Can't quite say good morning yet, except to Susan and Gail and Gloria! lol The new neighbors are a rude and noisy bunch and woke me up. I got up to go to the bathroom and was uncomfortable with my back so came downstairs and sat in the chair. I decided to get up and balance the checkbook as our main bank branch is in Va so the online site updates around 11 pm my time. I then sat and read all the posts from today.

Gail: Honey, you hang in there. I know what it is like to have to do through what you are going through. My mom was diabetic and had a disgusting husband (not my father.) They had a dairy farm and my mom was basically his farm hand. She had been in and out of hospitals the last 18 months of her life having had pieces of her foot removed little by little because of the disease. I was the only one of us that went and sat with her day in and day out though I had two sisters who lived where I lived, a brother that lived about 90 miles away. Anyway, about a month before she died, she was in the hospital with an infection again and the doctor had gathered us all up (they showed up when they wanted to be in the know) and told us she needed to have her foot amputated to save her life. He could do no more cutting of toes and such as it wasn't helping. My disreputable step father told him he was NOT to tell mother this then when the dr walked away told us that if any of us told her what the dr said he would make sure she wanted nothing to do with us and he could do it (he could to as she was totally under his thumb.) He didn't want her foot cut off because it would keep her from working the farm like a slave. I decided I was going to find a way to talk to her no matter what. A week before she died, my dd came home for her bridal shower and we went down to see mom because mom couldn't go. I decided to give it a try and did a back door about did she know that if she didn't take care of herself she could lose her foot? Did she ask the dr what he recommended etc, etc. My dd had her bridal show, flew back to Memphis and mom died the following Monday. I never made it down there before she died. My pig of a step brother called me at work and said they were taking her to the hospital. I won't go into anymore, suffice it to say she was laying in a hospital room covered up, already gone and her gown, socks and such were filthy. I was enraged, grief stricken and would have gladly strangled that man right then and there if it hadn't been that my dear sweet Jack showed up at the hospital about that time. He was working in Chicago and had just gotten to work and had to turn around and come home (a 2 hour drive each way.) Anway, I know what it is like to sit alone with your thoughts and your worries, but honey, you must take better care of yourself for yourself and your family. There are some things that we can control and some things only God can control. We have to let go of the things we can't control no matter how hard they are to do. I continue to pray for your mom and your family.

Jean: Hope the bad weather has now moved through. I know Jay was supposed to get hit with a lot of snow yesterday. I never did call him and find out. I need to do that today sometime. We got our military license plates, found out the law had changed so now instead of having plates both due at the same time, they are due when you first purchased them! Yahoo, I won't have $400 worth of tags to pay for all at once in August, but have August and then January. We also got the military sticker and it is good until 1-2013 so don't have to worry about it for a long while now. The cat books are for adults. They are about a small town older man who is a reporter and inherited a fortune. He has two siamese cats that help him solve mysteries out and about where he lives. As for my neighbor, she and her mother are both black, but there is something they cook that makes my house smell like a Chinese restaurant, but in a nasty way.

Maggie: Hope you are feeling a bit better. Food poisoning is no picnic. I know, I had it right after Thanksgiving and still don't know where I got it as no one else in the family became sick, but me. I always worry when I am having one of my coughing spells or rolling around the bed because I am uncomfortable that I will disturb Jack, but rarely is that the case. I am one of the few wives who relish their husband snoring. If he is snoring or making noise, I know he is alive. It might be over 2 years since his bypass, but I still touch him in the night if he is silent to make sure he is breathing. Fortune snores sometimes. Yorkies tend to have respiratory problems and he sleeps under the covers all the time.

Susan: I can guarantee you I wouldn't make Dog the Bounty Hunter's wife Beth the character of Stephanie. She is something else. I actually like the show and am impressed that they pray before they go out to catch the bad guys (even though they have mouths like sewers sometimes,) but that woman's wardrobe. She dresses like a white Lula. She stuffs herself in clothes too tight and too young. I did notice that the new season starts in a week or so and she has lost quite a bit of weight. I think Mo'nique would make a good Lula. She is a comedian and a big gal and could pull it off. There is a guy from the Sopranos that would be perfect for Vinnie, I think. His name is Tony Sirico. I can never quite figure out whether Ranger is supposed to be a black man or a hispanic man. What do you think? Good luck with your "cat" quilt. That will be quite cute when finished I imagine. You should post a picture of it.

Well, it has finally quieted down next door. I guess I will get a drink and go back to the chair. Fortune is sleeping on his favorite sofa pillow, but I imagine when I stand up he will jump down so he can come and sleep with me in my lap.
Faye

I am off to Va. Beach again. Dad phoned me last night after Mom's doctor phoned him (around 10:30pm) and Mom has been put back into ICU. She developed pneumonia and her blood pressure is low. I don't know how long I will be down there but I'm just about packed. So, if I disappear for a little while, y'all know where I am.

Thank you, Donna Faye, for your kind words and advice. I am so sorry what you went through with your Mom. I am so fortunate to have Wayne--he understands how I feel as he went through a terrible ordeal when his Mom passed away--but on the other hand he's become very protective of me and insists that I come home to recharge. My plan now is to go down to Va. Beach, be with my Mom, to see for myself how things are, be with Dad, and if she's stabilized I may return home by Thursday or Friday. Amazingly, I did get some sleep last night although I took a Tylenol PM to help me. I hate taking any kind of medication but thought it would relax me enough to drift off...and it did.

Maggie, I'm glad you're feeling better. Thank you for the sweet emails as they make me smile looking at all the sweet pictures...and thanks for the prayers. Please keep my Mom (and Dad, too) on your church's prayer list. Put me on it also. When I was in church on Sunday, I honestly didn't think I was going to make it through the service as I have a tendency to cry when old hymns are sung. I know that the Lord is with me but it's still so gosh darn difficult. I want to be happy again.

Jean, you're still going to like retirement! Thankfully, I get a pension check every month. Because you work at a school, you should get a state pension?

Susan, thank you so much for your offer to help. One of these days you and I will meet.

Y'all take care...

Good morning to you all! It is cold here this morning, but nothing like what Jean has thank goodness! It is in the
30's this morning.

Gail: You just keep your chin up and know we are thinking about you!

Jean: I feel for you with the snow, but it looks like you have more coming your way if Indiana is anything to look at. It is showing them having snow all week so I imagine you will get it first, poor thing. Don't you just hate being cold all the time. I walk around in a big old sweater at home all the time and sometimes it just gets the best of me and I crank up the heat. I hate to do that because then the utility bill is outrageous, but sometimes I just have to get warm. I usually crank on the electric blanket then when it warms the bed turn it off. I end up with the sweats at night, especially my head so I have to put the fan on low every night anyway. I think you would enjoy Lillian Jackson Braun's books. They are an easy read and quite enjoyable. I heard several years ago that someone else is writing her books now as she passed away. I doubt that is true as her picture is always on her books and I don't see how they could get away using that. She is in her 80's I believe, though. I know one of my favorite authors, Dick Francis, has his son writing with him now. I think he comes up with the ideas with his son then either the son or a secretary transcribes or writes it as Dick is also in his 80's. I know his last book, which was this last year was the same good stuff it has always been so his son has the same talent.

I ran some errands yesterday, did my cleaning and fixed dinner last night. Nothing exciting. My days are pretty repetitious for the most part, but I don't mind that at all. I don't miss working.

I goofed up my tickers trying to change them so have to start from scratch. That is why I usually give up using them. Ahh well, I guess I will start over with them and see.

We are supposed to go out to dinner with the kids a week from Saturday. Thomas has his cub scout pine wood derby that day so I hope he does well. I imagine he is becoming "spot" free once again having gone over the bump with his chicken pox.

You gals have a great day. I am going to get up and get some shoes on and run the trash out to the corner. You never know when they will come so you have to get it out early and I don't like taking it out the night before. Too easy for someone to go through it.

Faye

Good afternoon, ladies! Cold and getting colder - now you can laugh, it's in the 20s.

I forgot to post yesterday! It was a busy day at work, then I went to dinner with my friends and after that quilt guild meeting. I'm meeting a friend at Wendy's tonight and then we are going to a quilting bee. Good thing I went to Curves and earned 3 APs.

Faye, for some reason I got it in my head that Ranger is Puerto Rican. I hope you are staying warm. I keep my heat down but I put it up a little tonight. Cupid likes to sleep on top the electric blanket, too. Must feel good to his old bones like it does mine. I know Thomas will do great with his pine wood derby entry. Maybe your neighbors are cooking chitlins.

Gail, I'm so sorry your mother had to go back in the ICU. I'll keep her and you and your family on our prayer list.

Maggie, can I come for supper? I don't envy you the snow! You'll have that .4 and more off by next meeting.

Jean, Be sure you read the books in order because they continue the story from one to the other.

Have a good evening!

Good early morning ladies. The dog woke me up and I found I was a bit uncomfortable so I decided to just come downstairs. The house doesn't seem to be freezing so I guess it isn't too cold out. I know it warmed up yesterday into the low 50's but it sure was windy. The wind chime was tinkling merrily all day.

Maggie: Your dinner sounds yummy! I made beef and noodles last night for dinner using the tiny egg noodles and a small piece of sirloin cut up. Fortune goes a week from today to the groomers and boy does he need it. He has his yearly exam and shots on Friday so I wanted him to be presentable. He is going to have his "cousin" come and stay for a week in March. That should be interesting. Kelly and Tom's yorkie is super hyper and we are going to keep him while they go on a cruise with Thomas for a week to Mexico. I always get nervous when they take T out of the country. I don't know why, but I sure do.

Susan: I think you are right, I think Ranger is Puerto Rican. I don't know what that woman makes but is sure is disgusting smelling and permeates the whole darn condo. Jack said something to me last night when he went up to his office that the house stunk and was she cooking again. I told him sure smelled like it. I have those airwick things all over my downstairs AND I have those infusers in the living room and bathroom and stll the smell lingers. I can't stand my house having a bad smell, but there isn't much I can do about it.

Jean: The tickers are the little things you put at the bottom of your signature to show how much weight you have lost and such. I went back to change mine and goofed it up then couldn't fix it correctly so I am now going to have to redo them if I want to put them back up. I haven't decided whether I want to mess with them or not. I think we decided we would lose about $500-700 a month when Jack retires, mostly due to increase in medical costs for us because of having to go to stupid medicare. Our premiums right now are $460 a YEAR and when Jack becomes medicare age and he has to change from Tricare Prime to Tricare for life, we end up having to pay something like $93 a month for him alone. Ahh well, there is nothing I can do about it. I got a notice yesterday that my lfe insurance is going up $10 now too. It is just enough to pay for my burial expenses since I don't contribute an income to the household. Did you get the new Penney's spring and summer catalogue? I got ours yesterday.

Well gals, I am going to go and try and catch another few hours in the chair I guess. Fortune just came downstairs so I will have a partner in the recliner I am sure.

Have a wonderful Thursday!
Faye

Good morning, ladies.

Another of my friends died last night, a very close friend. Last Thursday she woke up at 4am with terrible pain in her arm so her husband took her to the emergency room. They found she had 2 blood clots there so put her in the ICU on blood thinners. Then they thought she had some cardiac issues so they transferred her to the heart hospital in Norfolk. Monday they found she had a hole in her heart that she has probably had since birth so they scheduled her for surgery. When they went to do the surgery on Tuesday they put a camera in to look at her heart closely and found a huge blood clot. The canceled surgery and put her on even more blood thinners. Last night she died.

Faye, Jack would have to hire someone to do the cleaning you do and everyone would have to buy sweaters and hats - you are worth a lot more, a million at least.

Jean, I remember that bitter cold from my time in Ohio and thank you, I want no more of it. I'd be retired if I had your deal not putting up with the brats.

Maggie and Gloria, HI!

Have a good day.

Good evening, ladies!

Maggie, apparently lots of people are walking around with holes in their heart that they don't know about. If it's small when you are born, your body gets used to what it has to do to keep it working so unless you have other problems, it's never found. Makes me feel real good, but that what her husband told me this afternoon. She was 60. To tell you the truth, it wasn't a bad way to die, at least it was better than having some painful disease or being in a nursing home for months or years, etc. She feel down the stairs about 2 months ago and the doctor thinks that what started the blood clots. They aren't doing an autopsy so I guess we'll never know for sure.

Good morning to you all! It is freezing cold for this part of the country this morning, though I wouldn't trade my kids temp, which is -16 with a windchill around -40 below this morning.

I talked to my sister yesterday and she said all the parents were up in arms because they had school yesterday. She can't do anything about it, she works for transportation, but they were chewing her out about it. Parents should put up a stink where it belongs down at school city and if they feel their kids are in jeopardy, just keep them home and call the principal and tell him or her why they aren't coming to school.

Susan: I am so very, very sorry at the loss of another friend. You seem to have a lot of friends who have sudden demises over things they have no control over. I know it has to be hard on you. I watch that "How Clean is your House" all the time and I told Jack I thought if something happened to me, he would end up like that. Especially the toilets! lol I imagine Merry Maids would be in the house in short order, that's for sure.

Maggie: Glad you are again doing well with your WW. It is such a struggle. Like I told Jack once, if you have another addiction, pills, illegal drugs, cigarettes, even gambling, you have to go and get them and bring them into the house or with gambling, go where the gambling is, but there is ALWAYS food in the house. People desperate to eat will eat just about anything. I had a friend years and years ago that said when she didn't have anything in the house sweet to eat or whatever, she would put globs of peanut butter on top of a bowl of cereal! UGH! That doesn't excuse us, we still have to have the guts to work on it, but our addiction is always readily available.

Jean: I know you have to be freezing to death this morning. Hopefully, they called off school today for you. Back in the ole days, we had CHAMPUS. We paid no premiums and it was a straight 80%-20% of allowable charges. Thing was, most charges were chopped up. For example, a dr visit might be $65 if you paid for it, but champus would only pay $12 which they considered the allowable charge, then they would only pay 80% of that and you were on the hook for the other 20%. So if we had been on the old CHAMPUS, our hospital bills would have been outrageous for us to pay back. A decade or so ago, they developed Tricare. They have several different types. Tricare Standard is the old champus, Tricare Prime is an HMO type where you pay a premium and do copays, then Tricare for Life is for Medicare individuals, which is what we will adopt once we become Medicare age. When Jack is Medicare age and I am still not, I will pay a single premium for Tricare Prime for me, which is $75 per quarter and Jack goes on Tricare for Life, which is basically the Tricare Standard. They become secondary to Medicare. So from what Gloria has told me, we pay the Medicare monthly payment of I think it is around $94, don't pay anything for Tricare for Life, and she said it pretty much covers what Medicare doesn't so we aren't out a lot of out of pocket. I believe we can keep our current prescription plan as is, which is $3 for generic and $6 for brand name. We current pay out $460 a year in premiums and when Jack becomes medicare age, we will be paying out, $300 in premiums plus around $1130 a year for Medicare. That is a cost difference of $970. Now Jack's military retirement will remain the same, but he only receives 35% of his yearly city income as a pension. Then whatever he draws for social security. That plus the extra $970 makes it much more tight than what we live on now so I am trying to make sure everything is paid off, credit cards, car payments, mortgage, etc., by the time he retires in 6 1/2 years. I think I figured out we would be making around $600-700 a month less, which is fine, especially since the mortgage and such should be paid off.

Well, I am dawdling. I need to mop floors today and have to get them swept first, which always seems to kill my back so I take it in stages.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and can keep warm. Looks like we start warming back up tomorrow thank goodness!
Faye (with only 1 here in Memphis)