Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented,
fabulous? Actually, who are you NOT to be?
You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other
people won't feel unsure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
As we let our own Light shine, we unconsciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

Marianne Williamson
(often attributed to Nelson Mandela,
who used it in his 1994 inaugural address)

Puffin, I'm glad you have nice plans for Easter. I think Anne is right -- it would be too much like re-doing Friday. I will say --- when we did my Mom's funeral, I remembered almost nothing. I drifted through the whole event, thinking I was FULLY aware, but I think in hindsight I was far from it. I think it is one of the soul's protective measures.

Anne, erg, for you. Electronics and I part ways so easily. My first ( dark ages almost ) computer experience was in a huge office ( radiology ) where really big machines spit out cards with a lot of info on them plus lots of punched holes. Fast forward to home computers and at first I thought only people who were really well off could purchase them. Our first 'used' one and nearly used up by the way was one that used DOS and yikes. Come a long way since then but sill woefully ignorant about the whole thing. So, I feel your frustration. Also about the fact that your tax refund has to go for that.

Chevy -- memories are great. I couldn't love my Mom and Dad more. My Dad had Parkinson's disease which slowly over time just got him to a point where he could no longer really eat. I know it is said that when one spouse leaves, the other goes from grief, but my Mom was actually sick while she cared for Dad the last few months of his life. She had C.O.P.D. and so a couple of yrs. after Dad, she joined him. I didn't learn until after Mom passed away that someone with
C.O.P.D. usually only has about five yrs. before their lungs can no longer sustain them. I'm glad I didn't know that beforehand. There are days when wanting to reach out and touch them again, hear their voice directly again, just is so strong that I almost feel totally engulfed, but most of the time there is just a feeling inside of gratefulness that they were mine and I was theirs and often many of the things I feel, say or do, is tied up in hoping still that I'm making them proud of who they raised. I'm extremely ( we did have some really rough times though ) proud of them. I realized in my older years that while some of our life events together ( some drinking issues ) were not too happy --- I would not be who I am today if life with them had not of un-folded just the way it did.

Renews my faith that our life is planned to make sure that we have life situations and other opportunities that broaden our scope and understanding. When I look back at what one time seemed random and very disconnected, I find it has magically dovetailed almost perfectly and has created a pattern helping me to bloom as fully as I can from all the scattered seeds.

Seedsally, I am much like you -- a homebody. I did all the things ( traveling ) when I was young and in the service ( WACS ) and I'm most comfortable when I'm home and in the little world that is there. I also go out daily and feed feral cats around town as well as having a menagerie here --- so I can't go far or be too long usually. When I go stay at my patients house -- I can leave long enough to go feed the feral cats, and sometimes run back home here for needed things and last time there --- I had Dh set up my computer there since I was there a whole week. Outstanding pay and not too far from home ( patient lives in town while I live outside of town in the woods ) so that works out ok. Any farther and I'd be a bundle of nerves for a whole lot of reasons.

Rained last night, but won't be toooo cool today. Another rain ( tonight maybe ) and a couple of days of coolish' temps, but then back to our warmer Springtime weather. All the shrubs and bushes are waking up from their long winter's rest and I find it stimulating and exciting. Now I'm ready to make all my resolutions and start the yr. moving forward with inspiration and enthusiasm.

See you all later.

Blessings,

Jackie

Oh Chevy how sweet that was to see that couple having fun like that

Rita, is it possible for you to get a ready-cooked Easter dinner from the Grocery store? Several of them around here offer that... Just don't go to Honey-Baked Ham for that... THEY charge a lot also! Or just get a big ham, throw it in the oven, and make a pot of mashed potatoes and make a pack of gravy with the Ham juice, and don't forget the "rainbow" bread for Ham sandwiches.

I also saw "packs" of vegetables on the store shelves at Walmart! You just open them heat in the microwave, and throw them in a dish! I've had the real "corn-on-the-cob" and the Green Beans!

Anne, when I had an iPad with a screen that spontaneously cracked, Apple replaced it for free.

This will be my second Easter alone & abroad in a row--last year I was in Madrid, the day after I attended a Sephardic Seder. Felt really bizarre to be enjoying Easter brunch at my hotel only 12 hrs. after eating glatt Kosher (and some of the Sephardic stuff was very different from the Ashkenazi versions with which I grew up--only the matzo was the same). I will be back home for Passover this time. Not sure if I will do a Seder on whichever night our temple’s not hosting theirs. I will be in London from next Fri. morning through Sun. night. I might seek out a Reform (aka Liberal) synagogue Fri. night for Shabbat. (Too dangerous to try it the next Shabbat in Paris). I might do an open mic if they’re still holding it on Easter Sunday and there isn’t a group dinner for the Bar Assn. I won’t be completely alone--this is a Bar Assn. continuing education trip, with said “education” being 3 days of lectures and a mock trial in Lausanne, Switzerland. Then 3 days in Paris, fully on my own. (Though most attendees are either going home or to other cities, there will be one couple staying at my hotel in Paris--we hung out through Spain together last year).

Any BCO’ers in London who might be free next weekend to meet for tea and perhaps a nosh?

To be glad of life, because it gives you the chance to love and to
work and to play and to look up to the stars; to be satisfied with
your possessions, but not contented with yourself until you have
made the best of them; to despise nothing in the world except
falsehood and meanness, and to fear nothing except cowardice; to
be governed by your admirations rather than by your disgusts; to
covet nothing that is your neighbors' except their kindness of heart
and gentleness of manners; to think seldom of your enemies, often
of your friends and every day of Christ; and to spend as much time
as you can with body and spirit, in God's out-of-doors--these
are the little guideposts on the footpath of peace.

Henry van Dyke

Mike looks gray and sick today. His nurse says this is normal for this stage. His platelets (which control bleeding) have dropped to 8,000. They should be around 350,000 to 450,000. The doc ordered a platelet transfusion and also two more units of blood since his levels have fallen again. He was ok on Friday after a transfusion and we were hoping that would "hold" him for awhile but his numbers are headed in the wrong direction. The little infection is drawing some new orthopedic surgeons. So far they all agree it's too dangerous to make even a small cut since they cannot stop the bleeding. More watch and wait.

No snow flurries today -- just some rain, but thankfully not too much Rita. Interesting day yesterday. Was going to see about brakes and struts for my car as it was beginning to feel so funny. Dh said those things plus a couple of other things I needed ( not quite as badly as the brakes and struts ) would run above $1,000.00. I just spend several hundred on fuel pump and alternator. So on the spur of the moment -- we went car shopping.

Ended up getting a very nice Chevy Equinox ( never truly my heart's desire ) which had one owner and they were older folks who kept up the maintenance like clock-work -- so we have a nice car again. It is 2011 but pretty much looked brand-new. I have enjoyed driving it so far. Much smoother and nicer than my 2004 Blazer. A few new things to learn -- like not shifting on the column anymore but in the middle where you have to hold a button down at the same time you shift. That has 'caught' me several times. Nice steering and braking which was never that great in the Blazer -- but this new one is front wheel drive and Blazer was 4-wheel so was a little clumsier that way.

Quiet day today. Went shopping in Mt. Vernon for a couple things I needed and couldn't find here. Stopped at Steak & Shake so I could get my Garlic Burger. Some day I will get tired of those, but I sure don't know when for sure.

Stopped at Lowes and looked at new kitchen doors. Ours is barely hanging on so we will replace it soon. Doors are pretty expensive, but we found one we liked which was vinyl so a bit more reasonable. Also, it looks pretty much just like the one we have now which we really, really like. So that is on the list and some time after we are going to update and replace the ceiling lights in the kitchen. It is always something it seems.

Sandra, sure hope that soon Mike's system can turn that corner, perk right up and take care of him. Everything crossed for you and him.

See you all later.

Jackie

When we're helping other people, we're nourishing our soul.
Depression or unhappiness means we've got the wrong goal.
We have forgotten that peace of mind is our only goal.
By concentrating on helping another person, we renew contact
with our soul and with God. We can feel peaceful again. . . .
Peace of mind has nothing to do with the external world;
it has only to do with our connection with God. Love really is
the answer. We're here only to teach love. When we're doing that,
our souls are singing and dancing. When we remind ourselves
that we are spiritual beings, that life and love are the flame eternal,
that's when our soul is nourished.

Gerald Jampolsky

Oh wow ! That video is something. I was amazed.

Yeah, me too Wren! I have a recumbent bike just waiting for me to get on it... Supposed to help my hip & mobility, but I've been too busy this Spring working in the gardens... And since it was outdoors, with a tarp for the Winter... I didn't use it then either!

Puffin, I think it is going to be that way for awhile. I hope you don't run into too many other complications. Dh and I have separate checking accts and maybe I'll have to think on that a bit. I do know it makes a difference but I'm a bit tighter with money than Dh and we found that over-all it works better. We both used to be on the same acct. but it didn't work out well. My 'savings' always turned up missing so we had to fix that.

Beautiful afternoon and I haven't got near done what I mean too. I'll have to make up the next few days I think.

Blessings

Jackie

Congrats on the new car, Jackie. It is always so much fun to get new "wheels." Enjoy it because it sounded like you would have had to put quite a bit of money into your Blazer to keep it going. Now you have something reliable.

I have all my bank accounts in both my son's and my names. My lawyer advised me to do this. That way he can get automatic access to it when it's needed and then it converts directly to him upon my death.

My kids are arriving for Easter so I have lots to do this week to get ready for them. Hopefully the weather will be good for their visit and then we head home at the end of the month.

You were lucky that they didn't declare your grandma mentally unfit to sign for the money exhange. That happened to my Dad. My step-mother was a very greedy person who didn't want to share anything. She had a couple of CD's with only her name on them. My Dad had tried to get her to put somebody else on the CD's with her and she refused. Long story made short....she got dementia and had to be put into a nursing home. By this time my Dad was in a wheel chair because of advanced arthritis and couldn't take care of her. They needed money but Dad couldn't get into the CD's and the court wouldn't accept her signature at that point because they claimed she was mentally incapable of making that decision due to the dementia. What a mess! I guess we learn from our mistakes and the mistakes of others.

It is cool here this morning in Florida but the sun is out and the temps will rise during the day. I hope everyone has a good Tuesday. We are going to our favorite pizza place on the Cape this evening for half-price pizza! The place is always crowded but it's well worth the wait and the price is right! :-)

Hello to everyone. My mother is still in the hospital after suffering a stroke on March 12 at 1 am in the morning. She had a continuation of the stroke three days later. Fortunately, her mind has not been affected but she lost control of the left side of her body, particularly her leg. Progress has been slow and she is still unable to transition. The hospital case worker is supposed to be locating a skilled nursing/rehab facility to take her for 3 wks. Medicare pays for 20 days, explaining the time frame. The world of hospital care revolves on what insurance pays.

I have been to the hospital every day and spent one night there. My youngest brother, 54, came from OK and was wonderful. He stayed every night with her when he was here and he's a good nurse and knows his way around a hospital. His wife was a hospital nurse before she burned out. I have requested that the hospital try to place my mother in a facility near me. I have no confidence that she will ever be able to live independently again. She's 93. The facility I'm referring to is new and very nice. I went over there yesterday and was given a tour. She could go from skilled nursing/rehab into nursing home care without having to be relocated.

My younger sister's name is on my mother's checking account and my mother's house now belongs to the brother I mentioned. Other than that there are no assets except personal belongings.

So that's what has been going on in my world. Things can always be worse.

Jackie, I'm happy that you have a new to you car. I love my Prius that is a year old now. That gas mileage has come in handy with all the travelling back and forth to the hospital that's 20 miles away.

Minus, I hate that you had that fall. You didn't deserve to have an accident happen.

Puffin, I think about you and send comforting thoughts. It's not going to be easy to get along without Lew.

Sandra, I hope Mike continues to surprise everyone with his resilience.

Chevy, you returned just when we all needed a sunny personality.