Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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It's sunny outside this morning. I'm feeling thankful that we didn't have violent weather last night. We'll be in the 50's today and windy.
Churches have streamlined the process of people getting their forehead daubed with ashes with drive through stations. We have a lot of Roman Catholics in our area so I will see people at the gym today with a gray spot on foreheads. Some people who aren't Catholic give up something for Lent.
DH has PT at 9 am and I plan to go to Ed's class at the YMCA at 11:30.
Happy Ash Wednesday to all.
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Chris — looked out my window just now and it is snowing here — amid the rain. I'm pretty sure it won't amount to very much — it's 37 degrees. Way too warm to last and likely to return to 'just' rain at some point. I really didn't think we'd see any here at all though so a bit surprising.
Our temps. while on the cooler side today will steadily move back up in the 50's and 60's and maybe even a few degrees higher. It is March so another of our hard to predict time periods till FULL Spring. Since I've been back home (quite a lot of time now) from 1997 to now one of our biggest snows I think was nearly a foot and it came in the first week of April — and very rapidly left. By the next day we already had slush on roadways. Also we can expect wind issues up to tornadoes to usher in Spring here. So always pretty much iffy and un-certain.
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Tippy doesn't feel well today. Tail drooping, refusal to eat, just happy to be on my lap. I am hoping it is only a reaction to the weather.
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good morning everyone. I had a great sleep in its now 1130 so I thought I’d post. I got up at 10! Super late for me. Lol. Sun is trying to come out and I’m planning to get my butt out for a walk. I need to get back into my exercise regime.
Looking forward to my forced vacay and Ltd. Means I’ll be retiring for real likely by 2026! Just getting used to this idea and focusing my brain. Lol.
I loved the bright red flowers posted. Love that spring is in the air. Cherry blossoms are coming out. My tree will be open in a few weeks. Yay.
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Very cute. And sloths do amazingly well for being slow-moving animals.
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Canarycat - I can relate to your cute picture. But I need Diet Coke as I don’t drink coffee.
Chris - hope Tippy is feeling better. How much snow did you get?
Cindy - I don’t know how you do it. I’m exhausted just reading about your houseguests.
Dreary, rainy and snowy here today. The remediation contractors showed up at 8:30am and removed the oak kitchen floors and laminate basement flooring. We have large fans/humidifiers running 24/7 to dry it out. Fortunately we can’t really hear the fans on the second floor where the bedrooms are located. All the lower kitchen cabinets were removed as there was water under them. It’s going to be a fun couple of weeks (hopefully not months). The pictured refrigerator (no longer working) is the culprit in this mess. We will need a new one but not until everything else is done.
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Cindy, Harley, and Canary - love all the pictures. Really looks like spring is coming.
Harley, I would have been really mad about the cruise. Which cruise line were you on? After many wonderful trips with them, our last trip with Vantage (who I think has gone out of business) was a terrible disappointment, especially since we had convinced another couple to go with us.
Canary - many of us can walk you through those early stages of planning for and being retired. Glad your leave time is working out. You will need time to rest with the rads.
I am struggling watching Ken close down. Not only is the congestive heart failure getting worse but his mind is slipping. He handed me the checkbook last week, a chore he has done all our married life. He always wanted to write a check and mail it and I am now trying to get everything on line and get money moved from our joint accounts to one of mine. I've heard terrible stories of people not being able to pay bills because the death certificate hasn't arrived. Meeting with our financial advisor on Friday and then maybe I will be able to take money off my worry list.
Looks like another stretch of bad weather for many of you. Stay safe.
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Taco - (((Hugs))). Watching your life partner slipping is torture
We went on Viking Cruises. This was our fourth cruise with them and the first three were great. They said the weather forecast was too risky to travel above the Arctic Circle however four other cruise ships plus a couple of coastal ferries were sailing in the same area above the Arctic Circle at the time we should have gone there. We enjoyed the cruise but it’s not an itinerary I would have booked in winter. They did offer a small credit towards a future cruise but I’ve contacted them to see if they can do better3 -
As long as there’s that us-ness and me-ness and you-ness, there will never be an all of us together. What we need to do is go up in spaceship together and look down at Earth and recognize that we are all inhabitants of this fragile little planet. Instead of looking for the things that separate us, instead of building more weapons to destroy us, we must begin looking for ways that we can all get along.
Wayne Dyer
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Good morning.
Taco, I so feel for you since I know it is upsetting and painful to watch a loved one lose ground right before your eyes. I think maybe in some ways worse yet is that Ken knows too. At least though you do have a little bit of time to prepare so some of the overwhelm can be alleviated somewhat. Not a lot of comfort, but a bit.
Harley, I'm with you. I would want a bit more for a cancellation after you were already underway and even more so knowing other ships were making the same 'trip'. I wonder why your ship wasn't trusted to make it while others seemed to have not had trouble. Hopefully you will end up with a good compromise for what happened.
It is going to be sunny today, thank goodness. Should get up to 47. Our snow yesterday was over almost as quick as it started. SIL said in town it was almost a white-out while going on, but not out here in the woods. Tomorrow should be 60 or so — back to our rather up and down weather. Daylight savings time comes on this weekend so hopefully we can start to welcome some warmth more often. I certainly can start looking for those early buds and the lilies and tulips that are first on the scene.
Spring is (although the chance for tornadoes doesn't thrill me at all) my favorite due to all the fresh renewal of everything. It feels more like New Years to me than Jan 1st. Part of that comes from my trying to celebrate every day that I'm given on earth. That was something that happened sometime after my first bout of cancer back in 2007. I woke up then to realize how complacent I had gotten because all my mamos and other tests were always 'negative, until the day one wasn't. Don't know about many of you, but at the time I just pretty much thought it was OVER for me — with no idea (complacency again) of how far cancer care had really come.
Wishing everyone a great day.
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Taco, your situation touches me because dh and I are in our 80's. One difference is that I've always been in charge of the checkbook. DH always liked to joke that my type of banking was Deposits Only. He's more of a spender than I am.
Harley, you are remarkable in how calmly you are handling your situation with home damage.
I'm having difficulty handling today's politics. Since I can't stand the sight and sound of a key politician, watching the news is a challenge. Enough said to make my point without violating the forum rules.
Saturday is my birthday. I have a birthday lunch tomorrow with women friends. Then a birthday dinner on Saturday night that dh arranged with the same couple who are going on the Viking cruise with us. We also travelled with them in Australia and New Zealand a few years ago.
Nothing planned today except some exercise at the gym and finishing up laundry. The weather has turned cool, probably for the last time, so I'll be making chili for dinner tonight.
Happy Thursday.
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Good morning. We have a high of 60 and it is windy. I am going to a potluck for lunch. I am bringing veggies. I can not get my Holiday weight gain off.
Harley, what a difficult time for you.
Taco, My heart goes out to you. As much as my late DH and I planned, we still missed things that caused a delay in probate. Please PM me if you have questions or want to talk.
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Carole, a lot of people may feel as you do. I have gone to Roku streaming only on my tv. which means that I pretty much get only 'highly' local news to my area. It has helped tremendously cut down on things that are hard to take since this just past election. We did have a HULU subscription which offers (cable 24 hr.) news. I don't miss it a bit.
At one time we resisted subscriptions and all we had were pretty much the localized channels for news and then the ones farther out where we enjoyed weekly offerings that we became addicted to — like Cheers and Mash and Magnum PI. We can get a number of that type again with the free streaming from Roku and a couple of others like it. Also we save over $85.00 a month as well. It helps and I find I am less addicted to anything — news or otherwise — than I was before. That's a good feeling.
In case I should forget — Happy Birthday day on Saturday. We just had our chili a couple nights ago and a night or two of leftovers. If we have some coolness in between though — I might sneak chili in one more time.
Again, hope you all have a good day.
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Carole, unless you missed it 😂, I agree with you. I do dislike the color orange. Especially given my CP and his family history. And other facts.
Tippy seems back to normal today. He was whistling again, but just recently got his voice back.
Harley, home damage can be traumatic. Loss of home is even worse.
Just dealing with some personal stuff right now.
Revision surgery next Wednesday. Will be glad to go back to a regular bra.
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Harley, my sympathies! I'm flashing back to a few years ago when we awoke to find the upstairs bathroom flooded from a cracked toilet-tank-bolt washer (a 25-cent part), leaking down into the kitchen ceiling. We had those fans & industrial dehumidifiers too. We didn't have to move out, just sealed off that bathroom and the kitchen (moved the microwave, toaster-oven and Keurig into the dining room and ordered out & went out to dinner). Took over a week. The ceiling repair was just starting to re-bubble when we had the fire in June, so we're getting everything new. Meanwhile, we're waiting on the electrical inspection so the walls can be roughed in, reinspected, drywalled and we can choose paint & cabinet colors, countertops (likely engineered granite instead of the tacky Formica we had since '87), and flooring.
We had a couple of disappointments with our own Viking cruises. In 2012, we did Budapest-to-Amsterdam; by the morning after we left Vienna it began raining and did not let up for the entire 10 days. So much for being able to walk around the upper deck's course, as it was closed. Slippery cobblestones were hazardous (one passenger fell and had to be choppered to hospital in Frankfurt—he was flown back to the ship the next morning). And some of the truly ancient cobblestones were pointy and literally bruised the soles of my feet, even through my pricy Finn Comfort walking shoes. (I didn't wear sneakers, as I didn't want to look like a tourist). When we got to Amsterdam, we were hustled on to buses and whisked to the airport. At least the bus driver gave us the "nickel tour." And in 2015 when we took the Mediterranean cruise (a week after I finished radiation), our planned stop in Tunis was canceled due to political unrest, so we got an extra day in Sicily (with Sardinia in between). When we landed in Barcelona, once again we were whisked to the airport (the extension was sold out). At least on that cruise I swallowed my pride and wore Hokas—so I had no foot problems.
Bob does Lent but doesn't get ashes. Our parish church in Edgewater was three blocks from home, but up here in Lincolnwood the closest Catholic church is over a mile away. The neighborhood is equal parts Indian, Pakistani, and Orthodox Jewish. Lent is a meal-planning nightmare for me (I don't observe because I'm Jewish) because what I make for dinner or where we dine out depends on whether he had meat for lunch so I can't really plan ahead. If I resign myself to making fish, it sometimes turns out he was looking forward to a steak for dinner; and Friday dinners out have to be at places with good seafood (he's not into vegetarian or even vegan). I'm going to our temple's "Milestone" Shabbat tomorrow night…and making seafood paella when I get home. (Can you tell I don't keep kosher)?
Just found out that both my Bar Show castmates who are Asst. US Attys. have lost their jobs because they work in anti-corruption divisions. One just lost her sister last month. And I fear for our weekly housecleaner: she is Ukrainian, here as part of the "protected refugee" program, which you-know-who is considering ending, thereby subjecting half of Chicago's Ukrainian community to deportation. (Of course, white Afrikaaners will still be "protected" as "refugees" from majority-black rule in S. Africa). And just tonight, there was a guy walking around majority-Orthodox-Jewish West Rogers Park/West Ridge, giving Nazi salutes and shouting his love for the SS—3 blocks from where a Jewish man was shot as he walked home from synagogue last year.
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Comfort and prosperity have never enriched the world as much as adversity has. Out of pain and problems have come the sweetest songs, and the most gripping stories.
Billy Graham
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Good morning. Gong to be warm today —- butt part of the price — its cloudy and I'm hoping it doesn't rain. Time will tell.
We ditched our ice-maker on fridge some time ago. It never leaked but seemed always on the verge of something and Dh got tired of almost constant investigation. So finally just shut it down. We ourselves seldom used ice in anything so it was a major discomfort for very little return. We have had a leak in the water pipes under the sink though and got well flooded once. Our flooring took something of a hit (water is dangerous to laminate or any wood really), but we dried it enough ourselves to be okay — not great, but livable.
Sandy, you are really going to be in a new home once you finally get back. Sort of exciting, but such a "pain" to be out of house and home for so long to get the 'renewal'.
I am feeling for everyone dis-placed from home, and or out of a job. As well many concerns over social security and well as world securities. We are topsy-turvy right now. Hoping for the best but I'll remain nervous till things come to some sort of alignment which I hope is decent for ALL.
Nothing special for today. Hope you all have a really good day.
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No life can be barren which hears the whisper of the wind in the branches, or the voice of the sea as it breaks upon the shore; and no soul can lack happiness looking up to the midnight stars.
William Winter
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Happy Birthday to me! Another year has passed and March 8 has popped up on the calendar. DH has reservations at a nearby restaurant for tonight and invited another couple to join us. Nothing planned except to enjoy a normal day.
Happy Saturday.
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I hope your birthday is fantastic, Carol. Having some friends to share it with — even better.
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My Birthday is tomorrow.
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Happy Birthday to Carol and Petite!!
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Too many entries to try to play catch-up so I will try to avoid commenting on unknown topics.
harley07, can sympathize because we had a slow leak in our refrigerator ice dispenser that caused a hidden mold issue resulting in extensive damage to drywall, etc. Insurance did not cover mold remediation but did cover water damage to an extent. Refrigerator after some repairs ended up needing to be replaced anyhow. I most likely won't be around to see if this one lasts 22 years but that's what the last one did. So my sympathies with the household disruption; been there done that on 2 occasions. Sorry your trip was disrupted, too.
Happy birthday to Carole and petite1.
Our trip to the Amazon was amazing and it was labeled a Legendary Cruise by the company and it lived up to the billing. I will post photos in the future but we just got home yesterday so busy with trying to unpack, put things away and sort through a months mail (mostly junk mail). Did catch a cold from overgenerous table mates which mostly was a cough that I still have expiratory wheezes from. All and all we had a wonderful time. We won a week long cruise to Alaska in September, in addition to the Panama Cruise we had previously scheduled in October. We did schedule another Legendary cruise to Hawaii, Tahiti and the Marquesas in October 2026.
Am to have MRI of breasts this week but not sure if hematoma has fully resolved. Also have cardiology clearance scheduled for left TKR on 4/7. Pre-op PT starts Monday. Left knee held up for the cruise and I was able to manage between 5-8,000 steps per day which was a vast improvement over my pre-trip steps. Not much pain, too.
Taco, so sorry to hear about Ken's decline. Being a physician, it seems he has assessed his status and come to terms with it. Can your daughter come to spend some time with him? Enjoy what time you have but remember to take care of yourself as well. (((Hugs))).
Hello to Illinoislady, Chris, cindyny, Sandy, and anyone else I may have forgotten. I will have to get back to work. Hope everyone has a great day. It is sunny and 44 degrees today, a vast change from the 80's we were experiencing for the past month.
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Happy Birthday Carole and Petite!! 🎉🎈🎂
Welcome home Betrayal
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Happy Birthday Carole and Petite. Welcome home betrayal.
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happy birthday Carol! And what a great day to celebrate you.
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I’m way behind!
Harley, oh no on the leak! We swapped out the water plastic tubing to copper, and shut it off when we leave NY. I loved your northern lights pictures. The picture of your kitchen, frightening on how much damage can be done. Welcome back.
Petite, Lovers Key lost a large building that held kayak & bike rentals as well as a small store. Gone is the wooden bridge to the beach, wooden shell display, and beach food shack. The cement bridge has multiple cracks too, the shuttle can’t use it. The large pavilion where wedding were held doesn’t exist anymore. And sands are inland much more, the landscape totally changed. They put a trailer in the parking lot for sales, and a food truck next up it. Happy Birthday a day early! 🎂
Jackie, I know you’re looking forward to spring, just no tornadoes!
Chris, glad Tippy feels better. Orange is not the new black.
Carole, Happy Birthday! 🎂 I’m giving up Target for lent.
Taco, hoping it’s an easy transition to paying online. We’ve gone mostly auto pay for normal household expenses. Credit cards, I do online. Hats off to Ken for knowing it was time to hand over the checking to you. HUGS
Sandy, I’d almost forgot about all your house troubles! All of you ladies with various house insurance issues could write a book. Protests at home tonight in upstate NY by committee members as our locals who support orange have a fundraiser. Wish I were there. It’s a scary world in which we live.
Betrayal, welcome back! It sound like you’re hitting the ground running with all the appointments scheduled. I look forward to pictures.
Last guest left a week ago, but I still feel out of sorts. Just not back on my normal schedule I’d guess.
We’ve had dinner out almost every night. The one night we didn’t go out, we ate leftovers from the previous night. Tonight is nothing I hope! I’m trying to stop the excess calories but the latest guests are staying with neighbors and we keep going out. Tomorrow is lunch on the water.
My toilet is still running now & then. I’ll ask my neighbor to take a look at it, see if this new fangled thing can be fixed. Water is too costly here to not get it fixed asap. The YouTube videos I followed seem to work for a while, then BAM I hear it dribbling into the toilet.
We’ve got 2 baseball games this coming week. Weather has been good so far, and we can only keep our fingers crossed that continues.
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Wishing you a very happy birthday, Petite. Wow — you and Carole together. Would be neat if the two of you lived really close. Anyway, I hope you have lots of enjoyment which I am wishing for both you and Carol and friends.
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Betrayal, whew — so glad you are back. I worried with all the things that have happened on trips as well as the feeling the airports could be challenging as well. You are going to be staying busy — like Cindy and I will be waiting to hear when each of you get a REAL don't have to do nuttin' day.
I'll be thrilled to see your pictures as well. I've never had the opportunity (being animal rescue for so long) to go on vacations anywhere — let alone to highly interesting places — so I depend on you ladies you can go to let me come along in our pictures and trip descriptions. Actually, it is a good non-tiring way for me to enjoy everything with nothing at all to disrupt or upset the experience.
Hope your cough finally resolves. Fantastic that you had little issue with you knee on your trip. Sounds like in the end it has been a great success. I so hope and pray the other will turn out just as well.
Sun here and should be at least 50. Looks like we are starting into our slightly higher temps now and I won't be complaining. I'll have to start looking for those buds when I'm outside. What it's like to be 79 — ah, well you can't see the buds on anything unless you go outside and get a whole lot closer, where once I could pick out anything and everything 'celebrating' Spring. Sigh.
Going to Aldi's a bit later. One of my favorite stores here and a good addition since we now only have it, Schnucks and Walmart. Finding things at Aldi's a bit tricky but okay. Prices are mainly pretty good, but some things have to come from Schnucks — like my no-salt Bread and Butter pickles. They also carry a brand of No-Salt Potato Chips.
Okay, enjoy the sun, the birthdays, the return home and the guests you don't have to sleep-over with you.
Hi Canary and everyone not posting right now.
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