Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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Petite, If the plants are in pots, putting a couple of sheets of newspaper over them might help. A plastic sheet might help larger ones not in pots. We used to do that in Houston for the couple of freezing nights per winter.
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Beautiful sunny day here. On the cool side, but the sun is keeping it fairly pleasant. We are definitely in our cooler weather now. The light snow dust is all gone. In fact, was not able to hang around long at all once the sun got out nice and bright. Have a trip to the store planned for later. I will do the major portion at Walmart but likely stop at Aldi's for a couple of favorites I have there.
I'm not going to get a whole lot done today, but that is okay. Thurs. we go to Marion for me to have an Echogram. It is routine. Discovered in my medical records that I had not had a recent one -- so it is just to catch me up. I've had a heart murmur since the age of 8 when I had Rheumatic Fever. Had a good Pediatrician, but in this very sm. town he wasn't sure exactly how to treat it. I think he did just fine. Yrs. later the Army took me -- so I think it would not have been too bad. Still, now that I'm ahem' older -- likely it is better to keep a base-line and check now and then.
Hope you are all having a good day.
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Our day started sunny, then rained like crazy. Sun came back with wind, stayed 50.
I'm headed to dermatologist for my 2nd radiation tattoo removal procedure. I'm hoping with this 2nd treatment for them to be gone. Or that if a 3rd is necessary he can get me in before we leave for FL.
Christmas decorating usually takes place, for me, a week before Christmas. But I keep everything up thru 1/6, little Christmas, the 12th day of Christmas. Irish mom tradition. Now that we're leaving 12/29, things will go up this week and be down and put away by 12/28. A strange year indeed. It does brighten up the house, which seems great when it's dark so early.
Hope everyone had a great day.
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My German grandmother said if you didn't remove all the tree & decorations by Jan 6, you would get elves in your house. My impression was that they were not nice elves,
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Wren44, It's my Bird of Paradise I am worried about. Now Accuweather predicts a hard freeze, over 6 hrs with 27 in the morning.
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I hope it makes it. That's a hard freeze.
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I'd place a trash bag and then a quilt over that Bird of Paradise, petite1.
Our holiday dishes & linens, plus fake poinsettia, are out on the dining room table. If I want to enjoy other Christmas decor, I need only look out the front windows to the neighbors' houses across the street. We'll also take an annual "cruise" through Lincolnwood, noted for >50 years for its extreme lights & lawn ornaments. (The most famous is a house with a tree that appears to grow up three stories through the roof--it's a huge artificial tree in 3 pieces).
Tomorrow is Bob's office's annual ornament exchange. We chose a pair of small Chicago-themed ornaments: a hot dog "dragged through the garden" (i.e., everything on it) and a slice of deep-dish pizza. Wonder who'll get it and what Bob will bring home.
I'm motivated to find a highly sensitive antibody test: the CDC has revealed that there was coronavirus in the Great Lakes as far back as a year ago (and if I was exposed, it was likely on that packed flight home from London a year ago today--a week later, I came down with a fever for a day, followed by sore throat & laryngitis for 2 weeks, and a wracking dry cough till nearly New Year's Eve). Bob took an antibody test in April, but it was a standard venous blood-draw, which is less sensitive than the 5-finger-stick one. He was crestfallen to learn the antibody test was negative. But though antibodies may have faded, T-cells last a long time.
He's hoping he will be part of the first cohort of health-care workers getting the Pfizer vaccine, but he isn't working the ERs or ICUs (except via computer monitors), no longer visits nursing homes, and isn't allowed anywhere near the COVID floors. (The COVID docs aren't allowed in the doctors' lounges nor regular elevators). His possible exposure is limited to "inadvertently:" cardiology patients w/o symptoms who later get positive test results after he's seen them. Maybe his age (71) and the fact that he visits his hospitals daily will help qualify him, though.
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Started in on some holiday decorating today. Worked for The Nature Company and Smith & Hawken for about 5 years & amassed a lot of lovely glass ornaments, plus had a few left over from childhood. Shipped these to daughter to enjoy. We have a small, pre-lit tree in a lovely red ceramic pot - decorate this with small ornaments that look like holiday painted eggs. I also have several containers in which arrange small & large colored glass ball ornaments & set these & various other items out here & there. Scented candles for that CM tree smell. Will break out the Spode on CM Eve. Plaid tablecloth & red linen napkins & placemats on the table as well. Still have to dig out wreath for front door. We used to put up lights outside, but will probably not bother.
At any rate, we got about 3 inches of snow here in N. Kentucky, so it does look like Christmas today.
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Two of you wrote about "Little Christmas." Never heard the term. Love more info. Our trees were always taken down on New Year's Day but now that Debbie sends the cut one, it lasts well into Feb. I turn the lights on less often but keep it up. My sister keeps my parents tradition of Cornish hens on New Year's Day but me, not so much.
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Good morning, ladies. It is 28. I will have to trim it back, but I think it will live. It is about 15 ft tall. It is difficult to tell that from the photo. I have started using my Christmas coffee cups, but that is as far as I have gotten with that. LOL
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It's 28 here and feels like 5! After today, it will start warming up to the 50s next week. I'm too wimpy to go out for a morning walk. Using my Cubii instead. It's not the same as a walk, especially since I love the fresh air, but it's better than nothing.
Since the kids are grown and no one but DH and I in the house, I no longer put out my Chanukah decorations. We do light the Chanukiah (menorah) during the 8 nights of Chanukah, but not decorations. Maybe one day, when I'm lucky enough to have grandchildren, I can pass the decorations to my children.
Have a great day.
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Taco1946: Here you go:
Little Christmas (Irish: Nollaig na mBan, lit. 'Women's Christmas'), also known as Old Christmas, is one of the traditional names among Irish Christians and Amish Christians for 6 January, which is also known more widely as the Feast of the Epiphany, celebrated after the conclusion of the twelve days of Christmastide. It is the traditional end of the Christmas season and until 2013 was the last day of the Christmas holidays for both primary and secondary schools in Ireland.
Owing to differences in liturgical calendars, as early as the fourth century, the churches of the eastern Roman Empire were celebrating Christmas on 6 January, while those of the western Roman Empire were celebrating it on 25 December.
In October 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar as a correction the Julian calendar, because the latter has too many leap years that cause it to drift out of alignment with the solar year. This has liturgical significance since calculation of the date of Easter assumes that spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere occurs on 21 March. To correct the accumulated error, he ordained the date be advanced by ten days. Most Roman Catholic countries adopted the new calendar immediately and Protestant countries followed suit over the following 200 years. In particular, the British Empire (including the American colonies) did so from 1752 with the Calendar (New Style) Act 1750, by which time the divergence had grown to eleven days.[a] This meant that Christmas Day on 25 December ('New Style) was eleven days earlier than it would have been but for the Act, making "Old Christmas" [25 December ('Old Style')] happen on 5 January (NS). In February 1800, the Julian calendar had another leap year but the Gregorian did not, moving Old Christmas to 6 January (NS), which coincided with the Feast of the Epiphany.
For this reason, in some parts of the world, the Feast of the Epiphany, which is traditionally observed on 6 January, is sometimes referred to as Old Christmas or Old Christmas Day.
Source: Wikipedia
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Really interesting. Thanks Betrayal.
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Even at 12 degrees, Tippy would be very distressed if we didn't take our walk. I have started wearing my AFO, because my right ankle seems to be going on strike sooner and sooner on walks. I suspect it will never get better. Tippy knows the way to the groomer, and always tries to go that way. I might take him for face, feet, and fanny. He is getting used to me clipping out the matts.
I am wearing my sari wrap skirts daily, and just ordered more. I can sell those that don't have turquoise in them. People will pay more for what they can see upon purchase. So I might even make a little profit.
Lefty is all clear. Not even dense.
I haven't had a tree for years. A friend just gave me a little one, two ft high, pre-decorated (shortly after buying it at Goodwill, a friend sent her one with fiberoptic lights) . I might consider re-decorating mine to my own taste when the sales happen.
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Every word carries a vibration that sent out, comes back. A cutting word destroys what a sweet word heals. One spoken word can make or mar the destiny of a being. When heart is put into a word, the word encompasses the totality of love and brings love back. When a word is without heart, it is cold and empty and will bring back cold and emptiness. -Cheryl Canfield
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Sun out today. I was up early so as to get to my friend's farm and get her outdoor pets fed. She has a lot of them. She pays me a bit and since she just had her hip replaced I soak the pot I used to feed ( has wet food in it to hand out ) the outside group and while it soaks I sweep the floors, do some dusting, and clean out the litter pans for her. It is easy and I think ( hope ) she relaxes a bit more.
She is moving around okay and has since the first time I went there, but at her age getting over anything seems much slower. I'm sure she is anxious, but she wants it to work well so she is behaving.
I go tomorrow to Marion V.A. for my echogram and then right back home here. Almost wish I could skip it but it is a good thing to do.
Don't know if I said but did get results back from the St. Louis lab. They were the same as the lab here. There was nothing that could be identified ( cell or otherwise ) as cancer, but Dr. Barrientos is still sure that it is. The left kidney and ureter are clear. Apparently then, something got away when I had the first operation and so the bladder ( very sm. ) tumors now. I'm awaiting referral to the cancer Dr. here and then I will likely get 8 treatments. Radioactive seeds will be put into the bladder once a week for two hrs. Will happen once a week for 8 weeks. Then a bit after I will re-start tests with Dr. Barrientos every three months for first yr. Then twice the nest yr. and then maybe once a yr. Any part of that could be subject to change but I think that is how it will go for me.
Hope you are all having a really good day.
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Jackie: Good that you have a plan now for those bladder tumors. I think I would rather err on the side of overkill than a "wait and see" attitude.
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Thanks, Betrayal. Don't know why I didn't think to look it up. Had an Irish great-grandmother but she married a Dutchman who was Protestant and that tradition never got passed on.
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Somewhere (I don't remember where) Christmas is purely religious and presents are given on the 6th night. I think it's because the kings brought the gifts then.
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Jackie, always better safe than sorry; and the brachytherapy should be quite tolerable. Mary, hooray for "lefty" getting the all-clear. Had my own mammo today (now once again a routine annual screener rather than diagnostic). While in the waiting room at Evanston Hospital, I saw someone who looked somewhat like our own keywestfan (Judy) walk in with her husband--both just about the right age. (Although I believe Judy is much more limber & mobile). Before I could satisfy my curiosity, I got called in for my "close-up." In & out--so fast that my parking was free!
At Whole Foods in Evanston, they had 3-ft. "tabletop" Fraser firs marked down to $17.99 today. I might pick one up tomorrow, just to put my nicest ornaments & battery-op lights on it. We have the wreath on the front door--next week we hang the blue & white "Shalom" cushioned vertical banner from it. (Can you tell we're an interfaith family)?
I have 3 Hanukkiot (besides the electric one which is on its last legs--we've had it ever since we bought this house 33 years ago): one traditional stainless steel with center "shamash," one more modern stainless with vermeil tips with the shamash at the end (I sort of prefer that one because lighting the trad one can be tricky & even dangerous) and a ceramic one I got on QVC where each candle holder is a different synagogue in Jerusalem. (I like that one because the brass holders are removable for scraping out wax residue). I have more than enough candles, though they don't match. (Over the years, there were nights we were away from home and so didn't get to light all the candles; some broke in two, etc.). We have a cheesy lighted "Happy Hanukkah" sign we hang in the front window, and an even cheesier string of dreidel lights for the kitchen (rear) window.
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Good morning, Ladies. 34 this morning. I hope to join my BFF for lunch today. Not much else going on.
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Sandy - we still have all the Chanukiahs that the children made in preschool etc. Of course these have long ago ceased to be used. I think one was on a piece of wood with octagon "nuts" on them (don't know the technical name). When the kids were home everyone light a Chanukiah. Now DH and I light just one together. The kids all have their own. It is different with just one vs 5 light. Hard to believe Chanukah is in one week. I mailed the kids cards way early and it took one week to Canada and 10 days to Israel. When DD#1 mailed bday card to her Dad it took 3 weeks!! Just never know how long mail will take out of the country. DH and I don't exchange gifts at Chanukah. We only do birthdays for each other. The kids still get checks even as "old" as they are.
Have a great day.
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Jackie, I wish you the best with your bladder treatments. It goes without saying that I wish you had been spared these latest health issues. I'm glad you are able to continue helping people.
The forecast is for rain today but none so far. I plan to go to the chair yoga class at 1 pm. Yesterday at the Senior exercise class, the leader, Autumn, opened two doors in the gym for increased ventilation. Then she put us through quite a workout. As usual, I literally worked up a sweat.
Hope everyone has a good day.
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Sandy, Would have most enjoyed saying hello to you in Evanston mammogram room, but it wasn’t me- thankfully, because God willingly, I don’t have to have another mammo until next September. And, thank you, for saying, you believe I am more limber than the woman you saw. Did not know a husband could be in the waiting room. It’s such a wonderful step to go from a diagnostic to a screening mammogram. I always find the wait for the result terrifying, though with my diagnostic, it’s only about 15 minutes of heart pounding. And the relief when you get your result will also be wonderful, I betcha. Am PM ing you so you will know, for sure, what I look like if we are occupying the same space on the Chicago North side. I am almost certain I would recognize you
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Other than a headache for two days before, I wasn't very anxious about the mammo. Lefty has always been healthy, served my kids well, too. Not worried. Righty was always a lumpy mess.
My paternal grandmother was Irish, I think that was the practice when my father was growing up. There was always affection for that tradition, although we opened on Christmas day. Decorations came down on New Year's, they might have wanted to do it on the sixth, but by that time we were back in school.
Jackie, prayers for you on your bladder problems. Praying for good results for you, Sandy.
I am making more masks, so I can color-coordinate with almost everything. A solid red, a white and pale gray print, a pink and grey print that is also a shirt, a brown and beige print, and a green stripey print. The insides will be white, so that is an option, too.
Then I will get back to writing. I am enjoying working on the project without obsessing about it-- covid does that to people.
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I just finished Mrs. Kennedy and me by Clint Hill. He was her personal secret service guard, one of two assigned to her. The end of the book was all about JFK's assignation in Texas. Really hard to read. We were living in Houston when it happened and my boss had been at the breakfast that morning in Houston. My Mom had just given us our first TV and we watched the ceremonies the whole time. He said the silence during the funeral procession was deafening. Just sounds of weeping. I admit I cried reading it.
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Thinking like a winner means not always having to defeat someone else. It means being able to grow from a situation in which you fail to reach your goal. It involves not demanding perfection from yourself in every single thing you do, but, instead, thinking of yourself as perfect and thus capable of growing. It means reminding yourself that perfection doesn't mean staying the same; it means being able to allow yourself to grow. Thinking as a winner means not coming down on yourself; it means refusing to allow self-repudiating thoughts into your head. It involves pushing out the inclination to evaluate yourself in comparison with others, and giving yourself permission to be the unique person you are. -Wayne Dyer
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Late today. We ran up to Marion V.A. as I needed to get that Echogram done. Was gratified to see that they now are only letting people in who are there to have a procedure etc. Dh and I usually go together -- to be company to each other on the drive there and back. It tried most of the time to rain but while we got a little I was able to operate the windshield wipers myself. I'm sure there is likely a setting of some kind because my intermittent setting seems way too slow. I just don't know how to increase it -- easier to just do it myself. So, never needed to put the m on and leave then on.
We stopped and got a burger and fries ( a treat if we do something like the Marion trip ) and then stopped at a antique store that was right by the McDonalds. I'm always amused. Most antique stores around here actually don't have a whole lot of antiques actually but are able to sometimes command slightly higher prices for their non-antiques. Since I've spent yrs. in those kinds of shops I can usually sail through and not find much to tempt me. I found a few more cookbooks -- about 8 I think and spend $20.00. It will keep me entertained for some time I think.
Wren: Your book sounds familiar to me. Then again, it might be a chapter in a book about secret service agents. I got a few books a while back and only glanced in them ( haven't started reading them seriously yet ) to decide if I wanted to read the book. I usually lay up a few for winter and that is part of that group. I was trying to finish some others I had started. I'll be anxious to start on that stack now I think.
Hope you all had a really nice day.
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Thelma & Louise are okay! Got the "all clear, see you next year" mammo form letter in my patient portal inbox this morning.
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So good to hear the 'all clears' for Sandy and MC. Relief. I kind of like the diagnostic type of mammo due to the rapid result. Like Key West described I get quite anxious. I am going to check my portal to see what's up on that for next year.
Jackie, all the best to you as you tackle this next round of "stuff".
My fun these days is finishing a simple pink baby blanket for a new grand niece. I seem to knit slower than i used to. 😹. Here's hoping everyone has a pleasant Friday.
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