We are up to 68 right now. It's only going to go up to around 72, really nice.

It's so hard when you see something that needs doing and you know you will pay for it later if you do it! I hope that you will get stronger as you get stuff done and it won't hurt so much to do it! Praying for you. Good on you for using your machine. A little bit every day will make a difference.

So far no side effects from the new med. I did get a note from the pharmacist about taking the new med with my metoprolol, so I am watching my BP and my pulse to make sure they don't get too low. I'm taking both right and left sides as well. This morning I was: L = 111/64 and R = 102/60. My pulse has been between 56 and 77, which is lower than normal. When I move around and do something it will go into the 80's and 90's and I often see those numbers before I take my Metoprolol. It may mean, if this med works, that I won't need to take the Metoprolol! Woohoo! I've been on it for at least 17 years.

Well, I'm going eat some turkey casserole for lunch and take my new pill and then rest for a couple hours before I get back on the computer and do some more studying. Love you

I like carrots, peas, corn, mushrooms and raw spinach. I can handle broccoli if it's covered with butter and cheese! LOL! Oh, Longhorn Steakhouse has some really good brussel sprouts, roasted with honey! Yummers. Cabbage is supposed to be really good for you. I like coleslaw and sauerkraut too - without the caraway seeds! Mostly I just do my veggie/fruit multi vitamin and sometimes my green powder. I need to start doing smoothies again as well. Maybe I will do a small one for my snack (which is around 5:30-6, then I quit eating so I don't aspirate when I go and lie down.) I have been having trouble with my voice and thought about nodules, which doesn't make sense because I don't overuse it - but, then I thought of aspirating stomach acid and if that acid could affect my vocal chords, and it can. For as long as I have had GERD and reflux, it's very likely that it's affected my vocal chords - but finding out for sure means seeing another doctor. Hey, maybe the new GI doctor I am going to see will have some answers for that. I don't know if she'll do an endoscopy and then could see the vocal chords, but she should know if they can be affected. If it's affected my lungs, surely it's affected my chords!

Not much else going on with me. Trying to stay warm on the cold days, and cool on the warmer days. It's that time of year when I either have to layer and then take away when it warms up, or just change when it gets too warm for a sweatshirt. I need to switch my clothes out really soon!

Have a great day!

Amen! we are very blessed.

I enjoy watching this YouTube show from HERD. It's about a herd of elephants who were saved, orphans brought in and eventually over time mothering their own. One of their most talked about elephants, Limpopo recently went berserk and killed one of the Carers - Israel. He'd been there for at least 17 years and loved by everyone. She rammed a tree he was sitting under and then impaled him with her tusk. She's been one of the most calm and serene of the elephants so no one has any idea why she did this. He wasn't even anywhere near her and would never taunt the elephants. I just boohooed during both of the videos I saw, one for Limpopo and one for Israel. Then there was a short one about Israel's family coming to the Elephant care center and hugging on and petting the elephants. I'm so glad that they were careful, but not afraid! They had to put Limpopo down. I'm sure her mother and the little one's she has been a surrogate mother to are missing her. I know you just couldn't wait to here that news 😉but it was part of my week and made me sad. This happened just a month ago too. Boohoo.

Taking my new meds, keeping an eye on my BP and pulse too. Nothing yet, but it could be quite awhile. Other than that, not much else going on. Wade is working on redoing our "hallway", the entryway from the back yard and the side yard, leads to the garage and the freezer room too. It has a fireplace at one end as well, really pretty, but not much you can do with it! I'll take a picture when it is done! We just have to paint the dry wall he just finished putting up, the paneling type stuff at the bottom of the wall, and then put down the flooring. We left one wall with the wood that was under the paneling the previous owner had put up. We stained it, but are also thinking about putting up those fake stone panels, they just have to be a deal! I like that rustic look.

Well, I'll let you get back to either work or resting! Love you

How did you get that picture of me while I watched that video?! I'm awful with things like that. I remember going to a friend's father's funeral when I was in high school. I had never met his father - and I think I was the only one sobbing in there! People kept looking at me. My dad had to take me outside for awhile at my grandmother's viewing when she passed. I don't think we went to the funeral, at least I didn't. Wade wonders how I can watch these dog rescue shows, but I know there will be a happy ending so it doesn't bother me that much - it's the sad endings that get me.

Oh you are so describing the perfect day to cuddle up under a blanket and read a good book - finding a good one isn't so easy these days. I have some favorite authors, mostly fantasy and historical; I love reading or listening to the missionary bios as well. I'm listening to MARY SLESSOR, QUEEN OF THE CALABAR. She was a wee little Scottish gal who went to Africa, all alone, and pretty much stayed alone through out her ministry there. She was a firecracker though and stood up to the chiefs and worked to abolish the wicked practices that they had. She became one who sat in judgment at their palavers and they listened whenever she handed down a judgment. Love these stories. I think that her story is my favorite though.

Tomorrow is supposed to be our fellowship meal after service. Some folks haven't been feeling too well though, so not sure if we will still do that. It has been a rough month. I'm still in pain as well. OOOPs, forgot to take my new med at lunch time. Gotta go and get that done!

Love you very much.

Good afternoon my lovely ladies. I hope that your day has been good so far! I'm feeling a little bit less pain than I had been feeling - praise the Lord!

We have some strong weather out there, wind and rain; but so far no flooding. Keeping an eye on the hurricane that is now in Jamaica - category 5 - Whoowee! Hopefully it will head east and away from us.

Trying to stay warm though, and my Dr Heaters do great for that job when it's not cold enough to start up the fireplace, but chilly enough I need something to cut through it.

Wade is doing great with our hallway. He has the beadboard up and the walls pained a beautiful blue-gray color and now he is getting all of the trim up. Then he will get the floor down and it will be a beautiful room - what we will use it for I don't know, but it sure is pretty! LOL! He might use it for his music room or a study area. The previous owner used it for an office.

Well, I'll let you get back to resting or whatever you have been doing. I love you

Oh, what a joy you are. Loved your response to a ringing phone - I've said pretty much that same thing too! Love the picture, what a smile-maker!

A televisit is like a Zoom meeting. You can choose not to be seen, but I usually like to see her face and her see mine, then she can see how I'm really feeling. I think that your doctors would want you in front of them because you are not in front of them very often!

I put the five I have through November and December on my phone with a warning the day before and then one two hours before - except the one that is at 8 AM, don't want to know about that one at 6 AM - LOL.

Oh here's a rib tickler for you (I've had it up before):

Those are my plans for the weekend! Love you

I cannot believe how strong my hair and nails are, they both grow really fast too - but my skin is super dry. I need to lotion it every night. I'm not taking care of my skin as I need to having both lymphedema and lipedema, but I'm not getting the skin issues that both of those can cause. Not being able to take a shower really doesn't help either. I tried a couple of times using one of those slide in benches, but it took so much energy to get in and out (even with help), and I still have to get my legs over the tub edge. Then getting dressed again, my heart rate would go up and I had trouble with my breathing - just isn't worth the effort. I am trying to use the wipes more often though. Gonna be hard during the winter when everything is covered up all the time! Gotta catch it when I change for the night (I wear what I'm going to wear the next day when I go to bed - usually lounge pants and a sweatshirt during the winter; a t-shirt and my loose gauchos in the summer).

Whooweee, it was 47 when I got up this morning. Wade is trying to smoke a Boston Backend; in these temps he struggles to keep the temp up where it needs to be. It may end up in the oven or crock pot, although it is quite large.

Well, it's lunch time. Not sure what I'm going to have though. Love you!

Oh yeah! I'm glad Wade does the buying and the cooking. He enjoys cooking, I don't. He likes his food one way and me the other. I like well done fries, he likes them barely with color; I like moist mac and cheese (which we almost never have anymore) and he likes it dry. I like sweet cornbread, he doesn't (so if he makes it he sprinkles sugar on top of mine). Wow, all of those are carbs! LOL! Oh, I like a well done hot dog, he doesn't! But those can be done according to likes. Mom like her hotdogs very well done! LOL!

I'm going to try the chicken pizza crust for lunch, and add some pizza sauce and pepperoni! Yummers. I'll try to do a house walk this afternoon since the pain is gradually lessening and it's pretty good today.

Rest, girl, rest! Those times of pain need rest and tender care. Love you

I don't think I like your new managers very much. They need Jesus in their hearts so they can find some kindness and respect for others. Something to pray about.

Woke with a headache this morning and it's lingering. Time to take some meds. I just took one of my 650 mg Acetaminophen tablets (strong warning not to take more than one every four to six hours; and to think, I've been taking 1500mg to warn off a headache - my arthritis doc was very concerned with that although my NP said that I still wasn't taking the recommended dose for the full day, so it should be fine.) I'll see if it touches the headache with just one and if not I'll take another in two hours, that way there is still some of the first tablet in me!

I did get some walking in yesterday, but my torn gluteus maximus muscle started hurting as did my shoulders and leg, so I quit at around 400 steps. I'm going to try to walk in place and see if that helps - no corners to go around in, and that is what seems to cause the most pain in my leg. I see the arthritis doc on the 11th of this month to see how the new med is working. I think it has started to work, the pain isn't as acute as it used to be and I am praising the Lord for that.

Well, I'm going to get some lunch. I did the chicken pizza crust with pizza sauce, pepperoni and parmesan on top - it was good but definitely needed to be thinner and cooked in the oven!

Love you