What's on your Monday Menu?

Very cool!

Very impressive. You are mass producing them now. Wow.

Amazing!

Good morning. Yea on the thesis. Congratulations !!!!

As many probably would ask, - are you considering to continue the cookie business or completely drop it?

If you drop the cookies business- what are the future plans for you? What type of job you would be looking for? Are you planning to take some time off for you? Or do you plan to start looking for a job?

At my age, people around me are retiring and it's hard to push myself to go to work every day.

Qotd: I'll pass...

I really need to go back on my eating plan. The "whatever diet" is working against me - I gained 10 lbs from the 20 I lost earlier this year. And the gas my body makes is horrible.

P.S. excessive and horid smelling gas indicates severe SIBO, plus is accompanied by abdominal bloating and pain. And can cause fibromyalgia flares, seborrheic dermatitis flare, and significantly increased joints and back pain.

Talking about joints pain - last night Dewey decided i needed a large cat on my knees. Initially I was planning to pull him off, but I didn't do that when I realized that he actually warmed my knees and helped with knees pain. Interesting.

BTW- he loves laying on my torso- my belly, but his weight pushes my lower back out of alignment and I wake up with more than usual back pain. When he was younger and not as big (he is app 22 lbs now) I loved when he was sleeping on my belly. It was a warming, purring gut "topper". Seriously. I think he helped to stimulate my gut muscles.

I was working for GM when I turned 50 and they started making early retirement offers on your 50th birthday. The offers got better every year and everyone thought about retirement. I hung around until I was 60. After a few years of travel and going out with friends almost every night, I started to want to work again.

Even if you don't know what you want to do when you grow up, new ideas and new opportunities show up. I really believe it is fine to retire and never work again and it is fine to find something else to do. It is interesting to see what happens.

Dewey sounds like such a big lover. I don't know if it would hel*****t, but have you tried sleeping with your head elevated? I use a bolster cushion for acid reflex, but it also takes pressure off my back.

I've been trying to retire sine 2018. We need to sell the business for me to be able to retire. I'm working on that. As for Dewey - he is a super cuddly cat. Very seldom he is not with or around one of us when we are home. Except Keith works from home now 100% of the time so he had to train Dewey to let him work. But Keith and cats have lunch together.

Head elevated- no, that hurst my back, but elevated legs - specially knees - absolutely. My back is lying flat on my bed, unless Dewey decides he needs to sleep on my belly. 22 lbs added in my mid-section is "upsetting the balance". My behind gets pushed into the mattress. That often causes pain, enough to wake me up. I then need to reposition Dewey, him lying beside me (cuddled, with his head on my shoulder or neck) and we go back to sleep right away. When I wake him up in a middle of the night, he gets grouchy for maybe 5 second, then starts to cuddle and starts purring and snoring in no time...When one of us goes to bed earlier- we try to get Dewey to go to bed, but he often stays with me in the family room, especially when I'm not feeling my best and I need to be in a recliner. He is one of it's own kind cat - he cuddles with you when he wants to, and he cuddles with one of us if we want him to cuddle. It's his job to take care of me when I get bad SIBO gut spasms. Seriously.

Talking about the head - someone suggested a special pillow. I got is, but I was reluctant to try. When I got it I did not think I would like it. But I love it. Its great for my neck, especially when I sleep on my back.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09ZPKCM61/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b _search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I love cats and how they have their own personalities. Dewey knows that he has a great set of parents and appreciates you and Keith.

It's very "tbd" on what happens with the business right now.

Plan A is to get a fabulous remote job and continue to teach classes on weekends and take limited custom orders.

Plan Z is not finding a job, renting a commercial space and going all in on cookies.

No idea what's going to happen but I am giving myself a few more days before I start looking.

I would hold out or the remote job. Being self-employed is pretty much everyone's dream, but it is really nice to have those regular paychecks and employer provided benefits. You will do great whichever way it works out for you. I am so amazed at your cookie talent and creativity. It will be exciting to see where life takes you.

Agreed, that's why it's Plan Z!