Greetings From Idaho!

Good Morning, everyone. I couldn't get on OFF yesterday from the hotel computer for some reason -- but I managed today. I read yesterday's posts. Boy, I went through withdrawal yesterday -- missing OFF and everyone here.

So, we saw a couple friends yesterday. One of them is disabled and doesn't get out much. We all went to breakfast and then took her to pick up some meds and to the grocery store. It was wonderful to see her. She and I have been friends for 30 years. She's had a very difficult life but remains positive and hopeful about the future. I really admire her ability to face very tough challenges. She is one of the most honest people I know and I trust her completely. We had a very good visit. In the evening, we met up with one of my co-workers from HP Boise. She is such a gentle soul. She helped me so much when I worked with her. I was at a point in life where I was really struggling with everything and my thought processes weren't working correctly and I just couldn't grasp the details of a big project we had to do. She never treated me as though I was stupid but supported me and worked with me to get the big project finished. I will never forget her kindness or generosity of spirit. We had a lot to catch up on last night. It felt like I had just visited with her yesterday and the years since I saw her last just melted away. I was able to thank her for her support during an extremely difficult period in my life and it felt very good to be able to do that.

Today, we are going to see a friend who has stage four cancer. He has been a trooper since his diagnosis a year ago this past July. At first they only gave him six months to live but he has forged on with life and has surpassed all the doctors expectations. He has been able to enjoy the summer with his family. A couple of months ago, scans revealed eight new tumors. He is now on a new chemo med and we have our fingers and toes crossed that it will be an effective means of controlling his disease. We haven't seen he and his wife since '06. We wanted to come by and visit with them and give them some emotional and mental support. Seeing them is the main reason we made this trip.

Tomorrow, we'll see another couple that we've been friends with for many years and then the following day we head back home.

Our dog sitter is staying with our baby. I called her yesterday and she said everything is going well. She and the dog slept all night together with him cuddled close to her. He must have been in heaven because we make him sleep in his crate. He loves the bed and he loves her and I imagine the two of them are having a good visit while we're gone.

Well, I guess I'll see what is for breakfast. Hubby woke up with a big migraine. I will try to check in again later tonight.

I hope you have a good day. And, thank you, Connie, for posting for me yesterday.

Hugs and kisses.

Cindy P.

Good Morning Cindy P and OFF-

Sounds like you are having a nice visit to Idaho. It's nice to visit old friends and catch up also emotional at times. I laughed when I read about the fur baby sleeping in the bed with the sitter. Just like little kids, "my Mom lets me do it!".

Spent yesterday doing not much of anything. Mom's cleaning fairy came and laughed at us bickering. My Mom worries that the cat will get out of the house so we have a big sign on the front door warning everyone about the cat. When someone comes into the house he just runs under her bed which is a new set of worries, how are we going to get him out from under the bed.

Last night it appeared that I had lost the house keys and the magnetic fob that allows her to enter a doorway and walk inside to the dining room. I tore the place up looking for the keys and I swore that I gave her the keys. This morning she asked me if I had found the keys because she found them on her dresser. I knew that they were in her pants pocket. She changed her pants for dinner last night and must have laid them on the dresser. I took the blame for the keys and woke up knowing that I would have to report lost keys and get copies made. Phew.

Starting to feel trapped and that I've made a mistake buying the house in Texas. Maybe I should have bought a house here to be closer to Mom. Moving company loaded my load yesterday on the big moving van and driver says he will deliver on the 14th or 15th. So I'll leave on Sunday to be there in time to receive the shipment. One of my friends has already offered to receive the shipment if I need to stay with Mom. I think I'll come back in December to go to her appointment with her PCP.

Last night was the Fall Festival Event at the dining room. The staff had decorated tables outside on the patio and served a Seafood Buffet that was incredible. It was a shrimp, mussels, clams, crab, and crayfish boil with sausage and corn. Wonderful meal but many complained it was too expensive and many only wanted to eat shrimp. The stone crab claws were a little hard for arthritic hands to handle. They offered a low cost alternative of roasted chicken which many people took advantage of. Residents could sit on the patio to eat or come into the dining room.

So today I don't know what we're doing. She has a mental list of things she wants to do but sometimes she doesn't share until the last minute. I know I have to meet with the home health care coordinator about the driver she's going to hire twice a month to take her places.

Carla- I hope they are able to do the reduction endoscopically. Jeannie -I hope your husbands cornea transplant goes well today. Connie- hope the pain levels reduced again with some rest. Eileen- Brain sandwiches, really? Only in the Midwest! Vickie- I hope you were able to sew some strips after the crisis yesterday. It's going to be a beautiful quilt when you fini**** Mary- you've been quiet hope all is well. Kathy - your close to your surgery date. Don't give up on the liquids, the fatigue is your body adjusting to the rapid weight loss.

Hugs and thoughts to the rest of you.

Cindi B

Hi Cindi! We were posting at the same time. You are a good daughter. Of course you need your home in Texas. It was not a mistake. Easier to move your mom to Texas to be near you, than for you to buy in her area, then just have to sell and move again in a few years. I think Texas has become your second home, and I know how excited and pleased you were about your new house there. You have already established a base of friends and activities there. It's going to be okay.

And ditto to what Cindi said for her wishes for the rest of you. I'm being awfully selfish with my posts these days. I'm sorry for it. I do think about each of you.

Hello Cindi....I know you are worrying about your mother. You need to do what is best for you and her. I agree it would be cheaper to move your mother to Texas. Overall she would love having you near. Whatever feels right is right!! No two people do things exactly the same way. Prayers for you.

I had to make that decision myself. I had a new home in Iowa. I had it built with everything I wanted in it. I had it about a year and a half. I sold it and moved back here to be available for my "little mama". She would not move. She had too much family and friends here. But...no one handling her affairs the right way. We lost our butt on that house! I would do it all over again for her!! After 14 years of her death it still hurts!

That meal at your mother's place sounded just wonderful!! How nice of them to do that for the residents.

I hope you have your mother's list written down for today....that makes me giggle...so much like my 'little mama".

Have a great day...love you...hugs....connie d

I have to agree with the others. Move your mom to Texas. I know aged parents can be very stubborn. At this stage in life, the positions have changed. The child is now the caretaker and the parent is now the one in need of care. Your festival sounded yummy. Take care.

Good morning Cindy and my sistas,

Cindy, I know exactly what you mean about OFF withdrawal! When I travel, I just have to find a minute to read all the posts, even if I can't write back. Your trip sounds wonderful for both you and your friends. Sorry about your Hubby's migraine. I can't imagine how debilitating those must be for both of you.

Well, I blew out my shoulder again yesterday. Dammit. It was all that stretching and ironing yesterday. I hate having this damn bursitis. Really. Every time I want to do something, it flares. The only thing I can do is rest it for several days.

So to continue with the Christie saga: it was not a posting error. Capital One applied the first thousand dollars to her past due car payments (which I didn't know about, but she must have told her Daddy), and then applied the remaining $5K to her principal. So the kid hasn't made an actual car payment since June (thinking that the money she paid was for future car payments), and that's why they repossessed her car. Well, she just doesn't handle money well at all, and that's a fact. She argued and argued with them yesterday, but done is done. So I had to give her another $1000 to make up her missed payments and today we're going to get her car out of the lot, which will be another $150. BIG BIG SIGH.

I did tell her that she absolutely HAS to pay me back this time! I'm living off of my savings. Just because I have the money to give her today, doesn't mean that I won't need it by the end of the year. I told her I have to take care of myself, too! She has promised to pay me back. AGAIN. But this time I'm going to hold her feet to the fire. It was one thing when Butch was working and making good money. It's an entirely different scenario now.

Sorry to vent here. Y'all know my frustrations with Christie. I love her, but wow, she will drain me dry if I let her.

Mom and I are arguing a LOT. Mostly it's due to her hearing problems. EX: the other day she said something to me and I answered her, but she didn't hear me. Next thing I know she's angry and accusing me of WHISPERING on PURPOSE, just so she can't hear! A couple days later I said something to her, and it was obvious she didn't hear me, so I repeated it LOUDER, and then she got mad and told me not to scream at her! I can't win.

Just this morning I saw her in the kitchen and I said, "Good morning." A couple of minutes later she said (with an obvious EDGE to her voice!), "GOOD MORNING!" I told her, "I SAID 'Good morning'." She's driving me nuts.

I know I sound like a whiny, whiny ***** when I talk about my mom. I do love her dearly. But I am so, so sorry I moved her in with me. And, you know, I don't mean to be unkind to her, but I can't help how I feel right now. I want to be alone. If I can't live with my husband, I don't want to live with ANYONE. Between my grief and her hearing loss, things are not going well.

Sorry. I just had to vent.

I guess the only member of my family I'm getting along with right now is Carrie. LOL!

Last night she and I worked up this whole pilot for a cooking show called The Cooking Professor. She's so pretty and personable. I think she would make a great TV personality. It would be a cooking show that teaches the chemistry behind cooking. I really think she could do it. Sort of a hybrid Alton Brown/Sandra Lee/Trisha Yearwood show. LOL! I told her we need to write a script, film a pilot ourselves, and submit it to the networks. I mean, Ree Drummond did it. Just think of all the possibilities! A blog, you tube videos, cook books! It never hurts to dream big. She said I could run the blog. LOL! Thanks, daughter o'mine!

I don't think I told y'all that I finally, finally, finally got all that paperwork sign, sealed and mailed off to T.Rowe Price. Thank God. I sure had to jump through a LOT of hoops to get that Medallion Signature Guarantee Stamp on that form! They are going to make me take the mandatory distribution for this year, since Butch was already 70 1/2 before his death, but then after that, the IRA will be in my name, and I don't have to take anymore distributions until I'm 70 1/2. I want the principal to grow as much as possible. There will come a day when I might need it, you know?

What I have to do now is get out from under that damn lake house. It's not a good time of year to sell a lake house, but I have to try. I HAVE to force myself to go back out there and finish cleaning it out. But not today. Today I have to be on hand to help Chris get her car back at 1 p.m. Some fun, huh?

I am making progress on Pita's little quilt. If my shoulder will cooperate, I'll continue cutting fabric into strips this morning. I worked out the design for all the colors of the little squares last night. As Cindi B. knows, the design part is way more fun than the actual sewing part! LOL! I enjoyed the process of playing with the colors and the light and dark values. I had to use my colored pencils and some graph paper to do it. I'm sure there is software available for designing quilts. If I really get into it, I'll have to buy a program that will let me play around with designs on my computer.

Well, I've written a novel this morning. Sorry! I just needed to vent. I try to be a positive presence on this board, but every now and then I just need a safe place to ***** I thank God for all of my sistas here who love me and understand!

Love you all!

Oh Vicki, Sorry about your issues with mom and your daughter. My mom had the same hearing issues. She would also accuse me of whispering. She would tell everyone she couldn't hear me because I talked under my breath. My dear sister told her, that I did not and she just needed a hearing aid. I miss her every day, she was so feisty. I was looking at sewing machines because I have seen all your handiwork. I want to make a few curtains; they are pretty easy to make. So, I may have to buy a computerized sewing machine. Back when I was married I sewed all the time, mostly clothes. It saved my sanity. This was with husband number two. Take care of yourself, and hold your daughter's feet to the fire so to speak. Love you, Arlene

Hello Vickie....I am sorry your shoulder is hurting again. Best take it easy on it for a couple days.

I am also sorry about Christie's situation. I know how much that irritates you. I also know how much you love her. She just can't get it in her head that you aren't bailing her out anymore. She seems to let things pile up until you have no choice but to help her. She knows too, the the car is what you will pay for because of the boys. I will be praying for you. I hope I haven't upset you....I know you know all this already.

I don't know what to think about you and your mother together. It really is a hard decision isn't it. I wish I had some way to help with that. You know I would if I could. I am still always here for you....anytime....any thing. I love you very much!

I am happy you got that paperwork off and done with. What a relief!! I know it has not been easy for you.

I love, love, love the idea of the pilot of the "Cooking Professor" show!! That would be so much fun for both of you. I hope it takes off and is a real hit!! I love cooking shows!! Carrie is very smart and has a great personality. Who wouldn't love her!!!

I have a feeling that the quilt will turn out great. I know it is a lot of work cutting fabric into strips. I look forward to seeing it when it is finished.

I hope you have a relaxing and peaceful evening...love to you and hugs too.... connie d

Good morning Cindy and everyone......

Cindy...I am just so happy you are having such a wonderful time with so many people you care so much about. I am sure they feel the same way about you. You have such a kind heart!!

I am so sorry Ron has a migraine again. That poor guy. I keep praying he can find relief soon.

You have been missed here and by me. You are so special to me and all our OFF Family!!

Keep having a great time....I am so glad you took this vacation!

I love you much!!!

As for me.... I am laying low today. We had storms last night. Lots of rain and lots of big booms and lightening. It started in the evening. It woke me at 1:30 and kept me up for a couple hours. At least I know what was causing me to have so much pain yesterday and today.

I forgot about ordering my Vicodin. I am down to one now. I sent a message to my doctor. My driver/friend will pick up the RX and have it filled for me. It cannot be faxed because it is a narcotic. The RX can be picked up or they have to mail it to my pharmacy. Then the pharmacy has to mail it to me. I won't get here until sometime next week. Thank God for Fran!!

Prayers for all our sweet OFF Family and their families. Special prayers as well for those who have asked.

I hope you all have a really nice day!!!

Loads of love and oodles of hugs....connie d

It is wonderful you are seeing friends with issues that are heartbreaking. True friendship lasts a lifetime. I hope you have a fun time in Idaho. It is beautiful from what I have seen (Only pictures on the Internet.) I will pray for your friends.