Daring December

[Lavande]

Good evening friends!

Still cold of course & saw about a dozen snowflakes this morning. That was enough, ha ha!!!

Liz, I am the 'soup fairy' on this thread, LOL
I make a lot of chicken or turkey bone broth, my crockpot stays pretty busy these days.
There are lots of recipes online to get you started, have fun.

Star, my house smells like chicken broth today, ha ha!
Glad you found some fun & comforting things to do this weekend. I really do little to no shopping in stores anymore since they are so far & the crowds drive me insane. I love, love love my Amazon Prime membership

Dill, glad to hear you enjoyed some grandkid time this weekend. I didn't see any of mine this weekend but I really didn't expect to either. My DIL is still under the impression that there is something wrong with us & not her
I have been hesitant to make any plans for Christmas, really don't know what to do. My usual Christmas eve gathering is off for the first time ever. The resentment in me wants to take over but I'm not going to let her get to me. She really doesn't know how stubborn I can be, ha ha!

Pauly, I sent my test kit by UPS last Monday. I just checked the website where they said they received it & are working on the results. Hopefully I will get results very soon.
Convenient At Home Health Testing - EverlyWell
Have you had your Vitamin D level tested? Some of your anxiety & depression could be due to a low Vit D level.
I still want to hear you tell me that you are taking a probiotic. There is a lot of literature out there on the brain-gut connection. You can help your anxiety/depression a lot by choosing the right foods & taking a daily probiotic

Cyn, glad you are home safe & sound. I bet your doggies are glad too!
I would definitely use that frozen stock in cooking just about anything. It's homemade with no nasty additives so you will reap some good benefits.

Well, tomorrow is Maxie's 14 birthday! She made it!!
It has been a rough year for her & for us too but I'm glad she's still with us. 14 dog years = 98 human years, goodness! No wonder she gets a bit confused at times.

Wishing everyone a peaceful night!
Lav

[Snoopy56]

Good morning...

Grateful to wake up on a Monday morning after an AF weekend, well rested, guilt free and healthy. Our electric fire place was fixed, the remote had to be reset, work-out, grocery shop, then football and relaxing. Son came over and we ate appetizers and went in the hot tub, lots of laughing, We also wrapped a bunch of presents, still more to come in the mail. So, nothing exciting, but all good.

Lav, I looked up that website for testing for all types of things and may use it, thanks. Sorry to hear your DIL is being stubborn and wants to be right, everyone's loss. I know what you mean about the traffic, it is really unsettling. My husband wanted to go to the mall yesterday and I talked him out of it. We have enough stuff, currently the mall is a level of hell and i have to go next weekend, it will be an adventure, then I am done.

Dill, so happy your innovative tropical tree is up and enjoyed. Good for you. I only saw my grandson on Facetime this weekend, and he was cute. Lucky you to get real time. Any cookie baking with them? I can barely wait to do that in the future.

Cyn, New York City sounds exciting at Christmas, then good to get home too. Hope you find some of the Christmas spirit with music and lights, the memories of the past are the hard part sometimes.

Lizann, nice to have some me time, enjoy. Pets are the best and totally faithful, what a blessing they are to all of us.

Have a great AF Monday.

[paulywogg]

Morning friends, Star,glad you had a nice weekend loved what you said about waking up with no guilt, well rested, etc,Lav,I thought everything was kinda sorted out with the grandkids? I figured after Thanksgiving when they came by it was all cool,hmm,those two holding onto resentment isn't good for anyone, thanks for the link btw and yea I need to get some more probiotics but I swear they make my stomach hurt,Dill,did you like TWD last night? Glad everyone's back and ready to fight!! Cyn,did you get a ton of snow? I'm so bored with the weather here,,yawn,hi Liz off to get ready for work, wishing us all a great AF Monday

[dill]

Hey All,

Pauly, I fell asleep watching TV at 9:00 last night which is when TWD comes on. I decided to go to bed and watch TWD Monday night instead! I am looking forward to it and even more so because of your positive comment! I was hoping things would start to turn around.

Star, I don't think I'll bake Christmas cookies with the kids this year. I find it a little nerve-wracking actually! I hate to be a Grinch, but my nerves can't take some activities, especially those involving making a mess in the kitchen with sugar and flour! More power to you tho. I certainly did my share when my kids were kids.

Lav, I'm sorry you are having a hard time making plans for Christmas this year. It's just going to have to be "different" this year it seems. Going with the flow is a good plan. It will be a peaceful and quiet Christmas Eve for you and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that picture! I've had a few of those over the past few years.

Cyn, did you get your 3-5 inches? Did it make it feel more like Christmas? And WOWZERS! Shoulder to should people is a nightmare to me anymore! It's the country life for me!

Lizann, I bet you wonder why we call Snoop "Star" and Treegirl "Cyn". It's because when we originally started this group years ago, Snoop was Stargazerlily and Treegirl was Cyntree. Some how they got permanently logged off when the site went thru its upgrade and came back with new names because they couldn't get logged in under their original names.

Let's all have a peaceful AF Monday evening.

[Lavande]

Good Monday evening friends!

The busy days continue but I survived, ha ha!
I have so much going on tomorrow that I have to skip my usual morning run to Curves. I have a full morning of work, then driving nearly an hour to meet old friends for lunch. Not to mention I still need to get back on Amazon & order more gifts & wrap what has already been delivered. The only cookies I've baked so far were the ones I dropped off for the Relay for Life team this morning - geez!

Stra, I checked in with Everly Well & they said my results will be available Wednesday. This should be interesting I think. I am tired of guessing & assuming about food sensitivities. I'm sure you would greatly benefit by checking your intolerances as well.

Pauly, I have taken several different brands of probiotics & none of them bothered me. I am currently using TruNature & taking it twice daily (because I really need that much). A daily probiotic & a vitamin D3 supplement will do wonders for your mood - honestly!

Dill, I am not going to do all of the baking & cooking I usually do for Christmas especially since I don't know if/when anyone will be here, that's OK. It's really just a matter of changing my habits & thinking about the whole holiday thing. It just bugs me that I have been pushed into doing this by the psychotic behavior of my DIL. I would rather have a peaceful & quiet Christmas than have to deal with her off the wall stuff. It's funny that we accidently bought the biggest tree we have had in many years, ha ha!!

Hello to Liz & Cyn, hope you are both well.

Have a super restful & peaceful night everyone!
Lav

[Lizann]

Dill thank you for filling me on the names. I will get them straight. It will take me time to get it.

Lav, sadly I did not get to make the soup today as I got called I to work. Just had leftovers after a long day.

Can someone fill me in, what is TWD? I've got the tv all to myself this week and am always looking for something new to watch.

Working early tomorrow so off to bed.

[treegirl]

Evening all -

Dill, I must say that I was thrilled to get on the train yesterday... even Grand Central Station, which I have a deep love for, was getting on my nerves. But I did watch a dad share his meal with a toddler son - so carefully cutting up the meat, telling him how to wrangle a mac and cheese noodle. It was a small, sweet moment.

Star, so glad that your AF days are racking up, and you are always feeling the benefits of the AF life, good for you. Be kind to yourself about your feelings - so much comes up during the holidays when we miss people.

Pauly - I'm going to follow the advice that Lav gave you! I haven't kept up with my vit d drops, and I never thought to take more than 1 probiotic a day... I was sensitive to them too - I had to try a few to find the right one. It's worth giving it a try.

Lizann - how was your o'dark airport run? That always slays me for the whole day! Hope you are OK. It is really nice to have fur close at hand, right? Lucky us. And thanks, Dill for clearing up the names! I had forgotten all the twists and turns we've been through.

Lav, well. I guess you'll just have to enjoy that big, beautiful tree! Honestly, so sorry that DIL is being so ridiculous and hurtful... maybe things will change on the coming days, hope so. Did you read about the bone broth restaurant in NYC? Mind bodygreen had an article about it, with some recipes... sounded great. I made the bone broth for the dogs, but maybe I'll steal some to make some interesting 'teas'.

We got snow here, but it turned to rain, and was a cold, damp day. I had inside work to do, so I didn't even go out ... the dogs are restless! Good thing the sun will shine tomorrow, maybe I can get them to the dog park. (Lav, my girl is 13! She is hanging in there - lots of attitude!).

Wishing all a good AF night and a happy Tuesday to come.

[paulywogg]

The Walking Dead Liz,Dill and I are fans haha,btw Dill,sorry for the spoiler earlier,I'm searching for a recipe to use all these peanuts I have leftover from cans of mixed nuts,I hate peanuts on their own but i don't want to throw them out either, one recipe is for chocolate peanut cookies,maybe that'll do

[paulywogg]

Cyn,we were posting at the same time took the probiotic this afternoon with no stomach probs so I think it will be OK,then I'll build up to two which is what the bottle says to take, goodnight all

[Snoopy56]

Good morning...

I woke up really early today, darn, I hate that, will just drink lots of coffee. We are supposed to get snow today, 1-3 inches, it will be pretty, looking like Christmas. My new iphone 7 is supposed to be delivered today, it will be fun but probably annoying at the same time, getting everything transferred and learning all the new things the latest model will offer. I need more storage though, for all the pics I take, so I am excited to meet this latest challenge.

Cyn, loved your description of the Dad and his child, life is made of those beautiful little moments, isn't it? I love seeing kindness and love, it makes me happy, good energy. Don't you love a stay in day, when it is damp and cold outside? I love being able to stay in, once in a while. It is really damp and cold here too!

Pauly, hope you continue to feel better and find what works for you. Making Christmas cookies sounds fun, tonight I get to make fudge for work, two work events this week, lots of bad food, I need to watch out or my stomach will hurt. Besides family get togethers, those are the only parties I attend. And it is enough.

Lav, you really get busy this time of year. I have also learned to take the holidays as they come, and make my own fun, but it is still tough having your DIL want to hurt you. Life is too short. Your tree sounds great, YB is having fun being retired!

Dill, grandkids sure do trash the house, that is for sure. As soon as my grandson leaves, I have at least a half hour of getting things back together, then it stays clean.

Lizann, I guess our names are confusing, glad Dill explained.

Have a great AF Tuesday.

[paulywogg]

Morning friends, Star,I want to make fudge but I don't think I will cuz it's too heavy for me and I usually can only eat a few bites,I'll just buy some if I see a deal I was reading about probiotics and there's a test where you put it in milk overnight and if it thickens the milk you have a good one but if the milk stays the same there's no good enzymes in it,well I tried one of mine and this morning it's just plain, old looking milk but I dunno if maybe it was too cold downstairs to work so I'm trying it in my bathroom today haha,if not I'll just buy new ones,so hard to buy anything extra right now cuz of Christmas stuff which I need to get done! Dill,did you end up watching WD yesterday? Cyn,I really hope we get into the holiday spirit eventually, it blows not having that feeling inside, especially cuz it's only once a year, Lav,thanks for your wonderful advice on nutrition and supplements, I'm totally into that stuff and you're my guru haha Liz,hello if you check in here,wishing us all an easy day(stolen from Byrdie) I need one

[dill]

Hello Friends, just a quickie here. I seem to be in a deep funk going on 4 days now. I can't seem to shake it! The snow is beautiful and I don't have to be out in is, so I'll try to muster up some feelings of gratitude for that. Maybe I can start to turn this ship around!

Pauly, I loved TWD! Such a relief to see them get their will to live and their fight for freedom back! I wonder who let Daryl go. Neegan is going to be really mad when he gets back and finds that out!

I used to be a Days of Our Lives fan for many years. I heard over the weekend that Stefano DiMera, ultimate bad guy in the series, passed away at age 87. Alzheimers. Sad to hear of his passing.

Star, Cyn, Liz, Lav, keep safe and warm....and AF.

[paulywogg]

Dill,what are these blue feelings?!? I feel the same way, usually mine shakes off but it's lingering and bugging me

[treegirl]

Hi all -

Pauly, I've never heard of that 'test' for a probiotic, hmmmm. I do think that the ones that have to be refrigerated might be stronger or higher quality... but they are also a pain because of the refrigeration. Good luck!

Lav, is YB recovering well? I'm sure you are keeping him busy... you sound very busy - I hope you get some 'me' time. I made some broth tea with coconut oil this morning... warmed me right up.

Star - I bet it was the full moon that kept you up! My dogs were restless and kept waking up,,, I checked on them and thought I'd left lights on somewhere in the house, it was so bright out. The trees cast long long shadows on the snow.

Dill , I hope you feel better. Are you taking any supplements to help out?

Lizann - wishing you good quiet pet snuggles this evening. Will you be experiencing this same cold snap as I am in the NE? If so, good luck!

I finally got some weatherizing work done on the porch, just before this cold hits... the light was fading and my hands were frozen, but I got some done. Wish I had used the good weather more wisely, oh well. I also put some small fake xmas trees (in pots, that have lights,) out on the front porch. At least there is a little sparkle there for people who drive by - maybe I will escape being known as a grinch!

Wishing all AF wellness tonight.

[Lavande]

Good evening to all Grinches, ha ha!!!

Busy in my work shop all morning, got stuff shipped out then I went & met 2 of my old hospital friends for lunch. one of them is leaving Saturday to go to FL for the winter. Not too many of us left up here in the frozen north!!

Star, I was awake early too but it was just as well since I had so much to do. I think we will all catch up on sleep after the full moon, after the holidays.....maybe

Pauly, the probiotics work in so many magnificent ways!
If I could still tolerate dairy I would eat yogurt every day. If I could tolerate the salt in sauerkraut I would eat that more frequently (unheated is best).

Speaking of food intolerances I got my test results back tonight with some surprises. Apparently I do react to more grains & yeasts than I thought & even odd stuff like apples & mushrooms. And here I am living so close to the mushroom capital of the world. I will need a few days to 'digest' all this then adjust my diet accordingly. All of the things that I reacted to were either low level or mild reactions. There was no moderate or high reactivity. I can't imagine how bad those symptoms might be, geez. It was explained that these reactivities contribute to IBS, headaches, types of arthritis, autism, ADD/ADHD, eczema, chronic ear infections, gut malabsorption, insomnia & more. Wow, that's a lot!

Dill, I hope your mood takes a turn very soon. It helps me to remember that these things are JUST temporary.

Cyn, no snow here yet, it seems to all come from the west & then heads north. I'm not complaining!
It is supposed to get extremely cold & windy for a few days though.
My chicken broth ended up with good 'gellage' this time, ha ha. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. I think there are places selling bone broth in Philly now too
I think we all need to keep the crockpots plugged in all winter so we can nourish ourselves properly & stay healthy!

Liz, I always find it hard to feed myself properly when I am n my own. I get a bit lazy to be honest & enjoy taking break from the kitchen. My husband (who is known as YB around here) watches The Walking Dead but I don't. It creeps me out, ha ha!

Have a peaceful night everyone!
Lav