~~Golden Girls~~
 

Thank you for our new thread Bobbi :hug:

Kept pretty busy today...our son and his fam want to go to the coast with us in Oct so spent some time trying to get them into a condo, but none available. They can't go with us on the dock or enjoy the pool unless they stay at our resort. Too many people used to take advantage so they changed the rules. Finally gave up for today but I will continue to check in case someone cancels. It was nice to chat with my son too. I actually talked to him twice today.

Weekly cleaned in little bath, master bedroom and spare bedroom and partially in office and hall. Also washed two loads of dark clothes, still need to fold one load and dry the other. Will do that while watching TV.

A few days ago I discovered a company called Rume...it sells bags, totes etc. I ordered a bag I can use for my carryon. I don't like to use my small suitcase as it's heavier and awkward going down the aisle. This is a light vinyl bag with strap that I can carry over my shoulder but it also has an opening in the back where you can put it over the handles of your rolling suitcase so you don't have to carry it all over the airport etc. It came today and is better made than I expected, so I think I like it. They also gave me a little sac type bag with three zippers which I plan to use for toiletries, makeup and meds. Just enough in case our luggage gets lost. It will fit easily inside the bigger bag. I don't care for flying anymore and don't know when we will next but expect that at some point we will again. I still hope to get to Europe and China and know that if possible we will certainly be going back to PI. I don't want to swim (:D) and I don't like ships so will have to fly.

I also ordered some essential oils that are supposed to be the really good ones (they probably all say that). I got three kinds...for focus, sleep and slender. The slender is to help you not eat so much and is taken orally. I took it today and it did seem to help a little, but it may have just been the mental suggestion, who knows. Didn't taste bad..smelled strongly of mint, at least I think that was it. You just put 1 drop in 4 oz water. But I notice they also sell on Amazon and some people mentioned using 2. I'll stick with one right now to make sure I tolerate it ok. It's a combination of several oils...like cinnamon, cloves and peppermint etc.

We are each on our own tonight as it's leftover night. I'm going to have leftover sloppy Joes as dh doesn't like it and I do. Probably have a salad with it. Dh will probably heat up some Asian entree, he keeps a stock of them for these nights;)

Dh had our soil tested and they said it was very good so he planted onions today. He loves to garden. Also took the car in for something and also got our free car wash. So we've both been busy in our own ways...he works harder than me though.

Hope you're all enjoying Spring by now and that that old snow is gone!

Good morning everyone,
We had a milder day yesterday with lots of rain so except for snow banks it is almost all melted. My clothes dryer died so I have been busy on the internet looking at new dryers and their ratings. I ended up buying a Whirlpool Brand from Sears which will be delivered sometime on Thursday morning. Apparently I have had a fire hazzard in the house as my old plastic venting system is now out of code so I had a man here yesterday putting in a new steel meshed venting system. He took my old dryer off my hands. I also had a very old full size stove in the basement so he took that too. I used to have my tenants live solely in my basement with a kitchen and rec room but now I share the whole house with Nan and she sleeps in my spare bedroom upstairs and has the run of the house. I had my physio treatment on my ankle yesterday morning....it is improving but I can't walk without my brace and I don't last too long but part of that reason is because I'm so out of shape. After that I took Nan for her dental appointment. She is finding it very difficult now to get in and out of a car and because she can't raise her arms I have to help her get her tops off and on. She is in pretty good spirits considering but gets mad when something new happens to her body that prevents her from doing it herself. I have also been thinking of myself and what I will do when the time comes for Nan. I'm contemplating selling my house and moving up north to be closer to my daughter.

I have read all the personals and just have a few short replies:

Gayle That's great that you have started to play the guitar again. You might be a little rusty but I think you will pick it back up pretty fast. I used to play the piano.

Mary Taking naps is more important at our age than housework that can wait for one more day. At least that's the way I feel.

Carol I have been to our Goodwill looking for plus size clothes. I have found the racks so be so stuffed it is hard to see anything plus there wasn't much selection in the plus sizes. I haven't looked for anything else. I remember when you could buy canned salmon in a can that was as large as a canned vegetable can and my Mom used to make salmon loafs and patties which were my favourite. Salmon sure has become expensive since those days. I would probably need 4 or 5 small cans of salmon to even try to make a salmon loaf today.

Hello to everyone else I haven't mentioned and know I enjoy your posts.
Have a good day,
Karrine

Karrine, they still sell the large cans of salmon in our stores, but I don't buy them. I rarely buy canned, but when I do I like to get the kind with the bones removed, which is more expensive.

My closet looks much like your Goodwill racks right now...stuffed with clothes. I don't need any unless I lose a lot of weight, and I don't see that happening anytime soon. I rarely buy many clothes at Goodwill unless something catches my eye, or they have the 99 cent sale. I got a faux leather jacket there once that looked like it had never been worn. $4. And I got those capris for 99 cents and couldn't pass that up. But it takes a long time to go through the clothes and when we go there we are rarely there longer than 15-20 min. I buy books there but don't always have time to go through all the books.

Mary, my friend used to take something in water that she said helped her lose weight. She said when you use it you can't eat any sugar and you have to take it at bedtime on an empty stomach. I told her if I never ate sugar and went to bed on an empty stomach every night I wouldn't have had a weight problem in the first place. LOL I don't think they even sell that stuff anymore. She got it on QVC. I will have to look into those essential oils you are using.

Gayle, I get my frozen salmon at Walmart. It is sold in bags and they have either skin on or skinless and the serving size pieces are wrapped separately. Very convenient for me. Naturally the skinless is more expensive but that's what DH likes. I don't mind the skin-on because after I cook it the skin peels right off. I like to save money. LOL I just take out the number of pieces I want and reseal the bag. I think the skinless is about $9 for a 2lb bag, but I'm not certain.

I tried to post a link to them but the link won't work. Maybe I'm not allowed to post that link. If you go to Walmart.com and put in "frozen salmon" the first 2 items that come up are the ones I buy. Blue package.

We planned to go to the gym this morning but didn't make it. I had all my usual night issues and didn't get enough sleep. I thought dh went on his own but when I finally got up he was still here. After breakfast he laid down in his recliner and fell asleep too! So he's now working in the yard and I just had breakfast.

I have bought tickets for a Ladies Night Out at a cabinetry company. They are supposed to have lots of vendors and my dd is one of them. They serve food, snacks, wine and beer and have things to look at, sample and buy. The first 50 get swag bags so I plan to be there early.;) Also thought if I get there early I might be able to help my dd in some way. I have asked a family member to go join me but not sure yet if she is so I may just be wandering around on my own. Oh well, I've already bought my ticket and the money goes for a good cause...I'll enjoy what I want and come home if I get bored. I rarely go out on my own so something different. It will be next month.

I have bought more clothes in the last couple months than I've bought in years! And I'm still tempted to buy more, holding off so far though. I do still have one skirt coming though. That makes me three new skirts, I think about 10 new tops and 11 leggings. The leggings just roll up in a drawer but the tops and skirts are filling my closet along with what I already had. I hope I get good use out of all of them. I may give away some of my old clothes but want to do it a little at a time. Usually even on the long chance I do lose a lot of weigh (HA!), I can still wear the same size esp on top, they just fit better. Last time I lost significant weight I lost 20# before anyone even noticed and before I changed clothing size. So not too worried about that. My arms and legs usually get slimmer first...and esp my legs. My upper arms are large and I wonder where all that loose skin is going to go to if I lose. :^:

I said yesterday that the little essential oil drink seemed to help me not eat so much. Well, I still don't know if it was that or not but I did drop down 1# overnight. But then I go up and down though I seem to stay longer at the top number these days. Still trying to get down to my sig again..2# to go. So tired of this. Tempted to drop one of those little green pills but I know I need them for my bs. I will try the drink again today.

I've seen similar bags of frozen fish like you describe, Carol Sue, in Costco. I have a Walmart near me now but have not shopped a lot there. We use it mainly for a quick run to the store for something we need or if we need a non-food item. So glad to have it though I know many people hate Walmart here. I do my weekly shopping at New Seasons Market...and love the organic produce and meat there. The organic dairy is usually cheaper there too. If I'm not buying meat, I'll often just go to Winco...it's across from our gym so is handy and not so far from home as New Seasons. Then in the opposite direction is our new Walmart, so it's our "need fast" shopping place.
:) Sometimes dh will already be shopping there or on his way home and I can call him to pick up something. So convenient. And then about once a month (sometimes twice) we shop at Costco to get the things that there are coupons for.

I can seldom find that good filtered milk I was buying...disappointed about that, but hopefully it will come back.

Our weather is cloudy and cooler last couple days, but not cold. Looks like the sun might be trying to come out this morning. I kinda like it like this...I like sunny days too but this is more like our natural NW weather and I don't care for really hot days.

Going to do a quick mop of my main bath floor and clean the mirror and shower door. Then moving on to the kitchen and see what I can get done there today. Yesterday I noticed how dirty my laundry area is...it's in the garage, not shut in, so impossible to keep clean. So I hope to get out there and organize and clean. Recently I ordered a free (paid shipping) pack of laundry soap and fabric softener. They are natural products. I like them so continued this month. They are much smaller bottles than I am used to, but I only use a small amount so they last a long time. I haven't even started the second pack. It comes in concentrated packs and you mix it with water in the original bottles they send you. I'll try it for a while longer at least, so far it seems to work well. You can change the subscription as you like. I don't do laundry as often now that I have larger hampers. I only do the laundry when at least one section of the hamper is full or one of us needs clothes. ;) Each big bag of the hamper seems to be two loads (like delicate load and regular load in each) so far. But really my washer tub is much larger than I ever need to use, it's huge compared to my old washer.

Karrine - Glad you found the problem before a fire occurred. Continuing to pray for both Nan and you. You are a great help to her and need healthing and strength to do it.

Ok, off to start my day...very late...but that's ok....I'm retired!:)

Good afternoon GG's,

A partly sunny day here today.

I've been busy today ~ doing puttery stuff. Sometimes though, that kind of stuff ~ at the end of the day, you know you did stuff, but because it was just little puttery stuff ~ it doesn't feel like I did much.

Maddie had left a partial glass of water on the table last night (had a lid on it with a straw in it). I thought about moving it, but thought ~ it only has just a little bit of water in it ~ so I just left it there. Well, somewhere along the line, it tipped over and the water ran out the straw and went all up under stuff that was on the table. So, it took some time cleaning that all up.

Right now (being here), I am procrastinating. There are some bananas in the fridge ~ they have gotten too ripe to eat ~ I need to look at them and decide if they are too far gone, or if I could still cut them up and freeze the chunks and use them for smoothies. I goofed up and the ones we bought the other day were too ripe to start with as we already had a few left that we needed to use first. Sigh.....I hate messing up and wasting stuff.

I didn't get to talk to mom yesterday ~ the nurse said she was sleeping and told me that mom had fallen a bit ago and she didn't want to disturb her right then. She didn't break anything, but got some skin tears on her hand. The nurse said that she feels that mom's dementia is progressing. And that mom is less alert than she used to be, her speech is getting harder to understand and that she just isn't the same as she used to be. I knew that eventually, she would decline, but even knowing it will happen ~ it is still sad.

I kind of have to chuckle at myself ~ I am surrounded by electronics ~ my lap top in front of me ~ with several tabs open (e-mail, 3 Fat Chicks, Facebook, Pinterest), my cell phone to my right ~ been texting with my daughters. The iPad mini (a couple Words With Friends games in progress) and another tablet (looking up on Amazon ~ for Kindle books ~ specifically cookbooks with recipes for 2 for a small crock pot) on my left. I do get up and about ~ I am not glued to this seat all day ~ LOL.

I wasn't very good with the food this weekend ~ I ate wrong and did it knowingly. Doing better so far the last couple days. Evening sometimes seems to be hard. I will do well all day, then it kind of falls apart in the evening. Today, I tried a recipe I had been wanting to try. A mini pizza ~ the crust part was made with a pita bread, topped with a couple teaspoons of spaghetti sauce, some vegetarian cheese, slices of zucchini and mushrooms. 400* in the toaster oven for 5 minutes. It came out well and was very tasty. You could use regular mozarella cheese and top it with anything you like.

I guess maybe I will get off and do the personals another time. I haven't walked on the treadmill yet today, so maybe can get that done. My knee is bothering still, so maybe I will do that, maybe not , or maybe only one session (15 min) instead of 2. I did good yesterday ~ walked twice and got all my PT exercises done.

Hope you all are having a good day.

Good morning everyone,
Finally have a day where I can stay home with no appointments or errands to run. I am going to spring clean my laundry room today as I want to wash the floor before my new dryer comes tomorrow and re-arrange things in my cupboards. I sold my laptop that I bought in 2011 which is almost like new as I thought it would be handy to use in other rooms in the house which didn't happen. I have been keeping it updated with Windows updates and have deleted all my personal stuff from it. A man is coming to pick it up at 10 am this morning. I only got $80.00 for it....he sure got a bargain. We are going to get a pizza for dinner tonight as a treat. I went for my mammogram yesterday and all went well.

Carol Very interesting that you can still buy large cans of salmon where you live. Speaking of clothes....I tried on a summer blouse yesterday and it was too snug across the chest so now I am worried that all my summer tops might be too snug. I best start trying things on and buy new ones if need be.

Mary Sounds like you are all set now with your wardrobe and all your recent purchases. You sure do have a variety.

Gayle doing all puttery stuff around the house adds up but I feel good when I have a day like that when any clutter is back in it's own space. I used to make a banana loaf when I have over ripened bananas. So sorry to hear that your mom's dementia is getting worse. I sure wish they would find a cure or medicine that would slow it down.

Have a good day everyone,
Karrine

Karrine, I'm wondering if the lack of large cans of salmon is only in Canada? Here is what I see here, although I don't always buy the big cans. They show them on the Walmart website and you have to enter your zip code to see if they have them in your area.

What happened to my post?!! I posted my usual "book"...started this morning and finished after I got home from the dentist and shopping. And it's GONE!
Maybe I forgot to submit:?: Thought I did. That never happened to me before...not a whole post.

Well anyway that's all I've done to day...had a good checkup, he tightened my partial which had become lose, and the girls told me I was rockin the Lularoe!:D My dd gave them all leggings in Feb. She still drives over here for the same dentist as she went to school with him.

Yesterday I forgot some grocery items...not sure why but they weren't on my list. I think I can get by tonight without them so will wait and go out tomorrow. Tonight I'm fixing curried steak and rice. There will be asparagus in the steak dish.

Just about finished folding the last load of laundry...it's taken me that long for those two loads! Then I still have to clean a bit in the bathroom and mop the floor then start the kitchen cause I didn't do that yesterday. Also still need to clean and organize my laundry area. May not get it all done today though.

Glynne - I'm the same way with electronics...although mostly with my desktop. Way too easy for me to get on it and time flies. I've really slacked off on going to the gym and even riding the bike here at home altho I do both now and then.

Karrine - Yes I think the man is getting a good deal, but I don't know prices .
And if you weren't using it at least you will get some extra cash. I'm glad you have such a good match in your tenant. Sometimes renting out your home can be a horror story. Pizza sounds good! I think we still have the large cans of salmon but not for sure as haven't looked for it in a long time.

ETA: I took my essential oil drink again last evening and again I didn't eat so much and dropped another pound...still just trying to get down to my sig weight of course, and not sure the drink is the reason. Will take again this evening. I take it late afternoon or right after dinner because that's when my hunger really hits usually.

Good morning everyone,
Where did everyone go yesterday.....only a couple of posts LOL. My new dryer is coming this morning sometime between 9 - 12. I got the laundry room spring cleaned yesterday which made me feel good because I managed to remove some nasty floor marks. I want to purchase a pair of summer outdoor slip on shoes with no laces and I noticed they are on sale this coming week at a store near me so I'll go check it out. Nan isn't doing so well for the past couple of days due to something wrong with the base of her neck. We don't know if it is the cancer or a muscle spasm. If it isn't any better today I think she should call the doctor.

Carol I think you are right in that they don't sell the large cans of salmon here in Canada. The US has tons of things we can't buy here.

Mary I am way overdue for a dentist appointment for a cleaning. Once I know what Nan's radiation schedule is I'll make my own appointment.

Hello to everyone else and have a good day,
Karrine

Sure wish I had energy and breath to do even 1/4 what I did only 10 years ago. Today's walk was 3/4 mile in sunshine, but I had to stop 2 times to get my breath. DH goes with me because he is afraid I'll fall or can't make it all the way. I'm glad I could to at least this today.

Yesterday's day at the Gym was the best in ages. Also checked out that kind of gym in area near my daughter. WOW! What a wonderful big gym with lots of good equipment, high ceiling, lots of light, and machines I haven't tried in ages. I love the rowing machine and they have two. Next Wednesday I'll go there on my way to get my massage just beyond that place. Hope I have energy as I did yesterday.

Electronics? Gayle, you were really surrounded.

Each piece here is in a different room. I do enjoy having something near the TV so I can play games or such while DH is beside me watching his stuff.

Mary I envy you that when you loose it is in lower part of body. That is my largest, and it is the upper body that first shows weight loss. At this time my upper body is the largest ever. My new fleece jacket that would be so warm is tight in the arms. I"m determined it will fit before I need it next year.

Walking in sunshine today with DH for 3/4 mile. (still so hard) So thankful for living in a pretty and safe neighborhood. Our yard looks great with flowering plants, grass lush and well taken care of by DH, and the promise of more plants showing.

Karrine Your day sounds like mine - get to stay home all day and it feels great. Hope to finally finish some of the jobs I've begun but had to quit to run someplace.

Yesterday was my heaviest day with lots of appointments and extra trips such as to library, mail taxes, and check out new Gym close to DD#3. Home before 6:00 PM and felt fine. Thank goodness.

Today I have to push and push to get myself doing anything. Sandy

Just got home from the gym. I went back to my recent previous routine as I felt the need to walk a bit. Stopped at the store for the groceries I had forgotten on way home.

Tonight is pizza night with the kids the beginning of our new tradition.:)

As far as our body built...I have decided that we are what we are, and it's all good....we just need to eat and live healthy to make ourselves the best we can be.

My gd called dh's phone on Facetime...I don't have it on my android of course, and we both have talked to her a long time...watching what she and her bro are doing. She's on a "break" from school ...must be a long break.:D
First time she's FaceTimed us though...her bro used to a lot...that's one thing I really like about iPhones. I do have it on my iPad but I forget to use it. Should do it more esp since my dd will be moving soon and that's a good way to keep in touch. Children grow up so fast.

I'm feeling very sleepy...think I'll lay down for a few minutes before I get to work. Just want to do just a little cleaning in the main bath still and then mop the kitchen floor. Shouldn't take too long.

Hope you are all having a good day!

Good morning everyone,
I should have known better than to order a dryer off the internet without going to the store. It is my mistake that I ordered a dryer that is way too big for my needs and has a steam function that I should have realized needs water and I don't have the right hose connections for that. I'm going to make a trip to the store this morning to see if I can return it and purchase a smaller easy to use one with manual and not electronic controls. I get so mad at myself for this very STUPID mistake. They are calling for a nice day here today....nice enough that I would be able to start raking the yard and but now I have this dryer problem to deal with. Sorry for ranting but I am so angry with myself. I couldn't sleep last night for worrying about all this. Laundry day is tomorrow so don't know what I'll do about that yet.

Sandy and Mary It sounds like you are both really keeping in shape with the walking and gym. Good for both of you.

Have a good day everyone,
Karrine

Karrine Doggone the problems with appliances! Sure hope they let you exchange it.
We did a similar thing several years ago. We have only 4 feet between one side of Kitchen and the other. The refrigerator was floor model and within our price so when they brought it I was floored. It came way out into the room and I hated it. We would have to pay a "restocking fee" and fee to come get it. THEN . . .

My rug was soaked the next day and it was a faulty ice maker. They tried to fix it . . . and finally came to get it and let us choose a smaller one that fit with just a bit of extra money. The rug was one I hated and old. We ended up replacing it because the water had really damaged it.

I remember Dad saying as he repaired things. "MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE." Never thought I'd have to measure a refrigerator. When did they start making appliances such huge sizes?

Mary Be thankful you can't use "facetime" I hate it. I refuse to use it altho I think my phone will show it. Our SIL loves it and I do enjoy him showing off our great grandkids when they visit. We watch in Ted's phone.

Gayle So sorry your Mom is going down hill. I remember how hard it was and confusing, too. Ted's sister is still getting rehab, but her mood swings are driving her daughter to tears. She isn't the same woman she was only a month ago.

CarolSue Thought of you as DH and I went for a walk in the neighborhood. I do love being out, but agree that getting home and in the house felt extra good. I only stopped once on the 3/4 mile walk. Best this year. I'll keep trying, got no choice. I'm at 226 pounds and it scares DH to death. Weeks of cut food has made almost no difference in weight, but I am getting tired less often.

No rain expected, and we may be heading for a drought and extra heat this summer. Thank goodness for Air Conditioning.

Sandy

Just finally had lunch...it had been six hours since breakfast...very unusual for me. Made one quick stop on the way home. Soon as I got home I called to see if I could get my favorite tech at my nail place and she had an opening in 40 min. So I hurried to shower etc and got there in time, but of course had to wait about 20 min. still. They also take walk-ins so if someone walks in before your appointed time, they have to take them. Anyway I got a mani/pedi...it had been a while so they sure look better. Came home tired and hungry and had leftovers for lunch.

With appliances I usually shop online but prefer to actually purchase. Some of you may remember all the measuring I had to do to be sure our new much larger refrigerator would fit in our small kitchen. It does but sticks out further than the cabinet next to it by about 4 inch and we had to put up a foam protector on the corner of the wall on the other side because when we open that side of the door (it has two doors on top, fridge on bottom), it hits the wall. But all the parts I measured.. sides and top are ok and I knew it would stick out some so wasn't surprised by that. It is hard to get a perfect fit.

I'm sorry to hear of the problems you two have had with your fridges. I haven't had that. Only problem I have is that even though it is larger (cu ft) it is harder to find places for everything because of the sizes of the shelves..you can move the shelves around somewhat but it's still a problem.I did not have this problem often with my old smaller fridge. I have learned to buy smaller bottles and also have sent many things with my son when he left as he brought many condiments to us when he moved in. So it is getting a little easier but when everyone is here for dinner, I often have to use an old fridge we keep in the garage too. It is one someone gave us and it sure has come in handy.

Sandy I actually do like Facetime and had it on my previous iPhone plus still on my iPad. I think it is esp nice for communication with children/gc one doesn't get to see often. Sometimes the children will ramble on a long time, and we hate to cut them off but sometimes we just have to. I try to remember tho that one day they may not call so often and when they do it will likely be them cutting us off as they will be busy with their own affairs.

Carole Sue - Are you ok? I know you weren't feeling so good for a while there.

Good morning everyone,
When I went to the store yesterday I asked to speak with the appliance department manager. It turned out to be a woman. When I told her my dilemma she was very understanding and so nice. I had absolutely no problem with being able to return this monster dryer and have another smaller one delivered. I picked out a Sears Kenmore that will do me just fine and is the same size as my old machine. She isn't charging me for the delivery and pickup or installation of the new one and isn't charging me for restocking. I sure lucked out on all this as I was expecting to have trouble. It is going to be a warmer day here today so I am going to sweep out my garage and front porch. I also want to put out a summer porch chair so Nan can sit outside for awhile with a sweater on.

Carol You sure did have a mess with your refrigerator and sorry you had such problems with delivery and restocking.

Mary You sure did your homework when measuring for your new fridge.

Have a good day everyone,
Karrine

LOL reread my last post and see I didn't finish one sentence...I meant I shop online for appliances but actually buy in a store. Sometimes my mind goes faster than my hands!

We are about to leave for our son's dance recital. Not sure when He will dance so just have to go and hope we make it and that we don't have to sit there too long before. Of course, the other kids are fun to watch but not enough to go this early.:^: This is the last time we will see him perform I think as they will be moving the end of next month.

My bs has been very high in the mornings recently. I haven't been eating in the evenings as we have had dinner kinda late..am wondering whether it could be the essential oils (doubtful) or I may need to add a small snack before bed.

Take care everyone, and I hope you're ok Carole Sue. I miss you.

Mary Hope you solve the blood sugar issue. Sometimes I sleep better with just a small snack about 9:30 pm. Often an banana but I also have no problems with blood sugar.

Karrine What good news that you are able to exchange the too large Dryer for one that fits AND no extra charges. We also went thru Sears, but didn't get the good service you did. Good for you.

After really, really pushing it yesterday I'm having a rest day today, and certainly need it. DD#3 coming tomorrow so I do need to vacuum at least. We'll go to gym with her when she goes home at the gym I pay for.

Watered and mulched some of the gardens. With the drought warnings flying, I had to get some protection on the plants I've put in. Now have a few pots to water now.

Weight is stubborn. Just what it was 2 weeks ago.

Good evening GG's,

Thursday 4-14. It was kind of a weird day today. I went for my doctor's appointment (needed help because my ears have been feeling sort of plugged up) ~ they said they didn't have me down for an appointment. Then said that I was supposed to have been there on Tuesday, but never showed up. They said that someone had called me and had rescheduled the appointment because they had a sooner opening. I told them I never got any such call. Then I got scared ~ what if they really did call and I didn't remember. I checked my phone and there was no call that had come from them, no voice message left. They said well, weirder things have happened. They said the doctor was booked solid, but they would ask her if she could squeeze me in. She was able to ~ I guess maybe because my reason for being there wasn't a complicated thing and probably wouldn't take very long. I only had to wait about 20 minutes. I told them, maybe they accidentally called the wrong number and some joker decided to pretend they were me and accept a different appointment.

Ran some errands, post office to mail my mom's birthday present, and a package for something I had made for my little grandson. Walmart for some items. Had to pick up Steve at Jason's place ~ he had gone there to help Jason with a phone call. Made another batch of applesauce for Maddie in the mini crock pot.

4-16 ~ I started this a couple days ago, but didn't get it finished. Had a busy day on Friday ~ Jason needed a ride, so we helped him out. While driving a couple of those little lights came on telling of some servicing that the car needed ~ oil change and tire rotation. Since it was still morning after we got Jason to where he needed to go, and we were in the area of the place for the oil change, we stopped and did that. Then groceries at Aldi, tire rotation at another place, the rest of the groceries at Walmart, the library to turn in books that were due and check if a hold book was available. Then on to JC Penny to use a coupon, and finally CVS to pick up a prescription. Got home, put away the groceries and had time to spare before Maddie's bus came. Whew ~ busy day.

I went to Joann Fabrics this morning ~ my little granddaughter Evie (the one in South Carolina) wants me to make her and her doll matching dresses (doing that as her birthday present) ~ they were having a sale, so I went to get that fabric and also did some other errands. Home and did the laundry.

I called mom today and it was another day where she was asleep when I called. That seems to be the case more and more now. The nurse and I talked for a few minutes. She said that mom isn't doing as well as she had been ~ I asked if it was to the point where I should be trying to come up there sooner than I had planned to ~ was planning on going up in the fall. She said no ~ she didn't think I needed to rush up there. Mom had that fall a few days ago, and while she didn't break anything, she did get some skin tears on her hand ~ they were having trouble keeping the bandages on and it is starting to look like it is getting infected. They are also adjusting some of her medications ~ so the nurse said to wait ~ and hopefully she will perk back up with these changes. I told Steve that I might need to go up sooner than I had originally planned ~ he started checking for tickets trying to find a good price and was able to find something. So, I am going to go ~ my sister will pick me up from the airport and we will go to see mom.

Sandy ~ glad you took today to rest up ~ it is amazing to me the gardening you do ~ I don't know how you do it ~ to me it seems like it would be way harder than going for a walk. Glad you had a nice sun shiny day the other day for your walk.

Mary ~ enjoy your little grandson's dance recital. The blood sugar thing is so confusing sometimes. One night I was awake in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep ~ I got up for a little while ~ I was hungry, so I had a snack. I didn't make a very good choice ~ not a healthy thing ~ too sugary. In the morning when I tested, my sugar was low ~ like 65 ~ I don't get it. I would have thought that because I had eaten a couple hours earlier and something too sugary, that my BS would have been high. Sometimes, it just seems there's no rhyme nor reason to how the readings come out like they do.

Karrine ~ so glad you were able to return your dryer and get one that will work better for you. Glad that the lady was so nice and helpful to you. Very thoughtful and kind for you to fix up a chair so Nan can enjoy being outside when she is able.

Carol Sue ~ where are you? Hope everything is ok. I checked out the salmon in Walmart ~ I think I'm gonna try it sometime. Could you maybe share with me how you cook it?

Almost bed time here. Hope you all are having a good weekend.

Good morning everyone,
What a beautiful day we had here yesterday. Many people were out doing yard work. I got the garage swept out. It is so nice to see it clean again. An angel dropped by my place too yesterday. I started to try and rake my front yard when a neighbour 2 doors down came over to talk. I told him about Nan and my bad ankle that is healing and he insisted on doing all the raking and fertilizing of my yard front and back. I so appreciated this so I'm going to buy him a case of beer in thanks this week. Today is supposed to be very nice too so I'm going to get the rest of my patio furniture out of the crawl space. I'm very slow and might not get it all done today but I'll try. The next thing to do outside will be to clean all the old mulch out of my gardens and get them ready for planting. We sure did enjoy sitting outside for the first time yesterday. Also, that neighbour that did the raking told his wife about Nan and she went out and bought flowers for her. They are so thoughtful.

Gayle Oh my, you sure were a busy beaver yesterday. Good for you.

Mary I hope you enjoyed your grandson's dance recital.

Have a good day everyone,
Karrine

Hi everyone! I hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

Mary, it sounds as if your little grandson is quite a dancer. It's unusual for boys to like it that much. I see a lot of groups of young dancers on that show "America's Got Talent" and there are a lot of boys in those groups, too. It's good for them to be active like that, and much safer than some sports activities. It would be nice if he kept it up as he gets older and it's nice that his parents don't object. Some parents wouldn't want their boys dancing.

I used to eat a fried egg every night before bed but I have eliminated that in an effort to lose weight. So far my fasting blood sugar isn't any higher than it was when I had the snack. I think I have gone down a pound or two. I think losing weight should drop my fasting blood sugar, too. We'll see. If necessary, I will go back to having the snack.

Gayle, I use a grill pan to cook my salmon. In case you don't know what that is, it is like a big frying pan, but it has ridges on the bottom. The ridges cause dark grill marks on the food, similar to cooking on the grill. The pans aren't real expensive. I think I got mine at Walmart. I shop at Walmart a lot. I spray the pan with Olive Oil Cooking Spray and let it heat up a bit on medium heat. I pat the salmon dry with paper towels and sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and sometimes some paprika. Then I cook it for about 5 min on each side, depending on the thickness of the salmon. Sometimes I put a lid over it to hold in some heat to be sure it's cooked in the middle. The lid doesn't have to fit the pan, just cover the salmon. Some people bake their salmon. You can google other ways to cook it. I don't cook on an outside grill very much.

I have received messages from doctors that were the wrong number. I told them it was the wrong number. It's possible that whoever got your call thought it was from their doctor, in which case they went to their doctor on the wrong day. I try to think the best of people and not think they are playing a joke. A doctor's appointment could be a serious matter and not something to joke about. One time I kept getting a call from an attorney's office. I told them this number was not for the party they were calling, but they sounded like they didn't believe me and questioned me extensively. They called back a couple more times, and one time the attorney himself called. Either they wrote the number down wrong or the person gave them my number. I've had this number for 30 years.

Sandy, we've had very nice weather the past few days, unseasonably warm, in the 70s and sunny. It's early for us to get 70s, and it's going back to 60s this week.

Karrine, that's nice of your neighbor to help you and send flowers for Nan. Very thoughtful.

Good morning everyone,
We had another beautiful day here yesterday and we sat outside for quite awhile. I managed to get about half of my outdoor furniture outside and will try to do the rest sometime today. I think I may need help to put up the table umbrella. It is really hitting home that I am just about unable to do all the outdoor maintenance anymore....I'm just not strong enough.
Today we go to see the radiation oncologist for a consultation for Nan. Nothing else new here.

Have a good day everyone,
Karrine

Karrine What a wonderful neighbor to help you in the way you really needed it. Lots to be thankful for.

Surely as your ankle heals you'll regain your strength. I've noticed as I push myself in garden I'm going longer before I must rest and accomplishing more. Our early warm weather has made it great to be outside.

CarolSue You mentioned eating a fried egg before bedtime. I've found a small snack before bed really does help, too. Banana, or Kashi TLC bar with bit water is often the thing. Protein in TLC bar, but the banana is pure carbo. Can't tell any difference. Would love to have some sweets, but have found the longer I avoid them the less I want them.

DH Just left to drive to the city to pick up DD#2 from airport. She sends pictures and info on her wonderful workshop in Washington, and yesterday they went as a group to a Art Gallery etc. Can't wait to hear her stories. She is good, like her Dad, at storytelling.

Watering then mulching some more flower beds. No rain in past 6 days and none predicted for another 7 or 8. Hate to pay cost of water to water in April, but will loose some of these plants if I don't. The Water company takes the cost of the water and adds 2 times amount as sewage!!! The water I'm putting on the garden never gets to their doggone sewage plant but I still have to pay for that amount. I must accept it.

This mourning DH and I also walked in neighborhood. All the yards are so nice and green, many have blooming bulbs blooming, too. We are so fortunate to live here. With all my activity I've only lost one pound, (1) this entire month. I have to keep trying but at least the garden is better taken care of and so is the house and the laundry. Surely I'm getting stronger.

Gayle What did the doctor say about your ear?

Mary Interested in your info about boys and dancing. Agree the strength and skill involved is very athletic. In fact, a College foot ball player in Marshall, WV, is taking ballet because he finds the time spent on this makes him a far better runner on the football team. Even had his picture practicing at the bar.

Good morning GG's,

It is a cloudy dreary day here today. We had rain last evening and overnight ~ thunderstorms ~ lots of lightening, thunder and heavy rain. Hail in some parts of the city. There has been flooding ~ schools canceled and so forth. I guess we are in for more rain the rest of this week.

Going through or getting ready to go through some hard things.

Getting ready to go visit mom. Sad that she is declining ~ even though I knew it would happen, doesn't make it any easier.

Decided to contact my brother over the weekend to let him know about mom declining/dementia progressing. The attorney who is mom's guardian was supposed to be keeping brother up to date on mom, but not sure he has been doing that. I don't think he looks forward to dealing with my brother any more than I do. Maybe that gives you all a clue about what my brother is like ~ that nobody wants to deal with him.

Talked to the attorney/guardian about mom's code status.

My sister and I are going to make funeral arrangements for mom ~ for when that time comes, while I am up there. I would rather do it now than when the time comes and we are all upset and vulnerable emotionally.

All this stuff is out of my comfort zone. Steve has always handled everything. I am glad I have my sister ~ we will get through it together.

Sandy ~ the doctor said fluid in my ear ~ she gave me nasal spray ~ that helps shrink the tissues in the tube that drains the ear ~ it has helped before. Wish we could share some of the over abundance of rain we are getting with you for your plants/gardens.

Karrine ~ glad you had a nice day to get to enjoy being outside. Sorry that you are having troubles doing things you used to do. I hope you will be able to find someone who can help you with things you need help with. Prayers continue for you and Nan.

Carol Sue ~ I'm sorry ~ I didn't mean to make it seem that I was thinking badly of a person about this appointment mix up thing. It could have been someone I suppose who couldn't hear very well and didn't realize the call wasn't for them. I guess I was thinking of it more from a humorous angle.

Mary ~ did you enjoy your grandson's dance recital? How far away will they be when they move? I know you said, but I can't remember.

Guess I'd better get off and “do” something. I am kind of unsettled because of the things going on and having a hard time settling my mind to doing things. I have done the biggies/dreaded things already ~ the call to the attorney/guardian and a call to reschedule my eye doctor appointment. I haven't been eating very well so far today or this weekend for that matter. I know it is the stress of the things that are happening.

We're getting a little break today ~ Maddie won't be after school. Sara is working from home ~ didn't go because school was canceled because of the flooding ~ so Maddie is with her. I'm glad she didn't have to go, because it always seems to be flooded in the areas she has to drive in to get to her work (downtown Houston) and I worry about her safety.

Hope you all are having a good day.

ETA: I called to talk to mom and again, she was napping, but the nurse said she is doing better. She had been not as alert, sleeping more, not like her usual self, not eating well. She was doing better today ~ more alert, eating better. They had started holding one of her meds and feel that that is helping. I was so glad to hear that.

Another addition: I just got to talk to Mom ~ she sounded good today. Thank you Lord.

My doctor changed one of my BP meds and this morning my BP was down 20 points! He should have put me on this a long time ago! I hope it stays this way.

We have had such beautiful weather the past few days. Sunny and close to 80 degrees. I have been spending hours on the back deck with my dog at my side. He loves me. LOL I even got a bit of a tan. I know it will go back to cooler weather. This is very unusual for April in PA. And May is usually rainy. We get May showers instead of April showers.

Gayle, I'm so sorry to hear that things are not so good with your mother. I think it's good to make the funeral arrangements ahead of time because even if she improves now, the time will come eventually, and it's better to have it all taken care of. I think the older you get the harder it is to lose parents. You start to feel that they will be there forever. I hope I'm not sounding insensitive, I don't mean to.

As far as the phone call from the doctor, it could be either way. I always try to think the best of people, even though I know not everyone is a good person. I tend to overlook things people do to me, thinking that they didn't mean it, when in some cases, they probably do. My husband even tells me that some people are not really my friend. I guess I'm gullible. It's not funny to mess with someone's doctor appointment, though.

Sandy, I have stopped eating my egg at bedtime and so far my blood sugar is still OK. Not great, but not terrible. I am trying to cut out some food here and there and so far I have dropped a couple pounds. For diabetes they advise a low carb snack at bedtime.

How is your granddaughter doing these days?

Karrine, we also have a table with an umbrella, but DH doesn't like to put the umbrella out unless we are planning on using it. He's afraid because of the wind. If he would have it out all the time I would sit out there more often. He wants it to last longer. I want to use it. I hope Nan is feeling better, comfortable.

Mary, we eat our dinner around 4PM and I try not to eat anything after that. It's not always easy. I don't get hungry actually, but just want something. If I only ate when I'm hungry I would be thin. LOL

CarolSue Your very early dinner would make not eating afterward very, very hard. If you took a low carb snack, what food would be good?
Had to agree with you on the delight of the shade of an umbrella on the back seating area. Ours DID get torn up in wind, but at least our table and benches (concrete) are under the very tall maple. Mid day it is a perfect place to go, wonder why I don't go more often.
Good for you that your BP meds is helping AND you are gradually going down.

Still no rain!!! Today DH dug up the tall Silver Grass so I could pull out the dead part and move it back closer to our neighbor's fence. I planted it several inches too high, but it was such a job I simply built up the clay soil around it, fertilized area and watered good. After sun goes part way down I'll go back and finish weeding that area, add soil in the hole left from the Silver Grass, then water that area and mulch well. Lots of suckers from Burning Bush that need dug up but that may wait till another day. I am getting stronger, able to work longer and feel much better about that.

Usually April has lots of rain for us, but we are in a strange part that has been bypassed over and over. Modifying what I'll plant and where. The peppers we love to eat and freeze will be planted near that Grass I just moved back. That area has usually been annuals, but I can plant peppers we can eat in that area for the same price and actually they are pretty green foliage and peppers pretty, too.

Our granddaughter is doing so much better since her surgery took out the diseased womb that had caused her pain for years. We'll see her Sunday when we go to her brother's for Anthony's 3rd birthday. Should be fun day with family and DGS has great patio outside that over looks forest area. Probably WON"T be raining judging by rest of April. But even if it does, his home is plenty big enough for us all. Amazing that he has such a beautiful home before he is 30.

Time to get back to paying bills to mail tomorrow. Sandy

Good morning everyone,
Yesterday Nan had a CT Scan and first radiation treatment. Her anxiety level was high the first time around but now she knows what to expect today. She will have radiation treatments every day for the rest of this week and part of next week....then she will have a little break before chemo starts. I can see her mobility level slipping more each day. After we got home from the hospital I finished getting the rest of my outdoor furniture out of the crawl space and outside. I even managed to put up the umbrella myself...it wasn't as heavy as I thought. It blew over 2 summers ago from high winds which bent it a little but otherwise it still looks good. Next up as I have time I'll clean up my flower beds one at a time. I don't plant until May 24th weekend so I have a month to get that all done....a little bit everyday. My daughter wrote and gave me the name of a friend who can help me but I sure don't like the conditions she wants. She wants to pay him for me as a mother's day/birthday present plus I am to provide a case of beer and a meal. I don't think I'll ever call him if it requires money/beer and a meal.....that is really overdoing it as far as I am concerned. I would rather do it myself even if it takes me a month to get it done. My new smaller dryer is coming today so I'll get the laundry done today as we didn't do it on the weekend because of no dryer. Nan's radiation treatment today isn't until late this afternoon so I should be able to get everything done by the time we need to leave.

Sandy Yes, I am noticing an increase in my strength already with all the running around for Nan which I am glad for. Water is getting very expensive here too so I'm hoping for a summer with weekly rain. So glad that you are stronger and that your GD is doing better since surgery.

Gayle talking about and planning for one's funeral arrangements is a difficult subject but needs to be done. Nan has been going over her will and is making a few changes and the subject really bothers me too. I'm so glad you have your sister to help you with all of that and that your stress level decreases once that is settled. That's great that you finally got to talk with your Mom on the phone. She will be so glad to see you and hopefully will still realize that you are there.

Carol That's great that your BP is down with the change in your meds.

Have a good day everyone,
Karrine

Sandy, I used to eat a scrambled egg every night before bed as my snack. It helped keep my morning blood sugar lower. We got into the habit of eating so early after retirement because DH doesn't eat much all day. Sometimes a small breakfast or lunch, not usually both. So he gets hungry early, and sometimes I have dinner ready at 3 - 3:30. If I make something like a meatloaf, which I like to let sit for a while, he sees it coming out of the oven and wants to start eating.

I know that umbrellas can get damaged from the weather, but what's the sense of having it if you just keep it put away so it won't get damaged. Actually, we have 2. We didn't like the one that came with the table so we bought a bigger one. If one breaks, we have the other one, or can buy a new one. It's only money and we can't take it with us. So many times I won't sit out there because the umbrella isn't out there and I don't want to bother him to get it. Maybe I should hound him to get it out every day and he will get tired of that and just leave it out. LOL We bought the first table at Kmart and it started to rust after one week. We took it back and got our money back. We were grocery shopping in the supermarket and they had one out on display that we liked. It turns out that the display was the last one and we got it really cheap! It's tempered glass with a metal frame. We wanted it so bad we were going to pay full price for the display, which was in perfect condition, but the manager offered a discount and we took it!

We haven't had any rain for a long time either. We usually get a lot of rain in May. So who has a well, and who pays for "city water?" We have "city water" and we pay about $80 for 3 months. It's supposed to double or triple soon for some reason or another. I try to conserve as much as I can. We don't do a lot of watering, but DH is constantly washing the car. The neighbors tell him he going to wash the paint off. LOL Also, since we retired, we use more water, flushing the toilet all day, when it used to be the toilet at work. You never think of those things.

Good afternoon GG's,

It is rainy again today ~ just kind of raining gently, so hopefully it won't add too much to the flooding problem we are having here in Houston. The kids schools were closed on Monday and Tuesday because of the flooding problems. I don't know if the waters have receded much yet or not. I wish we could share some of the abundance of rain we are having with those of you who are needing some for your yards/gardens.

I've been struggling with my eating the last few days ~ the scale number has crept back up again. I do good for several days and it goes back down, then there I go again and mess it up and back up the number goes. I wish I would get my act together and make some real progress. One day at a time and keep trying. If I do the right thing sometimes, that is that many less times that I am doing the wrong thing.

The exercise thing is a struggle too. I know I need to do it, but am not consistent with it. I think about it a lot and how I could do better at it. I want to think that if I could just come up with a routine that works for me, I could do this. I have tried breaking it up into 15 minute chunks twice a day, but somehow it seems that something always comes up and I don't get it done or only get part of it done. So, I am trying to make a routine where I get it done and out of the way in one session a day and before the day gets too far along and something happens and I don't get it done. My latest idea is to walk around the circle (our street) one time, stop at the house and sit in the yard chair and rest a few minutes, then go around again. It takes me 15 minutes to go one time around so that would give me my ½ hour of walking. I could do the circle on days when the weather looks iffy, and hopefully rain would hold off until I am done. On nice weather days, I could walk to that little park I've mentioned before ~ that is 15 minutes there ~ stop and rest/enjoy the peacefulness of the pond, then 15 minutes back home. I really prefer to walk outside instead of inside on the treadmill. The treadmill can be my back up for when it is too rainy, too cold or too hot to walk outside.

The sun is my motivator a lot of times. I see it and I am wanting to get out there and enjoy walking in it. The sun did come out briefly today and it wasn't raining, but was looking iffy, so I went around the circle. I made it back and was taking a rest in the chair and it started to rain (gently) again. I had made it back just in time. I don't know if the weather will cooperate so I can go around again. I may have to use the treadmill to finish up.

I have been doing well keeping up with my physical therapy exercises. I don't always want to do them either, but I can definitely tell that doing them regularly is helping to lessen that sciatic pain. Hopefully I have learned my lesson and won't do what I did before and fool myself into thinking I don't need to do them.

Thank you for listening as I share my thoughts ~ it seems to help being able to tell it to someone.

I am so thankful today ~ when I called to talk to mom, mom was napping, but the nurse says she is doing so much better, walking better, eating by herself and more like her old self. So, the holding of some of her meds is helping. And my sister had been having some health problems, but at her doctor's appointment today, her blood work was normal and everything was good. Some answers to prayers

Carol Sue ~ I'm glad that the change in your blood pressure med has helped your blood pressure to be better ~ that is awesome. Glad you had some nice weather and that you and Rusty were able to enjoy some time outside on your deck.

Karrine ~ gosh, it seems like you just got that yard furniture put away. That is one thing that is a plus living down here where we don't have the kind of winters like up north. We can leave the stuff out all year. The only time we had to get it put away was the year we had that big hurricaine ~ Ike in 2008. How is your ankle doing? I'm glad Nan has you to help her as she goes through the cancer treatments. Sad though to watch her lose strength and mobility. Thoughts and prayers continue for the both of you.

Sandy ~ glad that your table and benches are still able to be enjoyed ~ hopefully you will get a chance to get out there and enjoy them. Glad that your granddaughter is doing better/feeling better after her surgery. Hope you get some rain soon for all your beautiful plants.

Guess I'll get this posted and do something. I did get the other part of my walk done ~ had to do it on the treadmill. The weather might have gotten better later so I could do it outside, but I just wanted to be done with it. So, for today, so far so good with the exercise and eating. Maddie is supposed to have soccer practice this evening, but I'm not sure the soccer field will be dry enough for it.

Hope you all are having a good day.

Sandy, I meant to comment more about our early dinner. I tend to go to bed early, so dinner is not really so early. Sometimes I am in bed at 8 PM. If I do that, I'm usually watching TV, and then I fall asleep watching. DH stays up later and usually eats something in the evening. I really feel so much better if I don't have food on my stomach at bedtime. It takes some getting used to. I think we have ourselves trained to eat something.

We got home this afternoon from a short trip to Port Townsend, Wa where we stayed at our timeshare resort. It is a beautiful area with the bay in back of our unit. They only have two, two with loft, and three bedroom units, and were only able to get the two bedroom loft. That means it has two bedrooms ..large master with bath with jacuzzi downstairs, a second bedroom and loft with a pull-out sofa, and bath upstairs, a laundry room in between the stairs and the kitchen, dining area, living room upstairs. We normally only have a studio or one bedroom but we took what they had for just four nights.

I planned to fix one meal...but while i brought all the other ingredients I forgot the main one, salmon!:dizzy: At first I was going to just buy some chicken and prepare it with that instead...not about to spend $$ on salmon there when my freezer is full of Chinook at home...but I got lazy and we just ate out and then had leftovers in the evening. With one exception..on the first night we ate at the closest restaurant to the resort. I got halibut fish and chips and they were the best I've ever eaten. Wanted to go back but never did.

We explored three small towns...Squim, we'd lived in nearby Port Angeles for about ten months 44 years ago, so some things we'd seen but not everything and of course so many changes. We followed that by going back to Port Angles and searched for our old house (rented) and despite enormous change, we are sure we found it!! The reason we could find it was because it was kitty corner from a park...so when we found the park it was easy. The park has changed a lot but still a park and the old houses are still there, just changed. Still had the fence enclosing the front yard, the back yard open. I remember looking out the kitchen window and watching my now 46 yr old son playing...he was just barely three....one time he was lying on the ground with a snake running along beside him happy as a clam..not sure if the snake was enjoying it as much. Also once when I wasn't looking, he went out of the yard. I was so scared when I looked out and he was gone. I ran out...there was an alley running between the rows of houses (still is) and I ran down the alley and around the block to the other street looking for him. No sign of him, then I was really scared...came back to the front of our house, and looking down the street, I could see a little boy with a cowboy hat and rifle coming toward me and knew it was my boy. :D Told him don't EVER do that to mommy again!! And he never did at least not til he was much older. He was always a rascal though, and not easy to keep up with. Our oldest dd, then 6 when we moved there, started school in Portland, then we moved there. I remember walking her to school to get her enrolled and also walking her over to the park where she met her bus each school day. She was so small compared to the others waiting there and being new was shy, so I would wait with her along with her brother in his stroller. There were no little girls in our neighborhood. We moved before school was quite out and I invited the whole class to come to our house for an end of year party. I remember I served fried chicken and cake...don't remember what else, but we played games and they enjoyed playing in the front yard on the swing set. I was exhausted when it was over but we had fun. It was fun to be back there, seeing the house and park and reminiscing. Hard to believe my little girl is now 51!

We also explored Port Townsend a little...looked at the historic homes and went through a museum at the old Town Hall with the jail etc. We also walked out on the dock.There were more interesting stores there to browse there, but dh was in pain from the walking we'd done already so skipped them for his sake. He's gotten so even a little walking is painful for him, when sitting he's ok though. So when I do browse stores, I just go in a few and he finds places to sit and wait for me, but I'd rather have a pain-free husband than look in stores. He always wants to please me and will try and endure it, but don't want that.

On the way home we stopped and met up with our gd who attends St Martins college for lunch. We haven't been up there for a long time although she has been down here a couple times. It was good to talk with her. She is a very good student and is planning to be a neurosurgeon.

Picked up Halo on way home. She seemed glad to see us, and happy to be home. She's back in her usual place on the love seat looking out the window.

Sorry this is long and I'm too tired to do personals this time. Will catch up next time.

Good evening GG's,

Another dreary drippy day here today. At one point this morning ~ it got as dark as night and we had another round of thunder, lightening and more rain.

I have done a few little things ~ I should be doing something else, but just keep fooling around on here.

I did both parts of my walk today but had to use the treadmill, it was too wet outside.

Sometimes things work out better than you think they will. I had an eye doctor appointment scheduled that fell during the time while I am gone to visit my mom. I expected that what ever I could get for an appointment would be months out ~ he is a good doctor and booked up months in advance. I called on Monday to reschedule it ~ the lady at the doctor's office said that only two of their staff had made it in to work (because of the storm and flooding). She asked me to call back in a couple days when, with more people it would be easier for them to help me. I was gonna call today, but before I got a chance to do it they called me ~ the doctor doesn't come to that location anymore on the day I was to go, so they needed me to reschedule. I was surprised when she had an appointment available for tomorrow. I jumped on that.

Sorry, I never got around to the personals today. Now it is bedtime. I can't fool around tomorrow ~ have to get up early to make that doctor appointment.

Hope you all have a good rest.

Good morning everyone,
The night before last night we had to go to the hospital for Nan as she was extremely sick with vomiting and nausea from the radiation treatment. They gave her an IV of medicine for nausea and saline. We didn't get home until 3 am. The doctor gave her a prescription for nausea pills. Yesterday she had her radiation treatment at 5 pm and it went really well....no nausea (she took a nausea pill one hour before her treatment. Today her appointment is for 4 pm and then every day next week. This morning I am having 2 grab bars installed in the bath tub area to make it easier for Nan to manage getting in and out for her shower. I didn't get anything else done yesterday as I was tired from that hospital visit. Sometime this weekend I really need to give my lawnmower some maintenance to ensure it will start as the grass has started to grow. I also need to change over my closet from winter to summer clothes.

Gayle walking in your street circle twice is a good idea. I haven't gotten on the scale; watched my diet or exercise for quite awhile now and really need a kick in the butt. I can't let all the running around and helping Nan stop me from my weight loss endeavors.

Mary Your little holiday really sounds great and the timeshare resort where you stayed sounds so inviting. I'm glad you had a good time.

Have a good day everyone,
Karrine

Karrine, I'm sorry to hear that Nan was so sick. I feel so bad for her. DH put some grab bars in our shower/tub combo. When he told me he was going to do it I didn't want him to, but they look nicer than I thought they would and I like having them.

Mary, sounds like you had a nice trip. Where did Halo stay while you were gone? My mother told me that one day when I was about 3 years old I was outside in the yard playing and she looked out and I was gone. We lived in a neighborhood with sidewalks. She walked up and down calling for me. Finally, a neighbor she didn't know about half way down the block motioned her into their yard. I was in their hammock, fast asleep. They said I wandered into the yard and they didn't know who I was or where I came from. That was back in the 40s. It was different times back then. I don't know what they would have done if my mother hadn't come looking for me. Hopefully, called the police. Today, she would have been put in jail for neglect.

Gayle, your eye doctor appointment worked out better than my CPap supply order. The company has changed hands, and they called me back and told me they couldn't fill my order without a new prescription from the doctor. He was a lung doctor from the hospital and I haven't gone to see him for years. I didn't like him, and since his specialty was lungs, he didn't seem to know much about the Cpap.
If I have to go to a doctor, I will go to the one my step-son went to. He specializes in sleep studies. I really didn't want to go because since he's a different doctor he very well might require that I go for another sleep study. I really hated that. I had to stay overnight on two different occasions. I have heard that now they can give you something to take home and have the sleep study at home. That would be OK. Otherwise, I told the woman at the company that when my CPap falls apart I will just stop using it. I took it out on her, even though she was just the messenger. I don't think I could ever sleep without it. The only time I went without it was in the hospital, and they just put me on oxygen at night.

Hi everyone! :) We went to the gym this morning. Felt like I got a good workout this morning and it was easier than usual. I'm using essential oils and the one I use in the am is called Focus...maybe it is helping.:?: I have also started a new workout program here at home...not always consistent and it is difficult for me but I enjoy it too and feel better afterward. It will be slow going but I hope to do it 15 min every other day.

I thought I walked quite a lot on the trip but I still gained 2# back...having such a problem getting back to my sig weight! Besides the walking we did on our sightseeing (which we did try to keep to a minimum for dh's sake), I walked up this VERY steep hill a few times to go to the office. But I did overeat the last day and of course there is all the eating out although I did take 1/2 of everything back to the condo.

We are eating out for lunch again today too! Our dd wanted to meet us at a restaurant for lunch as she is going to be delivering product over here and it is not often she is over here, so we always like to meet up if we can either here at our house (sometimes we have the kids while she delivers) or at a restaurant. But she was having problems getting out of the house and had to cancel for lack of time. :( So we are all dressed up and no where to go;) I've been wanting to go to the is new restaurant at the mall for a while now and dh has not wanted to go because he thinks it's expensive. He was willing to meet our dd and gc there though so I told him we should just go ourselves now and he agreed. I told him I'll probably just get an appetizer and drink. :D

Carole Sue - Halo stayed with our son while we were gone. He had planned to stay here at our house with her but at the last minute he had to go on a business trip so was only here one night and took her to his house. Since they are not really supposed to have a dog there, we picked her up on the way home, so it wouldn't be any longer. At least we also got to see their place (too small, so hopefully temporary), and see the baby.

You were talking about bedtimes and not eating after dinner...our schedule is very different than yours. We get up about 8-9 most mornings and go to bed about 11:30 most nights. We have dinner anywhere from 5:30-7:30 and occasionally later. I try not to eat past 9. I am doing much better but it is still in my mind that I should be able to have a snack before bed. My bs though was coming down before we left, but on the trip it was consistently high, many over 200. Hopefully that will change now that we are back home.

We are on on city water but we do have a septic tank so not on sewer. The sewer is just at the bottom of our cul-de-sac but none of us want to pay to have it brought up and so far we have not been forced to do that.

Glynne - Glad you are keeping up with your PT exercises.

Gotta run, dd just called and said she can meet us afterall...









Karrine - You work hard. How is your ankle now? Continuing to pray for both you and Nan.

Mary Only 2 pound gain? Glad you had such a good time. Bedtime is closer to mine, and I get up around 7:30 to 8.

Tomorrow we leave the house by 7:30AM to go to WV to Ramp Festival where we'll meet our oldest daughter and her husband who has hunted and fished with DH for many years. When we meet up, Kit will join me in my car and DH in his then we'll head into the forest to look at wild flowers, dig ramps, and SIL will cook us a great luncheon. At some time they will need to drive 6 hours back to their home and we'll have to come here. I'm really looking forward to seeing them.
Three of our 4 great grandchildren live close to them so I'll get lots of pictures and news. Weather promises to be just right. How lucky we are.

CarolSue Hope you can get the Rx for a new CPac. It would be scary to try to do without it. Do you prop up somewhat in bed to get higher than your rest of your body? Would that help? I saw a wedge for sale that is supposed to help someone who needs to be partly elevated in bed.

Karine You are so generous with your help and time for Nan. She is very fortunate. Not so fortunate with all the radiation and issues from it. Is the brace still helping your ankle?

Gayle Did your husband get to find out from the doctor if any thing is wrong with him?

Interstate was backed up today so I turned around on the entrance ramp and came back down and tried the back roads with lots and lots of other people. Too late for my appointment so we got groceries and came home still a different way. Glad we don't live where we did in the coal mine area years ago - one road in and same one out. Was scary to me.

Great supper thanks to DH for great Cod that I love, and a very big and nutritious Salad by DD. She is doing dishes so I really got off easy. Sandy

Good morning everyone,
Yesterday morning when Nan got up she found that she had lost 80% mobility in her legs. She can't walk but just shuffles. A nurse came in the morning to see how she was doing (there is a team of nurses and one of them come every day) and got in touch with her doctor. That resulted in her having another assessment at the hospital for 3 pm before her radiation treatment at 4 pm. The doctor is concerned that her advanced cancer is more advanced than thought so she was admitted to the hospital for the weekend where she will have another CT Scan and an MRI Scan. We will get those results from the doctor on Monday. I was too worried to bring her home because if her mobility gets worse she would be unable to get herself to the washroom. We ended up putting in 4 grab bars in the bathroom yesterday morning so I hope that will help her get into the tub for a shower. I am ok. My ankle bothered me a little more yesterday so hoping it is better today. The brace really helps.

Have a good day everyone,
Karrine

Karrine ~ so sorry to hear that Nan's condition worsening so quickly. I am glad that she is in the hospital where they are better able to help her. I know you want to help her, but I worry about you as well ~ you need to take care of you too. How long has she been with you?

Sandy, I have a wedge pillow that I used for a while after heart surgery, but I am normally a side sleeper and that doesn't work for me. The only thing wrong with my CPap right now is the hose that goes to the headgear has a leak and DH put tape on it, so I don't know how long that will hold, or if he could repair it further. I found a place online that appears to sell them without a prescription, but it's $80, and doubt if my insurance would cover it. The other place accepts my insurance, but requires the RX. I will probably reach out to this other doctor eventually, but it's not an emergency. Yet.

Karrine, I am so sorry to hear of Nan's sudden decline. That must be so scary for her and for you, but it's smart to realize that you might not be able to take care of her if she comes home. You don't want to get in over your head. She is in my prayers. She is very lucky to have you as a friend.