Time is tight in the Shirlands and I can't write as much as I want and should, but I just wanted to pop in and say that all of you have my love and health~ma. I think of you often.

Does anyone have any recommendations for chewie stin toys? I've recently realized that part of my over eating is actually stimming and maybe if I used one for oral stims it would reduce the eating .

I've never bought anything from Stimtastic, but they have soft silicone pendants that are chewy: [link] and other chewable toys: [link] I like the necklaces because it would always be around your neck, unlike one of the toys, which you could misplace.

I've been meaning to get one of their spinner rings.

Looking for a condo is complicated. At least 80% of the ones on the market are eliminated immediately because of accessibility. At least half of the remaining ones look like they're not quite accessible, but maybe I could make it work, if I saw them in person and looked around. (Like, one where the front entrance is clearly not accessible, but it looks like there's a back entrance from the parking lot, and that one might be OK.)

And when I find ones that might work, my mom starts telling me, "I think you could do better."

Also, almost none of these have a kitchen layout that will really work for me (though some are close), so I figure that I'll probably be tearing out and redoing the kitchen of anywhere I buy, so unless the kitchen is perfect the way it is, a badly designed kitchen with Formica works just as well as a badly designed kitchen with granite counters.

That sounds complicated, Hil.

I had not ever heard of stimming in that context. That is really interesting, and I've bookmarked that jewelry site.

Laura, I wasn't able to nurse any of my kids. I was really upset about it because, I mean, come on, big boobs! What else are they good for? But Nick didn't thrive and my milk just didn't come in enough, Kara absolutely refused, and then Aidan spent too much time in NICU. It is somehow demoralizing not to be able to nourish your kids in that way, or it was for me, anyway, but deep breath and keep thinking of the things you can do, and appreciate the convenience, I guess. Go Niece for momming only when she was ready.

You guys are so awesome.

Deena, if you like, I can reach out to Sam's dad to see if he would be interested in talking with A.

So I made a massive change in my lifestyle a couple weeks ago. A month ago I changed to a keto diet. First because I really want to shed this weight, also because of the massive amounts of diabetes in my family. My levels have been borderline for 20 years mostly because I have always paid attention to sugar. After a couple weeks doing keto life was pretty boring. I felt great and had lots of energy, and was never hungry, which is awesome. But with being pescatarian for the last ~35 years the keto diet was really restrictive. So a couple weeks ago I started adding meat to my diet. Surprisingly, I had no ill effects from reintroducing it. In the last couple weeks I have had chicken parm, turkey slices in chef salad, and even steak! Much of the reason I felt comfortable making the change is the ready availability of organic meats from local grocery stores. This was unheard of 30 years ago when all meat was fattened with hormones and fed all manner of garbage. So options.

Anyway, I ended up buying a month's worth or organic meat including pork, beef, and chicken from a delivery service, Butcher Block. I checked the pricing of my first box and it was about the same as Whole Foods for their organic stuff. Then I sat down this weekend and made an entire 4 weeks menu plan for dinners going through my keto recipes and using each of the items that are now in my freezer from the Butcher Block delivery. So I just look at my menu planner and buy whatever veggies or other ingredients I'll need for the next couple days recipes and I am all set. I planned 6 meals a week because I know I am going to eat out once a week.

So, a couple things. First, it is just fabulous to not have to decide what I am cooking each day for the next month, because deciding what to eat is always a chore for me, more than the actual cooking. We both enjoy trying new recipes, and I have a whole bunch of them lined up to try! BUT it is really really odd to eat meat after all these years. I feel great and it hasn't bothered me physically at all. We'll see how my lab tests look when I go later in the spring and it will be nice if the sugar numbers are better. The cholesterol on the other hand, well we'll see. And it is good to be eating the same stuff as Brendon. Much less complex.

Feeling hopeful that it is going to work out.

Yay, Laura. We use Butcher Box as well.

The cholesterol on the other hand, well we'll see.

My brother eats keto, and loves Butcher Box. Also, his cholesterol dropped after going keto, which is notable in our heart disease-riddled family. So you may see a similar change.

I was impressed with my first Butcher Box. Having that list of main ingredients made the menu planning easier. I added a fish day and an eating out day each week and the box took care of the rest. Have you been happy with the variety, sj? I see they have custom boxes too, but since I hardly have favorites after several decades of not eating the stuff it was easier to just go with whatever they sent.

That's encouraging, Steph. My doctors have said all along that if I lost weight my cholesterol would be normal, and of course the diabetes is aggravated by weight too. I just have to say it is a whole lot easier to eat healthy choices when you aren't starving! When I have tried vegan in the past I gained weight because I was flat out starving all the time. Have to listen to my body.