Today ...

[QuietlyListening]

Jim- when I've grown saffron crocuses I've gotten 2-3 threads per flower. Does that help?

[Somebody]

Almost all the flowers have 3 strands of saffron.
I pick the flowers, pull the red strands out and lay them on a paper plate to dry. When dry, I put them in an airtight container.
They will have more flavor if you let them dry before using them.

I saw another flower poking up through this morning!

[Somebody]

Today is another beautiful warm day. We opened windows, it was warmer outside on the porch than in the house! The sun was shining in on the front porch all morning. Enjoy this weather before the cold comes!!

[temporal1]

Today .. i was supposed to be doing other things, not spending time here.
It’s only 5:30pm, yet dark as midnight. The short daylight days take a toll on me.

[JimFoxvog]

After a week of confusion due to someone at the Methodist church making an error over 10 years ago, my Mom's urn of ashes was finally put next to my Dad's in the church's columbarium. They were very apologetic.

[Joy]

My friend told me today that her daughter is near death. She is in the hospital with a leaking intestine, which required surgery, and failing kidneys, then more leaking, which affected her heart. Three doctors were called in, and they were clueless, except for the suggestion that this was a birth defect (she's 47). Now she is unresponsive. Her mother-in-law went to clean her house, and found a bunch of empty Advil bottles (she was taking them for arthritis pain). Only now do the doctors know what the problem was.

Wouldn't you think the hospital would inquire what over-the-counter medications a patient is taking?

And on the subject of hospitals, a friend of mine went in for circumcision, and later, checking the itemized bill, he found they charged him $150 for one muffin.

And you wonder why I don't trust hospitals?

[MaxPC]

My friend told me today that her daughter is near death. She is in the hospital with a leaking intestine, which required surgery, and failing kidneys, then more leaking, which affected her heart. Three doctors were called in, and they were clueless, except for the suggestion that this was a birth defect (she's 47). Now she is unresponsive. Her mother-in-law went to clean her house, and found a bunch of empty Advil bottles (she was taking them for arthritis pain). Only now do the doctors know what the problem was.

Wouldn't you think the hospital would inquire what over-the-counter medications a patient is taking?

And on the subject of hospitals, a friend of mine went in for circumcision, and later, checking the itemized bill, he found they charged him $150 for one muffin.

And you wonder why I don't trust hospitals?

Bill padding. Not something that should be allowed but it happens. I have heard many rationalizations for it such as compensating for gov regulatory pricing in other areas. Tell your friend he can dispute the muffin price, that he can go to the local news consumer advocate and get it splashed on the 6 pm. If faced with bad PR the hospital is likely to drop it. I like muffins but no muffin is THAT good.

[Joy]

My friend told me today that her daughter is near death. She is in the hospital with a leaking intestine, which required surgery, and failing kidneys, then more leaking, which affected her heart. Three doctors were called in, and they were clueless, except for the suggestion that this was a birth defect (she's 47). Now she is unresponsive. Her mother-in-law went to clean her house, and found a bunch of empty Advil bottles (she was taking them for arthritis pain). Only now do the doctors know what the problem was.

Wouldn't you think the hospital would inquire what over-the-counter medications a patient is taking?

And on the subject of hospitals, a friend of mine went in for circumcision, and later, checking the itemized bill, he found they charged him $150 for one muffin.

And you wonder why I don't trust hospitals?

Bill padding. Not something that should be allowed but it happens. I have heard many rationalizations for it such as compensating for gov regulatory pricing in other areas. Tell your friend he can dispute the muffin price, that he can go to the local news consumer advocate and get it splashed on the 6 pm. If faced with bad PR the hospital is likely to drop it. I like muffins but no muffin is THAT good.

Well, I didn't ask him what he did about it, but he doesn't suffer fools gladly, and I suspect that he just told them that he wasn't going to pay it.
When my sister got her hospital bills, she was billed for stuff that never even happened.

[MaxPC]

My friend told me today that her daughter is near death. She is in the hospital with a leaking intestine, which required surgery, and failing kidneys, then more leaking, which affected her heart. Three doctors were called in, and they were clueless, except for the suggestion that this was a birth defect (she's 47). Now she is unresponsive. Her mother-in-law went to clean her house, and found a bunch of empty Advil bottles (she was taking them for arthritis pain). Only now do the doctors know what the problem was.

Wouldn't you think the hospital would inquire what over-the-counter medications a patient is taking?

And on the subject of hospitals, a friend of mine went in for circumcision, and later, checking the itemized bill, he found they charged him $150 for one muffin.

And you wonder why I don't trust hospitals?

Bill padding. Not something that should be allowed but it happens. I have heard many rationalizations for it such as compensating for gov regulatory pricing in other areas. Tell your friend he can dispute the muffin price, that he can go to the local news consumer advocate and get it splashed on the 6 pm. If faced with bad PR the hospital is likely to drop it. I like muffins but no muffin is THAT good.

Well, I didn't ask him what he did about it, but he doesn't suffer fools gladly, and I suspect that he just told them that he wasn't going to pay it.
When my sister got her hospital bills, she was billed for stuff that never even happened.

I have heard of that but have never seen it. One of the explanations I have heard over the years is that in some cases staff put down the wrong coding because they never learned it or did not know what to call the procedure. Poor education on their part.

[temporal1]

Thanksgiving Day.

i was just leaving for my walk when a neighbor texted they had a plate prepared for me!
a welcome and unexpected surprise.



i had a diabetes check yesterday, my doctor is happy!
A1c = 7.5, i’m down 16 pounds since last year. next appt in 4 months.

walking has made the difference.
i’m not sure about winter weather, but i’m preparing to walk whenever possible. so far, i’ve walked in wind+rain, sometimes sustained winds of 40+ mph. not a blast, but i’ve done it.
not sure about snow+ice. snow is possible, ice is a deal breaker. below zero temps, probably not, esp if windy. i’ll have to judge day by day.

several weeks of this, then spring.

doctor warned the virus is “all over” the county, to be careful. walking is good.
i’m not out a lot. i wear a mask, wash hands, keep a distance.

and pray.