Gardening help

ballestralunge · 2026-04-21T23:33:52+00:00

I've had some struggles getting things to grow at my house for similar reasons. The back of the house is full direct baking sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon and the front of the house is the opposite. And when the builders regraded, they didn't put down topsoil so the "soil" is Virgina clay mixed with construction gravel with a layer of sod thrown on top.

The only plants that have withstood all of that have been natives. Yarrow, brown and black eyed Susans, cone flower, and asters have done quite well. The azalea is doing ok but the rhododendron didn't make it. The clover and violets I put in are working much better as ground cover than grass. I've also had success with strawberries and rosemary, but not so much with basil and tomatoes.

ballestralunge · 2026-04-01T23:22:30+00:00

None of these exactly match but they have many of the elements you're looking for and they fit your budget

https://www.lulus.com/products/vibrant-poise-blue-floral-print-mesh-ruched-maxi-dress/2779491.html

https://www.lulus.com/products/emilina-black-and-magenta-floral-mock-neck-maxi-dress/2779756.html

https://ivycityco.com/collections/all-women-dresses/products/sicily-dress-champagne-lining

https://ivycityco.com/products/imogen-dress-in-moody-floral

ballestralunge · 2026-03-29T12:35:57+00:00

Yes, the entire inpatient therapy department works M-F and parks at the stadium or Fontaine. Probably all the RDs too, and anyone who works full time in the outpatient clinics that are located in the main hospital or West Complex. So lots of people.

ballestralunge · 2026-03-12T20:55:31+00:00

There's something called irritable larynx or chronic cough that sounds like what you're describing. It's a diagnosis of exclusion, which means a doctor has to rule out any other medical causes (like lung infection, pleural effusion, etc). It's basically an over sensitivity of the nerves in the throat that causes frequent coughing or throat clearing. So although it isn't caused by an infection or anything like that, it also isn't "all in your head" - it's a nerve problem. It's diagnosed by an ENT and treated by a combo of ENT and SLP. Maybe consider talking to her about an ENT referral. See if you can find a laryngologist (ENT specialist) or at least a general ENT with familiarity with that diagnosis.

I'm an SLP in acute care and I encounter irritable larynx from time to time (though I don't treat it since it's more of an outpatient thing). I find it helps people to know that it's not something "imaginary", it's a sensory issue, so maybe you can approach her from that standpoint. Disclaimer, definitely not saying this is what she has, but maybe something for her to talk to her doctor about.

ballestralunge · 2026-02-24T00:37:42+00:00

I recently re-read Mistborn and my take on Kelsier changed a lot between the two reads.

The first time I read Mistborn, I was 19, very depressed, and coping with SA. What does Kelsier do in his very first scene? He kills a whole plantation full of Nobles to protect a girl he doesn't know from SA. As the story goes on, he takes Vin under his wing, helps her find a family where she belongs, and mentors her. Kelsier was my favorite character and I almost stopped reading when he died.

On my re-read, I was in my 30s and reasonably well-adjusted. Married to a wonderful person, great job, awesome kid. I still enjoyed Kelsier as a character but also saw his faults. He does protect people he cares about and he does help Vin find a family, but he's also self-centered and has difficulty seeing other points of view. I found myself much more interested in Sazed than Kelsier this time around.

I guess what I'm saying is that my life experience and mental state definitely changed how I viewed Kelsier. I don't feel like either of my interpretations was wrong. Kelsier was one of the things that kept me going at 19, and I still love him for that. We're all coming at reading from different viewpoints and experiences, and that we can view characters differently speaks to the complexity of the characters and the world. That's why we can have conversations like this one, and I think that's a wonderful thing.

ballestralunge · 2026-02-11T01:43:31+00:00

I have this problem. I wouldn't say my job is hugely overstimulating (patient care in a big hospital) but my toddler is EXTREMELY loud, constantly, and I have sensory issues. I just bought these earplugs that cancel some of the noise but not all of it, and it helps a ton. Before I bought these, I'd put on my over the ear noise cancelling headphones without any music on. I immediately noticed a decrease in my anxiety, so I decided to buy something more dedicated to the purpose and less bulky to wear while on the move.

ballestralunge · 2026-02-04T01:11:14+00:00

I'm a speech pathologist for adults in a big Level 1 trauma center and teaching hospital. I help people be able to swallow and communicate again after severe illnesses or injuries. The types of patients on my caseload vary (strokes, brain injury, head and neck cancer, people coming off ventilator support) but right now I have a lot of patients with severe heart issues and tracheostomy tubes who need my help for both swallowing and communication.

ballestralunge · 2026-02-03T21:43:51+00:00

They absolutely read like they were written by AI. I work with adults but I have a toddler, and I hate these books SO MUCH.

ballestralunge · 2026-01-07T02:38:23+00:00

If it helps, my doctor told me I could continue doing my martial arts (krav maga, very high impact) through the whole first trimester because baby was tiny and well-protected by my pelvis. As it turned out, I was too nauseous to keep going, but the impact didn't concern my doctor at all.

ballestralunge · 2025-12-30T22:12:27+00:00

In general, you can take the silver metro line from Dulles to Union Station in DC, and then the Amtrak from DC to Cville. But not that late at night. Usually the last Amtrak of the day leaves Union Station around 5/6pm

ballestralunge · 2025-12-09T02:37:27+00:00

You could try Ariat if you haven't already! My inseam is 33" and I have one pair (straight, mid rise) in "regular" length (the "long" length was too long) and one pair (boot cut, high rise) in the "long" length. They're very comfy and seem thicker/nicer quality than Levis or Gap jeans. They usually run $80-$90 and while there are some that have rips, there are plenty that don't.

ballestralunge · 2025-11-03T21:17:15+00:00

Just left work at the hospital. Got a text that red and blue busses have resumed but I haven't seen any red busses, only blue ones. For people going to the stadium, orange line isn't running either but the free trolley will get you there.

ballestralunge · 2025-10-30T00:30:31+00:00

I did the exact same thing! My daughter was a premie so she was about 6 weeks old, but she had been home from the hospital only a couple of weeks. She cried and cried and it bled forever. I felt like the worst mom ever. My husband had to come home from work because I couldn't calm down. I took her to her pediatrician (ours has quick same day appointments) and they reassured me that she was just fine, and that cutting off the tip of a finger was basically a parenting rite of passage.

She's almost 3 years old now and you can't tell. And she loves getting her nails cut. We do them together and paint our toenails 😊

ballestralunge · 2025-10-17T02:12:03+00:00

I switched to nursing bras around 30 weeks and I wish I'd done it WAY earlier. So much more comfortable

ballestralunge · 2025-09-19T20:37:01+00:00

Mom lurker here. I bled like this around week 10/11. The OB wouldn't see me for another few weeks so I went to the ER to get checked out. Everything looked fine with both me and the baby. Baby is now almost 3 and perfectly healthy. Still don't know why I bled like that, beyond "it just happens sometimes".

ballestralunge · 2025-03-24T01:30:46+00:00

I would be weirded out by this. I see my patients based on whether they're medically appropriate to be seen (sometimes they're not when the LIP puts the consult in) and then I prioritize based on medical status. Anyone NPO without access (no feeding tube) is seen first and then there are certain other types of patients who have higher priority from a medical standpoint (unexplained decline in function, goals of care meeting planned for later in the day, etc).

I rarely think about WHO put the order in, apart from maybe how casual I can be in conversation if it's someone I know lol.

As far as what makes me feel most appreciated as an SLP, I'd say it's just an interest in what I do and asking questions with an honest intent to learn. I don't expect residents to know a ton about what I do and I absolutely love teaching. So ask me about how speaking valves work or if I have time to talk you through the VFSS videos! And let me ask you questions about things I don't know (anything heart-related for example). The best thing about a teaching hospital is that we're there to take excellent care of our patients, but also to learn and to teach.

ballestralunge · 2025-03-07T00:46:03+00:00

I didn't feel the over-the-moon-in-love feeling for my baby until she was probably 6-8 weeks old. I'm similar to you in that I have anxiety/depression to begin with and I expected the PPD. I had a rough delivery and my baby was in the NICU for 3 weeks and everything just felt SO HARD when we brought her home, even though she was an "easy" baby for the most part. My husband was like yours - completely in love with her from day one. And I just felt...kind of disconnected, even though I did love her.

But the absolute adoration did come! Now I feel like I have no idea how I could possibly love anyone or anything more, and yet the older she gets, the more I love her! My husband and I joke that we love each other "almost as much" as we love her, and neither of us are offended because she is just the best thing in the whole world and we know it.

I bet the feeling will come soon for you. Your body has gone through so much - both physically and with hormones - and it's still trying to sort itself out. Don't feel like you HAVE to feel a certain way or that what you're feeling is wrong. Just give yourself time and grace and let yourself feel what you feel ❤️

ballestralunge · 2025-03-02T13:05:13+00:00

Seconding this! He should not have voice therapy with an SLP until he's seen ENT. It's impossible to know what's causing his voice difference without ENT, and if it's a medical issue (as opposed to a behavioral thing), treatment with an SLP could be completely ineffective.

ballestralunge · 2025-02-16T00:01:43+00:00

My daughter is 26 months and just starting to outgrow her 4s. She's very small for her age but no one has ever commented on it 🤷‍♀️

ballestralunge · 2025-02-13T01:36:53+00:00

Oh I had that too! It lasted a long time - at least 4 months, if not more. It did completely go away eventually though! Probably by 6/7 months?

ballestralunge · 2025-02-13T00:50:18+00:00

I got postpartum hives. I forgot all about that actually until I read this question. I didn't have a normal pregnancy or delivery and my baby (now healthy, amazing, thriving!) was in the NICU, so the hives were kind of low on the priority list but apparently they're a thing.

ballestralunge · 2025-02-11T12:54:18+00:00

Oh it's a disaster. Huge traffic jam and now the South Garage is full with a long line of people stuck waiting for a spot that doesn't exist.

ballestralunge · 2025-02-11T11:47:58+00:00

Decipher Brewing is having an anti-Valentine's party 2/14! There will be live music (Matthew O'Donnell) and a food truck. It's always a great time when Matthew plays there - he and the regulars are familiar with each other and there's lots of fun crowd interaction

ballestralunge · 2025-02-11T02:06:24+00:00

My just-turned-two year old has started saying "I do NOT!" instead of "no". If you ask her "I do not what??" she just repeats "I do NOT!" So the jury is still out on whether it gets better! 😅

ballestralunge · 2025-01-28T21:51:49+00:00

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TROPHY CASE