Coronavirus, Covid 19 Discussion and How It Has Affected Your Daily Life Chat Thread

[MrFluffyandGirls]

I hate to change the subject but I moved here a year ago and my property is clay. It's awful. So we built some raised boxes to grow stuff. Then I ordered 3 yards of "garden mix" dirt which is supposed to be 60% soil (not clay), 20% sand, and 20% compost.

I go out today and the box I planted had a thick layer of crust on top. I water and the water takes forever to drain. And if I plant seeds they will never be able to push thru this crust. They also said it would be screened and OMG! there's a lot of sticks and stuff in it. I can't see any sand or compost. But the worst is I will not be able to plant seeds in there and expect them to break thru the crust. I just want to cry. Does this sound like garden mix?

I have rich black soil and it holds moisture and drains slow and compost will crust some to retain moisture but if you have big sticks and see no sand you may not have what you paid for. But iI'm not a soil expert just giving my 2 cent.

 

[21hens-incharge]

This is just what I've learned treating "pre" diabetics and my grand child being a diabetic. The thing is with being "pre" is it's like having the opportunity to not be diabetic at all. It's in your control, not like class 1 diabetic.
The bottom line is that you make enough insulin- for a certain amount of weight. If you go over it, there's not enough insulin for all the cells, so you require more. If you lose weight, you also lose millions or billions of hungry cells that make your insulin Not enough. So losing a certain amount of weight would reduce the amount of hungry blood cells that need insulin.

Using artificial sweeteners are just prolonging the inevitable. It won't help you lose weight. You have to commit yourself. And maybe join a support group.

Yes and no on the losing weight means losing hungry cells. For some people that is true but it is far more complicated for most.
In fact a big symptom of diabetes is sudden extreme weight loss. In my case that was true. I lost 100# in less than 8 months. So I should have gotten better....less cells and all but it has a lot to do with insulin resistance.
My body had been working hard to make insulin but my cells were like "nope not today" and resisted it.
For a prediabetic weight management by exercise and good diet choices CAN reverse the situation. Not so much for full on type 2 diabetes.

Was wondering this too and if there is something that makes things sweet without actually being bad??? If I’m making sense. Because I’m not sure if I can give up sugar but want a sweet taste to replace it maybe?


I think I actually did read something about that a few weeks ago that orders had gone way up and they couldn’t keep up with the demand but haven’t read anything since. I am sure they have fixed the issue by now.


Well, there was but it was a huge range and I wasn’t sure if it was accurate or not. I will have to look it up again though.

I did find this that was somewhat interesting but don’t know how reliable it is and mine wasn’t fasting. I think the range in the book was like 70-120 which somewhat conflicts with this so idk.

https://ketteringhealth.org/communityoutreach/pdf/ask/ask-normal-blood-sugar.pdf

That range sounds very familiar to me....like what my doctor said normal is for normal people the 70-120.

We have a stay at home order in my area and I have been home for 2 weeks working from home practicing social distancing. So I did curb side pick up today for my feed and went out in the world today finally. I was amazed at how many people was coming in and out of tractor supply like nothings going on. No one wearing masks or gloves, I even saw two policemen and a dad with three small children in the mix and wondered am I the crazy one or them! No one but me was at the curbside parking spaces but the rest of the lot was pretty much full. Just to be nosy I drove through the walmart parking lot and it was full too with people everywhere.
We had our 1st death from the virus in our county today and the state has thousands infected so you think these people would be more cautious. It's really disturbing to me.

That makes me sad. I think they are nuts and being careless.

 

[IamRainey]

I have soooo much chicken print material! Hate to sacrifice it but it would should make pretty masks!

Too funny! I looked at my chicken print fabric too but couldn't let it go. It's chicken and chicken wire companion prints that I've had since before I ever thought I might have chickens. I haven't found the right project for it yet but I just Could. Not. let that go.

 

[seminolewind]

I didn't know that, thank you

LOL, I was telling this patient I had the exact same story, and he was very surprised. Poor guy he had also gotten another effect from his "pre" diabetes. He had Lymphedema. His lower legs weeped constantly and formed lesions or skin breakdown. So he needed the lesions to be treated and then his legs wrapped back up. I really liked this guy. It was a pleasure to know him. He was nice.

 

[SnapdragonQ]

Was wondering this too and if there is something that makes things sweet without actually being bad??? If I’m making sense. Because I’m not sure if I can give up sugar but want a sweet taste to replace it maybe?


I think I actually did read something about that a few weeks ago that orders had gone way up and they couldn’t keep up with the demand but haven’t read anything since. I am sure they have fixed the issue by now.


Well, there was but it was a huge range and I wasn’t sure if it was accurate or not. I will have to look it up again though.

I did find this that was somewhat interesting but don’t know how reliable it is and mine wasn’t fasting. I think the range in the book was like 70-120 which somewhat conflicts with this so idk.

https://ketteringhealth.org/communityoutreach/pdf/ask/ask-normal-blood-sugar.pdf

After reading what Kiki said I don't know what to tell you.
I was going to say that whatever you do, don't start off with stevia. It's really hard to make the cold switch over to that stuff!! Where as splenda, for the most part, cooks like, acts like, and tastes (mostly) like sugar. It does however have maltodextrin in it.
I've tried xylitol (bad for dogs I think) with mixed results, and coconut sugar, which is more like brown sugar, but splenda is about the only one that will give you a passable cookie, zuicchini chocolate cake, and homemade strawberry sorbet.
I'm sure there are some good ones out there, but we live on a budget so paying $15 for a tiny thing of sugar replacement is not on the menu for us. Kiddo's baked goodies get real sugar and I'm good to steal only one cookie or muffin.

I hate to change the subject but I moved here a year ago and my property is clay. It's awful. So we built some raised boxes to grow stuff. Then I ordered 3 yards of "garden mix" dirt which is supposed to be 60% soil (not clay), 20% sand, and 20% compost.

I go out today and the box I planted had a thick layer of crust on top. I water and the water takes forever to drain. And if I plant seeds they will never be able to push thru this crust. They also said it would be screened and OMG! there's a lot of sticks and stuff in it. I can't see any sand or compost. But the worst is I will not be able to plant seeds in there and expect them to break thru the crust. I just want to cry. Does this sound like garden mix?

I'm not sure without seeing a picture, however if you mulch over the top with something light, it should keep the moisture in and prevent the crust as you describe it. My other farm, more northeast-ish, had crusty brown clay like soil. Mulch did wonders for it plus it's just good gardening practice for happy plants.

 

[Molpet]

Re TP, I got a Wendy's burger today and what I realized is they gave me a large Handful of paper napkins! So I was thinking one meal from Wendy's or Fast food per day can net probably all the TP you need for the day!

Napkins will plug up the sewer line though. So will paper towels

 

[seminolewind]

Yes and no on the losing weight means losing hungry cells. For some people that is true but it is far more complicated for most.
In fact a big symptom of diabetes is sudden extreme weight loss. In my case that was true. I lost 100# in less than 8 months. So I should have gotten better....less cells and all but it has a lot to do with insulin resistance.
My body had been working hard to make insulin but my cells were like "nope not today" and resisted it.
For a prediabetic weight management by exercise and good diet choices CAN reverse the situation. Not so much for full on type 2 diabetes.



That range sounds very familiar to me....like what my doctor said normal is for normal people the 70-120.



That makes me sad. I think they are nuts and being careless.

I see you had a totally different type of diabetes being that your insulin levels were so erratic. I think a totally different treatment plan.

But I think that type 2 diabetes most times be controlled with weight loss.

I imagine your type is far far more difficult to control. It must make you bonkers at times.

 

[SnapdragonQ]

I'm using batiks and other closely woven, high quality quilting cottons. I bet you've got some scraps of batik that aren't really big enough for something else. I've ironed non-woven interfacing into some of them and skipped it on others. I don't see a lot of difference in the holding-it-to-a-bright-light thing but then non-woven interfacing isn't very opaque or thick.

I haven't tried batting but I think that would make the pleats harder to form. These things don't start out large and working 3 pleats into it is challenging enough for me. If you really feel you want the third layer you could use a thin fleece layer OR add a third layer of woven cotton hemming one long side and making it 1/2" an inch or so shorter so that it stayed free of the topstitching and created a pocket to slip something else like a coffee filter in. But, again, as the NYT article says, it's a matter of balancing protection with breathability.

Of course all this is based on using the Deaconess 9"x7" surgical style mask. If you're dong a more fitted form you'll work out your own methods and conclusions.

Good luck with it!

I dunno about batik scraps...I'm a hoarder of batiks and chicken fabrics.

Bulky pleats- I have a machine that will sew through anything (Remember when I mentioned Juju the Beast??) however I'm making the rounded face masks so no pleats anyway.
I've got all kinds of battings, interfacings, shaping materials, and stuff...and the article was super helpful.

 

[seminolewind]

After reading what Kiki said I don't know what to tell you.
I was going to say that whatever you do, don't start off with stevia. It's really hard to make the cold switch over to that stuff!! Where as splenda, for the most part, cooks like, acts like, and tastes (mostly) like sugar. It does however have maltodextrin in it.
I've tried xylitol (bad for dogs I think) with mixed results, and coconut sugar, which is more like brown sugar, but splenda is about the only one that will give you a passable cookie, zuicchini chocolate cake, and homemade strawberry sorbet.
I'm sure there are some good ones out there, but we live on a budget so paying $15 for a tiny thing of sugar replacement is not on the menu for us. Kiddo's baked goodies get real sugar and I'm good to steal only one cookie or muffin.



I'm not sure without seeing a picture, however if you mulch over the top with something light, it should keep the moisture in and prevent the crust as you describe it. My other farm, more northeast-ish, had crusty brown clay like soil. Mulch did wonders for it plus it's just good gardening practice for happy plants.

Okay, what you're saying sounds good. I have plenty of compost and/or mulch. I have just never come across a problem like this.

 

[21hens-incharge]

two missing hens! Can't find them. too dark now. I will search again in the morning. I don't want to think about worst case scenario.

Oh man!! I had hoped you would find them right away.
that they come strolling up like nothing went on in the morning.

I see you had a totally different type of diabetes being that your insulin levels were so erratic. I think a totally different treatment plan.

But I think that type 2 diabetes most times be controlled with weight loss.

I imagine your type is far far more difficult to control. It must make you bonkers at times.

It does make me batty. I am listed as type 2. I think there are really more than 2 kinds though.