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My family and I want to thank you for your kind words, good wishes, and prayers for our sweet Bella.

She had her final procedure on Wednesday, regardless of the way things turn out, because I want to make the best and kindest choices for her.

She underwent surgery and had her canine tooth removed as well as some bone that the vet said appeared to be infected. It's very strange because she never displayed any symptoms of pain, loss of appetite, or issues eating.

The good news is that the vet said she had seen bone cancer and this did not look like any cancer she has ever seen. She thinks that the root of Bella's tooth was infected and that infection went into the bone. We are sincerely hoping she is correct.

A sample of bone and the tooth were sent out for biopsy, and a culture was taken in case of a possible fungal issue. We will not have these results for a week (of pins and needles.)

Bella was sent home with extremely strong antibiotics, a few days of strong painkiller, and then a supply of milder pain relief to use as needed.

The Afghanistan debacle seems to get worse with every article I read and every word the President utters. While I am personally anti-war and supported withdrawal, I certainly don't support the bungled, mismanaged spectacle that has occurred. It even came out that Biden pressured the Afghani president to "change the perception" that the Taliban had immediately taken over in the wake of the American departure.

I can't even imagine being one of the Americans or allies who were left behind to face the wrath of the Taliban. Selco and I were discussing what a person would even do to survive in that situation and I am hoping he'll write about it.

Our own Toby Cowern did an interview on the Seven Pillars of Preparedness with Angelina Carleton and he knocked it out of the park. You can watch it here.
Much of the US has sustained significant damage from Hurricane Ida, from Louisiana on up to New York. The death toll is rising, including some nursing home patients. Watch this video of bus passengers trapped in floodwaters in NYC.
Entergy President and CEO Phillip May discussed the destruction of the power grid in Louisiana, including 22,000 power poles, more than 5,200 transformers, and nearly 26,000 spans of wire were damaged or destroyed. He said that power may not be fully restored until the end of September.
The ACLU - which, as a reminder, stands for the American CIVIL LIBERTIES Union - tweeted unsatirically that forced vaccines are a victory for civil liberties.

This week I got a few extra pantry goods in my Misfits Market order to have some healthier shelf-stable options.

Organic canned and boxed soups
Shelf-stable oat milk
Some ready-to-eat pouches of lentils and rice - these are lightweight and great for a bug-out bag
Bottled tomato/vegetable juice - awesome for a nutritious soup base

I'm really a huge fan of Misfits Market. I've been happy with the products and the customer service, and although it's delivered to your door, it's a fairly discreet way to add supplies to your stockpile, as your delivery person most likely thinks it's just fruits and veggies. If you want to try it out you can use my link to get $10 off your first order: https://www.misfitsmarket.com/?promo=COOKWME-PM2EHZIBJYK

I also added some nifty storage to the living room. I found baskets that were designed for under-bed use but are precisely the right size to fit under my sofa.