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

Betrayal, good news that your clean draperies are back in place and order is being restored in your house.

I went to exercise class at 11:30 and then out to lunch afterwards with three exercise friends who have included me in their group. I'm getting to know the other women better. Every Wednesday we go to a different restaurant.

Tomorrow I have another lunch date at a friend's house. She is hosting a small get-together for Norma, the friend who has sold her house and is moving back to her hometown. I am bringing a cheese and crackers tray. It will feel strange to have Norma not living on the North Shore, but she will be moving closer to family members.

This spring weather is too much like summer weather. Right now it's cloudy and 78 degrees. The air just kicked on here in the house.

I need to get outside and do some yard work in the near future. Maybe Friday.

I am a huge fan of proselytizing. I am a huge fan of speaking your mind. The only way we can share the universe... is by talking very strongly about what we believe.

Penn Jillette

I just got home after attending the farewell luncheon for friend Norma. There were seven of us and we gathered at Linda's house. The food was good. Home-made chicken salad, shrimp salad with large whole shrimp, tossed salad, a fresh fruit bowl and croissants. Dessert was chocolate cake with chocolate icing. My contribution was cheese and crackers. The conversation was nonstop because some of us hadn't seen each other in a while.

Tomorrow I will be playing golf for the first time in weeks. I'll have to remember which end of the club to grip. If it doesn't rain on Saturday, I will try to get the knockout roses pruned and pull some weeds in the flower beds. I read some advice not to be in a hurry to pull blooming weeds because the bees need the nectar. A good excuse not to weed flower beds. LOL.

The azaleas are starting to bloom everywhere, including in our yard. Also, the tulip trees that bloom on bare branches. They were in bloom last week in the subdivision down the street where I walk.

According to my laptop, it's 78 degrees outside and my eyes tell me it's sunny. Winter seems to be over. I wish we could enjoy some spring before summer comes.

It was 90 here today. Weatherman says it’s like May & June weather. I leave in early May! Average high should be 80. Looks like 87-88 for the week ahead.

I can’t remember when I last posted. We made it back from Key West, had a lovely time. The last day was at East Fort Morello, with a miles long walk to West Fort Morello - beautiful walk. One was Union, one Confederate; they actually fired on each other. East is still standing, West was in disarray and the bricks used by locals, it’s now a beautiful garden run by the Key West Garden Club with free entry.

Actually caught a butterfly in the photo.

That is the Atlantic Ocean behind some pics.

Fast comments on what I’ve read:

Petite, I’m glad your surgery went well, hoping the same for the right eye.

Carole, I agree whole heartedly on war. I have azaleas behind the house here and one is getting leggy; need to wait until after blooming and trim it down. Love when they’re bloomed. I get to see the ones in NY bloomed once I’m back there- a double treat.

Canarycat, I wish we’d go along with this being the last time change. The set looks great!

Betrayal, it must feel great to get your drapes back!

Minustwo, I’ll join you and Carole on leaving the weeds for the bees. 🐝

I’m not sure I showed you the banana haul. When we returned we had so many ripe ones, I’ve handed out some to all my immediate neighbors. I ate 4-6 immediately. We froze a lot too, SO will cut them up and put them on his cereal. There are some still on the tree, awaiting ripening. And then a whole new flower with minis growing on another tree.

And on that photo, I’ll close this up.
We’ve got spring training baseball Friday, Saturday and Sunday. (Saturday was a bday gift to SO) With guests arriving Monday. With more baseball while they’re here too. Baseball on this past Wednesday with temps near 90 felt torturous, so I hope it’s not that bad over the weekend.

From saying stay warm, to now saying stay cool & hydrated!

I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness; I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too. I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more.

Anne Frank

Happy Birthday to me! Yesterday I was 82. Today I'm 83. My "presents" are blessings. Dh and I are reasonably healthy at our current ages and so are my five siblings who will be wishing me Happy Birthday on our family text thread.

We had rain yesterday afternoon and overnight, but no violent weather. Another "present."

I plan to stay home today and enjoy an ordinary day. Yesterday I pruned the knockout roses and got them fertilized in time for the rain to water them.

Last night I found a free crochet pattern online for another lapghan. I have already crocheted three using a different free pattern. So far, my wrist and hands are tolerating the crochet motions.

I hope everyone on our forum has an enjoyable day, either ordinary or out of the ordinary.

@carolehalston Happy Birthday. Enjoy your special day full of presents!

betrayal - good news on getting your drapes back. I imagine it feels so good to have the dining room back together.

Cindy - you are an amazing woman. I do not know how you host so many visitors. I would be exhausted. Feel free to send me some of your energy. I would love to visit the garden in Key West should I ever get back that way.

Keywestfan - so sorry to hear about the mets. I hope the doctors are keeping you relatively pain free.

We are leaving in the morning for a 3+ week trip to Vietnam so I better getting packing.

Wishing all a wonderful week.

It is not necessary that whilst I live I live happily; but it is necessary that so long as I live I should live honourably.

Immanuel Kant

Carole, Happy belated Birthday! 🎉

Petite, love the book reading! My dad took me and a gf every Thursday evening to the public library. I often think of him when I read.

Harley, I’ll be glad when all the visitors have left the building. Haha! It’s a lot of entertaining people. We’re night owls, most are not; early risers help yourself to whatever you find. Some days I’ll hang in my night shirt until noon; except when we have guests. I like down days, when we’re not running. We’ll be free of guests again until Easter, then free for a few weeks before we leave in early May.

Betrayal, I’m not sure if I already shared this but I packed shampoo & conditioner in small carry on sized containers. Took it with us to Key West. The first time I used them I thought it’s shampoo & shampoo - both had tons of suds. The next time I used both again, no idea why(habit?) , I thought it was shampoo & body wash. Luckily for me the hotel had conditioner in a bottle attached to the wall. Whatever, I had clean hair!

We've been to too much baseball, I’m baseballed out for now. I chose a party on Friday over baseball; SO took a neighbor in my place.
Then Saturdays game was at Fenway South/Jet Blue - great seats as a bday gift to SO from his son. In the middle of the 6th inning it started to rain, but we were under cover so we were dry. Until it started blowing. It came down in buckets and the game was called.
Sundays game was blazing hot, AB’s we were in the outfield. It was a very good game, SO favorite team - the Philadelphia Phillies played the Twins. It was tied 6-6 until late in the 9th. Twins won.

Fenway South.

Hammond stadium, home of the Minnesota Twins.

We’re taking guests to a game Wednesday. It’s going to be 88-89 out, and I hope we last till the end.

PS - party on Friday had mariachi music.

@Petite1 - We sound like we were very similar children. I too read all the time and probably read a lot of stuff that I really shouldn’t have/couldn't understand. My mother (who got her MLS and became a school librarian when I was 12) was overwhelmed with having 4 daughters in 5 years, so as the oldest I had a lot of freedom and no one paid any attention to me reading as long as I was out of the way. My great aunt, who lived across the road from us had a grapevine that produced amazing concord grapes: I spent the entire fall sitting under that arbor with a book and eating what must have been bushels worth of grapes. I think the worst thing about my brain fog /short term memory issues- attributable probably to both age and my AI - is that it makes it so much harder to concentrate when reading these days. I have - on more than one occasion - gotten half way thru a book only to realize that I must have read it at some point before because I suddenly remember how it ends. oh well, small problems.

It looks like we are finally going to get some snow here in the PNW. I don’t think Seattle will probably see much, if any, but the mountains are supposed to get clobbered. Which is a good thing for our snow pack. And our dog - a Bernese Mt. dog - will be thrilled. Besides treats, snow is her favorite thing ever!

Friday night I was at my 8 year old GD’S basketball game. During half time, some of-the girls were out on the court practicing their shots. Two of the girls were fooling around and one ended up lying on her back on the court. Another girl shot, hit the backboard and the ball dropped directly on to the girls face. There were many tears and some blood (her nose). She was ok by the end of the game but I bet she never lies down on a basketball court again. Some of life’s lessons are learned the hard way. 😳

This is Phinnie, age 9, enjoying the park. She and I have the same birthday - March 6 - and I think at this point we are both about the same age - in human years anyway.

I was slow with my major motor milestones. And slow learning to read. Once I did, my primary activity was reading. I swiftly advanced beyond the children's and young teens. I was exploring the Tudors before our librarian put some limits on me. I think she and Mom communicated well. I did find an excellent book on linguistics in the Jr. High library. I have no idea how it ended up there.

Cindy, there is a similar garden in La Crosse next to the Mississippi. It has an international theme.

Moo64, I couldn't have worked while going through treatment at 69.

Keywest, no pain with bone mets? That is a gift, from what I hear. My three bone surgeries have been tough. I have a cast on my left hand now, and except for the pain, I have been doing well, as I expected.

Harley, please bring back pictures. When will we ever learn?

Carole, I am eager to get back to knitting. Or, my experiment in resuming an old hobby. Best wishes for a monthfull of Happy Birthdays.

I am getting used to the idea of nursing Tippy through kidney failure. But right now we are doing fine, so long as I screen his "ouch owie" complaints for an overly dramatic request for pottytime.

I just got back from a 40-degree bike ride downtown to pharmacy, Amazon return, and finding the jewelry shop closed.

It's curious how we act in moments of personal despair.

Lawrence Welk

carole, so glad DH's surgery went well. Sorry you had the loss of sleep while he slept so well. you would think he would have had the anxiety.

I do think that Monday night was a bad sleep night for others, including me, for some unknown reason. I woke at 4:30 and finally tossed the towel in at 5. I explored some genealogy challenges and while I did not make much headway I did make some decisions about follow-up.

I finally ordered a copy of my great-grandmother's death certificate from the state of NJ and called the NJ county deed office on my GF's former home. I have copies of his deed from 1920 and preceding owner's deeds back to 1895. Then I find the house had been built in 1854, so I was curious to discover who might have built it and then who owned it from then until 1895. I thought the deed office would tell me I would have to come in to request copies and then pay by page as I had done in the past. Deeds contain specifics about the location from key geographic points, description of the property itself, most of which is repeated from deed to deed making them incredibly long, while the desired information about transfer from owner to purchaser is relatively brief. All I was interested in was information on the transfers and sale price. I was surprised when they transferred me to a researcher named Chris who asked what I was looking for, and then the biggest surprise was when he said he would email me PDF copies of the deeds for FREE! Less than 2 hours later he emailed me the deeds records from 1870-1895. He stated he was unable to probe a file that had info prior to 1870 without difficulty. I was so happy with what I did receive and so thankful it was free.

The home my GF purchased in 1920 was purchased by my DB after my uncle passed and I think he owned it until 2020, which means it remained in the family for 100 years. DB used it as a rental property. I sent an email to my DB asking him when he sold it, but am not sure he will bother to answer. Long story short, he is estranged from most family members due to his religious and political views. I did find online photos of the interior of the house and it has been flipped. It is totally devoid of the charm it had when my grandparents lived there to the point it is tasteless. It is in an historic neighborhood, but it seems this area has not had the preservation other areas of the town have had which is a shame. I will have to see if I have old photos of the interior from childhood.

I write up family histories including then current historical information to provide context. I will add a bit about the history of the house since it was in family hands for so long. I had to pause working on the one family history when it became somewhat convoluted. I'll go back eventually when I have a clearer path ahead.

It is gray again after a brilliantly sunny day yesterday. It is still warmer than normal, but I had to discourage DH from working on removing leaves with the temps predicted to drop dramatically back into the 30's and 40's. Leaf cover is essential for the survival of beneficial insect until they erupt in late April or May.

My daffodils and hyacinths are pushing up their sprouts though, so flowers are coming. I will transfer more daffodil bulbs this year to naturalize in other areas. I have over 1,000 bulbs from allowing them to naturalize over the years. I did plant a new selection by the stream and they, too, are naturalizing to begin to fill in that area. From the 75 I planted, I will end up with hundreds in a few years.

I'm doing laundry, will finish cleaning the foyer and stairs today and hope to lay the dining room rug with DH's assistance, so I can finish that room. I'll work on the living room declutter after the dining room rug is down and the last dining room contents are back where they belong.

I am hoping that everyone who posts here that is from the Chicago/Indiana area is safe from the storms that occurred there.

I hope everyone has a great day and waving "hi" to everyone.