2019: We Are Making a Difference!
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We drove to CT and back today to the dentist. I had a great check up. But the best part was my leg was fine when I’d get out of the car during rest stops. It was about seven hours of driving, split into two parts. Before PT, I’d get out of the car and spend the first few steps limping. And of course there was pain. I’m very encouraged by how good I felt when we stopped since we start the drive to FL on Monday. We try to limit our driving to seven hours or less a day. And we’ll be in NJ visiting family for a few days and about a week in SC visiting family. So even though it’s 1500 miles of driving, there are multi day breaks built into the trip.0
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My back is finally improving, but I’ve had a miserable few days with it. I was able to resume my exercises to strengthen it this morning, but I was very careful while doing it. During our trip there just wasn’t time or enough room in some cases to do them properly and I had been neglecting the routine before the trip anyway. I won’t make that mistake again!
Today I am having my delayed birthday luncheon with 3 friends at an Italian restaurant near my home. I always have a hard time choosing a restaurant because we are blessed with an abundance of good ones in our area. I like to try places that are unique rather than chains, but that doesn’t always work out to be the best choice. I have been to the one I chose today so I know it’s a good one.
Tomorrow I’ll be finishing a birthday cake for 2 of my friends and attending a birthday party for them. One is my friend who is caring for her elderly parents in Michigan. She and her husband were able to come home for 3 weeks to take care of some medical appointments and visit their children, and we were able to schedule a birthday dinner for her and another of our friends. I baked a 3 layer chocolate cake yesterday and froze the layers. I also made a raspberry filling to go between the layers. Tomorrow I will frost it with a chocolate buttercream frosting and a chocolate ganache drip over the top with fresh raspberries. Hopefully it will turn out well.
Helene, I’m wishing you and your DH safe travels. It’s a long trip but since you are able to break it up while visiting family and friends along the way, I’m sure that makes it easier.0 -
Maryanne--You are so correct that those little "just one more thing" do add up to create a time management and headache issue.
Helene--Safe travels. It just seems as if you just returned from Florida. It is great that the PT has made a difference.
Pam--That cake sounds delicious; I am sure it will be a hit. I do hope your back improves soon, When I went to Australia, I would go into the gallery area and do some exercises to keep myself "in tune."
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Could someone quote Jean? I see she has 2 posts I can’t see. Pam, you cake sounds amazing. Your friends will love it. I know what you mean about keeping up with the exercises. I haven’t done as many exercises for my leg as I should. Too busy with the packing. I need to buy a medium size ball when I get to FL. I did a series of exercises with the ball behind my calf. I’d squeeze and release the ball against the wall without letting the ball drop. I’m waiting because it would be one more thing to squeeze into the truck. When you go for 5 months, you have to bring so much stuff. My leg still feels good after 7 hours in the car yesterday. I did some short flights of steps too without pain.0
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Maryanne--You are so correct that those little "just one more thing" do add up to create a time management and headache issue.
Helene--Safe travels. It just seems as if you just returned from Florida. It is great that the PT has made a difference.
Pam--That cake sounds delicious; I am sure it will be a hit. I do hope your back improves soon, When I went to Australia, I would go into the gallery area and do some exercises to keep myself "in tune."
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Could someone quote Jean? I see she has 2 posts I can’t see. Pam, you cake sounds amazing. Your friends will love it. I know what you mean about keeping up with the exercises. I haven’t done as many exercises for my leg as I should. Too busy with the packing. I need to buy a medium size ball when I get to FL. I did a series of exercises with the ball behind my calf. I’d squeeze and release the ball against the wall without letting the ball drop. I’m waiting because it would be one more thing to squeeze into the truck. When you go for 5 months, you have to bring so much stuff. My leg still feels good after 7 hours in the car yesterday. I did some short flights of steps too without pain.
I can't imagine leaving for 5 months. Back in the 80's, when I traveled a lot for work, I was often away 5 days. But that was pre-CROM and we only had 1-4 cats (increased from 1-4 during that decade).0 -
I'm lucky that we don't have that family divide in my family. That would be tough.0
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We have that divide in DH’s family and in mine as well. We just agree not to talk about politics when we are all together and it works out ok. If politics are discussed, it is only among the like-minded groups. DH’s sister occasionally tries to discuss politics with him and it never goes well because she is a moderate Democrat while he is an extremely conservative Republican. I’m pretty much aligned with his sister and I just don’t discuss politics with him anymore. It only ends in an argument and neither of us changes our opinion, so we prefer not to even go there anymore.
I just finished my cake, except for adding the fresh raspberries to the top, which I’ll do just before we leave for the party. This one had a lot of steps, but none were difficult, merely time consuming and requiring a lot of dishes. Really wish I had someone to wash all those dishes, lol!0 -
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[quote="PamS53;c-44426351
I just finished my cake, except for adding the fresh raspberries to the top, which I’ll do just before we leave for the party. This one had a lot of steps, but none were difficult, merely time consuming and requiring a lot of dishes. Really wish I had someone to wash all those dishes, lol![/quote]
Yeah, where are the kitchen helpers when we need them? LOL!0 -
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The finished cake.0 -
I showed DH the cake photo. His reaction was WOW! I agree. That’s a work of art.0
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Pam - WOW!!! is right!!! I hope everyone loves it.0
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We spent time Packing and loading the truck. It’s about half done. We’ll finish up in the morning. E’re only driving four hours tomorrow so we’ll aim to leave after lunch. I joined my church choir 7 weeks ago. It was traditionally a youth choir but they’re numbers had dwindled. A woman of my age was singing with them 8 weeks ago so I asked the director if I could join. She was thrilled to have me and she’s changing the name to contemporary ensemble so people know it’s open to all ages. The other four ladies are sopranos and I have a very low voice so it added a nice contrast. I got hugs all around because today was my last time with then until May. I sing in my FL choir as well. I love to sing. I was too shy to do it in my younger days but I got over that about 30 year’s ago.0
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Thanks so much for your kind comments about the cake! I think everyone enjoyed it, and we had a good time visiting with everyone and catching up. It was especially nice to see our friends who are now mostly living in Michigan while caring for her elderly parents. They will be here for 3 weeks so maybe we will get to see them again before they have to return.
Helene, I’m wishing you and your DH safe travels on your trip to Florida. I hope all goes smoothly for you.0 -
I lost two pounds in the last two weeks so at least it's the right direction.
Next week will be a challenge. Restaurant in Gettysburg on Thursday; turkey dinner at home on Friday (and Saturday and Sunday).
I'm 18 pounds under my all-time high.0 -
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Maryanne, congrats on losing 18 pounds. That kind of progress can be so encouraging to keep on going. Pam, I’m not surprised the cake was such a hit. Did you ever take pastry classes? Your desserts are works of art.0
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Helene, when I was in my 20’s (before I was married), I had developed a habit of going shopping to entertain myself on the weekends and consequently, I had accrued credit card debt. I decided I needed to find a part time job to help me pay off that debt and to occupy my time so I couldn’t spend it at the mall. One day I happened onto a small shop in a strip shopping center that sold cake decorating and kitchen equipment. The owner also taught cake decorating classes and catered weddings. That particular day she was desperate for someone to cover the shop while she taught a class in the back room, so I was hired on the spot. I worked for her for several years, took several classes from her (and taught a couple of beginner classes), and worked many, many weddings with her. I catered her wedding several years later, and she catered mine. So that’s how I paid off my credit cards and learned to decorate cakes!0
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Pam - that's so cool!0
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I thought I was 10 months late to the gynecologist. Turns out they shouldn't have made the appointment because Medicare will only pay every 24 months.
We had a little chat about whether I need to see her at all now that I'm past the age of PAP tests. My internist has already voted no. Reading between the lines I'm thinking the gynecologist wouldn't really object too strenuously to me disappearing.
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Pam, that explains why your cakes are so gorgeous. What a bonus that a part time job to get you out of debt would give you a lifetime talent.
Maryanne, I’ve discontinued routine gyro appointments as well. I see primary care regularly but if I developed a problem, I’d go back to the specialist.0 -
I have a real dilemma concerning the visits to the OB/GYN doc. I had a hysterectomy in my 30’s so I have no concerns about developing uterine or cervical cancer (although my ovaries were left). However, I’ve been on hormone replacement since I turned 40. I need to discuss with my gynecologist to see if she will continue to prescribe my estrogen without doing an annual Pap test since Medicare won’t pay for it every year. I’ve tried to go off the estrogen but I suffer horrible night sweats without it, to the point that I don’t sleep more than 15 or 20 minutes at a time, all night long. I just can’t function that way, so I always end up going back on it.0
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Due to arthritis in my hands, I no longer do the elaborate decorations that I used to do on cakes, but I do still enjoy trying to make my desserts pretty with simple borders and using fruit or other elements to jazz things up!0
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I sure wouldn't mind having one less doctor. I have internist. two opthamologists (one for retina, one for suspicion of glaucoma), gastroenterologist, endocrinologist, cardiologist, dermatologist and a dentist. I'm probably forgetting somebody.
We are blessed in this area with world class medical care (also world class veterinary care). It's just one of the many reasons I don't envy the folks I know who are moving to other places.0 -
The internet world is abuzz at the possibility that a contestant may be ejected for sexual harassment in tonight's episode.
There are almost no spoilers for this season, which is really rare, so we'll see if there's any trust to this one.
We do know from last week's episode that production warned one of the male contestants. BUT I just read today that his chief accuser didn't find out until she watched that episode that he'd been warned. I find that odd. Of course we did see the producer asking her on camera if she wanted to talk to someone and her saying no. But then it blew up at tribal council. She'd been voted out so she couldn't even speak up for herself.
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Maryanne, I have all the same doctors as you, plus an orthopedic doctor that I see as needed. I also see a podiatrist for my Morton’s neuroma, as needed. I’d love to see a few less of them, too. I did drop the endodontist that did my dental implants. I just didn’t see any point in going in once a year for him to look in my mouth and say the implant was still there. I only see the dermatologist every 2 years, and the cardiologist said he doesn’t need to see me again unless I have a new problem, so that’s progress. I also won’t need to see the gastroenterologist until 2021, and I won’t darken his door 1 minute sooner, lol!0
