Small Talk: The Prayer Closet

[Mindthinkr]

@zoomama You are very lucky not to have hurt your body more. That had to be a big ouch. 
Feel better soon ❤️‍🩹

[oliviabenson]

I expect Jill Rodrigues to do eyebrows like that to her daughters… 

[Nysha]

@zoomama, I'm glad your migraine went away and you got off the moving crew, but that was a pretty dramatic way to resign. Hopefully, everything will quickly heal.

[Love2dance]

Oh @zoomama, so sorry about the awful fall, but gosh you were so lucky. That could have been so much worse! Heal well!

[Jynnan tonnix]

Back home now. No problem regarding the Covid situation. I expect it was just something that had not been updated. Weird thing was that I had actually received, as part of another email from them, mention that my Covid documentation had been verified, even though I never managed to find the form they said they were going to send that I was supposed to fill out. So I suppose that as much as every time you go to the doctor they require you to restate things that you know very well they have in their system, those same things are also well accessible to any Powers that Be that need to know. At any rate, no Covid questions were asked anywhere at the airport. 

[Scarlett45]

On 9/30/2022 at 2:39 PM, zoomama said:

two of us got our moderna  bi-valent (?) booster yesterday. feeling ok as far as that goes today.  

however, remember that little blurb about having to help my son move from last week when i had the migraine and needed to get over it?  i think God was trying to get my attention and i failed to listen. i ended up falling with the FIRST thing i picked up to load for him, fell backwards flat on my back and hit the tile floor full on. the curio that i was sharing the load of lifting literally landed on top of me. one head CT scan and 6 lower back/hip xrays later, i am bruised and beaten but not broken.  i am resigning from the moving crew, effective immediately. 

one week later, my leg is still very bruised and i am moving slow and sitting gently.  but hey, my migraine went away! 😆

Oh my! I’m so very sorry you hurt yourself. 
 

No no- the moving crew is not for you. Get well really soon.  

[CalicoKitty]

The Blue Angels have been in town all week and have been flying over my house doing practice runs.  I am about 10 mile from the airport they are using, but it is amazing how loud they are--especially when flying low overhead.  They have been practicing all week and are doing their last air show right now. I have been watching from my front porch.  They are amazing.  

[Porkchop]

I’m a long-time lurker, seldom poster ... but I’ve been here since TWOP days, and I think of you all as friends I am fond of. Now I hope for some advice ... how the heck did I get carpal tunnel syndrome and what can I do about it! I don’t do any kind of repetitive work but suddenly out of the blue, I have spells of severe pain in my right hand. I would be grateful for any advice. 

[CalicoKitty]

1 minute ago, Porkchop said:

I’m a long-time lurker, seldom poster ... but I’ve been here since TWOP days, and I think of you all as friends I am fond of. Now I hope for some advice ... how the heck did I get carpal tunnel syndrome and what can I do about it! I don’t do any kind of repetitive work but suddenly out of the blue, I have spells of severe pain in my right hand. I would be grateful for any advice. 

I had an MRI for wrist pain a couple of years ago, and it did not show Carpal Tunnel.  My doctor put me in a wrist brace for about 3 months, and it was much better.  I was doing assembly on a table this week, and my wrist hurts again.  I will put the brace back on for the rest of the week and see if it calms down.  My brace is made by Bregg and is available on Amazon.  It has the metal strip in it.  It really does help.  Pain in the wrist is not always Carpal Tunnel, and it can go away with rest.  If it becomes constant the doctor can give you a cortisone shot in the wrist (THAT HURTS!!!!!).   If it continues you should see an orthopedic doctor so they can do tests.

[CalicoKitty]

Well, I was wrong.  The Blue Angels are back.  They must have been doing a night practice flight.  Actually I was sort of surprised that they would leave after doing an air show. They probably had some different maneuvers to practice.  I expect to hear them leaving tomorrow.  I hope not too early.

[awaken]

21 minutes ago, Porkchop said:

I’m a long-time lurker, seldom poster ... but I’ve been here since TWOP days, and I think of you all as friends I am fond of. Now I hope for some advice ... how the heck did I get carpal tunnel syndrome and what can I do about it! I don’t do any kind of repetitive work but suddenly out of the blue, I have spells of severe pain in my right hand. I would be grateful for any advice. 

Acupuncture 

[Salacious Kitty]

Blue Angels are headed my way for Fleet Week, which began today. They're scheduled to perform next weekend. I will definitely hear them; they always buzz my neighborhood. 😀

[Love2dance]

1 hour ago, CalicoKitty said:

Well, I was wrong.  The Blue Angels are back.  They must have been doing a night practice flight.  Actually I was sort of surprised that they would leave after doing an air show. They probably had some different maneuvers to practice.  I expect to hear them leaving tomorrow.  I hope not too early.

Huntington Beach? Southern California neighbor here.

[ChiCricket]

5 hours ago, Porkchop said:

I’m a long-time lurker, seldom poster ... but I’ve been here since TWOP days, and I think of you all as friends I am fond of. Now I hope for some advice ... how the heck did I get carpal tunnel syndrome and what can I do about it! I don’t do any kind of repetitive work but suddenly out of the blue, I have spells of severe pain in my right hand. I would be grateful for any advice. 

   I think it can run in families? My daughter and both had it in both wrists.

Yes, we both did/do jobs using computers, but werent  on a keyboard for extended periods. Just a few minutes here and there. 

   We both just have really skinny wrists, so less room for the median nerve to run through, and it gets inflamed easier (or something like that, I'm not a doctor, and this years and YEARS ago.) 

   But all that blathering above was to give you the same advice I gave my daughter.. RUN , don't WALK, and get a carpal tunnel surgery evaluation if you can! (remember this is just my personal experience, I don't want anyone to take medical advice from me! Ask your doctor!!!) 

  The reason I told her "just go get the surgery, was that I suffered with both wrists for a couple of years. The pain used to wake me up at night and then I couldn't get back to sleep.  I even got severe depression because of the pain. 😭

   I tried everything the doctors told me to (wearing wrist-braces,taking NSAIDS and using ice-packs. I even got so desperate I let them give me injections of cortisone in my wrists.(those hurt like a SOB) 👀

   None of that *carp* worked much at all. Finally, I was referred to a hand surgeon, and got one wrist done... after a few weeks recovery... HALLELUJAH.. the pain was gone, gone.. GONE!! I got the second one done a month later.. and same wonderful results (after the recovery time. )

  I told my daughter that I wished I had gotten the  surgeries way, way sooner than I did.  Years of hurting for no dang reason. 

   She had already tried the same stuff I had been told to try, and no relief for her either. After I talked to her, she also got a referral to a surgeon and got BOTH wrists done at once (she's nuts, she had to have her husband wipe her booty for her afterward. (tmi?) 😂 

   But  again, after the recuperating time, she also has been completely free from pain ever since. 

  So talk to your doctor and see if surgery is an option for you.

BTW, we both had open surgery years and years ago.  I think they can do it by endoscopy now, so even less recovery time. The end 😂 

Edited October 3, 2022 by ChiCricket

[Porkchop]

So, no one had any relief from heat, cold, exercise, diet, hydrating, or any other program? I surely want to avoid surgery or shots if I can! I have just purchased an exercise program ... I’ll let you know in a few weeks. 

[Scarlett45]

On 10/2/2022 at 9:03 PM, Porkchop said:

I’m a long-time lurker, seldom poster ... but I’ve been here since TWOP days, and I think of you all as friends I am fond of. Now I hope for some advice ... how the heck did I get carpal tunnel syndrome and what can I do about it! I don’t do any kind of repetitive work but suddenly out of the blue, I have spells of severe pain in my right hand. I would be grateful for any advice. 

Sorry you’re suffering @Porkchop- I second acupuncture, acupressure and seeing a chiropractor. If that doesn’t work you may need to see a physician. Do you wear a handbrace? That can help too. 

[Scarlett45]

So much has been going on this weekend I haven’t had a chance to share with you all. 
 

1. I am officially THIRTY SEVEN!🥰🎉🎂

2. The Halloween decorations are up (Lady Reese seems to approve)

3. My Nights of Halloween list has been decided. 

[Suzn]

1 hour ago, Scarlett45 said:

So much has been going on this weekend I haven’t had a chance to share with you all. 
 

1. I am officially THIRTY SEVEN!🥰🎉🎂

2. The Halloween decorations are up (Lady Reese seems to approve)

3. My Nights of Halloween list has been decided. 

🎂 Happy Birthday!  😸😻🐶

[Absolom]

My wrists did fine with icing, splinting, and resting slightly elevated.  I did almost no typing for six weeks.  The carpal tunnel tried to come back a couple of times so I went back to splinting and rest.  Work wasn't too thrilled, but I had seen a hand specialist and she gave very specific written instructions on what I could do.  

[wilsie]

6 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

So much has been going on this weekend I haven’t had a chance to share with you all. 
 

1. I am officially THIRTY SEVEN!🥰🎉🎂

2. The Halloween decorations are up (Lady Reese seems to approve)

3. My Nights of Halloween list has been decided. 

Happy Birthday dear Scarlett45!  I hope it's just the beginning of an amazing and wonderful year! Lady Reese is right, your decorations look great! And it's always a treat to see the happy Cosmo face😊in his very cute scarf.

[Nysha]

Happy Birthday @Scarlett45! 

[Turquoise]

Happy Birthday @Scarlett45! 🎂

[BetyBee]

Happy Birthday, @Scarlett45! Your decorations look wonderful!

[Mindthinkr]

@Scarlett45 Cheers to a great new year ahead of you. Happy Birthday 🥳

[ginger90]

A belated happy birthday @Scarlett45 !!

[ozziemom]

Checking in from SW Florida. We were actually in London visiting our daughter last week when the hurricane hit our area. It was very nerve racking to not know how Ozzie was doing. He was with a new dog sitter, she turned out to be fabulous. Turns out he slept through the whole thing! Our original flight back was canceled but we eventually made it home. The water had only receded a little in our neighborhood so it was a stressful drive in. Fortunately minimal damage to our house but a real mess of tree branches everywhere. We had power but no internet and phone service was spotty to nonexistent. But it’s all back now. We feel very fortunate as it could have been much worse. 

[zoomama]

7 minutes ago, ozziemom said:

Checking in from SW Florida. We were actually in London visiting our daughter last week when the hurricane hit our area. It was very nerve racking to not know how Ozzie was doing. He was with a new dog sitter, she turned out to be fabulous. Turns out he slept through the whole thing! Our original flight back was canceled but we eventually made it home. The water had only receded a little in our neighborhood so it was a stressful drive in. Fortunately minimal damage to our house but a real mess of tree branches everywhere. We had power but no internet and phone service was spotty to nonexistent. But it’s all back now. We feel very fortunate as it could have been much worse. 

so thankful to hear this.  

[jcbrown]

Happy birthday @Scarlett45! Cosmo always looks so happy!

[Scarlett45]

9 hours ago, ozziemom said:

Checking in from SW Florida. We were actually in London visiting our daughter last week when the hurricane hit our area. It was very nerve racking to not know how Ozzie was doing. He was with a new dog sitter, she turned out to be fabulous. Turns out he slept through the whole thing! Our original flight back was canceled but we eventually made it home. The water had only receded a little in our neighborhood so it was a stressful drive in. Fortunately minimal damage to our house but a real mess of tree branches everywhere. We had power but no internet and phone service was spotty to nonexistent. But it’s all back now. We feel very fortunate as it could have been much worse. 

Glad your family and home is alright! Thanks for updating us. 

[SunnyBeBe]

Happy Belated Birthday Scarlett45!!  🥳🎂 Very festive photos.  🤩

Edited October 6, 2022 by SunnyBeBe

[andromeda331]

Happy Belated Birthday @Scarlett45! I hope you had a great day!

[Love2dance]

Happiest of late birthday wishes to you @Scarlett45. Loved the pictures! 🎉🎂🎊💐

Edited October 6, 2022 by Love2dance

[Scarlett45]

In other random news- my work is doing a coat drive for kids in need. It’s been a few years since I’ve participated, but I really liked that this year they paired us with a child, gave us the child’s gender, size, and color preference- we also got a link to an Amazon wish list to have it sent directly to the org we are partnering with. I was paired with a 6yrs old boy who likes red. So I selected a red coat (made sure it had a good hood to keep the wind of off his face), and Avengers hat and gloves set. I am glad the children will be able to get things they like. Winter is approaching quickly in Chicago and a warm coat is a NEED.

In self centered news I rented my dress for the Gala I’m attending at the end of the month!

I own those earrings and bag which I think will go nicely. 

[Mindthinkr]

@Scarlett45 Wowzers. You are going to look like a million bucks. It’s a beautiful ensemble. 

[ozziemom]

@Scarlett45 Fabulous dress and accessories! 

[Scarlett45]

2 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

@Scarlett45 Wowzers. You are going to look like a million bucks. It’s a beautiful ensemble. 

1 hour ago, ozziemom said:

@Scarlett45 Fabulous dress and accessories! 

Thanks. I wanted the green sequined one like that, but they didn’t have it in my size (I ordered a 14). I also hope it FITS- I know formal dresses run small but according to the size chart I should be fine even over the hips, it looks like it flows. I’ve lost so much weight I don’t know what fits any more, but I still have lots of junk in my trunk dontcha know!

[Jynnan tonnix]

1 minute ago, Scarlett45 said:

Thanks. I wanted the green sequined one like that, but they didn’t have it in my size (I ordered a 14). I also hope it FITS- I know formal dresses run small but according to the size chart I should be fine even over the hips, it looks like it flows. I’ve lost so much weight I don’t know what fits any more, but I still have lots of junk in my trunk dontcha know!

I'll take some of the junk in your trunk! LOL

I've lost a fair amount of weight over the past couple of years as well, but because my junk is still mostly in my belly, and my hips are kind of straight up and down, I have found my pants  falling down around my ankles more than a couple of times. Thankfully, never, yet, in public. I've been having to buy pants which are uncomfortably tight around the waist trying to keep this from happening, but because I wear shapewear (at least partially because I was told to do so by my doctor after having surgery to fix three hernias I had developed last year), and it is quite slick, my pants just don't want to stay up!

I've been able to remedy this to a point by getting pants with elastic waists, but am just not finding any sort of dressier pants that work for me.

[Love2dance]

@Scarlett45, that outfit is STUNNING! I’m partial to the gold colors, so I would have picked that instead of green. Your jewelry will be perfect. You are the first person I know who has rented a formal dress. I always wondered how that works. Please take a picture of you in that  (neck down if you want privacy) and let us see. It’s really exciting!

[Scarlett45]

1 hour ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

I'll take some of the junk in your trunk! LOL

I've lost a fair amount of weight over the past couple of years as well, but because my junk is still mostly in my belly, and my hips are kind of straight up and down, I have found my pants  falling down around my ankles more than a couple of times. Thankfully, never, yet, in public. I've been having to buy pants which are uncomfortably tight around the waist trying to keep this from happening, but because I wear shapewear (at least partially because I was told to do so by my doctor after having surgery to fix three hernias I had developed last year), and it is quite slick, my pants just don't want to stay up!

I've been able to remedy this to a point by getting pants with elastic waists, but am just not finding any sort of dressier pants that work for me.

Bodies are so weird. My pants get longer as I lose weight because I just wear them lower, I still have wide hips but I don’t want my UNDERGARMENTS showing- no. So many pants do “curvy fit” now, which I am finding suits me.
 

Have you researched pants for apple shapes? If you’re looking for something dressy, it might be worth it to purchase and have it taken it  BUT old navy makes these amazing chinos that have elastic in the back! Here.

I’ll do a longer post on all the pants struggles I have been having lately. Winter is coming and thank goodness for my curvy fit corduroys from Talbots! (I rebought because my Mom said I wasn’t allowed to be seen in public in my old ones) I’m only in the office 3 days a week, which means I need 6 business outfits minimum for winter. 

[Nysha]

@Scarlett45, thanks for the link. I stopped wearing zippered pants during the lockdown and can't bear to go back, but I need some nice pants. These will fit the bill.

[Scarlett45]

1 hour ago, Love2dance said:

@Scarlett45, that outfit is STUNNING! I’m partial to the gold colors, so I would have picked that instead of green. Your jewelry will be perfect. You are the first person I know who has rented a formal dress. I always wondered how that works. Please take a picture of you in that  (neck down if you want privacy) and let us see. It’s really exciting!

I have rented a few things before, but between 2008-2019 I had at least 2-4 formal events a year (between weddings and charity events) so I would buy some dresses, sell them on Poshmark, or donate them (I did a big donation right before the pandemic for girls that couldn’t afford prom dresses). I didn’t want to be seen in the same dress on social media for every event so I had more formal wear than anyone needed. Now I have NONE (wait I have one black cocktail dress that probably fits again from law school- I will give that a try on one of these days). 
 

I used Rent the Runway, which is super fun and there’s a big selection of clothing and accessories- they go up to a size 20. You make your selection, it’s delivered to your house 2 days before and you pack it and send it back after your event. There are also memberships where you can rent x number of pieces per month if you have a lot going on or just want to try new things.
 

As I rebuild my wardrobe I will probably buy  2-3 formal/cocktail dresses (eventually) and then rent something if I am bored. I think the gold will be pretty, but I love jewel tones and the green was so unique. I am still financially recovering from Cavendish’s hospital stay, and I have some vacations planned so 100s of dollars on a formal dress wasn’t in the cards. Photo of Cavendish and Cosmo a while ago. 

[Jynnan tonnix]

1 hour ago, Nysha said:

@Scarlett45, thanks for the link. I stopped wearing zippered pants during the lockdown and can't bear to go back, but I need some nice pants. These will fit the bill.

I will have to see how those work for me as well. I have a pair which look similar, but a different brand. I never had a lot of zippered pants to start with, but have always been able to treat most of them as pull-on pants because of my narrower hips. 

Macy's has quite a few nice styles of pull-on dressier pants if you are looking for that sort of thing. I like the Alfani and JM Collection brands. I have bought a number of pairs, in various sizes, but they mostly all eventually want to start sliding down on me. I'd imagine they would be great on anyone with a bit more hip than I have to hold them up. The only ones I find that I can wear without constantly having to tug them up are a size 8, where I generally wear a 12-14. They feel a bit tight at the waist, but fit nicely through the hip and thigh, then get a bit snug at my calves, which have always been somewhat bulky and muscular.

[Scarlett45]

2 hours ago, Nysha said:

@Scarlett45, thanks for the link. I stopped wearing zippered pants during the lockdown and can't bear to go back, but I need some nice pants. These will fit the bill.

I wore these all summer when I was WFH. (When I wanted to wear pants) Be warned the torso DOES stretch out. I originally bought an xl (I’ve got thighs and junk in the trunk)- they fit loosely (but comfortably) for about an hour. After that I looked a HOT ASS MESS. The entire front stomach area was baggy. Like I should’ve fit a pregnant belly in there.  I then bought a L, thought they were a wee snug in the thigh for about a day, but no the L fit. Pants do stretch after you buy them. I recommend sizing down. Or buying two sizes and seeing what you like best. 

[BetyBee]

I just went out to my mailbox to pick up a delivery (very exciting shower curtain liner, lol) and the coyotes were harmonizing nearby! We live by a pond, with woods behind it and that's where they hang. Anyway they were howling and the neighborhood is full of Halloween decorations and it was so creepy, I rushed back inside asap!

[awaken]

I solved the issue of never finding pants that fit (and I’m of completely average size) by wearing nothing but leggings or scrubs since 2020 👍🏽

[Ohiopirate02]

9 hours ago, awaken said:

I solved the issue of never finding pants that fit (and I’m of completely average size) by wearing nothing but leggings or scrubs since 2020 👍🏽

Leggings FTW.  I solve my issues with pants by wearing skirts and dresses.  I'm too curvy for scrub pants.  I need a belt not a flimsy drawstring to keep my pants from falling down. 

[Scarlett45]

Pants- oh pants. (long post to follow)

Okay- given my profession (I am an attorney) and where I live (Chicago) for most of the year I wear pants. I do like dresses for formal/fancy/"going out events" but for work/living I wear pants with a zipper, tab and a button. My favorite brand for work pants used to be Sejour (found at Nordstrom), but I did find THESE Jeans Company Kelsey Knit Trousers by Liverpool (also found at Nordstrom- I love Nordstrom, I will not lie). These pants are PERFECT if you need something business, but comfortable. Please SIZE DOWN because they do stretch out during the day. I like my pants fitted, but not too tight (especially for work). I normally prefer a wider leg, but the way these are cut they make my thighs look so slim and streamlined, and they are COMFORTABLE. That double ponte knit just SMOOTHS. I have a Navy and Black, and I want the purple (but $$).

Jeans- jeans have been a struggle, I bought some size 1 torrid jeans just to have something to wear and I had some coupons, but I made am mistake and got the design for apple shapes, and im wearing a belt that I took from my Mom, because again, undergarments cannot be showing in public. I do want to reinvest in more NYDJ Barbara Boot Cut jeans I used to be a 18W, but now Im closer to a 12/14 regular, I would probably prefer a 12W if they made that, because women sizes have more room in the hips/thigh relative to the waist. I am LOVING that wide leg jeans are back. I like a dark wash, wide leg- and that is back thank goodness.

But now for the most wonderful pair of winter pants ever created: Stretch Corduroy Straight Leg Pants Curvy Fit by Talbots. Do NOT sleep on Talbots, they can be kind of "dull" but for wardrobe basics, the quality is wonderful and construction is superb. And again, I can acknowledge that I have a very "conservative" professional life so they suit my professional style well. They are very size inclusive, they have tall, petite, plus petite, plus, and curvy fit! These pants are SO WARM, I used to have an indigo and grey and even when they got too big to wear to work I would throw them on with leggings underneath and walk Cosmo when it was in the single digits. I repurchased the green and the indigo- I love them because they are nice enough for the office in the winter, but can be worn on the weekend.

Leggings- I have liked Zella leggings, they do a good job smoothing the lumps and bumps, but I am not really a leggings girl. 1. no pockets, 2. if I wear leggings in public I feel I should have my buttocks covered, but if the shirt is big enough to cover my buttocks, my entire waist gets lost and I look like a blob. I do have leggings I wear under pants in the winter time, and of course travel and stuff, but I am going out I don't reach for leggings. I bought some fleece joggers from Walmart and Target to walk Cosmo in this winter and bum around. Replacing a wardrobe is such a PITA especially given that I need 4 separate wardrobes (given the temperature extremes here we have separate wardrobes for winter and summer, I even have different pajamas) and I need one for my professional life/casual life. I spent so much this spring when I moved positions and was heading back into the office because I had NOTHING to wear for summertime that wasn't a Disney graphic tee.

Thank you for reading my diatribe about pants.

[SunnyBeBe]

Does anyone have expertise on the best type of dog food for a Shih Tzu?  He belongs to my niece and  I’m helping with his care lately.  I haven’t had a small dog since childhood.  The dry food seems so unappealing.  He’s so sweet and such a cutie.  Oh, he’s 2 yrs old.
 

Edited October 7, 2022 by SunnyBeBe

[Mindthinkr]

12 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Does anyone have expertise on the best type of dog food for a Shitzu?  He belongs to my niece and  I’m helping with his care lately.  I haven’t had a small dog since childhood.  The dry food seems so unappealing.  He’s so sweet and such a cutie.  Oh, he’s 2 yrs old.
 

@saber5055 Could you please help answer my friend’s question? 

[ozziemom]

@Scarlett45 100% agree with Talbot’s for pants. I’m retired now, but Talbot’s was my go to store for business wear. I still have all my Talbot’s sweaters too! Classic and basic.

All of a sudden I’m getting ads here on PrimeTimers. Did something change?