Just need to talk to my friends (218)

Leaving Tucson today. 1620 miles to home ❤️. Happy Trails to everyone today 😘

no kilt !!!!!!

Iris, homeowner's insurance covers storm damage to the house. Just the window and lights won't meet my deductible, but the insurance will be a big help if I need a new roof. Damage to the car is covered by comprehensive insurance. I used comprehensive insurance many years ago when a tree fell on the car.

I heard today that 100,000 cars were damaged by the hailstorm, 1,500 in the airport parking lot alone. The body shops are clogged by people getting estimates, and I see a lot of cars driving around with sheets of plastic taped over the rear windows. Windshields are stronger, and I see a lot of them intact but with cracks. There is quite a wait for body work and for roofing repairs. Insurance adjustors from all over the country have flown here to assess the damage. I spoke to one man whose adjustor lives in Montana, and another whose adjustor came from New York.

Our local media do weather reports every day, and they certainly reported the hailstorm. If you google "hailstorm Springfield MO" you can find pictures of people holding large hailstones.

JeriLynn, you are certainly getting your money's worth out of that motor home. Have a safe trip home!

Carl, I hadn’t thought about it until Lorita mentioned the metal roof, but I had a Louisiana hailstorm many years ago.
When I lived in Louisiana we had a hailstorm that damaged my roof about 10 years ago when I was young and could still catch a ladies eye. I switched to a metal roof mainly because if major damage was done, you only had to replace that portion. My memory isn’t as good, but I believe it helped on insurance rates also.

Ron

We have quite a few metal roofs here, too, but I don't have one. My roof is shingle, colored to look like a slate roof. It looks nice with the white concrete stucco walls. It is pretty tough, and I'm not sure it needs to be replaced, but I'll find out when the roofer gets time to look at it.

My insurance company charges extra if you have a metal roof and want coverage to replace it if it's dented but doesn't leak. A couple of my neighbors have solar electric panels on their roofs and the glass-covered panels were damaged by the hail. I don't know if their insurance covers that or not.

I have been paying homeowner's insurance premiums since 1972 without having a claim, and I would prefer to not have one now, but we'll see.

Kilts - My high school has an all-girl drum and bagpipe march team called the Kilties. They wear kilts with matching sashes over long-sleeved white shirts and perform at parades, ball games, etc. They date back to when there was only one high school in town, and the newer high schools call their teams Lassies etc. About once a generation they have a fund raiser to raise money for new uniforms because the old ones have been altered to fit so many girls that they're worn out. My chemistry lab partner was a Kiltie, and she got to travel to Miami to march in a bowl game. They were honored at an assembly before they left, and sang "Moon Over Miami."

Well, Eagle, that is surely a ying/yang day. Bad day at the dentist, great day at la trattoria. Enjoy that beautiful evening!

Good morning! I went to the eye doctor yesterday and all is well. He showed me the photos of the retinas, macula and optic nerve. I asked how to avoid detached retina - response was nothing you can do to prevent it, and that people who are near sighted are more prone. I asked how to avoid macular degeneration. Part is genetic but eating well with lots of leafy greens, wearing sunglasses and he told me about a vitamin that, over time, darkens the macula which makes it less prone to degeneration. Photo below. Have a great day! I'm planting things! My happy hobby!

I’m sorry my friends on the front porch, you have problems yourself, but I need to vent. I don’t understand my life!

This morning I had my breakfast and didn’t want to do anything but go back to bed. I’ve gone through this before with most of you, but it seems worse than in the past. All my life I’ve sucked it up and went on about my business. Last night and today I can’t stop thinking about how awful my life is without Lou. I’ve gone through grief sharing, had sessions with mental health and am taking medicine for depression and anxiety. I had tried to get more active in church and other activities, it in the long run nothing has helped. It’s almost two years, but for me the grief isn’t better, if anything it’s worse. I just can’t understand what direction my life is going without anyone special in my life. I’ve heard so many stories about older couples losing a spouse and a short time later our Lord brings them back together, but I’m still here. I’ve been told he has another purpose for me, but it’s been two years and he hadn’t shared that purpose.

Thank you my good friends

Ron

Ron…it is not venting. It is sharing and we are here to share openly. You have had a lot of health issues and a move. You did it with a major loss in your life. It is like being left alone in the middle of the ocean

My grief has not left me. It just became familiar as the years passed. The hole in my heart is always there. After ten years I still think I can just roll over and touch Dick. I still talk to him quietly.

There are still tears but the sobbing is gone. Still I catch myself saying to someone "I miss him so much". Especially on Sundays when all is quiet.

I still have thoughts of what's the point….just not as often.

Sending you a quiet hug as we rock on the porch.

J

I read a Scottish person a while ago who said, with a look of horror, "women can't wear kilts! They have ugly knees!" Traditional Scottish skirts for women are longer, maybe mid-calf.

Good morning,

Lorita, I haven’t had a tic on me since I was a kid until Tuesday. Mine was on my ankle. Why would you save it?

Ron

Growing up in Louisiana tics was more of a pest than danger, so i decided to google missouri tics. Now i have more of a reason to keep the grass mowed! My tic was on my foot close to the ankle bone. I couldnt see what was bothering me because i couldnt get my leg up far enough to see it, so i took a picture. From what i looked at online, it looks like a american dog tic!

I know that sleep is essential for better health and three hours last night is not enough. I’m going to lay back down and see what happens.

Ron

Good morning. Dreary here at the moment but the sun should be out later.

Ron— I am sorry for the pain you are experiencing. I admire you for sharing. While it's great that you have a lovely and doting family nearby, they can't fill the Lou-shaped hole in your heart.

I've saved ticks. We have deer ticks here and that can mean exposure to Lyme Disease which is a problem. The Department of Health used to test them, but these days docs prescribe a course of abx if you report a potential bite. I know gardeners who do a course of doxycycline every fall after the last frost.

Judith— The Christmas duet idea is amazing. What will you be playing?

Beth— Mom and auntie both have AMD. Auntie's has progressed to wet while mom has dry with geographic atrophy. Both take the AREDS formula vitamin. There's a strong family history for her— her grandmother, dad, and her 3 blue-eyed siblings. I'm hoping to dodge that bullet— I never smoked and always wear UV protection in my glasses. Fingers crossed— somebody needs to drive mom to all those appointments, lol. Dad was the one with the detached retina. He didn't notice it in time and as a result her pretty much lost the vision in his left eye. His risk factor was a previous injury and possibly cataract surgery.

Lorita— Sorry about the tick bite. I hope the itch didn't disturb your sleep.

sandwich— Whoever said that about women's knees must've caught sight of mine. I've got matching TKR scars now. That left one is still in the Frankensteinian phase of healing. I'm not sure the scar tape is buttering the biscuit.

Iris— I wonder if a flea collar or one of the canine flea and tick formulas would work for people. When I camped, we just tucked our pants into our socks/boots.
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Mom's echo came back. Some of her issues have seemed to progress. The NP reached out to me to let me know the doctor ordered some lab work. Blood and 24-hour urine. So, yay! I went down the rabbit hole— some of the testing is aimed at amyloidosis in either the heart or kidneys (she did a scan for this last year) and some seems aimed at myeloma which was not on my BINGO card. Fortunately, she doesn't understand any of this and is mostly concerned with how she's going to collect urine. Before explaining a nun's cap, she thought she had to hover over the jug which is an image I'd didn't need floating around my head.

Niece 1 stopped by last night. Her father was transferred to a hospital in the city/nearer her house, but he asked her to drive an hour to pick up some expired amino acids he needs to have to "bulk up". The crazy is strong with him. He's still complaining bitterly about the geriatric unit saying he doesn't belong there. We went out for pizza and then spent some time going through old photo albums. DH found some old pictures of us. These are very rare as we lost almost all the pictures taken before DS was born in the flood that destroyed our first home.

I was shocked at how much more hair I had then. Niece was shocked at how much her niece looks like me as a young woman. She's 21 now. She lives with her adoptive family about 8 miles north of me. She's always looked like me. Once I ran into her as a 6-year-old at an Eagle Court of Honor and unprompted a friend told me "OMG, Harshed, that little girl looks enough like you to be your kid".

Tea with mom after the lab today. I'm looking forward but feeling a little salty that they serve mascarpone rather than clotted cream. I'm tempted to BYOB. Yes, I am that person who has been known to smuggle real maple syrup into diners.

HB