thread for middle age to older Christian women.
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Hi everyone.
I had my Zoom Bible Study last night. I had to hurry to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription before they closed. On the way there I saw the beautiful Strawberry full moon. I got some pictures from their parking lot as best I could. I was pretty impressed with the telephoto lens on my new cellphone. My old phone would have never been able to do this. I do have a dedicated Moon camera but there wouldn't have been time to set it up and the pharmacy parking lot offered a much better view anyway. So here it is if you missed it.
Love,
Nancy
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That is awesome Nancy - thank you for sharing!
Love, Wheatfields
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Wheatfields, thank you so much. How are you feeling? I'm continuing to pray for you.
Love,
Nancy
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Nancy, our skies were cloudy last night so we missed out on viewing the full moon. Thank you for posting your photo for us to enjoy.
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Hershey, I realized the actual full moon was on Wed night. I too went out to see if I could see it and I couldn't see it either. So I'm glad I got to take a picture of it the night before.
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Hershey, I hope your dermatologist gives you good news on your itchy area around your mole. Contact dermatitis would probably be the best case scenario but waiting for a long time to have an itchy spot looked at can feel like a very long time.
Teka, thank you. I guess the Strawberry full moon has nothing to do with the color of it but how it coincides with strawberry growing season. It definitely looked reddish orange even so. I am with your DH regarding online ordering. I don't order exclusively but I don't think I have bought any clothing in a store for quite a long time as I hate clothes shopping. If I had a personnel assistant who would bring me the clothes and then bring more if the ones didn't fit then I would be happy. Since I am not rich or famous that isn't happening!!!! However back in the day there would be retail workers who used to do just that. Those days are long over, at least where I buy clothes.
I am so tickled with my two hydrangeas this year. Last year one bush had one bloom and the other had two. This year the one bush has three blooms and the other has five. YIPPPPEEEEEEEE I don't know what to attribute the positive change other than keeping the landscapers not touching them and I fertilized them.
Praying for all of you as well.
Love,
Nancy
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I hope everyone is staying "cool as a cucumber." We've joined millions of others under the giant midwestern heat wave. Earlier this morning I put up blackout curtains in our bedroom. The room faces west, gets no shade, and is much hotter in summer than the rest of the house. The curtains do help some and make the room a bit more tolerable during the daytime.
Nancy, hydrangeas are lovely plants. No doubt you are thrilled to see yours blooming. They will give you enjoyment year after year.
Wheatfields, how are you doing? I pray that the numbness is less and less by the day.
Chris, I hope you and your family are enjoying time outside on the deck. The view must be wonderful this time of year.
Teka, poached eggs, toast and butter sound really yummy to me!
My dermatologist appointment went well. The doctor removed one mole to send to pathology. Although she didn't see anything suspicious or unusual, it was an "irritated mole" that deserved removal. It will take 7 to 10 days to receive results.
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Teka, I bet your DH enjoyed his Father's Day dinner. I bet you are a good cook. We have had some wild weather. On Wed it rained nonstop for hours and hours. My backyard looked like it was about to float away with standing water. I had a bone density scan on Thursday which was supposed to be a nice day. I made it in and out without incidence but as I was driving home there were a few sprinkles and then a real downpour. The upside is I haven't had to water my flowers too much. I went to the Butterfly House today for the first time and ran into a huge construction project. It took me over an hour to get there. My time was short because of that and just being too hot inside for this ole body to handle too much heat. I did get some good pictures though. I just finished going through them. I'll have to post some when I am finished with them. Yes, I am thrilled about my hydrangea blooms. I can't wait for them to open. They are really a rich color which I can't quite describe. I'll post some pictures in a few weeks. Hope you are doing well.
Hershey, I have had my hydrangeas for quite a few years and what I think I have learned is that we had a mild winter and that really helped. I think I fertilized them as well. I believe they are supposed to have some type of insulation during the winter which I have never provided.
I have prayed for your dermatologist apt and I am glad to hear that your doctor didn't think anything looked suspicious. I know it is always a relief when you see that in writing to confirm.
Our weather for the next many days is really hot and/or really wet. I splurged and bought another weeding tool. This one is called a stand up weeder and it is supposed to work on dandelions and thistles. I bought it for my ongoing battle with Canada thistle which has become a real thorn in my side. No pun intented but they do have prickly stickers on them. My neighbor brought over a standing weeder to show me. At the time I had been trimming some shrubs and was done in otherwise I would have asked to try the tool myself. My neighbors are on vacation now and I can't ask them now when I was anxious to try it. So I ask my Copilot AI on my computer about it. It is so weird talking to this person who I perceive is a man. LOL I asked him if it was ok to tell him to have a good night. Anyway he/she or it has saved me many hours of researching things. I asked if this particular weeder was successful in eradicating thistle. The instantaneous response is always mind boggling to me. He said it was more a marathon than a sprint. I fully agreed with that as my marathon has stretched over quite a few years now. My new tool just came today but I have been gone so I will be anxious to try it out. I am thinking about planting some of my huge quantity of plants that I still have, as a long row behind my hostas and that is where the demon weeds come up. So this might be a real fiasco but I can only give it a try and see.
I do hope your mole was just that. Stay cool. I am not planning on doing much outside for the next few days for sure.
Have a nice weekend everyone. Praying for all of you.
Love,
Nancy
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Teka, thanks for the reminder. I totally forgot. Okay I am going to sound like Erma Bombeck in letting you know how my first day of summer went so far. Last night or technically very early this morning I was going through my spam folder and opened this email which said a new message for you. It was a blackmail letter and very threatening which sent chills through me. I did some research and thought this is just a scam. However the more I researched I became more nervous. I had already decided I would drop this long email off to the local police station. So I am backing slowly out of my very tight one car garage trying not to hit my side mirrors on anything. I get out of the garage and into the driveway. As I am closing the garage door I notice this BIG box at the front of my driveway. I got out of the car and it appeared like I ran over the box but I didn't feel a thing, but I had a lot on my mind regarding this blackmail email which demanded I send $1500 in bitcoin and I had 40-50 hrs to do it or else. I had ordered an Adirondack chair but the last I checked it was not supposed to come until Jun 24-27. The FedEx deliverers have been bad about leaving boxes right outside my garage door and not going a few more feet to my front porch. The box was SO heavy and I needed to get it at least on the porch before leaving. It was a struggle. So I just finished writing to the seller and sending a picture of the damaged box asking if I could return it if the inside product was damaged. So that was my first day of summer. I'll chalk this up to rivaling getting Covid the first day of summer a couple years ago!!!
The good news for part of this day was the police officer said this is a scam and they send out about 5000 of these emails every day. I joked and said yeah, like I am going to send a picture of my 73 yr old self at this point in my life. We laughed. He said have a nice weekend and I said NOW I will. LOL What a day!!!! I do have to get out and water as my heat tolerant sunpatiens look like they are not happy with this weather.
So happy first day of summer everyone. LOL I hope it was more uneventful than mine was.
Love,
Nancy
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Oh Nancy, at least it didn't damage your car. The threat sounds scary. I guess I am the other way and delete a lot of messages assuming they are scam. Someday I am going to delete something important…
My first day of summer was spent in saying goodbye to my son and his family. I thought I would send you a picture of what the kids did for me since I am unable to go with them on a lot of their outings. These are my four precious grandkids: 11, 10, 8, & 5
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Chris, your grandkids are precious. I can figure out the 8 and 5 yr old but I was wondering who is the 11 yr old, the girl or the boy. I bet they had fun dressing up for that pic. Where do they live? I know your other son is in NY.
You are very smart in deleting things. I usually do with the obvious ones but this one was not obvious. It was sent from a fake girls name which sounded familiar. Afterwards I realized that it sounded like a TV personality but the email insinuated that I knew the person. I am glad that is over.
As far as damage to my car I didn't even think of such a thing. All I knew is that the police station was closing at 6 and I had to get that box out of my driveway. Then when I got home I was struggling to get it through my front door. The other day I went to open my storm door and the inside handle fell completely off. Tonight one of my very reliable dawn to dusk automatic porch lights went out. I need a vacation. LOL I am going to wait until my neighbors get back from vacation and ask the guy what I should buy to replace the door handle and then kindly ask him if he could do it for me. I always pay him for these things but this is probably a pretty simple fix which maybe I could do if I knew what to buy.
Well I am glad you had a nice visit with your son's family. I bet you are tired now. I hope you can rest up and enjoy your new deck with all the landscaping done.
Love,
Nancy
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Nancy, my granddaughter just turned 10 on June 12th. She does look grown up, enough so that it scares me a little. This picture makes her look older but she has developed early and does look older even when she is not dressed up. My eldest grandson is going into sixth grade next year. They grow up so fast! And yes, I am exhausted and am paying for all the extra work I did this past week feeling pretty week today. My precious DIL and son were awesome helping with meals and cleaning, etc., but it still was more than I was used to doing. Totally worth it!
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Chris, such happy little faces! They must have enjoyed dressing up for their photoshoot. The photo is a beautiful keepsake to remember their vacation with you.
Nancy, I'm thankful that you didn't fall prey to the email scam. Scammers have become so sophisticated. Gone are the days of emails or texts containing bad grammar and misspellings. A.I. now creates communications using well-crafted sentences and proper English. I fear situations may get more and more serious as scams become very difficult for innocent folks to detect.
Nancy, you are a very resourceful person. I'm betting that you can replace the door handle yourself. If you take the handle to a hardware store, an associate can help you choose the correct part(s) and give you some pointers for a successful repair. You've got this! :)
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Hershey,
I have to laugh because I went for several months last year without a working doorbell. If I knew contractors were coming I would tell them to knock. Now that I have finally got a new doorbell the contractors feel compelled to open the storm door and knock. LOL I am wonder if one of those hefty guys pulled on the handle a little too hard. Of course the door handle came off when I opened the door. Ha Ha. Talk about feeling stupid!!!
Cammie has an emergency and the vet is getting her in tomorrow so the door handle has fallen to the bottom of my priority list. Also I have to report if my new Andirondack chair has any damage and I don't have enough room to put it together in my living room so I am waiting for the hot and wet weather to leave. I will say that the seller has been very responsive when I told them of the issue. I have only taken one pice of the chair out and oh my goodness it is so heavy. It appears to have no damage where the hole had punctured through the box. When reviewers of this chair said the wind knocking it over is not going to be a problem I certainly see what they mean.
Now my sister wants one so I am going to buy one for her since she doesn't have an Amazon Prime membership.
I bet you are having issues with the heat and your garden. My sunpatiens which are supposed to be heat tolerant are have difficulty in this heat wave. I watered last night and was actually out walking at 10 pm as it felt much cooler than during the day. I just walk up and down the side of my house so I feel safe doing that.
Take care and stay cool. Thank you for your confidence in my possible door handle installation. You may have more than I do.
Love,
Nancy
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Chris, I hope you are getting some much needed rest. Your granddaughter looks so grown up for just turning 10.
Well ladies, I have talked for years about the antics of Cammie my cat for those of you who have been around for a long time. Even if you haven't I bring up Cammie quite a bit as she is my 17 yr old baby and best companion.
I got her into the vet today as I felt like it could be an emergency. I messaged the vet on Saturday and told them she wasn't eating like normal and she had so many mats that needed to be shaved that I felt she was miserable. She has never allowed me to brush her.
Today turned into a 3hr ordeal at the vet. The vet came out after sedating her and shaving her and the more I talked to her she said would it be okay if I did some quick blood work. She came back saying her red blood count was only at 17% and should be around 35% or more. She was shocked as most cats would be very lethargic and she is not. I think she also did an ultrasound.
She said I could recommened you going immediately to the ER vet and they could do a lot of diagnostic tests which would be invasive and costly and she would have to stay in the hosptital. I could tell she was thinking this was not good for Cammie. I just said no I do not want to do that. Regardless of the cost I would not want to put Cammie through all of that trauma and stress just to find out that whatever it might be she would be too old to have any viable treatment.
So she said we can try antibiotics, and up her steroid with twice a day. She said she could seem fine one minute and then quickly go downhill and she could die. The vet knows that trying to give Cammie anything orally is going to be difficult to maybe impossible but I am going to try it. She is pretty sedated so I want her to get back to normal first.
So I certainly wasn't expecting this outcome today but I realize that Cammie living this long has been a real gift to me and hopefully me to her. We are extremely close as she has gotten older so I know this is going to be difficult.
Cammie is a Ragdoll and it "just happens" that I met a lady in the parking lot that had two 12 wk old adorable Ragdoll kittens. She lives in Naperville too and I wish I had gotten her last name. She mentioned Angel something as the name of the breeder and I think it was in Iowa. Coincidence, who knows. I have told my sister that I am not sure about getting another kitten when Cammie goes because I don't what the cat to outlive me.
I would appreciate your prayers. I am skipping my Bible study tonight as I am still trying to absorb the news. I don't want Cammie to suffer and cats are notorious for hiding their pain. If I have to make the hard decision I want to know when the right time is for her. It could be she might make that decision for me but I hope not.
Take care everyone. If you are in this awful heat dome stay safe.
Love,
Nancy
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Nancy, I am so sorry to read about Cammie. I know how much she means to you. I will pray she gets better and gives you more time. They are such precious family members. My Auntie tells me everytime we speak how she prays she outlives her 16 year-old cat. My Auntie is 89 and lives alone too.
I am still very fatigued but I am handling it fine as I am used to this. I went out today and had my port flushed since I don't use it much anymore. The only problem is that I had it done at the older hospital where the cancer center entrance has this tiny parking lot and special door. Well, when I was done, I got lost in the hospital trying to find the exit where my DH was parked. Of course a nice nurse helped put me back on the right track, but I got my steps in today for sure! She said it happens there all the time…
My sweet eight year-old nephew smashed his hand on a rock where they were camping and had to go to the hospital for stitches. I feel so bad for him. Luckily his mom is a nurse! He is all boy!
I know some of you are battling heat, but we are in the midst of a heavy thunderstorm and it is only 59°. There is no damage except for some wind.
Be safe everyone whether from heat or fire of flood. We are living in strange times…
Chris
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Nancy, I am sorry and sad to read about Cammie's setback. You two have a close bond, and I will pray that she recovers soon. I also pray that the Lord supply you with strength, stamina, and wisdom during her illness.
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Nancy, I am so sorry to hear about Cammie and will be praying that the antibiotics help her and she makes a complete recovery. Also, praying for you too!
Chris, your grandchildren are very sweet and I'm sorry to hear about your nephew that had to have stitches. Praying that you are feeling better.
I'm planning again on visiting my sister the second week in July.
Praying for all of you!
Love, Wheatfields
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Chris, getting lost in hospitals is par for the course for me. I actually get lost in their parking garages too! I am glad you got help to get out. I am sure sorry to hear about your nephew having to get stitches.
It is funny because if I didn't know Cammies anemia was so drastic I would not know it. She did stay under my bed today for a long time. I don't know how to interpret that but tonight she has been downstairs with me. I tried to give her the antibiotic last night and that just was not working at all. I think part of her being under the bed was afraid of what I was trying to do to her.
Thank you Hershey and Wheatfields. Bar a miracle I don't know if she will get better but there is always a chance she could. I have kept busy today doing some cleaning and laundry and that helps keep my mind off of things. I have almost decided to not even try the antibiotics if it ends up causing her a lot of stress. It is 21 days of it and I just don't see that happening but I might change my mind. I want to get her used to me giving her daily meds morning and night now first. I know she had some type of mishap recently because I have a large floor stereo speaker next to her cat condo. She can jump on the speaker and then sort of walk down the front of it. A dear sister from BCO from year ago sent me this beautiful cross which has a saying on it. It is pretty heavy and I have it on top of the stereo speaker. I noticed it on the floor recently the next day. So she stumbled her way down and could have hurt herself. She has not attempted getting up there for over a week.
I know that each day I have with her is a gift and I have felt that way for a long time and now even more so.
Wheatfields, how are you doing with the nerve pain? I am glad to hear you are planning another visit to your sisters.
Hershey, our heat wave is still here? How about you? I think it is to break in a few days. I dread to see my electric bill. I have never kept my house this cool but alot of it was for Cammie spending so much time on the second floor.
Teka, my NY email friend keeps me up to date on the weather up there. Sounds like you all are getting hit with the heat as well.
Take care dear sisters.
Love,
Nancy
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I woke this morning to an excruciating headache, and by 4:00 and is only minimally improved. I am so thankful I had a brain MRI a few months ago or I would be worried. Since it is low in the cerebellum and upper neck it could just be I slept on it wrong. I don't sleep well and toss and turn a lot so that is a real possibility. I am not worried, just in a lot of pain. My pain pills are doing little to help, but they do help me still function. Looks like I won't be cooking tonight. I also will forego a shower today too. I know the heat might help but I don't want to fall so even in this hot summer I have heat on the back of my head.
I do enjoy summer with all the warmth and the neighborhood noises even if it does include a barking dog. I am just thankful it does not live next door! I dread this Saturday as it kicks off the 4th of July celebration at the local high school which I am sure will start off all of the neighborhood fireworks. This neighborhood is crazy with them even though they are illegal. Our new deck allows us to view fireworks from four of the major shows in town. There is a big show scheduled for the 28th, the 29th and then of course several on the 4th so it will go on all weekend this year. I love them, but not the late night bangs our neighbors feel entitled to set off. I am very patriotic and cry at the sound of the Star Spangled Banner but don't like it when they go off still at 2:00 in the morning like last year.
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Hi Chris,
I am just now seeing your post at 2 am on Friday. I hope by now your severe headache is gone. I know sometimes this season the cold air from the AC caused me a lot of stiff necks and pain.
Yes, the fireworks are a pain this time of year when you have neighbors that are not very courteous and shoot off loud things at all hours of the night. I will be especially worried about Cammie if she hangs on that long. She has done pretty well today even though she spent a considerable time under my bed.
I need to get to bed. I mopped and waxed my kitchen floor and the kitchen rug needs to be replaced so I have spent a long time trying to find a replacement rug online. I finally found one that was reasonable and colors that I liked.
I imagine that most of you are sound asleep now which I will be soon.
Take care,
Love,
Nancy
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Chris, I hope your headache has made a retreat by now. I'm a side sleeper; when my pillow is due to be replaced, my neck and shoulder begin to bother me. I can get awful headaches at the base of my skull as well. Years ago a PT recommended I use a MyPillow. She slept on one and gave it her high approval. I've used MyPillow ever since, and it's made a big difference in sleep and comfort. I order ours online (the 2-pack is on sale a lot, usually half off).
Our neighborhood fireworks started about two weeks ago. The neighbors on each side of our house host annual parties around the holiday weekend and shoot bottle rockets from their decks. Do they really not know that pets, veterans, PTSD sufferers, wildlife, etc find the loud and constant bangs upsetting? On top of all that, in my community fireworks that leave the ground are very much illegal.
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Nancy, how is Cammie? I have been praying for you as I know you are struggling.
Wheatfields, Hersheykiss and Teka, thank you also for thinking of me. You are all in my daily prayers.
My headache is mostly gone, thank you all. There is just a little residual pain so I am replacing my pillows as they are old and probably not the best anymore. The medicine I am on (Orserdu) is known to increase GERD issues and I had another bout last night. It was excruciating—felt like I was on fire from my throat to my gut. I tried everything. I finally got up at 3:30 and drank some hot cocoa. Yes, hot. When this happened before I noticed it did not subside until I had my morning coffee, so I was hoping it was the heat in my throat that helped. It did help and I slept a few hours. Other people on this med have provided a couple of suggestions and I am hoping my PCP will help with more next week. We shall see.
It is beautiful here today and I am hoping I am not too exhausted to get outside a little, even if it is just to sit and enjoy the view. It is the small blessings. Yesterday I attempted a new high altitude cake recipe to go with the beautiful strawberries I just bought, and it worked, but I hurt too badly last night to try it. Maybe tonight. I wanted it for the fourth but the strawberries probably won't make it that long. That's okay.
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Chris, I hope a new pillow will solve your headache problems. I do pray that your GERD related to your new med will have a solution when you see your pcp next week. I hope you get to enjoy your new strawberry dessert tonight and have some nice relaxing time on your deck.
Thank you for asking about Cammie. Here is a recent picture from last week when we came home from the vet. Her beautiful blue eyes you can't see as her eyes still looked wild from the anesthesia. They had to shave off many mats and her poor litttle chest got shaved a lot. This has been a very tough last week. I have been on an emotional roller coaster with a glimmer of hope to the opposite. I messaged the vet's office yesterday as Cammie developed awful liquid diarrhea and I thought it was the increased steroid she is one as her new protocol. The vet said it was not the meds but her pancreas. I didn't know what that meant but it made me see that she may be in pain and I didn't know it. I made the tough decision today that I will have her put down tomorrow at 1pm. I hate it that my vet will not be there as she is so good and spent so much time with me last Tues. discussing options. I am really struggling with this knowing everything today will be her last. She is still in her diehard routine as if everything is normal. I got up very early today and couldn't sleep as I was messaging my vet. So I went downstairs and Cammie came down and laid on my lap for a while but she knew this wasn't her normal routine so she is now sleeping in my bedroom. We will have some time tonight before the dreaded day. Her hind legs were so hard for her to maneuver once she got on my lap and I just couldn't see her dealing with that anymore. Trying to choose the end of her life day was pretty surreal. I would have probably waited until Thursday but my Bible study teacher invited me and two others from our Bible study to help her celebrate her Mom's 95 birthday at a fancy restaurant on Saturday and I didn't want to be a total basket case for this. Her Mom is a pistol. For her 90th birthday she sky dived!!!! Makes my balloon ride at 50 look a little tame. LOL I would appreciate your prayers. I really didn't anticipate this being as hard as it is. She is my family and we have an unusually close bond. God gave me a gift with her even though in her initial kitten stage I was so upset not knowing how to deal with her back then it would have been hard for me to imagine how close we would become. There are many life lessons in this long 17 yr journey of how God can turn something we think is a challenge into a blessing. So this will be my last picture of her. Thank you all for your prayers for her. She made it to 17 yrs and 3 mos. I will miss her terribly.
Love,
Nancy
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Nancy, I am so sorry to read this, but know it is the right thing to do. You will be in my prayers tomorrow as always.
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Dear Nancy, I am so very sorry to read your post. It is such a difficult decision to make about your sweet Cammie. I am praying that the Lord surrounds you with His loving comfort and powerful peace during this sad time.
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Dear Nancy, I am so very sorry to read about Cammie and about tomorrow, it is such a hard decision to make and like Hershey said we will be praying that the Lord will surround you with His comfort and encouragement every day.
Love Wheatfields
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Thank you all dear sisters. It has been a tough day but Cammie and I have had some time together when she was not sleeping. As the night wore on she seemed like she was in more discomfort so I know I made the right decision. I hope she doesn't pass away before we even leave for the vet.
I'll let you know how things go.
Love,
Nancy
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Dear sisters,
I have to share definite answers to prayers for me and Cammie. Emotionally I was holding it together as I didn't want Cammie to feel anxious. She was very intuitive besides being incredibly smart. When we left she started meowing only a little bit. I talked to her all the way there and I realized I had forgot to spray the calming spray in her carrier. We got to the clinic parking lot very early. I have done this routine with her for a long time when she would get her arthritis shots. She seemed very calm in the carrier and they were not really ready for her for a while so I had more time to talk to her once inside. I had already decided I would not be in the room for her sake and for mine. That was a good decision. After pulling myself together after they took her I went into the big waiting area. One of the newer tech guys who had only dealt with Cammie a little came out and told me she had passed. I asked him if she put up a fight and he said no not at all. She was very calm. He said it was like she knew what was going to happen. That is exactly what I had prayed for that she would be calm. This morning she was laying in my bedroom and I decided to take several pictures of her. She truly looked like she was praying the way she had her paws. That was not a usual pose for her. I will go back and get the paw print when they have it for a memorial. I came home and I had already decided I would get rid of many things today as it is garbage day today. I took apart her cat condo and that with her litter boxes will go. I will donate some unused things to this cat clinic.
It is going to be difficult for me for a while. One of my fellow board members said it took her a year to get over putting her cat down. She ended up adopting and is very happy with her new guy. Here is Cammie this morning. I wasn't planning on taking any more pictures but I am glad I did as they turned out nice. I just looked at this picture in the waiting room as they were putting her down.
Thank you so much for your prayers. I guess I sound like a crazy cat lady but I was crazy about Cammie and I believe the feeling was mutual.
Love,
Nancy
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Dear Nancy, that is a lovely picture of Cammie. I am glad you told us about her passing journey although I am sure you heart hurts from the loss. I am also sure a piece of her will always be in your heart. Hugs…Chris
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