INSOMNIACS place to talk in the wee hours

sas-schatzi

Hey Afternoon, just waking up. IT"S FRIDAY. Party on Monday. MY Di is here and i'm choosing to do nothing. nada. the Queen. Oh so nice I'm a brat.

Hi Nettie and Teka Welcome back Have fun.

Rosevalley

Ok then the info we were given was correct! Yay. I loved Vietnam and the images of all those little kids in the packed orphange will be with me until I die. So many precious beautiful children just waiting. The older ones, ages 2 and up waved at us, knowing that they wouldn't get picked because folks wanted babies. Wrong I would have taken them. Our last kid was 4 when we got her. If it wasn't so expensive I would have more, well not now with stage 4 but I would have adopted more then back in 1994.

Everyone has to read this incredible article in the NY Times today called- "Your contribution to the California Drought." It could probably apply to Florida too. Anyway they have these visuals of produce, nuts, meat, dairy and how many gallons of water it takes to grow/ produce what ever it is, average consumption. It's an eye popping graphic display of avacado = # gallons of water. A few walnuts took like 20 gallons. I had no clue it took that much water to produce these items. Just scroll the photos and it's astonishing how much water is used to produce normally eaten food.

Have a great weekend. Be well and have fun.

Chevyboy

My friend Carol used to travel those countries with "Elder Hostle".... It is named something else now, but she especially loved the trip through Cambodia, Laos, Viet-Nam, and Thailand.... told me so many interesting stories of those countries and their people....

She also took that train ride through Canada, I think it was.... through the Rockies..... Went to Pearl Harbor, to help paint the dock/railings, with a "working" tour.... It was fun just listening to her, and seeing the pictures she took!

I realize how lucky we are, living in an advanced modern country.... Born here, so we don't know the hard-ships most of the people of the world have to go through.... She loved to travel, but I don't think I would....

Loveroflife

I would love to work on the garden this weekend or even clean the house, but can't for almost another week. Dust bunnies and crumbs on the floors are driving me mad. The one good thing is they only bother me. I am the Monk or Felix in the family.

Ms Chevy, the sauce you are referring to is called Nuoc Mam which looks like this

Mam Nem is more pungent

and is usually mixed with pineapple, sugar and chili peppers.

I usually make Congee or Chao when hubby or girls are sick. It is light and easily digested. I like to eat it for breakfast too. It's a comfort food. Don't make it much because family doesn't care for it Hubby and DD like a solid meal because theyboth are carnivores. My younger daughter and I are happy with soup, veggies, and nuts.

Wren44

My SIL is from Burma and does a lot of cooking. His mother has also made long visits and cooked. The GS always loved rice and never liked potatoes. We joked that you can take the boy out of Asia, but you can't take Asia out of the boy. We are lucky to have a Vietnamese restaurant 3 blocks away with really good food. And cheap enough we can afford to go often. They have traveled in Burma, Thailand, China, Singapore and loved it.

Loveroflife

Whoa, I looked up and saw your 2 posts! That tells you how slow I write and how sloth like my brain is.

Rose, it breaks my heart just thinking how many children there are in the orphanages. We have many here too in the foster care system. They all need love. We went to visit a few orphanages in Nepal and Philippines a few years back and you just wish you can take all of them home with you. With the recent earthquake in Nepal, we learned that one of the orphanage we had visited was completely destroyed, but praise be to God that all the children were spared. Life seems so unfair at times

Loveroflife

Haha Wren, it is very true!!!

Rosevalley

Loverof life- You know My DH was aPeace Corps volunteer and when he came back from the Philippines he swore that if he had any kids one would be adopted. He said he never could get the images out of his head of the street kids roaming in packs trying to survive. Well fast forward to being married. We tried to adopted from the Philippines and were told since we are not Catholic no go. DH loved the Fillipino people and was so sad since he felt he had much cultural experience to offer, not to mention language.

So I protested that there were 80,000 kids in CA where we lived back then in 1991 and we should take one from the US. We got all our social work stuff done. We said we would take any child male or female, any race, any disability, but nothing severe or terminal. (No HIV, no Cystic Fibrosis etc.) Well CA at the time had this idiotic rule that the adoptive parents had to match the race of the child or close. Here there were all these biracial kids and we couldn't get one. Plus I refused to do foster adopt where they do a trial run. Nope. You place a kid they stay, unless they are dangerous or completely unmanageable, animal abuse would also be out. So we waited for 1 1/2 years, denied every kid we asked about.

So our adoptive agency asked us if we would consider 3 little girls left in an orphange in Can Tho Vietnam. One child had 11 extra fingers and toes (agent orange effect and we saw this all over the south!), one child had a large cleft and pallete and the little heart baby who was a severe failure to thrive. We took the child least likely to survive, the heart VSD baby who weighed 11 pounds 15 ounces at 11 months old. Little Thuy Tien who turned out to be a rubella syndrome baby- PDA, deaf, mild CP, mild retardation and mild autism. She would have died had we not taken her. It was like she had given up. She never even cried for a bottle since no one came if you cried. She had no head control at 11 months old. She's the "Little Engine that Could," a child with a zest for life, full of energy wonder and love. They gave us many couldn't, wouldn't and will nevers during her childhood. They were all wrong. She reads, writes, rides a bike, takes care of herself, plays on the computer, signs fluently and has a modified job! Ha for all the negative things we heard from experts!!! I love this kid, she is sunshine in human form.

Chevyboy

Yes Loverly....! It's been awhile since I made it.... and I forgot the minced garlic! Thanks for reminding me.... I also printed off a recipe for "Jook"...which is that rice dish.... plus the Nuoc Mam.... I forget, when I don't see the recipe ....

Loveroflife

Ms. Chevy   You are so funny!  Vietnamese is not a easy language. I get confused myself. Haha

Loveroflife

Rose, thank you for sharing. Brought tears to my eyes. We have friends and know a few people who had to go to other countries to adopt. I don't know why they make it so difficult for people to adopt kids here in the States. Crazy also in the Philippines how you have to be Catholic in order to adopt. Can't imagine how many potential loving homes those children lose out because of the restriction. Love is love.

Chevyboy

Did you guys see what Rosie wrote? How she has given life to a little girl, that the world had given up on.... I don't think my words can express how thankful we all are that you did this for one little person..... I love your story, AND your little girl.... Congratulations to you and your Husband.... We need more families who are so un-selfish and giving to watch over the "lost" children in our world.

Sheesh..... You made her a miracle for all of us! I would love a picture of her.... Our little "miracle" mascot......

Jazzygirl

I did what Rose wrote. Thank you for loving that little girl. She sounds so wonderful.

sas-schatzi

Rosie, big heart, big love.............that little one would have soon died for lack of love.......bless you and dh

sas-schatzi

Is my computer broken? Where is everyone. 9AM and no Chevester?  Oh Yeah --holiday weekend. People have lives here. They're out PARTYINGGGGG. Me on the other hand can't figure out what day it is. Sure it was Sunday and I missed my Sat. PCP appointment. But got it figured out IT"S SATURDAY. I spent allot of time this week on the port& constipation thread. Too much time on the Constipation thread---we got a bit silly. Way silly. Nice to end up that way though with everything coming out well in the end.

Jazzygirl

Good morning friends- wishing everyone a good holiday weekend whether you are traveling, barbequeing, relaxing at home, checking out a new summer movie release, etc.

Holeinone

Rose,

What a gift, for both of you. I would love to meet your DD.

Chevy, I used to love the idea of traveling. Then, I got to travel, to a few places. Europe, Ireland, Mexico. Now I am back to loving the idea of it, harder to do it. I have always been picky about food. After H Pylori, diverticulitis & having 1/2 my colon removed I have gone back to my childish pickiness. Hopefully the food on the cruise will be fresh. ( who says that? I sound like a freak )

House closed yesterday. Having a few friends over for BBQ tonight.

Hello to all & have a super weekend !

Jazzygirl

Hol- congrats on the house closing!

Cruises will have ALOT of food, but the last one I went on in 2012 had lots of fresh stuff like fresh fruit, salads, fish, etc. Lots of crap too. I loved the "midnight pizza bar" but only ate their once, just because.

I don't have the desire to travel internationally since bc. I think I still live with the "what if something happens" we all live with after cancer, and thinking about ending up in a foreign healthcare system. I have friends who are all taking international trips this summer, one just came back from Germany/Denmark/Austria and another returned form Australian/New Zealand/Fiji.

And then there are the ones trying to lure me to take trips with or through them (yoga teacher). Some know of my bc, others don't. But in the end, I am happy to travel in the US for now. The good thing is that I have done traveling overseas since my 20s (Europe, Middle East, South America, Central America) so I don't feel deprived in any way to not go again.

All this feels like part of my new normal.

Enjoy your cookout Hol!

Wren44

Sassy, The last sentence cracked me up.

Hole, Congrats on the house closing.

I am dying to travel, but DH has a leg problem that limits walking and we always walk a lot on trips. We took a cruise but didn't care for it - kept wanting to get off the boat and go camping. I'm hoping to talk him into Hawaii. We've been there enough that we've seen most of the sights. We could just veg on the beach and eat lots of papaya.

Loveroflife

Hello everyone! Hope you all have a blessed Memorial weekends. DH and younger daughter are at church camp for the weekend and DD is stuck at home with me or maybe it's the other way around. She is cleaning the bathrooms for me as I am typing. Tried cleaning the toilet this morning and the chest muscle was protesting...then, I heard my Doctor's voice. " promise me you won't do any house work for two weeks".....Ooppsy

Wren, I had a good laugh too with the last sentence. Which islands have you been to? Love Maui and the Big Island. Oahu is nice too, but I like the other two better because they are not as crowded. Love the farmers market on Big Island....all the papayas you could eat because they were so inexpensive and good. The strawberry papayas were so sweet. Didn't realize until later that some Hawaiian papayas were GMO contaminated I might grow an extra ear or toe in the future...oh well. Both Hubby and DD love Oahu because of all the excitement.

Hi1, congrats on the closing of your home. Hope you will enjoy the cruise with your friend.

Jazzy, you have been to the Middle East....cool. Couldn't join my husband when he went to Israel and Jordan. There are so much history there.

Ms. Chevy, did you get more plants for your garden? How is your nephew?

Younger Sis is coming to take us to lunch at Crepeville. Yay I get to get out of the bird cage!

sas-schatzi

Pssst Chevy did you see that papyas are growing ears and toes now

Wren and Loverly   I was wondering if anyone would catch it. erh no..don't catch.

Loveroflife

Chevyboy

Sassy....! What does she mean girls? Can someone please translate?

We just had a REAL frog-strangler!!!! I mean pouring RAIN, and hail, and thunder, and I was OUT there, trying to cover my tomatoes!

Theresa even called....I thinks he was scared.... all alone there in that room....! I told her to open her door, and yell across the hall, and maybe..... just MAYBE that old guy across the hall would hear her, and invite her into his room, and those two could listen to their TV easy-listening music! He told HER about it... channel 948.... ! Then she wouldn't be scared. She just laughed. I told her to close her blinds, and go to bed..... and call me again if she gets scared.

Janie called ME to see if it was hailing HERE! It wasn't, but then it started REALLY coming down! Now I'm soaked....

Loverly.... I haven't heard how my Brother's Son is.... I've asked, but he didn't answer.... He/they have gone through so much with him.... I'm kind of afraid to ask.... I'll call him tomorrow.... and just casually ask what is going on....

I'm about set with my garden..... if the weather will just leave it all alone.... Now the Sun looks like it is coming out.... !

Baking a little Pork Roast with potatoes... Also cleaned and micro-waved 5 ears of corn, to take off the cob, and then freeze....

Have you guys seen those little green tomatoes? They are something different, and not just green tomatoes.... wondered if they taste good?

Loveroflife

HaHaha. Went back and edited it or should I? I laugh at my writing sometimes too. I welcome all corrections. I told you it was a miracle I made it through college. I am better in math... I think.

magdalene51

I feel so much better now. My babies are home. Aaaaah. Big guy came home last night but Rose would not poo so she had to stay. Big guy slept all evening and through the night. Called the vet this morning, Rose had done her duty so we went and picked her up. She is crashed. When we picked up the boy last night there was a lady there with a Boston terrier, got to chatting and when we told her what our kids had, she said that was the same thing hers had. And the vet said they had had a couple more with the same thing though not as bad as ours, and they are still trying to narrow down the cause. Can't find a common activity or food or even environment except we are all in the same town. Yesterday I told the vet to tell Rose that mommy said if she didn't poo I would beat her pink and purple. Not necessary after all.

I was musing that after the hell I've been through the past year it was the thought of losing my Rose that broke me.

Chevyboy

I know Mags.... We just try everything we can to help them! Hopefully it WORKS! Congratulations! Glad they are home with you!

Maybe they got some kind of air-borne virus? Maybe will never know! Just be on the look-out for that again....

I know when some cities spray for weeds, from those trucks, they tell all the pet-owners to keep their pets in the house for a couple days... not let them get out on the sprayed surfaces....

susan3

yeah babies are home mags....now you can enjoy the holiday weekend.

So sorry mommaray...in my prayers...shouldn't be such hard work....but it is

Skimmed a bit...but missed a lot. Hope all is fine

Haven't got online much...gardening, construction, work, and of course knitting.....hard to fit everything in in the summer

Getting arm checked out first of the month. Still an inch bigger than the other one. Thankfully it's warmer. Hard to fit the one arm in a long sleeve

Be safe this weekend evetyone

Spookiesmom

Great news Mags, was getting worried you hadn't posted. There is a new strain of dog flu going around, thought it was around Chicago area, but dogs travel too.

sas-schatzi

Chit--long post----------------------------gone

Mags  so happy the dogs are okay. Even more HAPPY DANCE. They are as close to our heart as any human. Please, call the 800# on the dog food package. Even if it doesn't seem reasonable to the situation. These things are required to be tracked once reported. The China fiasco was finally identified after enough reports were made. It took a long time for the FDA to make a connection. Too many animals lost their lives.

When my two went through it, Both dogs turned their noses up at the food. We've all had that happen. I told them to eat. JB ate, Rascal refused. JB got sick>>>>IV's and over night stay. Rascal fine.

Odd memory just came forward-------Rascal wouldn't eat McDonalds beef

JWoo

Yay Mags! I have 6 furkids myself- so terrible that we can't communicate better with them to figure out what is wrong.

Blondie- thinking of you!

Netti- glad to see you! you look wonderful!

Sas- congrats on having such awesome kiddos!

Rose- very touching story. Thank goodness for people like you and your DH for adopting.

Susan- ugh- LE is so frustrating. Mine is more active on my prophy side. Thanks universe!

Just skimmed the last few pages, will read more later.

Hope everyone is well.

Trying to not float away here! but will not complain about the rain- we need it so bad here.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo to you all!!