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

ChiSandy

There is a definite trend these days to simplify & streamline one’s life and possessions. Millennials would rather spend money on experiences (food, wine, entertainment, travel) than on tangible things. They don’t want to “own” stuff, not even intangibles like music: streaming has now overtaken the purchase of downloads, and subscription services like Netflix are more popular than pay-to-own movies on satellite services. And as we get older and our nests empty out, downsizing our surroundings means downsizing our possessions.

I noticed this a few years ago, when it started getting harder and harder to sell CDs at concerts and festivals. Folk music fans (and folk radio DJs) tend increasingly to be the boomer-and-older demographic—they, especially the DJs, were resistant to purchasing downloads but instead wanted music to which they can listen in their cars and on home stereos, hold in their hands, and organize for easy retrieval in radio station record libraries. But today fewer and fewer people curate their own component sound systems, or buy even pre-matched sets of components or compact stereo systems; laptops and notebooks, in the interests of portability and the ubiquity of cloud storage, have jettisoned CD drives in order to become smaller and lighter.

Many if not most folk DJs now welcome submissions in the form of .mp3s, which don’t have to be ripped to station or personal computers for organization of virtual libraries or creation of playlists. Venues sneer at press kits of slick folders containing flyers, one-sheets, headshots, business cards and CDs: first they declared a preference for “EPKs” (electronic press kits) on disk and eventually USB drives; now they ask for a link to a website where they can audition your music; and if they like it and think you can “draw,” download contracts, stage plots, press releases, and even templates for newspaper ads or window posters for your upcoming shows.

But I think the biggest difference between when we were young middle-agers and now is that rather than acquire “stuff," we’re increasingly trying to sell, give away or even discard it.

IllinoisLady

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known
defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found
their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a
sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassions,
gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.

Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross

IllinoisLady

Hmm, your so right Sandy. I sent ( a few yrs. back when my mom passed on ) my daughter a U-Haul covered trailer full of items I thought she would want. Mom had these items basically all of her life. I did keep some really special items --- but I figured -- as you, young people are very portable. She will either keep these things are do away with them. No need to force the issue ( in no hurry by the way ) after I've left on my final journey. She will have a lot less to do of what she most likely would do anyway. The highly special things will be enough decisions to make when the time comes.

It is a really pretty day here, but I think going to be hot. I believe we are going to go to my cousin's ( the one I watched Muffin for yesterday ) and help her husband put in her new dishwasher. She has had most of her appliances for at least 20 yrs. The guys from Sears put the big pieces ( double-oven stove and refrigerator ) in day before yesterday. Dh will help put in the dishwasher and range hood. She wanted stainless steel which was a big change from her all white kitchen. My kitchen is large enough for stainless steel -- but I have never managed to get over the stainless commercial restaurant type non-appeal that stainless holds for me. Don't know where that originates. I pride myself on my flexibility -- yet in that area even the thought bothers me of having stainless in my own personal kitchen. I actually like other people's kitchens that have it, but am repulsed at the idea of it here.

Going to take care of some other dogs on Monday. That always makes me happy. Today ( really only the first few hours ) is the wrap-up for our Balloon Fest. Dh and I kept talking about going --- but he worked and I had lots to do and we just let it slip by. So, in the 20 yrs. we have been home we have missed now about three of them. I think this one was better than several others because though the pilots didn't get to fly as much as in the earlier yrs. there was less rain and I think the humidity wasn't as bad as some yrs. so the attendance was great.

I hope you all have a super Sunday.

bonnets

It seems most of our kids are the same, when it comes to the family items that we value, They don't want them. I have some furniture and a number of needlepoint pieces that my grand mother made, she was quite an artist. I feel they are family history and shud be passed down, but do my ids want them, no! Even my brother , who has a much larger home than us has only accepted a few things. As we travel and discuss this with others, seems to be the story all around.

We have both gotten interested in Family history and geneology. Again it seems the younger generation, as a rule don't get interested til they are older. I made albums with pictures and paper work for my brother and all of my kids, a few years ago for Christmas. I was so excited when visiting my Texas grands, they actually brought the albums out and asked questions. Not keeping all your family on your phone and labeling pictures with names is important if you hope they won't get thrown in the trash, and your family history is preserved for future generations!

Wren44

Today is not getting off to a good start. We were awakened by a flicker hammering on our skylight. It sounded like someone with a hammer. This was followed by at least one helicopter circling over the neighborhood downtown area. I looked on the news and the neighborhood blog but never found out why.

My Mom made me a scrapbook of things I did before I married. She is gone now, but I have a problem getting rid of it because she put so much work into it. I don't care about these things at all. I blossomed when I started college and my good memories are from there. I hope if I'm reincarnated it won't include Jr High and High School.

ChiSandy

Air & Water Show wrapping up—could have seen the Blue Angels from my deck, but stuck here at my laptop waiting for my voice teacher to get online at 2, so I can only hear them. He finally logged on now and said he'd “spaced” (he’s been doing that increasingly) and could do 4 pm. So many of my days are like this, my life hanging in suspended animation waiting for people (deliveries I have to sign for, repairmen and especially this voice teacher, who I notice has been double-charging me but whose family is in dire straits—he has fewer students than before but has been keeping my voice in shape). Can't do what I need to do and go where I want to go when I want to. GRRR!

And the only times my trainer has available this week are tom’w at 10:30 and Wed. 11:30—and you all know I am NOT a morning person. But my trainer is so dependable you can set his watch by him.

VelvetPoppy

I have been interested in Genealogy for quite awhile. My mother & I started looking into the family history years ago and my sister did a lot as well. We have traced my mother's family back to the 15th century. My father's family has been harder. As per photographs; I have been scanning them into my computer and saving them (labeled) to an external drive and also to a spreadsheet. Right now my son isn't interested, but some day he may want to know who his northern family was.

IllinoisLady

Freedom comes only to those who will set all others free. The first step to take is to declare the absolute freedom of all with whom we associate to think and act for themselves. Break down the barrier for others, and walk through the opening ourselves. Freedom means the individuals' right to live their own lives, coupled with a care to aid one's neighbors to live their own lives, without infringement upon the others' lives. -Cora Morse

IllinoisLady

Quiet morning here with some sun, but is muted. It will be in the 90's so hotter than I like. Today I will go and baby sit my two friends ( Sasha and Sammie ) while the owners are away. Soon there is going to be a new addition. Little Bono passed on about a week ago. She was 17 yrs. old and was the companion of the daughter in the family. So --- Kimmy Jo, another Yorkie will come ( I think in about a week ) as all agree that for then, the best way to soothe loss is to find someone that needs to learn the devotion and closeness of love and caring through bonding.

Some are not eager to bring someone else in the household so soon, but for me --- I get over loss faster if I have someone to give the love I still feel to. I'm so looking forward to the new addition. It will be the daughters ( although she is 40 ) companion so the name may be changed at some point soon after arrival. Have to see.

All else is fine. I'm keeping my wt. down which always makes me happy. Generally seems to be because in the summer months for me it is apparently far easier to avoid something I sooo love which is bread. That and the fact that I've had such trouble finding the kind Dh and I enjoy so much. That is Brownberry Extra Grainy Flax and Sesame Seed. It is just the right size for us as well as making great toast. Sandwiches are fantastic as well. We like some of the Nature's Own breads but the Brownberry has us big time.

I'll be back later --- when I come home for a coffee break. See you then.

carolehalston

I've been enjoying pictures on tv of the eclipse. It's cloudy here in northern MN and I don't have the safety glasses. So I wouldn't be watching the eclipse even if it clears up.

We awoke to gentle rain but it's not raining now. I decided to launder our comforter and bedding, which is easy thanks to a nice washer and dryer in the resort laundry room.

I talked to my mother this morning and she seemed to be feeling good as she looked forward to my sister bringing her a fried oyster sandwich for lunch. She loves her seafood.

Interesting views on the younger generation's attitude toward possessions. They do like their large upscale houses and "toys."

Happy Solar Eclipse day!

CeliaC

Today is great for me - took the day off work. Enjoying the eclipse from our back patio - beautiful, blue sky day, sunny & 90 degrees, light breeze - we will see 91%. Sipping adult beverages to celebrate!

IllinoisLady

CeliaC

Eclipse in our area covered all but a thin semi-circle of the top of the sun. Outstanding!

Anneb1149

Hi everyone,

Have to admit, the eclipse was a big disappointment here in So Fl. My brother took a picture with the sun behind him and you can see a little "aura" around the sun and we had some dimming of the sun, but that's it. My SIL took his kids and some friends to Lake Hartwood in GA and they had a great view of the totality of it.

My DD came down Fri night from Lake Placid (Fl) to celebrate her oldest daughter's 12th birthday. My grandson ran in all excited- "We can stay overnight if Aunt Nancy or Uncle...Uncle?" I said "Uncle Robert?" He said yeah - if they will drive us home tomorrow, we can stay overnight. First- it's Aunt Tracy who lives with me, not Aunt Nancy, but I immediately told him, yes, Uncle Robert would drive them home. When my daughter came in and found out Uncle Robert was not here at that time, she got upset at me for telling Kayden it was okay when I hadn't checked with him. I said I wouldn't have said anything if I wasn't sure. My brother came home and I asked him, and he immediately said no problem. So the 2 kids got to stay for two nights. I was in heaven. Kayden was very well behaved, as he usually is for me, but my brother had only ever seen him with his mom, and he was amazed at the difference.

Today was the first day of school here, and that means it is the day for the retired Driftwood Middle School staff luncheon. It started as "retired teachers", but the bookkeeper and me ( a clerical) crashed the party about 3 years ago, so now it is opened to include everyone. There are usually about 15 of us, usually a few different ones, and we all catch up on how everyone is doing. I think we do it again at the end of Christmas break.

I get my third (and final) set of epidural shots tomorrow. They say it should last for 8 or 9 months. I was doing great until the birthday party Fri nite. The baby (17 mos old) was on my lap for most of the time. Which was fine. As the parents were getting ready to leave, I stood in the kitchen, next to my SIL, who was holding the baby. He handed her to me so he could load the car, and as soon as I took her, pain shot thru the leg. I immediately handed her to whoever was next to me, but have been in some pain since then. Nothing like before the shots, but enough to wake me up during the night.

Ducky, how is Kaileen doing?

Anne

IllinoisLady

Anne, good for you getting the shot tomorrow. Glad that it will last several months. It is nice to have life back to some semblance of normalcy. Sorry that you didn't get much of the eclipse.

I did not get anything ( glasses or a box etc. made ) set up for myself to attempt to actually watch the eclipse but as I was watching my furry friends for the most part I didn't totally mind. It would have been nice, but right before the event I came home to get a bite to eat ( didn't want to mess up the kitchen there and then have to clean ) and a cup of coffee. So, a bit after I was here it started getting darker and darker -- by that I mean dim more than dark.

We live in a clearing where we are, but there are trees all around. That meant that in the dimness the house inside got dark enough I had to turn on a couple lights. Outside it was beautiful. It looked like moonlight though much brighter than it ever is here on moonlit nights. It was really interesting to feel like it was dark outside when it wasn't to look out -- though the house was quite dark inside. The leaves were had an almost dappled appearance. I don't recall just how long -- maybe just under ten minutes and then slowly the fuller daylight returned.

I have some really good news to share. Just before coming on here I finally was able to reach someone ( they were not actually supposed to tell me ) to find out the results to my biopsy. I am negative. That was definitely music to my ears. I did think it was highly possible that it would turn out that way but since we have all faced similar things of this nature here -- a part of me didn't want to believe that so strongly that I would have trouble with assimilating it if it was less than good news. It was only a fatty fibrous lump and that has been a problem for me since my very first mammogram yrs. and yrs. ago now. I do feel like I have my life back now so to speak and can actually make plans of some duration if I choose.

Otherwise -- yippee -- yahoo. I'm back in business.

bonnets

So glad the bio was negative. Now you can breathe again. I hate waiting for results.

ChiSandy

Woohoo for the b9 biopsy!

I made a paper-plate pinhole rig but discovered Gordy had bought eclipse glasses. It was overcast here, but with the glasses on (and much craning of the neck and precise stance on the deck), there was just enough clearing between tree branches to watch the progression of the eclipse. I was able to use the glasses to about 50% coverage, when Gordy came downstairs. From then on, we passed them up & back. At one point, the pinhole rig projected a whole bunch of crescents from wherever there were sufficient gaps in the tree leaves. (Would have needed a third hand to take a pic). We were able to see up till about 80%, when the clouds got too thick, and so switched back to watching the TV live coverage. We were told about the phenomenon that it takes not just humidity but sunlight to make clouds and that at the moment of totality the clouds would thin just enough (as it did for the final 3 seconds of totality down in Carbondale, which was supposed to be Eclipse Central for the continent), but 87.6% wasn’t enough to thin the clouds here. Nevertheless, it got dim here (as dim as it is now, about an hr. before sunset) and the temp dropped a few degrees.

Gotta make plans for 2024. Not tempting fate—someone will get to use a hotel room or campground res. if I can’t.

Wren44

Congrats on the B9 bio. Always good to hear.

It looked like sunset here - but from the wrong direction. The cat wanted out. I think he was worried it was getting dark and he'd missed his walk.

VelvetPoppy

Our view of the eclipse was also disappointing. It was cloudy and we were only supposed to get 67%. I sat outside on the front porch to see what would happen. Around 1:15, I noticed the shadows on the front lawn fading and finally disappeared. Two minutes later they were back. It was just too cloudy to see any sign of the sun.

Jo6202

IllinoisLady, wonderful news! Glad to get that off your mind.

Jo

Tappermom383

Great news, Jackie. Yippee yahoo indeed!

MJ

IllinoisLady

People are saying that I am the enemy of just laws, of family ties and old tradition. These people are telling the truth. I do not love man-made laws . . . I love the sacred and spiritual kindness which should be the source of every law upon the earth, for kindness is the shadow of God in humans. -Khalil Gibran

carolehalston

Good news, Jackie! Big sigh of relief.

Anneb1149

Great news, Jackie.

I am going to attempt to post the pictures my 15 yr old grandson got in GA yesterday. His dad took a video, too, but all I see there are puffy clouds that get dark, then light again, but can't see any eclipse

.l

LAte for Dr appt. Be back later,

Anne

bonnets

Wow. Nice!

ChiSandy

Ooooh—especially that “diamond ring!” Where in GA? Obviously, your grandson got it right—did he use an eclipse filter over the lens?

Anneb1149

I think the pictures were taken at Lake Hartwell and the best location I can give you is that it is somewhere between Dacula, Ga and Clover, SC. They were driving from their house in Ga to my son's house in Clover, when Andrew saw this place. There were only maybe 20 people there and all of them asked for copies of Andrew's pictures. Good thing the stopped there- my son in Clover,SC says they saw very little because of heavy cloud coverage.

Sandy, I can't say for sure if he had an eclipse lens on the camera, but based on their financial situation, I would doubt it. Maybe he put his sun glasses over the camera. I will check.

I sent the pictures to my siblings and one texted yesterday asking me to resend them, she had accidentally erased them.

IllinoisLady

Through the countless small actions we engage in, the loving hand
we reach out to another, the wants we let go of, the time
we give to those who most need it, we change our world.
A single step taken with mindfulness may mean the difference
between the life and death of another living creature. A single
thought of loving kindness may mean the difference between
loneliness or a sense of being loved for the person before us.
A single act of compassion may save another
person from feelings of abandonment.

Christina Feldman

ChiSandy

Anne, hope that if he used regular sunglasses over the camera lens, he didn’t look at the sun except during totality. Sunglasses, no matter how dark (or even one pair layered over another) are nowhere near dark enough to be eclipse-safe—not even if looking at an iPhone screen or SLR mirror (the sun could also burn out the sensor in the camera). Those who prepared a couple of weeks early were able to buy paper eclipse-filter glasses cheaply or even get them free from their libraries. Or bought or borrowed welders’ glasses.

My recording engineer and his wife down in Sparta, IL not only had a full house at their B&B, they turned the surrounding field into a temporary campground, which was filled to capacity. The World Shooting Complex on the outskirts of town was also chock-full. Since Sparta will be in the totality belt again in 2024, they said they’ll save us a spot. But Jackie, Mt. Vernon will be smack dab on the center line!

Joan811

Hi all, I seem to disappear and reappear...but with good reason. After my back to back trips to Cape Cod and Montana, I had non-stop wonderful visits from my 3 daughters and 6 grandchildren. They overlapped, so not all at once. I think I mentioned my son who was in Chicago moved back to NY in April. He also visited. They left on Aug. 14th. On Aug. 17th, I had major oral surgery and am still recovering. I have a 2 week medical note for work if needed. Tomorrow is one week, and I have physically recovered but there is a lot going on in my mouth and it is irritating and uncomfortable. Not pain, thank goodness.
I am supposed to start teaching classes at the college 2 weeks from tonight. My speech is affected. I will try to get subs for the first few days - otherwise I can hold class on the Course Management System through discussion boards and assignments. I'll figure it out next week.

Ducky, am so glad to hear that your granddaughter and baby went home together. I hope she is doing well at home.

Chevy, so sorry for the loss of your friend. I am sure you thought she would always be there.
Today I learned that my best friend from college, (dating our Navy guys, marriages and my first pregnancy), has passed away unexpectedly. We speak a few times a year and she had just moved back to North Carolina from Georgia. All was well. I was devastated to hear this. Her husband sent me a note but did not say what happened It was several months ago. No one is prepared to lose a friend....

Anne, those eclipse photos are excellent. It seems to me there were eclipse glasses placed over a camera or phone. That result could not happen without the glasses that block out the light. I thought the eclipse was amazing. We had 70% and just thin high clouds. Because of my surgery, I had not prepared a thing...and that is not cool for an Earth Scientist! My DH came home at 2pm with a surprise set of glasses for me. I found it amazing. The glasses made all the difference for observing.
Celia, we also celebrated with some afternoon champagne and fruit for DH. I am on liquid/soft diet indefinitely. I was finally off the narcs, and enjoyed the bubbly.

I read all your posts and enjoy this thread immensely!
Finally, I want to say how happy I am, Jackie, that your biopsy is benign. This is the best news!