WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR FEBRUARY 2017

Hello to everyone and welcome to the new arrivals -

miakoda40 - Love the cheery leggings. Cute shoes, too!

Allie - I admire you for trying. Trust takes time to build in the first place and even longer to rebuild. I don't know how you find it in yourself to trust Tom again. I'm wishing you all the best.

Sarah - Hmm. Apparently I'm trying to drop somewhere between a small bale of hay and an elephant penis...

Karen - So happy there's a little good news about Olivia! You and your family are in my thoughts.

Pip - Great news about your job! I hope the new position gives you a chance to straighten things out down there.


We got a double-sized futon sofa from some friends this weekend. We had to lug it down their stairs and load it on the trailer to get it home. Now I have to completely rearrange my office to make space for it. There's a twin futon in here now, but I told my middle niece she could stay with us for a few months if she gets an internship here, and I wanted her to have a bigger bed. Also wanted it for when my brother and sister-in-law, sister and brother-in-law, or other couples come to visit.

I'm supposed to go to College Station this weekend for a gathering with old friends. I'm not really in the mood, but I think I'll enjoy it if I make the effort so I'm going to try. I might just make it a day trip so I don't have to pay for a hotel. Being a university town, hotel prices are absolutely ridiculous there, even at the seedy hotel out on the bypass where I occasionally stay.

The new leggings arrived and they're very nice. The plus size seems to fit a little closer than the LuLaRoe tall and curvey size, but they are very soft and completely opaque. They're called Viv Collection and they were under $19 a pair. I'll get some pictures of them later.

-Yvonne in TX

C

Dammit! [Not Janet!] Lost another post! I think I am 'losing my mind' today. Went to the library; and owed a few dollars in past due fees; so I paid by 'check'. Wrote it out, looked at it, I did not think it looked right; but ... I wrote the long hand section out as Three & 60/100th. I did not have a book in my checkbook except a 'new' one. To me, it is easy to write out Thirteen Dollars and 21/100th for a check. Then I went to pay the mechanic who fixed Louis truck and he told me that it was "Fifteen Hundred" ... I think, I would have normally written that out as: One Thousand Five Hundred and no/100th Dollars. I wrote it out; Fifteen Hundred and no/100th Dollars ... it still did not 'look' right to me. I think today ... my body is 'farting out' at both ends.

I think it is because I got highly irritated running errands, when I went by my GP's office to see if he had ever gotten the results of my MRI and could answer some questions I had that the Neurologist's nurse was so 'flippant' about when I called his office ... after never getting 'the results' in the first place. This last time was the longest period of time the he spent with me ... doing little tests ... like closing my eyes and holding my arms out, trying to balance on one foot; which I have not been able to do since I broke my ankle and crushed my heel in a wreck. I had complained about the shaking in my hands; which I had been told they were "Parkinson's-like"; but, I did not have "Parkinson's Disease." I am not impressed with her, very much. I liked the one that had worked there with my old one. So, I went to the Neurologist's office to ask what I needed to do in order to get them sent to my GP. I had been standing at the front desk for at least 5 minutes. The receptionist was standing in a door ... maybe to the 'break room' and talking to someone. I was flipping through a magazine and would have thought she would have heard it and come back to the counter. I started flipping it harder, and harder. Never did get her attention until I 'cleared my throat' ... then she was right there. I told her that I had told the nurse that I wanted a copy of the results sent my GP, not only the day I went in the first time; but, also the day I talked to her' ... not a word about needing to sign a release either time. No wonder they did not get sent. I signed a release at my GP's office, for him to get them directly from the hospital, but, after 10 days, still not there. I asked if they could send them, and she spent a good 15-minutes looking at the chart on her computer. Then she turned to me and asked if I was on the hospital's 'portal' because I could look at them there. "Uh, no!" [not that I really want to be, for several reasons]. My intention for having them sent to my GP was because I had questions I wanted answers to. Then she asked who I wanted to get them and I told her, and asked why he had not been able to pull them up. She told me it was because he was not a "Phoebe" MD (one who works under a contract with them); although none of the OB/GYNs I go to are Phoebe MDs; they do have hospital privileges so they can deliver babies and do surgeries there. She finally, put the release in front of me to sign and I asked her 'how long did she think it would be before they actually got sent to him'. Oh, she was going to give me a copy and I could take it to him. No problem [he is in the next building]. She finally printed out the 5 pages and gave them to me. So I took them to "Dr. Cutie Pie".

They got scanned into their computer and I had them handed back to me; and, I saw here write out a note to him. I had once asked my pharmacists about the tremors (side effects) and he tells me, that if I had reported it when it first started there were medications that they could have prescribed; but, once it got to the point mine has, there is little they can do about it. Our DOS also has the same problem of occasionally of not being able to sign his signature legibly or write anything legibly. If I am standing at a counter (depending on the height) ... my signature is as fluid as it was before I started having to take all the medications I do. GGRRrrrrr. Sometimes bad enough that I can't even 'write' anything and be able to read it later. Or I have to hold my right hand with my left; and, even them ... hands still shake. Occasionally, if I sign something with a particular pen, that is very top heavy; my signature and what I write can be easily read; like I don't have the shaking/tremors. If I sign my name that way ... it messes up almost every time. Like making circles almost ahead of each letter. When I have to sign my 'legal' name (like at most MDs' offices) ... I don't have nearly the same problem; but, that movement is more up-and-down and slanted to the left more. It is so strange.

Lenora

Hi everyone! I'm getting back into using My Fitness Pal again. In 2009, I lost 70+ pounds with MediFast. However, as I've done all my adult life, I slowly gained 50 of it back. I tried hard in my last few months of working until March 2015, when I retired. It's been off and on since then. In mid 2016, I tried to do a MF style diet by myself using all the good stuff on Diet Direct. I also joined an aqua joint exercise in the pool class. I was successful in losing 13 pounds, but along came the holidays. I also had surgery for a really bad trigger finger and can't go back in the pool until the scar is completely healed. Crossing my fingers for next week some time. I haven't weighed myself for at least a month and will have to do that soon (maybe tomorrow! ) I love how much better the online site is now -- finding foods is so much easier. I will continue to post as my journey continues.

Best regards from Jackie in sunny Northern California (until it starts to rain again on Wednesday night)

My eyes are tired and my brain is numb, for some crazy reason I decided today would be a good day to tackle tax documents for me and my DD. My easy collection system is a large brown envelope on the frig. If it's a tax form or used in filing taxes, it goes in there. Donation receipts too.

Then I sort the forms into hers and hers piles and begin scanning and building a 'Read Me First' file that lists all the file names of the electronic files. I also print out a copy for my hard files of any forms received electronically. Next I upload everything to my accountant's electronic drop box along with the 'Read Me First' file so he knows what forms should have transferred electronically. My printer/scanner does not like to scan double sided documents, so it's sometimes a real struggle to make that leap from paper to efile. I guess I should be glad all of this year's forms has taken me only 6 hours to do.

Charleen in Colorado (What was I thinking!)

Wishing you peace right back, Kim; sure sounds like you could use some peace of mind. Family expectations, especially from our parents, are so hard. Whatever course of action you choose, try to make it something that you can look back on a year, two years, five years from now and say "I did the best I could at the time, and I don't regret anything." That was the mantra my only sibling and I adopted during the 8 months it took our mom to die from congestive heart failure. We had hard decisions to make, but we did the best we could and take comfort even now from that. Wishing you all the best.

Pip – I did hear their reason … ‘they wrote the song in their shorts; and, agreed that ‘if’ they ever made it to the Grammy’s they would do the same thing’. However, I doubt they had on their Tux jackets on at that time. I wanted to see more ‘male’ skin. Not fair that the women had slits up to their ‘honey hole’ and DH can say, ‘DAMN, ya think she has a slit cut up high enough, (?) wonder if she has on anything under that (?) … she is just asking to have a clothing malfunction. The one that came out first (maybe Jennifer Lopez), the one in the pink gown.

Janetr okc – So sorry about your grandson. I know from watching my BF go through the same thing … how it has affected her. Prayers, good thoughts, and {{{{{HUGS}}}}} for all of you! I sure ‘hope’ he is ‘ok’ and safe and not using again.

Brings back that saying, ‘it’s not the number of times you fall down; it is the number of times you stand up’.

Betty – I have sometimes found that even from morning to evening … there might be 100 posts. I will read through 100 posts or less; over that, I just go back a few pages and read from that point. Too overwhelming for me. LOL!

frannieshack – Our DOGD is in the ‘age group’, she is a ‘driven young lady’ … and all her life until she turned 14; when her Dad got custody of her, had watched her mother drink so much that she could not function. The screaming, cursing, fights between, first her 2nd husband, then a boyfriend … (live-in) there are just some things she won’t stay around. No telling what might have happened to her if custody had not been changed. Her middle sister on her mother’s side had been living with her paternal grandmother (basically to keep her out of the situation as much as possible; she even paid her C/S); then, when she and the youngest sister came to DOGD’s HS graduation … the baby sister was going to spend the weekend (she noticed her scratching her head; and, went to check on her and she had ‘head lice’ so bad that she had sores and you could literally see them crawling). Needless, to say … she did not stay; but DDnL#1 went and bought 2 bottles of lice shampoo; wash her hair and treated her. Then DOGD took her and the 2nd bottle back to her Mama and told her why she could not stay out here, told her to do the 2nd treatment and left. She called DFACS and reported her mother. They came and picked up the child, she got arrested (not for the first time); and, she has lost custody, now, of all 3 of her girls.

While she talks a ‘big game’; she has done ‘nothing’ she was ordered to do, before they would even consider letting her have them back. I think now, her parental rights have been terminated by the court. She then called her Daddy and told him what had happened and that he needed to come get her before they put her into a ‘foster home’. DFACS had called DOGD (over the age of 18) and asked if she would take her. NOPE, going to college, not going to be forced to be a Mama; I’ve called her Daddy and he is on his way from TN to pick her up. I think my DOGD won’t ever take a drink; not even to ‘celebrate’ in March, turning 21. Now, I won’t say she won’t go to a bar somewhere … but, I doubt she will partake of alcohol. She grew up hard, changing diapers and making bottles when she was only 6 or 7. She does NOT want any children any time soon, if ever.

When she was a Freshman in HS; our DYS gave a 'talking to' right in front of Louis and me; he did not leave out anything. #1 - When a boy says he 'loves' you (especially in HS) ... all that means is 'he wants to get in your panties'; so "Protect your @$$et!" IF he really loved you, he would not be trying so hard to 'take something away from you, that he cannot give back to you'. Then, drinking ... he knew he had brought a lot of grief to us worrying about where he was and who he was with. Being 'honest' is the best way ... they were also 'once teenagers themselves'. By this time, Louis and I were 'wide-eyed'. Stay in school, stay in school, stay in school, get a job, support yourself for awhile before you get married and start having children; so that you will know that you can always do it if you have to. When the right one comes along, Nana says ... you'll know it. Don't ask me how; but, she's a pretty good teacher'. I was so proud of him, and, that isn't her 'Daddy'.

Fran – While you don’t have to tell us; where in GA do you live (specifically or generally)? I’m in SW GA (in Dawson) about 25 miles from Albany; and 20 miles from Americus.

Janet OKC – Congrats on winning the LuLaRoe leggings. Said you had never won anything; neither had I. This year when I went to the Women’s Retreat that I go to every Oct/Nov, I won a prize every day. Three – a pair of earrings; a journal; and the Grand Prize – a silver cross on a chain. I was ‘so excited’!!!!

I worked in a plaintiff firm that specialized in medical malpractice, medical malfeasance, product liability, wrecks. Also divorces (either party) and criminal cases – most as appointed attorneys (or at least my boss did). It was fast pace, sometimes stressful, but always ‘fun’ (insofar as working for my boss – he was a sweetheart). I was a little intimidated by the ‘big boss’ and his ‘secretary’ … the fought like cats and dogs; and, she would end up trying to take it out on me; by calling me to her office to tell me all the things I was doing WRONG. He called me into his office, I just ‘knew’ he was going to fire me. He pulled out a carbon copy of a letter she had typed, signed his name to, and sent out and told me to read it. After I did, I looked up at him. He asked me to tell me about the letter (and then he called her in). “UH, 7 typos!” He turned to her and asked ‘how long had she worked for him’? Something close to 20 years (more or less). Actually, she was his first ‘secretary’. He then told me, that as long as he was ‘in his office’ and did not have a client with him, if she called me for anything … I could walk through his office. I sat in a dark paneled room with no windows. When my boss became the Federal Magistrate, he took me with him as his secretary. Huge raise, great benefits!

Jolenec1 – The first thing I do when I get out of bed, is make my bed; then, the next thing I do is make sure the dishes are in the dishwasher until it is full; if full ... wash them. To me, that is my ‘basic’ home cleaning; I do other things in spurts. A couple of Thanksgivings ago, the week before I went into ‘over-drive’ and my house was ‘spotless’ as in everything in every room was done, top to bottom. My mind had to be on ‘high zone’ because I do not remember doing it; and, DH says I did it without anybody help. He said he’d come in and sometimes I would be in a ‘frenzy’; the next time, I would be asleep in my chair.

Katie – I love French Onion Soup; and, I like the cheese to be so thick you can hardly cut through it and it had ‘long strings’ you have to pull off. Not a particularly ‘cool’ thing to do ‘out in a restaurant’. I don’t have it often; but, I think I could eat my weight in it.

I hope to ‘never’ walk into another hotel room and see a red flashing light on the phone. When I was working and went to Savannah for training … as always … DH and I had the agreement that whichever one went out of town; they were the one to call home. I went out with the other ladies to walk the River Walk, and was late getting back.

I figured that maybe he had gotten worried that I had not called him the minute I got in. So, I called him, he answered the phone, and it was obvious that he had been sobbing like the world had ended. He could not even talk; I thought the worst and as I slid to the floor and I screamed … “OH GOD! Please tell me is not one of our boys!” No, but, just as bad … Brandy (at the time, our only granddaughter) had been struck by a car and killed. I was told to get up in the morning, go to Jacksonville and get his Mother and come back home. I wanted to leave right then … told me ‘no, too late at night, you’re tired and upset’. I then went down to the other Judge's secretary, that was there with me, and told her what had happened and to tell the instructor why I was not there. I never want to ever go to another “child’s funeral” or to a “double funeral” … like when my former BnL’s parents died in an automobile collision. When I got to my in-laws’ house, my DFnL opened the door for me; and, I started in and he put his hand on my arm and told me, “DON’T cry!” I had good reason to want to ‘throttle’ him.

He never traveled because of having to wear a urine bag after prostate cancer. I don’t think my DMnL nor I said a word the entire 4+ hour drive back to Albany. She would be a grown woman now, in her mid-20s. I remember when my step-daughter was pregnant with her 2nd child later on; she was talking about how much she’d look like Brandy; and, I told her that she would look nothing like her ... I did not think God would be that cruel. She asked me, 'then what do you think she'll look like'? She will be a 'redhead'. She is ... Mama had dark brown hair, Daddy had blond.

So the training session was rescheduled and I ended up being flown out to San Antonio, TX and stayed in a tall motel overlooking the “Alamo” … I would have ‘never’ guess in my entire life that it is right in the middle of tall skyscrapers. Loved the River Walk! Motel was luxurious. Everything was ‘expensive’ … but; getting reimbursed for things or taking whatever the daily comp would be helped a whole lot.

Janetr [again] – Beautiful flowers. On the radio today, they were talking about ‘changing’ things up and not sending ‘red roses’. These are far more beautiful; and, will probably last long. And, you still have all those hearts and can save them. When my DYS and DDnL#2 and DOMGD came at Easter, to surprise us with a visit. Mallory had a big bunch of balloons, hiding behind them. My first thought was … “OH MY GOSH, I have won the Publisher’s Clearing House Grand Prize.” First off my 2 older granddaughters had come down here ‘to talk’. I did not realize that DOGD had been called by my DYS to make sure we were going to be ‘in town’ and ‘if’ she could come home, then we’d have all 4 granddaughter here at the same time. When the bell rang; I asked one of them to go open the door. I had no idea who would have been ringing the door at 4:00pm. Both of them, just started talking like they had not heard me. I was a bit ‘taken aback’ when they told me to ‘go answer the door’ … they could not imagine who would be here, when Louis and Trey were working.
She pulled the balloons down and showed her face … I let out a holler and Tami called my name and I looked over and she was taking a video. I decided to keep the balloons; so I bought some Styrofoam balls, cut the balloon knots, and stretched them over the balls; took the ribbons and put them all in a glass jar. A constant reminder of my ‘surprise’ visit.

Yvonne – Maybe you and Cheri can touch base and spend a bit of time together.

Michele – If you are looking at ‘green seedless’ grapes; Will worked during HS at Harvey’s Supermarket and got promoted to the fruit department because they like his innovative ideas of arranging the fruits and veggies.

One tip he gave me was that the ‘round’ grapes are bitter; but, the ones that elongated are ‘sweet’. I love grapes; just not ones with seeds; other than our Muscatine’s and Scuppernongs. But, unless Louis puts on some type of fence, or determent, we won’t beat the deer to them. For the past 2 years, right the day before they’d be ‘ripe’ enough to pick, damn if they don’t show up and strip them clean.

What do you do to ‘refresh’, to see if there are any ‘new’ posts?

Lenora

Yvonne, I hope it is the elephant penis that you lose. You are to beautiful a woman to have lug that thing around.

Peach, I hope you are talking about the Prime Minister of Canada you are referring to as so good looking. I was thinking the same thing. I am wondering if that got him any votes.Trump is OK looking but not like the other guy.

Kim, big hugs to you. I have never had to live in any kind of situation like that so I can not empathise with you. You go with the emotions and care that take care of you. I hope your Mom will understand. She is loving through the blind Mother's eye.

I am so glad that the only two people in our family with addictions, and they were bad, saw that they needed to change. And boy did they change and have made it their life purpose to facilitate the same kind of change in others. I have a nephew who is an alcoholic. His little boy would bring him a beer out of the fridge and say that he needed to drink it since he always felt better after. It is really odd that when my Dad was in the hospital having his second open heart surgery that took his life that the other nephew who ended up an addict told the older one that he shouldn't see Grandpa because he was drunk. The other nephew is the classic guy who started out with marijuana and worked himself up to heroin and almost died. His doctors told his parents that they should get his affairs in order and pick out his clothes he would wear in a coffin. God was with him and instead of sending his to prison for 5 years he was sent to an inpatient treatment facility. After a year he was out but was on probation for the rest of those 5 years. He knew any offense could make the judge send him to prison for 4 years. He is now in college for a rehab counselor. I am so, so, so proud of those two guys. My fathers death was what facilitated the older nephew and my Mother's death facilitated the younger ones rehab.

Had my PT re-evaluation today. My strength tests were doubled, and pain levels almost nil except an old pain in my thighs I have had for a long time. So PT only once a week now.

I think we have made our decision on our gutters and painting. Although cost wise it is cheaper with one company, my gut tells me the other one is better. He has taken the time to come out and look at our doors and tell us that the back door in our garage isn't a normal size, he sent out his painter to look at the house. The cost of the garage door and installation of said door is included. This morning Charlie called the other guy and asked him if he would install garage door, front door and back door in garage for us, he said yes. Price? $0. I just don't trust that. I don't trust he will do it and I don't trust a company that their main emphasis is interior and exterior painting will install those doors for free. So it's the construction company. It is such a relief that that decision has been done. We still don't know if we will have gutter covers or not but the construction said those can be added at any time, any year. Lot of money out for all this, windows, all new exterior doors and all exterior painting. Whew. Now for it to actually happen. It would made me feel better for us to get my hospital bills from December.

Joyce, Indiana

GRITSandSLUTS wrote: »

Pip –

What do you do to ‘refresh’, to see if there are any ‘new’ posts?

Lenora

Up where you would type in a web address (top left) - there is a little button to the right - with two green arrows on it... click that. It refreshes the view of the page - bringing up any new entries since you did your thing.

Warning! IF you refresh before you post your post - anything in the reply box will vanish - so be sure to either refresh before you paste your post, or post first and then refresh.

I usually get my post all ready to paste, refresh to make sure there is nothing new, and then paste and post.

Hugs -

Re in TX

After today, I think that keeping the diary is pretty much out of the question for at least a week. My whole day has been consumed with making calls to the medical examiner, to the out-of-town mortician, meetings with the local funeral director, and the food coordinator, and the lodging coordinator, and the ..., and the ..., etc. I've barely shed a tear all day, but now as I wind down and begin to reflect in the quiet the tears come easily. I know that this is a downer, but I'm being the strong one here where I live. It seems nearly as expansive as preparing for a wedding, but so much less time when it's sudden like this. Thank you for the well wishes, hugs, etc. I'm thinking that if I can at least check in here once a day, I'll be able to get back on track once we get past the final services next week.

Re - what a wonderful find!!! I have no idea why Vince isn't all that crazy about going to FL early. Today he just bought a gallon of milk. uhhhh...it's Monday, will you drink a whole gallon by Friday? I'm hoping he isn't thinking that we're going to go later. I'm planning (meals, etc) that we're leaving Fri and I told him that. As far as the shooting....he has a shooting activity with the Newcomers and that's the night that they shoot. There are supposed to be a few gals there so I guess he's thinking that maybe they'd like me, too? I don't know. But shooting was just a joke. I am going, tho. Maybe he's worried about his eyes? Well, there's nothing that can be done until he sees the eye MD. Maybe he's worried about his vision at night. Well...just leave earlier in the a.m. Problem solved (but I know not to his liking)

Played mahjongg here. I didn't maj, but that's OK.

Tried to download audiobooks to have in the car for the drive to FL, but I was having trouble downloading them so I'm supposed to go to the library Thurs. a.m. to have them help me.

Kim - (((big hug)))

Lenora - I don't like grapes with seeds in them, either. I'm going to keep what Will had to say in mind. That's a good tip

Michele in NC