Wacky Wednesday
Good Morning OFF Family,
I'm up earlier than usual. I couldn't get back to sleep once I went potty.
Bible study was excellent, as usual, last night. Beth Moore is such a gifted Bible teacher. If anyone has an opportunity to participate in one of her studies, I encourage you to do so. While I was there, I made an appeal for help in the Nursery. Pray some women step forward. Poor Colleen, and her sister-in-law, Jenn, were on the schedule twice this week.
Today, I am watching the kids at church, so Colleen, Jenn, and a couple of other Moms can have their Bible study. Then, after lunch, I'm watching the boys, so Colleen can help Izzy's teacher with a project.
Tonight, I help out with the children's program at church. Then, I work on my homework from the zoo. Yesterday, I signed up to observe docents doing programs. The zoo calls it shadowing. One group is high school students learning about careers at the zoo. The other group is Community College students learning about taxonomy. I have to shadow a minimum of two. One has to be an encounter, which the high school, and college students groups are. The other has to be a tour, which I couldn't get into my schedule just yet. But, there will be other opportunities before I graduate in a month.
Welcome back, and welcome to those who are returning, and joining us for their first time. I was disappointed when the PA forum fell apart, because another member insulted another member about their appearance at some get together, and then people took sides, and people called those doing the insulting about how childish their behavior was. I was a regular there, till it disintegrated. I haven't checked back there since Summer, when my old laptop crashed. I should check back there. I know I would not have gotten through my first couple years of pre- and post-op without them.
Vickie, I'm glad your house closing went through. Congratulations.
Connie, I hope you get enough rest before your trip to Oregon. I have not been there yet. I lived in California for 9 months, but that was the extent of my West Coast ventures.
Judy, I'm so sorry about the stresses, and residents dying, and falling. Managing anything is high stress. I recommend learning some relaxation exercises, like Mindfulness, Meditation, or any kind of meditation, or deep breathing exercises.
Carla, I hope your trip to Colorado and Chicago go well. When you're in Chicago, will you venture to Michigan? I'd love to get together. Maybe, Jo, you and I could meet for lunch. Jo only lives 30 minutes from me.
Cindy, I hope your hubby is able to get some sort of treatment that helps with the migraines. Does he do any regular relaxation exercises. I know they are recommended for migraine sufferers. I'll be praying for your MIL. My Mom's sister has dementia, and it is heart breaking for Mom. She's in a nursing home, and doesn't know Mom. Mom's been trying to find her daughter, my cousin, because if something happens to my aunt, she should know. But, my cousin cut herself off from the family years ago. She's got a lot of mental health/illness issues, and disagreed with my Mom about the fact that Mom has the medical power of attorney for her Mom.
I'm praying for those who are suffering illnesses.
Love to all,
Trish
Albert Schweitzer
Trish, good morning. I think it's wonderful that you are so involved in your grandchildren's lives. I, myself, am not a "kid" person. When I was young, I was responsible for my brother and I think I used up my mothering skills then. I enjoy kids when they are about ten years old. I think that's my favorite age bracket. I wish I were more giving and I've tried but it seems to be such hard work for me to be so. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it doesn't come naturally to me and I wi**** did. Anyway, I envy you your relationship with your grandchildren. (Vickie and Connie, too.)
My husband has tried relaxation to reduce or remediate a migraine. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. He's suffered with migraines since he was a child. It seems to me that they are worse living here on the coast though. All the constant abrupt weather changes don't help.
Thank you for your prayers for my MIL. It is comforting to know that there are people praying for her and for us.
Have a good day, Trish.
Cindy P.
Good morning Trish and everyone....
Trish...WOW do you have a busy day!! Enjoy the ZOO!!! Sorry you woke up so early and couldn't get back to sleep. By tonight you will crash early!!
Cindy...I will continue to pray for your MIL, Hubby and you too!!
Vickie....so glad the closing is over!!! Congratulations!
Judy...I pray you have a much better day today. Oh my you are putting out fires left and right!
Maryann...so happy you came back to us!!!!
Jennifer....still praying for you sweetheart!!
Debbie....I am sure you are busy with that baby quilt. I can't wait to see it when it is completed!
Carla....where are you?? Hope you are traveling and are okay.
As for me...I ended up changing the bedding on my bed and washing three loads of clothes. I also took my two walks. Then I went to pick up my meds at the pharmacy and got gas in my car. I am still organizing all I need for my trip. I was soooo tired last night I just fell into bed! I was physically and mentally exhausted. I will be glad to get to Amanda's with nothing I need to do for three weeks!!!
I have my cable service coming this afternoon. When I moved in they left cable cords sticking out of my wall and connectors just laying on the carpet. It looks really bad! They need to come and figure out some way to hide those cords and things. I kept forgetting to call them. I was dealing with so much there for a while.
I need to get in the shower and then get out for a walk. I prefer to get one walk done in the morning. I feel so much better when I walk. I will spend some time with the puzzle gals as I didn't get to do any yesterday. I miss that time together. I sure will miss them when I am gone!
Wishing you all a wonderful day!
Prayers for many of our OFF family.
Love and bunches of hugs to all...connie d
Good morning Trish and sistas!
OMG, am I being lazy today or what??? This is our only day this week without an appointment of some kind or another. Both Butch and I are still in our jammies and parked in front of our respective computers. I may not move until it's time to go get this boys this evening!
So, as I posted late last night, we closed on the house! Whoo hoo! It's ours. Now to get it ready for the kids to move in. Dealing with the carpets first--restretching the bedroom carpets and cleaning all of it with Chem Dry service. I expect Chris and Mike will start painting on Sunday. Need to get the floor tile guy scheduled next. Also going to replace all the yucky, mismatched mini blinds with all new matching wood slat blinds. After that, there are some little things that can just be replaced bit by bit. I HATE the dining room light fixture! Can't wait to replace it with something else! Need to update the light fixtures in the bathrooms and replace the mirror in the master bath. Little things like that.
Cross your fingers for us, sistas! The end is in sight!
I scheduled my annual bloodwork and WLS checkup for later this month. Every day I get on the scale and I'm always so relieved when it still says 178! Three years out and I still don't believe it is real. I wonder if I will ever feel it is permanent???
One thing I know for sure--my ring size has surely changed! I decided that I am not going to wear my diamond wedding bands on our trip to Belize (no point in flashing wealth--a relative term--around down there, you know?). So I asked Butch if we could buy just a plain gold wedding band for me to wear on our trip. I've been looking and OMG--I wear a size 6! No wonder all my rings are too big. They are all a size 8. Even my original wedding band is a 6 3/4--and I was super skinny back then! I guess I now have boney fingers!
Anyway, I haven't picked one out yet. But there's a Kay's Jewelers Outlet store in San Marcos, and I'd like to go look there first.
Carrie is coming this weekend. I haven't seen her since Christmas. She is doing pretty well with her post-WLS, but I wish she would find/join a support group! She keeps asking me things about her sleeve surgery, but I had RNY. I tell her we have different issues to deal with. She will only spend the weekend with us, because for the remainder of Spring Break, she and some of her friends have rented a beach house on Crystal Beach. She is so excited about bathing suit season this year. She ordered a bunch of new bathing suits from Land's End in size 14 to try on, and she had to send them back for size 12! What a wonderful problem to have, huh? (Carrie is tall like me, so size 12 is quite small for her frame.) I really do miss her, but I haven't been able to travel up to Waco for a visit all winter. Maybe we can see each other more often now that I am finally, almost completely, well again.
Trish, I love hearing about your docent adventures. How very cool, and just like you to do something educational and fun all at the same time!
Cindy P, I'm sorry about your hubby's migraines. Both my mom and Christie have had them. I guess they skipped over me, although I've had a few in my life. Listen, Chris had them so bad for years and we tried everything. No medications seemed to help. Then she got pregnant with Benny and couldn't even take medications. We took her to an accupuncturist and it WORKED! She had 3 or 4 treatments, and the migraines have not returned. She still gets the occasional headache, but no more migraines in 3-4 years. Maybe that treatment would help your sweet husband, too? Since medications seem to be a no-no for him?
Connie, you are going to have the best time on your trip, even if it DOES rain the whole three weeks you are there. LOL! Like you say, it's not snow! Good for you for walking. I really need to get started again myself. I keep saying I'm going back to the Y, but I haven't done it yet. Wish we could be exercise buddies. I would love that.
Well, that's all my news for the day. Love you all!
Vickie
Vickie...I hope you and Butch enjoyed your quiet day...especially in your pajamas. I love days like that!
I am so glad Carrie is coming home for a visit. It sounds like she is doing great!! Post a pic if you can!!
I am getting nervous about the trip. Afraid I will overlook something and miss my flight. Airports terrify me!! I love to fly. It is just getting where I need to be.
Yes...I am loving my walking....I always have. My pain is better so I am able to do it now. I wish we could be exercise buddies too!!
It sounds like you are really fixing up the new house so nice. They are very lucky!! You are awesome parents for sure!
Lots of love and many hugs....connie d
Hi there Im in Florida till the 17th then we r going to Denver for about a week. Then Chucago to get a Vinnie fix!!!!! Im not sure of Im going to get to come to Michigan or not. It depends on the weather or if I can sneak away. I did try to call jo but she hasnt returned my calls.
i am starting a back on track program thru a surgeons office in St pete Florida. I have to start out like im a new surgery pt in order to see a nutritionist and a dr.
The first order of business is to go to a support group so that is tomorrow. Ive gained lime eighteen pounds and it isnt budging and it is ******g me off! Im trying medifast this week to shed a few!
Pray for me that I can get back in track! I need it!
Carla
Carla....I am sure Vinnie needs a grandma fix too...LOL!! Grandchildren are just amazing!!
I am glad you are going through your bariatric surgeons office. Praying all goes well and you lose the weight.
When I get back from Oregon I plan on contacting the bariatric center here as well. I wish all I needed to lose was 18 pounds...UGH!! I am embarrassed to go to the support group...I feel like such a failure!
Hugs and love.....connie d
Hi Trish and my OFF family:
Sorry I have been among the missing. Work over the weekend was terribly busy, what with early deadlines and all. And I was in a lot of pain, not sleeping well. Well, it's carried over into my two days off. Yesterday, I had a doctor's appointment with my PCP, who prescribes my painkillers. New law in Indiana: You have to meet with the prescribing doc every four months and pee in a cup to make sure you're not abusing. Same type of thing as in La., although there you had to go in every month to get your script and face random testing. No problem, I don't abuse. After that, I had some errands to run, then I took my former boss shopping and we went out to lunch (it's how he thanks me for driving ... I'm still cheaper than a cab). All that too****il 5 p.m. ... I was gone from 10:30 a.m.
So I went to bed early enough because I was beat ... woke up coughing at 12:30 and it took me awhile to get back to sleep. Got up early again because I had a doc's appointment with my pain specialist. Didn't even get to see him, he was so busy, but met with the nurse practitioner. We set up an ejection, but it's not until April 1. Got home, threw some clothes in the washer, had lunch and waited for my recliner to get delivered ... it's wonderful! I can actually put my feet up and it's not on a dining room chair. I still use the pillows, though, because it doesn't get my legs up as high as I would like them. Still, it's a comfortable chair. I took a nap in it this afternoon and didn't have a crick in my neck afterward. I kept the old chair as an extra chair ... it'll be Juliette's chair.
My back and knees are hurting me a lot, and my shoulders and hands. A bunch of new hurts. I tried vacuuming a bit, but something's clogging the hose and I would have to unscrew the bottom to get at it. And I just didn't feel like doing it, so I gave up.
Vickie, so glad you closed on the house and your daughter will be out on her own.
Cindy, I know what migraines are like, and I was fortunate to find something that worked. Sorry your hubby isn't finding help. Biofeedback, acupuncture, TENS unit? Don't know what else to suggest. I'm sure you've tried all these already.
Judy, you have enough stress in your life. I don't envy that job at all.
Connie, enjoy your trip. I'm sure it will be nice regardless of the weather.
Carla, you are such a traveling nut. I just can't handle it anymore.
Can't remember who else ... nice to see some people returning. Sorry I'm not posting much anymore. I have been kind of a Debbie Downer lately anyway. Don't mean too, but it is consuming me.
Well, have a good day.
Hi, Eileen. I'm sorry you've had so much body pain to deal with. I have a friend and a cousin who have fibro and they suffer a lot during the cold, damp weather (well, all year really but it's even worse then.) I'm so glad you like your new recliner. Having a comfortable place to relax is so important and Juliette will enjoy her chair too. :)
Hubby has tried everything you mentioned except for biofeedback. We'll have to check into that and see how far we'd have to travel for that remedy. We had hoped for good results with acupuncture but it didn't help much and we have such lousy insurance coverage for alternative treatments that we couldn't afford it either. Hubby does have a TENS unit which helps with headaches that originate in his neck but he gets a lot of them behind his left eye (sinus or whatever).
I understand what you mean about feeling like a Debbie downer. I've felt like that in the past and it has prevented me from interacting with others. I've often felt that I get tired of saying the same old things and my audience must get tired of it too. However, friends have reached out to me and encouraged me to reach out beyond the depression and make contact. I encourage you to do that as well. It's important to not lose contact with others as the more isolated we are the worse it is.
Take care.
Cindy P.
