The Daily Rave

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Originally Posted by catherine

Yes, being 61 he is eligible for senior housing and I have a call in to a nice place now (rents start at 1100) and am expecting a call back. He is in the queue for affordable housing, and he actually has a "in" of sorts--my son was on the board of the Burlington Housing Trust, but they, of course, are not allowed to favor anyone. The only thing they can is be aware that he is waiting (like everyone else.) They say it can take 2 years to get a place. That rent is, indeed unbelievable. He went to see a place out of town but 20 minutes from work. He said it looked abandoned. Black paint over some windows; no landscaping and grass and weeds growing wild. The studio he went to look at was so small that he didn't think he would even fit in the shower. But... he is actually reconsidering taking it at this point. It's $865. I am hoping he can get through the year OK. when he turns 62 in January, at least he'll have social security and he can continue to work, although that will reduce his SS a little.

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The reduction is not that bad--I took it 63 and kept working, and they don't take away any of your social security until you hit the earnings level--for this year it is 22,320, and then for each 2 dollar you earn over that they take away 1 dollar in benefits, although you get them back at the end. Plus, if he years where he earned zero, they will replace those years with what he earned, meaning his social security will go up a little each year he works. Not much--mine went up something like 15-20 dollars a month. But it all helps.

I agree - tough situation, catherine. Sending prayers.

Good luck, Catherine. I hope it works out for BIL, and congratulations for standing firm on not bailing him out. I'm sure that wasn't easy for you.

Made $30 on Facebook Marketplace by selling a tool for metalsmithing I hadn't used in a while. Dropped off some clothing to the consignment shop in town - not the greatest because they take 60% of the selling price, but it clears out my closet a little bit. Dropped off some still-pretty-nice expensive hiking boots back to REI that K. can't wear anymore. They'll take them as a trade, so he got $54 on his Co-op account to use for other things.

I'm going to do a minor repair on my cool little tent that I bought from REI about 8-9 years ago and post it on Facebook Marketplace. This is the same tent I took on all my summer trips out west before I moved to NM and it makes me a bit sad to let it go. In reality, I ceased to be able to crawl in and out of a pup tent several years ago. I just have to think of camping a different way now; someday we hope to get a small trailer to pull behind the pickup truck.

Wednesday night I "attended" a free Zoom webinar sponsored by Grow Native Massachusetts on "The Secret Life of Native Bees." The speaker was one of those delightfully geeky, brilliant, passionate people who has found his niche in life, and he was such an enthusiastic and engaging speaker that the time just flew by. It was a really excellent experience.
There is another webinar next week that unfortunately is not free, but given the quality of this week's webinar, I might just fork out the $38. Next week's topic is "Landscaping with Natives."

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Originally Posted by rosarugosa

Wednesday night I "attended" a free Zoom webinar sponsored by Grow Native Massachusetts on "The Secret Life of Native Bees." The speaker was one of those delightfully geeky, brilliant, passionate people who has found his niche in life, and he was such an enthusiastic and engaging speaker that the time just flew by. It was a really excellent experience.
There is another webinar next week that unfortunately is not free, but given the quality of this week's webinar, I might just fork out the $38. Next week's topic is "Landscaping with Natives."

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Sounds great, rosa! Nothing better than a good topic led by a passionate instructor. Last night DH and I went to the our local lake organization's headquarters where there was a presentation about the implications of phosphorous delivery into the lake by the tributaries during the summer 2023 floods. I definitely didn't expect to be entertained by that topic, but I was! And they served great home-made desserts, too!

Giving credit where credit is due:

The Chinamen!

I feel like I have stumbled into an alternate world where “Made in China” means top quality.

i have this new collecting hobby that I hate to confess to, but there it is. Anyway, I am currently buying Blythe doll clothes and accessories and the Made in China stuff is designed and sewn impeccably. The materials are real, not polyester and they are scaled down appropriately.

These items are cheap! The only downside is, I have to wait weeks for every shipment.

The shoes are splendid minatures. The shoes are to die for.This pair has a tiny pocket on the side that snaps shut with a tiny magnet closure. If you could smell these shoes you would smell real leather. They cost $8.

Attachment 5764

I fixed the dripping faucet in 15 minutes, replacing the spring and washer!!! Thrilled to have the materials and the tools necessary!!!

Woo hoo!

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Originally Posted by nswef

I fixed the dripping faucet in 15 minutes, replacing the spring and washer!!! Thrilled to have the materials and the tools necessary!!!

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I admire you for this, I have no ability to do this.