That really sucks! It’s terrible how we’re all just subject to the whims of giant corporations. (I left my job to work through kid medical stuff, & now the company doesn’t exist to later go back to. 🫠)

This has been an *especially* weird year. The makers I know IRL and in online groups are pretty much ALL at level crispy-fried in burnout from the constant pivoting this year.

Rooting for you!!! There’s just so. much. prep. for those. Back when I was doing custom stationery, the biggest wedding show I’d ever done was on 20 minutes of sleep (obviously I didn’t drive).

Truly.

I think that was how it started, but this year I did see curved Halloween ones AND now one colored like a Santa hat. I’m not currently in-house/corporate (and therefore behind on some of this stuff), but seeing the Santa hat this year was a…first for me.

I’m afraid to tell you there is also now a curved tree. Even working in this industry, there are things I can’t quite believe are a thing.

Certainly interesting how many of these are for the public good or a part of helping people in acute and/or chronic conditions.

This is really fascinating to know, especially layering this on top of whatever makes people with red hair (and even those related to them) respond differently to anesthesia.

THIS IS SO CUTE!!! I showed the kids before bedtime, and they loved it! Youngest looked briefly concerned with a “toto, no eat” comment.
🎄💕🐢

For as much as I know doctors aren’t magicians, it’s a strange and isolating thing running out of doctors who can help, in a timeframe that would help. I hope stuff gets better for you soon (and that they find an earlier appointment). ❤️

Yep, and bringing it up to one’s GP elicits really helpful suggestions like *list of things that require energy.* It’s tradition.

And an iron supplement, which of course needs to taste like rusty nails…something babies really, really appreciate.

An. Easy. Study. 🤦🏻‍♀️ If only America had an institute of health it could fund very, very well to have done studies on these sorts of things. 😑

Obviously it still might not make a dent in their perspectives, but it seems worth a try seeing if a series of graphs could reach people who need to understand this is all bigger than red/blue party politics. Articles in newspapers they don’t subscribe to and don’t want to read aren’t doing it.

Exactly! I know for many that data isn’t convincing, but also: until people can START to see that “differing political views” isn’t what the problem is, the difference to them seems like arguing over whether someone likes apple vs. pumpkin pie…instead of “do you think nursing homes should exist?”

If someone hasn’t already made this, with holiday gatherings approaching it could be useful having a website with graphs, cited blurbs to illustrate HOW government institutions have changed and become underfunded, how it will affect NOT ‘just those people’ but ALL of us. Too many don’t grasp it.

For a high school play, I wore a dress suit my grandma wore when she was in her early 20s. I’m still not over how cool it was.

Making or altering clothes means time, skill, paying more for materials, sourcing fabric (also more difficult now).

Alas, maybe another year…

Drive all over to various shops (gas money, pollution, time lost); mostly find things that are just 2 years old and in disrepair because clothing quality has decreased. Online thrifting is worth a try but it’s guessing size, price + shipping costs just to try on.