Hi to all of you.

I have been busy of late and on a weeks holiday as well.

We went to Jasper National Park, a beautiful spot for sure. It is situated in the mountains in Alberta. I have pictures lol

Yesterday, I went for the heart scan ordeal. It takes hours. I also had to fast from midnight on. The fasting is because as you lay down, the stomach and the bowel come up and over the heart in the scan pictures, so they need your stomach empty. Then they give you a shot of radioactive stuff and then two whopping big glasses of water before the scan. Two scans - one resting, the other after areobic exercise. Now, I have to wait for the results. Hopefully it comes back clear. Then I will have to look for another reason for the difficulty in breathing.

I went to my Naturepath finally. The Dr. doesn't seem able to help with the yeast problem I have. I have now started a homopathic treatment. I had to do an INNER KLEANSE DIET for 6 days (lost 5 pounds) and this past week I have started on a yeast free diet (down 2 pounds). I do hope that I can lose on this diet - that it keeps going.

I have to work tomorrow, and that is the first time in 2 weeks. Hope I haven't forgotten everything

Mima - Move down into the suite if that is what you want to do. As time goes on you will probably spend more time at your Florida place anyway. Brad will retire one day! Hope your stomach is feeling better.

Meme - just so busy. I have been like you for the past week. Running every which way. I hope you are feeling a little better and getting some much needed rest.

Joanne - Hi. Hope your hubby is feeling better.

Tammy - I am so glad that your work week is shorter for you. It is awful to feel terrible and have to go into work. Hope you sell your house. I hear that the US housing market is softening. Is it that way where you live? I almost died the other day, as the price of a starter home here is now $300,000.00. Yikes, I don't know how people pay for them. The mortgage rates are low NOW, but if they should go up even 2 percent people will be in deep trouble. The Bubble needs to burst!!! The cost of living has gone sky high as well.

I will go put this link into the other thread.

The color of these mountain lakes is incredible

Happy- How I wish I could see these sites in person. I know I never will in this life.. My hubby hates to go anywhere.. He is fine..I hust have to watch what he thinks he likes so much when he is eating..He gets spaghetti tonight.I will have fish..
Joanne

We are now stickied here. We won't have to look for our thread. Makes it a bit easier. Monet asked if we would like it, so I said YES. Hope that is agreeable with everybody.

Thanks for stickying us Anne! House prices are amazing. There are a couple homes down the street from our old one that have been for sale for about 2 years. The prices are over $250,000. Way to much for the small town. Ours is much lower.

Joanne, I had to laugh about your hubby and the tartar sauce! He and I could be buddies!!

Vicky, take care of your back!!! Mine hurts, but I think it will be better since I went to the chiropractor yesterday. He wanted to know why I had been moving furniture (I haven't) because it was so out of place.

Chris, please don't stop posting! I have problems around the holidays because my mother passed away right before Christmas several years ago. I'm doing better as time goes on. I have found that focusing on the things that are good in my life helps me to get through the tough times. My SIL used to be a Tupperware dealer years ago. I bought several things at the party last night, and I plan to use some of them as gifts.

I think I'll go read before I fall asleep. I already took a 2 hour nap tonight, so I should be raring to go!! not quite.

No one should stop posting because they get depressed this time of year ... gee ... that's what we are here for. Chris, this is why we are here, to help each other through depressions and bad times. You are not going to bring us down so don't be thinking that way. I lost my dad in November so I know the holidays can be difficult - I've lost both of my parents & my only bother and they always put a lot of emphasis on the holidays. I've had years to recuperate, though, so I don't get as depressed during the holidays now. Only 4 years since my mother died but I'm doing ok with that, too. I have my husband, 2 kids and 4 grandchildren. I focus on them. You just keep posting ... it helps to 'talk'.

Beautiful pictures, Anne. Hope your tests all come back clear and your diet works for you.

Tammy ... hope you're feeling better. It's hard to work with kids when you feel bad.

For years and years I've had patience galore, now, all of a sudden it seems, I find that I'm running out! I'm catching myself almost grinding my teeth or biting my tongue to keep from pounding on people. I have a new piano student - a woman - that ... seems like ... can't learn the simplest thing I tell her without me repeating it. She comes back the next week and says, I just can't get this, why can't I get this. I want so bad to say, "BECAUSE YOU'RE STUPID!!! I have 8 year olds who grasp this same material in 3 minutes!!!" I know, that sounds mean ... but it's true. She wants to play so bad, I hate to tell her she'll never play the piano because she's stupid ... what do I do??? Then I have trailer customers call and say, "How much d'ya want for the trailers?" I want to just yell into the phone ... "which trailer, idiot? We have about 20 different sizes and prices sitting out here!" Some mornings I wake up and I just don't want to have to deal with morons anymore ... and so ... I don't answer the phone. Ever feel like that?

(See, Chris ... I may not be depressed ... but I do get aggravated!)

I know how you feel, Meme. I am telling you-you can have for a student. That will try your patience. That's why I retired at 60-no patience but the worst was that the kids were rude.
Talk about patience-Leah called and wanted to know if she could come and work for an hour-Brad said he didn't need her then-she called back and said our lawn needed to be mowed. I told her we couldn't pay out for everything-we are retired. Then she started getting nervous and wanted to know if brad needed her Mon and Fri. He called and said yes. I don't like it when someone is dependent on us for their employment. We will be gone in Nov-there is a fine line between helping out and caretaking. I have this fear of being used because I have allowed it in the past.
Anne-those pics are gorgeous. Sure hope those tests are fine. Have you considered asthma for the breathing.
Well, let's see about this IBS. I ate a Cortland apple yesterday-it was so good. A test for me to see if I react. I asked the doc about taking Tylenol pm and he said I could and I did and I got up at 5.am. Thank God.
As for as my allergies go, I was tested and nothing showed up with those skin tests but I have been tested before by a holeopathic doc and LOTS of things showed up. This pollen season has been bad because of all the rain.I am very wheezy today. Of course, all the dust from downstairs doesn't help.
Hey tammy-any word on the house.?
What I have learned-depression is when you are looking backwards and anxiety is when you are looking ahead-live in the moment. Of course, I do think we always need something to look forward to.
Bye Mima

I meant homeopathic. I also have had the chiro adjust my head with this pressure thing-wow-it hurts but it so seems to help the breathing. Going there today, Mima

Hi gang! It is raining cats and dogs out there! Glad that I'm in the house. I'm feeling better! I couldn't believe it when I got out of bed this morning because the upper back didn't hurt at all. During the day it started to hurt just a little, but I took some Tylenol and that did the trick. I'm not going to school tomorrow so that will help. Bob and I are meeting with the retirement people. I want them to go over my application and make sure that it's filled out correctly.

The 2nd couple that went through the house, have now been through it a total of 6 times. They still haven't made an offer. I think that's strange. I hope the 1st couple gets their place sold soon, so they can buy ours.

Meme, I can relate to what you're saying about people!! They can be so frustrating!!

Mima, I used to take Tylenol PM. That was after my mother passed away, and then my dad had a stroke a few months later. I was a mess because I couldn't sleep. That was all before the Fibro hit.

Bob mentioned that he thinks he wants to try my chiropractor. He has never had much faith in them, but he is amazed at how much better I'm feeling since I went on Monday.

Anne:

I know where you are coming from with the breathing difficulty exams. I developed a problem last year, had heart scans, stress test, etc. and now am stuck with the unsatisfactory diagnosis of asthma which may or may not be related to acid reflux...maybe its my gall bladder...who knows! Sigh! All I know is that it gets worse when the seasons change and the one season I get a long period of relief is in winter. It's also not the breathing problem most people are familiar with, I don't wheeze. I just feel like I am not getting enough oxygen. It can be quite frightening.

Hopefully your doctors will find something that is more treatable...unlike mine! Imagine! Hoping they find something!

Vicky

Hi.

Meme - People can be very inconsiderate, that is for sure. And trying to teach a dummy is just downright frustrating. I have had to work with people like that, and try and train them. It darn near drove me nuts!

Mima - I had the pulmonary test and no Asthma.

Vicky - I am exactly like you. I don't wheez either. Just feels like I don't get enough oxygen. I used to walk so fast people had to run to keep up to me, and now I am lagging behind because I can't breath. The Respiratory Dr. diagnosed FM because Itested in 17 our of 18 points. Said the muscles in the sternum tighten up and causes this. It may be, but I don't really buy that. It could be allergies, or it could be one of the meds I take for Atrial Fibrillation (side effect breathing problems, fatigue etc).

Tammy - 6 TIMES!!!!! I hope somebody buys it soon. Nice to have the time off. Hope your retirement is all in order. I applied for Canada Pension and got it this month. That is a pension fund we all pay into federally. We pay a half and the employer pays half. Plus, some companies have company pensions as well. Canada Pension can be received at 60 but you have to take 30% less, which I did, because I can't work full time any longer and it will dwindle down and by 65 I will probably get the same darn thing as now.

Now, I bet you wanted to know all that lol

Hope you all have a good night.

Sure we did ... we want to know everything about you ... including the color of your socks! Wish I could retire and get paid for it!!!

I'm still going back and looking at those pictures ... unbelievable colors.

Trying day ... actually it's been a trying month and I'm really tired. I think allergies are runnng rampant for a lot of people this time of year. Won't be very long until most of the allergens will be gone here and I, for one, will be soooo glad. I dread to see the cold coming on but I welcome the allergy relief.

Supposed to go shopping with my daughter tomorrow. Looking forward to but dreading it at the same time. Need lots of energy for shopping ... don't have any.

Guess I'll go to bed and rest up for the "expedition"! Hope you all are feeling better 'n me. If you're not ... you're in pretty bad shape!

Sure hope you sell that house, Tammy. I am going to have fun decorating my new scaled down house. Brad is giving me a room for my computer, What a guy.
We are going to VT this weekend-colors are beautiful. My brother has a sma;ll place but it is set up to bring the fifth wheel and plug in. I always have fun with them-they love yard sales etc and we have our meals planned. Nice to get away. Gas is so much cheaper noe.
You can get paid not to work , Meme, but you have to be 62 and have 40 quarters to collect. I get a pension from teaching-68% of my 1998 salary and a small ss amount. Problem -the cost of living is so much higher and we only get a raise on the first 12, 000 of the pension-not good. Fortunately, I have a husband who also collects. And works. Anne-we like to hear about you big time and everyone else.
Have fun shopping Meme. Love it!!! Mima

Anotherps-Try diaphramatic breathing for your lungs, You unhale and PUSH out your stomache and then raise the breath to your chest-Yoga breathing. I don't have real asthma -it drips from my sinuses into my chest and I wheeze. Never had an attack. But chest sure hurts.

Vicky, a few years ago I was having problems like you, and the doctor thought for sure I had asthma. I was using inhalers twice a day, and finally I tried one that really kicked whatever it was that I had, and I've had no problems since. I was very lucky! My gall bladder bit the dust in 95.

Anne, wouldn't you think if you had gone through a house 6 times and brought relatives along to measure rooms, etc., that sooner or later you would make an offer? The man that we met with from STRS today was impressed that I had the application filled out completely. We had met with them in January, so we knew the type of retirement plan and health plans that we wanted. Also had the taxes figured out for them to deduct from my checks. He guessed right away that I had taught primary grades in school. He said, "No one prints that nice except 1st and 2nd grade teachers!!" I'll receive my first retirement check the beginning of March, 2007. Since I'll still be at school until Feb. 27, 2007, I'll still have 2 school checks coming. I believe every year, we receive a 3% increase on the base retirement amount that we get. AND just what color are your socks???? Mine are dark blue today.

Meme, my son's allergies have been worse this fall than they have been in years. He used to be on prescription medicine when he was little, and I told him that he just might have to consider it again if this keeps up. The OTC stuff just isn't working well. Winter will be better for him. Hope your shopping trip was a productive one! Nothing worse than going shopping, exhausting yourself, and then not finding anything worthwhile! After our meeting today, Bob and I drove to a Burlington Coat Factory to look for new winter coats. The store was gone!!!!!!!!!!! We were so disappointed! I guess I'll have to look somewhere else now.

Mima, the trip to Vermont sounds wonderful! I've never been there, but I'm sure it's beautiful. The leaves here are starting to change, and I love it since there is a woods behind our house.

Bob will start getting social security in 3 years when he turns 62. I'll have my first retirement check 2 months before I turn 52! I started teaching as a mere child. lol

Tim's girlfriend's b-day was yesterday. Her mom and little brothers had driven to the college to spend some time with her. About 30 minutes after they left, Tim, Jess, and some other friends were hanging out in her room. Jess was up on the bed hanging a new poster. She stepped off the bed and got her foot caught on the leg of her desk chair (they rock also). Tim said there was blood everywhere. She ended up at the emergency room. Tim called her mom, and she turned around and came back. Ended up staying the night. Tim took care of the brothers. Anyway, she has stitches and isn't allowed to go to classes until next Monday. Supposed to keep it elevated and not doing anything stupid. lol They're trying to figure out how to get her to the football stadium for the game Sat. We might pick her up and take her there. She won't be marching.