Just need to talk to my friends (192)

harshedbuzz

Good luck with your appointment today @ronald71111 I am so sorry you've run into issues with the install of your otherwise handsome new shower. I hope this is easily and quickly repaired. Otherwise, the porch patrol is going to burn-it-down on social media.

@jfkoc The soup was OK but not great. I, too, felt like it needed something. More garlic for sure. I would consider adding a quality sausage, too. I did use spinach in lieu of kale and for pasta I added tiny cheese tortellini to give it some heft. I have at least 6 cups left which I will pass off to my mom tomorrow after I've added some crumbled hot sausage (from my pizza stash) to it. I served it with a tossed green salad and a lovely, braided loaf that was still warm at the bakery.

We powered through all of mom's appointments and even added a side trip to Walmart <shudder> for plastic boxes for her shoes so she can shelve them 2 deep and then to Rite Aid to pick up 2 scripts. I didn't yell or raise my voice once. Maybe my meds are kicking in. There may have been some serious eye-rolls.

PT went great: I am seeing real improvement in her balance, but her gait remains a problem. I've noticed that she does this sort of "catwalk" stride as if she is walking on a balance beam. I suspect this is something my nana ingrained in her as being ladylike. My dear nana made my mom's clothes-shopping addiction seem mild by comparison. She was big on posture in order that one's clothing hang properly. The PT agrees this is dangerous and we're working to overcome the muscle memory around it for more stability which involves me pointing it out. The haircut was easy-- it literally takes me longer to get mom to the salon than it does to wash, cut and blow-dry it. She was in and out in 20 minutes. I wish the guy who does my hair was as efficient-- that said, he's fun and a salon day feels like a special treat.

I took mom to see her psychiatrist. She didn't ask me to come in with her. I went to Costco instead. I suspect she buried the lede and came out assured that her recent behavior is all ADHD. TBH, much of it is. Mother told the psych that she's driven to organize the house so it will be easy on me when she dies. I don't buy this excuse. A MOLST form would be nice, but she refuses to discuss it, but all I really need is dad's discharge papers so I can have her buried with him. The doc told her that sifting through her stuff won't take me as long because I won't be focusing on all of the memories associated with stuff which is exactly what I told her. The psych also said she should break things down into smaller tasks that can be completed so her house isn't in disorder and agitating her. I could have saved her $190 and a cross-county drive if she'd just listen to me. On the drive home she said she doesn't think she has Alzheimer's. LOL, dad didn't think he did either. FWIW, if I were a betting person my money would be on vascular dementia. I have decided to collect data ahead of her next appointment in January-- it's hard to articulate what is different. It's like teasing out autism in a younger high functioning child-- they do what typical kids do but with greater intensity, duration and frequency. Her PCP runs the bloodwork that one would to R/O a treatable cause and she's had 2 CT scans over the summer. One noted intracranial vascular calcifications and the other mentioned mild cerebral atrophy which could indicate an issue down the line.

DH thinks I may be over-reacting, but my spidey-sense is tingling. He pooh-poohed my initial concerns about my dad for a few years, too.

My lawn mower is back from the shop. I think I'll wait for the dew to dry and give the lawn a cut. DS typically does this, but he's not as meticulous as I am around edging and blowing. I have more perennials to cut down, too. My trash haulers don't do leaf or yard waste as a separate collection and I can only put one additional bag outside the bin so I can't really do it all at once. My knees are probably happier this way, too.

Turns out I was right about DS's flakiness burning out the regulator-- it was a quick $250 to get it running. Earlier this season the mechanism that holds the cutting deck failed which was another $250. The parts aren't crazy expensive, but the transport to the shop each time is a quick $90 plus tip. Still, it's 24 this year and has paid for itself several times over; mowing in my neighborhood goes about $50/week for quite modest size lawns. I have the largest lot in the entire community (and the smallest SFH) at .75 acres which is more than I'd like.

HB

ETA: Some of mom's extensive shoe collection I am trying to get off the floor. This does not include most of her booties, booties, slippers, sandals, athletic shoes and some of her other loafer nor her matching bags.

Lorita

That's a bummer, as friend Karen would say. So sorry, Ron. I would be unhappy , too. Good luck on your ultrasound. We called those bird baths. Also heard them called "possible baths."

Iris L.

Ron, what a disappointment! Why didn't they check before leaving?

HB, is your mom interested in being trendy? Swedish Death Cleaning is trendy. The concept might motivate her.

Iris

ronald71111

Back from ultrasound and don't know anything. VA technicians will answer your questions, but care in the community will tell you the dr will review the results and my dr should contact me in a couple of days. I also called care in the community and asked about my barium swallow test. Found out it was sent to one of the hospitals on the 12th. I called scheduling for that hospital and the one handling my case was not there, so I'm waiting on call back.

I called the company that provided the shower and was told they would have someone come out today or tommorow and by Monday at the latest.

Been a busy morning!

Ron

harshedbuzz

@Iris L.

Trendy? Only around clothing and home decorating.

The drive to purge is rooted in our experience cleaning out my dear aunt's house when she went into a MCF. For those who haven't read this one before:

One of my favorite aunts, C, developed dementia after her husband died. I suspect her husband knew something was up but expected to survive her as his mom lived to be over 100. On his deathbed, he made another favorite aunt P promise to "look out for her-- likely really, really look out for her". P made a visit and found C sitting in a cold dark house wondering why the cable TV wasn't working and started the process towards guardianship and diagnosis.

Mom and I made 3 trips to Maine to clean out C's house which was really a house, 2 cottages, a 4 bay garage, boathouse, workshop and shed. Before retiring C split her year between Maine and the town where I live in PA so she had 2 complete households of stuff plus things she inherited that came with the cottages. P and one of my cousins helped as well. It was quite the undertaking. C wasn't a hoarder per se, but she wasn't one to dispose of something she might need someday and she did have an awful lot of space for storage. Aside from the usual there was a 12' closet filled with cut out crossword puzzles, no less than 6 firearms, yearly linen calendars dating back to 1949, 5 boats, a vintage tractor and a "Rosebud" sled. So much stuff. The worst was when I went into a cottage to start going through stuff and found all of the boxes-- unopened-- I had packed for her when she retired and decided to live in Maine year-round. They were labeled in my handwriting. At the time I suggested donating some stuff but she wouldn't consider it.

There were some things I packed back in 1980 that my mom insisted on taking. Because we flew this time, I took them into town and shipped them UPS to her home in Florida because they were things I wouldn't mind having come down to me. There were some old crocks, jugs and random things I remember from growing up. When I went down to Florida pack up my parents' personal belongings which were excluded from the turn-key sale of their home. I found the box I'd shipped, again unopened, and packed it into the PODS headed north. When it arrived at mom's new place near me in PA, I took the box home explaining that I had packed the contents twice and was keeping it. They've returned to where I initially packed them.

Mom did a significant purge after that experience and has successfully downsized. She really doesn't have enough left to be stressing out as she is. Aside from the shoes.

HB

Mint

Not much going on here today.

I would not be able to decide which pair of shoes to wear.

Joan hope you are ok.

Iris L.

HB: George Carlin said we buy bigger houses so we can store more stuff. I don't think he was wrong.

Iris

ronald71111

Ultrasound ok...........unable to take blood pressure in leg. Good results for no pad, but still no answer fir pain and swelling in legs.

Ron

harshedbuzz

@Sayra said:

HB a comment you made on the caring for a parent thread made me realize why they assign patients certain tables. My thought has sort of been that it’s bad being around 90 and someone tells you where to sit and eat. J has a hard time sometimes when they assign people with major issues to their table. Think I still feel that way but also understand why maybe it is done now.

Was it the post about the daughter who wanted to keep mom in an AL rather than MC because mom wasn't "there yet"?

One thing I noticed about dad's MCF was the way the care burden was distributed in each hall of the building. Like many MCFs, it operated on a house system rather like Hogwarts. But rather than group the folks who were stage 5ish together in one place so they could chat and have meals together, they intentionally placed them in different houses to balance the workload for staff who did not rotate between houses. I can appreciate why they do this, but I imagine it makes for less-than-ideal mealtimes for some.

Specific to table assignments-- My own mom has some issues with choking on food that are related to her lung issues. She's widowed now so I try to have her over a few times a week for dinner. I try to set this up for success by having her use her OPEP before we sit down and serving foods on which she is less likely to sputter, but once it starts my DH and son have lost their appetites. Lately I have been trying to switch things up by taking her out for a meal instead.

At my aunt's MCF, they sat those who needed assistance in a different part of the dining room and faced them away from the other residents, looking out into the garden, to avoid this kind of reaction.

The other piece that always irked me was how little thought seems to be given bed assignments in SNFs when it's a long-term stay. When your freshman goes off to college, much care will be taken in matching them with a compatible roommate but if your mom goes into a SNF, gender is the only consideration at the outset.

HB

Mint

HB think it was the thread about lost toothpaste and maybe getting a dispenser over on the caring for a parent area.

j husband was blind at end of life. He had to spend a little time in a nursing home once when J had a surgery. He hated being forced to go down to the dining room complaining to J that all kinds of people were coughing and stuff and he says I can’t even see that so I don’t know if it’s landing in my food. Definitely would understand his concerns and think they should be taken into account but don’t believe they were.

glad I have a smaller house and I’m doing my best to try and not to gather a lot of things. Want it to be easy as possible for my family when that time comes.

The time has come for me when I’m having to learn to be the adult regardless of what my mother says and feels. I have to do what I think is right, hopefully I’m making the right choices. She becomes very upset when I clean house. Sort of reminds me of what people have to deal with on here when they’re trying to bathe them. I only do very light housekeeping I just try to keep it clean on the surface. I run this sweeper just to get up the hair and things like that and then I use the wet, dry mop with the spray that we were given for the flooring and go over and clean the flooring and also quickly dust. She becomes extremely agitated and I don’t respond. I ignore it and keep doing what I’m doing. But I don’t try to do any more than I have to because that’s not my goal to agitate her. So I think I’ll go to every two weeks instead of every week because in reality that will be enough and she will only have to meltdown every two weeks. Hopefully, though with time, maybe she will calm down about it some. Very interesting things happened this time which I’m not going to get into but makes me wonder about certain things. Wonder if the neighbors heard her screaming at me as it was very loud and part of it went on when I was in the garage and she had her door open. It’s rather embarrassing.

Lorita hope you are OK. See you did not write very much yesterday.

Lorita

Thanks Sara, I'm ok. Didn't have much to write about except the usual. Sort of having a drippy nose this morning. Probably allergies because I spent over two hours yesterday out in the weeds. Those girls can be elusive. Time to go do it again. Sun is up so I can see them. It's a warm morning..

Lorita

Hi again, beautiful, very warm day. One if the heifers had q new baby last night6 saw it and drove by because cow was looking at something south if her. Came back by and baby disappeared into the weeds. Mom left but I tried to get around her to go back to baby. Been down a couple of times to check. I would ask her where baby is and she'd look in that direction but hasn't gone back to it. Afraid to check where baby was in case it would scare him and he would take off Guess I'll wait until all of them go back in that pasture. Worries me!

Sara, I think you're doing the right thing in not reacting to your mother's outbursts. I know it must be hard to do. How is your sister reacting to this?

e Just got a text from Sarah. She's at some hospital? getting blood work and tests done.

Ron, hope they come today to fix the shower. Does it have a glass door? Is it level with the floor so a wheelchair could roll in?

Baking a loaf of bread and just cooked some farfalle I'll have for supper with English peas. I typed farfalle and my tablet changed it to carbs. Pretty smart.

Zetta, just watched Wagon train and now Gunsmoke. Can't beat those old westerns, can you?

ronald71111

Lorita, it will be Monday before they come and fix the shower. Pay that much money you would think it would be right. Guess they couldn't check it themselves since they told me not to touch anything for 12 hours. No, it's not level with floor, has about a 1 tox2 inch lip.

Beautiful day in Louisiana, I even had to get my shorts out and put my big boy pants away. Suppose to be having nice weather for awhile with chances of rain toward the end of next week.

Funny how everything seems to come together all at once. Had my ultrasound yesterday and received a call today scheduling my modified barium swallow for the 31st. Now I'm having small red bubble looking things popping up on my wrist. I thought at first it was a insect bite, but the last two days more have shown up. They start as small dots and as they grow there red. Keeping it clean applying ointment.

Ron

Lorita

Ron, that sounds kind of like what Sarah has. They're all over her- start small, then get bigger and burst. I think they're doing tests on them today. If is shorts weather today.

Jo C.

Hello Joan; I have been thinking of you. How are things going? Hope all is well though I can imagine you want things to move forward faster. That has been DH's wants too. It must be full autumn where you are. We are in the middle 90's here, but will be down more normally next week.

Ron; I am truly sorry about the shower - how in the world did they not check the workability and quality of their install I wonder. You did not need another problem to be addressed. So hope it is soon fixed and is delightful for you. I love our walk-in shower; don't know how I would get in and out of the bathtub now, well; probably in - but out would be another issue. Horrors!

Sayra; I understand about being "grown-up" with the assist to your mother and letting go of her behaviors as much as possible. I too felt the same way; somehow I was still that ten year old and she was the MOM. Had to pull myself up by my bloomers and do what was needed and tried to be appropriate and kind no matter how my teeth were clenched sometimes with the dread behaviors. Ah well. Doing the work every other week is probably a very good idea and will benefit both of you. Wish you were at my house - you are so kind and very, very capable. Good stuff!

I need to buy some new pillows - I like to sleep on my back raised up so I do not get vertigo from lying flat and then rising. Want firm fiber filled pillows but not latex; I am done with the Down, and oh my; cannot find what I am looking for. Fuss and bother. Guess I am old-fashioned. Also really still looking and wishing for those long pretty nightgowns that are like satiny on the outside but brushed warm on the inside. I have two but have had them for some time. Got them at an outlet and such great quality and really lovely. Barbizon was one and I forget the other brand, both companies since closed. Vermont Country Store has a couple, but not nearly as nice. Ah well.

Lorita, cannot fathom how you manage to count and keep track of all the critters. That is a LOT and they do move around.. With all the new babies growing up, it must be even harder to do.

HB: that rug in the photo looks like an opportunity to slip, hope your mother will be okay with it and not get her foot caught. Shoes. Only two feet; probably a few pair could find themselves to another owner and she would not know; so many and probably a few that are outdated now. However; our LOs can surprise us by remembering something we thought long forgotten.

Oh my goodness. I called my dear out of state aunt who I love dearly. In two weeks she will be 103 years old! That is not the big deal. She is absolutely going on about 70. Fully independent; no walker, no cane, walks the five floors on her apartment building completely around each floor each day and takes stairs to next level, she is also the organizer and keeper of the library - all books and management go through her. Three nights a week she runs the Bingo Games. Daily she is involved in activities getting them managed and put together. Halloween Party coming up - she went shopping for all sorts of items for her costume at second hand stores and has a BIG costume with full mask which she said is beautiful - she will be covered head to toe. Does this each year and always wins first prize for best costume. Her voice is loud and clear, does all her own housework. Her apartment is absolutely beautiful and NEAT as a pin. Not a dust mote to be found. She says - "A place for everything and everything in its place. NO clutter allowed. No dishes in the sink or dishwasher and no laundry in evidence. Period." She means it. How did that miss my genes at that high a level?

The building is lovely and in much demand for seniors. When a couple ask to see a furnished apartment after seeing an empty one, the manager will call my Aunt and she always lets them in. She enjoys their compliments on her decorating; she has a huge talent for that. Amazing woman. Could run circles around most of us. She has never tinted her hair and it is mostly dark with a bit of gray in it and nicely cut. Dresses SO nice; very well indeed. Have I mentioned her being independent? That is an understatement. What a lovely person and SO energetic. I get tired even talking about how much she does. Anyway; 103! When I said to her, "You have a birthday coming up soon," she replied; "Yes. 103. Sh..!" Then she laughed and so did I. She has led such an interesting and active life; lived in Hawaii for some years when her husband was transferred there for his work as VP of that area; ran her own small travel business specializing in cruises. So; that is my most interesting phone call this week.

Also spoke to my friend in Texas. We met when we were nine years old. She is moving from San Antonio to Dallas where her airline pilot son and his wife live. She will live within a few blocks of them. She has had a few health issues pop up and she is alone where she is and hard to get to if an emergency arises, it is a good move. She also told me her son sends her $200 a month to enjoy. Nice son and DIL she has. They have a large five bedroom house and lots of room, but she wants her own place.

Any suggestions for gifts for a 103 year old woman who does not like clutter, I am open for them. Will get her a pair of those wonderful plush bedroom socks in a pretty color from Nordstroms and some special skin moisturizer for winter; snows like crazy where she is and it gets dry from inside heat. Want to put a couple other things with it, but have not come up with anything yet. Ideas?

Off I go to do this and that, have a good evening everyone,

J.

Mint

Lorita the cattle do give you something to worry about but at the same time it keeps your mind active and keeps you in the loop which is good. It is way better than having Nothing that you’re responsible for. That is very hard on a person and I feel it makes your mind start to deteriorate.

It is just been a beautiful day here. It is rained almost all day. It has been cool. The leaves are gorgeous. We got a good rain yesterday too so that will really be good for my grass seed.

I bought a small grape pie at the farmstand today. I had a piece for lunch and it’s really good. My aunt that’s in the nursing home in Kentucky that was one of her favorite pies I think. Wish I was where I could give her a piece.

They still had most things at the farmstand today kind of surprised me. I think about the only things they did not have was melons, lettuce and corn. I don’t know how long they will have potatoes but I will surely miss them when they are gone. I don’t know about where you guys are at but here russet potatoes they are horrible. They’re very expensive and they look OK in the bag but when you get them home and start cutting them up, they’re full of black stuff often. So I have been buying red potatoes mainly which are even more expensive than the russet, but tend to be a much better quality. I’ve been able to get white potatoes and red potatoes at the farmstand, but it seems like they’re starting to have more red than white now. They’ve also had some very nice sweet potatoes .I’m so thankful I found these two farm stands. They are so much better than the Mennonite ones that I have been going to. They have way more variety and they’re open so much longer.

The one stand we’ve been going to I understand sells plants in the spring. Today when we were there, they were building two more green houses so they’re either going to have more plants to sell or they’re raising more plants for themselves.

Mom often gives me a harder time than my sister but she can give my sister a hard time too and she will try to play us against each other but we are pretty aware of that and just don’t respond to it. My sister is more to try and reason with her because my sister has always been a little more to go after what she wants than I am or maybe I should say she’s more aggressive about it. Maybe I’m a little more passive aggressive. I told my sister I’ve been dealing with this 15 to 20 years so I gave up trying to reason with her along time ago but you’re new and you’re still trying. So my sisters a little more to get loud with her. I just try to talk quietly and hoping it will stem the tide a little bit but that doesn’t really work at all either. I’ll feel better about myself personally though by just talking quietly and pushing through it.

Nice to hear from you, JoC. we must have been typing at the same time and when I went to post it just disappeared. I couldn’t find it. Then I realized it logged me out so I log back in and they are my post, so that was good.

Good night everyone.

Lorita

Hi,

Jo, good to hear from you. I like long flannel gowns in the wintertime - guess it's getting to be time to get them out, however, it was about 90 degrees here today. Pretty hot, especially in the sun. I like Muk Luks cabin socks and Cuddl Duds leisure socks. I wear two pairs of socks (not those) all winter. Just wear those when I'm in the house.

Next week we're to have rain (maybe) three of the five days. It's getting dry and dusty here and the grass needs a drink but we'll be getting a frost before too long so grass will be gone, except for rye and some fescue. All the hay is baled, or almost. East of here on the section Mike bought they've baled hay again about a mile from here. The bales are so pretty when the sun hits them. They've baled between 5000 and 6000 bales this year so the girls will have hay this winter. Someone was feeding yesterday - lots of bawling going on - probably gave some hay to some of Darwin's cows. The heifers will need some soon.

Ron, another thought - have you been around poison ivy?

Sara, you're so right. I love the cattle and being with them, especially when my count is right (doesn't happen too often without several attempts). If I'd sold to someone else, the girls wouldn't be here so I made a good choice - but, the time will come when he moves some of them. Don't know how I'll take that.

I think the way you deal with your mother is probably the best way. Sometimes attempting to correct or getting argumentative with them just aggravates the situation. I know it did in my experience with mother and my sister and sometimes Charles.

Stormy and I have spent time today out in the pasture watching #36, hoping she'd go to her baby. It was really hot in the sun. Late this evening I left him at home and went by myself (he didn't like that). There are two trees that are good sized and one huge one in the meadow. Under one of the trees there was one cow babysitting with eight little ones. All the other cows were on the west side of the meadow in the shade. There's a line of trees just on the west side of our fenceline that provides really good evening shade. I located #36 and kept telling her to go to her baby or where's your baby. They know what baby means. She'd raise her head and look around. Finally she went to the gate between the meadow and the west pasture and bawled a couple of times. I was so afraid she'd turn around and come back - but, the bawling alerted the babies and I wish you all could have seen those eight babies running from their tree and babysitter to the cow who was bawling. The babysitter came up to and all of them went through to the other pasture.

I think I'd been pushing her too much today so I kept away. After a while I drove up, still in the meadow, to a place where I could see where the baby had been. I could see #36 and could also see the baby nursing. Many times a new mom will stake her baby out somewhere for the entire day - others won't let them out of their sight so she's the former. So I can rest tonight but will be anxious to get out and see them in the morning (Stormy will go with me).

While I was waiting for her to go to her baby I saw the FedEx truck going west on the road 90 to nothing - guess he was running late. I always think about a cow maybe being out in the road and getting hit (glad my fences are good).

So, that's the way my day has gone - anxiety during most of the day but okay later. I think the new baby is black - saw one today that was a very dark auburn - they're all so cute, especially when several of them are together playing.

I've written too much (guess I made up for yesterday's brevity). Jo, talking about getting in and out of a bathtub. I can't remember the last time I took a tub bath. I doubt I could get into one, much less get out.

I'll stop and see you all tomorrow. Sleep well tonight.

Lorita

Sara, I've found the same thing with russet potatoes. Hardly ever peel one without cutting out black places. Do you think it's the way they're handled when harvested? Maybe bruises. I like red potatoes - grew up eating them. Can't remember the name of the ones we raised. I remember how good the seed potatoes tasted. We just cut out the eyes with enough potato with them to make them grow and kept the center of the potato to eat. Wish we had a farmers market closeby. Produce is so much better from them than from stores where everything is shipped in. Do they also sell eggs?

Mint

Yes, I have been buying eggs all summer from them. The Mennonites that I went to did not sell eggs either.

we got a nice rain yesterday too so we’ve had a really good rain two days in a row. Great for my grass.

they have listed the variety of the white potatoes all along but not the red ones, they just say red potatoes. I can remember hearing someone talk about Red Pontiacs, but I have no idea what these are.

harshedbuzz

@ronald71111

Is it just the one wrist? I wonder if you have come down with shingles? When DS and DH had shingles, the presented exactly like a couple of small bug bites on one side. DS was only 7 and had been rolling in the grass with a friend. His school had swimming and the teachers freaked out. I mean it was only about 4 little spots and he wasn't complaining. They insisted he go to the doctor for a note to return to school and the doc immediately knew what they were. DH insisted his were flea bites from walking in the grass. You might want to have them looked at. There's medication but it is only effective if prescribed within a fairly short window. FYI, Shingrex is about 85% effective in those over 70.

Anecdotally, shingles tend to happen when a person is stressed. DS's happened a few weeks into us moving him to a specialized reading school which he hated. DH's happened about a month into taking over helping DS with his math homework in 5th grade. DH loves math. His happy place is attending a math seminar at the Institute for Advanced Studies just for fun. DS was really struggling and DH linked it to me as his tutor. Three weeks of DS's resistance to math and DH came down with shingles.

@Jo C.

That rug is glued down well. I check it regularly as I would love to disappear it. I am told mom doesn't have dementia; her psychiatrist thinks it's anxiety/ADHD I am seeing. She passed her MMSE with a 28 when the Aetna nurse came. The serial subtraction rattles her; she's a math phobe.

The shoe picture was taken after I collected a 13-gallon bag worth of things she doesn't wear or that don't make her feet happy. With the exception of a couple pair of dress shoes, I doubt there is anything older than five in that pile. And since she has so many in rotation, they don't wear out. She has a pair of cerise loafers that only get worn with the matching cerise Talbot "Audry" sweater with the roll neck collar and the winter white or charcoal wool crops. Clothing is everything to her.

HB

ronald71111

HB, Is this how your DS and DH looked? The one that busted ws first alone with the two above it. The next day the two below showed up and next day the one on the side. I'm thinking about going to VA in the morning if the redness spreads anymore.

jfkoc

It has been years since I went to a farmers' market. Here you can sign up and have vegies brought to you. Usually a friend would subscribe for a large box to share with friends who paid for a share. It worked well and there was always something that no one wanted or had heard of. We considered it a learning experience.

I always use russets for baking and like to get them from Idaho. Red potato's are roasted or in soups/stews. Yukon Gold are for my mashed potatoes. My grocer always has these as does Traders.

I did grow potatoes in my flower bed one year. They are still a delicious memory. One year I decided to grow pole beans as seen on a Martha Stewart show. Got the pots for dirt...bamboo for the poles to make a teepee and seeds. Not one bean and very few leaves. The little boys next door used the teepee for days so all was not lost.

How to Choose the Right Potato for Your Dish (thespruceeats.com)

Gardening...I had beautiful Peonies, day lilies and iris. All purchased from local growers. I say local. They were way outside the "bubble" I live under.

Shoes??? HB, I have a friend who goes to the resale stores on a regular basis. I think it is the quest and the bargain for her. Maybe your mother too...lol

Shingles???? Let us know , Ron.

Lorita

Hi,

Ron, do the places itch? I've had shingles two times, both times on my right back/shoulder. Itched like crazy. The second time I knew what it was and went to urgent care. Both times I took Flagyl and it worked well - made my mouth taste like metal but that was okay. Mine were just small, red dots you could count - if you could see them - I couldn't. Good idea to have it checked out.

Warm and sunny here today. The girls are in a different part of the pasture - went I went out I wasn't able to see the newest baby - I think she still has him staked out. Just now went back to try - still couldn't locate him. I'll wait until they go back to the meadow late today.

Funny what your mind will do. I drove past a pond that was build probably in 1969 or 1970. All at once it was 50 years ago and my mother and I were sitting on the pond dump talking. I hadn't thought of that in a long time. Charles and I had just bought or were about to buy our new 14 x 70 mobile home. I told her we weren't going to buy the furniture - just buy pieces as we found them. She told me she had just found some money she'd put in a glove and told me to go ahead and buy the furniture. We did. I hadn't thought of that in years - just driving past that pond brought everything back. It doesn't look like it did then - at that time the whole pasture was open, no trees - just the grass and pond with water in it. Now, it's encircled with trees, even has one out in the middle - probably started when we had a drought. But, there we were 50 years ago. I just had to sit and cry a while - doing it again right now.

Judith, you're lucky in so many ways to live in town where things are available closeby. Things like the vegetable delivery aren't available in this area - Darwin and Mike brings me a lot during growing season but it would be nice if it was available. Schwann's has changed to Yellah and that's not available here either.

Watching OU and UCF playing football. OU is behind six points. Just can't get into the game for some reason. FedEx is supposed to deliver some things I've ordered this afternoon. I order things and they always seem to divide the order in two or three deliveries - guess some things aren't available at the same time.

Have you all gotten your Covid shots yet? What about your flu shots? I still have to get both of mine - not together though. Usually get the flu shot at the end of October. I did call WM last week and they were out of the Covid vaccine but probably will get more this week.

We're supposed to have a lot of rain this week - hope it pans out. When I came in just now I walked past a couple of big planters where I transplanted wild violets after the other plants died this summer. They completely disappeared during the drought but they've come back and are blooming now. So many of the shrubs that were completely leafless have new leaves on them - even a couple of the holly bushes. A few days ago one of the crabapple trees in the garden was blooming and there are new leaves on the trees - so very odd - have never seen that before.

Bryon's coming tomorrow - not to mow this time. I want the crabgrass in the yard to go to seed - looks awful but I'm about the only one who sees it. He'll pick up the limbs in the yard - so many for some reason - and take them to one of the brush piles. Will be nice to have that done. I just can't bend over and do it now like I used to. Shoulder still bothers me and my left hip and back - getting old isn't a lot of fun but still thankful for what I can do.

Take it easy this afternoon and enjoy the day.

harshedbuzz

@ronald71111

That does looks like DH's rash did. They can be like chicken pox in that they erupt over a couple days as blisters first and then crust over. And they do itch. A lot.

DH was given acyclovir which reduces the duration and lessens the likelihood of post-herpetic pain. DH had no pain after at all. DS didn't get meds, but his case was very mild and kids tend not to have pain as a complication after.

@jfkoc

The shoes are mostly from Talbots or Nordstrom Rack. She does love a bargain and thrift shopping but I have limited interest and don't indulge her as often or as long as she'd like. She picked me up a silk Burberry scarf at the local Association for the Blind Thift Store for $5 once but I am never that lucky. I encourage her to take an Uber to do this, but she never does.

HB

Lorita

Hi- last time tonight, when I checked everyone this evening, I saw #36's baby with her nursing. I didn't get too close. They were by a lot of tall weeds so she had her staked out there today. Maybe by tomorrow she'll feel it's safe enough for her to be out with everyone. She'll have a lot of playmates. Also saw all the others, Gray Lady uncluded.

FedEx did deliver today maybe tomorrow. Sleep well tonight.

Iris L.

Lorita, how do you know their numbers?

Mint

Lorita glad all was well with your cattle last night . Hope you got a good nights rest.

I know what they say about potatoes, but I guess I’m the oddball I sort of don’t always agree with their taste. Russets are far and away my favorite potato for everything but I’ve just sort of given up on them because of for a long period of time now have not been buying them, they’re just not worth what I’m paying for them. I didn’t even feel free to bake one because you don’t know until you open it what it looks like inside and that can be very discouraging if you bake a potato and then you have no baked potato fit to eat.

Lorita

Morning,

Which numbers, Iris? If you're referring to the cattle, I count them. Do that for sure with the heifers in case one is somewhere trying to calve and needing help. Just came in from doing just that- saw all the geifers. Didn't specifically see #36 but she was there, I hope with her baby. Finally saw Gray Lady. Samson was babysitting with three little ones.

It's a chilly morning but sunny. At 7 last night I called WM about my order. Still out for delivery. Checked again and then at 9:30 it said it was delivered. So at 9:30 in my gown and robe drove down and there was a huge box sitting by the gate. Too big and heavy to lift so opened it and put the things in the PU. Called WM and told them what happened. They will lodge a complaint to FedEx. Good thing I'm not afraid of the dark. Two more things to delivery will see what happens. Strictly laziness. FedEx can at 5:30 night before last so he was running late and he thought that would be ok. Probably not our regular driver. We used to have good, reliable, helpful drivers but not so much now, at least some of them aren't. I'll stop ranting and watch the news. Enjoy the day.

ronald71111

Did go to VA ER this morning and was told wrist was shingles and possible could be staph infection. Treating for both, Acyclovir 800mg 5 times a day and Mupirocin 2% ointment 3 times a day. Pain is worse today but at least being treated.

Ron

Iris L.

It's good that you finally got treatment for your lesions, Ron. I hope the pain resolves quickly!

Lorita, how do you know which cow is cow#36? Do you number them all?

I have four cats and I need to count them before I go to bed. Last night I went to bed with one cat missing, when I called them for breakfast, he didn't show up. It turns out, he had been outside all night! I had forgotten to let him back in! I'm mad at myself! I can't keep up with four animals.

Iris