Just need to talk to my friends (166)

Jo C.

What a wonderful help it will be to have airbnb sites to house some of the refugees; especially women with children.   But . . .

Caution:  news this morning was reporting airbnb scams . . . evidently people are good of heart and want to help "home" the refugees.   So; the scammers have risen up and are doing quite a job of soliciting, taking money and pocketing it.

I would suppose that airbnb has its own credible website, so one could use that.  If solicited, that would be a red flag warning.

 J.

  

Lorita

Hi,

On our morning news they interviewed a woman from Owasso, Okla. who had made reservations in an airbnb in Ukraine and she said others were doing the same.  The reporter said the money goes directly to help them but it doesn't happen until the date of the reservation.  Hard to know if it's a scam or what.  I see ads on TV to help children and animals and know that most of the donations go to the people running it and very little to the right place.

 There's another scam going around, too.  Carol's SIL got a letter from the US Postal Service - at least it had their logo on it and looked very official.  It said he had a package at the post office that he needed to pick up and he was to send an e-mail to tell them he was going to.  He didn't - instead went to the PO and asked what was going on - he hadn't ordered anything.  Immediately they told him it was a scam and was happening a lot.  It'sa shame that we have to be so careful about the mail we receive, e-mails or phone calls.

 It's still cold and snow is still predicted.  Jo, do you have any idea what it was you had?  Do you think it might have been the virus?  If so, wonder where you caught it.  I'm still spraying my mail with hydrogen peroxide and letting it dry a day or so before I bring it in or open it.  Same with packages and contents.

 Sara and Ron, glad you all are getting some rain.  Weather says the NE is going to have heave rainfall. 

 Jo - don't worry about your hair - I bet it's beautiful,  Carol says her hair is totally white and most of mine is silver except there's still some brown in the last 6 or 8".  If it was short it would be all silver.  If I'm under a light, it looks like it's glowing.

 Ron - Charles was also at Fort Polk, I think for his training.  He enlisted when he was 16 and they found out and discharged him a couple of months before his 17th BD.  When he was 17 he re-enlisted and went to Korea for the duration. 

 Hope all of you are well tonight.  Need to stop and let the GPs in for the night, or at least for a while.    See you all tomorrow.

dayn2nite2

Had my chat with Comcast and I am down to their most basic channel package - which of course includes QVC, and got rid of the vast majority of the channels I wasn't really watching anyway.  

Didn't feel too good after I was done working so I took a nap and felt better.  Keys goes to the groomer tomorrow.  He's a big curly monster.  This time he's not getting a spa package because the prices, like everything else, have gone up and I'm not wanting to pay $100 to groom an 11-pound dog, $60 is enough.  I will give him a massage when he gets home and I have salve for his paws - that will be his spa.

Done typing for tonight and shoes are on TV.

Mint

Good morning 

32F, 0C.

Lorita this is the same pack of petunia seeds I used last year.  

Ron interesting about the Policeman ball.  That same man’s voice called me for years about that.  Never donated to them.  I never answer my phone unless it is a recognized number except when I’m expecting a call from a business.  Then if I answer and they don’t immediately identify their self as that business, I hang up without saying a word.  Emails, try to be very untrusting of them.  Here lately been getting scam texts.  My sister says she has too.  Immediately delete any that aren’t from a familiar source.

Day glad your nap helped.

Went to dentist yesterday.  Last time I was there they told me they were going to do a X-ray to make sure I wasn’t getting bone loss in lower front teeth.   When I got home read up on this.  Bought an electric toothbrush.  I’m so happy with it.  My teeth hardly needed any cleaning yesterday.  It was great.  My X-ray was good.  I’m very thankful.  Those procedures are not cheap and guessing a bit painful too.  

Take care everyone

jfkoc

The number of Ukranian refugees is now larger than the population of Chicago!

There will be scams there will also be pleanty of time to help so we can be careful.

Spring break here so I will have to wait to get my ear horns tweeked.

Beautiful day...bright and crisp.

Lorita...the cow and the boy are curled up together...sleeping.

loveskitties

Jo,

Do you have any info on the BStrong foundation which is headed by Bethenny Frankle and provides world wide disaster relief?

The Charity Navigator has not rated them, but they are often in the news when disasters occur.

They work with not only goods but money according to published articles.  For Ukraine have warehouses in several close countries to provide goods as needed and also are using dollars to relocate displaced to other countries.

Was just wondering how effective they are in comparison with other charities.

Lorita

Morning,

 Bright and sunny here, too.  Today's supposed to be the best day of the week, weatherwise.

 Judith, still can't unravel that picture but I do know the kids do sleep with their animals they're showing at stock shows.  I can imagine doing that.

 Spring break - we never had a spring break.  We went to school straight through except for a few days around Christmas.  Didn't even get out for cotton picking like some schools did.  Looks like there will be plenty of snow in Colorado for the kids to ski if that's what they want to do.  Next week is supposed to be beautiful - spring fever coming up for sure.

 Day - glad you got your TVchannels worked out.  I've threatened to change to Dish several times because of the cost but I'm used to Directv and the channels I get.  There are probably a dozen I watch most of the time but the ones I do watch so much seem not to be in other packages.  I need something that will keep the reception on air during storms - Dish claims to be able to do that so we'll see.

 I normally don't watch the shoe shopping shows - I really don't care for the host they have.  Now this is just me - but, I grew up wearing hose or socks with shoes - knee highs or panty hose with pants -- no panty hose now though.  The host doesn't wear any kind of hose so that bothers me.  I know a lot of people don't wear hose anymore but my feet just aren't comfortable without then.  I remember way-back-when we'd go to town and wear heels and gloves - many people did. Back then we dressed up to go anywhere - that doesn't happen anymore.  But habits are hard to break and I'm too old to try.

 I woke up at 4 this morning and wasn't able to get back to sleep - don't know what was going on.  I kept hearing something dripping, I think, on the air conditioner so that bothered me and Stormy was outside barking and the cats were playing.  Got up and dressed about 7 and fed Tom.  I guess Jerry isn't coming back home - wish another cat would show up to keep Jerry company.  Girls were gathering out front (this is feed day) but half a dozen or so were still up at the hay and I just couldn't get them called down.  The trucks they use are not noisy like our diesel.  I can start our PU and here they come - or even the Gator.  So, probably they didn't get much feed, if any. 

 Daniel called - he's sick with a virus and his wife has it now.  I told him not to come around here - surely don't want that.  So, he'll come next week and finish up.  They have most of the flooring down in the utility room but there's a step down.  I asked him about that and he said they leveled the floor (it was a back porch and was slanted and that made it hard to get appliances leveled) so there would be a little step down.  Told him that would be a fall waiting to happen so he's going to make some kind of ramp.  I can just see myself hurrying to get outside and forgetting about the step and down I'd go.  Cannot do that.

 I've seen a couple of ads on TV about contributing to the people in Ukraine but like you all I'm leary of those but do want to help in any way I can.  I haven't watched any news, except local, this morning but I imagine things are even worse today.

 Sarah has a couple of doctor's appointments today - one is with a GI doctor and the other is a CT scan of a lump on her neck.  They did an ultrasound and it's some kind of growth that's attached to her vocal cord I think she said.  Then a biopsy of a breast lump on the 11th.  It just seems like it's one thing after another with her.  Judith, they keep planning on going to Storey Oaks to get Lorita's jewelry and the painting but they never seem to get it done.  Later today when she calls, or I call her, I'll get her to call them and get the painting located so you can pick it up.  I think someone told me several people painted the same thing so it may be hard to locate the one she painted,, however, every time she painted something she put her name on the front of it.  I still have two or three of her paintings - a big one she gave us for our wedding gift is a picture of cowboy roses and another smaller one is of a bouquet of daffodils that Scarlet and I picked when they were here one Sunday.

 Reminds me, what did you do with the easel you bought - or you back to painting?

 Nothing going on here today so hope everything will be quiet - it's useless to try to straighten up things now so won't be doing that.  I think I'm going to sell the tractor, brushhog, sprayer and the other implements we bought - no use for them to just sit there and waste away.  I think Mike's going to buy some, or all, of them.  They can use the tractor to grind feed (somehow) and because it's not really big like their tractors they can move it around on trailers if they need to.

 Hope everyone is well today and had a good night's sleep.

  

Jo C.

LovesKitties:  Went to Charity Navigator and found this input re ratings for the charity you asked about:

 For Finance and Accountability :  This organization cannot be evaluated by our Encompass Rating methodology because it files Form 990-N, as allowed by the IRS for charities with less than $50,000 annual revenue.

For Revenue and Expenses:  Revenue and expense data is not available for this organization. This data is only available if this charity has at least one year of electronically-filed Form 990 data.

Impact and Results:  B-Strong Foundation cannot currently be evaluated by our Encompass Rating Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.

Leadership: B-Strong Foundation is currently not eligible for a Leadership & Adaptability score because we have not received its L&A survey responses.

Culture and Community: B-Strong Foundation is currently not eligible for a Culture & Community score because we have not received its Constituent Feedback data. Nonprofit organizations are encouraged to fill out the How We Listen section of their Candid profile. This data will provide the basis for the initial evaluation of Culture & Community.

Constituent Feedback:  Constituent Feedback and Listening Practice data are not available for this organization. Nonprofit organizations are encouraged to fill out the How We Listen section of their Candid profile. This data will provide the basis for the initial evaluation of Culture & Community.

Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective. We award every nonprofit that completes the Candid survey full credit for this metric, in recognition of their willingness to publicly share this information with the nonprofit and philanthropic communities.

As Charity Navigator states, this is neither a positive nor a negative regarding ratings; there is simply no information.

As or me; no, I shall not be contributing to this organization; there will be others whose capabilities will be so much more in an international crisis as dreadful as this crisis.   Thanks for looking and asking though.

J.

dayn2nite2

The shoe show - I shut it off and went to bed, I agree about the host, she's a little much for me, but they added Courtney and it hasn't improved.  Plus it's all sandals anyway now.  

I'm waiting for the groomer to call me to pick Mr. Keys up.  

No plans today, I subscribed to a channel called "Curiosity Stream" that only has documentaries, which I love, so I think I'll watch some today.  It's $19.99 for the year and I'll get a lot of use out of that.

telinde

Good morning all.  I’ve been keeping up with reading, so feel like I’m still here with the group. Not much to report from here.  We’re having more snow this week. It’s snowing today.  I’m ready for warmer days again, but realize we need the moisture, so I am trying to enjoy watching the white stuff come down.  We still have 8-10 inches in the back yard from previous storms, with less in the front where we get more sun.  This storm is from Canada, so not sure if it will go south or east. 

Jo, I had something similar to what you had.  Same symptoms except no headache.  It seemed to hang on for about a week.  No Covid here either.  I’m guessing it was a virus.  Have heard others around have had the same symptoms.  I have no idea where I contracted it either since I have been home, and had my mask on while I was out.  

Mask mandates lifted in Colorado.  Some schools and health care still mandating them.  So far, our positive cases and hospitalizations are staying very low.  Keeping my fingers crossed it stays that way.  Spring break will be a good test.  

I’m making a memory book on the computer for my granddaughter who graduates high school in May.  Is has been fun looking at and downloading pictures of her life to this point. I made one for a grandson who graduated a couple years ago, and he enjoyed getting it.  Projects like this are great on snowy days.  Guess I might work on it today.

I hope all of you not  feeling well get better soon.  Good luck to you who are facing testing and surgeries.  I will keep you all in prayer and thoughts.  Same goes out to all the pets needing healing.

I think of you all often and enjoy reading your posts.  Hope everyone has a peaceful day.  Joan

Jo C.

Dear LovesKitties, I had written a short paragraph thanking you for looking at the charities, but it seems it disappeared in Posting.  So; thank you for looking at charities and sharing the information with us.  So hard to know just what to do.

 I am having a very hard time logging onto this Thread with rather long delay; I think it may be because it has gone to so many pages.

Over the last two days, we have had calls with others who have shared their LOs who were fully vaccinated and boostered being ill with COVID.   One died; he was in his 80's and had multiple severe health conditions; (the other who died mentioned in my prior Post appears not to have been vaccinated.)  The others, five in all, have/had COVID, were symptomatic but able to care for themselves at home; no need for the hospital.   That is a good return on investment of the vaccinations.   So many as we have said, not wearing masks as the mandates have been lifted, but as said, we will continue on with ours.

The news is showing a pretty light brown cow with a white face running through a store area in the city.  Where the poor thing came from, I do not know.  Bet she is as confused as the animal officers who are trying to catch her.  I know it isn't Sally because she is not the same color as "our" Sally and I am sure there was no plane ticket from Oklahoma to California (I am sure Sally would have gone first class); but perhaps she is a kindred friend in spirit who also likes to wander.  Poor thing actually must be scared as can be in such an unfamiliar setting being chased around the parking lot.

I am sorry you were sick Joan; not pleasant.  Your gift for your granddaughter sounds lovely; what a kind and caring thing to do.   I am sure it will be a delight for her.  You are always so clever in the things you do.

Ron; that "collection" thing for police officers is SUCH a rip off.  There is some group that does this out here from time to time and it is NOT from the actual police departments or police associations.  The money gets into someone's pocket.  Really gets the departments unhappy to have such things go on.  Some of the small strip mall stores that are hit for donations fall into it and feel they must donate not knowing what it is all about.  Some people have no shame in their behavior. It is like the airbnb scam that is running; people trying out of the goodness of their hearts to do something for the Ukrainian people not knowing their money is going into crooks pockets.  Airbnb is indeed doing some good work, but I would be cautious to go right to the vaid airbnb site to do anything whatsoever.

I never watch QVC; pricey, and some of the fabric on some stuff not so grand.  Once in awhile if I am channel flipping, I will catch something nice, but ordering is such a lottery type thing for fit of clothing, etc.  I get tired of having to send things back; however, with so many store closing and going to online retail, it isn't so easy anymore.

What puzzles me on so many tops these days is that they are so short. Some 26 an 27  inches long which means if one stretches or bends over, skin is showing.   I no longer get anything that short being past the cutie-pie age when one could get away with such an issue.  However; having kids, etc., I wanted the torso covered with no skin showing, thank you.  I ordered a couple of cute nightgowns for summer last year from Vermont Country Store.  They are cotton knit, pretty print and detailing; but when washed they shrunk waaay up in length.  Sigh.  Could return them, but then would have nothing.  Seems if they are going to charge so much for them, fabric should have been pre-shrunk.  I like the gowns to go past the knee no matter the season.  Yep; I sure have got "mature."  Sigh again.  Yes; I remember the years of baby dolls . . . third sigh coming.

 Oops, DH calling, must go,

 J.

  

BethL

Savannah Guthrie posted on Instagram that Today staff vetted the following charities and found them credible:

Global Empowerment Mission

Save the children

World Central Kitchen

Americares

United Way Worldwide

World Health Organization

International Rescue Committee

Global Giving Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund

International Rescue Committee

Still for you to do your own due diligence!

Lorita

Hi,

 Sara - in the seed catalogs you've received, do any of them have Purple Hyacinth Beans?  I've decided I want to plant them on the arch over the side yard gate. I have the prettiest little pink roses on one side but need something on the other.  Last year I planted morning glories and they didn't do anything so thought the running beans with purple flowers and pods and leaves would be pretty.  I just got a catalog from Jung and they don't have them.  Guess the only thing I planted last year that did well was the caladiums.

 Joan - sorry you've been sick but glad you're better.  Probably was a virus you and Jo both had.  That's the reason I told Daniel not to come until next week.  I do not want to be sick and they're the only people I've been around. 

 Nice that you're getting snow for moisture and for the ski resorts.  I think the snow you're getting is what we're going to get here Friday - maybe not exactly where I am so much but in northern Oklahoma.  They already have warnings out for Kansas along the I-70 corrider.

 What a nice thing you're doing for your granddaughter.  I'm sure she'll love it - I bet it's taking a lot of work though but you love doing things like that and it does occupy a person's time.  I spent most of mine filling water tanks and watching TV.

 So glad you posted and are still reading even when you don't post. 

 My wrist is hurting today - hurt some during the night.  I know I double my hand backwards and lay my head on it during the night and that's probably why.  I did wear the ACE bandage a day or two and it seemed to help but it kept slipping down and not covering where it should.  If I went to the doctor, he'd x-ray it and tell me I had a sprained wrist so no good for that.  I have an appt. April 5 for labwork so if it's still bothering me then, I'll tell him.

 Jo - if sweet Sally could get a ticket on the plane I'm sure she'd go.  She's behaving now but I'm sure she's still thinking about the patches of green grass she was finding in that west meadow.  However, this morning I thought I saw a cow down way up by the south fence so drove up there to check and I did see blades of green grass so it's won't be long.  Poor little cow - I'm sure she was scared to death.  Occasionally a cattle truck will overturn around Tulsa and most of the time all of the cattle survive but get out and have to be rounded up.  How were they trying to catch this one?

 I've been thinking about starting 167 but wanted to wait until late in the day so Sara's early morning post will be on it.  I'll do that tonight  - if I don't forget.

 It's in the 50s, about 56 right now and it's sunny with not much wind - really nice.  I actually did without my thermal top this morning but felt cold in the house so put it back on, now I'm a bit warm.

 Jo - I'm like you - I do not do short tops anymore.  I need something to cover everything possible.  Try Denim & Co. on QVC.  Most of their tops are longer than most and the fabric is really nice.  Judith mentioned she likes  French terry ?    and I do, too.  I wear that fabric most of the year.  But, in the hot summertime I like to wear gauze pants - not thin gauze, just crinkly and so cool and comfortable.    I've worn Denim & Co. for years - washes well and never shrinks.   I agree that prices on everything on QVC has increased.  I like Jimmy the Baker's crumb cakes but they cancelled my last auto ship because they couldn't get them.  I called yesterday and they had them so ordered but they had also gone up - almost $50 for a dozen but they are big and good and handy for a quick breakfast or snack. 

 Carol and I have talked about this - not being able to think of the names of something - we know what it is but the name escapes me.  Right now I'm trying to think of the name of the fabric in clothing that Judith and I like - escapes me so I'll leave it blank and maybe think of it later.  I've written this before - but, years ago Charles and I were in an appt. with his psychologist and he put three things on his desk and asked Charles what the names of them were.  Charles knew - but I wondered why in the world he was asking him that question.  Now, I know.   Just thought of part of the name - some kind of terry.  I remember many years ago I ordered a suit for my sister made of that material and I had no idea what it was like but she liked it.  It sounds like a material you'd use in the bathroom - terry something. I filled in "French terry" - think that's what it is.  It's very smooth on top and has tiny, tiny loops on the underside - keeps you cool when it's hot and warm when it's not. 

 They've finished the bedroom except for that one wall and just put things back in the floor of the closet.  I need to go through those things and get rid of what I'm not going to use but just can't get in the mood to do it.  I know there's luggage that I'll never use and some kind of clear, interlocking shoe boxes that I did use but probably won't again.

 This is awful but I'm thinking about another peach cobbler.  I had a loaf of banana bread in the freezer and took it out a day or so ago so I'm enjoying that so should probably wait to make the cobbler.  Did cook some shells and cheese a while ago so that will be supper with English peas.  Do you all call them English peas or just green peas?  Still have a lot of the potato soup I made so shouldn't have to cook anything tomorrow.

 Beth - are you all going to get snow out of this front that's coming through?  I heard the tornado in Iowa was an EF4 with winds up to 160 mph.  Weather is so different now - used to you would know when tornado season was or when you would have a wet month - not any more.  Farmers and ranchers have always been gamblers but even more so now.  Daddy was a farmer and when he finally had to go to a NH the first thing he's ask when we went to see him was if it had rained.  He was just down the hill from the VA Hospital so I was able to visit before work, at noon or after work so I saw him often.  I miss him so much - you know every time I go out to the barn I think of him.  In fact, I have an aerial photo taken of the farm and it showed the house and barn and part of the land and daddy was in the lot walking toward the barn - probably carrying buckets of water to a calf or cow he had up. 

 Another TV show I watch a lot is The Incredible Dr. Pol.  Do you all watch that?  Very interesting.  One time I asked our vet if he ever watched it - he said he didn't but he doesn't have time to watch anything but the news and weather and that's at 5 a.m.  I watched part of the show this morning and they had a farm call that a horse was down.  He went to treat him but he had been down several hours and was in such pain trying to breathe that he had to let him go to sleep.  That's what our vet calls sit - much better than "putting them down".  Needless to say, I cried because we've had to do that a lot of times.  In fact, years ago when I hadn't posted in a long time that was the way Judith located me - she remembered that I had mentioned our vet had let a deformed calf and cow go to sleep and told him that and he remembered and came to check on me.

 Well, it's time to refill the water tank again.  I filled it early and happened to look out the kitchen window and saw a couple of cows at the tank in the lot so I knew they were out of water in the garden so refilled it again about 11.   Takes about 3-4x a day which is 330-440 gallons a day in that one tank.

 Better stop - I'll try to get back later and start #167.

BethL

Lorita, try Park Seed for the hyacinth beans. I got some from them. They are really pretty in bloom; I grew them last year and plan to again.

Tornado Saturday (my place not affected); 5" snow on Monday; expecting trace to 1" of snow tomorrow. Ready for spring!