Nice posts, too tired for comments. Just to let you know the Doc was thorough, honest, and said I had an excellent understanding of what's going on, how to deal with it, and there is no miracle cure ! The arthritis is very much affected by low barometric pressure and they are now predicting at least one more week, unless it forms a hurricane! My swelling, however is slowly subsiding, and I could stand a smidgen better today. I finally understand I cannot fool around in the dining room! No sodium, kill the butter, no rolls, cut back portions, stay away from red meats,...the usual! I will have PT upstairs in our nursing department! More exercise
, smaller portions, all the things we know better about, but I have been awful about giving a
darn. Now I care!!! Now off to bed
Buzz
...................Always Believe !!!!!.....................................................................

Gorgeous garden, gorgeous George!
Great excitement here. 3 men are ripping the tiles off the garage at the back of me.
I am considering putting a rubber band around Jilly's jaws in lieu of a muzzle.

Great if unwelcome news from your doc BUZZ. I will try to copy!

MFP playing up again, nowhere else! I'm a goner,
Anne.

Good morning everyone! Not sure what the day will bring. It looks like a marine layer that could burn off as the day progresses.

Buzz: that diagnosis doesn’t sound too awful. It sounds like something we all strive to follow. giving up red meat was hard for John and he still insists on lots of chicken and salmon of course. Naturally he is slim and active but he still reacts to salt more than I do. Each of us seem to have our own issues. Hang in there sweetheart. You are still in the game, PT will be interesting and annoying but oddly satisfying. That’s my experience.

Jackie: George acts like Katie. Katie runs around like that outside and inside. She does take regular naps, thank goodness. I often wonder if they are playing chase with some invisible creature or are they upset. Angry? In pain? Feeling wonderful and just feels like a good time to chase dragons etc. it must the last because she then runs over to me and callapses at my feet for a tummy rub. Can’t resist the chance to enjoy our canine playmate.

Anne: MFP does seem to have bugs. Or else my iPad has bugs. I was thinking about how Katie reacts to cats. She chases them and barks endlessly at them. I fear she would never accept living with one. She barely tolerates our son’s doggies. She is one of those dogs that has a difficult time socializing. We go at it very slowly. Walks in the dog park when there are not many people or dogs. I read all the books about how to handle this. Still learning! It is an unusual experience for us. Katie is our joy and our challenge.

Lin: you are an inspiration to me. I love the way you try new things and master the challenge. I stick to my same core exercises and lift light weights (8 lbs) and I should ride my exercise bike more.

Have a lovely day everyone. Hello to all sneakers!
Patsy

No budding romance in my future SANDY. I'd run faster than Jilly in the opposite direction!! Anyway, can you imagine the confusion of having two dogs named Jilly Bean! "Come Jilly Bean", "no, not you Jilly Bean!" "YOU, Jilly Bean". Sort of thing.

One of Jill's favourite toys is Foxy, and then Squirrelly. We also have Bun Bun, baby bone, etc. She knows them all by name and will fetch when asked.

On that intellectual note I'll do a BUZZ as in Buzz off. Hey it's 84 F at the moment. We're having a heat wave!

Anne.

You had me wondering Sandy. I had assumed it was a toy but I thought perhaps I was wrong.

Good Tai Chi day and excellent bargains at the store. I have an oil change scheduled for my vehicle—finally. They no longer seem to answer the phone in the service department so I hunted to find my log in to schedule online and to hunt through options. They don’t make it easy to just find oil change and you cannot schedule without specifying a transportation mode now. For gosh sakes! Well that’s on the first Monday in June. I called the health food store to find out if Senior Discounts are only available on certain days. Turns out I just need to ask for it. Well, I can do that. Haaaaaa.

I skipped my afternoon Tai Chi class today to rest up a little bit. I did some more fan work and some arm exercises. Need to do those everyday. But anyway, tomorrow, I will see the Library ladies and then early afternoon, excitement unlimited for me. I have an hour session, my first, to learn Tai Chi Double Fan!! Apparently I think I am handling the single fan routine at an acceptable level so I am jumping into the deep again. Two fans, very long form, tossing and catching fans, swirling and a bit of stomping too. Wahoo! I am over the moon.

Today our instructor asked if there would be any interest at all in going to visit her teacher in Canada next year. Whaaaaaat? She is talking about renting a small bus, loading up everyone who’s interested (and has the money) to drive up, take several lessons from Sifu Helen and generally have a real genuine experience. I doubt it will come together but I will keep my passport and documents up to date, just in case. They have had Sifu come here in the past but loads of money must be raised for her travel expenses and for teaching here.

Oh, and as I was driving home today, I saw a fellow riding a mountain bike and trotting out in front of him were two dogs, each on its own leash, one Newfoundland and one Bernese Mountain dog. Now those are huge dogs! Quite a sight.

Hugs all.

Lin

A very pleasant day although the sun seems to have disappeared for now. We've enjoyed our woodland walk and I've hung out a washing load to dry but since then George has barked constantly and I think he can hear my not so nice neighbour cleaning her windows outside for the first time in 15 years, well let's just say they've lived next door to me that long and I've never seen them do that job before!! Apart from grocery shopping this afternoon and a drop in at the allotment to pick some rhubarb for a friend whose birthday it is tomorrow it will be a leisurely day for me.

Buzz ~ I'm so pleased, you seem more your old self already and using your walker can only be a good thing to keep things moving as they should. A warm welcome from friends is just as you deserve too as you've always given so much of your time to those in need of comfort so enjoy! You've more patience than me when it comes to putting new items together with only a bad translation of instructions to follow although sometimes even that's too much to ask for and I find a piece of paper with badly drawn diagrams scratched on it! Isn't there a sense of satisfaction when we finally finish the task though and it works!!

Sandy ~ To be honest I thought at first you were joking about George running with a live fox cub but never mind, I appreciate you've got a lot on your mind at the moment so you're forgiven! LOL Yes, the video was shot from my garden room and although cat Hebe has requisitioned the comfy chair I do spend a lot of time in there especially since the new sun reflecting windows keep it cool on a hot day. Watching amazing footage of the eruptions in Hawaii on the news I've wondered if the wedding plans are still on that you might attend? Mother Nature is so volatile in situations like that I'm not sure I would want to visit just now.

Patsy ~ An author on a tv programme yesterday talking about mental health, the subject of her latest book, made a point that the English language doesn't have enough variations for the word depressed so we tend to stick an adjective on the front in the hope it explains the emotion someone or we are feeling. I think it's the most difficult health issue to deal with so your shirt with all the thought you're putting into it together with the sought after bright buttons is an amazing gift that will hopefully lift your daughter's spirits.

Lin ~ Book yourself a ticket on that trip to Canada because it sounds like a wonderful opportunity.... I do hope it takes place for you. What a great way to exercise two large dogs. Were they pulling the bike or just running for the fun of it?

Anne ~ Scruff had a bad experience at her fly ball class last night when a visiting trainer told the team that although she was fast she was being too careful over high jumps so to yell at her as she collected the ball to run back. The girl in charge of the ball shouted over the top of Scruff's head as she went to catch the ball making her scream and run out of the arena into the back of someone's car refusing to come out. Lots of tears, arguments and upset so not sure she will continue fly ball but no lasting mental damage because this morning at the river the man with his "Scruffy" collie ended up with her joining in with him and wanting to stay when we left and he was quite noisy getting his dog to retrieve! It must have been the same name that did it!

Time to go shopping and rhubarb foraging!
Jackie

Good morning everyone. Not sure what the day will bring. I must keep pecking at the enormously long list of chores. I will never get them all done but that is Life. We are still resisting any hired assistance and believe me that is not my choice. I can see that it has become a point of male pride. John is such an accomplished person but he is very territorial about his home. The chores he works on are things he considers most urgent.

Katie is so sensitive, I can’t imagine yelling at her to catch a ball. Our ball games have no rules and Katie has such fun running with her balls. She sometimes brings them back to me. But not always. I am cross with her when she finds nasty or dangerous things to chew on. After many firm commands to DROP IT! She obeys and we are instant friends again. I am a terrible dog trainer. I do just enough to make us a happy healthy family. Katie would never be able to be in competition. She is spoiled and independent. My fault, I am sure.

The Hawaii scenes are terrifying. We live within view of Mt. Saint Helens. She rumbles occasionally. I remember seeing the devastation after that eruption. Ash was inches deep and the top part of the mountain just blew off. That was a few years ago but we are constantly reminded that we live within that “ring of Fire.”

And so begins the day...what task demands attention first?
Patsy

Good morning Sneakers. George has been walked and after dropping him off with the vet I've visited a friend to wish her a happy birthday before shopping for trellis and a few more veggie seeds. The walk was a bit strange because I had to be careful to keep George out of the river as he was going straight on to the vet but Scruff decided to get too close to investigate the edge and fell in. Neither of us are agile these days so it was a scramble to get to her by which time she had floated along to an inlet and scrambled out, soaked of course. All ended well but it was a reminder not to take the dogs there after heavy rain as the river becomes a torrent.

Patsy - I've noticed Scruff become more on edge as she competes in a variety of events but haven't said so as it's up to my friend and I wouldn't want an argument to ensue but the fly ball incident didn't surprise me because it's so noisy with dogs barking and competitors yelling so I think it might have been a good thing for all involved so she can go at her own pace rather than get caught up in too much competitive drama! Of course if I tried with George he would drift into one of his Zen moods and ignore all around him. Katie has the perfect life with you and John too.

Seems very quiet without George so I need to get on with chores until the vet phones in a few hours. Everyone have a good day and hopefully a bright one. We're threatened with thunder storms again but so far no sign.

Jackie

That's funny, the word "t.o.r.r.e.n.t" becomes kitten!! Is there something offensive about rushing water?
Jackie

Sandy you don't need luck I'm sure because you are one brave lady. Ignore those that need to be and your usual lovely self with everyone else and all will be fine. Sorry for Babe's loss but sounds like a blessed release for his brother.
Jackie

Good day dear sneakers. It is ia lovely day in full sunshine, a light breeze and a few fluffy white clouds in a beautiful blue sky. I had a late start today but I will try to get caught up as soon as possible. I do remember years ago this weekend was “decoration day.” We went to the cemetery and put small American flags on graves of fallen military soldiers. Then we put flowers (peonies) on graves of loved ones. These were traditions from long ago. Today we remember loved ones in thoughts and happy memories.

Anne: what a lovely way to start your day. Contentment is a rare thing these days. I confess, I am always needing, wanting, worrying, planning, working. Contentment is not in my personal “wheelhouse” as the current phrase goes. You have much to teach us, dear friend.

Jackie: thinking of your sweet little George. I know I would be lurking at the back door of the vets office. When our doggies are ill or in need of vet care, I am a true maniac. Terrified something serious is wrong. They were usually just fine, vet was very helpful, I needed an aspirin and a nap! True story!

Sandy: I can tell it here...I rather enjoy the big hubbub of a move. New starts! Clean out, throw out, move out! Great music to pack to and happy thoughts about your new nest. About your Babe. You were so thoughtful to accompany him to that sad and emotional service. There are times in life when we need to have the comfort of an official recognition.

Lin: have good day and a lovely weekend. I can imagine you at your desk working on special cards for special people.

Buzz: enjoy the weekend with your friends. I feel sure there will be a special concert or event. We think of you constantly and are eager to hear that you are feeling better.
Patsy