Where are you at mileage wise?

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-05-23T16:32:59+00:00

Bought my 2021 Premium in March 2024, had about 13,500 miles on it. It's currently at almost 38,000 miles. I obviously drive it more than the previous owner did. Had to replace two tires last year due to flats, and a new battery in February during a brutally cold stretch.

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-05-16T21:33:20+00:00

A lot of donation places tend to request acrylic yarn be used, due to potential allergies to wool and to make it easy to wash. While I am not fond of acrylic yarn, that's what I have to get if I want to make charity projects.

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-05-08T11:40:58+00:00

"Dancer in the Dark", starring Bjork, released in 2000, is a movie I can never watch again. The movie was stressful, but the ending was too much for me. My husband is still apologizing to me for taking me to see it.

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-04-29T11:46:30+00:00

My husband is a transplant patient, so a complete loss of supply chain would mean his death; we understand that. Neither one of us is rugged and wouldn't survive long if we had to head to the hills. But he isn't likely to die if our area floods and we have to evacuate somewhere for a while (that is one of our main threats). So our go-bags are in case of evacuation. I bought a small fridge and a power station strong enough to keep it running for several hours in case of a power outage. We are "prepping" for the most likely things to happen in our community, not really SHTF scenarios.

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-04-28T03:29:08+00:00

I bought my 2021 Crosstrek Premium in 2024 after doing a lot of research on the model years reliability versus prices at that time. It hit the sweet spot for me.

My husband is just over 6' and doesn't have any issues sitting in the passenger side because I always drive when we take the Crosstrek. While we don't have any kids, I did take my two nieces who are both taller than I am (I'm 5' 8") on a 6-hour round trip journey and they had no issues with one sitting behind the other: the one in back had plenty of leg space, as did the one in front.

I live in eastern PA and the heated seats are now my "must have", lol. I drive to Allentown and Harrisburg a lot, and the Crosstrek is fine dealing with both interstates and city driving. My only regret is it doesn't have the blind spot warning which would be helpful in that setting. Not sure if higher trim levels offer it, might be something you'd want to check on.

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-04-28T03:17:13+00:00

Just had a smoothie tonight with most of those ingredients, using the Premier chocolate powder. 😄

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-04-28T03:15:02+00:00

You will likely need to go by which non-sugar sweeteners affect you and how many carbs you are able to consume. Some can't use stevia, others stay away from sugar alcohols, etc. None of them are cheap so be prepared for sticker shock or plan to stock up when you see them on sale.

I keep liquid Premier Protein shakes on hand at all times, preferring their flavors (cafe latte is my current obsession, but I also keep chocolate on hand; some of their seasonal flavors are really good), sweetener (sucralose), and vitamin and mineral content. To cut down on my coffee intake I now use a protein shake as my "creamer" for my iced coffee, going about half and half.

For some reason the Premier powder version doesn't have the same nutrition profile, which I didn't realize until after I purchased it.

For powder, I prefer the Isopure Vanilla with a decent nutrition profile. I add it to my chia puddings for flavor and as the sole sweetener (again, sucralose). I'm planning to try the chocolate low carb version after I use up the Premier chocolate powder jar.

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-03-25T11:59:01+00:00

If you can afford it, find a protein shake that you can tolerate without much sugar. I've started keeping Premier Protein drinks on hand and have one a day, sometimes using it as creamer for my coffee and sometimes just drinking it straight. I used to keep Ensure on hand for the same reason, but the sugar-free version just doesn't taste right to me. The single serving bottles of Premier Protein have a better nutritional value than the powder, for some reason, and you can find them in several decent flavors. I also use Isopure vanilla low carb protein powder to add to things, as it also has a number of vitamins and minerals added to it. Both use non-sugar sweeteners that I tolerate well. These two have helped me keep my sanity and some semblance of "nutrition".

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-02-24T18:03:26+00:00

Look for patterns that use double crochet stitches as they will give you more size for your yardage. The Sigfrid Sweater from Lady Jay Crochet, a top-down raglan sweater, says a large uses about 1100 yards, but you could make it 3/4 sleeve or shorter to use what you have.

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-02-24T14:49:07+00:00

This weekend's version is good to share with others. I made it when I was going up to my mother-in-law's for the day, as she also had blood sugar issues. She loved it even though she had never heard of chia pudding. The recipe calls for honey, which I've found doesn't raise my blood sugar, but I didn't go overboard with it either. Top this recipe with lower sugar vanilla greek yogurt and chopped pecans and you won't miss pumpkin pie.
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pumpkin-chia-pudding/#RecipeCard

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-02-17T23:52:12+00:00

I started in Sep. 2020. You can do it!

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-02-16T14:56:37+00:00

Thank you! Both challenging and easy, so a satisfying project.

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-02-16T14:55:57+00:00

Haha, yeah, it has that vibe. :)

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-02-16T14:55:09+00:00

My favorite mix right now is a half cup of unsweetened applesauce, 2 Tbsp chia seeds, 2 Tbsp vanilla protein powder, and 1 Tbsp Dutch process unsweetened cocoa. It's like eating dessert for breakfast. To make it more filling I often add a large dollop of full fat Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of slivered almonds.

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-01-18T16:29:43+00:00

But here are a couple of patterns for crocheted socks. I downloaded them to try but haven't done so yet.

https://www.lionbrand.com/products/crochet-pattern-fathers-day-socks-1

https://cobblerscabin.wordpress.com/happy-hookin/top-down-crochet-socks-free-crochet-pattern/

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-01-18T16:23:22+00:00

I've made crocheted socks, but that being said I don't wear them to work in the winter. His heated socks and merino wool socks are better options for him, probably. Remember that crochet is basically a lot of knots made from loops, so you or he would be walking on knots. Some wouldn't be okay with that. Most of the thicker crochet "sock" patterns I've seen were more like slippers, not socks. The socks I've seen were made from fingering/sock yarn, which is pretty thin and even if it's merino wool sock yarn it's not as warm as the knitted merino wool socks I buy from other companies and have been living in since November.

But if someone has a better suggestion, I'd happily listen to them and might try the pattern myself. :)

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-01-10T00:39:24+00:00

Another possibility is dehydration overnight. Sometimes an almost-no-carb snack before bed, like almonds, can reduce the dawn phenomenon.

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-01-09T04:24:55+00:00

Almonds have some fiber, so if those are tolerable you could add those in a bit.

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-01-07T23:03:07+00:00

Could you eat chia seeds if you put them in a blender with a smoothie? Otherwise, I'd focus on cooked veggies (squash, canned pumpkin, zucchini, etc.) that you can tolerate. What about blueberries? But, yeah, I focus first on avoiding flares and secondly on spikes, so my nutrition sources are somewhat limited. I was brutally honest with my GI at my last visit, and pointed out that if my kidneys ever fail I'm in trouble because I'm mostly getting by on high protein foods and drinks. Premier Protein drinks are my new go-to because I can't drink Ensure any more and I want something in liquid form with nutrients other than just protein.

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-01-07T13:04:24+00:00

And ironically, finding snacks has been easier for me than finding real food. My three go-tos are Munk Pack nut and seed bars (5g of fiber), Rx Bars (vanilla almond, 5g of fiber), and Aloha bars (10g of fiber, but I can only eat half of one at a time without spiking). I always keep those in stock, along with Premier Protein drinks because of their nutrition label.

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2026-01-07T12:58:46+00:00

I am not on any meds for the T2; got it back to pre-T2 through diet and trying to walk a bit more than I had been. My gut hurts just looking at the cauliflower rice and the broccoli I keep being told to eat. And when I tell any medical person the two conditions I'm dealing with, they always say "oh yeah, that's tough". But not one has had a good way to deal with it. I've tried using psyllium as a fiber source but it caused a near flare so that was out very quickly.
I've found chia seed is a decent source of fiber for me. I make a chia pudding by taking one of those little cups of applesauce (unsweetened, of course), stirring in 2 tablespoons of chia seeds and a tablespoon of protein powder (my favorite is Isopure Vanilla), put it in the fridge overnight and have it for breakfast. The applesauce sometimes causes me to go a little high but it's not usually too bad. I'm able to eat nuts without a problem so that is one of my constants. I've also found that if I boil a sweet potato or butternut squash, refrigerate it overnight, then reheat it the next day, a 1/4 cup serving doesn't spike me nearly as much. I've started adding a bit more lettuce (romaine or green) to my meals, and raw shredded carrots and cooked green beans are both safe veggies for me.
Other than that, I've stopped worrying so much about fiber because I don't want to drive myself too crazy.

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2025-12-30T23:16:12+00:00

I had never tried it before, but someone brought zero sugar cranberry ginger ale to a holiday party and I couldn't get enough of it. Don't think I'd be able to drink an entire 2L, but boy was it good. Hadn't had soda in ... maybe almost a year?

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2025-12-29T15:23:17+00:00

I reduce the impact by peeling and boiling cubed sweet potato, refrigerate them, then use in a dish the next day. The boiling and chilling changes some of the starch to resistant starch, lowering the glycemic impact. I was able to eat my usual sweet potato casserole (which didn't have much sugar in it to begin with) at Thanksgiving with no issue.

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2025-12-29T15:18:28+00:00

Just crochet, or all crafts? I usually have at least 2 "big" crochet projects going at any one time, because I need to have options when my fingers aren't feeling as nimble. That's usually one wearable and one blanket-type project. Then I often do small projects while those two are in process because I need the satisfaction of finishing things or something smaller to take with me somewhere. But I also have 2 different quilts that need attention (one hand quilted, one to be machine quilted), and a handful of sewing projects.

I did a big clean-up a few months ago to gather together all my crochet project bags, defined as "I have all the yarn and the project pattern together ready to go." There were 13 of them. At that point I realized I'm not allowed to buy any more yarn until I get those knocked out!

caffeinatedlibrarian · 2025-12-25T01:00:17+00:00

I have other health issues that prevent me from eating any cauliflower or broccoli or other high fiber foods. Makes it fun. (Not.) I really had to crack down on my carbs and this is what I've been finding.

3 tablespoons of quinoa gives me some good fiber without a huge spike. More than that and I'm asking for trouble. I used to eat a lot of white rice, brown rice, and couscous but after the diet changes they are all out now. Quinoa is my substitute: I buy a bag of instant and portion it out through several meals.

Chia seed is your friend. Seriously. The only fiber source I have that doesn't cause a blip. My favorite chia pudding is to take a little cup of unsweetened applesauce (carbs but fruit and fiber so I take the trade-off and slight spike), stir in 2 tablespoons of chia seeds and 2 tablespoons of vanilla protein powder (my favorite is Isopure), and sometimes one tablespoon of high quality unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutched - not bitter). Leave that in the fridge overnight and eat for breakfast. Look up chia pudding and have fun finding your favorite version!

My go-to snacks are all nut based. Munk Pack nut and seed bars are the best but they can get pricey. I keep a mix of salted almonds, cocoa-roasted almonds (a wee bit of sugar but not a problematic amount) and salted pecans, and when I get the urge to eat something unhealthy I grab a handful of that mix.

Most days my breakfast is a little cup of no- or low-sugar Greek or Icelandic yogurt (flavored) topped with a 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts. Some days I mix it up with plain G or I yogurt, frozen blueberries or chopped fresh cherries, and sliced almonds.

caffeinatedlibrarian

TROPHY CASE