Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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Sandy, I recommended Mandina's when you were visiting New Orleans. It's our favorite restaurant in the city. The shooting that occurred there could happen anywhere, and not just in urban areas. We're living in the OK Corral in the United States.
We have eaten at the Mandeville (north shore) Mandina's but prefer the original restaurant on Canal Street where the waiter was murdered outside on the side walk. I read in the newspaper that the injured woman was from Chicago. The restaurant closed over the weekend but reopened yesterday. There was a show of support by New Orleans residents who have been patrons of the restaurant for many years. The current owner is fourth generation of the family who started it.
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Karen, wow, a new grandchild on the way in a matter of weeks! That is SO exciting! We all need something good to look forward to!
I am procrastinating, really want the office to be cleaned out but don't want to do it. It definitely won't get done by itself, so I need to really tackle things. I need to clear the office out totally, to make room for my DH to move his bedroom downstairs.
Our house has 4 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms, but they are split on two floors. My DH and I began sleeping in separate bedrooms in 2010 after I had my first complete reverse shoulder surgery. He kept rolling on me at night, plus he snores…..loudly! I used to think it weird for a married couple to sleep in separate beds, let alone rooms, until getting a good night sleep became so important.
One day I realized the kids were grown and on their own, we had four bedrooms and I was having miserable sleep every night. So I moved to a bedroom on the first floor. Now with DH's age and disabilities, it is past time to get him moved downstairs. We need one floor living.
The worst thing will be sharing a bathroom with him again. I am sooo dreading that! I wish we could move but with housing prices skyrocketing, there is no place we could live cheaper. What I would really like is a three bedroom 2 1/2 bath, all one level, but there are few of them in the area and most of those have laundry in the basement and I want the laundry on the main floor!
We still have a mortgage and more debt than I wanted when I retired, but it is what it is and we do the best we can. I wish I had younger relatives who could help me with all the "moving" but I don't. My DD is swamped with work and her family and our DS lives in Nebraska, so no help there. When things are ready to actually move my DH downstairs, his son from his first marriage, and his grandson, will be able to help. But for now, it's all me.
Another cloudy dreary day, but I tell myself to be thankful I am not stuck inside doing this on a beautiful day! My arm is sore from the Covid shot, but not too bad.
illinois, thanks for the tip about Carvadilol, not sure I spelled that right, but I am on it too. Maybe that is the cause of my rib, back and hip pain? Right now the pain isn't bad, but if it gets worse, I will mention it to my doctor.
Time to stop procrastinating. I need to turn on some music and get this office done once and for all!
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Do we need to make a special effort to enjoy the beauty of the blue sky?
Do we have to practice to be able to enjoy it? No, we just enjoy it.
Each second, each minute of our lives can be like this.
Wherever we are, any time, we have the capacity to enjoy the sunshine,
the presence of each other, even the sensation of our breathing.
We don't need to go to China to enjoy the blue sky.
We don't have to travel into the future to enjoy our breathing.
We can be in touch with these things right now.
Thich Nhat Hanh0 -
We did likewise in our household with discovering our empty nest and empty bedrooms. Likely Dh has as many complaints about me as I have with him. He snores which is the first thing. Also, no matter how small a light — you can't turn it on if he is asleep. He likes what feels like to me near tropical heat in the bedroom and I want it cool. We have therefore gotten quite used to having our rooms and having it our way.
I don't think I could ever "share" a room again. Truth is — for either of us, if we wake up and can't go back to sleep we can do a variety of things w/o bothering the other. Get a snack, use the bathroom, and if it is really bothersome enough even turn on our TV's. again, or read.
It seems the older I get, the easier it is to procrastinate. Honestly, the other part of it is that no matter how nice (or I certainly think it usually turns out nice) no one else in the family wants to commit to keeping something at a good level. Two or three times now I've cleaned out the pantry and usually inside of the first two weeks, anyone going in there just throws what they bring in with them anywhere. Not only with the regular items but whatever they want to "store" finds its way there. Really irks me to no end. I'm the cook and shopper for the pantry. I either buy un-needed replacements because someone threw it on the wrong shelf or don't even realize we need something until I start cooking. Sadly, my daughter does this too . So, I do think P tend to put off some of the cleaning that I could do knowing it will be let go because no one else commits to helping keep up with ORDER rather than the disorder that evolves so easily after someone else has done all the hard work.
Same things happens in our fridge which is really too small. It is a French three door fridge and about the only thing I can keep in the same place all the time is the milk carton because the door is about the only place it can fit. Another area four people use and only one person trying to keep it clean and orderly.
Enough of my rant because I could spend the whole day on things like this.
A bit overcast today. Later in the week we are due to get rain and then it will warm back up to the 70's. We are in the 60's now. We are having wind again which is not my favorite at all. Hopefully, it will settle a bit more in the warmer weather.
Hope you all have a fantastic day.🤸
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Relaxing after lunch. Gambled some this morning but I lost and DH won. Having fun. Enjoyed Mad Apple. It was a high energy show - acrobats, music, comedy. Lots of fun. Tonight we see Raiding the Rock Vault. We’ve seen them twice before and always enjoy the show. Weather has cooled. Uppers 70s and windy. But it’s sunny. We did lots of walking the last couple of days.
Congratulations on the grandbaby Karen.Is this your first one?
We moved to be able to have a first floor master. We had a 4 bedroom split level home before. I fell down the stairs twice. Didn’t hurt myself thankfully, but DH and I decided it was time to move. We downsized as well. Spent a year getting rid of unwanted furniture and stuff. Our home is two level with two bedrooms (including the master) on the main level and one one the lower.
Hope everyone is doing well.
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I went out with a friend today for 7 hours and we looked at waterfowl at lots of sloughs, found 42 species of birds, 3 of which we don't see every year: an American Bittern, an Eastern Bluebird and an Osprey. Fun day despite the wind.
For those who mentioned having husbands that snore, I highly recommend SoundOff earbuds. I've used them on birding trips when I have a roommate that snores, they're comfortable to wear, have a volume control you use to adjust the "pink noise" (not white noise) until you can't hear the snoring. I found a setting where I could still hear my alarm with them on. I see the company has them on sale right now at https://soundoffsleep.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6cKiBhD5ARIsAKXUdybMAN8nasTO7X3JLo8W1e2yDgd-u7Hb-xfr-HoNhSvZbrKU-hR5U08aAhi7EALw_wcB
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Puffin, thanks for the recommendation on the earbuds. I don't need them now but dh does not intend to take his cpap machine on the trip to Scotland and Ireland in late September. I've been worrying in advance about my sleep quality being affected by his snoring. The cpap has been a wonderful thing for me.
Karen, congratulations on the grandbaby.
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When we plant a rose seed in the earth, we notice it is small, but
we do not criticize it as "rootless and stemless." We treat it as a
seed, giving it the water and nourishment required of a seed. When
it first shoots up out of the earth, we don't condemn it as immature
and underdeveloped, nor do we criticize the buds for not being open
when they appear. We stand in wonder at the process taking place,
and give the plant the care it needs at each stage of its development.
The rose is a rose from the time it is a seed to the time it dies.
Within it, at all times, it contains its whole potential. It seems to be
constantly in the process of change: Yet at each state, at each
moment, it is perfectly all right as it is. A flower is not better when
it blooms than when it is merely a bud; at each stage it is the same
thing--a flower in the process of expressing its potential.
Timothy Gallwey0 -
My day is starting out on a happy note. The sun it out, the wind is mild and the temps will be good. Pretty much all the things I treasure. I may even get more done today than some of the previous ones.
I no longer need ear accessories as my poor hearing blocks and dulls a lot. I do still hear enough though that if I didn't have my own room I'd likely need something.
Hope you all have a stunning day. 😎
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Cloudy but brighter out than yesterday. Moving along in the office. Getting used to the fact that I will be dealing with getting rid of 43 years of "keeping way too much" for the next 6 months at least. At least I have developed a mindset of letting things go!
We plan to donate what we can, possibly put furniture out with big "free" sign on it at some point. The upside is less "stuff!" I keep telling myself, next year I will actually feel good about our home again! I hate clutter!
Hope everyone is doing well.
Karen, hope you are feeling well. How is your job going? I think working as long as possible is great!
Puffin, that 7 hour birdwatching with your friend sounds amazing! Birds are such beautiful and interesting creatures. I do not like having them for pets, but love looking at them in the wild!
Cardplayer, sounds like you are having a great time! Enjoy!
Sandy, I hope Heidi is doing better!
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Puffin: My SIL found a Pileated woodpecker on his car this morning. I am hoping I can upload the photos he sent me. We have one in our woods but he is difficult to see but has that distinctive tap and cry so we know he is there. I did see him once but not able to capture him on a photo.
It's a real beaut and this is a first sighting by my SIL.
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Here's the second photo. They are large so it didn't post both on the first try. Enjoy.
Blurry but still able to appreciate how large they are. As far as their vocalization, think Woody Woodpecker type cry.
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Working on genealogy by writing a short story using facts I have collected for family members on my maternal grandfather's line. I did one on my maternal great grandfather's line many years ago shared it with a family member that I was trying to get info from in hopes they would help fill in the blanks.
They gave it to another family member who had the audacity to post it online without asking my permission. I spent many an hour and many a dollar researching that information and did not expect to ever have it posted for others to "borrow".
So now I share my research with only one member from this line who also keeps their research private as well. We have worked together and spent many an hour plus dollar on documenting our findings. She also has had someone appropriate her work without permission. Using Ancestry has helped immensely but I miss the dusty, old smell of documents and historical societies. Plus sometimes the documents posted on Ancestry lack cause of death and other vital information I seek. I am enjoying trying to make the persons of my research 3-D using a story line about their lives. Progress is slow but bringing back memories of loved ones who have passed. I plan on giving this to my children so they know their family history that I have been able to trace back to Ireland and to the pre-Civil War era.
It is cloudy today and only in the low 50's so you need a jacket for outdoors because it is damp.
Regan had her last private lesson last Friday with DH and the trainer. He was pleased with her progress with sit/stay. The trainer told Dh he has cancer and will have surgery. He expects to return in 3 months and we wish him the best of outcomes. We hope he is able to return to training because this seems to fill his retirement hours and he loves dogs (and talking). We will keep working with her on basic commands and will try to take her on some trails where we know encountering other dogs will not be an issue. She has really made progress but still has a way to go to be completely comfortable with herself and others.
Have a good day, I need to get back to writing and laundry.
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Heidi seems to be "finding her groove," and appears to have gained a few ounces (or at least stopped losing weight). Talked to the vet yesterday: UA is normal. She agrees that at 8.3 lbs. one "click" of the twist-up medication pen might be enough for now. She needs bloodwork in a couple of weeks, and if her thyroid levels haven't dropped—or she has gained considerable weight, at least back up over 9 lbs—we might try increasing the dose. The transdermals do work more slowly than the orals.
Mary, your adventures with the Braunschweiger reminds me of those tube-loaves of FreshPet cat paté, which Heidi seems to have forgotten she doesn't like. Last year I tried giving some to the kitties, and they were not fans. The next morning (after his middle-of-the-night fridge raid) Bob said I shouldn't buy that brand of liverwurst again because it's "too bland." The look on his face when I told him he had eaten cat food was priceless. From then on he's remembered to wear his glasses during his nighttime food forays. For Braunschweiger, we get either Jones Farm pre-sliced or Usinger's.
Weather slowly improving here, though still 10-15 degrees cooler by the lake. Meanwhile, we're back to sharing the bed now that my earplugs are working well. I will try those noise-generating ones, though. When I had that pulsatile tinnitus back when I was at my slimmest, I used my AirPods Pro with a noise-generating cellphone app, but often the battery drained and the phone itself was "broadcasting" the pink or brown noise into the room.
Karen, hope you're feeling better. Carole, the woman shot at Mandina's was one of 28 who'd accompanied Chicago's WXRT-FM DJ Terri Hemmert (who's in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame) to celebrate Terri's (and her own) birthday. Terri tweeted that she didn't get to eat her Crawfish Monica that evening while the place was locked down. I don't think they've caught the shooter yet.
I read an article yesterday about "intuitive eating" that really hit home. I think what hampered my diet was the attitude that certain of my favorite foods are forbidden—especially the ones I crave. I'd been taught that if I just stuck to low-carb long enough I'd lose my sweet tooth and therefore cravings. Nope, never did. I would "eat around" the cravings by eating the fake keto-friendly versions (or eat nuts or cheese rather than the carbs I wanted), I realize now that the sugar-free candies and cookies simply didn't satisfy me, but only made me miss and crave the real thing even more. I would eat around my cravings and eventually give in anyway—then have seconds, having first consumed all the excess calories from the fake stuff (the packages of which declare "not a low-calorie food").
The principle of intuitive eating is to eat when you're hungry and stop when satisfied rather than full. No dishonor in packing & refrigerating leftovers. Often, the first few bites of the forbidden indulgence are all it takes—and the time to stop is when the novelty begins to wear off. The very knowledge that nothing is truly off-limits (at least weight-control-wise), and that the food will always be there, is liberating. As the saying goes "you can eat anything—just don't eat everything."
So last night after a home-cooked fish & veggies meal, I had a single mini-truffle and a chocolate biscotti. At bedtime, one bowl of Cheerios instead of two. It worked. I slept through the night and awoke feeling fine (for the first time in weeks, not having that upper back/side soreness). Might skip the bedtime eating and see if my schedule just naturally shakes out to a de facto intermittent fast. I'm beginning to wonder, too, if my attitude that "I paid for it, it's included, I can't pack leftovers to go and don't want to waste food, especially in a country once-devastated by famine" led to the digestive discomfort I felt on my trip. So tonight I will have the pasta I'm craving—but not my entire half of the shared portion. Plenty of room in the fridge & freezer now that I've thrown out the "science projects" and way-past-pull-date partially-consumed stuff.
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Not in a good place tonight. I have stayed off my feet much of the time lately, hoping that my knee and leg problems are due to trying to do too much. That in itself leads to depression.
Some neighbors are being vicious; I am supposed to train Tippy to pee on the sidewalk rather than the grass.
Tippy is not behaving himself when we go for walks with me on trike. I am going to have to use the training collar. He wants to go where he wants to go, and when I give up and pick him up and put him in the basket, he likes that even better. Not fun. He pulled the outrigger pole around to the other side. I will be feeling better in the morning.
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betrayal, great pictures even if one was a bit blurry. We mostly get downy woodpeckers around our house.
Sandy, I need to get back to intuitive eating! Thanks for mentioning that, I had forgotten about it and it worked well for me in the past! I don’t normally eat after dinner, but a couple of nights this past week I had popcorn. Not sure why, but I really wanted it.Now with my emotions under control I am ready to tackle my diet and house! Nice to be retired with time to really go through things!
I also must try to get comfortable using my laptop. I still prefer a desk top computer but the laptop is only a year old.0 -
Finally got my Avatar loaded. Not sure I could repeat the steps but it's done. Now I'm a cappuccino instead of flowers.
Betrayal you are inspiring me to write. At the moment decluttering and all that is our focus as a move is likely in our future.
MM I hear you -- I hate clutter and have too much of it. Glad you are feeling better.
I continue to meet with the nutritionist and am down 4 pounds in 5 weeks. Cutting sugar way back ( not eliminating it) has helped a lot. Sandy, good reminder about intuitive eating. I had forgotten that aspect of all this and will incorporate it.
Mary I hope tomorrow is a better day in all ways. Hugs to you and to anyone I've forgotten to comment
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Karen I’m also debating #6 plus the new RSV. I’d ask your dr too, you’ve got a lot going on. Congrats on new grand baby arriving soon.
Jackie, I’m with you on my lack of multitasking when it comes to the TV. I keep hitting pause and rewinding because I can’t hear what they said because partner is reading some god forsaken sports news out loud to me. He’ll also read me some obit or headline - Oh xyz died. Me: who is xyz? Partner: he’s a baseball/football/hockey guy who played for X when I was a kid, his stats were… Me: I don’t know him, never did. It’s to the point I sound callous, but hells bells, we have enough people we do know passing for me to mourn a stranger. Rant over! So I can relate, you’re not alone. Thank you for the egg shell tip. I’ve always used the bigger part of the same shell to attract the tiny piece.
Betrayal, cool picture!
Puffin I’m looking up those ear plugs, thank you. Partner snores so loudly lately I think I’ll dislocate a shoulder reaching over to push him. Very disruptive to my sleep.Sandy I’m not a foodie, so it’s very rare I ever eat a full meal when out to dinner. And that’s with no apps nor salad/soup starter. But even if I’m full to the gills, I’ve always got room for sweets. My only trick, based on laziness, is once I’ve flossed and brushed my teeth I’m done for the day. I’m too lazy to want to floss and brush again if I eat something else.
It’s two days left before we leave. I shopped Big Lots yesterday with a 20% off Bed Bath & Beyond coupon. A lot of paper products, laundry items and batteries. Then we used the batteries replacing them in all the smoke alarms. I even replaced the battery in the outside keypad garage door opener. A neighbors battery died and garage door wouldn’t open, even when new battery went in. They had to get up on a ladder and reset the whole thing - which I hope to avoid.Temp says 65, going up to 88. I want to take apart my grill, scrape off the worst and toss the parts in the dishwasher. Also steam clean the tile floors. Snoring man woke me at 6:10 after 4+ hours of sleep. So I might just nap at the pool later today. Have a great day!
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I don't know about Intuitive Eating so I'll research it. Thanks for mentioning it, Sandy. The murder at Mandina's has not been solved. Police are looking for a "person of interest" and have been publicizing a video. Last year a niece and her dh, daughter and foreign student were in NOLA. We met them at Mandina's because we considered it a safe place to go where our car wouldn't be stolen from the parking lot.
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Betrayal, I forgot, I wanted to add that I think it is horrible that someone would take your hard work and then post it online! I applaud you for digging into your genealogy. I am curious as to the "stories" you write. I assume something like…"Great, Great, Grandfather Mathew Smith, took a ship to America in 1780. Entering at port…he then was able to get a job as an apprentice, working for a jewelry store in Philadelphia." I am not sure I am anywhere close to what you do but would love to know more. After all the decluttering, I would like to dig into my family genealogy again. I never thought of putting all that information into a "story" but sounds like something I would want to pass on to my grandchildren.
Mary, I do hope today is better for you. Why must you teach Tippy to pee on the sidewalk? Seems like it would be worse than the grass? I know there is reasoning behind it. I am glad to read that you will be moving closer to relatives after your surgery. When is your surgery?
Cindy, LOL about your description of you partner and watching TV! You sound just like my sister! Her DH does the same, it drives her crazy! Also nice that you sound ready for the move up north. Do you rent your Florida home out while you are back north? My oldest living sister has a condo in Naples, and they do not rent it out when they go back north. I am not sure I would want strangers in my home, even for half a year. I wish you safe travels on Saturday!
Reader, awesome about your avatar. I still can't figure that out, but I put a pin in that for now. Will try again at some point in time. All my photos are on my phone or ipad and my ipad is so old it isn't much use. I plan to get an updated version this summer. Hopefully computers and iPads will go on sale in time for the college freshmen to buy new electronics.
Going through DVDs and there is a shop near me that will take them as donations. It is a charity that funds children's programs. I just want them out of my house, along with other usable items I no longer wish to keep. It's much easier to let go knowing it has potential to help someone in need.
Next stop, my bedroom, starting with dresser drawers! Time for old clothes not worn in years to go! Also various things that I call "movables" because all I ever do with them is move them from place to place! I am over all of that! If it isn't useful or sentimental, out it goes!
Another cloudy over cast day, Ugh! Not much sun in our future. Partial sun Saturday and Sunday. The only day of full sun in Monday. Looking forward to our grandson's first holy communion on Saturday, and getting together with my sisters and their spouses for lunch at a local inn on Tuesday. Yes, there is more to my life than cleaning, LOL!
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Each day is a time of great possibilities. Many experiences are before me that will inspire me on my upward path of growth and discovery. Knowing this, I greet each day with enthusiasm. An enthusiastic attitude is an energizing one. When I am enthusiastic, I tap into an inner wellspring of energy that promotes change in my body and in my life. The positive power that is generated by enthusiasm improves my circulation and helps restore health to my body. It stirs up joy within me and calls it forth into expression. Enthusiasm for life brings out the beauty that I was once unable to see. - unattributed
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Great sun today. Could be brighter, but it's there so fine with me. Nighttime is cool so mornings start with the furnace coming on. Pretty typical for the most part.
As to intuitive eating, it sounds similar to eating several small meals during the day. The people I've known that do that actually are not at all over-wt. It is different though. I've done it a fair amt. but more with the idea of saving room for a sweet treat after the meal. My hang-up is I can do it, and as long as I stay busy afterwards it is not so bad, but sit down too soon after eating and I feel a little hungry (for something, almost anything) and a bit deprived. I do have small cups of applesauce, and sherbert for fill-ins. I'm still an over-achiever on food I truly love — like tuna salad, buttered noodles, goulash. Breads and pasta dishes have great power over me.
Still in "learning" mode with some of the features here. I've actually found that they have actually been attainable using pretty much the same methods I was using on the old platform.
It is a strange thing that often I don't have to re-sign in much. I signed in yesterday and find when I came this a.m. that I'm still sighed in. Odd.
Hoping you all have good weather, joy and productive days.
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I used to stay signed in. Now I don't. Interesting that we can have different experiences using the same website. I keep learning time saving tricks. Like clicking the Back arrow to get the list of favorites again after I have posted on a forum.
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MM said, "Mary, I do hope today is better for you. Why must you teach Tippy to pee on the sidewalk? Seems like it would be worse than the grass? I know there is reasoning behind it. I am glad to read that you will be moving closer to relatives after your surgery. When is your surgery?"
I am supposed to teach him to pee on the sidewalk so that they will be able to take a picture as proof that I walked him in front of their apartment, which they don't want me to do and will complain about. It is just unreasonable commands to get me to break the rules and get evicted. I have my bike in front of my place during the day, and lights set up. I ride the bike while walking him, even at dusk. EGT is in the garage every night to prevent vandalism.
I hope I get to move home. This harassment is just another reason to move. Or I will move up to the three-floor building in town with smaller apartments, but closer to church. Administration is supportive and working on the interpersonal BS here, but….
I have an appointment with ortho next week. Hopefully will find out then.
I was doing a bit of gardening in front of my apt earlier today, and fell off my bench, forcing my knee into a tighter angle. Still not as good as my other one, though. Never will be.
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Mary, how sad. I have found though I couldn't really judge it for you, that often when I've seen neighbors picking on another neighbor, later on it has turned out that the 'neighbors' actually had problems right inside their own homes that seemed apparently too hard to confront — easier to pick out an outside entity and use up the ire and displeasure with them rather than the true much closer entity.
No one is totally blameless in general but I do think a lot of people don't realize they are picking out a problem that then replaces the one they can't confront. I've seen a lot of that but only a few yrs. ago was it so plainly in action that I finally understood it with the depth it always had.
It is good to hear that your administrators are aware, but likely difficult to do much when people are 'creating' something to help them hide from personal issues — if that is what it really does come down to.
I do hope yiou won't have to be too long in the crossfire.
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Oh, yes, serious issues. Obvious. Maybe it is because I got them figured out?? Anyway, no interaction, no conflict.
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Mother Nature blessed us with double rainbows tonight!
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Oh, @carolehalston, if you scroll to the top of a thread, your Bookmarks will be on the right-hand side menu. Though, admittedly, if you're further down on a page with lots of comments, it very well might be quicker to click on the back button for sure. 😂
Some users have sent requests to our tech team on re-implementing links to navigate quickly to the top and bottom of threads, so perhaps that is something that will be feasible in the future. 🙂
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MM, that rainbow is quite a treat. A great thank you for being doused with water. In the first picture the colors are showing really intense. Must be nice and warm where you are.
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Carole, I am one of the ones who ask for arrows to take us to the top of the page or bottom as the case may be. In the older version I used those arrows almost every day, I think. I guess you can get use to anything, but I still really miss that feature.
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