Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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No use summering in North Dakota to get away from Gulf coast sub-tropics when summer subtropics move to North Dakota.
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Lots happening - I went and bought a submersible pump last evening. I had watched the water in our basement get higher and higher. When there was about an inch before it hit the water heater & boiler I ran to Home Depot. They had an emergency delivery of pumps and I used a coupon to save 10%. I got the pump set up; SO had the hose lined up and we let it run. I think at least 1.5 hours and it got down. But I have such an uneven floor, puddles were here and there.
This morning there was more water than all of yesterday. And the handyman was showing up. First I went out to the garage and moved some stuff around, to make it easier for him to stain the 2 panels….because you guessed it, it was raining again - although not a lot, but you wouldn’t stain in the rain. And then I got 4 bags of yard waste to the curb for pick up tomorrow - too bad if they’re wet and fall apart. Our town leaders switched from bins, back to paper bags - which disintegrate.
Handyman showed up and got busy, as I ran to the bank for cash to pay him. Once I was back home, I went into the basement and set up the pump again. It puts out a lot! I was able to stay upstairs, watching our camera to see how low it was going, and peeking out the bay window at the hose. I had to move it around, uneven area, but before 2 pm I stopped. I’ll check again later this evening, and will go back down there if I need to.
Fence is up!! I don’t have to look at the neighbors and they can’t look at me. So glad it’s completed.
Tomorrow the handyman returns to finish painting the garage, and the deck. I’ll be looking at the basement again, hoping it doesn’t need to be pumped out. But I’ve left the access to it open, just in case.
We leave for the Cape on Saturday, and I need to pack still! I’d say if it doesn’t rain, it pours but that’s too close to the rain storm we had.
Reality - I’m super fortunate that I only had water in my basement. There are news reports from neighboring towns were people have lost their homes.
Hoping you're all safe!4 -
I forgot to show what I found along the sill plate. I don’t go down there as a habit, so being I was pretty much stuck there, I started looking around.
I wouldn’t suggest tasting it, but it was a surprise find. No idea what is in the canning jar. I also found a very large rusted empty can of Virginia peanuts; 2 dead light bulbs, and a used paint stirrer. Ha! No treasure.
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carole, congratulations to your DH for his third hole in one. What an accomplishment!
cindyny, sorry to hear about the water in your basement and hope you can get it under control in time to leave for Cape Cod. Can one of your relatives check the basement for you while you are away? What is the floor in the basement made of? This weather has been so strange this summer, drought followed by deluges of rain with associated flooding, heat domes and no days that feel like old time summers of the past.
Your garage and the fence look great. I hope your neighbor has moved his firepit.
I've got another poison ivy rash on both forearms due to encountering hidden bushes in the weeds. I find that spraying the lesions with Bactine spray works better than using cortisone for controlling the itch. I have the Bactine spray to use on my newly pierced ears, so it was handy and I gave it a try with success. Having this is new for me because I never got it in the past exposures and now I have more sympathy for DH, DD and DS who used to get it every year.
I spray the vines with a Poison Ivy killer to eradicate the plants. I've used it for years and it does work. We used to have vines climbing the trees in the woods and I would spray the leaves, and then cut the vines at the base and spray the part going into the ground since they have a vast root system. It worked and there are no longer vines growing on any trees.
Today I focused on a second weeding of the secret garden, moved another large fern from the bed where the landscaper's will work to the secret garden area, and tried to locate a slate for the walkway here that seems to have disappeared. I used my shovel and then a crow bar, but think it has been overgrown by pachysandra. It might appear over the winter when things die back. I took one from the lower section of the walkway and then rearranged a few others. It looks nice and then I was able to start mulching from the top down. I mulched about halfway down on the left and about three quarters down on the right side where they won't be working. When they are done, I will go back and fill in any gaps. Same goes for the fenced in landscaped area. They need to replace a bush in there so I decided to hold off until they finish. DH can create an opening at the bottom for access for me.
I have 13 bags left and will use some on the hill in the backyard and some on the daffodil hill. This has taken longer than I hoped due to weather delays and changes in plans for several areas. What I have done, looks great and I am amazed that I can still do this at my age. Though I wish the weeds would not flourish as much and as well as they do, because they caused the biggest delay in mulching.
Weather today was ideal. Mid 70's, low humidity and great breeze. I hope for a repeat for tomorrow since I want to focus on the bed by the road where some weeds have sprouted yet again. I think now I will spray them because they seem to have these spider web like roots that are impossible to totally remove.
I did 3 loads of laundry today, need to make my bed and then I am taking a well-deserved break.
I hope everyone had a great day and waving "hi" to everyone.
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cindyny I love your bunny garden sculpture 🙂
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Cindy, those canning jars with the bail are collectors' items. That alcohol might not be good for drinking, but you could use it externally, like denatured.
I live in an area of town that used to be swamp. Where I live is slab-built. However, after heavy rains, I see water being pumped out of houses all over the place. One is going up in a lot that had never been built on, and they brought in multiple truckloads of dirt to being it up to street level.
Betrayal, I get tired just reading about your adventures in the garden. I hope you can take it easy next summer.
We had a lot of rain early this month, but very little since then. Everything is dry. Even the humidity is low. Two inches expected today and tomorrow. Will be glad to see it!
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We finally got some rain last night, but probably just a portion of an inch. Thankfully, no stormy conditions like thunder, lightning and hail. It's overcast this morning. We're planning to take a drive to a casino, just for something different to do. We're hoping for a non-smoking section and for a restaurant for lunch. Our gambling budget will be small.
Happy Friday to all.
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Hotter today with still lower humidity and a slight breeze which wasn't all that cooling. Decided to work on mulching the top of the daffodil hill and one spot in the bed with the Golden Cypresses. Asked DH for 3 bags of mulch for the daffodil hill and 2 for the other one. I weeded the top of the daffodil hill again and applied the mulch using all 3 bags to cover what is bare because the heavy rains sometimes wash the mulch down. I'll wet it later which helps prevent the sliding. I pulled a ton of Creeping Charlie from the bed and the surrounding area. We never had a problem with this until we got the lawn service and I swear it is from their mowers that transfer it from other properties. Filled 1.5 mulch bags with it and the weeds I removed. Lower section of this hill has mulch from last year and what has slid down the hill, so no need to do the entire bed.
Then I moved over to the cypress bed and used one bag to cover the corner that I had weeded earlier. It took one bag to cover this area and I may use the other bag to cover some bare spots in the front of this bed. It won't take the whole bag though. I'm still debating about applying a light coat to the upper fern bed in the secret garden.
Did not stay outside for more than 2 hours today due to the heat even with my usual start time. When my sweatband fails for the second time (I wet it with water from my bottle in between), I call it quits.
Given that for 2 years in a row, I was unable to do as much gardening as I recovered from my TKR in 2024 and the second one in 2025. This is the first time I've been able to address areas that didn't make the short list I could do. If I mulch well, I can usually get 2 years out of it and only have to do occasional touch-ups for rain or deer damage. I'll try to do certain beds on alternate years so I don't have as much to do as I did this year. The weeds have been very aggressive this year and have flourished under drought conditions to my dismay. I don't think I've pulled this many in the past nor had to revisit beds I had previously weeded. I can't eradicate all of them, but I try to get as many out as I can.
Gardening is my therapy and I have a sense of accomplishment when I stand back and look at what I have done. I'm trying to naturalize the beds so I have less weeding and mulching to do in the future because it is so hard to get help maintaining a sculptured garden. I mostly purchase perennials for the yard and only use annuals on the patio (salad bar for the deer it seems). I don't golf, and I don't enjoy going to a gym or working out by myself. So digging holes in rocky soil and mulching provide my exercise. We have very rocky soil and I can extract several pounds of rocks from literally every hole I dig. We have used the rocks to make rock walls around each bed as we formed them. I jokingly tell any contractor if they did a hole they must take any rock they unearth with them. So far, no takers. My mother used to take buckets of them to her house in NJ to use as ground cover in her gardens.
Need to go to Giant for a grocery run and CVS to pickup some prescriptions, so I made dinner reservations at Bonefish Grill which is near both stores. We'll hit them after dinner on our way home.
I hope everyone had a wonderful day and waving "hi" to everyone.
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@betrayal I admire your persistence in your gardening and it makes sense that this is your therapy—and a healthy one at that! I need to do something other than reading or crocheting which both keep me glued to the recliner…
The wind is kicking up and I can hear the approaching thunder, but we need to go out. My oncologist wants me to get a blood transfusion but first I have to go to a lab and get typed and cross-match today. Then I get the transfusion tomorrow. I don't know why they can't accept their many, many records of my blood work. or why I couldn't just get it done yesterday when I was already there or get it done all at the same time. Now I not only have to go out under a storm warning, but my chemo SEs are beginning to kick in from Tuesday. My appointments are stacking up and keeping track of them have become sort of a hobby although not a very therapeutic one! I hope I feel well enough when we are out that we can grab a bite to eat as I sure don't feel well enough to cook. On a positive note the tree guys were here a little while ago for service. We don't want to lose any more trees.
Stay safe everyone!
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To know how to grow old is the master work of wisdom, and one of the most difficult chapters in the great art of living.
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Another warm day, humidity tolerable, but breeze was intermittent so no real relief. Decided to weeded by roadside for the second time and between 2 large Beggars lice plants and what I managed to pull in this bed I completely filled a large hefty leaf bag. The weeds keep reappearing and tge one identified with my plantid app is called yellow nutsedge. It sends out these spider like
roots that are near impossible to kill, so it keeps coming back. I still need to spend about another hour on this bed weeding and then I'll mulch again. I quit after 2 hours when my sweat band needed a 3rd wetting with cool water. Nope, time to quit. Found another Beggar's lice plant, pulled it and left it on driveway since you need to invert bag over your arm and pull it into the bag by its roots to avoid the tiny green stickers it leaves behind. Labor intensive to get them off clothes and I had gotten a few in my hair, ugh.
So one more day on this bed to finish. Will ask landscaper if using a herbicide to kill yellow nutsedge will have a negative impact on the daffodil bulbs planted here. There are several hundred planted there.
DH finished webbing the second chair today so he us pleased with his efforts and the results. The chairs sit in the fire pit area. Next for him is the edging on the patio.
Ran vacuum in family room, foyer, eat in area, kitchen, powder room and laundry room. Then mopped these areas. Dusted family room and will do foyer and eat in area to finish them. I've been postponing this while I garden.
Took a photo of our crape myrtle today. It is in full bloom, smells incredible and the bees are loving it. The Starry night hibiscus is also loaded with buds and there were 2 blooms today. Lovely.
I'll attach photos. I hope everyone had a great day and waving"hi" to everyone.
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Beautiful yard Betrayal. I can see why you love to take care of it. Peaceful!
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Betrayal - gorgeous picture of your yard.
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Betrayal, love those blooms!
The staining and painting are done except for all of the deck. Handyman will be back on Sunday to finish it up. I took pictures of everything and that’s when I noticed my front door needs a real cleaning- he painted the kick area below the entrance and the wrought iron railings. Then the back door was painted and hand rails too, but my picture revealed a wooden area we step on at the entrance that was gray stain and is now pretty much gone. Handyman will stain it while we’re gone. Lastly was that piece of fence I put at the end of the alleyway, the raw wood cuts can be seen outside of the fence - the 3 supports that slats are nailed on to (it must have a name but I don’t know it). He’ll paint them for me too. Everything looks clean and crisp!
The basement … I yi yi Lucy, I’m sick of it! This morning before we left I went back down. It appeared to be the same as yesterday. I’ve been taking screen shots from the camera about every 2 hours and comparing them - is it higher?!?? I’ll be able to delete them soon I hope. I checked a little while ago, the water is no higher, that I could tell. The “lake” kitty corner from my house is also shrinking, so it’s a good thing.
Another year is here on the Cape. They change the sign for each year. It’s a tradition of ours to get a picture as we pass. Fingers crossed for a few good beach days!
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I will not be a common man. I will stir the smooth sands of monotony.
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On my way to church I noted that a yard in the process of landscaping is growing oodles and oodles of purslane. On my way home, I saw the woman washing her truck. I asked her if I could pick it. She said sure!! I brought it home and cleaned and chopped it. Three large bags in the freezer. She told me I could return to pick more. I am going to eat purslane all winter, already!
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Just waving hi. Really is an uneventful summer for us although given the health excitement of the spring, I'm not complaining. Debbie is doing well and has found a really wonderful PCP.
Had dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant Friday night. Their veal never disappoints.
Beautiful flowers, Betrayal. Everything is dying here due to the draught and high temperatures. Going to buy more cacti next year. Even the lantana isn't making it.
Enjoy your Cape Cod week, Cindy. Our nephew and family always spend a week there too.
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Today marks one year since Jackie departed this earth. This quote is in memory of her:
“There is no death, daughter. People die only when we forget them,' my mother explained shortly before she left me. 'If you can remember me, I will be with you always.”
― Isabel Allende, Eva LunaI can remember her, she will always be with me, and I miss her, too.
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Thank you, Betrayal, for the tribute to Jackie. A whole year. Hard to believe. I miss her, too. Also, Connie, our bird watcher.
Pictures are indeed worth a thousand words. The photo of your driveway and yard indicates the large scale of your gardening. You must own a very valuable piece of real estate, located next to the famous golf course and country club which hosted a big PGA golfing event during the past year. It's a gorgeous golf course and membership in the country club must be way above my budget.
I was awakened about 2 am with severe wrist pain in my right wrist. Totally unexpected because I didn't knowingly injure my wrist during the day. I got up and rubbed on ointment and took two Tylenol for Arthritis. Eventually I went back to sleep. The cause is a mystery. This morning I'm trying to use my left hand for drinking coffee and reading and writing on my laptop. I may buy a brace today. I welcome any diagnoses from those who have experienced something similar. The only ailment that comes to mind is carpal tunnel.
I'll have to look up purslane.
Hi to everyone. Have a good Monday
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The one I had was CMC, carpal-metacarpal arthritis. At the base of the thumb, down by the wrist. A bump there in its later stages.
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carole, thanks for remembering Jackie and Connie. I remember Connie every time I see an unusual bird and miss her posts on her birding trips. Her photos were always welcome.
Yesterday was hot and humid, but there was a decent breeze as I finished pulling weeds on the bed by the road. It took about 45 minutes to get all the weeds out and then I mulched the area. I used 3 bags of mulch to cover what I had exposed over the 2 days. Sprayed the poison ivy lurking in the ferns and hoping I didn't accidentally contact it. Ironed and then hemmed both Egyptian dresses when I came into the house and after a soak in the tub to get all the dirt and mulch stains off.
Today was unbelievably muggy on top of hot and humid. The hot wasn't bad, it was the muggy that was awful and I forgot to put on my sweat band. Absolutely no breeze either.
The plan for today was to mulch the one bare section and then the edges of the one bed in the backyard. Due to the rain last night, I couldn't do the edges because the ferns were hanging into the lawn. I pulled weeds on the path in the woods that I try to keep open behind the beds. Found more poison ivy so sprayed that as well.
Weeds came out easier after the rain and we needed the rain. I then went down to the front hill and used 2 bags of mulch to cover exposed dirt in the small bed to the left of the secret garden access point. It took 2 bags to cover it. I have about 3 bags of the 80 left and may need to purchase a few more. I'll wait until the landscapers finish to see what they mulch versus what I need to finish. I might need 10 more bags.
I opted not to mulch the fern bed because I have not done this in the past and don't want to have to continue to do this area. I spent 100 minutes out doors and called it quits due to profuse sweating. I was soaked.
Decided to wash clothes I use for gardening since I was running out of the lighter-weight pants and shirts. They are now done. I handwashed the Egyptian dresses and they are hanging on the laundry room to drip dry.
Tomorrow is to be very muggy, so I may concentrate on staying inside and doing housework. I can always dust and vacuum upstairs. Or maybe I'll do some genealogy work since that has been on the back burner for awhile. Or take the day off and explore museums in the area.
The lovely crape myrtle tree I have was a gift from my mother's neighbor. She was an avid gardener, but had to be reminded where property boundaries were when she started invading my mother's garden. My mother liked to garden and was upset when this woman started to remove some of her plants and replace them with some that she preferred. She actually had given me 3 crape myrtles and the one by the secret garden entrance must be a male because it has never had any blooms on it. The one located down front gets white flowers and is just starting to bloom more even though I've probably had it for over 10 years. This one smells so good especially after it rains. I noticed what appears to be an offshoot from the tree that I am hoping turns into another tree. I'll keep an eye on it and transplant if it is an offshoot and survives. It is not close to the base of the tree, but is about 6 feet out.
I hope everyone had a great day and waving "hi" to everyone.
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Silences make the real conversations between friends. Not the saying but the never needing to say is what counts.
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Weather man was totally wrong for today's forecast. It is a beautiful day with the temp in low 80's, low humidity and a wonderful breeze. I wore my sweat band, but for once it did not get soaked nor did my shirt.
Plan was changed for what to do based on the weather. I worked outside for 2 hours. First I used up the half bag of mulch on the edge of the Golden cypress bed. I have 3 bags left, but will keep it to use later.
DH was going to do the realignment of the blocks that edge the patio. They had started to raise due to freeze-thaw and were leaning outwards. I bought some steel edging to support the blocks. He started digging them out and trying to realign them. We did about 14 feet only to discover that they were too high at 6 inches of exposure and needed to be at 4 inches. We ended up removing them again and reset the entire row at 4 inches and then hammered in the steel edging. There is no longer a gap at the edge of the flagstone and I was careful to make sure dirt was supporting the individual flagstone.
I left DH to do the long side of patio with the edging we had. This side did not require realignment nor resetting of the blocks. We don't have enough edging to do the entire patio which is 40 feet long. I tried to reorder from Home Depot, but it was out of stock. I googled and Best Buy had it and offered free shopping. It will be here in about a week.
I found my seated cross stitch/crewel stitch stand and the frame that sits on it today. Hallelujah! The stand got separated from the frame and was in the attic. DH kept saying the frame had something on it, but I couldn't remember what. I located it in the basement storage closet sitting on top of some genealogy record bins. It does have something on it; it has a family tree design with space for 4 generations. I have no idea where the directions got to. I will have to see if I can locate something online so I can finish it. It needs a good cleaning since it has gotten dirty. I only need to add names to finish it. So glad I found it before I bought a replacement.
I hope everyone had a great day and waving "hi" to everyone.
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My wrist got better throughout the day yesterday and is almost back to normal today. I skipped golf, thinking I should pamper my wrist, and went to the gym early with dh. Afterwards we had breakfast at the Great Northern diner, which is next to the gym. It is always popular and crowded, but service is good and the food is good, too. After breakfast we stopped at the bank and then drove to Dorset to the liquor store. A farmer has a tent set up in the parking lot on Tuesdays and Saturdays. We made our purchases in the liquor store and then more purchases from the farmer. Vegetables come in late this far north.
Last night a front came through with about an inch of rain and brought cooler air. It's in the 60's today. Tonight we'll need an extra blanket. It's looking like August weather will be more comfortable after a very hot July. This afternoon we have the door open and also the hatch in the ceiling and a window in the bedroom.
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The weather is cooler here today also. It never got above 73 degrees and was 63 in the house when I got up this morning since we left the house opened all night. But the forecast calls for the low 90s for another week before it cools back down again. This up and down stuff is crazy! I am still not feeling great, but since I had the house cleaned yesterday I took it easy today since I could relax and rest my leg. I have a dental appointment tomorrow to check for TMJ since I have been having symptoms and put off my last cleaning, and a bone scan on Thursday. That's it until my orthopedist next Monday. I finally get a little break between appointments.
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We have the world to live in on the condition that we will take good care of it. And to take good care of it, we have to know it. And to know it and to be willing to take care of it, we have to love it.
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We are finally getting some substantial rain, not in the form of thunderstorms, but intermittent downpours. Then they stop and the sun pops out for a bit. DH is frustrated because he wanted to work outside, but his work area in the basement and the storage closet look like a hot mess, so I suggested he clean that up. I share this area with him as that is where my sewing cabinet is and I could barely access it last night. He has stuff all over the floor, all over the floor in the closet, and all over my sewing work table I use for measuring fabrics, etc. He has what is supposed to be his work bench, but he has managed to cover it with ham radio paraphernalia so he migrates to my table. We have had arguments about him not respecting my area which I choose to keep clutter free so it is available when I want to use it. He has a very long table that was supposed to be half ham radio/half workbench, but that went the way of the dodo bird.
Trying to remember where I might have stored the directions for this family tree cross stitch I am just about finished because all it lacks are the names for the 4 generations. I'd like to finish it and then give it a good cleaning. So while I have a load in the washer, I'll go explore my sewing chest and my other storage compartment for sewing related items to see if I happened to save it in either of them.
I have 2 loads of wash for today and probably another 2 for tomorrow. If it rains tomorrow, I need to work in DD's room getting my donations pile organized to schedule a pickup for maybe next week. I worked in the bedroom armoire today looking at what I have stored in there and cleared out some souvenir tees I can use for yard work, plus some I can wear around the house or on errands when I want to be more casual. I also have a lot of night shirts I need to sort through and decide which to keep and which to donate. So that's also a rainy day project.
I hope everyone has a great day and waving "hi" to everyone.
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The maxims of men reveal their characters.0
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Carole, I hope your wrist feels better after a day off from golf.
Intolight, a gf had TMJ. I hope you're able to get some relief after your dentist visit.
Betrayal, the cross stitch project sounds interesting, but also big! Good luck figuring out the rest of the tree.
We went into Hyannis yesterday. There is a notable homeless population that I didn’t recall from previous years. It seems it is the center for public services on the Cape. We shopped a bit, had a great meal with seating outdoors, and headed down for a sunset cruise.
Beautiful weather! There were 140+ on the boat. And a musician, girl on a guitar, played the entire cruise. She was good, although I didn’t expect music, and we were sitting right in front of her. I’d swear when I booked it, music wasn’t mentioned.
Today we are heading out to the National Seashore. It should be partly sunny by then. But I’ll bring a sweatshirt! The wind from the Atlantic is strong out there. On the way out of the park, on the main road we’ll stop to get seafood bisque and clam chowder to eat once we’re back at the house.
Hoping you all have a good day!5
