Sunday

 Sunday morning.  I slept better and woke to the cats swirling around, asking for breakfast. After I did that, I lay back down for awhile. I had made a note to order a new rug for the sun room, since the one I have is finally disreputable enough that even washing it doesn't help. So I lay there and scrolled on Wayfair and Amazon, and found one similar to what I already have. Bought that one; it'll be here Thursday. On sale too-- Labor Day.

Last Sunday with no MissS here in the afternoon, Sis and BIL came instead, to hook up my new router which I hadn't dared to even attempt. BIL also fixed the pool creeper/cleaner so the little wings won't fall off, and he also said I did a good job on replacing the drainpipe, too. Yay!

Monday I made a pasta salad, thinking I would serve it for the lunch N and I were planning here. Instead when she arrived she brought a homemade pie. The joke was on us, though: we talked for an hour and a half straight, not even thinking about food.  So she left a piece of the pie, and I actually had it for dinner.

But more importantly I mailed the vintage embroidery piece to my Sponsee, and that's such a relief.  A great solution for both of us.

Tuesday I started feeding MissS' cats. They were originally happy to see me, but  once they realized I wasn't Mom, they disappeared. Fortunately they only needed once daily visits. Because, each time I visited for the rest of the week on Wednesday and Thursday and Friday, I was either ignored, or one or more would scratch or hiss. I was so shocked and hurt and puzzled. I have multiple scratches on both forearms, and I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. I followed instructions to the letter. Well, I was very relieved when MissS texted me on Saturday afternoon to say they were home. Phew!  No more visits. 

On Wednesday I had my dental cleaning, and got the bad news that since I'd had the "periodontal cleaning" last time, the ins co won't cover any semi-annual cleanings (because I am considered a "periodontal" patient now, not just a regular cleaning patient). What a terrible idea that is. If I'd known that, I never would have agreed to it, not only due to the $300+ I had to pay last time, but knowing I now have to pay for my own cleanings from now on. 

However, I later talked with my sister, and she suggested changing dentists... which I am considering and will probably do. Damn it. Insurance is such a scam. I hate changing doctors.

Thursday was a quiet day-- pool time before it rained, and lots of stitching.  I also did a lot of house cleaning.  And I mailed Gabby's birthday card. My darling granddaughter will be 18 on the 4th. She's all moved into her dorm, and ready.

I also received my cuff bracelet from India. But the other package coming from India, the exact same seller,  did not arrive, despite the notification that it had been delivered. I'm so upset about that. It contained gifts for MissS's birthday, and me. I've started a MissingMail claim with the USPS. I don't know whether to re-order these, considering the length of the shipping time...

Friday the new shop vac I ordered arrived. It's still sitting in the box, because my OCD demands that I have to empty and prepare the other one first, since I'm gifting it to MissS and Kit, and I'm not looking forward to the dust. 

Friday evening I met three of my former co-workers at McK's, for drinks and dinner. And the two newer ones, Laura and Adria, were there too, so it was amazing to hear them talking about Her (DrD) the way Janis and MaryAnn and Brandy and I used to. I'd had dinner at home before arriving, so I just had one drink.   But if I hadn't been driving I would have loved to have another one.  

The way they spoke, She hadn't changed a bit; and She and KL the psychologist were moving to NC to open their own practice!! (WTH!)  Meanwhile, She had known since February that Her contract was terminating at the end of August, yet She never told anyone (much less DrI) until a few weeks ago, and apparently still has not told Her own patients.  What a godawful bitch. How unprofessional is that! We all laughed and agreed Karma had finally caught up with Her, thank god. Treat people like that, and soon the world will turn on you. 

Pris is also leaving, to work full-time with the SalvationArmy, her church. And they are not replacing her, or the doc. Instead, the Wound Care dept is moving in to take over that space. Janis and MaryAnn and I just about fell over.  We three agreed we are glad we left when we did. Laura jokingly but seriously asked if any of us would like to come back and help during this transition, and we all said "No!!" and then we all collapsed  again. MaryAnn worse a t-shirt that said "DingDong, the witch is dead!"

It was wonderful to catch up and re-connect. I think we'll be doing this more often.  It was not only dark, but raining when I left, and so it was no fun driving home. Foolishly I hadn't left the outside lights on either so it felt creepy opening the door in the dark.

Saturday morning I went to the meeting, and sat with B in the choir room again. Lots of people in attendance, despite the Florida statewide conference in Orlando.  I got lots of hugs, and talked with everyone, found G and told him how grateful I was that he had talked with the lady that made that blunder last weekend. And I'm glad I did, because he was visibly grateful and relieved I'd said this. 

Back home I put away the groceries I'd picked up, and then stitched until it was time to leave to meet  the Family at Stavros'. It was raining buckets by the time I left-- if I'd left 15 minutes earlier it would have been better. As it was I had to drive around the block a few times before someone down by McK's pulled out just in time and I zipped in. I definitely needed the umbrella while I walked, and still my feet got soaked.  Inside it was cool, almost too cold, but Bro and SIL had grabbed a table right near the front by the nice warm ovens. And everyone else had just arrived, too. 

It was nice to catch up and share lives, etc. Dad said he hoped to see me next Wednesday for dinner, and that was nice to hear.  It rained the whole time we were there, and continued the whole way home after I left. 

And back at home, Missy disappeared again: I'd let her out when I got home, and ran back in to change clothes and put slippers on. When I went back outside, Missy was gone. I called her, multiple times. No response.  She has done this a few times and I thought I'd found her escape route and blocked it, but apparently she has another one.  

This time I stayed outside to see where she finally re-appeared, despite the rain. I was quite firm with her when she ran back into the enclosure, and I grabbed a towel to dry her off while I was scolding her.  I was quite upset. I now have to figure out how to block off that escape route, which is along the fence line in the "jungle" to the neighbor's yard. Fortunately he was not home last night, therefore didn't see her exploring his yard. 

And yesterday was finally the last day of the nasty, godawful inhaled antibiotic. At least I hope it is. The box had one refill listed, but the NP had told me to take it for just two weeks. And my appt is Tuesday.  So we'll see.  I don't feel better, but I don't feel worse, either.

So this week is only the pulmonology appt, and dinner with Bro, SIL, and Dad.  I appreciate these quieter days. 

TYG

Sunday

 Well, let's see how this day's typing will work out.

Last Sunday MissS came over, pool time and dinner were shared.

Monday she again came over in the afternoon. She cooks the majority of the meal, thankfully, but depending on what we eat, we share the planning and cleanup. She is a blessing.

Tuesday was Crimson's 9th birthday! She'll be starting 4th grade. 

In the morning before it was too humid, I was outside for an hour or so, weeding on one side of the enclosure and tossing everything in a pile, and pruning the other side of the yard, also tossing everything in a pile. Before J died, he would pick this debris all up and load it in the wheelbarrow, then take it all out to the curb.  So I made myself cry, remembering, and really missing him. 

He was so cheerful doing this. He never made me feel bad for only doing the "easy" part, and leaving the debris for him to clean up. He seemed happy to have me handle the trimming and pruning. (That's because two times he way over-pruned and lost a bunch of my beloved shrimp plants... and I cried. He hated that he'd done that, so he didn't want that responsibility of deciding what to prune and how much, anymore!) 

Anyway, now it's all my job, but I have far less reserves of strength than he did. I left it all out there, and came inside to shower and rest. I hate this shortness of breath. it took me a few hours to recover.

Wednesday I finished that job: loaded up everything in the wheelbarrow, took it out to the curb, and that was done. It sounds so simple, but depending on how much I've done previously, I just couldn't face doing one more thing.

That afternoon I did the bill-paying, and balanced the checkbook, etc. And then sat with Missy and groomed her, while watching a Clark Gable movie.  

I also ordered new sofa dog-covers, because I had wrestled with removing those covers and then re-installing them once too often!  So CityThrift will be getting a drop-off donation of these covers. 

Thursday Sis came over and we went out to lunch at Salsa's. It's the one place I would feel comfortable sitting alone in a booth, I think. I haven't the nerve to try that yet, but I can see myself doing this at some point.   It was good to catch up.

After that I picked up my grocery order at Walmart, and realized I'd forgotten to order stamps.  I think MissS came over that afternoon too, although I didn't put it in my calendar. She had been planning their upcoming trip to Sanibel. 

Friday was a day of rest for me. I made a batch of butterscotch cookies, and  I didn't do any "work", but I then worked on my stitching. I have finally finished the crewel embroidery and learned/re-learned that one of the reasons I've been struggling with it is -- even though I love the design of chickadees and pansies--  it's much more difficult to work with yarn than floss. Pushing the needle through this preprinted fabric  was much more challenging because I have neuropathy.  I was stabbing myself much more often with this piece, or struggling to work the needle.  It finally dawned on me that I really do not want to work on the other vintage piece. In fact I was dreading it.

So I wrote my friend in Chicago and asked if she'd like this vintage piece, and she wrote back just thrilled at this suggestion. And I'm relieved because I have no sentimental attachment to it, and I know it'll be in better hands. Perfect solution.

MissS came over for a short dip in the pool, and then we hugged goodbye. I worry about their travels yet I fully know she and he are good drivers and they will have a desperately needed break.

I fed the animals a bit earlier than usual, and then headed out to the PoP church for my friend's speaker meeting.  Fortunately another one of my friends was standing outside the correct door, so I was able to go in without wandering around like a lost soul. That church has multiple buildings on their grounds, and multiple entry points.

It was a great speaker meeting, and eye-opening to hear my friend's voice. He had spoken many years ago and it was recorded on CD back in 1994. He died in February, and his wife and I have really bonded since then. Hearing this man in his prime-- well, I didn't even recognize his voice. He sounded young, animated, expressive, funny with self-deprecating humor, and such wisdom.   

Eventually we numbered 42 in that room, listening to his story. I saw a few friends I hadn't seen recently, and that's always nice. It was over at 7, so I was home before dark.

Saturday morning I went to my regular meeting, and M handed me the leader's format. So despite my hoarse and squeaky voice, I led. It wasn't as bad as I was fearing. I've had a headache for a few days;  that didn't help. I was able to reconnect with a few people at the meeting who I hadn't seen recently and miraculously my voice got stronger, not weaker.

One really awkward thing happened: a woman stood up at the end just before we closed the meeting and started speaking about her own church, and how devoted she was, and beginning to pass out pamphlets. I was too surprised and caught off guard to say anything at first; this has never happened before. I  knew it was my responsibility as the leader to stop her, and so I broke in, interrupting her. I'll call her Jane. I said firmly, "Jane... Jane... Jane!" as she kept ignoring me. Then my friend at my table also called out quite loudly "JANE."   

She stopped talking, and we both said, "This is for AlAnon announcements only."   "This is an AlAnon group."    She started defending herself, and I just spoke right over her: "Who has the Closing?"  The person who had that part started reading, and gradually things settled down. Jane sat down, and I couldn't look at her. 

This whole thing probably took only a minute or two, but it felt endless. I felt like I was being rude speaking over her, but I also knew I had to stop her.  

Afterwards my other friend G started whispering to me what I should tell her, assuming I was going to go over and talk to her privately. But a couple of different people came over to me right after the closing, and I was busy with them. Next thing I knew G was back patting my shoulder, and whispered that he had taken care of it. I didn't get a chance to thank him, but I was so grateful. 

So strange.  I know I did the right thing, but it felt so uncomfortable. This woman was fairly new, and I had kind of sensed there was something off about her; still this was... startling. 

Afterwards K asked me how I was, and I burst into tears. I had had a rough sleepless night and woken up crying, missing J. I hate that I feel I'm being sucked down into a whirlpool.  It's almost been a year. Sometimes it feels so fresh, and it hurts so much.  He just hugged me and let me cry, thank god. What a dear friend.

On the way home I stopped at Publix and got stamps, and found a plant on the clearance table. I bought that, and then headed to my pharmacy for my rx, and then home.  I expected to nap, but couldn't fall asleep.

At around 5 I started feeding the animals, and getting ready for  dinner with Bro and SIL. They picked me up and we went to the Chart House. I had a completely yummy swordfish dinner, and they had salmon. It was so relaxing, so wonderful. I got to hear my brother's hospital and heart story. He's okay, but what a scary couple of days. 

MissS and Kit left for Sanibel in the morning, and texted when they arrived, which I appreciated.

I also have a lunch set up with N for tomorrow, and am looking forward to that. She'll come here. Then I'll run out and mail the embroidery to my friend in Chicago.

Wednesday my dental appt should happen. This is the second time it's been rescheduled, so I really hope they don't cancel it again.

And on Friday I'm meeting some former co-workers downtown for drinks; we are celebrating the termination of DrD.  It'll be great to see everyone. And it's a great reason for a party!

Ok. I'm done. I need to do my antibiotic inhaler, ugh.

TYG for my friends and family.

Sunday

 Getting a late start this morning because I have this new medication routine. UGH, I absolutely hate this new medication.

So, last Tuesday I  saw my pulmonologist's NP, who of course I've seen before. This time they must have been busy; I waited almost 30 minutes after doing the breathing test before hand. But I dutifully reported my symptoms, having been on the Cipro for 2 weeks. The fact that I was still coughing worried her to the point that she explained that Pseudomonas aeruginosa is known to be difficult to manage; she said it is described as "sticky" in the lungs, difficult to remove. She therefore suggested another antibiotic, tobramycin, via my nebulizer. 

Well, I already do inhale my steroids through this machine every morning after breakfast, and it takes about 15 minutes, then I wash it all in hot soapy water and it sits for 15 minutes, then I rinse it all and it air dries. 

So now I have to then prepare the tobramycin. (It took five days to obtain this medication. It  is horrendously expensive, and needs to be pre-auth'ed. )This is a complicated procedure: I draw up the meds in 3ml syringes from tiny 2ml bottles and insert 4 and a half of those e into the nebulizer. Time consuming.  THEN I sit with it, breathing in, for 15 minutes. Let me tell you,the taste/smell is godawful. I was dreading this after my first attempt yesterday afternoon. I get to do this twice a day for two weeks. Oh, and I of course have other meds to take every morning, which all need to be after I've eaten.  So my morning routine is considerably longer now.

This was the big change this week-- the appt was Tuesday but I couldn't get the meds untilyesterday after the Meeting.

Wednesday was a day at home because my bug guy was due but I didn't know when. So I stitchedthe rest of the day after trying a new coffee cake recipe. I gave most of it to Sis, Dad, and BIL.

Thursday I got a hair cut, and stopped at Publix before rushing home to wait for the guy fromMueller Reports to show up; he'd been contracted by Citizens, my house insurance, to come and do an interior and exterior inspection of the house.  I had promptly texted my Sis and asked ifshe could come be with me while he did that, and that led to BIL also coming. 

Unfortunately this guy arrived a half hour early. Fortunately Sis and BIL were just  a few minutes away, and BIL promptly attached himself to the guy while he was doing the inspections, casually asking questions.

Afterwards we all debriefed, and I am much less anxious now. Two of my neighbors had also had avisit from this company, and I was very anxious after what they'd shared.  So we'll see.

Friday MissS was here, and she accompanied me on some errands-- Michael's for fabric, Publix fora gift card for Crimson's birthday, and Home Depot for some drain/gutter pieces. Then we decided to splurge and got DairyQueen for dinner. I treated myself to an ice cream cone for the first timesince before J died. That tasted so good.

I also heard in a movie this very relevant quote: "Grief sometimes feels a  lot like Fear".  So true.

The Meeting was wonderful. I was very glad to share that my son's gf/mother of his child ( my youngest granddaughter)  was kicking him out, and looking for an AlAnon/AlaTeen meeting, for her and the girls.  She and I texted Saturday morning, early.  

I am so sorryfor my son, but maybe this is the "hitting the bottom" moment that he needs. He will be staying with his brother. 

I also shared that I chose to help my son by paying hisphone bill this month. I fully understand, and so does he, that this is a gift, and I don't expect it tohappen again, nor do I expect repayment.  He was extremely grateful, and appreciative.

My sweet granddaughter will be turning 9 on Tuesday. I know the gift card will be late, but I just could not help it. 

Damn this computer... I do not know what is happening. I have been fighting with the font, paragraph,spacing, etc since I started this, and have no idea what happened, or how to fix.

Maybe next week it will have settled down.

TYG

Sunday

 I did not sleep last night, again. I really hate this. I read most of the night, and occasionally put the Kindle down, hoping I would slip into sleep. But no. After I got up at 6 to feed the animals I went back to bed as usual to read a bit, and only then did I doze off for about 45 minutes. I was awakened by  the vision of a woman telling me "NO, NO" in a loud voice. Very weird.

So. Last Monday, MissS tried her hand at fixing the loosening rope on the cats' scratching post. She did a great job; it's been a week and it's holding on.  

We also went to the GriefShare group. There were only two other people and the two leaders, so that was interesting. The group was small enough that I felt comfortable in the discussion after the film explaining my discomfort with the heavily religious terminology and references. I explained my background in AlAnon due to my sons' alcoholism, and I could tell the other members immediately were familiar with this and had personal experience with this terrible disease. It's amazing how much better I feel now--I didn't feel any judgement from them at all. Next week we are supposed to bring something for the potluck traditionally held at the last meeting.

Tuesday I called the Dr's office for an rx for fluconazole;  and I had my annual derm appt. No problems found. She complimented me on my facial skin, and I said I stayed out of the sun as much as possible, and used moisturizer with a sunscreen.   

And I also started the new crewel embroidery, of the chickadees and pansies. I was terrified to start it, as I really don't remember much of the last one I did back in the 80s. I am beginning to relax as I work on it a little each day.

Wednesday was again a stitching day, after I found the mental strength to attempt calling Spectrum. My bill from them has gone up and up and up since last fall and I just cannot do this anymore. So I called and complained about my ever-rising rate, and the woman not-so-helpfully explained I was out of any promotions. I asked if there were any other discounts or deals, and she said no. So I said, well then, I'm going to have to cancel my service. She instantly said, Let me transfer you to Customer Retention, and within a minute I was talking with Josh. 

That phone call wasn't anywhere near as bad as I was expecting. Absolutely no pressure. Long story short I ended up with a $15 cheaper fixed rate for a year, and they'll be shipping me a new ...modem? ...Router? Something. This will give me faster speeds. I'm feeling pretty pleased with this outcome.

Later in the day I was taken out for dinner by Dad and Bro and SIL. Always a great time. This time I tried a burger, requesting it cooked medium. It arrived well-done, but I didn't complain; I just won't order this again. It was much busier there that night, so maybe that's why.

On the way home Bro and SIL noticed my front lawn had been mowed and edged! I was so surprised. I did see Chris and another neighbor Louis sitting out front on their porch so as soon as I hugged and thanked Bro and SIL, I walked over there, even before going in the house. I have been having a hard time catching Chris, so I couldn't pass this up. 

We talked for a bit and they asked why I was "so dressed up", so I explained about dinner out.  Then I took a breath and asked Chris what he would charge me for mowing the front lawn regularly. He just looked up at me and said quietly, "I couldn't charge you anything, E". 

Well, after some back and forth, he agreed that some cookies for Melissa might be nice.  So it's settled. I'm so relieved. How nice of him! I stayed and talked for a while more, and then I could hear Missy barking again and it was getting darker, so I went home.

Thursday morning Sis and BIL came over so BIL could fix the pool pump/timer. For some reason the timer was off its schedule, and I wasn't able to correct it, nor was MissS. 

I also asked Sis to review the paperwork and applications I'd found online for the widow's exemption and the  senior's exemption. I'm waiting for the copy of the death certificate I need for these, but really there's no rush to submit them: they just have to be submitted before March 1 of the year you're planning to use the forms.  

Then I ran up to Publix for a few groceries. I hadn't slept the night before either, so I gave in and took a nap for an hour and a half.  And later in the afternoon MissS came over and we jumped in the pool. Those temps have been in the upper 80s this week, which is nice for just soaking.

She was sweet enough to order a Marco's pizza for dinner. It's been a while since I had a pizza. It was amazingly good. And of course we watched more Lost episodes.

Friday was a big day. It was my Pet Care day: I took the boy cats up to Paul, the groomer. They were noisy on the way there, and dead silent on the way home. 

Then I took down all the bird feeders and cleaned all the caked-on gunk off of them. It was disgusting. I must remember to do this more. I was embarrassed to see how bad they were. Anyway they are now refilled and hanging with all fresh seed.  The birds were all over the feeders with 20 minutes. It was like they were watching me, waiting.

I had planned to give Missy a bath but my back was just aching, so I put that off again. 

MissS had planned to come over later, but she ended up having a phone interview with United Way, and after that she had an appt with her vet for him to clip Mao's nails.  By the time that was over he was still groggy from the sedative she'd given him and she didn't want to leave him. So we agreed to watch our shows separately. 

I indulged myself in the first episode of Blood of My Blood, the Outlander prequel (unfortunately the acronym for this online is B.O.M.B.),  and then turned to the new Frontier series on HGTV. I had the leftover pizza for dinner. A perfect Friday evening. 

Saturday morning I had slept like a log, thanks to the Xanax I gave in to. I headed for the Meeting which was awesome: 27 people this time, one of the largest attendances. My table was me and the 4 guys I feel closest to; the next table was the only other male and 4 women, and women filled all the other tables. It was funny. C invited me to hear her son's band that night, and I said I might go. G gave me a suggestion on preventing the flooding at the back of the house, which I was all excited about.

I went to Michael's after the Meeting and got some more floss and felt and an O-ring to hold the skeins of yarn. Back at home I gave Missy a bath. Then I headed up to Sis' to spend a couple of hours with Dad and she. BIL disabused me of the notion of the brilliant idea to prevent the flooding, and it was hard not to cry from the disappointment. 

Missy was a shaking trembling little thing all the way up there, and glued herself to my side. But on the way home she was finally exhausted and slept in the car, and then slept the rest of the afternoon on the sofa.

MissS was just pulling into my driveway as I turned onto my road-- great timing! We sat and talked and got caught up, and then soaked in the pool.  We opted for a simple scrambled eggs and toast dinner while watching Lost, with ice cream for dessert. Eventually she left and shortly after that I  got in bed too. 

However, it was another sleepless night. I really hate to rely on the xanax every single night, but it really is the only way to guarantee sleeping. I sometimes feel I take so many meds, but most of them are just "if needed". The trouble comes when I think I "need" something to get me to sleep.  Some nights I think I'll just tough it out and see what happens. Then I lie awake.

This coming week after the last GriefShare meeting tomorrow night, I see the pulmonologist, and the hygienist. Oh, and I will have to mow the back lawn. It's been two weeks, so it's a few days overdue. 

And my other project is to measure the downspout at the back of the house, so I can go to HD and find a replacement spout which heads much farther away from the  house. I just checked on that during the heaviest rain storm this morning and I have a little pond just outside the enclosure. Always something!

TYG

Sunday

 A cloudy grey morning, but ridiculously humid. Another morning where we got about halfway down the street before Missy planted her paws and we went back home. (Although last Thursday morning we walked the whole neighborhood, which she hasn't agreed to for weeks.)

Today is the beginning of August.  I feel like we have been in the "Excessive Heat Warning" period for a few weeks now. And worse, I think it's just going to continue getting hotter. On Friday morning, around 7, I was thinking about getting up, and suddenly there was a huge bang/  explosion-- the damn transformer behind the house again.  Slowly the fan stopped spinning.

I was slow to realize what this meant: no AC, no hot shower, no microwave, no toast, no stove,  and obviously no lights. Also no Internet. Fortunately my phone was able to connect to the FPL app to report the outage, before it gave me the low battery warning.  I went to plug it in to recharge, and then realized, huh. That wasn't going to work either. It got all the way down to 7% battery before the power came back on.

They had texted me back that this outage affected me and 6 others, and it should be repaired by 10:15. Fortunately it was actually repaired by 9:15!  I was just beginning to get uncomfortable due to the heat in the house, when I heard the AC kick back on.

Last Sunday afternoon MissS and I took the cats in their carriers to the Petco for their shots. It turned out to be way more expensive than I expected because of course they had to charge for a brief exam, but fortunately I had the money in the bank. The cats... spoke loudly... all the way to the location, but quickly quieted down when we arrived. Long story short, they did fine, and shots were given with no problem, and we headed home again, this time in total silence.  MissS stayed for awhile and we talked and watched a few more episodes of Lost before she left for the Orlando airport.

The next morning after learning the weather was once again going to be excessively hot and humid, I gritted my teeth and mowed the back lawn early. It pretty much wiped me out the rest of the day. I had also done some pruning and trimming of the bushes, which I left lying on the lawn. The branches etc were ready to go out to the curb for pick up, but I just had no more energy. I knew I had another day to do this, so I just showered and changed, and then was on-butt for the day. 

MissS and Katie came over at around 4 to jump in the pool. And then we 3 went to the GriefShare meeting. There was a new leader, who was interesting, and fewer people, but Katie had no problem speaking up, and it helped to make the sharing easier.  There are only two more weeks.

Tuesday morning I was very stiff and sore, so after doing my stretching I worked on bills, and then watched movies and stitched the rest of the day.

Wednesday early morning I worked on loading the wheelbarrow and taking all the yard debris out to the curb. It ended up being 3 loads altogether.  It feels absolutely fantastic to know that whole job is done. The stupid Mexican petunias are trying to come back around the edges of the cardboard, so I will be applying more poison sometime this week. And then more cardboard.

Thursday morning I soaked my rings to clean them. I then noticed my amethyst and ruby ring had lost one of the stones. I have no idea when. I contacted the seller and asked if he could repair it, but he said since it was out of the 6 month period he couldn't, and offered me a 10% discount if I wanted to buy another. Umm, no. 

Instead I decided to look for another way to carry J's and my birthstones, and eventually found a silver cuff bracelet with those raw stones, so I've ordered it. It's coming from India, so I won't get it for a few weeks. I hope it looks as nice in real life as the photos show. It wasn't anywhere near as expensive as I was afraid, and it helped that it was on sale. Yes, I do love jewelry.

I also was too wiped out to manage walking into Walmart so I ordered my groceries for pick up, which I did around 1pm. MissS came over later, and we got in the pool, and watched Lost, and we made dinner together. 

Friday was a quiet day-- I didn't note anything in my calendar, so I don't really remember what I did. I did things like contacting the vet for a refill of Missy's flea meds, and updating the Chewy subscription orders, and responding to customer satisfaction surveys from my doctors' offices, answering emails, laundry, cleaning, etc. Puttering.

I do remember watching an old Western, and to my shock (in one of these binges one day I watched 3 in a row!) I heard the main character's name was Zeke Mitchel.  I wish I had documented the movie, but I just cannot remember the title. It was eerie hearing my stepson's name referred to throughout the hour and 20 minutes. I remember it was a black-and-white movie, and made in the early '40s. It was one of the better ones.  No big names involved, strictly a B movie.

I made the mistake of mentioning this coincidence to V when she texted, out of the blue, on Friday afternoon. She immediately wanted to know the name of the film, and I had to say I didn't remember.  (My brain! It's so embarrassing.)  She was just checking in, and sounds fine. 

Also Brenda has been keeping me in the loop-- she has a new great-granddaughter, the second one this year. This child, Adalyn, is Ben's first grandchild, and of course Brenda's still dealing with grief of his death just a few months ago. 

Technically, if J were still alive, he'd now be a great-great-grandfather. And I'd be by marriage a great-great-grandmother. I'll never see these people of course, but it's still mind boggling to consider. I understand now how family trees and histories can be so convoluted.  If I count J's family, I'm now related to easily a hundred more people.

Sometimes I wish I knew I would live forever: it would be so fascinating to see what happens.  Nostalgia: I just heard a couple of songs that immediately brought me back to the late 70s, when I was living in San Diego. (KC and the Sunshine Band, and Peter Frampton.) I wonder whatever happened to some of the people I knew in my past.

Okay, sidetracked there for a bit.  Saturday I overslept a bit and in my rush to get ready for the Meeting I forgot to take the antibiotic which I'm supposed to take after breakfast. So I ended up taking it around 11:30. I had to stop at Publix for Missy's dog food, and wine, and Ziploc bags. 

After a brief snack and  doing the cat boxes, I left to pick up MissS and we drove up to visit Dad and Sis and BIL ( although he was outside mowing and doing yardwork the whole time, in the godawful heat).  We just sat and talked for a couple of hours. It was nice, and cool inside, and Missy and Rufus were perfectly comfortable for the first time. He was sniffing around her, and she did not immediately shy away or growl; she stayed still, and he wasn't aggressive or moving threateningly. She's been a nervous wreck recently, but about halfway into the visit she just stopped panting, and dozed. Phew.

This week I have the Grief Share meeting Monday night with MissS, and a  dermatology appt Tuesday, just my annual skin check. Wednesday night I have dinner with Bro and SIL and Dad.

SonN texted me, letting me know he is short $600 for rent, and will be evicted if they don't get it by next Friday.  We eventually texted more back and forth last night: yes, Amber is still working, yes he just started an outside job at a golf course washing the golf carts because he "got tired of working at the sales job" at Metro. He's trying to sell their van to get the cash. I texted at some point "I wish I could help, kiddo; I know it's hard", and he texted right back, "Ya I'm stressed out it's okay".  (I hate when people these days don't use punctuation!!)

Meanwhile, the same day, SonJ put up on FB a post with a photo of Ollie that his cat is ill with some unknown disease, and he was just asking for prayers. He had managed to pay the vet $230 for various exams and tests, but when the vet suggested xrays at $800, SonJ cannot afford this by any means, so he just took the cat home, and is frantic at the idea of losing his buddy. This cat is like his child. Of course I cannot help there either, but I can totally relate. The number of times I couldn't afford what vets wanted for various tests... I remember all too well what a helpless feeling it is. My sons. My heart aches for them.

Well. 

Time to do my stretching.

TYG for my family, and my dear friends.