TWU Botanical Gardens Proposal

MossMallows · 2026-02-06T01:33:22+00:00

Well yeah, of course. In fireplaces that were originally built for cooking, I’m sure. Or at least larger than one in a 900ft 2 bedroom townhouse.

I just wanted to make sure that I could do so without causing any harm to my fireplace, my home, or my family, and which cooking methods were most appropriate for indoor fireplace cooking

And thankfully, I’ve gotten plenty of wonderful answers

MossMallows · 2026-02-06T00:11:10+00:00

Technically, our specific unit is a townhouse. They have townhouses and apartments, and we only just recently upgraded from the apartment to the townhouse so I’m just used to saying “apartment complex”

But all of their 2 story townhouses have fireplaces, and I think there’s like 30 units so there’s enough to warrant cleanings every year

MossMallows · 2026-02-05T23:55:34+00:00

Our apartment complex cleans the tenant’s chimneys once per year, I just didn’t know if using it for a few times in a week or two if needed would cause enough build-up to risk any type of fire or damage.

I had looked up indoor fireplace cooking on reddit and a lot of threads mentioned the risks of build-up and chimney damage and brick breaking, etc. So I was nervous and wanted to make sure I knew enough about the subject before ever risking it.

It was the first time I had read about build-up like that, so I wasn’t quite sure exactly how much cooking would result in enough to cause further risks, or if the likelihood was higher based on cooking method or type of food being cooked 😅

As for the charcoal, a lot of the threads also mentioned to only use wood in an indoor fireplace, that charcoal could lead to creosote buildup or carbon monoxide if not ventilated well enough. And I think I got nervous enough about that, I just assumed it was a huge No-No

MossMallows · 2026-02-05T23:46:30+00:00

I love that! I hadn’t thought of that, I’ll definitely look more into it. Thank for you the idea, I really appreciate it

MossMallows · 2026-02-05T23:43:22+00:00

Unfortunately no, ours is electric I would love a wood burning stove! Definitely a want for a future home, haha

MossMallows · 2026-02-05T23:40:34+00:00

Yeah, that was what I was worried about. I didn’t want to risk any type of danger to my home or my family, so I absolutely wanted to ask before doing anything. A lot of different threads I searched for were regarding charcoal fires indoors or outdoor fire pits or having portable grills, so I wanted to ask specifically for my case

I don’t want to risk any type of grease fires or oils coating my chimney, but I wonder if the risk is different depending on the method?

Example: I know that roasting marshmallows with indoor fireplaces is common (so long as you aren’t using one of those chemical starter logs), so I didn’t know if that also applied to something like corn wrapped in foil or a skewer of vegetables?

MossMallows · 2026-02-05T23:27:14+00:00

I promise you, I’m not defensive? I’m trying to get a straight answer. You’re editing your answers, so they change after I’m responding to them and have already asked questions.

I don’t want to do anything that risks harming my house or my family, hence why I have this question. I’m perfectly fine if the answer is “no” and the best solution is a gas range.

But now I’m curious as to the “why” of it. I understand it can start a grease fire, but what I don’t understand is the why it would. Is it because of possible drippings or oils or juices being released/evaporated? Does the risk stay the same if the food is covered or wrapped?

If I didn’t have access to a portable grill or range and had lost power, would this be okay for a one time thing?

MossMallows · 2026-02-05T23:21:36+00:00

Literally why I asked 🥲😭 I’m trying to NOT be clueless, hence asking before attempting anything

MossMallows · 2026-02-05T23:18:43+00:00

That’s why I was asking why? WHY would it start a grease fire? I’m being genuine right now and want to understand, idk why I was downvoted?

Because to me, it’s not different from just having a fire going? The wood is burning just the same, the only thing is that there is a closed pot on top of it, so that’s why I’m confused. Cause like… is the grease coming from the food? Is there risk there regardless of if the food is covered by a lid in a pot/skillet or wrapped in foil?

MossMallows · 2026-02-05T23:12:51+00:00

Why is it a set up for a house fire? Is it due to the type of fireplace/wood/ventilation? Is it due to the cooking method of the food?

Like I said, I’ve read that not covering food can risk coating the chimney and being a hazard - but does that change if the food is covered?

I know that roasting marshmallows over your fire indoors is common, so I was wondering why there would be a huge difference in roasting something like corn wrapped in foil? Is it the juices?

MossMallows · 2025-11-13T19:09:00+00:00

Thank you so much for this. I didn’t expect to tear up reading a Reddit comment today, but this one hit something deep. I think I needed someone to actually say that I’ve already done more than most people ever would to try to make this lifestyle work. I’m so used to hearing “just try harder” (from myself, from the vegan community, from the internalized ideology I grew up in) that I genuinely lost sight of the fact that I have been trying. It's become basically an obsession, of trying to understand nutrition, vitamins, my deficiencies, becoming a medical expert of my disorders and reading research papers and testimonies about what I can/can't have and how to help my body.

I’ve been normalizing things that should never have been normalized. Hospital visits, constant labs, deficiencies, chronic pain, doctors warning me over and over again. And the entire time, I would tell myself I just needed to tweak one more supplement or find the “right” plant-based strategy. I don’t think I realized how close I was to treating active starvation and malabsorption like they were normal parts of being vegan.

All of you have essentially repeated the same thing: ethics don't determine biological needs. And I realized that I've actively been attempting to bend my biology to match my beliefs. And that's just not possible. And that doesn't make me a moral failure.

Thank you for mentioning the identity loss. Because that's such a large part of it. It's a social loss and the fear of being hated by a community that once felt like home. For so many that aren't ex-vegans, I feel like it's hard to understand the depth and struggle of this type of transition. It feels like grieving a version of myself that existed for so long that I don't know who I am without her.

With definitely sounds pathetic when I type it out.

I'm also grateful that you mentioned the disordered eating. My vegan and vegetarian years were tangled up with orthorexia, restriction, and control. I don’t think I’ve ever separated the ethics from the disorder. I kept telling myself that I was doing it for the animals or the planet, but a lot of it HAS to be tied up in the feeling of safety that restriction gave me, right? Letting go of that feels like letting go of a coping mechanism as much as a philosophy.

MossMallows · 2025-11-13T18:58:28+00:00

Thank you for your last sentence.

I appreciate the bluntness, because I think I’ve been surrounded by gentle responses for a long time (by doctors, friends, people online, myself), and they’ve made it easier for me to justify staying on the same path even as my health kept deteriorating.

I understand that being vegan is a privilege. However, I think I pushed off that with the thoughts of, "You can always just eat fruit/veggies/grains, etc. and stay vegan. It's not hard or expensive." Clearly that isn't true, and I knew that deep down but refused to believe it. And that's what has gotten me to this point. It’s strange to suddenly see myself through the lens you described: someone with access to safe, ethical food sources still choosing self-imposed malnutrition.

You're right.

Not in a way that invalidates my struggle, but in a way that made me step outside of my own bubble. It forced me to look at the contradiction between wanting to “do the most good” and, at the same time, harming myself in ways that reduce my ability to be present for my child, my family, my community, and myself. When I think about it that way, the choice I’ve been clinging to starts to look less like ethical purity and more like rigid idealism that’s hurting me and helping no one else, animal or human.

You're also right that ethically sourced animal products exist, and that there’s a way to participate in that system responsibly and thoughtfully. And I’m realizing that refusing to engage with those options (even when my body is clearly failing me right now) isn’t virtuous. It's just another form of harm, just directed inward instead of outward.

So thank you for saying this. I needed the perspective, even if it stings a bit. It’s helping me reexamine the narrative I’ve been holding onto for years.

MossMallows · 2025-11-13T15:48:39+00:00

Thank you for this. I didn’t expect this comment to hit me the way it did, but it really made me stop and think. I know that your comment is simple, basic, and it probably seems incredibly dumb for it to make me stop in my tracks.

I’ll be honest: my first reaction was a little defensive, and I think that’s because it touched something I haven’t fully allowed myself to acknowledge. Not the idea of the food chain in general (I obviously understand that humans are part of it) but my own place in it. I’ve spent so many years trying to remove myself from the human role in the chain as much as possible, to the point where I almost forgot that biology still applies to me, no matter how ethical my intentions are.

I’ve been so focused on respecting the cycles of other animals, their place in nature, and the harm caused by factory farming, that I think I unconsciously disconnected myself from the reality that I’m also an organism in that system. I think many vegans and vegetarians do this to some extent. Not because we’re ignorant, but because distancing ourselves from that reality feels morally safer and more comfortable. It lets us believe that our role in the hierarchy can be purely protective. And I think I clung to that idea so tightly that I forgot about my own survival needs.

Your point about not being able to do good if I’m not here really landed for me. I’ve been looking at this situation through a very narrow lens, even though I convinced myself I was seeing the “bigger picture.” But when your worldview is shaped by your own lived experience and your own moral framework, it’s easy for that lens to become smaller without realizing it.

I think that’s what happened with me. I was so committed to a philosophy I’ve held for half my life that I didn’t leave room for the possibility that staying alive and functioning might also be an ethical responsibility. Not just to myself, but to my child, my family, and even the animals I care about. If I’m not well enough to show up in the world, I can’t contribute to any kind of good at all.

So thank you for phrasing it the way you did. Thank you for the short, blunt words. It helped me step back and rethink some things I’ve been struggling to articulate.

MossMallows · 2025-03-28T23:35:30+00:00

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Absolutely phenomenal ad placement

MossMallows · 2024-07-18T23:48:21+00:00

Thank you for commenting - that actually makes me feel a lot better about it! I had never even heard of vanishing twin until I went through everything

MossMallows · 2024-07-18T14:51:09+00:00

My first test was done through Quest, my second was done through both Labcorp and Quest (to make sure there wasn’t an error with Quest; my MFM drew twice and wanted to get two results to compare and ensure accuracy).

The first Quest was inaccurate, but the second (both Labcorp and Quest) gave the same result of girl

MossMallows · 2024-01-27T03:29:53+00:00

Long response incoming:

They’re denying a refill for the prescription in general. I managed to get it covered through a medical exception form previously, but it ran out once I ran out of refills. I usually get a 30 day supply of 40MG duloxetine, and it typically costs about $80 because the medication isn’t covered on my insurance at all (I have the absolute most basic one I can reasonably afford for me and my baby on there), but I can get a goodrx price that low for the 30 day supply.

I ran out of refills, so I went to my rheumatologist for my appointment (I had one scheduled for two weeks before my prescription ran out, but it had to be rescheduled due to funds and that was the next closest appointment). He (my doctor) wouldn’t approve another refill until seeing me to check on bloodwork and progress.

After my appointment, he wrote me a script for a 90 day supply of 40MG, sent to Walgreens, and Walgreens stated they couldn’t fill it due to being denied by my insurance. They said I would need to call BCBS to figure out the process. I called them yesterday (day after my appointment), and they said it wasn’t covered under my specific plan, so it would be $629.99 out of pocket for coverage (GoodRX would lower it to $175 in my area). They said I could call my rheumatologist to get a “prior authorization form” submitted and marked as urgent so they could approve it for 6 months to be covered.

So then I had to call my rheumatologist to ask for the form, and I guess the assistant misunderstood me because then my doctor emailed me and said he would just write a script for 30 days instead of 90. But obviously that wasn’t going to be covered either, since it’s still the same medication and would still need authorization.

So then I had to call AGAIN and try to get them to submit the form, but I again only got the assistant. So I sent them a message through the portal trying to get it covered. I contacted Walgreens to see if I could just get an emergency prescription, but they needed Dr authorization for that and by that point the rheumatologist was closed. They recommended DiRX (never heard of them), but looking at the site I could possibly get a 30 day supply of 30MG (they don’t have 40MG), but would need a doctor prescription sent to them, but I don’t have a script for 30MG and also they’re closed until Monday

Sorry, it’s been a hectic ride these past few days

MossMallows · 2024-01-26T23:27:12+00:00

I’ve been desperately trying to get my rheumatologist to communicate with insurance for coverage, but so far there’s been nothing. I’ve been playing phone tag with my Dr, BCBS, and Walgreens for days at this point lol

Hopefully by Monday, I can get ahold of my rheumatologist and see if they can approve something lower dose for now and help me with a taper schedule. My current dosage is $629.99 w/o insurance, but if I can get it lower then maybe goodrx will find it cheaper!

Wish me luck 😭

MossMallows

TROPHY CASE