WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR NOVEMBER 2025

Hey all

Im going to go get my haircut this afternoon. Because of the meds im taking

And this isn't all of them ,Im getting a pixie haircut,I'll have to get it cut more often. But I'll be ok

Tracey - will your MIL see any proceeds from the sale of her house on Nov. 20th? It's great that you have Brodey in the family with his medical background so he and Kaitlyn can help MIL navigate the doctor visit. I wonder if MIL is surprised to see that there's family who really care about HER and not what they can get from her through underhanded means. I think it would take me a while to deal with my anger toward SIL seeing at how MIL was taken advantage of, and maybe some guilt for not stepping in sooner. But you didn't really know until you saw first hand. It did take your visit to really see how things were for her. Hard to deal with parental issues when we are hundreds, maybe thousands of miles away. So grateful my sister lived close and looked in on our folks as they got older.

Melanie - That provincial park sounds very nice, hope you had a nice walk there. Sorry you're in the middle with the sisters. Hope the dinner at dad's with the other sister goes OK. I'm sure you're looking forward to being back home. I'll bet Stormi (and your DH!) miss you!

Tina - I feel pretty lucky I get along well with my siblings too. They have enough problems with their own families too. Hope the job works out OK for you. I wonder if those pops you are hearing are just the joints in your spine. If I twist I get a couple pops sometimes.

Allie - wow, those pills make your hair grow? Bet your haircut will be cute.

Heather - sorry John is having painful problems, hope this gets better quick. That moussaka sounds delicious, I've had it a few times and loved it. Enjoy the visit with DSIL.

Yesterday I posted a short video about ten foods that help with blood sugar. The last one was garbanzo beans. I had several cans in the pantry and decided to start throwing some on my nightly salad. NOT a fan, so won't continue. Like hummus a lot better.

But, this morning I ran across recipes in Facebook reels using pink lentils and garbanzo beans as flour substitutes in making pizza, quick breads and pancakes, waffles, etc. I'm going to give them a try one of these days. Protein and fiber, right? Here are some links if interested:

Another big wind and rain happening right now, just when I'm getting ready to go out and tend the chickens. I dug around in the closet and have an old raincoat I can wear, it's actually too good for chicken/garden work but it will have to do for now. Wal-Mart has rain jackets and I'll check them out tomorrow.

Lanette😎

Wet SW WA State

It's a short pixie cut, the meds are doing a number on hair loss, so.figured I would just keep it short

My friend sent this to me on FB

Today, we had 4 double-glazed windows installed … replacing our single-glazed windows in the main living area.

Here's a couple windows in a "before" image - yes, these ones opened but had no screens so we didn't open them.

And the after - single panes of double-glazed, eco-friendly glass which does not open (except for the sliding door, of course. It is now a double-glazed sliding door). Yep, we had to move a lot of furniture out of the way. And it rained all day, but fortunately only a light, steady rain.

We've had a wonderfully quiet evening!! The double-glazing does block out noise. And although it is quite cool outside - one of our coldest evenings in a while - I have the heat on a lower setting than I did during winter.

Busy week, this past week.

Machka in Oz

Tracey - I like the idea of impermanence in art. I like it a lot, actually. Partially because I have a huge struggle even using the term "art" in what I make. I do call it that, but that's because there is no other word for it, honestly. Probably also a bit of what Heather's daughter wrote about - impostor syndrome (or imposter syndrome, both are correct). It took me until my mid-50s before I would say out loud that I was a writer, and I'd already written two books!

However, the largest part of it is that, much like my writing, the action of painting is what is most important to me, not the reaction by other people. I find people's reactions to either my art or my writing interesting, but don't take them personally at all - because you're not judging the action, you're judging the output. And the output, as Bob Ross would say, is just a "happy little accident."

So the fact that the painting will end up in a landfill someday simply doesn't matter to me. Kinda makes me happy because it violates the concept that all "art" is permanent, to be treasured and hung on a museum or gallery wall. Also satisfies my imposter syndrome's determination that it probably started out as something that should be thrown away.

That was far too long an explanation - but it was buried pretty deep. Had to excavate it. 😂👀🤷🏻‍♀️ Thanks for asking. 🐈‍⬛

Love,
Lisa in AR

My dad woke up yesterday to tell me he had gotten up to go to the bathroom through the night only to discover his toe was bleeding profusely. He managed to bandage it up and go back to sleep. In the morning he wanted me to remove the bandage and put a band aid on. He pulled up his pant leg and his leg from his knee down was purple from bruising. His arms are also black and blue. I told him his blood thinner meds were too high and this was dangerous as he had no trauma to that area. He told me that the dose could not be adjusted. I told him it absolutely could! Like I have no idea about meds! Finally agreed to go into a clinic. His toe had literally split open from the internal bleeding. Doctor told him to go completely off the blood thinners for a few days then halved his dose. I told him he needs to see his GP to get his meds reviewed and sorted out and his cardiologist about how to balance the blood thinner so that he's not bleeding like that but yet not potentially causing a cardiac event. You know what he said? Relax, it's no big deal. Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!! Fine- then manage it yourself. I told him if he continued to not take care of himself he would no longer be able to live on his own. Home care is coming for the next few days to change bandages and keep an eye on it.

My oldest sister was over for dinner at his place last night and let us know she is having a lung lobe removed because they found cancer. Think they caught it early. She has at least stopped vaping. She is constantly talking about evil big pharma, but I am pretty sure pharma will be involved in her surgery and recovery. I hope all goes well for her. She is only 68.

Headed home this morning. Missing the crew.

Tina- I am with a big corporate company. Some good - pension, full medical and dental, stock options, health and wellness provision (pays for 3 pairs of Hokas a year 🙂), year end bonus. Things I never had in practice. Down sides are they let people go, often on a whim, upper management often keeps you in the dark and sometimes expectations are not aligned with industry. I hope it works out for you.

Lanette- thank you for the good thoughts. My DH says Stormi misses me. She has been sleeping in the front porch with the big dogs instead of in her bed in our room. He has been calling it a sleepover 😅

Allie- cute do 💁🏻‍♀️

Barbie- those umbrellas can be vicious 😬 almost as dangerous as the vacuum (they scatter when it's on in my house).

Take care of yourselves 💕

Melanie, Alberta

Machka - I love the new windows and door.

Carla - Thank you. I agree that I’m probably sick right now because I let myself get worn down. I very rarely ask anyone for help but I did last night. A friend is going to Costco for me for some totes and I have called upon my daughter for help in organizing tomorrow and Sunday.

I think once her stuff is out of there safely I’ll feel much better. I’ll feel even better when they know she’s chosen to stay here as I won’t be worrying about the reactions and imagining the worst. The unknown gets me every time.

Lisa - Thank you for taking the time to dig deep. I understand it. I call my work crafting and Rodger and artist because he designs it’s funny how our brains make us think about ourselves.

I am awake and feeling pretty well, I thought about getting up to go to work but have decided against it. I think I need the break.

Tracey in Edmonton

Okay… taught myself how to replace the screen fabric in a window screen, and that no matter how you try, you can't make a three-foot-wide roll of screen fit a four-foot wide window screen. Neither took long to learn, in all honesty. But I got three finished, and the other three big ones can wait. It's not hard to do, just hard on your hands. Pleased to add it to my list of things I no longer dread doing, though.

Time for the elliptical, because I may have worked my upper body a lot but the legs still need some work. Then a shower.

Later, y'all,
Love,
Lisa in AR

When I left work Wed. there was very little. They usually get a delivery on Thurs. I remember when I first started there I mentioned to the store mgr that I was concerned for the customer that we didn’t have product. They just continued ordering just enough. Well.,.,.,not my business. As long as I get my paycheck, that’s what I care about. Well, not really, I do care about the customers but I also know that there isn’t anything I can do. Well, when I went in today there still wasn’t anything. Seems the truck never came yesterday. One of the things I will never understand about BK is how it is more financially feasible to order not enough product then have to go to the store to buy, say, lettuce. I would think BK would get a bulk discount. Anyway...the store mgr mentioned to me that they should order at least one more (like one more box of tomatoes, one more box of cheese, etc). But I am sure they’re going to go right back to just ordering the bare minimum

Tracey – HUGS AND MORE HUGS

pip – are you anywhere near stingray? Bet you can give her pointers about running

Made more magic cookie bars. Actually, I wanted to use up these butterscotch chips that I had

Lisa – it’s supposed to get really really cold Monday. We’re probably going to have Thanksgiving here. Need to get a menu together.

Continuing to take Ganon for a walk. Today (Fri) I took him on the collar and he was fantastic! He hates that harness, I think that’s all

When I go into BK first thing in the a.m. I cleanout the “break room”. You won’t believe the things I find –food, drink, spilled drinks. How hard is it to put your garbage in the garbage can? Well, these are kids working in the evening. Anyway, one day there was a coat hanging up so I put it with the other coats. Do you know that someone took the other coats off the hook, dropped them on the ground, took their coat, and left the other ones on the ground? Really? You couldn’t pick them up? So I just did.

Melanie – I would use my crockpot, but I use one of those liners. I’m really not into letting the crock soak and then washing it. Anyway, J&C don’t like food cooked in the liner. So for that reason I’m avoiding the crockpot. If they didn’t mind, I’d use it a lot more. I made pulled pork in the IP for them when they first came here. I’m looking for a good chili recipe for the IP. Vince doesn’t feel that soup is a meal, just an appetizer. One thing I’m thinking of is soup and a grilled cheese sandwich (Jess brought mayo that I want to use up). I’m getting more and more where I use what we have. Like that huevo ranchero thing I made last night, I put this chicken we had frozen in it along with turkey sausages. Really, no one knows.

Tina – I avoid pasta dishes only because Jess likes to make some sort of pasta on Fri. Then again, I’ve made chili pasta, so I guess I could make some

Went to the soup kitchen today. Looks like I’m going to be in the kitchen mostly. Anyway, there has been an increase in the number of meals served. But not as great as I feared, so that’s good. Then again, are people finishing up what they had from before SNAP was discontinued? Guess we’ll see what next week brings. I did give them my donation. Tried to call BK about the grant, hoping to speak to someone in accounts payable but, again, “there’s no one who can take your call”. So I sent an email. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see if that produces any results. I would like to know if at least the program has been discontinued.

Tracey – I’m sure you’re making MIL feel loved and wanted so very much. There’s a special place for you in heaven. Honestly, I couldn’t never understand why someone would steal from someone else – especially family. I’m guessing that if MIL doesn’t see anything from the sale of the home, no one else will. Karma

Allie – adorable cut

Melanie – NO BIG DEAL??????

shhhh...Denise called Vince (I was out walking Ganon) and said they put in an offer for a house. She sent Vince a link about it, it looks really nice. I never could understand why Pete’s mom even suggested that place! This place looks really nice. I just hope that they’re not needing the $$ from the sale of the place they are in now in order to buy that place. She doesn’t even want us to say anything to Pete. But she did tell us.

The other thing she was saying is that her cat has kidney problems. Seems the cat was peeing around the house so that’s why Denise took her to the vet. Vince told Denise that Lexi had kidney failure, but we gave her special food (not inexpensive at all but Jess was able to get it at 50% off for us because she was in school, they had some sort of agreement with Royal Canin) and lived for 3 or 4 more years. Well...her cat is up in years, so it’s not totally unexpected. I think the cat is probably around 17 or 18.

Need to get on the stick, take a shower and get ready for work tomorrow.

Michele NC

We are really enjoying the silence in our main room. It's like being in a Canadian house again!

I actually turned the TV down a bit last night.

I have hearing loss/issues which is particularly bad if there are 2 competing noises like wind outside and the TV or conversation at other tables in a restaurant and the conversation I am trying to have at my table or the radio on in the car while my husband is giving navigational directions. I'm in that borderline area where it is too soon to get hearing aids but the loss is noticeable.

So last night, with no competing noises from outside, I was actually able to turn the TV down a couple clicks! And I have music on right now, but it is at about half the volume I had it before.

Heather - why are you reluctant to have your knee looked at? I know it has bothered you for a long time, but things change in the medical world. New treatments, new ways of dealing with things. Joints don't improve with exercise in general. First they need rest and a way to bring the inflammation down. Then they need the right type of exercise. We are machines. Everything has to be lined up right for a machine to work well. If something is off, there's friction which results in problems of some sort. If you are doing exercise that is creating a problem, you'll continue to have problems. Personally, I'd arrange an MRI to find out what the problem is.

On Grocery Costs - I've noticed in the last few months that our grocery costs have dropped significantly. For a while, I was spending $300 each week for 3 weeks, then on the 4th week, it would be about $250 = $1150/4 weeks. Now I'm spending about $200 each week for 3 weeks, and on the 4th week, it's about $300 = $900. That's a good reduction! I'm not sure if we're eating less or prices are coming down.

Lisa - I like the refrigerator mural.

Reminds me of the piece The Lark Ascending (Vaughan Williams). A beautiful piece of music. There are lots of YouTube videos if you want to listen to it.

Lisa - I'm with you. I'm never bored but occasionally wish that I could be so caught up with everything that I do feel bored. Meanwhile, there is always about 150 things to do.

I couldn't live in a house without big windows. Our previous place had even bigger ones than we have here, but we get more sun here … which is another reason we wanted to go with double glazing. Sun is good but it does get hot.

I couldn't compete with Bessel van der Kolk. 😊 But if I were to write a book on trauma, I think I'd focus more on what to do about it. Not that I'm an expert, but it is an area I've started researching more.

Walk/running a full marathon is still one of my goals. I've run (and walked a little bit) a half marathon, but have not attempted the full distance yet.

Tina - Frequently. Every time I stretch. It's all right …

https://www.healthline.com/health/back-cracking

Hugs to Tracey, Melanie and others dealing with aging family members.

Machka in Oz