I sometimes wonder if you've been here during winter and how you cope.

I have, we went last winter to see my husband's Auntie, who has pancreatic cancer. The kids were so happy to just play in the snow and do simple things like sledding that we didn't even really consider trying to go skiing. Too far to drive. But it was COLD. Luckily I wear the same size shoe as Auntie so snow boots were provided.

I'm glad that in general, my FB friends are rational on subjects like Syrian refugees. The problem is the assholes that my friends are friends with.

I ended up hiding the posts of one of my old math teachers because I couldn't take the acrimony anymore. He's a dyed-in-the-wool liberal who posts lots of political stuff and then he has friends who are right wing who get all frothy in their replies.

We're also lucky to have specialty grocers, Asian, Oriental, and European Markets, the last specializing in deli foods and Russian foods. And there are numerous small neighborhood grocery stores. There's also a farmers' market in season, and frequent roadside farm and local honey stands.

I forgot about Fresh Market, which is like Whole Foods but bigger and less pretentious, but not much less pricey. And we have the farmer's market downtown and several specialty and "furrin" foods grocers. Foods Of All Nations is fun to wander around in and find stuff I never heard of before. Sometimes I wonder how such a small city supports so many supermarkets, but they seem to be thriving.

We have a couple of Asian/Indian markets, and Hispanic markets are so common as to barely be noticeable. Also multiple mainstream markets. There are multiple British markets in Salt Lake, and a very good German deli/market as well. I should go up there and eat spaetzle and buy marzipan.

Timelies all!

~ma to your mother, Laura.

Bev, do you guys get down to the co-op in Mount Vernon? It's awesome.

Was it Jeb Bush? This is what the Republican line up is currently, actually saying right now.

That was the behind the scenes bullshit that Harper & Co. were pulling, too.

Health~ma for your mom, Laura.

Oh my god someone on FB is trying to tell me that imprisoning Japanese-Americans in WWII was totally necessary, and FB won't let me reply to the comment. I wonder if our mutual friend unfriended me.

Oh my god someone on FB is trying to tell me that imprisoning Japanese-Americans in WWII was totally necessary

FLAMES ON THE SIDE OF MY FACE

I have been to the doctor. She was very nice, although I still had white coat syndrome with my blood pressure after going through my family history.

I rewarded myself with cucumbers and beet hummus and then a tamale.

It is possible to eat too many clementines. Which is apparently 4 in a day for me. It is quite unpleasant.

24 hours of IV drugs have helped Mom a lot. Her oxygen is up to 96, breathing better, BP and stuff good. I expect they will cut her loose in the morning. They did lecture her about not getting enough exercise which is good because her loved ones get tired of being the bullies. Nice hospital, they asked her husband if he wanted to sleep in the 2nd bed tonight because they didn't have another patient in the room. He would have stayed in the chair anyway, but now she doesn't have to feel bad about him sleeping in a chair.