

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Margret Margret , glad things are getting better for you. Hopefully they'll continue to get better and do so more quickly. Especially all the financial stuff - ugh.


I did not win any of the raffles at the Kitty Summer Social. Oh well, it was fun anyway. I was looking at the upcoming events, and noticed their "Merry Meow" event was on November 12th. That will be the one year anniversary of Lucky's passing :sniffle: It was just so unexpected for some reason to see something scheduled on that date.
 

kittens mom

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Ya know what?  I don't have a single thing to say today, and I've used up more than 15 words not saying it!

Is there a special babbler award for things like this?
She may have nothing to say but she's keeping our little cause running while I steep my way though the post trial depression. There should be an award for those that are extra caring.
 

NewYork1303

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It is waaaaaaaaaaaay too hot here. The cats agree. They've been searching for cool spaces after spending a pleasant time in sun spots during the day.
 

Margret

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Looks like more rain. Again. At least I won't have to water the plants (which are finally  growing!) Out of curiosity, has anyone ever jury-rigged a trellis for a vine plant before? What's the best way to do that? (I'm growing cucumber in a container, and I thought it might be a good idea to trellis train the plants so that it's easy to harvest the cucumber.)
I don't grow cucumbers myself, so judge accordingly, but I have seen trellises at Home Depot that look like a large corkscrew, in a variety of colors, which appeared to be very strong.  Also tomato cages made of the same stuff.
 
@Margret As sorry as I am to hear you have to use your retirement funds, I am so glad you have the funds to pull from.  I've been worrying about this for you since you said he hasn't paid the insurance and was hospitalized.

I should walk Eclipse but I am not feeling up to it.  Maybe after a healthy snack.
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@Margret

Perhaps you can get on a payment plan with the medical bills, so that ultimately some of the payments can come from income earned by your husband over time, rather than all of it from your principal.
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@Margret, glad things are getting better for you. Hopefully they'll continue to get better and do so more quickly. Especially all the financial stuff - ugh.


I did not win any of the raffles at the Kitty Summer Social. Oh well, it was fun anyway. I was looking at the upcoming events, and noticed their "Merry Meow" event was on November 12th. That will be the one year anniversary of Lucky's passing
It was just so unexpected for some reason to see something scheduled on that date.
Thank you all.  There was a conference at the rehab center a couple of days ago at which I should (and would) have been present, had anyone bothered to inform me in advance.  
   (They'll be hearing about that, by the way.)  Anyway, Roger tells me that there was a social worker there who has some way to help us with these, which I am very glad to hear.  Among other things, I'm overdue for a doctor visit, and would prefer not to be paying 100% for it.  The word as of today is that they believe he'll be ready for release in just over a week.  The sooner the better, as far as I'm concerned.

@Donutte, it'll probably feel that way for a couple of years, likewise for the date of Sara's death.  It will improve over time, gradually, as you heal.  At this point I don't even remember these dates for my cats who have crossed the bridge, but that may be because I've always been bad with dates.  The ones that get to me, every year, for months at a time, are Mother's Day and Father's Day.  Even more than my parents' birthdays or death dates, probably because these days keep ambushing me every time I listen to the radio, watch television, or walk into a store.

Margret
 
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tallyollyopia

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You can find a fan-shaped trellis at Home Depot which you could put into the pot with the cuke plant. I put all my cuke plants on trellises, you need to help them a little when they first start to vine, after that they pretty well do for themselves. 

If you have a bit of  stiff wire fencing with big holes you could make a cage or use a tomato cage but I don't recommend those, they are not strong or tall enough. Cucumbers get pretty heavy. 
 
I don't grow cucumbers myself, so judge accordingly, but I have seen trellises at Home Depot that look like a large corkscrew, in a variety of colors, which appeared to be very strong.  Also tomato cages made of the same stuff.

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Thank you all.  There was a conference at the rehab center a couple of days ago at which I should (and would) have been present, had anyone bothered to inform me in advance.  
   (They'll be hearing about that, by the way.)  Anyway, Roger tells me that there was a social worker there who has some way to help us with these, which I am very glad to hear.  Among other things, I'm overdue for a doctor visit, and would prefer not to be paying 100% for it.  The word as of today is that they believe he'll be ready for release in just over a week.  The sooner the better, as far as I'm concerned.

@Donutte, it'll probably feel that way for a couple of years, likewise for the date of Sara's death.  It will improve over time, gradually, as you heal.  At this point I don't even remember these dates for my cats who have crossed the bridge, but that may be because I've always been bad with dates.  The ones that get to me, every year, for months at a time, are Mother's Day and Father's Day.  Even more than my parents' birthdays or death dates, probably because these days keep ambushing me every time I listen to the radio, watch television, or walk into a store.

Margret
Okay, same reply to both posts: I can't afford to buy a trellis. That's why I was looking for ideas of something I can make myself, from materials here around the house.

AWM has gotten poor Spot addicted to whipped cream. (She was giving it to him to help him feel better about Slipper's passing. Her heart was in t he right place--and no one around here believes me that cats are lactose intolerant. 
 Still, since I discovered it I've been trying to wean him off of it. (Sabotaged at every step by AWM and RB squirting some on a plate for the cat.) For now I'm dealing with it by making sure there is no whipped cream in the house. (Easy, since I'm in charge of getting the food.) But poor Spot has been whining and trying to dig into the fridge.

In other news all of the tenderness in Rose's tail seems to be gone. (I'm keeping her in for one more day, just to make sure that she's all right.) Well, I've got to get up early so, good night everybody!
 

Mamanyt1953

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She may have nothing to say but she's keeping our little cause running while I steep my way though the post trial depression. There should be an award for those that are extra caring.
i talk to people.  I copy and paste.  I can do both of those things without a lot of thought...at least at this point.  Hopefully, one day, that won't be true. 
 

Margret

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Okay, same reply to both posts: I can't afford to buy a trellis. That's why I was looking for ideas of something I can make myself, from materials here around the house.

AWM has gotten poor Spot addicted to whipped cream. (She was giving it to him to help him feel better about Slipper's passing. Her heart was in t he right place--and no one around here believes me that cats are lactose intolerant. 
 Still, since I discovered it I've been trying to wean him off of it. (Sabotaged at every step by AWM and RB squirting some on a plate for the cat.) For now I'm dealing with it by making sure there is no whipped cream in the house. (Easy, since I'm in charge of getting the food.) But poor Spot has been whining and trying to dig into the fridge.

In other news all of the tenderness in Rose's tail seems to be gone. (I'm keeping her in for one more day, just to make sure that she's all right.) Well, I've got to get up early so, good night everybody!
So, what sort of things do you have around the house?  And what tools do you have available?

It was milk, not whipped cream, but my dad did the same thing to Sweet Thing.  "Oh, she wants it so much, and just a little bit won't hurt her!"  (And it was not a little bit.)  I never did find a solution to that one; milk was a staple.

Margret
 
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handsome kitty

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 How about some poles or broom sticks with wire or string tied across at different heights? @Tallyollyopia

I used to have lactose free Milk but my cats only licked a little.  Eclipse does enjoy a taste of Whipped cream now and then.  And cream cheese frosting which we discovered when he was found licking the frosting off a 'nothing bundt cakes' slice.
 

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My black cat loves peanut butter. He's the only one of the five who does. He can be asleep in a bedroom, yet the minute I take the lid off the peanut butter jar in the kitchen he somehow shows up, wanting his teaspoonful.
 
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NewYork1303

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My old cat had milk every single day of the 17 years she was alive with no adverse effects. She loved the milk. When we didn't have any, we'd find some cream cheese or whip cream to give her instead. I don't think all cats are lactose intolerant. I think a few must not be since I hear too many stories about cats getting cream and other lactose products without any problems. 
 

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Where do you have this cucumber pot? If it is next to the house you could put wires or heavy twine fastened somewhere up above like to a window sill or the eaves of the house. You would need a ladder or tall step stool to get up there. The bottom of the wire or heavy twine needs to be fastened to the pot by winding it around the rim of the pot, I would suggest two strands. Poles do not work too well because they are too slick and too big around for the cuke vines to fasten to. If you use heavy twine then tie a few knots into it at intervals to help the vine to cling. If you use wire then wind the vine alternately around the wire so that it zig-zags between the two wires until it has a good grip. If you could post a picture it would help to give you further hints. I also hope that the pot gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight, the hotter the better.
 

NewYork1303

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I do not like all of this heat. It is six in the morning and the temperature is already creeping up to seventy. It was a real challenge sleeping in such a hot house. Angua enjoyed sleeping on the pile of blankets that got kicked off the bed at least.
 

tallyollyopia

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So, what sort of things do you have around the house?  And what tools do you have available?

It was milk, not whipped cream, but my dad did the same thing to Sweet Thing.  "Oh, she wants it so much, and just a little bit won't hurt her!"  (And it was not a little bit.)  I never did find a solution to that one; milk was a staple.

Margret
I have rough-cut firewood, an ax, lots  of yarn (and some empty paracord sleeve that RB gave to me because he had a use for the threads inside but not the sleeve), and some old pieces of wood from when we repaired the fence (back before we got the dogs, so a long  time ago). Oh, I've also got beads and things that can make whatever I make look pretty. 
 
 How about some poles or broom sticks with wire or string tied across at different heights? @Tallyollyopia

I used to have lactose free Milk but my cats only licked a little.  Eclipse does enjoy a taste of Whipped cream now and then.  And cream cheese frosting which we discovered when he was found licking the frosting off a 'nothing bundt cakes' slice.
I've been trying to keep lactose out of the cats' diet. (Not that hard; LS was lactose intolerant I just expanded it to the cats.) Of course, I've heard horror stories where someone gave their precious cat a small saucer of cream only to have diarrhea so bad they needed to take the kitty to the vet. (It's true that the only adverse effect Spot seems to suffer is the fact that he seems addicted to the cream.)
 
Where do you have this cucumber pot? If it is next to the house you could put wires or heavy twine fastened somewhere up above like to a window sill or the eaves of the house. You would need a ladder or tall step stool to get up there. The bottom of the wire or heavy twine needs to be fastened to the pot by winding it around the rim of the pot, I would suggest two strands. Poles do not work too well because they are too slick and too big around for the cuke vines to fasten to. If you use heavy twine then tie a few knots into it at intervals to help the vine to cling. If you use wire then wind the vine alternately around the wire so that it zig-zags between the two wires until it has a good grip. If you could post a picture it would help to give you further hints. I also hope that the pot gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight, the hotter the better.
For the moment I have it on the porch (it still gets sun there, but it's mostly shaded so the plant doesn't get too   much sun--how I lost the previous cucumber seedlings.) I might be able to do that with one of the porch pillars. I'll have to ask AWM if I can--it's her house. 
 

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Okay, I write stories in my spare time, and I had an idea for a story, but I don't know if it's a viable idea because my usual sounding board isn't available. Here's the general gist: the world is filled with animals that have human characteristics; they walk on two legs, have hands, and can speak (English, because that's all I  speak). Well, I say filled, but only about half of the animals are like this, and they're like this because of an event known as the Sundering. The wildlings (as they're called) send their children to school, mainly to learn what is and is not safe to eat and that it's socially taboo to eat other wildlings (there was a little bit of a problem with that right after the Sundering). The school is located a day's hike away from their home communities (and on neutral ground that doesn't belong to any species of wildling specifically). 

The main character (and the only one I've named since I'm not sure if I'm going with this story or not) is Billy Koal, a koala wildling. He has a little sister and goes to school to learn how to interact with other wildlings his age (that are not his species), and when goes back home he finds that a fever is going around. The only person who might  be able to treat the fever is the witch of Redback Mountain. 

That's the story idea as it stands; what do you think? Should I flesh it out and see where it goes, or should I just let it fall to the wayside?
 

handsome kitty

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Okay, I write stories in my spare time, and I had an idea for a story, but I don't know if it's a viable idea because my usual sounding board isn't available. Here's the general gist: the world is filled with animals that have human characteristics; they walk on two legs, have hands, and can speak (English, because that's all I  speak). Well, I say filled, but only about half of the animals are like this, and they're like this because of an event known as the Sundering. The wildlings (as they're called) send their children to school, mainly to learn what is and is not safe to eat and that it's socially taboo to eat other wildlings (there was a little bit of a problem with that right after the Sundering). The school is located a day's hike away from their home communities (and on neutral ground that doesn't belong to any species of wildling specifically). 

The main character (and the only one I've named since I'm not sure if I'm going with this story or not) is Billy Koal, a koala wildling. He has a little sister and goes to school to learn how to interact with other wildlings his age (that are not his species), and when goes back home he finds that a fever is going around. The only person who might  be able to treat the fever is the witch of Redback Mountain. 

That's the story idea as it stands; what do you think? Should I flesh it out and see where it goes, or should I just let it fall to the wayside?
It sounds interesting.  What age group are you aiming for?  It might be a good story for middle schoolers and could possibly be a series like the Redwall Series by Brian Jacques or the ever popular My Little Ponies.

DD (Kim)'s birthday is coming up.  For her gift I got her enrolled her in a class called 'Chocolate for Gifting'.  The class she really wants to take is in Sept. and this class is a prerequisite.  It's on the 15th and I am taking it with her. I will still be on the Whole 30 . . .  wish me luck - melted chocolate is too hot to taste.  LOL   Already told my friend she is getting my chocolate from the class. 
 

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handsome kitty handsome kitty

The class sounds so fun! You are brave to take it while you are on your Whole30 diet! I'm so glad that Kim is beginning these baking classes! I think it is right up her alley! [emoji]128522[/emoji]
 
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