I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

suzieq60

Been to doc - got an order for an Xray of my right knee and left hip - will see him again on Friday and see where we go from there.

I was very worried about having to have time off work as I don't have a lot of leave saved up BUT I suddenly remembered we can access our long service leave after 7 years, so all up I have about 8 weeks available. I do have income protection but you have to go without any pay for 1 month before it kicks in, and we can't afford to do that.

IllinoisLady

Suzie,

Loved your pics.  The lion pictures were very nice.   Sounds like the grand ones had a fantastic time.

Jackie

IllinoisLady

notself....interesting websites about knee replacements.  I'm pretty certain I will need them some time down the road.  I don't have any pain right now and am thankful for that.

Jackie

suzieq60

Just back from the Xray - OMG - I could hardly stand long enough for them to do it. I'll look at that website.

ananda8

Jackie, suzie,  There are knee braces that may help support your knee and relieve the pain.  My husband wears a set and it has helped a lot.  He is trying to find the link to the site.  When he does I'll post it.  When he first started wearing them a couple of years ago, he had complete relief from the moment he put them on.  His knees are getting worse, so he does have pain now but not as bad as he did before the braces.  He only wears them when he is mowing or we are shopping.  Any little bit helps and in the mean time, artificial knees just keep getting better.

 

suzieq60

Thanks Notself - I've tried elastic things but they don't work. Good news - work doesn't mind if I keep working from home until we know what is going to happen.

Just skyped with our little one - he was a bit busy eating but brightened up at seeing Grandad.

bluedahlia

Suzie, he's gorgeous!

IllinoisLady

Thanks notself.  Suzie, I tried two different kinds of the "elastic" type.  Best thing I could say about them if they are fine if your not moving your leg all that much.  There were not ace type wraps, but the type that used heavy Velcro to hold on, or the other kind which is just pulled up and centered where it needs to be.  The Velcro one works loose enough after a time that you have bristly Velcro rubbing on your skin.....and the other moves and sometimes rolls and loses its possible effectiveness that way.  Both were just un-satisfactory.  The Velcro one  for overall stability was best if you didn't mind re-setting it in place a few times during the wearing.   

Jackie

Bren-2007

Morning Gal Pals,

Kind of cool out this morning, supposed to warm up though.  Driving down to NC tomorrow to celebrate and early Mother's Day with my mom, brother and sister.  We always have such fun when we get together.  Just wish I was able to spend the night as it's a long drive there and back in one day.

Suzie ... Your grandson is so cute.  It's wonderful that he loves his poppa so much.  The lion pictures reminded me of Athena.  I think I'm going to have to figure out Skype.  I wish my son and DIL had iPhones cause then we could do Facetime together.

I hope your knee is not giving you too much pain today.

Notself ... My knees aren't bad and I can barely kneel.  If I crouch  down I have to get up very slowly or I lose my balance.  Getting old sucks.

hugs to all,

Bren

QuinnCat

Jackie - your AddictingInfo "blah blah blah" story has been picked up by CNN by Jeanie Mosley.  Quite funny.  I had watched the whole thing beforehand as living so close to the Oregon border I was quite interested.  I could tell early on, the guy (complaining about the reporter writing "blah blah blah") would be the Tea Party Dolt candidate, well one of two.  Loved it when the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist asked him "Where do you stand on the Easter Bunny?" after the candidate clearly said climate change was a myth (the reporter trying to divert him from his blah blah blah complaints).

What I noticed about both TP candidates in the group, were their tired TP bromides -  Climate Change is a myth, States Rights, blah blah blah.  Oregon, will not elect those types and the GOP actually had maybe one or two decent candidates in the bunch, the woman who will probably be nominated.  She won't win though.

QuinnCat

Suzie - your grandbaby looks like so much fun!

crazy4carrots

A new documentary in the works "The Brainwashing of My Dad".  The story of it is at www.politicususa.com, which I tried to insert as a link here, but couldn't.

BTW, The mods have been trying their best to get my Mac to agree with BCO, with many emails back and forth, but still no go......

QuinnCat

C4C - I hope that will apply to all Macs!  We have the same problems.  I just gave up complaining awhile back since it truely felt like they gave up on fixing the problems.  Good to hear they're still working on it.

Anonymous

http://www.politicususa.com/2014/05/05/easy-relate-the-brainwashing-dad.html

C4C  I'm on a Mac Powerbook.  Apple is the only operating system I've used since first putah in 1987 ;-)

QuinnCat

That's it Sunny - I don't have the "Power," only a MacBook.  What do you have C4C?

suzieq60

Thanks girls - he is gorgeous and he is really bright. He sang twinkle twinkle little star - the words weren't perfect but I recognised the tune. I couldn't believe he got the tune right at that age. Us and his parents gave him Duplo - wow does he love it. We gave him the learn to count train set and his parents gave him the safari set - well it didn't take long for the baby elephant to be put in the drivers seat of the train and the other animals on top of the carriages.

Jackie - I have a Velcro one too - doesn't help at all. Maybe a walking stick would help - OMG I really am a granny

crazy4carrots

Kam, I have an iMac. 

IllinoisLady

"The Brainwashing of my Dad".  Very interesting.  I have seen this in so many of my family members.  Of course, they all want to be seen as "the founts of knowledge" they presume themselves to be.  It is never 'fun' to spend time with them.  At some point the political talk erupts.  One BIL has actually gone over to the Tea Party while another has embraced the Libertarian Party.  I think they no longer have the guts to say they are Republicans but in reality they pretty much are. 

I also think they had to give up  on Limbaugh as he got pretty extreme ( Sandra Fluke ) about a number of things and he became someone ( similar to the Republican party ) that they could no longer have a public association with while holding up their head.   Just couldn't carry it off. 

I feel a bit sorry ( but not too sorry ) for these men who were very bright and intelligent.  They threw in with that bunch and now they deserve each other. 

Jackie

QuinnCat

C4C - great to know I can dust off my IMac, fire it up and have the same problems I have now.

bluedahlia

Who abandons a 5 year old calico that has been declawed and fixed.  I can't keep it because of allergies so gave it to my neighbour.  She's taking good care of her but her hubby has allergies.  So not sure right now if she's found a home.  If we call the Humane Society how long will they keep her.  We have put posters up hoping she's a run-away.  The neighbour took her to the vet but no tracking device.  Sometimes I hate humans!

IllinoisLady

I've no idea about your questions Blue.  I think many of the local Humane Society's rules may be a bit different....especially where you are.  Do you have an Animal Control Dept.  Ours only keeps animals for a couple of weeks.  They do however, try to find or rehome animals.  A lot depends on the temperament and breed of those picked up.  Do you have no-kill shelters?  We have a couple here. 

Your right.....people are usually the most cause of animals who suffer due to being declawed, dumped, or whatever the situation is. 

I had a very nice incident a couple of days ago.  I went to feed at my one feeding station --- towards the back of a store.  There was a man standing in the upper lot.  When I got done.....he was still there and watched me approach....moving toward my car.  Made me nervous to say the least.

He handed me a card and told me it was who he was, but he also said......I saw what you did back there and you gave me one of the most beautiful mornings I have had in some time.    Thank You.

He was a pastor from one of our many local churches.  First time for everything.  And this was a wonderful first.  I was expecting the possibility of rather disparaging remarks and was reluctant to roll down the window.........speaking of cats....got to run.

Jackie

QuinnCat

Funny I should come here after reading above two posts - bless you guys.  This morning woke up to a nightmare about losing my Ms Boo in a town 60 miles south of here.  Some events converging here reminding me of her and then it dawned on me I will never see her again and I just started feeling so sad.  Some people may think they are just animals, but each one has their very own personality and contribution to this world.

Beware, not all "no-kill" shelters are no kill, though if the cat or dog is placeable, they will not kill.  Some animals just have "issues."  Mostly caused by their human beings!

Bren-2007

Hi Everybody,

Just got back from NC.  Had a wonderful lunch today with my mom, sis and brother.  My mom sure enjoyed the day and the Mother's Day presents!  We took a couple of "selfies" and I'll try to post them tomorrow.  It was a special day.  Even though it's a very long drive there and back for a brief visit ... it was so worth it.  I'm blessed to have a really neat mom.

Tank and Maggie were so happy to see me.  I was gone about 10 hours and they were inside the entire time I was gone.  In the past, I've had doggie doors but decided against it at this house.

Blue ... I don't know who would just abandon a cat that was fixed and declawed.  Some of the things I see around here and how many of the people treat their animals makes my blood boil.  My neighbors dog has been barking all night for the last few nights and I finally spoke to her about the dog barking.  These are the people that had all the fighting and gun shooting last fall.  Well anyway, that night I didn't hear the dog, but I did hear another gunshot from next door. I swear, I was so panicked.  I was afraid that maybe the guy shot the dog.  This dog lives in a little pen at the bottom of their property and nobody visits it except to bring it food once a day.  The first thing I checked in the morning was to make sure the dog was still there.  I was so relieved to find him in his little pen.  This neighbor also drowned a litter of kittens cause the mother cat didn't belong to anyone and was just living in the woods.

Kam ... I'm sorry to hear about your nightmare.  They seem so real at the time and are very scary.  I still miss my Bobo and he's been gone four years.

Jackie ... What a special thing to have happen.  That must have made your day!

hugs,

Bren

ananda8

Here is a link to the type of knee brace my husband uses.  His is a Breg Fusion OA Plus Arthritis Knee Brace (the center picture).

http://www.bracesbybreg.com/knee-braces/osteoarthritis.html?gclid=CPzGwKjkmr4CFQET7AodkmQA_A

IllinoisLady

Kam, I had forgotten that some no-kill shelters do euthanize some of the animals.  I do think though that they try hard not to have to.  Still, some animals will never fit it.  One of the feral cats I feed ( though he and I have interacted so long he does not act feral with me ) was placed several times.  He just refused to "get used to" being mainly an indoor cat.  He would not continue to stay at the homes where he was placed.  So, this person had a place where other feral cats were and took him there where he has remained ever since.  In fact, he is the last one there.  Thank goodness, though not the home the shelter wanted for him, he was given something that suited HIM. 

I have thought a time or two ( boy would it make it great for me ) to bring him home to my property, but he has been out where he is so long now.....I think somewhere around 12 or more years, that I don't think he would be happy.   He would have to learn at his old age to get along with and interact to some extent with dogs as well.  So, I make the not quite nearly 10 mile round trip to feed him where he lives -- king of his realm, knowing just where to hide, and where to nap in the afternoon sun, and come down his little path to greet me when I honk my horn for him. 

Yes, Bren.  It did make me feel so great that someone actually noticed what I do every day of my life and in any kind of weather.  Most people I hate to say turn up their noses.  Perhaps they feel since cats are mainly "natural born" hunters ( but only if the mama cat trains them ) that why should anyone be so foolish as to feed them.  Too "right" thinking for me.  There are some cats who are not in fact "natural" at hunting....and a couple of times I've had cats that got injuries and would hide in the bushes close to the feeding area and come out long enough to eat something and then go back and hide, and of course the much older, slower cats who may not be as good anymore with hunting skills.  There are a number of reasons....they also get some variety and a specially formulated food which I always hope will keep them as healthy as they can be. 

I don't need praise to do what I do.....have done it for at least 8 yrs. now.....right at the very place this event took place,and I won't ever NEED it, but oh how very nice to feel that you are not ever ( something you can forget ) alone and that someone is kind enough to make you silently feel blessed and acknowledge you for caring.  I was 10 feet tall all day.

I'm the right height now though.

Jackie

ananda8

Jackie,

I think you will like this Buddhist poem called the Metta Sutta

This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech,
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied,
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm and wise and skillful,
Not proud or demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.
Wishing: In gladness and in safety,
May all beings be at ease.
Whatever living beings there may be;
Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,
The seen and the unseen,
Those living near and far away,
Those born and to-be-born —
May all beings be at ease!

Let none deceive another,
Or despise any being in any state.
Let none through anger or ill-will
Wish harm upon another.
Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings;
Radiating kindness over the entire world:
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.
By not holding to fixed views,
The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,
Being freed from all sense desires,
Is not born again into this world.

kayfh

Notself. I have to admit.  I never consciously read your quote. (Re: Schrödinger's cat )

Snort . You feminist you. 

IllinoisLady

Not-self  -- I totally love that poem.  It speaks loud and clear and describes a path I would think anyone might wish to walk on.  I really think people, many many of them are  essentially good, care for the Earth and wish to see life here go on as well as possible.  They want their fellow travelers to do well, and their concerns are never strictly for wealth-building. 

I will be copying that poem and it will go on my office wall here -- a beautiful reminder of what life should be.

Jackie

Now onto your link you left about the brace.

suzieq60

Notself - thanks for the link - very expensive though - I'm sure we can get them here in Oz - waiting to see what the doc says tomorrow, meanwhile working from home is ok but I don't like making Steve's lunch.

ananda8

suzieq,

Can you believe it?  The braces used to be over $1,000 each.  Thank goodness my DH's plan covered the cost.  I hope your plan covers it.  Just tell them the braces are cheaper than surgery.