PORCH 1242 IS NOW CLOSED (1/8/21)

[Willow77]

Hi All,

I have been mostly resting this week trying to get out of this push/crash cycle. I am feeling a lot better but have a ways to go yet. Usually I am in the crash part of the cycle most of the winter from gardening in the summer. I really need to get out my activity charts to get a better handle on how much I can safely do without crashing. Now I am doing something like dishes or a load of laundry and then resting for at least 30 minutes before going on to something else and some days I don't do anything.

Mom was over for dinner, I had bought a pork loin already marinaded in teriyaki which you just put in the oven for 40 minutes and a pkg of Idahoan instant potatoes with chives fresh out of the garden. Mom helped make a salad, she actually did the hard part washing the lettuce and cutting the tomatoes and then I threw some frozen veg in the microwave. I don't like ice cream a whole lot but Gray and Mom do so they had vanilla ice cream so I didn't have to make a dessert. I have some cookie dough in Mom's freezer, I ran out of space in mine over Christmas when I had a turkey in mine , so I took a pork roast and 2 containers of cookie dough over to her apartment and then forgot today to bring them back. My fridge and freezer are almost empty.

Mom is supposed to be making her grocery list but she fell asleep in her chair while she was writing her list. It is too late to get a delivery tonight anyways so I will have them deliver tomorrow. I was hoping to get it done and have the delivery tonight so I wouldn't have to make a special trip to her apartment but I will need to take her laundry over anyway. It is also her week to have her place cleaned. I didn't clean her house this past week. I hope she lets me wash her hair today, it really needs it and I worry about her scalp. If she lets it go too long she gets scabs on her scalp from seborrhea. Yay, we washed her hair, cut bangs and styled with curling iron. It looks really cute.

Our new neighbors next door had another loud party last night, the third since moving in last November. One was when they first moved in and then in the last couple of weeks they have had 2 kids parties with big bouncy houses, music, and kids screaming until 10pm. I was annoyed at the party last night because there was too much of the kids screaming. The family on the other side of us is quiet.

Nothing new really happening here. I am bored and boring right now but glad that we are as healthy and happy as we are.

Love to All,
Willow

 

[Mikie]

Good Monday Morning, Kids,

Got lots of sleep but woke twice and had to read to get back to sleep. I had a lot of frustration dreams that I remember. I did a lot of praying for individuals and our country. Grace and Dennis arrived with Dusty, their adorable little dog. I'm so glad I got their water and water heater turned on.

Granni, I saw your bad weather on TV. As I have mentioned, that front will be coming through our area. Today it will get to 75 at noon, a real heat wave after the cold weather we have had. It's nice DD will be able to attend the wedding. How is she doing? Well, I hope. I keep all of us in my prayers but especially her because she has some ongoing challenges. I hope you didn't have to cancel the dentist appt. again but I don't blame your DH for not wanting to drive on ice. Stay warm.

Willow, I'm sorry you have been so tired. There are many days I do nothing. Right now, I am trying to keep my heart rate down. I know stress causes it to elevate and I'm doing relaxation techniques to help. Why in the world would anyone want to throw parties during this pandemic that is spreading like wildfire? Idiots! I hope you get some peace and quiet.

Gonna go read the paper. I missed some of my news shows yesterday due to Claudia's call but it was really good to talk to her instead of just quick texts. Also gotta go take my allergy pill. RT alerts on the news and I'm choking. Hack, hack! Hope all y'all have a good start to the week.

Love, Mikie

Just got back from the doctor's office. My heart rate was too high and I couldn't get it to come back down. Doc took me off the supplements for my eyes. He said the ingredients in them could cause tachycardia. Oh great! Hope I don't have to choose between blindness or a heart attack. I took a go bag because last time, he threatened me with sending me to the ER. He doubled my BP med and will see me Friday morning. I think this may also be stressed induced. I don't know anyone who isn't stressed.

 

[bct]

WoW! Haven't posted in ages. Fatigue rages....

It's been too wet and damp to do any yardwork. We'll have to hire someone to help with the blackberries that have grown rampant. SO hard to deal with them.

I read through the past posts. WOW!, what a lot of political shades, threats to leave the forum, etc. etc. I hope no one leaves....

I have been down in the dumps lately. More so than usual. So be it.
I saw a few blue flowers on one of our rosemary plants. So lovely! AND, both of my Colletias are in bloom ----small white flowers on savage, spikey shrubs. One is C. paradoxa, I forget the name of the other one, but it is a VERY spiney one. OUCH!

Today I am going to shave before it's too late!
OOPS, a car has driven up.

Back again, friend has been putting gravel on our driveway. A very nice man from Mexico, a friend of our German woman; we have two guys from Peru staying in a house trailer down the lane,but they are leaving in a few weeks...maybe?

Granni and Mikie, what cold weather you are having. Granni, did you get any snow? I don't like it, myself.

I've had computer problems (fixed by R), plus power outages...

I've more to say, but can't think what it was... brain fog...

Anyhoo, Just popped in to tell y'all how much I love y'all.

Blessings, Peace,
Barry

 

[Granniluvsu]

HI AWL,

Yes we are haveing COLD weather and last night had some sleet and snow but not much. Just enough to scare me and DH we figured we wouldn;t be able to go to my dentist appt for my bridge being made. However, things were starting to thaw and all the wet stuff is gone. It will be VEY cold tonight but it should b dry. some areas got some snow enough to play in it a bit, in those living north of us. It stopped snowing about 10 last night or earlier. This morning DH dropped me off at the detnist for my appt ad he left to go shopping. I did a lot of waiting and thank goodness they did not take my b/p since they weren't doing anything to me so I didn;t havae to scare them this time.

HI to BARRY, MIKIE, WILLOW, SUN and everyone. We both have our yearly visits to the dr early in the a.m. with no breakfast and blood work for DH and myself. Please praya that my b/p stays half way decent. His surgery is on Thursday morning . I hate this cold weather !!! BRRRR!!

DH will be back in here soon and I needed to do so much stuff on here and didn't get it all done yet. Also have phone calls I need to make for our ladies group that hasn't been doing so much lately.

MIKIE - I am glad you went to the dr to try and get your pulse straightened out soon

Love,
Granni

 

[Mikie]

Hi, Kids,

Sat out with Grace in this nice afternoon air. Lovely! My HR is in the 90's but doc thinks it will go back down with increased BP med and stopping taking the eye supps. WebMD says no side effects for the supps but my doc says they can cause tachycardia so I don't know whom to believe. I'll stop the supps til I see the doc on Fri. and hope my vitals are better. My BP was also very high.

The water leak we had outside let dirt into the water lines and one of Grace's and Dennis' toilets won't stop running. I called our plumber and he is coming out first thing in the morning to replace the valve assembly in the tank. I still have to call my A/C guy for the yearly check.

Barry, so good to see you but I'm sorry for the exhaustion. I wish I could send you some NRG and get a bit of it for myself. I have heard that blackberries go crazy. Only thing goin' crazy down here is the neighbors. It's been in the 40's in the mornings and only got to 65 yesterday. Today it got to 75. Granni had the miserable weather to accompany the cold front. Sorry you feel down. Easy to feel that way right now. Being in nature helps. Feel better.

Granni, so glad you could keep your appt. I will pray that both or our BP rates stay low. Also praying for DH for his surgery. I'm pretty sure it's past time for my lab work and will ask my doc on Fri. Thanks for the good wishes. I hope we both get straightened out. I've been so cold I've been sleeping with socks on.

Hope everyone is able to rest and heal from everything that has gone on. Have a lovely evening.

Love, Mikie

 

[Mikie]

Good Tuesday Morning, Kids,

My BP is good this morning and the HR is acceptable. I hope doubling my BP med is helping. I'm keeping a journal for my doc on Fri. The Snowbirds are landing in our hood. So good to hear them outside laughing and enjoying each other. I imagine that Joe's BP is high because our mgmt. co. keeps sending important things to him in NY where he hasn't lived in years. They are like the Three Stooges only not as funny--actually, not funny at all.

It's cloudy out and there may be a few sprinkles but temps will be mostly in the 70's for the next ten days. Woo Hoo! I am going to meet the plumber at Grace's and Dennis' this morning at 8:00 so he can replace the valve assembly in their master toilet. The assn. will pay for it because it's likely dirt from the water pipe fracture outside that caused it. I went in and flushed the toilets in the other unit I care for. They are fine. The rupture was right outside Grace's unit.

I hope all our Dear Porchies are having a good week despite everything. Don't know when I'll get my vaccination. The wealthy are managing to break in front of everyone else so there is an investigation going on. Our governor hasn't made sure agricultural workers get vaccines first in order to keep the food on our tables. Same for first responders. If He Only Had A Brain (from the Wizard of Oz).

Love, Mikie

Home again, home again...the plumber is fixing the toilet and it shouldn't take long. I went down to greet him and introduce him to Grace and Dennis. Had to take an umbrella cause it's sprinkling. Dennis has had trouble getting his cable to work (he always does). I see Sam has Comcast out to service the wi-fi at the pool. I think Mercury is retrograde or is about ready to be.

 

[Granniluvsu]

MIKIE - I'm laughing about sleeping with socks on. So do I , now and many times, Geetting ready to go to the docs early in the a.m. with no breakfast of course- ugh! Hi to all, I forgot t brush my teeth before we leave and potty.

Hugs,
Granni

 

[Mikie]

Hi, Granni,

I always have to leave a urine sample when I get my blood work done so I'm drinking water like crazy. I have such a hard time peeing on demand. It's in the 70's inside and out but my feet are freezing. Gonna go put on some socks. Slippers are cuttin' it. I will ask my doc about my lab work because I think it was due in July. At that time, I was having tachycardia and we were concentrating on that. The lab work gets lost in the dust.

The double dose of Clonidine has me nodding off. I'm not gonna drive today. I will likely get used to it in a week or so. Just lazing around today. Glad the running toilet got fixed. Dennis was hovering over the poor plumber. He was amazed the plumber had 'the exact part of his toilet.' The plumber smiled and told him they are all pretty much the same. Joe had told me he was amazed that the plumber had the right part in his van when he fixed his toilet. Good grief! I don't call a plumber; I just grab a kit at Lowe's and do my own. Last time, my toilet was affected by a rupture so I went ahead and had the plumber do it because the assn. paid for it. I used to put in faucet sets too but, now that they are more complex, I may pony up and get the plumber. My plumbing days may be over.

Still praying for DH for Thurs. How is your dental unit fitting? I hope it's comfortable.

Love, Mikie

 

[bct]

Socks in bed? Heck I've been wearing them for years now because of my PN; also wear sweatpants for same. Sudden temp. change hurts too darn much! Fashion --- huh, I threw that away a long time ago.... can't remember it.

Mikie, thanks for your kind words. I'm glad you are getting into the Mapp and Lucia novels. We have them here in a huge book. I haven't read them all; darned book is too heavy. Maybe I'll cut it in half....

Richard has gone to the eye-doc 60 miles away in Eureka, so I'm in charge of the fort.

Heavy rain, blessed rain.

Blessings to All,
Love, Baearry. (sounds kinda Celtic, huh?)and it was just a mis-spelling.

 

[rockgor]

Hi Kids, Gordoni just got back from a grocery run. I just finished a wonderful crime novel by
Michael Connelly with the title of "The Concrete Blonde". I've read several of his books over the
years. I was gonna send him a short fan letter, but he lives in both California and Florida. That makes
it somewhat difficult to find the correct address.

Oh yeah, and another address problem. There are several videos on Youtube which show children
being put in a box and mailed to a friend. It will take a lot of luck to keep a child from being killed.
Especially in winter.

 

[Granniluvsu]

Good afternoon awl,

DH will be coming in soon for his stint on the computer and I'll go do some other work. When he comes on I will go do some other kind of work like get together some things to put in the boX and there are a few others. I do not givw to one of the donation places that calla usually monthly. One I use often is Texas Paralyzed Veterans but not all the time. I have so much stuff I do not wear and everyoe keeps giving me sweaters of all kinds and some I have bought are not the newest. Besides my regular closet I have a closet in the extra bedroom/study and the upstairs bedroom filled with other stuff mostly heavier clothes and shits that DH doesn't wear and I would have to iron which I very rarely do anymore. For someone who has ironed many a a cotton shirt for DH when he worked full time and they had to be all dressed up daily. Fo some time it was just all white shirts, no colors then they changed later on. The perma press was a little better but still had to be pressed some. I hav so many clothes to go through and I am so many clothes to go through and I am afraid to give away to much since I buy most of my own stuff, not that I buy very much any more. Some things are dressier and of course lately we haven't been going anywhere much.

Nothing really new at the dr office. My b/p went up and they took it a few other times till high but a little better I guess. Having my log with me they decided not to do anything. I will keep a watch and take my b/p a little more often. The first one in the morning is usually a little high and gets better through the day unless someething crazy or upsetting happens. Got my blood work and we will see esp the thyroid meds .for the dosageand my other blood work. DH got his CMP for his surgery on Thursday. Glad we didn't have to go anywhere else to get it done. I think I was confusing the dr when I told her about the specialist I have been to but no real answers. So like I give up already. Didn't discuss to many other things due to time and I couldn't thnk of the right word I was wanting to tell her "Parkinson like" tremors possibly as that is what my dad had, not the actual Parkinsons though. However, it might just be the essential tremors that SUN mentioned. DH was out there waiting when I came out.

******Has any of you had the Pneumonia shot that also has FM , etc.? I was afraid to take it as the last one gave me swollen nodes and a very sore arm to say the least. It lasted for some time if I remember correctly. I have enough problems but if I change my mind I can always get it I guess..

MIKIE - Is the clonidine for your b/p or relaxing and try and get your HR to go down.?

Hi to everydobby esp MIKIE, ROCK and BARRY, WILLOW, JUDY, SUN and all those not mentioned..

Love,
Granni

 

[Mikie]

Hi, Kids,

I finally watched several episodes of Cobra Kai. I had to find out why everyone has been watching it. There are three seasons now I think. It makes me laugh but contains scenes of people bullying others and beating them up. After what just happened in DC, that trips anxiety a bit. The ones who have been charged are now on the no-fly list. Saw a video of one of them having a tantrum at the airport over that. Well, gee, he's an alleged domestic terrorist, what does he expect. I think these idiots never believed there would be any consequences. The one in the fur hat with the horns and his face painted wants organic food in jail. His mother was on the news saying he wasn't eating. In the words of one pundit, "Boo hoo!" They are definitely out of touch with reality.

Got a sweet text from Grace thanking me for getting their toilet fixed. This can sometimes be a thankless job so it made my day--a day lying around trying to relax and keep my BP and HR low. I think it's working but I'll have to learn to overcome the fatigue. I hate being so inert but, when I think about it, there is nothing more important for me to do than try to stay as healthy as possible.

Barry, I think the big Mapp and Lucia book I downloaded is 1,400 pages in print form. Says it contains all the Mapp and Lucia books. I had already read the first two. The third is delicious. I think it's gonna be cold in here tonight and I'll be wearing PJ bottoms and socks. I wear the fuzzy robe until I can climb under the covers. I have a down comforter in the closet and may haul it out. It's usually too hot for it. I have a bit of tingling and numbness in my legs and think I have a bit of PN like my Mom. Glad you got rain; it only sprinkled here. Water is low in the pond which, of course, draws the birds to the plethora of fish. Easy pickins'. Hope all went well with Richard's eye exam. Good idea to keep up with them as I found out. Hope he makes it home safe and sound and that you have a lovely evening. If you like misspellings, check out Granni's. It's a dilly!

Rock, glad you found books you like. Amazon just awarded me a virtual badge for being such an avid reader. I feel like a first grader. Strange to have someone who lives in both CA and FL. Our states are different but both warm places with beaches. I'd love to be a Snowbird and live somewhere else in the summer but I still love living here even through hurricane season. Not liking the Red Tide though. Winds must have just shifted to onshore and I was instantly choking. Ran to swallow an allergy pill. AACCKK! Those videos must be a gag. It would be too dangerous and illegal. Also, since that idiot postmaster general got rid of mail boxes and sorting machines, packages are piled high in postal facilities. Is postal service an oxymoron?

Granni, I remember ironing my ex's no-iron shirts. Think they called them drip dry. Geez, you and I with our HR and BP problems. Clonidine is an alpha agonist I think. It is the only BP med I've been able to tolerate. It slows the HR which also causes the BP to drop. Sleepiness is the side effect. That's better than swollen ankles and blinding headaches. Napping is my hobby anyway but it makes it difficult to get anything done. My HR is 74 right now so I think things will be okay. I don't know whether the eye supps are causing the problem or whether I can continue with them with the new BP med dose. Don't want to have to choose between a heart attack/stroke or going blind. Dry AMD can develop very slowly and there are new treatments every day but things can also go nuts and progress very rapidly. I'm afraid to take any shots but I will get the Covid vaccination, or a jab as they say in Europe. This vaccine is completely different from ones in the past and, I believe, won't cause such a reaction. In any case, the reaction would likely be a lot better than getting it. With the deaths in our family, it is very real. I'm sure you and DH will be glad when his surgery is over. I'm keeping up the prayers and I'm sure all our Porchies are praying as well.

I'm gonna check the online news before I watch the local news and the national news. BBC World News is on now. Been a news junkie almost all my life. It's a curse. Hope all y'all have a great evening. Lotsa Porchies MIA. Hope y'all are doing well.

Love, Mikie

 

[Mikie]

PLEASE DO NOT POST HERE. LOOK FOR PORCH 1243. THANK YOU!