Good afternoon GG's, (started writing this in the afternoon, but now it is evening ~ things get put on hold once Maddie gets off the bus ~ LOL)

It is a nice sunny day here today. I should have gotten out there on my bicycle, but started off the day with a headache. It is gone now ~ still might be able to do it this evening after Maddie goes home. Do-able now that it stays light later in the evening. And it was a nice temperature today ~ just right ~ not humid and hot.

Coming along after my surgery. A little tenderness remains in my neck, but almost gone. I go back on Monday for some lab work and a check up with the doctor. I was not to remove the steri strips covering my incision ~ just let them fall off. One was partly off, so I took it off ~ they said they would come off on their own in 5-7 days. Two strips remain. One of those is kind of flapping ~ I might help them along. I don't think I would be harming anything by doing so. Still a few days left before my appointment ~ will play it by ear I guess.

Been busy ~ helping son with his move to a different apartment. I helped with some of the packing as much as I could and feel up to. Then helped with some of the cleaning of the old apartment after it was empty. Trying to make sure it was looking good so he would get his deposit back. DH is everyone's hero ~ he works really hard helping the kids ~ I know they appreciate it.

Got some more appointments out of the way ~ mammogram ~ came back normal. Eye appointment yesterday ~ now I will be able to get a new pair of eye glasses. (Lost one lens back in December, but didn't want to get it replaced until seeing the eye dr in case my prescription had changed. The doctor is a really good one, so it took this long to get in.) Been making do with reading glasses.

Got some more appointments to arrange ~ getting there.

Love2 ~ your different little garden areas sound so pretty ~ trying to picture them in my mind. Wish you could put up some pictures. Did you enjoy the basket ball game the other night?

Lynn ~ glad you are getting back into the swing of things eating wise. I know what you mean about meat. I could sort of almost be a vegetarian ~ I don't eat meat that much either. I like it, but it seems like other stuff is easier to fix. Oooooo ~ so excited for you about your upcoming trip.

Carol Sue ~ my DH is kind of like yours. He doesn't have friends he gets together with ~ does talk with his brother and some cousins and our kids. Neither one of us is very social ~ don't have people over (just the kids and grandkids) ~ that's what is comfortable for us.

Mary ~ excited for you about the exercise equipment you are getting. It will give you some options for those days you can't or aren't able to get to the gym. I have had some blood sugars that baffled me ~ a couple times, I have awakened way early ~ ended up eating a little snack ~ a couple graham crackers or something ~ would then go back to bed and check blood sugar like usual after I wake up ~ and the blood sugar (I expected to be higher than usual because it was not fasting) was lower than my usual fasting readings. Glad Joe got his teeth ~ that his mouth isn't sore like it was and that he can now enjoy eating again and be able to eat things he likes/needs.

Fairy ~ way to go with the 3 pound loss. How many grandchildren do you have? I wish for you too, to be able to get down and enjoy your time with your grandchildren more.

Hello Auto ~ hope all is well with you.

Hope you all have had a nice day. And a good ache free rest tonight.

An upcoming adventure -

Took my cats to the vet & found a business card about feline psychologist.

My 2 cats do not get along w my DD's cat. When they are together at my house, her cat must be closed in a bedroom to keep them separated. We are going to hire the feline psychologist to attempt to have them get along while we are away on vacation.

All I can envision is the cats sitting around the psychologist in a kind of group therapy situation.

Lynn

Lynn, that sounds like a cartoon! LOL A friend of mine who had a cat married a man who also had a cat. They did not get along at all. They didn't actually fight, but would hiss when they passed each other. His cat would go to the cellar door waiting to be let down there, as that was his space. After a while they got used to each other. Not real friends, but at least the hissing stopped. I doubt if your cats will be around DDs cat long enough for that to happen, though.

Mary, today is Joe's actual birthday, right? Happy Birthday to him. I think I remember it because it is also my nieces birthday.

I don't feel that you come here too often. I enjoy hearing your stories about your family. I am online way too much, ans sometimes I'm disappointed when there are no posts to respond to. I post on a couple other forums too, but then I don't post on Facebook, so I guess it evens out.

Gayle, I'm glad you are starting to feel better and getting up and around more. That's a good sign. Were you having any particular problem before that has improved now that you've had the surgery? I don't mean to pry, so only share if you're comfortable with it.

Carol Sue ~ I don't mind sharing. I wasn't feeling bad (that I know of) from the parathyroid thing. I didn't feel horrible, but didn't feel all wonderful either ~ probably a combination of my various health problems. Some days are better than others. I'm not sure I even know what feeling good is like anymore.

I was a life long night shift worker ~ and never felt rested. Thought if/when a time ever came that I could get off the night shift, that that would magically fix me up.

I think all those years on the night shift took a toll on my health. Menopause made it so I didn't sleep well in the day time anymore. Plus I found I had sleep apena which was keeping me tired. I got off the night shift, and got treated for the sleep apnea. I felt more rested, but then other health things happened.

I desperately wanted out of nursing ~ it was not the same as when I started ~ had become way too stressful. So, I took a job as the secretary of my unit ~ it was less stress and I welcomed being able to do my job sitting down, but that made the sciatic pain thing worse. Kind of ironic ~ I had pain in my feet and back as a nurse, but as the secretary ~ the sciatic pain got worse from the prolonged sitting. I had more pain with that job than I ever had with nursing. More pain, but less stress.

The parathyroid thing ~ affected my calcium level (blood ~ too high). As best I understand it ~ it put me at risk for weak brittle bones/fractures ~ the improperly functioning parathyroid was taking calcium out of my bones. It also put me at risk for kidney stones. My friend's husband had this and the extra calcium in his blood stream clogged up his vessels and he had a heart attack. So, hopefully, mine has been treated in time and I have avoided those things.

I had read and also was told by a lady whose father had this operation ~ how much better people feel after having it. I can't say I magically feel any better. I was feeling sore in my neck, and had a problem with my bowels. Those things are better.

I think because of the other health things I have going on ~ is maybe why I am not feeling (that I can notice) any big improvement in how I feel. Maybe it just takes time. Maybe the other health things still need tweaking. I don't know.

I think what had helped me feel better (even before this surgery) was to keep moving ~ walking or biking, and eating better. I was doing good with that, but have kind of slipped ~ wasn't as good about keeping up with it leading up to the surgery and after. I need to get back down to business.

I'm sorry my answer got so long. I have trouble explaining anything in a brief manner. Forgive me.

It's a nice sunny day. I plan to go out and get a card for dh. Thought I had one but can't find it. I also will go to the CU to get our cash for the next couple weeks and probably pickup some more cappucinno mix for my mochas. He and our son are going to a Japanese restaurant tonight. I don't like this restaurant, it is expensive and there is nothing there I really like, so I decided to stay home, first time on one of our birthdays, but it's ok, I know he really likes the restaurant and our son does too and dh's meal will be free since it's his birthday. Even so, it's still a terrible waste to pay so much for me and I don't like anything there.

My weight is just jumping up and down the same pound or two, but my bs was better this morning although still high. I think it's because I didn't eat much last night. Our son was here to help set up the bike and he had the gc with him, so I was busy watching them as well as the men. We didn't settle down to watch TV until about 9 and that's when I finally snacked. I just had some sunflower seeds and blueberries. I used the bike three times last night each time for 10 min and I am a little sore this morning! I just now used it again for ten min. Trying to figure the settings out. So far I have only used Quick Start but our son set it so I can see the minutes, calories and heartrate plus some other stuff I don't totally understand. I haven't tried other programs yet. Also learned how to adjust the intensity but don't really understand yet how to tell what intensity I'm at, I just set it at the level that is somewhat a challenge but not too hard. So much to learn.

Glynne - Hoping this surgery will help you feel better. The thyroid has to do with fatigue so may help in that respect. Prevent bad things is good too.


Carole Sue - Yes today is Joe's birthday. Still hard to believe he is 80.

I liked the baked chicken and veggies I fixed last night but dh didn't. He said next time make it a stir-fry. I do that a lot for him...take a recipe and adjust it into a stir-fry.

My dh is not much of a talker. Often I have wished he would talk more to me but long ago I asked God for the man that is just right for me, and this is who he sent me so I'm sure it's for the best. Communication as always been our biggest problem (at least for me!) but we've adjusted. Sometimes I have taken those online tests that says if this and this is happening your marriage is in trouble, often they are about communication and I have to laugh because according to the tests we are doing it all wrong and are in big trouble. Well we've hung in there almost 53 years and he's still the best man in the world to me. You don't have to have everything you want and sometimes you grow more for not having it. My dh will talk a lot when he gets with his family or other Filipinos but I realize that's because for many years he didn't get to talk to them much and he missed it so much. This is one of the reasons he loves Facebook...he has finally been able to connect to a huge number of relatives in PI. I set it up for him and although sometimes I wish he wasn't so focused on it, I never regret it as it makes him so happy.

Right now we are going through even greater communication difficulty due to his hearing loss which seems to be getting worse all the time even with his hearing aids. While watching TV he wears head phones, so I can't even talk with him while we share a show. I would love to able to talk and laugh together while watching sometimes. I have to get up close to him for him to hear me clearly and even then more and more it seems like I have to speak slower for him to understand. I think this is due to nerve damage. The VA only gave him 10% disability but my son and I agree that it is much more than that and think he should have them reassess things. I miss being able to freely talk to him like I could before and have conversation.

Well need to get ready to go out plus my house is pretty messy. Doesn't take long when the kids have been here.

Gayle, I hope in time that you will begin to feel better. I think now that the weather is getting better you will be able to get out and ride your bike more and that will help. I know in the past few years I have been hospitalized several times and the nurses and aides are so busy and always seem to be so overworked. I don't know how they do it., and they work those 12 hour shifts. My husband would come in to see me twice a day and he would help me bathe, get me out of bed to sit in the chair and take me for 4 walked per day as they required. He didn't mind doing it and it gave them a break not to have to do that. He would have me back in bed by 7PM and then he would go home.

Mary I went to a Japanese restaurant once with friends, but now, DH would never eat that food. He is a meat and potatoes man. I don't know if the restaurant was an authentic Japanese restaurant or one set up to make you think it was. They cooked the food out at your table. Two of the girls wouldn't eat the food after they saw him cook it. I liked it. I like most foods, but just prefer some to others.

I am losing my hearing in my left ear, but I don't think it's bad enough yet to need a hearing aid. I think DH is losing his hearing, too, because everything you say to him he says "What?" and you have to repeat it. It's very annoying, but he says that I talk too low. LOL I notice he doesn't do that with men, but maybe that's because men have deeper voices.

Dh really enjoyed his men's night out! So glad I suggested it. Today we went to the gym and I did another 2 min on the eliptical as well as my usual workout. The eliptical really gets my heart rate up, so much more of a workout that the bike. I still feel a little unsteady mostly because of my hip plus right now my thighs are sore from all the biking. We also stopped at New Seasons to pickup my win. It was a nice New Seasons shopping bag, a water bottle, a 2 tier food container, some bamboo utensils, two vinyl snack and sandwich bags, and 2 small mason jars with the clip on lids. The theme is sustainability and if you are familiar with New Seasons you know their quality. I will keep some and share some...I esp like the water bottle so keeping that. I'd been wanting a better one. Tomorrow we babysit our gc from Portland, we haven't done that for a long time.

Carol Sue - When dh is in the hospital, I stay with him and sleep on a little pull out couch they have. Once I had to do it in a recliner..that wasn't as nice, but I usually sleep pretty well there and with fewer hot flashes than at home because the rooms are so cool and I'm right by the window. I help him with his sponge baths and getting up etc. too. Of course I wouldn't get him up unless I knew it was ok.

I eat some Japanese food and even cook it, but just don't care for this particular restaurant. It is mostly sushi which I do not like. There is a grill where you can have them cook whatever you want .,..so that's what I mostly do when I'm there but I can't eat enough to warrant paying so much. I don't even like their desserts...now that's bad! But the guys love it. I have gone to those restaurants where they cook it in front of you...I love that.

I know that dh misses a lot of conversations and even TV and that makes me sad esp the conversations. It must make him feel left out a lot but he never complains. Sometimes he will ask me later what they said, but not usually. Sometimes we (my son and I) can't help but laugh at the funny things he says as a result of his hearing loss. We don't want to hurt him but we can't help but laugh together at times. Once our son wanted a needle to open a large callous on his foot (military hikes..ugh! Don't worry he sterilized it) as it needed draining out..and he asked his dad for it telling him what he wanted it for. Dh heard only he wanted a needle and not the rest and he says oh yeah, and I'll get you some thread too! Son and I will be talking right beside him and later he will ask a question about something we just said as he didn't hear/understand it. Such is our life these days...it's sad...but it's only a part of our lives and these things happen. The hearing aides help but sometimes they amplify all the noise around him so they also cause problems...can't seem to get them adjusted just right.

Glynne - Hope each day you get better.

Love2 - Happy gardening! Hope your weather is as nice as ours. Dh is enjoying working outside.

To you new ones...hope we didn't scare you off...you are really welcome!!

Time to get to work...I didn't end up getting much done yesterday.

Mary, when I am in the hospital I always ask the nurses if DH can help me, and they are happy to hear he's willing to do it. They showed him how to disconnect everything so I can walk the halls. He even took a few pictures of me walking the halls. LOL I know, we're weird! The last time I was hospitalized my bed was very uncomfortable, so I always wanted out of bed as soon as I woke up and didn't get back in until it was time to go to sleep. I would sit in the chair or walk. One time I even went into the waiting room and sat down and read some magazines. My doctor was so happy to see me out of bed so much because he took that as a sign of healing. So many patients just lay in that bed all day. Getting out of bed promotes healing, even though it can be tough right after surgery.

DH would come to the hospital early in the morning in order to get a parking spot. They let him come in even though visiting hours didn't start until 10. Then he would leave around noon, then come back around 3, after most of the people who were there for outpatient services were gone...more parking spaces available. He would stay until 7, then go home again. He had to break up his visit to go home and take care of the dog. Feed him and let him out for a while. He liked to eat dinner in the cafeteria so he didn't have to cook for himself.

I don't like Sushi either. For a while they had it at a buffet we go to, and I didn't see what the big deal was about it. DH wouldn't even try it. I'm not surprised.

I can understand that it could get laughable when your DH doesn't hear things properly. There is supposed to be a hearing aid of sorts on the market that improves your hearing without amplifying background noise. I might look into something like that someday, but otherwise I can hear well enough to get by. If it gets worse I will have to do something.

Our temperatures are going back into the 70s in the coming week starting today, with only some occasional rain showers. Right now it is very sunny and has me in a good mood. That should warm up the basement and make me more willing to go down there to exercise.

We babysit two of our gc this morning. These are the two who live in Portland. Their mama (our dd) is a runner and needed to get in a run before her next competition. We hadn't babysat them for a long time so sure enjoyed them. Since a beautiful day, they played outside a lot and I enjoyed being outside with them. One of the Big Wheels we keep on hand for the kids broke...dh fixed it temporarily but we will be shopping for a new one cause all the gc enjoy them. Not a gym day but got in my ten min on my bike. We are going out tonight but am still hoping to get in another ten min later on. My goal is 30 min a day when I don't go to the gym but know sometimes it won't happen. Last night I looked at the machines at Nautilus and am thinking about getting last years model elliptical because it is smaller. It has less features but would do for me and dh. Still thinking about it though. I also tried out a treadclimber...anyone else try that one? It's like a treadmill only...you are walking but climbing so really works your calves. Of course if you have a regular treadmill you can also walk on an incline but this is different. It is shorter than either a regular treadmill or an elliptical but is wide like a treadmill so that could make it too large for my small space too. here's a video of it. http://www.treadclimber.com/bowflex-...&goto=trcwhy11

Mary, there was a time when I was younger, that I wanted to switch to a treadclimber instead of the treadmill but I didn't. Now I'm glad, because I don't think I could do the treadclimber at my age and lack of fitness. I have a hard time using the incline as it is. Also, I don't think DH would use it. This way, we both use the treadmill. I think the treadclimber would take the place of a treadmill and elliptical.

One good thing about you having your own exercise equipment is you will be able to do some exercise after meals. They say 10-15 min of exercise after meals helps to reduce insulin resistance and lower blood sugar.

It sounds like you had a good time with your grandchildren. That's good, since you probably don't get to see them that much. Is that the daughter that doesn't socialize well with your other kids?

Today was the big marathon in Pittsburgh. That day is always significant to us because when DH had his heart attack in '93 he was due to be released the day of the marathon. I talked his doctor into letting him go home on the day before because I would probably have a hard time getting to the hospital with the marathon and all the road closures. We don't use the hospitals in Pittsburgh anymore.

Today we will probably go out to buy tomato plants. The ones DH likes can only be bought at one greenhouse in our area, and they sell out quick. The guy who owns the place says he has a hard time getting the seeds for them. Our planting season usually starts at the end of May, but we buy them early so we don't miss out, and keep them in the garage until later in the month. They produce a nice tasting tomato, not too big.

Good Sunday everyone! It's a beautiful day ..was 72 when we were driving home from church. I wore a new skirt I bought Friday...it's long but a cool fabric however it feels too big and too long...just too much material for me. Think I'm going to take it back. It was an impulse purchase, I didn't really need it and don't have much to wear with it. I think I was just in the mood to buy something

For lunch I made Parmesan Tuna Patties. It was an unusual recipe combined the tuna with mackerel and used pork rinds as the filler. I had never tasted mackerel so wasn't sure about it, but it actually tasted like salmon but guess it was lighter in fat. I actually forgot to check the label but since it was a "diet" recipe I'm thinking that was why it was used. Our veggie was also sort of a new dish as it was just red peppers and red onions sauteed in coconut oil and a little butter. I also fried the patties in coconut oil spray which was a new product to me. I really like coconut oil so figured I'd like it too.

Last night we went to a party to watch the fight. I don't care for boxing, but they wanted me to go so bad that I gave in and I actually did have fun. My dh was rooting for Manny Pacquiao and he didn't win...it actually wasn't an exciting fight...but we got to reconnect with a lot of people who used to be our neighbors and that was fun...lots of good food too..and I way overate and my bs was very high last night but not much different this morning, however my weight was up 2#.

Carol Sue - You asked me about my dd. No, all my kids get a long pretty well usually..although there was an issue that came up back in Dec and you may be thinking of that. But she is not the dd that we rarely see. That one gets along with her siblings too though. I just don't see these gc often because they are so busy and with the traffic it takes too long for them to come here and get home in time, but she and her fam come when they can.

Well company just came so gotta go. Have a good Sunday!

Yes, Mary, I was thinking about when you said your one daughter didn't want to come home when the other kids did, or something like that. I'm glad they are all getting along well now.

I don't understand about the Coconut Oil Spray. Is it the Coconut Oil Pam? That's the one I don't understand. On the can it says 0 fat, and I don't understand how that could be since Coconut Oil does contain fat. That's why I didn't buy it. I have regular Coconut Oil that you spoon out of the jar. You make some interesting dishes, Mary. I don't get that adventurous because DH wouldn't eat it. Picky.

We went out to eat yesterday. We both got a baked stuffed pork chop. I didn't eat the stuffing, and I didn't get a potato or any starch or roll with mine. I got a tossed salad, green beans, and cucumber salad, which was cucumbers and onions in italian dressing. The server was a new girl and she kept mentioning the different potatoes they had and was a little confused that I didn't want any. I didn't explain. It was very hard for me to leave that stuffing but I did it! My blood sugar is still higher than it should be but at least I'm not getting readings over 200 anymore. One little bit of carbs and I get a spike.

We didn't watch the fight, but DH was also rooting for Pacquiano and was dissapointed that he didn't win. I can't stand to watch boxing. It just seems so brutal.

We are babysitting this am, so I got up early (for me - 7 am), did my stretches, cleaned the master bathroom, had breakfast and started a load of laundry before they got here. The stretches help me wake up slowly and I feel better when I do them. They are mostly for my neck and back but I have added a few more including some balance work. My balance is not as good as it was so want to keep working on that. My weight has zoomed up to 172 again, very disappointing but shows that I just cannot afford to overeat anymore, esp on party foods.

I heard on the Filipino news last night that Paquiao fought with an injury he had gotten three days before, so guess that's why he didn't fight so aggressively as usual. Some of the pros thought he still should have won...I thought so too...but what do I know. I'm really not into boxing at all for same reasons as you but honestly can't say this fight was brutal.

Carol Sue - My coconut oil spray is Spectrum brand. Yes coconut oil contains fat but so does olive oil and they have a spray for that too with 0 fat. The 0 fat is only with a brief spray - maybe 8-10 seconds...not sure that's right...but think it says on the bottle. If you spray a lot you will get some fat but it is minimal. Not sure how they do it but they say you can make your own sprays/mists. I really like coconut oil...has so many uses..good for the skin too so if I get some on my hands I just rub it in. Smells so nice too.
I use it and olive oil mostly plus sometimes Smart Balance and occasionally real butter. My son bought a huge bottle of Canola oil...I prefer not to use it but because he has it I do occasionally use it. When it's gone I don't plan on buying any more and hope he won 't.

GFY showing such restraint with the potato...see I need to be more like that...I can't seem to say no to foods I really love and potato is one of those.

Dh's eye doctor is going to Kaiser, so we have to find a new one with our insurance. There are other doctors in the same clinic and as far as I know he could still see one of them but he wants to find one closer. So I found a guy about 1/2 mile closer and he is going to call him. I told him maybe it would be better to stay where he is as they would have his records...no need to wait for them to be transferred and also would know how his previous doctor worked, but he seems set on changing. Only thing I didn't like about the other clinic was we often had to wait a long time, so maybe that's part of it with him. I hope he finds someone he likes as well as he did his previous doctor.

Well need to get back to the kids. They are playing nicely each on his/her own though. Hello to all...Glynne - how are you doing?

Mary Good idea for the stretches when getting up in the morning. I used to do that and will begin again. Balance exercise, too. Balance is improving as I am gardening and walking outside where the ground is a bit "lumpy" from tree roots. Notice that in past few weeks I'm less wobbly than I was earlier.

Six hours a day outside, but with frequent rests from gardening, enjoying talking with DH or DD as we sip water or coffee, moving from one shady set of seats to another with some gardening in-between.

Carol Sue Smart that you didn't get tread climber. At least the tread mill allows us to use incline or not. I keep thinking I'll get on for at least 10 minutes a day . . . At least with the digging, bending and such I'm full of sore muscles so I'm definitely doing something.

Gayle Hope you have good weather as we do and can get out to bike or walk. Simply being out of the house helps me feel better and more energetic. How are you doing now?

We do not like Boxing so didn't watch the fight. Glad Mary and DH went to party with friends and had fun. Basketball is my favorite sport and we have NBA Playoffs going on now to watch in evenings when we are too tired to stand.

Lost a close friend over the weekend. His wife has been such a dear friend that was my partner for years in Church work. She will have a time adjusting to life without her beloved. Don't expect her to remain in our area altho she has lots of friends here, but her kids all live in another state.

Our high school class is meeting on same day as Funeral. This luncheon is only 67 miles away, but I will be with my friend at the Funeral, most important. DH was friends with him and will also be there.

Love2garden, sorry to hear about the loss of your friend. It seems as we get older, more people our age are passing on.

I went out and looked at my flower beds today. They aren't as bad as I expected. I think if I get some mulch in them soon it will prevent the weeds from growing. I hope so. The lilacs are blooming, so I can't stay out in the yard very long. They didn't bother me for the short time I was out there today.

Mary, I use Canola oil when I make fried potatoes for DH. I think it's better than Vegetable Oil. DH doesn't like olive oil, but I do put it on vegetables when I roast them...he just doesn't know that. LOL I bought some Pam that was butter flavored but I don't like it so I won't buy that one again. I also buy the olive oil Pam and use that. I have a spray bottle for olive oil. You put the oil in it and pump it up and it sprays out. I don't use that very much. When I want to spray olive oil I just use the Pam. It is not real Pam, it's Aldi's brand...same thing.

I ate mostly vegetables today to see if I could get my blood sugar to come down some. It was 136 2 hours after dinner, and it hasn't gone that low in weeks. I want to see what it is by bedtime. If it goes lower, closer to 100, then I guess my Beta Cells are still working and I am just not being careful enough with my carbs. I know that vegetables are carbs, but I guess because of the fiber they don't effect blood sugar. I also ate 1/2 of a hamburger patty that DH didn't finish at dinner. It's like when a mother finishes the food her kids don't eat. LOL

I hope Gayle is OK. She hasn't posted since the April 30th. Hopefully she is just busy.