Just need to talk to my friends (197)

JeriLynn66

Morning,

Got a good bit done yesterday. Made an appointment with the VA Veteran Service Officer for later this month. I believe I have all my paperwork in order to proceed. Dealing with one other agency is already complete. Got all the documents ready to send to another agency and today will complete that paperwork. There is still paper all over my office, but it's organized by agency and then another resource section to be able to grab and pull from.

DH got all but one of the fence posts set yesterday before the rain set in. We didn't get a lot, but any helps. Today he is in the kitchen already making food to take to his brother in Scottsboro. So, we may be making a drive up today. Or tomorrow. We'll see.

My chicken eye drops have still not arrived. I'm aggravated. So saline washes will continue. Bertha, (another hen) has gone broody. Bless her heart, she goes in the nesting box every afternoon no matter who lays the egg and sits. We don't have a rooster. I keep telling her she's wasting her time, but she sits anyway.

Mint, the corn here is selling for $7 a dozen. Up from $6.50 last year. I freeze mine like you do. Also flash some on the cob in the microwave to freeze. That seems to work ok for me. Our garden has just withered. DH wanted to use all those raised beds and they just don't work as well to me as just putting stuff in the ground. Even the squash and cucumbers have about given out. Last year I threw some squash seed in one of the flower beds just because that's where I was standing. I had squash growing out over the sidewalk! And lots of it. Well, I bet get in the kitchen. I can hear DH banging around and need to see what he is up to. At least he washes up the dishes, lol. BBL

harshedbuzz

Good morning all. The weather here is same ol’, same ol’. Hot and dry. We had a chance or rain yesterday that went north of us and today’s chance has been reduced to a mere 0.03”/25% later is the evening. I’m sending DS out to water the front beds. I’m not so concerned about the perennials, but my Stewartia looks stressed.

Grandot— Hi and welcome. (I’m on my tablet this morning and it auto-corrected you to “Darned dot” and the “Brandon”. This device is an endless source of amusement)

Lorita— (the iPad rechristened you “Lolita” Yikes!) I’ve heard the same about checks, but IME, those who operate small businesses love when I pay by check as it spares them hefty processing fees. My dentists and local farm store even offer a discount to use one).

Jerilynn— It sounds as if you’re making progress on your late FIL’s paperwork. I wonder how long to get a burial at Arlington. My BFF’s brother waited about 6 months. Even here at the National Cemetery at Washington Crossing the wait for burial was 3 weeks for dad which was kind of hard for mom who would have preferred an earlier date.

Mint— Your baby watermelon is adorable. I hope you are successful in harvesting it later.

______________________________________________

Hair and nails for mom today. I like to turf this one to her driver as I think her “need” to be seen every 4 weeks is ridiculous. I also think her refusal to have her nails done at the same salon as the hair cut (too expensive and requires coordination) or at the salons to which she could walk (she’s not impressed with the hair styles coming out— it’s all little old lady hair-dos) is an imposition. Can you tell I feel a bit salty about this?

I should probably sort out a birthday observance for my niece and also for DS. She’s sent me links to various high-end skin treats she likes (LOL, they are awesome but smell so awful) that we could pick up at Sephora. I think DS could use a new top for the Miata. The current one is brittle and cracked, so he’s not taking it down which sort of negates the whole point of the Miata.

I’m still waiting to for a start date for the asphalt driveway recap; he was waiting for a part. Poor guy. Still waiting for a call-back from the garage door guy; maybe he’s on vacation as he’s usually quicker to return calls. I’m waiting on a rework of the estimate for the bathtub replacement. He flaked on the first go-around pricing out a tub in white, not bone, and a faucet that looks nothing like the one on the sink (which is still made and I gave him the brand/collection). He needs to have the tile guy contact me. The contract calls for “basic tile” and I might want to upgrade that a bit for a refresh but he can’t tell me what the price allowance for the tile would be.

DH and I went to the tile store yesterday to see what’s out there. DH was overwhelmed almost immediately and was pushing for tile like the stuff I put in our old house’s bath some 38 years ago. That bath was higher-end than this and had an Italian porcelain faux marble with gray which was gorgeous in a very 1987 sort of way but doesn’t work with the bone fixtures at all. Once he saw that (I brought one of the tiles with), he retreated to the car and texted “How much longer?” Every 10 minutes or so. He jokes that he never gets a say, but he’s always been happy with my choices once done. We did both like a kind of rustic green mottled tile but looking at the picture in the room it really doesn’t work. I know it’s trite, but I’m thinking a plain bone subway tile is going to be the answer. So long as it looks clean and cared for, I’m good.

Gotta run, I need to be at mom’s in an hour.

HB

jfkoc

here…off to Morgan Stanley

ronald71111

Storms Monday and today, no cold air blowing out in my 2 year old, expensive air conditioner unit. Just can't win, waiting on technician call for arrival time.

Went ahead and put in a call to the VA Psychologist I have seen in the past. I already have a primary care appointment for next Monday and hopefully she can fit me in. I shouldn't be crying for no reason, even talking to the air conditioner service lady I started crying and Lou was not even brought up. I can't continue to stay active if I'm going to cry about nothing.

Ron

Lorita

Morning , went to town for some sweet feed for Gray Lady and to pick up my groceries at WM. Only gone about an hour and half. There was a fire in town yesterday and burned all three businesses in a strip mall. Looked awful.

Got new collars for Sheena and Stormy but they're leather and stiff. Too hot this summer for them. Their collars are pretty old but made of a heavy material.

When I left WM I pressed the button to keep the motor from going off when I stopped.. Noticed the hazard lights were on. I pressed every button, I tbought. When I got home I called the dealership to find out how to turn them off and I had pushed the wrong button , pressed the one next to the one to turn off motor. He said this was not the first call he had had for that reason. Felt pretty silly. Don't think I will ever learn everything about the car. Carol says her husband is still learning about their Buick. JeriLynn, I remember all I went through getting papers together for the VA when Charles passed away. Good luck.

HB, sounds like there are lots of decisions for you to make but must think how nice if will be when it's finished. My tablet seems to have a mind of it's own, too. Changes lots of things, names included.

Ron, don't feel bad about crying at the drop of a bat.I found I always teared up when someone was kind to me, why I don't know. That lasted for a long time. If you see the psycho!ogist I imagine he'll explain the stages of grief, five, I think. Glad the bad weather is over for you. Now, the hot weather is returning with temps over 100 by the end of the week.

See you all later.

Mint

good afternoon everyone

Said good morning but I forgot to post it. It was still sitting there waiting on me.

Lorita

Mint, about freezing corn; all we have done is shuck and silk it, cut off the top end, put in freezer bags and freeze. When you're ready to eat it we put some butter on the frozen corncob, wrapped it in wax paper and twist the ends tightly, then microwave. Sorry I don't remember how long, probably depends on the size of the ear and your microwave. It tastes just like fresh corn.

I remember one year there was a good crop so mother put the unshucked ears in a paper sack, closed it tightly and froze it like that. It was very good. Guess if you did that you could pull down the shuck and silk it, then pull the shuck up tightly. Much easier than cooking or blanching.

Iris L.

Good morning All. Does anyone still get newspaper delivery? My paper has been missed for five out of the past seven days. I do like reading a paper in my hands.

Iris

David1946

Good afternoon, just got back from the gym at the senior center and I went from a step 7 last week to a 10 and did almost an extra 100 steps.

David1946

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/215475#Comment_215475

Yes I get the local paper delivered daily and have had it delivered for the last 50 years

jfkoc

We always bought rolled leather collars. They only reason for buying a new one was for a different sized dog. I have quite a few still in a drawer…mostly red.

I have not had good corn for years. Same with tomatoes. Our soil just does not make those…lol/

Lorita

Darwin brought tomatoes two or three days sgo. They are so good. They looked like Roma's but two to three times bigger. He said they are Romas. I can't have tomato seeds so peeled and seeded them. His garden is where he had strawberries .He added manure so along with that and the hay it's really rich soil. We raised chickens Years ago and after we sold them we added the chicken yard to the garden. It grew really good vegetables and melons.

Mint, that is a cute watermelon. I think I mentioned I have heard if you put dirt over the runner where the melon is, it will be seedless. Don't know if that is true.

The collars are sort of stiff so before I put them on I will try to soften them All they had were brown, not what I wanted. Sheena said she wanted a pink one.

Mint

good morning everyone

HB hope your area get some rain soon. we got a little bit out of the hurricane room that yesterday not a lot. I hope it’s enough that I don’t have to water today. But if I do have to water, I’m thankful I have water.

Ron hope that A/C gets fixed soon.

harshedbuzz

Good morning Porch People.

Our heat wave broke— we’re only going up to 89F today so yippee! I broke down and watered after dinner last night, so of course we did get about 1/2” overnight. My coneflowers look normal today. I thought they were all dead TBH. Even the lawn greened up over night.

I haven’t taken a local delivery in decades. Our local daily paper is terrible; it always was. There are two weeklies that are much better. One is 4 section freebie at the store and the other is hyper-local and online— both have more and better coverage than the daily. They’re real old school small town papers. I have a couple subscriptions. I print out a NYT Crossword daily because I prefer to solve on paper.

I got mom’s hair and nails done yesterday. I talked her into ordering niece’s birthday present online so that’s done. I still need to figure out a gift for the girl who buys herself everything. We had lunch at a local pizza place. I had to cut her pizza as the crust was too robust for the implements provided. I suspect she isn’t using her wrist braces as prescribed plus her tremor was bad yesterday.

I hope the day goes well for all.
HB

BethL

Oh, Mint, your datura is gorgeous!!! Re corn, I have not frozen it on the cob. I do cook it before bagging it up and freezing it. Glad to see you have a watermelon! I have never tried growing them.

JeriLynn, glad you are getting a lot done. It feels good to cross items off the to do list. I hope life will slow down a bit for you.

HB, best wishes on your projects. It does get overwhelming at times. Hang in there; all will look great once decisions are made and install is complete.

Ron, I hope you can get some good counseling and perhaps an antidepressant if needed. Grieving is tough and there is no timeline. It can be different for different individuals. Praying for you.

Iris, I get the newspaper on Sunday only; digital rest of week. $34 a month! Not really worth it.

My hubby has a BD coming up next week. His gift was 2 faux stained glass lamps for the bedroom. I need to get him a card and at his request, bake him an apple pie. By the way, the cherry pie I made last week was excellent. My DIL said it was the best pie she'd ever eaten! We all talked about our favorite pies and they included apple, peach, lemon meringue, rhubarb, strawberry rhubarb, pecan, pumpkin and sour cream raisin (mine). I have a recipe for a fresh peach pie. It involves slicing up peaches and into a baked shell and then pouring over a mixture including sugar, cornstarch and water. I haven't made it yet this summer but the fresh peaches are now available. You may remember that I had a peach tree that I grew from a pit. Last year was the first year it bloomed, and produced peaches. There were so many peaches that they were too heavy and branches broke beyond repair so I lost the tree. I bought and planted 2 small peach trees this year. I also have 2 volunteer seedlings from that tree that I lost. It will be a few years before they produce, I'm sure.

Swimming day today at a friend's. A good day for it, very hot indeed.

Have a good one!

Beth

Lorita

Morning, pretty morning but will be hot this afternoon.Each day will be a degree or two hotter.. I don't like hot weather anymore. Hope everyone is well today. Be back later.

harshedbuzz

And I have a new project— I went to warm the last cup of tea from the pot this morning and the microwave/convection/rangehood is dead. Circuit breaker is on, the unit is plugged in but the touch pad is dark. Lights and fan which are on switches separate from the control pad are also not working. I need to try the outlet to confirm power to decide whether to call an electrician or buy a new one.

And mom has a wheezy cough this morning. Not her usual-sounding COPD cough.

HB

Caro_Lynne

HB, my mom had the same issue, but before buying her a new one, I researched and fixed it by replacing the fuse in the microwave. Watched youtube video on how to do it on her model and it worked! Worth a try.

jfkoc

here…

I just replaced my microwave. Best Buy. Insignia, 2 year warranty and delivery for under $80!

Caro_Lynne

Judith that's a great price! Was it an over-the-stove with fan? That's what my mom has.

ronald71111

Nothing is right in my life anymore! The 10 years Lou had dementia, I never bought anything fir myself. I decided to order me some new clothes on line; two pants and one short sleeve shirt. The pants were to long and had them taken up 4 inches, the shirt is to large and I can't wear it. The shirt was the size I thought I needed, so after discovering it wasn't, I ordered two smaller sizes. To small! After all this I desided to go and buy some shirts at a local store and while shopping noticed v neck t-shirts in economy package, which I bought. Once again after washing I found I bought the wrong size. I know my sizes, but my mind is not working in my favor. Believe I'll just stop wearing clothes.

I've also been experiencing a lot of brain fog; just simple things like not remembering if I shut the door on washer or dryer and have to go back k and check to see if it's going. Putting something in the oven, coming back to living room and having to go back because I couldn't remember if I set the timer. Just small things like that!

I'm also becoming disappointed in my church. They are wonderful group and if I picked up my phone and asked for help, they would be right here for me. What is bothering me is as I was caring fir Lou, someone was always checking on us, sending cards and letting me know how concerned they were for me. Now that Lou is gone that has stopped! I was told by one person they knew they should have called, but just didn't know what to say.

Am I being over sensitive? I know individuals have a life of their own, but just a 30 second phone call would mean so much.

Thanks for listening!

Ron

harshedbuzz

I'm sorry Ron.

I think people find it easier to help when the task at hand is very easily defined— bring a meal, mow a lawn or pick up groceries.

After the funeral, people struggle with knowing what they can or should do because it's harder to know if you need space, someone to listen or just someone to sit with you.

HB

harshedbuzz

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/215567#Comment_215567

This is good to know.

The unit was nearing the end of its natural life. It was originally a 1000-watt microwave and I'm guessing it was working at less than 750 given the cook times for things like popcorn or frozen veggies. Because it had a convection option, it got me through 3 years of COVID when the oven in my old range died in spring 2020.To give you some idea of age; it's a Kenmore circa 2016-ish. It replaced the old GE I had in the house I pulled out of my flood condemned house; that was a sexy top-of-the-line beast that microwaved, baked, sensor-roasted and broiled. I bought that think in 1993.

Unfortunately, the price for the advertised microwave/convection model in which I was interested was a typo— it said $349 but was supposed to be $649. They tried to convince me I was mistaken, but the sales associate pulled up the website and found it. The manager wouldn't honor the $349 but did let me have it for $450 which is a steal for this model. It's the mate to the range I bought last year which is nice. This means, of course, that my refrigerator is going to keel over momentarily.

Judith— Do you know who makes Insignia microwaves? Rumor has it Haier does some of their TVs. I have a friend looking to replace her massive countertop model with a smaller white one to match her pretty new countertop and backsplash. She was thinking Panasonic

HB

jfkoc

NO! I think those are dangerous!!!! How can it not be…reaching over things cooking???

It is white and not large and does not do thing like answeer the phone…lol

Mint

no paper subscription here in years.

Think I would say my favorite pie is coconut cream with meringue. Most of them are pretty tasty though.

We have had a beautiful day. 81°, gentle breeze. I worked out and didn’t sweat. Picked blueberries again and got 2 1/2 quarts today. I’ve offered mom some to just eat fresh both times but she always refuses. My sister told me she would take the half quart and mix it with some peaches and make her a cobbler.

Ron, I understand what you’re saying I think. There’s a very good and real possibility that those little things you’re forgetting it’s just nothing but stress. I have issues with that sometimes because of so many things on my mind and plate. This week I have broken a drinking glasses and two plates. I have never in my life done that before. I was a person who rarely ever broke a dish. So I’m going to try to make myself quit rushing and think what I’m doing instead of just doing it and think what are you doing Mint?

Now to the people calling business. Reminded me of when my dad passed away. There was a couple that was very kind to my mom and I. They came a lot and they would stay a while. And after a while, it kind of started getting on my nerves and I was glad when they didn’t come. In a month or so I wish so bad sometimes that someone would come but no one ever came. It’s kind of over for them and like others have said I think they don’t know what to say. I have that problem a little bit when I call my uncle you know I think would you like to hear about my life or does that not interest him now. I think if it was me, I would still want to hear about others but it is hard to know what to say. So my suggestion is maybe you could call them and you could direct the conversation and then they will get more comfortable with it and maybe start calling you or inviting you sometimes. You seemed like you’re a pretty good cook and enjoyed it so when you feel up to that again, you could even invite a couple over and you could fix a meal and I think that would kind of break the ice also maybe.

Now onto the clothes. I have a terrible time with clothes and finding some thing that fits decently. You don’t know what size you wear anymore, I don’t either. I did order two dresses back before my nephews wedding and they fit nice I was shocked. They’re the same size as other things I’ve ordered that didn’t fit, you just don’t know . Even from the same company, sometimes things don’t fit the same and I see other people complaining of that….

I’m glad you’re coming here and voicing your frustrations because talking about it I believe helps.

Hope each one has a good night
I need to finish up supper and get my blueberries, frozen

jfkoc

Insignia is made by Midea who also makes Toshiba,GE, Sharp and Whirlpool, It sits on the counter and with the warranty will cost less than @$1 a week..

I have had a small Isignia TV for about 10 years. so I feel pretty comfortable with the brand.

jfkoc

Ron….please be gentle with yourself. It is going to take some serious time for you to truly feel some better.

Now regarding attention from the church people…. they very likely do not know what to do for you and the church ladies may not feel comfortable reaching out to you now that you a a widower. I would keep attending and when you feel like it ask if you can reach out to someone just like they reached out to you.

JeriLynn66

Morning.

Mint

Good morning everyone

David1946

Goodmorning everyone