Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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Our few days of cool weather are ending. Tomorrow will be high 70's, up to 80 degrees. My sister will probably have the a/c on in her house. I'm doing some cooking today and will take food to add to the noon dinner buffet. She invited all our siblings but I will probably be the only one to attend. Her son and his wife and 3 year old and her daughter and her three children, the youngest about 10 or 11, will be there. In past years I took stacks of wrapped presents but this year my gifts are in envelopes.
Our neighbors on the left side have an open house on Christmas Eve, or had an open house until Covid came along. This year will be the second Christmas Eve that they're not having it because of health concerns. I will be happy to stay home.
I'm looking forward to the traffic calming down after Christmas is over. I sense a frenzy when I'm out running my errands.
Happy Christmas Eve or Happy Friday to everyone, whatever your point of view on the day.
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We too are having highs in the 80s. Also very foggy mornings with the overcast lasting all day some days. We did go to a neighborhood gathering but spent most of the time on the open porch (the food was inside so had to go in to fill a plate!).
Need to finish wrapping a few packages for under the tree and do a bit of food prep for tomorrow today. It looks so gloomy outside with the fog that it won't be hard to stay inside.
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Wishing all who celebrate a wonderful Christmas
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Our neighborhood does luminarias on Christmas Eve weather permitting. If it rains, then we postpone until New Years Eve. One woman has organized this for years and we place orders for the number of bags and plumbers candles we need and she has a contact who provides free sand for the bags. My husband went to pickup the sand this morning. It is our custom to ride around the neighborhood to see all the lit luminarias. Not everyone participates but each year it seems like more are. We carry a butane lighter to light candles that may have blown out as do others. So it shows some community caring and unity. A walk around my block is over 1.4 miles so we are talking houses that are spaced out and there are no curbs or sidewalks due to the more rural nature of this area.
No snow in our forecast though a white Christmas is lovely as long as it doesn't persist but being of the bent that early snow means an awful winter, I won't miss the snow. Happy holidays to all and may you have a pleasant day.
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Christmas--that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance-- a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.
Augusta E. Rundel0 -
Due to reach 70 today here in mid-Illinois. Warm tomorrow as well. We usually don't have X-mas holidays like this --almost always some snow at some point. Well, can't say I'll miss it. We were going to have a pork chop dinner for X-mas day but Jo and the Dr. are bringing over a honey-baked ham. Don't know if that is on my list of low sodium foods. I doubt it, but the rest of the family will enjoy it. I will save some for a ham salad later on when I might tolerate a sm. amt. of salt, carefully.
I hope all your holidays and plans work out wonderfully.
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We are so lame that we don't even have presents for each other. We've agreed to exchange sweet kisses. Later on we'll use the money to hire some help. We have a lot of stuff to get out of our house and not much muscle power.
DD is bringing dinner tomorrow and Sat. They are predicting snow which would prevent that so we have some frozen turkey legs and a big quiche that we'll eat if they're snowed in. They're predicting really cold weather next week and opening warming centers and shelters for people living outside. Snow absolutely paralyzes Seattle. We have bendable buses which spin out and block the streets, steep hills, and a lot of people who don't have a clue how to drive in snow. For example all wheel drive does not make it easier to stop.
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My GYN stopped doing Pap smears on me at 65, as well as HPV tests. If you've never had a positive Pap or HPV by then, especially if you're monogamous or celibate, cervical cancer is not a possibility. And they've told me that absent symptoms, my 2027 colonoscopy will be my last. But I still get regular mammos (annual bilateral screening till 2015 (when dx'ed), twice a year (R diagnostic, L screening) from 2015-18, and now back to annual bilateral screening).
Nursing a sore R arm--shucked (or attempted to shuck until I got an assist from my microwave) oysters Tues. & last night, and I now have tennis elbow--which is actually an occupational hazard for chefs, especially oyster-shuckers!
52 and overcast here in Chicago. The Villa Olivia ski resort in suburban Bartlett has snow, because they fire up the snowmaking cannons whenever it gets down below 28 overnight. But the rain may wash it away if the overnight temps stay above freezing.
We're not really doing presents either tonight--Bob & I decided not to. I bought him UGG slippers, and he doesn't realize it but I bought some for me too as my present. He wants headphones with a radio in them so he can listen to music on his walks (or on the treadmill). Welcome to 1990. Instead, I'll get him some really good Bluetooth headphones and teach him how to listen to AppleMusic or Amazon on his iPhone (I don't think he has an iTunes library, so we'll have to figure out how he can stream--I think Siri can do it for AppleMusic). The kids are down in TX with my future DIL's family--so instead, we gave them money before they left.
Our BFFs are not having anyone over tomorrow night. We're going to Regalia tonight around 7-ish for Italian Christmas dinner (assuming they're open--they have us in their res. book). Bob's working all weekend, but will be home in time for 9pm dinner tomorrow night on Fireside's heated covered patio. (Gonna be a wet Christmas for sure---also a wet NYE). I lived in Seattle for 7 years--it seems as if in 2021, Chicago & Seattle have traded weather. My Seattle Christmases usually consisted of standing on our U. District apt. balcony and watching the brightly-lit boats ply the Ship Canal through the drizzle.
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Betrayal - your neighborhood tradition sounds lovely. So nice that so many participate.
Wren - my niece and family live in Tigard. I heard that a state of emergency was called for Oregon so I texted her. She said they canceled plans to go to WA due to weather. As of this morning no snow yet by her. We have the same thing here that people don't know how to drive in snow. I have said for years that 4 wheel drive does not equal 4 wheel stop!!!
Sandy - sorry about you elbow. I'm due to my next colonoscopy this coming summer. At my last one they put me on the 5 year schedule. Will see what happens with this next one. DH is on 5 year schedule. No mammograms for me since I was diagnosed. I called PS office the other day to see what scans they do and I was told none unless patient is having a problem. That was news to my ears - I quite going in 2009 as I was tired of so many doctor appointments - same with BS. At the time I was still seeing oncologist every 3 months. All is well with my silicone implants after almost 13 1/2 years. Happy to not have to have another doctor to see or MRI. DH and I have talked about what I want to do if/when these implants are no longer good. No decision made. Part of me says go flat and part of me says, replace. I guess I don't have to make a decision till the time comes.
It started raining about an hour ago - not too hard to we might be able to get a walk in. Mountains are getting quite a bit of snow. SW mountains 2 - 3 feet and "front range" mountains 1 - 2 feet.
My Shabbat dinner is done - its amazing how much more time I. have when I don't have to go to the grocery store and I didn't even start till 10 or so and took a break for a walk. Lots of food that will take us through the week-end. Challah, roast garlic, green beans, asparagus, roasted Brussel sprouts, grilled chicken thighs, pastrami roast and marble cake. It will also serve as tomorrow nights dinner. We eat a light lunch all week so no different on Shabbat (Saturday) - generally tuna wrap, tuna on a salad or if we have left over salmon we have that. DS is home for Shabbat dinner so that is a treat for us. Tomorrow he is off and is spending the day with a good friend. He has today and tomorrow off with holiday pay.
One week of winter break is over and one to go. Enjoy having the time to work/putter in the house. And to relax and read.
To those who celebrate, have a happy, healthy and enjoyable Christmas.
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Karen - Surprise is a northwest suburb of Phoenix - when we moved in 1997 about 30,000 lived here but now over 150,000 and growing (not to my liking). Considered "high desert". It's rained all day (very hard right now) which is VERY unusual. No luminaries tonight. Takes about 45 minutes to get to downtown Phoenix or the airport by expressway, The urban legend is that the founder said "if this place ever amounts to anything, it will be a surprise." My real estate clients used to love the story but I have no idea if it's true. We live in a Del Webb/Pulte community, following my parents who lived in Sun City West. We moved a lot - when I was a child and during our married life. Lived here longer than anywhere else.
Out to our favorite Italian restaurant tonight and to our BFF's tomorrow. Ken requested our usual egg casserole for breakfast - it was great when the kids were little as it baked an hour - just about the right amount of time to open presents. We quit giving presents to each other several years ago and instead buy personalized gifts for teen-age girls in a group home in the foster care system.
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Betrayal, I also like your neighborhood tradition.
Wishing everyone a good day, whether it's Christmas Day or Saturday.
We will be going to my younger sister's house and taking the food I prepared yesterday to add to the heavy lunch buffet. My gifts are in colorful envelopes.
This morning I'm enjoying coffee with my husband of 51 years. His company is my present.
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Merry Christmas, and or happy Saturday! My niece and her daughter are visiting. We had a good morning of gift opening, saved by me waking up before 7 to put out gifts the youngster says are from Santa. She doesn’t believe in Santa anymore but wants to. They grow up so fast!
Sandy, I’m not sure I’ve ever thanked you for all your wisdom when I was first diagnosed in 2017. You made a difference in my life.
Jackie, IllinoisLady I hope you’re feeling better. HUGS
Now I have to cook. Bah hum bug
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Christmas was low key. I think there were thirteen of us. It was good to see two great nieces and a great nephew that I haven't seen in a couple of years, thanks to Covid precautions. I appreciate my sister's and her dh's hospitality. Now I'm waiting and hoping that dh and I didn't pick up Omicron!
The one small child, almost three, acted like a complete brat. His mother made the comment that he isn't used to being told no. The whole situation isn't normal but I won't bore everyone with the details. When two adults with mental problems have a child, you have to hope the child defeats the odds.
I'm always glad when Thanksgiving and Christmas are over and life goes on. I realize now that the "normal" of holidays is what people remember and miss as family members die and the normal of the former years will never be possible again. My mother was the reason for family gatherings as she lived to the age of 96. When she passed, the incentive for getting together dissolved. Now we have a text message thread and everyone checks in on Sundays with a pleasantry.
DH commented yesterday when we were back home that my father and my mother would be very disappointed that their kids had drifted so far apart. For my parents, family was everything.
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Carole, our family was similar. My mom loved having her sisters and their families around. Our house was always full, especially at the holidays. After my moms passing that was it. It’s never been the same as others aged and passed away, even more so. We said she was the glue
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The luminarias were still burning at 6:30 AM on Christmas day after being lit at 5 PM the evening before. We rode around the neighborhood to see them at other homes and while there were some who opted not to participate this year, there were some new joiners. All in all it looks lovely and is a nice tradition especially when we all feel so disconnected.
Our family dinner was my DD and her husband who were my sous chefs, my DS and his wife and my dear GS and GD. My step GS was with his father for the day. The meal from Boston Market, prime rib with a wonderful selection of sides including mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, seasonal veggies, mac n' cheese, rolls, and an apple and pumpkin pie was really good. Reheating is so much esier than making from scratch. I did have to roast the prime rib that meant only placing it in a preheated oven, lowering the temp and then waiting for it to cook. My DSIL got additonal pies, a mince and cherry from their local orchard bakery. It was a really nice day to have after 2 years of not celebrating at this level. My GD said grace and it was a quicky, LOL. My GS interrupted dinner to ask if he could propose a toast and what he said was tear jerking. He said, "I want to say how wonderful it is to all be together again for Christmas, how much he loved us and that he wished the whole family a Happy New Year where we can be together again". He's only 11 so this was heart touching and seemed so mature for one of his age. He's growing into such a fine young man. I hope we get to spend more Christmases together and in a post-Covid era.
I was online with my PCP hospital system and they had a new Covid Vaccine section. I followed the directions and it revealed a notice that I would be eligible for my 4th Covid vaccine in April of 2022. Have to say I was surprised to see this but glad that there is some preplanning even if it proves not to be needed.
Hope you all had a nice Christmas day.
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We had Christmas with DD and SIL. Fortunately it didn't start snowing until last night. This morning we still don't have our Sunday paper so feel at loose ends. It's hard to tell if it's still snowing because it's blowing snow off roofs. I sure wouldn't want to drive in this. Winds are gusty so sometimes almost a whiteout. I had to get hiking boots out to look for the paper. It's deep enough to really soak your feet in shoes. It's going to get even colder so unlikely to melt for a few days. Our poor paper delivery person has a Vietnamese name so perhaps is not used to driving in snow.
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We are all longing to go home to some place we have never been--a place half-remembered and half-envisioned we can only catch glimpses of from time to time. Community. Somewhere, there are people to whom we can speak with passion without having the words catch in our throats. Somewhere a circle of hands will open to receive us, eyes will light up as we enter, voices will celebrate with us whenever we come into our own power. Community means strength that joins our strength to do the work that needs to be done. Arms to hold us when we falter. A circle of healing. A circle of friends. Someplace where we can be free.
Starhawk0 -
So enjoyed all your posts. Quiet here. DD worked late so we had Xmas dinner at suppertime. Wass going to have pork chops but my friends, Joan and Dr. B came by day before and brought us a sliced honey ham. Yummy, but I went light on it -- not sure of the salt content. Slowly working on getting better and better. So great to have you all as a cheering section. Means a lot to me.
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Carole, you said it so well for me "the "normal" of holidays is what people remember and miss as family members die and the normal of the former years will never be possible again". It puts it in words for me. Thank you.
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Cindy, you're welcome!
Happy Boxing Day (or unBoxing Day for those still opening belated presents). Our Christmas Eve dinner was at Regalia--surprised to see that we had snagged the only vacant table. Everyone was good about masking between courses. (Bob wears a hospital-issued surgical mask, because he wears an N95 all day and is loath to don one when not in a clinical setting). We then FaceTimed with the kids down in TX (outside Dripping Springs near Austin). They hit the road for home this morning and will arrive tomorrow. Spent Christmas Day alone till late dinnertime--it was a day for phone calling and FaceTiming family. Will practice singing Shabbat services for 1/15 & 1/29--checking in with the cantor on Wed. after my telehealth visit with the weight-control NP.
She'll almost certainly put me back on pure keto on Jan. 2--though I joined Tara Parker-Pope's (NYTimes) online lifestyle-weight-mgmt. group, which will begin next week. Her approach is more about mindful eating & incorporating movement into and throughout one's day rather than extremely-restrictive dieting and having to "endure" exercise per se. It'll bvre interesting. I will talk to my NP about it. (I haven't stepped on a scsle, but one look at my midsection tells me I've likely regained all I've lost since the start of the pandemic. All my M/10/Chico's size 1 tops, leggings and sweats still fit, albeit not loosely (except droopy butt & thighs), but the size 10 jeans are back on the rack, alas.
My L toes hurt too much to wear socks & gym shoes for walking or even stationary-cycling--but the nail salon is closed due to the owner testing COVID+; and neither of my podiatrists are willing to do ingrown toenails (unless clearly infected) or callus-removal because their facilities have suspended elective procedures & surgeries. My NP wants me to get a Vit. D level drawn along with my CMP & lipid panel--I might ask her if I should get an antibody titer drawn too, to see if that full-strength Moderna booster from Aug. is still effective, or if I should get a fourth shot before late Feb. (which would be 6 months). I'm nervous about doing of any of that because it would require walking into the hospital. Obviously not setting foot in the gym (haven't since Dec. 2019 when I got what was probably pertussis) despite proof-of-vaccination being required starting a week from tomorrow. I have no faith in their inclination to enforce it, as they're pretty lackadaisical about policing mask-wearing as it is. I can't think of any place more infectious these days, except perhaps choir practice (which hasn't happened since Feb. 2020).
As to hair appointments? I have all the products & tools I need for styling (already traded my fringe bangs for side-part), and some root-touch-up powder should the grays contain more pepper than salt. I may eventually have to soak off my gels myself, and just wear nail-strengthener & polish.
I fully expect my HK to call in tomorrow to say that her sisters--who visited from AL this weekend--tested positive. In which case, it's March/April 2020 around here all over: back to being just a cat-servant once again.
Just got a text from the nail salon that the owner--the only one who can do my ingrowns--will be back "in the new year," and I should reach out to my podiatrists if I'm in too much pain. (The only shoes that don't hurt are my UGG boots & sandals because I can wear them sockless). They asked me to sit tight till my next appt., which is Jan. 6--it's a mani, not mani-pedi. I think one of the problems is that she wore cloth masks, 10 hrs. a day--and the rest of the staff has been wearing plain surgicals. Those don't provide enough protection worn that long indoors--even though clients also wear masks,
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As is typical, spreading our gift opening over more than one day as family comes and goes. Yesterday, DH, DGD, and I opened from us to us. Today, DS2 and his crew (total of 9) are coming by on their way home from Christmas at DDILs family. Tomorrow, DGD is scheduled to travel to her parents and sisters in South America for a couple of weeks. Gonna be much quieter around here for a while.
Jackie, good to hear of progress, keep up the good work.
Edited to finish, after I hit the submit key much too early!
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And Bob's hospitals are all saying that asymptomatic staff members who've been wearing PPE (which is to say all of them) should not test themselves, because of staffing shortages.
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Read at Mass this morning. First time in months. Was nervous about the three steps up and the three steps down, but had to check the lectionary to make sure that what I had prepared for was the reading they were going to use. Glad I checked. Had a bot of trouble navigating the steps up, but when it came to do the reading, I did fine with everything.
I got one Christmas present from my daughter, six pairs of gardening gloves. She told me that the bench is on its way. This will be so much better than the child's step-stool that I have been using.
My sister and bil are coming up some time before New Year's. Two people tested positive and went home shortly after arriving at their family gathering. Hopefully they can make it up here before New Year's. They will be bringing a gift for me whenever they arrive.
I cut back on the duties and pay of my household assistant, but have spent the past few hours working on sprucing things up so she won't say "Are you sure you are ready to do more of the housework?"
I got myself a https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PXYAL2?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details so I can get a bit of a bend in a page-boy haircut. My hair is straighter than it ever has been, and I am having difficulty getting used to it. But I am pleased that it generally looks the same every day. White silk.
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That Revlon styler has been favorably reviewed as nearly comparable to the Drybar Single Shot and Double Shot all-in-one stylers. Glad you didn't get the kind that rotates (which I bought when I couldn't use my L arm to hold & manipulate the hairbrush): it has a tendency to rotate too fast and grab too much hair, rolling it all the way to the scalp. The Revlon will give you very good control. You might want to section your hair with clips. use a heat-protectant spray on each section before curling it--and remember to hit the "cold-shot" button or switch to "set" the curl before you release the tool from that section of hair.
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Recently replaced an old "heat brush" with a BaByliss Nano Titanium Thermal Paddle Brush. Very lightweight and you can adjust the temperature as you wish. I just blow dry my hair and then use the brush to finish styling - also use heat-protectant spray. Found a new hair stylist and loving the way she cuts my hair - giving me heavier (& therefore easier to style) bangs and also nice layering around the face.
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Taco - I too moved several times as a child and the early years of our marriage - before this house we lived in 4 different houses (first 16 years of marriage) and we've been in this house since 1993 and no plans on moving.
Mary - nice thoughtful gift from your daughter. Glad you were able to navigate the stairs at church
Sandy - can you wear flip flops in the house till you get your toe nails done?
My hair is low maintenance - I use a hair dryer and that's it - I've always been no fuss/no muss(is this a word). Today I got 3" cut off my hair so now its chin length. The last time I had it cut was mid July.
Sounds like everyone had a nice holiday.
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Jackie, that was a beautiful quotation about community and yearning.
I enjoyed reading all your posts about your Christmas celebrations. Loved the toast of the young boy expressing his joy in his family gathering.
I have been wrestling with deciding whether to continue going to the gym with Omicron looming as a health threat. DH said he plans to do so. Then I will, too. The senior exercise classes do me a lot of good, physically and mentally. I may try wearing a mask but I doubt that will work.
I may buy one of those combo brush/hair dryers. I use a round brush and a hair dryer with no difficulty but it seems a good idea to put them together. Sam's Club recently had a big stack of them prominently displayed but they were $40, which seemed a good bit for satisfying a whim.
On the weather front, mugginess is back. A/C is on. Fog is probable.
My goal for today is tackling my desk in our little office. It has been a repository for months.
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I had my Dad over for Christmas Eve, we had a lasagna supper, watched the Daniel O'Donnell program I'd recorded from PBS and Dolly Parton's Christmas special, drank apple cider (a Christmas Eve tradition) and opened our presents. So much nicer than the phone call we had to have last year. I went to his apartment and had supper from his dining room on Christmas Day, left at 4:15 because the storm was starting. We got 3" of snow with that storm, and now we're into our next storm, with 6.7" so far and it's still snowing. Supposed to stop in an hour. Then snow again tomorrow. The snow is prettier now I'm not calculating how much it's going to cost me to have it removed.
I got 3 jig saw puzzles for Christmas, two 500 piece and one 1000. Finished this first one and will start the next one this afternoon.
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What a pretty puzzle! We set one out that we've had for 2 years but the frame is missing pieces and I'm ready to chuck it. If I get out to a store I'll look for another one. We got 3-5 inches of snow plus a little bit overnight. No newspaper for 2 days now. It's really hard on DH who spends half the day reading it. I'm thinking he doesn't remember much of what he reads and he's reading very slowly. He was always a quick reader before.
Being Seattle, the city is shut down with the snow. One major street near us gets plowed but none of the others. I would walk if I needed to go anywhere. I noticed that the hilly streets downtown had been closed completely. Makes sense since one of those hills is a 17% grade.
It makes me think about the blizzard we had in Okla when I was in 4th grade. The snow went to the top of our one story house in the front and was about 2 ft in the back. Dad and my uncle dug out the front door. I remember the path being taller than my 6'4" uncle. We had no school for a week and there were drifts high enough to cut igloo blocks and make great forts. Lots of fun for the kids. I'm sure the town did not have a snow plow, probably still doesn't. I'll bet my Mom was happy that she kept food on hand all the time so we had plenty to eat.
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I am obsessing on what is not in the news. Just fuming about the G Maxwell trial, and how she should get the max for exploiting young women's trust of other women.
Somebody just get me off the topic..... 0
