Sizzling September

[dill]

Quick and late check in here. I had the gdaughter over night and all day today. I am just now getting to put my feet up and relax. Cyn, LOL, I got a chuckle out of you saying, "I thought I WAS relaxed. Guess not." It's funny how we carry our stress around with us and don't even realize it. I know I do the same thing. It is hard to relax but I do think that focusing on the present moment, on a breath are each good starting points.

Lav, I agree that sitting and tuning in to nature is a great way to relax. I love this time of the year for all the sounds and all the intense light.

Star, Pauly I hope you each had good days today.

Have a peaceful, relaxed af evening.

[SnoopyC]

Good morning all...

Monday, and looking forward to a short week, the week of my Dad's funeral. I feel stressed about it, trying to just be calm, but it is hard. The weather is perfect though, dry and 70s and low 80s, low humidity.

Dill, I love this time of year too. It is just beautiful. We found a little apple orchard with a store, bought some apples and apple cider, so good. It was fun to find this little orchard that has been here for 90 years, with neighborhoods built up all around it. Still exploring my area, finding new places. Hope you are feeling well and nice to hear you had fun with granddaughter.

Lav, hope you got to relax yesterday. Is the weather there as nice as it is here?

Pauly, isn't it a good thing to get the grocery shopping done early? What's on the menu this week? I made spaghetti and turkey meatballs and it was delicious! When it ools off I can start making new stuff. I realize it is still hot out there, so maybe fall has a different feel.

Cyn, hope you had a restful weekend, painfree.

Have a good one.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends!

Love these cooler mornings, yay! Don't think the temp is going to make it out of the 60's today, ha ha. Doesn't look like much chance of rain this week although we could use some. I planted a 6 pack of rainbow swiss chard yesterday so I'll have to remember to keep it watered.

Glad you enjoyed your weekend Star. 12 years later I am still exploring this area & finding new things, it's fun
I imagine you will feel more settled after the funeral this week. Final goodbyes are not easy but they do help us move forward in the healing process.

Dill, I know that exhausted, end of the day, put your feet up feeling after a day with the grandkids, LOL
But I am grateful for each & everyone of those opportunities, honestly.
Even just a few quiet minutes outside with nature helps me to center myself

Pauly, I looked up EPO, had never heard of it before.
Honestly, to me it looks like a giant waste of money at $60/bottle. You're overpaying for an overdose of B vitamins with that stuff! No one needs a supplement that provides 1500% RDA of B vitamins. The body cannot use all that & simply throws it off (think very yellow pee). Those B vits can certainly make you feel hyper & jumpy. Looks like the product is marketed with extreme athletes in mind. A good old fashioned multivitamin/mineral supplement is the best bet. I buy a big bottle at Costco & save $$. I do take additional vitamin E to help fight inflammation & extra D3 to help with my bones.

Hi there Cyn, hope you are well. I made a new no bake breakfast bar recipe yesterday with GF oats, cinnamon & raisins - I'll let you know how it worked out. I used my homemade sunbutter in place of almond butter.

Time to get myself to Curves.
Have a wonderful AF Monday everyone!

Lav

[paulywogg]

Hello friends, oops Lav,I meant evening primrose oil, too lazy to spell it out yesterday today was a typical Monday,hard to get going,weirdo customers bleh,just hanging out with Louie watching Curious George, he loves that show! Hope everyone is enjoying their day

[Lavande]

Pauly ~ evening primrose oil is another story, ha ha!!!!
I tried some myself but wasn't able to tolerate it (bothered my gut). It is supposed to be helpful for PMS symptoms, stuff like that. I tried it hoping for extra hot flash relief
Curious George was a favorite for my kids way back!

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Monday was a good day, got lots done at work, happy and busy. Woke up early today with stomach upset, so did some meditation, visualizing calm, peaceful, and so far it seems to have helped.

Lav, yes, getting through the funeral week will be a relief. It makes it more real for me, and having to deal with the sadness/loss. Well, today is Tuesday already, so this week will probably go quickly.

Dill, I was exhausted on Sunday after chasing my grandson around for three hours. He just goes and goes, falls down, gets up, on to the next thing. He is wonderful. I took a nap in the afternoon.

Pauly, glad you made it through your Monday, and I understand about wanting vitamins to help.

Cyn, hope you are doing well and enjoying the outside, the weather here is just gorgeous.

Have a good one.

[dill]

Hello Friends, sorry I missed yesterday. It was just one of those busy days from start to finish simply bc the weather was so darn nice that I just kept moving from one thing to another. As I lay in bed last night I thought of you all and realized I had not posted!

Star, the toddler stage is really intense and I must say now that my gdaughter is 4 it is a relief in many ways. She occupies herself very well now and does a lot of pretend play. It's so cute bc I will sometimes wonder what she is up to so I will go to the foot of the stairs and listen. Her toy room is upstairs. I will hear her chattering away, talking to and for her little stuffed animals or little plastic farm animals. At the same time tho, since she is older, she covers more ground and living on a farm like we do, she ranges further from the house at times and when she gets out of sight I have to go out and find her. She loves nature and it's hard to keep her indoors. I don't even try on nice days!

Lav, I used to take mega doses of B vitamins when I first started my quit. When you mentioned the yellow pee it reminded me. My doc at the time had me on campral but she didn't suggest any vitamins. I learned more about those sorts of things on this website. But when I told her I was taking B vitamins on one of my visits she said she thought that was a very good idea. On one of my visits with her we got to talking about the heroin epi and she talked about how hard it is as a doc to know when a patient has a problem with al or prescription drugs. She told me she never would have guessed my issue if I had not told her.

Pauly, Curious George is a favorite here too! I always wonder what it would be like to be a hair stylist having to make conversation with a variety of people all day long. I think that would be very challenging. I am not a chatty person so I would have to use extra energy to engage in small talk. It comes naturally to so many. Mr. D for example. He's a natural at it.

Cyn, whatcha up to? The weather has been so grand I just imagine you are outside. I saw some tulip bulbs yesterday in the store and thought about making a spring flower bed. I'm going to look for a good spot today.

Hope everyone has a peaceful af Tuesday.

[paulywogg]

Morning friends, feeling sorta down this morning, hate this I don't get down often but when I do,I have a hard time got to kill the ANTS!!probably just worried about Kell cuz she's dealing with the arthritis in her back,chronically in pain and now she's dealing with anxiety, gave her some Seradyn.hope iit works for her,she needs to quit drinking red bulls too,I hate that shit! Had an incident with Louie that made me sad last night, I was trying to change his pull up and he threw a FIT cuz he didn't like the design on the ones I had!! So I told hubs to put it on him and hubs had to spank his bum twice,I started crying I don't know how I feel about spanking,I always let hubs handle our kids,who knows maybe if they'd been spanked more,they wouldn't be such turds now,anyways after the incident poor Louie laid by me on the couch and fell asleep, poor thing was just overly tired I hope today is good for us all,Star,my thoughts are with you this week,I can't imagine the emotions that you'reddealing with, the anxiety leading up to the funeral and stuff,hi Dill,Lav,Cyn,let's make today count,even in a small way

[Lavande]

Morning friends!

I was supposed to watch my younger grandson for a while this morning then take him to pre-K at 11:30 but plans changed. So, I am going to use my 'free time' to get some work done. I am preparing crafty stuff for craft week at Curves the week of Nov 3rd

Star, welcome to granny-hood in it's finest. Chasing the energy bunny toddler is a workout, ha ha! Keeps us young I think! Will you be traveling back to Florida for your Dad's funeral?

Dill, my granddaughter plays the same way - must be a girl thing
My grandson's have been known to wander a little when they are here, but not too much. They generally go toward the neighbors when they are out with their dogs. So far Lily seems to want to stay fairly close to the house.

Greetings Pauly & Cyn! Hope you are both well

I had a pretty restless night & I think I know why. I had a call from my nephew last evening that left me feeling pretty sad. His wife's MS symptoms are getting much worse. She has seen multiple docs & doesn't respond to any of the current med therapies. Poor thing is in her early 40's & is probably going to be completely disabled relatively soon. They live up near Papmom, so not near enough for visiting. The girl grew up there & has brothers & sister nearby. My nephew gets absolutely zero support from his mother, she doesn't even return his calls. She picked up & moved to Vegas when my brother died two years ago & I think she's pickled her brain - seriously. Hence my uneasiness! I was 16 when my nephew & his sister were born so I was involved with them from the very beginning. I really feel bad that he has no family support. Even his twn sister hasn't spoken to him in moe than 20 years. The whole thing is sad & ridiculous. My nephew has had his share of problems but has a big heart & has always been a kind person.

OK, enough of that! Have a great AF day one & all!

Lav

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Enjoying me coffee and reading your posts.

Lav, what a sad situation. Can you take some time and go visit? Fall in New England is a great time and the moral support and love you could share would be healing. Just a thought. The funeral is in the town i grew up in, about an hour outside Chicago. So, several hours drive, and lots of memories. It will be nice in some ways, just very emotional for all of us. And final. I am taking care of myself this week, eating well, thinking positively, and making sure to go to bed at the same time, all in preparation for getting through all this in the best way possible.

Dill, I love being a grandparent so much, it is great. To see the world through a child's eyes again is magical. Little kids are so happy! Being out in nature is so good for them, they learn so much, and we do too! So happy you are having a great summer/fall this year, you deserve it. Be good to yourself.

Pauly, sounds like you are really struggling. I am sure your husband spanked him and did not beat him, there is a huge difference. But you have a soft heart and are so loving. My kids have problems too, and it is not my fault, it is life. I think the same with your kids. We all have challenges, and I hear you blaming yourself sometimes. I am sure we both did stuff wrong, but we are human. Sometimes it is hardest to forgive ourselves, easy to forgive others. I think about how hard I am on myself, and I wonder if you are too. Have a great day.

Cyn, hope you are OK. Let us know.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends & welcome Fall!

I am ready for cooler weather even if the days are shorter, that's OK with me!

Pauly, I am so sorry I didn't see your post yesterday.
I have to tell you that it hurts our grandma hearts when the little guys act up. Usually there is a reason like being overtired as you mentioned. Sometimes I can recognize blood sugar drops in them too. Kids pretty much need to have the feed bag on constantly in my opinion. My granddaughter is famous for her dramatic outbursts for something like handing her the wrong color M&M, ha ha! She's been in the principal's office twice already for overreacting to nothing situations at school. They just need to learn what behavior is socially appropriate & what behavior is not. They will get the message, sooner or later.

Star, glad to hear you are looking out after yourself this week. Losing our parents is tough & something we all have to face at some point :hug:
I just can't see getting out of here to go visiting at this point but you never know. I am trying to offer support to my nephew & his wife over the phone & internet for now. She does have her family around so I am grateful for that.

Hello to Dill & Cyn!

I need to get myself out to Curves then straight back for some work.
I hope everyone has a wonderful AF day!

Lav

[paulywogg]

Morning friends, Lav,the trouble with Louie is he's a very picky eater! He'll eat like a pig for a few days then barely pick at anything for a few days,its weird,also his dad has him while Kells at work and he doesn't believe in naps!he thinks Lou only naps if he's bored,I say b.s he naps cuz he's 2!he tried falling asleep in the evening again last night,I had to force him to stay up,had the most horrendous anxiety last night,like the worst in years,think it was an allergy pill I took earlier in the day,or just woman stuff it was scary cuz there's nothing I'm worried about, its was more of a physical anxiety, then Iwas drinking a bunch of lemon water cuz ssometimes that calms me for some reason but then I was up all night peeing, not a great night for me hopefully today goes smoothly, hello to all,let's have a nice Wednesday

[treegirl]

Hi all - so sorry to be away! Things turned out to be pretty intense the last couple of days...

Sunday - did a big push in the yard, getting as much done as I could, knowing I wouldn't be able to for the next few days. I did manage to get the 4 (more) huge bags of invasives to the dump before they closed, that felt good. Then I dug up a cig clump of ornamental tall grass (1 of 5 that need to be moved) and put it out in the dog yard, right next to the septic D-box that froze last year. (That way in the middle of the winter if it freezes again in 3 feet of snow, we'll know where it is!) I like how it looks, and am thinking of adding some more garden plants out there - it has the most sun of any place in the yard! Then had a big writing assignment that came up that had to be done, so I worked until midnight on that.
Monday - raced around getting the house/dogs/dog food etc. ready for the dogsitter. By noon I was on my way to NYC to meet Mr T for the big opening of the piece he has been working on. That was a late night.
Tuesday - didn't feel great as a result of late night, poor sleep, and walking on high heels all evening. Eeek! Drove back up to CT, met with my GP to see about getting some tests ordered, and then made a special dinner for Mr T, who is home for a day and a half, though sick as a dog with a bad cold, so I'm nursing him here at home today.

So I've been thinking of you all, but it's been a bit of a race these last few days.

Star - sending you lots of support as you go through this week. Sounds like you have a solid plan in place, good for you. Dill - you are right, focusing on the present moment is the best thing. That's a big challenge for me! Lav - believe it or not, I have actually sat in my deck chairs once or twice! More time sitting there would be good for sure. RE: your nephew's wife - has she been checked for heavy metals? I had 2 friends in the midwest that had MS, and chelation therapy took most of their symptoms away. They still have to be careful of food additives and chemicals, but are so much better, and this is decades later. Maybe there's still hope -- there are several great Functional Medicine docs in Western MA, if she could get there. That's where Dr Mark Hyman had his practice, though he is heading up the Functional Medicine for Cleveland Clinic now, so I'm not sure he is there anymore. Maybe worth a try? Pauly - I have been told that Borage Oil has the same healthful qualities as Evening Primrose oil, and it's much less expensive...check it out!

OK, off to play Florence Nightingale with my poor Mr. T. Hoping all have a contented, grateful AF hump day -

[paulywogg]

Dang Cyn,you have been busy

[Lavande]

Pauly, you & I both know that 2 year olds don't do anything on a regular basis including eating & sleeping, ha ha! I always had a strict rule when my kids were little - no napping after 4 pm. I needed them to be ready to go to bed, for the night by 8 pm! That was the way to maintain sanity for me back then.

Cyn, you need to slow down before you drop, geez!
Who is taking care of you???
The reason my niece-in-law is having worsening symptoms is because she has developed a dozen new lesions on her brain & spinal cord snce her initial diagnosis 19 or 20 months ago. She has a very progressive form of MS. This is going to be bad I'm sorry to say. She had a brace made for one leg this summer because she was having difficukty walking. Now her hip is acting up. She has a lot of muscle spasms & resuklting pain. I hope she gets some relief from the new med regimen she was put on recently.

I hope everyone has a peaceful night :hug: