WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR DECEMBER 2015

Safe and warm in the hotel in the Texas Hill Country, near Austin. Southern Louisiana tomorrow... just staying out of the storms, wandering as we choose for now.

Margaret: Can't they give some meds to help that sick feeling???

Use wall mug holders for necklaces n see thru fishing boxes for earrings.

Gayle Minneapolis

exermon - Bicyclists have to follow the same rules of the road that vehicles do. Ride on right-hand side of road with the flow of traffic (of course, unless you live in certain parts of the world where they ride on the left-hand side of the road). If the light turns 'red' you are suppose to 'stop'. Something, unfortunately a lot of bicyclists don't do. One of the main reasons they are, quite often, involved in wrecks with vehicles. Stop signs don't mean - slow down and roll it. But, if you are in a neighborhood setting - you 'might' be able to do so - at your own peril. Usually when I rode, when I rode, I'd try to stay as close to the right line on the road, if riding on county roads. IF you walk, you face the traffic. When you are driving, you have to move over so that the bicyclist can ride on the road; or you have to slow down and wait to pass them. Drivers don't like coming up on a group of bicyclists riding in a pack; but, no different that 2 bikers (motorcyclists) riding side-by-side ... you just have to be able to pass them and consider them as any car you'd pass - give them room, don't ride up behind them and honk your horn at them, they have as much of a right to be riding the road as you do; but, a car is much bigger than a bike (as I am sure that Pip & Kirby can attest. Kids are the worst about NOT knowing the proper rules of the road. Parents of bikers need to remember that most of the time they are NOT paying attention and 'stop' means nothing to them. You are NOT suppose to ride on the sidewalk either or on walking paths. In that case, the pedestrian has the right-of-way; and, nothing is more irritating than for a bicyclist to do so.

Pip - I hope that Kirby finds a route where he can build up his confidence in riding again. It'll take some time; I am sure he saw his life flashing before him in slow motion. That would be terrifying to me. I usually rode in our neighborhood and looked for cars coming up on side roads; making sure they were not rolling stop signs either. Every weekend I'd ride with my boss to Leesburg; which was about a 35-mile round trip for us. It took several weeks to be able to go there and back without having to call someone to come pick us up. We'd get 'in the creek' on the way home to cool off after stopping at a store and getting something to eat. I can remember the 1st Century ride I rode in; had a wreck with is sister and neither of us could go anymore. The next year; we were the 2nd and 3rd rider from the back; but, we finished the damn thing. I'd ride 1/2 Centuries after that; but, never another Century ride. It's amazing that coming AND going it was always uphill! Or it certainly seemed that way.

Lenora

Well is anyone in the US having good weather???? I know we aren't. It rained a nice steady rain yesterday but cats and dogs today and will continue until Tuesday and then get cold. Friday is was 80 degrees and sunny outside!

Finally have almost all of my Christmas wrapping done tonight. Michelle came over for a wrapping party. I thought we would use the kitchen table but she wanted to go downstairs and sit on the floor right next to the tree. Yes it is a bigger expanse and it is right next to the tree but my presents have never been wrapped as sloppily as they are this year. I have several that are in big boxes which make it difficult for me because it is awkward to wrap them and get the wrapping paper just right. Also some of them were heavy. Michelle only had 2 boxes and then I thought she was going to go home. But she wanted to help me. I guess I am going to have to sit down and have a serious talk with her. I don't know if she is helping me as much as she is because she thinks I need it or that she just really wants to hang out and help me with things. Anyway, back to the boxing. On the big boxes I would finish one end and she would finish the other end. Well we both finish our ends completely different and she does not know how to make hospital corners. And walmart's brand of invisible tape is not invisible! Well no one will notice anyway. The only box I have left is Charlie's and it is a tracfone and I have to call them. I usually handle all the adding minutes and service days on the computer. But I need to coordinate handling over the ownership of his old one to Christina and then putting his present phone number on the new one and getting Christina one in her area code. But the ownership can't be transferred until Saturday when she gets it. He knows he is getting a new phone so it might just be easier for me to do it tomorrow and get a new number for Christina now. But I hate for there not to be a present under the tree for him. Of course there is almost never one for me from him. One year Michelle took him to Kohl's and he picked out a nice ring, a nice one! and a digital picture frame. He did say that if I could find a mirror jewelry organizer then I can get it. I will look on Amazon. I found some for $139.

Irish terri, I loved your picture. It's just what I pictured Ireland to look like. I think we all need to go to your house!

About washing dogs. When we had our Sheltie we didn't have a pattern for his bathing. I know we should have had one. But oh did he hate to get in the bathtub. He knew the word 'bath' plus he knew we all took showers so when the bathtub was running it was for him. Talk about lap dog. He loved laps, especially Michelle and Charlie's. So he would get up on Charlie's lap and hide his face behind Charlie's back in the recliner. I guess he thought if his face was hidden then all his body was hidden. But he knew he couldn't resist anything Michelle said. He would try as long as he could but if Michelle said jump, he would jump. So he would slowly go down the hallway and then she would argue again in the bathroom about him jumping in the tub. Door would have to be closed, towels all over the floor and her in her bathing suit. Just like Cracker, he loved the hair dryer. That is until HE was done. And then you better be done. We always had to bathe him during the day when it was sunny because I would have to take him outside and brush and rsh and brush some more. I never really did feel I had him brushed enough. When she went to college we started taking him to Petsmart and he looked like a different dog when they were done. It was them that first started finding his tumors among all his hair. We knew of one and the vet was keeping an eye on it.

Nite nite, Joyce, Indiana cold soppy Indiana

My house seems empty, empty, empty. I'm thankful tho that everyone got home safely before winter storm "Goliath" hit. Lubbock, TX is right in the bulls eye of the worst of it. Last I talked to my youngest she said they had 8" of snow and still coming down strong. Oldest daughter and granddaughter's plane was delayed an hour and then almost another hour to de-ice but they arrived in Denver to clear skies and a balmy 9 degrees F.

I'm glad we are leaving right away for Arizona so that I won't have to time to get blue about how long it will be before we are all together again. I usually see each of them 2-3 times a year but it just doesn't happen often that we all can get together at one time anymore. We are getting freezing rain and power lines are starting to come down. Its worse on the west side of town, we live on the east side. It's supposed to turn to snow during the night and they are saying we will get 1-3". There are 10' snow drifts between here and Arizona, iced roads and closed Interstates. The trip may be delayed a day or two. I really don't mind, I'll be ready Tuesday morning if we can get out of here, but I'm tired and wouldn't mind a couple days to rest. The steroids hit me hard and it seems as if I've been on an emotional roller coaster for the last several days. Crying at the drop of a hat, ugh. Glad that's done with.

DJ loved the pics of your snowmen.

Joyce - great time and lots of noise, no cops I got a beautiful ring this year for Christmas too. I have an emerald wedding ring with two rows of diamonds on either side. The emerald sits very high and I catch is a lot when doing house work etc. The new one is a three stone ring that sits much closer to my finger, Jack says it is for me to wear while working. I put it on my right hand tho and will probably wear both most of the time. Its a little too big, I'll need to have it sized. I love hearing about your large family Christmas celebration. I'm the youngest of six girls and our family celebrations we always big and noisy. I miss it.

Barbie - Glad you made it thru the week, and now at least you know that the activity really doesn't make it better or worse. Hoping the doctors can come up with something that will be of help.

Lisa - You and "hunky hubby" enjoy your time away. I'm sure you will no matter where you actually end up. Just getting away together is what counts.

Pip I have loved the pictures of the pups and trees and Kirby and his new bike. Sending good thots that you both continue to heal and gain strength and soon be able to be running/riding and otherwise shaking up that Pacific Northwest corner of the country.

Terri - I showed your beautiful picture to my husband, told him I wanna go there He was a career Air Force man and then flew for 20+ more years for a commercial freight airline and has been everywhere. He is not interested in flying anywhere, he says if he can't drive the motor home there he doesn't want to go. I tell him well I haven't and I do. I'm pretty sure I know who will win this one.

Heather - Oh wow, I absolutely love, love your kitchen. Its gorgeous, I was picturing you working around and whipping up all those tantalizing dishes you are always describing for us. How I would love to sit down at your beautiful new island and have a cup of tea with you one morning. Thank you so much for sharing with us.

Mary - Shep is absolutely adorable. I showed Jack and told him I needed one. Hmmmm, I think he ignored me. Ha!

I read all of your posts every day and I love hearing what's going on in your world. Thank you all for sharing with me a little corner of your life. Good night.

Janetr OKC

Irish Terri - I can see you were out at low tide. All that seaweed! One of the most entrancing things I know is lying on a dock or a boulder at high tide, watching the seaweed dance in the waves. The seawater in northern Norway is so clear you can see straight to the bottom and get a great feeling of depth. Of course I only do that in the summer!

Heather - A retired greyhound might be just the ticket for your son. The need for daily walks gives structure and pets can be sociable without being a burden. They don't demand scintillating conversation - or any conversation at all.

Becca - Here's how I store my earrings. I made the rack myself out of a bamboo skewer, cotton crochet yarn and cheap little brass O-rings from the hardware store. Total cost maybe 50 cents. Seeing my earrings lined up makes it easy to choose. I have several racks hanging here and there, but this one is beside the bathroom mirror and holds my favorite everyday earrings.


After the Christmas Eve service, I asked my friends the minister and the deacon (a.k.a. the bass and the alto in my quartet) if they would like to come over for a simple dinner this evening. They've been on call constantly since the avalanche, and I thought it might be good for them to get away for a while. They accepted with an alacrity that worried me.

We may also have my husband's secretary and her husband over if she feels up to it. As a volunteer with the Red Cross, she was there when they found the man who perished in the avalanche, and saw him pulled out of the snow. For the past week she has been having flashbacks and crying jags, especially among large groups. I see a need for support there too. I hope we can combine these two missions of mercy without the group becoming too large for the secretary, and imposing more burdens on my church friends.

Must run. But before I go, here's a picture of the church's re-erected Christmas tree. The slope where the avalanche was is in the background. At least they have turned off the floodlights. Still, I know the place, so even in the dark I can see every detail with painful clarity.

/Penny at the

Morning ladies~
Heather~ my Ex got a retired greyhound and he was just the sweetest dog, he had to be put down this past november..he was quite old, but when Rich was living back in Ct Speed lived at my dads house, and he was just a love he would come over to me and lean into me so that I would rub his ears.. and you could lie down with him and pet him and he would eat it up...
Chester woke me up at 5:30 and needed to go out, down here we have to get them on a leash and take a bag with us.. so after that I went to Walmart for a few things our friends are coming over tonight.

lhannon062709 wrote: »

Morning from Johnson City, TX, near Austin, in central TX.

Penny - hope your guests all take the invitation and the time to just breathe and enjoy the company. Everyone deals with tragedy so differently.

Heather - sounds like your DS did better than expected over the holidays, and love your pictures. Glad your DH stepped up as needed, too!

We got out of town just in time... they ended up shutting down the highways. Probably saved a number of lives... my fellow Texans, much as I love 'em, do NOT know how to drive in snow, slush and ice. We watched some incredibly stupid moves yesterday on the 200 miles of icy conditions... and having an Alaskan husband driving was indeed a huge comfort.

The sister who had the tornado touch down near her house is now getting our snow and ice from yesterday, and two of my five brothers and numerous nieces and nephews were in the path of the latest tornado watches and warnings, in East Texas. Haven't heard anything from that contingent, but it's early yet. Bad news always seems to pop up fast, and am not seeing any tornado damage reports out of Nacogdoches County. Right now, the same weather line is headed for my daughter's house in mid-eastern Missouri. They're already in the middle of a bunch of flooding, but their military housing is placed well to avoid it, I believe. Just checked in with her, and they're fine so far.

Glad to be with my DH in general. We got to the hotel room about 4:30 last night, and before even checking out our room, trundled over to the local grocery store and got some light food for dinner that we could eat in the room. Got back and went in the room--and did something we've never, ever done before.

No, not that, you dirty-minded females!

We asked for our room to be changed. We walked in and the room smelled HORRIBLE. Not just a little horrible, one of those smells that hits you in the nose, your nose gives up for about five minutes, and it hits you AGAIN. We were trying to convince ourselves we could handle it, because we both hate to complain... and then the DH started to run himself a nice relaxing bath, and couldn't get the water to get hot, it was at best, tepid. So I called and asked for a room change, which they immediately did, and we got a room that smelled nice and where he could run hot water in the tub. Worth complaining sometimes.

On my second cup of coffee now, about to make my third cup (yes, when we're driving instead of flying, I always haul my coffeemaker and fixings with, one of the few areas where I totally princess out. I deSPISE hotel coffee. Plus they always put the little coffeemakers in the bathroom, which is just gross.) Will trundle with my cup over to the hotel breakfast area, and write and read until the DH is closer to wake up time. It's a routine that we really enjoy on the road. I'm always up two or three hours earlier than he is, and it keeps me from tugging on him, saying "Let's go!"

We're headed over to southern Louisiana, which should be dry, and after we park ourselves at the hotel there and go find some food, we'll decide where we're going tomorrow. Kind of love these wander-around vacations. We have reservations in Vicksburg on New Year's Eve that we may well decide to keep, then do a one-night driveby at our daughter's on the way back down to Texas. Just haven't really decided yet, and luckily, don't have to. Just enjoying each other and the days away. I might even do some of the driving today.

Cheers from Lisa in central Texas, headed for College Station, TX, (going around Austin to the north), which is where I worked on my master's degree, at Texas A&M, but my husband's not been there. Then De Ridder, Louisiana, for the night.

Pictures from yesterday:
Before we left:

On the road:

Love your traveling adventures. Going to do the same thing in January. 12 day road trip planned for Fla. going all the way to the Keys.