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Monday, March 18, 2024

Three Friends--Conversations

 There are three friends with whom I speak that who older than I am. I am slowly watching, hearing them fade away. It is good to talk with them. However, it is painful to find people not what they were. I know the adult children of all three. 

The relative had a stroke, so is not as 'with it' as she should be. She is confined to a wheelchair. There are days I call her and she does not feel well enough to talk. Medication is often the problem. I learn when I can call. I understand but would hate to lose the connection to a relative. She is 88. I hope never to have a stroke since the two have taken so much from her. We share family stories and have found out so much about our past lives. We can laugh about our life circumstances. Her husband has slowed down, she says, but she has him and children who are very much hands on and supportive.

The other friend I have known since 1980. She is 85 or a few years older, can barely walk with a walker. She was so active when I met her when she was 40. She could physically work circles around me. Life has taken a toll on her. Since her husband died, she has had many debilitating falls. She sounds weaker all the time. I notice her memory is not what it should be. We still laugh when we reconnect. She was always a friend with whom I laughed. 

The other friend I have known for about ten years. She is 92, fully mobile, needing no help to get around, and until the last few months has been very sharp. Now, she forgets things. She has never fallen. She and her husband were sort of forced to move from one rental to another. I think the lack of trees and flowers at her new home has had an effect on her mental acuity. She is sad about these loses. I know it did take her about three months to recover from the move even with help. Her husband has gotten lost getting to their new home. I have little contact with him, so I am not sure about his mental acuity. 

These are my telephone connections. I do see the 92-year-old friend. I have not seen the relative in decades. The other friend does not go out a lot. And, driving to see her is difficult. 

I would be devastated if I lost either of these three friends. The loss would be indescribable! There are others I know, but with these I have a special relationship. 

The older woman invites us over all the time. The relative is really too far away to visit. The friend who falls may not feel like company. 

Sunday, I was thinking about the health of these three women. This thinking was not ruminating about the 'what ifs' or about their dire futures. Today, Sunday, was a quiet day. So, there was time to think about people with whom I share time and space. All the thoughts were about pleasant conversation we have shared in the last week. 

Do you ever spend time quietly contemplating the lives of your older friends and relatives with whom you feel close? Do you worry just a little bit about losing them? 

Monday now. The skies were clear, cold wind even though in the 50s.

Since I slept only three hours last night, I am going for a nap. I will sear a roast and Tommy will peel carrots and potatoes. Add an onion and we will have roast. 

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Saturday and St Patrick's Day

 Saturday was not a bad day, but not necessarily an outstanding day. Except, I am here. I have slept 1.5 hours since 6:30 pm yesterday. UGH!

A piddling bit of decluttering occurred, mostly what I had cluttered on Friday and Saturday. Otherwise, it would get to be so messy. It was not enough to even mention. But, of course, every little bit of decluttering helps in the long run. 

I decided to just go ahead to the grocery to get things Tommy found in the Publix Ad. He had circled things--zucchini, cheese curls. He took back the receipt where we had been charged for Aquafina water when what he got was Dasani 2/$9. Two Aquafina 24 packs were about $15. So, because of the mix-up, he was charged for only one of the Dasani. That was a $4.50 savings. Plus, he recouped the almost $8 where he was overcharged.

Then, we went to Food Giant where he brought the ads out to me, and we examined them to shop right then instead of going back another day. There was nothing we wanted or needed on sale.

Because I am so tired, I wanted a chocolate milkshake or cone. We got a milkshake at DQ. Mine had something nasty and brown and hard. No, it was not chocolate. I become extra foolish when I am exhausted and cannot resist fattening stuff. I always forget that DQ has horrible chocolate milkshakes because I only get one about every two years. They discontinued the chocolate soft serve cones, my favorite ice cream from DQ. I did not want anything else.

In the meantime, I remembered I had not gotten carrots, so he went back into Publix for carrots and brought out chocolate ice cream, too. I forgot we need onion. Remember, my brain is rattled. 

We will have another white dinner, I suppose. However, I want slaw with my chicken. Potatoes will be for Tommy. I want chicken with BBQ sauce and slaw. 

For some reason, I still have the weight loss from the intestinal upset. And, I am losing more weight. That is a bad sign. I am certainly eating enough to gain the weight back. I will need to address that Monday with a doctor or appointment. 

Friday, we cooked six bscb, ate one between us, so have five left. I froze three of those in separate freezer bags. We will appreciate these on days we don't want to cook or have a late day out. 

I napped for four hours, getting up at 10 pm. I ate no dinner, just pbj sandwich and milk. I think.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

We have absolutely nothing planned to celebrate the day. The shamrock on the front door will come down after dark. I bought the shamrock about three or four years a day at a clearance sale, so not much spent. I don't own anything green to wear; Tommy has a shirt that says "Elder" on the sleeve. It is something he wore to some sort of church conferences. I do have a button with a shamrock on it. 

Karolina and her brothers. Hallelujah - Karolina Protsenko & Her Brothers (youtube.com)

I love this channel.

Now, I need to get busy decluttering my table. I might do a bit more. This is the only way I can keep more clutter happening. It never seems like much, but it works for me. 

I  think a nap is in order since I never sleep more than 3 or 4 hours when I go to bed.

What are you eating or wearing to mark the green day?

Are you Irish? I am Scots-Irish on my mother's side. 



Saturday, March 16, 2024

White Dinner

Thankfully, the weather did not affect us. We kept our electricity. There were terrific winds and rain that kept us in. As usual, I could not sleep at all. I have forgotten when I slept today.

The Valentine's Day balloon is still going strong. At the rate it is deflating, we will have this on the 4th of July. I will not ever want another. Since I am not a teen apt to tape the balloon to my bedroom wall, and I hate to throw it in the trash, and do not want to keep it, I will find it hard to toss it. 

I did sleep from 10:30 until midnight. I did sleep from 2 pm until 6:30. Tommy woke me and told me to get up, it's 6:30. I could not figure out what he was talking about. UGH I could have slept longer. I did cook dinner. I cut eyes out of red potatoes. They went into a cooking bag with seasoned chicken. I had cooked cabbage last night. 

We had a white dinner--baked chicken breasts, baked potatoes, cabbage. Obviously, I did not plan for it all to be white. The chicken was next thing we were going to cook. The cabbage had been here about three months. It smelled like rotten produce. But, when I peeled off the awful leaves, it was perfect. And, it no longer smelled. Dinner was delicious. The spices on the chicken did add color. 

I have been watching this young violinist, She dances as she plays. She is talented. Maybe you will enjoy her, too. 

Since I could not keep my eyes open, I took  a nap. I got up at midnight. So, that is it. Nothing happened today. 

Friday, March 15, 2024

BOGO deals, Cicadas, Pollen

 Thursday morning, I was still awake at 10:45, and I was sitting waiting for Tommy to wake up so we could go shopping early. I wanted to go back to sleep! I told him to eat breakfast so we could go. He said, "Oh, let's just go get a burger since it is lunch time." Well, I could not resist. I wanted to go to Arby's for a cheddar cheese with horseradish sauce. We did. 

We shopped the rest of the grocery shopping for Publix today. Tommy was fussing and fretting about getting more butter. Kerry Gold was on sale, so I wanted to try it bogo. He kept telling me I had a dozen boxes in the freezer. Well, now I have two more boxes. Kerry was $4.99 for 1/2 lb, two sticks. BOGO, I got it for $2.49 for two sticks, a half pound. Every single item I bought was bogo! I didn't buy the olive oil because it was in a plastic bottle. 

I told him to call me when he found the olive oil on bogo. The first thing he said when he called me was, "It's in a plastic bottle." He remembers mostly what I tell him about food shopping. 

All this cost $41.54 before food tax ($3.74) Savings was $31.44. I just put the bogo price below.

Kerry butter $2.50 x 2

Kelloggs Special K $2.84 x2

Kraft Medium Cheddar Chunk $2.39 x4

Spice Island spices $2.30 x 4 (2 onion powder and 2 garlic powder)

I forgot that we bought two non-bogo items

Nature's Own Honey Wheat bread $4.11 x1

red potatoes 5 lbs, $5.99 x 1

The bread and potatoes were cheaper at The Pig, but he did not want to go there. He was doing all the shopping because I do not feel up to going in and driving the electric cart. Getting out of the car causes him much pain. Getting his walker out is hard. Getting back into the car is also difficult and painful. The last walker weighed 15 lbs. The new one weighs 25 lbs. If he just refuses to go to another store even for savings, I rarely insist. When I feel halfway well, I always go in and shop. 

My gastro problems continue, albeit not so severe and not so sudden onset. My nutrition is suffering. I tend not to want any fiber. 

When I got into the car today, I noticed the pollen on the windshield. Then, I noticed pollen on lens of my glasses. I only walked about 40 feet or less to the car. Imagine the pollen we collect on our clothing and hair after being out longer than I was out. 

Today, I lay down for a nap. Soon, my ankles started itching. I gave in and scratched them with other foot. Finally, I was sooo hot. I got up and out of bed. The room was even warmer at head height. I stumbled into the hall, and it was still hot, just not so suffocating. The heat on thermostat was 75! And, it was set on HEAT, so no ac was ever coming on. I turned on ac and sat in living room. After an hour, the living room was bearable. So, I went back to bed at about 4 pm, got up at 11:30pm. I take sleep when I can get it. 

For dinner Tommy had the other half of a can of chili he opened on Wednesday, and an apple. At midnight, I made for my dinner an egg salad sandwich from two of the eggs I boiled earlier this week. I may eat something else, maybe not. 

Tommy did three loads of clothes while I slept. He hung the bathroom rugs outdoors, so they are back. He even hung up two of my nightgowns and the panties that were in one load. There were three wash loads and two for dryer, and one hung up. 

Friday will be lots of rain and bad weather, so we will be in all day with no plans for going out. We don't need anything or have any appointments. This week has been warm, dry, and beautiful. The next three days will not. Then, the clear and warm days return next week. The next weekend will be rainy, also. It seems that weekends are always rainy lately.

I am wondering if the cicadas will destroy any flowers I have or buy. Maybe I won't buy flowers until after they are gone. I just don't want to crunch them underfoot!

Are you in the area/states where cicadas will return? 

Was your weather unseasonably warm today? 

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Shiny Brite and Pests

 Do you have Shiny Brite ornaments? I have about a dozen. Not only that, I have two empty boxes that do say Shiny Brite. These ornaments are worth lots. Even the empty boxes are valuable. 

The link below is no longer available.

These Vintage Christmas Tree Ornaments Are Worth Good Money Today | Watch (msn.com)

Try this one.

Shiny Brite Ornaments Vintage - Search Shopping (bing.com)

Tuesday night, I sat up all night, until 8:30 am.  My stomach was jumping. That is the only way I can explain it. But, that is the way it felt just before throwing up. If I could just NOT eat, I would feel better. Then, the fear from the other end has kept me running to the bathroom. 

About noon, it seemed as though chest congestion was going to do me in. I have no idea what is happening. Then, my other kidney started hurting worse than the right kidney. 

Tuesday night while I sat up, I made a list from the ads online. Of course, today we left too late to really shop. We left here are 6 and got back at 7:30 pm. The holdup was a prescription. I made all the arrangements yesterday to pick up that night or this morning. We got there and there was noone attending the window. A sign said they were short-staffed, to come inside. 

That meant Tommy had to go in! I saw people go in and come right back out with a prescription, so I was annoyed. It turned out that the computer goofed. Yeah, that was the reason. 

As we drove through the parking lot to Publix, I saw Burger King straight ahead. So, you know what happened. It was only a Whopper Jr. with lettuce, tomato, and lettuce. 

As it was starting to get darker, I scrapped the list for only two items. He bought water and my 1/2 birthday item. The choices were a bar cake, ice cream, frozen yogurt and something else frozen. This offer of 1/2 price on these items was welcome. Then, he called and said there was no chocolate cake. I chose red velvet. 

I asked him what kind of frosting. It was so funny as he said, "it is off-white" and continued. I told him I did not ask him the color, but what was in the icing. Well, he finally found someone who went to the cake and picked it up and read to him. He did not know it would be on the label. 

It was dark when we arrived home. Of course, I feel like throwing up and the lower problem is back and body systems have expressed great unhappiness. 

A Surprise

When I awoke, Tommy had contacted a pest control and there was an email waiting. So, I called and we are getting pest control that comes initially, and then every few months. I was shocked. Fleas and roaches were the focus of my complaints. Tommy is having the whole yard treated for fleas. There is a list of other pests they control, too. I never thought I would poison the whole yard. I never thought he would pay for something this expensive. 

Hopefully, this last spraying and spraying will last to hold back the fleas until the guy can get here next week. There is no telling how much poison we will ingest from this professional spraying. I think I saw one small spider in this house, no ants, just roaches and a few tiny bugs caught on a glue board. Oh, I did see one ant coming in the front door. I killed it and saw no more. 

I have been asking him every few days about the pest control and mowing guy. However, he was the one to mention pest control...not my idea. Yes, he did call Keith to mow. 

Do you have Shiny Brite ornaments? 

Have you ever had them?

Do you or have you ever had pest control? 

Does it work? Are you wary of the poison? 

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Cleaner Came; Today Was a Winner

 This person is the daughter of my friend who died last Fall. I mentioned needing someone. She said she might be able to help me. She lives halfway between Cullman and Birmingham. She cleans for several people. One moved to Hoover several years ago, so she still goes to her house every three weeks or once a month. She emailed me and said she could come today. 

I had told her I needed someone to help me get the last of the Christmas items boxed and put away. Well, I got to thinking about that. These few little things are hurting no one. What I really needed was someone to make my bed since it took Tommy and I so long, 45 minutes to put on two sheets, spread and blanket. 

Plus, the reindeer were still out, baby on the porch, doe and buck in carport. Even though they were not in rain, they were still in dampness and sun and wind. We have large, gold glitter everywhere!

She made my bed and took apart the deer and put them in a box. She took them inside to tape. She and Tommy were doing it when I managed to get inside. She stayed an hour and Tommy gave her $25.  We gave her the candy canes, making her happy. She said she would give them to people at church. She works with children, so I suppose they will go to her class. 

The bed frame was on the grass with a FREE sign on it. While we were taping, someone took it--the mailman. I was shocked and asked Tommy how he got it in the truck. It seems he knew how to take it apart. I knew it came apart, but could not figure out how. Well, it was too hard. I am glad someone took it who can use it instead of selling it for scrap. Well, he might be doing that, but I don't care. 

Within three minutes of her leaving, I was getting into bed after changing into a clean nightgown. As I turned and over to sleep on my left side, I felt funny. Well, I barely had time to roll over and sit up as I threw up over and over again into nightgown I had on.  I had Tommy hand me the nightgown on top of dirty clothes, put it under the bulge in my nightgown. Once I got both nightgowns in waste basket, I realized liquid was on my panties and then on fresh, clean sheets. A wipe got off the dampness on sheet. Thankfully, it was like one drop. 

So, here I am sleepy, naked, still sick feeling! I had to get up. It's been over an hour and a half. I ate crackers very slowly, very slowly. I almost choked on them. I wonder if this is related to other GI problem I had. 

Oh, I asked my friend how her father was doing. She said he remarried three weeks ago. She laughed and said he needed someone to do all the things her mother did for him. She was okay with his remarrying so soon. I certainly don't care. 

Tommy has been outside rinsing nightgowns under the faucet since he cannot get the hose onto the faucet. The poor man has been doing a lot of laundry in the last few days. The faucet is so low that he cannot bend to use it. He must put his head against the brick wall to get to the faucet. I will have the faucet extended upward so we both can use it. 

Other than the cleaner coming, the mailman coming, the bed frame going, my and being sick, today has seemed like Sunday. 

I wanted to get meat on sale at Food Giant, so we finally left to get meds and meat. Walgreen's still did not have Victoza, so I transferred to CVS, Tommy went in and got top round roast for $4.99/lb., and a box of Graham crackers. The roast was almost $12. I will cut it in two pieces and freeze half. Maybe I will cut it into three pieces. 

We needed to get Dasani water, but there was none yesterday. I called and they had plenty. On Wednesday it is bogo. We can wait. 

My nap was 1.5 hours, not nearly enough. I still feel like I will be sick again. All in all, today was a winner. 

I will cancel the doctor appointment tomorrow. I cannot ride an hour to allergist! I hate that, too. 

Tommy found his own dinner--meatballs from freezer, broccoli from refrigerator, and a little can of red beans and rice.  I had Graham Crackers and later cooked ground beef on bread. I hope it stays down. 

Plans for tomorrow revolve around collecting ads and buying at least water and whatever else is on sale, clearance, or bogo. 

What did you get accomplished today?

What are your plans for tomorrow? 


-

Monday, March 11, 2024

Liar, Liar and TMI and 60th Reunion

TMI section is marked below, so you will know when to stop.  

I was told today that mattresses are measured from the middle instead of on the side. No, not true at all. Every person in the mattress business laughed hard from Canada to Cullman. 

My new mattress is not helping me go to sleep faster or sleep longer. I did not buy it to put me to sleep. However, I hurt less when awake and walking is easier. Plus, I can turn over and get in and out of the bed more easily. My lower back thanks me. Sunday night, I could not keep my eyes open, so I went to sleep around 10:30.  Great, right? /s  Well, I slept two hours and was only able to go back to sleep at 1 pm today. 

Sunday night, I dropped the wireless remote trying to pick it up from the bedside table. When I awake, I need to go the bathroom RIGHT NOW. So, this was an emergency. The rules for using the mattress state  that I cannot get off the bed with head or feet elevated even a little bit. So, Tommy had to come and get it for me. 

Now, the small, slippery remote lives in a mesh bag, the kind to wash lingerie. I can feel the little control buttons. I just leave it in the bed and sleep with it. I need to find a ribbon, tie it to the bag, and pin the bag to my pillow or the sheet. Okay, I am using the ribbon that was tied around the sheets like a gift. Maybe I should just tie it to my wrist. /s

TMI below.

I cannot imagine what I ate, but it appeared to be food poisoning. The problem is that Tommy and I ate exactly the same thing and it was all prepared here and very fresh. Leftovers were only one day old. No, I never threw up. But, there was laundry to be done, lots of laundry. Lots! 

However, it is not all bad. I was down 15 pounds from the last time I weighed. I was in a doctor's office. I weighed and had on a long, heavy sweater with a cell phone in my pocket and heavy shoes on. So, I probably actually lost almost ten pounds in two minutes. Tommy believes it was an overly heavy olive oil dressing on pasta. I think he is correct. If I could do this once a week for ten weeks, I could love a cool 100 lbs. 

Since I am having 60th Class Reunion, that would be great. That sound harsh--60 years since I graduated. What reunion is coming up for you this year?