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

IllinoisLady

I think we are going to just have to rent all of this yr.'s good movies. Keep saying lets go to the movie and then other issues need caring for and the movies are forgotten.

Rained yesterday a.m. a bit, then we had sunshine and temps of 73 degrees. Opened windows and aired out the house a bit. That was once pretty standard for February events around here, but showed up yesterday for the first time in several yrs. Later on in the dark we had a couple more rain squalls -- and not sure about today though it will get up to 40 -- a far cry from yesterday, but at least not freezing. I do hope we have the start of something if not good at least way better. Now if old Sol would creep out all would be well.

Hope you all have a great day.

Wren44

We have a cold snap and possible snow over the weekend. The temp could go down to the teens with highs in the 30's. Very cold for here. They think the mountains may get a couple of feet of snow. You pretty much have to go thru a mountain pass to get from western to eastern Washington. Chains were required this morning when they got all the spin outs out of the way and reopened the highway.

ChiSandy

Wren, your "cold snap" is our "normal!" Yesterday was low 40s & foggy; today low 30s & sunny (no more deep freeze, yay!) some wintry mix tomorrow and starting a short warmup on Sun. All the snow is gone except from the grass (where it belongs). Still & all, keeping up the ice-melter supply--we've had accumulating snow as late as April. Mon. might hit 60--but that'll come with thunderstorms. Then it's back to the "wintry mix." Fine by me so long as it doesn't freeze on the pavement. I gave up skating in my teens.

carolehalston

Did a little "decorating" in the newly painted master bath yesterday. Hung a window valance and also a picture on the blank wall above the big tub. The picture is a seascape I bought at Target, definitely not a collector's item. The valance was one I sewed a long time ago for another room. It looks ok but I will be on the lookout for another one, ready made.

I also did some cleaning, not a moment before it was needed. And spent time on the computer looking at quilts and coverlets. Showed dh several I had saved in Favorites and he didn't like any of them. So I will proceed without his approval. He refuses to factor in things like wall color and overall decorating concept. His idea of furnishing and decorating a house would be to pick out stuff he liked and not worry about whether anything went with anything else.

In his defense, he won't complain about my decorating efforts. The times I've let him make choices, like the carpet we're living with now, I've regretted giving him leeway. He picked thick carpet that makes tracks. He wanted something that felt good under his feet.

Enough griping! We're off to the gym.

IllinoisLady

Deep in the soul, below pain, below all the distraction of life, is a silence vast and grand--an infinite ocean of calm, which nothing can disturb; nature's own exceeding peace, which "passes understanding." That which we seek with passionate longing, here and there, upward and outward; we find at last within ourselves.

C.M.C.

IllinoisLady

Having a little chuckle. Most men are not real keen on decorating. My Dh is not any better, though I've been okay with a couple of his ideas, but it is rare. Also, he is less inclined than I am to the factor of cost. I will look for a bargain -- he just looks for what he wants and to get him to consider price we are getting up into astronomical to me before he will even consider saying Uncle and looking around a bit more.

Wow !!! Snowing quite a bit outside. Started a bit after 7 a.m. Big flakes due to all the moisture in the air. It will accumulate fast, but this kind of snow usually doesn't freeze or compact so easy to brush off the car and move off the deck and sidewalks. That is good for us. A couple of days ago -- 73. So much for allowing a bit of Spring fever to overtake me. Well, this still is pretty typical of the highs and lows for this time of year. It is as well the sort of snow that I actually enjoy since it is easy to work with and I only need take a brush along to clear a spot for my ferals to eat. Use to have to take a snow shovel -- but this snow is easy to move.

I learned to love THIS snow many many yrs. ago when I was young. Went to town at night with a friend and her parents. We were having this type of snow and downtown was lit up by the lights in the stores --- and the dreamy snow was falling making it all look rather quaint and special. It stuck with me ever since and I always feel those same inspirations of delight that were a part of that evening as we walked along the sidewalk watching other shoppers. Didn't have to hurry as these snows are not cold -- usually no wind and the snow pretty much comes straight down. It was like a postcard. Okay enough of my sentimentality.

I hope you are all going to have a really good Saturday. Dh is having a day off -- so nothing much planned here. He will likely keep my busy enough with odds and ends.

Wren44

Windy here. The weather says it 'feels like 31'. Supposed to get colder tonight and possibly snow. If it does, I will stay home until it melts. Definitely not driving in it here. Fortunately there's a grocery store within 3 blocks. It's expensive, but sometimes you just have to pay.

I have basically given up on decorating. DH would paint every wall a different color if I would agree. We have an accent wall in the living room that I would like to do in another color. Fortunately, I can do it by myself. We both have the problem of tasks seeming overwhelming when we contemplate them.

carolehalston

We had an accent wall in a previous home and it was really striking, I must say. But that house was much more interesting architecturally than our current home which is a brick "ranch style" built in the 1970's. We completely gutted the interior and updated it 20 plus years ago. It could use updating now, particularly the kitchen counters, but that project overwhelms me just to think about it.

We will be turning on the a/c this afternoon. The humidity is almost visible.

I'm off to Hammond, a 20 mile drive, to visit my mother and attend bingo with her! Da-dah!

ChiSandy

Snowing again up here too, Jackie--big fat wet flakes (it's in the mid-30s) that are sticking. My throat is better but ears & sinuses are acting up, so I'm staying in tonight. Will eat leftovers, or maybe order out--not sure. Gonna take a nice long hot shower and wash my hair (maybe if my hair looks good I will feel better). Slept 9 hrs. but still want to nap--must be the snowfall.

IllinoisLady

Are you balanced? Do you share your time, your energy, your life, as much with yourself as you do with those around you?. . . . Know your limits. You are one of the most important people you need to look after and love. Balance your time, your energy, your life with those around you. You'll be able to give more freely and joyfully as a result, and you'll be more open to the gifts of the universe. It's not wrong to give to others. But it's okay to say yes to ourselves, too. -Melody Beattie

IllinoisLady

Rugged day yesterday with the snow, but much later in the day it turned pretty much to water. No snow on the ground at all this sunny Sunday morning, but little tiny patches here and there where some shade and leaves allowed it to continue existing. The snow was pretty yesterday and I truly enjoyed it as it was my favorite kind of postcard snow. Glad for the sun today though. We will have some up and downs but nice little warming trends taking place. Life will be good.

Nothing much taking place elsewise. Dh will work today so I will likely make my Goodwill store run. Don't find as much as I used too though I did get a couple of Wolfgang Puck pans, one was a small skillet that seemed almost new. Don't know they are any better than 'other' pans, but often it is size I'm looking at along with whether stainless steel or heavy aluminum. With only Dh and myself to cook for I don't need the much bigger fry/cooking pots and pans that I once needed -- so smaller ones now have the most appeal to me. I already have the bigger ones.

Also need to check in at Walmart. They have been out of the Purina dog food that my dogs PREFER and I do spoil my dogs as much as my cats, so I've had to make extra trips. Don't know what is wrong with the ordering system there right now. It just doesn't seem to be working well at all. Maybe a new person in the department or something.

Hope you are all going to have a great Sunday.

carolehalston

Muggy and warm here. I'm about to venture out and check out the Bedding departments, mostly for elimination purposes. I don't expect to find a king-size quilt or coverlet that I would consider buying.

It's muggy here. We've been on the verge of needing the a/c for a couple of days. It's the humidity that causes discomfort, not really the temperature.

Murfy

Gorgeous day in 70s with sunshine here in S TX. Have some gardening to do. Already getting a little tired of Olympics hype. I guess I need to be more selective about what events I watch. Men's figure skating was impressive though! Gearing up for Round3 tomorrow...

Laura

ChiSandy

Back up into the high 30s after yesterday's snow (which was in & out w/in 3 hrs). No snow on the pavement or deck, little on the grass. Big warmup tomorrow (T-storms are the price we'll pay) but back to wintry-mix & snow on Thurs. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Heavy aluminum or stainless steel, Jackie? Depends on what you intend to cook. If you want to pan-sear and then make a pan sauce with an acid like wine or lemon juice, then plain stainless (not nonstick) is the way to go. You won't get the "fond" (the brown bits that stick to the pan and form the basis of your sauce) with nonstick. And I wouldn't use wine or lemon in cast iron because they're acidic (reactive) and could strip the pan's "seasoning" (though you could deglaze with stock or water). For fish or eggs, definitely non-stick. Whether stainless (pref. clad, with a layer of aluminum between stainless on the inner & outer surfaces) or aluminum (anodized, enameled) is your preference. I would stay away from bare aluminum, though, because it could be reactive. Stainless heats a little more slowly than aluminum but has fewer hot spots. Neither retain heat as well as cast iron.

carolehalston

No purchases during my hours long shopping trip yesterday, except a bag of grocery items at a recently opened Whole Foods. Dh wanted walnut oil to use on the raw wood of turned bowls. He learned from other wood turners that walnut oil works well. It doesn't remain sticky like some oils. I browsed through the Whole Foods, casing it out even though it isn't located in a convenient area. I tend to avoid high traffic areas and this area definitely qualifies as high traffic.

I checked out Steinmart, Bed Bath and Beyond, TJ Max, Belk, JC Penney, and Kohl and came up empty handed. Jackie, I also stopped at a Good Will on the route. I was tempted to buy a serving bowl there but resisted. I already have a collection of serving bowls and platters that rarely get used.

So for the time being, the master bedroom will not get a new look. I've looked online, too. What is interesting about my search is that I see some of the same quilts on different web sites.

I'm thinking about tackling closets today.

IllinoisLady

We are all flowers in the Great Spirit's garden. We share a
common root, and the root is Mother Earth. The garden is
beautiful because it has different colors in it, and those colors
represent different traditions and cultural backgrounds.

Grandfather David Monongye (Hopi)

IllinoisLady

Ick just describes today. Gray and rainy with a breeze. Not going to be a very good day, but we will get by because the sun is in my computer room. Today will be more of the same --- working inside. Will try to get out for the feral cats. They will come out and eat if is isn't doing much. The food dissipates quickly if its too wet and rainy but if at all possible I prefer ( as they also seem to ) to leave them food.

Carole, glad you 'looked' around at your Goodwill. I think on line they have something called 'restitch' where you can actually buy some of their clothing on line. I heard about it and need to check it out. I seem to be some sort of odd size so only buy items that I don't pay much for as usually they don't fit well. The Goodwill here has nice dressing rooms so you can try on things, but I'm impatient and usually don't. I also think of the money at times as something of a donation -- so if something I get is really WRONG when I get it home, I just re-donate it.

Still love their book department there and they certainly have a huge collection of ladies purses. I also browse those sections fairly thoroughly. I find things I like and will take them though I do have a number of nearly new Coach, Dooney Bourke, and Stone Mountain purses my cousin passed on to me. Her daughter has expensive tastes, but bought these purses and didn't like them after she got them home. I know, I know -- why wouldn't you take them back. Guess it was too much trouble and just easier to get something else. My cousin didn't care for them either so gave them to me. I'm REALLY okay with that. I had forgotten them though till I cleaned out my closet myself a couple of weeks ago --- and there they were. Now that is a great reason to clean your closet.

Hope you all have a fantastic day.

pingpong1953

Sandy, Voltaren is OTC in Canada (at least it is in Ontario.)

Wren44

Carole, We've gotten walnut oil in the furniture refinishing part of stores. It is a preferred oil and does a good job on our wooden salad bowls.

carolehalston

Zero progress on dealing with closets. Looked inside one and decided, "Another time."

I did begin an embroidery project. First step was cutting the fabric into placemat rectangles. Then ironing on the designs, veggies in baskets. The designs aren't as clear as I would like because the background fabric is a printed design. So I'm consulting the transfer pattern. I love embroidery thread. That's part of the pleasure, working with the colors.

Hope everyone had a good Monday.

ChiSandy

Pingpong, looks like a little driving trip to Detroit/Windsor might be in order. But when I looked up Voltaren gel on CanadaDrugs.com, it said "Prescription Required." (Maybe that's for mail order to the U.S.). Costco now has the generic version (albeit Rx-only) for $33. My ortho today says that insurers are starting to refuse to cover it (because they consider OTC salicylate ointments & creams to be equivalent--same reason they dropped Lidoderm patches because there's now OTC topical Lidocaine). What I don't understand is that oral ibuprofen & naproxen--which can rot your guts and raise heart attack risk--are OTC here but topical diclofenac is not. Heck, they sell Voltaren gel in the Italian equivalent of Wal-Mart and advertise it on TV--and in Germany, it's right out there on the shelves! In Europe, they even sell the gel in 2% and the spray in 4.5% strengths--here, it's only 1%.

IllinoisLady

Free will is not the liberty to do what one likes, but the power of doing whatever one sees ought to be done, even in the very face of otherwise overwhelming impulses. There lies freedom indeed. -George MacDonald

IllinoisLady

Going to have to say yuck again, but at least it is nice and warm. We will likely have rain off and on most of the day. Gray for sure -- but at least not freezing now. We could indeed have snow clear into April but chances become less and less likely as we progress. It will be mainly temps going up and down I think -- so we are on the road to Spring and will just have to hang on for the ride.

Otherwise nothing much planned here but working towards some of my end results. Still clearing things here and there that will find a home elsewhere. Sometimes I'm amazed by the amt. of things that have fit in a house that really isn't all that great on storage. Hating to admit as well that I've gone through this process more than once, but the first time I was stopped by that dreaded disease process known as cancer --- and so spent a long time not being as focused and clear headed as I needed to accomplish big changes. I'm as clear-headed and focused now as I'll ever be I think --- so onward.

Hope you are all going to have a good day.

Murfy

IllinoisLady, when I lived in Carbondale north of I64 always received all of the snow and ice and the south received the rain!

It is spring in S TX and Lowe's has tomato and pepper plants for sale. I bought some and will be outside today harvesting the rest of my bolted lettuce and planting lovely salsa-makings!

After yesterday, one more chemo in 2 weeks and I'm done!! I have such plans....!

IllinoisLady

All right -- an end to chemo. That is one ending that brings a lot of cheer with it. It is a great feeling to have started something likely with fear and apprehension and what if's -- and to get on the other side to done and I'm moving on to another chapter. Good for you Murphy. I haven't look around as yet for any 'spring' plants here but I'm sure before I know it --- the lots out in front of Walmart's and Buchheit's will start filling up. They also put out yard decorations, pavers, mulch and a variety of other items those who have things to do in Spring can use.

carolehalston

Every day for the past week is a record breaker for high temperature. Low 80's and humid. We have the a/c going, partly to keep the pollen out. People are already sneezing and developing sinus drip. Hoping we will get some spring weather and not just vault into summer.

ChiSandy

65 and storming this a.m.--now it's 35 with showers. Maybe some lake effect snow overnight, but 26 by morning. That's F, not C. I meant to bring home the bacon (literally--bought a 2-pack at Costco) and brought only it and some essential non-perishables up from the car (too much to haul up to the house while trying to keep my umbrella from blowing inside out). When I got inside, I found that the twin packs were loosely held together by a little blob of adhesive and one pack was still in the car. It was 42 by then, and our garage is unheated. Didn't feel like going back out there in the rain, so I figure the bacon will be the same temp. as it would be in my fridge.

IllinoisLady

We can only be said to be truly alive in those moments
when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.
- Thornton Wilder

IllinoisLady

Raining here this a.m. when I got up, but it has stopped. Good --- hopes it stays stopped. Not only to feed the feral cats, but I need to run to the bank too. I waited for a subtraction from my account and it hasn't come. Eventually they will FIND it, but I'm tired of having to research every time I balance my check book which is often. I circled the item -- but time to get it dealt with. I'd love to HAVE the money but I did spend it -- and they will find it and I'd like to get that out of my hair and into theirs where it belonged anyway.

I actually have another check that never came through and they might be able to deal with that too. I think ( one time it happened ) they sometimes have checks in a stack somewhere and when found they can't always see if they were subtracted --- so they inform people affected that they are going to chg. your acct. They don't change anything --- in other words, you are free to do what you've always done -- continue using your acct. just as you would paying bills etc. Apparently, putting the chg. back in helps them 'discover' that they really did 'handle' it properly -- and then life goes on and the mess is cleared up. I don't mind this as I've had such a great experience with my bank and so it is a minor item and inconvenience to me. But still --- I'd like to clear issues I find so that I don't have to have them sitting in the back of my mind all the time. There is a lot of things in my mind and when I can clear some away -- like some of the clutter in my house, its better for me.

Anyway -- artificial sun in my room to make up for what's missing outside.

Hope you are all going to have a fine day.

IllinoisLady

Have been watching the students from Fla. and they are so articulate about having lost 17 members of their school society. I think they are going to do well and I hope those who need too are paying attention. I'm proud of those youngsters.