[ellis]

Good morning, girls!!

I thought I'd start the thread early as I'll be rushing off in the morning to visit a dear friend. She'd better have the coffee on when I get there, that's all I have to say!

I'm very thankful to those of you who thought of me/said prayers/etc yesterday. I didn't see your messages until I got home, and I was so touched.
It was difficult being back at the old house yesterday. Mom and I dug up some plants, and I went into Dad's toolshed, sat in his old lazyboy, and had a good cry.
The term, "heartbroken" is so apt. I can press my hand to my heart, and it feels as though something is wrong there.
You know, when my Dad was ill, my psychiatrist said to me, "Make sure you say everything you need to. Don't leave anything left unsaid, because you'll regret it later."
I told him that I'd done that, and felt comfortable with what I'd communicated to Dad. But you know, I'm having regrets now. There are things I wish I'd said. Although I know I can talk to Dad in my heart, I want him right here with me now, and I'm sorry I didn't tell him more of what I was feeling.
So say all that you need to say now. Don't wait. Love your family and your friends with all your heart.
Anyhow, this has turned into one big messy post, and I didn't mean it to. I just really want to thank you so much... you're good friends, and I'm very blessed.

Okay, I'm going to bed. With my husband, who is as sick as a piece of roadkill.
He'd better not breath on me, or he'll be sleeping ALONE!

Have a great day, girls!

[soon2Bfab]

Ah, Ellis....thanks for starting us up...& thanks for the advice. I'm going to go home & help my mother next weekend. They are transfering her to a nursing home tomorrow & she's there for 2 weeks & then she comes home. I am very thankful that I got the chance to tell my mother things that I wanted her to know.
Ellis, I know it was tough, but thank you for sharing.

[tar675]

Ellis~ I'm so sorry....I know that couldn't have been easy! Kind of morbid but I'm already dreading the day that I get a phone call about my grandmother. She's been my mother, grandmother, and best friend and I just can't imagine life without her. She's 76 and my uncle tells me that their parents didn't live to be 70! I keep telling myself that things have changed....medicine, more research,etc. and that doesn't mean that my grandmother can't live a long happy life! Well, technically she already has but I'd be perfectly content if she'd stick around until they put me 6 ft. under! I'm preparing myself not to handle this very well.Maybe sounds crazy but true. She was really all I had in life until my dh came along....advisor, psychiatrist, confident,you name it. Sorry to ramble it just really touched me reading your post this morning. I truly feel your pain. I'm sure your dad knew just how much you loved him and what you felt for him! Try not to beat yourself up for not saying more of what you felt. I beleive no matter what, everyone has regrets when it comes to losing a loved one. You are in my thoughts and prayers!

soon2Bfab~ I hope all goes well with your mom!

All other chicks~ Have a beautiful day!! Tara~

[Bamiegurl]

Ellis...It's to early to be needing tissues! That was very touching. So glad you are ok for the most part. But you should not have any regrets! You can't think of what you didn't say just think of all you did say to him and how happy that must have made him. There will always be the coulda shoulda but think on the what I did. We love you very much and i hope you have a wonderful time with your friend this morning.

Soon...Keeping you in our thoughts and prayers! I can't imagine having to go through all of that.

Me...We won lastnight 3-0. So we play at 4 today if we win then we don't play til tomorrow but if we lose we play again tonight at 8. I've got to get busy clean cleanin today! lol The main thing is my office/guest room. That's where the real problem is. lol I have no idea where I am goin to put all my merchandise. That closet is sooooo small in there! I'm sure I will figure out something. Well I hope you all have an OP day!

[Bamiegurl]

Hey Tara...We were poatin at the same time!

[Ruthxxx]

Oh dear! Big hugs and coffee to you, dear Ellis. I am so glad I am going to see you in a few hours. Yes, Chickies, Ellis is making the long journey from Ottawa to Delta and I plan to give her big hugs from all of you. She's never been to Delta so I hope she makes it. (I hear rumours that she can get lost in a grocery store! ) The Girls are all prompted to meet her and Harry is primping as we speak. I have a "nearly" OP lunch planned - looks like Phase III.

It looks like we are finally getting a sunny day! Yesterday was the pits as it rained and then was sunny for three minutes all day. I spent most of the morning teaching an online Excel class to some friends from the garden sites and then took off for town at noon when Jane got here. I hit the Dollarama store - first time I've been in there without a kid in tow. I managed to spend $35 on things I thought I needed although I just went in there to get a scarf for Lucy. (Whoops! Should have saved that for the Pet Thread!) I finally decided not to skip the Fair Board meeting and was glad I went. There was no tension, nobody was boring and I was home by nine. Great!

Gotta go get the coffee ready and crank up the rest of the day. I will definitely give you a full report - I might even tell you what we actually eat!

[Louise1013]

I sure have tears in my eyes. Its a good thing though. It made me slow down this morning. I get so caught up in my little life, I forget to remember family too often.

My thoughts and prayers are with you all. The secretary at my school's father was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She got called away from school yesterday so I was praying all day for her. My grandmother dies of that when I was in high school and I wouldn't wish that on my enemy.

today is Friday and I am ready for this week to end. I had a substitute Wednesday and I had to write 8 detentions because of behavior yesterday. The kids were not good at all. I am ready for the week to be over!

DH and I are doing the March of Dimes on Saturday and are very excited.

HAve a good one chicks

[Ruthxxx]

Time for a SNORK to lift our moods. I'll try to find one that doesn't need to be !!

[2BFIT1]

Ellis~~You will always have a special place in my heart, too. I know how close you were to your Dad and I am positive that he knows exactly how you feel and all the things that you "wish you had said". Sometimes, words are not neccessary.

Ruth and Ellis~~Have a wonderful time together today. Will you be wearing red hats, too?

Jamie~~That poor sub!!! Kids haven't changed in 40 years~they still give the subs a difficult time. I guess it shows that they miss you.

Bamie~Good luck on the office. Mine also has a small closet and I had DH put 3 shelves (white wire shelves from Home Depot) in it, so I have room for things. I also bought several baskets/containers to store and organize things in. I have a few file boxes on the floor, too. Now I have room for most of my office , sewing, and graphics supplies. It's time to clean it up and organize it better. Thanks for the reminder

Tara~I hope your Grandma lives a long, healthy life

I think I'm gonna make a quick run to Home Depot today (if it doesn't rain). I'm looking for a few plants for my deck and I need to get some paint glaze.
Everybody have a great day!! Catch ya later this afternoon.

[anchor weight]

Good morning chickies!

Ellis - My heart goes out to you. You must remember that somethings between parents and children go unspoken but are always known. He knows everything you wanted him to. Don't fret. Hugs for you.

I'm mucho better today. I had a very OP day yesterday even though I was feeling like dog poop. Today seems better - the sore throat is going away. DS came down with it yesterday so he was home from school. He seems better today so he went to school. He has his First Communion this Sunday so it is a big family weekend. We went to practice this weekend. I bought him a new suit (paris hilton I swear) and 2 new ties. My XMIL is having the party afterwards and she isn't making anything I can eat. I swear I'm going to bring a pre-wrapped dinner to eat there. This party at her house has been planned for almost year because she is the super duper religious ceremony person and I'm very disappointed in what she has planned and the way she has handled everything so far. She has this "creepy" kind of "back biting" new "friend" in her life who I'm afraid is casting a negative shadow over her because this is not her nature. And this "friend" has invited herself to "help in the kitchen" for the day. Who the h**l needs help with bar-b-que out of a can? In a crock pot? I'm a little pi**ed. Oh well next time the party will be at my house because even I can scrounge up some ham sandwiches, deli cheese and rolls. Oh my gosh I'm on a I keep reminding myself that the important stuff happens at church not at the party. That creepy friend better bring a gift.

Sorry ladies. I had to vent. I've been too sick to do anything about it this week so now I just have to go with the flow. I may have to kick start the broom this weekend and give that creepy friend of hers a drive by.

Have an OP day!

[Sassygal]

So much soul baring and "getting things off my chest" this morning! Good therapy - we can all benefit from each other's experiences and thoughts.

I cannot beging to express how darn happy I am that it's Friday. I've got my 80's music on and I'm not going to let ANYTHING get me down today. It's going to be a good day for sure! Maybe I'm still just hyper from going back to the gym last night. Who knows...

I hope all of you have a wonderful day! I'll be pecking in from time to time....

[Barb0522]

Sassy - The gym always leaves me feeling up. My weight has not been cooperating this month but I feel so good from the amount of exercise that I just can't let it get me down.

Ellis - I'm glad you got to say the things you wanted to your Dad. Have a great visit with Ruth!

Me - I am so glad it is Friday. And I don't have to work this weekend which is even better. It was 90 degrees yesterday so I am so glad I can work out in the gym. One more month and the city pools open. Yeah!

[beachgal]

Ah, Ellis, I'm praying that your dear DH doesn't breathe one breath on you...no making you sick so you miss your visit today! I'm expecting pictures of some curly-headed cuties, you know! Thanks for the wonderful advice. You are so right. My wonderful Zaida suffered from dementia at the end, and so I was not able to really tell him what I felt. It's always better to live as if each day might be the last and not forget to tell people how much you love them. Your dad is in a place now where he can understand and see everything ...and I'm sure he knows what's in your heart.

Soon, I hope your mom is okay! Good luck on the transfer. Hope all goes well. Love the new avatar...what a cutie she is!!!

Tara! I'm so sorry that you are worried about this. My parents are in their mid to late 60s and not in the best of health. I worry about them often. I think both you and I would be better served turning that worry into the energy to spend more time with them and have less regrets, you know?

Bamie, congrats on the win! I know what you mean...closets are NEVER big enough! Can you imagine back in the day when they didn't have any??? Where did they put their stuff? (I suppose they lived more simply, but I'm a major hoarder so I have too much stuff!)

Ruthie, you two have a fantastic day and give each other a huge hug from me! I'm so glad you can hang out. I expect many photos, especially of you two and of the darling pups. And since it's sunny, you can get the garden too! I do hope one of you has a camera handy... Have a lovely time, girls! Oy, the Dollar Store is addictive, Ruth...I spend way too much there! "Things I thought I needed"--SO true! Glad the fair board meeting was fun.

Louise, sorry about the kiddos bad behavior and about your grandmother. Cancer is a viscious, viscious monster that we need to do more to end. Do you know it's been around since even before the middle ages? And yet we still haven't stopped it. I know that we can do more...and the more friends and family suffer and die from it, the more it's on my heart to help in any way I can to put an end to this dread disease. Enough of that ! The March of Dimes Walk is SO much fun!!! I stopped doing it out here because they do it in early March and it's nearly 20 degrees here usually. I just can't walk that far in that cold! But I did it in CA for years and LOVED it. Have a blast!!!

Ruth, you found a great snork!!!

Me:
Wow...what an emotional thread this is! My current professor loves to yell, "Ah, time for a group hug!" when we get all emotional. The class is good, but last night I felt like we were just wasting time a bit. We don't have our syllabus yet, so I'm wondering what major projects might be up the road. We did get a lot of homework, so we'll see how that goes...

A couple people asked before what I'm studying. I'm getting a masters of Education in Literacy. It'll also certify me to teach reading from birth to 12th grade. I'm already certified as an elementary school teacher (K-6), but I didn't really have a great experience in CA. I subbed here in NY, and loved working as a reading teacher. So that's where I'm headed, after we raise a family, of course.

Oy, DH didn't use up all the sourdough in the recipe for last night's dinner. I stared at the crust and ended up eating it with smart balance, after dinner. I gained two pounds today and am up to 217.5. So sad... No more sourdough for me. Truth to tell, I felt sick after eating it.

This weekend DH and I are chaperoning the church youth group as they do a Habitat for Humanity project in a nearby town. Should be fun, though I have a ton of homework and am itching to finish mulching my yard. (Sil, I can't even finish mulching...there is no way I could create a yard as lovely as yours without at least one hunky gardener. Do you think I could convince DH? )

A friend of mine here recently had a bad breakup...if she doesn't go visit some family in MD, another friend and I will do something to cheer her up. Maybe go dancing or sit in front of chick flicks while eating ice cream. I'll stick to a PB cup.

Have a great weekend, friends!

[beachgal]

Oh wow...that post took me a while!

Amy, so sorry about your XMIL's creepy friend. I hope she stays in the kitchen! Congrats on your son's first communion! This must be the weekend for it...our cousin's is this Sunday and our church is doing it on Saturday.

Sassy, yay for 80's music! It always gets me in a good mood! Have you ever listened to "Flock of 80s" on Launch radio?

Barb, I'm so glad you are having fun exercising. It makes me feel good too! : Have a great weekend off!

[Sassygal]

Originally Posted by beachgal

Sassy, yay for 80's music! It always gets me in a good mood! Have you ever listened to "Flock of 80s" on Launch radio?

No, I haven't listened to that one, but you must be psychic because that's the service that I listen to at work. I'll have to check that one out!

Good grief, I'm so hyper - my co-workers are probably hating me about right now.

One of the sales reps sent doughnuts by customer service this morning - which I passed up, of course. I've learned that saying "I can't have any" is much better than saying "I don't want one". Somehow convincing myself that I CAN'T have something is easier than convincing myself that I don't WANT something. What do you other chickies think?