Chit-Chat: What's On Your Mind Today?

[Absolom]

12 hours ago, Dimity said:

Are you concerned that she may be hoarding?  My mother had a lot of 'stuff' mainly dishware, collectibles, family memento type things which was a lot to deal with for me when the time came.  But I've got friends who had to clean out absolute garbage (coffee cans filled with cigarette butts as one example - ick) when their parent died.

 

That horrifies me.  I'm deep into emptying the house so I can move into retirement living (independent living).  One daughter and her husband were here today loading their car and my trash and recycling rolling bins. There is no garbage for anyone to clean and I'd be mortified if there were.  Some of this is on me as I never went hard nosed on get your stuff out of my house or I'll dispose of it on my kids.  So now my kids all have to declutter what they left in my house.  It's interesting.  I have my own downsizing going also.  I'm seeing what a job downsizing is and this is hard work.

Edited March 10 by Absolom

[StatisticalOutlier]

17 hours ago, PRgal said:

Must be confusing for families who live in the Hopi nation community but have kids who go to school outside of it?  Or is it big enough to have schools going up to grade 12?

It's hugely confusing.  In this article, one woman with school-age kids says she has to stop and calculate the time for almost everything; they live on the Hopi side but all the school stuff is on the Navajo side.

https://apnews.com/article/daylight-saving-arizona-navajo-hopi-native-american-a1016ce873b772ffae544de9fbcd29d9

I'm in Arizona right now and my flip phone won't display the correct time.  On the automatic time setting thing, I can see that it's set for Mountain DST but there's no way to change it.  The only thing I can do is set the time manually.  Sheeesh.

And I was going to a 1:30 movie today and got there at about 1:20 and the kiosk wouldn't display the 1:30 showing.  I thought, "Great. I read the schedule wrong."  But I persevered and finally looked in the corner of the screen and the computer thought it was 2:20.  So I checked another kiosk and that one said 1:20 and had the 1:30 showing.  You'd think they'd all be the same, right?

And the thing is, that first kiosk is the first one people coming in the door get to, so I bet it gets used more than any other.  I wonder if anybody had the same problem I did but just gave up and left, assuming they'd gotten the schedule wrong.

 

 

[Caoimhe]

Greeting cards.

Among my clutter(!) is a LOT of cardmaking supplies - machines, cutting dies, stamps, inks, stencils, and SO much more. Yesterday my husband commented that it's time for us to stop exchanging cards, partly because of the price to purchase one (for them) and the ridiculous €2 it costs to post one. So I now wonder if it's time to decimate that section of my craft room. It's emotionally difficult because my mother LOVED doing paper crafts and making cards and a lot of the items I have came from her craft room. But she's been gone over a decade now and I can point to many things I got from her that haven't been touched in all that time.  So maybe letting go would be good, and the local Girl Scouts office happily took everything the last time I decluttered.

Anyway my real issue is about continuing to send cards or not. These are all people we talk to over FaceTime regularly and visit for "major" birthdays.  We send money gifts for the young ones via bank transfer to their mams' accounts. I know cards are mainly sent by us oldies these days and wonder if I should get with the times rather than feel guilty about stopping. Opinions?

Edited March 10 by Caoimhe

[lookeyloo]

5 minutes ago, Caoimhe said:

Greeting cards.

Among my clutter(!) is a LOT of cardmaking supplies - machines, cutting dies, stamps, inks, stencils, and SO much more. Yesterday my husband commented that it's time for us to stop exchanging cards, partly because of the price to purchase one (for them) and the ridiculous €2 it costs to post one. So I now wonder if it's time to decimate that section of my craft room. It's emotionally difficult because my mother LOVED doing paper crafts and making cards and a lot of the items I have came from her craft room. But she's been gone over a decade now and I can point to many things I got from her that haven't been touched in all that time.  So maybe letting go would be good, and the local Girl Scouts office happily took everything the last time I decluttered.

Anyway my real issue is about continuing to send cards or not. These are all people we talk to over FaceTime regularly and visit for "major" birthdays.  We send money gifts for the young ones via bank transfer to their mams' accounts. I know cards are mainly sent by us oldies these days and wonder if I should get with the times rather than feel guilty about stopping. Opinions?

I hope you can find some peaceful and comforting way to deal with the craft supplies. Maybe keep a few most precious ones?  As for the cards I agree.  We have stores here where I can get cards for 50 cents or a dollar. There are only a few people I send them to.  What about just simple cards from your craft supply?  Many times I write a short note on a blank card from a box. But postage is getting expensive too.  Hoping you can find a good solution 

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Caoimhe said:

Greeting cards.

Among my clutter(!) is a LOT of cardmaking supplies - machines, cutting dies, stamps, inks, stencils, and SO much more. Yesterday my husband commented that it's time for us to stop exchanging cards, partly because of the price to purchase one (for them) and the ridiculous €2 it costs to post one. So I now wonder if it's time to decimate that section of my craft room. It's emotionally difficult because my mother LOVED doing paper crafts and making cards and a lot of the items I have came from her craft room. But she's been gone over a decade now and I can point to many things I got from her that haven't been touched in all that time.  So maybe letting go would be good, and the local Girl Scouts office happily took everything the last time I decluttered.

Anyway my real issue is about continuing to send cards or not. These are all people we talk to over FaceTime regularly and visit for "major" birthdays.  We send money gifts for the young ones via bank transfer to their mams' accounts. I know cards are mainly sent by us oldies these days and wonder if I should get with the times rather than feel guilty about stopping. Opinions?

Card making and writing was a regular part of my life until Mom passed in 2020, so I can relate. 
I don't have any answers.
 

The one thing I "hoard" is moving boxes.
I'm still looking for my forever home. 
At least if I pass before I move again, the boxes should be useful.

[Absolom]

3 hours ago, Caoimhe said:

Anyway my real issue is about continuing to send cards or not. These are all people we talk to over FaceTime regularly and visit for "major" birthdays.  We send money gifts for the young ones via bank transfer to their mams' accounts. I know cards are mainly sent by us oldies these days and wonder if I should get with the times rather than feel guilty about stopping. Opinions?

Based on my stage of life and my pains of downsizing, I say downsize and declutter the sooner the better.  Think of it as helping someone else like the Girl Scouts where the items will be used and enjoyed.  At 2 pounds a card to mail, yes, it's time to give it up except for something really, really special.  At those rates do people still mail wedding invitations or has it driven people to online invitations and RSVPs?  

Perhaps make a card in your mother's memory to frame and a few generic/blank ones for you to have to write your own messages and then clear it out.  I know it's hard, but you'll feel lighter when it's done.

Edited March 10 by Absolom

[ABay]

I'm in the process of moving. You don't really grasp how many books you've accumulated until you start boxing them up. Even with getting rid of 3/4s of them I had 15 extra small HD boxes, half filled, to get into my sister's basement. I culled  a few years ago. Weird how they multiply when you're not looking.Wednesday I'll try to cart some books to a place that buys used books...anyone here like mysteries set in ancient Rome? I've got you covered. *

Christmas is 6 more partially filled boxes. 3 boxes of DVDs and that was less than half of what I had. If streaming services could be relied on to keep everything available and uncut, I would've tossed out more. What's left, including dozens on unused disks will go to a place that recycles them. This is the second time I've culled. Maybe 4 boxes of souvenirs and proof of my life in fandom. Two insanely heavy boxes of photo albums. A few boxes of assorted stuff like cross stitch and art supplies.

Tonight I sort through tools. I've sorted the clothes from the dressers but haven't touched the closet yet. Then there's the minimal kitchen stuff (6 plates, 6 bowls, 3 pots, a frying pan, silverware, and storage containers I decide to keep). At some point I'll have to face the basement. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers that day.

when I can get most this out of the way, I'm hiring a junk removal service to take away my mattress, microwave, air fryer, recliner, ottoman, dvd players and other assorted crap. That's the plan, anyway.

*Both Falco and Flavia series by Lindsey Davis including the most recent book, Ruth Downie except for the first book in the series, Steven Saylor's Gordius series although I think one is only on my Kindle, John Madox Roberts SPQR series, David Wishart's Corvinus series except the last one. Roman not your thing? How about a complete set of Laurie R. King's Mary Russell series including the most recent book. A handful of Maisie Dobbs. A complete set of Sharan Newman's series set in medieval Paris (I meant to reread those someday...). Some stand-alone Holmes pastiches and collections and other Holmesian things, several anthologies (mostly Best British whatevers), all of the Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson, a set of three about a woman who works as a poisoner or the Borgias. That's all I recall at the moment. It's a mix of paperback and hardcover, all read and enjoyed once.

[fastiller]

3 hours ago, Caoimhe said:

Greeting cards.

Among my clutter(!) is a LOT of cardmaking supplies - machines, cutting dies, stamps, inks, stencils, and SO much more. Yesterday my husband commented that it's time for us to stop exchanging cards, partly because of the price to purchase one (for them) and the ridiculous €2 it costs to post one. So I now wonder if it's time to decimate that section of my craft room. It's emotionally difficult because my mother LOVED doing paper crafts and making cards and a lot of the items I have came from her craft room. But she's been gone over a decade now and I can point to many things I got from her that haven't been touched in all that time.  So maybe letting go would be good, and the local Girl Scouts office happily took everything the last time I decluttered.

Anyway my real issue is about continuing to send cards or not. These are all people we talk to over FaceTime regularly and visit for "major" birthdays.  We send money gifts for the young ones via bank transfer to their mams' accounts. I know cards are mainly sent by us oldies these days and wonder if I should get with the times rather than feel guilty about stopping. Opinions?

I feel for you.  I got really into cardmaking/scrapbooking about 15 years back.  Stopped around the time my husband died.   We used to make & send really lovely Christmas/holiday cards (yes, I'm breaking my arm patting myself on the back on that!).  He was a fantastic photographer so we'd always include a photo of his from the year in our cards.  They were usually on a nice weight card stock with vellum and ribbon and a holiday-appropriate (but usually not UBER-CHRISTIAN) message/quote.  And sometimes a few cutout snowflakes or similar ornament-y things.  I've got the similar emotional heft: yours was w/ your Mum; mine is w/ my late husband.

When we were married our invitation package include Thank You cards.  We decided to go with our names instead of "Thank You" on those.  These cards became our standard/go-to cards that we would send for all occasions: graduation or engagement or baby, one of these with an appropriately themed gift card.  I also had/have stationary with my initial on it which serves the same purpose.  No other store-bought cards for me.  I'm doing a similar thing with gift wrap: using anything I currently have and not replacing it.  I'll use tote bags/sacks as gift wrap.
 

 

Edited March 10 by fastiller

[Absolom]

I once knew a woman whose husband was in the military and she could pack her own house herself in less than a day.  She began with items they had to have to live, moved on to what they wanted to have, etc.  She said by the time you get to the end where it's the stuff you have to think about, it's really, really easy to toss it in the trash or donation box.  I'm not quite ready to go as minimalist as she was, but I'm getting much closer.

[shapeshifter]

14 minutes ago, ABay said:

Tonight I sort through tools.

Confession: I have more screwdrivers than most stores.
I think it's because when you haven't unpacked yet and need a screwdriver sometimes it seems easier to buy one?

 

22 minutes ago, Absolom said:

Perhaps make a card in your mother's memory to frame and a few generic/blank ones for you to have to write your own messages and then clear it out.  I know it's hard, but you'll feel lighter when it's done.

That's a great idea. I was similarly thinking of a collage? 

I wish I still had some of the cards I sent to my parents with drawings and poems. I guess my sister tossed them. 
But maybe it's just as well, so my daughter isn't burdened with the keep-or-toss decision someday.

 

12 minutes ago, Absolom said:

I once knew a woman whose husband was in the military and she could pack her own house herself in less than a day.  She began with items they had to have to live, moved on to what they wanted to have, etc.  She said by the time you get to the end where it's the stuff you have to think about, it's really, really easy to toss it in the trash or donation box.  I'm not quite ready to go as minimalist as she was, but I'm getting much closer.

Wow. I wish I'd read this about 5 moves ago, LOL.
I've always done the sorting and tossing first, and it always took a week or 2 to pack.
But my daughter can pack most of my stuff in a few hours. 
I get distracted.

 

[Absolom]

I have to admit, I almost fainted when they invited us over for dinner the day they moved into base housing.  They'd been in temporary quarters waiting for the moving truck and the repainting of the house on base.  We'd taken them out or had them over to our house several times to make it easier on her.  She was about 7 months pregnant when they arrived on the base where the mister was stationed.  So yes, this almost 8 months pregnant woman had set up her house (the Air Force paid to have the boxes emptied), shopped, and cooked a simple dinner for four all in one day.  I wouldn't have gone from feeling guilty, but her husband said it meant so much to her to do it. 

She had the exact amount of kitchenware needed.  She kept a small Rubbermaid container that held the essential spices she needed.  She had one three shelf bookcase so any new book she kept meant at least one had to leave.   I think she had two or three paintings or photos, a vase or two, a couple throw pillows, and one spare set of sheets and a spare blanket.  The rest was mainly clothes and there she had a list much like my packing list.  X pants, Y shirts, Z pairs of underwear, etc.  One of her first questions to me was about thrift shops and special occasion clothing rentals. It was quite the education for me coming from a family that had almost half a basement as "storage."  

[fastiller]

I'm reminded by the recent  discussion by @MostlyContent, @peacheslatour, & @Yeah No about model trains that when I moved into my current place, there was a box that I hadn't intended on bringing (hadn't really looked inside it; it belonged to my husband) which the movers brought anyway.  I looked in it shortly after moving in and found a bunch of Lionel track (IDK what gauge it is).  There may also be some train stock in it.  

Also in it? A flag that Mr.fastiller's father brought home with him from WWII.  Yep, it's got a swastika on it.  I've not gotten rid of it, but kind of want to burn it, lest one of my neighbours thinks I'm positively inclined towards Nazis.  On the other hand, it's actually from that era so it may have some historical value?  IDK.  I probably should just burn it. 

I also have Mr.fastiller's father's Army trunk (I use it as a table) that I can't open (don't have the key).  I probably should get a locksmith over to help with that; or see if I can buy a key online.

[ebk57]

29 minutes ago, fastiller said:

Also in it? A flag that Mr.fastiller's father brought home with him from WWII.  Yep, it's got a swastika on it.  I've not gotten rid of it, but kind of want to burn it, lest one of my neighbours thinks I'm positively inclined towards Nazis.  On the other hand, it's actually from that era so it may have some historical value?  IDK.  I probably should just burn it.

We were helping my "sister from another family" pack up her house to sell and found things her dad brought home from WWII - ammunition (!) and a knife with Nazi markings on it.  She had the fire department come over to take the ammo.  I have a friend who works at the Holocaust Museum - she said they would take the knife.  I just need to get it there...someday.  I probably could sell it, but I don't want it out in the wild. 

[Dimity]

4 hours ago, Absolom said:

I once knew a woman whose husband was in the military and she could pack her own house herself in less than a day. 

We moved a lot in the first 25 years of our marriage, mainly for my husband's job.  I got really good at sorting, packing, unpacking, getting utilities turned off, getting utilities turned on, getting my kids enrolled in school, finding the butcher the baker and the candlestick maker where ever we happened to be and actually I enjoyed the whole experience.

There is NO WAY I could do this now!  Oh to be young and agile again.  We moved to the house we're in now just before Covid  and unless we strike it rich we ain't going anywhere!  I cannot face the upheaval it would entail.

[PRgal]

15 minutes ago, Dimity said:

 

There is NO WAY I could do this now!  Oh to be young and agile again.  We moved to the house we're in now just before Covid  and unless we strike it rich we ain't going anywhere!  I cannot face the upheaval it would entail.

We moved into our current unit the weekend before the big shutdown!  Like, we moved in on the Saturday and my husband was forced to work from home that following Monday.  My son learned to walk on his own in our current unit.  We will likely not be leaving this place until we move into a retirement community.  No plans to move to the suburbs at all.

Edited March 10 by PRgal

[Dimity]

3 minutes ago, PRgal said:

We moved into our current unit the weekend before the big shutdown!  Like, we moved in on the Saturday and my husband was forced to work from home that following Monday. 

For us it was two months, we moved in January and everything shut down in March, so lots of fun getting anything done for the house that needed doing!  We were also incredibly lucky though because we sold in the city as prices were rising and bought in the countryside before it caught up.  A few more months and we would have been in the middle of all those crazy bidding wars!  Phew 😀

[PRgal]

14 minutes ago, Dimity said:

For us it was two months, we moved in January and everything shut down in March, so lots of fun getting anything done for the house that needed doing!  We were also incredibly lucky though because we sold in the city as prices were rising and bought in the countryside before it caught up.  A few more months and we would have been in the middle of all those crazy bidding wars!  Phew 😀

Our current place isn’t far from our old place.  In fact, I can see my old building!  Don’t drive so I need to be near transit.  And the big hospitals due to my health condition.  We’re really lucky that we can walk to three good sized grocery stores!  Though I still use a delivery service at least twice a week, including a local one. 

[Dimity]

10 minutes ago, PRgal said:

We’re really lucky that we can walk to three good sized grocery stores!

This is actually one reason we moved.  We were in the suburbs and liked it but with only a few exceptions we needed a car to get anywhere.  In a small town now we can walk to almost anything and of course the big city isn't too far down the highway for those things a small town can't provide. 

Edited March 10 by Dimity

[annzeepark914]

Wow. Just reading about that military wife setting up her home in one day brought back memories of Army "brats" I met, recalling how quickly their families packed up and moved to the next base. Thank God (& I have!) that I didn't go to Ladycliff College (it was situated next door to West Point) or go to any mixers at WP. The cadets are so cute in those uniforms. I know I would've ended up as a not very easy going military wife 😖

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, fastiller said:

IDK.  I probably should just burn it. 

Maybe ceremonially? 
Or this:

3 hours ago, ebk57 said:

I have a friend who works at the Holocaust Museum - she said they would take the knife.

 

 

4 hours ago, fastiller said:

I also have Mr.fastiller's father's Army trunk (I use it as a table) that I can't open (don't have the key).  I probably should get a locksmith over to help with that; or see if I can buy a key online.

This sounds like the opening sentence to a story…

 

[tearknee]

3 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Maybe ceremonially? 
Or this:

 

 

This sounds like the opening sentence to a story…

 

With the Nazi knife, an Outer Limits or Stephen King story.

[Bastet]

10 hours ago, Caoimhe said:

I know cards are mainly sent by us oldies these days and wonder if I should get with the times rather than feel guilty about stopping. Opinions?

I am thrilled hardly anyone sends cards anymore.  They just go right in the recycling bin (if they're paper; those forsaken photo cards are trash).  I quit sending them about ten years ago, other than to a handful of old people who'd have been bummed not to get one.  Only one of those is still alive, so I send precisely one Christmas card each year.  I never sent birthday cards. 

[meep.meep]

On 3/8/2025 at 9:55 AM, Dimity said:

Oh that takes me back!  For a brief moment between high school and higher education I toyed with the idea of going to Sylvia Gill, a secretarial college that existed in Montreal at the time.  Of course one of the courses offered was shorthand.

I decided against it but even now, to quote Marie Barone I think "I'd have made a terrific  gal Friday!"

Wasn't the joke that the woman who played Marie Barone also played a gal Friday on Remington Steele?

[tearknee]

22 minutes ago, meep.meep said:

Wasn't the joke that the woman who played Marie Barone also played a gal Friday on Remington Steele?

 

[Dimity]

27 minutes ago, meep.meep said:

Wasn't the joke that the woman who played Marie Barone also played a gal Friday on Remington Steele?

Oh my god!  I am a huge fan of both these shows and I never put that together! I have that feeling you have when something had gone over your head for 20 years!  I will now proceed to stun my husband with "my" brilliance by pointing this out the next time that episode is on!

 

 

[oliviabenson]

I figured the wife died first then Gene. I'm just surprised he outlived her. she was like 30 years younger. and no cleaning staff or anything in that big mansion! wow.

[oliviabenson]

how much are a dozen eggs where you live? here $10 for a dozen.

[Dimity]

5 minutes ago, oliviabenson said:

how much are a dozen eggs where you live? here $10 for a dozen.

Ontario:  Large are $3.93, extra large are $4.93.  This is at my local No Frills based on this week's prices.

[ebk57]

6 minutes ago, oliviabenson said:

how much are a dozen eggs where you live? here $10 for a dozen.

$6 a dozen here in the DC 'burbs.

[oliviabenson]

it is soothing for me to watch old seasons of law & order. it reminds me of old new york.

Edited March 11 by oliviabenson

[Yeah No]

I saw a dozen supermarket brand eggs for $8.00 today. Fancier brands are $9.00 and $10.00. Thank goodness our next door neighbors with a chicken coop keep us in eggs.

Catching up - I never ate bananas and sour cream. I always ate them in yogurt. Then I started making banana/yogurt smoothies about 30 years ago. Later I added strawberries or blueberries. I still make them.

Speaking of yogurt, does anyone remember the way yogurt used to be? I mean before it got ultra processed and smoothed out and before Greek yogurt became a thing? I seriously miss the old Dannon yogurt with the fruit on the bottom that was thick and actually had lumps in it!  Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person that remembers this. That and the fact that it used to come in 8 oz. containers, not 6 oz.

Also I love mayo. but a lot of my Italian relatives didn't grow up with it so they didn't like it. My mother didn't grow up with it but she was born in the U.S. and even though she didn't eat it at home she ate it in restaurants and loved it. For me it's Hellman's or nothing. I can compromise on a lot of condiments but somehow that's not one of them. I've never tried some of the gourmet brands mentioned. One day I'll have to try them. 

And re: banoffee pie, I've been making my own recipe of that for years now. My own reduced fat/sugar version. I'm an anglophile from way back and have eaten it and sticky toffee pudding in the UK. Recently I ate at Hell's Kitchen restaurant at Foxwoods Casino in CT and Gordon Ramsay's sticky toffee pudding was as good as I had in England. But I expect no less from him!

[Caoimhe]

20 hours ago, ABay said:

*Both Falco and Flavia series by Lindsey Davis including the most recent book, Ruth Downie except for the first book in the series, Steven Saylor's Gordius series although I think one is only on my Kindle, John Madox Roberts SPQR series, David Wishart's Corvinus series except the last one. Roman not your thing? How about a complete set of Laurie R. King's Mary Russell series including the most recent book. A handful of Maisie Dobbs. A complete set of Sharan Newman's series set in medieval Paris (I meant to reread those someday...). Some stand-alone Holmes pastiches and collections and other Holmesian things, several anthologies (mostly Best British whatevers), all of the Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson, a set of three about a woman who works as a poisoner or the Borgias. That's all I recall at the moment. It's a mix of paperback and hardcover, all read and enjoyed once.

I've downsized physical books to one single (small) bookcase so I'm not adding more, but wanted to say I love those Roman series! I have all of Falco and Flavia plus Gordius, a few Ruth Downie and about half of the Corvinus on Kindle. 

Edited to add: My husband has now decided NOT to stop sending cards and asked me to make some for the five birthdays coming up in the next month and a half.  The cards I make these days don't use half of the supplies I have so there is scope for downsizing anyway! It's the kind of thing where I see something I like, buy the supplies to make it, and never touch them again.  I once bought a kit to add lights to cards which is ridiculous because posting a card with a battery inside and all the bulk of the copper "wiring" and little LED lights is impossible. I made a few and gave them in person but did get rid of the leftovers. I need flat cards to mail! I've also discovered yesterday that some of my markers and ink pads have dried out so there's an easy decision.  

Edited March 11 by Caoimhe

[shapeshifter]

5 hours ago, Yeah No said:

…Speaking of yogurt, does anyone remember the way yogurt used to be? I mean before it got ultra processed and smoothed out and before Greek yogurt became a thing? I seriously miss the old Dannon yogurt with the fruit on the bottom that was thick and actually had lumps in it!…

 

Yes, back to speaking of yogurt—
and back to my quest for a healthier (less fat, more protein) sub for my beloved sour cream—
I may have found a yogurt that will do for me: Wegmans "Organic" "Greek" Plain Yogurt has just these ingredients: 

• cultured pasteurized grade a organic nonfat milk. contains the following live and active cultures: l. bulgaricus, streptococcus thermophilus, l. acidophilus, bifidus, l. casei.

And it doesn't smell funny. But it does taste like the yogurt we used to make in the 70s before it was on the shelves of small town groceries.

Maybe I can do ½ yogurt / ½ sour cream with bananas.

 

5 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Also I love mayo.…For me it's Hellman's or nothing. I can compromise on a lot of condiments but somehow that's not one of them. I've never tried some of the gourmet brands mentioned. One day I'll have to try them.

But I remember Hellman's having just a few, simple ingredients. Now it has "Natural flavors" and Calcium disodium EDTA. Maybe it always did and they just didn't list those? 
I more than less have my own personal boycott on mystery "natural flavors" in anything, hence my mayo preference (from back on page 210) for:

On 2/27/2025 at 11:35 PM, shapeshifter said:

…ingredients:  …wegmans-mayo-made-with-avocado-oil

…the somewhat pricey Wegmans Mayo Made with Avocado Oil.
Ingredients:

• Avocado Oil, Organic Egg Yolk, Distilled Vinegar, Water, Organic Eggs, Organic Dijon Mustard (Water, Organic Mustard, Organic Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Organic Spice), Salt, Organic Rosemary Extract.

Ruh roh. I now see mystery "Organic Spice."

Edited March 11 by shapeshifter

[lookeyloo]

5 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Speaking of yogurt, does anyone remember the way yogurt used to be? I mean before it got ultra processed and smoothed out and before Greek yogurt became a thing? I seriously miss the old Dannon yogurt with the fruit on the bottom that was thick and actually had lumps in it!  Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person that remembers this. That and the fact that it used to come in 8 oz. containers, not 6 oz.

I surely do. My favorite was prune whip.  

[ginger90]

There was a special on eggs a few weeks ago with a limit of 2 dozen. When I was checking out, the cashier asked me if I checked the eggs, which I always do. It was odd. A friend of mine went to a different store and she was asked the same question. It turns out people have been opening eggs and taking a few from the cartons. 

[Ohiopirate02]

16 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

Wow. Just reading about that military wife setting up her home in one day brought back memories of Army "brats" I met, recalling how quickly their families packed up and moved to the next base. Thank God (& I have!) that I didn't go to Ladycliff College (it was situated next door to West Point) or go to any mixers at WP. The cadets are so cute in those uniforms. I know I would've ended up as a not very easy going military wife 😖

There are some military wives who do not move every time their husband gets a new assignment. They will choose a home base and stay there while their spouse moves. It really depends on the branch, the career path for the service member, and the bases in question. Sometimes there is no point in uprooting a family to move across the globe for 2 years or less before moving right back to where you started especially when you have kids. Treating the assignment like a deployment makes more sense.

[fastiller]

Speaking of eggs, I saw a bit on Have I Got News For You (I think it was last Saturday's ep, could've been from the week before) that a bodega in the Bronx is selling 'loosie' eggs.   

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

Yes, back to speaking of yogurt—
and back to my quest for a healthier (less fat, more protein) sub for my beloved sour cream—
I may have found a yogurt that will do for me: Wegmans "Organic" "Greek" Plain Yogurt has just these ingredients: 

• cultured pasteurized grade a organic nonfat milk. contains the following live and active cultures: l. bulgaricus, streptococcus thermophilus, l. acidophilus, bifidus, l. casei.

And it doesn't smell funny. But it does taste like the yogurt we used to make in the 70s before it was on the shelves of small town groceries.

Maybe I can do ½ yogurt / ½ sour cream with bananas.

That's interesting! Trader Joe's fruit on the bottom yogurt stayed like the "old" yogurt for years so I used to buy that but it changed over to the thinner type about 5 years ago now. Speaking of Wegman's one is finally opening in CT in July but it's about an hour from here in Norwalk. My husband is often in that area for work so I'm sure he'll check it out, but I plan to make special trips there too. I hope they open one near me soon.

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

But I remember Hellman's having just a few, simple ingredients. Now it has "Natural flavors" and Calcium disodium EDTA. Maybe it always did and they just didn't list those? 
I more than less have my own personal boycott on mystery "natural flavors" in anything, hence my mayo preference (from back on page 210) for:

…the somewhat pricey Wegmans Mayo Made with Avocado Oil.
Ingredients:

• Avocado Oil, Organic Egg Yolk, Distilled Vinegar, Water, Organic Eggs, Organic Dijon Mustard (Water, Organic Mustard, Organic Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Organic Spice), Salt, Organic Rosemary Extract.

Ruh roh. I now see mystery "Organic Spice."

Interestingly Google says the formula has changed over the years, most significantly to increase the sodium level to "improve stability and quality". Yeah, right. 😏 Also whole eggs and egg yolks became the third ingredients on the list but it's not clear what they were before that. A lot of customers claim it's different in taste and consistency than it was years ago but I haven't noticed any significant change in taste myself.

The closest "dupe" to Hellman's I've found is Aldi's mayo., but it just lacks that certain "somethin' somethin'" in terms of taste so it's a deal breaker for me. Meanwhile I love their Ketchup despite being a Heinz purist for years and all their mustards. It sure saves a lot of money.

I find that Hellman's squeeze mayo is noticeably different in taste and texture from the regular jar and not in a good way in my opinion but smeared on a sandwich it's hard to tell the difference. I haven't checked the ingredient list but I'm sure it's different from the regular jar, if only to make it easier to squeeze out of a nozzle.

[PRgal]

I continue to be in awe at the price of eggs in the US.  I saw this at my local supermarket a few days ago.  There is currently only ONE PLACE I won't buy eggs from - a small, independent grocery store that was selling organic free range eggs for $15 (for the typical dozen).  The EXACT SAME BRAND at the online place I order from 2x a week was $12.  Sent my kid to camp (he's on break this week) with egg salad (my version of egg salad uses yogurt and cucumbers) on challah. :) 

[annzeepark914]

About 25 years ago I noticed that Grey Poupon Dijon mustard seemed like there was a lot of horseradish in it. So I switched to Maille and have loved it for years. Bought a jar last week at Wegmans and now it too has that horseradish effect on me. It burns in my nose and almost makes me teary eyed. Has anyone else noticed this? I've switched over to Trader Joe's aioli garlic mustard sauce which is, IMO, milder.

[StatisticalOutlier]

2 hours ago, PRgal said:

I continue to be in awe at the price of eggs in the US.  I saw this at my local supermarket a few days ago. 

The photo you posted shows 30 eggs for $14.49 CDN, which would equate to $4/dozen in the U.S.  That's lower than what we're currently paying (and that's at Whole Foods!), but it's a lot higher than eggs have traditionally cost us.  Until not long ago, eggs were usually maybe around $2/dozen, and a lot of times they'd be on sale for less than $1.

The last time I went to Canada I wrote down what was relatively expensive there, compared to the U.S., so I could stock up before the next time I go.  Eggs, milk, and cheese were on the list; I noted that milk was $5/gallon in 2017.

This blip is no fun, but we were awash in cheap eggs for a long time.

 

3 hours ago, ginger90 said:

When I was checking out, the cashier asked me if I checked the eggs, which I always do. It was odd.

Many moons ago I had a friend who majored in Interior Design, and was so embarrassed that it was in the School of Home Economics.  However, she knew all kinds of stuff.  Like, she taught me to open the carton of eggs and spin each one to make sure none were cracked on the bottom where you couldn't see it (those would stick to the carton).

Also, on eggs, test them before throwing them out, especially at these prices.  I had a dozen that had a sell-by date in late November, and I ate the last one just the other day.  Or, actually, I'm still eating it because it's in the cookie dough I'm working my way through (and this batch tastes fine and I'm eating some of it raw).

I had four eggs left and did the float-in-water test and two floated so I threw them out, but two didn't so I used one for the cookie dough and I hard-boiled (actually baked in the oven) the other one and it was fine.

That's a little over three months past the sell-by date, and I assume the last two were on their last legs but who knows how long they might have lasted.

[Calvada]

On 3/8/2025 at 8:36 PM, SoMuchTV said:

My smoke detectors do a darn good job of telling me when their batteries are low, so I’ve never totally bought in to the idea of changing all the batteries every year. In fact, I just recently read (maybe here? Maybe on some other forum?) that ironically discarded 9-volt batteries that still have power are actually a fire hazard. Not sure how true that is, but since I have four smoke detectors (two battery powered and two hardwired with battery backup), I feel okay with not replacing batteries every time the clocks change. They’ll let me know. Beep…….beep…….beep…..

But how can they tell time?!  I've never had a battery in a smoke detector go at 1:00 in the afternoon; it's always between 3:00 and 5:00 A.M.  Because the fire code requires it, I have 3 smoke detectors all within a few feet of each other - 1 in my bedroom, 1 in the guest room, and 1 in the hallway.  Being awakened out of a dead sleep and trying to figure out which one is beeping is not fun.  Especially the one time when I took the battery out of one, fell back into bed, heard BEEP! a couple minutes later, yanked the battery out of another one, fell back into bed, to hear BEEP! yet again and only then remembered the carbon monoxide detector plugged into my bedroom wall behind the door.  

[oliviabenson]

I ate eggs in January for the last time. At these prices probably never again.

[roseha]

I replaced my smoke/carbon monoxide detectors this year while the bedroom was being redone.  It is recommended to replace them after a certain number of years.  I actually wasn't sure when I bought mine.

[annzeepark914]

19 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

how much are a dozen eggs where you live? here $10 for a dozen.

I paid $6.79 for a dozen cage free large eggs today at Harris Teeter in Metro DC. Usually I buy eggs at Wegmans. I'll check the price there next visit. 

[Absolom]

10 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

There are some military wives who do not move every time their husband gets a new assignment. They will choose a home base and stay there while their spouse moves. It really depends on the branch, the career path for the service member, and the bases in question. Sometimes there is no point in uprooting a family to move across the globe for 2 years or less before moving right back to where you started especially when you have kids. Treating the assignment like a deployment makes more sense.

We had a neighbor who did that.  They bought the house and she lived here 6 to 8 years while he had about four tours during that time.  I think he was here about half the time.  Really if he's out at sea does it matter where the wife is? 

50 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

I paid $6.79 for a dozen cage free large eggs today at Harris Teeter in Metro DC. Usually I buy eggs at Wegmans. I'll check the price there next visit. 

Two dozen "organic" cage free eggs for less than $8 today.  They also had pigeon eggs.  Are we getting desperate?

[SoMuchTV]

1 hour ago, roseha said:

I replaced my smoke/carbon monoxide detectors this year while the bedroom was being redone.  It is recommended to replace them after a certain number of years.  I actually wasn't sure when I bought mine.

I’ve almost turned into my mother. Pretty much every appliance/fixture/lightbulb in my house has a discreet sharpie marking with the installation/purchase date. (I say almost since I haven’t started marking my canned goods yet.)

Edited March 11 by SoMuchTV

[annzeepark914]

@fellow New Yorkers: do you still buy Entenmann's products? I bought a chocolate fudge cake today for old times sake. I looked to see where it was made: Bimbo Bakery in Horsham, PA 😸. Didn't their products used to be made in Brooklyn? I'm hoping Sabrett hot dogs are still made in The Bronx!

[Absolom]

16 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

I’ve almost turned into my mother. Pretty much every appliance/fixture/lightbulb in my house has a discreet sharpie marking with the installation/purchase date. (I say almost since I haven’t started marking my canned goods yet.)

I wrote the date in 3 inch letters on the new water heater.  

The condiments in my one daughter's fridge all have the date they were opened written on in sharpie.

Edited March 11 by Absolom

[SoMuchTV]

3 minutes ago, Absolom said:

I wrote the date in 3 inch letters on the new water heater.  

The condiments in my one daughter's fridge all have the date they were opened written on in sharpie.

My kind of people!  I have a piece of masking tape in my glove compartment reminding me “the battery has a 7-year warranty! The receipt is in the owners manual!”