Pot Bellied Stove / Water Cooler
Replies
-
Hi. Today feels like we are back to summertime. Last time I looked the thermometer said 99. Fall starts this week but I don’t think we’ll feel like it’s fall. Decluttering is not happening as well now. More running to do but that’s okay. You do what’s happening. Monday night was 4-H so during the day I got the calendar ready and prizes for those who turned in record books and whatever else was needed.
Tuesday morning was at home. When school was our we picked up the two granddaughters at Berean and took them to their sister’s tennis meet. We watched her win one set and she was in the processing of possible losing another when we had to take off for the Farm Bueau annual meeting. Got there in time for a yummy meal, the speaker and the short business meeting. Wednesday was Bible study and then I watched three of Alan’s kids for a couple of hours.
Thursday morning I got some small things done but we headed out after an early lunch. I got my mamogram out of the way. We went to Dillons to check out the day our rack and I wanted two donuts to take when visiting my friend. I walked by the school supplies and they were way marked down so we filled up the cart with lots for shoeboxes. I did spend $86.00 (and got 300 fuel points). According to their receipt we saved over $500. Not really cause I would not have spent those prices but fun to get a good haul. Checked the Dillons we go to on Friday and nothing like that. Every store is different. So then went to visit my friend and she had cupcakes I had fancy donuts. So we ate the donuts and she sent the cupcakes with me – they were in nice containers. From there we went to Paige’s cross country meet. The calendar said it started at 4. It actually started at 3:30 and she had already won and got 4th place. So we visited a bit and went to leave and had a flat tire. Son-in-law changed it for us and then we went to a couple of bookstores and then ate at Texas Roadhouse. (Took enough leftovers home for two meals). It was a fun day.
Friday we did our usual errands. In the evening we went to a football game partly to see the game but more to watch the band – they played the national anthem and did a half time show. It was simple but there are only 24 in the band. Saturday morning was a fun baby shower – fall decorations and food – apple bars, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and popcorn with add ins like marshmallows, m&ms, etc. I got home in time to fix lunch and then baked cookies and breadsticks and then it was back to church for a concert by the Ball Brothers. it’s normally a quartet but was a trio cause one of the members had his first baby the day before.
Today of course was SS and church. The first week we got it so no one was crying. The last two weeks, there’s been one who just won’t quit crying which sort upsets some of the others and makes it harder for them to hear the story but it’s how it is at the beginning of the year.
Tomorrow two of my sisters are spending the day together. So now you know you’ll have something to hear about next time.
Isabella, thank you for the birthday wishes. It was a good day. Will be with my sisters tomorrow and with the family for September birthdays next week. Your weather sounds wonderful. Sitting outside would have been nice. That's how the weather was at the football game. Ug on having to find a new pizza place. We usually to Pizza Hut just cause they usually have a special which is good when you're buying several. I'm sure the books is a good one. Ralph doesn't have high blood sugar but he has the other two but he's not a fan of those books as they take away too many things he likes. Ha. Sorry you're missing the reunion but I hear you on flying. You never know how it will work when you do it. I had friend who just got back from visiting family in Canada (first time in three years) and she, fortunately, had all her flights work out well. Enjoy you week.
Hi Tammy and Sheryl.
0 -
Good morning! We are back to hot weather this week.
Mid to high 90's. Oh well, at least the days are shorter and it should only be for a few days. We will survive. I've been walking in the morning most days and am really enjoying it. Today I will do my usual shopping then not much else planned for the day so I'll probably have to do a few chores before I read one of my books. Dan and I have been working on a really cute puzzle of kittens tearing up an office with a dog looking in the window in horror. It is only 500 pieces so pretty easy but it is enjoyable. I'm getting better at it. Dan and I went for a short drive yesterday then he took me out to lunch at a Thai restaurant. It was very healthy and tasty. We had a nice day.
My friend Jami who moved to NC got extremely bit up by chiggers and is miserable. Her Dr told her that they laid eggs under her skin but when I looked them up on line all the sites said that the belief that they burrow under the skin is a myth - that it only feels like it and looks like it. She is still getting new bites though so I fear that she must have brought some in the house and didn't get rid of them.
My brother said none of the "out of state" people came to the family reunion so I'm kinda glad I didn't go. He said there were still about 60 people because there were a lot of children and grand children. It was still nice though and he got to hang out with the main family members who organized the reunion afterward.
Wow Debora, your week was even busier than usual! I didn't think that was possible.
Your birthday sounds like it was really nice. Very good to get the deals on all the school supplies too. I always love a bargain!
OK, I'm off to shopping. Have a great week!0 -
Hello. I did my usual shopping this morning then met some old friends for lunch that I haven't seen in a few years. We had a really nice time catching up and the food was wonderful! A really enjoyable day!
I finished 2 of my books so I just have to finish reading the strength training book my trainer gave me. I'm almost done. I'm also going thru some food and health books on our shelf that I haven't looked at in a long time. I plan to get rid of at least half of them. I'll give them to the friends of the library.
I have a lunch date tomorros with a couple of friends from a past bible study group. One of the gals is moving to Montana in a couple of weeks so this may be the last time I see her. Then I have a lunch date Monday with the gals from the senior center. Phew! I didn't intend to have so many lunch dates in a row. That's just how it worked out.
My friend in Sarasota FL is fine. She just had a bit of water come in under her door. She was able to mop it up and everything is fine. Her sister lives in Ft. Myers. She got about 1 1/2 inches of water in the house because the river overflowed. She got it all mopped up and now has fans blowing on everything to dry it out. She also has some broken trees but not bad all things considered. God is good!
Dan and I discovered a new TV station called Start TV. It has older shows on like Touched By an Angel and Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. We are really happy we found it and are enjoying watching.
Debora, Hope you're having a great week!
OK, gonna go look at more books and maybe go outside to read.0 -
Hi. Same old, same old here. Usual shopping, etc. Went to the local fall craft fair with a friend on Sunday. We had a really nice time. Went to lunch with my morning bible study group today. Really nice to spend time and get to know eachother.
Our DSL has been down for 5 days. Finally came back today. We decided to finally give up the ghost and get off DSL. We signed up for AT&T U-Verse. They will switch us over tomorrow. Hope all goes well.
Debora, Pretty quiet in here. Let me know if you want to stop coming here since we are the only ones checking in these days and have been coming here less. We can email eachother from time to time instead. Let me know what you think.
Take care. I'll check in a few days from now.0 -
I apologize for being absent for so long. I did not realize how long and I can come up with excuses but that’s all they are. I try to write on Saturday and when that doesn’t happen, this is the result. Two of the weekends, we went and watch 6th grade volleyball. The nice part is I could see improvement. The last game, they actually got some volleys back and forth.
Derek and Lindsey got the foster child back after 6 months with grandma cause grandma didn’t want him anymore. Granted she has the 5 year old half sister and is my age but still hard to be told you’re not wanted. Parental rights are not terminated yet (court dates get put off so easily) but when that happens, they’ll move into adopting him. He’s 3 ½ now. They had a trip planned which was out of state and probably could have gotten permission to take him but we were willing to keep him so had him for two nights and two days. Ralph took him outside in the afternoons some and I handled the rest – got him to use the potty chair some but they are still working on the potty training.
During the weeks is the usual stuff, plus we went to some volleyball games, a football game and some cross country. For not planning to do cross country, Paige really enjoyed it. And she was always in the top 20 with a 4th place being her highest placing. Her dad likes to run but not her mom. Her mom asked how she was one day after practice and the answer was “just fine – we only ran three miles”. I don’t think only and three miles belong in the same sentence.
Tomorrow we are not having anyone here for dinner as the fellowship meal we are going to is at noon. I did make a dessert and make rolls for it but didn’t do anything to the house. I am gong through the jump ropes made for Willing Workers and getting them fixed up to go in shoeboxes. I also do candy sacks for everyone for fun and almost have them done.
Yesterday we bought our usual frozen pizza. It used to come on cardboard wrapped in plastic in a box. Then they quit using the cardboard so I took the plastic off, put in on the pizza pan and popped it in the oven. At the done time, it didn’t look quite right but I pulled it out. Then it wouldn’t cut through and when I went to serve it, I found out the cardboard was back. We ate it but it wasn’t as good. I will be watching each week now but decided to email the company and let them know. I did think maybe I’d get a coupon for $1.00 off or something. I got an email back today with their apologies for my bad experience and said they are putting $10 on my loyalty card (which will cover two pizzas). I was flabbergasted but thankful.
Time to go put away the rolls, do the dishes and call my sister. I already know the score of one of the football games she’ll tell me about.
Have a great week.
Isabella, after hearing who was at the reunion, I’m glad you didn’t make the effort. Your weather jumps around about as much as our did. We had a killing frost, then it got back up to 80, then cold and we got a bit of rain. It’s always kind of a guesswork on how to dress. But I am now doing long sleeves most of the time. Sorry Jamie got chiggers so bad. That sounds horrible.
Lots of fun lunch dates. You have to enjoy them when they happen. I got together with some Flylady friends at Paneras the other day but most of us just got something to drink while we chatted. Nice job on going through the books. I found some in the room I’m decluttering and plan to read and then donate.
Good to hear the ones you know in Florida didn’t have much damage. Start TV does have a lot of older shows. Something went on with stations last Tuesday and now we get PBS 8-3 and 8-4 but not 8-1 or 8-2 and those are the ones that Ralph watches the most so he is a bit frustrated. We home something will change it back. It is actually recording on one of them tonight so maybe there’s hope.
Keeping contact this way is good. Our notes don’t disappear as more emails come. I do want to stay in touch for sure.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.0 -
It's been in the 70's this week. Very nice!!
I did my usual shopping yesterday and also went to Ralph's for a couple of things.
Had lunch with some of my new bible study girls. It was nice getting to know everyone. Also took my friend Mona to lunch for her birthday which is tomorrow. We had a very nice time.
My strengh training workouts continue to go well. I have 4 more sessions so I plan to check out some gyms this week in hopes of finding one that has similar machines so I can continue my workouts there. Silver & fit will pay for as many memberships as I want so long as the gyms are on their list.
As it turns out my friend in Ft Myers, FL had a lot of damage after all. Even though it was only 1 1/2 inches of water the door frames, walls and floors warped. The insurance company came and assessed the damage and gave her $88K for repairs. Sounds like she had really good insurance.
Hi Debora, Glad all is well. I know how busy you get and how things get away from us so I totally understand. Very happy to hear that Derek and Lindsey got the foster child back. He will be much happier with them. Crazy about the frozen pizza - nice compensation though.
Well, that's about it for now. Have a great week!
0 -
Hi. It’s been a full but good week. Sunday we went to fellowship meals rather than having any of the kids over. It was a smaller group for various reasons but we had a really good time and a very good meal. We left about 3 and stopped by the church for a visitation. I commented to one of the daughters that the verses she reviews often weren’t on the display table and she showed me they were in the casket in her hands. Monday I had an appointment to get options on what to do with the tooth that had the crown come off. All were quite expensive. The one I liked best was lowering the gum and then putting another crown but that would have been around $3000. I said the tooth wasn’t bothering me so she said I could go with it but get a seal on the tooth so I’ll check on that at my next appointment. We did a couple of short errands and then headed to the church for the memorial service. It was a large family, 7 kids all married, 30 grands and 50 great grands and most were there. They walked in order of age – each sibling with their children by age behind them and so on. Then the siblings sat on the front row and kids filled in behind so you got a glimpse of the family units. The service was nice and then a meal was served.
Tuesday was Good News Club. We had a new boy and he seemed to enjoy it. Wednesday morning was Bible study. Ralph went to senior Bible study in the afternoon and as soon as he left I started baking bread. It’s a recipe I used to make a lot but have made for quite awhile. But he’s not been enjoying the increase in the price of the bread he likes. It took longer to make than I planned so it finished just before I left for church. Sadly, the big loaf should have baked longer but it is gone now. And I might have divided more equally if I wasn’t hurrying. So I might be baking bread more. I don’t know how much less it will cost but he won’t see the price so won’t stress.
Thursday morning Ralph had an appointment with his cardiologist . Then we ate at McDonalds and got the McRib and then to Sam’s to get lunchables for the little ones at the Missions Banquet. When we got home I loaded up and went to church and set up the kids area. Then in the evening got the babysitters going, went back and enjoyed the banquet and then back to help the kids get back with their parents and clean up. I ended up with 5000 steps just in the evening with the back and forth and stuff so my feet were ready for bed.
Friday we got rain – about 2 inches total – and it is much needed. We still went to town and I got pretty wet loading the stuff at Walmart. At Dillons I was loading and man headed into the store told me to get into the car and he would finish since he had a raincoat. That was very nice. I unloaded the cold stuff right away and did the rest when I think it was raining less. The evening was the Berean carnival. We went and ate supper and watched everyone. We brought Derek’s two girls home for the night. Got home and found out the furnace was not working. Fortunately, we have an electric heater so the house didn’t get any colder (64). Ralph took the girls to jam camp (BB) this morning and then their mom picked them up. It helped her not to have to get out so early by them staying with us. We live a bit closer.
Today I put together chicken casserole, made a salad and no bake cookies and got the house straightened. This evening we went to the County 4-H Achievement Celebration. It was a light meal – crackers and meat and cheese and some fruit. I reminded the kids to change their clocks so must remember to do ours. And we’ll be ready to start a new week.
Isabella, lunch together is a nice way to get to know the Bible study gals and lunch out for a birthday sounds nice too. What kind of things do you do for strength training? That’s a great thing to do. Glad the insurance was so helpful with her friends. Shows how even a little water can do damage.
70s sounds wonderful. We made it in the 50s today. But it was down in the 30s this morning. Our weather still seems to jump a lot.
Enjoy your week.0 -
Good morning! Our temps are in the 60's this week (49 degrees when we first get up). Rain is forcast for Tuesday and Wednesday. That's OK by us. Did my usual shopping at Trader Joe's and Sprouts. The bread we like was $5.49 a loaf. Heavy sigh. We started going thru our files to get rid of old documents so we won't have that much to move when the time comes. It is a tedious but necessary task. I started a book that was highly recommended by several people called "The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah. It takes place in France during WWII. It is a very good book.
I plan to make beef soup today. I found some beef neck bones on sale last month so I bought and froze them. Then yesterday I bought some lean beef stew meat. It was $10.99 lb. I've never made beef soup before but I don't imagine it would be much different than making chicken soup other then having to cook the beef longer. I am going to add potatoes, green beans, carrots, onion, and parsnips. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Debora, you had a full week as usual. Hope all goes well with your tooth. I do strength training machines. I will also start doing weights at home and use a resistance band.
Well gotta go. Hubby is waiting to do more files. Have a great week!0 -
I'm back. Forgot to mention that I got my blood work done this week. It is the 3 month follow up my doc requested. My numbers are much better. My A1C is down to 7.3 from 12.7 so I'm pretty happy about that. I know it is still too high in the medical world but I'm not that worried about it. I'll continue to do what I'm doing and we'll see if it improves. I have an appt with the doc on the 22nd to discuss everything.
OK. I'm done now.0 -
Good morning, Debora and Isabella and Tammy. It's been so long since I've been here, so sorry about that. Thank you for the cards and notes I got in the mail, that meant so much. I have felt your thoughts and prayers and support through this last year, it's been a tough one. However, God has still blessed in many ways.
John passed away 2 weeks ago. I am saddened, but relieved that he is free from the depression and confusion. He did not know me when I would go visit which caused me to dread visiting, it was so exhausting, and then I'd feel guilty for not going more often. I'm back in chemo again, but I feel with the stress of John lifted, I can finally beat this cancer.
This is short, I feel like I need to lay down again, but I wanted to let you know about John. Thank you again for all your prayers on my behalf. God Bless.0 -
Hi all.
Sheryl, SO great to hear from you. Very sorry to hear about John but understand as you said that it is a sorrow but also a relief. Will keep praying for you. Hope you can drop in again soon.
It has been in the 60's to low 70's this week. Cool but a nice change. I've been walking 4 to 5 mornings a week and really enjoying it! I thought I only had 2 strength training sessions left but my trainer said that I have 4 so that is a nice surprise. Our morning bible study girls are getting together for lunch after the study this coming thursday. Looking forward to that.
My beef soup turned out really good. Hubby loved it. The only thing I would do differently is skip the neck bones next time. I was so afraid that the small bones would separate and get in the soup that I probably pulled the bones out too soon and didn't get much meat from them. Next time I'll just use the stew meat only which was fabulous!
I just finished a REALLY good book called "The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah. One of the best books I've read. I cried several times (it was a 4 tissue book!). It is a historical novel based on fact that takes place in France during WWII.
Well, that's about it for this week. Take care all!0 -
Howdy on a cold cloudy day. We’re getting a little moisture but it’s still above freezing so going to 4-h shouldn’t be a problem. Tonight is our achievement so we have pizza and then recognize what kids did last and recognize new members. I went and set up this morning. The church secretary was nice and set up the tables and helped with the chairs. Then I got all my stuff set out and came home and finished the rest – calendar, ordered the pizza etc.
Last Monday I had the entire day at home and worked on short jobs and felt like I got some things done but the list was just as long the next day. Tuesday was Good News Club. It was nice enough to have our cookies and water outside since we were meeting upstairs in the auditorium since it was election day. Wednesday was Bible study. About noon, they came and looked at the air conditioning (Ralph had gotten the heat fixed) and now we’re waiting on a quote. Not a big hurry since we won’t need it for awhile. Was in the nursery in the evening and had one baby to watch. Thursday I went to visit my friend in the nursing home and we worked on bracelets. We are both glad she is out of the hospital. Friday was our usual errands, In the evening we went to see Anne of Green Gables. One granddaughter had a small part. They did a good job. When it was done we went to pick up two granddaughters for the night. Only one was home. The other was still at a party so we went to meet at a certain corner and had to wait 15 minutes. So it was a late night. Both girls fell asleep but woke up enough to get into the house and to the couches they sleep on. In the morning, they ate and I took them to jam camp (Baseketball). Then the parents didn’t have to get out so early (we live closer to the school). Saturday I did stuff for Sunday. I straightened the house, baked rolls, made lasagna (found a recipe that didn’t use cottage or ricotta cheese) and some other little things. About 5 I texted sister about going to Berean play so she picked me up and we went. Sunrise had done the play last year so it was interesting to see another interpretation. Sunday was SS, church (I was in the nursery so didn’t hear much) watching 5 kids. Two of the kids and families were here. One came later for eggs and then I got some of my 4-H stuff done. And that brings us back to 4-H Monday.
Next is getting ready for Thanksgiving – will only have about 25 here. Trying to find out what the others want to bring so can decide what else I should do. I want to get a load to the thrift store and make the room I’m working on look better. I accidentally dumped a container or two while hunting for something so made more mess.
Also, I’d like to ask for prayers for a friend of mine. Her father was diagnosed with bone cancer about three weeks ago and elected to do nothing. He passed away Sunday morning. Then this morning her husband passed away in his sleep (he has health problems but this was still unexpected) so she has loss to deal with and two funeral to plan.
Isabella, I’m sure your beef soup will be delicious. I often just use hamburger but yours sounds really good. Thanks on the tooth. Done nothing more as it is not bothering me. That is wonderful on your A1C. That’s a big change in a short amount of time. When you do things at home with the weights and resistance band, please talk about them and maybe I’ll start doing something too.
Sheryl, I’m sorry to hear about John but he is in a better place. It is hard when they don’t know you but we know you loved him to the very end. Praying you can rest up and keep fighting the cancer. Always love to hear from you.
Isabella, a 4 tissue book – oh my. You did enjoy it. It is a bit rainy out and down to 34 so will enjoy 4- H and then be glad to get home. We have doctor appointments in the morning so hope it is not slick.
Take care all. Thank you for your special friendships.0 -
Hi, had a good week – lots of evenings out. Monday was 4-h and it’s our achievement night so I had bags to get ready for everyone, set up at church – tables and got all my stuff out and did the calendars and stuff. I ordered pizzas for the meal. We had 55-60 there – biggest group we’ve had in a long time. And it all went okay. Did have two pizza left but you never know how much and I don’t like to run out.
Tuesday was hubby’s birthday (turned 84). We started out with a doctor’s mid year med check and all is well. We did a few errands and then went to McDonalds for a McRib. Then I had Good News Club and was glad to have the evening at home.
Wednesday morning was Bible study, at home in the afternoon – starting to clean for Thanksgiving and always projects to do. Took hats to church in the evening and hid ends while the other person and I were in nursery with no kids.
Thursday I was home in the morning. Went and spent time with my friend in the afternoon – we counted bracelets and have 400 ready to go. We went to Aldi’s and got our ham for Thanksgiving. It was cold enough that we knew it would be fine in the car. We picked up two granddaughters and ate supper at McDonalds (yes, we do go there a lot cause of the deals we get) and then we girls went to 4-H Council meeting. Lori met us halfway so we didn’t have to drive quite as much going home.
Friday was our usual errands to town. Then in the evening we went to a JR/SR High Choir Concert. They did a really good job – God honoring songs. And it only lasted an hour so we weren’t out too late.
Today was a fun day. Our family met at the church and had pizza I ordered. We celebrated the two November birthdays and then set up to pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. We had to put all the shoeboxes together and then get all the items lined up. Our oldest buys most of them although I pick up some things and our youngest crochets a lot of bags. One granddaughter wrapped all the soap in washcloths and put them in sandwich bags. And we weren’t quite all there but we packed 150 boxes – the most we have ever done and the actual packing didn’t take much longer than 30 minutes. Then everyone pitches in to clean up and we were home 4 ½ hours after we got there. Tomorrow they lots of other boxes will be brought to church and out coordinator will load them up and take them to the area collection center. Since we were all together today, I’m not having anyone over tomorrow so not having to do anything for food.
Had a smell I didn’t like in the guest room – finally checked the trap which has been sitting there for a long time and found a mouse. Hope it was the only one but will reset the trap after hubby empties it.
Oh, I see no one else had been here since I was. So I’m giving you even more to read.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING to each one of you.0 -
Hi all, it has been a tad warmer this week. mid to high 70's and will be 80 degrees on Thanksgiving day. I've been taking my walks a bit later in the day since it has been cold in the mornings. Still really enjoying it. Did my usual shopping yesterday then just puttered around the house. Dan and I worked the puzzle together for a couple hours. It was fun. This is a tough one. It is a picure of Positano Italy. Lots of houses on the hillside and a table in the forground with a red and white table cloth and wine bottle and glasses. Then a sunset on the left top corner of the puzzle. This is the last of the puzzles that were given to us so the next one will be a puzzle we purchased and therefore a picture we chose.
Lunch with the bible study girls was really nice as usual. I am so thankful that the Lord led me to this wonderful group of women. I didn't think I would find another group of gals I felt as comfortable with as the girls in the study I participated in for more than 20 years but God is SO gracious!
Not doing much for Thanksgiving. I will pick up a rotisserie chicken at Sprouts and make mashed potatoes to go with it. I also bought a frozen veggie au gratin dish from Trader Joe's to make as our veggie this year instead of green bean casserole. It will be pretty fattening but hey, it's Thanksgiving!
Debora, sounds like your week was busy as usual. Glad the weather hasn't gotten too out of hand yet. Nice that you didn't have to cook the next day since the family got together to do the shoe boxes. It is amazing how many you all get done and contribute. I'm doing good if I can donate one. I can't imagine saying "we're only going to have 25 people for Thanksgiving". Whew! That's a lot of people to prepare for. I'm sure it's always great fun though! I used to love Thanksgiving at my brother Carmen's house as a child.
I'll let you know when I really start the workout at home. I've been doing some stuff with the bands using the illustration sheet that came with the band. The book I read called Strong Women Stay young has lots of illustrations of exercises you can do either with or without weights (or even at the gym). I'll try to figure out how to copy some of the pages and send them to you if you'd like. Stay tuned for further details.
Have a blessed week all!0 -
Good morning, I've had a very busy week and I feel it. Tuesday of last week I was very short of breath at PT and my therapist insisted that I call the cardiologist right away. My oncologist had mentioned that he wanted another echocardiogram in December to go with my next CT scan. I feel the same as when the fluid was building up in the pericardial sac. Since it felt like I needed to be checked earlier, I called on Wednesday to set up an appointment. Well, the schedule is full and I probably won't get in til later December anyway. Since I was so short of breath, I took it easy last week. This week is different, I have something going every day. My neighbor has a housekeeper come in every other week, and sometimes she shares her with me. Inna is from the Ukraine and speaks very little English, but she has been here a few times and knows what I want done, namely floors. Vacuum and wet mop the kitchen and bathrooms and clean the bathrooms. I can do everything else. Well, Monday, Inna didn't make it but sent her sister and mother in her place. They do not speak English and I had a terrible time communicating. If this happens again, I'll decline their services. I was so exhausted when they left, it just wasn't worth it. Tuesday was PT again and it went better than last week. Even the therapist said that I was breathing better than before. This afternoon, I have an eye appointment. I believe all my problems right now are a side effect of the chemo. When I beat this cancer and get off the drugs, my whole body will heal.
Tomorrow, I'm invited for Thanksgiving at my neighbors'. These are new neighbors, Annie and Quentin and their 11 year old Cooper. The Lord sent these terrific people into my life just as I needed them. They moved in last November and have watched over me for a year now. I love them so much. I was invited to Brent and Beth's also but declined. Due to my eyes, I'm limiting my driving and as much as I want to spend Thanksgiving with family, I don't think it's wise to drive the 2 hours down to their house and definitely don't want to drive back home after dark. This year, I'll just walk across the street and join a smaller group. Annie said there will be 10 people total and she wants me to meet her mother. I'm sure it will be nice.
I still feel very close to Jack and Gayla, but they are also having health issues and we don't get together as much as we used to. This getting old is the pits. None of us can manage to do what we used to do, or what we want to do.
I received John's death certificate in the mail yesterday. Now, I can start closing some accounts, however, Norma told me not to rush into it. I may still need John's name on a bank account to deposit whatever checks may arrive that I forgot about. I guess it's wise to wait til at least the first of the year.
Debora, I'll definitely be praying for your friend. She's going through a tremendous loss, having lost two.
I don't have to plan a funeral, John and I decided years ago that neither of us want a service. John is cremated and I'll have his ashes here at home. I have a burial plot with my parents at Rose Hills and they tell me that I can have John's ashes buried with me. I had never thought of that, but it works out perfectly.
I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. We are so Blessed and I'm so thankful that I have you in my life.
0 -
Hi, hope you all had a great Thanksgiving week. The only usual activity I had was Good News Club. That left me time to do a bit better straightening/cleaning than I usually do. We went to church Thursday morning for our Thanksgiving Day service. It is filled with testimonies and Thanksgiving thoughts from the congregation and is always good. Then it was home for last minute food that I was doing. I did ham, mashed potatoes (instant), gravy, stove top stuffing, deviled eggs and two pumpkin pies. The table was loaded full with the additions of all the food brought. We had 23 three here – two of our kids, two of my sisters, two nephews and a niece and their families. The “kids” ranged from 7 – 22 with most over 15 but they all mingled and had fun together. Some of the adults went for a walk. We all ate too much, did a 400 piece puzzle and lots of talking. Last ones left around 7.
Friday we did our usual Friday shopping. I got back to a project that has been on the to do list for awhile which feels good. This was a week with all evenings at home. This afternoon a friend and I met at church and worked on the Sunday School papers while hubby went to Wichita and took advantage at the sale at the used bookstores. No kids coming tomorrow. One family is still in Dallas helping at the shoebox processing center. One is decorating their church for Christmas after church. And we’re meeting the third (Not the Sunday for the 4th one to come) in town to eat and then go see the progress on the house they are building.
Isabella, your weather sounds so nice and warm. We get up to 50 but the nights get pretty cool. Tonight we are getting some much needed rain. How many pieces are in your puzzle? We did just a 400 kid one this year so got it all done. So no temptation for me afterwards. The meal you had sounds good. Yep, Thanksgiving calories don't count (ha). Nice that you're getting your walk in. I didn't realize how much my fitbit motivates me. Mine is on the fritz. I'll have a good number of steps and then they will just disappear so I told the kids they could give me money for one at Christmas but I was going to buy one now. I found out this is one you can clip on your pocket which I like. It doesn't do your heart rate adn stuff then but that's okay. Of course, I went for the best deal so it may be a week before it comes. I'll keep moving but I know I won't do as well. I'm not good about reading non-fiction, but maybe I should get my own copy (I saw one on ebay for not that much) and see if it will encourage too. How did you choose it?
I so glad you enjoy your Bible study group. God blesses in many ways. Mine is sure special and I do my best not to miss being with them. Enjoy your week - will be back to the usual stuff here.0 -
Good morning. Another busy week coming up. PT and eye appointment and chemo treatment. I had planned to get back to Sunday services at church, but just haven't pushed myself yet. I know that I'll enjoy that fellowship once I start it again. I plan to attend my friend Carol's church, she and her husband are very happy there.
I think I've finally got my computer back to where it was before the "upgrade". However, every time I get on here, I find something reacting differently than what I expected. It's always something with technology when I'm not 'techy approved'. I just fumble through it.
When I was at PT last Tuesday, the therapist gave me a hand massage and mentioned that it's too bad there's not a machine to do this at home. She also wanted me to get a certain hand/finger rubber exerciser found on Amazon. When I got home, I checked Amazon and found the exerciser, plus, found a massager with heat and compression. I went ahead and bought it, it should arrive Monday. I hope it will feel good on my bum left hand. My hand is improving, but still has a long way to go to get back to normal.
Time to refill my coffee mug. Wish you both a wonderful Sunday and a good week ahead.
0 -
Hi ladies! Another week has gone by. It has been cool in the mornings (and evenings) and will be cooler this week. Forcast for most days is the high 60's to low 70's. That's still fine with me. Great weather to go for walks. Did my usual shopping and also went to the farmer's market to get my jar of local raw honey. I treated us to a beautiful piece of steelhead trout. It wasn't cheap but the fish is SO fresh it is well worth it. We had it for dinner last night. I actually managed not to over cook it and it was delicious!
I spent most of the rest of the day reading. I started a book by Janet Evonovich with is a very quick read and lots of fun. It is called The Chase. I read it in 3 days. Not sure what I'm going to read next. I am also reading a "health" book. It's kind of an odd one. Not sure if I agree with a lot of what this guy is saying to do. I'm not very far into it yet so I'll keep an open mind and we'll see what tidbits I can take away from it.
Funny story about our Thanksgiving meal. I checked on line and they had 2 different closing times for Sprouts - one said 2pm and the other said 4pm. I didn't want to risk it so I got there at 1:45. Well, they were getting ready to close and there were no chickens out. I asked the guy at the deli and he said they already took the meat off the bones and had it in bins to be put away. I asked if I could have some of the white meat. He said yes, but it wasn't cold. I told him that was perfect. So I bought the meat already off the bone which was easier for us anyway! It was a bit more expensive but since you're not paying for the bones it really worked out. We enjoyed our meal and had enough leftovers to have everything again the next day.
Sheryl, It is SO nice to have you back here posting! We've really missed you! I agree with Norma that it is probably wise to wait a bit to remove John's name from the accounts. Makes sense to wait till the first of the year. Scary that you couldn't catch your breath but good to hear that it was better the following week. You'll have to let us know how the massager works out. Thanksgiving with your neighbors sounds wonderful. Very happy that you have such wonderful neighbors close to you. I can't imagine what it was like to try to communicate to the cleaning people who didn't speak english.
Debora, Strong Women Stay Young by Miraim E. Nelson & Sarah Wernick is a book I bought probably 15 yrs ago then got busy and just stuck it on the shelf. I finally read it as I've been going thru the books on my shelf to decide what to keep. The edition I have is an "updated version" with a red and white cover and has a pic of the author. It is out of print now but there is a site called thriftbooks.com that sells used books (hopefully the link worked). They usually offer various condition books for different prices. For instance you can get "very good", "good", etc. I bought a copy of the book for my friend Jami and it only cost $4.65 and about $2.00 shipping. I've purchased several books from them and have never been disappointed.
OK, I'm going to get going with the rest of my day. Have a blessed week ladies!0 -
Just popped in to say I went online last night and found a used copy of the book for $3.95 and free shipping so it will be on it way to me soon. I did look on Barnes and Nobles for a description of the book and they had an updated new copy but what I'm getting will be fine. Most of the books we have are used books - bought at thrift stores on online or library sales. About the only reason I buy a book brand new is cause it's a gift request and I can't find a used copy in really good condition.
Sheryl, computers do keep us on our toes. Glad you can fumble through what it throws at you. Nice that you know where you'll go to church. I think you'll know when you're ready. A funny on that is there was a woman at church today who hasn't come for a long time - she's around 90. She said she was listening to David Jeremiah and he said you need to go to church for the fellowship so she came even though it's not easy for her to do. Wonderful that you found the needed items on Amazon and I know they will arrive soon - after all it's Amazon.
How nice that you could enjoy Thanksgiving day with good company and so close. Thankful you have such good neighbors. Yes, getting old isn't fun. Yes, keep the account open for awhile. It doesn't hurt anything. Glad you are breathing better. Communication is important plus the other person already knows what you want done. Declining sounds good if it happens.
Isabella, very nice on getting the chicken deboned. That saved you a lot of work.
We met Matthew and Julie and McDonad's and we were able to get the McRib one more time. Then we went to there place and saw the progress on their. House. Drywall starts gong up tomorrow. Yesterday a friend and I started working on SS papers. Tomorrow morning we will do our SS material and I will refill the bead containers for Willing Workers. A couple of Sundays ago, I burned the back of my hand on the oven. It has been interesting watching it heal with being read and then new skin forming. God has made us marvelously.
Have a great week.0 -
Good afternoon, I had chemo last Wednesday and have now slept most of the last couple days. I have the anti-nausea meds just right, so now I don't have that problem anymore. The neuropathy is still the lasting side effect that I'm dealing with. I received the machine that massages my hand and it feels good, however, I decided not to use it daily until I have my PT on Monday and make sure it's doing good and not any harm. I'll take it with me and have the therapist test it out.
Within the next 2 weeks, I should have my next CT scan. I, and my doctor, are very anxious to see if there is great improvement. We both agree that since the stress of caring for John is lifted, I should get much better, much quicker. I didn't think I let stress bother me much, but looking back now, I don't see how I couldn't have felt stressed. So much has changed now.
I think I'm ready to fix a nice lunch. I did not eat much yesterday, just broth and crackers. I'm getting a hunger on. This is short, but I can't think of anything else right now. If something comes to mind, I'll be back.0 -
Our weather has been up and down this week. At Good News Club so cold we didn’t let the kids go our and play afterwords, yestesrday was up to 60 and today we’re almost to 38. And yesterday was very windy and today is calm. Variety keeps it interesting.
I just finished shaping the rolls so have some time while they rise. Monday friend and I finished up our class SS papers. It took the whole morning but we have 22 papers so what we do just takes time. I had the rest of the day at home and always have a list to work on. Tuesday I was back at church to get the bead containers ready for our Thursday meeting. Got home, fixed lunch and realized I forgot to get the cookies for Good News Club from the church freezer so it was back to the church on my way to Good News Club. At least it’s not too much our of the way.
Wednesday was Bible study, the afternoon at home and then the nursery at church and we had three little ones to watch. It was a fun evening. Thursday afternoon was Willing Workers. I made three necklaces and helped the one who works on jumpropes. Some of our committee had conflicts so it took a bit longer to pick up so I was tired when I got home but a good tired.
Woke up Friday morning to the front door being open – fortunately it was not too cold and I was the last one to use the door. We did our usual errands. In the evening we went to a local BB games. Both Boys and girls won but the girls had to work harder to get their win. My great-niece is on the varsity team this year and played a lot so was fun to watch. When we came home, the front door was open again so will be more careful. Not sure why it doesn’t latch well. Today I’ve ahd the whole day at home. House is straightened – had to make several trips downstairs. And most of the food stuff is done. Tomorrow we will be going all day. One part is outside so hoping for a nice day.
My fitbit been acting up so found a good deal on another style since the one I had is not sold anymore and the one I bought a couple years ago for when needed will not take a charge. So it came the other day. Now the fitbit I have is behaving and I kind of want to keep using it. But I should switch before it gives trouble again. It was doing things like having steps and then going back to zero in the middle of a day and stuff so I got so I wasn’t even trying very hard. Now the last two days I’ve gotten back to my 10,0000 steps.
Sheryl, nice that you are feeling more rested and hungry just have two days. Do they think the neuropathy will go away? That’s smart to take the machine along and have the therapist check it out. Yes, I’m sure you had stress with John but you’re a very calm person so it may have not shown like it would have with others. Praying that the CT scan shows good results. Enjoy your week.0 -
Hi all, did my usual shopping at Sprouts and Trader Joe's today. I also took a package to the post office to ship Christmas gifts to my friend Grace in FL. She is the only person we exchange gifts with. It makes her so happy to get packages cuz she says it means someone is thinking of her. The main gifts were 2 hot/cold bottles and 2 canisters of herbal tea from the farmer's market. She cannot wait until Christmas to open her gifts so I should know in a few days how she liked everything.
We met with the landscaper today to get a quote to plant yet more ground cover on our slope. This drives Dan crazy to have to spend money on a slope we did NOT want but hopefully this will be the last time. He will call with a date that he can do the work.
We had a potluck at our morning bible study since it is the last day we will meet until February. We had some very tasty dishes and I was very proud of myself that I did not take any of the sweets except for a very thin sliver of a home made chocolate cake. I also took small portions of the things I did choose to eat and did not go back for seconds. This is a miracle! We had a really nice time chatting. My sausage, egg, and cheese casserole was a big hit. I got several requests for the recipe so I emailed it to everyone.
Dan and I have been searching for a new pizza place since our favorite pizza joint got sold. We've found several that are "OK" but none that we like as much as the place we used to go to. We will continue the search. Next will be a restaurant called Mama Cellas. We will actually eat the pizza there instead of taking it to go since it is an actual sit down restaurant. We shall see. Maybe we'll try it in the next couple weeks.
Sheryl, I too am anxious to hear the results of the next CT scan. I agree that there is no way you could not have been stressed with everything that was going on. Things should go much better now. You can rest and eat properly, etc. What did the PT say about the massager? Enjoy your lunch and have a wonderful relaxing week!
Debora, glad you found an inexpensive copy of the book. Let me know what you think. Did you use the new fitbit yet? Sounds like you got a lot done and got pretty well caught up on things. I've never had a McRib. I guess I'll have to try one someday if they come back again. Crazy about the door being open twice now. You'll have to double check it when you leave.
Well, I've rambled long enough. Have a blessed week ladies!0 -
Isabella, just thought I'd let you know, the book came Saturday, I opened it Monday and now it sits. We've been going a lot. But I do have it now. Pray I can find where I put the fitbit. I know the day it came on but sure don't know where I laid it which is crazy. It's not where I put mail.0
-
Good morning. I had a week completely different than how I had planned it. Last Sunday morning, it started snowing, just flurries that didn't stick. By afternoon, it started sticking and soon the ground was all white and building up. It was beautiful to look at Monday morning, but not practical for me to go anywhere. The roads were clear, but the driveway had so much snow that I did not want to try to drive through it and I knew I couldn't shovel snow. I cancelled my PT appointment, so I don't have her opinion on the hand massager yet. I felt blah all week and ended up going back to bed several times a day for several days. Just icky, can't put my finger on any particular thing. I trust this next week will work out better. I have PT on Monday and see the cardiologist on Wednesday. Since I'm feeling so fatigued, I suspect I have fluid buildup around my heart again. That confuses me because I had that surgery 2 years ago to cut a permanent drain into the pericardial sac, so I don't understand how I can have fluid building up again. I'll find out on Wednesday. Norma thinks maybe I healed over that drain hole.
My eyes are much better, I'm continuing the new eye drops along with the steroid eye drops, alternating them throughout the day. My distance vision is back to 20/20 and the ulcer on the cornea is almost gone. I still have trouble reading but won't get prescription reading glasses until I'm done with chemo.
Debora, I sympathize with you regarding laying something down and losing it. I'm doing that so much these days. I just had it in my hands and now it's gone. I can see it in my mind's eye, but can't put my hands on it...right now. IT WILLTURN UP. It has to be here somewhere.
0 -
Hi all, it was a lovely day today. Sunny and cool. Temps in the mid 60's. Did my usual shopping then Dan and I did some yard work. Fertilized our lemon tree and picked a bunch of lemons. We also fertilized several shrubs.
I had lunch with a couple of my former co-workers yesterday. We had a really nice time getting caught up. One of the gals brought me a bunch of persimmons which made me very happy. Tomorrow I'm going to a Christmas concert with several of our bible study gals. Should be nice. It is supposed to rain but I'm riding with one of the gals so it should be fine.
I completed all my sessions with the High Intensity Fitness trainer so I checked out a couple gyms that medigap will pay for and found one that I like so I joined Anytime Fitness gym. The memebership includes 1 session with a personal trainer so I have an appointment with her on Wednesday. I'll start working out after that.
Debora, hope your fitbit turned up. Maybe you put something down on top of it.
Sheryl, Glad your eyes are doing better. Hope you feel better soon. Keep us posted on What the doc says and what the PT says about the massager. If you wouldn't mind I'd appreciate the info on the hand massager. I'm thinking it would be a good present for my friend in FL. If it is too much info to put here, you can email the info to me.
OK ladies, Have a blessed week!0 -
Sheryl, just a quick note about eye drops - I have dry eyes and one eye never seemed to hydrate no matter how many times I put drops in. I did some research and found good info on eye drops with Hyaluronic Acid. The Brand I bought is Hyalogic and they call their product HylaTears. It has been very helpful. Thought I'd mention it in case this would be helpful for your eyes.0
-
Thank you Isabella, I'll keep that eye drop info for later, after I'm done with the Rx eye drops and chemo. Right now, I'm following the doctor's orders. Plus, a lot will change when I'm off of chemo for awhile. I also meant to tell you that I expect the neuropathy to disappear after chemo as well. When I had super bad neuropathy years ago due to one of the oral chemo drugs I was on, it went away once I was off that drug. I'm so hopeful that all my side effects will eventually disappear after I'm free from the drugs.
The therapist looked at the massager and said it certainly won't hurt. So, I'm going to use it and monitor any progress. My hand is so much better already with the exercises I do at home and the lymph massage that I get every week from the professional. I do a bit of massage on myself every morning before I put on the compression sleeve, but it's not as soothing and thorough as what the therapist does.
Here's the link to the hand massage machine on Amazon. It's advertised for arthritis and carpal tunnel.
I see the price has increased in the weeks since I ordered it, I paid $69.99
https://www.amazon.com/CINCOM-Rechargeable-Massager-Compression-Arthritis/dp/B0872Y3HJC/ref=sr_1_13_sspa?crid=2HQVCIBCV0NWJ&keywords=hand+massager+for+arthritis+and+carpal+tunnel&qid=1670963870&s=hpc&sprefix=hand+massager,hpc,471&sr=1-13-spons&ufe=app_do:amzn1.fos.d977788f-1483-4f76-90a3-786e4cdc8f10&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyVDk2REpCVlo0RTdGJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzA3NzAyMUNVVTY0RjA3WlZFJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA3NDc2MDQxTjhVRUNLV0M1RDlSJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfbXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
Wow, this is a very long address...I don't know why it's not underlined and acting as a link. You may need to copy/paste it up into the appropriate space.
I'll keep you posted on tomorrow's echocardiogram.
0 -
Oh, once I posted, it looks like the URL did turn into a link.0
-
Hi, quick note, the echocardiogram went smoothly although I came home and slept, and slept, I guess it took more out of me than I realized. I got the full report and everything is normal, good heart and no fluid. My conclusion is that the symptoms I felt is from the new chemo drug. I have CT scan Monday and get the results of that on Wednesday.0
-
Well, I came to check on things and realized I wrote last week and never posted it so since you wouldn't want to be out of the loop, here it is since I found it.
Hi everyone, we have sunshine today – up to 49. And we got some rain last night – every little bit helps. Tis the Christmas season – lots of going but fun. We survived Sunday – I ate way to many sweets but decided it was just one day (ha). We left the family at home at 1;30 to head to Brecken’s recital. Kids played the piano, sang or played the violin. Most were piano. Brecken played a beautfiul violin piece. And each one did a Christmas song but each one was different so there are lots of Christmas songs. We enjoyed the refreshments and headed for Whitewater and got there early so just sat in the car and watched those setting up. The 4-Hers did a nice job with the play and that was with one family getting sick that day so not there. I enjoyed the smore, we sang carols at the Christmas tree when they lit it and visited with people we don’t see often. We hung around long enough to go directly to church for an evening of Christmas music and enjoyed cookies afterwards.
Monday afternoon we went to bowling practice to watch Paige bowl since we couldn’t make any of her meets since there were on Tuesdays. We made a stop at Sam’s and ate while there. Tuesday was the Fesper at church – done for those 70 and older. Weather was nice so a good turnout. We sat with the oldest woman at church (102). She told me how to play the game Wordle. Her mind is good. One woman I haven’t seen in almost 3 years due to pandemic and age and shape was brought be her son. We had a program and then enjoyed a nice luncheon. They decorate it so nicely. I took Ralph home and went to Good News Club. One couple was gone so I got to go to the school to meet the ones that come from there and the took two kids home. In the evening was the vocal/band concert for two at Berean (5-8th grade concert). Another full day.
Wednesday morning was Bible study. I took the rest of my candy corn and peanuts and they enjoyed eating some and I finished what was left in the afternoon. And the study is always good. I watched Alan’s kids in the afternoon – a little TV, some drawing and talking. What they do is different as they get older. In the evening I helped in the church nursery and we had one to watch. She was the granddaughter of the one helping so she did most of the work. Thursday morning was a memorial service and meal and then a visit to the thrift store. Ralph got a whole box of books. We had some time at home and then it was Jeremiah’s high school vocal/band concert. He’s in the bank. Not a lot in the band but they sounded good.
Friday we did our usual shopping. We also drove to a small town to a business a friend has gong and saw the building she fixed up. She makes jellies (ships them) and bakes lots of goodies for craft shows and has a food trailer she uses some too. We left with a jar of pineapple jelly. We were going to buy it but she just gave it to use for taking the time to come see her. She gives our church a lot of credit for her spiritual life as a child with Bible school and I took her boys to Bible School too. Today the entire day was at home. So I straightened the house, made applesauce jello, no bake cookies and sliced and buttered three loaves of french bread. We’ll also have ham, angel hair pasta with herbs and green beans. Everyone is coming tomorrow.
Now I'll work on the current update.
0
