The Old Folks Home

[microchick]

Yeah, I have to make a decision about my garden this year. I really enjoy planting and growing my own onions, squash and taters but I have to be realistic about the size of the garden I intend to plant with my back, hands and feet slowly failing me. Looks like August is the magic month for me to see a rheumatologist. My insurance is a freaking joke. I told DH yesterday that we may as well consider it for use in case I have a heart attack or stroke or fall and break something important because it is looks like a catastrophic insurance policy which is what I had on my own before it was canceled out by Obamacare. Keep your own policy, yeah, right. only if I wanted to go from paying 300 dollars a month to paying almost 900 a month. Wasn't going to happen. So when my medicare kicks in I can plan to see a rheumatologist and see if there is anything that they can do about the progression of whatever rheumatic type arthritis I have.

So I'm torn between planting a small garden that I can take care of, planting what I can in containers or just not doing it this year and giving my hands, back, knees and feet a break from the weeding and the bending with the thought that hopefully by this time next year I will have improved joint function.

I have seeds on board for my squash and buy my onion starts and seed potatoes from the nearby Amish General Store. The onions and 'taters are pretty straight forward when it comes to planting but containing the squash so they can be weeded and produce well would be the challenge.

OH! BTW! Good morning all. Woke up to 46 degrees and fog this morning. All the snow is gone and I saw a cock ROBIN in the front yard this morning. Bless him I woke up to him singing outside the house this morning. Spring is coming! The boys show up about a month before the hens do and they are seldom wrong in their predictions.

 

[MrsMistyReal]

Makes you wonder if insurance is worth it. Hubby gets his through work but still we pay & when we skip a payment we're so far behind, its endless.

 

[chickadoodles]

Micro you can grow squash in reusable Walmart grocery bages that are made of recycled plastic bottles.
And put the bags in a kiddie pool. Just add an inch of water.
You fill the bags with potting soil and water them till they are drenched and dripping then put them in the pool.
Then just add water as needed. No weeding!
My squash did great this way.

 

[chickadoodles]

Penny I'm happy you got a new life and happiness going on. You are truly blessed.

Deb happiness comes from within
You have your family and your son.
You are more blessed than most.

 

[microchick]

The insurance I have right now is with Anthem and it is just absolutely useless. Every time I call them with a question, I get a different answer. They told me my last visit to the doctor (with injections into my back) was going to be paid in full by them. Two months later I got a bill from 130 dollars from the doctor's, after insurance paid on the claim. Then they tell me that they will pay for a rheumatologist after deductible, yet they put most of my expenses on a higher Out of Pocket deductible instead of on a a general deductible. I just cannot trust them.

Two years ago I had United Health Care and they were excellent. But they dropped out of the marketplace two years ago and Anthem is the only company available in our area.

Preexisting conditions pretty much put you at their mercy. And who at our age doesn't have preexisting whatevers going on.

@chickadoodles do you think they would grow sitting on the edge of a north facing deck/porch with an overhang roof if I bagged them?

 

[ronott1]

Micro you can grow squash in reusable Walmart grocery bages that are made of recycled plastic bottles.
And put the bags in a kiddie pool. Just add an inch of water.
You fill the bags with potting soil and water them till they are drenched and dripping then put them in the pool.
Then just add water as needed. No weeding!
My squash did great this way.

That is a great tip!

 

[MrsMistyReal]

The insurance I have right now is with Anthem and it is just absolutely useless. Every time I call them with a question, I get a different answer. They told me my last visit to the doctor (with injections into my back) was going to be paid in full by them. Two months later I got a bill from 130 dollars from the doctor's, after insurance paid on the claim. Then they tell me that they will pay for a rheumatologist after deductible, yet they put most of my expenses on a higher Out of Pocket deductible instead of on a a general deductible. I just cannot trust them.

Two years ago I had United Health Care and they were excellent. But they dropped out of the marketplace two years ago and Anthem is the only company available in our area.

Preexisting conditions pretty much put you at their mercy. And who at our age doesn't have preexisting whatevers going on.

@chickadoodles do you think they would grow sitting on the edge of a north facing deck/porch with an overhang roof if I bagged them?

Have you tried other insurance companies? We have blue cross blue shield, so far ok but nothing in life is 100%

 

[chickadoodles]

The insurance I have right now is with Anthem and it is just absolutely useless. Every time I call them with a question, I get a different answer. They told me my last visit to the doctor (with injections into my back) was going to be paid in full by them. Two months later I got a bill from 130 dollars from the doctor's, after insurance paid on the claim. Then they tell me that they will pay for a rheumatologist after deductible, yet they put most of my expenses on a higher Out of Pocket deductible instead of on a a general deductible. I just cannot trust them.

Two years ago I had United Health Care and they were excellent. But they dropped out of the marketplace two years ago and Anthem is the only company available in our area.

Preexisting conditions pretty much put you at their mercy. And who at our age doesn't have preexisting whatevers going on.

@chickadoodles do you think they would grow sitting on the edge of a north facing deck/porch with an overhang roof if I bagged them?

If they get enough sun they will do great.
Mine did. We had squash nearly every day. You can grow just about anything in in the kiddie pools.

 

[microchick]

Have you tried other insurance companies? We have blue cross blue shield, so far ok but nothing in life is 100%

Unfortunately where we live the Insurance Marketplace is offering only one company to deal with and that is Anthem. I carried my own insurance policy for over 5 years as I have preexisting conditions the best I could do was a catastrophic policy. It was phased out when Obamacare arrived and they wanted to upgrade my policy and increase my premiums to almost 900 dollars. It was way out of my budget and I was forced to the marketplace. Two years ago I had UHC and it was a great policy. The past two years the only company offered was Anthem and it has been nothing but frustration dealing with them.

In July my medicare arrives. I will not miss Anthem at all.

 

[perchie.girl]

Exactly no one deserves to be a punching bag. Bin there done it, never again, amen

Punching is something no one would survive in my presence never mind hitting me.... Just talking about it is a deal breaker for me...

Funny thing is I am attracted to the "Bad Boys" in alot of ways. But Its the Smart ones I want but have no clue to how to get to know some. Come across a few that fit the bill but Cross smart with bad and you get substance abusers. Fell in love with one once... and it was my last.

I thought of joining Mensa... but I am a hair too low on the scale. Engineering clubs are around but I dont have a degree. Other clubs are too physical... hiking, diving, cross country, camping,...

Thought of starting a carriage service in my little town. Horse is a froot looop....

My land is my love, Solitude is my friend, Sky is my miracle, Air is the breath of the earth. someone that understands that... and likes me... sigh.

deb