Just need to talk to my friends (202)

Lorita, I am going to the exercise class mainly for socialization. We moved to this community in Sept and it's a good way to meet people. And of course, exercise is good for the body so it's a win-win.

Lorita. Your PGs are just like Molly, and a lot of other dogs, they hate to see you leave, and always so happy when you return. Poor Molly, in Oregon, I took her with me all the time. Here in Arizona, unless I go real early, like before, 9am I have to leave her home, it just gets too hot here. My bedroom the bed is in front of the window, that looks out over the drive way, so she sits on the bed watching out the window till we get home.

Mint. When Dan, was alive and still enjoyed hunting, our freezer always have venison in it. I would have preferred beef. He was a good cook and loved to cook his venison, it was always good, but I still wished he enjoyed cooking beef. Your mom is in a good place. You and your sister did a outstanding job taking care of her. Does your mom get along with her roommate? If and when I go to a facility, I hope I don't have a roommate. Dan had 3 different ones and they did not always get along.

Beth. That bulldog is cute. I wonder how old their mascot gets. Hopefully he has a handler that takes him home. Maybe it's that girl next to him.

HB. Sorry your mother is feeling so stressed. That's something that will probably happen to a lot of us. It is nice she has a visiting nurse, that checks on her. I was glad when my DH was home I had a caregiver stop in twice a week for 3 hours to visit him. It helped a lot cause I was still working. And yes the sky's here in Arizona, always seem to be a pretty blue. Believe me I do look forward to rain. I'm still adjusting to moving from Oregon to Arizona.

My gums have finally heald from the post transplant. I go in next week to see if the teeth fit. I'm not too excited about the teeth, but I will see how it goes.

Hugs to all, Zetta

JeriLynn, I'll bet those chickens and goats are glad to have you back! I saw a teenaged boy on TV the other night who was playing a banjo, and one of his four pet chickens was sitting on his shoulder while he played Bluegrass. He lives in Michigan but his ancestors migrated there from somewhere in bluegrass country, he said it must be in his genes.

Had temps in the mid 70's today, the daffodils my mother gave me are up a couple of inches. They do that every year and get frozen every year; they are tough little plants. We expect 25 degrees cooler tomorrow, rain starting tomorrow night. It's still winter. A young man asked me about the groundhog thing yesterday. I told him to never trust a rodent.

It's midnight. I'm going to put out the light. Sleep tight.

Good morning.

Lorita— I hope your bloodwork comes back without any surprises. It's funny how spotty mask use is in medical settings now. Some mask, some don't.

Carl— what's that old quote? Those who don't study history are condemned to repeat it?

Zetta— I hope you're pleasantly surprised by the new teeth. Mom loves hers and they made a marked improvement in her appearance which delighted her.

The visiting nurse experience is a mixed bag. Mom's community is gated— the main road is a terrific shortcut between 2 busy roads, so the gates keep traffic down to those who have reason to be there. They used to have an access code that could be shared with people like nurses, cleaners, trades people but it got out of hand, so the new system requires "guests" to use a specific gate. GPS doesn't give this gate as an option. If visitors do find the right gate, they have to punch in the resident's name which triggers a phone call and prompts the resident to press a number on their phone to open the gate. Did I mention this is a 55+ community that's 25 years old meaning a larger number of residents are older and not so tech savvy. Some of the nurses do have a code or pass, but most don't. Mom's not great at carrying her phone with her or hearing it ring. I get a lot of calls from nurses.

And some of the nurses tick her off. She doesn't like having to be ready for the nurses, who are often late. Some of them infantilize her. The trained extra set of eyes is a relief to me in some respects, but it does feel like a Medicare cash-grab at times. She didn't like the one who came yesterday. She was late and when she arrived, she left quickly as mom had had a skilled nursing appointment in the morning for PICC removal and the visiting nurse said insurance wouldn't pay so she'll be back today.

Jerilynn— Congratulations on the new pet goat and the RV. That sounds like a Taj Mahal on wheels. I hope it's not so big your DH invites that pesky SIL to sleep over. When my parents were new to teaching (and broke), they used to take my sister and I to camp near the beach for the summer in a 15-footer. It was like spending an entire season in a ham can with 3 of the most annoying people on the face of the earth. As a teenager, it was the very definition of hell. It still is.

Mint— I am so glad placement has allowed you to step back into the role of daughter knowing your mom is looked after. I have been thinking a lot about a hospitality model AL or even IL community with an AL option down the road. TBH, this would be more for mom's isolation and boredom. I don't think my current level of hands-on involvement would change all that much. If we get bad news about the cat Thursday, we'll talk about it again. She seemed receptive anyway. I need to tour a few places. I'm fortunate to live in an area with a lot of options.


HB

Off to the meat market for more andouille for the red beans and rice.

Weather report in Houston…they have snow and not just a dusting.

And, Greece has had 200 earthquakes. The tourists fled Santorini.

Cholesterol…what you really need to know are the LDL and HDL counts within the number, I always get lab reports on line and can read them before the Dr contacts me. Some come in the same day. The results indicate just what the number means.

Tariffs…with Mexico and Canada I think the chip in play was help with the boarders. China? I heard that they will just start moving their exports to other nations. I have a feeling that China is holding the winning hand.

Animals are a responsibility and have personalities in addition to breed traits. We had to rehome a dog because we were not able to meet the dogs activity level. It was hard. Maybe a goat would be easier than a dog at this point.

Meet our newest addition; Twinkle. I’d say she’s around 3 pounds. Looong skinny legs and LOUD cry. I hope she does ok. She’s nursing frequently and Mom is attentive.
Another busy day Oldest granddaughter had rotator cuff repair surgery today and 2 of the greatgrands came down with flu last night 😵‍💫. So we took a bucket of chicken and lots of soup/juice/frozen family size entrees and set it on the porch for them. Visited outside briefly from a distance with the one kid who isn’t sick, yet. Gave instructions about good hand hygiene and not sharing hand towels, etc. My 84 year old Aunt is recovering so she and my Uncle (her brother) went to visit family in the nursing home. Not smart 😵‍💫😵‍💫for anyone but they do their own thing and don’t appreciate interference 😳😞

Hope everyone had a decent day.!See ya tomorrow 😘 Sorry I couldn’t get the text to Bold

Beautiful cats. We have a neighborhood cat that looks like a leopard, Very friendly and will come inside to visit.

Hugs to Twinkle.

That soup sounds really good, Mint. I like soup better the more kinds of veggies are in it. My mother used to save some of everything she made for dinner and dump it all in a crock pot on Sunday. We might be eating and see everything from a strand of spaghetti to a bit of fish float by. It was different every week and always good. My wife hates soup, oatmeal and other things that she considers "slimy" or I would make soup every day.

Snow in Houston? Never been there, but my Texas cousins tell me Houston is a place where you shake the scorpions out of your boots before you put them on. Weird weather.

$125 at the vet is a lot of money, but probably as good for the health as the doctor visit. Companions are good for you. I don't know about GG's cats, though. Those cats are scary looking, just right for a Goth. I am a little afraid of cats anyway, I think because they are carnivores. Must be the Neanderthal in me, watching out for lions. My parents never allowed cats in the house, so I never thought of them as pets. My parents grew up on farms and to them, cats were wild animals who lived in the barn and hunted mice.

I never spent any time with goats, but they are pretty cute, especially when they are young. I saw an article in a hiking magazine about a hiker who took his goat with him. The goat carried a pack, and the hiker said it was better company than a lot of people.

Bird flu is spreading in poultry flocks in SW Missouri. In Newton County, just south of Joplin, over 4,000,000 hens and 44,000 turkeys have been destroyed to prevent the spread. The government compensates the farmers, but that's a lot of eggs that aren't being laid, and a lot of turkeys that won't be in the stores next November.

State Farm is asking for a 22% increase in California homeowner's insurance premiums to compensate for the LA fires. Add that to a 10% tariff on imports from China, the rising cost of food, and the increased demand for construction materials to rebuild after the floods and fires, and it is hard to see inflation slowing very soon.

Good morning

Carl, I’m guessing the old guy with the walker may have traveled your road at some point in his life. Just a guess.

Good morning

Carl, I don't think there is snow in Houston now. They had snow around 1/21/25 and I have photos of my grandsons playing in it. It's special to them. They always wish for snow at Christmas when they come up here. They haven't gotten it the last two years, but they got their own this January. I'm not going to the gym; I set a NY resolution to exercise 5 days a week and I do my "prevent osteoporosis exercises" and cardio at home. Those include sprints, stationery biking, heel drops (google it if you wish to know what it is - it gives impact to the hips which is where my decreased bone density is and impact builds bone), squats, overhead lifts (7#), and farmer's carry. I also go to our library where they have 6 rotating fit for life classes on Mondays and Thursdays. Those classes are workout with weights and band, stretching, core fitness, weighted lunge workout, balance and posture, and strength with weights. So far I'm keeping it up. It feels good. Also I am meeting people in this new community of mine, where I have lived for just 4 months.

GG, your cats are beautiful! We used to have a Himalayan or Ragdoll - not sure which, we got her at the shelter. We've also had a Siamese and others I'll call mixed breeds. I love cats. I don't have one now but I have a sweet little 12 lb miniature Schnauzer.

JeriLynn, your photos are adorable/beautiful. You live in a pretty place! Enjoy your new RV! And maybe yet you can get DH on a plane and a cruise ship. So worth it.

Ron, I hope you are feeling better and getting some encouragement. You're a good man. You have done a lot for others. Hope others will be there for you when you can use a hand.

David, I hope you are recovering and will soon be able to get back to bingo and other activities.

Zetta, the cactus are beautiful. I hope you are enjoying life and feeling well. Molly is a little cutie taking her bath! Glad your gums are healing. I hope I never need implants. It sounds like a lengthy and painful and expensive process!

HB, I am glad your mom is home. I hope she can stay relatively healthy for a good long while. I hope things settle enough that you can have your knee replacement. Our pastor had a knee replacement Monday; I was shocked to hear it was outpatient surgery! And he's a 75 y.o. man! Are you a Philadelphia Eagles fan? Did you see little fan Declan (viral video on Tik Tok or YouTube) who was initially gifted tix to the playoff game, and then on the Today show Bradley Cooper brought him and his family tix to the Super Bowl. It was heartwarming.

Lorita, I hope your labs come out good and that you are feeling well. Your "kids" depend on you.

Mint, your soup sounds very tasty. I am currently accumulating chicken carcasses to make bone broth. My homemade bone broth is so tasty; the ones I've bought at the store don't taste good at all. Will you be growing food again this year? I'll do less. We've moved and don't have near the space we had before. I'll grow greens and tomatoes for sure. I'd like to do cucumbers too but they vine and take a lot of space. Guess I could try to train them upward on a tomato cage.

Judith, I hadn't heard about Santorini. It sounds like so far the earthquakes have been minor and not causing damage but they are concerned for a larger one. We've been there, such a gorgeous place. We bought a painting of Santorini to hang above our mantle. So pretty.

Big increase in homeowners insurance in CA? Expect it in FL too with all the weather events. A YouTuber I watch who lives in northern CA said she either cannot get the coverage, or it is too costly. My fear is that a lot of these insurance companies will stop selling homeowners and then we will be up a creek.

Eagle, I hope you are enjoying some nice spring-like weather with your family. Hope DH is doing well.

The pic below was a photo I took and then put into a photoshop type program to make it look like a painting. It is not the pic we bought to hang above our fireplace mantle. As I was looking through my 14,000 pics online, I came upon my mom's h.s. graduation photo. She was a beautiful lady inside and out.

Good morning.

Mint— It sounds as though the facility where your mom lives is thoughtfully managed. It's impressive that they contained the outbreak to so few residents. The referral company you often recommend here did a great job for you. BTW, I checked and they don't operate in my area. The nearest affiliated office is in NJ.

Jerilynn— Twinkle is adorable. I hope you granddaughter's surgery goes seamlessly. Will she be doing a lot of PT after? My cousins both had this surgery and left the hospital with a busy schedule of PT already laid out for them.

Gothic G— Those are some elegant cats. Are they Siamese? I love a blue-eyed cat. My first himmie was a cream point and his eyes were a paler aquamarine but DS's seal point had the stunning Crayola blue color. My nasty aunt had a number of Siamese over the years— they were real characters. Very bright animals.

Lorita— 18lbs? That's a lot of cat. Mom's cat is long, tall and big boned but she only tips the scales at about 11lbs and I fear she's lost weight since her last re-check. She's feeling kind of bony of late.

Judith— I love getting the labs reports on My Chart. Whenever I take mom to the ER, I grab my iPad so I can follow along.

Carl— I don't think you're pitiful. You're just playing the cards dealt you with grace.

That said, you remind me of my late MIL in terms of your stance on cats. She grew up a farm girl and didn't care for them at all. She ascribed all manner of negative traits to them— sneaky, inscrutable, sadistic, dangerous— some of which were patently hilarious in the context of my experiences. She'd raised DH to be leery of them, but he did buy me a Persian kitten when we got engaged because we decided it made sense to spend money on a downpayment on a house vs a ring. Within 48 hours, he had alienated the cat's affection entirely. When we had our son, I thought my MIL was going to lose her mind because we kept the cats. Every week she would send letters full of urban legends about cats smothering babies which is just what anxious first-time parents need. FTR, the cats were great with the kid. Once when DS was about 2 1/2, he locked himself in my bedroom and cut all the fur off the younger cat with a pair of pinking shears. What was left on his head was kind of spiky like a dinosaur or punk rocker. About a week later, the cat ended up with a corneal abrasion and they vet gave me a very hard time about "that child". I got the impression he wanted me to re-home the kid.

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I got my hair cut last night in the city. My niece met me and after we went to a wine bar and shared some cheeses and family updates before I caught my train back to the suburbs. It's a little treat we give ourselves every 6-10 weeks.

I often talk about mom's ADHD and how quirky it makes her. She's passed it down to both my son and my niece. My niece is a very capable and well-educated woman, but sometimes she gets flaky. I took a bus from the train station to the salon. I missed my stop and had to walk north one block and passed my niece's car. I thought I heard it running. I felt a slight vibration on the hood. And noticed that the dash display was "live". So, I texted her. Yes. She left her car parked and running on the street while she caught up on some emails at a coffee shop.

This is mom's cat. Notice the size of her massive skull compared to mom's. DS says she has "resting bitch face". I agree.

here….

Good morning Front Porch Friends.

Lorita. Your so right eggs have gone up a lot. I buy the 18 pack from Walmart that were $3.00 now yesterday they were $8.00. I eat a lot of eggs, so looks like I will need to cut back on something else. 😏 one of you kitties is 18 lbs that's a big cat. My Sammy, is 14 lbs. He is 3 years old, I will try to enclose a picture of him.

JeriLynn. That baby goat is so sweet, please stick to your No, and keep her. I love the name you gave her. Twinkle, is perfect. That is a beautiful sunset. Now you and your DH can set in your new RV in the evenings in your jammies and enjoy the sunset.

Mint. That soup sounds delicious, sounds like you put everything but the kitchen sink in it. I'm so glad your mom has a private room. When my DH was in MC the private rooms were more then our insurance would cover, and more then I could pay. The AL, portion of the facility had private and non private rooms. I sure hope when and if I need to go to AL, I will be able to get a private room. I would not be a easy person to live with.

HB. It's strange they would have a locked gate in that type of facility, especially when the residents, are in control. Looks like there was not a lot of thought put into those plans. I hope you're mom, adjust well to being home. Her cat is beautiful and yes it has a big head.

Gothic G. Your kitties are very pretty, and I love ❤️ all these kitty pictures, I'm going to try to attach a picture of Sammy. I remember when you were taking care of Peggy, you guys spent a lot of time together and yes, you were very protective of her. I felt the love.

Carl. Your friend with the walker, is emotionally better off then you are. That's a good way to look at it. And if you look tired, so be it, you are tired.

Beth. Your mother is very beautiful. I love those pictures you sent, I could live in one of those little houses, I would love to have a deck like that. Your right these implants have not been fun, the first implants did not work so I was on a lot of pain medicine. It took 3 months to recover from that. The second ones are in now, no pain, and I go back in 7 days for a check up. Then the next thing will be getting my teeth. I really want a Burger King Whopper. 🍔 My insurance paid a lot of this, but the $5000.00 I had to pay, has become monthly payments.

This is my Sammy, he is a real lover, he follows me every place. If you remember I had another cat that died a few months ago, Sammy still looks for her. She was 2.

Have a good day. Hugs to all. Zetta