For Older People with Sense
Comments
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Barbe when you live with deadly spiders and snakes it makes you aware of where they are and if they are in a position that could cause danger to a human you either move them or squish them. I don't like killing them and have many living in harmony with me but my guest room and and other rooms inside my house are off limits...........lol............they can pretty much live where they like outside. That doesn't mean to say you ignore where they are just watch where you put your hands and if you are working in the garden well it's gloves all the way.
It is well known here that if a red back spider (deadly) bites an adult on the hand the likely hood of death is very low. It will make you sick but the fangs are way to small to penetrate the tough skin on the hands. They got their reputation from when there was no indoor plumbing and the toilets were a longdrop down the backyard. These spiders liked to get under the lip of the seat and bit those who disturbed them by sitting. You can imagine the soft areas that were bitten and of course the tender skin allowed the fangs to penetrate so the toxin was delivered in an amount that was often fatal. Here in SA that is our worst spider and it is prolific but rarely causes a death unless it is to a young child but there again that only happens extremely rarely.
The worst spider of all here is the Sydney Funnel Web. Now that spider has a pair of fangs like you wouldn't believe and they are also aggressive but are only found in parts of New South Wales and occasionally the top of Victoria.
If it's a snake, well it really gets moved away from the vicinity as by law we are not allowed to randomly kill them. I have been in this house for four years now and have yet to see a snake. I have a breeding pair of shingle back lizards living in my garden that produce two or three babies a year. They are one of the reptiles that produce live young not eggs. They are harmless and help to keep the snails down as that is their favourite food. They also like grass hoppers as well so the pest that would eat my plants are eaten by my lizards.......well not my lizards but the lizards that share my garden....lol.
Oops done it again! Sorry girls for some reason I just rable on and on lately. Just tell me to shut up if I get annoying.....lol.
Hope you are all have a wonderful weekend!
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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Wow Chrissy! Wish I had lizards that ate slugs and snails in my yard. There's probably enough for several families.
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Chrissy, can't imagine ever being annoyed by your "ramblings". I find them interesting and informative.
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Chrissy, Your posts bring back memories. We traveled to Australia and New Zealand several years ago and of course read all about all the poisonous creatures there. I was terrified that I would encounter one and never did. The guides we had would recount stories of all the snakes, spiders etc. that they ran across. You live in a beautiful part of the world. Spent three plus weeks there and it simply wasn't enough.
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Chrissy - ramble away, always love to read whatever you are on about. I always learn something and then there is the fact that it enforces the notion that we are twins seperated at birth.
Keep up the good work on the new eating lifestyle. Can hardly wait until we see each other again.
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Chriss, NEVER too much info!! LOVE hearing about other's lives... I let spiders alone outside, too. That's their space, just don't come in mine!! Lizards!! LOVE them!! Wish we could have them in Canada. Used to sharing my room with a couple of them when we traveled to Mexico. They eat bugs. Good lizard...good boy!!
I had a funnel spider of some sort in my garden a number of years ago. The funnel was so strong it sickened me!! I had NO desire to see the spider that lived in THAT house!!
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barbe1958: If you come to Florida you can have all my pet lizards! They love to live in my artificial plants in the house. I don't know how they get in, but one summer while we were in NC they took over the house in Florida, and what a mess we had when we returned! There were lizard droppings everywhere. They had feasted on all the little bugs that get in through a window at the back of our house. Now I make sure I hunt them all down before we leave each year, and set them free. I don't mind sharing my home with a few of them, but one night one of them got into our bed and scared the living daylights out of me! Guess it scared the lizard too, because I found him dead in the corner the next day! Spiders I won't tolerate...if I see one in my house, it's gonna die!
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You ladies are terrific! What a relief to be able to vent to others who get it! Thank you for being here and I hope that I can offer some comfort to someone else.
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Hi Patriot Girl,
Welcome aboard.
Ginger
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Patriotgirl feel free to vent anytime the need take you. Don't forget to come just for the company too we really are a good bunch.........lol
Well it's Monday morning here and the sun has not long been up like me......lol. It looks like it is going to be a lovely sunny day but right now there is a definite chill in the air that say Autumn has arrived. DD2 and her partner arrived yesterday afternoon and together with DH they went through the stuff in the shed and packed the van ready for departure back to the city today. The three of them have just left on an earlt morning walk and should be back for breakfast in about 15 mins. I love having these two here as they always bring laughter with them, not that it's a strager in my house anyway but it nice to have it added to.
She has had her initial planning for her new studio building approved and is just waiting for it to go through Council (local government) so the builders can get going. She had rented her house out for a couple of years as where her studio is now, there is also living quarters but she wants to move back so the house is being fully painted inside and out and the studio will be built in the back yard so technically she never needs to leave home to go to work.......lol.
The countdown is on for the knee op and tomorrow begins the first of what they like to call the pre-op round up......lol......makes me think of a her of cattle.....lol. Thank goodness this first one can be done by phone and is the pre-admission interview with the head surgical nurse to discuss what I should expect before, during and after surgery and what to expect from the hospital itself. Sounds like a lot of hoohaa to me but I guess it's a good thing so there are no surprises. Friday, unfortunately, I have to go to the city for the pre-op interview with the anaethetist and that has to be done face to face so we can discuss the best sedation for me and the op. I then get a weeks break before I need to have the bloods and the ECG done before addmittance. I have had many operations over the years but never had to do all of this but I guess it is a long op and a major one at that.
I'm looking forward to the time when I canjoin DH and the kids on an early morning walk without having to think about it and being able to keep up without pain.......yipeeeee! Soon..........soon.............
Have a great day all!!!
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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For some time I've been trying to think of some way to check on cyber sisters who just disappear from these forums. Sometimes it is just that they have been busy elsewhere, but no one knew how to reach them. I'm active on over a dozen topics and I've noticed that several of my sisters frequent some of the same topics. I figure that it would take only 3 or 4 of those women willing to keep my phone number and call to see if I'm OK should I disappear for an extended time and I would be happy to do the same for them. If we start a movement to do that we would have few if any instances like the current one in The Fuzzy Room, where we are left wondering and worrying about someone we care for with no way of finding out. This way personal information would not need to be published but someone could always check.
Just send a private message to someone to talk to frequently, maybe feel a connection with and talk to them about the idea, see if they want to exchange information. Chabba
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Chabba there is a central registry for peoples contacts. A girl by the name of TinTam looks after it and all it takes is a pm to her to get acces to register and like wise to see if the person you are looking for is registered with contact details. I know TimTam changed her name late last year and I can't for the life of me remember her new one. Perhaps one of the other ladies can tell you.
Your idea about contact between the girls on a thread is also a good idea and I have the contact details of quite a few. I'm happy to hold anyone's................they only need to pm me with them and I will file them.
I understand how hard it is when someone just disappears as it always sets off alarm bells if they don't reappear in a timely manner.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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Chrissy, I suspect there are a lot of women like me who post here but have rarely if ever exchanged personal information with others on these boards. Perhaps this will make others like me feel more comfortable in seeking out a more personal contact. And help us find out about someone who "goes missing".
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Chrissy, They will also be doing some things with you beforehand like measuring your range of motion, showing you how to use some sort of a little device to put your socks on, will give you exercises so that your femur is strong since you will be doing a lot of exercises with it after the operation.etc. They will cover all the bases so you have an easier recovery. They do this because it really is a big operation and recovery....moreso than having a hip done. BUT you will be glad you had it done and you are getting one of the new knees which supposedly last for 30 yrs. I did not get that kind unfortunately and they are telling me the problems I am having mean the plastic knee part of mine needs to be replaced, but I am trying to put that off.
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Welcome, PatriotGirl. This is a good place to be, full of support and friendship, and we're glad you found it! Oh, yes, delayed reactions are very common and sometimes quite overwhelming, and a wave of one can come over you in the strangest places and at the strangest times. We're here for that, and also when you need to vent, share, or just chat, or as Chrissy said ramble!
Chrissy, don't ever stop rambling! I love reading what you write! So glad the countdown is on for real now. With you already starting the pre-op procedures, it'll be done and over soon and you'll be on your way to recovery.
Spiders don't bother me at all. My particular phobia is (are you ready for this?) w o r m s! Even the thought of a worm makes me shudder. Big or little, earthworm or caterpillar, the dreaded tomato hornworm, they're all the same to me. They're all little snakes! But at least you can see a snake. Worms are sneaky!
Kathy
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Kathy I've heard of some weird phobias before but worms? Lol..........they would have to be the most harmless of species on this planet! But I hear you, a phobia is a phobia and I get where you are coming from! Who scared you with worms when you were little..........a big brother or cousin?
Marybe thanks for the advice on whats to come...................I am aware of a lot of it but there's always the little things they don't tell you about. I am looking forward having it done but not the crap you have to go throught to get it done but I will be glad to be able to walk without pain and swelling. I'm hoping that I can get everything strong enough that I can have the other one done before the end of the year........maybe yes maybe no but I'm hoping. I'm pretty determined to do all the exercises given and then some so I strengthen everything......lol......I have already been doing some muscle strengthening ones so it's a little easier after.
Love n hugs all. Chrissy
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Don't know what did it, Chrissy. I think it's innate to me. Unfortunately, the area I lived in as a child had lots of wild cherry trees, which got tent caterpillars (horrid things!) every spring and they were just everywhere. My fear was well known, and in 8th grade one of my friends thought it would be great fun to give me a "present", a beautifully wrapped little package. We were in the gym at the time, and I do think some of those caterpillars in the box made it all the way to the ceiling when I opened it! My own son learned early that "we must NOT scare mommy with worms if we want to grow up"!
Hi Marybe, it's good to see you!
Kathy
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Kathy - LOL - I can see them flying now. And the spiders and snakes in AU and NZ, aiyee, that is one reason why I stay close to Midwest USA. We were looking at old old home in PA once, where we moved for a time, and in basement, real estate agent said to watch out because the black snames and copperheads got in rafters to hibernate in winter, that they would not hurt us now, they were too cold but they COULD roll off rafters on our heads. We bought a neweer house with no way for them to get in.
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Our daughter hated that we used to kill the tomato worms, so she would pick them (now I hate that we did too, did not have same conscious as now, or know what they really were) anyway...... she had a collection of them, she kept them in little tupperware beds with kleenex. Once she dropped one off her tree fort, accidentally, and ran down to rescue it, had them named Cushy and Suma and others, oh for the love of goodness sakes, she was and STILL IS a trip, I have pics. Sadly...... She had to go to school, summer over and though she usually left them on porch, this day she left them on the tree fort all day. They baked to death in the sun. We had a funeral.
One day I will tell you the mouse story, Penny and Pooh to be exact. Not so good either.
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chrissy, i'm so glad "the countdown" has started. as Marybe said, there's a lot of rehab, after.. my friend had one done, and di all the excersizes, got on the recumbent bike they loaned her.. that ones' fine. the 2nd, she thought "i know this already" and didn't keep up.. now, she "roundhouses the leg she didn't do all the PT to, so, just do as your' told... i know, as easy as telling me lol but its' real imp!!!
now, the knees they put in are forever.. they used to say 5 yrs.. now, its even more imp, cause you're gonna have it forever. it effects how you walk, forever, also... love ya!!!chabba: i sent you a PM....3jays
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Ooooo Kathy you poor thing you!...........kids can be so cruel sometimes. Note to self.....there will never be converstions re caterpillars and worms.......done.....uh.uh.......never no more............my lips are zipped!........lol
Essa I don't I would have bought that house either or on the other hand if I had fallen in love with it I would have made sure there was no way for the sbakes to get in! Snakes in the rafters? At least here we can see them on the ground and not in the air!................lol...............I didn't think snakes could fly! Kids with their wanting to keep all creatures great and small.....lol.....I went through it with my kids but the rule was with them you could keep them for a day and the you had to let them go. I had the same rule with the grands............I didn't mind what they caught or wanted in a jar but at the end of the day it had to be set free. Luckily they were happy to do this with everything except a big spider that was I must admit beautiful! Luckilt I had a large terrarium that was empty so the boys make a habitat for the spider and use to catch flys and bugs to feed it. They kept it for a couple of months and then let it go..............a very fat healthy spider. (Don't worry girls, it was one of the harmless ones).........lol
3jays I fully intend to do all my exercises like a good girl as I want this knee nice and strong in a few months so I can have the other one done before the end of the year. I am truly over not being able to do the things I want to do because of them. I know th ones they use now should last me out without any further problems.............so long a I do what I'm told............not easy but I will.........lol. Are you taking good care of yourself? I sure hope so and how is that infection has it gone? Are the thyroid meds making any difference to you?................mmm too many questions that means it's almost time for a phone call...........lol.......love ya girl!
Love n hugs all. Chrissy
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My cousin had troubles with snakes at her new house in western KY. It turned out they had built on "Snake Hill.' Uh huh
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chrissy: My DA had both of her knees replaced and she was good to go for many years. We called her the bionic woman because she had so many joint replacements...refused to be down for the count! As everyone has said, the rehab is very important, so stick with it. Know you will do well.
DGD used to collect the snails from around the pool area when she visited me, and would keep them in a jar. Once she let them all out inside the condo, and I have absolutely no idea where they went because I never saw them again, and we searched all over.
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Kathy, For sure you would not like the worm farm I have in the basement.....actually I don't like it myself because we are constantly fighting fruit flies now, but I took the worms as a favor to my neighbor who did it for a school project and ended up with way too many worms. I thought oh this will be good, I can put the worms in the garden and have nice rich soil, but No, these are some sort of red worm that is not indigenous to the area and they will die if I put them out.....believe me I am tempted. She said she will take them back, but she had a surgery this winter and asked that I wait til Spring. The way I got into it was that she was working with these things in the yard....has to sift through them to get the fertilizer which IS what you put in the yard and I volunteered to bring food over to them because I always have a lot of peelings and scraps left from veggies and fruit and that is what they eat....also bread. They multiplied and she ended up with tons of worms and was looking for people to take some so I did. But since I misunderstood the entire concept of worms, I am sorry I took them and they are going back to her in the Spring, which Yippee is almost here. I have all sorts of things blooming.
I am afraid of things that fly....remember being under the covers screaming if there was a moth ( we called them millers) in the BR when I was a kid....also do not like birds because they can dart at you (although I did raise a baby bird...he could not fly yet) and it was always scary changing my sister's canary's cage and every once in awhile we used to get a bat in the house and that was a real thriller. I guess butterflies are OK, but the fast flying things I do not like at all. I cannot go to sleep in there if a fly in the house or mosquitoes.....that buzzing around my ears, makes me get up and go madly swatting around the room. I guess we each have our little phobias. Maybe this all stems from those flying monkeys in the Wizard of Oz....those scared the crap out of me.
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Well, my own personal horrors are rats and cockroaches. Fortunately we very rarely have to worry about the first. And did you know that cats eat cockroaches? I don't have to worry about them any more, either. Fortunately, the cats also go for scorpions. Yes, one of the joys of life in the Middle East! My neighbor told me he once saw my cat catch a scorpion, swipe off its tail with her claw, and then "play" with it before she ate it (sort of cat-and-scorpion instead of cat-and-mouse).
I spoke to my sister again yesterday. She's dealing with this calmly (doing a lot better than I did, let me tell you). She's got an MRI scheduled for Tues and then after the surgeon has the results they'll set up a date for surgery. Unless there are surprises in the MRI she'll be having a lumpectomy. She said if the doc has the results Fri she'll speak to her then and set up the date, otherwise she'll know Mon. I might not know for a while, though, since Mon she's also leaving for a cruise - she flies to Miami (from LA, where she lives) very early AM and will call the doc from there while she waits to disembark. She can't call overseas on her cell, though, so I'll only know when she gets back. I hope she hears the news she wants after the MRI. I told her about this site, so she's going to take a look.
Yesterday was SO FRUSTRATING. I've been wanting to have a prophy mx on my remaining side plus recon for a while. Originally I was going to do DIEP but I've realized that my stamina is just not good and that surgery would be too much for me to handle - I suspect it would knock me out for months instead of the 4-6 weeks everyone talks about. So I've decided to do the TE-implant route. I wanted a certain PS a friend recommended and when I called I had to wait 3 months for an appt. OK, not an emergency, so I knew that wasn't a problem. I went in yesterday for the appt. It's in an outpatient clinic at the hospital, so I gave in my papers and waited like a good girl in the waiting room they showed me. And waited. And waited. Eventually the nurse came and told me the doc had called and she would be there very late. She told me if I didn't want to wait I could be seen right away by one of the other docs but I said no, I wanted Dr. E. and I would wait. Which I did. Eventually the nurse came back and said the doc would still be delayed for hours and they weren't sure if she'd make it. She sent me to the appt desk and told the secretary to give me an appt for next week. Well, no, there weren't any "official" appts - I did say I waited 3 months for this one, didn't I? But they put me in the computer "officially" with someone else so my file will be ready and both nurses assured me they'd get me in with Dr. E. since I'd been so patient (the good manners my mother taught me sure paid off). Well, why would I be impatient or nasty with the nurses? It wasn't their fault! I also suspect it wasn't the doc's fault, either. There was a lot of shelling in the south of the country over the weekend (over 150 missiles in the cities there) and part of the security measures after that was a series of roadblocks in various areas. Yes, roadblocks like that can delay you for hours!
So here's hoping I have better luck next week.
Leah
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wow, Marybe, I haven't heard the word "miller" in years! Grew up in the midwest and we had great millers, some the size of your hand. Also cool beetles.
Chrissy, don't feel bad about rabbling! I love to read your posts. Good luck with the surgery.
Love to all,
Dragon
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Oh there you are Leah! I was wondering where you were as I hadn't seen you around for a little while. Keeping everything crossed that your sister doesn't find any nasty surprises in her MRI. Unbelievable day you had trying to get to see your PS......................but yes patience is very often rewarded so it pays to have it. I sure hope they actually put you in to see the one you want and not the other one.
Did you know that cockroaches are a great source of protein?........not the I would want to eat one but it's interesting to know that you could if the necessity were there and of course survive. Leah I'm sure your cat knows this and so they become fair game in the food chain.
I find it facinating to watch what our animals will eat other than what we give them as they show us what is edible and what is not. It is only our squeemishness and our sense of what is or isn't food that prevents us from eating a lot of things. Eating, like all things is a learned behaviour. We eat what our mothers gave us as she was the teacher. What one mother liked in terms of food taste that is what she passed onto her children etc.
With each generation the food and food tastes we find acceptable are expanding as the world becomes smaller and people move around bring with them their style and taste in food which we then try and find we like anad then we tweek it to suit us. As I say, it is a matter of what we are given and of course society taboos that dictate that we don't eat bugs............why not eat bugs? they are a great source of nutrient and that after all isn't that what we want when we eat?...............nutrient in order to keep the body healthy and functioning.
If you look at the indigenous peoples of different lands from eons past you will find that bugs, grubs, worms, rodents, bird eggs, grasses and all the things we no longer eat and find abhorent were their staples and they survivied very well. Each country has an abundance of these things and even now, in some Asian markets you will find things like deep fried grasshoppers and stewed grubs. What these peoples are doing is making the most of a resourse that is neglected by most modern people as we have been taught that they are just bugs and not edible...................Says who???.................and so we turn our noses up at the thought of eating them.........................Just some food for thought.
Love n hugs all. Chrissy
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Leah - I can see how you might forgive a doctor's tardiness for such impressive reasons. And I'm sorry such things are happening in your part of the world.
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Leah, I'm so sorry you had to wait so long for the surgeon! I can imagine your frustration. Hopefully the nurses will do all they can to get you in very soon and your patience will be rewarded! Hope your sister's MRI goes as expected also.
Oh dear goodness, Marybe, a worm farm in your basement?? And you FEED the things??? Be careful, be very careful, because you should know that they escape! They can invade your water pipes, too, and one day when you're in the shower....
Chrissy, your post made me remember that several years ago there was an article in the Charlotte paper re how nutritious and what a great source of protein earthworms were. The article included several recipes, one for an egg dish with crispy earthworm bits and another called "applesauce surprise cake". You KNOW what the surprise part was.
I'm so longing to get away from home for a few days---just want to go somewhere! Our 32nd anniversary is next month and it sure would be nice to go somewhere!
Hope all is well for everyone tonight. Tomorrow the high is predicted as 75 here---nice!
Kathy
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Chrissy, when I graduated from college I moved across the State to teach. My Father had a job that brought him to my area often and he would always try to stay with me at least one night. He always brought some treat from a gourmet shop for us to try. Mom was what I call a North Dakota Norwegian diet--bland meat and potato diet. In addition to the more common smoked or pickled sea food products or various pickled animal parts he brought canned rattlesnake, deep fried grasshoppers and chocolate covered ants. We tried them all and actually enjoyed most.
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