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

What a nice day. It's only 88. Mike rode his motorcycle for several hours this morning. Love that he is getting to do what makes him happy. We're now happily ensconced in the living room watching college football games. Every 15 minutes I get up and go to work on removing more wallpaper in the kitchen. It's such a messy job. I quickly work up a sweat and it seems to take forever to make much progress so I sit back down to cool off and watch the game instead of just listening to it. At this rate it's going to take a month!

We had a nice night out last night. After a good dinner with friends, we all went over to check out an photographic art exhibit by another couple we're friends with. They recently went on a cultural exchange to Cuba and took the most fascinating and sometimes disturbing photographs. He is a professional photographer and she's an artist, so you can imagine the 1200 photos they captured with their two cameras in 10 days. It wasn't all the "pretty" stuff. Cuba is covered in scaffolding now. I was so surprised to see that. After years of neglect and poverty, the government is investing is improving the infrastructure of the country. Why? Because the tourists are coming! They have to try to get back to the dazzling hot spot they were before the 60's embargo was initiated. The exhibit was in an old distillery. There was a bar, a Caribbean food truck and a trio of musicians playing good Cuban dance music. We danced for the first time since Mike got sick!

Love the pics Sandra and the bright smile.  That is wonderful. 

Very interesting about Cuba.  It is not something I would have thought about -- rehabbing it since no one has much come since the embargo.  Makes sense though.  Sure glad that we have opened the door once again. 

Jackie

I want to go to Cuba birdwatching once it's opened up for tour groups. One of the tour leaders in Minnesota has been invited there a couple times with other experts to do a survey of the birds there. He's written an article about all the awesome birds they found.

Puffin, bird watching in Cuba! You'll have to give us a full report if that trip works out.

We pay for Medicare, roughly $200 a month and basic Blue Cross Blue Shield runs about $300 a month. The latter is our secondary and includes prescriptions. Then our long term care insurance is a little more than $100 each per month. On the good side we pay no deductibles and to date have paid nothing on surgeries like dh's three stent procedures and my breast surgery and reconstruction and my foot surgery.

Add house insurance of $2000 annual and car insurance of $350 a month and now boat insurance and stationary rv insurance and we pay a LOT for insurance.

Last night was one of the few nights here at Pine Hollow that the noise hampered my going to sleep. The bachelors' party at one end and the campfire at the other end with people drinking and playing a radio loud combined to keep me awake while dh snored beside me. We didn't need the bedroom fan but I turned it on and directed the air at the ceiling. The sound it makes blocked out the music and voices and I fell asleep. Then about 2 am dh got up and turned it off. The absence of the fan whirring sound kept me awake for a little while. Not a good night. I won't be sorry to see people leaving today.

Grumble, grumble!

Our thoughts are on winterizing the camper and boat and loading up the cargo trailer we bought for transporting stuff back to LA. We'll be heading home the end of this month and I'm getting excited about returning to house living.

Happy Sunday!

Good Morning,

It is really cool outside -- we went down to the 40's overnight.  Thank goodness it is going to come up nicely through the day.  I don't mind cooler, but sometimes those big jumps can tend to startle when you first step outside. 

Carole, I think I won't complain anymore about the cost of Ins.  Seems you are paying over $1,200.00 a month just for that and still have one payment yet.  We don't pay that much out for all of our monthly bills ( not included is gas, incidentals, vet visits, groceries, cat & dog food, and trips to get hair done etc. ) 

It surely is the pits when you have a sleepless night.  Thank goodness I don't have many, but I do know when they happen the next day you are just sort of spacy and you know it.  Nothing you can do much about it either.  Like you --- I'd be glad to see the party-goers head for home. 

Had a nice early night at work.  Well, I started in the afternoon which is what made it early.  My employers brought dinner home and we all ate together before I left.  That was nice.  They are really great people and every day I am grateful for having been able to fill a need they had to help care for their household member. They treat me like better than anyone ever has.  So nice to have this happen.  I could have gone my whole life and never seen or felt what it is like to be very appreciated and shown that very thing all the time.  Lord, let me never take for granted all that I have been given. 

The sun is out rapidly warming us up.  I hope you are all going to have a truly fantastic Sunday.

Blessings,

Jackie

Thanks so much.  I just told someone that when I was 20 I couldn't imagine being 70 and today I still can't imagine it.  It did however get here a lot quicker than it seemed it would.  I feel so blessed all of the time --- and maybe that is why I seldom consider my age as much as the things I need to do and the things I want to do --- which is mainly to continue to easily do what needs to be done in my little corner of what is always pretty much a wonderful world to me. 

It is also quite a wonderful one due to the richness of all the people I get to share life with -- ups and downs, defeats and victories, helping me always to savor my blessings and to know that together there is always someone willing to help me rise again if I take a tumble.  Knowing all of you is going to make this day full and happy with very meaningful. 

Blessings one and all,

Jackie

Happy Birthday Jackie,, Enjoy your special day and celebrate

Just got back from spending the day in Schaumburg with grandchildren at one of their soccer games then out for lunch and back to their house till our ds got home from work to go to the next soccer game. We helped him out for the weekend since he had to work overtime and our dil is not back from Serbia until later today. She has been there for a week for a family emergency. Glad to help out but glad to be back home. We will go back to watch the GS soccer game when he plays an earlier game.

Ritajean, thank you for the nice compliment

Sandra, glad to see you and mike smiling and enjoying yourselves.

Puffin, your schedule seems very busy and fun

Hope everyone is having a great day.

EmmA

looks great Sandra! Shuf

Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe
with a person; having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure
words, but to pour them all out, chaff and grain together,
knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep
what is worth keeping, and then, with the breath of
kindness, blow the rest away.

George Eliot

Sorry I missed your birthday, Jackie.

Jackie - me too - Happy belated B-day. Of course you know that once you hit 50 you get to celebrate for a whole week. Once you hit 70, you get to celebrate for the entire month.

Happy Belated birthday Jackie

Thank you Puffin.  I'm really happy to have finally gotten this milestone handled.  I try not too --- but like many I have often projected my age as 70 when I wasn't quite there.  I'm already working on myself not to do that.  It isn't too big a deal, but  I think of my charge who has been almost a hundred for a long time --- and just this past June she was 99.  Now --- she is almost 100 and I so hope she gets there and beyond if her health keeps her in a reasonable spot.  But she ( with how she has talked for the two and a half yrs. I've waited on her ) is something of a reminder that you can be almost anything --- but you still can't get there till its time.  So, I'm thinking --- no need to rush. 

It has been a very nice day here.  Gentle breezes, and nice but not over-bearing warmth.  The kinds of days that I really enjoy.  I think we will stay a bit warmer now which is ok with me.  When it is like today, we can have the door open and the fans circulating some air. 

Hoping you all have a fantastic day.  See you tomorrow.

Jackie

Morning,

Another catch-up day for me.  Bill paying yesterday, and glad to have that over.  Have to re-stock pet food and supplies today and give a ride to a friend.  It will be a wonderful day and I'm going to work today as well.  I somehow expect to turn up at work and find the new little tiny puppy.  She could not come on the 11th.  her 8-wk. birthday, as she didn't have enough teeth yet.  So, though it hasn't been long --- I keep wondering if my employers will surprise me by just having her there. 

It would be a very NICE surprise for me to be sure.  Animal lovers are rarely, if ever, disappointed and I'll be thrilled.  Now to be sure afterwards that my charge doesn't FEED the dogs portions of table food.  This has been an on-going problem for the longest time.  The solution lately is that the resident dog must be put in her crate during meal times.   I was told last time I was there that two men ( apparently it was thought that they were yard workers ) came in and were feeding all sorts of table food to the dog.

I was quite tickled to say the least.  Though it was a far out tale, my charge can still come up with a story to cover her tracks when she is "caught" mis-behaving with her food.  I say yay for the age of 99 and coming up with that explanation.  May I remain clever if I get to that age.  I'm not clever now so it would be a good feat for me. 

Be back later, some time after work.  See you all then.

Blessings,

Jackie

Thanks Teka --- sounds like the puppy is coming over the week-end.  I do usually work one of the week-end evenings --- either Friday or Saturday night.  I didn't ask how likely it would be that the pup might make it on one of my work evenings.   Just thought --- it would be a nice surprise and maybe I'll just wait.  Who knows, it may end up throwing a monkey wrench in the works.  I hope not though.  A couple of yrs. ago when Sasha ( the little Yorkie came ) she just did wonderfully well.  Never kept anyone up at night ---- just slept in her tiny crate and nary a whimper at being AWAY from home. 

Well, that makes me cross my fingers hard enough to get instant arthritis.  Of course I hope she is able to incorporate herself just as well as little Sasha did.  Better for everyone.  She has a new crate awaiting her.  If she is restless --- maybe she can be put in with Sasha for a short while. 

Jackie