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Spending the day super cleaning the house. I usually hate cleaning. I found a trick that works for me finally. It's all in my head but whatever works!!

I imagine I'll be like a guest coming into a hotel. What would be awesome to walk into? Kinda fun playing this game. I've even been coming up with themes. Today is "white day". Lol.

 

LOL! I always love that line in the book The Help - something like "Friday is wash the darn sheets day" (not darn -the one with the m -is that word bleeped out here?) - said by the maid in the book. Friday is my wash the darn sheets day too. Whatever works!!

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Lol.

There's nothing better though than a freshly made bed.

We bought my dream bed a few years ago, and I'm still in love.

I may not be rich but luxuries like good sheets and pillows on my big beautiful bed make me so happy.

 

I am very into good linens -they don't' have to be ultra expensive at all -I am selective, look for sales and know when high thread count really is just a come on as opposed to the sheets actually being softer. I make my bed daily because I love to have a bed that looks freshly made and inviting at night -helps me get ready for sleep.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm so happy how most of my garden recovered.

I planted 14 varieties of heirloom tomato, and God they are so pretty and tasty!

Last month deer got over my over 6 foot fence we have around the garden. There are lots of deer this year, and they aren't skinny!! Whoever got in had a real feast, almost all veg that was near ready they ate. Didn't touch the kale though! Lol.

But it recovered, as they only ate the big ones. Didn't ruin my fence, didn't eat buds, didn't eat little veg. What a guy!

 

So much beautiful food available now, I love it. Got fresh corn and baby potatos at the market yesterday, and can't wait for supper haha.

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I'm so happy how most of my garden recovered.

I planted 14 varieties of heirloom tomato, and God they are so pretty and tasty!

Last month deer got over my over 6 foot fence we have around the garden. There are lots of deer this year, and they aren't skinny!! Whoever got in had a real feast, almost all veg that was near ready they ate. Didn't touch the kale though! Lol.

But it recovered, as they only ate the big ones. Didn't ruin my fence, didn't eat buds, didn't eat little veg. What a guy!

 

So much beautiful food available now, I love it. Got fresh corn and baby potatos at the market yesterday, and can't wait for supper haha.

 

Love it!!!!

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I'm so happy how most of my garden recovered.

I planted 14 varieties of heirloom tomato, and God they are so pretty and tasty!

Last month deer got over my over 6 foot fence we have around the garden. There are lots of deer this year, and they aren't skinny!! Whoever got in had a real feast, almost all veg that was near ready they ate. Didn't touch the kale though! Lol.

But it recovered, as they only ate the big ones. Didn't ruin my fence, didn't eat buds, didn't eat little veg. What a guy!

 

So much beautiful food available now, I love it. Got fresh corn and baby potatos at the market yesterday, and can't wait for supper haha.

 

Read this and smiled. Then went to the backyard and—somewhat miraculously—found a ripe pomegranate on the tree that an animal hadn't found first. Tomatoes, too, were ready for picking. Chopped up some kale, roasted some almonds, crumbled some feta—lunch!

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Blue castle, how many fruit trees do you have in your yard?! I remember you mentioning you had kumquats too.

Things I can only dream to grow here!

That lunch sounds great!

 

We have two or three lemon trees, a lime tree, the pomegranate tree, the kumquats. A few tomato plants. Lots of loquat trees around the neighborhood, so we have fun with those when they bloom. Found a random guava tree a year ago up the block—planted who knows when, by who knows who, on a public stretch of sidewalk. Neighbors next door have plums and peaches and figs, which we're free to take whenever, as our citrus is free to whoever knows about it and wants to go back and spruce up a salad or cocktail. It is kind of illicit what can grow here—everything, more or less. A friend of mine grows corn in his backyard, along with chard, eccentric peppers, who knows what else. Our attempt at an avocado tree, however, was a bust. Can't win 'em all.

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You guys are making me wanna start a garden lol. I'm a real picky eater though so not many options for me, but man if I could grow my own avacodos I'd be in heaven. By far my favorite fruit and I swear it pairs with almost anything. Sorry your tree was a bust, Blue Castle. I hear they are quite difficult to grow/manage. I wonder how hard it is to grow pistachios because that would be another great thing for me. No pun intended (it actually is though) but it must be so fruitful to grow something yourself and have it turn out perfectly. I bet it's so much better tasting too.

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You guys are making me wanna start a garden lol. I'm a real picky eater though so not many options for me, but man if I could grow my own avacodos I'd be in heaven. By far my favorite fruit and I swear it pairs with almost anything. Sorry your tree was a bust, Blue Castle. I hear they are quite difficult to grow/manage. I wonder how hard it is to grow pistachios because that would be another great thing for me. No pun intended (it actually is though) but it must be so fruitful to grow something yourself and have it turn out perfectly. I bet it's so much better tasting too.

 

I love avocados -started eating them daily - only a small amount because of well calories- over 10 years ago - way before "avocado toast" was a thing. I actually like it on toast with cream cheese or combined with tuna or salmon or egg salads. But my sister and I talk about Avocado Depression -that thing where either the avocado actually never ripens or you cut it open toooooo late. They're not inexpensive so this adds to the A.D.

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Avacado are like nature's mayo!

"Avacado depression" lol, it's real! Especially if you live somewhere that has to import them, it's so hard to get them at peak deliciousness. They were something like $1.50 plus each too, last time I bought them.

 

I don't recall where you live, Likewater, but I totally encourage starting a garden!! Doesn't have to be big, can be as simple as a herb or two in the windowsill. Mint for mojitos! Basil for tomato, whatever... it's satisfying just to grow something of your own and get to eat it.

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Avacado are like nature's mayo!

"Avacado depression" lol, it's real! Especially if you live somewhere that has to import them, it's so hard to get them at peak deliciousness. They were something like $1.50 plus each too, last time I bought them.

 

I don't recall where you live, Likewater, but I totally encourage starting a garden!! Doesn't have to be big, can be as simple as a herb or two in the windowsill. Mint for mojitos! Basil for tomato, whatever... it's satisfying just to grow something of your own and get to eat it.

 

I totally will once I move, but in center Chicago for a while now. Having any kinda space for such a thing here is next to impossible. Can't wait to be outta here especially after my dream future died.

 

@Batya33, I feel you 100%, way before Avacado toast became this mainstream thing, and it goes way better with so many other things. I feel you on the AD too, it's so sad! They are so difficult to cut at the perfect time.

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I totally will once I move, but in center Chicago for a while now. Having any kinda space for such a thing here is next to impossible. Can't wait to be outta here especially after my dream future died.

 

@Batya33, I feel you 100%, way before Avacado toast became this mainstream thing, and it goes way better with so many other things. I feel you on the AD too, it's so sad! They are so difficult to cut at the perfect time.

 

Thanks!! My issue with the avocado toast that is popular is that it always looks like they use tons of avocado. To me a little goes a long way.

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Thanks!! My issue with the avocado toast that is popular is that it always looks like they use tons of avocado. To me a little goes a long way.

 

For sure, a little goes a long way with Avacado. I'll see people use multiple whole Avacados in dishes and the most I ever use for any dish is a half an Avacado.

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  • 3 weeks later...

So my city, like a lot of cities, has been seeing an increase in homelessness and there is an opioid crisis. Whereas before it was mostly visible in certain core areas, now it is spilling out to all corners. We have little homeless camps now right in our downtown, actual little tent camps, which is a newer development.

This is for context. Last week I was walking in my neighbourhood, and this girl is walking down the sidewalk ahead of me. She sees me over her shoulder, keeps going, and then after a while stops and approaches me from a distance. Even though she looks young and sweet, I'm cautious. Not only because of Covid. There have been attacks involving youth, and some in my neighbourhood too. Some have involved random pepper spray attacks, some beatings and stabbings. So even though it was day, I'm cautious about anyone I don't know approaching to talk to me randomly.

My story is getting long winded already.

She stood a good distance away and apologized and asked if I could help her because she was hungry. She is 18 and homeless. I didn't ask too many questions, but talked just long enough to decide if she was strung out or not. She didn't look that way at all, she looked just really sad and lost.

To cut this shorter, I walked to the store down the street with her and we bought some food. She goes for an apple, is this ok? My heart freaking snaps in pieces at that. An apple. So I try to make sure there's enough there for at least the day, and ask the cashier for some bus tickets for her. She starts sobbing. I felt sick. Something bad happened to this girl, so you know how when you can just feel that from someone?

I'm really lucky to know someone who works at a youth drop in and shelter. I phoned my friend, she was going to work that night! She'd make a spot for her, hook her up with resources.

I felt like sh/t, trying to figure out ok but where is this girl going to go in the day? There is nowhere. Nowhere safe, she'd been just wandering and sleeping in bus shelters or behind buildings. She told me, it's fine, I'll go to parks, I'll go see that lady tonight. I thought, well who knows about that, but ok. And felt like a pile of crap walking away from her.

She actually did go! My friend called me, I hung up, and just cried super ugly cry.

Yes, i know life isn't sweet for everyone. Yes, I know it's all over the place. Easy to get in a bubble though, easy to get desensitized or even just have that emotional distance there that keeps us from letting it get to us.

 

I've been feeling emotional about it. And for whatever reason, seeing all the "back to school" pictures posted of those I know, it triggered that emotion again. Like yes, I feel badly for parents right now, it's not an easy time. But those kids at least have someone who loves them. Someone who feeds them. Someone who worries and frets to protect them.

And then some kids have nothing. Less than nothing, because they've been hurt and traumatized and there's no one to tell them they matter. They are wanted. They are seen. The two aren't in competition - it's GOOD if most parents are worrying about things like school, and taking care of their kids!! It's just the juxtaposition I guess. My friends healthy plump kid in her school photo, and thrn a kid barely older on the streets alone. Worried a freaking apple is too much to ask. Really?!? Yeah really. And I had to think twice before I helped her. It doesn't make any more sense to me now that I'm older. There's nothing fundamentally ok about it. And thrn imagine being 18 and trying to wrap your head around it. Why me? What did I do wrong?

 

Feels good to write that out. What's going to happen to all these kids as things get worse? And I mean, yes it will, and I'm not saying that to be negative, it is going to get worse for a lot of kids and adults. So many people are teetering on the edge of financial ruin, and the food banks and shelters can't keep up even with the amount of gov't assistance that's been available until now.

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What a heavy, intense, traumatic experience! I'm so glad she went to the shelter and I totally understand why you thought twice. If it were me I would have helped from a distance only because of covid and personal safety generally. I would have written down who she could call (I too know of resources) and left it with her and perhaps made a call on her behalf to see if a community support person could come and check things out. I am not judging your choice at all just describing my safety/comfort zone. You were her guardian angel!

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She has no phone, of course.

But she does now know the name of my friend and the place she works.

So I'm getting small updates, but unless they are able to find some sort of longer term housing I won't be able to visit her at the youth center.

I'm really hoping she can get the resources. She's old enough to qualify for housing assistance now, and a lot more, but who knows how long that will take or if she even has ID and the things she needs for that? So it could take time. Plus she might have to learn basic life skills from scratch. It's all a question mark right now.

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You did a wonderful thing.

 

I was talking to a patient today and his childhood included pretty much every traumatic, destructive experience you can imagine. When I hear these stories I think gosh, he never even had a real chance to be healthy. And like you said, I look at my chunky little baby who has everything and the contrast is heartbreaking.

 

I hope she’s able to get the long term help she needs and use the resources available to her. Social workers are miracle workers.

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You did a wonderful thing.

 

I was talking to a patient today and his childhood included pretty much every traumatic, destructive experience you can imagine. When I hear these stories I think gosh, he never even had a real chance to be healthy. And like you said, I look at my chunky little baby who has everything and the contrast is heartbreaking.

 

I hope she’s able to get the long term help she needs and use the resources available to her. Social workers are miracle workers.

 

I agree! Maybe there's a program to get basic cell phones to people in these situations? I hope you can keep in contact even if indirectly Thank you again for doing this.

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