Senior Golden Sneakers
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Good afternoon. No work competed for Friday and Saturday but some organization was completed.
A notebook of printed materials for each day.
Many of the items needed for Friday including a foiling machine and heat tool
More things needed for Saturday
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Sorry, my iPad apparently did not charge this morning. I am on my phone now, which has more remaining battery life.
Jackie, I checked everything again today pertaining to Dan and family. There was something on each platform , Twitter, Instagram and of course, YouTube. I was nervous for them as they headed for the border. All turned out well as the car and the cat came through scrutiny just fine. On his Instagram Live yesterday, he said they hadn’t decided on exactly what they would do. Initially they were going to leave their car with a friend and fly to the wedding. At that moment they weren’t sure, they might drive but Pumpkin would have to be left behind (in either case). But their future is all unknown as he said, they do not have jobs now and several people asked how long the visas would last but he didn’t answer that. So many folks wanted to meet up with the family when they are in the U.K. and Dan wants a party with everyone who has been supporting them. He is a jolly fellow and I love the faces he makes! Maybe you can join the meet up!!
People on that Instagram Live were saying maybe they’ll be able to return home in a few weeks. That seemed highly unlikely to me.
Sorry for the rambling.
Now I am draining my phone’s battery.
Be safe everyone.
Lin🙋🏼♀️
❤️❤️
I don’t have permission to post photos from my phone…..0 -
Teapot!
Lin🙋🏼♀️
❤️❤️
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Today I sent a text to my neighbor who does computer troubleshooting to tell him that the new external back up drive that he helped me order had come in and wondering if there was a time he could come over and install it for me. He wrote back immediately "No". I was shocked and wondered how I could have offended him that he would reply like that. I played a game of solitaire to help calm me and then texted back, "Does that mean not today or not ever?" He sent a longer reply that he couldn't come today because he had major back pain and he'd text me tomorrow about a time. I was so relieved and sent him a friendly message commiserating about his back pain and wishing him a speedy recovery. The woman who traps moles is here to get rid of the moles that have invaded our yard. Jake is outside talking to her.
Barbie 0 -
The strong winds and heavy woke me up before 6am but once I shifted the pets on my bed so I could turn over, I did manage to get back to sleep. Looking in the mirror I see Brady must have tried to get under the covers by pulling them back but instead scratched my nose! They've all had breakfast and a quick dash into the garden and are back on my bed snoozing! Looks like an indoors day but I do have chores to get on with so not a problem.
Chrissie phoned me from her hospital bed yesterday afternoon but it was difficult to talk because someone in the next bed was involved in a loud conversation with social services who were doing their best to persuade her to leave and move into a care home. As you can tell, I heard more about that than what Chrissie was saying which was annoying because she has had a series of painful biopsy scrapes on her spine and shoulders because there is a concern her cancer has returned. They won't know the results until next week so a horrible wait for her and she admitted she was scared and I feel awful that I used to get frustrated with her! I've promised to call her at the weekend when hopefully her neighbour will have moved on! Fosterer Heather is doing a brilliant job with Bella who now gets a long daily walk and is socialising with other dogs and people so that's one less worry for Chrissie. I can't visit her because someone who was on the ward a few days ago has reported they have Covid so the place is shut down, in fact even their meals are left at the door for a few nurses to collect. I told Chrissie it sounded like a scene from that Solzhenitsyn novel about a Gulag in Siberia and that made her laugh!
Lin, thanks for your update of Dan's thoughts on Instagram. I did try to download the app on this Apple Mac but think in fact I can only load it on to my iPhone so once we've walked this morning I'll give it a go. I do know Pumpkin won't be allowed into the UK without a pet passport and the process is long so hopefully their friends will be in a position to keep her there until that is arranged. Heartbreaking for them all but particularly Veronica. Meanwhile they will have a wonderful time in Krakow and hopefully Veronica will finally enjoy a McDonalds!
I'm getting heart palpitations just looking at all those packs and boxes ready for the class!!
Barbie, your neighbour must be in a lot of pain to react that way to your request but now you do know it wasn't anything you said. A mole catcher!! The field I walked George and Betty round yesterday has dozens of mounds that they both find fascinating and of course George ends up with a muddy nose!
I may be wrong Anne but think aerosols are in short supply because so much gas and oxygen was used to deal with Covid patients in intensive care. We still can't get soda water for love nor money!
Well, the wind has eased but still raining so I'll persuade the pooches into their raincoats and see how far we get.
My weight is up again which is depressing but I expect that's something to do with the shorter walks we've been taking.... oh yes, then there's the kit-kats that have crept into my cupboard!!
George is up and watching me from the staircase so we're off!
Have a safe Friday.
Jackie
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Well here I sit in snowy Ontario watching the snow drift down. We had a bit of concern in case Michael got trapped at his dads up in Quebec. Thats because a terrific storm is moving up fromTexas but we have been very lucky because it only clipped the edge of our area whilst the Montreal area and Eastern Townships will be totally dumped on today and all day Saturday. They set off for home in no snow at all and I think they will be in the Kingston area now. I hope that trip satisfies his friend who's idea it was and she is now happy having invited herself to meet my ex. in the first place. 'Nuff said on that score [and by Mary Jo as well].
I can understand your computer friends terse NO BARBIE. Intense pain has that effect, believe me I know. I don't think I've ever seen a mole in Ontario. Do we have them? We have ground hogs.
Oh JACKIE, I'm afraid I've been over indulging as well but sort of on purpose. I got lovely and thin when I trotted off for that vaccine and have wondered ever since if maybe I overdid the slimming and thus my immunity was low. Anyway, I'm back where I started at this time last year, feeling a whole heap better but struggling to fasten the buttons on my pants.
Very sorry AND sad to read about Chrissie. I'm not at all surprised she is terribly frightened about the coming results of the biopsies next week. It is some relief for her that Bella is well cared for, socializing and going for long daily walks.
I took advantage of the wet soggy stuff outside to get on with a whole heap of chores this morning. Oh, and I believe we "spring forward" with the clocks on Saturday night. I join Jackie with the heart palpitations looking at all the stuff you've had to collect LIN. You have really found a satisfying niche in your life.
Must go and see if Jilly Bean is awake on my bed because she can't get down by herself with her short legs.
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Hello! A sunny day here. Cool but blessedly sunny! I will not complain, because we have at least a full week coming with nothing but Gray skies and rain.
John had a very busy day yesterday. Hauling trash and other tasks, just trying to keep our head above water. I think today we will be going on our picnic and trying to catch a scene of a fishing boat. I missed the big blessing of the fleet ceremony. It was skipped for two years because of the pandemic. It is so sweet. All the flowers are tossed into the receding tide. Our local priest blesses the boats and fishermen/women. Hoping that the flowers like the boats and the people will safely return. afterward there is music and a huge potluck. A tradition that has been carried on for years and years.
Lin: you are a serious card designer, I can tell by the supplies in the photos. The same is true of graphic artists and painters. They may not be neat but there is a look that says “I mean business. This is beyond a hobby!” This is a passion.
Barbie: I really admire your approach with your neighbor. Quietly think about the event and then seek understanding by contacting your neighbor. I am a wimp and might try to avoid a possible conflict….even if there might not be one. Anyway, possible conflict resolution achieved. Enjoy your new internet equipment! Renewed friendship with your neighbor.
Jackie: I am so sorry to hear about Chrissie’s health issue. I do hope that Bella can make this new foster home a forever home with Perhaps regular visits to see Chrissie. My thought is, it might be too demanding to care for a delicate animal like Bella. Bella has been through so much drama in her little life. Chrissie is fighting her own dramatic health concerns. But I am thousands of miles away and unaware of the complexities.
Anne: it is true about odd shortages. There are times when our stores have strange unexplained short supplies…lettuce for example last week!
I love this quote from Bob Hope, “I don’t feel 80. In fact I don’t feel anything till noon. Then it is time for my nap.”
Patsy☘️
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Good evening. Just stopping by to say hello. Day 1 is over with Day 2 coming up quickly! Interesting as well as exhausting! 😄
It was very cold and windy here today. So a good day to be inside fussing with a 5-layer stencil over and over.
Jackie, I am sorry Chrissie has to wait for test results. A friend called here today and she is also waiting for medical test results and won’t hear until Wednesday. That really produces a lot of anxiety. But Bella is getting good care, that is good. I see you did get onto Instagram. 🙋🏼♀️ Do you have water barrels at home now? Two of my neighbors have water barrels at the end of roof downspouts. From what I can see, they each have two. Maybe they have more in the backyard that I cannot see. I wonder about how good that water is though since both houses have asphalt shingles. Wouldn’t little bits of the gravel on those shingles get into the water?
Patsy, did you have your picnic today? Well done to John for all the chores he accomplished.
Anne, did your son get home safely? We need spring and no more snow for a while!
Barbie, yes, knowing he was in a lot of pain really changes things. I am surprised he answered the phone. Last week I had sent a long email to a friend and received a clipped 2 sentence reply. I wondered what was up but found out later she was ill with a flulike malady. So something else was going on. Waiting a week to find out is a bit troubling. You never know what may be going on with friends.
Well, I am completely tired and need to find some dark grey cardstock for the first project tomorrow. Wahoo!
Be well everyone
Lin🙋🏼♀️
❤️❤️
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Sunshine and breezy so we enjoyed a long walk across the moors closest to home. Dogs should remain on leads now until August but since no lambs have been born yet and both George and Betty show no interest in the sheep, I let them off for a 15 minute sniff before calling them back. Coffee made and I’ve enjoyed late breakfast of toast with the last of Linda’s delicious marmalade. I’ve offered her any fruit bushes and strawberries etc off our plot before we leave and last night Debs messaged that she will send her resignation this weekend but since our not so friendly councillor insisted we split our plot last year, I will take my time with my half!
Another storm on the way later so I will try to get a few jobs completed in my garden once coffee is finished.
Lin, that teapot that could be for coffee, looks like I feel after an afternoon weeding!! A pretty pattern. Yes, I did get on to Instagram and checked to see if I could connect with Dan, which I have but it is going to take me some time to get used to it. There was the longest list of celebrities it thought I might wish to follow… NO! 😠
I do have a couple of water butts in my garden and will bring one home from the allotment. One fills off the greenhouse down pipe and the other fills naturally. I left a garden trug out last weekend and after our rain on Sunday it filled by a third so I will empty it into the one I add to my collection. I’m not sure about asphalt shingle but imagine so long as they don’t drink the water, any residue will be absorbed into the ground. Our shed at the allotment has a cover of roofing felt that has “bits” in it and it never crossed our minds it might be unhealthy to collect water from it. Everybody does the same there!
Enjoy today’s projects and maybe share a couple of photos when you finish.
Patsy, blessing of the fleet used to go on in Britain and I think goes back to ancient times. I expect it’s still carried out in France and Mediterranean countries. I feel just as you do about Bella’s future should Chrissie’s results be bad because her gentle nature has been all that’s kept her from becoming aggressive as she’s had to deal with so many disruptions in her young life. I would love to visit Heather to give Bella a hug and treats but know I can’t because it could unsettle her. I expect Katie will do her best to persuade Chrissie it would be best for Bella to stay where she is, that’s of course, if Heather would be prepared to adopt her. I know I would if I could… but I can’t!
Anne, you’re so right, thin isn’t good as we get a bit older and I’m sure we both had a similar education that included cookery and nutrition so know what’s good for us… just need to stick to it and for me, avoid kit-kats!
Did Mike and his friend reach home safely? I hope you aren’t buried in the white stuff yet again although if so, your lovely neighbour has probably already been over with his snow blower!
We’ve now got a warning out about high winds and I can already feel a difference in the air, and hear it, so gardening plans are off!
Take care and enjoy Saturday, whatever it brings.
Jackie 🥰
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Well I had one of my perhaps not so good ideas today. My innards haven't been that great as of late as you poor souls are well aware if you bothered to read me. Decided at my great age I am definitely a candidate for Jilly Beans Retirement Home for Elderly Owners" I looked up healthy eating for us older lot.
A lot of the food is what I already eat but I discovered it is not a good idea to eat pea meal bacon, honey garlic sausages, marmalade [marmalade! I love marmalade!] and sugary choccy Kit Kat bars etc etc.
So armed with this knowledge I followed the plan [1st day] faithfully for breakfast and that was okay and I followed the plan for a mid morning snack and that was okay but the downfall was lunch. Lunch was two slices of a homemade bread sandwich with I/2 a small can of salmon mixed with 2 tablespoons of mayo. To be finished off with one baked apple. I had to take the crust off the bread I was so full which no doubt is delighting the birds, but honestly I don't think I'll be able to manage supper which is 3 ounces of grilled chicken, green beans and mashed yam and butter. I think the menu is designed for an elderly male sumo wrestler, because after supper is a pre bedtime drink and two cookies. All this consumed with 8 glasses of liquid preferably water. Does this sound excessive to you ladies!
I'm sat here feeling uncomfortable.
Yes Mike arrived home around 6 in the snowstorm. He's coming over tomorrow if the snow isn't too bad. After this bout with winter our temperatures zoom upwards. Along with my weight no doubt.
Oh must tell you this, when I told Mary Jo I was trying out a plan for elderly stomachs and asked if she could put up with me for another 14 years the dear girl said yes she could and hopes she will! I thought that was pretty neat with me being a MIL!
Harry's water barrel left with Harry and I hope he took his tribe of mosquitos as well!
I LOVE the Bob Hope quote Patsy!
Thats it! Not much eh!
ANNE
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Today is typical March weather. Rainy and windy. John will be picking up limbs and twigs from our little road. Winds bring down a lot of forest debris for us to deal with.
I listened to an NPR talk about daylight savings time becoming permanent. I am always confused about that. How does that improve or change anything? If it is important that you get started early…set your alarm clock earlier. Or if not, and you want to…sleep longer. Am I not understanding the benefits of daylight saving? It takes me a full two weeks to adjust when we mess around with the clocks. Katie never adjusts. She keeps her regular schedule. And we adjust.
Had a lovely day yesterday watching fishing boats, beach clam diggers, not nearly as many gulls as there used to be. The marine birds are in decline due to reduced fisheries. Katie barked non-stop all afternoon. She was exhausted when we returned home. Sadly they are planning some awful strategy to keep cormorants off the big bridge that connects Washington state to Oregon. I voiced my objection with our representative. Not that she listens very hard. Special interests have her in their pocket.
Today I will be fixing spinach, mushroom and salmon cassarole for dinner. A very easy toss together dish that cooks on low while I do other things. I am back on my exercise routine. I hate doing it but I know the benefits will show up some day. My knee, foot and hip on one side is very cranky and talks to me constantly! I hope to dial that down to a whisper SOON!
Anne: we also try to eat healthy. John refuses to give up things he really enjoys. He gave up red meat and egg yolks and anything fried. But never touch his red raspberry jam or his one glass of red wine and his 2 bedtime cookies. Moderation (I am never good at that) is John’s watch word.
Jackie: one of life’s incongruities is my love for creatures. But this works against me at times. I would love adopt a kitten or another doggie. But my age and mobility struggles keeps me from attempting any such enterprises. I can’t even walk into our local animal shelter without wanting desperately to bring one or two home. Madness! I can’t deal with Katie and she has been allowed to rule our household. More animals with me as caregiver would be beyond a bad idea. So I just donate a few dollars, towels, blankets,and doggie toys.
“Youth is a wonderful thing; what a shame to waste it on children.” George Bernard Shaw
Patsy☘️😵💫0 -
Good evening. Class is over, I have two cards to re-do, lots of brushes to clean and generally a messy house. 😄 but it was fun. Will try to take a couple of pictures tomorrow.
Patsy, I am happy to hear that you had a lovely day yesterday. But oh my, Katie had much to much to bark at! What a nice casserole. Something relatively easy, or at least not too fussy, is an excellent choice. I agree with you about adoptable animals. I volunteered to walk dogs at our local rescue society but I wanted to take each of them home with me. I had to switch over to coming to do giant loads of laundry so the animals had clean blankets to lay on. Wow, what mountains of laundry and it kept me away from the animals so nothing to try to take home.
Anne, I am so glad your son made it home safely. As far as what is best for our stomachs and digestion as we get older, I am not certain that would be the same for everyone. And it does sound like they may have written that for men? I hope you have not upset your stomach. How’s Jilly?
Jackie, I watched Dan’s latest YouTube video. They had a nice day today. I was sorry to hear Pumpkin will not be able to go with them at this time, just as you said, but happy there was a visit to McDonald’s for one family member! Oh and I liked the hat in the Mexican restaurant yesterday. I was harping on the rain barrel for a couple of reasons, I was thinking of getting one but didn’t want to water vegetables with water with bits of asphalt in it. I think the neighbors use their water for watering flowers. My grandmother had a cistern and she had a pump in the basement. She used the water to wash clothes but sometimes she would let me drink a bit of it. I thought maybes the water could be treated and used if for some reason the city system was unavailable. I hope you will be able to speak with Chrissie soon and that she will not receive any bad news.
A friend called me a couple of times while I was watching the afternoon sessions. As soon as it was concluded, I called her back. She told me our former TaiChi instructor recently passed way. A friend had sent her a text this morning. She was quite disturbed. We talked for about an hour. It was a shock to both of us. She was so incredibly healthy and did everything to take care of herself. We both thought she would certainly live to be 100. However, she was still in her 70’s.
Well, I had better scoot along. Maybe I can get some of my blender brushes cleaned a bit. Most of my larger brushes were all clogged up and I couldn’t use them today. I was told they did not have to be cleaned often. Apparently I should have checked them ahead of time. 🤦🏼♀️
Be safe everyone.
Lin🙋🏼♀️
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Look at this tea cozy!
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Home Sweet Home........Bad news on my trip. Babe's son died Tuesday and was buried Friday. Will be back some time tomorrow but sleeping late and then going to see Babe. He was 57 and although an alcoholic he was Babe's son and just couldn't stop drinking. No parent should ever lose a child. Telling an alcoholic to stop drinking is like telling a cancer patient to stop having cancer. Very sad.
I did have an excellent birthday week and birthday dinner. It is a memory that all will never forget and made me so happy.
Sandy
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Sandy, I am sorry to hear of the bad news you received this week. I am glad you still had a good time on your much anticipated birthday trip. I am sure Babe will need some solace and support. Hugs to you and all the family even though there have been many unhappy days in the past.
Well, kind of subdued after the sadness but will go on with normal stuff. Got up early with the daylight savings time, watched church online and have laundry chugging away. I have also been cleaning up some of the mess from the past several days. I do want to try some of the techniques again so will not put everything away yet.
Jackie, I have caught up again on the Baker family and see that they seem to be a bit uncertain now of how to go forward and find work. I am sure it is all a bit confounding even with all the contacts he seems to have in different countries. I sent some money via the link on Instagram, not a lot but something. If he gets enough folks to donate at least once it might help them in the short term as they find longer term solutions. Right? I do wish them well.
Anne, I am sorry you are off MFP again. I had at least one day where I thought all was well but I had to keep logging in over and over as I could not post any comments here. Hoping you are able to sort things out soon.
Patsy, hello. Overcast today? We have sunny weather and it is warming up. I walked to the mail box and didn’t need the long winter coat with the hood. Yippee! Some friends took off for spring break and headed to Florida. So far, they are freezing.
I am going to try to post this and if successful will try to come back and add some card photos from the last several days.
Wishing everyone a good day.
Lin🙋🏼♀️
❤️❤️
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Sandy, Sad news and I’m very sorry for Babe’s loss. You are so right, no parent should lose a child. Anne emailed me to ask that I let you know she read your post but has since been locked out again before she could send you her condolences and hugs.
Welcome back. I’m delighted you had such a wonderful time. Seems like only yesterday you were planning your trip!
Lin, it seems reality is sinking in for Dan and his family and whatever they decide to do is going to be difficult so I’m hoping they can get to England and find some respite. With Ukrainians finally being allowed to apply for visas they might find they can work as language teachers or translators. I sent a PayPal donation too and hope it helps them through a difficult time. Not as bad as avoiding bombs but bad enough. I see that beautiful city of Lviv has now been hit! That is sad about your TaiChi teacher at such a young age. I tried phoning Chrissie this afternoon but she didn’t pick up but then Katie messaged that she doesn’t tend to so I’ll have to wait for her to call me. My neighbour Debs has offered to work in her garden a couple of hours a week so that will be another relief.
Can’t wait to see what you were able to create these past couple of days. That tea cosy did make me laugh, it’s so hilarious!
Must eat and light a fire. Back later.
Jackie 🥰
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Sandy: so glad you are home safe and sound! And as predicted….you and your family had a wonderful memorable birthday holiday. But now back to a sad time for Babe. It might have been also predicted that alcohol addiction, if left untreated and addressed, will kill people. No exception. I am so very sorry for Babe loss. I know he must feel so lost and devastated. He has lost his son, his dear old doggie friend, Daisy, and his home and he suffers health issues. Wishing solace for Babe in the near future. At the very least, his son is no longer being tortured by a vicious addiction.
As we all know, change is the only constant in life. Squeeze every moment of joy and enjoyment out of every day. Everyday I check in on the forum to see how you are all doing. The sneakers are a joy and you all enrich my life.
Today we chat with Damon. I have yet another foot issue! A diabetic toe ulcer. Not fun! I am not sure why because I keep my blood sugar readings right on the money. Near or at 80. That’s perfect in theory. So what’s the deal here? I live in slippers and must doctor the toe daily. CHANGE!
We missed Sandy! We miss our chats with our dear Anne…come back soon. Love each and every one of you sneakers.
Patsy☘️
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Sunny and relatively warm again today. More laundry, box crushing for tomorrow’s recycling pick-up, thinking about how to finish the fronts on about 10 Bunny design Easter cards. Cannot find anything I am satisfied with at the moment. I know, what else is new?
Must get back to chores!
Wishing everyone well. Patsy, very concerned about your toe ulcer. I know you will take good care of it but also realize healing may be slow.
Anne, I hope you find your way back soon.
Jackie, I hope your weather is good today. And that all is well with you.
Sandy, you must be exhausted. I hope you are okay and are getting rest.
Barbie, hope all is okay now. I read your post on the ladies group this morning.
Lin🙋🏼♀️
❤️❤️
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Happy Monday! Still trying to catch up with my life at home. I did order groceries from Walmart to be picked up later today. I got all my laundry done in increments yesterday. Babe asked me to come early afternoon as his nephew and wife were coming to pay their condolences so I got there just before they were leaving. His father, Babe's brother is in hospice so Babe will be the only child left like I am. Lots of loss for Babe but he is doing okay. He likes to blame himself when things go wrong but I am trying to convince him that it is not his fault. The police knocked on his door Tuesday and told him that they found his son dead in his car with an empty bottle of vodka. The death certificate said heart attack with secondary cirrhosis of the liver and other underlying conditions. The funeral was private with just him, Marisa and Cheryl. They had a viewing to say good bye, then a mass before the burial. He is at peace and no more demons.
After staying a couple of hours talking to Cheryl and Marisa I took Babe to my house so I could finish my laundry. Made a frozen pizza and watched some TV. Talked about his moving in here and things we have to figure out. The house is not sold so again one day at a time. I took him home around 8:00pm.
He is working on getting stronger so we can do things together like going out to lunch or dinner. I would like him to go to my son's house and meet my grandchildren but that is in the future. His daughter is supposed to come and visit in April from California. They haven't seen each other in over 5 years. She was devastated to hear about her brother but Babe told her she didn't have to come to funeral.
Now you are all caught up.
Jamaica was wonderful! I had the best time of my life with my family. We did so many activities including sitting on the beach. We had great dinners together every night. I partied with my granddaughters and niece to the wee hours of the morning. I hope they all hold on to this memory long after I am gone. It doesn't feel too bad to be 80 when loved so much.
I will copy and paste this in an email to Anne. I hope she gets back soon. Have a wonderful day.
Life is so worth living.
Sandy
One Day at a Time
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Finally, a beautiful sunny day which meant lots of energetic activities so I’m now about to collapse in a heap! Although tired, I do feel better for keeping on the move so hopefully the stormy season is over so all my plans can come to fruition.
I’ve emailed Anne to find out if she is still struggling to join us and offered to try my best to copy and paste our posts if she would like that..
Lin, you must have posted the photos of your amazing cards while I was typing so missed them. They are fabulous and well done for keeping up with the live stream. I just had a quick chat with Dan and Victoria on his live stream which was a treat. They are certainly more relaxed and positive so I’m sure they will be fine. Pumpkin is becoming stressed from all the moving I’m sure and spent the time I was watching under a bed! They’ve made the right decision to leave her in Poland for now I’m sure.
Another Lovely photo Sandy and I can imagine those memories will stay with you.
I’m struggling to type with too many errors so will say farewell, finish my cup of tea and head for my bed.
Jackie 🥰0 -
We have a week of rainy-showers-cloudy weather. Sort of normal for us here at this time of the year. I certainly would not mind seeing some of that lovely warm sunshine but I will be careful with my complaints. I remember the drought last year and the year before. Scary wild fires etc.
My toe has been debreded (dead tissue removed) and various meds applied and bandaged. It sort of feels better. Sort of….now we hold our breath until we go for a bandage change and look-see. Need to stay off of my feet as much as possible. Diabetic toe ulcer is a scary condition. Really? I take a water pill, I must make a few bathroom trips, so staying off my feet is not always possible.
I am to bake an apple pie for John today…since he is the apple of my eye! I don’t mind since I can sit on my kitchen stool while I peel apples and listen to a concert on the radio. The pie will be sugarless of course. We have learned to temper our desire for that sweet taste.
The news gives me anxious stomach aches. So far I have not been successful in avoiding constant checking on the status of things. Best wishes for Dan and family as well as the thousands who fled with only the clothes on their back. Have we seen this before? Amongst all this hubris are so many stories of bravery and people giving when and how they can. Brings tears to my eyes.
I dug around in my boxes of miscellaneous stuff in my dungeon and came upon a huge pile of partially completed butterfly hanging. I planned to hang it over a huge house plant in the living room. The plant has since gone to plant heaven but another is in its place. Now to finish making the butterflies and the hanging! Thoughts of summer….
Patsy☘️
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Happy Tuesday! A warmer but no sun type of day, it's not Jamaica. I think I am finally all caught up on all I had to do to get back to "normal". I am sitting today and tomorrow, meeting on Thursday and Funeral on Friday. Babe said he isn't going to funeral as he is too dizzy. My son wants to go see Babe and give him his condolences as well as Cheryl, that will probably be Sunday. My life is about to change and I pray I can handle all the changes. One Day at a Time.
Patsy, I am sorry about your toe and hope you are on the mend. You and John seem like two lovebirds, good for you. I hope all is going okay at your daughter's house and they are managing.
Jackie, I am happy you finally got a beautiful sunny day to accomplish all that you did before collapsing. Moving keeps me feeling better as well. In Jamaica I was walking over 10k steps a day mostly in the sand.
Lin, the cards are just beautiful, you are very talented. You put so much effort into each and every one of them.
Hello to Barbie and Anne. My energy level is low but I want to write out some thank you cards. Have a good day and enjoy life, it is too short.
Sandy
One Day at a Time
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Partly cloudy-sunny and warming. Okay! We can enjoy this day in all its changeable glory.
John and I have begun our anniversary gift negotiations. At our very tender age we are going for a joint gift to each other. This is a real struggle. What I think of as a wonderful gift, John sees as something like getting socks and underwear for Christmas. Useful but not very exciting. As I said this coming anniversary is a celebration of being together many many years. We want to give each other one thing…what? We thought about a cruise but John would hate that. He gets like a caged lion on those kind of trips. In fact he hates travel in general. We don’t do it very well. As I have said before, we don’t get away from it all…we bring it all with us. We. bring too much stuff that we might need, but we don’t! Anyway back to the list of possible anniversary gifts. We decided on a dinner of appetizers and champagne and maybe a small cake. We will invite our kids to share the dinner etc.
I will entertain you with our list as it materializes.
Sandy: one thing that has been my guiding star is, with each change, there is at some point a plus and a minus. And the time before also had a plus and a minus. Just different ones. I adjust to change much easier than John. I try to gently ease him over the hurtles of life. I would guess you will will try to help Babe. I do remember when I first started with the sneakers, you told us about how Babe would bring you supplies and help you with you car choices and insurance and you would do other entertainment things together. I don’t remember too much except that it was so very hard to see the co-dependent relationship between Babe and his sadly addicted son. I am hoping you both have a healing friendship during this next phase of life.
Jackie: you are a true treasure, my friend. Thank you for being the line of communication between us and dear Anne. We need all of our sneakers. So what amazing things are you planning for your veggie garden? Will you be building your raised beds soon? Be sure and get some help. That project sounds massive.
Spring awaits us as we kiss winter goodbye.
Patsy☘️0 -
Hello, another sunny day which started out a bit cold but finally warmed up.
I finished my bunny Easter cards today and did a bit of die cutting. Hope to try some repeats of the weekend designs tomorrow perhaps.
I corresponded with a friend this morning and she responded saying her daughter would like to ask some questions about card making. So this afternoon I responded to the email she sent to me. She didn’t have questions about best supplies and things her mom thought she wanted to know. It turns out a few years ago she did make cards using Stampin’ Up supplies. So what she wanted to know was if I had a Cricut Joy and could I provide information on using it and any online classes. Well, nope, I don’t have that model, I have an older one but I provided information about several experts with YouTube videos.
She also wanted to know about the online card conferences. That takes a while to explain so we exchanged emails. She has some things to check out.
Patsy, good luck on the anniversary gift negotiations. It sounds like a tough assignment to me. I only see your post and Sandy’s today. Is MFP hiding things from me? I emailed Anne today and she said she can read posts but cannot reply. That sounds similar to my issue where I had to login in repeatedly to post a reply. It was odd but only seemed to last for a day.
Sandy, looking after the kiddos and your weekly meeting. Some normal things. That is good. I am sure you and Babe have things to discuss. There’s still the huge issue of smoking. Lots of talking. Would Babe want to move to California to live with his daughter? Just asking.
Jackie, hope all is well in your world. I am caught up on Dan and family’s videos. It seems they are trying hard to monetize everything in their lives right now. Last I heard they had 80% of the amount of money they hoped to raise. I have no expertise regarding Etsy store fronts or Redbubble. I did see another interview on CNN the other day and the woman in that interview hoped to get an Etsy store open ASAP to sell her handmade things. I believe I also heard Dan say he didn’t have any actual credentials for teaching. He went in and was able to speak in English and Ukrainian so was hired to teach. I hope some opportunities come their way. Having you been working outside today?
Barbie, hope we hear from you again soon.
Most move along now.
Be safe everyone.
Lin🙋🏼♀️
❤️❤️
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Patsy, good luck on finding an anniversary gift.Lin, your card making adventures sound very satisfying and challenging.Sandy, so sorry for Babe's loss. I know he had a very complicated relationship with his son. Here is the saga of Jake's health adventure. I was feeling pretty smug on Sunday because I had prepared for the time change by going to bed a little earlier and getting up a little earlier for several days. I thought I had things quite under control LOL While walking the dogs on Sunday morning I got a call from QFC that our groceries wouldn't be ready by eight because no one had come in to prepare our order. They didn't say so, but my guess was that the employees forgot to change their clocks. The groceries were ready by 9:30 and since Jake was on the phone with his friend he talks to every Sunday morning, I drove to QFC by myself. It was the first time I'd driven by myself since January. I enjoyed playing my own music and singing along as I drove.
At 4:00 while the oven was heating for dinner and Jake was on the phone with our neighbor, Jake's defibrillator activated and he ended up on the rug telling me to call 911. The Aid Car came quickly and did their magic which included heart monitoring followed by calling for the ambulance. Jake was awake and alert and capable of answering all their questions so I sat quietly at the table and had a snack since there wouldn't be any regular dinner served.
The paramedic told me that I could come to the hospital if I wanted to, but I opted to stay with the dogs. The dogs needed me and Jake would have lots of medical professionals to look after him. Jake had his phone so he texted his daughter since the two of them had planned a phone date for the evening. She contacted his son who recently changed his phone number and didn't give it to us. I went next door to tell our neighbor what had happened since she was on the phone and heard the commotion up to Jake asking me to call 911. I didn't have her phone number and she didn't have mine. Then I called my dog walking friend in case I needed her to walk the dogs later. Then I waited.
The wait was long. At about 7:30 Jake called and said that he would probably be released in about 30 minutes. At 9:30 he called to say that they were admitting him so I didn't need to come get him. At 10:00 while I was brushing my teeth and getting ready to go to bed, he called to say I could come get him. I've never driven our current car in the dark and haven't driven in the dark in many years. The drive was easy and we got him home safely.
On Monday morning Jake called the doctor who manages his pacemaker/defibrillator. Jake got an appointment immediately and had seen the doctor and was home by 11:00. A friend drove Jake since he didn't feel safe driving. According to the monitoring, he passed out for a bit when the defibrillator activated. They diagnosed the trouble as ventricular tachycardia and said that he had passed out briefly. The defibrillator saved his life. Next step was making an appointment with Jake's primary doctor. Because she is out of town, he was scheduled to see her partner whom we've seen before.
The primary care doctor suggested a slight increase in a medication that Jake is already taking. When we came home he talked to his cardiologist to make sure the medication change was OK. He'll see his primary care doctor again in two weeks.
So now things are back to normal. Barbie 0 -
Good morning. So what happened to me yesterday? Well, I think the extra exercise and fresh air after a month of storms has me falling asleep as soon as I relax in the evening. SO… I will do my best to get back to posting in the morning, especially since Dan and family are getting their lives back together, at least temporarily, until the day they can return to Kyiv. I think today is the day Pumpkin gets taken to his foster home but when I see so much news coverage about pets left behind to fend for themselves, I’m happy she will be in the best place. There are some lovely photos of the soldiers that stayed behind looking after individual roaming dogs and cats! My mornings were taken up with watching Dan’s daily video and responding, then there has been my final spurt of indignation aimed at our local council regarding their man that currently runs our allotments. I’m smiling as I type that because none of it is important in my life anymore since I’ll be resigning at the end of this month but on principle, I will do my best to inform them about what has been going on. A new councillor has been in touch suggesting a chat over a cup of tea so I’m considering my options! My friend Linda was on her plot yesterday afternoon when I visited so I sat with her, at a distance because her lateral flow tests show a hint of a line. She is struggling still with a chesty cough and complete lack of energy but was happy to sit outside and make gardening plans. The sun didn’t show itself so I became chilled as we chatted and in the end suggested she head home. I had barely warmed up when I went to bed last night!
Sandy, isn’t it amazing how many steps we can achieve in a sunny, warm climate with not a care in the world. 😎 I remember going on vacation to Palm Beach from Toronto in the middle of Winter and the shock to our systems when we returned! Getting back into a routine is the best idea to keep you on an even keel while you make any life changing decisions. I’m sure you will come up with answers that suit you best.
Ooh Patsy, a big anniversary, how exciting! Of course, we want to know details of plans as they come together because you are so good at coming up with delightful details, whether it’s cute love inspired decorations or special meals. As for my own plans, I’m hoping my ideas aren’t bigger than my body can deal with but my idea is to create 3 small raised beds on a section of my garden that rarely gets used for anything other than a bonfire. It will require levelling before the wooden structures are cut to size and set in the ground and I may need to purchase some bags of topsoil but it’s all something I would have relished 20 years ago but guess what? 🥴😵💫. My tomato seedlings were potted on yesterday and I will start up peas, beans and salad greens in the electric propagator in the next week or so. I’m feeling in control of the rest of my garden now which is a start.
Lin, so many questions to be answered on craft cards but if anyone has the answers, you do! I have similar issues with logging in and sometimes I find myself back in my old account. Other times my finger password works on my tablet but my phone continues to send me to a page asking me to register or another when I have to scroll down to the bottom and click on “my groups”. Dan has family in England so I would imagine once they arrive on Victoria’s visitor visa they will be helped by them. I hate to even think it right now, not wanting to tempt fate, but ongoing peace talks are looking better than last week. I just hope their apartment hasn’t been destroyed.
I must grab a bite to eat then drive to my hairdresser for an appointment. Colours to be added this time but who knows…. Pink, green or perhaps blue and yellow in support of Dan and family!! I have purchased earrings in those colours from someone raising money for the main charity in England so better be careful they won’t clash!
Happy Wednesday. The window cleaner has arrived and will require payment.
Jackie ❤️
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Happy Wednesday! It is going to be a beautiful day here and Max has a sore throat with a slight fever so I am not sitting today. She did a home test for Covid and it was negative, thank God. So I am going to take advantage of this day and go for a walk to enjoy the sunshine and maybe even sit on the balcony.
Tomorrow is my meeting and dinner for St. Paddy's Day with friends. Friday the funeral which Babe is not going which I think he should but he says he is too dizzy.
It looks like Barbie and Jackie posted together. Barbie, I am so sorry Jake had an episode with his heart but glad to hear that he is doing much better. Thank goodness for his defibrillator which as you said probably saved his life. Give him my well wishes. And even though you seemed to act so calm I bet you were very scared for him.
Jackie, glad to hear you had a beautiful day to get started on all your outside activities. I love warm weather it is just better for the soul. I am glad you are going to do your garden on your own land instead of dealing with the bully.
Patsy, are we able to know which anniversary is coming up? It is a milestone anniversary? I am sure you and John will come up with the perfect gift for each other.
Lin, see how your talent is helping others? How nice of you to help your friend's daughter with her card making. I don't follow Dan and his family but do enjoy hearing about them from you and Jackie.
Anne, I hope you return soon, we miss you.
Have a great day.
Sandy
One Day at a Time0 -
Hi Ho everyone! We have a bit of sun amongst the clouds. A bit chilly but not too bad really. A sweater and a rain jacket will suffice.
It is Costco day. A pretty long list. It is scary because a long list can be shatteringly expensive. Yet currently, we still think we need these things. Wants can become needs if we let them. Do I need yet another plant? Will YES! I saw in their Costco connection magazine they had amaryllis bulbs in pink for spring. If they are in our Costco….ohh I need one! Enough said.
We will be celebrating our 66th anniversary. We were married right out of high school and entered college as a young married couple. It is interesting, we can’t remember when we were not married. I know it is rare for people to be together for so long. We were lucky.
Sort of emotional and anxious after the news and watching the speeches! Pray everyone keeps their heads and remembers the past.
Patsy☘️0 -
Good evening. I have been fussing with cards again today and did spend a bit of time outdoors cleaning leaves out of the remaining downspouts. I somehow triggered allergies and I was sneezing and coughing until I felt ill. I am afraid I am going to go to bed. I am freezing now and need to heat up under my electric coverlet. Sorry my friends. We did have a sunny day and I guess tomorrow may be rainy. I did layered stenciling today and hunted for the ‘right’ color of paper for some die cuts I wanted to make. I didn’t find what I was hunting for, I must of used the last bit of it.
Patsy, what a marvelous long marriage. That is wonderful. I cannot imagine it! I hope you get your flower.
Sandy, sorry for the little illness that Max has. Hope it is nothing serious. Congrats on going for a walk. It was a warm day here and I heard perhaps you had temps around 70 degrees. Did anyone walk with you?
Barbie. I am glad to hear the entire story and am glad that things seem to be straightened out for Jake. And congrats to you for driving that car in the dark. Well done! All best wishes to Jake.
Jackie, I put Dan’s play list on today with no volume as I worked and gave his YouTube channel another couple of hours of views. I was somewhat concerned that his wife was unwell today and had a bit of fever. I guess there are no restrictions on flying now right? No negative Covid test required? No one checking temperatures? I also visited Twitter and there was a link posted to a newspaper article where their trip from Kviv to Poland seemed much more dramatic than the way Dan described it in the videos. I think he said the cost of the petrol drained a lot of their available money.
Anne, we hope you are able to get back to us.
Well, must move along. Going to get warm again and read for a while.
Be safe everyone.
Lin🙋🏼♀️
❤️❤️
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OH MY GOODNESS, I have a feeling I am back! How so! I was reading all your comments and at the bottom it said JOIN so I sort of clicked on it for fun and am I really back?
Not really believing this I won't linger in case it doesn't work but must say to BARBIE how awful and worrying it must have been for you, and I'm so glad Jake is O.K.
Now to click POST REPLY and see if it works.
If it does I will be back later to reply and "delight" you all.
Anne. xxxxx1 -
Except I'd like to get back to my old name and this I can't seem to do. SANDY, HELP!1
