Freedom February

[paulywogg]

Re: Freedom February

Morning friends,SK,you sound lonely and that makes me sad I'm lucky I'm pretty close to two of my girls but my oldest is a bit distant with me,,not that we don't get along just she doesn't seem to "need" me very much,I got some shoes,flowers and Turtles from hubs,Lav,that tractor is ginormous! Pretty color though I miss Star too,its boring a bit without her input,not that any of us are boring,I just miss her input and hearing about her new recipes,etc,Cyn,hope you're having fun! Wishes for a great,freedom filled Thursday for us all!

[SKendall]

Re: Freedom February

Pauly, don't worry about me. Over the past few days the veil has been lifted from my eyes and I see clearly now - and relieved. Your oldest seems to be more independent and that's a good thing. I am one of four siblings two of use moved away from our home and 2 stayed close to home. Myself and my brother are able to make good decisions and cope well with adversity, better than the other 2. That's my experience anyway. All families and siblings are different. Good Valentine's Day haul.

Lav, glad you got some goodies. Is the tractor on f/b. I'll nip over and see. About the inheritance money, stepson is a corporate lawyer for General Mills and can be trusted to cross the t's and dot the i's. Maybe this is just probate. If his will precludes me, I think I will still get 50%. We'll see. Temp is 73 deg today but very windy. Peggy and I just came home from the park, a daily event.

I saw a man who'd had a stroke today and his wife/daughter caring for him. No way DD would deal with that. My MIL used to invite my parents over 1xyear at Christmas. That's all she wanted. My mom used to refer to it as "taking us off the shelf and putting us back in 3 hours, lol.

I did have a nice surprise today. Ger worked in Canada for about 8 years, so including the exchange rate and 30% fee for not living in Canada makes it about $120.00 a month. I called the bank yesterday and was advised it had been deposited into an old bank of mine. How would they know about that bank? In any event it was $560 waiting for me. I just remembered! Bank of America closed down in WA and was replaced by a local bank. So, at one time we were both banking there.

Cyn, are you looking like a Swiss maid yet and yodelling? When will you be back?

May be back later.

[Lavande]

Re: Freedom February

Greetings friends

It hit 63 degrees today - woo hoo!! But we are told to expect up to 6 " of snow Saturday night, ha ha! Sounds like a case of give & take.

SK, the tractor is ridiculous really BUT at least this way I shouldn't have to hear complaints all summer about how bad the old one is running. He's the one who wanted this large lot, Lol
You know, having money, stocks & mutual funds & whatever all over the place is confusing. We met with a financial planner at our credit union last year & had him consolidate everything for us. Young guy but he sure knows his stuff. He also knows how to make your money work for you, if you know what I mean. I'm glad to hear that you have someone to help you navigate all that stuff, it's not easy. Nice that Peggy enjoys being social. My half beagle is a little too hyper to play nicely with other dogs.

Pauly, I think you have your hands pretty full with Kell & the kids & keeping an eye on your son. Your independent daughter seems determined to do her own thing, that's OK.
My son is fiercely independent until he needs something from me, ha ha. I am meeting my daughter & granddaughter tomorrow. They haven't seen the orchids exhibit at Longwood yet so I'm going to show them around (like I own the place, ha ha). The kids have no school tomorrow so it's a good time to go.

Hello Cyn, hope you are enjoying your trip.
Hello Star, we are still here

Have a nice night everyone!
I'm still thinking about those poor people in FL dealing with yesterday's massacre, so sad.

Lav

[treegirl]

Re: Freedom February

Morning excellent women! I sure miss you - internet issues have made communication a little difficult, but I am always thinking of you!

SK - I remember being told by a therapist once that family is what you are born with, or that you bear (sp?). After that, it is all up to choosing to relate or not, depending on if all concerned decide to treat each other with kindness and compassion. That was an absolutely shocking thing to hear when I was in my 30s, but in the intervening years i have trained myself to think of my 'birth family' vs. my 'family of choice' (of which this thread is a part). So, set your boundaries and choose away!

Pauly, how is everything going for you? You are a little quiet, it seems. I hope that everything is going well with the new baby and that Louie is coping OK with being a big brother. How are you feeling? Any help with creams or potions? Travel always seems to bring out hormone-related issues for me. Two nights ago I was up for 4 hours! Sheesh. Had a good sleep last night for the first time, whew. Hope you are getting some zzzzzs.

Lav, I got teary when you mentioned Maxie. Yep, she would fit right into this landscape. Dogs here need to be big and strong to cope with all this snow. Yesterday was to be a big snow storm, but all the snow stayed up in the mountains, and it was a slushy rainy day in the valley. But people still were going up skiing, amazing! I was thinking of my girl dog last night, too. Sometimes travel gives you perspective... or maybe I am just getting a little homesick... I was wishing she would be there to greet me when I get home. Have a wonderful time at Longwood with the girls, that sounds great!

Star, really hoping that you feel that you are healing, and feeling good about yourself. Sending you lots of light and support, and hope to hear from you soon.

So it was a kind of messy day here yesterday, but still beautiful. Today it is still misty, and the sky seems as full of white as the ground. We are at a little hotel right at the foot of the Eiger, one of 3 peaks in a row here, including the highest peak in Europe, the Jungfrau. We can see parts of the mountains appear and disappear as the clouds settle in and then move on. If the clouds lift this afternoon, we will go up high to a ski area with an allegedly amazing viewing platform. If we wanted to do it, there is a 15 km sledding run! Ah, maybe not - maybe a snowshoe walk or something, we will see. I am a little cabin-fevery after being all day yesterday, though the rest was welcome.

Wishing all a day with good boundaries, treating ourselves with respect, and finding some pretty light to enjoy.

[paulywogg]

Re: Freedom February

I hope you're taking some pics Cyn,would absolutely love to see the views,had a terrible relapse yesterday and I just have no excuses but my lack of sleep has me wondering if I'm going crazy or not,,,labs came back all fine so I just don't know

[SKendall]

Re: Freedom February

Hello everyone.

Cyn, FLA is just another example of our kids not being protected while the NRA is. Makes my blood boil, the darned gun lobby is paying congressmen for the existing laws. With #MeToo women are getting recognition and strength and I am hoping we women can do something b/c men are the gun users. There is an old spy movie with Richard Burton and I do remember how white and pristine it looks and the Eiger looked so majestic. Thanks for sharing the therapist's advice. This thread's posters are also very important.

Lav, too funny about the tractor. I mean nothing disrespectful or offensive to the wonderful men of MWO but men love the sound of engines. My husband and our neighbor used to greet each other with vroom vroom noises.

Pauly, I know how badly you want this. Not a guilt trip but your kids and grandkids need your sobriety. Please don't extend this relapse. When I was in AA and trying to quit and I was exhausted from no sleep my sponsor used to tell me fatigue would't kill me, but I DISAGREE. Extreme fatigue causes poor choices and poor judgment. I think it's time for medical intervention. Someone mentioned trazedone and that's what was described for me. I once stayed awake for 5 days when we were building our home in WA. I looked out the window one day and the tree trunks all wobbled. And yes, I thought I was going crazy. Please see a doc.

[SKendall]

Re: Freedom February

Cyn, I think that movie was called Eiger Sanction.

Lav, we had a financial adviser when husband retired at 55. He did our wills, IRA's etc. He moved to Hong Kong about 6 yrs ago, and now there is no money to manage, lol.

Pauly:hug::hug:

[paulywogg]

Re: Freedom February

SK,I did see a doctor,she gave me melatonin,I'm taking a break for a wee bit too,love you all

[Lavande]

Re: Freedom February

Good evening friends,

I did have a nice but rather short meet-up with the girls. The little one is turning 7 this month & I vividly remember taking her to Longwood for the first time when she was about 2-3 months old. Time flies!

Cyn, your trip sounds awesome
I got to spend a few days in Engleberg with my daughter's senior French class. We were there the few days before Easter & Swiss chocolate was EVERYWHERE
We took a gondola ride up Mt. Titlis, scary but fun. At the top, from the lookout you could see for what looked like thousands of miles.
I hope you get out & enjoy the freshness of the air & the light when it returns. I would be scared to death to attempt skiing or even sledding at this point in my life (I am a big chicken with brittle bones). Whatever you do, enjoy

Pauly, just don't drink anymore, please. It didn't make your life magically better, did it??
You are not going crazy, you are starting to go through a major change! Some of us have a much harder time than others, simple as that. Get yourself a copy of 'The Wisdom of Menopause" by Christiane Northrup, MD. The book has been around for quite a few years but it's a good place to start educating yourself. No one can help you through this but yourself. Take it from someone 20 years older & unfortunately still dealing with this. Please get the book :hug:

SK, men relate to each other by comparing 'things'. Cars, tools, tractors ~ whatever. YB has had a texting frenzy about the tractor with the guy who lives across the road all week, ha ha. They can be ridiculous.
The advisor who moved to Hong Kong - he didn't take any of your funds with him, did he??
It was a little uncomfortable hiring the guy we did because he's about the age of our kids but he spent 5 or more years in college mastering his skills & we figured he's going to be around for a long time to come. I won't even pretend to understand all the ins & outs with our combined three pensions & investments that were here, there & everywhere. That guy knew exactly how to pull everything together, thank goodness. I hope you gain some clarity on your concerns soon.

Hello Star, thinking about you still.

Have a nice night everyone & be sure to get on FB & sign all the petitions I keep reposting. We have to push our government into getting serious about establishing some serious gun control in the country.

Lav

[Lavande]

Re: Freedom February

UH OH, I HEAR AN ECHO IN HERE! HELLO EVERYONE!!!!!!

I hope everyone is OK & taking good care of themselves :hug:

Have a nice night!

Lav

[SKendall]

Re: Freedom February

Pauly, hope it's a bigger dose of melatonin. I understand you need to take a break, but it worries me. I'll still "talk" to you every day.

I am thinking about moving back to Canada. My sister and I are close as we age, lol., and my two nieces are very fond of me. I just have to make sure it's not a "flounce" move. I am restricted to see Viv 2 hours a week and although we share a special bond I've made a huge investment emotionally here and I don't know if I can explain it to Viv. I'm going for a visit in May so we shall see.

I'll be moving to Burlington, Ontario which is between Toronto and Niagara Falls. Drawbacks are the cold winters and any money I make in investments will be be taxed by capital gains tax. As well as being on the shore of Lake Ontario there is a public garden nearby and a bird watching area. Yup, I'm a bit of a geek and watched birds a lot in B.C. it's a city of 200K and is voted the best city to live in Canada of that population. When I've stayed there with my dad there has always been Tai Chi along the lakeshore and walking, etc.

Lav, the financial adviser was one of the best in Dallas and he moved to HK to be with his son. I miss him, he became a good friend.

Maybe I should go in the winter so I can experience the cold again! I miss the definitive seasons. Spring in TX is like 2 days, but fall is very pleasant but not much colour. I lived in Victoria. B.C. a few years ago and it was a very temperate climate.

Today was very spring like so we went to the dog park. Unfortunately, there were 2 aggressive dogs humping everything they could. Yesterday I arranged thru the office a dog walker. He came today at around 4:00 pm, Peggy kept pulling to come back but he stayed with it. Late afternoon is when she's on my last nerve. I found some bulbs today I had forgotten about, they had sprouted but I decided to plant them anyway. I used to force hyacinths every year for my DD as they were her favorite. So I planted bold red tulips, Iris, hyacinths, crocus and freesia. I don't think the freesia will last long in this heat, but anything that blooms is a bonus.

Later.

[treegirl]

Re: Freedom February

Hello there gals,

Lav, sorry to leave you alone! One thing I will not miss about being away is the difficulty of getting online, oh, and not being able to EAT IN MY OWN FOOD CIRCLES! Goodness, this has been a real test, being in a part of the world where GF and Nut milks are completely unknown. As I was avoiding grains, am allergic to eggs, can't do dairy, breakfast is a real treat, not. I am getting so jealous of watching everyone around me eat every d@&mn thing they please, sheesh! But I will be home soon, and in the meantime, I am eating the powdered peanut butter and using the powdered coconut milk that I brought with me. (Yes, I add water!!!)

Pauly, hang in there, and do what you must. But I am really hoping you will stay close so we can be here to cheer you on.

Star, how is it going for you? I hope we can hear your voice a little bit soon.

Lav, the tractor tales are just too funny. I amazed myself today, and skied for the first time in 18 years (when I took a 4-day class and then never skied again). I did fine, and it was fun. The renting of equipment, walking to where we skied and back was not so fun! But I.am proud that I did it. It is just such a thrill to be outside enjoying life in the winter and looking up to see these (a different set) of mountains come in and out of the mist. I feel incredibly lucky to have had this experience once in a lifetime!

SK, I love your thought of moving close to family that you can enjoy being with. They limited your time with Viv? Sheesh. I love Toronto, what a geeat city. Yes, there is the winter to deal with, I guess you would just have to experience it to decide, but having close family might make it all worth it, who knows... good luck!

We will be traveling back to Zurich tomorrow, then taking the flight home on Tuesday, High time to get home. I love the trains here, and it will be a pleasure to be on one leg of 3+ hours tomorrow, plus some shorter bits of transfers. I will miss that experience when I next get on the Metro-North Harlem Valley line down to NYC!

I love your talk of flowers, SK -- may we be well, and remember that spring is not far behind!

[Lavande]

Re: Freedom February

Greetings friends!

SK, a big move is a possibility then? Wow, it just may be the right thing for you in the end. You are lucky to have a sister. I always wanted one but I was blessed with three brothers, not good.
If you do end up making that move perhaps Viv could come visit for long weekends, summer vacation, that sort of thing. You two have bonded so I'll bet she would love making the trip to see you!
I can't wait until it's time to plant things but it will be a while around here. It snowed about two inches last night but most of it's gone already.

Cyn, you are brave to get on skis woman, ha ha!!! Good for you & glad you enjoyed yourself!
I have thought a lot about eating while away, it's not easy. My last trip to Europe was to Holland where everything is made of milk, cheese & cream. Oh my
Wishing you a safe trip home!

My grandsons are on the way to spend the night & all day tomorrow since there's no school Fun times

Hello to Star & Pauly, please check in soon.

Have a nice night everyone!

Lav

[SKendall]

Re: Freedom February

And. then there were three.

Pauly and Star, hi to you both.

Lavande, I live in TX and plan to live in Toronto. I doubt that Viv will be allowed any visits to see me, as that would involve too much airfare. I think that I will have to visit TX and stay in a hotel. SIL doesn't like guests. Happy Fool's day to president trump.

I would prefer to see my tax $$'s to go to healthcare, rather than Pentagon spending.

It still requires a lot of thinking.

I am a very occasional smoker and then it's outside. Viv wasn't allowed to come yesterday b/c SIL thought he smelled smoke one time. The restrictions become even more tightening. Apparently, I have to get my carpets shampooed and air out the house for 3 days. I don't get angry anymore, just hopelessly frustrated.

When we were transferred to Dallas from to Toronto in the 90's ex-hub and MIL sued for custody. Yep, she tried to steal my kids! Ex was totally incapable of taking care of the kids, but MIL was unhappy in her marriage and wanted a distraction. The kids' lawyer (yep) ordered a psychological assessment with the best children's psychiatrist and well. they didn't turn out so well. Ex was incompetent and MIL was too linear and judgmental. Kind of like who her granddaughter is today. Every time they came back from her place, their hair was pinned down and in ridiculous clothing. MIL thought nothing of my feelings, and neither does DD.

Moving on...Enjoy your grandsons.

My new dog walker is working out well. Peggy slept 12 hours last night!

I was very surprised to see a blue heron in the creek the other day. When I was in B.C. the local park had a heronry of 52 nests, and because I lived by an ocean inlet I had permanent ones and loved to see how still they were and so efficient and quick at fishing.

Today is Family Day in Canada and I like that celebration.

[treegirl]

Re: Freedom February

Evening (in Switzerland... last chance I have to say that!) all,

SK, what a bunch of nonsense you are going through, sorry about that.
Good news about Peggy, a tired dog is a happy dog. I am sure my boy is interested in getting out in the world when I get back... with his bum leg he can't go far, but he does enjoy his sniffing!

Lav, I hope the time with grandsons is good - so nice that they are coming to be with you after that ridiculous hiatus! I hear that we got snow in CT, but it wasn't as bad as they though it would be. And now warm temps to come. That's a switch, we went to a place where it was quite cold, no escaping winter for us, but now that we are going home it will be warm, weird! I will miss my mountains covered in whipped cream...

Star, it would be great to hear how you are doing... sending you all good wishes, and hope that you are able to enjoy your grandsons at this point.

Pauly, you too - miss hearing how you are, and I hope that you are having some quality time with family, and that Kell is feeling well.

Well, we'll be on the long plane ride home tomorrow... I am trying not to worry about all the work that awaits... I did try to keep up on some stuff while away -those rainy/snowy days helped. I may be too much of a wreck to post tomorrow night... it will be the middle of the night in our body time by the time we arrive home, so we'll see! Please know that I am thinking of you all --