Pot Bellied Stove / Water Cooler
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Good afternoon, It's a beautiful day with the sun shining but cold - only getting up to around 32 but I am inside until Bible study. I'm trying to get the house straightened. It's not too bad. Quite a lot of toys out downstairs - evidently Paige was "feeding" lots of people cause there is play food all over. My "big" project is sorting sox. I told Lori I'd do theirs if she brought them out. 7 people and lots of style make for lots of them. I enjoy it and don't have any little ones to move them around. There are a lot in the baskets. Ralph was going to help but got overwhelmed. I decided that only the matched ones are going back and I'll keep the others in a bag and if matches don't show up, they will go by by. I have Bible study this evening so am looking forward to it.
Tuesday went pretty much as planned. When we were at the one bookstore, our missionary friend came there so we invited her to join us at Chick-Fil-A. She didn't order much as she's trying to lose wait so she can have another surgery on her knee before they return to Kenya. She has to use a crutch for stability now. Good News Club went well. We had a couple of new families - hopefully, they'll keep coming. One of the teachers locked her keys in her car so I took an extra two kids home. We got to talking about Wednesday night at our church and invited them. Of course, they had to talk to their parents.
Wednesday morning we worked on the Echoes. We are close to having all the laminated ones we have hole punched. Then we will go back and write dates on pages since they won't be stapled together so if someone would take a page out, they could find it's place again. It will be several months of working yet but I enjoy the person I'm working with and we're only working about 1 1/2 hours a week. We took two cars to church so I could go get the family I invited. I hope they'll keep coming.
Sheryl, glad there wasn't any special prep. Makes it easier. I think you'll enjoy all the shows you've taped if you have time to watch them. I watched the first one on Victoria twice since I was doing other things while I watched. Other than knowing the results, I'd be fine with appointments going into February so your going is spread out a bit more.
Cool on you and John going out for lunch and a nice drive. It's okay to over-indulge once in awhile and logging it makes you see how bad you did or maybe it wasn't as bad as you thought. With MFP, I mostly watch the calories - the other things don't jump out to me. Hope doing laundry is going okay. I did the sheets I changed yesterday so they're ready for the next time. I check each morning (I'm home) to see if one of the baskets is full and do it then.
Yay on getting the mamogram done. I need to get one scheduled and say when it slows down but I don't know if that will happen. Hope going to the meeting clears up the letter. Lawyer fees add up quickly. Glad you didn't open the email. I've gotten a couple of friend requests on Faccebook from people I'm already friends with. Didn't do it again and let them know. How exciting to have the woodstove installation finally almost here. Hope it all goes smoothly.
Off to sort more socks.
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Hi all.
It's a beautiful, sunny, chilly winters day here today. We should coast into the weekend like this, but may get a little more rain at the start of next week. Nothing like the last few weeks though.
Tuesday night Dad attended his first ever meeting at the local Veterans of Foreign Wars building (of course Dad's was Vietnam...he was in the Navy on a battle ship during the early years of that conflict). It is located way across town, a bit of a drive, but not too bad. They've been inviting him to attend their monthly meetings for many years, and he thought he would give it look-see. Said it was a lot of pomp and circumstance (pledging allegiance to the flag, saluting, etc.), took a vote on collecting $100 to send some care packages to soldiers stationed in the middle east, had some refreshments, etc. He said with the exception of one young man, everyone who attended were from the Vietnam conflict.
My new New Balance walking shoes arrived yesterday. I had ordered two sizes and the smallest fit perfectly. I'm noting that model, size and width and will order them again in the future when needed. I'll be returning the larger sized shoes as soon as they email me the return label.
Cisco was in the proverbial dog house with Dad when I got home from work yesterday. Lately he has taken to racing out the front door when someone is there or when a delivery was just dropped off. Every now and then whoever was there fails to latch the front gate when they leave, so we get concerned that if Cisco gets out on the front porch, he'll be able to get out through the open gate. Point forward, he will be wearing his color with license tags all the time (so we have something to grab and/or if he does get out, our contact info is with him (he's chipped too). Personally, I never open the door unless I'm sure the gate is closed, but Dad slips up on that now and then. Got a little annoying last night with Cisco's licenses clanking every time he moved, so I looked online and of course Amazon had this to fix that...
Should arrive tomorrow. The little pouch will hold his licenses and eliminate the clanking.
Sheryl, you have a busy day today. Hopefully John will want to sit out the public hearing so you can concentrate on what is being said. As I was scrolling through the guide on the TV last night I recall seeing that program listed about Alheimer's/dementia and thought of John. Those spammers/phishers irratate me to no end. I've gotten to the point where I will very rarely click on a link in a email. I go to the main website, or contact the directly the person they are purporting to be. A number of years ago spam-type emails were going around to the people in my contact list here at work. For months I had to keep telling people IT'S NOT FROM ME!!! Our firewalls here at work at much more secure now and this hasn't happened for a long time.
Deborah, what do you like to get at Chic-Fil-A? So far I've just tried their chicken sandwich, but found it to be way too salty tasting. Since I bought their 2017 calendar, each month I can go in to get a free item. This month the free item is a bowl of one of their soups.
Back to work. Is this week ever going to end???
Here's a pretty Spring-like picture. I ran across it on Facebook the other day. Love water colors.
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Good Morning. I guess we were all busy yesterday, no one came by here to comment. The woodstove guys showed up at 9:30 and were here until a little after 4 pm. A few glitches, but they worked it out and made it look wonderful. One major glitch is that when the chimney was leaking, I kept calling the roofer to come fix it, so they really slathered on the tar all around the chimney and that caused a huge goo mess and the guys yesterday had to destroy some of the shingles to get to the flashing to remove the old chimney. Long story short, I called the roofer to let him know and find out if the guys could remove more shingles to make the job right and if he could repair the roof asap. Naturally, I got voice mail, but about 1/2 hour later, Bill, the roofer, pulled into the driveway. So they all went on the roof, came up with a good plan and the woodstove guys continued. Bill will be back today to repair the roof. I am so impressed with Bill, he gives full attention every time I call him.
I am not going to start a fire in the woodstove until the roof is finished. But, here are photos of the old stove vs the new stove, sans fire.
I am super pleased with the new look. Can hardly wait to watch the fire through the glass door. So funny, while taking photos yesterday, I'd look at each photo on the camera just after the flash and told myself that the glass door was reflecting the flash. After putting them in the computer and viewing them more clearly, I see that it's not a reflection, it's that we can see the new CLEAN firebricks inside, through the glass.
Thursday night's meeting was really interesting. First, it was not in front of the County Commissioners as before, it was only one man, a hearing examiner. Again, I'll try to make this long story short, but it's involved. I determined that it's all technicalities in the plat plans. Two tracts of the original engineering plans are designated "tracts" and are unbuildable due to the wetlands, the other areas are designated "lots". The County recognizes the distinction. The developer says that "tracts" and "lots" are synonymous and wants to be given permission to make those two parcels permissible by putting them into another development directly north of this one. So, instead of putting in the 5 houses that he's approved for, he wants to build 7 houses. The original tracts A & B in question will remain the wetlands barrier and are still unbuildable. The examiner will publish his decision within 14 days, I'll get a copy of that in the mail.
At the meeting, I met 2 of the neighbors back there and had a chance to tell them a bit of our drainage problem. They were totally unaware and seemed concerned. The one man said "that can't be good for your llamas", I agreed and told them we are ankle deep in mud and standing water makes grazing impossible in a majority of the pasture. We'll see if they do anything. They told me that their HOA isn't fully functional and they have not had any meetings to discuss anything. Maybe I can be first on their agenda.
My mammogram Thursday morning shows the cancer is back in the breast. They also did an ultrasound to get even more images. I'll have more details when I talk to Dr. Smith on Monday and go over all the reports. I'm anxious to see what the PET scan shows. But, from what he told me when he ordered these tests, surgery is in my future. I'll have to do a lot of planning to get things settled here on our property before I am unable to complete chores and projects for awhile. Some of our plans for what we wanted to do in better weather will likely get changed.
Gayla's being pampered at work, and rightly so. She's got the seniority and, even more importantly, is extremely well liked by co-workers and her clients, so they are bending over backwards to make her comfortable. Moved her cubicle closer to the bathroom and are putting in a printer at her desk so she doesn't have to get up and walk back to the big printer.
She said she doesn't want any special treatment, but I told her she deserves it and should take it.
At some point today, I'll head up to the stove store and finish paying for the woodstove. I'm sure they want the rest of their money. I did not pay in full beforehand because they had quoted me all the possible necessary pipes, and since the guys were able to make a straight chimney, all the elbows and extra stuff got taken off. I would not have paid in full anyway, need some leverage. The stove guy told me yesterday, just before leaving, that he removed over $300.00 worth of parts from the invoice. Yay!!!!! Plus, it looks so much better than having a big elbow bend in the pipe from the stove to the ceiling. I am pleased.
I guess that's it for now, time for a mug of coffee...0 -
Oh yes, John did not go with me Thursday night. Just as well, he would have been totally confused, I know I was.
It was hard enough trying to keep John out of the stove guys' way yesterday. He's so inquisitive, but asking the same questions over and over and over.0 -
Hi ladies, boy, it sure has been a long week! Our computer system at work has been VERY slow this week and is driving everyone crazy. Then yesterday it pretty much came to a screeching halt. Our IT dept. spent all morning trying to figure out the problem without much success. I only got 4 very minor things taken care of all day. It helped that we had a nice potluck at lunch for a gal who is leaving. I made deviled eggs again by request. I used buttermilk this time and they were really good. I pulled a muscle or ligament in my arm and shoulder a few days ago and holding the mouse for so long was really painful so finally at 4pm I asked my supervisor if I could go home. Last night we got caught up on some shows and tonight we'll probably watch one of the movies we have recorded. We are invited to our friend Mona's for soup and salad at 5pm but Dan doesn't think he wants to go. I'm hoping he'll change his mind but if not, it's OK.
Sheryl, so sorry to hear that the cancer is back. You have a great group of Drs. and some really good info with Ty Bolinger and his group so I know you are going to be OK. Tough to have to go thru this again though. Your new wood stove looks wonderful. Looks like they did a great job! Your roofer is pretty amazing too, coming out right away to assess the situation with the stove installers to come up with the best way to handle the job is worth a mint! Nice that you and John were able to get out of the house and go to lunch. Good that you didn't open that e-mail. I hate getting stuff like that. I was getting that stuff at work every day for a couple of weeks and kept reporting it to IT and it finally stopped.
Debora, the bridal shower you attended sounds like it was fun. Your pancake party sounds great too. I have frozen leftover pancakes before and they freeze well so that might be an idea for next time. Are the Vienna sausages those little sausages in the can? I remember having them a couple of times when I was young. Funny about sorting all those socks. Wise to pull the loners out of the bunch until their mates turn up.
Marcie, glad that your new shoes worked out. Nice that the smaller size was the size that fit. Did you find any beds that you might consider in the future? We like our tempurpedic pretty well and I have a couple of friends that really like their sleep number bed. That little tag holder for Cisco is a really cute and clever idea.
Well, I'm going to close for now and go out and enjoy some of that beautiful sunshine we have today. It is actually in the 60's and is expected to get into the 70's this coming week. YAY!!!0 -
Good afternoon. Everyone one has left and Ralph and I are enjoying a quiet house after a couple of busy days. Looking out the window is nice as the sun is shining so it looks cheerful and it is warmer - almost up to 60. A nice change.
Thursday I had the day at home. I worked on straightening the house for Sunday and sorting sox for Lori. Ralph was going to help but he said they had too many kinds. There are 7 people and they buy what's on sale or what's at the thrift store or whatever so yes there is but I just deal with it. I like to lay them all the same way too and he wasn't so it was okay that he quit. I have two big tables and they were pretty well covered. I ended up with a heaping laundry basket of matched socks and 2 walmart sacks with unmatched that are staying here until they want me to sort them again. Got some other little things done and did my Friday list before I left for Bible study - it helps me to make a list even if I do nothing off it.
Friday turned out to be a full day of running. We went to town for the usual errands and got home right at noon. We ate the sub we had picked up at Walmart and headed off to a friend from church so Ralph could look at the study Bible he had and then went to Newton. I went to Etc. while he went to Book Reviews and we both got some books. Then it was on to Wichita. We went to all three Book-A-Holic stores to look for study Bibles (not much success for the price we were hoping to pay), ate at Burger King, went to the JV game that grandson Thomas played in (they won) and went to the varsity game at Valley Center since granddaughter Brecken was going to do a dance thing at halftime (with lots of other little girls). Of course, we had to pay to get in so we stayed till almost the end of the game - it was a good game - just didn't know many players. Usually I only see all 4 kids at once when we have a family get-together but I found it interesting that I saw all the kids. Julie went I went to the bank. Alan when I dropped Ava's medicine at their house. Lori at Thomas' ballgame and Derek at the Valley Center game.
During the night Lindsey ended up taking Deacon to the ER again and he was admitted after about 4 hours in the ER. Saturday morning Ralph and I went to Lori's so I could babysit while she took a CPR class for work and Ralph went around to all the DAV stores. It's not set up yet but we found out where the a lot of the books will go from the nice DAV bookstore that closed. So that was the bright spot of the day for him. While I was at Lori's I worked on things there. We got the girls room cleaned up. I did the basics in the three bathrooms, the hall, the living room and the kitchen, and did the dishes, and washed and dried some laundry. We ate and after I got Maggie down for a nap, then I worked on folding laundry - had lots of piles on the living room floor. They told me today it did all get put away. When we got home, I did what I needed for today. We finished the Walmart sub for supper - nice and easy. And Deacon got to go home in the evening so hopefully he can keep doing okay and avoid the hospital.
This morning I got the bargain pork (sirloin roast for $1.19) and salsa into the crockpot, did our pills, set the table and got ready for church. I had a fun lesson to teach as it was David and Goliath. Our pastor finished a 7 week series on Jude just in time for our Bible Conference next week. We had pork tacos for dinner - I did forget to get lettuce but otherwise, they seemed to be enjoyed. Since my sister was not here (having Christmas with her kids), I said to just stack the dishes. And everyone headed home shortly after 2. Ralph with Jim and at the church they changed the flat we had at church (had hitched a ride home) so Ralph will take care of that tomorrow. I decided to do enough dishes to fill the drainer and got everything done. The upstairs had not gotten messed up much so went downstairs to do it. Paige was evidently having quite the party. Lots of play plates set out - each one with one piece of food on them. Not hard to clean up but funny to see. I'll have popcorn for supper and work on getting my list taken care of and then can answer emails and things like that. I have a tupperware party to go to in the morning. I told her I'm coming cause she's having it. I don't plan to buy anything (I'm happy with my rubbermaid), unless I can get something that she would like to have to take back to Kenya. Other than that I think I have tomorrow at home. Yay
Marcie, glad you've had some rainless days now. Will your dad go back to more meetings of the Veterans of Foreign Wars? Nice that he checked it out. I like the colors in your new shoe. So glad one of them fit (and you're off and walking). Cisco is so quick - wearing his collar all the time is smart - glad you found a way to keep the tags quiet. What did you type in to look for something like that?
At Chick-Fil-A I just get the original sandwich and waffle fries which I love. I don't add salt at home but don't usually notice it when we eat out. I like the idea of the free items but you probably had to pay for the calendar. Love the spring picture. That bright yellow makes the bird really stand out.
Sheryl, the woodstove looks great and so nice that your roof guy worked so well with them. Is it cold enough to build a fire to try it out? Glad you got to go to the meeting by yourself since it was different that you thought and you could concentrate plus the contacts you made could be valuable.
I am so sorry to hear the cancer is back. Now even more appointments and as you said, the planning you need to do for things at home. Great that you've gotten several projects taken care of.
Nice to hear they are pampering Gayla. It will make her work easier. Nice to have to pay less than planned. They say it's good to only pay part ahead of time. Now you want to pay for it so you don't have to think about it and can just enjoy the stove.
Isabella, having slow computers at work must have been frustrating. Leaving early sounds good even if you had a sore arm. Potluck sounds fun. Send a deviled egg this way. And a quiet evening with Dan is always nice for you. Did you end up going to Mona's?
Yes, I think freezing pancakes ahead will be on the agenda for next time. Yes, the vienna sausages are those that come in a can.
Well, this didn't turn out as long as I thought it might but long enough. Think I'll be ready for popcorn soon.
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Good Morning. Felt bleh yesterday morning and didn't make it over here. After looking for the roofer all day Saturday, I called and left a message about 3:30 pm. Late enough that I felt he needed a reminder, but still some daylight left, if he were able to come over. I got voice mail, naturally. He did not come. Since it appeared that the weather would cooperate, I did not call him on Sunday, I didn't want to be a nag. Figured he'd get here when he could get here. Not much I could do, there's absolutely NO WAY I'd try to get on the roof and tarp it, so, if it rained, I'd deal with the aftermath of that problem, if it happened. Well, about 4:30 yesterday, I was on the phone with Norma, and I saw movement out in the driveway and headlights at the gate and realized that Bill was here. Fortunately, John had seen him before I did and went out to open the big gate and let him in. He did a "patch" job and will be back on Tuesday to finish it up right. He apologized profusely, he had totally forgotten to come back Friday and then left for the weekend. All is well now, except that I still will not start a fire and test out the stove until after tomorrow...I am so anxious and excited.
Having problems with John regarding the woodstove. He is not happy, says the handle is on wrong, needs to be turned 180 degrees. I told him not to do anything until after we use it a little. After heating it up and getting the new stiff gasket in the door to take a set, I think the door will close properly and the handle will turn all the way into the position that John wants. He wants it to look like the picture on the owners' manual and right now, it sticks up in the upward position instead of sticking out to the left when closed. I can make it stick out to the left, but it's tight and John had a fit when I forced it. He says that this woodstove was a big mistake, but, I trust that after we use it for awhile, he'll forget this train of thought. I told him that I can go back to the store and check out how the door handles are on the display ones. His answer to that...if they did ours wrong, then probably all the stoves in the store are assembled wrong as well. I can't win. Every 10 minutes, he said that he will never touch the woodstove again and I'm in charge of it all, then he's back over there fiddling with it. And, I'm not exaggerating, I timed him and it was literally approx. 10 minutes in between 5 separate episodes. He got really mad at me last night, but fortunately, after cooling off, he forgot all about it. I guess I can be thankful for that.
I was hoping that John would go with me to the doctor's office this morning and then we could go out to lunch plus do something fun while we're out, but he's in no mood to go. I feel so sorry for him, he doesn't find any joy in anything. He and my Mom should get together. I talked to Mom yesterday afternoon and got nothing but complaints. So sad. Norma and I are going to make sure we never turn out that way. Good thing we take after our Dad. He had the best attitude I've ever seen in an aging person, except for maybe his Dad, Grandpa was the greatest at looking for the sunny side also.
Isabella, look for an email from me about Ty's essential oils book, they sent me a great deal, but there's a time limit.
Debora, I need you here to help me clean up my house too, but then, what would your kids do without you. I have so much to do before possibly being laid up for awhile. I stacked some boxes right next to my bed to go through, and I have got to do that so that if I need a caregiver to help me in and out of bed, they can get to me. ha ha ha
I'll need to clean out the spare bedroom too, so there's a space for help/guests to stay. That bedroom is my catch-all and I've filled it again, stuff all over the bed and floor.
I guess it's time to go. I'll let you know what I find out at my appointment today.
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Good Morning. Had a great day yesterday, even including the doctor's visit where it's definite that I need surgery. But, I'll back up first and tell you that John decided to go with me. Yay!! Any reason to get him out of the house is a victory for me. He wanted to go to the woodstove store and "talk" to them about the door handle. I said that I want him to shower, put on clean clothes and go with me to the doctor, lunch, and then we'd go to the woodstove store. He agreed. I did come to the realization that the reason he doesn't shower as much as before, or as much as I'd like him to, is that he's forgotten how. We had that same problem with his mom and I have heard that it's common with dementia patients, but I was just ignoring the signs in John. He was asking me things that I had taken for granted. Step by step, we went through it. Yes, there is soap already in the tub area, yes, that's the shampoo, yes, this towel is your towel and here is your wash cloth, you can put it here so it's easy to reach. Then, we went on to clean clothes...wow, such an eye opener. He forgot where to get a clean shirt, the wardrobe door was partially closed and all he saw were his overalls. Didn't recognize that he needs to slide the door over to view his shirts. He's used to putting on the same shirt and overalls that he left at the foot of the bed from the night before. I will have to remember to help him now, not just send him into the bedroom with verbal instructions. That's meaningless now and I have to remember to go with him and help. Of course, I need to be thick skinned and not get upset when he says "I can do it myself" when we both know that he can no longer do it himself.
Dr. Smith said that surgery is definitely the next course of action. I made an appointment with the surgeon, Dr. Toni Storm-Dickerson, Thursday, Feb 9th. She is wonderful, I saw her first back in 2014, when I got the diagnosis of cancer. She has a great reputation in the whole county. When I had the biopsy done, I asked nurses at the hospital who they would go to and they said Storm-Dickerson is the best there is. And, I was so pleased when my PCP referred me to her without my ever having to say anything. So, I'm in good hands. After I consult with her, I'll have more details on what the surgery will entail.
Next, John and I went to Kitchen Table Café for lunch. He is so overwhelmed by a menu, I need to simply take his menu away and not even let him look at it anymore. When we walked in, I always look at the specials board, they have a Reuben sandwich on special right now. We ended up getting our fall-back favorites...John a burger/fries and I got my avocado benedict. As we were sitting there, two Reuben sandwiches went by to the table next to us. Boy, they looked good. John even commented, "I wish I got that"! So, I jumped on that and told him that we have to come back and get it, Wednesday. Tomorrow, I go back to Compass Oncology for a finger prick to check warfarin levels and then I get to go to lunch again. I had made plans to meet Carol for lunch, so I told John he has to come with me and we'll get the sandwich. I will make him go this time, I can now tell him that he told me he would go and he told me he wants to go. That seems to do the trick these days, if I tell him that even if he doesn't remember, I'm fulfilling his wishes. Boy, I can really use that to my advantage, BUT, I better not abuse my power.
Then, off to Morton's Stoves. The guys there are so nice and SO patient. I believe he convinced John that our stove door handle is on correctly and the picture on the owner's manual is just someone's drawing and doesn't mean a thing. After our stove gets used and warms up and cools down a few times, plus the gaskets gets seated, the door will open and close just fine. John seemed satisfied. Of course, when we got home, John looked it over very carefully and came up with a new problem. The gasket. It's not laying within the channel at one of the corners. It sticks out and that's most likely another reason why the door is hard to close, the gasket is too thick right there in that spot. Worse case scenario is that I remove the door, (easy to take off) take it to the store and have them redo the gasket. That's not a big deal, but John makes it a big deal. I guess I have to realized that he is going to work real hard at finding something wrong with everything. Oh Great!!!!
Today, we'll wait for the roofers to come do the repair. I'm skipping Bible study today. Tomorrow we go out again, can hardly wait, I am loving this going out. In fact, I'll be going out every day the rest of the week. Thursday, I see the neurologist and Friday, I'm getting the car serviced. Busy week.0 -
Good afternoon, beautiful day looking outside but it's not warming up very fast. Good News Club went good yesterday even with one teacher gone and one with a cold. We had 3 new ones but a couple from last week didn't come. I took 6 kids home again. Fixed our frozen pizza for supper so it was off the ice trays. This morning I went and worked on the Echoes. We're taking the next two weeks off - one for the Bible Conference and one cause I have another meeting. Tonight is church and we'll again take two cars as the kid I brought last week want to come again. Yay. I'm making two eclair cakes this afternoon to use for refreshments at our Women's group tomorrow. Can't procrastinate much longer.
Sheryl, if things are okay John has nothing to think about so he almost searches for something wrong and you handle him doing it so well. Nice that the people at the store are so patient too. It is hard to see people be so unhappy as they get older. That wouldn't be my choice - hope I have some say in it. Oh my, there's so much more I need to do to my house. The good thing for you is you had in all in order when you went through things before so the stuff has not been there that long so I think it won't take you too long to do. At least you have a little time o take care of it.
Nice that you understand now why John doesn't want to do some things like take a shower but it's still not always to deal with. You amaze me. Nice to get to eat out yesterday and again today and I love the places you get to eat. My hubby mainly likes to do fast food but it's still a meal I don't have to cook so I won't complain. I'm sure you and Carol will enjoy your visit - just have to not cover some topics with John along. Sure glad they are moving along quicker with this bout of cancer and you don't have too long before you see the surgeon and it's one you like.
You are having a busy week. Enjoy the times - with or without John.
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We had some nice warm days and now it's back to cold again. Woke up to 17 - might get up to 30 - at least the sun is shining. I got the ecclair cakes made. Will cut them when I see how many are at the meeting. Don't mind a piece or two but don't need a lot left. And if there are a lot of people we can make the pieces smaller. I have gathered together what I need to take and finished up what I think was left to do for the tax person - again did not take that long but I thought it would.
I am not going to weigh myself for a few days. I weighed the fudge I was given and put the calories in over several days but once I got started, I keep taking bites. I just haven't been real good the last few days but there's always tomorrow. Tonight I have some time between meetings so Matthew and Julie are meeting up for supper. Ralph is going to a dinner meeting himself. Fun stuff to do.
Hope all of you are having a good day.0 -
Good morning.
First, Sheryl, I'm just so very sorry that the cancer has returned. I just know all will be okay, but just hate you have to deal with that again.
It's been a pretty quiet, non-eventful week so far. Up till this morning we've been enjoying pretty, sunshiny days with highs in the low 60s. It's raining this morning and is supposed to be more of the same through the weekend.
The "Wag More" dog license tag pouch arrived last weekend. I found the tags tucked inside the pouch still jangled a bit, so I put a little square of foam rubber between them. That stopped the jangling. But, day before yesterday I was at Petco buying cat food and saw they had these little rubber rings that you fit around the licenses to stop jangling. Gave them a try and I like those better than the bulky pouch. Plus, Cisco says they don't make him look dorky like the pouch. He said all the neighborhood dogs pointed and laughed at him.
Yesterday morning at 5:30 am and again this morning as Dad and Cisco were on their walk they encountered what appears to be a domesticated bunny rabbit. Very tame and not afraid of them at all. We suspect someone is missing their pet bunny. Dad posted about it on the NextDoor website, so hopefully the owner will see that. Dad said they bunny kept following them, but wouldn't get close enough where he could pick it up.
We've been noticing lately that our washer and dryer are started to show their age a bit (they were purchased new in 1993), so on Monday Dad went to Lowe's and bought a new washer and dryer. They are supposed to be delivered next Monday. I'll be sad to say goodbye to the old set. They really held up well over all these years. On the old washer I can manually set the level of water I want to use, but on the new washer the washer determines the level of water based on how much you load it with. Apparently a water saving feature. That will take some getting used to.
I think tomorrow Dad and I will go to Sizzler for dinner. They sent me a coupon the other day for a free Malibu chicken meal, but I need to use it before the end of next weekend. Can't be free.
Sheryl, have you used the new wood stove yet? Maybe once you start using it John will not fret so much over it. You are so good with him, but it must be very frustrating. I really like the look of the new stove and and hearth pad. So glad you've been getting out, even if for appointments, and going out to eat. I'd probably say the same thing about that Reuben sandwich. I love a well made Reuben sandwich. The Grille here at work makes one, but it's really, really bad. They don't drain the Sauerkraut and the meat is super greasy, so the bread becomes liquefied. Yuck!
Debora, an eclair cakes sounds supper yummy! Dad hasn't said if he will attend anymore of the VFW meetings. To find the dog license pouch, I searched for "dog license silencer." Yeah, I did have to purchase the Chic-Fil-A calendar, but it was only $7, about what I'd pay in the stores.
Isabella, Dad likes his tempurpedic mattress too. I don't like the way the body molds to it, and I don't like that it's so heavy...to hard to manipulate it it has to be moved. His is a CA King size and huge. The sleep number beds seem interesting, but I'm hesitant to purchase a bed that is operated mechanically.
Back to work. Why isn't Friday yet?! Have a great day everyone.
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Good Morning, oh, so much to say.
Wednesday was a great day. As John and I were driving, I told John what our plans were. The quick stop at the post office and the bank, I told him he could stay in the car. It was bitter cold and windy, so I knew he would not want to get out only to get back in again. Even at the oncology office, I decided to let him stay in the warm car because a finger prick only takes a couple minutes.
He turned to me in the car and asked. “Do I really NEED to come with you or do you just want to keep track of me?”
BUSTED !!!!! I said “both”.
Lunch was wonderful. Larry came with Carol, so naturally, our conversation was a bit different, we couldn’t talk about the men. Ha ha ha But, I sure enjoyed the visit, I talked and talked and talked, couldn’t help myself. Even when I said I wouldn’t talk anymore, I need to eat my sandwich, I kept talking. I could hear myself but couldn’t stop myself. After lunch, John and I stopped at a newly opened farm supply store. Had fun walking the aisles and looking at everything. Bought some new rubber boots and feed and a new mailbox. There is also a grooming “salon” in the back, John really enjoyed watching a couple of cute dogs get brushed and clipped.
Got home at 3 pm and the Bill, the roofer, was up on the roof. I didn’t ask him when he arrived, but I imagine he had been there awhile because he was frustrated, said that he was having some problems due to the cold, the shingles were not cooperating. He finshed just before 5 pm and said we are good to go. I still decided not to start a fire at that time, because it was late in the day and I was tired, plus, if I brought in the firewood, knowing that I’d be gone early in the morning, I was afraid that John might try to start a fire without me.
Thursday, I left the house at 8 am, left lots of notes to tell John where I was since he was still in bed. I don’t like the early appointments, but this was the only time available without having to wait another week. Very interesting consultation. Going to try a number of things regarding acid reflux, the therapist believes that could be a major part of the problem, effecting voice, coughing and choking. I’ll change my diet a bit and do the voice and breathing exercises and am hopeful that this will help. The diet isn’t a big change except for NO COFFEE, AUGH! I already don’t drink soda and alcohol, so I won’t miss that. I already don’t like very spicy food, so I won’t miss that. And, since the swallow test, I’ve already been aware of not eating anything 60 – 90 minutes before I go to bed. I already sleep with my head elevated. I go in for therapy once a week for 5 weeks and then we will reevaluate the situation.
I got home about noon and we were ready to start our first fire in the woodstove. Another holdup, John had previously told me that the gasket in the door wasn’t in the channel properly. Sure enough, he was right and we decided that before using it at all, we’d take the door back in and have them fix it. I called and they said to come right in. The door lifts off easily and we put it in the car and took off. They had never seen that before, but agreed that it wasn’t right, “Someone was in a hurry at the factory”. Got home and finally got the fire started. I think it’s wonderful, John finds one thing after another to complain about. I’m tuning him out because he doesn’t like my answers anyway. We’ll get through this and I trust that soon, he won’t remember the old one at all and this will be normal to him.
I got the fire going this morning and already the house is warm and the blower is so much quieter, it’s really nice. Circulates the warm air without causing a racket. So far, seems so much more efficient than the old stove, we can control the burn better.
I had planned to comment on many of your comments, but John is up now, so I’ll come back later.
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Thursday went well. We had about the usual number. I cut the cakes into 15 pieces. Sent a couple of pieces home to husbands, took some to Matthew and Julie and one to the 4-H I took in the evening. We've had it twice and just have 3 pieces left now. It's good. We had a good speaker. In the evening was 4-H council. My 4-Her had an earlier meeting so I met Matthew and Julie and ate with them and then the meeting only lasted 30 minutes. That doesn't happen often but we all enjoyed it.
Friday Ralph and I went to town and did the usual shopping. My list was shorter so we got home by 11:30. The rest of the day was at home. I got the house straightened up and just plugged along on my list. Today I went to 4-H Days. My job is to sit at the table and give kids a treat after they perform. It was a small group of kids today and 8-11:30 took care of the whole thing - talks, demos, piano, singing, instrumental, etc. I stopped by Walmart and headed home and have keep busy getting ready for tomorrow. everyone is coming. I made a jello, made meatballs, got the noodles ready to do, baked the cake and "decorated" with gummi bears and got the tables set up. I may look for a place to store the one table upstairs. It's a tad heavy carrying up and down.
Marcie, a non-eventful week sounds good. And hopefully, work is not as crazy as it was at the end of the year. Did anyone claim the bunny rabbit? Glad Cisco like the pouch you got at Petco. I think you'll like the new washer when you get used to it. You don't have to think as hard. That's how the one that Lori has is. We won't get anything new until mine quit. It leaks sometimes so hope it doesn't get worse. How was the Malibu chicken?
Sheryl, I love it that John sort of figured out what you were doing and even more that you had such a good time out together. Good meal, good friends and doing some other fun things. Yay on having the roof fixed. Sorry you have to give up coffee. Hope the additional things they are adding to your to do list help. Yay, on finally getting a fire going. Enjoy. I'm sure it is more efficient.
I don't have a lot to do in the morning before church but hope to get some walking in so think I'll head for bed. I'm tired.
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Good Morning. Got the car serviced on Friday afternoon and did some grocery shopping on my way back home. Yesterday and today will be staying home, getting more stuff done for taxes and getting some of those boxes in the bedroom taken care of. Decluttering and tossing a bunch of stuff. I've got to stop thinking, "I may need this someday", that day is never coming and it's time to toss the junk out. Probably more of the same for Monday and Tuesday. Nothing on my calendar until Wednesday, neuro rehab, and Thursday, consultation with the surgeon.
Marcie, my sister has a new washer and it drove me nuts when I was visiting. I'm so used to filling with water first and add soap, make sure it's mixed and then put my clothes in. I don't like the new ones that you have to put the clothes in first and then it automatically does everything else. I bought a used Whirlpool washer and dryer when we move here in 1992 and they are still working well and working hard. I dread the day that I have to replace them.
I was also going to ask about the bunny. any replies to Dad's posting? I hope it gets home soon and without incident.
Somewhat good news about my aunt who was so messed up at Christmas time and Nancy had called an ambulance to get her to the ER and get help. Well, she's been evaluated and finally got in to see a neurosurgeon and it's been determined that she has hydrocephalus. The fluid on the brain could very well be what caused her balance problems (she had many falls this past year) and the mental confusion. She's scheduled for surgery on Feb 13th and after they put in a stent to drain from the brain to her stomach, it's very possible that she doesn't have dementia at all. We're praying that she will recover and come home.
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Good afternoon all, I went to work yesterday at 5:45am and worked until 12:15. I really needed to get caught up from the system being down last week. When I got to work Monday the computers were fine. They finally figured out that it was our network service provider L-3's problem. They replaced a faulty piece of equipment and we are living happily ever after. YAY! After I left work I went to Staples to drop off several empty toner cartridges for recycling (they give you credits toward a toner after you turn in a certain amount). They were having a classic car show in the Kohl's parking lot next door so I strolled thru and looked at all the cool beautiful old cars. Went to Trader Joe's and Sprouts after that so we won't have to go tomorrow. Came home and made my quinoa artichoke casserole. It was wonderful! And we'll get 2 more meals out of it. Dan and I watched a wonderfully schmaltzy Hallmark movie and ate popcorn in the evening then headed for bed.
Debora, more fun with sorting socks! I love simple pleasures like that. It is good nesting. We did not end up going to Mona's but we had a nice evening anyway.
Marcie, cool that Petco had an even better solution to the clinking tags. And now Cisco can be the cool kid in town instead of the nerdy guy with the pocket protector!
Sheryl, So glad that the stove is working well. It sounds wonderful! Glad that the roof issue is resolved. Good that the surgeon they referred you to is the best in the area. God has really blessed you with a great medical team. were the reubens as good as they looked? Look forward to finding out whether the surgery for your aunt resolves a lot of her issues especially the dementia. Thank you so much for the sweet gift my friend!
Are any of you watching the game today? We bought some big fat hot dogs for Super bowl today and we'll have some broccoli salad and chips with them. We're not big sports fans but we'll watch anyway. I hear Dan calling me that the game has started so I'd better close for now.
Have a wonderful week. Love you guys!0 -
Hello everyone, I thought I would pop in and update with you all. We watched the game today and hubby was all excited that the patriots won. I guess they broke a record, so he was really happy.
I am still waiting to see a new cardiologist (saw one but changing to a new one), I got my referral paperwork this weekend so I will call them tomorrow. I still have not seen a Endocrinologist, but have the referral. There is only one on my insurance here, and I have to wait until they can get me in.
The weather has been nice including the rain we have had the last couple of days. Hubby wants to work on my truck but can't while it's raining and has for the last two weekends. It was a blessing last weekend though, hubby wasn't feeling well so it was easy to get him to relax and sleep. I can still drive it while we wait. He's been doing all that front end work I needed since last year. He decided he could rent the tools needed and it saved us around $1000 in labor fees for him to do it himself. All he needs me to do when he finishes up is to have an alignment done.
Sannferris- I am so sorry to hear you have to deal with cancer again. I've been reading here and there and see you figured out John's aversion to the shower, because he forgot how. What about making him a picture book of all the things he needs to do for himself, and leave it in each room he will use it in? So, one for the bathroom with pictures of step one to step two, etc. telling him what it is for. A gentle reminder of each day so he can cope. I don't want to step on toes, it just popped into my head when you posted about showing him what everything was for. Maybe even writing in the haircut schedule, so he knows what to expect. Your new wood stove sounds very nice. I hope the cancer is kicked back fast.
I will try to check in more often now that things have calmed down some. Have a great night everyone.
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Hi everyone.
Got my taxes done last week, so that's out of the way. One thing down. I need to set up an appointment to take Simon in to the vet for a check up and vaccinations. He's overdue. This time I'm going to take him to the vet Dad takes Cisco to. Dad is pleased with them, and their prices are bit more reasonable.
Dad and I went to Sizzler Thursday night for dinner so I could use that coupon for a free Malibu Chicken meal. I decided that I would prefer their Italian Herb Lemon chicken instead, so Dad had the Malibu Chicken. I've had the Malibu chicken before. It's okay. I'm just not a ham fan, so I usually wind up picking that off.
Another storm front has hit us. We'll be mostly rainy throughout the week, clearing up by next weekend. I don't mind the rain, but don't care for the rain/wind combo.
Yesterday Dad and I cleared out a bunch of stuff out of the the pantry/washroom to make room for the new washer/dryer. I've got it all stacked on the dining room table room right now (lots of cleaning products). It never ceases to amaze me how so much stuff can be stored in such a small area. We got the washer/dryer unhooked, and pushed them out away from the way so we could clean the floor where they had been sitting for so long. Talk about dirty! The delivery were supposed to arrive at 11:30 today. We're paying them $15 to haul the old set.
We had another car break-in on our street over the weekend. I think there particular person working the neighborhoods. There have been 5 or 6 car/truck break-ins over the last several months. One of my neighbors set up a video surveillance system after her truck was broken into last November. She got a good image of the thief, but he was wearing a mask. He's not stealing the vehicles. Seems to appear between 3 and 5am. Just breaking into them and stealing what whatever is of value inside. I'm so glad I'm able to park my car in the garage. The police are notified every time this happens, and requests for periodic patrol of the streets during the am hours, but I don't know if that went anywhere.
Dad didn't receive any replies on NextDoor about the bunny, and it's been raining every morning since, so he hasn't encountered it again. Hopefully it went home, and some critter didn't get it.
Debora, sounds like another busy week for you. Dad said he participated in 4-H when he was a kid. Raised and sold a few cows.
Anew, it's always good to hear from you.
Sheryl, I'll bet that new wood stove is pretty with a fire going in it. Hopefully it becomes the new normal for John soon. I don't blame you for preferring your tried and true washer/dryer. When I was leaving for work this morning and actually said goodbye to mine. Ha! One of my Dad's walking buddys says he has similar model to our new washer and it works great (he has a huge family and they are always washing something). Guess well see.
Isabella, yay that the computer system is okay now. It just throws us off so much when that happens. You always make such yummy sounding food!
I guess I'd better get back to work now. Have a great day everyone.0 -
Sunday was a good day. I got to attend the Women's class for the first time in a long time. Then we kicked off the Bible Conference. He's a good speaker but her went all the way to 12 so I told Ralph to hurry to the car and then we ended up waiting on my sister. But the ones who drive out were a little late too so I had the noodles done which some of the grandkids were excited I was having. One told me, very nicely, that meatballs is not her favorite. But she still ate a bit. I have plenty of meatballs left over so we'll eat on them a few days and then I'll freeze what's left. Everyone hung around till around 3:30 (Katie and Ava were not there cause Ava was sick). Brecken opened her gifts, the dishes got done, lots of visiting. Lori and family stayed until church and the kids got a little homework done. I took Thomas over to the farm so he could look for his driver's license in the car they are working on. He didn't find it but we filled up several Wal-mart sacks with a lot of other things. Church started at 5 so people could enjoy the superbowl afterwards. We came home and had a quiet evening. We flipped over to the game late and ended up seeing the overtime and heard about all that had happened. As you can tell, neither of us are big sports followers.
This morning I learned it had warmed up overnight. It was 44 and a bit misty. My friend and I walked. I came home, started laundry and some other jobs till time for church. Came home and fixed leftovers for lunch and have continued working on my list. I figured if I get through 20 things with being gone morning and evening, I'll be doing that and I'm close to that. I am baking potatoes in the oven and have some popcorn shrimp I'll fix for supper. I'm happy with what I've done and will start fresh tomorrow. I'm babysitting for Lindsey Tuesday or Wednesday - Wednesday suits me better but am waiting to hear back.
Sheryl, yay on having the car serviced and a few quiet days at home. As nice as it is to get out, it's nice to be home some too - hopefully, the weather is nice enough for John to get outside some. Are you building a fire every day. Wow, your washer and dryer have lasted a long time. Our washer is pretty old but it is leaking some. Today was a bit worse so I see the day coming. What good news on your aunt. Prayers that the surgery goes well and that's the problem. That would be wonderful.
Isabella, yay on the computer problem getting solved and some extra hours that got you caught up. Cool on the car show you got to walk through. Nice relaxing evening for you and Dan. Fun superbowl meal.
Anew, nice to have you drop in. Nice that your husband is able to do the work on your truck. It does save money. But glad he gets a weekend to take it a bit easier too. Yay on working on your appointments. Glad to hear that things are calmed down for you.
Marcie, yay on having the taxes done. Smart to get the place for the washer and dryer cleaned up. And to pay the $15 to have them haul the old ones. Well worth having them gone. Hope you have a quick adjustment to the new ones. What state did your dad grow up in? I'm glad you have a garage. Would be nice for the person to get caught since he's doing a no-no in my books. Hope the rain doesn't make your commute to bad. We could use some of your rain but guess it's your turn for now.
Just finished eating. My potato was bigger than I thought but it was good. Have a great evening. We'll be taking off in a bit.
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Here's my new toys. Dad handed the manuels over to me and said go forth and wash. I'll wait a couple days until I have a load. Will read up on the things in the meantime. Way more options than my old simple washer. The washer can even take orders from your smart phone. I predict I will never use that option! It's really deep too, but apparently has something called an easy reach feature. Lots to learn.
Debora, Dad was born in Oklahoma, but grew up in Yuma, Arizona on a wheat/cotton farm (my Grandpa worked for the owner). I'm like you. Just popped in here and there for the Super Bowl. I get bored with telivised sports quickly. I also popped in to watch a little of the Puppy Bowl on the Animal Channel (kitten half time show). Puppies romping around and tackling each other. Ha!0 -
The washer and dryer look nice. Let me know about the easy reach feature. It's a long ways to the bottom of Loris'. It does do big loads for sure. I like how your controls are right at the frong so easy to ready. Have fun.
Cool about your dad.
Tomorrow is church in the morning, Good News Club in the afternoon and church in the evening. Full but good. Enjoy your day.0 -
Good Morning.
I got up early this morning, but started reading an article about cancer and, where does the time go? I'm a slow reader.
Marcie, those are good looking machines, nice sleek, clean appearance. I hope they work out well for you.
I have finished doing the farm-partnership tax return, now I'll do my own return and then work on John's. I have 3 returns to do every year, but have done it enough years now that it goes pretty smoothly.
I also popped in and out of the super bowl. Not a big sports fan here either. While John had it on, I would go between the living room and the kitchen. Then, I headed for bed and he changed the channel to watch a wilderness show on PBS, so he missed all the overtime and the hoopla. That's OK, yesterday, he didn't even remember watching any of the game anyway.
The old saying, "Be careful what you wish for" has come back to haunt me. John is nit-picky about all kinds of details of the woodstove. Now that he can see the fire, "why is it burning like that?", "why did it change?", "why is it burning only on that side?", "why is the glass turning black?". And, he keeps looking in the owner's manual asking even more questions that I can't answer. The blower has a thermostat and will come on and off automatically at a pre-set temperature, but I can't get John to leave it alone, so I ended up putting it on the manual setting and it's plugged into an outlet that is connected to a wall switch. We'll just use the wall switch, like the old one, to turn it on and off. He still doesn't like the way the door handle is positioned. And, every few minutes, he says that he's never touching it again, it's all mine, then he's back over there with the flashlight, peeking into every crack and crevice making harrumph sounds. Yes, I can hardly wait for good weather and he'll be back outside again.
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Hi all.
Well, I read the manuals for the new washer and dryer last night, so I think I'm good to go. I think I'll break them in when I get home from work today. I can probably scrape together enough towels for a load.
I sure didn't sleep well last night. It was around 2 am before I finally drifted off, and then I kept waking up every half hour or so. I'm hoping tonight I will conk out.
The commute to work this morning was a bear. Super hard rain, super windy, accidents all over the place (slow down and pay attention people!), roads getting a bit floody (not so bad you can't drive through them, but just have to keep an eye out), and I never did get much over 10 mph the whole way in. On top of that I had to stop and get gas on the way in and the wind was so strong that when I got out of the car, the car door flew open all the way and slammed into a poll by the pump. Luckily, no dents or scratches. I lucked out on that one.
I think my little dog has decided the rain is here to stay. He's not protesting as much when Dad takes him on his walks. Dad says when the rain and wind are really bad, usually he just about has to drag Cisco down the street. But the last couple of days Cisco has trotted by him perfectly. I'd probably be digging my heals in too!
Sheryl, oh, I'm sorry John is fretting so much over the new wood stove. I was hoping he would be getting used to it a little by now.
I just peeked out the window and it looks like we actually have a little sun peeking through the clouds. I think I'll take advantage and go take a little walk before the next surge of rain hits (which I'm sure will occur on the drive home!).
Have a nice day everyone.0 -
Tested out the new washer and dryer with a load of towels. They work great, and wow are they ever quiet!0
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Good Morning, how nice, quiet machines. Glad they are working well and being quiet is a great bonus. When ever I have anything running, John can't figure out where all the noise is coming from. It's funny, he roams around the house saying "what am I hearing?"
Today, I go back to the neuro rehab for voice/throat exercises, this will be interesting. I don't know exactly what to expect.
More rain with mudslides in the Portland hills and the flooding in California has made our news this morning, it must really be bad. Lots of bad weather throughout the whole country. Where's summer? Oh yea, it's still February.
Glad to hear that Cisco is getting used to the rain, animals are so smart and adapt. Easier on Dad to take those daily walks.
Tomorrow is Jackson's birthday, he's five already and will start school this year. How time flies. Norma said that Saturday, they will have a big party for him. Lots of kids running amok. What fun! I say sarcastically, I'm too old for that stuff, ha ha ha Norma decided not to even invite Mom, she would decline anyway and this way, Norma doesn't have to listen to the whiny excuses. When I talked to Mom on Monday, she said that they were told there would be a fire drill on Tuesday morning at 10am. She was worried about it and then, when I talked to her yesterday and asked how the fire drill went, she said it never happened and no one knows why. That upset her more than having the fire drill itself. She says that no one knows anything there and they plan stuff that never happens with no explanation. I can see the frustration, but that's life, full of ups and downs and sometimes no one knows what's going on.
I'm not going to start a fire this morning, turned on the electric furnace to heat up the house. I decided that on the days I have appointments, I won't use the woodstove and then John won't fret over it while I'm gone. Also, some of the time, I want him to go with me and no one will be here to tend the fire. We'll see how that goes. Today, I will go alone, but tomorrow I'd like John to go with me to see the surgeon. That appointment is at 2 pm, so there will be time to prepare and hopefully, get John to take a shower again.
Tomorrow marks another week with no coffee. I made a pot for John the other day and enjoyed the aroma, but didn't drink. He has finished it, so I'll make another pot this morning and smell it to my hearts content. He doesn't mind microwaving old coffee until it's gone. I usually like fresh every day, but since I'm not drinking and I'm still making a whole pot at a time, it's good that he doesn't mind the old stuff. I tried making half a pot and it's just not the same.
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Good afternoon.
I just got back from going out to lunch on my lunch break. We just popped in at the Mexican restaurant across the street from my office. I had a steak quesadilla. Loaded with lots of veggies and guacamole. We ate outside under their tented (and heated) section. I've been cold all morning, so that direct heat felt so good. It's not really all that cold here right now (it was mid 50s when I left for work this morning). It's just me.
They said on the news yesterday that today would be fairly mild (very little rain or wind) and tomorrow it will be bad again. Apparently they lied about today because its been nothing but rainy and windy all morning. I'm ready for a sunny day.
Last night I started moving everything back into the wash room/pantry, and purged as I went. This morning was trash day, so I wanted to make sure I got everything I wanted to throw away in the trash. I got rid of probably about 20% of all that stuff. Lots of old/expired stuff, most bought by Mom years ago.
I sure slept better last night. Conked right out and didn't wake up until my alarm went off this morning.
Sheryl, wise of Norma to not invite your Mom to Jackson's birthday. The voice/throat exercises does sound interesting. Look forward to hearing about it. You are doing so good about not drinking coffee. The aroma can be enjoyable too. It's been years since we've made a full pot of coffee. We've just been using the single serving brewer when we want coffee. I usually brew enough for my 16 ounce thermos each day during the work week (I sip on that at work throughout the day, but rarely drink it all). Dad usually makes himself a cup twice a day.
One of my favorite hot drinks at home lately has been mixing a little coffee with a little sugar-free Nestle's hot chocolate mix (which of course is just chemicals). Not good for me, but I've been enjoying it. I usually have a cup each night.
I can't believe it's almost 1:30 pm already. This day has flown by. I guess I will close and finish it out. Have a great day all.
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Good Morning, I'm sitting here with my mug half full of fresh coffee, Mmmmmm, smells so good. When I told my therapist yesterday that I haven't had ANY coffee since I saw her last week, she said, "Oh, you can have some, just not too much". So, I'm really enjoying my "some".
I am now doing vocal exercises, reminds me of high school and college. Nancy told me months ago that I should be singing. I said "I can't". Eeeeek, I sound like my mother.
I actually took singing lessons way back in 1972, an old codger who was supposed to be a "world renowned" vocal coach and had his home/studio across the street from the college. His old wife was his pianist and all I remember now was that their house stunk like old people. I needed the lessons for a course called "Applied Music", what a waste of money. No wonder I didn't make it through college.
Anyway, I'll do these exercises, already my high register is fairly clear, but my low voice is very hoarse and gravelly.
Today, I see the surgeon and I'm sure there will be a lot more info after this appointment. When I talked to John about it yesterday, he told me he does not want to go. Does not want to hear any details of a surgery. So, I'm on my own, I won't force the issue, can't blame him for not wanting to go. There may be more tests involved, even though I had a PET scan and diagnostic mammogram, last time I saw the surgeon, she also wanted an MRI.
Marcie, glad that your work week is going fast. I talked to Norma yesterday and she is having the same feeling. Keeping so busy that the day just flies by, almost missed her afternoon break. They are short staffed and she's doing the jobs of 4 people. Her best friend at work recently left for a better position in another department and Norma has to learn that job just to be able to train the next person for that position. I'm sure she also really misses having her good friend right there in close proximity to talk to and share things with. She's counting down the 13 months til retirement. Boy, they are going to miss her when she retires.
Also, glad you were able to get a good night's sleep. Great work on sorting through all the old stuff and not just putting it back into the laundry room/pantry. That reminds me, another thing for me to do before surgery, sort through my pantry. I'll bet there are lots of expired items in there. And, no one else but me could possibly find anything in there right now, it's a mess.
Debora, did you babysit Tuesday or Wednesday? Since you said Wed. would fit into your schedule better, I hope it was Wednesday. You do so much to accommodate your kids and grandkids. You're a terrific grandma.
You mentioned going to church in the morning as well as evening, is your Bible Conference an all day thing? That's a lot of commitment. I remember our annual Missionary Conferences were every night for a week to 10 days, but not in the morning as well. I love hearing about your Good News Club, the aunt that has hydrocephalus is the one married to my uncle who has always been active in Child Evangelism/Good News Club. I have such great memories of going to the club when I was a kid.
I noticed a new name over on the 5-letter post. Is ChrisNels1 from NutriMirror? I don't recognize her, anyone know? I just assumed that everyone posting/commenting here came from NM, but maybe we are open to everyone on MFP and I didn't realize it.0 -
Good Morning. Again, I was up early but got caught up in reading an article about the lymphatic system. Isabella shared with me "The Truth About Cancer" and after listening to their program and emailing for their newsletter and info, I get lots of great info via email almost every morning. It's very timely for what I'm going through right now.
My surgeon had 2 emergencies to deal with yesterday, so my 2:30 appointment ended up to be 4 pm. I'm really glad that John did not go with me now, he would have been antsy, sitting there for that long. Bottom line, I will be having a partial mastectomy. Taking out a big chunk of breast tissue, but not a radical removal of the whole thing. The cancer in the lymph nodes are being controlled right now, so she will not remove anything else. I found out that in the late 90's, it became a federal law that insurance HAS to cover any further surgery to make the breasts symmetrical. So, at the same time the oncology surgeon is working on the left breast, a plastic surgeon will be working on the right breast to make it the same size. My doctor wants to do this all at the same time with minimum anesthesia, as quickly as possible, so I'm not under very long because of the breathing problems. I will not have a tube down my throat. As soon as I get clearance from the pulmonologist, my appointment is already set for next Thursday, and also talk to the plastic surgeon and the anesthesiologist, I'm good to go. I'll go into the hospital the morning of the surgery and come home the next day. I'll be on pain meds and restricted in lifting, pushing, bending, etc. but she said I will be active immediately. I'll get John to do the feeding for awhile, hay out to the llamas, but otherwise, it sounds like life will be as usual. The nurse told me to get John to do the vacuuming...ha ha ha, I don't vacuum anyway, no worries.
I think back to the 80's, when my mom had her radical mastectomy, too bad they didn't have that law back then, she's been so unhappy that she's "lop-sided". One huge breast and nothing on the other side. Her prosthetic bra is heavier than all get-out, no wonder she hates wearing it.
I talked to Norma last night and she will do her best to get more time off work. Bless her heart, she's going to work longer hours in the next few weeks to be able to have more days off later. She'll need a vacation...I trust that we will have a good time together and that she will not be stuck "taking care of me". Ugh, I wouldn't wish that on anyone.0 -
Good Morning. Even though I don't have a set date yet for surgery, I decided I need to get an email update out to my cousins. This gets harder and harder each time. Not quite sure how much detail to include and exactly what to say. Probably by the time I get it completed and ready to send, I'll have a surgery date. I started this update stuff 3 years ago to a few cousins and it grew, and now it's expected. I get emails from friends and family that state, "haven't heard from you in a while!" I guess this will be a permanent thing in my life now. I can't be that interesting, but I sure appreciate that they all care so much.
I have the guest bedroom just about ready for a guest. And, I only have 2 boxes left to deal with in my bedroom. Lots to take to a donation site and some old electronics to take to recycling. I can do that this week on my way to either Bible study on Tuesday or vocal therapy on Wednesday. More to do today, plus get more taxes completed. Naturally, I'm having trouble with the printer that's connected to this computer. It's always something! So, I'll have to put everything on a thumb drive and take it to the other computer in the back bedroom to be able to print it out. I'm thankful that I have this option. Don't know what I'd do if I couldn't print anything.
Monday, we'll need to go get a load of hay again. Went through this last ton super fast. I put out extra each day since so much of the pasture is under water, not much grazing out there. Looks like I have some place to go each day this week.
Marcie, that coffee/hot chocolate drink sounds wonderful, I love mochas. Because I had to wait so long to see the surgeon last week, they gave me a gift card to Dutch Brothers for a free beverage. I'm sure I will choose a hot mocha, the couple of times I've been to Starbuck's, that's what I've ordered too.
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Hi all, we had our free concert yesterday then we went to late lunch early dinner to a place called Brewski's. Dan had a pulled pork sandwich and the waitress talked me into getting their beer cheese & bacon mac & cheese with carmelized onions. It was good but not quite my style. We went to Trader Joe's and Sprouts afterward. Spent a bit more than usual. The Trader Joe's frequent flyer (is that what it's called?) came out and since it is my birthday month I allowed myself a few more indulgences than usual. I also bought stuff for Valentine's dinner. I am making steaks this year instead of the usual shrimp fettuccini Alfredo.
I found a can of Trader Joe's sipping chocolate in my cupboard. It is at least a year old. I mixed it with some almond milk last night. It was very decadent!
Today we went to Jimbo's after church as usual to get the rest of our groceries then home to make my weekly pot of greens. It was so absolutely beautiful outside that I sat out in the sun and read my new essential oils book for a couple of hours that Sheryl sent me (I may have dozed in the sun a bit too.)
Anew, so nice to see you pop in. Hopefully you'll be able to check in more often. Nice that hubby was able to work on the truck and save so much money! Looking forward to hearing what the doctors have to say. Hopefully you'll be able to get in soon.
Marcie, good for you getting your taxes done already. That is always a relief. How did things go with Simon at the vet your dad takes Cisco to? The new washer and dryer look great. Glad that everything went so well with the install and removal. I wonder if the full moon had anything to do with you having trouble sleeping the other night? It always affects me. I take melatonin a few days before and after now. Works like a charm.
Debora, sounds like spaghetti and meatballs went fairly well. Too funny that a couple felt the need to tell you that it wasn't their favorite. Nice to have the baked potatoes. I like making a meal out of them every once in a while. We'll put chicken and cheese and broccoli on them or some variation of that.
Sheryl, I think it is wise to use the heater instead of the stove on the days that you will be going out. No worries that way. How are the voice exercises going? Singing is a good idea. Sing worship songs. They always sound good to the Lord no matter what! Interesting that we have ChrisNels1 on our 5 letter game. I don't know who that is but why not. A partial mastectomy sounds like it won't be too horribly invasive. It is amazing that they say you will be up and about pretty quickly. I will keep all in my prayers. I didn't know your mom had a breast removed. I wonder if they have more modern prosthetics now that wouldn't be so heavy. Great that Norma will be coming out to help. she is so amazing! I am impressed that you've gotten so much accomplished already. Keep up the great work!
OK, I'm going to go start dinner now. I bought some cauliflower and cheese ravioli at Trader Joe's and I'm going to put an oil, lemon, sour cream and parm sauce over them. Have a wonderful week everyone!
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Well, this was a full week with lots of going so not much done at home but if there was a deadline, it happened, we ate, I did laundry and dishes so we are faring okay. The Bible conference went through Wednesday. I missed Wednesday morning because I went to babysit for Derek and Lindsey. They always have good leftovers. The kids wanted sandwiches but I had some chicken alfredo and a yummy bean salad. The special music was the high school boys with our pastor and Thomas was in it. They did a really nice job. I'd like to see them sing it on a Sunday morning sometime so more could enjoy it.
Thursday morning I took off to get a friend and take her in to have her second cataract done. She could tell a big difference with the first one done a week earlier. After it was done, we went and ate at Ihop - I enjoyed an omelette. We had time to shop a bit so she got reading glasses and I got stuff for Julie's birthday. We went to her check-up, I took her home and then I headed home. That evening was Bible Study - good time.
Friday morning was the usual errands. Ralph was disappointed at Walmart cause they didn't have a marked down sub sandwich but I still had meatballs we could eat. Then when we went to get Ava's prescription, the pharmacy at Walgreen's was closed cause they had no one to staff it. Frustrated me a bit but nothing the ones working in the store could do about it. We went home and I put everything away as I carried it in and then fixed plates for dinner. I called the pharmacy a couple of time and it was finally open but had no one who could do a compound so decided we would figure it out Saturday.
Mid-afternoon we took off for Derby (about an hour away). We stopped along the way at the DAV store and looked for books and there was a sale so we got them for $.25 each. We then continued on and found the church where the basketball game was and watched the JV game. Thomas got to play two quarters. It was a game where Sunrise was way behind - other time had a good 3 point shooter but then we pulled a win out. Good game to watch. It was done at 6:10 and the boys game was not till 8:30 so we decided we had time to get back to the school by 7 and watch the junior high play that Jeremiah was in. (And this day was costing us nothing cause my sister came with us and kept pulling out money to pay - nice of her but not necessary but she appreciates us taking her). The play was the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. I'd never seen it but they kids did an excellent job. Lots of lines to memorize. Jeremiah had a fun non-speaking part and it looked like he was enjoying himself. We left the play right away, stopped at McDonald's to eat and got back to the game a bit before halftime. Matthew and Julie were there so we sat with them. Thomas was making a free throw when he arrived and just got to play a little more but it was another game where Sunrise was way behind and they fought back and won. Made for a fun evening and we were home by 11.
Saturday was up and going. I baked my brownies, Cut up the smoked sausage and packed us a lunch and then we were off to watch Jeremiah play volleyball (and his dad coach). We were there several hours - watched 4 games, Ralph held Maggie while she took a nap, and just did nothing for awhile - parking is so bad that once you get a parking place you don't want to leave. When we did leave, we drove to another town and picked the prescription I couldn't get Friday. Then it was home. I spent some time on the computer and peeled my potatoes and cut up my onion. I was trying out a new dish and getting it as ready as I could.
Since today was Communion, it didn't start till 10:30 so I had time to do the stuff I needed and get a bunch of my 10,000 steps in. So we went to church and then stayed for the potluck celebrating a friend's move to Michigan. There was a lot of good food and good visiting. We took off at 1 to go to the birthday party for my sister. They had surprised her and she enjoyed everyone who came. it wasn't a large crowd but enough and the cake was delicious. We enjoyed our visiting coming and going too. I haven't done much this evening but get my list ready, walk more around the house and watch TV.
Sheryl, is John starting to relax any on the woodstove? Smart of Norma not to invite your mom to Jackson's party. Sorry she gets frustrated easily - hope I'm not that way. Nice that John doesn't mind reheating coffee so you don't have to make it everyday but even nicer that you can now have "some".
Exercises sound interesting and I know you'll do them just like you're told. I just hope it helps.
It was Wednesday when I babysat. They work with me well. Lindsey's mom had surgery on her foot and is not getting around very quickly - still a lot of pain. It's good she has friends that will help too cause she needed someone this Wednesday and I can't go. Deacon is going in for allergy testing to see if that's a cause of the asthma flare-ups.
Wow, they are moving things right along for your surgery and the doctors are sure working together well for you. They all realize how special you are too. Great job on all you're getting done on the house too. Praying for all the decisions you have to keep making. Norma is a special sister - working extra hours so she'll be able to take some time off. Wish you were closer to some of us but alas, you're not.
I don't recognize Chris-Nels either but she's good with the game.
Marcie, sorry Cisco is starting to accept the rain cause that means you have had plenty of it. Bummer on the bad commutes. Glad the washer and dryer are okay. Quiet is very nice. Does yours sing when it's done? Great job on decluttering as you went through the stuff from the laundry room.
Isabella, sounds you and Dan had a fun Saturday together. I didn't realize you make a pot of greens each week. Is this cooked greens or salad greens?
Have a good week everyone. I'll start mine off with 4-H - plenty to get ready tomorrow and we'll see how the rest goes. It surely can't be as much running as last week. Ha.
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