Happy Thursday
Hello Mary and OFF,
My grandchildren loves Lunchables, so my daughter makes her own. She bought each of them the Rubbermaid lunch sets, with different size containers that stack together. She will buy the real ones for special occasions, like when they're on sale, and we went to the Detroit Zoo. Otherwise, she creates her own, even using pita bread and pizza sauce and cheese and pepperoni, so they can make their own pizzas at school.
I spent the morning watching the kids for Colleen. Frankie started asking for a sucker right before Colleen got home, and he was like a broken record. Then, he climbed up to look where candy is kept, and found giant lollipops from some birthday party. When I left, he was still negotiating.
I am feeling better, and have things to do here. I also have to check on Mom.
Must scoot.
Love,
Trish
Albert Schweitzer
Good morning Mary and every one...
I am just saying hello. I am really shaky inside and out again today. I seem to get this way after a big Fibro flare up. This started last night and I know better then to venture from my apartment today. I will be drinking my water and getting in my protein. I can't do more the that. They will be bringing my lunch tray to me. Right now I am not hungry at all. I will maybe feel more like eating later on. I had a protein drink and a protein bar so far.
You know I love you all. I will be available if someone needs me. I just don't have the energy to reply to everyone.
Prayers for our very sweet OFF Family and their families.
Special prayers for Vickie I know she has had a couple crazy days. I Love You, Vickie.
Judy, you need a big club to carry around...sending more prayers for your sister and your mom.
Trish, praying for you and your mom. I feel bad that you have to deal with this again.
Mary, more prayers for you and Jim. I hope things are going better today.
This is all I can do for now. I don't mean to miss people. I have to lay down for a little while.
Much love and so many hugs to you all....connie d
Hi Mary and my OFF family:
The phone woke me up this morning again, just before 9 a.m. Now my brother is trying to put things away and stuff is falling out and making noise. Not a peaceful morning. I did post some stuff on the FB online yard sale. Sold one thing.
Last night was fairly peaceful at work. Doing wire again tonight so hopefully will be just as peaceful.
Gary is still going through my cabinets to see what fits with what. He talks as he goes along. He is very organized and I'm organized chaos. What can I say?
Anyway, hope everyone has a good day. I need to go post these casserole dishes and maybe pack some stuff.
Hello sistas,
I tried to start us off this morning, but right in the middle of a very long post, the power surged here and everything shut down for about 30 seconds. So there went my post! I was too aggravated to try and type it all out again this morning.
So this has been a pretty crappy week thus far for me. Today has been a bit better except I'm so irritable with my mom. I'm trying hard to just KEEP. MY. MOUTH. SHUT. It's about all I can do today. It's stupid little things that should be rolling right off my back, but instead they make me furious. Like the toaster setting. She keeps changing it. That shouldn't be a big deal, you know?
So part of the problem is this lack of sleep. I have never been through such a long bout of insomnia in my life. I'm grumpy and--let's face it--downright *****Y and I feel like **** most days. The ambien isn't working all that great for me. I can fall asleep, but I can't stay asleep. I bought some melatonin and some chamomile tea at the store today. Maybe those will help.
So I was going to recap me week. On Monday I had the most god-awful headache. It lasted all day and not even Advil would knock it. Ugh. I didn't get much done.
On Tuesday I was determined to at least get the Social Security paperwork turned in and deal with that. I had the dentist first thing (got my permanent crown put in), and then I drove over to Seguin which is where the regional office is located. I waited TWO HOURS for my turn. And THEN I was told that I cannot collect survivor's benefits until I am 60. WTH? And if I do elect to begin receiving those benefits at age 60, I will only get slightly more than half of the amount Butch was earning AND IT WILL BE A PERMANENT REDUCTION. For every year I wait, I get a little bit more, but I wouldn't receive the full amount until MY official retirement age, which is 66 1/2! I swear, I was so upset by the time I left there, my headache was back.
Lots of folks have been giving me lots of advice, but I just haven't had a moment to sit and think it all through yet. I'm pretty much on overwhelm for now.
Anyway, I got up yesterday morning, ready to tackle taxes, etc., when my little drama queen, Christie, called. I know I sound awful, but there are times when I just can't stand that kid. Yesterday was one of those times. I swear, the least little pain and she thinks she's dying. She called, crying and moaning and carrying on something awful. She insisted she HAD to go to the ER. So I took her and spent the whole damn day there, and in the end, NOTHING WAS WRONG. I knew it. Nine times out of ten with her, it's a false alarm. At least I did NOT pay her $100 co-pay this time. If she wants to play the drama queen, she can pay for it herself.
Well, my headache was back again yesterday evening and about all I could do was go to bed. So I did.
This morning I got up and told Mom, "Let's go get haircuts and go to the store." So we've spent all day doing that and it's 1:30 p.m. and we're finally home and again, I'm wiped out. I just want to go back to bed.
Oh! And I got the bid from my landscaper on doing the back yard. Holy Cow. Almost $10K. I had figured it would be several thousand dollars, but was thinking more along the lines of $4K or $5K. **** I can't even begin to think about doing any of that right now. I HAVE NO INCOME. Until I decide what to do, I'm just living off my savings account. Of course, I could always go back to work to support myself, but that's not what I want to do. I want to be available in the spring to help Carrie with the new baby. I'm thinking about it, but I don't like my choices. Perhaps I will go back to substitute teaching or tutoring. That's part-time work that I can leave off next February.
Anyway, that's been my week and it hasn't been fun. I have so much to do, but my head is trying to hurt again and I don't much feel like tackling any of these gigantic problems facing me today. I'm reading all the posts, but frankly, I'm just too depressed to respond to everyone. I'm sorry. I'm a lousy friend these days. Bear with me.
Love you all.
Vickie
Vic,
My husband is 63, and he was thinking about going on social security because he is soon having the other eye transplant and it took him so long to recover last time, so when he checked into it, same as you. He could draw now but he would not receive his full amount because the age is now much higher.
They do not make it easy on any of us folks who might want to spend our time resting from all those years of hard work.
Your daughter sounds like my daughter; she over dramatizes everything and most of it is her own doing. I get calls from her where she is crying so hard that I cannot understand a word she is saying and when I calm her down it's she hasn't paid her electric bill and they are going to shut it off so I have to go pay it. Same when she is sick. I get so frustrated, as do you.
I, like everyone here, understands you are negotiating this process alone...no one there can help you and your helpmate is gone, so all of this rests on your shoulders and the one place where you had solace was that you would be okay financially is now going to be a ***** for you. Did Butch have a retirement account you can access? I hope you guys had life insurance. Maybe you can use those to your benefit to get you through the next several years. I would reserve work as the last resort...you are under enough stress now.
As far as your mom goes, man oh man, I cannot imagine how hard that is for you. Has Carrie managed to get the baby's daddy to sign off his parental rights? I hope she can get that done soon because the sooner the better and it might be that his family, once they see the baby, will try to influence him. That's a headache you do not want.
I hope your day and especially your week gets better.
Hello Vickie...just woke up for the third time....I can't even focus so back I go. This is the worst this has ever been!!! If not better tomorrow I will need to call my doctor.
I know how hard this week has been. I am here if you want to contact me. I just go in and out of sleep. You know I care!!
I am so sorry things are just not getting better. Anything I could do for you? You know I will!!
I love you bunches....gentle hugs...and prayers....connie d
Vickie,
I went through something similar with my mom's and my finances. The best thing i ever did was to see an Elde. Law Attorney. Make sure they are certified as and Elder Law specialist. It requires special training.
They helped my mom and me and i was able to hold on to mt mom's house and me more of my money. It was worth every penny i paid them.
Hope this helps.
