Who's Up a

I can't help myself!  This is just too funny!

SEASONAL INTERCHANGE by Michael Aitken

In Winter, when the trees are bare,
We mortals don our winter wear.
In Spring, when trees begin to dress,
We mortals then start wearing less,
Until, for some, with Summer's heat
The role reversal is complete.

Oh Vic,

That reminds me when I was really young and hadn't had kids yet and everything was firm and perky, my ex husband, his brother, and my sister-in-law all went to the beach...no kids because we were young, newlyweds, and carefree.   We decided to hit this particularly beautiful beach  and all was well but my SIL and I decided to take a walk and look for shells...well...we found some old conches...all naked and hanging out everywhere.   SIL said, holy **** are they naked and I said, oh yes let's get out of here and one of the old men said, welcome...the only rules are you have to take off your clothes...I said, never and we ran back to tell our husbands and of course, they had to go see too cause both were pervs. LOL.    I had never seen so many old naked bodies in my life now when I think back, they were in pretty good shape...LOL

Vickie...oh my goodness...this made me spit my tea on my monitor again!! I should never take a drink as I am reading a post!!

I am ROFLMAO!!!! 

I can't remember who but I told someone yesterday that mentioned WNGD...that you were the one in charge of this holiday!! LOL!!! Just teasing!!

HUGS.....thanks for the laughs....connie d

SPIT my Water all over!!!!!!!!!!!! ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vic,

I love impatiens.   I always had a huge bed of them at my house in the river valley.   My daughter lives there now and DH and I are signing the house over to her but last year, she began taking care of the flowers that I had planted and tended to for so many years and she has added some plants and flowers that are her favorites too.    Her husband built a huge grape arbor surrounding a little patio and she has planted some of the most beautiful wisteria.   For mother's day, the kids and I always buy her tulips and other bulb plants that she transplants into her flower gardens.   Since I live in an apartment now, I do buy vegetables that my grandsons plant for me and we reap the benefit of fresh tomatoes, squash, okra, and you know other things without doing any of the work...this year, I am putting pots of tomatoes and squash on my little porch up here so that I can pick me one when I want it.  

I don't know what Eileen is going to do to get away from that crazy man...for him to break into her apartment and think it was okay shows he has absolutely no awareness of anyone outside of himself...a true psychopath.    Eileen, when you feel stronger and need to vent, do so here but do go and get the cops involved.   Sweetie, after living with an abusive husband for three years, I know how hard it can be to get away from someone who doesn't think he is at fault...it's his drinking, his mental illness, his money situation....I wish your brother could come up there and move in now...on a brighter note, or a more practical note, when or if you apply for disability, you have a case now for PTSD...for real.   

Hello Vickie....I am so glad that Sam has finished up all the tasks you had for him to do.

Make a sign and hang it on one of your mom's closet doors "Linen Closet". There...now she has a linen closet!! LOL!!!

I am glad you found a longer liner for your mom's tub area. Cloth shower curtains are easy make. Maybe you can take her to pick out some fabric that she would like. 

I would imaging that landscaping guy's bill will be pretty high. There are a lot of bushes to remove!! Like I said before...I hope he takes the price of the shrubs off the bill...he will resell them! It will be worth the price to get the landscaping the way you want it. You will be living there....collecting golf balls....for a long time!! 

I am happy that Carrie is there again. Have fun shopping!!

I am so sad for Eileen....how awful it must feel living in her own home and wanting out of there so bad. You are right...Richard is psycho...he wouldn't get past me either!!! 

It is so wonderful having you post again most every day...WELCOME HOME!!!!!!!!    I love you!

I hope Eileen posts again today...it is nice hearing from her and knowing she is okay...well as okay as she can be right now! 

Lots of love and hugs.....connie d

Hi Vickie,

I'm so glad that Butch has been eating more.  That will help his recuperation.  

The golfers need to aim better.  It's funny that they're getting on their hands and knees to reach through the fence.  If the ball is in play, they probably don't want to go back to their golf bag to get another because they'll want to put it back in play right outside where it went over, and just lose a stroke.  

I'm guessing your Mom wants a closet with shelves for the linens.  I didn't have a linen closet in the last two apartments I lived in.  Now, I don't have a coat closet.  So, I have a coat tree that I can move to my spare bedroom now.  

I'm glad Carrie is there today.  I hope she can help a little with the boxes.  

Love you.

Hi Jeannie and my OFF family:

Thanks for all the messages of support. I couldn't deal with this without all of you. Really, this virtual community has helped me get through this. My coworkers have been a godsend. Last night, Stephanie, who has hardly said a word to me most of the time, insisted that she and her husband would change the locks for free ... then they found Richard in here taking a shower. That led to the confrontation with Richard and the policeman and I found out all the mistakes I have made. I should have had him arrested in the first place. Then I would have had more options. No ... I was being nice, letting him go to the hospital. Boy, was I dumb. Now I have to go to the police station Monday, get the police report, go to the prosecutors office, file an eviction notice, etc. I went about this all the wrong way. Never again. I will never be that stupid again. 

I am blessed with some very supportive coworkers. Stephanie and her husband were so good to me last night. Her hubby, Dan, boarded up the broken window so tight nothing is going to get in. Mike, another coworker, came with me when I needed to get rid of Richard and made sure Richard got to a shelter and out of my place (and did you know Richard had a machete in his possession? ... shelter of course wouldn't let him have it.). I asked my brother to come down and help me but he doesn't have any time off ...  his employer figures vacation time differently than mine does. So I'm holding down the homefront by myself but I have coworkers' numbers and 911 on speed dial, plus my trusty Louisville Slugger for protection. 

My boss told me to stay home and stay safe until I get this worked out. I'm using up all my personal time off getting this sorted out. I'm having headaches regularly. I have pain on my left side that causes me pain when I get up and when I breathe deeply. My face hurts when I eat. I'm worried every time I leave the house that he'll get back in and that maybe he'll steal my stuff. He's done it to his own mother; why wouldn't he do it to me? My hands are shaky; I can't concentrate on anything. I wanted to go to work and put this in the past ... to do something normal. But then it comes back to bite me again and again and again. 

I do have a therapist I see on a regular basis; my next appointment is Tuesday. Boy, do I need to talk. 

Sorry, I know everyone else has posted and I can't remember what they said. I just started crying again here. I had a big cry last night too when Stephanie and Dan were here; Stephanie was so good to me. 

Can't write anymore, crying too much. Thanks for all the kind words.

Eileen,

None of us are ever prepared for what to do when something like this happens, so you live and learn.   I know that once you file the police report and get that ball rolling, you will then get more protection.   I am so glad you have Dan and Stephanie there to help you get through this.    What a shame that you are using up your personal time but you do need to keep him out and if you are there, should he try to enter, you can call the police.   A freakin' machete?  Holy crap.    

Be safe and if you hear anything, call 911.

Eileen, please don't beat yourself up for not having him arrested at the time.  You had no way of knowing what would happen.  As Jeannie said, live and learn.  

I'm glad you are going to see your therapist on Tuesday.  I'm sure that will help with the PTSD.  One thing I can tell you is to give yourself time.  As the others have said, you will experience a variety of emotions, and they'll all be normal.  

I'm glad you aren't going back to work today.  It does suck that you have to use your personal time though.

Go easy on yourself right now.  No sense beating yourself up over any of the decisions you've made.

Love you.