WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR JULY2015

Good night everyone!

Goals for July:
1. Focus on small steps toward goals - organize/declutter - 15 mins daily, green blender drinks x3 daily, exercise at least hour daily, 2 on weekends.
2. Focus on improving my life - appearance, environment, mental state.

Went to a yard sale this am - picked up sewing basket for DD, also a box of beads. You ladies (Lisa) comments have made me think - going to give her my beads and strands w/request for some finished jewelry back my way. She is actually taking time to make things, even set up an etsy account, so time to pass it on.
Sent email to my DS who is in Navy. Need to setup an email account and figure a way for my mom to learn how to use a computer. She likes to write letters but don't think he will be able to receive for long periods of time.
goodnight dear ladies! please pray for my friend Sue, at 69 she runs bikes and swims and keeps me going. fell last weekend over a dog and broke both wrists, surgery w/hardware done sunday.

Barbie, love the lavender and your lavender shirt also! Sounds like you had a wonderful time.

Allison when we had our last land line phone, one day it just went dead. We had had it for many yeas so time to retire it anyway. It still used those little tiny tapes on the answering machine. Anyway, when we had any kind of special day, birthday day, grandparents day, etc, Christina would have the girls sing to us over the phone. She would make sure it was a time she knew we would not be at home or were asleep so it would be kept on the answering machine. Trinity will be 14 soon and I still had messages from her alone on it. Well I had to throw all of those away. Heart breaking but i knew I still had them and that's what really counts. My phone plan is a no contract plan. It's by Virgin Mobile. You buy the phone and just put the plan on it. It can be a really cheap phone or an Iphone. The plan is $35/month and then I pay an extra $15 to make it a hot spot. If I want to skip a months payment, that's OK, I just have to realize I have no service. If I want to quit, no big fee for breaking contract since there is no contract. I did get a nice phone which I paid around $200 for about 5 years ago. I can tell that the phone is getting pretty old but it still serves my purpose, which is texting my daughters. It is unlimited data, text and phone all for $35!

Lisa, as I just wrote to Allison, my phone is a wifi hot spot. It uses a lot of battery so I always make sure I have it on the charger. My sister's husband won't tell me his router password so I use it when I am over at her house trying to rescue her tablet. I don't think she will ever get the hang of a tablet.

Kate, never knew how to make almond milk. Thanks

MNMargaret, good idea on subletting an apartment for son until he is ready to use it. You are good parents.

Katla, I had to go back and see what I did to explain something medical here. That was my passion, teaching patients and family. One time I was assigned to one of the cardiologists who was having a cardiac catheterization. Was pretty nervous! I mean, he did a dozen of those things a day and I was assigned to him as a nurse to take care of him. I saw parts of him that I am sure he wasn't proud to come back to work knowing I had seen them! But I didn't know how much information his wife knew about the procedure or the heart. So I treated him just like and other patient of mine and went through the whole book.

Vicki, good news on your Mom!!!!! A load of your shoulders also!.

Terri, do you have Pandora on your phone? My favorite station for exercising is the '60's oldies. It will get you going. Toilet paper? No Ellie has never asked for that. Her favorite think to do is to go to Goodwill and buy some really cheap item, go home and completely deconstruct it and then put all those pieces into something else. Right before she went to camp, first year at camp, she took a pair of jeans that didn't fit her anymore, cut a leg off, stuffed it with who knows what, twisted the ends and put a pony tail holder and scrunchie around the ends then ribbons. She wrote the name of her camp and the year and then had all her cabin mates sign it. All this was her idea. When she has been in her room for awhile you never know what is going to come out. I wish they could get both the girls in 4H. She likes science and engineering things the most. Made her own bow, arrows and quiver. As far as using your insurance to cover something for your head and back, why aren't you able to use the insurance of the person who hit you?

Heather, beautiful home you visited.Just curious, the web site said admission is 14.50 in pounds. What is that in US dollars? What is the conversion of pounds to dollars? You look lovely in your dress. Was that picture taken in your hotel room? you always confuse me in your talk. Now what does twee mean?????

Carol/Peach, I agree GRRRRRR

OK, an EP exam is this. Well I will back track a bit and start out start out talking about your heart. The heart has two different functions, The vascular part of it supplies blood to the rest of the bodies organs and then the heart itself has it's own personal blood suply and that is what is examined in stress tests, cardiac catheterizations, etc. The other component of the heart is the electrical part. It is what causes the heart to beat. There is this little tiny bundle of nerves at the top of the heart called sinus nerves that initiate the beat. If that beat is not seen by the next set of nerves down the line, another set of nerves will take over. Or several nerves may pick up the signal and you have atrial fibrillation like several here do. So an electrophysiologist does a highly specialized test to check out the nervous system of the heart. That is called an EP test. It can take a relatively short time, 1-2 hours or many hours, 6-8, just depends on how the nerves cooperate with the doctor and how easy or difficult it is to find the one nerve that isn't working right. I once wanted to be a nurse in that lab and when I found out how many hours I would have to stand still, well I took my application out of the mix. The V tach that Michele's husband is having, was having, can be pretty dangerous. The electrical signal is all messed up and the coronary or vascular system can't keep up with weird firings of electrical signals telling the heart to beat so fast.

Well, this patient access thing that helps patients take care of the medicine for Charlies ulcerative colitis didn't call back today so I called them. They said they have it on record that Charlie was accepted into the 'RemiStart' to be able receive financial assistance for up to one year. But it is a retro payment and you may not get your payment back until 3 treatments are given. So you are paying a huge out of pocket price and then waiting for them to send you the money back. In the meantime you are still getting more treatments and paying huge amounts. Charlie said no way on that. He says he will just live the rest of his life like he is. Men can be so stubborn. He didn't blink an eye when I was paying over $100,000/month for my MS medicine. But he will not allow it for himself. I can't get him to understand that on a Medicare d plan, paying that much will get you in the catastrophic period of the plan year real quick, like March. And then you aren't paying that much at all. But after all that we get an actual letter from RemiStart that he wasn't approved for it. so I don't know what is going on. $5/treatment sure sounded wonderful rather than $100,000. And he will not alter his diet even though I have shown him how certain days which correlate with bad eating, he has awful days and nights.

Our heat index was 100 degrees at 10 PM today. YUCK. Penny, I may want to stay at your house while you are in the US.

Joyce, Indiana

Good morning folks!

Feel like I'm recovering from a long holiday and it was only one night!! Did my usual 600 cal exercises this morning. Now waiting for DH to bring me coffee.

Joyce - last time I looked a dollar was around 60p. So you add around a third on to get the price in dollars. So around $22. We are members of the National Trust and pay yearly for membership. So it was free for us. Each year we try to get the value of our membership back by visiting enough places. I love stately homes and gardens. The Trust also owns lots of beautiful countryside, especially coastal. All the coast round where we were staying is owned by them. Thank goodness as it keeps it undeveloped and beautiful. They recieve their property from people who gift it to them on their death. Sometimes they buy an important property.
Twee means a bit too sweet or pretty. Cloying. Yes that was the entry to the room. I can tell you I was VERY disappointed not to have the Generous room. Then when I was grumpily out on my sandy walk and feeling cross I remembered a saying I learnt at a personal development course - "You can either be right or be happy." I chose to be happy. :bigsmile:
GOOD CHOICE! :laugh:

Sending loads of love to Michele and Vince. And to Joyce and Charlie. And to anyone else who needs a loving hug and their husbands who don't look after themselves. Or who do and are still suffering. :sad: I wish I could wave a magic wand.

Just arranged to Skype the grandchildren tomorrow morning at 8.30. :bigsmile: Our next visit is the 6th August and we are going to stay later and eat with them in their posh new kitchen. We have to park at the airport station to do that.

DH has cricket tomorrow and, as I have to lose my hotel calories, I am going to have to be a good girl. I reckon I have about 600 to lose to get back to equilibrium. Two days of being good. Hope I can do it. County cricket normally is a four day affair. :sad:

Much love to all. You are sooooooooo important to me! I echo all DJ's thoughts and I know I coild not have maintained this lifestyle without you. In the past I yo yoed, lost weight and always gained back more. And more. And more. This time I have kept it off for over 18 months. Thank you all. :flowerforyou:

Heather UK

Good wishes and prayers for Michelle and Vince.

Binged last night because I drank too much wine and as a result ate Oreos and PNB malted crackers. Today is a new day.

Carol/Peach

Good morning everyone

Heather (UK) - beautiful dress and looks very good one you.

Pip - you take care and make sure you heal - our it will come back and bite you later!!

The rain has started to turn things green again.... yeah!! Fires are getting under control and roads are opening back up and the people in the northern part of the province are getting to go home. My cousin was so happy to get to go back to her own bed in La Ronge.

Okay... July is a really trying month!! So many challenges... and I have failed. I have given into to many birthday cakes and this morning the effects of the sugar have caught up to me. My body hurts soooo bad! I have a ^&%#$# of headache. And I still have DGS birthday and my own to get through. And because I hurt so bad I will not eat sugar ... I do have total control of my own birthday party.

Opps gotta go, neighbour lady will be here in 20 minutes and I haven't had breakfast yet.

Off to a tailgate sale at the lake and then the fair and then the birthday and have to make salad tooo....

Later
Lillian in West Central Saskatchewan

Hi ladies
Made some pond scum today. Well that what it looks like. I decided that I need to try some smoothies out. Got my home made almond milk, cup full of raw spinach, 100g summer berries, and grated carrot. It looked awful but actually did not taste too bad. Quite refreshing slightly bitter with a hint of sweetness from fruit. High protein and nutrients. Im not sure it will be a regular thing but when Im not hungry its definitely one to keep me going rather than skipping meals entirely. I have been slowly sipping at it all afternoon while working around the house. Refrigerated it and keep topping my glass up to ensure I use all the calories up I put in it. Looking forward to my basa and veg for tonight's dinner. Keeping it plain today steaming it all. Spend the day tidying bits and pieces. Thought about making some bags but thats as far as it went. I want to make a crazy patchwork bag next, I think. It might inspire me to start embroidering again.
Kate

morning pa-pa-pa-peep-stirs -

kids leet me sleep til 8:30, shoulder, not so much, eh, here and there. i found that i am most dizziest when i first lay down, when i first get up and when i first sit down and now, lololol. continual headache is also a drag. i found that i can't wear a sports bra (not really quick/easy putting it on) with the left shoulder strap. gotta put it off the shoulder. gonna go spin for bout 1/2 hr then get in the hot tub.

did i tell u we got a dishwasher put in? we had a portable one that we would drag out, plug up and use, now we got one like other people do. when we redid the kitchen we left a hole for that spot. well it's finally filled in and i am running it now. never had a dishwasher (built in) b4.

gotta go poop peeps. type back later.

Hi all! We're having a good time here in New Hampshire with fun and sun and family. My grandson looked at me one day and said "You are here, too!" It isn't more than a couple weeks since we saw them last - though that was on the other side of the Atlantic. Both their parents are along this time. (Mom isn't at home in Sweden working as she was when Dad and the kids visited us in northern Norway.) My sister and her family are here, and my parents, so that makes a total of 12 at table.

Chris - a few days ago my grandkids were running around picking flowers and singing Happy Birthday at the top of their lungs. Nobody here has a birthday anytime soon, so I guess they were singing for YOU! :flowerforyou:

Serena - sorry to hear how much you have been through in a short stretch of time. I read your essay and will keep it in mind. I've also learned a lot from my father about handling other people's bereavement. Several times I've seen him approach a friend or neighbor at the extended care facility where they live (in the winter), rest his hand on their shoulder and say "I'm sorry for your loss." Caring, but no prying.

Heather - nice dress, pretty wildflowers. There aren't many members of the Apiacaea family that have yellow blossoms, so maybe I'll be able to figure out exactly what that one is. I have a special place in my heart for guillemots and their high-northern cousins (Brünnich's guillemots). I couldn't see any on that sheer rock face but I can vividly recall the racket they make when nesting.

Good for you for improvising the broccoli net! I've grown broccoli a couple times. I usually order seeds from a smallish firm in Sweden where they both produce seeds and breed new varieties. They offer customers free "trial" seeds as a way of getting new varieties tested in a wide range of soils, climate zones, light conditions and so on. One year they sent me seeds for an experimental breed of broccoli (is it called rabe broccoli?) that gave many small flower heads rather than a few big ones. I was skeptical but tried it out — and was astounded at the result! I have no trouble with the usual cabbage-family pests, probably because mine is the only garden in a 1-km radius. Actually, mine is one of only three gardens in a 10-km radius.

Poop - ditto on what everyone else has said. You know, take care of yourself, take it easy, and so on and so forth. That reminds me of when my kids had become too old to be nagged at. I subsumed all my unsaid comments into a gesture – as if I was flicking water at them – accompanied by the words "Mother stuff, mother stuff."

My weight loss has stalled, though that wasn't unexpected. At least it hasn't turned the other direction yet. I've been a good girl and done my exercising and watched my food intake. But yesterday I threw caution to the wind when my husband and I celebrated our 37th anniversary. So we had the G&T before dinner, wine with dinner, and ice cream for dessert. And this morning we stayed in bed and cuddled rather than going out and jogging in the rain. But as of NOW I'm back on track.

Wishing you all a good day!

Waiting in the Dallas airport for my next flight.Good time to catch up on posts.. YEAH for the rain in Canada I'm such a clutz with this phone keyboard. Looking forward to getting home to my notepad and computer so I can keep up and comment better. Toni