Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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We're having a "cool snap." I got out the fleece blanket last night. DH turned on the heat pump this morning. It's sunny and is supposed to warm up during the day to the 70's. Perfect.
I'm headed to the gym and afterwards will pick up some groceries.
Happy Monday to all.
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Woke up to upper 70s but it’s cloudy with a breezy. We did our morning walk. It’s warming up, but still cloudy; thunderstorms expected later today. Heading to the dentist later this morning. Been having some jaw pain. Going to the dentist DH goes to rather than the one I’d been seeing. My dentist has made me two mouth guards, neither of which solved the issue. Figure I need to see a dentist who has TMJ knowledge just in case that’s what I’m dealing with.
Otherwise a quiet day. Maybe some cleaning this afternoon. Enjoy your day
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Been plugging away at the construction of the new paved area for our outdoor fire place. It has been paced according to the weather with us only being able to work at the most in 3 hour stints in the morning while it is shady and less hot/humid. The natural stone wall is 99% done, we have excavated the paver section, tamped it and are now in the process of adding the underlayment. We need it to taper from about 5-6 inches at the far end where it slopes to about 2 inches where the ground is level. This is the first step underlayment we are applying and once this is done and level we will add step 2 which is the sand bed. Lastly, the pavers. We have used up a significant amount of the leftover natural stone to build the wall, much to DH's surprise. What is left can be used elsewhere. It has been an interesting project and I am pleased with how it is turning out even though it is about 50% done.
Made a Chocolate Caramel Peanut Butter Pie yesterday from a recipe found online. It was a hit with my DSIL and DD. They usually have dinner with us on Sundays (takeout during the summer) and they supply the dessert. It was easy to make and the other half is in the freezer. They plan on coming tomorrow to help us with the fire place area and are looking forward to devouring the rest.
We are predicted to have thunderstorms today but after 9 days with no rain, but lots of predictions we would have it, I'm being optimistic. It is hot, humid and hazy. The trees are so stressed they are dropping leaves. I have been watering the new planted items so we do not lose them. Imagine my water bill will be like the Civil War debt at this point. Hope everyone has a good Monday.
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A friend and I went to the next town over to get our dogs groomed. I had sort of lost control of home grooming and he was funny-looking. So he went in ahead of our usual three-month schedule. He got all cleaned up and looks fine. I will get a different brush. Since he was a walk-in, we had time to go to Wal-Mart. She gave me a pad to put in the basket while he is riding-- he likes it. Then we went to a drive-in root beer stand, he had a pup-cup and I had a lemonade. Went to get her dog who was scheduled for a full haircut, but she had gotten sick, so just got a minimal one, she will use her clippers to finish it up.
She dropped me off, but I forgot my groceries and stuff, so Tippy and I rode over to get them. Now at home, so I will have a 2:00 lunch.
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Jackie - I too am sorry the kitties can’t be on your errand list. But like you said, something will turn up along the line of helping animals.
My PT has me limping, and it feels like I did with my original injury. So today was another appointment and as I usually get up on the table for the deep tissue massage /manipulation. I had to tell him no, I can’t do it again. The week before after PT, I stopped at Walmart for one of those ice pack things you break the inside pack, the chemicals mix and it’s nice and cold. That’s how I got home, sitting on ice. I’ve been living on Advil & ice packs. I’m thinking of starting Naproxen for 4-5 days to see if the tendon inflammation goes away. I won’t be back for PT until 8/11. I’ll do the walks & stretches on my own.
Betrayal, I think you should be glad you’re only getting in 3 hours of work, hard labor, per day. Otherwise we tend to just keep going.
Sandy, you’re getting out and about more, which is good to hear.
Petite - the heat in upstate NY has been unbearable, 6 days over 90 and humid. I can’t imagine FL this time of year. Our pool is 90! Doesn’t feel refreshing at all.
Keywest, wishing for the best outcome and that you have all the information you need to make a decision if it needs to be done.
Everyone - I hope you all had a good Monday!
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Betrayal, I hope we get pictures of some of your finished yard projects. I'm a member of a Louisiana Gardeners group on Facebook and I'm awed by some of the yard designs with paved walkways and fountains and beds of blooming plants.
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We went from sweltering heat to low 70s and potential for rain off and on today. I expect summer heat will return. Got our walk in though. A day of cleaning.
Had my dental appointment yesterday and he's fitted me for an appliance to help with my jaw pain. They had a wand that she used inside my mouth to produced a 3D picture of my mouth. No messy goop to create a mold, which was nice.
Enjoy your day
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Heal yourself with the light of the sun and the rays of the moon. With
the sound of the river and the waterfall. With the swaying of the sea and
the fluttering of birds. Heal yourself with mint, neem, and eucalyptus.
Sweeten with lavender, rosemary, and chamomile. Hug yourself with
the cocoa bean and a hint of cinnamon. Put love in tea instead of sugar
and drink it looking at the stars. Heal yourself with the kisses that the
wind gives you and the hugs of the rain. Stand strong with your bare
feet on the ground and with everything that comes from it. Be smarter
every day by listening to your intuition, looking at the world with your
forehead. Jump, dance, sing, so that you live happier. Heal yourself,
with beautiful love, and always remember. . . you are the medicine.
Maria Sabina0 -
I would enjoy seeping pics as well. Would love to do more with our yard, but with two acres -- we are going to have to be satisfied with mainly grass. SIL has one a lot of re-vamping of the areas right out in front and on the one side. It is looking much, much better there. I think we may have to do some Fall seeding of the grass if we can. We were not ready this Spring and we have bare patches.
Cardplayer, sounds like you had a good expierience at your diental appt. I hope the 'remedy' works well for you. Fingers crossed.
I awoke around 3:45 to go to the bathroom. Despite my melatonin, there was so much thunder and lightning I didn't manage to go back to sleep. Finally got up and turned on tv in the living room. Got cozy and fell back asleep in the recliner. The thunder and lightning is gone but the rains have continued. Cats are un-happy since we refuse to let them out. I think it will mainly continue to rain throughout the day. We are due they say for a wet week. Hopefully, not with the amt. of rain ( flood warnings in several counties ) that we had overnight and so far today. It seems invariably ( despite consistent and numerous warnings ) soneone gets caught in rushing water somewhere. I hope everyone has managed to stay safe this time.
Nothing much planned save for the normal day-time work meanderings to be found in the house here.
Hope you all have a good day.
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I have pictures of my projects but they are on my phone and I have to send them to my email to download. Still on a learning curve with this new phone since it is giving me fits about sending to my email account. I have been taking serial photos of the fire pit area so I can track my progress which has been slow but steady. Carol, you are right that 3 hours is a good amount of time to work because if the weather was better, I would most likely not stop. I do need the breaks to re-evaluate what needs to be done as far as improvements or making less work for myself. DD and DSIL went to Home Depot for 10 more bags of fill. We have done 18 to date and it is starting to shape up. We have to create a flat surface from a decline area of yard so it means re-enforcing the lower end which dips with more fill, bigger wall and more excavation.
I am sure my finished projects will most likely not hold a candle to the Louisiana Gardeners Club displays. Most of them would require a professional gardener for upkeep and I would not meet those qualifications. I just like to dig holes, fill them with something that grows and sparks beauty. Weeding is therapeutic though I sometimes wish I had fewer therapy sessions. The darn weeds are doing well in this drought. The rain yesterday was a major disappointment since it was almost a non-event. It did cool us down by a few degrees and lowered the humidity but we need more rain desperately. Have a good day.
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Realigned near end of patio. The patio is about 40 feet long. Here are some of the photos my DD was able to download for me. while saving photos on the camera is nice, they are a PIA to download to email/folders.
Realigned far end of patio. Sorry flowers are not in place for these early photos. 
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In the last photo you can see where the fire pit enclosure sits on the down slope. It is nothing fancy. Here is what we are excavating for the new site. It is a steep decline as you can see and leans to the left. Parts of the house in front were built in the 1850's but are mostly enclosed in the "newer" version of a farm house.
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Here's the walkway update. That's my favorite fragrant lilac in front of the steps. This other bed has a Black Lace Elderberry, a rhododendron and a hibiscus in its bed. We definitely live on a steep hill but we are off the road which makes it quieter. End of show.
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It all looks so nice to me. Made me wish to be there. I'm in envy for the large lilac bush and where it is. I'm really fond of some of the old favorites like Lilac and Bearded Iris and yellow Honeysuckle. It is a lot of work, but I think a nice place to relax while you enjoy being out of doors.
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Betrayal - beautiful stone work out front! Your fire pit will be beautiful once finished. A lot of work doing a fire pit, let alone on a slope.
Our heat wave broke for now. We got in a 3 mile walk around 9:30 this morning, and the park was full of people. It’s 69 now and all windows are open to take advantage of it.
Cardplayer, you were fortunate no use of goop. That 3D wand sounds delightful. I’m hoping this appliance does the trick for you.
Not sure I’ve mentioned I’ve been accepted into an American Cancer Society study on activity after cancer. Today I found out I’ve been placed in the Balance & Flexibility group. My FitBit charge 5 showed up tonight too. Learning curve for me! I think on Thursday I’ll get another email on what my group assignment will be. I’m sure I’ll keep you all posted, depending on my level of insanity.
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Thank you for the positive feedback. Today was a lovely day to sit outside and I actually took my tea out there for a break. If all summer days could be like today, I would be happy. It was so nice not to be dripping in sweat.
That lilac bush was here, but much smaller, when we moved here 37 years ago. It originally was encased in a stone wall enclosure (looked DIY) that was slowly choking it to death. Shoots had managed to cause cracks in the walls but the roots were really compressed when they broke the rest off. It has the smallest purple flowers that are intensely fragrant and when it is in bloom I can't wait to open the front door to get a whiff. If not for the cats escaping, I would prop the door open. It was the impetus for starting this project as were the previous wonky, overly steep front steps which I had hated for years because they were not made for short legs. The one contractor wanted to move it even though I kept repeating "it is not to be moved" and one of the reasons he did not get the job (other was outrageous proposal $$$$). Every plan he submitted had the lilac being moved. It liked where it was so who am I to decide to move after it being there for over 45 years? Second contractor did not recommend moving it, so he got the job plus I liked his plan better. I have old fashioned lilacs my Dad gave me that were from my childhood home and they are in the side yard, actually near where the new fire pit area will be. They are not as fragrant though lovely when they bloom.
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Betrayal, I am SO envious of all the projects you've been able to do with your home, especially outdoors. Here in the city, we're lucky to have even 1/4 acre; so with a smallish lawn, deck and detached garage that's about all the area we have to work with. If we want a reasonably safe firepit, we''ll have to wall off (fireproof material) part of the lawn abutting the under-deck area and sacrifice that part of the lawn for concrete or pavers. Right now, we no longer have a grape arbor (it didn't survive the winter) or trellis, and got rid of the tire swing we stopped using when Gordy grew up, so that may be the "target" area.
Nancy, dunno if you log in here (I think I've seen you on the drinking & dinner threads), but I hope you're safe from that horrible STL-area flooding. I can't even wrap my head around 10" of rain in a single day (10" of snow is bad enough). Please check in here if you can.
Had a good dental checkup & cleaning today--no cavities, no deep gum pockets, Good to go till Nov. I see my ortho tomorrow at her Bucktown office (a bit closer than Skokie, though the opposite direction) to discuss what's next for my back & hip. Today was not a "good foot day:" I must concede that my bunion is gonna need surgery if I plan on wearing anything other than UGGs or OOFOs slides/flip-flops going forward. I kept protesting that the 1st MTP joint wasn't what was hurting me, it was the bunion...but that's exactly where the bunion is. Looks like Goodwill is going to get all my pricey orthotic heeled & wedge dress shoes, because once that joint gets fused I won't be able to wear anything but flats, oxfords & sneakers,
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Betrayal - what a beautiful patio and yard. Love the fragrance from lilacs. You'll get lots of enjoyment from your patio. We have a small yard and deck off the back, but DH loves to garden. We have potted plants on the deck and had landscaping done around the house.
Woke up early as usual. It's cool again this morning and another cloudy day with the possibility of rain. We're meeting my brother and SIL for lunch today. We meet at a restaurant that's halfway point for both of us, since they live about 80 miles away. It's my SIL birthday today. My daughter is going to meet us for lunch, too.
Enjoy your day
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I am 62, finished rads 2 weeks ago, referred to this site by Cancer Life Line. I don't even know if I'm active here or not. I completed profile twice yesterday. I was hoping for an active chat room. Are there any here?
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Snowghost, Welcome. We are pretty chatty about all sorts of topics, avoiding those that maybe controversial. I finished rads in 2019 and now dealing with Arimidex.
Betrayal, Your yard is fantastic! WOW. Also, that pie sounds wonderful with a million yummy calories per slice.
cardplayer, sounds like we are having the same type of weather, only warmer here.
Cindy, my pool hasn't reach 90 degrees, yet.
On other news. I have been dealing with a cold (tested negative for COVID) and just starting to feel normal again. I haven't walked or done Silversneaker's workouts or anything for over a week. I did get out of the house yesterday and want to return to my normal routine today. My brother went to a wedding and is positive for COVID for the 2nd time. He is fully vaxed. He says it is not as bad as the first time. DH is starting to feel better, New research on cluster headaches, per doctor, has him on Claritin and Verapamil. He is still getting them, but they seem to not be as server. The neurologist has ordered some follow up diagnostic work. (not sure if it is an MRI or something else) I will be glad to have him pain free and back to himself. Once he is feeling better we are planning a minication. Our grand niece is graduating with her Masters in microbiology and we would like to get together with her.
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Betrayal, I echo the compliments on your yard. Lovely stonework and patio. I know you look forward to reaching the enjoyment phase when the labor is done. I have a two acre yard and built all the flowerbeds myself thirty years ago when we bought the house. I made some mistakes in the plantings, like underestimating the growth of a sweet olive tree that I planted near the front entrance. Amateur gardeners usually can't imagine full grown size.
I'm hoping the five knockout roses I planted last fall survive the hot summer. I had intended to build a watering system but that would have required leaving the water turned on, not a practical option since we have a well and electric pump. Too many things could go wrong. So the roses are on their own and at the mercy of nature during the four months of our absence.
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Sandy, you may be sad giving away all those footwear, but you will be so much more comfortable. I suspect that when my knee gets replaced, my ankle will also get repaired, as a risk to the integrity of my knee. I have decided now that it is from a bad sprain I had in graduate school. I was wearing wedges-- a bad choice for me. My last injection was a month ago, but it is still holding.
I have been very busy getting ready for the crafts fair, as well as maintaining regular activities.
Betrayal, your backwards-sloping yard would be a challenge for any contractor commissioned to build any stable flat area for lounging. But they have done a beautiful job. Yet more gardening tasks for you, but much of it does not involve leaning over or a gardening bench. I have spoken to a contractor about bringing in some dirt this fall to flatten my garden. Hope it will be good. Part of the problem is that when my BIL prepared it for me, he did so the easy way, by scalping it.
It is remarkably cool this morning, with clouds predicted to clear, and high of 80.
The kava is definitely improving my sleep, although increasing my active dreaming. That may decrease with time, as I have had a deficit of REM sleep for several months.
Cardplayer, I hope once I get in for dental that they will do it that way. But their clinic is for people with financial difficulties, so it is unlikely. I am really eager for new earmolds, as they are highly likely to use that technology. Unpleasant but in a very different way-- like being totally deaf.
I will only be able to stop in for brief reports for a while.
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Sandy - bunion surgery I’ve had on both feet, the right foot twice - and it’s still crooked. My big toes don’t do well with bending. Example is working out, traveling lunges - toes don’t do that. I use a bosu ball and leave a foot on it and one on the ground. Nice pretty shoes are long gone, nice boots too. I’m in sneakers or Clark’s sandals. I have a black patent loafer for funeral attire, but I will take them off asap. I have SHOE ENVY. I notice other women’s foot wear and complement those I’d love to be able to wear.
73 and beautiful outside. Conflicting reports of maybe the 90’s returning tomorrow. I hope they’re wrong.
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What a desolate place would be a world without flowers. It would be a face without a smile, a feast without a welcome. Are not flowers the stars of the earth? And are not our stars the flowers of heaven?
Clara Balfour0 -
Welcome snowghost. We love it here and hope you will too. I am here everyday -- though a lot of times it is just to leave a quote -- something to ponder over.
The yard projects are fantastic. It is good to conbine nature with progress and re-define areas where we can enjoy our personal ( yard ) nature in a relaxed setting. Money and expense but pays off well in comfort and serenity. Wish I could do pictures, but I think I reached my zenith on electronic abilities some time back. Just glad I can keep up with all of you on the blog.
Sure hope all those having any procedures that it turns out well. Sad to have to give up pretty shoes and I'm a little envious but I gave mine up back in 2007 when my chemo ruined my feet/toenails. No more open-toed shoes for me. I have wide feet too which makes it a bit more challenging to find nice looking shoes. I'm still stuck on Sketchers because they form fit to a degree and have enough support for me -- at least for 6 or 8 months.
Weather has been awful but a bit of muted sun at the moment. St. Louis right across the river from us ( actually about 75 miles from us here ) is suffering due to the rain event. Hope and pray they get less in the next round of rains. We were predicted to have ( off and on ) about a week of this but I didn't catch that it would be in such porportions as what St. Louis received.
Hope you all have a good day and cool and dryer if possible.
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Welcome Snowghost. This is a nice place to visit and find companionship. Lovely bunch of ladies here.
ChiSandy, sorry about foot issues and shoes. I know the agony of having to part with beloved shoes because the pain of wearing them is too much to enjoy them. I just gave away about 12 pairs of heels that had been in storage since 11/19 and that I can no longer wear due to left knee and foot issues. One pair had been worn only once, my DD has larger feet as does my DIL, so I hope the next owner enjoys them.
Carol, we have about 3/4 of an acre and every rock wall around a flower bed has been built by us. For every hole we dig, we extricate lots of rocks and just started to leave them as borders. My Mother would bring a bucket and take home some for her garden (rather than buy them) and we used to tease her that she was going to confuse a geologist in the future since she was transporting them across state lines. Other than the flower beds next to the house, the property was rather neglected and bland. No curb appeal, the wooded area and the frontage was all wild with poison ivy and other woodland scrub. Turns out DH, DD and DS all are sensitive to poison ivy so it had to be eradicated because if the wind blew, they got it. So this has been an ongoing project and even with the 2 new beds near the new walkway, they only require weeding and mulching. I try to plant things that are perennial, do not require trimming (that's why the evergreens and forsythia were torn out), and it is kind of a minimalist approach to gardening. Bulbs that naturalize, liberal use of pachysandra and periwinkle as ground cover, etc. So the biggest chores are weeding and mulching both of which I regard as a form of therapy.
It was a nice day today. A tad more humid than yesterday but workable without undue sweating. So 15 bags of fill in and I think 5 more might finish the underlayment. DH off to buy it and weather permitting we will work on it tomorrow and check for level. We can now see what the finished size will look like and are pleased.
Thank all who commented, it's nice to have a cheering squad for moral support. Have a good Wednesday. I am heading to the shower.
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Welcome snowghost. I’ve enjoyed this topic/chat. The ladies are very welcoming and it’s nice to hear what’s going on with their lives and in other parts of the county.
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I just went back for some reason I can't fathom( maybe the fib ) and re-read what I wrote earlier. I do a lot more than just post a quote. A lot of jabbering from me most of the time unless I'm having to do something. I did not mean to tell my whopper -- we are always in a fresh second of time and at the time I felt like I had not been posting much. I take it back.
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And betrayal, I know you have done immense amounts of work improving the property. One of the reasons why you couldn't leave after the storm.
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Welcome snow ghost - as you can now see, we are a small but chatty bunch. Many days we are dealing with the issues of aging more than living with cancer but know that we are here for that too. Hope you can get your profile posted and made public - need to do it for each item listed - so we know more about you. I think Cardplayer and I are the only ones who are TP, for instance.
Great looking yard. As I've said before, many of you have more energy than I do. Unlike my DS, I have little interest in a yard/garden. Good for you who do!
Jackie may label this a "political statement" but I will make it anyway - climate change is real. Phoenix heat is record breaking as it is elsewhere. My DD lives in Maine where few homes, including hers, are air conditioned. So sorry to read about the floods in St. Louis. Northern AZ is flooding too - following huge fires this spring when it was so dry. And so I it goes. Very sad.
By the way, I especially liked yesterdays quote, Jackie.
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