WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR MAY 2020

Good morning all! Happy Tuesday! Yesterday was a fantastic day! As I posted earlier, one of my pre-virus family parents was called back to work: (yea!) so her three year old, daughter joined our little group again! It was wonderful to see Lilah jump out of the car and come running to me, arms wide, for a hug. Adding a three year old girl to our group had an amazing effect on the boys. With Lilah here, the younger ones listened to her while playing and seemed to be a little gentler in their play...we do have baby Peyton (9 mo. old girl), but bc she is a baby she doesn't wield such power over the others, yet. The kids thought the bread was beautiful, then they proceeded to pick off the veggies they weren't going to eat and dip their bread in the hummus and tomato sauce I provided. lol
Machka- Love the dolphin video and all of the scenic pics! I love it when you post your bio for the newbies. It is amazing to be reminded of the changes that we go through in the course of a couple of years. I need to post the "once a days" on my fridge for my DH and son. Sleep is about the only thing that they are doing on a daily basis.
Rebecca- Love the Athena pics!
Beth- Here in West Michigan we haven't been hit too hard with the rationing. Back March and in the beginning of April I saw a lot more rationing signs posted. It is a bit jarring to see it. It stressed me out for the first couple of weeks of shopping (I have to go every week for my childcare and for lack of refrigerator storage), and I would always have a headache after I got home. Any how, I have gotten used to it all. I enjoy shopping again, although not as much as before. I am very grateful that I know how to cook and have no problem with alternative sources of protein.
Kim- Oh so aggravating, watching people sit on their hands and not take action! I am sure you will be able to raise the funds to save the camp. As you say, you are well connected and thought of in the community. I think the general public is also looking for ways to help others during this time. I definitely think going public on social media or in the news would be a wise option to raise funds. IF you open a GoFundMe account; remember that a portion of what you raise will go to the website. Hugs to you my friend!
Barbara- You are so sweet! You are also amazing in how you are able to remember and respond to so many of us! I bow to your efficiency at that skill! How wonderful to start your day with a walk with Joe! I WISH I could get Tim to walk with me during the day. The kids and I move at the perfect pace for him! I am thinking this summer, he might walk with us, as I will have a few more kids on walks with me.

Well ladies, time to fly! Kiddos arriving shortly. It has rained all day Sunday and all day yesterday/last night. Things are pretty soggy out there, but I think, if the rain stops, I will get the kids out for a walk. I am sure we will find some puddles and worms and other interesting things. ttfn xoxoxo KJ (Kelly)

5/151980: I was getting ready to graduate B.Ed. from QUB. I was 34 y/o, and had gone back to college as a mature student with 2 young children. Fortunately, I had the full support of my DH and in-laws. My DMiL, Elsie, was especially helpful. I remember watching the shocking TV reports on the eruption.

Kim: Go get''me! You're a godsend to that place. I'm sure that you can do this! I hope they appreciate what you have undertaken.

Machka: 😍 'For the longest time' 😂We got a moat! Ours is called the Irish Sea 🌊 🌊 🌊 Unfortunately, we had a lot of holidaymakers idiots who were allowed to rush home from skiing in Italy/sunning themselves on the Mediterranean before we pulled up the drawbridge.

Good morning, ladies!

Kim - I hope you can hear me applauding from here. The phrase "Lead, Follow, or Get out of the Way" has been attributed to several people. I'll add you to the list. Go forth boldly!

Kelly - Your focaccia was a work of art. Made me grab my bread book. I still want to be one of your "kids", lol.

Machka - I also have a deviated septum, not to the extent you have though. I am crossing fingers the surgery gets you opened up. Thank you again for the lovely photos of your area.

Lisa - always a good feeling to reaffirm you're working at a particular job because you want to, not because you have to.

Barbara - communication between doctors offices and labs must be non-existent. Seems like the only one of mine they haven't messed up in the last 5 years was the fecal occult blood test, perhaps that's because Medicare paid it. Glad to hear you got a beach walk in with Joe.

Our little county has really flattened the curve, maybe one or two new cases every week but now it's people in their 20's, 30's, 40's. Very low percentage of tests coming back positive, so colds, allergies, other influenzas are making the rounds.

OK. I don't recall that I picked my "word" at the beginning of this year. (Newbies - many of us choose to pick a word describing a goal, or a state of mind, a touchstone, etc. - Barbie, do I have this right?)

But one finally came to me yesterday. Resilience. I think some of you may have chosen it already? Seems appropriate more than ever right now.

Dog time so I gotta get going.

Make it a good day.

Lanette
Cool & cloudy SW WA State

Congratulations Terri on a marvelous weight loss!

Michele, this opening is so confusing! The news covers Philadelphia and New Jersey and Maryland, but seldom Delaware. So I don't know what's open where. Cuomo was talking about open beaches in a few states, just before Memorial day but never said Delaware. We are still ordered to stay home except for essentials until June 1. Last I heard cases are still rising so I am staying home with my elderly parents. Except for walking locally.

Annie in Delaware

so much for giving my legs a break yesterday... the train was going to be 45 min to take me to tacoma, so i rode home, long *kitten* uphill. ugh...

Michele, I actually canceled my gym subscription shortly after the beginning of confinement. (I had already stopped going for a couple of weeks). Now they are closed and not opening soon. they didn't even automatically refund or stop payment if not requested, or refund at all, from closing till request. I presume I could have haggled a lot to get a refund of a couple of weeks but it didn't seem at all worth it. At first there was a sign asking people not to cancel subscriptions out of solidarity but when I asked if the employees were all still being paid they didn't answer clearly. it's a national chain with countless branches. They tried to get me to stay a member.

Heather > Don't blame you for not wanting to get on the bus. I am 51 and I seem to be on Icelands VIP list.. I think that is because I am a valued customer more than anything else.

Rebecca > That is a huge lego city!! It looks amazing Looks like he is really good with his hands

Marybeth > Oh she does serious face really well!! lol But she can do happy face as well

Barbara > Thank you so much for the tip I am waiting on some of the powder Karen mentioned. Will see if it works, will let you know if it does

Sue in WA > I will let you know if it works for me hun You being in the US you can probably get the brand she mentioned. I went for a different one but same idea

Rebecca > Love the older pic of Athena.. I love the perspective of the image

Lisa in AR > Thank you so much!! I love your kitty .. so cute

machka > Oh I'm sure it will be a huge difference (i'm sure it will be life changing) I cannot even imagine what that must be like to feel like you are breathing through a straw. That would totally send me into a panic attack. I have sleep apnea and if I lay down without the mask for a few minutes it makes me feel panicked. Used to have so much air forced into my lungs and have had it for a very long time.

I can't even imagine how frightened you must have been when he woke up not know if he would remember you. Doctors always give the worst case scenario in hoped it will be better. It must have been such a relief! He can still do things with you even if it was not like he could before. He is so blessed to have you as his wife

Ohhh love the pic!! I don't convert to black and white that often as I am a colour girl but do love some black and whites.. Love that image, the light play is great! To me it gives the image quite a sinister feel

Love Tonya UK xx

Randie smilie faces

p 52

Welcome Newbies!

Tracey Another adorable child…this group is really blessed with terrific kids!!! As I read your comment about weight gain “disgusted with myself” jumped off the page at me. How are we so terribly hard on ourselves???

Kim Thank you for the insight on my “fear”. Much like how I felt reading Tracey’s post, I imagine. You are quite right. And I will carefully reword and rethink my thoughts on my own weight gain. Also, what incredible insight as you looked over the lives of our parents and grandparents. My grandparents were born late 1800’s (one was born 01/01/01 which I always thought was super cool). My parents were born in the 1920s. Also, my Dad was born into some money where my Momma was a poor farm girl. It is interesting to go back over what they lived through compared to my living through Woodstock, Zero Population Growth, and Give Earth A Chance…life was quite a bit easier for me!! I know that is oversimplified but being a Baby Boomer was easy in many ways. There were tough things to growing up with abuse, friends going to Viet Nam, and times of being a single mom, but certainly not the life-threatening things our parents and grandparents went through so much of the time right at home. I hate that my children have lived through fear of terrorist attacks and mass shootings, but statistically, although they have lived through fear, none have been in an active shooter situation.
Also, how fortunate people at your work have you to step up and help them! Amazing how different life is as we do things for others out of kindness of heart rather than just earning a paycheck! Shame on management for not stepping up to the plate, but how blessed they are that you have the skills and ability to help them at this difficult time!

SuzyQ So glad you got yourself the hose roller! I remember my days struggling with hoses in FL…wish I had gotten one! Glad you are being good to yourself and sounds like you had a wonderful birthday. So proud of the great choices you made!

Tonya Oh, I’m so sorry I got confused! There are so many of us “older chicks” in here, I sometimes forget some of you still have young ones at home!! I am 63 and my youngest (Daddy to bath time baby) is 26, so I am past the children and well into the grandchildren…

Terri Thank you for your answer to my rant! Could not agree with you more! And thank you for the leniency for a bit of stockpiling…lol!

Rita Seems you and Brownie would be well to cuddle together when you don’t want to get up!! Good self-care!

Jaxgma Great looking troupe!!

Rebecca I just want to swoop Athena up and give her a big hug! Such a cutie!!

Everyone stay healthy!!! and non-contagious hugs! Luci in WNC

I ordered a couple of presents for my son's birthday coming up in June. Some pistachio oil and a tin of confit de canard. The oil is very expensive, but it is in Paris too, where I first bought it years ago. I think he will love it! Pretty tin.

Then I buzzed DH's hair and trimmed his eyebrows and ears. He looks very smart now.

Photocopied my passport to send off to my new savings account, and then took it round to the post box. Couldn't resist the deli and found my very favourite cottage cheese. Bought two containers. Having it with avocado for my snack.

The problem here is we haven't got enough pickers for the seasonal fruit and veg. Even though the unemployment numbers are huge, not everyone is suitable and not everyone wants to work and live on a farm for six months. Normally the pickers come from Eastern Europe, but they are not able to travel easily. Some have been flown over by private charter.
I hope not too much will go to waste. I love to buy local, British produce.

Katla - We have had so many important money earners for the city cancelled. First the marathon, then the Arts Festival and in August it's Pride. Hundreds of thousands of people come and spend money in the hotels, pubs, bars and restaurants. Those are still all shut of course. To say it's a disaster is an understatement.

Will row this pm after my snack. Tonight's dinner is porcini filled ravioli, with peas and homemade pesto. Plus a BIG helping of British asparagus. Dessert is stewed pears with salted caramel sauce and homemade yogurt. AF pink wine.

Love Heather UK xxxxxxxx

barbiecat wrote: »

This is how we feel, too. It doesn't matter what additional businesses are open, we will continue to limit our going out to our yard, wide empty neighborhood streets, and essential shopping (I had to think hard before shopping for potting soil and a plant at the one grocery store I visit--were they really "essential").

Barbie in NW WA

Us too!

We didn't go to shops for 14 days up to last Thursday. We went outside a little bit but that was it. Thursday we had to pick some things up, and now it has been almost another week without going to the shops.

We will have to go on Thursday, I think. My husband will likely need soil ... he's putting in a garden bed with spring bulbs so that they'll all come up and bloom in August/September.

---

I mentioned some of the things my husband "lost" in the accident. One of the things he didn't lose was his procedural memory ... the memory of how to do the things he used to know how to do well. They told me he would lose that and that they would have to teach him how to use a spoon and pencil and things ... but he had absolutely no difficulty with things like that.

So for example, he can still ride a bicycle because riding a bicycle is indeed "just like riding a bicycle"!

And he has done some form of gardening for decades, so that memory is mostly still there. He will struggle with the names of the plants and tools and things, but he knows what they are.

So he's got a couple greenhouses ... one small and one larger. And several raised beds and pots of various sizes, and then also some areas where he is planting in the ground.

This is his small greenhouse, our patio area with a grape vine climbing up, some of the pots, and one of the in-ground gardens. Actually two in-ground gardens ... there are snowpeas along the fence at the back too.

This was taken in summer so it looks a little different now. He planted 10 or 12 pots with tomato plants and they live in the patio area now. They have been producing a massive quantity of little cherry tomatoes. The snowpeas, carrots and silverbeet have all been harvested so those gardens are empty, but I think he's preparing them to plant potatoes.




We've also got fruit ... two apple trees which did impressively well this year, three raspberry bushes (which haven't produced yet ... maybe this summer!) and a whole bunch of little strawberry plants in planters around the front step railing that seem to be doing all right.

Gardening isn't really my thing, but I think it's great that he enjoys doing it and can work at it at his own pace.


So during this shutdown time, I've been inside (mostly) writing papers and doing database work and he's been out in the garden.

I do try to go out at least once a day to see what he's done ... he shows me around ... and since we got Rhody, he walks Rhody around the yard in the morning, and I go out with Rhody in the afternoon.

It has been all right.


Machka in Oz

Allie: Faith will be so lucky to have you! 🌹🌹🌹

Ah went over my calories today. felt a little, then more stressed about work. not unhealthy food at all, just too much for WL, with minimal exercise and low metabolism. (I just went for about 30 min walk today, about 20-25 min speed walking good rhythm- wearing hrm).


wish me luck.
- w work
- w staying under top calories.