Ages 70+

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  • titus2cat
    titus2cat Posts: 409 Member
    Joy, do you listen to audiobooks? I find it easier to get things done if I am listening to a good book. I thought our public library was bad, but the worst I have ever been on a wait list is #36. Now that I know about you, I will never whine again!

    I made tuna burgers for lunch. Hubby’s joints are all achy, so I am trying to get more Omega 3s into him. Any advice or recipes on this would be appreciated.

    Everywhere I go, I see Christmas decorations and hear Christmas music. I just want to have Thanksgiving first. I love Christmas, but it is starting to last a bit too long.
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 500 Member
    Even in a big library system people can wait a long time in the hold queue. Used to be a librarian!
    Currently reading Demon Copperhead— only a few chapters in.
    Two hours is a long way for groceries. Being a city kid I grew up close to everything. Being in suburbia I wish things were closer, but two hours would change my whole shopping routine and my basement shelving to store everything.
    Hope your doggie will improve!
    Another walk followed by a quick shopping trip in which I once again got sticker shock.
  • titus2cat
    titus2cat Posts: 409 Member
    I loved Demon Copperhead. I grew up in the WV coalfields and could relate to everything in that book. I saw friends and relatives in every character I met!

    My daughter had a dog on phenobarbitol for seizures. He lived 10 years and was such a sweetie! I hope yours gets better. What kind of dog do you have?

    I pondered living two hours from a grocery store. As a kid, we grew most of the stuff we ate. Big garden, fruit orchard, beef cattle, hogs, chickens, milk cow. We had venison or rabbits from the hunters in the family. We canned, dried, and froze food for winter. Trips to the store were for coffee, tea, sugar and toilet paper. We even made soap and medicines. Two hours from the store would have been okay in that situation. But today, we are shopping dependent. I think I run to the store every other day for one thing or another. Sticker shock is real and there is nothing we can do about it.
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 463 Member
    My dog with the seizures is a border collie cross lab. Looks like lab but has personality of border collie. He started having seizures at a young age and has been on phenobarbital which has been very effective until the last few months. I'm hoping he doesn't require a higher dose as I know it can cause liver issues. Will just keep track and monitor him. He comes out of it very quickly and seems to be back to his normal self.

    I tried an audio book quite some time ago and didn't really care for it. I like to read as a form of relaxation and tend to read in the evenings as my day is winding down. I checked the status of my long wait list book and our little local library actually has 23 copies of this book....so even though I am 385 on the wait list, there are 23 people waiting per copy. Will be interesting to see when I actually get the book as I put a hold on it September 18th.

    The two hour grocery trip was one hour each way. We do have a closer grocery option(1/2 hour away) in our local small town but selection and price are not good. Tend to go twice a month for the longer drive and then to Costco a few times a year which is even further away.

    Checking out Demon Copperhead as always looking for good books!
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 463 Member
    Placed a hold on Demon Copperhead. On a wait list (170) and library has 5 copies. Will be several months timeline.

    Thanks for the mention. Looks like a book I will enjoy.
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 500 Member
    I read David Copperfield before starting this one and so far the parallels are interesting. I love Barbara Kingsolver’s writing. Have to read some more tonight.
    It’s been a busy day of errands and yard work, trying to rake and weed before rain comes through.
    Everything I know about gardening I learned from books and TV. My mom lived on a farm for a bit as a girl but never had her own land to garden. She would have been a great gardener given the chance.
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 463 Member
    Bit of excitement this afternoon. Guys came with the treadmill and managed to get it into the basement. Very heavy unit came unassembled in a box so they are putting it together. Said I purchased one of the heaviest units at about 400 pounds. Has a pretty wide deck so should be nice and sturdy. I had ordered a mat to put under it but the guys didn't bring it so will probably just buy something from Walmart or Canadian Tire later on. Will be ok as is for now. They suggested I don't use it until tomorrow as it is pretty cold out and will take a bit of time for the unit to adjust to indoor temps.
  • titus2cat
    titus2cat Posts: 409 Member
    Wonderful news on the treadmill Joy! I know you will be so glad to have it when the wind is whipping snow around outdoors! There is much to be said for indoor exercise when the weather is too hot or too cold.
    How will you get a mat under it if it weighs 400 pounds? That’s extremely heavy!
    We had temps in the upper sixties today but that changes tonight. Cold front is already roaring in and I can hear the wind a-ragin’! (Expression from my grandma). I am never ready for winter, but it comes anyway.
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 500 Member
    Yay treadmill! It is so heavy!
    Most of the leaves are raked now. Hubby still coughing so I was on my own.
    Decluttered the basement a bit, went for a short walk, read more DC. Weather surprisingly good, just a touch of rain. Watched a Maggie Smith movie. Such an actress, sorry she’s gone now.
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 463 Member
    Treadmill is heavy but the deck can fold up simply by pushing a lever at the bottom with your foot. The deck then goes up by hydraulics....once up, the front wheels can be unlocked and the treadmill can be moved quite easily. I tried it and can do it myself. Walked a mile on it at a slow pace (35 minutes). I will just stick to that for the next couple of weeks then gradually increase. Think my walking speed is a bit faster than what I was doing outside. The machine is very quiet and I can set up my ipad to watch a movie. It has speakers and a connection that I think should work. Was just concentrating on my speed and distance for the first time use as will take a bit to get comfortable with it. This will be a good alternative for me during our long winter months.

    Put out our bird feeders with black oil sunflower seeds a couple of weeks ago. Like to feed the birds during the winter. Had a nice flock of beautiful bohemian waxwings along with the red poll birds come in yesterday. Both species will stay all winter and then migrate further north in the spring.

    Thanks for the decluttering reminder. Have to get back to my basement in the coming days.
  • titus2cat
    titus2cat Posts: 409 Member
    I have a new birdfeeder and a bag of seed, but I have been unable to find a hanging arm that clamps onto a deck railing. Guess I need to order online. We loved watching birds at our old house and had quite a variety. Cardinals are my favorite.

    Started on unpacking my sewing room today. Found much much stuff I can donate. Half of the time, I pull domething out of a box and say “Why did I keep this?” My new formula is try to get rid of one thing for everything I keep. It is slow going and I fight not to be discouraged.

    Your treadmill sounds so nice! That fold up feature is a real game changer. Bet it gets easier every day.
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 500 Member
    I’m trying a new tactic with the birdfeeder this winter. Attached a slinky to the pole and started using hulled seeds. Both in hopes of making the feeder area less attractive to the chipmunks. Time will tell. So far so good.
    Weather was inclement so missed my walk.
    But ready to discard three boxes of files from the basement!
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 463 Member
    Good luck with your chipmunk issues. We have squirrels but they have difficulty getting at the seeds in the feeders I use. Nice to see others are also feeding. I have a crabapple tree that I planted a long time ago that I hang my feeders and suet on. It was labelled as a weeping ornamental crab when I bought it but as it grew, I didn't like the looks of the downward branches so I pruned them off and let it grow up from the center. Ended up being a nice full tree and has lots of tiny crabs on it which the birds like to feed on during the winter. Can see the tree from my livingroom window and enjoy watching the birds.

    Not much on for today. Just doing laundry and the usual housework. Had a little skiff of snow so far but the cold has settled in. Supposed to be more snow tonight which I'm sure will stay. Wonder how long this postal strike is going to last.
  • titus2cat
    titus2cat Posts: 409 Member
    Bitterly cold today. I have been worthless. Cannot allow two worthless days in a row, so tomorrow I will make myself do something about unpacking boxes in the basement.
    I eat very badly on worthless days. I confess to Cheetos consumption. How bad can I be. 🤪
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 463 Member
    Cat don’t be so hard on yourself. I’m sure we all have bad days. Good to hear you are putting it behind you and look forward to tomorrow.

    Increased my treadmill today and getting much more comfortable. My one mile took 20 minutes and ended up doing a mile and a half so pleased with that. Supposed to get a big dump of snow tonight and tomorrow. Will see what happens.
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 500 Member
    Rain all day long. No walk for me. Tomorrow will go to Y and do something there if this weather keeps up.
    I heard about the strike in Canada. Hope it gets resolved soon to everyone’s satisfaction!
    Everybody has those worthless days, but then you dust yourself off—thats how we all are surviving this long! But now I have a Cheetos craving—haven't had them in years.
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 463 Member
    Snowing here. Looks like a winter wonderland! Have had about 1/2 inch and still coming down.

    Made filling for potato perogies yesterday so that is on the agenda for this morning. Just waiting for hubby to finish breakfast then I will make the dough and we will get started. We make a good team...I roll out the dough and make the circles....he fills them and then I boil them and set them aside in a bowl to cool before bagging them up. The potato ones have potato, bacon and onions in them. Have to pick up some sauerkraut the next time we go grocery shopping as I make those also. Getting ready ahead of time for Christmas gathering.

    This postal strike is causing a problem for those in the rural areas as we don't have a choice as far as parcel delivery. Other delivery options will not deliver to a post office box and will not deliver to our door in the country. They are far apart in negotiations so unless they are mandated back to work, I'm afraid it will last awhile.
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 500 Member
    Pierogi — food of the gods.
    Finished my book today, got a tiny bit emotional about it.
    Took a small walk downtown after the rain let up. Saw a nice artists’ books exhibit. People are so creative!
    Around here it seems people are getting packages from all types of delivery services. The trucks become annoying after a while.
    But store shopping gets less and less appealing. Prices go up, there’s very little knowledgeable help, and more and more places are going for self-scanning and bagging.

  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 463 Member
    I don't like the self scanning option and avoid it if I can. Even Costco started self scanning a few months ago but offer the regular check out with a cashier too. Still reading my Fall of Giants book and it is so good. About 1/4 of the way through it....big book with 5000+ pages....due back in 7 days so will ask for an extension. I could finish it if I just sat and read for the next few days but I don't want to get into that habit and limiting my reading to the evening. The book is so well written and descriptive that you can feel what each character is going through.

    Got about 6 inches of snow yesterday so hubby is out snow blowing. He used to clear the snow with a tractor and blade but bought a snowblower about 15 years ago and it has proven to be a very good investment. Before it would take him a good 1/2 hour before he got the tractor started/warmed up. Much easier now and is able to do the driveway along with a path to the house and through the front yard to our bird feeder tree. Still uses the tractor/blade to do the other yard where the grain bins are if we need to sell any grain through the winter months.

    Cool today at minus 14 C but sunny.
  • titus2cat
    titus2cat Posts: 409 Member
    Pierogi are so good! I have never tried to make them, but sure do like to eat them!

    Went to church this morning then picked up chicken and a big salad for lunch on the way home. Temps back up in yhe 50s, so will take a walk in a little while. With moving, i didnt stop to think about Christmas shopping. Then in church this morning, someone said Christmas Eve is a month away. Yikes! I suddenly remembered I give the grandkids Advent calendars with chocolates at Thanksgiving dinner, so time to find 8 of those.
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 500 Member
    We broke down a couple of years ago and got snowplow service. We were shovel people for years, but realized it was dumb to keep doing that now we are older. Still have a roof rake if things get too deep up there, but hope we wont have to use it much.
    Pierogi —my heritage. Best show in town was watching my mom make them. I think I finally have the routine down.
    Two birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up and I am not ready for any of them.
  • titus2cat
    titus2cat Posts: 409 Member
    One of the reasons we moved to this townhouse was the fact that we are not able to tackle snow removal anymore. We had a very long driveway and shoveled it for years when we were younger. About 10 years ago we got a snowblower, but when we had icy snow, the blower wouldnt throw it. We both had falls over icy snow in the driveway. Between that and too much steep terrain to mow, it was time to turn the property over to a younger bunch. Now that the maintenance crew handles snow for us, I dont have to dread the white stuff anymore.
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 463 Member
    Cold this morning with a wind. Got up at 5:30 am to take the two dogs out...went back to bed and slept until 8:00 am (I'm usually up at 7:00) so a late start to the day.

    Need to vacuum and mop floors this morning. Still doing 1 1/4 miles on the treadmill and will increase that later this week. Need to go to town tomorrow and see if I can get a kitchen faucet as ours needs to be replaced.
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 500 Member
    Good job on treadmill. For me, a bit of swimming yesterday and a bit of a walk today.
    So far behind on cleaning around here.
    Need to get some Thanksgiving pies going.
    So upset about these potential tariffs. So many products come from Canada—it is going to be hard on my retirement budget. Many brands in my kitchen right now come from Canada. Plus, it is no way to treat our neighbor(Joy!) to the north. Maybe if you don't live in a border state you have no idea how much economic interaction there is. And tourism and cultural ties. And family ties as well. I hope cooler heads prevail. Ok, off the soapbox. Just worried and feeling helpless about it all. I hope seeing the granddaughter in less than two weeks will cheer me up.
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 463 Member
    Yes, the potential of tariffs has had an immediate negative impact as our dollar dropped to an all time low since 2020. Not good for either country. Will cost me more for my travel plans next year if our dollar keeps going down.

    Off to town this morning. Cool outside but looks so pretty with the hoarfrost on all the trees. Your Thanksgiving is coming up isn't it. Lots of prep for you...hope you enjoy your day.
  • titus2cat
    titus2cat Posts: 409 Member
    I think there will be big negotiations over these tarriffs like we had during Trumps first presidency. As a student of economics, I understand that he wants to bring America to a state of self sufficiency. I do wish, however, he would start with the most important targets. To me, this would be drugs and medical products. All that stuff comes from China. If he makes them mad and they cut us off (likely to happen) americans are left high and dry without access to needed medications. Scary scary scary.
  • titus2cat
    titus2cat Posts: 409 Member
    I confess to buying pumpkin pies at the grocery store. Still overwhelmed with unpacking and decided to do the lazy version of Thanksgiving this year. I hope the kids wont mind. Going to be chilly and rainy tomorrow. It would be really nice to have a treadmill on days like that! The option to fold it up and move it out of the way has me wondering if I can find room for one someplace.
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 500 Member
    Nothing wrong with buying pies even if you don't feel swamped. For me, I hardly ever make them because I shouldn't eat dessert period. But one day a year I can indulge in pie making.
    Never thought about meds from China but you are right.
    Going to be a low key holiday, just four of us.
    Walked in the woods today, because the weather outlook is poor for the next few days. Might have to drag my boots out soon!
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 463 Member
    Happy Thanksgiving to those celebrating. Hope you have a wonderful day.

    Picked up my faucet at Home Hardware in our local town so happy about that. Now just to get hubby to install it which may take a few days. Also was able to get a couple of jars of sauerkraut so next big project is another perogy making day. Like to make the filling the day before and let it cool in the fridge before making them. Might do it this afternoon.
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 500 Member
    Just us two for Thanksgiving due to sickness. Had our main course, then boxed up a huge care package of food and delivered it.
    Feeling draggy now. It rained all day so no walking.
    It is good to make pierogi in stages instead of doing all at once.
    Looking forward to a day of no cooking or cleaning tomorrow!