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

IllinoisLady

SNAZZYIRON.... Welcome to our little corner of BC. Org. Glad you found us. We got here ( many of us ) quite some time ago so we talk about a variety of things and some of our current problems -- because that is all a part of life before, during, and after our bouts of BC. We generally shy away pretty much from politics and religion for the most part because those two subjects tend to cause issues. Thank goodness we are not all alike but we would far rather celebrate each other than be critical of those who don't agree with the two above subjects.

I hope you will feel free to come often and someone will show up ( I come every day for sure to leave a quote ) to chat with you. See you all later.

Jackie

IllinoisLady

"It's not the days in your life, but the life in your days that counts." ~ Brian White

VelvetPoppy

Welcome, Snazzyiron.

I had a terrific day. I had a great workout. I got through the walk & exercises in under an hour. If I was in really good shape, I should be able to do the entire set in 45 minutes (30 minutes of exercising + 15 minutes of treadmill. I feel good about myself if I get it done in an hour. Today, I clocked 53 minutes.

I also went to the eye doctor for my check-up this morning. Retina scan was good, peripheral vision at 95%, no cataracts or glaucoma! My prescription has changed so little, I didn't really need new glasses, but I bought a pair anyway. I was so glad to get some good health news for a change.

AND...a cool front is coming Wednesday. We might have 2-3 mornings in the 60s. I may be able to go back to the pavilion for some fresh air walking. I so look forward to winter.

IllinoisLady

I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize.
The first is gentleness;
the second is frugality;
the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others.
Be gentle and you can be bold;
be frugal and you can be generous;
avoid putting yourself before others
and you can become a leader among men.
- Lao Tzu

IllinoisLady

Good for you Poppy to have had a great day. I was a little on the lazy side but not bad -- just my usual -- not being able to get a few things in better logical order. Good thing I've reached an acceptance stage on that. I don't like it, but I don't get surprised when I SEE what a poor job of organization I might have done. We don't always know what we will be given as issues for us to find good solutions for --- so I'm still working on that one.

I am on the 23rd. going to go back to Nutrition class. It has always been a help to me and since it has been awhile since I 'indulged' I think new rules, advisories and other things have come out that it would be nice to know. The lady who does the class tells me that a lot of 'new' rules are actually happening about a year late. Along with the class comes a 6 week free membership to the gym and walking track. That is something that I could really use. I knew already but her assessment confirmed it, that my muscle mass and fat ratio are pretty much out to lunch ( bad place to be by the way ), and that was one of the things I really wanted to address by going back to class. Due to working schedules for me I so often had to prioritize and often that meant skipping the walking track at least. Bad for someone my age. Regular exercise done with a couple of changes now and then keep a person in far better shape. So -- I need the discipline of a structured class again to get back on track.

Anne, I'm thinking about you too. Even though some of your work needed to be re-arranged, those things from Monday and Tuesday sound like great things to get out of the way. If it weren't for a few problems to overcome we would get a little dull. Well, that made me feel a teensy bit better. Not a lot but a little. Life has ups and downs partly to keep us on our toes --- but golly, sometimes we are at the tips so often. Hope it is getting smoothed out now.

See ya'll later.

Anneb1149

Hi all,

A special hello to Snazzy - I hope you will find good friends here, who will not only be with you during your BC journey but to rejoice with you in the good times, and grieve with you in the bad, but will be there in the everyday ups and downs of everyday life. That is what I have found here and I cherish.

I, for example have 5 grown children, a few of whom, think I share too much. I have found this thread to be my safe place and while they know I am on this site often, they have no way to monitor what I say, which is very freeing to me. Whatever your issue might be, we are here to listen, to support you, and to share our stories of our experience, if we think it would be appropriate.

My life is very chaotic right now. I live in the southern end of Ft Lauderdale, and evacuated for Hurricane Irma. My neighbor did not evacuate, and luckily realized one of my sliding doors to the patio had come off its track and the hurricane was in my house. My guess is she realized it pretty quickly because the damage was minimal or so I thought. All of the house except the master bedroom, kitchen and 2 bathrooms were laminate flooring. There was minimal, but obvious damage to a maybe 2-3 ft area. But because it ran through most of the house, it all had to be replaced. But because the living, room, dining room and office were a different laminate (which always bothered me) I have had to replace those rooms out of pocket. That has happened with several things. They keep telling me they only repair they do not update. I understand that, but for example, we have two solar panels for water heating on our roof. They are at least 24 years old. The whole roof needs replacing, so the panels have to come down and be put baCk up.The company that originally put them up say they will not survive the process. They are too brittle having been exposed to the hot FL sun for the past 25 years. The insurance company says that is an upgrade so it looks like that is another $3300 out of my pocket.

They gave me $1400 to replace the door that came off the track. I would like to replace that one and the dining room door with hurricane strength french doors. Each french door costs $4000. That's a major hit to my pocket- and I just redid my whole kitchen and garage. I am totally overwhelmed by all these decisions, which my husband always made until his passing 5 yrs go.

So, Spazzy, we share our daily lives. Some of us like golfing, or gardening, or pets, or reading or traveling. Some share a lot about everything, others are more private. We all talk about our families, whether it is spouses, parents, children or grandchildren ( my favorite). And, of course our BC journeys. So I hope you will join us in our little group, and let us get to know you. When I was going thru treatment, I was on several threads and reading and posting was such a positive part of my day. Now, I am mainly on this thread, as I am once again living real life.

Several of us have had the joy of meeting face to face. Bonnets is a regular on here and I knew she lived in NY, but really hadn't paid attention to where. Long story short, I was in NY. for several weeks last fall. Bonnets lives in my late brother's town, (one of the reasons for the trip was for his funeral). We realized she lived really close, so one day we met for lunch, another day I went to her house for lunch. As we talked, we realized her brother-in- law knew my brother well enough to be one of his pall bearers. Then we realized her daughter's went to the HS where both my sister-in-law and cousin worked. We realized that her stepson was friends in HS with my cousin's daughter, whose mother-in-law was the sister of Bonnet's sister-in-law!! Amazing!

Hoping to hear from you more,

Anne

VelvetPoppy

It looked like it wanted to rain all day, today, but it never did. A cool front came in this morning (I thought it was supposed to come in tomorrow). The temperature didn't get above 71 degrees, the humidity dropped and the wind blew all day. I finished my housework and took advantage of the weather. I went over to the pavilion and walked for 20 minutes. I haven't been able to walk outside since May or early June. I used to walk 30 minutes, but could only do the 20, but I'll take it. I plan to go again tomorrow & hopefully Thursday & maybe Friday. The heat and humidity are coming back by the weekend. It may be a week or more before we can say Fall is actually here.

CeliaC

Hi there, Snazzyiron and welcome!

IllinoisLady

In the midst of movement and chaos,
keep stillness inside of you.
- Deepak Chopra

IllinoisLady

Poppy, your description of yesterday fits us here today. It feels somewhat chilly out of doors and is actually pleasant to step into the house. Because Dh feels temperature so much on his neck --- even during the most outdoor heat the a/c is on 78 -- so since the a/c is not 'cooling' inside --- the warmth remains. It is a nice Fall day outside. Dh said the forecast was rain --- but not according to the one I get from the St. Louis, Mo area. We are 70 to 75 miles due East of St. Louis, Mo here in Illinois and way back when --- could only get STLMO stations. Most people still look there for a weather report. It can be off -- but it is not them in my estimation. Just the terrain right where we live. It is normal to be by-passed in general by the worst weather ( 99 % of the time anyway ). So --- not totally sure about rain, but I do think it will stay on the cooler side today. Not bad for me.

We have a lot of leaves down so maybe I can talk Dh into trying out his new gizmo that fits on the back of the lawn tractor and pulls all the leaves into it. I hope the thing will work. To date -- we have tried a number of things. At our age, it is getting VERY hard to clean two acres full of trees and therefore leaves. Left on the ground all winter and the ground becomes spongy --- and we are hilly here so that is very in-desirable. So I do hope this works out. Otherwise I see hours of leaf-blowing in my very immediate future. I tried to stay away from some of it this past season and concentrate on other needful things -- like my work inside and my job. That was not a success. I was out and doing some anyway, but not quite enough. I am working on hopefully getting Dh some help in organizing our garage which I think will ultimately help. We need to reinstitute the order we once had that has slipped away --- I hope that will make everything better -- for both of us.

Hope everyone is going to have a really good day. I'm amazed to hear the Chevy is dealing with snow. I'm counting myself very fortunate.

VelvetPoppy

Our leaves are still firmly attached to the trees. The pecans are dropping, but many aren't any good. We have three trees and lost most of the pecans during Harvey. We had a great crop two years ago, so-so last year and very little this year. It seems to go that way. In a good year, I send my brother & brother-in-law about 40 pounds, freeze 10-20 pounds and H sells the rest. It's his 'mad money'. With this 'crop', there will be no sending or freezing; just selling.

Wonderful morning. 64 degrees and sunny. I walked 15 minutes & then drove to the fitness center to do my workout. Waiting to hear from the county regarding a swarm of honey bees we have in our water meter thingy. They've been there for less than a month and already have a good sized honey comb started, but they can't stay. The city won't read the meter while they are there. The meter is on city property, but the mayor said the city won't remove the bees; we are responsible for them. H is not going to argue. Anyway, the county extension office directed us to a county volunteer bee - removal web site and said we should fill out the form and "if the volunteers are interested", they will contact us. We don't want to kill them and have tried all kinds of non-lethal ways to encourage them to move on, but I think we have reached a point where we need bee-keepers.

carolehalston

VelvetPoppy, send me some of that cool air! I was out grocery shopping today and it is still hot and humid here in south Louisiana. I have been suffering since we got home from MN. I think your cooler temperatures will arrive here by tomorrow.

Welcome, Snazzy. I hope you enjoy being a part of our oldies group. I wasn't nearly as old an oldie when I joined in 2009! The 60's are seeming younger every year now that I'm in the 70's.

I had plans for getting lots of work done today but about all I have accomplished is grocery shopping and portioning meat for the freezer. I had intended to make burger buns but it's probably a little late to start now. And too early to start dinner.

Happy Wednesday to everyone.

VelvetPoppy

Our dream was to summer up north & winter in Texas when we retired. Life kind of got in the way when we had MIL to look after when FIL passed, S had medical issues when he was young, then college & BC. But all is good. I miss the cooler weather for sure, but appreciate it when we do get it here.

Wren44

Velvet, My brother and SIL lived in Okla and wintered in the Rio Grande Valley. They would go down when it started to get really cold and wait for spring to come back. People up here winter in Arizona and spend summers in the northwest.

IllinoisLady

Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.
--Immanuel Kant

Wisdom is not finally tested in the schools, Wisdom cannot be pass'd from one having it to another not having it, Wisdom is of the soul, is not susceptible of proof, is its own proof.
--Walt Whitman

Puffin2014

Hi everyone. Today I turned 66, grateful for another year.We had a beautiful sunny day here, though I guess a cold front is moving through tomorrow. I had my free Grand Slam at noon at Denny's with a friend, and a free birthday day at a Mexican restaurant with 2 other friends. Will need to hit the gym after all that food! I'm in the middle.

IllinoisLady

Modern life has made us people of attachment rather than people of
commitment. Indeed, many people have found that it is difficult to
tell the difference between attachment and commitment in their own
lives. Yet attachment leads farther and farther into entrapment.
Commitment, though it may sometimes feel constricting, will ultimately
lead to greater degrees of freedom. Both involve in the moment an
experience of holding, sometimes against the flow of events or against
temptation. One can distinguish between the two in most situations by
noticing over time whether one has moved through this activity or this
relationship closer to freedom or closer to bondage. Attachment is a
reflex, an automatic response which often may not reflect our deepest
good. Commitment is a conscious choice, to align ourselves with our
most genuine values and our sense of purpose.

Rachel Naomi Remen

IllinoisLady

Happy, Happy Birthday Puffin. It sounds like you had a marvelous time and with people you enjoy.

I know you won't eat too much. I hope you have lots and lots more and each full of great spirit and joy.

IllinoisLady

Warmer here today I think. Dh turned on the furnace through the night to take the chill out of the house. I didn't mind it cooler as it is nicer to sleep. Dh is off today so we will see how it goes. He gets me a bit off schedule. Anyway --- it may be an interesting day. Had my eye on another desk that would work better in my small computer room. This room is actually the third bedroom here. As in a lot of homes ( dated like mime ) the 3rd. bdrm. was usually the smallest. Desk I have is huge solid light oak. It takes up so much space --- and is difficult to clean around because all the sides go to the floor.

Anyway --- it all depends if the desk is still where we saw it --- at one of our local thrift stores. Of course, we will end up going back to look -- so more time drifting through the WHOLE store on the off hand there are other 'treasures' to be had at a reasonable price.

Wren44

Happy Birthday, Puffin!

ChiSandy

Happy birthday, Puffin! You look even younger than your avatar!

IllinoisLady

Humankind must be a steward of the Earth; Caretakers for
all that dwells upon it; To be of one heart with all things.

Human beings must learn to share the tears of every living
thing, To feel in our hearts the pain of the wounded animal,
each crushed blade of grass;

Mother Earth is our flesh; the rocks, our bones;
The rivers are the blood of our veins.

We are all children of God. Traditions are open to anyone
who wants to learn.

Huichol Holy Man

IllinoisLady

We are starting out cloudy. I hope that means we won't get too warm. Dh had the day off yesterday so lots of un-done things around here. Just more for me to work on, but that is okay with me. Though I'm not doing it the way I should ( I'm working between two rooms ) it is still good. Part is re-washing things that will be used in the cold weather and getting them back into closet and drawers - that is the reason for two rooms getting worked over.

Hope you are all going to have a fantastic Saturday doing what makes you happy.

duckyb1

Thought you ladies might like this.....Its about us....

Teka

*Everyone* ;o))

IllinoisLady

Too funny....I'm not near ready for either holiday. I really don't like the decorating ( some here have had the Halloween decorations up before we even got to October ) long beforehand. I do realize that in some cold weather areas, a GOOD day may mean putting up decorations early --- but you don't have to turn them on. Boo on the ones who do. For me --- life goes faster often than I like --- so seeming to speed it up by early decorations really does tend to aggravate me.

bonnets

Don't even want to think about Christmas yet! Although I have done a little shopping on line. Luckily most of the grands are old enough they like a check or gift card!

We just got back this morning from a weeks cruise on the Hudson River. We live close, but it was very different going on the water from NYC to Albany and back. Saw the Sloop Clear Water yesterday , as we neared the city. Saw some places and learned some things we hadn't before. Also didn't have to fly or get hotels either. We enjoy small ships better than the big ones. Now playing catch up at home, paying bills. Don't want to weigh myself! Got a TON of black walnuts to clean up for the squirrels and get out of the way of the mower. They are like rocks if thrown when mowing!

ChiSandy

Our block began decorating for Halloween practically the day after Yom Kippur. On principle I'm not even gonna buy candy till the 30th (we'll be in Vegas till the night before anyway). I have to confess I used to detest Halloween because our previous kitties were escape-artists, so I had to either stand out on the porch and freeze or put the cats in the bathrooms so I could keep the front door open. We usually go through at least 20 lbs. of candy because we live on a double block, and kids from poorer neighborhoods come over to our block (some driven by their parents--and some of the parents asking for candy for themselves).

Rotten weather today. Rainstorms overnight. Rainy all day today, with stronger storms coming through. We're under flash flood & tornado watches. The Riverwalk (a huge tourist attraction) already flooded by this morning, and even Chinatown got flooded (half of Ping Tom Park, including much of the stairway to the pagoda, is under water). We don't get floods here by the lake, since there's plenty of beach between the lake & the highrises (and the highrises and Sheridan Rd. are a buffer themselves). Any basement flooding tends to be sewer backup; and not only did we install a sump pump but the Deep Tunnel project is taking away a lot of the water that would have backed up the sewers on the North Side & North Shore. (NW, W, and SW suburbs--especially along the DesPlaines and Fox Rivers, not so lucky). We didn't get up to 65 today--won't get much cooler overnight; but we probably won't make it to 60 tomorrow. Going to harvest my remaining tomatoes tomorrow evening, because they're predicting it'll get down to 43 tomorrow night. (Or I might just throw an old blanket over them, since it'll warm up again by Monday). All in all, we've had a bumper crop, and all of the ones that fell off while still green eventually ripened.

I found out today that one of the numbers in the Bar Show this year has me doing a couple of measures of solo rapping, and wouldn't you know that out of the four women with rap solos, mine would have the trickiest rhythm! Never dreamed that I would be rapping on stage at 66. At least we don't have to do those hand gestures.

CeliaC

Sandy, I can soooo picture you rapping the heck out of it - you go, girl!

IllinoisLady

One of my patients who survived three major surgeries in five weeks
described himself as "born again." When I asked him about this, he
told me that his experience had challenged all of his ideas about life.
Everything he had thought true had turned out to be merely belief and
had not withstood the terrible events of recent weeks. He was stripped
of all he knew and left only with the unshakable conviction that life
itself was holy. This insight in its singularity and simplicity had
sustained him better than the multiple, complex system of beliefs and
values that had been the foundation of his life up until this time. It
upheld him like stone and upholds him still because it has been tested
by fire. At the depths of the most unimaginable vulnerability he has
discovered that we live not by choice but by grace.
And that life itself is a blessing.

Rachel Naomi Remen
My Grandfather's Blessings