Good Afternoon, Flowers! It's a beautiful "no coat/jacket needed" day in my corner of the world. I've been doing more laundry this morning; I found some sweaters and sweatshirts that I forgot I had. They are old so will either wear them around the house or give them to the Good Will. Bob will vote for the GW saying I have enough clothes taking up space. I need to make a WM run -- I've been looking for a rocking/spring horse for Kolby's Christmas gift. We got Ian's online from ToysRUs and they aren't showing any (I should clarify . . . the BIG horse) this year. There were none in the store last weekend either.
"Gma" -- So far we have no Thanksgiving plans. Both kids go to the other side of the family for the day. They offer to come here in the evening, but I think that is too much for the big kids when everyone has to work on Friday and the little kids having a two hour ride to spend a couple hours with us. We will have them all on Christmas Day, I'm sure. Your dryer vent problem is so frustrating, I'm sure. Even I would know that you should check both ends of the pipe when you are done! And what's up with not reconnecting the pipe to the dryer anyhow? I would be too! How about getting Thomas a music stand to go with his violin?
I need to keep moving. Have a great day . . . I hope the weather is as nice for you as it is here.
Good morning ladies! It is cool, not cold and rainy again this morning. I am always hot anymore, so when I took the kitty poo bag out this morning, it felt good even on my bare feet when they got wet. I have a ton of work to do, some sweater tear out to do (my first sweater for grandson, the neck isn't right and laying in bed last night I think I have the solution and the second sweater I have started even though the pattern said "child's" sweater I think was for a girl because the sleeves look bell shaped almost) and I have a lot of cleaning to try and get on top of today.
Jean: Thanks for the great idea about the music stand. I will ask dd if anyone has thought about getting something like that for him. We are getting him a chess set and a couple video games, I bought him some books several months ago (I see that two of them are too young for him now so I will save them for the new baby some Christmas down the road,) his sweaters and I am getting him a turtleneck to go with the sweaters that has his monogram on the collar. I have read that you shouldn't put a child's name on anything because predator's have a first step with the child if they can see their name on their shirt or whatever so I am going to do his initials.
I lazed around the house totally yesterday knitting and EATING and doing absolutely nothing. I have got to get a move on so I better go.
Hey, ladies - I haven't dropped off the face of the earth - yet~I was very ill and spent 6 days in the hospital, 4 in the ICU on a ventilator because of my ashthma. Never rains but it pours. My dh had to call the parametics because I got a coughing spell and couldn't get my breath. So there I am and he's at home. He called my best buddy and she got the quilters going and they took turns going to the house in the evening with dinner for him and spending time and getting him to bed. His aide came for 10 hours (I hadn't used any of the respits care hours) so we got through. When I got home, they had enough food prepared for an army. It's good to have friends. I hate asthma, and we are just getting to the cold weather that is hard on me. I'm doing nebulizer treatments 3 times a day now so hopefully can get through the winter.
If that isn't enough, my primary care doctor informs me he doesn't accept Medicare patients so I'll have to get other insurance or a new doctor - it'll definitely be a new doctor.
I'm still on Prednisone, but have only gained 6 pounds (ONLY???) which is good for me because it makes me so hungry. But I can breath!
Just working half days for the next 2 weeks to ease back into things.
Oh my gosh, Susan, we were all so worried about you. Glad you are getting better and hopefully the asthmas meds will help you out. Wish we all could have been some help to you and dh! I prayed diligently for you, because I KNEW something was wrong. Please take good good care of yourself and check back in when you feel up to it!
Good Evening, Flowers! It is pitch black outside tonight! School was another "ho-hum Monday." My problem student was in in-school suspension so I didn't have to put up with his bs today. . .made my day! I'm waiting for Bob to get home from practice so we can eat leftover roast beef. He left a message on the answering machine w/o any details other than when he came home at noon he was greeted (?) by a bat! Not to worry though because he called the BAT MAN and the bat was history so I assume that means as in 'dead bat!'
"Gma" -- I hope your sweater solution worked! I found a table and chair set for Zowie and it's just like the set I got for Maddy a couple of years ago. When I got ready to order it the site was not a secure one and had a note at the bottom that if there were any problems to call their 800#. Well, they must be awfully busy because I haven't gotten through yet. I'm not about to put my credit card # out into cyberspace!
Susan -- I'm so sorry you have been so sick! As Faye said we were worried about you and Stan! I'm glad you are home and on the mend. It's nice that you have such good friends to help you. Do take care and don't overdo!
I'm off to get supper ready . . . let's see plates, knives, bread, beef, lettuce, and mustard!
Don't faint ya'all! It is just me back in for awhile. WOW it has been awhile too. Susan, so sorry to hear about your illness and do pray you do get it under control. My goodness Donna your grandboy sure has grown! Plays the violin? Talented little guy for sure. Jean, still working are you? Fixin to retire after this year, maybe?
We did live a little while without electricity but didn't want it to last too long. We are parked now in a friends yard out in the country ~ just two houses out here. But...just across the road they are building a HUGE dude ranch. They already have a few hundred horses on the site and are building roads and log cabins and who knows what else. It is going to be a real "up town" in the country operation. Place is called Coyote Springs. Yep we have lots of those yoddle dogs around here. Hear them singing at night and Ragg Mopp loves to answer them.
I have been busy downloading necessary "stuff" on this new lap top to get it protected from those cyber grimlins. Sure takes up the time to get things set up like I had them before.
Well ladies I'll be back to type at you later. You do remember me ~ Maggie, out west ~ for now anyway.
Good morning gals! It is still raining here today, but I have the back door open to get in some fresh air. Jack cooked breakfast for himself this morning and you can smell it all over the house. He also left a BIG mess so of course I had that to clean up. I have lighted candles and opened the door to get the smell out.
Maggie: Wow, is it soooo great to hear from you! We have missed you around here this year. We post every once in awhile wondering how you were doing. Sounds like all is alright in your part of the world. We have had more family illness stuff around our thread than anything else. Susan's husband lost his leg to disease but she keeps us updated and he seems to be doing really well than she just got over being in the hospital, Jean and Bob seem totally hail and hearty except for Bob getting hives every once in awhile. Guess they just behave themselves! Gloria and her hubby seem to be doing A-ok too. Jack had open heart bypass surgery back in Sept, is back to work, but is battling some crazy immune issue that causes freaky swelling so he is going to be going to the allergist. I am my fat happy self, anxious for our new grandbaby to get here next June (our son and dil's first.) I am knitting like crazy so that I can get Christmas gifts done, joined Red Hat Society, though because of Jack's heart issues, I haven't been able to go and hope to start going regularly next month and reading a lot.
Jean: Aren't you looking forward to Thanksgiving??? Four whole days away from "Nutso High." I don't know how you keep on doing it. I am afraid I would have given in some time ago. I tore out the neck to the sweater, redid it, and sewed in one arm and down the side. Now all I have is to make one more sleeve and set it in and sew it and that sweater will be done. It even looks NICE! I have to say I am amazed as this is the first "piece" sweater I have ever made. I about about 1/3 of the way done with the blue one for him then I am going to get white yarn and make him one more because I won a bid on Ebay for 4 china 1 inch buttons that have the cartoon faces of George, John, Paul and Ringo. Thomas adores everything Beatles so I am going to make a white sweater and put the four buttons on the front. I spent a fortune for them so I hope the sweater turns out! I am going to tell Kelly that when he outgrows the sweater to take them off and keep them because they are china and valuable.
Susan: You poor thing, what an awful thing for you and Stan to have to go through. I do hope you are on the mend and feeling better and that your airways are open and working a lot better than they were. How is Stan doing with everything?
Gloria: Hope all is well with you and your part of the world. I imagine it won't be long and snow will be in you and Jean's horizon for sure. It has been fairly mild here, but the darn leaves are coming down and with the rain impossible to clean up so of course, our deck is a mess until the weather gets better. That in turn makes getting into the house without dragging all that stuff in almost impossible.
Well, I have work to do and knitting to get done. Everyone have a good Tuesday and GO OUT AND VOTE!
Hi everyone...another person who went MIA about six months ago...ME. Sorry I disappeared but so much started happening to me at once that it left me with no time for the computer (other than working). I've just started reading the posts again...and here I am.
The last post of mine I think I was in the middle of worrying about my husband--he was being tested for possible heart problems. Without getting into it, he's doing fine, he's on high cholesterol medicine, and still checking in with a heart specialist on a regular basis. But he's fine. In fact his cholesterol total is 165 now. And I had accepted a new position which was a promotion but a week into it, I knew it was not a good fit for me. In fact, it was such a bad "fit" I became extremely overwhelmed and stressed out. I went into a depression and ended up having physical ailments (the likes I've never known) and being medicated for mental stress/depression, all the while trying to work. It really proved to be so bad that at the urging of my doctor and husband, I put in for retirement. Yes, I AM RETIRED now. My last day of work was Halloween. And I am feeling better. MUCH BETTER. And I'm coming off my antidepressant now. Right now retirement is more like vacation but I'm sure that feeling will end. BUT in the first time in 20 years I'm looking forward to the holidays and not having the feeling I'm rushed or stressed out.
I've been losing weight. Six months ago, my weight was at an all-time high. So through the suggestion of a dear friend I joined LA Weight Loss and that helped me be in control of something in my life because believe me I was out of control in every area of my life. It's been a battle though--trying to lose weight through depression, anxiety, stress, illness, and being on different kinds of medication, but I'm doing it.
It seems like "old home week" seeing Maggie posting again. I take you have been away for a long time as well? Have you re-located to another state? Sounds like you have a new computer now. How's the stained glass going?
Faye, you have surpassed me in knitting. I haven't knitted much while I've been in that six-month dark hole. However, I have got to start knitting a baby sweater as my oldest daughter and her husband are having their first child in May! Your grandson has matured so much in the face--looking at his picture under your name.
Jean, how many grandchildren do you have? The weather is very nice here today also. I'm not cooking this Thanksgiving--DH and I are driving down to Virginia Beach (VA) to visit our parents. We're having dinner with my father-in-law.
Susan, I'm sorry to hear that you've been so ill you've been in the hospital. Thank goodness for wonderful friends. You would have loved seeing all the handmade quilts, my DH and I looked at yesterday--we drove to Intercourse (PA) and browsed the shops there. I fell in love with a queen-sized quilt but gosh it was pricey--over $1,000! It was beautiful. I've wanted to learn how to quilt for a long time and maybe now in my life is the time. I hope you're feeling better.
Gloria, you're knitting as well? A sweater? I have got to get my act together and start a sweater project!
I hope to be posting more often now that I have more time...I hope to catch up with everything y'all have been doing. Give me time.
It is a lovely day in the neighborhood. I have been grabbing some time to catch up here and my post won't be long. Gail it is so nice to see that you came back also. So you have now joined us in the "retired" phase. I am sure you will totally get to love it. I will put my e-mail address in your personal message area and would love to have yours. Write to me.
Have a lovely day everyone. It is good to be back!
Gosh, it is so great to have the old gang all back for awhile. Sometimes Jean and I think we are just talking to each other!
Gail: Our new grandbaby is due June 4th. I have already made him (hey, I want a BOY!) a blanket, hat and sweater, am working on another sweater and another blanket and have bought him tons of clothes to wear. I also bought my dil 4 maternity tops to get her started. It will be our son's first and we are pretty excited as well. It sure is good to see you here and hopefully you can check in more often now that your time isn't taken up with the school anymore. Glad your dh is doing well with his heart situation. You tell him to take care of himself. He doesn't want to have to go through what Jack did with his heart surgery a couple months ago. It was pretty horrific a thing to have to go through even in this day and age.
I just got an email from my sister who says her mil is extremely ill. She is my step-aunt (my grandfather's step-daughter) and her son (my sister's husband) and my husband were in the military together here in Memphis in the early 70's. They introduced me to Jack so they are pretty special to me. She had a bowel dissection sometime over the summer and has never recovered. My ds says she is down to 80 lbs and they can't get her weight up because everything goes right through her. She has requested her family all come to Fort Smith for Christmas because she thinks it will be her last and believe me she is the most positive person I know so she must be really really ill. Please keep Rosemary in your prayers!
Gotta go. have a good afternoon everyone. I am going back to knitting on that darn blue sweater.
Good Evening, Flowers! It's been another beautiful day in my corner of the world -- it was 70 degrees on my way from school this afternoon. Hard to believe it is November with this kind of weather. School was "ho - hum" again today . . . my obnoxious study hall student went home "sick" after second hour today. I saw him and he didn't look very sick to me.
Maggie -- What a nice surprise to see you here! I'm so glad you are back with us again -- we have missed you! The bad thing about retiring is that the paychecks stop! I'd like to hang around long enough for them to figure out this new plan isn't working out the best. I admire you for trying to live without electricity . . . I know I wouldn't have made a good pioneer!
"Gma" -- Well, we now have Thanksgiving plans! My "sister" called last night and invited us to their house. I offered to bring something and she suggested a salad. The downside is no leftovers. I'm glad the sweater is looking better; the Beatle buttons sound cute. I will keep your step-aunt in my prayers. It doesn't sound like she is feeling 100%, and I know that any surgery is harder on a body the older it is.
Gail -- What a nice surprise to see you too! You have been missed. I'm sorry to hear that you've had such a tough few months. I hope retirement agrees with you! Was you new job at the same place where you had been working? If so, too bad you couldn't have gone back to your old job. Congrats on the new grandchild! We have four now -- Beth and Jason have a boy and a girl each. Ian turns 4 in a couple of weeks -- they grow up much too quickly! I'm glad to hear that Wayne is doing so well.
Susan -- I hope you are feeling better each day!
Hope you all enjoy your evening. I'll watch my soap and work on a clutter pile. Sometimes I wish I had my tiny space back again and I wouldn't be so apt to pile-it.
Good morning ladies! Hope your day is starting out well! We went and voted yesterday afternoon. First time using the new voting machines. It wasn't hard, but you can't vote straight ticket on them so it takes more time. I get so frustrated by all the people standing around trying to shove stuff at you before you go, like that is going to make a big change in the way you vote. Besides, the junk they were trying to shove at us was from the opposite camp so to speak, so I didn't want it anyway and told them so. We then just went to Ruby Tuesday's and had some dinner.
Jack got his paperwork for his allergist appt. It is about 4 pages of stuff to fill out! I did call his cardiologist yesterday to ask if they wanted him back on the meds they took him off of, but they called me back and said until they found out what was causing it, to just leave him off them.
Well, the dr bills have started trickling in for all of Jack's surgery and procedures. His last catherization they did in August cost $23,000! We only owe the hospital $30 thank goodness, but his anesthesia is going to cost us $1000. The insurance doesn't cover much of it and they don't cover much of an insurance credit either so we have to pay most of it. I dread what the surgical bill is going to be. We should only have to pay $25 to the hospital I think, but I don't know about the surgeon's stuff. We also got a bill for $114 I think it was for his rehab appts because they never collected any of the co-pays when we were there. I asked them repeatedly about that and they always said no! DUH!
Jean: I can't believe Ian is 4 already! Seems like just yesterday you were telling us he had just been born. Of course, Maddie is getting to be an old lady too I imagine! Zowie is a year old almost isn't she? Ok, I am a dummy, what is the other one's name?
I have started the ole Christmas shopping. I am trying to find a nice chess set for Thomas, that isn't for kids', kitchy, or stupid, but can grow with him into adulthood. I found a nice wooden one that the board is the case and it is around $40 so I will probably go with that. Jack had a wooden set where the board was the case and it has disappeared. We have asked both the kids if we gave it to either of them and they said no. I would have liked to give that one to Thomas. When you move, you always seem to lose stuff. We had a very old ivory set of dominoes that was Jack's father's that disappeard on us too and neither of the kids have them.
Well, I need to get on the ball and get something accomplished today!
Hello, ladies. Welcome back to who have been absent for awhile. So nice to hear from you.
I'm doing a lot better. Went to doctor yesterday for asthma follow-up and she wants me to stay on 3 nebulizer treatments a day all winter. Hate having to do it at work but it keeps me going. She also wants me to get back and have my GERD checked and see if there is more than can do since that is also affecting the asthma. What else!
Still waiting on insurance approval for Stan's temporary prosthesis so that is holding him up. They also put smaller shrinker on so that part is going well. He is actually healthier than he has been in the last 2 years - not that that is saying a whole lot, but at least he can get around a bite an enjoy life. We are going to try going out to dinner Friday. We always used to do that - Friday night was "date" night. Taking him Saturday for a Renal panel so we'll see how that is doing.
My boss leaves Sunday for a month-long cruise to Tahati...I'm planning the Christmas party while he's gone. He is good about letting me spend as much as I want and wants it at a very nice place and we have a lot around here.
Good Afternoon, Flowers! It's another beautiful 80 degree day in my neighborhood! It's so hard to be inside on a day like today. I have bell choir practice tonight and we will be practicing with the organ. Afterwards we will have to put everything away because there is a funeral on Friday; otherwise we could leave our tables, pads, tablecloths, and music set up for Sunday. I had another run in with my favorite student today. I ended up sitting behind him so that every time he turned around he would see me and hear me say, "turn around!" I gave him detention and his comment was, "that's bull crap!" I ended the class period by saying we would see who had the last laugh. He's now on a behavior plan (which I didn't know was put into action this afternoon) that when he is disrupting a class he is escorted to the BD room and sits in a smaller room all by himself. The very next period he is escorted, by another teacher, to the BD room where I am! I got the giggles and had to step out in the hall while the BD teacher dealt with him. If looks could have killed I would have been 6 feet under when he saw me in the BD room.
"Gma" -- When we vote we never have anyone trying to give handouts to people standing in line. Must be a "rural" thing. I'm glad the election is over and hope the Democrats can make all the "wrongs" right like they think they can. Maddy turned 3 in August, Kolby turned 1 in April, and Zowie turned 1 in May. It does get a bit crazy when all four are together! I know they will be teenagers before we know it so I'm trying to enjoy the present when they still think we are "fun."
Susan -- I'm so glad you are feeling better. I have heard of GERD, but I'm not sure what it is. Enjoy your Friday night date with Stan! I don't know if I would want to be gone a whole month but a cruise does sound inviting. Have fun planning your Christmas party.
I need to keep moving so have a great 'rest of the day' and a terrific Thursday tomorrow!
It sure looks like rain and it will loose a good chance if it doesn't. Went out to lunch at a place that is way out in the country ~ we are kinda way out in the country ~ 15 miles both ways from any grocerie store so we don't just run out for any ole thing.
FAYE Isn't it crazy what they charge for care. I cut my thumb awhile back and when the bill came it was $900 and that was without any stitches. They just irrigated it and slapped a bandage on it. But . . . since I went to emergency my insurance paid every dime of it.
JEANYou are so right that kids do grow up too fast. Enjoy every minute you can with those little ones while you can. Do you pay into any type of retirement where you are? Or is it just Social Insecurity that you will have when the time does come around for you to leave there?
SUSAN What a lovely thing to do by having a date night. Hope all goes well with your husband and you have your ashtma under control. They make some real trick things for folks that have had to have parts removed these days.
GAIL I hope you are having a good day this day. I snail mailed you a recipe I thought you might like to try.
GLORIA I am here and you are there. Hope all is well with you.
Well folks tomorrow is weigh day for me and I HAVE had a good OP week. I had a good OP week last week too but shwed a 0.8 gain.
Steel Magnolias -- #35
They are old so will either wear them around the house or give them to the Good Will. Bob will vote for the GW saying I have enough clothes taking up space. 
I need to make a WM run -- I've been looking for a rocking/spring horse for Kolby's Christmas gift. We got Ian's online from ToysRUs and they aren't showing any (I should clarify . . . the BIG horse) this year. There were none in the store last weekend either.
too! How about getting Thomas a music stand to go with his violin?
from Iowa!
and doing absolutely nothing. I have got to get a move on so I better go.
Faye
School was another "ho-hum Monday." My problem student was in in-school suspension so I didn't have to put up with his bs today. . .made my day! 
I'm waiting for Bob to get home from practice so we can eat leftover roast beef. He left a message on the answering machine w/o any details other than when he came home at noon he was greeted (?) by a bat! Not to worry though because he called the BAT MAN and the bat was history so I assume that means as in 'dead bat!' 
As Faye said we were worried about you and Stan! I'm glad you are home and on the mend. It's nice that you have such good friends to help you. Do take care and don't overdo! 
from Iowa!
Howdy
Gloria and her hubby seem to be doing A-ok too. Jack had open heart bypass surgery back in Sept, is back to work, but is battling some crazy immune issue that causes freaky swelling so he is going to be going to the allergist. I am my fat happy self, anxious for our new grandbaby to get here next June (our son and dil's first.) I am knitting like crazy so that I can get Christmas gifts done, joined Red Hat Society, though because of Jack's heart issues, I haven't been able to go and hope to start going regularly next month and reading a lot.
How is Stan doing with everything?
I'm so glad you are back with us again -- we have missed you! 
I admire you for trying to live without electricity . . . I know I wouldn't have made a good pioneer! 
My "sister" called last night and invited us to their house. I offered to bring something and she suggested a salad. The downside is no leftovers. 
We have four now -- Beth and Jason have a boy and a girl each. Ian turns 4 in a couple of weeks -- they grow up much too quickly! 
He's now on a behavior plan (which I didn't know was put into action this afternoon) that when he is disrupting a class he is escorted to the BD room and sits in a smaller room all by himself. The very next period he is escorted, by another teacher, to the BD room where I am! 
and had to step out in the hall while the BD teacher dealt with him. If looks could have killed I would have been 6 feet under when he saw me in the BD room. 
