Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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On this Veterans Day, let us remember the service of our veterans, and let us renew our national promise to fulfill our sacred obligations to our veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much so that we can live free.
For any veteran's on this site, I honor and thank you for your service.
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Thank you for your service to any veterans in our group. My friend in NC says it snowed. It does warm up the following week. I want to go back up before my brother gets there and turn the water back on. I miss the little cabin when I am home. It was down to 32 here. It is suppose to get to down to 31 tomorrow. LOL, 30 in Murphy tomorrow.
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petite1, glad that your niece and your brother will have visited your new cabin. Seems your "new home away from home" brings you peace or a staycation. Nice feeling to have.
harley07, where are you headed on your next excursion? I lose track after a few pages.
taco, thank you for the feedback on the quotes. I always enjoyed them so I will try to keep up Jackie's tradition. Love to know what sources she had used though.
teka, the snow pictures were nice, but I really don't want to see any for awhile.
carole, good luck with the roof lottery. I hope you can get a new roof this way.
cindyny, I love your neighbors. How kind of them to get your lanai furniture out and in position for you. What a relief to not have to deal with that the minute you walk in the door. Are you settled yet?
I had my pulmonologist appointment today where we discussed the results of my home overnight oxygen titration test which I failed. Seems I continue to desaturate oxygen levels when I sleep. Seems it started after my last knee surgery when they overloaded me with IV fluids to get my BP in normal ranges after anesthesia. This was the second time it happened, and I did spend 5 days in the hospital after my knee surgery to try to get back to normal. So I will need an additional sleep oxygen titration study, but hospital based this time. She has ordered it and I will wait for the hospital to contact me about an appointment.
It is bitter cold today with temps in the low 40's, but due to high winds it feels like the low 30's. I did not want to be outside at all and was glad that it was for a short period. We are supposed to be stuck in this pattern for a few more days. It was sunny in spots with some really dark clouds in the distance. So far nothing from those ominous clouds thankfully.
I finally got to filing today and had less to do than I thought. My desk has some clutter on it, but it is organized and not pressing to deal with now. I need to iron what I washed yesterday, and I may do it this evening, if I can find something on TV to distract me.
I put the new magnets I bought on this cruise on the large metal cabinet where I keep my sewing materials and trims. I did not find any material suitable for making covers for the bird cages, so I may have to take a trip to a local Walmart now that Joanne Fabrics is gone. I'd like to find a quilted fabric. The parakeets peck at the towel I have on their cage presently, so I have to ensure whatever I buy, they cannot chew holes in like they do to the towel.
My DB served in Vietnam as a Seabee, so I sent him a text for Veteran's day. He's proud he was able to serve this country.
I wish any Veteran or their family a hearty thanks for their service.
DS's birthday is this Friday and I will see him on Saturday when we go to his DD's cheer event. His DW is one of the coaches having been a cheerleader when she was in school and their DD has decided she loves it. I am so proud of her for sticking with this and hoping she will play basketball in 2026.
Hoping everyone had a safe day and "waving hello" to everyone.
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Thinking of Jackie who was an Army veteran.
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harley07, Thanks for remembering her. I really miss her presence here.
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hello
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Linaharven, welcome to the oldies thread. If you feel inclined, introduce yourself and join in the chitchat.
I miss Jackie, too. She relied on the VA for her medical care.
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Linaharven, welcome and obviously something in petite1's post struck a chord with you. Why not tell us something about yourself? If you are new to this site, receiving treatment or have been a lurker, you will find that we are welcoming and supportive to all who venture here. We do get chatty and if that is not your thing, that's fine, too. Please feel free to post.
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Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.
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It was in the 50’s with sun yesterday. I pulled out a big piece of cardboard and a cushion to sit on and tackled the front walkway. I had long yoga pants on with a sweatshirt, it was perfect outside work weather.
The before: ZOOM in, it’s bad.
The after:
Banana trees needed trimming - many leaves removed from each of them. And the big purple flowers removed from the 2 trees with bananas growing. So much overgrowth.
The front walkway cleanup filled a heafty bag with weeds. The back cleanup made a giant pile at the curb, which was picked up promptly by maintenance. All my solar lights got put out too.
I worked for about 2 hours on the front, then came in for lunch and to watch my soap. Then attacked the banana trees. I also have an armadillo hole to fill - tossed in a rock & some dirt to see if anything remains. Solar lights were next, before taking a break. The house was about 71 so it felt really hot vs outside.
I had purchased a new door handle for the back lanai. Looked easy enough. Haha. Three tries to figure out I had to cut a plastic piece- old one was metal. Finally it was on and working. But the latch had rusted on screws that needed a wrench or socket size I didn’t have. A neighbor came to the rescue. After a real lot of “on & off” attempts - out too far, not out far enough - it’s on and it works smoothly. But getting that thing on was more than I bargained for, took up so much time, when I expected it to be very easy. Live and learn.Linaharven, welcome to the group. We yak about everything under the sun, common denominator is we’ve all had BC.
Sunny and 69 now, feels great. I may grill tonight. Hope you all have a good day!
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Today was warmer than yesterday, sunny with a breeze and temps closer to 50 than the 30's.
Sleep center called and I was able to schedule a Sunday night study. Place says you must wear pajamas and I haven't owned a pair in over 60 years so I will wear a pair of yoga pants and a large t-shirt. Had a choice of times when I can check in but they wake you at 6 am and want your out by 7 am. So I may just go in the t-shirt and yoga pants and go home in them, too. Why drag extra clothes? I'll shower before I go and then can shower and change once I am home again. Just a small overnight tote with toothbrush and toothpaste, etc. Must take all meds before I go because they will only let you take them there if they are in original containers and that is such a pain to do.
Decided to hem the 5 pairs of Lee's trousers I bought at the Lancaster outlets before we went on the cruise. They were having a clearance sale. I usually take them to the tailor but decided they are easy to do in spite of having to cut off as much as 4 inches on some of them. Yes, they were marked as "short" and the petite "shorts" need about 1.5 inches cut off. I have completed one pair and the other 4 pairs have been pinned up to the desired length. I may not finish all of them tonight, but I am home tomorrow anyhow. I really need to sort through the trousers I currently have because some are quite old (and very soft) and I need to part with them. So this will be the start of another closet decluttering.
Jewelry I sent for adjustment while on the cruise arrived today. One needed the chain to be lengthened because the necklace couldn't be worn with crew neck tops because it went inside, and I wanted it to be seen. The other chain needed to have a larger alligator clasp and "o" ring put on it. They were both so small I had a lot of difficulty wearing the necklace. I sent DD's ring back to them for repair yesterday and received notice they were received today. First time I have been impressed with FedEx.
HVAC people called today to schedule a return visit so perhaps we can get the guest room back in shape. Good time once they are done to go through DH's clothes to cull many. He doesn't wear dress shirts often and seldom wears a tie, so many of them can be donated to those in need.
cindyny, great job on weed eradication. The areas looked good. Love that you grow your own bananas.
carole, what exercise did you participate in today? Yoga or golf?
Hope everyone had a great day. Waving "hi" to everyone.
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Betrayal, that reminded me. I recently got a variety of long-sleeved tee's from Amazon. They have VERY elastic cuffs, so they are good for me. I inherited a bunch of necklaces from my grandmother, mother, and sister, plus my other sister gifted one my daughter had made. Never wore them, because all my tops were patterned in some way. Now I can wear necklaces all week long. Some are long, meant for looping. But I can't work anything but the simplest clasps. I found some magnetic clasps at Amazon, and a friend installed them for me. Having fun with different styles. I think I can do earrings now.
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Betrayal, I went to senior exerclse class yesterday. The Wednesday instructor, Autumn, is really good. The exercise is primarily cardio but some weights and band for strength. And emphasis on balance, too. Today is chair yoga. I should walk in the neighborhood or do some time on a treadmill or upright bike at the gym.
I like earrings and rings but don't wear a lot of jewelry. DH and I rarely dress up any more. The lifestyle is casual here on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain.
It's 52 degrees now but will warm up into the upper 70's. Good weather for walking.
Tomorrow I will play golf with the Tues/Fri group. Either 9 holes or 18 depending on how it goes. I used to be a golfaholic but now 9 holes is usually enough.
Happy Thursday.
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Good morning. It was 44 this morning in my part of Florida. I have my grief support group today and the heavy duty yoga class this afternoon.
Linaharven, Hello. Welcome to our group. Many of us have been here a long time through surgeries, radiation, chemo and all the other parts of life. We welcome and support those that a are new. Please tell us about yourself.
Betrayal, Chris, I love old vintage jewelry. I like to get out the glue and pliers to fix it. I don't wear much jewelry, but I love to play with it. LOL
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Some of my most (intrinsically) valued pieces are hidden away. It is nice to dress up a bit every day.
I am having insurance problems. Mayo has been building, and is entering a money crunch. They are dropping my Advantage plan. My insurance is withholding decision on Occupational Therapy and Orthotic charges. Frustrating. I will be switching to their local competitor.
To our new members, please speak up and introduce yourselves. Others, please join us.
Cindy, I have just discovered banana flowers! They are so interesting!! And edible, too.
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Chris, I agree with dressing up a bit everyday. It should be for yourself and not an occasion or place.
I completed hemming 3 of the 5 pairs of trousers last night and finished the other 2 today. I need to sort through my pants and decide which to keep and which to donate. So that's my project for next week. I'll start with casual and then the dress ones.
We had Dine Rewards that were going to expire this weekend so we went to Bonefish Grill for dinner. They have really good crab cakes and a great corn and crab chowder. DH had a cod dish with mussels which he said was really good. The drunken coconut pie is to die for and he had that while I had the pumpkin creme brulee. We went early so we beat the rush.
Today was supposed to be warmer, but with blustery winds that was not so. The winds were 25 to 30 mph.
I am catching up on shows I missed while we were away and had an issue with on demand. I wanted to watch FBI and it kept going to one from about 20 years ago. Finally told DH to check batteries in the remotes and then to unplug the TV to reset it. The batteries were low, but the unplugging was the answer
Carole, your exercise class sounds good. I could use some strength training and cardio.
petite1, we have higher temps than FL right now, but it still doesn't feel so. I used to love yoga, but had to give it up after BC dx. Afraid to aggravate truncal lymphedema with poses I used to love.
Hope everyone had a great day and waving "hi" to everyone.
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Our big project today was cutting my SO’s hair. It was super long, he didn’t want it cut while in NY - to help keep him warm. Haha! But here he was ready. I had to order new scissors because he left the bag with scissors, Wahl razor, combs, and possibly his extra shaver head. We did it outside in the driveway so we could sweep up any clumps of hair, and we were both hot before I finished.
Next project was addressing armadillo holes. We had one a few years ago, we put all sorts of stuff in it and then I put a kids kickball in it blocking it. I know, nuts, but it worked for about 2-3 seasons. This year they/it dug a little further to go under the kickball.
Then this year when our neighbor was setting up my lanai furniture she noticed a bunch of sand on the lanai. Further investigation showed a hole dug outside the lanai, under some shrubs. Let me just say, for us to dig a hole to plant something is near impossible. The armadillo had no problem digging up chunks of a coral type rock; we could use a jackhammer.Another neighbor said he filled his armadillo holes with gravel and white vinegar. And in fact had a bag leftover he’d give us. So we filled the newest hole with the gravel and emptied a bottle of vinegar into it. We’ll check it again tomorrow.
Tonight after dinner we ran to Lowe's for another bag of gravel and to Aldi’s for more vinegar. That’s tomorrow’s project. I’ve read they don’t like the smell of castor oil, so that could be next. OH the joys of Florida. I know armadillo are in other states, but I’ve never dealt with them in NY.
Our temps are headed into the 80’s for the next 10 days. No rain in sight. The weather folks said we are at an almost 17” deficit for rain. I’m not looking for rain, but 17” is a lot to be behind on.I hope we all have a great day tomorrow!
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Good morning. It would have been my DH's 73 birthday, today. I will celebrate without him. I am going on a boat ride with my LIFT group and out to dinner with some friends from the grief support group. Still have tears in my eyes.
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petite1,
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petite - (((Hugs))). Thinking of you.
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petite1, hope his memory is a blessing to you and offering a hug to you on this day.
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I feel old today (and I am) because my youngest child turned 45 today. He was born in a hospital that no longer exists at 9:41 am. I can still remember that delivery because I had some intra-op issues as he was being delivered. They cleared and were short-term, but I scared my DH.
Relaxed today and did some light housework to play catch-up. Weather still blustery and cold so I remained indoors. Finished up last of leftovers for dinner and tomorrow we have DGD's cheer show. We will most likely take the family out to dinner after to celebrate DS's birthday.
Hope everyone had a great day. Waving "hi" to everyone.
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Petite, hugs and condolences. May your DH's memory be for a blessing.
Well, adjusting to being back home was going swimmingly…until it wasn't. First, we discovered the washing machine's drain pump had cracked in transit either to or from storage, so we had to have the pump replaced (2 week wait). Then, last week as I was washing a skillet in the sink (because it was ceramic), the sink began backing up and so did the garbage disposal (cheap-@$$ Glacier Bay instead of the In-Sink-er-Ator I had before the fire). And said disposal would spit back up a couple of seconds after turning it off. My longtime plumber came the next morning and power-snaked the drain line—it solved the problem short-term but he showed me the waste stack in the basement: century-old cast iron with a botched repair (done 40-50 yrs ago by the previous owner, the chairman of the English Dept. at Loyola and his teenage sons who'd watched episodes of "This Old House." Words to live by: "Never give a PhD access to hand tools"). The repair was done because that joint leaked. But the former owner didn't think to investigate the cause for the leak.
Our plumbers, who returned today, in the course of replacing the old cast iron with PVC, ran a camera down the line under the floor—and the camera stopped at 6', encountering a total clog consisting of corroded cast iron. That was the cause of the leak—water backing up from the clog and oozing from the pipe. They are coming back next week for a "Hail Mary:" remove the botched section of cast iron, power-rod the pipe till they break through the clog, insert a rubber liner and then PVC pipe. Basicslly, the plumbing equivalent of a balloon angioplasty (rubber liner) & stent (PVC pipe). It's a "Hail Mary" pass because if it doesn't work, we're looking at excavation (hopefully not all the way to the city sewer, which would require a city inspector who would find our entire plumbing system horribly code-noncompliant. A total home repipe could exceed six figures. FMV of the house is >950K, so it wouldn't be counterproductive but still a huge chunk of change we would likely never recoup at resale. Meanwhile, we had to put down a circle of kitty litter on the floor around the leak to absorb the ooze; we've been advised not to run the dishwasher, use the kitchen sink as little as humanly possible (preferably washing dishes in the bathroom sink) and take the shortest showers necessary till the problem is fixed…if it's ever fixed. Nuking frozen pizza and eating off paper plates with disposable utensils—and we will likely stay overnight in a hotel tomorrow to be able to take nice long showers and dine out (cats should be ok overnight without us, as long as we leave them kibble, water and two clean litterboxes). We'd take the cats back with us to a pet-friendly hotel till the work is done, but we'd never be able to wrangle them back into their carriers (and BangBang would probably puke again like she did the last couple of moves).
Gordy moves Sunday—he has a mover, but he may need me to take him grocery shopping once he's settled in.
"But wait—there's more" (as they say in the infomercials). Lately I find I'm eating anything I want yet lost 3 lbs. in the past 6 months. And began having L-sided upper back/rib soreness 3 weeks ago (feels like wearing a bra), as well as my lower back being "glitchy" over the past year despite proper lifting technique (squatting, not bending at the waist). Could be costochondritis (which I've had before, as long ago as 1988), or muscle strain due to having to twist & reach higher now that I'm shrinking (was 5'3" at dx, now barely 5'2"); but it's also a classic presentation for rib mets. I get semiannual abdominal MRIs to check for mets from both bc and OM—the latest one last week showed "no metatstases in abdomen;" but as I understand it it might not show bone mets (though the prior one's report specifically mentioned "degenerative disc changes without blastic or lytic lesions"). When I see my MO on Monday for a routine visit, he'll check out my current rib pain. (He said not to get an x-ray at Urgent Care tomorrow—he might not get results in time and he's not a fan of unnecessary radiation exposure). Wouldn't be surprised if he orders a PET scan, as well as adding tumor markers to the bloodwork (CMP, CBC, lipids, immune globulin titers as I briefly had a slight MGUS) I get at Kellogg's lab after the visit.
So I'm steeling myself to be reclassified Stage IV after a decade NED. (Breast, not OM which spreads to liver, not bones). Luminal A IDC (60-80% of postmenopausal bc) when it recurs, almost always recurs distantly after 20-30 years, but 10 years would be sort of a shock, as my OncotypeDX and online Predict tool put my recurrence risk at 6-8%. Quite frankly, I'd originally expected a 50% chance of my ciliary-body OM having spread to my liver & killed me by now, so I guess I've been "playing with the house's money."
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Petite, my thoughts and prayers are for you and hubby.
Yesterday I volunteered at the school. I walked there and back. Tippy knew I needed to rest for the rest of the day so didn't ask for afternoon potty. I discovered that he had peed in the tub. 😘 I have a great assignment, two kids who would otherwise be in special education.
Finished the last chapter. I think.
Have also been repairing missals for church. They are limiting me to five a week, which is good because of my hands. It should have been embarrassing given how many have damaged spines. Only one will be retired, I think. There is a glitch in my OT, but I am doing my exercises faithfully. My insurance is dropping me, and it looks like I am going to have to switch to another medical service provider— and my left hand still has to be done. My hand surgeon is also a plastic surgeon, and his office is in the breast care department. I have had him for four surgeries.
i went to the podiatrist, and she ordered some new orthotics two weeks ago. They will not arrive for another four weeks. I bought some moleskin and put it under the joint for the little toe; to tip my foot a bit in the proper direction (I tend to roll my foot due to an old sprain). Not only was that joint painful, but my hip was hurting awfully. Hip is better, but I had better get walking more to keep it lubricated while I still have cartilage.
Sandy, please don't let your worrying and self-diagnoses (or Bob-diagnoses) go too far. You are not dying yet. Take it easy. Hopefully your house will arrive at the point that she won't demand as much money and worry. Grab yourself some pretty rocks and roll them around in your hands. Or a soft rubber ball. Or something like that. Even a back-massager for your favorite chair.
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Sandy, all I can say is OMG! If it's going to happen to anybody, it's going to happen to you. Hope you're being overly pessimistic about your health.
Petite, I did not realize your dh was so young. Comforting hugs from me. You have been very resilient in the way you've gone on with your life.
Our beautiful (dry) weather continues. I played 9 holes of golf yesterday. Today exercise will be a trip to the supermarket and doing chores around the house. I always enjoy watching some of the tv cooking shows on PBS on Saturdays.
Happy Saturday to all.
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Sandy, your life could best be described by the old Morton Salt slogan, "when it rains' it pours". Hopefully your concerns about your health are just concerns that disappear once you have been examined and subjected to diagnostic procedures. Fingers crossed that all is well.
As far as houses, they do just keep on giving and require maintenance in spite of what we have done in prior years. The closet was not an issue, but then it became a major one and we are awaiting what can be done to insulate a down duct that is buried within the wall and the ceiling to the kitchen. Why after 40 plus years this became a new issue is a surprise and the timing again is awful. Plans for the dining room have been put on hold until I can find a dry cleaner for drapes. I do want to get it painted before Christmas though.
We are going to DGD's cheer off today. It is a first for us so we are not sure what to expect, but spending time with them will be fun. We haven't seen them since before our cruise, so over a month's time. Cutting this short because we have over an hour's drive to get there.
Chris, sorry you have to look for new insurance provider. Hope you can find a comparable plan easily.
Carole, I so enjoy hearing bout your daily exercise routines. You are so disciplined and I envy that.
Hope everyone has a great day and waving "hi". Warmer here, but a gray day and not as breezy as the past few days have been.
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Petite, I’m glad you got out with your groups. Those memories of dh will be with you always.
Sandy, no words. The house that just keeps on giving. I pray the Hail Mary plumbing act works. Hoping Gordy’s move goes smoothly too. He could do a Walmart or local grocery order for delivery and save you both the trouble of grocery shopping. I too hope you’re putting the cart before the horse with self diagnosis. Keep us posted, you know we’ll be in your pocket.
Carole, it’s good you’re getting out to golf. I haven’t gotten back to biking or walking the neighborhood yet. Maybe this week, my cold is almost totally gone.Betrayal, I think you’ll enjoy the cheer event. I think it’s a lot of gymnastic moves included in the cheering.
Chris, picking a new health coverage is a bear of a time. So many options, I wish you luck in finding a good one for you.
Yesterday we finished off our armadillo chores. Last bunch of gravel and lots of vinegar down the hole. I think I’ll pour some vinegar on daily for a week.
We all went out to Carrabas for dinner last night, a group of 9. They have a meal deal for 2, $45. Six of took advantage of it - salad or soup, entree and a dessert to share. We also grabbed their special $10 to go meals - you buy your dinner and can get an equal priced entree to go. All told, just over $80.
But, there is always a but, I had to take famotidine as soon as I got home. I ate lasagna with red sauce which bothers me normally but this was killing me. Before bed I took an OTC Pepcid complete, and sat up in bed on my Kindle for near an hour. Well shortly after falling asleep acid reflux had me jumping up. I spent the night sitting up dozing but not good sleep. I also had crazy vivid dreams. Long night. Discombobulated day ahead.
I’m still in my robe. Getting up late throws off my normal schedule. Right now I don’t feel like doing anything.Hoping you all have more energy than me, and a good day ahead.
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Hi firefighter, I just turned 79 and am looking forward to finally reaching 80 next year! I've been at this since 1998, have been metastatic since 2002. There are many tests to help you with your what's next decision-many drugs to choose from. Are they recommending follow up medication like tamoxifen? Radiation was easy for me and the logical follow up to my tumor type. Good luck with your decisions.
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I haven't decided about being 80 but it's coming soon. My DD is 55.
Sandy - certainly hope you fears are just that. You have had a terrible year plus.
Petite - sending hugs but also admiration of how you have build a new journey.
Chris - enjoy your jewels. Glad someone could put the clasps on them.
My vanity is my hat collection and it just got bigger. I have had a large bald spot for some time and decided to just become the "hat lady." I have a variety and am always looking for more at the thrift shop. This week I saw an ad on Next Door for cowgirl hats. They were gorgeous and well made. I bought them for $3.00 a piece. I had to take the whole collection so sent the ones I didn't think I would wear and a few I'm tired of to the thrift store. Anyway, I'm really having fun with my new look!
My senior community - 9600 homes - had the first meeting for breast cancer survivors. The community association has given us a free room for monthly meetings. Over 20 showed up. We've already found someone to do a website and Facebook page. I'd guess that about half were under 5 years as lots of discussion about AI's and one who was just diagnosed in March.
Inspiring stories but more important, a sharing of resources. I mentioned this site and only one person knew of it. The woman who is in charge of the local "knitting knockers" group was there. When I finish Ella's afghan, I think that will be my new project. I also heard about a program for free mammograms which I will share with the food bank clients. I was able to give someone my neurologist's contact. She too had a brain aneurysm and her tremors have gotten worse. I'm obviously a believer in support groups and I'm excited about this one.
Beautiful golf weather and I'm going 3 times a week. I'll never be good but I do enjoy playing.
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