how about drinking?

Oh chit it's me, remember I don't think I've ever missed so much since I started. well u goils are super busy and that's all good.

Karen u look adorable in both pictures, really and I lubs the pics of ur bridesmaids pretty women and great dresses. I'm really glad uhave this to look forward to. My DD is having a hell of time too, they're stopping the last treatment for the "red devil" and waiting 2 weeks to start the taxol and stopping all the meds for steroids too <just the bag they'll continue> her feet are so red she can barely walk, but plus no sleep and sick all the time. Like you, I tell her about u so she knows she's not alone. She gets a little manic on the steroids so they are cutting them down a lot. I think u gals are 2 treatments away from each other.

U know everyone even tho I'm not here ur in my prayers and thought everyday. Work has been so very busy. I was taking calls this week til 11PM a couple of nites and the guys went out on the calls after I told them u'd better go, easy for me to say, but they went and were happy with the results..

CHEVY ha h now u can't blackmail me anymore, it's all out in the open <well almost> about our life of me degrading myself, yes me, u had already been doing that way before me and pretty much stayed at that level for many years hey u were used to it. But now look, u can make turkey, of course stuffing it is ur highlight. I've never made one, my hands are still part of my beauty, yours are shot anyway, after so many years on a pole. Except for being in a room with Betty White u are the oldest one in any place u visit.

Jazzy is in TX now hope she's having good time.

Lori u seem like things are going along----did u get any results yet??? Fun pics Lori.

NM u've been busy with ur mom and Dick, I hope u helped her with her computer. When I did get mine about 7 yrs ago I actually set it up myself, now I can't figure anything out myself either Joey or Dan has to do things for me and it still doesn't make sense to me.

Teka I hope ur Day was great.

Ours was totally quiet, but that's fine with me, I went last Saturday, so it's all good. I even walk a little without my walker now, slowly but what else is new.

Jodie was here a little bit yesterday, I like to give my girls a little Christmas top on TG so they can wear til Christmas, and even after both just has snowmen nd snowflakes, just little different design and color with matching earrings. I've been doing this forever nd it's just fun for me, I gave Joey a small lite up guardian angel, which he liked. I give my grandaughter a little extra for Christmas, she'll be 17 soon so she likes actual clothes.

Karen I hope u have decent week=end and do whatever makes u feel good.

And I give thanks for all u gals, u all mean so much to me, I can never say that enuff. Oh and another Leslieism I will never do that, but I think I told you yea she's given in to some Willie, I always say never say never. She's so much nicer then. LOL

I've been on here so long, my phone has been going during this nd the guys are taking this weekend off, but the phones aren't, so if I missed anyone I have no idea what I'm doing, just like Chevy, she never knows what she's doing.

LUBS U ALL

Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Saturday! Bright and sunny here, nice breeze, towels I washed and hung out a couple of hours ago are almost dry already. Spent the ayem going through my e-mails and getting that caught up and cleaned out. I entered a sweepstakes for a collection of sci-fi books and didn't notice in the fine print that I was also agreeing to sign up for a whole bunch of author's mailing lists. So I've gotten lots and lots of e-mails, which is a bit of a drag to go through, but I've also scored a couple dozen free e-books. I'll check out the newsletter e-mails as they come through and start weeding out the authors I don't care for, and hopefully find a couple new ones to follow.

Had a pretty nice Thanksgiving Dinner and visit with Mom and Dick yesterday, but boy can I see the changes in both of them. And I can see that I'm going to end up in the middle of some fun stuff. Dick wants me to help him convince my Mom to check with the Veteran's Association and see if she is eligible for any survivors benefits based on Dad's service. Dick thinks she's entitled to a pension or something. He wants to her to get set up with that, and then he will set things up so that his estate continues to pay half the bills as long as she lives in the house after he dies. The life tenancy thing was set up years and years ago, and Mom, in her usual fashion has always said that she's not sure she could afford to live there after Dick dies. Dad left Mom with multiple accounts, and she only takes the money she HAS to take from them, and puts most of that money into CDs or other investments. Mom is starting to get frustrated with Dick's neediness at times and with the house not being totally finished (still some painting and final trim work to do in some places). Dick keeps saying he's going to do it, but he really can't anymore, and won't ask anyone for help or hire anyone. Mom says she's spent her entire life living in unfinished houses and wants to live in a finished one before she dies. And she wants to have a dedicated space for crafts and sewing so she can work on projects and finish them. Right now her craft and sewing stuff is in a corner of the living room. And every time she starts to work on a craft or do some sewing Dick interrupts and needs help with something, and he has a very, very hard time with waiting, it makes him rather angry (typical of early to middle stage dementia). He really can't be left alone so that Mom can take a trip and get a break, and she doesn't want to talk to his kids about his memory issues given that their mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's years ago, is now in Hospice care with a 1 to 3 month prognosis. Mom also doesn't think any of his kids have noticed Dick's mental decline. What's really scary is that I can see some mental decline in Mom, especially getting dinner ready yesterday. She kept losing track of what she was doing and what needed to be done next. Of course, she was up early after a long day the day before and was a bit tired, and more than a bit irritated with Dick, so I'm sure that was part of it all, but still, she is 80 years old.

Goldie--It is funny how people get in their ways. It just occured to me that when Mom buys a minutes card she pays taxes, I'm going to figure out how much that is and compare to the auto refill rate, which I think will equal, pretty darn closely, the cost of a card plus taxes. That's a great cake, where on earth did you find it? Or did you make it yourself???? Meet you at the swim up bar!

Karen--Make sure to make an appointment to talk with a social worker at the center where you get chemo. There are a million programs out there for people getting chemo that provide financial assistance in different ways, and many people who qualify for assistance never learn about it. It is a financial stressor, going through treatment, and getting hooked up with any and all the help you can will make a difference. But sometimes you have to dig a little deeper than the routine stuff people think of, and the social worker will have that info. Many cancer related assistance programs do not have financial qualifications attached to them.

Cammy--So sorry to hear treatment is being so hard on Leslie. I'm glad they are noticing and making adjustments for her. And I did get Mom's phone set up for her, and it seems to be going ok, except that she is having to put in her contacts one at a time. I cannot figure why they didn't transfer, but at least she still has the old phone and can put in a few every day until she gets it caught up!

Teka--good for you getting those cards in the mail!

Dances with Hornets' DOTD

Fuzzy Blue Gobbler Drink Recipe

• 1 part peach schnapps
• 1 part Maui Blue
• 1 part Wild Turkey

Pour the ingredients into a shot glass and drink.

Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Sunday Funday! Raining here, with a few snowflakes mixed in for fun. I was hoping for another sunny, breezy day so I could wash and hang out the comforter and blanket. I got the sheets and pillows and pillow cases done yesterday as well as towels and work clothes. So I'm in good shape laundry-wise anyway. Now to get all those clean clothes folded, hung up, and put away! Good project for today, I think. Sadie has decided that her morning bathroom time is going to be 5 ayem. For the last 3 days she's gotten me up at 5 to let her out, then we go back to bed and snuggle and snooze until I feel ready to get up. I'm not sure why 5 ayem is the magic hour all of a sudden, but there it is! And Sadie is so good about getting me out of bed, if I don't get up she starts pushing things off the nightstand with her nose, she knows I can not stand that and I will jump up to get her to stop doing that. But she does give me 2 or 3 tries with nudges, barks, and door scratches before she does that. Oh, well, it doesn't hurt me to get up and let her out. I just think it does.

Chevy--it can get wild and wooly when a bunch of people, especially family, get together. And having too much food seems to be a part of the experience, too. As is the relief when quiet reigns again. But it does make for good days and pleasant memories. And leftovers. Mom and Dick do have the finances pretty well in hand, and have ever since Mom moved in with him. His kids are on his accounts, my brother and I are on Mom's accounts. Living Wills and POA's have been done, I have been talking with Mom about taking the next step of setting up Durable Powers of Attorney so that there is a designated person with authority to handle affairs after death and before the will is probated, since regular Powers of Attorney for Finances and Healthcare end at the moment of death. Both have estate wills in place that are very detailed and complete, as they both have specific things to got to their own kids and to prevent any confusion and possible fighting/nastiness after one or both of them die. I've been talking to Mom about changing the Living Will a bit, right now each of them is named as primary decision maker for the other, but Dick isn't understanding Mom's not wanting to go to the ER for every little ache and pain, and not taking any tests unless that test is totally needed to determine a course of treatment. Dick has more of a "do everything possible" mindset. And he's having trouble comprehending what doctors are telling him, even for his own care now. Mom currently lists me as second to make health care decision for her, she wants me to be first, but she keeps putting off doing the form, mostly cuz she doesn't want Dick to know cuz it would upset him that Mom doesn't think he can think clearly enough to do the job. Thank God Dick can still drive locally, he likes to go to the hardware store or something just about every day, Mom prefers to stay home and work on things there and go out every few days. Once Dick can't drive that is going to make Mom crazy, having to drive him and losing those moments of time to herself to work on projects and sewing. But it is really hard to see a man who ran his own successful real estate and insurance company for years and years, who rebuilt and flew a float plane for years now struggle to turn off an alarm or answer a Jitterbug phone. He turned all the financial management of the household over to Mom months ago cuz he can't manage it any more. Good for you for getting out and walking around the Mall! I've been telling myself I need to get back to walking for exercise again, and keep not doing it. Got to get my act together on that one.

Dances with Hornets' DOTD:

Teka, I didn't do any Black Friday either, but I also don't cards in the mail either!

NM, your poor mom not ever living in a "finished" home. Hopefully Dick's kids will see his decline. Glad you recognize it in both of them. Sounds like they have most things in order. I have some pretty amazing neighbors that are in their 80's. I find it amazing how Sadie knows so much. She is one smart cookie.

Wow ED, how many people did you have and how much did you cook? To have enough to send home and freeze! Glad you don't "feel" old, cuz you certainly don't look it! You and your hubby have a wonderful relationship. I so enjoyed reading your post. I'm not 80, but do color my hair. My hands look like someone around 100 years old!

Yummy breakfast Teka!

Company is gone! Leaving Tuesday for Laughlin for a few days then on to CA.

Hello Ladies,

I was out of my thread for this, my boss, the ass that he is, did some new things on the computer and mine was all effed up, only cuz I don't know any passwords anymore. which he thinks I should actually remember.

Wow Kim u've got ur hands full this is such a scary time of life for so many families. I don't remember how far u live from ur parents, but this is a lot of complicated things to go thru not just with ur head, but with ur heart. U have so much going on now, good things too, but I know this has to be hard on you. I'm so glad u have Sadie to come home to, it does make a difference.

Lori, ur on the go again, sounds good to me.

Chevy u were really busy for the Holiday, yep u did it girl I knew u could. BTW I don't remember what I said about my hands, but no no spots yet they should be coming tho.

This house is so quiet and kind of sad, but now I'm glad I'm working. I went to my breakfast "meeting" Sat. morning. Oy vey I actually was in on the conception of this new idea so that was good, but I really didn't understand the execution of any of it, which is my new job. This should be a fun week for me, BUT......

Joey came thru for my mood as usual, we were talking and he was stroking my f ace nd said why don't u have many wrinkles TA DA--I know he was thinking of his other grandma who's a little younger than me, but loved the sun all of her life, then he said he loved my hands and wanted to do my nails the right way, cuz I don't. <to him > I think he thought that would cheer me up LOL, aww it kinda did.

Karen I think about u cuz ur crap started bout the same time as Leslie's did and ur both having a difficult time with it. Leslie starts her new chemo on Friday this week, hope it's better on her and hope that urs will be too. My prayers are packed, but there is always room for more.

OK I think I'll stream some comedies this afternoon or scary movies whatever strikes my fancy <does anyone us that word anymore???, Oh Chevy does>

LUBS U ALL

OMG Chevy, Miss u wrote a pamphlet so ur a published author that u always talk about can't even read---well we know I can't type but I can at least read. I've been doing that for over 65 yrs. Missy--well I guess u missed school the day we learned the alphabit. Yes in one day, I went to Catholic school, we were advanced those days, I learned typing in a public school---see the difference... or did u bounce ur head off of to many poles.

OK now proper good morning.

Wow it's been quiet around here and it's MONDAY and back to work too. Chit now I feel like I really work, we're so busy, they really need someone who knows puter , that's not me.

I've been up for a couple of hours and decided I like the all nite TV shows better than the day shows, so it's just s well that I'm up, Isn't this exciting, my question mark is sticking so u might not see any.

OK I'll come back later.

LUBS U ALL

I know what you mean Mainer....  I just remember my Mom's "reception" after the funeral....  I was just so sad...  Hard enough to sit through the funeral, and memories...  I just wanted to be alone.... and cry on her bed.....  

With my Dad, just a few of us and his friends met at the Rolling Hills cemetery, and one of his friends gave a Military talk, and it was over pretty soon...  Then my Brother and I met his old buddy/neighbor Jim, at "their" Bar...  and we had a couple toasts to Dad...  It was easier....  

It's just so hard on the loved ones that are left...  takes awhile....  especially when my Brother and I had to close up their house...  Get rid of all of their things.... and memories....  and put the home up for sale...  So thankful for my Brother....  

Now miss Iwokeupearlierthanyou thing.... Not a chance!  Hah!  And yes!  I WAS dropped on my head when I was about 13...  I had amnesia for awhile....  But the worst part was I somehow forgot all of my school years...  Maybe it was also because of my childhood...  and things that happened.....  And maybe my school years were not important enough to remember...

Growing up sometimes is hard on little kids, when their memories are only of hard times.... things that happened...  And losing your memories of hurtful times was maybe a blessing...  THEN when life settles down, and you can relax and forget, your mind chooses to straighten out...  and you start all over!

But my folks moved away after I met my future Husband....  I wouldn't move away with them....  And somehow I made my own life, with my Husband... for over 60 years now....  Had 2 daughters, bought our own little older Victorian house, and that's all I ever wanted....  Nothing more I could ever wish for......

Cammi, you just crack me up!   What's fun is we don't pay any attention to each other, and we can say anything we want, just to make each other laugh!   Oh wait!  You learned to spell?  Let me re-iterate....  YOU LEARNED TO SPELL????   That would take all the fun out of this....  HaaaaaaHHHaaaaaa!  Don't you have spell-check???  Oh wait...  that's a silly question....

I have to go practice on my pole....  And meet all the guys out in the alley....

Chevy, I'm with you on no funeral, and I think that's becoming the new norm. They are sad and to walk up and stare at a dead body just doesn't seem right. My neighbors down the road have chickens, goats, cows, dogs, cats and a horse.

Cami, I have a printed paper with all of my passwords. No way could I remember them all, and there are some that have to be changed every 30 days or so. What a little sweetheart that Joey is. So did you get the manicure? Being up so early, I hope you make it through the day ok.

NM, glad Sadie didn't get hurt with that knife you found in her crate. A new computer, AND you got it up and running!

Karen, reading your blog and about them taking your blood pressure on the cancer side…did you have nodes removed? If so, NOTHING to that side. No needles, no BP.

Jazzy, safe travels home. You are returning and I'm leaving.

Leaving tomorrow, but probably not early. Stay in Lauglin until Friday and then head to CA. Staying there until Sunday morning and then either 11 drive home or back to Laughlin for the night and home on Tuesday.

Morning DahhhLinKs!

Haven't read thead in weeks, so just pooping in here.  

Hope all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday.  DH ate at work.  The place he works always do a big dinner with all the trimmings and he was working so he got lots to eat.  Then Friday we both went to DD's for all the trimmings.  It was nice time.  

Got my brainscan last Tues, still waiting to hear results and schedule for my f/up with my onco.  I didn't expect, really, a call until some time this week cuz of the holiday.  I will call them tomorrow if I don't hear anything today.  Otherwise, I feel OK most of the time.  Am still very full of anxiety, but kno it will end eventually.

Hope all are OK and remain fighting.  Sending prayers, positive energy and lots of BIG HUGS AND LOVE to all.

Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Twofer Tuesday! Very chilly this ayem, 14 degrees, feels like 8 with wind chill from the bit of a breeze we've got. Frosty sparkles all over everything, very, very pretty as the sun is coming up. The temps made me very glad to have Sadie to cuddle up to last night. She is such a wonderful bed warmer, and seems to like the job, she even got herself positioned last night so that she had her snout over my cold nose!

Sort of did my first Travel consultation on my own yesterday. Had another nurse sitting in in case of questions, and she kind of took over. I had the paperwork set up the way I could keep track of all of it for everyone (3 people at this appointment) and the first thing she did was come in and rearrange all the paper work! OK, so this I could deal with, I had enough time to put things back in the order I wanted. Then she jumped in and answered every question that was asked without giving me a chance to. Again, I could cope, especially since I haven't memorized all the statistics yet (working on it). This nurse has been doing travel consults for years and is a true expert, and truly does have all the details in her head, and has her own routine for covering all the details, and does a very, very good job. By the time we were done I was feeling very much the bumbling beginner! Oh well, got two more observed sessions set up, one for Friday, then I'll be able to do them by myself and really develop my own routine that works for me.

Cammy—sometimes late nite TV is better than daytime TV! I think it's cuz it tends to be older programs, and older programs have more appeal to some of us. I suppose it's good for business for the phones to be busy, but it sounds stressful for you.

Safe travels, Jazzy!

Chevy—I agree, a reception after a funeral, especially a reception after a graveside committal service after a funeral is a lot to get through. A graveside talk and a few drinks in a bar sounds like a great way to acknowledge someone's passing. Cleaning out and closing up a home is hard, more so when it's the childhood home. I'm glad your brother was a source of strength and support. Head injuries are funny things, sometimes they cause amnesia, sometimes not. Then amnesia is a funny thing, sometimes taking a few minutes, sometimes years.

Oh, my, someone start a fire!

Goldie—It amazes me the kinds of things Sadie can handle without getting hurt! The new computer is still being loaded with all the old files, but is functional and I'm pretty proud of myself, it only took one day to get it up and running! Have a safe trip to CA and back.

Chi—Coincidence? Me thinks not! Eerie, though.

Mema—Waiting on results is so hard, and such an anxiety inducing situation. Sending prayers and hugs.

Karen—nothing wrong with taking some time off work during treatment. There is no magic about working during treatment, and being superwoman is only good for every one around you, and not for you. I've read that getting chemo creates the same level of physical stress on a body as a one hour surgery. Can you imagine someone working full time after having a 1 hour surgery every week? That would be considered too much for anyone, but somehow it's ok for people getting chemo and radiation. Your body needs rest to repair the damage being done by the drugs, and nothing will change that need. Good for you for taking leave.

Dances with Hornets' DOTD:

Good morning friends- got home without problem yesterday and grateful for easy travel both to and from TX over the holiday weekend. I had a fun time there visiting my friend and seeing some new things as well as checking out some areas from the past. Highlights included a trip to the Dallas arboretum to view some amazing gardens and seasonal displays as well as a trip to the Perot Science and Nature museum to check out the amazing fossils and minerals on display. Lots of good food, wine, and a bit of shopping too.

Got back yesterday am and got started on catching up on mail, laundry, etc. then took a 4 hour nap. Dang this girl is tired from packing in so much the five days I was there and also not sleeping as well. Typical of me during any travel, and nice to sleep in my own bed. Some phone calls in the evening and went to bed early to sleep almost 9 hours. Still tired today but decided to take things slow and focus on getting more caught up today here at home and with my biz. I have some pics I will post for you soon too!

Got some reading to do on everyone's statuses and holiday experiences next. December is almost here!

*Loungettes*

Husband and I are serving up a Thanksmas dinner for Son, Daughter and Boyfriend during December.

Good Morning, Loungettes!Happy Hump day! I've been going through my e-mail and getting all sorts of things caught up and sorted out. Feeling very accomplished and haven't even gotten dressed yet! Downloading my old computer stuff to the new computer has triggered some updates, so some of my programs don't look the same, and I'm going nuts working on getting them back to the same settings they were on! Ah, well, at least the data and files are all still there, it's just going to be a matter of time before I get everything reset or get used to new settings. Sadie is happily basking in the sunshine, snoozing between barking at every leaf that floats by the window. Gotta love a dog's life!

Karen--I have pretty high hopes that the next travel consult will go better, there should only be one or two people, not three, so there will be fewer papers to keep track of. And I hope she will sit back a bit more, but we'll see. We do have to be thinking about getting people in and out and not taking too long (although we schedule 2 hours appointments and people are rarely here more than an hour and a half). I expect Friday's session will go better. I bet your kiddo makes a great bed warmer/snuggler! And I bet those are pretty precious times for the both of you. As far as the leave goes, under the ADA cancer is considered a disability and employers MUST make reasonable accommodations, including leaves. Under FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) employers with more than 50 employees must take a person on leave back into the same or comparable position, without loss of seniority, for up to 12 weeks of leave time. We all find limits to what we want made public (like wearing wigs/wraps to work) and what we don't, we just all find them in different places. It's more important to recognize when the limit hits then when it hits. Good for you for recognizing your limit! I'm sure you feel like your heart has taken amuch bigger hit than the scan shows, that's because there are other factors that are adding to the feeing winded and short of breath. Chemo also suppresses the bone marrow where redand white blood cells are made. Almost everyone in chemo is anemic to one degree or another, and a classic sign of anemia is feeling winded or short of breath with activity. Add to that the amount of energy your body is putting into tissue repair from chemo damage (stomach lining, hair follicles, making red and white blood cells faster than usual) and there isn't much energy left for other things. The hystoplasmosis thing is crazy! Good luck with getting off the nicotine band wagon. Not an easy thing to do!

Jazzy--Glad you had a good trip, and welcome home! I don't sleep as well when I'm away from home, either. Nothing like your own bed for good sleeping!The arboretum and museum sound fascinating. But the unpacking, laundry and ketchuping can take some time and energy. Can't wait to see some pics.

Teka--My family does a Thanksmas dinner/get together in December, too! Love the poem, too!

Goldie--No she didn't give me much of a chance, but it's also hard for her to sit and watch and not be doing. And now I know her style better and, if there are fewer people at the next appointment, I can be more aggressive about taking control of the paperwork. If it's in my hands, she can't shuffle it!Rooms next to the elevator usually aren't good ones, in my experience. Hope you get a change to a great room!

Dances with Hornet's DOTD:

Good afternoon friends- still feeling tired and a bit headachy today that sometimes comes after being down to lower altitude for a week. Then today, on the way home from the grocery store, I got a speeding ticket. Sigh. Welcome home jazzy......

NM- I think it is cool that you are doing the travel clinic work. Given that is new for you, it may take a while to get the hang of it. I remember you had that older couple who were asking you all kinds of unrelated questions about the travel destination early on.

Funny, I was next to these people coming back on Monday who were asking me if I was going to Vegas and said "well this flight goes to ABQ and then on to Vegas after." They said "oh it does?" Then they were pulling out their license again to show to the gate agent (which was something they did for awhile after 911 but not recently). I always manage to be next to those people. I have TSA pre-check so at I don't get caught up there at least, just cruise on through. But I noticed on the way back, the buzzer was going off and instead of scanning our bodies, they made us take out our cel phones and they were checking them for something. Hmm.......

Goldie- I hope your time in Laughlin is going well and hope you got a better room. Being next to elevators, stairwells, vending machine/ice machine areas can always be a disaster. Let us know if you win big out there?

Cami- I am behind on reading your stuff but hope your holiday weekend was peaceful. I know the holidays won't be easy this year with Leslie being in treatment. I hope you can keep things simple and just spend quiet time together. I was in treatment over the holidays 5 years ago and just rested over the holidays. Different for a single person like me with no family around too, but when there are elders and kids, everyone likes it to be kept standard. I hope Leslie is coping okay and that Joey and you are able to talk about things.

Chi- how are things going for you? Any interesting wines over the holidays. We picked up a bottle of Coppola Claret while I was out in Texas and it was very good. I had some tasty margaritas along the way too, as well as a blood mary one day. Now me and my liver are drying out......

Dara- what are you up to sista?

How about CeliaC and Ill and all they have going on? You ladies okay?

Mema- I know things are hard for you as well. Let us know what you hear about your brain MRI.

BTW, while I was away this weekend, I called my best friend back who I had not been able to catch in awhile. She was weighing heavy on my mind and found out on Sat she just got diagnosed with bc (three areas) in one breast. I chatted with her for awhile sat and called her now that I am home and she goes to the breast surgeon tomorrow. I am far away, but we go through all of life's hardest things together so I will be her bc helper. She is still numb from the news.

Gotta get some things done and wishing everyone a good rest of the day. Will get some pictures on this thread next.