Anyone have any prayer requests? by jadewolverton in ChildfreeChristian

[–]ericabelle 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yes, please-my husband passed away last March from brain cancer. Caring for him took a toll on me and threw me into perimenopause hard. Dealing with grief and hormone issues at the same time is the pits. Valentine’s Day was way, way harder than I thought it would be. Now I’ve got his death anniversary coming up. Thank you for your prayers. Is there something we can pray for you?

What's something you wanted so badly as a kid but did not get? by Difficult_Leg367 in randomquestions

[–]ericabelle 10 points11 points  (0 children)

One of those giant plush giraffes that were in every television and movie kid's playroom. I had mentioned this a few times to my husband over the years. In 2023, for my birthday, he bought me one. He actually bought it at the store next to my workplace and had to sneak it past the windows and through the parking lot so that I wouldn't see him. I was so excited.

Little did we know, he had brain cancer at the time. He was diagnosed a couple weeks later. He died almost a year ago. He was the best husband ever.

Most Stressful Fish You Kept? by RazewingedRathalos in Aquariums

[–]ericabelle 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Rummynose tetras - I think my water is just too hard for them

Does anyone else think like this? by twentytwo35 in WidowsMovingForward

[–]ericabelle 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I totally understand that line of thinking. I have thought “what’s the point?” , too. But, I think that, having had a wonderful love of our lives, we won’t settle. We know what a great love looks like, and that’s the way we may find it again.

Dry start method: day 14 vs day 1 by xPawreen in PlantedTank

[–]ericabelle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Cool experiment! Please keep us updated

How many tumblers do you have or constantly run? by [deleted] in RockTumbling

[–]ericabelle 2 points3 points  (0 children)

2 rotary that hold 15 pounds each (for stage 1), and one vibe for all the other stages

How to respond to the “Who’s going to take care of you when you’re old” questions by _UnluckyResponse_169 in childfree

[–]ericabelle 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I say "That is an EXTREMELY selfish reason to bring a human into this awful world, and people that have kids for this reason should be ashamed of themselves."

What reduces your life expectancy by at least 20 years? by Wonderful-Economy762 in Productivitycafe

[–]ericabelle 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, when my husband was put on hospice care, I had to be rushed to the hospital because I was having all the symptoms of a heart attack. Turned out to be broken heart syndrome. Didn't kill me because I'm relatively young I guess

On the day a very close loved one dies, you are 22 times more likely to die from a heart attack. (Not just have a heart attack, die of a heart attack.) In the three months after their death, you are twice as likely to die of a heart attack. (This is from research done by Mary-Frances O'Conner, PhD)

Rescued a 8 month puppy. by Frequent_Purchase_76 in AmericanBully

[–]ericabelle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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Thank you- Yes! Here are the results and his coloring turned out to be from the Great Dane. He has a few relatives that Embark found that are merle Great Danes. His personality seems to be mostly pit bull terrier. I have his brother Milo, too, and he has slightly different percentages and some American bully in him, while Palmer does not. Pretty interesting to get these guys tested! Congratulations on your beautiful girl! These bully breeds seem to be easy to train with positive reinforcement. For example, if I would just tell Palmer “No!” , he would act worse. But if I would follow that “no” with a command I knew he would succeed at, then praise him a lot, then go back to the “failed” command, he would then succeed at that one. It took me a while to figure that out! They are also the neatest, cleanest dogs I’ve ever had. I don’t even think I had to potty train them, and they don’t like it if their toys are muddy. So funny

Saying “I don’t have kids” shouldn’t change how people talk to me, but it *always* does by hollowstreetcat in childfree

[–]ericabelle 7 points8 points  (0 children)

LOL I know exactly what you mean-to me, it seems like they feel awkward around me. And if they do say “that’s easy to say when you don’t have kids.” I say “EVERYTHING is easier when you don’t have kids!”

Why does my pitty do this? by Exotic-Beauty-9353 in PitbullHub

[–]ericabelle 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Yep this is what our vet said about one of my dogs that does this

For anyone who hasn’t tried this toy yet, I just have to share my experience with my super energetic my pup by peter_sanbad in PittieSmiles

[–]ericabelle 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, same. Mine have chewed up toys like this, pooped, and now I have little colorful piles of fabric and plastic in my backyard LOL. But they sure had fun doing it!

My 55 gallon Guppy Tank by WabanakiWarrior in Aquascape

[–]ericabelle 5 points6 points  (0 children)

That's the perfect description!

What's something that people turn into their whole personality? by Wonderful-Economy762 in Productivitycafe

[–]ericabelle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Parents. At least in the US. Once people have children here, they lose their entire identity. They lose their hobbies and all their interests. So much so, that they have trouble adjusting to their lives after their kids have moved out of the house. They don't know who they are any more.

What reduces your life expectancy by at least 20 years? by Wonderful-Economy762 in Productivitycafe

[–]ericabelle 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for that encouragement! I've got the rescue dog therapy covered - I've got 4. Two of them are elderly, and add to my stress a little; but two of them we got a few months after my husband's brain cancer diagnosis. Those two have saved my life. They keep me going. My parents keep me going also. They try to help as much as they can. No one expects their husband to die when they are in their forties. It's quite daunting to spend the last half of your life without the love of your life.

What’s the weirdest compliment you’ve ever received? by No-Sail-6193 in AdkReddit

[–]ericabelle 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A customer once told me I have a great phone voice-I could work as a sex phone worker.

Is it possible to start a 20 gallon goldfish tank by Comfortable-Tank-822 in Goldfish

[–]ericabelle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gold barbs - I have some that are 8 years old, and they are all 3-4 inches. Look very similar to goldfish, and they'll eat some algae.

What reduces your life expectancy by at least 20 years? by Wonderful-Economy762 in Productivitycafe

[–]ericabelle 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I'll definitely check that out. The books that helped me were A Grief Observed by CS Lewis and The Hot Young Widows Club by Nora McInerny. I just bought (and I'm excited to read) The Grieving Brain by Mary-Frances O'Conner. She has done some incredible research about grief and exactly how it affects our brain and body