21st May

[Lavande]

Greetings friends,

Just checking in to say HI. Nice day here, a touch cooler which is perfect for me

Mick, hope your trip is fun, you just never know with these things. Keeping an open mind helps a lot. Hope your weather holds up for you too.

Hello to the rest of the crew, may check in again later.

Lav

[porqoui]

MAE ALL...weather was a little cooler here today too and no rain. I have tomorrow off so it's the start of my weekend.

Mick...safe travels and I hope you have a great time.

Lav...I don't think I've ever seen such a short post from you. LOL Did the carpet in the basement dry out enough?

Waves to Pi, Slo and TG, hope all is good with you guys.

It's the weekend before the provincial elections. I'll sure be glad when this is all over. It's gotten just ugly. Have a good night all....PPQP

[treegirl]

Mae all,

Goodness, I'm sorry to miss so many days... just trying to keep up with everything - online course, volunteer work making lunches for the homeless, my elder person that I see... somehow it all adds up to long days. And I can't seem to shake away this low-back pain that has been nagging for weeks now... sometimes better, sometimes worse... walking definitely doesn't help... so trying to figure it out. Pain is tiring!

Mick, good luck on your trip - I too thought that you were taking 1 hat and a spear... maybe to get it out of the water if it dropped in? LOL. Loved the jokes, thanks. I hope things are getting more settled for your FIL... perhaps he is still in the care center before going home? Wishing you safe travels and good weather.

Lav, so glad the carpets are done... at last, you can put all away! I hope that you get some rain for all the lovely things you have planted. My elder friend was in a lot of pain today with a muscle in her low back that acts up... I had to text the daughters to see if there was a care plan in place - well, there is one, but no one is doing it... so, I got Tylenol in her and a capiscum Salonpas and eventually it helped. But I had to really help her sit up, and get up when she went to the bathroom... so I'm thinking that I needs some classes (In addition to CPR, which I also should take) to help me know best practices for assisting a patient physically. Not a CNA level, but whatever else is available...

Pi - I love the emphasis on sparkle!!! It's the best, and really raises one's spirits, doesn't it? Good for you.

PPQ - good luck with getting a new router... I just about lose my mind when things don't work at home - which is my office also -- I have several ways to communicate with wifi, but none of them are brilliant, and none of them talk to my printer... ah well, someday I hire someone to figure it out...

SLO - so sorry to hear about Huxley's sickness again... I hope you are able to stay well. And what a story about your knee - I have a friend who just had surgery... sounds pretty tough... I hope they did it right!!

Today is the anniversary of my husband's passing... I've done okay, but the feelings of being "without" are still very much present. I have had such lovely notes from the people who were close to him... that is very sweet. I need a good rest tonight, and hopefully things will be brighter moving into June...

Bless you all for being here -
TG

[Pie]

Yes, TG the clean condo is uplifting. Particularly because it’s evidence that I once again give a f*ck about my surroundings, and am willing to put in some effort. Same goes for self care, hygiene, nutrition… everything except alcohol, until even that became too much of a bother. Such a crap way to live; everyday was a repeat of the one before.
I thought that I understood addiction, but am learning new things that are helping me to move past my dependence. Feels like out of the darkness, and into the light.
Today’s to-do list is not terribly exciting, but it will keep me moving. Thanks for being here, friends!!

[Slo]

Good morning, everyone:

I’m back home last night after driving up & down to D1’s house to help out with the three grandkids yesterday. Miracle: all three of them were healthy; no colds or anything for a change! It was a nice day. Mabel takes good naps. Beckett is still struggling some with potty-training, but that’s a boy for you. I think he just gets distracted and forgets. Cooper-pooper sure loves his mommy! He loves smiling at her.

TG, oh what a hard day to go through as you remember your husband’s day of passing and the unexpected, unfortunate loss of him from your life. I am so sorry that he is not still here with you for some more years.
Pain is tiring, and so hard for both you and your elder to suffer back pain.
It is good to learn how to safely transfer people who can’t move themselves well. My former sister-in-law would do it all wrong when she was caregiver to my MIL. And then complain about how hard it was, and how it hurt her back. When really, my slight-of-build, fairly mobile MIL was not that hard to get up out of a chair! Verbal cues would have done most of it! So I would show SIL how to do it, but she would forget due to her own burgeoning dementia. And then MIL’s brother would copy her and try to pull his sister up the same wrong way…aargh!

More later, as Young Daughter is here and wants some attention.

[Mick]

Just got here. There are over 1000 motorhomes and caravans
Here. Took us over 3 hours to get here. Forgot it was a bank holiday this weekend just getting hooked up and unpacked and go for a bimble. Hope everyone is well have a good weekend 16851106210304526396355564127512.jpg

[Slo]

That’s a huge motor home gathering, Mick! Maybe especially so since it’s Spring heading into Summer now, and a Bank Holiday weekend. It’s a 3-day holiday weekend here too, but I’m not doing anything, which is fine by me, as I can use the time to pack & prepare for my weeklong road trip vacation that I leave for on Tuesday (niece’s wedding).

Pie, I do best with a large, hearty midday meal; so more like a dinner for me. Like a hamburger & fries, leftover dinner food, etc.
I hear you about how self-care, hygiene, surroundings, & nutrition go south while in active addiction. I noticed some of that in myself, and I notice it in others. I have seen that people’s homes can really end up a mess when in a severe alcohol addiction state. It’s good for us to care again!

[Slo]

So you have ugly elections too, PQ!? I hope you?re having a wonderfully relaxing weekend. I?m just having 3 nerve blocks around my knee, if insurance will cover it. Now I know what a DF/AF day is! Ha!

Mick, that ostrich in the wood needs no explanation! I like the ice hole joke too!
Running is pretty bad for the knees long term, so I?m glad you can see the plus side of walking instead.

My mother?s apartment looks really nice! It is a nice blend of the things she?s had that are familiar, plus new things. Everything fits in there well. She is not used to apartment living yet though, and misses her old house & life some -like her yard.
She still hasn?t fully gotten her multitude of stuff out of her old house here, even though the estate sale is looming closer; so I helped her on Wednesday to go through more of her stuff. She finally got around to her two old cedar chests (one was her mother?s), where her supposedly most precious things are stored?we just chucked most all of it into the garbage or Goodwill. All us kids? first shoes, baptismal outfits, baby clothes, diaper pins; her old dolls, photos, cards received at one brother?s birth, all the mementos from her sister?s death, all her memorabilia from many Neil Diamond concerts, etc. So much for keeping shit! What?s the point?!

Lav, Huxley does have a humidifier in his room, so hopefully they use it at night.

TGIF!

[Lavande]

Greetings friends!

Still very nice here, we’ve been lucky. Soon enough we will be getting smacked with heat & humidity as usual for east coast summers.
My outdoor cat went missing for 3 days, then returned. If she has a litter on board she needs to go haha. Don’t want or need anymore cats around here.

PQ, enjoy your 3 day weekend! Sounds good to me. Monday is Memorial Day here so we are trying to get son & his family here Sunday for a cookout. We haven’t had any gatherings except for limited Christmas celebrations since the pandemic. The basement carpet dried enough so the furniture & TV are back in place downstairs. YB wants to get a bigger TV for down there, I really don’t care haha!

Cyn, I’m sorry you’re missing your husband. I can’t imagine how many are dealing with the same pain. Please know we care & wish you loads of strength
I just checked - if you Google Safe patient transfers there’s loads of instructional youtube videos to show you exactly how to help with the transfers without hurting the elder or yourself!!! This is exactly the same thing we learned in nursing school 50+ years ago!! I never hurt my back while working because I paid attention to the body mechanics. I hope you can rest up this weekend & get caught up on sleep too.

Mick, love the big puffy white clouds in your photo. I hope you have a great weekend.

Pie, Rome wasn’t built in a day so please don’t kill yourself trying to get everything caught up. The important thing is you are on the right track now & little by little you will be exactly where you want to be.
My personal theory is a lot of us used AL to numb emotional pain & depression. Once we come out on the other side free & clear of addiction we do realize it was a crap way to live. You’re doing great, keep up the good work.

Slo, glad you had some snot-free time with the grandkids, Lol
I guess your Mom needs some time to adjust to apartment living. Hopefully there’s some nearby activities to keep her occupied.
I am not that big of a hoarder but I do have some ‘memory’ stuff around. I just think about my kids having to clear out this house after we’re gone & I don’t think they’d be real happy to deal with all that stuff. They both live in smaller homes & wouldn’t have room for any of it anyway.

I think I need to go walk a mile, haven’t gotten enough walking in today. Wishing everyone a nice night!
Lav

[Mick]

Mae all. How are you doing today then?hope all is well with everyone. Got settled in OK,van set up etc for a power supply ththey are using generators to provide electrical power .it only gives 6 amps as opposed to 16 which you get on a normal hookup.so you have to work out the amps of the electrical equipment that you use at one time..who remembers Ohms law from school?anyway I tripped the electric for our section this morning..easy enough to reset .watched a couple of good tribute bands last night. One called badness, the other the illegal eagles..

The WiFi isquite fast atm,because no one is up,but it slows down as the day goes on.

Hiya lav how are you doing?glad carpets are dried out and kit is all back in place .I am a hoarder to acertain extent, but it's things I enjoy. What happens to it when I am gone won't bother me.did. you get your walk in?

Hiya ppqp how are things over there?hope all is well. Yes it's pretty good here as a change though not be rushing back.to try and make sense of it..we usually go to places that we like to explore around the areas.,not going for something specific. Her we are at a rally in a field in the middle of nowhere .not sure if that gets the point across anyways hope you have a great weekend

Hiya slo,how are you doing?hope all is good with you. Have you any plans for the weekend?

Hiya pie and teegee, hope you are both well

have a good weekend folks