WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR DECEMBER 2017

Heather - thank you for the information about Ros. She sounds like a truly wonderful and person - I can see why you love her so much. Hope she is comfortable and at peace.

Katiebug - Your vision board is really impressive. I was more active at doing similar before I retired, and now realize I miss not having a focus.

Yvonne - condolences to you and your family. I envision your folks with mine now, having some neat conversations about things they enjoyed when they were kids.

Barbara in Oregon - Yikes! Poison oak and stinky toilets, how sad. Bet the ocean was spectacular tho

Becca - bet you are happy to be home again in the peace of familiar surroundings. Love that resolution poster - "Stay Weird, Chase Adventure" are my favorites, lol.

Penny - I always wondered where Santa Claus really spent the winter, now I know. Neat to see your afternoon at Christmastime! Spectacular in its own way.

Machka - good luck on your marathon! I'm going to make lentil soup today and am poking thru the fridge to see what different veggies I can toss in. I'll cook it on top the stove - warm up the kitchen.

Pip - your Vibram running shoes are intriguing. Are you able to run over rocky trails with them without hurting the bottom of your feet? I've currently got some kind of metatarsal pain in my left foot which became exacerbated by doing calf stretches - and I also blame a cortisone shot I got in that area for a stone bruise. Even going barefoot hurts.

Marcelyn and Machka - so now, I'm interested in your Hoka shoes. I have several pairs of New Balance that I need to wear out first tho, lol.

Lisa - love your blog about planning for death! I need to get everything updated - thank you for the tips and ideas!

Barbie - I can't believe a year has gone by already! Thank you in advance for getting us set up for 2018!

Kind of strange around the neighborhood this morning. Our house was the only one with lights on - normally we can see the glow of other neighbor's nightlights, and some brightness from the quickie mart and traffic lights 1/4 mile from us. DH even took the flashlight and walked to the back of the property to see if any streetlights were on in the next subdivision. And, as we stood in the dark with the dogs...silence. Like snow silence, but there's no snow.

We wondered if we were thrust into the twilight zone - or if some horrible catastrophe had happened and we were the only ones left. DH determined we weren't dead... because the house is chilly and if he'd passed on, it would be super warm, lol.

On that note - stay warm, stay happy. 2018 is right around the corner!

Lanette
Chilly and foggy SW WA State

Happy New Year to all my new friends! I'm having my first NYE in my new home.
Going to start as I mean to go on and cut right down on the alcohol. I have enough left for one Gin & Tonic and that's it! Living alone is not a problem for me, I was alone during the last 3 years of my marriage even though we lived in the same house!
Started to watch a British series last night called 'Peaky Blinders'. Lots of people have raved about it and first episode was good so will watch a few more later.
I love reading about your very different lives and customs.
All the best for 2018 from Karen UK.

My grandsons Adam and Grason.

Yvonne - Sorry for your loss.

Newbies - Welcome!!!

Allie - You need to stop Alfie's bad habits of chewing and nipping now while he is still a puppy. We think that Cracker might have belonged to someone who had started training her. She was picked up as a stray at about 4 months old. She was easy to crate, potty train, and she would walk at my heel. As she has gotten older, she still does the same. Louis trained her to sit and wait until he tells her 'ok' with getting her treats. She still will wait you out before coming to her dog food dish. She hates being watched. She even turns around to watch you leave the room so see if you do turn around and look at her. She never eats while we are watching or in the kitchen. He also, apparently, did not fuss at her whenever she just 'laid down' anywhere while I was indisposed. When she comes in, the just flops down anywhere - but also where she has a clear sight line to his chair. She loves to follow him outside and this morning he went out and she came whining into every room of the house. Then she started barking - he came and let her out.

Loved the journal. I have started a new one my kids gave me with a Flamingo on it and titled "Let's Flamingle" Mine is in pencil ... but; I love the colors. Still looking for my colored pencils. Not having any luck (so far) and I misplace my aqua one and therefore my coloring page is not able to be finished. If my BF comes Friday so we can go to Americus to eat lunch and walk around town, I will buy one at the art supply store they have (the town has a 4-year college).

Oldest sister and brother-in-law came down for the day on Saturday and she helped me start purging my home. We started with the bathroom ... it was a mess and looked like a 'hoarder' lived here. But, in the frenzy of throwing out; I think I threw out 3 of my 5-step face program that I had bought from Taylor. Oh well, cannot replace it because it is way too expensive. But, we did save some others. I am ashamed to admit it; but, we threw out 4 trash bags (only about 1/4th full - easy to carry). Window treatment went out as well. We really don't have to be concerned about anybody seeing it. Window has a pattern that even if someone is outside, they only see a form. We don't use the bathtub anyway because it is so difficult to get into. After we were finished, she 'blessed' it. Has brought down a set of CD (a book) and I am to read/listen to it before I can have my counseling session with her preacher. It is a 6-hour session and both she and her husband have gone through it, she 2 or 3 times (one before Tommy had his stroke; and one afterwards. Tommy also went through it after his stroke.

There are times that I wonder if my 'seizures' were a mini-strokes. I feel like there is so much I cannot remember; but, hate feeling sometimes like I am being treated or talked to as if I am a child. Once from my son about 'how to take my meds'; once from Louis when I turned on the microwave and meant to turn on the timer. Both Louis and I discovered that at the same time; and he held me back and showed me what I had done wrong and how to correct it. OK, DUH, I get it. I am letting him take the lead on most things; but, I do speak up if I don't agree and he listens. He was 'thrilled' to see the bathroom after we finished ... I still have a few things to complete before I can say, 'finally done', well done'. At least, I won't always be the 'heavy'. At least he did confirm some of the things that I had 'imaged'. They were walking across the breezeway; that is when they put me in a regular room waiting for a place on the unit. Of course, once they did - they could not release any info about me, not even to say I was a patient there. Staying longer than the 'normal' 3 weeks was extended because when we had our 'family' meeting, he told the SW that I wasn't ready to come home. By that time I was out on the open unit. About the only nurse who treated me like I was getting sane or a person was Carol. I also had put in some comments about who was involved in my treatment. Some I did not comment on, most of the comments I made were positive; but, when Liz brought in a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle and handed it to me saying, 'well, this one is new, so all the pieces will be in the box' ... I wanted to strangle here ... the background took up about 70% of the pieces and it had a picture of a guitar but it was just a shade lighter. I put together what I could until Louis got there to check me out; leaving all the pieces on a table next to the piano. I played Chopsticks, Heart and Soul, and Scarlet Ribbons about every minute ... taking a break from doing the puzzle. One of the nurses came in and played the lower half of Heart and Soul. She had always been nice to me. Liz had her own set of rules. Dr. Hale was 'ok'; but, I am not impressed with how she has ignored the fax and phone call about getting a refill Rx written for my 'Seizure meds' and my own Neurologist does not want them to change. He told the pharmacist to fill them. Now I have to call Dr. Phillips on Tuesday and talk this his PA/nurse about that adjustment. At the moment I have 200mg less seizure medication in my system that I had been taking and twice the amount of Clonazepam (anti-anxiety) pills. Need to buy a couple of the medications OTC. Get my GP (or GYN) to call in a new Rx for my thyroid pills and my Hydrochloride pills.

There isn't much I am willing to let go of in my den or MBR. Just need to get in and do some heavy cleaning and go through my clothes. Need to try them on and decide, 'do I wear it, do I like it, do I need to contribute to Goodwill'. She moved Mimi's 2 chairs so they look like they were meant to be where they were (in front of the front door since we don't use it. I have already vacuumed out the crevices, ... nothing important there, but i did find a bracelet - but, not one I wear, it is tangled and I could not untangle it.

Need to repot my Jade plant that my DOS watered while we were in LA - way too much and probably done a few days before we were to return. Overwatered some orchids; but saved about 5, they are now in the greenhouse for the winter). Louis did a good job of the 2 that I had inside and the 2 violets ... did not overwater them.

Trying to get Louis to do a few things around the house ... but he is a housepainter by trade; and, like the cobbler's wife ... I don't have the shoes (or painting done).

Well, the fire alarm works. Louis is not happy ... our FP sometimes doesn't 'draw' like it should. We need to find the man who put the insert in, if he is still alive - or we need to find someone who can come out and tell us what we need to do to correct this problem. He wishes we had spend another $3000 to have a real fireplace put in. We are not sure that the flue is tall enough. I sometimes wish the front was flush with the walls; but, we didn't so it will be something I 'let go'. We had always heard they needed to be taller than the highest point of the house.

Louis grew up in a Catholic home and they did not put up the tree until Christmas Even and took it down on the Epiphany. I grew up Baptist (although I have converted) and we put up our tree after Thanksgiving (week after) and it was 'out of the house' before end of year. Always the before the new year. It was also special ordered for us because we lived in an old Colonial house (used as a clinic during the Civil War) and had 11-foot ceilings. It was beautiful. Later on, Mother would put up one in the foyer and one in the bay window in the dining room. One decorated with 'toy ornaments' and colored lights. The other decorate with white lights and handmade ornaments (crotched snowflakes and china ones she had hand painted). I won out on that one, ours is taken down within a few days. This year the only thing we put up was the macramé tree. No lights, not other things. But, I do love my manger scenes, I just did not want to unpack them and have to repack them. I had gotten Louis to put all the decorations in the shed, and he just put them there, not over the rafters where they are supposed to go.

When Daddy was alive he would ask the preachers in town for the name of the most needy family in town who would not have Christmas presents under their tree. He'd buy clothes and toys and send food (staples) and the Sheriff would deliver them. He enjoyed being the "Secret Santa" and he had told them that his name was NOT to be revealed. I was in my late teens when one actually told the family who it was when they said they wanted to 'thank him'... he never did again.

Only decaffeinated coffee was available to us, it is 'awful' ... never could put enough sugar in it to make it drinkable. I would rather have my 'caffeine' with a lot less sugar. I haven't been able to drink as much anyway. Usually at night I will cut my protein bar in half and have 2 cups; last night could barely drink 12 ounces. I don't think I even tried. My liquid intake has dropped significantly as well; but, I do need to try to get at least 8 8-ounce glasses in a day. I was hoping to be able to get weighed on Friday; but, Estee wasn't there. I probably could have gone over to my GP's office and had it done there.

Can't wait to get my hair cut on Tuesday. Appointment is not until 2:30pm; so I don't know what I will do other than go into town when Louis does and stay with him on the job. They can drop me off after lunch and I can just window shop or walk across the street and look in Lowe's. I could actually walk to K-Mart; but, it might be a stretch I don't want to take because of how I felt when I wanted from getting my labs done, and walking to the next door to go give my Neurologist the list of medications they discharge me with.

We are expecting to have a quiet New Year's; and, none of the 'traditional' foods. Today I am going to cook the beef tips, rice, and navy beans that I thought I would have cooked yesterday. I am going to brown the meat and put it into the pressure cooker. We'll just eat in the middle of the afternoon.

I even read the 230+ posts today before commenting. I still think it is going to just be better to post a generalize posts and not worry about addressing every post previously made.

Loved the ornaments, the Santa letter, stories, and the quotes.

I think about the work "THINK" and know it means
T - Is it True?
H - Is it Helpful?
I - Is it Inspiring?
N - Is it Necessary?
K - Is it Kind?

and; "BIBLE"
B - Basic
I - Instructions
B - Before
L - Leaving
E - Earth

and; "GRACE"
G - God's
R - Redemption
A - At
C - Christ's
E - Expense

I will try to do each of them ... do it, read it, live it

Chow for now!!!!!

Lenora