Daily Ooos: March 23-24: Weekend Edition

[faerywings]

Happy weekend, my friends! Who was able to sleep past 5 am?? Not me!!!

Even though it was dark and rainy, my brain and body said-- it was 5 am, time to wake up! At least I had time to get my mugs of coffee while it was quiet in the house. The dogs started moving about but went back to sleep without another sound, they were smart- no point in waking up if they didn't have to.

The trip to my parents was rough. Normally, I get irritated by their bickering but this time, I am sad for them. They have so many stressful situations going on, so much upheaval and they have never (ever!!) been good at communicating. It's too much for one person to handle let alone both of them at the same time with their health and medical issues. My dad found out yesterday right before I got there that his shoulder replacement is same-day surgery. (his previous was was an overnight stay) My mom is flipping out that they are going to send him home too soon and she isn't; going to be able to help him if something happens. She was yelling at him to call the surgeon to tell him he wants to stay overnight. I was trying to explain that the insurance might not cover an overnight stay unless it is medically necessary.
Meanwhile- she was caught in a loop of deciding to make a clean break with the vascular doctor or only going for a second opinion with a new group. The new group has different schedulers for new patients vs second-opinion patients. I think she needs to make a clean break, she hasn't felt comfortable with the current doc for almost a year.
Meanwhile, meanwhile (LOL), they contacted their homeowner's insurance agent who said they have Cyber Theft Recovery Coverage so back to the police dept to get the report so they could submit a claim. *fingers crossed they can get some of the money back*
Meanwhile meanwhile meanwhile-- my dad is depressed and discouraged about the entire situation and my mom is angry at him and hoo boy,that is making for some nasty undercurrents between them.

On the positive side, we have a loose plan for what they want me to do around the house. I'm going down on Tuesday and will spend the day helping them clean the stuff they can't reach. Or shouldn't try to reach :/

Off to the FP this morning- hopefully, it won't be too busy since it's pouring today. More flood watches all over the area. The hike is tomorrow and we were given map coordinates for the directions to the parking lot. It was on the way to my parents' house so I checked it out and I am really glad I did. I would have gone to the wrong trailhead if I didn't use the coordinates.

I could use some good thoughts for my parents if you have any to spare. Thanks so much!!

Have a fab day/weekend!

 

[faerywings]

@vickyday Did you try the tincture yet?
You and Ilene had a productive and yummy day at Costco and Olive Garden Poor Mark must have been tired and hungry after working on the trees all day. If he can use the wood for a deck, he must be pleased with the haul. Bonus for him to get the Olive Garden leftovers

@BrightEyes All of my fingers are crossed for warmer weather for you. We *might* get closer to 60 by the end of next week. We barely broke 30* yesterday.
Fantastic score on the ham!

@mywisecrafts Esther-- every day is a good day for margaritas! So nice to see you here.

@bcgal00 I'm sending huge hugs to Jen. I'm so sorry that she is still struggling although I don't have any idea how one gets through the loss of a child. I hope that she doesn't move too far or too soon but there is nothing you can do other than support her and love her and that is what you are already doing. Is she seeing a therapist or grief support group now?
Hugs to you too. I can't imagine how hard it is for you as well.

@Cherylndesigns drat about the dogs again! That's so annoying and rude. I feel bad when my dogs chase after the dogs walking on the street and mine are on leads on their own property.
One note of caution when using essential oils in the candles-- make sure that you have a good-sized pool of wax. The EOs are flammable so want to make sure they are well diluted in the melted wax. But yes, that is a good way to use them. Another trick is if you have a wax tart burner- put some shavings of unscented candles in the top part and when they are melted add the EOs into that. HTH!
PS: I am sure that you know this, but don't put EOs on your skin undiluted (other than Tea Tree and Lavender). If you need help with dilution rates, you can find them online or ask me

@LSlycord hello!!!!! So happy to see you pop in!! It's fantastic that you are doing the cardio therapy. My mom improved so much when she did it. I wish she could get back in but insurance won't cover it.
How sad for Brian's sister Would she ever move to FL?
Love all of the good news about the kids! How is Shaun holding up with FT work and school? Is Syd feeling any more optimistic about the classes this semester? IIRC, she wasn't too thrilled with them when the semester began.
You two are going to have so much fun on the cruise!

@pachimac Love the floors and seeing your living space!

 

[vickyday]

Happy weekend, my friends! Who was able to sleep past 5 am?? Not me!!!

Even though it was dark and rainy, my brain and body said-- it was 5 am, time to wake up! At least I had time to get my mugs of coffee while it was quiet in the house. The dogs started moving about but went back to sleep without another sound, they were smart- no point in waking up if they didn't have to.

The trip to my parents was rough. Normally, I get irritated by their bickering but this time, I am sad for them. They have so many stressful situations going on, so much upheaval and they have never (ever!!) been good at communicating. It's too much for one person to handle let alone both of them at the same time with their health and medical issues. My dad found out yesterday right before I got there that his shoulder replacement is same-day surgery. (his previous was was an overnight stay) My mom is flipping out that they are going to send him home too soon and she isn't; going to be able to help him if something happens. She was yelling at him to call the surgeon to tell him he wants to stay overnight. I was trying to explain that the insurance might not cover an overnight stay unless it is medically necessary.
Meanwhile- she was caught in a loop of deciding to make a clean break with the vascular doctor or only going for a second opinion with a new group. The new group has different schedulers for new patients vs second-opinion patients. I think she needs to make a clean break, she hasn't felt comfortable with the current doc for almost a year.
Meanwhile, meanwhile (LOL), they contacted their homeowner's insurance agent who said they have Cyber Theft Recovery Coverage so back to the police dept to get the report so they could submit a claim. *fingers crossed they can get some of the money back*
Meanwhile meanwhile meanwhile-- my dad is depressed and discouraged about the entire situation and my mom is angry at him and hoo boy,that is making for some nasty undercurrents between them.

On the positive side, we have a loose plan for what they want me to do around the house. I'm going down on Tuesday and will spend the day helping them clean the stuff they can't reach. Or shouldn't try to reach :/

Off to the FP this morning- hopefully, it won't be too busy since it's pouring today. More flood watches all over the area. The hike is tomorrow and we were given map coordinates for the directions to the parking lot. It was on the way to my parents' house so I checked it out and I am really glad I did. I would have gone to the wrong trailhead if I didn't use the coordinates.

I could use some good thoughts for my parents if you have any to spare. Thanks so much!!

Have a fab day/weekend!

Just be careful with your climbing around at your parents' house to reach what they cannot.
I'm sorry your parents bicker due to the stresses they have in their life right now. My parents did the same thing. But when push came to shove, I knew they loved each other.
If I've never been to a place before, I like to do a trial run, too. That way I don't feel so uncomfortable about it when the actual time is upon me. I hope your hike tomorrow is rain-less!

 

[vickyday]

@vickyday Did you try the tincture yet?
You and Ilene had a productive and yummy day at Costco and Olive Garden Poor Mark must have been tired and hungry after working on the trees all day. If he can use the wood for a deck, he must be pleased with the haul. Bonus for him to get the Olive Garden leftovers

@BrightEyes All of my fingers are crossed for warmer weather for you. We *might* get closer to 60 by the end of next week. We barely broke 30* yesterday.
Fantastic score on the ham!

@mywisecrafts Esther-- every day is a good day for margaritas! So nice to see you here.

@bcgal00 I'm sending huge hugs to Jen. I'm so sorry that she is still struggling although I don't have any idea how one gets through the loss of a child. I hope that she doesn't move too far or too soon but there is nothing you can do other than support her and love her and that is what you are already doing. Is she seeing a therapist or grief support group now?
Hugs to you too. I can't imagine how hard it is for you as well.

@Cherylndesigns drat about the dogs again! That's so annoying and rude. I feel bad when my dogs chase after the dogs walking on the street and mine are on leads on their own property.
One note of caution when using essential oils in the candles-- make sure that you have a good-sized pool of wax. The EOs are flammable so want to make sure they are well diluted in the melted wax. But yes, that is a good way to use them. Another trick is if you have a wax tart burner- put some shavings of unscented candles in the top part and when they are melted add the EOs into that. HTH!
PS: I am sure that you know this, but don't put EOs on your skin undiluted (other than Tea Tree and Lavender). If you need help with dilution rates, you can find them online or ask me

@LSlycord hello!!!!! So happy to see you pop in!! It's fantastic that you are doing the cardio therapy. My mom improved so much when she did it. I wish she could get back in but insurance won't cover it.
How sad for Brian's sister Would she ever move to FL?
Love all of the good news about the kids! How is Shaun holding up with FT work and school? Is Syd feeling any more optimistic about the classes this semester? IIRC, she wasn't too thrilled with them when the semester began.
You two are going to have so much fun on the cruise!

@pachimac Love the floors and seeing your living space!

Yes. I've tolerated the tincture just fine so far. Not really feeling any different yet but it will probably take awhile.

 

[vickyday]

Good morning,
Rain came yesterday afternoon late and continues off and on today. Mark may go to the saw mill if it doesn't rain too hard. It's under shelter.

I ordered a used book co-authored by the naturopathic doctor I was thinking about going to before I found a DO who accepts Medicare. So I will probably be reading that today. If it doesn't rain too much I may do some laundry.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

 

[BrightEyes]

Morning, gals... I woke up off and on from 2AM... not sure why but I did sleep some. The back and right knee are aching - guess I did too much walking around yesterday. Went to Sam's and finally bought new queen sized pillows. They had some v-neck short sleeve solid color tee-shirts on sale (under $7). I bought fuchsia, blue and turquoise ones. They are in a long length - perfect to wear with some of the print leggings I have once it gets a bit warmer. Decided to pick up another ham. Will be cutting it off the bone today and freezing it meal size servings. I was going to change the sheets on my bed today but had better wait another day or two and let the back/knee improve.

@faerywings So sorry that your parents are so upset... Hope the Cyber Theft Recovery Coverage will cover some of the loss for them. I understand your mom's concern that your dad's shoulder surgery is same day surgery and she is not sure she can handle taking care of him. Hope your mom will make a clean break from the vascular surgeon like her cardiologist suggested. On the good side - glad to hear that Cait's wedding dress is at the store.... and she will be getting the fitting's done. What a shame about all the rain and flooding in the area. Hoping that there isn't a line at FP and you can do a quick in and out.

@vickyday Hope the drops help your tummy issues. Wow... sounds like it was a great score on cypress wood for hubby.

@LSlycord Great to see you dropping in!!! Sorry to hear about the brother-in-law dying. Shame you all missed out on the bid for the 2nd house. Glad you have a good real estate gal helping you.

Had a nice long talk with DD#1 yesterday morning. One of their dear friends passed away - she had been ill for the last few years so it wasn't unexpected. Glad that DD#1 and DH got to visit with them a few months ago... as neither one can make the funeral due to other commitments. She was glad to hear when DSon#1 and wife will be here.

Think today will be a PJ day. Need to put on my knee brace and sit on the chair massager before I tackle cutting up one of the hams. HAGD

 

[bcgal00]

Good morning ladies. We are getting another 4-6" of snow this wkend so will be out a lot with Remi. Her perfect day, I'm sure, is outside, playing fetch and sliding thru the snow...so we will do that numerous times today.

I'll be making up a batch of my tofu ranch dressing and will have a big salad with chicken for dinner along with some air-fried whole grain parmesan toast. I'm going to have to find a recipe for a homemade version soon b/c the spread I buy is locally made in Vancouver and not sold out here. If I can find a recipe I can make it healthier so I should start looking soon. I only bought at the store b/c of the convenience but I really try now to not have packaged/processed foods although one of the processed food I am not giving up is Triscuits, I love them and they go perfectly with hummus. As far as "bad foods" for you go, I figure that's not so high up on the scale.

We caught up on Deal or No Deal Island and we both like it so can't wait for more episodes (you'd like it if you like Survivor). Did I tell you that our tv PVR stopped working the day after we left for our trip? I had pre-set all our fave shows to record while we were gone. When we got back we found that the router had gone down and nothing had recorded. Some of it we can watch with the on demand menu but many are not available. That is so frustrating but nothing we can do. I was glad I could see the episodes of Good Doctor and Fire Country and now will focus on the L&O and FBI shows.

I'm almost done unpacking, have started laundry and house cleaning so feel I am on top of things now. I feel mostly recovered except for the chest wheezing and tightness but the inhaler should take care of that over the next few wks.

@faerywings Hope your mom will be happier with the change in doctors. They have had so much to deal with. Getting older and having health issues is hard enough but the stress of it is all makes it so much harder. Enjoy your hike in the morning.

@BrightEyes Sounds like a good deal with the tees. I love long tees with tights too.

@vickyday Enjoy your book today.

@LSlycord Condolences about the IL's passing. I am glad to hear the exercises are going well. I'm sure the right 2nd property will present itself in time.

I'm getting another coffee and will check CT stuff before getting on with my day. HAGD everyone.

 

[vickyday]

Morning, gals... I woke up off and on from 2AM... not sure why but I did sleep some. The back and right knee are aching - guess I did too much walking around yesterday. Went to Sam's and finally bought new queen sized pillows. They had some v-neck short sleeve solid color tee-shirts on sale (under $7). I bought fuchsia, blue and turquoise ones. They are in a long length - perfect to wear with some of the print leggings I have once it gets a bit warmer. Decided to pick up another ham. Will be cutting it off the bone today and freezing it meal size servings. I was going to change the sheets on my bed today but had better wait another day or two and let the back/knee improve.

@faerywings So sorry that your parents are so upset... Hope the Cyber Theft Recovery Coverage will cover some of the loss for them. I understand your mom's concern that your dad's shoulder surgery is same day surgery and she is not sure she can handle taking care of him. Hope your mom will make a clean break from the vascular surgeon like her cardiologist suggested. On the good side - glad to hear that Cait's wedding dress is at the store.... and she will be getting the fitting's done. What a shame about all the rain and flooding in the area. Hoping that there isn't a line at FP and you can do a quick in and out.

@vickyday Hope the drops help your tummy issues. Wow... sounds like it was a great score on cypress wood for hubby.

@LSlycord Great to see you dropping in!!! Sorry to hear about the brother-in-law dying. Shame you all missed out on the bid for the 2nd house. Glad you have a good real estate gal helping you.

Had a nice long talk with DD#1 yesterday morning. One of their dear friends passed away - she had been ill for the last few years so it wasn't unexpected. Glad that DD#1 and DH got to visit with them a few months ago... as neither one can make the funeral due to other commitments. She was glad to hear when DSon#1 and wife will be here.

Think today will be a PJ day. Need to put on my knee brace and sit on the chair massager before I tackle cutting up one of the hams. HAGD

I hope they help, too, Kay!
Even though it is a lot of work for Mark, he will take any wood anyone wants to get rid of! No charge to them!

Do you have a tray you could sit in your lap in your recliner as a temporary station to cut up the ham while you sit? I've been doing that lately when needing to cut up lots of stuff. That would help save stress on your back and knee!

 

[vickyday]

Good morning ladies. We are getting another 4-6" of snow this wkend so will be out a lot with Remi. Her perfect day, I'm sure, is outside, playing fetch and sliding thru the snow...so we will do that numerous times today.

I'll be making up a batch of my tofu ranch dressing and will have a big salad with chicken for dinner along with some air-fried whole grain parmesan toast. I'm going to have to find a recipe for a homemade version soon b/c the spread I buy is locally made in Vancouver and not sold out here. If I can find a recipe I can make it healthier so I should start looking soon. I only bought at the store b/c of the convenience but I really try now to not have packaged/processed foods although one of the processed food I am not giving up is Triscuits, I love them and they go perfectly with hummus. As far as "bad foods" for you go, I figure that's not so high up on the scale.

We caught up on Deal or No Deal Island and we both like it so can't wait for more episodes (you'd like it if you like Survivor). Did I tell you that our tv PVR stopped working the day after we left for our trip? I had pre-set all our fave shows to record while we were gone. When we got back we found that the router had gone down and nothing had recorded. Some of it we can watch with the on demand menu but many are not available. That is so frustrating but nothing we can do. I was glad I could see the episodes of Good Doctor and Fire Country and now will focus on the L&O and FBI shows.

I'm almost done unpacking, have started laundry and house cleaning so feel I am on top of things now. I feel mostly recovered except for the chest wheezing and tightness but the inhaler should take care of that over the next few wks.

@faerywings Hope your mom will be happier with the change in doctors. They have had so much to deal with. Getting older and having health issues is hard enough but the stress of it is all makes it so much harder. Enjoy your hike in the morning.

@BrightEyes Sounds like a good deal with the tees. I love long tees with tights too.

@vickyday Enjoy your book today.

@LSlycord Condolences about the IL's passing. I am glad to hear the exercises are going well. I'm sure the right 2nd property will present itself in time.

I'm getting another coffee and will check CT stuff before getting on with my day. HAGD everyone.

I think I'm going to have to get some triscuits and hummus now!
I'm glad you are feeling better now and can get back to normal things! Especially playing with Remi out in the snow!

 

[BrightEyes]

I hope they help, too, Kay!
Even though it is a lot of work for Mark, he will take any wood anyone wants to get rid of! No charge to them!

Do you have a tray you could sit in your lap in your recliner as a temporary station to cut up the ham while you sit? I've been doing that lately when needing to cut up lots of stuff. That would help save stress on your back and knee!

Thanks for suggesting a tray with the recliner... BUT... the ham is too large and it would slip around if I used a tray there. I have a large cutting board with a trough cut around the edges that will catch any juices. I have to be standing when I cut the meat from the bone. I will use an electric knife to slice down to the bone - then my sharp knife to slide in around the bone.

 

[vickyday]

Thanks for suggesting a tray with the recliner... BUT... the ham is too large and it would slip around if I used a tray there. I have a large cutting board with a trough cut around the edges that will catch any juices. I have to be standing when I cut the meat from the bone. I will use an electric knife to slice down to the bone - then my sharp knife to slide in around the bone.

Yeah, I can see that a full size ham would be kinda messy. I was thinking more about a small ham.

 

[Cherylndesigns]

@Cherylndesigns drat about the dogs again! That's so annoying and rude. I feel bad when my dogs chase after the dogs walking on the street and mine are on leads on their own property.
One note of caution when using essential oils in the candles-- make sure that you have a good-sized pool of wax. The EOs are flammable so want to make sure they are well diluted in the melted wax. But yes, that is a good way to use them. Another trick is if you have a wax tart burner- put some shavings of unscented candles in the top part and when they are melted add the EOs into that. HTH!
PS: I am sure that you know this, but don't put EOs on your skin undiluted (other than Tea Tree and Lavender). If you need help with dilution rates, you can find them online or ask me

I did not know that, Chris. I'm kind of a newbie on EO's. I have bought a few of them, but this was the first time I tried to use sage in a wax pool. Apparently, I didn't wait until the pool was big enough. My candle was ok the first night, but it went crazy last night. It was like there were multiple wicks in the candle. I took pictures, but put it out. It kind of freaked me out.



I think I'll go back to the sage candles in their own tins that I used to get every other month from Amazon.

 

[faerywings]

What was I THINKING????
I was cozy and warm when my alarm went off this morning at 5 am. Why would I voluntarily wake up at 5 am when it is 28*, windy, and muddy for a hike? Yet, here I am.

I've lost my freaking mind.

My hiking buddy is never going to speak to me again for pushing her to go on this one. LOL I guess is a pre-payback when I can't move after the hike we are doing in June-- the 7-mile/Difficult one. Hahaha!

I'm all dressed, layers and layers. Bringing an extra pair of socks. My boots are good-- insulated and waterproof but we got 3" of rain dumped on us yesterday so you know is going to be a muddy mess.

The FP wasn't bad again, got there at 10.30, no wait in line and I was #34. They had run out of some items already but that's not a big deal. I am always happy to get whatever they have. I'm a bit bummed though- I was given a large pork loin, which had to be close to 10 lbs. I figured I could roast half and make pulled pork with the other half. Gary's blood work came back from LLMD that he is allergic to meat- beef, pork, lamb- so he can't eat it. It's called alpha-gal syndrome. It's fine for me, I don't eat red meat and I will eat pork if it is given to me but I am not crazy about it. I guess he'll see how he feels after cutting out meat.
The reason I am bummed I knew about beef but didn't realize that pork was also part of it. Had I known, I would have gotten chicken. Not a biggie, I can see if Scott wants it. Or I can cook it for the May/June family bash and send the leftovers home with him.

I scrapped a page in the afternoon and then spent some time reading and watching videos about macroinvertebrates (insect larvae and some worms that live in water). It's pretty cool how you can use them to see the water quality of the stream they live in. I think I am assisting for 10 field trips so far where I'll be in the stream with the kids. I might be helping with a watershed project at Weis too.

let me post this and do some quick personals.

Hugs!

 

[faerywings]

@vickyday I'm the same way, I'll do a trial run if I don't know where I am going, or at least I will use Google Maps to visualize my route.
Good luck with the tincture, hope you see results soon! Did you find anything else out from the naturopath's book?

@BrightEyes How are the back/knees feeling today? Hope you stayed off your feet as much as possible yesterday.
So sorry to hear about DD#1's friend passing. I guess even when it's expected, it must be terribly sad.

@bcgal00 sheesh, you are getting so much snow. I'd be 100% over it by now (that would be true in Dec of course LOL) but Remi can't get enough, can she? )
We live on Triscuits in this house and when they go on sale, I stock up. The store brand is not the same. *nope* They are vegan too so I make appys with them, a smear of vegan cream cheese, and a thin slice of cucumber. Yum!
Ugh, what a PITB that the router went down. Maybe they will record if they play it as a rerun. Glad to hear that you are feeling better too.

@Cherylndesigns Hahaha! TFS those candle pics. Yup, that is exactly what I mean LOL! When I started out making aromatherapy products, I made soy wax tarts for the wax burners. I must have added too much EO to the wax because when I tested them in the burner, they sparked and popped. Smelled wonderful but way too dangerous

HAGD!

 

[BrightEyes]

Morning, all. Although it is warmer this morning - mid-40's - it is raining and the humidity is high. I try not to complain when it rains as we really need the water but the body sure does talk to me.... loudly!!! Had a nice surprise yesterday afternoon. I heard a blower sound outside going on for about 15 minutes. Looked outside to see my grandson cleaning up my yard!! Didn't expect him until the middle of week due to the rain forecast. He got all the dead leaves and other stuff gathered up into 3 huge yard trash bags!! And also cut the dead stems from the neighbor's yard that hang over in to my yard. My trash bin was full with the bags so he took 1 of them to his house to put in his trash. I pay him to do the cleaning as that is one of the part time jobs he does. He couldn't get my weed killer sprayer to work and that is just as well since it started raining last night and is still raining. It would have been diluted too much to work. I will get a new weed killer and let DSon#1 use it when the rain is gone.

I got one of the hams cut up yesterday. Packaged the slices into freezer bags and put the bone and some meat into 1 gallon bag. It took longer to cut than I thought it would as the spiral cut only went down about halfway due to the bone getting larger. So glad I had the electric knife as I used it to slice the rest of the ham around the bone and used my large knife to cut it loose from the bone.. Good thing that I had my 2' X 3' cutting board as both hams are large. I put 1 small bag of ham in the fridge intending to have it for supper. But I was so tired from standing so long I ended up with a bowl of cereal with a banana for supper. I will let Jim cut the other ham after we cook it on Easter Sunday. He is a great cook and so is his wife... don't mind letting them fix meals for us. Glad the freezer was almost half empty so have the space to store the hams slices. . I am sure we will end up eating at least 1/3 of the Easter one before I freeze the rest of it. I did get some fresh sweet potatoes and bag of shredded cabbage/carrots for coleslaw. Will also fix mixed veggies. My mouth is already drooling!!!

After I finished with the ham, I took a pain pill and sat in the recliner and read with my feet up. I dozed a bit, too. I worked on a couple of CT LOs - getting ready for Color Play this week. Geeze... where did March go??? Only 1 more week left!! I do need to check out the challenges again and maybe get a couple more finished.

 

[bcgal00]

Good morning ladies. D went to urgent care yesterday (how convenient that it is only about 8 blocks away). His neck was bothering him. Turns out he has whiplash from violent sneezing (and probably poor posture as he does it, slumped in his recliner). So he is on strong muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatories/pain meds and has a bean bag heat wrap around his neck. He ordered a huge wrap around heating pad (covers full back, wraps around the shoulders and neck. That'll come later today (gotta love amazon deliveries).

It's always something around here...geez.

As we sat waiting for his prescriptions at the drugstore yesterday, we were entertained by a family of 4 deer that hung out around the car and one little one tried to come right to my open window. I joked that she must smell D's donuts but I think it was no joke. Their sense of smell is probably as good as dogs. They sure love the garbage can outside of Little Caesar Pizza and I got a pic of one with her nose stuck in a take-out drink cup LOL. Here's the cutie that tried to come right to me. I had to roll my window up to keep her out.



I'm getting another coffee, will check out CT stuff and do some housework this morning. Maybe scrap later. HAGD everyone.

 

[taxed4ever]

Morning ladies... Thought it was high time I checked in here and let you know that I am still alive and kicking LOL. Super busy with lots of purging at the In-Laws but still so much to do before the end of May! Today is my brother's celebration of life gathering, I am not looking forward to it, I loved my brother, but sadness and tears are not my thing. I just wanted to pop in to say hello and to let you know that I miss all of you! Every day is filled with so much to do and we haven't even started the packing yet. MIL and I have had a couple of really fun days cleaning out her sewing room and getting rid of years worth of stuff that she has kept in boxes in the storage room just off her sewing room. It was like Christmas for her, each box she opened was a surprise as she hasn't looked in any of them for years. She has been really good about purging as she knows that she will never use the piles and piles of material that she has. Someone will love it though at the huge garage sale we hope to have in April sometime. Anyway I need to get dressed and get ready for the service today. I hope that you are all keeping well and I will pop in again soon to get my behind the scene things done at the end of the month! Sending you all lots of hugs and warm wishes!!

 

[Cherylndesigns]

Afternoon, all.

I just got home from lunch with the gang. We didn't go to Nancy's today, but went into town to a really good place. I had loaded baked potato soup and it was good for my soul. I feel better today - didn't start out so well and I had to force myself to go to lunch, but it did help in the end. Braden is still in town, so I got to see him again. He's leaving this afternoon. He and Adrienne were going to Walmart, so I gave them my credit card and a list of spme things I needed. Ava brought me and Alyssa home. I didn't take my glasses, because I thought we were just going to lunch, so I couldn't have seen the list on my app anyway. WHY do I ever leave my close-up glasses at home???? Ava sat and read the list on my Walmart app to Braden.

Chris @faerywings it was scary when the whole top of the candle was ablaze! I'm sure I didn't get the "pool" big enough or deep enough. They DID sell good though, like you said, Glad you had a good trip to the FP and what a bummer that Gary is allergic to meat. I personally don't care whether I have any or not either. I'm not even crazy about chicken but will eat it occasionally.

Trudy @taxed4ever good to see you in here. I'm sure you're busy, busy, busy helping the IL's. Miss you, girl.

Kay @BrightEyes you deserve a pain pill and the recliner after the work you've done on the ham.

XOXO

Rae @bcgal00 that must have been so fun to see the deer all around the car.

Hi to Vicky @vickyday - whenever you get in here.

 

[vickyday]

@vickyday I'm the same way, I'll do a trial run if I don't know where I am going, or at least I will use Google Maps to visualize my route.
Good luck with the tincture, hope you see results soon! Did you find anything else out from the naturopath's book?

@BrightEyes How are the back/knees feeling today? Hope you stayed off your feet as much as possible yesterday.
So sorry to hear about DD#1's friend passing. I guess even when it's expected, it must be terribly sad.

@bcgal00 sheesh, you are getting so much snow. I'd be 100% over it by now (that would be true in Dec of course LOL) but Remi can't get enough, can she? )
We live on Triscuits in this house and when they go on sale, I stock up. The store brand is not the same. *nope* They are vegan too so I make appys with them, a smear of vegan cream cheese, and a thin slice of cucumber. Yum!
Ugh, what a PITB that the router went down. Maybe they will record if they play it as a rerun. Glad to hear that you are feeling better too.

@Cherylndesigns Hahaha! TFS those candle pics. Yup, that is exactly what I mean LOL! When I started out making aromatherapy products, I made soy wax tarts for the wax burners. I must have added too much EO to the wax because when I tested them in the burner, they sparked and popped. Smelled wonderful but way too dangerous

HAGD!

I haven't gotten very far into the book yet. It is pretty informative, however! There is a "Gut Restoration Program" that I especially want to look at.....menus and recipes included.....that I really want to look into.....once I get that far!

 

[vickyday]

Morning ladies... Thought it was high time I checked in here and let you know that I am still alive and kicking LOL. Super busy with lots of purging at the In-Laws but still so much to do before the end of May! Today is my brother's celebration of life gathering, I am not looking forward to it, I loved my brother, but sadness and tears are not my thing. I just wanted to pop in to say hello and to let you know that I miss all of you! Every day is filled with so much to do and we haven't even started the packing yet. MIL and I have had a couple of really fun days cleaning out her sewing room and getting rid of years worth of stuff that she has kept in boxes in the storage room just off her sewing room. It was like Christmas for her, each box she opened was a surprise as she hasn't looked in any of them for years. She has been really good about purging as she knows that she will never use the piles and piles of material that she has. Someone will love it though at the huge garage sale we hope to have in April sometime. Anyway I need to get dressed and get ready for the service today. I hope that you are all keeping well and I will pop in again soon to get my behind the scene things done at the end of the month! Sending you all lots of hugs and warm wishes!!

Good to hear from you.
Praying for you and the family in the passing of your brother!
Sounds like you and your MIL have a good relationship! That is good! I hope things sell like hot cakes at the garage sale!

 

[vickyday]

Good morning ladies. D went to urgent care yesterday (how convenient that it is only about 8 blocks away). His neck was bothering him. Turns out he has whiplash from violent sneezing (and probably poor posture as he does it, slumped in his recliner). So he is on strong muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatories/pain meds and has a bean bag heat wrap around his neck. He ordered a huge wrap around heating pad (covers full back, wraps around the shoulders and neck. That'll come later today (gotta love amazon deliveries).

It's always something around here...geez.

As we sat waiting for his prescriptions at the drugstore yesterday, we were entertained by a family of 4 deer that hung out around the car and one little one tried to come right to my open window. I joked that she must smell D's donuts but I think it was no joke. Their sense of smell is probably as good as dogs. They sure love the garbage can outside of Little Caesar Pizza and I got a pic of one with her nose stuck in a take-out drink cup LOL. Here's the cutie that tried to come right to me. I had to roll my window up to keep her out.

View attachment 415451

I'm getting another coffee, will check out CT stuff and do some housework this morning. Maybe scrap later. HAGD everyone.

Oh, how sweet! Brave little thing!
Could you send me a link to the thing your DH got for his neck from Amazon? I could use one of those for my neck and between my shoulder blades! THANKS!

 

[vickyday]

Morning, all. Although it is warmer this morning - mid-40's - it is raining and the humidity is high. I try not to complain when it rains as we really need the water but the body sure does talk to me.... loudly!!! Had a nice surprise yesterday afternoon. I heard a blower sound outside going on for about 15 minutes. Looked outside to see my grandson cleaning up my yard!! Didn't expect him until the middle of week due to the rain forecast. He got all the dead leaves and other stuff gathered up into 3 huge yard trash bags!! And also cut the dead stems from the neighbor's yard that hang over in to my yard. My trash bin was full with the bags so he took 1 of them to his house to put in his trash. I pay him to do the cleaning as that is one of the part time jobs he does. He couldn't get my weed killer sprayer to work and that is just as well since it started raining last night and is still raining. It would have been diluted too much to work. I will get a new weed killer and let DSon#1 use it when the rain is gone.

I got one of the hams cut up yesterday. Packaged the slices into freezer bags and put the bone and some meat into 1 gallon bag. It took longer to cut than I thought it would as the spiral cut only went down about halfway due to the bone getting larger. So glad I had the electric knife as I used it to slice the rest of the ham around the bone and used my large knife to cut it loose from the bone.. Good thing that I had my 2' X 3' cutting board as both hams are large. I put 1 small bag of ham in the fridge intending to have it for supper. But I was so tired from standing so long I ended up with a bowl of cereal with a banana for supper. I will let Jim cut the other ham after we cook it on Easter Sunday. He is a great cook and so is his wife... don't mind letting them fix meals for us. Glad the freezer was almost half empty so have the space to store the hams slices. . I am sure we will end up eating at least 1/3 of the Easter one before I freeze the rest of it. I did get some fresh sweet potatoes and bag of shredded cabbage/carrots for coleslaw. Will also fix mixed veggies. My mouth is already drooling!!!

After I finished with the ham, I took a pain pill and sat in the recliner and read with my feet up. I dozed a bit, too. I worked on a couple of CT LOs - getting ready for Color Play this week. Geeze... where did March go??? Only 1 more week left!! I do need to check out the challenges again and maybe get a couple more finished.

WOW! That is a BIG cutting board! But the ham sure sounds good!

 

[vickyday]

What was I THINKING????
I was cozy and warm when my alarm went off this morning at 5 am. Why would I voluntarily wake up at 5 am when it is 28*, windy, and muddy for a hike? Yet, here I am.

I've lost my freaking mind.

My hiking buddy is never going to speak to me again for pushing her to go on this one. LOL I guess is a pre-payback when I can't move after the hike we are doing in June-- the 7-mile/Difficult one. Hahaha!

I'm all dressed, layers and layers. Bringing an extra pair of socks. My boots are good-- insulated and waterproof but we got 3" of rain dumped on us yesterday so you know is going to be a muddy mess.

The FP wasn't bad again, got there at 10.30, no wait in line and I was #34. They had run out of some items already but that's not a big deal. I am always happy to get whatever they have. I'm a bit bummed though- I was given a large pork loin, which had to be close to 10 lbs. I figured I could roast half and make pulled pork with the other half. Gary's blood work came back from LLMD that he is allergic to meat- beef, pork, lamb- so he can't eat it. It's called alpha-gal syndrome. It's fine for me, I don't eat red meat and I will eat pork if it is given to me but I am not crazy about it. I guess he'll see how he feels after cutting out meat.
The reason I am bummed I knew about beef but didn't realize that pork was also part of it. Had I known, I would have gotten chicken. Not a biggie, I can see if Scott wants it. Or I can cook it for the May/June family bash and send the leftovers home with him.

I scrapped a page in the afternoon and then spent some time reading and watching videos about macroinvertebrates (insect larvae and some worms that live in water). It's pretty cool how you can use them to see the water quality of the stream they live in. I think I am assisting for 10 field trips so far where I'll be in the stream with the kids. I might be helping with a watershed project at Weis too.

let me post this and do some quick personals.

Hugs!

I've been reading about the alpha-gal syndrome in all of my "gut" stuff. Poor guy!
Hope your hike wasn't all that bad and that it stopped raining for the hike!

 

[vickyday]

Good evening (10:34 p.m.)
Had a good day today. Mark and I went to BK for lunch after the pastor mentioned one of the commercials during his sermon, LOL! The rest of the day was snacking on stuff.

We both got into our pjs when we got home and just lounged around all day. We made it a true "day of rest"!

I may or may not be around tomorrow because we are going to a preacher's meeting at the church where I take the widows every month. It begins at 2 and ends around 8. Ilene and Ruth are going with us. Mark is taking half a day off work. I will go to Ilene's and pick her up and bring her back here. I have to go to CVS to get a couple of Mark's prescripts, too. We may eat lunch out.

Hope everyone had a great weekend! The sun shined all day today! The wind was pretty chilly, however!