Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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It's in the low 90s this afternoon. 😅 Glad we took a walk after breakfast. I was going to do some cleaning this afternoon but my stomach is feeling a little wonky, so I'm drinking some Gatorade and taking it easy. Enjoy your Saturday afternoon.
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I slept overnight last night at the K of C. We are hosting a homeless family this weekend. Shelter Program - Family Promise I brought Tippy and the kids enjoyed playing with him. I was nervous as heck that they would overwhelm him, but it went OK. Despite my bed being hard, I slept well, only waking enough to turn over and disturb Tippy. This morning and part of the afternoon I put cardboard between the rows in my garden, then rearranged things in front of my apartment because my milkweed is getting strong enough to maybe bloom this year. Plus I need to get some viola seed to stimulate some genetic variety in what I have. And with the changes, I now have more room for my trike on the porch.
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Basement is dry, water heater good. Boiler has at a minimum (per proposal) $2,299 in damage. I need the proposal to remove the cost for the valve and it’s labor, insurance won’t cover it. I figure my $250 deductible plus the valve which shouldn’t be too much, for my costs. We’ll see how it pans out.
Car - only cost was the diagnostic as it was just from sitting so long (6 months) without being turned over. Still paying $159 when we could have had friends squeeze in and run it for 5 minutes seems steep.
Slippers with the mouse - next morning I was back on the porch to go get the newspaper and put my left foot in and felt something - not a mouse, but the poison being stored. Garbage can was my next step. Front porch is enclosed but unheated, maybe my slipper was warmth. HA! Should have tossed them immediately.
Sandy, if Bob is ok getting stuck in Canada, I’d keep your plans. We’re close to Canada, less than 3 hours to the border, inthat I view them as neighbors. Not a bad place to be stuck.
I spent yesterday using Pledge on all wooden surfaces in the bedrooms, dining & living room. Then Windex on all the hard surfaces in the kitchen & bathroom. House still needs to be vacuumed but without AC it can wait until early morning tomorrow. I had a bulb I must have planted 7 months ago sitting at my back door, so I can relate to animals digging them up.
It was supposed to hit 98 here today. They’re now saying maybe 92, but at 87 it’s very hot. Hot enough that I won’t go sit in our front yard to remove dead stalks from the hydrangeas. Partner mowed the back yesterday, after picking up branches & sticks, and the front this morning. God son put down top soil this morning where he plowed it up. We’re getting back to normal…slowly.
Jackie, you too need to take it slowly getting back to helping out others. If it’s not an emergency, it can wait.
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We'll call the Doubletree before we leave to find out where nearby we can get a rapid test with written proof of results on a Sunday, so we can have the evening and next day at our leisure before hitting the airport. That way, if we do test positive we can start isolating Sunday night instead of retrieving our luggage from the airport & heading back to the hotel (hoping we can get back in).
I finally got the N95s I wanted all along (3M Aura, which look like KF94s but with head straps). They're white, but oh, well. They're what I'll wear at the airports and in-flight (Canada has kept its mask mandate for planes & airports). I bought 20 of them. Meanwhile, Bob has decided he likes the US-made gray Armbrust KN95s better than the blue surgicals, which is good because the Armbrusts do gap a little under my chin (should've bought kids'-size). We have the Armbrusts on subscription, so we won't run out.
It was 84 at 5 pm yesterday; but within 20 minutes the mercury had dipped into the 60s. Poured overnight. It's been in the high 50s all day today. (That sweet spot where we can turn off the A/C and set the heat to 68, where the boiler has yet to kick in. We did run the ceiling fan in the bedroom, and slept like babies). We won't see 60 again till Wed.--when it'll rain again.The weather will be great--while we're away, of course.
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Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants. -Epictetus
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Another hot day here, but then we'll get thunderstorms and things will cool off considerably for the next several days. Glad to be staying indoors today. My stomach is still giving me issues. I think I had a pancreatitis attack last night, although it only last a couple of hours so I didn't go to the ER. My pancreatitis is idiopathic, last attack was 3 years ago. Very frustrating since I eat a low fat diet and don't drink alcohol. I'll call my GI tomorrow.
Hope you're able to travel to Toronto chisandy.
Enjoy your Sunday!
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It is cold outside today. My SIL, after a bit, came in and got his long pants and long sleeved shirt on. It is also damp from all the rain we had and the little bit of breeze does cause some discomfort. It is due ( if long range weather report holds ) to rain a lot this coming week as well. Almost all week, actually. Well, we will get by but I don't have to like it. It is not the actual rain I dislike but the bleak looking gray that casts itself over everything. I have some special lights and they help, but I miss the sun til it gets back.
I'm trying to enjoy the brief respite of coolness we are getting at the moment. Just hoping we can get through the rest of this month and June, but summer has been coming earlier the last few yrs. Seems we have to turn our a/c on earlier every yr. Use to hold off till July and actually remain comfy and a couple we made it to Aug. I think no more of that.
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Affirmation of life is the spiritual act by which people cease to live unreflectively and begin to devote themselves to their lives with reverence in order to raise them to their true value. To affirm life is to deepen, to make more inward, and to exalt the will-to-live.
Albert Schweitzer0 -
We are having a sunny day once more. It however, will not get too warm 70 if we are lucky which will feel pretty cool to me with all the dampness from a couple of massive rains. Sure be glad when it all settles down a bit. I got out my heavier robe for in the house as we don't want to turn the furnace on if we can help it.
I'll see about going to my friend's house today. Didn't stay on Friday since she had the screens locked and she apparently never heard me knocking. She'll keep one door open today I imagine. I do feel for her -- she is widowed and is nervous. Has never really adjusted to being alone. I enjoyed my time alone when Dh would go for 8 or 9 days to South Dakota and didn't live any different then when Dh was home. So, no locked doors at any time. I can be intimidated and do things differently, but nothing ever happened so I did not change anything -- just went on my way doing what I always did.
No plans other than that. I am only going to sweep her floors for her. It shouldn't be too much of a struggle.
Hope you all have a good day.
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We’re about 30 degree colder today. It in the low 60s and sunny. I have a busy day today. Started with a 1.5 mile walk, heading to PT shortly, then REIKI and support group. Will be nice to have an off day tomorrow to relax and do some cleaning.
Today is my DIL birthday. Rather than gifts, she prefers donations to her favorite local charities. Love that idea and have been trying to incorporate it into gift giving holidays. We usually buy stuff for ourselves when we need things. Been trying to use Amazon Smile when I remember so that I can donate to breastcancer.org. Hope my money goes towards fixing the site. 😁
Enjoy your day.
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Yesterday the weather here went from 92 to 67 as a storm moved through. We were thankful! Today I think guesstimate was 70/72, and 68 was it. But as I did some yard work - bagged the hydrangea branches and put down some mulch , the humidity was high.
I went for my 6 month MO check today. All was good. I’m set to return on November 7th, last visit before I quit the AI on 3/1/2023. Blood work that she has was good but most will show up on the portal tomorrow.
Jackie, we grew up without ever locking doors. But someone was always at home. Probably 30 years ago, my own home was broken into. Long story short, I lock everything. I’ve been known to lock the door behind me when we put garbage out and I come back in the house. Effectively locking my partner out. Oops
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I routinely lock everything, but once (years ago) with near-disastrous consequences. It was Valentine's Day 1990 and Gordy was only 6. There was a massive snowstorm, and Bob got stuck on Lake Shore Drive and missed our corner-table dinner reservation at LaTour (which place Gordy loved because he got to wear a suit and drink Shirley Temples out of s champagne flute). So I went to plan B: cook a rib roast on the grill. In order to do that, I had to shovel a path on the deck to the grill (brushing off most of the snow, since the heat would melt the rest). I had forgotten that the back doorknob was set to "auto-lock" and I didn't have my keys in my coat pocket. Got the grill cleared and going, but when I reached the back door to go inside and get the roast, the door was locked. Peeked into the den window, where Gordy was napping on the couch. I began banging on the windowpane to wake him up. He woke up and began crying for me to come in. I shouted to him to go and unlock the door but he was wailing so loud that he couldn't hear me. In desperation, I went to my (then) next-door neighbor (a contractor) and he took a crowbar and pried off the storm window so Gordy could hear me and finally unlock the door. By then, the grill was hot enough to cook the roast...which got overdone to the point of near-incineration because Bob still hadn't gotten home. He finally made it home at 1 am. There was over a foot of snow on the Drive, people were abandoning cars, and he and a bunch of other drivers pushed a city bus on to the shoulder. How he made it home I'll never know. Next day we went shopping for our first cell phones (his was a "brick" phone, mine was a big heavy shoulder bag)! Never did re-install that storm window!
This morning I was awakened early by the alarm on his phone. I rolled over to poke him awake...but his side of the bed was empty. I shut it off and went to the bathroom (thinking he was showering). But the bathroom was empty. His glasses and watch were gone, as were his clothes and good sneakers. My mind went to some pretty dark places--what if his car broke down again, this time in a dangerous part of the South Side? How would he call for help without a phone? What if he were carjacked and they shot him because he didn't have a phone for them to take? What if he missed all the urgent pages marching across the phone's screen (I don't have the PIN for the PerfectServe paging app, and nobody carries a beeper any more) and someone died as a result? I even went out to the garage (in PJs and slippers) to make sure he hadn't forgotten to open the garage door before starting the car. (The cats were meowing, confused, because they never saw me downstairs that early in the morning). Luckily, I knew where his first stop of the day would be, so I called that clinic and read him his messages. He said he'd overslept and dashed out in a hurry to get to the clinic on time, and he'd call in periodically to get his messages. Meanwhile, patients & nurses were calling our landline because he wasn't answering his pages. So much for my plan to go get my bloodwork done now that I'm sufficiently hydrated to have a normal GFR. When our HK came in, I told her, we freaked out together; and then I rolled over and went back to sleep--next thing I knew it was 12:30pm! I told him tonight it might be a good idea going forward to buy a burner phone to keep in his glove box.
So tomorrow I'll get the bloodwork--which, for the lipid panel and glucose, needs to be fasting (even black coffee would raise my glucose level). And I can input our vax proof, flight, & hotel info into ArriveCan (the app won't let us do it any sooner than 72 hrs. pre-arrival). Will also make our test appointment for Sunday to get that out of the way (and heaven forbid, be able to hold over rather than check out, test at the airport and have to go back and attempt to check back in without saying why). Will also pack a set of CDC/TSA-approved rapid tests for which we can use a telehealth app to have a provider certify a negative result. Meanwhile, we'll choose the restaurants we want and hope they're not already booked. It's supposed to be rainy when we arrive, and about 10-20 degrees cooler there than here.
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Yesterday I got the date scheduled for surgery. I meet with my PCP at 10:30 on Monday the 6th, get a COVID test on Monday the 13th, and surgery is on Thursday the 16th. Will be great to be able to have normal BM's again. Although I just discovered that spicy food helps.
When I got home, I crashed for most of the afternoon. My anxiety over such a minimal and simple surgery must have been triggering memories of the more serious one a few years ago. Now my sleep schedule is messed up.
Tippy and I have been "arguing" over him going out on tieout or us taking him for a walk. He peed on the bedroom floor the other night. I guess he won. I need the exercise anyway.
I am pretty much using my poles everywhere I walk outside of the apartment; I am beginning to take them with my trike, too. Doctor wants me to get plenty of exercise with minimal weight on my knee.
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Last night we had some shocking new that our nephew was found dead in his home. He was 57 or so. Our niece could not reach him by phone, went to his home to find his truck there, the doors lock and the alarm clock going off inside. She called the police to do a wellness check. He was found dead on the floor. ME, Medical Examiner, believes he died of natural causes. It appears he went to sleep on the couch, woke up and started toward the bedroom and collapsed in the hallway. He was holding a nebulizer and must have felt short of breath. I think he had a history of asthma. He was never married and no children. Sad state of affairs.
To those that are traveling, enjoy. We use to travel, but DH has become too ill for us to go very far from home. We do local day trips and then home. It is currently 77 degrees and going to 88 with thunderstorm in the afternoon. (our typical weather pattern for this time of year) We have someone coming to clean out the gutters. I hope he gets finish before the storms start.
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Petite, I'm so sorry for your loss. How horrible for your niece. taken so young. Keeping your family in my thoughts
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Petite, so sorry for your loss.
MCBaker, your surgery sounds all set. I’m always anxious over any surgery. I think it’s all a normal reaction.It’s only 58 here. My house is cold but I should just get dressed and get busy, that will warm me up.
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petite1 - sorry for your loss. My thought are with you and your family.
McBaker - glad your surgery is all set. There is free meditation app that can help - Headspace. They have some 5 minute sessions that are very calming. I used it while going through treatment and surgeries.
Rainy and cloudy here today. Cleaning and indoor exercise day. Getting my 2nd booster this afternoon.
Have a good Tuesday
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(((((Petite)))))) Always hard to hear. I hope your niece as well as you, and any other family will be able to get thru the next days. Hopefully good memories will come a bit sooner since there were no children or spouses. Still very sad. I hope the passing was fast with no true suffering, as it sounds from your description.
MC, nice that you have your date now, and wow, the bonus of getting to enjoy spicy food. I'd be happy, but then I love spicy foods -- so maybe if I ever have the need I'll know immediately, spicy is fine.
Coolish today, and mild sun. Not sure when we will see more rain, but sounds like we could have a week of it when it does start. I've been wearing my sweatshirts ( loose fitting ones ) again since I'm quiet after small bouts of work. I tend to feel cool in the house. It's below the temp. we have set for the furnace -- so colder than we usually ever get.
Still having to eat small amts. all day in order to take blood pressure and get something in my stomach to take my pills. I guess ( though I'm not complaining too much mind you ) that is why I tend to lose now rather than gain wt. I can't eat big meals anymore because I'm eating so much in-between meals that I NEVER get really hungry. I had heard this before, but now I see how it works. You can lose wt. if you just eat a bunch of meals ( mainly all small ones ) almost all the time. Since my broken arm ( which started the wt. loss ) and that has been a couple of yrs. now, I think, I've lost 53 #'s. I was tall and have long bones, so no one knew that I weighed 197#'s. I'm down to 144 right now. Definitely no longer obese. That part is nice even though it is a pretty unorthodox way to get rid of excess wt.
Definitely I think going to have to look for more clothing. I bought some jeggings a yr. and a half ago and even those are a bit roomier than they were meant to be so I will have to be on the look-out. I do have to say -- I think I look too thin in the face but I hope I will be able to quit eating all day long and half the night when I don't have to take so much medicine.
Hope you all have a good day, with no health issues and a lot of nice sun, w/o heat.
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petite1: Sorry to hear of your nephew's death. May you find peace in memories of him.
Day started out gray but has become sunny now. I need to remove plants from one side of the patio so they can repair the wall which is leaning inwards. So I spent over an hour digging up pink lily of the valley to transplant elsewhere. I did plant some in the bed where we have the junipers and have a large plastic pot full of them to plant down front near the gazebo. These have definitely naturalized over the years, though many were destroyed when the trees uprooted. They are bouncing back and were originally from my parents so they hold nice memories. The lilacs they gave me also bloomed again for the first time since the tree assault. Funny how plants need to recover from trauma as well as humans. I also took out coral bells, a day lily and other plants which are potted until they can be replanted here. I still have more lilies to remove but will save that for another day. The contractor said he would like to start with the patio and we hope it is soon. My DD and DSIL planted 2 of the hydrangea splits for me yesterday. They were not doing well in temporary planters and I was afraid I was going to lose them. I hope they survive in their new "homes", fingers crossed.
Called the restoration company since they have failed to respond to my email from 4/12 and a follow-up letter from our insurance company. They said they would be here in about 2 weeks. Well, I am not holding my breath but did inform them that the paint they had left over for the foyer/stairwell is over a year old (November 2020), was a partial can and I am tossing it because I do not want it used. They said both the painter and floor installer would be in touch. The replacement oak flooring has been in my living room since December of 2020 when they dropped it off to acclimate. I would say it is well seasoned by now. I just want my house finished and the list to do so is still too long.
Mary, I am glad your surgery has been scheduled. I am always anxious before the surgery and for some odd reason, not anxious on the day of surgery, but seem to have inner peace. Seems odd but I am hoping your anxiety is minimal.
I hope everyone has an enjoyable day.
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Petite, so sorry for your loss--may his memory be for a blessing. It's a reminder of how capricious life can be, that tomorrow is never guaranteed to us, and there are other dangerous maladies besides cancer & COVID. Making sure I have inhalers at hand at all times.
Got my bloodwork drawn today. Was up till almost 4am plowing through the backlog on my DVR (running out of room to record upcoming stuff), and went to bed. Was awakened out of a dream at 9am by first a tightness and then a sudden horrible cramp in the muscle overlying my R tibia (and its hardware). Had to pour TheraWorx into my hand (the spray nozzle clogs) and massage it like crazy. Tried to walk it off but it was excruciating. I could not bend my ankle at all (not even manipulating it with my hands), and my toes splayed so much that the foam spacer I keep between the overlapping big & second toes fell out on to the bathroom floor. It was only 10 minutes but it felt like an hour. Finally, I saw my second toe start twitching and the toes moving back to their normal position, and it was over. None of my doctors can offer an explanation other than it gets commoner with age. I suspect it has to be that hardware--but if I get it removed the bone will fall apart. When I got that knee replaced a decade ago, the surgeon had to remove at least 2" of bone & epoxy from my tibia because it had deteriorated too much for the "tibial tray" component of the prosthesis to adhere. And he had to install a taller tibial tray. At least both legs finally became the same length.
Still chilly here but sunny. No rain till tomorrow, but there's a chance of severe storms in the evening. Hope Bob comes home early enough tonight so we can go out to dinner, because tomorrow night might have to be spent cowering in the basement watching weather radar on my iPad.
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Thank you for your kind words. The Medical Examiner reported the cause of death was respiratory failure as a result of an exacerbation of COPD. So sad.
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I am pages behind but will catch up later. I did read the page where you shared your good report, Jackie. I am very happy for you.
Petite, I am sorry for your loss of your nephew.
We arrived yesterday and are partially settled into the 5th wheel camper. So far no sign of rodent residents over the winter. Other people were not so fortunate.
I made a list this morning and will soon be off to buy basic grocery supplies.
It will be an adjustment to living again in such a small space. But then there's the view of the lake from the deck.
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Personal prayer, it seems to me, is one of the simplest necessities of life, as basic to the individual as sunshine, food and water--and at times, of course, more so. By prayer I mean an effort to get in touch with the Infinite. We know that our prayers are imperfect. Of course they are. We are imperfect human beings. A thousand experiences have convinced me beyond room of doubt that prayer multiplies the strength of the individual and brings within the scope of his capabilities almost any conceivable objective.
Dwight D. Eisenhower0 -
Rained here overnight and cloudy this morning. So much news about the Texas school shootings (horrendous ) I have not been able to find our weather report. Doesn't look too cloudy though -- so maybe no showers during the day -- maybe some muted sun.
Tomorrow I will go to Dr. Barrientos and he will fully explain his findings along with any samples of removed material sent to lab for analysis. I'm not expecting to hear anything too negative. I do however ( since their was a tiny spot of cancer ) have to start my scopes all over at #1 . Each time I've been scoped I've had to start over. Since this spot took quite some time to develop ( 8 or 9 mos. ) it could be that I'll end up with a couple of scopes for a change. Of course, I'll hope for the last two to be the same and they could be. Eventually, from what I've heard so far, you quit having it show up at all.
Good to hear your 'home' in MN Carole and ready to start your cool summer. You will have a lot less cleaning to do where you are -- and you are so right. Sitting on your deck watching the serenity in the lake really makes it all so great. Water is spiritual to me, evoking special feelings. Likely in part why we wanted a 'lake' house. Un-fortunately, we have no lake behind our house, but there is behind the neighbor's house and we have a standing invitation to go down to the water any time we want too. We can also see the lake ( not so easy in summer with all the foliage ) from our deck. I feel much more alive out here in the woods by the lake than I ever have in town which seems a bit dull and lifeless.
I hope you all have a good day.
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Still heartbroken by the news out of Texas.
No reaction to the 2nd booster (other than sore arm), but DH is feeling achy. We met my brother, sister-in-law, niece and her husband for lunch and then walked around the pedestrian mall in our little town. My niece and her husband are currently living in Germany. He's with the State Department and they're thinking of moving to Winchester when they complete their tour. The pedestrian mall is about 8 blocks long and is mostly locally owned shops. Several restaurants and a couple of music venues.
We don't live near the water but have two small lakes in our neighborhood. There's a trail that goes around the lake which is very nice. We see people fish. Not really a good place for swimming or boats
Hope your appointment went well illinoislady. Nice to be settled into your summer home Carol.
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I'm going between sad and angry (AGAIN!) about the Texas shooting. Wanted to throw things at the TV during the press conference. A mental health facility in the town would certainly have made a difference! How one can be pro-life and pro-assault riffles is beyond me. OK - end of political rant.
Ken saw cardiologist Tuesday. He seems to be stable for now other than he continues to lose weight. We are like Jack Sprat and his wife - he needs to bulk up and I need to slim down! He still is reluctant to make reservations to go to Maine however so I don't think he's as good as he pretends.
Sorry for your loss, Petite. I too hope you find comfort in special memories.
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During the evening national news tonight, the tragedy in Texas hit me hard - started crying when they were interviewing a little girl who was a witness. It's the first time in a while that I thought it could happen to me - I've been in the schools for over 30 years and I know that schools are for the most part are safe but tonight I felt vulnerable. I have my float team meeting at 9:00, then I'm taking the rest of the day as a comp day - but I'll end up. writing reports. Then I'm taking my last day off next Thursday - and all my paperwork will be done - a lot of it on my own time!!!
Everyone stay safe.
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Texas. I cried during national news as well. As the dad of a slain girl wept, I wept with him. Also cried tonight as they said the coroner was getting dna samples to identify the children. I can’t begin to comprehend a coroner having to view the bodies of 19 murdetedchildren. Heart breaking.
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"How one can be pro-life and pro-assault riffles is beyond me. " Those who restrict their pro-life statements are hypocrites. Add universal health, the death penalty, and war to the package. It is impossible to subscribe to either party with good conscience.
Karen, when such an event happens so close to the end of a school year, many kids will not have an opportunity to process it. Then when the new school year begins, kids will not show up for school as a symptom, and people will have forgotten the national trauma. As they all will, because the gun lobby has perverted the national conscience.
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I wrote a post and then deleted it because we're not supposed to get into politics on this forum. I am very sad for the bereaved parents in Texas. I am certain there will be more heartbreaking stories in the news for years to come. Also copious "thoughts and prayers" in lieu of any conscientious approach to prevention.
I hope this is not too political or offensive.
DH went to the gym. It's too early for me. I plan to take a walk for 2 miles or a little farther.
While he is gone, I will finally get to read the NYT and WAPO. And work Wordle. I have missed days since leaving home.
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