Mary, because the garage is DH's domain, he keeps it neat. He has all his tools in a certain place and hates when someone uses one and doesn't put it back in the same place. He will never fill it up with stuff because he wants the car in the garage. All his junk is in the cellar and attic. LOL

I'm so glad you retrieved your purse. I did that a couple times. The main one was years ago when I went grocery shopping and cashed DH's paycheck. I pushed the cart out to the car and put the stuff in the trunk. I pushed the cart to the cart return but left my purse sitting in the child seat. On the way home I stopped to get gas and didn't have my purse. I rushed back to the store, and there was my purse, still sitting in the cart. I was really thanking God that day. He would have been very angry with me if his whole paycheck was gone. Another time recently I left it in the cart in Home Depot. I went back and they had already locked it up in security. I am absent minded sometimes. My daughter-in-law doesn't take her purse shopping. She sticks her wallet in her pocket. We recently got a new Walmart, but when I had to go to the old one in a bad neighborhood I used to leave my purse at home and just take 1 credit card in my pocket.

I hope DH gets some rest that he needs. Yesterday I picked up our little Maltese and felt a lump by his neck. He has lots of fluffy fur. I told DH and he looked at it and it was a tick burrowing it's way into the dog. DH took it out and disposed of it, and put some peroxide on the spot, which is still a little swollen. It didn't seem to be bothering him a bit, and if I hadn't picked him up we never would have known it was there. I was really upset. If we see any change in him by tomorrow we will call the vet, but my step-son said his hunting dog gets them often and nothing bad ever happened. He just pulls them out. He said it was probably not a deer tick, but a wood tick. Pets can be a lot of responsibility, especially for you, when you got this one by default.

Today we are going to Bob Evans for dinner. I have a coupon for BOGO dinners. They are the only place left in our area that has salmon, so that's what I'm going to get. DH will probably get roast beef.

Some exercises for your hands etc to keep flexible, prevent carpal tunnel etc.
https://www.sharecare.com/video/diet...-grip-strength

After that there are other exercises, pretty good video...Some in the beginning are floor work so maybe too much for some....but some are sitting or standing. I like that the push up positions are easier now. The men are now doing like they used to tell women and the women are even easier. I might even be able to do a few that way! They use stretchy bands later on in the video. I just bought a new one and use it now and then here at home with my PT exercises. I feel like I've gotten more out of shape this year. My plan for 2015 is to get back to the gym.

Glad your doggy is ok. Yes they are a responsibility. Tomorrow we take Halo in to the vet and I'm curious what the vet will say about her. We switched her back to her regular (accustomed) food..Iams.. and she enjoys it more but has slowly been getting more stinky. At first we had the probiotics to sprinkle on and that helped but now we are out and waiting for vet visit since he may prescribe something else. And her full stinkiness has come back! I like her but I do wish she wern't so smelly. We have lots to ask about in this visit, I'm wondering whether we may have to go back for some of it.

Carole Sue,
My sweet little yorkie-poo Cosmo has gotten his fair share of ticks over the past three years... as did my sons and me! We are a study hardy stock and none of us has gotten any tick borne illnesses.
I am missing my Zumba classes because all day my house is filled with various working men cleaning up the fire damamge and then in the early evening, when my Zumab classes meet, I have those few hours to catch up at work and grocery shopping and laundry and my husband wants my company too. So I exercise at home on the spin bike. I just planked to a minute and I am reminding myself to squezze my rear end and hold in my abdominals.
Last night we went to a restayrant and I called ahead to be certain that there would be food choices for me. The restaurant had scrumptious salad choices and I was satisfied.
The couple we had dinner with are new friends that my husband made in just the last two years...I am fourtunate that my husband is sociable and he has a good eye for really nice people. I on the other hand tend to be atrracteed to people who are drama driven.

Lucinda I'm wondering what your husband does for a living. Does he meet these people through work? It's good when you have like-minded friends...so you can have a conversation of interest to all. You were smart to call ahead and ask about available meals at the restaurant. That's a good idea, and also lets the restaurants know they need to provide varied meals for health conscious people.

At least you have a way to execize at home and keep yourself limber, and will get back to your classes when things settle down.

So far my dog seems to be doing OK. We are watching closely. He is old, around 12 or so at least but doesn't seem to be slowing down yet. He can no longer jump up onto the couch. We put his little blanket on the floor so now he lays there. When my other dog got old he went partially blind. He went to jump down off the couch and hit his eye on the corner of the coffee table. They eye almost came out of it's socket, but we nursed him back to health and he lived a few more years.

This morning I made a big pot of stuffed cabbage rolls and they are in the oven baking. I used everything, the way the old Slovak women did in the old country....made cabbage and noodles with the leftover cabbage and fried rice with the leftover rice. We will share all this with my step-daughter and still have food for 2 days. I need some free time as it's time to start baking my cookies for Christmas.

Lucinda, I realize you no longer eat sweets, but I make a cookie for Christmas and I found out recently that it is actually a Jewish cookie. It is called Rugalach or some similar name. My family loves them.

Well the vet appt went well and was informative but expensive. We ended up paying $234! Yikes! Never expected that. But it was not only a thorough exam but three vaccinations, medication for flea control ...yes found out she had them when she combed her coat. Have to admit we haven't brushed her but do give her a towel rub most days. We do that to try and control the odor. She didn't smell too bad today and at first the vet didn't smell the bad odor but eventually as she checked her she did. The only thing other than the flea problem was a little pseudomonas in her paws but didn't seem to concern as she didn't give us any med for it and her weepy eyes which she said may be allergy. She said it all...incl. the odor may be related to allergies or fleas or a combination. Included in the cost was some flea shampoo to be used twice a week. Now that she's had her vaccines, I have an appt for Wed to take her for grooming incl teeth brushing and a badly needed nail trip. They said they can use the flea shampoo. After that though we will be bathing her here at home most of the time. This dog is getting expensive! Maybe get her groomed every 3 mo or something. The vet recommends a bathe once a month once fleas are gone. So of course this means we have fleas in our house. I had been vacuuming quickly in all rooms every day, but recently haven't had time for that. Guess I'm going to have to make time.

Halo loved the ride in the car. We put her in the back seat but she sat with her front feet and legs between us and would lay her head on each of our shoulders off and on and she loved to watch everything. At the vet she whimpered a lot...I don't think it was fear though, it was more like excitement and she wanted to get close to the other dogs, but we made her sit at our feet and she did but reluctantly. She loved the vets attention and didn't even seem to notice when they took her temp and gave her shots. So maybe next time we go back she won't have bad memories, like other dogs we've had. Unfortunately when we got home we had to go out again without her and put her in the crate. We felt badly because she thought she was going for another ride. She took her first flea control tab fine (chewable) and also the vet recommended we give her fish oil, and I squeezed it out over her food and she ate it fine. Of course she was hungry as she didn't get to eat before we left.

I'm sure you've all been through this stuff but we haven't had a dog for a long time and am somewhat ashamed to say we didn't give our previous dogs this much attention. Only for shots and one time I gave them myself even, or if they were really sick.

Sorry this is all about me...will try to get back for personals later on or tomorrow. Dh is calling me. I enjoy reading your posts.

Good morning GG's,

Sorry I have been scarce around here. Trying to get some Christmas things done. We are going to get to visit some of our relatives over the holidays, so trying to be ready for that. Coming down the home stretch ~ got a few more things to do. Hope I don't forget anything.

Maybe it is a good thing that I have been so busy ~ moving around more and less time for snacking. The scale has finally moved in the right direction a little bit.

Mary ~ sorry for the unexpected expense at the vet for Halo. My daughter has a stinky dog too. Not sure what causes it or what they do about it.

Lucinda ~ how is the repair work coming on your house? Hope it isn't going to be too much longer ~ it would be uncomfortable not to relax in your own house.

Carol Sue ~ about my trouble with the ice cream this summer ~ it wasn't as bad as it could have been I guess. We don't keep it in the house. This was using coupons while we were out and about. We would purchase two and share between my husband, Maddie and myself. It just happened more frequently than I was used to. I have a hard time saying no to sweets.

Deelou ~ that book you told about came in at the library today ~ so I am gonna see if the info in there will help me.

Hi Andi and Love2garden

I'd better get on the ball. Well, back on the ball ~ LOL. I have already been to Walmart to make a return and a purchase. To the library to pick up a book and to the post office for stamps.

Hope you all are having a good day.

repairs have not started! just wet smoky walls floors removed and plastic tarps covering the holes..
I do not eat sweets at all anymore but my family does. Homemade-quality Rugelach are available everywhere where I live because I live in a very popular location for traditional Jews, so my family lacks for nothing when it comes to their favorite foods.

Mary, about the fleas. I don't think vacuuming will get rid of them. One time when they were bad we had to set off bombs in our house. One upstairs and one downstairs. We got them from the vet. If they aren't bad, you might not have to do that. But if they are there, they go through stages. The fleas lay eggs, usually in the carpet. In time, the eggs hatch, and then eggs are laid again. It's a cycle. And they will continue to get on the dog over and over. I don't mean to scare you, but I just want you to be aware of what can happen, depending on how bad the fleas are. Usually, if they are bad, you will see them on light colored fabric. My step daughter and I were seeing them on white sox and white pants. DH didn't see them since he wears dark blue jeans all the time.

If our groomer sees fleas on the dog they dip him in a flea treatment and add the cost onto your bill. They don't want the fleas to infest their shop or get on other dogs.

We have had 5 dogs during our marriage, sometimes 2 at the same time. We never game them more attention than we had to. Went to the vet only when sick, etc. Vet bills can be very expensive.

Gayle, I'm happy to hear that the scale is going in the right direction! That's what we want.

Lucinda, when I was in high school there was a Jewish girl in my group and I tasted many of the good foods her family had for holidays.

Now it's time to start dinner.

Today we went to a Christmas luncheon with dh's retiree club. It was nice and at the first feeling of fullness I stopped eating. I think my hernia is getting to be more of a problem..I notice I get very full quickly and have not felt very well for some time now. Guess I'll have to have them take a look at it again.
Sure hope I can avoid surgery.

Carole Sue - I don't think the fleas are bad because we had never noticed them before the vet found them on her back while combing her. She even looked at her tummy (where they are usually found) and couldn't find any. I do see her scratch now and then and sometimes even rub her back on the carpet and even now and then she whimpers while scratching...so had a feeling she might have them, but this behavior is not often. Anyway she is on now on a flea control medication that is given once a month orally and is suppose to start killing them within 30 min (started yesterday). The vet said as they cannot live on her eventually they will all die. Yeah, she told us how many fleas the female lays a day...a huge amount! So far we have not seen them anywhere in the house or on our clothes. I have a flea spray for fabric and I spray it where she's been recently lying when she's not around as it is toxic if she absorbs it into her skin (humans too). The vet also sold us a flea shampoo and it is to be used 2x a week. I hope they start dying soon! We took care of our son's previous dog, a pit bull and outside dog and it got fleas bad. I think it would have died if I hadn't gone outside and noticed the dazed look in her eyes and that she was acting strangely. That vet gave her a shot and she was fine very quickly. Dh was wishing they had done that for Halo but I think it's because she isn't that infected. I talked to the groomer yesterday and asked them to use the flea shampoo and they said they would if in original container and they didn't mention an increase in price, but I can understand their concern if they do. We have never spent this much on any dog before!

Lucinda - I wish I could be like you and Carole Sue about sweets! They are so tempting to me...sweets and salty snacks..both. That must have been a pretty bad fire...what caused it? Maybe you told us and I have forgotten. Hope things are under control soon, that must be difficult to go through.

I have ordered all my gifts now so hoping they all come on time as promised. Our church gives us boxes to fill so I still need to do that. They have to have it by the 12th so hope I get it done by then.

No housework done today...hoping to clean a little in the kitchen before bed. Need to wipe down the cupboard doors, clean out the fridge and under the sink if I can.

Glynne - I think all the holiday business is helping my weight too. I so far have maintained my 2# loss.

Mary.. I have an amusing flea story. When my oldest daughter was an infant my mom used to accompany me to her healthy baby check ups. The pediatrician I used for my daughter was my pediatrician from the time I was six years old and he was a beloved community member. He and his wife were old school Catholic and had a large prolific extended family plus 8 kids of their own.
Anyway my mom mentioned during my daughters check up that she is being treated for shingles..Dr. L asked mom to lift up her shirt so that he could see for himself what her sores looked like. He then lets out a laugh and says that
is not shingles those are flea bites! Turns out the good old doctor was correct!

Mary, From the way you describe it, it sounds like a very mild infestation, so the meds and shampoo should take care of it, plus the fact that you are spraying at home. I think I misunderstood about the shampoo. You are asking the groomer to use your shampoo, right? The dip I mentioned is if you take the dog to be groomed and they see fleas, they put this solution of theirs on the dog to kill them. They did that with one of our dogs and I think they charged me an extra $7. It was worth it to get rid of the fleas. That was the time that we also used the bombs in the house. Since that time we know what to look for and can usually take care of it before it becomes so bad.

I hope you don't need surgery for your hernia. I don't know what is causing the bulging in my belly, but I guess it could be a hernia, or maybe scar tissue. I keep thinking that if I would lose a lot of weight the fat in my belly would go down and then I could see if the bulging is still there, but right now, there is too much fat to tell. My bulging is not painful, but the doctor said it could be a hernia and never cause me any pain.

Lucinda, none of us has ever had flea bites that I know of. That would be terrible, but probably not as bad as having shingles. A full blown case of shingles is one of the worst things I have experienced.

Dh is going for his first impressions, starting the process to get his dental work done, however we don't expect any actual work to begin until Jan. I'm staying home to get a little done around here before Halo's grooming appt. She was pretty good last night, didn't get me up until almost 5 and then slept until about 7:30 when we got up.

Last night I wrapped a lot of presents and put under the tree. Still haven't decorated the tree though, it comes with lights and is enough for us but I had planned to decorate it because of the kids coming. Hopefully I'll get to it.

Carole Sue - My hernia is in my diaphragm so higher up and that's why the pain is around my sternum and up into my chest. I have no bulge. There are other types of hernias...abdominal and groin which may or may not be symptomatic. My symptoms are very different this time and the pain is milder, perhaps because this time I am on meds for GERD.

Yes they will use the flea shampoo we bought at the groomers. I wouldn't mind if they treated her too if doesn't hurt to double treat. The price would be worth it.

Lucinda - That is a funny story! So far I don't think we are getting bit although I have to admit I feel like they are all over me just thinking about it!
Many years ago we had a small dog who was always covered with fleas and once we had some extended family come to stay a few days and one of them slept in our dd's bedroom (it was built in one side of the garage). The next morning she complained of being bit by fleas all night! Actually the dog didn't spend much time in that room but since she brought them in the house, I figured it was possible.

Well need to get busy, hope you all have a great day!

Mary, when you first mentioned the money you saved for DH's teeth I thought that was an awful lot of money, but I was thinking of dentures, not implants. Implants are so much better. I have several crowns and still have a couple empty spots in the back where teeth have been pulled, but otherwise I have my original teeth. My front teeth on the bottom are a little crooked from age. I would love to get implants to replace them, but it's so expensive. I just try to keep my mouth shut. LOL

Hello all,

Sorry I haven't been able to post much. Been busy getting stuff ready for the holidays. Gonna get to spend some time with family and friends we haven't seen in a while. Wanted to get some little gift things made. Coming down the home stretch on that project. Finished a photo quilt/wall hanging for my mom. Got a few Christmas cards done and sent. Then some unexpected things to deal with ~ DH's desk top computer died. He had most all of the stuff backed up thank goodness ~ except a few of the more recent pictures. I am thinking that those might be on his phone. DS got a nail in his tire, so he needed help with that.

Been busy ~ but that turned out good ~ the scale finally started moving in the "right" direction.

I read here daily but not much time left over to post. I'll be glad when things settle down ~ I will be able to be more supportive to you all.

Take care

Good morning my sister golden girls...I am currently soaking my feet and I am going to do my own pedicure. I have decided not to get a pedicure at the facility I had been patronizing for the past ten years because I often leave there feeling like crying because I suffer from paranoia and I have convinced myself that the women working there sneer at me ...
Mary I have read about your hernia discomfort and I know how much trouble an internal hernia can be. BUT please do not ignore if the symptoms persist or get worse...my very best friend for 30 years kept chalking off her pain to her hernia and it turns out she has cancer. If she had been diagnosed 3 years earlier chemo/radiation would have cured her...she is now in hospice. She has begged me to get an endoscopy. An endoscopy would have caught her cancer in time...
Sorry for the downer I am just feeling helpless knowing my freind is dying and is in excruciating pain.
For years her doctors thought she had GERD and then said she had a hernia and she even went for colonoscopy but no one ever recommended an endoscopy. She was on nexium and anti-depressants. HEr doctors made her feel like she was a hypochondriac and mentally ill.
On a lighter note, I am loving listeneing to a local radio station that plays only christmas songs and I sing them at the top of my lungs, I especially love the religious ones. These songs were always connected to be happy childhood memories of school plays, festive decorations and winter vacations. I believe in Santa. As a little girl I thought Santa was so wonderful delivering toys to children of the world. And I was at peace with knowing that Santa respected my Judaism and he knew we did not celebrate Christmas. But I was pretty certain Santa was Jewish himself, like Jesus!
We have been invited to dine with friends tomorrow night and I have called ahead to talk about my food choices. The hostess is currently sugar free herself so she was very sympathetic.
I did come clean to her and admit that I am a recovering food addict and that I need to safeguard my sobriety.