WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR SEPTEMBER 2025

Margaret - That's lovely!

Barbie - Sounds absolutely wonderful. Love watching you rearrange your world.

I'm throwing on a couple bits of clothing and taking my raincoat with me, and heading into town. I dilly-dallied on Saturday and did not get my friend's cardigan in the mail on Saturday… but chances are good it wouldn't have even made it into the nearest large postal facility until today anyway, so I'm going to drive it over there. It's only a half hour drive.

And, since I moved a lot of our stuff around to get the to-be-painted spare bedroom cleared, I had a few more things go in the donation box, so I'll take that and drop it at Goodwill.

Then scurry back to my hidey-hole, hopefully before the rain starts again…

Oh, did I mention that Corey brought home nearly a pallet load of new zoysia grass sod squares to put in the front yard on the bare spots? His boss told him to take it with him for free, he over-ordered on a landscaping project. Would have cost $800 for us - not that we would buy grass. But even a bag of seed is more than $100 now. But the rain couldn't have come at a better time - he got them put in on Saturday, and they'll get a nice soaking by Wednesday like three different times. Good timing!

Egg would say "hello," but is busy getting her fur dried - she loves being able to go in and out of her kitty door at will, but it does leave more than a few drips on her when it's just been raining. She is currently making little slurpy-sloochy noises on my desk… and glaring at me in between, like it's my fault.

Later,
Love,
Lisa in slightly damp Arkansas

Hi all. Hearing about rain in some of your parts makes me jealous. We are extremely dry here and running short on pasture. Will probably have to wean our calves a couple of weeks early and start winter feeding sooner which will be another added expense. Rain is so precious- if you could send some our way it would really be appreciated 😉.

My kids were pretty annoying this morning. They are getting ready to travel to Utah to sell some horses and were complaining about all they still had to do along with all the things that were needing to be done around the ranch and were being condescending to my husband as to what he needed to be doing. I think that sometimes we have done too much for them and although they want to make decisions and be more independent, they sure expect a lot of our help. When they start telling me how tired they are I have told them- you have no idea what tired is!!! Good kids and hard workers but still don’t recognize what their father and I accomplished on our own. We are happy they came back to ranch, but some days are very trying.
Looking forward to volleyball practice tonight- 2 hours of bliss for me 😊 Hoping to be ready for Wednesday’s game.

Rebecca- HA! I can imagine the sound that ball made on impact! I played some coed “fun” volley but the guys always wrecked it. Jump serves and ruthless hitting over a women’s net height 🤬 I just got out of the way.

Michele- Get Chisel’d sounds bad *kitten*! Who does those? I do a lot of Caroline Girvan programs. Starting her Iron series this week. And totally agree on the biting dog. Can never ever trust them and they can do a lot of damage. There are too many good ones out there that need homes. It’s not easy to chose euthanasia but the consequences of not can be life changing for the person that is bit.

Lanette- agreed that cortisol spikes blood glucose and it also increases insulin resistance which are both important to try to reduce in diabetics. If you are interested in reading more about insulin and the role it plays in not only blood sugar regulation but so many other body functions, there is a great book by Dr Ben Bikman titled Why We Get Sick.

Terri- A river cruise is on my bucket list. Where are you planning on taking one? Your agave plant is really cool- I have never seen one.

Margaret- looks so peaceful

Lisa- but it is your fault 🐱 Cats do no wrong 🤷🏻‍♀️

Have a wonderful day!

Melanie, Alberta

Melanie - I had someone at the local grocery ask me if I was OK and told me they'd been worried about me and my husband. I asked why, and turns out my son had told her he moved here as a "caretaker" for his parents. In reality, we said yes, he could stay in the house for a bit, because he was between jobs and homes. It was under the requirement that he was willing to do some land clearing and bush burning, etc., while we were working on getting the house renovated enough to move into. I was not happy, to say the least, and said so to him. Loudly. And at length. It really is the patronizing thing that gets you, isn't it! That's OK, they'll have kids who do exactly the same thing to them. You can picture me straining to push some rain north to you… the dry weather, while so much more comfortable for my arthritis, is just so hard on the land and the animals.

Heather - Many happy returns to Edie for her birthday! Enjoy yourselves.

Back from my quick run into town, but with an hour round trip driving, it's never that quick. Talked to daughter and husband - she was headed for physical training, a 3-mile run for 5 a.m. Army Monday morning, and my husband was headed east to do an oil change on a piece of heavy equipment called a Ditch Witch.

They weren't able to work today on a big irrigation project they're on because it was so muddy 90 miles east of us. Good time for him to get some maintenance done on the equipment - but of course, it's on a project site, so he was out in the mud getting the oil change done. I seriously go through a bottle of Spray -n- Wash every single week just for his jeans. I pour 3/4ths of a bottle right in the load with them, and use the other bit to spray his shirts, too.

Anyway - still need to get my medications put together for the week, and the last of the three loads of laundry is in the dryer now. It was a good thing I took my raincoat, because it came a frog strangler while I was in town. One of those mornings where it was too warm to wear a coat and too wet not to. Not cranking, you understand, we appreciate the rain, too. Just weird weather.

Things to do, clothes to fold, pills to sort!

Happy Monday, whether past, present or future,

Love,
Lisa in AR

Just a little thought for the day. Made me remember how much I enjoyed 'acting', as in theatre, as a child. Haven't done any since I met John.

I've passed on the bug to Bea. But you never know. :-)

What was it for you?

Heather UK xxxxxxxx

First infusion,planned 2 more,then I see the surgeon meet and greet,then I guess we will discuss what they found on ultrasound and book the surgery after that.

My calendar for the remainder of this month and Next Month is sure something..criminy

stats for the day-

Walk w/family- 1hr 29min 25sec, 10360steps, 52elev, 2.80ap, 81ahr, 96mhr, 4.30mi= 377c
Strava app= 522c
Walk home to gym- 11.04min, 1196steps, 2.90ap, .53mi= 51c
Strava app= 65c
Slow treadmill jog- 45.44min, 5.5sp for 4.10mi, last .10mi @ 8 .0sp, 139ahr, 161mhr, 166spm, 7543steps, 10.82min mi, 4.20mi= 432c
Walk gym to home- 9.55min, 2.90ap, 1292steps, .53mi= 59c
Strava app= 64c
Walk kids- 8.46min, 920steps, 1.80ap, .34mi= 60c
Strava app= 41c

Total cal 979

12591259

Hi just checking in. I am behind by 444 messages! Wow

Dad is slowly getting worse. I suspected that he quit showering but now I know because he still has a lead on his belly from his emergency room visit weeks ago. I tried talking to him to encourage showering and he got as far as losing his watch. I think I will aim for Saturday night as prep for church. But I have a huge emotional block to getting involved in his bathing. He doesn't seem to smell but he does itch. I guess the other option is a home health aide. Hmm. Time to stop burying my head in my books and face it all.

I miss horseback riding. I haven't found anything to replace it yet. I am doing yoga nidra with a friend of a friend, while my first friend's wife watches Dad. It's fun, and I enjoy the women's company, but it's not a perfect match to my beliefs. So I'm still nervous about it.

My weight is at an all time high, and my fitness/strength is terrible. Time to work on my body again. I don't think I could even get up and down off the floor to do my old dumbbellroutine.

On the bright side, the finances are good; cash flow is fine, but there are always tasks to be done.

I took Dad for a haircut yesterday, and we went out to Buffalo Wild Wings for the first time. The (fried ! ) food was great but the restaurant was so chilly. Dad has been eating less at meals and more cookies and ice cream snacks.

Anyway I miss you all! Have a great day, and may you all be happy, healthy, safe and free!

Annie in Delaware

Good morning everyone,

I am up early with a migraine, and it is a little better now. I wanted to welcome Melanie. Your job sounds exciting and rewarding. Let us know what you learned from the binge book. I tend to eat when I'm worried about my problems. When I am off work and too tired to prepare a healthy meal due to the stress of a busy night, I eat whatever is available. I used to do that at work, but now I have my lunch box prepped with healthy food to eat throughout my workday. My protein bars have the sweetness I crave. If I get a regular candy bar, it is too sweet.

My night was stressful, as I had a patient who needed to be transferred to the PICU. She is only four and had bilateral hip surgery and ended up with Rhino Entero. Then her sodium level shot up to 174, and her blood sugar level was also elevated. So, they thought she was in DI( Diabetes insipidus). Her blood was like mashed potatoes. Then I got another patient from PICU, along with my other vent patient. Then I was training someone who knows everything and told me that she would care for the most stable patient. The problem was that she was not trach-trained or vent-trained. So I had to take care of her trach care, changed her diaper, and held her when she was upset. She could have learned more by working with me on the other patients, but as a temporary trainer for her, I let her do what she felt comfortable with. I could have used her help, and she could have learned from working with me on my critical patient, as she is one of the kids who could be on the new unit. I almost fell asleep during the therapy session. I had a hard time going home. Well, my medication is taking effect. I will talk more later.

PIP, you should consider writing a book. Your story is truly inspiring, and it could help many others. My daughter, for one. My daughter felt like she didn't fit in with us. She ran away with an abusive jerk, and she self-medicated. She is still crawling her way out. I could go on. I think the light on this computer is giving me a headache. Anyway, Lenny and Kirby both sound so loving. I am glad they were such a strong integral part of your life. Now, you are lean and trim. Girl, you make being in your sixties look great.

XO,

Mo in Mississippi

Last swimming lesson today … for a while anyway.

Over the past 21 weeks, I have overcome the fear of putting my face in the water and I have learned to do the freestyle!!

Today, I even did a length at a faster speed!

I may get into intermediate level classes next winter, but over the summer, my husband and I plan to go on our own every now and then. I might even venture into natural bodies of water.

I also saw the dentist today to grind down my two new crowns a little bit. They were too high and throwing off my bite.

And of course … work.

The wind is back again.

Machka in Oz

Heather - Forgot about that question until Machka reminded me. What did I do as a child that made the hours pass like minutes? I read. I read everything, everywhere, every waking minute that I wasn't being told I had to do something else. I remember my mother yelling at me because I was trying to hang clothes on the line with one hand because I had a book in my other hand. When I was in trouble, that was my punishment. No reading, not even the back of the cereal box. Drove me batty. I wasn't an active child, and we lived too far in the country for me to have friends. But there were always books in the house - and that was when bookmobiles were a thing, as well.

Annie - Hope you can get all that figured out so you can handle it best. I don't think I could have handled dealing with my mother's body cleanliness had it got that far—and having my daughter handle mine when I was so ill a few years back was one of the harder things I've gone through as a parent. She seemed to deal with it well, but I don't how she did. But she works in healthcare, and I never did. For a reason. Home health care might be worth it - for your sake and his.

Mo - When you say it's a stressful shift, it would have probably driven anyone else to their knees. Sorry it was rough. The prospect of having help who then turns out to be a dud is particularly frustrating.

Pip - Kinda lovin' the planter tubs. They'll look beautiful with plants in them.

The house is quite silent - it's finally cool enough at night that the air conditioners can be turned off in the evenings. Will be turning them on by mid-day, though. Even though the rain's coming in, it's more of the warm stuff, 75 F (24 C) or around that, and the A/C will mostly be to dry out the air inside the house. Otherwise, everything will start feeling damp and sticky.

Need to pop into town once more, right at 9 a.m., and see if I can find a very light cream-colored fabric. First at the thrift store, see if I can find some cotton sheets that are right. I need to drop off some donations there anyway. Then if I can't find what I need there, I'll head for Hobby Lobby - fabric is 30% off this week.

Later, my dears,
Love,
Lisa in AR

Heather…Daydream as an answer to your question.

Dodge a major hail storm for both houses. In some areas golf ball size hail. Hail that size damages roofs and cars. Sorry for those the storm effects.