KarrineDenver won!!! Also NC Panthers. Both teams and each quarterback we watched on TV even when they were in college. Will be hard to choose which to cheer for.

Mary I enjoy the on line Jigsaw Puzzles, too. Tried something different yesterday. I completed a puzzle, then tried it again with a "different cut." Wow, that was a challenge I'll try again. Fun, too.
Crossword puzzles are beyond me. I simply don't think in the way they require, no matter how I try. I see shapes naturally and that is why the jigsaw puzzles work for enjoyment.

CarolSue Tell us how you feel now that you are 70. How is the sun helping melt your snow? It is helping some here, but at this rate it will be a week to get rid of some of the piles. Several of neighbor's cars were blocked in when the plow went thru on 4 occasions on Friday and Saturday and even once on Sunday. Contractor lives 2 blocks over and must drive past our home to get to main road. Lucky for us!!!

My birthday went well. It wasn't bad at the funeral home. This woman who died was 97 years old. Had lived a long and fulfilling life. We hadn't seen some of the family members in a long time and it was good to see everyone in spite of the circumstances. We are friends with the woman's son.

We went out for dinner. We eat out often so it wasn't anything special. We ate at a local restaurant that has good food. I still want to go to Texas Roadhouse one day this week. We don't like to go there on weekends because it gets crowded.

Also, my eyes are OK. I think it was just from reading those magazines. Magazine pages are shiny and could have caused some strain. I wear glasses when I read the magazines but not when I'm on the computer. I can usually see the computer screen better without them. I probably spend a lot more time online than I should.

Karrine, I was glad NE didn't win because of the couple times they were accused of cheating, and I was glad Carolina won the other game because they haven't gone to the Super Bowl for a long time. I don't like when it's the same teams over and over.

Gayle I hope your son gets some relief for this back other than muscle relaxers. I think there should be some type of therapy other than just pills. Also, he should be able to have more time off.

What types of foods would you like to have in addition to the vegetables you eat? Maybe there is some way you could fit small portions into your diet. Not everyone is suited to that plan.

Sandy, I hope your DH is careful with the shoveling. That's very hard work. DH mostly uses a snowblower, but it doesn't work in some places and he needs to shovel. I always worry about him.

Mary, I have been having forgetful moments for years. I forget people's names. One time I was introducing DH to someone and I forgot his name. My mind just went blank. He realized it right away and stuck out his hand to shake hands and said "Jerry" so the people didn't realize I forgot. I was only in my 40s when that happened. LOL I think when you have dementia it is more than you don't recognize a person that you know very well, and don't remember their relationship to you. I guess the beginning symptoms are more subtle. I know they have meds that slow down the progression.

We are expecting a tech again to work on our dishwasher which stopped working entirely. I have never had so much trouble with a dishwasher as with this one. Dh went fishing this morning. Halo has been giving us trouble at night again. She whines to go out and stays out a long time barking. Dh says our new neighbors have a dog but that dog doesn't bark, only Halo! Dh has had to go out the last two nights to bring her in. Last night he was up with her almost an hour. If this keeps up, we will not be able to keep her because our neighbors will start complaining again and I don't blame them.

Carol - Glad your birthday went well. LOL about forgetting your dh's name. I have always been bad at remembering names and I've had a similar thing happen to me. This is different. It isn't just names, there are other things...it's not the same all the time. Some are funny but strange, others are very strange and more concerning. Too much to tell here. Glad your eyes seem ok now but like Sandy said, I recommend a thorough checkup by an ophthalmologist, esp since you have diabetes if you haven't had one in a while. Because of our diabetes and my history of iritis and dh's glaucoma our insurance covers our visits.

Karrine - 3.5# in one week is wonderful!! So happy for you! I was going to change my weigh-in day back to Sunday, but yesterday I forgot to weigh. Today I was .5# down...not much but if it stays I'll be happy to take it. And my bs is much better. I did well with my eating yesterday and so far today.
I track all my food too and at the end of a day's entry in MFP, it will tell you what your weight would be in 5 weeks if you ate the same every day. That sorta motivates me either to be more careful or to more persistent. Yes I remember drinking both cherry and chocolate cokes in my teens even after I was married and had a couple smaller kids. I introduced them to them! :dizzy: I esp loved the chocolate ones. Now that I'm drinking diet coke I wasn't sure how the chocolate would taste in it and also I think it's not sugar free. They also had vanilla but I don't know if I'd like that.

Sandy - Hope your snow is gone soon. Bet it is pretty though. Glad your dd is helping with it too. Our son took some things up to the attic for us when he visited on Sat. He doesn't like his dad going up there anymore, but we also are concerned about him (son) falling too. He still has to work for a living.

Well need to get to work before the service man comes and sees my dirty house. ;)

Good afternoon GG's,

Slightly sunny today and warmer ~ in the 60's.

I did the walking yesterday (5 minutes each hour). I aimed for 6 times, but my sister called and I was talking to her when the last one was due and missed it. I planned to do it later, but my knee started hurting, I didn't want to push it, so I only made it to 5 times, but I felt good about that.

I'm off to a good start today with my plan to walk. After the knee hurting yesterday (still hurts a little today, but I did the walk anyway) I thought maybe it was walking in the kitchen and back and forth and turning lots of times, that maybe that bothered my knee. Maybe I kind of twisted it a little or did some movement that aggravated it, so I decided maybe I just need to bite the bullet and do it on the treadmill. Maybe that is better anyway ~ I can go a little faster that way. I kind of shied away from the treadmill, because I wanted to watch TV while I was on there, but if I am only gonna do it in 5 minute chunks, by the time I find a program and get it going, I could have had that 5 minutes done. So, I thought I would just use that time for praying.

I kind of half watched the football playoff games yesterday. My son was disappointed that his favorite team (the New England Patriots) didn't win.

I had the nicest visit with my grandson last night via the instant message. I sent him the link to a video of a machine that had been invented that could solve a rubiks cube in 1 second. (He is a cubing nut.) He shared one then of the kid who holds the worlds record for solving in 4.9 seconds. I asked Corbin what was his fastest time ~ he said 8.6 seconds. That may not be the world record, but it still impressive to me. He goes to cube solving tournaments.

Then he took a trip down memory lane ~ asked me if I remembered ~ when he first learned to solve it. He said he was 12, I thought he was younger. It was summer time and he was staying overnight here. He found a video on Youtube that taught how to solve the cube and he stayed up all night working on it until he taught himself how to do it. Since that time, he has just kept working and working and improving his time.

He is a senior this year and is planning on going to college, but doesn't know yet “what he wants to be when he grows up”. He said he didn't wanna grow up ~ feels kind of scared. It is scary, but he is a smart kid, so I am sure he will do well what ever he decides to be.

Carol Sue ~ I feel the same way as you about the same teams winning all the time ~ I know my son was disappointed that his favorite team didn't win, but I thought to myself that now someone else would have a chance.

About the food ~ the other day, I went through Fuhrman's cook book and made a list of the things that Steve might find questionable as ingredients in a recipe, but I felt like ~ if they were in Fuhrman's recipe book ~ how could he argue with that. The Fuhrman diet has two versions ~ vegetarian for aggressive weight loss, and a non-vegetarian version. Steve has reached his weight, so I feel like he could loosen up and eat some of the non-vegetarian recipes ~ he doesn't need aggressive weight loss at this point (didn't need it really before ~ in my opinion. To look at him you wouldn't have thought he had any cardiac problem/vessel blockage ~ but it is the genetics of his family, not a weight problem). The only thing I can think of as to why he is so rigid about this diet is that when he had that blockage and how he felt that day he came in from lawn mowing and laid down on the floor ~ feeling all weak and everything and then having to go through that stent procedure ~ is that it scared him and so he wants to follow it to the letter in hopes that he won't have more problems.

For myself, I follow the diet, but not as carefully as Steve ~ I think in order for me to make any progress, I have to bend the rules a little ~ while still trying to make healthy choices most of the time. It has to be something I can like the things I am eating, or I will have trouble sticking to it. For instance, yogurt isn't on this diet, but I eat yogurt occasionally ~ not because I crave it, but because I am hungry, I like it, and it is a better choice than some other things I would rather have. I don't feel like I am harming myself or being “BAD” by doing that. Or a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese on a salad ~ it makes it look so pretty and fresh and appetizing to me. The reason for me to follow it is to lose this weight. So, if I follow it mostly, and am losing weight ~ that is a good thing ~ and I feel like even if I bend the rules a bit but eat right most of the time ~ I am still better off than if I was just eating what ever I pleased and didn't even try at all.

Sandy ~ glad you got to enjoy the games yesterday. I enjoy the online jig saw puzzles too. The site I go to, you can use pictures you find there, or make puzzles out of pictures you find yourself. And there are settings where you can choose how many pieces it is going to have and what shape you want the pieces to be and if you want to have to rotate the pieces or not. I get in a mood to do those, then kind of want something else and so maybe the coloring I mentioned back along, some crocheting or some other project.

Sara stopped over yesterday and brought stuff for a project she wants me to work on. Sofa pillows. I had made her some before, but her dogs got sick on them, so she had to throw them away.

Karrine ~ way to go with the 3.5 pound loss. I'm sorry that your ankle is still giving you troubles. Glad you are gonna go get it checked out. Keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best for you.

Mary ~ good job getting back into the swing of going to the gym. The online crossword puzzles sound fun. My dad used to do the one in his paper every day. I would cut them out of my paper and send him a whole big bunch of them every once in a while, as they were different ones in my paper than his. I play that Words with Friends thing with my sister ~ I'm not very good at it ~ she and a couple other people I play with ~ woop the pants off me, but it is fun to try ~ I have learned some new words.

Mary and Karrine ~ My son's back problem has been going on for a while. A few years back, he had some kind of treatments that helped it, but was told that after a few years, the helpful effects of it would wear off. He actually has had a couple more years than they said. The trouble is the kind of work he does ~ back breaking work. He is a loader of trucks in a warehouse. The loading is done with some kind of fork lift type thing, but then there are other parts that he has to do. Other places have a machine that wraps pallets so a person doesn't have to ~ because it is very hard physically on a person to do it. The place he was working at closed it's warehouse and he had to take a job with another place. I think he said he was told that they would not have to wrap pallets, but when he got in there ~ what they said and how it really was were two different things. To wrap a pallet ~ the person has to have this big roll of shrink wrap and go (walking) round and round the pallet until it is wrapped ~ and do it while bending over. And the walking is more like hurrying ~ because they are paid by how many cases of a product they load on the trucks. I have seen how he would do it ~ while he was wrapping furniture when he moved. No wonder his work has taken a toll on his back. He is a very hard concienous worker and puts his all into doing a good job. Years of working like this and age ~ it has caught up to him.

I guess I am hoping some doctor will say that he can no longer do this type of work, and then he could maybe get help to retrain for some other kind of work. He is limited in what kind of work he can do, because unfortunately, he quit high school and never graduated and has not gotten a GED either. There is a vocational rehab place and I think they have programs that train people who are no longer able to do their jobs ~ so that they can find some kind of employment and continue to work and support themselves. From talking with them before, I think they said he had to get the GED first. That has been a stumbling block for him ~ he struggles to learn. I think the lady I talked to before said there is some kind of testing they can do to determine if a person has a learning disability and then there would be some other step instead of a GED. I need to help Jason find out more about that.

Well, I've done it again. Wrote a book ~ I'm sorry. I guess my writing here ~ for me is like visiting with friends. Also, as I am doing this, it keeps my mind off things that make me sad or worried. And helps me to keep my hands out of the food. Thank you for helping me in this way.

Hope you all have had a good day.

Thanks for the welcome to the forum. I live in the woods of Alaska. We make our own electric ( no phone or electric lines here) and heat with wood and coal. I am sure it is not the grizzly adams version of Alaska the TV shows even with reality shows. We work seasonally and do stuff at home in the winter. I came here 35 years ago and have had 3 children in Alaska (had the oldest before we came) its a good life and I LOVE the people. I'm tend to be a free thinker and a lover of my freedom. So thats me.

Gayle- My oldest has trouble learning too and at 35 still doesn't have her GED but I think there is lots more help now with learning disabilites than there used to be. He is lucky to have a mom who is willing to look for help.

Carol Sue- You are to be admired still watching your weight at 70. I want to be you.

Karrine- Nice weight loss. Hope your ankle is better soon.

Hello again Homegirl. I enjoyed reading what you have shared with us ~ a little about you and your life. It is fun to get to know new people and always interesting learning about life in other areas of the country.

Good morning,
I bit the bullet yesterday and called the doctor. I have an appointment this morning. I really don't know what else he can do for me but it will be good to get his opinion. I'm having 4 slices of crisp bacon; 1 egg and 1 toast for supper tonight. Sure am looking forward to that bacon as I haven't had any for a long time. The other thing I really miss on this diet is I have a McDonald's only 3 blocks away and I often went over for their sausage egg McMuffin rather than make my own breakfast. I can have anything I want as long as I keep within my daily point range.

Mary - I went to the crossword puzzle site you posted but I would have to pay in US dollars for a membership. I found another site that is free which I played yesterday and enjoyed it. Good for you in losing 1/2 lb...that is better than nothing and I know it is harder for you because of the meds you take. I'm drinking diet coke now too since starting this diet along with a 1 point bag of Smart Pop Popcorn each afternoon. Sorry about your dishwasher being out of order. Hope it got fixed yesterday.

Gayle - Once again, GFY on keeping up with your walking but don't push your knee too hard until the pain goes away. Wow that your grandson can solve rubiks cube in 8.6 seconds. I agree with you in that bending the rules a bit on your diet that it won't hurt if you still lose weight with the small change. It's too bad your son's employer dosen't have less strenuous jobs for it's employees who need it.

Akhomegirl - how impressive that you make your own electric and heat with wood and coal. You sure so have a very interesting life without all the conveniences we all have. Tell us more. How close are your neighbours?

Have a good day everyone,
Karrine

Our cable provider just eliminated 2 stations from our secondary TV and now we can only get them on the main TV. They are stations I go into the bedroom to watch when DH is watching car programs on the main TV. I don't watch much TV, but they removed the stations I do watch! DH is going to call and complain. I think if enough customers complain they might bring them back. If they don't, then I might as well give up the box for the secondary TV.

Mary, I hope you are not developing dementia. I was reading online the early symptoms. Most of them I don't have, but I do have one. Occasionally I will be talking and I will forget what I'm saying in the middle of a sentence, and I forget common words for things. I don't do that often, but it happens. They explained the symptom and then gave a similar example of typical aging.

Gayle, my husband did the same job as your DS does. He did that for 33 years until the warehouse closed. I asked him if they had to manually shrink wrap the pallets and he said yes. He was 50 when it closed. Then he went to work in the parts department of a car dealership until he was old enough to retire. He got paid a lot less money there, but it was close to home and he enjoyed it. When my step-daughter was in grade school they hinted that they thought she had a learning disability but she was never tested. She graduated, but by the skin of her teeth. She works as a cashier in the same car dealership that DH worked in. She wants to find a job that pays more but can't. She has had trouble at other jobs and even got fired from one, so we want her to just stay where she is because she does the job well, and we think she will have a job forever.

I don't think there should be a problem with you eating yogurt or small portions of cheese now and then because they are healthy foods. If I were you I would just do it and eventually your husband will get accustomed to you doing it.

I don't have a problem with your long posts, because I am long winded, too.

AKhomegirl, your life is a little bit like the show we watch, so I understand. How do you get internet? I think if you live that way all your life it's normal to you.

I don't know how old everyone is on this thread, but I know there are a couple who are older than I am and they are still watching their weight. I think when you have a weight problem, it's a life long thing. I have heard in the past that older people forget to eat. I am wondering when that will start. LOL

Sandy, I really don't feel any different being 70, except for knowing that I lived longer than the rest of my family. Medicine is much farther advanced now than it was back then. My father died at 60, my mother at 64, one brother died in his 50s and the other in his 40s. He had severe medical problems. I also had a half-sister but I never counted her as immediate family because she didn't live with us. She lived to the age of 85. She must have taken after her mother.

Karrine, I like the McDonald's Sausage and Egg Biscuit, too. In fact, that's the only thing I like from McDonald's. DH goes to get breakfast for us once a week. I have started getting the Big Breakfast though and I only eat the eggs and sausage. DH eats my hashbrowns and we give the biscuits to the birds. This week I bought some bacon so I will have some in the morning with my eggs. Bacon is an occasional treat, not every day.

CarolSue I'm laughing at your suggestion that anyone who is older could forget to eat. I'll never live that long. Occasionally if I was really engaged in something I enjoyed, I went past hunger, but that was rare.

Funny All my siblings are half sister or half brother, but I always counted them as simply my brother or sister. Only Shirley lived with us, Mom's daughter. As long as they were alive we got together at least monthly except when my brother moved across country to San Diego. He still would visit when they came east.

My brother had heart attack in his mid 50's and died immediatly. His heart always gave him problems but his sons, Dan and Greg are still going strong in their late 60's.

All my sisters made it above 80. Both parents were healthy until Mom began to spray pesticides on her roses so often, without a mask, and those chemicals damaged her lungs AND her bones. She still lived to 83. Younges sister, only 12 years older, had diabetes and multiple car crashes and each time would heal so well. Last time she fell in shower, broke her neck and even healed from that injury. THank goodness I was just retired and could go to help her at times.

Shirley, my sister, was a best friend who took care of me when I was born and Mom went back to work (Which she loved and was far better at her job than in taking care of a baby or a teenager, either.)

Mom was a controlling person. I lived a mile from High School and was given so many minutes to put books in locker then walk rapidly home with her waiting at the front door for me. Probably was a blessing because the kids that hung around town sometimes were in trouble.

Remember I told how she picked out my clothes thru high school, sewing most of them, and certainly sending me back to change if I didn't suit her.
Even for my wedding, she mad my gorgeous dress, but the dress she chose for my "going away" trip to a park in Virginia (swiming, hiking, 36 hour honeymoon) was a lined sundress with HEELS!!!.

My wonderful Mother in Law whispered and told me to go to her bedroom 8 miles away, and put on some comfortable shorts and sandels She would protect my dress.

Poor Mom, she never could see things from anyone else's viewpoint, and was terrified that someone might think bad of her.

Thank goodness, I didn't inherit either trate.

HomeGal Do tell us how on earth you manage without all the utilities and helps we have become so dependent upon? How to you keep warm? How do you survive the hours of darkness? How do you sleep in summer with so few hours of dark?

Karrine What did the doctor tell you? Sure hope you heal quickly.

Mary No wonder your husband is strong!

Sandy (Carol Sue and you thought you were talkative )

Went to the gym, then stopped at Kohls to return a watch I bought a few weeks ago. It never worked, got a new battery for it and still didn't work. She said they don't sell Pulsar anymore and that is why I got such a good deal on it. I had a feeling that was the case. It was a pretty watch though. After that we stopped to see the gc for a few minutes. Now resting before starting my housework. Yesterday the service man fixed our dishwasher...the computer part of it where the lights are was out. The part they sent wasn't right so he had to pick one up and came back at the end of his day to install it. Glad to have it working again.

Dh told me just yesterday how bad his peripheral vision is in his right eye. I always remind him to turn his head both ways when driving but I did not realize it was so bad. It got worse after his last surgery on it and his eyes always (esp the right) feel so tired. He regrets having the glaucoma surgery. I reminded him the doctor did say his vision would continue to worsen for I think he said three more years (its been about two I think), and then should stop. He also said though he would not have to use drops after the surgery but he soon had to go back to using them because his pressure started climbing again. We think also that it was the glaucoma surgery that caused his intraoccular lens to drop requiring yet another surgery. I know this is all very discouraging to him.
My concern is that soon he may not be allowed to have a drivers licences...I want him (and others) to be safe of course, but know what a blow that will be to him.

Carol - That's too bad about the TV shows you like, esp as you don't watch much. I hope they will change that. We only have one TV and it's in our family room. It's a 42 inch. When the tech was here doing the upgrade on our package, he recommended if we buy a new TV we should get a Samsung 55 inch. He said it would be just right for the distance to dh's recliner. But we instead got our current TV repaired. Maybe next time. This TV was given to us by our sil and dd for our 50th anniversary and it's the best we've ever had.

I don't have all the early symptoms either, but have some although not just like they describe. Like following recipes is harder for me now, I often miss something even after I think I've read it carefully or I simply forget to add something. However what I read says "familiar recipes" and these are not usual familiar recipes. It maybe more like I just can't focus well or long enough to read carefully. I have stopped taking the Pravastatin...I do not like those statin drugs and right now my cholesterol is fine. Today I will start taking more Vit B and Folic Acid. My doctor said it's ok to try it for two months but he doesn't recommend more than 50 mg of Vit B, so I will stick to to that. The article recommended 200 mg. I googled it and found that toxicity has occurred at 1000 mg and occasionally even at 100-200, so I will be careful. Right now I'm only getting 2mg so even 50 will be quite a bit more.

Yeah, I wish I could forget to eat sometimes...I mean I want to be healthy but food is constantly on my mind usually. Maybe I'm just not busy enough.
Dh forgets to eat sometimes and he says he doesn't have much appetite anymore.

Carol/Glynn - I'm glad they are more aware of learning disabilities. Two of my gc have learning disabilities. They are getting special education right now, the youngest (3) just started, but the oldest (5) has benefited from it I think. He talks much better...of course it is possible that would have improved anyway but I think the special classes helped. Sometimes I still can't understand him but mostly I can now. I notice though that he still can't
identify numbers. At that age, my kids were playing board games even Monopoly so this is strange to me. They understand what we say though and play with others ok. It's concerning because we want our children/gc to do well in life after we are gone.

Your family members have sure died young, Carol, glad you are alert to health issues and try to take care of them. My mom died at 64 also but most in my family lived a long time. I had one cousin though that died about 35 from breast cancer with mets to the bone.

Karrine - I don't understand about having to join AARP to do the puzzles. I do not belong to AARP, but do the puzzles for free. Glad you found another site though. If I go by when I started the FL diet, today would be my weigh-in day and I dropped another 1/2#, but I haven't actually been following that plan recently. I'm back to just counting calories using MFP, so I don't know what day to consider my weigh-in day. I've heard Wed is the lowest weight day for most people so that's a good encouraging day to weight.;) But I don't know whether that's true for me. I think I prefer Sun mainly because we often eat out that day and I can weigh before that and have time to work it off before the next Sun. ;) Anyway I was 172 this morning, but I'm not changing my sig yet. I have been riding my stationary bike I have (at home) for about 15 min on the rolling hills program. I sometimes pedal really fast and I feel like I get a better work out on it than at the gym even though on that program it does not go up as high on intensity....think it goes from 4-8, but it's the hills that do it I guess. I hope the doctor can help you. You've suffered long enough.

AKHomegirl - Thanks for sharing more about your life...sure sounds interesting and a lot of work. I'm probably not strong enough for your way of life, but think it's great you can do it. There is another GG, Rosey, who lives in Alaska and they hunt for their meat. I am not sure how they heat their log cabin. We visited Alaska last summer and really liked it. The weather was great at the time. Don't think I'd like the winter even though I'm sure it's pretty. We were able to visit Rosey while we were up there. She is really a nice lady. She hasn't posted here for a long while but perhaps she is lurking and will see your post.

Glynn - I'm glad you are exercising still. I know it's not always easy for you. I'm thinking I may get a treadclimber next year. It's kind of a combination of a treadmill and an eliptical. Too expensive right now but if my son can get it for me at a deep discount after they've been on the market a while, I might get one. They are not so long so won't take up so much space as my bike or a regular treadmill. Halo always wants to hang around me and kiss me while I'm biking. The other day I accidentally hit her in the head with the pedal! She's ok but she ran fast and hopefully will be more careful of the bike now. I like to bike while watching TV too. I thought I would read but can't see well enough in that room. Glad you had a nice chat with our gs. I rarely talk to my grown gc but sure enjoy when they on rare occasions come to visit. Some of them text now and then too.

ETA: Dh hooked up one of those long leashes for Halo...the kind that as they go out further it extends...for her to use at night, so if she gets to enjoying being out there too long we won't have to look for her. Last night it worked fine and she did not bark probably cause she wasn't out there long.

Well I've typed my "book," so better get off and get some work done now.

Sandy, hope you're doing well, where are you fluffy?

It looks like we're all gabby today! LOL

DH talked to the cable company today and we are going to get a new box for the bedroom that will give us all the TV shows we get in the living room. They are also going to remove the cable box from the TV that's in my exercise room and Jerry is going to set up a different kind of box he has that will just get the local channels. That way I will still be able to watch my soaps when I exercise. I don't really need cable in that room. We have 6 TVs in our house. Our main TV is a Samsung 50 inch, and the others are smaller. DH would put a TV in the bathroom if he could. LOL

Mary, have you ever tried a Treadclimber? It looks so hard. I don't think I could do that. I can't even stand to have my treadmill on an incline.

Just a quick check in. I love the idea that you check in once a week. Great idea. If I weigh everyday , I obsess about it and it just makes it all worse. I have a satelite dish for internet with the router hooked to the inverter that is hooked to the battery bank. We charge the battery bank with the generator. We heat with wood/coal as I have said so thats the utilities. I have a washing machine and dryer like you guys but I only run it with the generator on and most of the time I dry on a rack behind the wood cookstove. It works and I am grateful for it as I spent the early years at the laudromat and taking showers elsewhere. Now we have a well that we pump to a storage tank hooked to a 12 volt pump so we have a shower and running water. YES!!!
It's a challenge but not as hard as you think.

I admire you all for checking in everyday and being there for each other. Have a great day.

Good morning everyone,
Was at the doctor's office yesterday and he said that I over extended myself in shoveling the snow and that I either stretched or tore a ligament. He said to just continue doing what I have been doing and that it usually takes 6 to 8 weeks for something like this to heal. I'm glad I went for his opinion and what to expect for the next month with my ankle so I'll try to stop complaining about it. It's just that I can't do any walking exercise until it heals but I am going to start doing upper body exercises in order to keep limber.

Carol - Sorry to hear about your cable woes. I couldn't do without my bedroom TV and box. LOL about older people forgetting to eat ----I wish!!
Oh my, your family sure did pass away at a young age. I haven't purchased bacon in about 6 months so I sure did enjoy having it last night and will again tonight and perhaps on the weekend to use it up. I have had bacon occasionally at restaurants though.

Sandy - your Mom sure does sound like a controlling person just giving you minutes to do things however, I'm sure you loved her for all she has done for you.

Mary - sorry to hear about DH vision problems. I so big on vision care because my Mom had retinitis pigmitosa (spelling?) and was diabetic. She only started losing her vision in her 50's until she was considered blind by the time she died at 92 years of age. She was the most wonderful mother a person could have and was and still is an inspiration to me. I am a carrier of this disease as it is hereditary but so far it hasn't showed up in my daughter or grandkids but my sister's son and grandson now has it.
According to the AARP website they want you to take out a membership so I didn't even try to do a crossword puzzle there but if you say you can than I guess you can. We have the Canadian version CARP but not that I've found this other website which I'm happy with I'll stay with that.
GFY in dropping another 1/2 lb. Do whatever works for you as a weigh in day. For me, I weigh in on Monday mornings and so far that works for me.

This weekend is the end of the month so I get to go out to a restaurant this weekend as a treat and not worry about the points. I haven't decided where I want to go yet.

Have a good day everyone,
Karrine

Good morning GG's,

The sun kind of comes and goes today. It is 45* now ~ supposed to get up only to the high 50's.

I spent a lot of yesterday getting information/papers organized for a doctor visit today. The new PCP ~ because our insurance changed ~ several of the doctors we had did not accept the new insurance, so we had to find new ones. DH is going with me to help make sure I come out of there with everything I need. It is a complicated visit. With our previous insurance, if we needed to see a specialist, we could just make the appointment ourselves. This insurance requires that we get a referral from the PCP. I have several ~ but there are a couple that I have to see regularly (the doctors for my Rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and the gastroenterologist for the GERD). So, I have to get those referrals lined up, or I could run out of medicine.

The other day, my sister and I were talking, I worried that I hurt her feelings. We were talking about when we get old. She said she always thought that if both our husbands “went” before we did, that she and I would live together. Once upon a time, I sort of thought that would be cool, but now, I don't know that we could do it. She is very outspoken and very intense about some things. She will go into a rant about religion or politics. She hates her touch screen cell phone and some aspects of the computer/technology. She has dogs and would probably want one, and while I like dogs, I'm not sure I would want to live with one. When we are talking we frequently disagree about things and end up feeling frustrated with each other. I told her I didn't think I could live with her ~ that if we did ~ it would have to be in a duplex where we could be by each other but each have our own seperate place. I was sort of joking, but sort of serious too. That made her feel bad ~ she said she envisioned us watching TV in the evening in our jammies ~ kind of like a slumber party ~ then going off to bed. I don't think we could even watch TV together ~ she likes different kind of programs than I do. I enjoy spending time with her, but don't know that I could live with her. And part of me feels like we would be a bad influence on each other ~ eating and exercise wise. We both like sweets and stuff we shouldn't eat. She was always smaller than me, but lately it has caught up with her. Like me, she knows she shouldn't indulge in the things she does and that she should exercise, but she doesn't seem to have good self discipline anymore than I do.

I had dreams last night. I don't like dreaming. They aren't nightmarish or anything, but it just seems like it is not a restful sleep when I am dreaming. In the first part, I had worked (night shift like I did), and then couldn't get home to go to sleep and spent all day trying to get home to sleep and never did, then had to go back to work on no sleep. The second part, I was with my sister and we were kind of in a house ~ like at college where a lot of girls all live together. I went out somewhere and when I came back, I couldn't find the one where I had been with my bed and everything and spent all night looking for my place ~ I don't think I ever did find it. I was sort of half awake by then and wanted to sleep some more, but at the same time, wanted to wake up and be done with those frustrating dreams.

Karrine ~ glad you went to the doctor to find out about your ankle. I'm sorry that it is going to take a while for it to get better. Take care of yourself and don't push it ~ let it get healed. Good idea doing the upper body exercises in the mean time. Enjoy your end of the month meal out.

Homegirl ~ I enjoyed hearing more about your life up there in Alaska. Most of us are here more than once a week. Some do their weigh in just once a week, but coming here is more often. Like someone mentioned, for us this is not just about diet, but kind of a friendship ~ we enjoy talking about all kinds of things and not just the food or dieting. But we support each other too along with the visiting.

Carol Sue ~ I'm glad your husband got the cable thing straightened out so you could still watch your shows in the evening. I have heard about people forgetting to eat, but I think it was in a situation where they had dementia that made that happen. I think I have heard other people (without dementia) mention that they forget to eat, but it wasn't an age thing, but because they get busy and just forget. For myself, I have never had that problem, and don't feel like I ever will. My husband the other day asked for some food and I realized that he had gone almost all day on what he had fixed himself for breakfast ~ I asked him ~ didn't you get hungry? It wasn't that he forgot ~ he said he never gets hungry. I can't even fathom that. For him, I guess that is from years of the routine he had when he was working. He would drink some carnation instant breakfast before he went to work and go all day without eating, then eat a big meal at supper time and some snacks in the evening. For me, if I don't eat at intervals, I get irritable, sometimes feel a little shaky maybe and can't concentrate on the things I need to do.

Mary ~ glad your dishwasher is back to working again. I'm sorry Joe is having trouble with his vision. I can understand how no longer being able to drive would be upsetting to a person. That is one thing I dreaded with my dad. He would tell about things that happened when he was driving and he probably shouldn't have been driving anymore (as you said ~ for his safety and the safety of others). He was kind of a glass half empty kind of guy and had commented about other things that were upsetting to him, that he might as well just be dead. As sad as it was when he did pass, I was relieved that we never had to have the “you shouldn't be driving anymore” discussion with him.

Sandy ~ it sounds like you had kind of a difficult time with your mom. Sorry about that. Hope there were some good memories in there for you with her. When you said she worried about what others would think of her, it kind of reminded me of things my mom told me about her mom. She didn't let my mom do a lot of stuff ~ always saying “what will the neighbors think”. From things my mom said, she was kind of a mean mom, but as a grandma ~ she was so sweet ~ like she was a different kind of person than she was as a mom.

Well, it is almost time to call Mom. Around 11 am and 3 pm my time are when the staff at the nursing home says it is a good time to call. When I can, I try to call at the 11 am time. It seems like if I don't get it done then, something always seems to come up in the afternoon and I don't get to make the call. She has dementia, so I'm not sure she even remembers that I call, but I want to. I don't want it to ever seem like she is just stashed away there and forgotten by her family. It is not like the converstaions we used to have, but I think she still knows who I am and enjoys the calls.

Guess I'd better get off here and start getting ready for the appointment. Hope you all are having a good day.

Karrine, I know they tell you not to have a TV in your bedroom but we have had it for years and don't know how we'd do without it. Even though it's mostly me watching my favorite shows in the evening, we still have it on when we go to bed and watch TV until we get sleepy. I usually fall asleep first. The sound from the TV puts me to sleep.

I'm glad you don't have a more serious injury to your ankle and now you know that it will take a little longer to get better. Since it's winter and you wouldn't be going out as much it will be easier for you to rest it.

Sandy, when you were telling us about your mother you didn't mention your father. Was he there, and how did he feel about the way your mother treated you? I was wondering because my mother was very strict with me, similar to your mother, and my father had passed away when I was 11 and she was raising me alone. I always thought that was why she was so strict with me. I wasn't allowed to be a normal teenager. I was not allowed to go to football games or after-school activities. Had to come straight home. I was allowed to go to Youth Group at the church on Sunday night. Because I was never allowed to go anywhere else, my friend and I would skip youth group and go somewhere else. We never got caught. It was a shame I had to do that, but it was the only way I could go out and socialize with my peers.

My half-sister was so much older than me. She got married right after I was born and moved to the other end of the state. When we finally moved years later she was a stranger to me. She contacted me after my mother died, but too much water had gone under the bridge and we never got close.

AKhomegirl, it's very interesting, the way you live. I'm sure it seems normal to you, just the way our lives seem normal to us.

I don't weigh every day. It bothers me to see the day-to-day fluctuations. I don't have a particular weigh-in day. I get on the scale when I feel that I've lost. I only want to see good results. LOL

Gayle, I think your mother is where she should be to get the best care. It would be very difficult to have someone with dementia living in your home. They really do need to have round-the-clock care. As long as you and your siblings are checking in on her and making sure she is receiving the care she needs and that it's a good facility. And there are probably times that she does realize that it's you on the phone.

And I agree with you that it doesn't sound as though you and your sister could live together peaceably. You have different personalities. It would only work if you could have a completely separate space for each of you and you both respected the other's boundaries. Maybe if you got separate apartments in the same building so you could spend time together, but then go home to your own space when necessary.

I dream all the time. So often I have the same dream, that I am in a public bathroom and all the toilets are clogged. I think I have that dream when I wake up in the middle of the night and I have to pee. LOL I had that dream last night. Then I went back to sleep and I dreamed that our bathtub was stopped up. I don't know why I'm obsessed about plumbing. LOL

Mary, I'm glad you got your dishwasher fixed. I have never had a dishwasher.

I think one of the bad things about living a long life is we reach a point where we should not be behind the wheel and that point might be coming for Joe. It's hard, but there comes a time when you put yourself and others at risk. I'm sure he would feel terrible if something happened. Maybe you should discuss this with him so it will be easier for him when the time comes.

Waiting for my gc to come...my gs called this morning and asked if it was ok and of course I said yes. These two are so sweet and easy to care for. The only problem is they are not used to dogs and are kinda scared of Halo. We are still having some problems with her barking. I just had to let her in even though it's a nice day and I'd like her outside because she was barking. She comes in sheepishly when I go out calling her. A few barks during the day is ok but when it becomes persistent I make her come in. At night it's different, our neighbor will not tolerate that...last night I went to bed first and dh let her out but did not put her on the leash thinking it was early enough (abt 11) she'd come in right away like usual, but no, she got to barking. He couldn't hear her, I tried calling him, but for some reason his phone was on silent so I finally got up and told him...he had to go out and find her and make her come in. She has never barked like this until recently...I guess she is welcoming the new dog or something.

Carol - I can't stand to have a TV in the bedroom...we did have one in our RV and even when I wanted to watch a show I'd get too sleepy and it bugged me. I'd tell dh to go watch it in the living room and let me sleep. Only a very few times have I fallen asleep watching TV even though I do get very sleepy sometimes. Dh said last time he renewed his license, he did not pass the vision test but was able to get a note from his doctor allowing him to get his license. He is a good driver still, only a little more impulsive it seems to me, but he turns his head to check for cars etc. He will not take giving up his license easily. He has another year to go on this one. I have discussed it with him but he doesn't like to talk about it. I just remembered that when I was young and first married I was still so enthralled with being a wife and mother, some days I'd forget to eat lunch. :D Those days have been over for a long time.

Glynne - I agree with Carol...separate but nearby apartments or a duplex so you can easily get together when you want to and still keep a close relationship. Actually that would make it even more special when you do have fun together. I always wished my sister and I could have fun together. She is nine years older and is kinda crippled up now and has never seemed interested, so I guess the days of fulfilling that dream are pretty much over. I have to make the best of any time I can have with her. She doesn't even call or text me even though she does keep in touch with her children and gc. It's gotten to the point I feel I'm pushing her if I try to maintain communication so I've stopped mostly. However I will try to call her tomorrow on her 82nd birthday tomorrow. I still have dreams about working and it's always a tense dream. Thank goodness it doesn't happen often. I don't remember dreaming as much anymore about anything, but at times I do, sometimes a few nights in a row, then stop for a long while.

AKHome girl - Enjoy hearing about your lifestyle. It's good to hear how others live...I think we forget the way we live is not the same as everyone. My dh is from the Philippines and he is very thankful for his way of life here. His family has it better in PI than when he was there but still not like we have here. I read a book a few years ago I think was just called Alaska...it told of a girl/family and was over a lot of years of their lives. Started in the gold rush days. Can't remember the author but I really enjoyed it.

Ok, gotta run...kids should be here soon.

Carol - forgot to answer your question. Yes I've tried a treadclimber once at Nautilus. I like using a treadmill on an incline, but I do hold on...once I fell when I was walking...someone had come up to talk to me and I got distracted and wasn't careful. Ever since then I always hold on. I actually prefer the treadmill to walking the track at the gym, but still walk the track because dh does I guess.

Good morning everyone,
I don't have any plans today except to make a tuna casserole and dust throughout the house. Of course cleaning the bathrooms is almost an everyday thing for me.

Carol - glad you are getting that new cable box for your bedroom.. My mom was strict in her own way but always allowed me to socialize with my friends within reason as long as I kept to her curfew and had my homework or chores done. I loved her dearly.

Homegirl - you sure do have an interesting life which is so different from all of us and we enjoy hearing about it. How far do you have to travel to go shopping for groceries etc.?

Gayle - I have heard from others about having to change doctors under the new US health plan. I hope you like your new PCP. Although my sister is now deceased and only 2 years older than me we weren't close as she belonged to a high school serority and felt that everyone else wasn't good enough to be around her including me. When my Mom died we managed to get a bit closer but that didn't last too long. We were so very different. I was more like my mother and she was more like my father. As I was my Mom's main caregiver & she lived alone in her own home I called her early every morning to make sure she was ok and went to her place every afternoon. We had help come in to do her house cleaning and cooking.

Mary - sorry about your not having a close relationship with your sister either. It kind of hurts, in a way at least that is the way I felt with my own sister.

Have a good day everyone,
Karrine

I finally got back to exercising today. I hope I stick with it. I did 45 minutes. I didn't intend to do that much the first time, but as I got going I felt better and wanted to continue. Sometimes when I exercise I'm watching the clock waiting for it to be over. I felt so good afterwards. I did the treadmill, the recumbent bike, and did some wind sprints on the elliptical.

Mary, we don't have to get a vision test when we renew our license. We just go in and get our picture taken and that's it. My license doesn't say I need to wear glasses when I drive but that was from when I got my license 45 years ago. Now I always wear them when I drive even thought I don't wear them all the time otherwise.

Mary, I always hold on when I'm on the treadmill. When I had my first treadmill, if I was walking on it when the air conditioning turned on it would trip the circuit breaker and stop the treadmill instantly. If I wasn't holding on I would have been thrown off. That doesn't happen with the newer treadmill but I'm still in the habit of always holding on. I don't do well walking without something to hold on to, like in a store, with a shopping cart. I can do it if I have to but prefer to have it. Sometimes when I'm in Walmart or Target and it's not crowded I will hold the cart and go really fast and do a couple laps around the perimeter of the store.

Sandy, my half-sister was nice. It's just that she was so much older than I was, and we didn't spend much time together so we didn't know each other She didn't like my mother and the feeling was mutual. We had the same father, but he died when I was ll and she was 28. If If was single, I would have been willing to live with her. I think we would have done fine.

Feeling lazy today...seems like I've had a lot of those day recently but this week at least I have done pretty well with my weekly cleaning. I still need to clean the living room though. I bought a new small vacuum at Costco today...it is a Hoover Windtunnel and I'd seen it on Amazon for $100, but Costco had it for $79. Figured it's worth at least that. I still like the lighter and easier maneuvering of my little Shark but my Shark is starting to fall apart (the exterior) and I've been sharing it with a family member so figure it won't last much longer. I tried the newer models of Shark and they are much heavier although there is one where you can lift off the canister and clean. I do like that but the rest of the machine is heavier. Maybe not as heavy as my main vac, my Dyson, but almost, so I returned it. This one is so cheap, has good suction and although it's not perfect, I think I'll keep it and continue to compare with my Shark. Once I decide which one of these lightweight ones I prefer, I may give the other one away to the family member who needs it. Like the Shark and unlike my Dyson I can easily get under the kitchen cabinets etc. with it. What I'd really like to have is the lightweight Dyson but don't want to pay the price.

Carol - Sounds like you pretty much have a gym of your own! Glad you got back to it today. We went to the gym too, did our usual. I'd liked to switch it up a bit and take a class again..but am too lazy to get there on time. Carol what is the problem with your walking...is it that your legs are weak or something else? Sorry to hear it but glad you are ok when holding on at least. I remember dh liking to lean on the cart while his leg was healing and even now I think he's more comfortable that way due his back issues.
That's amazing you don't have to take a visual test to renew your license! It is seeing lights in squares and also on the side (testing your peripheral vision) but the funny thing is they ASK you whether you see the lights flashing on the side...one could just lie. I think it would be more informative to ask what color or which side or something. They make me take off my glasses for the picture and don't look like myself with my glasses as I wear them all the time unless I'm asleep. I asked the guy why last time and he said to blame Osama Bin Laden:?: but this time the lady told me it's because the camera doesn't work well with glasses. Probably makes the eyes look wierd...I've had that happen before they started making me take my glasses off.

I love my sister very much and when we are together we have fun chatting. When she was young and first married, I used to spend 1-3 weeks with her and my bil and we had a lot of fun together. But because of our life's experiences and perhaps the age difference, we think a lot differently now. I could live with her but I don't think she would be happy with me. I think I make her nervous just because I am different or something. It's kind of a wierd situation...she seems to want me to visit her and yet right now doesn't seem to want to be with me either. We are planning a road trip in the fall to go that way as I promised my brother (who has passed on) that I would not wait so long to return next time and I want to keep my promise. We will hopefully be seeing my sil of course but it is not completely comfortable because I feel like my sister will say she wants us to visit her and her dh but right now I don't feel very welcome. Last time we planned to get a hotel room and she wouldn't hear of it and we actually had a nice time together.
It may very well be our last trip back there esp road trip.

Funny how different parents can be....my parents were not strict in the general sense at all....I had no rules, no tasks assigned...they just expected that I would know right from wrong. In those days the church and school were more in harmony about what was right and wrong so I knew what was expected and what was considered wrong. My dad was often harsh and today would be considered abusive but did not actually hit me. He would kick at me but don't remember him ever making contact. It was mostly verbal although he did pull me up by my hair a few times. My mother never disciplined or taught me anything that I can remember. I learned from watching her I guess and I think I was a very good kid. At about 12 I decided to make my own decisions about some things and told my mom...she didn't exactly like it but never said I couldn't. Only disciplinary action I remember her making, was once when I sat out late in the car with my bf she came out and told me I should go into the house which I did. It embarrassed me a little but I actually kind of liked that she did it too. I was kind of the black sheep of our family and it seemed my parents always expected me to be bad. Kind of contradictory since they never set any rules, right? But that's the way it was. It was kind of a strange relationship, I loved them and knew they loved me but never really felt close to them nor did I feel I could share my feelings with them....they seem to see me as different and couldn't understand me or something. Kind of like my sister has always been toward me. I moved to the west coast when I was 22, mom died when I was 24 and dad when I was 45. I have never been homesick but there have been times I wished I could have had my mom esp around longer. But perhaps being on my own (away from parents and siblings) has helped me learn things I might not have learned so easily and was perhaps the best for me.

Good morning everyone,
They are calling for a nice mild winter weekend here with temperatures above freezing. Back on Jan. 1st when I started this diet I decided to also keep track of my measurements (bust; waist and hip) and take new measurements once a month. I did that yesterday and found that I lost a total of 4 inches off this fat body of mine. For me, I sometimes reach a plateau in that I don't lose weight but I do lose inches so the weight and measurements keep me inspired to go on.

Carol - you sure did good on the exercise yesterday. Keep it up. I also have to hold on when I am on the treadmill. I don't have good balance.

Mary - I have a little shark vacuum too and love it. Once a month I get out my big vacuum and give the house a thorough cleaning. I don't have any pets and very little traffic so my place doesn't need to much vacuuming.

Have a good day everyone,
Karrine

I think I overdid it with the exercise yesterday. I felt good afterwards, but later on in the evening my knee started to bother me. I found my bottle of glucosemine and condrointen. It doesn't expire until 2017 and it looks like I have enough for about 2 weeks, so by then I should be able to tell if it's going to help. I will try doing some strengthening exercises with weights until my knee feels better.

Mary, I don't have good muscle tone. My knee stops me from going up and down stairs well because the slight swelling in my knee keeps it from bending. All around that area feels weak. I know that losing weight would really help, but that's not happening. I make myself go up and down the stairs a few times every day because I don't want to lose the ability to do it. I have to go down stairs somewhere to get out of my house. Either down the cellar steps to the garage, or out the front door and down the front steps to get to the driveway. It's convenient to ask DH to go downstairs to get something I need, but as long as it's something I can carry, I make myself do it. I have all the exercise equipment that I have accumulated over the years and now that we no longer use our game room it has become my exercise room. I like it.

I don't lean on the shopping cart. I catch myself doing it and then make myself stand up straight and just hold on to the cart for balance. Sometimes when I'm washing dishes I catch myself leaning on the kitchen counter and I correct that. One time in a store the clerk was leaning on the counter and she leaned on the scale when she weighed my vegetables and I got charged an outrageous amount! LOL It wasn't funny when it happened. I watch now when they weight my vegetables.

I think it makes a big difference if parents are a single parent. They feel that they have to be strict because all the responsibility is on them. I was not allowed to go out in cars with boys, so I didn't have many dates until I was well into my 20s. It was a "live in my house, live by my rules" thing.

Karrine, our temps on Sunday are to be in the 50s. That's high for us in January. Well, it's almost February. After February our weather will gradually get warmer, but we have had some big snow storms in March.

I got a jury summons for March, and I really don't want to go, but it's my civic duty. They will be sorry, because with my chronic cough I will cough all through the trial and no one will be able to hear what's being said. LOL And when I'm not coughing, I will need to get up to pee.

CarolSue Do you notice more knee pain when you lean forward? I do, and if I keep my head up "good posture style" my knee feels better when I'm walking. I don't do steps, either!!! Sorry about summons for jury duty.

My Dad was an absolute jewel. He lived till I was 35, and I was nearby with Mom when he went. Mom was very anxious, and would make me wear a scarf to school (no other girl would wear such thing and I felt strange especially since we had just moved to this new place when I was 10) Dad was a teacher in the Vocational School so he dropped me off at school. When Mom made me wear a scarf, he would put out his hand, take the scarf I folded up and tuck it in his pocked. At home he put it in the coat closet and never told her.

He probably didn't even know how Mom was about my need to rush home after school. He taught Veterans till supper time, and I never thought to tell him. I believe he would have encouraged her to be less strict.

They were loving to each other, and to me in every way. I had more overnight girlfriends of Friday nights than most parents would have tollerated. I was encouraged to date before I really was ready, seems Mom was less worried about the guys than my girlfriends. Or perhaps she was looking forward to my being married. DH an I were married when I was 19.

TV? We have the large one in large TV room (that was Mom's apartment) We have one in Living Room, and it is very, very old but still works. We finally broke down and bought a flat screen Hi Definition 40" screen for Living room to fit on a nice stand we already own. They will deliver it next week. We had a $270 credit at Best Buy and it helped pay over 1/2 of the cost that includes installing and hauling away the monstrosity in Living Room. DH is so happy. Now Pat can have Downton Abby on in Living room with me and DH can finish his games on the 55" TV in "His TV room."

I can't sleep with TV, and the only time we tried a small in in our bedroom, I didn't sleep. That didn't last long. Thank goodness. I'm not of a TV watcher except for particular things.

Homegal Loved your description of method of being able to use the wonderful machines that help us so much. Drying clothes around the house is something I did before DH retired. The extra moisture in the air is really a great help!!!

Mary Our Dyson needed repairs and it cost more than a new vacumn so we just tossed it. I love the Shark!!!! Thank goodness we are all one story altho spread out a bit in shape of a T .

Down a bit, inspite of the wonderful luncheon with Thai food that is my all time favorite. I took Karrine's idea of eating a good meal out and DH and I had a fun day of it.

HELP NEEDED! Do any of you know of hearing aids that work?

DH has Nu Ear that has helped, but the cost was thousands of dollars. We can't afford such price now that we are both retired, yet his hearing aids are 5 years old and may not last much longer.

Have no real idea of where to go. We know that on ear has very limited ability to be helped, but the other one isn't too bad, thank goodness.

Sandy

Another day of laziness...not sure what's going on with me...maybe it's the weather or something...just want to lay around. I did go to the gym but all the bikes were taken so I only walked ten min., rode arm bike for 6 min and then did a couple weight machines. Here at home I have worked out our taxes and did the dishes, cleaned off counters that I left last night an worked on our taxes, but still not done. There are so many things I want to do, but I just can't get myself to do them. Hopefully this phase will pass soon. Tonight dh is bringing home take out, that's how lazy I am. I am still on plan so far.

Sandy - I don't know the name of the ones dh got from the VA but Costco told him it's better than theirs. I think it probably would have cost at least $3000 for the two of them if he wasn't a vet. Is your dh a veteran? It took dh 18 months of paper work, and phone calls plus several trips to different offices and some time online but he finally got them and we only paid $50, can't remember what that $50 was for. They aren't perfect and I know sometimes he wants to throw them away, but we are grateful too. I hope your dh can find some way to get them cheaper...if he's not a vet, perhaps if your income in low enough, some other organization can help.

Your dad sounds wonderful! And it's also wonderful that despite some difficult things you also had a good childhood in other ways. I have complained about my dad but he was a good man in many ways too...always faithful to mom, worked hard to provide for us. I am so thankful to my mother for many many things even though it was mostly through her actions rather than words. Parents do the best they know how and what seems right for them at the time and I do believe that most do what they feel is best for their children. Sometimes my kids complain about my parenting too...esp one.:D

You're the first one I've heard whose Dyson needed repairs. How long did it work before that? I've had mine for several years now...but not sure exactly how long. Of course when we were RVing it wasn't used for 3 months/year. My Dyson is the large upright, the purple one. We did have it repaired once, and it cost $162, but I wanted to keep one heavy duty vac. so paid it. Hopefully we won't have to repair it again.
The shark is a very good vac for the $$$...I have the cheapest regular upright they made. It is very lightweight which I like, I can fly around the room with it. The other (supposedly better) Shark uprights I have tried I didn't really care for though. I tried their Rocket but didn't like it. That is their newest very lightweight one. One of the things I didn't like is that it won't even stand up by itself. But I notice they still have one upright that looks similar to mine (but think it's an updated model), and looks light weight like mine...it is $140.

Carol - there is that time when the judge asks for those who do not want jury duty to tell their reasons. Perhaps you can tell them you have a chronic cough. Not sure but might work. I've had jury duty twice and always wanted to do it, but the last time I did get awfully tired, so don't look forward to it so much now. Twice in all these years isn't much, so maybe I won't be called again.

Carol- Sorry to hear about your knee. I have a bad knee it is canted out 12 degrees and makes life harder but it is a constant reminder that I need to lose weight. I do notice that my posture really affects the pain. better posture=less pain.

Mary- I am also a Dyson fan. With ash and constant dirt vacuums tend to die frequently here but the Dyson has been a peach in severe use.

Spent 8 hours in Hospital (100 miles away, like grocery store) with my friend and neighbor. She is 85 and still living like I do. Tough lady but her knee swelled to the extreme and I ran her in. Hopefully they won't have to operate as she is getting weaker and I don't know that she could take it. This sounds like reality TV and I hate those shows. Oh well. Have a great day.

Sandy ~ my sister got her hearing aids from a place called America Hears. She said the company was started by a man who felt that anyone who needed hearing aids, should not have to go without, because the cost was too high.

Here is the website for it: https://www.americahears.com//

She has had a great experience with them ~ has hearing aids in both ears and has been really happy with them. They were affordable when other places had outrageous prices. I reached a point where I began to need one and she shared with me her experience with them and so I got mine there too.

Your husband would need to get an audiogram to send to them, they look at that and recommend what kind would work best with his hearing loss. My sister has one type, I have a different type. They tell you what the procedure is. They are give good customer service. We have been happy with them.

Hope this helps.

Good morning everyone,
I went out for my once in a month cheat day yesterday with a friend. We went to a country Irish Pub and restaurant where they are noted for their rolled stuffed ribs which is what I had. I also had a bottle of beer . So I not only enjoyed the meal but also enjoyed the drive into the country. Today is laundry day for me and do bedding day so that will keep me busy for a good part of the day.

Carol - I hope it doesn't take long for your knee to feel better.

Sandy - I'm sure you will love the new TV you just purchased. I also have a big monstrosity of a TV in my rec room which still works find and I have often wondered how I would ever get rid of it because it is so big and heavy. I'm happy to learn that Best Buy would take it away if I ever purchased a new one. GREAT that you had a wonderful luncheon out yesterday. We both went out on the same day. Sorry but I don't know anything about hearing aids and was surprised that they are so expensive.

Mary - Hope you are feeling better today and out of your slump. I wonder if the winter weather is the cause. They say that people get the February blahs and go south if they are able to.

Have a good day
Karrine

My knee feels better already. I did a lot of walking yesterday and I was fine. I think the ice and Biofreeze fixed me up. It is not actually pain, but a soreness and I can feel that it swells, even though it doesn't look swollen. It just doesn't bend very well for stairs, and I wouldn't dare try to do lunges or deep knee bends. By the way, it was a lot of walking for me, but not a lot compared to most.

Karrine we used to have a monstrosity TV that was very heavy. When we got the first flat screen in the living room we put the monstrosity in the game room. It just wouldn't break down. Finally, we gave it to my step-daughter when their TV broke and they love it. Still going strong. We never wait until a TV breaks to get a new one. DH always likes to get something "bigger and better." LOL He's the same way with lawnmowers. Sees one he wants so he sells his old one, or gives it to his son or brother.

Mary, when I pass the Dyson display in Target I tell DH I want one, but he looks at the price and keeps on going. Actually, I don't do vacuuming, he does, so the one we have is fine. When I had my heart surgery 8 years ago they told me not to vacuum so he started it. He never stopped, even after I was released from the doctor. I have done it a couple times, and I always have to ask him how to empty it as it is our first bagless vacuum. One day my step-daughter said she was getting a new vacuum because hers broke. Jerry took her old one and found that the hose was just clogged, so now we have that one downstairs so he doesn't have to carry the other one up and down the stairs to vacuum the game room.

Gayle I saved that website for the hearing aids. I have some hearing loss but I don't think it's very bad. I do put the TV sound up a little too loud for DH, but sometimes that's because he talks all through the program and I can't hear. I would wear a hearing aid, but I would rather do without than pay thousands of dollars. First I would try one of those things they advertise on TV. I never have to ask people to repeat what they said, except for my step-daughter and I think that's because of the way she talks. With a hissing sound. I'm fine with everyone else.

Sandy, that's great that Best Buy took your TV. They used to take old TVs for recycling if you brought them into the store but I don't know if they still do that. Staples takes old computer equipment, as we took some old monitors there. For a while now our local garbage company would not take electronics for recycling, but we got a letter than this year they are increasing the monthly rate so they can include electronic recycling. There used to be recycling events held periodically but they stopped that in our area so the garbage company took it over.

Akhomegirl, that's nice that you helped out that older woman. I hope she's OK. I guess when you live in the wilderness like that you have to watch out for each other.

It seems so strange to hear that a grocery store is 100 miles away. We have 2 grocery stores within a mile of our house. If it wasn't highway, I could walk to them. I am in the grocery store 3 times a week.

Just got home from our gs martial arts class. Now two of our gc have activities on Sat we are alternating where we go each Sat. I have to do laundry today..I have a large canvass hamper which is divided into three compartments and usually I wait until one is topped off before washing, but dh is complaining he has no t-shirts. He has so many t-shirts I thought that could never happen but I guess it has. :?: So I need to get to it.:D As I told you I have been very lazy for a while now.

I like my big Dyson..it is not the ball kind....it is good for just straight vacuuming the carpets and even the hard floor in the kitchen. It has a little edger thing on it but really isn't that great at getting the edges clean nor can it go under the furniture. That is why I like my little lightweight Shark...it is easier on my back and can easily go under most things. I esp like it for getting under the kitchen cabinets which the Dyson just can't go. The Hoover I just bought can do that too, but it is a little larger on the base and is also heavier and doesn't move as freely as the Shark. But for $79 it's not bad. I think the attachments will work easier too...it only has two that came with it, but I have a huge number of attachments with both my Dyson and the Shark and they are very awkward to use, so I almost never use them. Haven't yet tried the Hoover attachments but if they are easier it will be worth it just for that. Some day I would like to get the small light weight Dyson upright with the ball feature. I would think it is the best of both worlds. I honestly can't tell they have better suction than the Shark but they are more quality machines overall.

On hearing loss....Carol Sometimes even with his hearing aids he can't understand the words and the wireless headset he was using stopped working, so he bought some TV Ears. They seem to help him although he still doesn't catch everything..when he first got them he kept the TV down to a more reasonable volume but now he's turning it up really high again. They might be just the thing for you though since you don't have bad hearing loss.
Ours sons gave us surround sound for Christmas and I thought that might help dh hear better but it doesn't seem to. To me it makes it harder to hear sometimes as it makes the music so loud and sometimes makes the voices sound strange.

Glad your knees are better. Do you ever use ice or heat, perhaps alternating them? My knees get sore..used to be just one, now it's both at times, although usually only one at a time. Sometimes I notice it esp when biking or going up stairs, but it isn't bad yet.

Karrine - I think both of us have been sorta in a slump...thanks for the word as that is exactly how we feel. I think it may be that we are feeling the need to travel. We used to travel 3 mo out of the year and although we don't want to do that anymore, we still feel the need to get out there now and then. We should have gone after the baby was born. I suggested it but dh said no wait til I can eat better, but I told him it is after the new implant post is put in that you will need to stay close to your dentist, not now. You can always eat softer food even in a restaurant. I think he understands now and I guess we could still go, but we'd have to go very soon to get back in time for his dental appt and we can't seem to make the decision plus the weather is getting better here now.

Glynne - That's a great concept behind that website. Thanks for sharing. Do you wear hearing aids? I did not notice when you were here. Of course I really don't notice dh's much...maybe that's because I've gotten used to them and they are pretty small.

Sandy - Enjoy that new TV!! I don't watch a lot of shows but am happy to be able to watch some that I really enjoy.

Akhomegirl - I'm sure your friend appreciate your staying with her. Your friend sounds like an amazing strong person.

Good evening GG's,

It's been a busy couple days. Wednesday, saw the new PCP. Thursday, went back to get lab work done. That wasn't without a wrinkle ~ the lab where the office sends the blood to be tested isn't in network for our insurance, so Steve had to call the insurance company before they could draw the blood and get that straightened out. We ran a couple other errands, then went to one eye glasses place to look at what choices they might have. I need to get a new pair ~ lost mine on our trip in November. Ran out of time to finish that because of needing to be home in time for Maddie's bus. So, went out again on Friday to finish that. We still were not done, had to leave, go home and get Maddie off the bus, then went back to finish that errand. They had a buy one get the second pair (glasses) for less, so Steve ordered a pair too, as he had had his for quite a while. Wandered around the mall a bit after that. Maddie likes to check out the animals in the pet shop, then we go to the food court where they hand out samples from the different places ~ it makes a nice snack for Maddie. Then back home.

I haven't kept up as good as I had hoped to with the walking on the treadmill. When I do shopping though, I feel like that can count. I am up and moving for probably longer than I am on the treadmill here at home, so I'm counting that.

I sort of did the treat meal thing at the end of the month today. I wasn't really hungry for a whole meal, and sort of felt like I hadn't done well enough this month to deserve it anyway, so I just got a couple snacky things (single serving size bag of chips, one ice cream bar and a little bag that had 3 chocolate chip cookies in it ~ Walmart). The chocolate chip cookies were nice and moist and chewy, I really enjoyed them. So, now ~ I am going to try my best to behave for February and see if I can't lose this few pounds I gained (about 4) since December. I don't feel like that is too horrible, but want to get back on track before I gain any more.

Mary ~ I hope you get to feeling better and out of that slump you keep telling about. Sounds a little like when I feel blue. For me ~ not really anything wrong like feeling bad/sick, but just don't feel like doing anything. Glad you get to go watch your grandchildren at their activities. That probably makes a bright spot in your day. Yes, Mary ~ I wear a hearing aid in one ear (my left one) I'm not as good about wearing it as I should be though. I sort of feel like it doesn't help all that much. It is still hard to understand what is said sometimes ~ not because people don't talk loud enough, but because people try to talk to me with their back toward me, or the words aren't enuncinated. Steve doesn't hear so well either and it aggravates me that he gets frustrated with me when I can't hear ~ he is almost kind of rude about it. He plays the TV so it is almost unberably loud for another person. He admits that he “probably doesn't hear as well anymore”, but does not want to spend the money on a hearing aid for himself. So, because he is so loud here at home, I don't wear my hearing aid much here. I try to wear it when I am around other people though as a courtesy to them. It may not help me as much as I wish it would, but I feel like at least maybe others will feel like I am trying.

Carol Sue ~ glad your knee is feeling better. I have sometimes had I think ~ how you describe your knee feeling ~ kind of swollen ~ but it is not anything (like you said) that you can see on the outside ~ it kind of feels tight and swollen on the inside. Can never seem to place my finger on what I did that made it feel that way ~ maybe even nothing ~ one of those mysteries I guess. I like to hang onto something when I walk too. When I was still working, I used to stop on my way home at the grocery store and get one of their little carts and go up and down the rows in the parking lot to walk while hanging onto that cart ~ I felt more secure having something to hang onto. And I can't remember now who it was that mentioned walking around the perimeter inside of Walmart holding onto a cart. I did that too ~ especially when it was hot outside ~ I especially liked when I passed through the freezer section ~ that felt really good when it was hot. LOL

Karrine ~ it sounds like you had a nice treat meal and day. Glad you enjoyed that and your time with your friend and the drive in the country.

Homegirl ~ hope that your friend you took to the hospital is doing better.

Sandy ~ it sounds like your dad was a real sweetie. Hope you find some kind of hearing aid to help your husband.

We have a couple TV's like you all have described ~ the big old heavy ones. Our son has been after us to get one of the newer flat screen ones. Steve has been wanting one for a long time, but we hated to go out and replace them when they were still working. Well, we finally decided to dip our toe in the water so to speak and are in the process of getting one. Sara was taking a load of stuff to Goodwill today and took one of the old TV's there for us. The new one is supposed to come on Tuesday. We still have use for the one big old one, but need to move it to another location and will need to get someone to help us do that.

Almost time for bed, so guess I will get this posted. Hope you all are having a good weekend and have a good rest tonight.

Good morning,

Homegirl - really nice of you to take your neighbour to the hospital. I simply can't imagine me living 100 miles from a grocery store as I am at one so often each week.

Carol - glad you knee is feeling better

Mary - That's great that you were able to travel 3 mths out of the year. Perhaps when all your dental appts. are finished you might be able to do that again this year.

Gayle - I'm sure you can count all your time shopping as walking and being active ...I do. Glad you had a treat day and that you want to get back on track.

I'm not feeling too good today and not sure yet if I'll go to church. I'm hoping I'll feel better in another hour or so.

Karrine

Sometimes DH puts the TV up really loud, too. When my step-son comes to visit, he will grab the remote right away and turn it down, saying he could hear it out in the driveway. I reminded him that he seems to have forgotten when he was a teenager and had the stereo in his room turned up so loud that we couldn't hear the TV in the living room. We were always banging on the door and telling him to turn it down. I tell them that I have to have the TV turned up loud because they are all talking and I can't hear the TV. I used to use the closed caption when I watched the Young and the Restless because it was hard to understand Victor! LOL I don't know how to find closed caption on our newer TVs.

Out of curiosity I looked at the Dyson Vacuums when we were in Target yesterday. I could never buy one that expensive, no matter how good it cleaned. I guess I'm really cheap. (frugal) I know all of our married lives we always bought a Hoover, usually the cheapest model they had, around $50. We watched for a sale. Then when that one broke we just went out and bought a new one. This one we have now is a Bissell. DH does most of the vacuuming. He just vacuums around things. Once in a while I will help, have him move the furniture so I can clean under and behind them. I am thankful for what he does, even though it's not the way I would do it.

Gayle, things must be different here in PA than in other parts of the country. For one thing, we don't have any stores in the malls that sell pets anymore. People forced them out of business by protesting against them. The only way you can get a pet now is to adopt from a shelter or look in the paper for a breeder to advertise.

Also, our doctors here don't do bloodwork and send it out to the lab. We have a couple places in town where you go to get the blood drawn. The doctor gives you a prescription telling them what tests to do, then they test and send the results to your doctor. That way, you just go to the one that accepts your insurance. There's a woman I post with from S Carolina, and her doctor does the bloodwork at the office, too.

I was the one who said about walking around the inside perimiter of Walmart. I still do that when they aren't crowded and at Target, too. I saw another couple doing the same thing. They each grabbed a cart and away they went!

Its been a quiet day. Went to church, then out to eat, then home to nap, then watched a movie. These days I always feel sleepy, can never seem to get enough and dh is the same way. I think we both need a change of scenery. May have to wait til March though now.

Karrine- we don't RV anymore, sold our 5th wheel and pickup a few years back and now we don't care to stay out three months/year. We were just done with that. Now we go for a while and come home. However there was one month since we sold it that we did do a road trip around CA and were out about a month. That's the longest we've done without the RV. In 2014 we went to Washington DC for ten days. Last June we went to Anchorage, AK for a week but otherwise have stayed pretty close to home, just going to the beach or other local places. We had planned a three week trip to the Philippines for this month but due to our gd's birth and dh's dental issue we didn't go. Now we just go for as long as we feel we need to see what we want to see or as long as we feel we can afford. We travel fairly inexpensively.

Carol - Interesting about the pet shops. We still have one at our mall. As to labs we go to a lab within our clinic. It is a large clinic and is one of several of the same name in our area and I think they each have their own labs, it's just this big connected system. If you go to one doctor, his data shows up on the other doctor's computer. Our previous doctor was not part of this system and his nurse did draw blood and they had a lab in their smaller clinic to process it or occasionally we had to go on a separate day to have it done. Now we both have lab work done every three months before our diabetic routine visit. With this new doctor I am encouraged to talk about whatever though not just diabetes related issues. Not so with my previous doctor.

Glynne - Glad you are getting your glasses and getting started with your new doctors. I guess we are very fortunate not to have so much trouble with insurance. I didn't like when we had to go to a senior advantage plan but it's actually worked out well as it works the same way. I've been carrying around a prescription for new lens but keep forgetting to get it done. Our insurance doesn't cover glasses but that isn't the problem..it's just this incredible laziness I've been experiencing. So many things I want to do but need a kick in the rear I guess to get started! You'd think with all the supplements I take I'd be full of energy but no..

Good morning everyone,
I started feeling better yesterday afternoon. I have no idea why I felt so rotten but glad it didn't last. I am very happy that I lost 1-1/2 lbs this past week seeing as how I had my treat day on Friday. I hope I lose as much in February.
My big vacuum is an Electrolux. It is a heavy cannister type and really does a good job. I get it out once a month for a thorough cleaning and just use a lightweight Sharp the rest of the time.

Carol - same thing here regarding purchasing of pets - no pet stores and purchase only privately through newspaper ads; shelters or breeders. We go to labs here for our blood work with a requisition from our doctor and the results go directly back to my doctor. All of our costs are covered by our Provincial Health Care Plan.

Mary - There are times when I resent being such a homebody as I haven't seen much of this world. I took my DD to Disney World in Florida when she was 12 yrs old and I've been to New Brunswick a few times to visit a friend. Other than that and going to a beach that is only 2 hours away from me (I love the water) I haven't traveled. Prescription glasses are very expensive here (over $200.00) and is not covered by insurance but we can claim on our tax return. I go to the Univ. of Waterloo Optometry Clinic where I am examined by 4th year students and then the optometrist comes in to check their work. You sure get a thorough exam at a learning facility.

Have a good day everyone,
Karrine

Mary - I forgot...I also went through the Eastern US on my honeymoon....(Maine; Vermont; New Hamp; and Washington but that was so very long ago LOL.
Karrine

Yesterday, I made a roast in the slow cooker. For years I didn't use the slow cooker because DH didn't like me to leave it on when I wasn't home, and I saw no sense in using it if I was going to be home all day anyway. After I got my electric pressure cooker I started making roast in that because it could be done in a little over an hour. Last time I used the slow cooker and it was better. This time, it was absolutely heavenly! I buy a roast with very little marbling as DH doesn't like it. They are usually hard to get them tender without the fat, but the slow cooker does great. I browned it, then put it in the cooker with carrots and onion, and a can of cream of mushroom soup. Mary, I know you don't use that. I only put in 1/4 cup of water. It was fork tender and the soup made such a tasty topping for it. DH never tells me if something is good unless I ask him, but he will tell me if something is bad. Yesterday, he actually told me how good that roast was without me asking. I was shocked!

Yesterday I wasn't hungry when I got up and ate 1 scrambled egg, late. I didn't eat lunch, and when I checked my BS before dinner it was 91. I haven't had a single digit reading for such a long time! I guess I'm bringing it down gradually. I still did not fill the prescription for the 2mg Amaryl, and I might not need to if I can continue like I am.

Karrine, I don't travel much but I was in Canada twice. When I was single a friend and I drove up to Niagara Falls, then continued up and went to Montreal. We accidentally got into the french speaking section and had a terrible time. No one could converse with us, and we finally found someone who spoke some English and was able to direct us back to the English speaking section. We wanted to continue on up to Quebec but didn't have enough time to go there and then get back to the US before our vacation time was over. Then I went to Niagara Falls again with my husband when his kids were young.

I am a homebody and I really don't care if I never go anywhere now. I love being at home. My mother was the same way. I didn't understand it back then, but I do now. They say you have to get out and socialize, but I'm perfectly happy as I am.

Our prescription glasses are expensive here, too. One time they quoted me near $500 and that was with insurance applied! I never went to that place again. You can go to the optical store in Walmart and get glasses very reasonable, with a prescription from your doctor. They also give eye exams right there. My step-daughter went there and insurance paid almost all. I have to go to an optomologist because of the hole in my macula and my diabetes. Insurance pays for most of that exam.

Mary, I can't remember the name of the string of labs in our area. I used to have to go there because that was what my insurance covered. Now, our local hospital has an outpatient clinic a few miles from my home where I can go for bloodwork. I can also get my echocardiograms there, I did my cardiac rehab there, and they do xrays and mamograms, along with some outpatient surgery, and physical therapy. It's nice to have that convenience. Before we had to go to the hospital, and you were exposed to the in-patients, who exposed you to infections etc.

We got one of our dogs at a pet store in the mall. We kept seeing her there every time we went. She was there a long time and eventually she was "Reduced for Quick Sale." LOL She was hyperactive, but we liked that. So we bought her. She turned out to be a wonderful dog and lived to be 19 years old. Back when they were saying so much about puppy mills, people started protesting the pet stores and eventually they closed due to lack of business. Stores like Petco have the local shelters bring dogs and cats in for adoption on weekends. They don't have any pets that they sell. Maybe some gerbils or hamsters.

Gayle, I hope you're having a good day.

Good Afternoon all you GOLDEN GIRLS (GG)

I am new to 3FC (less than a week). I'm checking out the different threads I want to spend time in/with.

I did not get to read much of this thread "yet" ... but, I need to get off the computer as I've done nothing all day but hang out on the computer.

I just want to let MARY know... if you miss Downton Abbey you can watch it for free online. I'm not sure if the rules let me post a link but I think if you google downton abbey pbs ... you will find it. If not... let me know.

ENJOY your week GG's and I look forward to getting to know you all better. :wave:

Not feeling well today...started yesterday, my abd hurting similiar to what I've had a few months ago just at the upper rise of my abdomen and radiating at times to my back on the same side. I asked the doc who did my colonoscopy and was told it was just because I'm tiny and I need lose weight. At the time I thought that might be true because it was when the med was beginning to make me gain again, in my abdomen as usual, and I know stretching muscles can feel that way.

However last night it started moving down the right side and finally I realized it felt like gas. It also hurts around my hernia and I think that is what is causing the gas. I remember with my first one the x-ray showed a large balloon looking thing the surgeon said was gas. Only that time the pain was in my left shoulder (not unusual with abd issues). The surgeon guessed about my hernia as the gas prevented a good look. He was correct about the hernia however it was much larger than he expected.

It is not excruiating pain but is very uncomfortable. I went to the gym as I felt moving might help but I was so uncomfortable and was glad to leave. Stopped at a store and I stayed in car. I am taking some OTC for gas but it isn't helping much. I feel very tight around the middle/diaphram which makes me feel too full to eat. One good thing I guess.;) In every other way I am functioning normally. I came home and took a long nap as my abdomen feels so heavy and uncomfortable when I'm up and makes me tired.

BelovedWarrior - Welcome, glad you have joined us! Thank you but I think those are past episodes...I got into watching this great program very late...but was able to catch up by watching past issues on Amazon Prime. We didn't know it was on Masterpiece and thought we didn't get it. So happy we found it for the last season at least. Dh wanted to watch other things last night but taped it for me. So far I haven't felt well enough to watch it but I will.

Carol - Your roast sounds good. I'm glad he complemented you on it.
I know how good that feels. I enjoyed seeing Niagra Falls in 2014 when we went to Washington DC...I forgot that...thanks for reminding me as it was a very good memory. We love Canada and try to get up there every few years.

Karrine - Eastern US is a region we haven't been much and would love to go esp for the fall foliage. We won a trip to Philly several years ago but mostly we just toured the city. Our sons were both stationed at Ft Bragg in NC and we made three trips back to visit them and also went to a Myrtle Beach I'd love to visit more in the east. We've been a lot of places but we still want to see more but with dh almost 81 I don't know whether we will get to them all.
Although we still enjoy it, traveling is getting harder on both of us. Isn't it great only being 2 hrs from the beach...we are about the same. I've always heard the Electrolux is a very good vacuum. Glasses are expensive for dh and I because we get unlined bifocals and transition lenses and I get the scratch protection since I wear them all the time and they take a beating. Also I need high index because of my poor vision. So it's well over $300 by the time I get all that.

Well, I have to get up and move...sitting is not helping...I'm glad you're feeling better Karrine, hi to Sandy and Glynne.

Hey Miss Mary... I'm not certain if this will help as I do not know exactly your physicality... and I'm certain what I'm about to say is NOT on plan... however,

I have been an ostimate for 36 years, I had my large intestine removed when I was 24. There are times that I might eat something that will bind me up and creates a lot of pain. I one time asked a nurse ... what can I do when this happens and she told me the following story --- Once a lady (also an ostimate) made a huge paper bag of popcorn for halloween. Well not many came to her house so she ate the bag of popcorn. Later... she was very bound up & in a lot of pain ...she went to the er. While at the er they gave her a can of grape soda and told her to drink it. She was quite miffed but did... and the next thing you know... she was no longer bound up. As I said, I'm not sure if this is something of benefit to you... it has worked for me.

Additionally, if your DH is recording Downton Abbey for you that is great... but, in case you miss one, the online PBS station DA's are the current ones for season six. I haven't had tv hook up since last Feb (my choice) and I watch the current (and last season :( ) of DA online.

I hope you feel better very soon. :grouphug: