July Jewels

[Lavande]

Pauly, tell us more about Boulder City - sounds interesting. Hope your lunch was good

Dill, bless you for your hard work & devotion. I'm sure they appreciate you, your son as well.
I can quite imagine how tired you are at this point. Somehow all this activity helps keep us young. Take good care of yourself :hug:

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Lav, thanks for that post. I am part of a community, two actually: family and work. I'll just keep working on finding another one. You are right, no small minded groups for me. I envy you all your veggies from your garden, how fun that would be. My tomatoes are still green, and more rain on the way. It is really wet here.

Dill, my heart goes out to you, but you are building memories, and will have time to yourself later this week hopefully. We had a hot and sunny day yesterday too. Rain again today.

Pauly, hope you had a nice day and lunch. We drove to an outlet mall, shopped a bit and had fun exploring a new area. Let us know.

Have a good Monday everyone.

[Lavande]

Good Monday morning friends!

Hot & humid is the word for today & it looks like T storms will be popping in & out all week. I guess that's what summer is all about

I harvested carrots last evening & replanted them along with more beets - extending the growing season until mid September. YB has a bunch of baby broccoli & cauliflower plants started for a fall crop All this planting & growing is nice until I need to find 'good homes' for all the produce, ha ha!!

I hope your weather eases up a bit Star. Too much rain causes the tomatoes to split open while still on the vines, ugh.
I was just thinking it's time for me to send out a group email to my old work friends & try to arrange a lunch. It's always comforting to get together with them for a few hours

Dill, I hope you have an easy day today!

Greetings Pauly, Papmom & Cyn!

I'm heading out to Curves as soon as I feed all the hungry animals around here.
Have a great AF day everyone.

Lav

[paulywogg]

Hello friends, had fun yesterday, the weather was nice, not too hot for Louie,we stopped at a place called the chicken shack (sorry Stella) deep fried chicken strips and fries,it was fun to get out of Vegas for a bit and Kell was off for a change so a nice family outing Boulder city is a small town on the way to Lake Mead,population less than 10,000,lots of rich peeps of course but kind of reminds me of my hometown up north,I wanted to drive to the lake or Hoover dam but hubs is lazy I guess in a hurry to come home and sit around haha,Lav,I'm jealous of your gardening skills, I would love to be able to just go outside and pick veggies and fruit,tbh I'dpprobably eat more of them cuz they'd be right there ya know? Hope everyone has had a nice Monday ,hello to all enjoy the evening

[Lavande]

Pauly, glad you enjoyed your day out
Stella knows we don't eat red meat around here so it's chicken, turkey or nothing for the most part, ha ha!!!
It is nice to grow veggies & whatever I don't grow I can buy from one of the thousand Amish markets around here. I even got my local Amish guy to give me instructions on how to grow garlic properly. I purchased & planted the garlic last August & it's almost ready to harvest now. Takes a year in the ground - go figure!!! I read that the garlic we buy in supermarkets may be imported from as far away as China - don't want that
What kind of farmer markets do you have around? There must be something....
Today I ended up making 6 pints of bread & butter pickles - the cucumbers are coming in so fast & I only have 2 plants.

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Lav, love hearing about your garden, all the wonderful veggies, and now garlic. So great to be able to harverst and consume your own food. Haven't even looked at my tomatoes. My son is here for a few days, and also lots of talking to my brothers, about our Dad, who is not getting better. It is so difficult with him in Florida, and he is so sick, we can't move him closer to one of our homes. It is a nightmare. We are doing the best we can, which long distance is so hard. Drinking right now would make everything worse, of course. So happy to be AF and able to feel the hard feelings and not be sick. Being AF is just a gift that keeps on giving, on and on, no matter what. I know sometimes we just mention life, but at the bottom, top and all around our lives is the single most important issue, being AF. If anyone is reading this ,know that is why we come here, to talk about our lives, to reinforce our decision to live our lives differently than in the past.

Pauly, what a lovely little day you described. How fun. Your husband sounds a little like mine,he loves to be at home. So he can get watch his TV and relax in his chair! How sweet that your daughter was off too and it was a family outing. I am excited to have both my son and grandson this weekend to spend time with, do some fun things, and build memories. Again, AF makes it all possible.

Hello to Dill, Cyn and Pap. Have a good one.

[dill]

Hello friends, I'm still here. So are the grandkids. My son is coming today so things will start getting back to normal for me but not until tomorrow. He promised his son a trip to King's Island tomorrow, He will be spending the night with us so they can leave from here early. Little granddaughter is too small for the big rides so she will be here with us.

Star, how nice you will have your son and grandson both for a few days! It will be such a help having your son to help with the baby. You must be taking a couple of days off this week, are you? Do you have a bicycle seat for baby mounted on the back of your biKe? We did that when granddaughter was a toddler. I had one when my kids were little and I loved getting out and getting exercise that way. When the grandkids came along we bought a new seat and put it on the back of my hb's bike and we took rides together. I wouldn't have the energy or confidence to go it on my own these days. You are so right about AF being the gift that keeps on giving. As Martha Stuart would say, "It's a good thing."

Lav, we tried growing carrots a couple of years ago but were marginally successful. I don't think we got the soil conditions just right for them, but it was fun. We bought an heirloom variety so they were all kinds of colors, not just orange. What we did manage to grow, we definitely enjoyed.

Pauly, your outing sounded really fun. I would love to see the Hoover dam. Isn't that listed as one of the 'wonders of the world'? I'm glad you enjoyed the day. I am still not clear on my question of whether not you and Mr. P are empty-nesters or not.

Yesterday was Mr. D's birthday. Grandson wanted to bake him a special cake and suggestted a "Dirt Cake" with worms. You may be familiar with it. It's actually not a cake, but it is a real treat. You make it with chocolate pudding and crummpled oreo cookies. After it chills you place gummie worms on top. They helped make it and loved every minute of it!

Off I go to enjoy the day. Have a good one everybody!

[Lavande]

Good morning friends!

Looks like a gloomy & damp day here but that's OK. I need to get to my desk & get some paperwork done anyway.
A thunder storm had us all awake at 4:30 this morning, not fabulous.

Dill, it's good to hear that your son is feeling better. I hope the boys enjoy their day out
Does your granddaughter like arts & crafts activities? It's a good way to spend some semi-quiet time with them.
Happy birthday to Mr D! I'm sure the dirt cake was a big hit, ha ha!!!

Star, I totally agree that AF is the only way to go!
I am so grateful to be done with all that & I'm sure you are as well. Getting to spend time with the little ones is so special.
I am sorry that your Dad is still having a rough time. Have you been able to talk to him at all? I just hope he knows that he can stop treatments any time he chooses & opt for comfort measures only. It's not likely that any doc will be up front with him about that, sad. I'm so glad that you have the opportunity to spend time with your son & your grandson :hug:

Hey there Pauly, Cyn & Papmom!

I need to haul myself together & probably get myself to Curves.
Have a great AF day everyone!

Lav

[paulywogg]

Hello friends, Dill,that "cake" sounds good,we used to make that when the kids were little,that and lots of jello for some reason, me and Louie just made the BEST chocolate chipcookies,which is as bad as booze as far as stopping at one haha,not really empty nesters we have a 17 year- old at home, the only boy out of 4 kids,luckily he's a great kid did it storm a lot Lav?we've been dry and windy,my allergies again, I had a reprieve now they're back hi Snoop,Tree,Papmom, off to get some Advil,hope everyone's day has been bueno

[treegirl]

Hello all -
Apologies for being away. 8 trips into the city in the last 10 days with a 6 hour commute each time and long work days there have left me virtually no internet time - since I'm the only person that doesn't own a 'pad' of some sort! I have been thinking of you all.

Wow - everyone is handling so much. So glad to hear that you are almost done with the 24/7 kid care, Dill. Star - my heart goes out to you and your family and your Dad - as Lav said, it's OK to mention palliative care. Pauly - good luck with the family situation. Lav - what a garden!

As Star said, the AF life is the only way to go through all of this and stay (sort of!) sane.

Big hugs to all - tomorrow I'll be back in my home office, so things will get sorted out. Wishing everyone a great hump day. (PS - girl dog OK for now...)

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Lav, hope you were able to get your paperwork done. We found out the cancer has spread and with treatment 1-2 years, every other week with chemo. I don't believe it. And, no side effects. What a bunch of baloney. Without treatment, 3-6 months. So, it is up to him. No good choices again. This information was not freely given Lav, you were right. The doctor had to be asked, directly. They just think differently than their patients. No, there is very little humanity in this process, but to say there are no side effects is a lie. I am upset.

Dill, it is nice to have company, but alot of work, worry about meals,etc. The worms dessert sounded fun and delicious, plus great to make!

Cyn, good to hear from you, take care of yourself.

Pauly, hope you are feeling better.

Have a good one.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends & happy Hump day!

What a crappy night of thunder, lightening & hot flashes, ha ha!!
Still gloomy & very muggy here, yuck.

Pauly, we are definitely having some damp weather here. At least it's keeping the pollens down but all this moisture makes it hard to breathe. I can't imagine how difficult it is for people with chronic lung disease, ugh. Keep working on your immune system - our very own built-in defense system

Cyn, wow you have been busy!!!
Take good care of you too & good to hear your girl dog is OK.

Star, I'm afraid nothing much has changed in the world of medicine. I always felt driven to advocate for patients, especially for the ones who were unable to speak up for themselves. This puts a lot of pressure on families to be sure that their medical directives are being honored. Doctors are famous for ignoring them & I think that is ethically & morally wrong. All you & your brothers can do is the best you can do. As long as your Dad wants to continue treatments just be as supportive as possible. But, if & when he changes his mind & wants to stop treatment don't be afraid to stand up & speak to the medical staff on his behalf. I did that for my parents & in-laws, it was difficult but it was the right thing to do :hug:

Dill, I hope you are hanging in there & get a break very soon. You win the grandma award this past week & more

Papmom, what's going on with you?

I am hoping to get to Curves first, then back to tackle more paperwork before the boys return this afternoon. Busy times around here!
Wishing everyone a great AF day!

Lav

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

I am so tired, when you have crisis in your family, you really need time off to sleep and get your strength up. I slept nine straight hours and could have slept more, but have to go to work. So, lots of strong coffee for me!!!

Lav, so good to hear you are busy and happy. Keep it up!

Hello to Cyn,Dill, Pauly and Pap. Have a good one.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends!

Looks like a beautiful day shaping up here. I am going to take advantage of it & go visit my girls today. We can go out for lunch & do a little shopping, yay! I've had enough of my grandsons this week, ha ha!!

Star, I'm thinking of you & hope you can continue to get restorative sleep like that. It does really help the body cope better.
I hope your day is a god one.

Greetings to Dill, Pauly, Cyn & Papmom.
Wishing everyone a very nice AF Thursday!

Lav

[dill]

The blessed sound of silence has finally returned. My son and grandkids left last night at 8 o'clock. It was been an absolute treadmill for me these past 11 days! Even today we had to get up very early for a medical test for Mr. D that was at 6:45 pm about an hour from here. Yesterday little granddaughter ended our week with a flourish as her cough worsened and she developed an ear infection so Mr. D and I had to run her into urgent care while my son and grandson were away at the amusement park for the day. So our visit was jam-packed full right up until the very last! LOL! My son is much better and is able to resume his parental duties and I am so very glad for him to be feeling better.

Star, I am so sorry to hear that your Dad's condition is worsening. I bet you are exhausted. I have a little extra energy I can send your way today. Hope it helps!
I read a book with my grandson this week and he seemed to enjoy it. We took turns reading aloud. It was Henry and Ribsy, by Beverly Cleary. He was so proud to have completed a "chapter book"! You probably read some of her books with your kids long ago. I remember doing that with mine. I started a Young Adult novel called Smack, by Melvin Burgess. It chronicles a teen runaway's sad descent in to drug abuse and addiction. It's well done but so far too depressingly realistic and I may not be able to continue it. I have decided I would like to read the Michener book you mentioned called, The Source, so that will be next. I've never read any Michener but from what I understand he was wildly popular in the second half of the 20th century and he wrote South Pacific from which the wonderful movie was made. I loved that movie!

Lav, isn't it wonderful to finally have a glorious day?! What a strange summer it has been. I hope you got out and enjoyed the afternoon with the girls. It sounds like fun!

Cyn, all I can say is, "Wowzers!" (Scooby Doo)

Pauly, I figured you might know about the dirt cake. We used to do it for preschool parties when I was still working. The kids loved it!

Off I go to enjoy the rest of this gift of an AF day!