2025, animals, Family, Health, home, Uncategorized

Billows

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I couldn’t find the cat yesterday afternoon, so I looked in our bedroom and found her snuggled in the down comforter we keep on our bed. She had been there for hours. You can see her in the header photo. She looks pretty comfortable, I think.

We have twelve very nice goose down pillows for the three queen size beds in our home, plus down comforters for each bed. Our friend who will live with us is allergic to feathers, so we bought two non-down pillows for her when she visits. The dog sleeps with us and also expects to have a pillow for his head at night. We are a spoiled bunch.

Husband’s allergies are so much better here. He is very allergic to cats and dust. There is very little dust compared to western North Dakota, and it seems the cat is shedding less now, probably because the humidity is higher. Our friend’s four cats will stay in the basement after she moves in, but I think we will get an air cleaner or two to mitigate any upward cat dander migration. I just had a Shark vacuum delivered that is especially good for pet hair, so I think we are covered. The dog doesn’t shed.

What kind of pillows do you prefer? Do you let pets sleep with you? If you have allergies, how do you manage them?

34 thoughts on “Billows”

  1. I am a confirmed “let the animals sleep on my bed“ person. The cat sleeps with me most nights, moving around as I move around. When YA is home, Guinevere sleeps in her room. But when YA is out of town, as she is now, I let Guinevere sleep on my bed. She doesn’t always stay all night, but I feel badly if I have to keep her off.

    I’m coming into my allergy season, when the house is all closed up. I am allergic to all the various dust mites there are and I handle that with allergy covers on all my bedding, washing the sheets every week in hot water whether they’re white or colors and two kinds of medication. But during winter, when there is less fresh air circulating, it’s a little worse.

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  2. OT my son, his son and his partner are supposed to fly home Sunday, back to work. Don’t know if they can get home. My granddaughter is supposed to fly home Saturday through Denver. No idea if she can get home and back to work in Bozeman. They came for Sandra’s memorial service.
    My granddaughter, allergic to cats, is a confirmed cat lover, but is not allowed cats in the apartment.

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    2. This mess in Washington is really affecting people’s lives in a negative way. Sigh. I wish it was different for your family, Clyde. Who needs this on top of losing a family member.

      Sending hugs and caring.

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    3. Our son and his wife just came back from a wedding in Mexico. They didn’t have any issues with their flights going or returning. But I’m sure glad they’re back.

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  3. Rise and Shine, Baboons,

    The life of your cat is very attractive to me.

    I am so allergic to goose down. For years my grandmother, who raised her own geese, would provide the family with homemade goose down pillows. They were considered a real luxury. And I discovered that I am very allergic to goose down. It was the source early on in life, of many headaches which are a chronic issue for me. So now we have hypoallergenic and washable pillows. There once was a goose down comforter as well which was passed along.

    No pets sleeping with me–I am allergic to their dander, as well.

    Allergy management? Constant and chronic. I use medication, air filters, fastidious cleaning. And it is still a problem. Many allergies are airborne: pollen, mold spores, particulate matter. Foods with yeast and mold are also problematic. If I wanted to eat only nuts, maybe I could eliminate them all, but that is hard, too. For a long time I was a patient at the LaCrosse Allergy Clinic. My Allergist was excellent and helpful. But she retired and the follow up care was not worth the trip. I just live with a lot of headaches.

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    1. Jacque – have you looked into ear acupucture? It may give you some relief and decrease the number of headaches. After three years since my initial treatment I rarely have symptoms bothersome enough to require meds. Spring is no longer my least favorite season.

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        1. My acupuncturist is Colleen LaSota and she works out of Ascent Acupuncture at 41st and Grand in south Minneapolis. Go to Fourgatesmpls.com for information and to schedule an appointment.

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  4. The first time I found I had hayfever was when I was 16 at a church picnic in early sumner at the city park. There were still tall elms there that happened to be spewing pollen all over, and my eyes were watering and I was getting really congested. I don’t know if the tall elms here survived Dutch Elm Disease. I guess I will find out in spring.

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  5. That’s a fat cat!! or pregnant.🤣
    The Birds are impossible to sleep with.
    I had a cat, Toast, who never let me out of her sight. We shared our bed. Her purring put me to sleep.

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  6. My maternal grandmother gave goose down pillows to all her grandchildren for their weddings..
    She had a Pipestone goose down supplier just down the road from her farm.

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  8. Will have to read comments later – crazy day.

    I used to prefer my feather pillow, but have since learned that a good foam one is better for my neck and back.

    I am lucky that I have no allergies to speak of, just (as a kid, anyway) sulfa drugs.

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  10. I remember having down pillows as a kid and how the stem of the feather would sometimes poke out. I was kinda fascinated by plucking them out.
    We had some pillows from that guy. We burned them, WITH PREJUCIDE, once his true colors began to show.
    I use a purple pillow now. Very dense, and HEAVY. But I sure do like it.

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  12. We’ve had many cats over the years and they’ve all slept with us with no problems. Until now. Our new kitty (who traces her lineage back to the Tasmanian Devil) hasn’t quite mastered the concept of sleep, especially sleeping with humans. Some nights she’s fine and snuggles by my legs until wake-up time (6 a.m. if we’re lucky). Other nights it’s just a game of Hunt the Human. She attacks us as we get into bed, then goes after any exposed limbs. Her favorite trick is to lunge at my face and pull my hair. This gets her banished for the night. It’s getting better, but very slowly.

    I have terrible tree pollen allergies in the spring, which started in my early 30s. Spring is a challenge, wanting to be outdoors, but paying for it with itchy eyes and constant sneezing.

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  15. I sleep on a “rock-hard” Sleep Number pillow that supports my neck better than most pillows. Cats are always welcome in our bed–Iris sleeps at our feet most nights, but she goes in streaks. Not guaranteed every night.

    Recently found out I’m allergic to quite a few things that didn’t bother me before–horses, cats(!)–but not Iris, oak trees, birch trees, and some other things. I take antihistamines mostly. Sometimes they work, sometimes not.

    CHris in Owatonna

    **BSP** Hey all, if you go to the Twin Cities Book Festival today at the St. Paul Union Depot, stop by and say hi to me at the MELSA table, #201, from 10 am to noon. 🙂 **End BSP*

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