Mt_Rider

My mom in northern VA said it was comimg down in buckets today. .... I'd suggested she might take a walk around the complex with rollator and assistant. Well, mebbe not today. FIVE inches, Miki? That's a lot for you all, isn't it. Hope you don't have any flooding issues. MtRider ...our few inches of snow is melting.

Is it over yet? MtRider

Such a long time since he's been here. Wonder what he's up to now? MtRider

Wow, Necie. Those are great pics! I really like the one with fried fish on the plate! I've gone crappie fishing with my Wisc friend a time or two. Unfortunately, fish laugh at my approach. I did catch a great northern up in the Boundry Waters of MN. Even then, DH (newly wed) had to keep paddling the canoe for trolling. Still have a pic of that somewhere. Loved sitting on one of Maui's shorelines, eating the fresh caught/fried fish that my Hawaiian friend caught with a throw net. He was teaching DH how to use a throw net but not sure he'd remember now. A skilled throw can shape the net as it lands to take into account rocks, etc in the water so as not to leave ANY tiny opening.....yeah, the fish will know and dart out from under the weighted net. Our friend had done net fishing for decades. MtRider ....ach....I miss Maui. Love water....fresh or salt!!! ...hmph, bigger than that!

DH and I did Thanksgiving after church today with everyone. No turkey cooking for me this year. So much for just DH and I...now that my folks aren't here. Any of you praying for my pastor this past year....2 strokes and lot of rehab. But he's up preaching again! He uses a quad cane to walk; has a brace on the affected-side arm/wrist. It doesn't seem to have much movement and that leg is a problem. His voice isn't quite what it used to be but quite clear enough. That was good to see. I had a lot of trouble absorbing all the motion and noise of that many people. I was sitting next to pastor's wife and showed her my fingers tremoring so bad I could hardly hold a fork. "This is why I can't come with large crowds....overloads my nervous system." I mostly used wheelchair but used cane to be the last two in the food line....everyone else seated. Was very nice to be there ...and very good to leave and have quiet again. MtRider

Yes! She could be called by many names but FIRED and FINED would be a good choice too!

Yeah...I laughed too, Dee. I went to college in the very Scandinavian state of "Minni Soder" - as my Hawaiian friend used to say. [ Minn] I'm still in contact with a full Norwegian friend in MN. She's described lutefisk and yeah, an acquired taste and smell. But all those other foods are familiar names. I haven't had them all. I've cooked a wild rabbit that Koa jumped at by reflex getting out of the car one day. Since it was dead, DH skinned/cleaned it. It was in one of the correct months for rabbit. I should have boiled it tender before frying. Definitely. We didn't have any hunters in our family. Farmers....raise the meat. .....we just had Thanksgiving after church this morning. No cooking turkey for me this year. MtRider ...got 'nuff goin' on!!!

Jimmy will be right behind her soon. MtRider ...

I got caught up reading again. DH and I plan to try again this year. Last year we planned to go to the community Thanksgiving dinner at the 'town hall'. Except DH got the day wrong....they have it on Wednesday. So we had to go home and cook a ham. That was the first year without my folks here. We'll see how this year goes. It's cold here now. Good sunshine warms it up but....any wind makes it chilly....or down right bone chilling. Walking dog every evening but it gets earlier as we head toward Winter solstice. THEN we begin to get light longer again. Slow as that process is.... I go out to the porch and make sure I'm getting sunshine - for Vit D but also for Seasonal Affective stuff. It works every year since I've left the sunglasses off. MtRider ...tired! Sleep!

That was neat. Boy would I be flat on my face to even try a little of that fancy footwork. Such precision! Thanks Midnight. MtRider

I know the manual alphabet for the deaf. And a couple of actual signing words. I figure if I can spell it out and the other person knows the alphabet, weʻre good. Slow but precise. I learned it back in middle school years....to talk to friends in class with no noise. Also learned basic Braille for the same reason. but I donʻt remember much of that. And with contractions and such... I really would have a hard time reading anything...with my eyes. Fingertips...Nada! I have always used hand signals for dogs too. I talk with my hands so eventually they pick up on that. Iʻm in from walking dog 8/10ths of a mile....but the UP hill part of driveway counts twice! Fed/water/locked up the ducks/goose. Got dark quick tonite. Wore both my reflective vest thing on my back and headlamp facing forward. It wasnʻt dark....I could see the house from the road and all. But that time where itʻs easy to miss something. Only one vehicle went by us. So all is well. DH came home and weʻre having left over Sweet/Sour Pork with fresh rice. MtRider

Y'all are killing me with misheard words! "loose wheel...four hundred children...." My Mom singing lustily as a little girl: Dashing thru the snow, and the one horse opened it's leg. Ore' the fields we go...laughing all the way. Oye...hearing issues. I didn't know I had them until I went to the cognitive therapist. Within 10 minutes he put a piece of paper in front of his mouth and said make the noise I'm making. I could imitate a few but some I couldn't. He said: you're lip reading! Really? So off I went to the audiologist. I hear no low tones, half the mid tones and no high tones. Wow. With hearing aides....the world is a much more clatter-y place. All sorts of new sounds I have to go investigate....now what is THAT noise! Yeah, I still use the close captioning too, Midnight. But it's made a tremendous difference at our Women's Bible study. I think, with all the older women, we should make a circle rather than 2 long tables joined. You can see further than you can hear. I quickly adjust my devices louder when it's someone at the far end from me. I know others who get fill in remarks from the person sitting next to them. And we laugh a lot so that covers up sound too. DH always knows when I forgot to put them in cuz I'm saying 'what?' a lot. Then when I put them in, I talk much softer and HE can't hear me. He'll be one of those old duffers who never get hearing aides tho. Eh? Whadya say? MtRider ....not sure why my computer opened MrsS this morning? I must have hit the wrong button but...while I was here.... a good laugh!

Wow....Jeepers. SOOOO glad you finally got good care for your poor ears! I hope you can report the damage done by the first person.....she canNOT be allowed to continue!!! Will pray your healing goes fast and hearing can return! And can balance all meds so you're not dropping to the floor. WHAT a YEAR you've had!!!! Annarchy.... Miki...so good to hear of MrMiki's recovery!!! Little Sister....it's a wonder you know which end is up. Such busy life with all your kin coming and going. GS sounds like he's on best behavior. Hold to your rules with him and hopefully he'll catch on to how an adult has to take responsibility for himself. Good you're watching your health too! My mom was very motivated to get to dentist appt. today and was ready and waiting. Niece took her and they did some of the work. More will come at the next appt. She's very pleased with things so far. Bright and cheerful when we talked tonite. She'd eaten some Panera soup for supper. I called a bit earlier and she was ready to go to bed earlier - cuz she has two people coming tomorrow....folks that come to check after you've been in the hospital. All is well.....today. We've got a bit of snow and the temp is down again. DH drove me to Bible study ....so I was assured of getting there and back. Hmph! I used to drive commercially for other disabled folks ....way 'back in the day'. In the big Twin Cities. Now I'm the one with the chauffeurs! Oh well. Glad he's willing. At this age, it's so good to have a partner where you can each do what you can still do best....and cover for the other. MtRider ....and I'm not best at getting to bed on time.....

Our gas was down to $3.40 and now less than a week, $3.60. The smaller town is cheaper - for now. MtRider ....cute, Jeepers! Take an idea and RUN with it.

AED = Automated External Defibrillator I just learned how to use one of these in a recent certification for First Aid. Didn't have them when I last took a class for my employment...ages ago. https://babylonbee.com/news/more-grocery-stores-installing-defibrillators-at-checkout-for-when-you-see-your-total MtRider

Hold strong, Little Sister. He needs someone who is still speaking to him...but speaking truth in love. Tough love. Things he should have learned before he was 10 yrs old. Video game babysitters - not good. Too bad about that heritage Bible. I did not sleep last nite, despite taking 1/2 Unisom.......and another 1/2 at about 3am. I just could not get sleepy. All this about my mom, I think. So I made oatmeal for DH and I. After he got ready and left for work, I went to bed at 9am. Slept til 3pm. Felt ok. Did some things and the evening chores of walking dog and shutting ducks/goose into their house for the night. Our pond that did a QUICK FREEZE on the night it got down to minus 9*, is melting off again. I think the birds will be able to swim around tomorrow....which will further break up the skin of ice. ....then....depends on the temperatures. We usually don't get all the way into Nov. Tomorrow afternoon, I have a horse ride. Missed last week cuz weather was rotten cold and snow and they canceled everything. Neeeed this ride. R leg is not really cooperating so my dog walks are awkward. Not going too far. Mom was fine tonite and got very sleepy early. Yeah, the 'whatever' wore her out. I keep giving her ideas to eat...and she's interested but then forgets. Chocolate Ensure is too strong and ...thick. Then add milk or even vanilla ice cream and have a malt. She's just worn out with fixing food all her life. But is pretty picky if others cook. Not meaning to be so picky but ....she's mostly eaten her own cooking for decades. And she's forgetting the extras that make a difference: put Parmesan cheese on spaghetti if it's tasteless. Oh...I could have done that. None of those surrounding her right now, KNOWS her like I do. MtRider ....begin the night time stuff .... 'Nite y'all'

As for my mom...... Thank you all for praying! Yes, she came home today. After only a few hours at the hospital, I talked to her last nite and she sounded pretty normal. So far, nothing has shown on tests to account for her sleeping mostly, thru 48 hrs. Care giver P is going to be there 6 days a week for a couple hours. (she has another client) That will be mostly to make sure Mom has something she'll want to eat. Not fixing herself. I think that's key cuz she's dropped weight. Had to buy new clothes- twice. We'll see how things go. She's been fine since yesterday at the hospital. Once I finally got the right phone number for her room. Talked to her in afternoon and again in the evening. And this morning before she went home. And at our usual time this evening. ..............we'll see. P is going to take Mom's grocery list to the store before she comes tomorrow morning. Hopefully Mom will remember that not eating can = hospital! Simple equation....but there may be more than that underlying. Too low on calories and nutrient never helped tho. MtRider New bedtime.....12:30am. Which is 10 min from now...tho I'm In bed with laptop. Should use my blue-blocker glasses, right?

Wow....everyone is busy and having events. Many are not good news but hopefully MrMiki's news will be good - done and over! (((Miki)))) Annarchy has GREAT news!! Whooooo! Think he's got one foot in the grave and ....it's the MEDS! I think I'm going to choose like my MO friend. She's a retired RN and is getting off most of her pharm meds (carefully) and going herbal. She's older like us and has been out foraging in her MO lush area for a couple years now. She's mostly making tinctures and some salves. I just mailed her a bunch of yarrow that doesn't grow where she is.....but it's all over here in high country. Finally sat down and stripped the leaves and blossom ends off the stems. She doesn't need the stems. Ziplock bags.....took to P.O. to get a mailer envelope. Due to CO's reputation for a certain type of "herb"..... I was trying to stick the clear bags into the mailer before the P.O. guy saw them. But he had to come out to help me find the right ones and glanced in the open box to check the volume/size. So I chatted with him as he stamped and such, about my friend who's and herbalist and make tinctures from plants. They don't have YARROW in the low country (MO was on the address) and our place has tons of it! Oye! But in return she's sending me stuff from her area that I can tincture. That sounds like the easiest type of herbal medicine to make. Takes a while. Strength can be variable, I'd imagine. But what ARE we to do if the pharmacies close up {no product from China/India} I've studies herbal off and on since I was a kid. Used to ask my great aunts (they were GREAT aunts ) about life when they were kids. I've always known willow bark sort of = aspirin but not as strong/upsetting. I only have 3 meds anyway and the sinus ones aren't really helping. Anyway, we still need surgeons and specialists and ..... for Jeeper's ears!!! And Ambergris. And LittleSister's BP issue. Good to be home, Necie but after being way south, north has changed seasons. We're still easing into winter but it got down to MINUS 9* (thot it was -6* but DH says no). The ducks and goose are very unhappy cuz that one severe drop froze their pond. But we've warmed up to 70's daytime. So maybe one end might open up. These birds don't need the east end to get out of the pond. They use the sides...so maybe we'll be able to let them out for a while yet. Healthier/happier. Still below 32* each nite tho. MtRider's commentary on life....

Wow.....what a stretch of rotten health issues! you'll be past that now. MtRider

So sorry for your dh's fall, Miki! Yeah, it's only a screw or two. My mom's was the second time - one screw. When the doctor called in 15 min...Bro panicked. Thot it had to be bad news. Then I panicked when Bro called me ..for the same reason. The first hip took a long time but was a replacement for the ball that broke from the leg bone. Hope MrMiki has only the simple one. Rehab for a total hip is not fun. I lived with my folks while she rehab-ed. Speaking of Mom.....she's been in the hospital since last nite in the ER. She's has these 'spells' where she sleeps thru 48 hrs or more. Doesn't really eat. Assume she gets up for bathroom... She didn't answer my usual evening call on Monday. On Tues, her caretaker called Bro yesterday and said she was still in bed; couldn't get her to eat. So he and niece came over and tried to feed her. She ate a bit. Wasn't real coherent. Just said she's too tired to get up. I talked with her over the phone. Got her a bit more alert. Then told her to see if she could get to the bathroom...just thru a nearby door from her bed. Even with their help, she could not. Not even to a bedside commode. So I told Bro....no choice. Have to get her to ER. By ambulance cuz can't get her in their vehicles. She's actually done this hibernation before a couple times. But you have to first rule out anything physical. By today, I've talked to her x2. Both times very clear and on point. Bro was getting ready for a tranfer to assisted living and now..... But he's changing the home health aide to come 6 days a week instead of 4. She slumps down in activity when no one is around. A senior place with folks closer to her age might be helpful but...she likes her own apartment. She's somewhat a loner but can enjoy conversation with friends too. So....that was stressful. Thot for a while I might have to make a quick trip East. I'm barely out of the effects of the last trips I took. But if I need to.... MtRider

Not LITERALLY, Jeepers dear! Or maybe that would clarify the situation! Sheeesh, I'm glad someone was with you when you dropped and not alone in your hotel room! And...not so funny.... "my right ear still blocked and my left ear with what looks like a rather large perforated eardrum." We knew it. What you had done to you was NOT NORMAL! That woman needs to lose her job!! Send her office those pics and the conclusion. Oye....I hate incompetence especially in the medical field! MtRider (((Jeepers)))

Oye....weather has been the topic here. Saturday it was rain/snow/graupel. Supposed to get real cold but didn't...20*. Woke up to 5" of snow Sunday. Continued to snow off and on. DH says he saw MINUS 6* during the night. Ack....a week or so ago, we broke high temp records for that day. No...wasn't that hot but just for late October weather - it was marvelous! Halloween weather has traditionally been awful. All the little ghosts and goblins are big and round with thick coats under their costumes. We're at 10* at midnight here now. I anticipated the need for the pellet stove....so all the sorting STUFF I'd shoved all around it all summer - had to move. Stupid new furnace cannot heat the place enough. So ...at least I have another area clear and normal again. Course the ducks and goose are not happy that last nite froze their pond. We've been so warm they've had extra time this year. They'll spend the rest of the winter staring at the frozen pond from their pen. Springtime, birds. Wait till Spring! I finally finished stripping the leaves and flower parts off the yarrow I harvested/dried for my MO friend for tinctures. She's been able to get herself off most pharm meds and is doing better. She's sending me some tinctures already made. Yanno? I carried this HUGE and HEAVY 'bouquet' of those plants up this hill. After drying and remove stems, the rest fit into two almost filled quart Ziplocks. Hmph! Cheap to send...weighs almost nothing. BUT....that project is finally out of the way. Cuz they were hanging upside down along the fireplace - pellet stove. So they had to go. Missed my ride this weekend due to nasty Sat. weather. Stables closed down for the weekend. But I'm doing ok. Still fatigue stuff. Miki....mom hadn't been eating well. Too much of the same stuff and she doesn't want to light her gas oven. Meals on Wheels are getting old. Bro and DH and I talked about getting her interested in food. So her caretaker (comes 4 days a week for varied hours) is cooking some things with her. And they do go out to eat. Mom was enthused about variation in meals. She gets bored on the days P doesn't come. My folks used to go somewhere every day but Sunday. Bro and Niece are both working and have upkeep on the farm and Bro's boat. They had NO idea what they were getting into...Mom with no transportation except P. And she hasn't joined a church...no transportation. She hasn't really gotten to know anyone much. She's a bit shy to just go knock on a door to visit her near neighbors. I call every night...... ...tonite she didn't answer. We usually talk from around 9:30 - 11:30pm her time. That's right during cooking/eating supper my time but I work around it. I emailed Bro...he said she'd been asleep in chair when he talked to her earlier so she probably went to bed. We are wondering.... if she needs more time with her caretaker..... Expensive but so is a care home...which she'd hate. End of life stuff is hard!!!! MtRider .... ...yeah, I'm changing my bedtime to 12:30am. Have been missing the 11:30pm

Glad to see you back, Necie! Have a wonderful trip. Wow...everyone around here is getting new babies arriving. Well, not all of us. Very low energy day but I did manage to walk dog 3/10ths of a mile. That's down our driveway and on the road to the next driveway an- d back to the car. DH puts the birds inside for the night and I really wasn't going to walk back UP the driveway. Good thing this week is empty. Don't have to be anywhere. Mom was confused tonite. I woke her up- sleeping in her chair. She kept thinking it was morning and her helper would be coming soon. I traced her back to when P did arrive this morning and cooked her breakfast. We were on track for a while and then she'd veer off again. I do not want to lose her that way either. Going to bed soon. Got up too early this morning with headache but DH adjusted me so maybe that pattern will stop. MtRider

Necie!!! And where have you BEEN??? and I see you brought your annoying little BUG with you! I'm always squishing knats on my screen! Plenty of chocolate around this group! MtRider ...welcome home!

I should .....with all the spare energy I have........dehydrate more frozen veggies. That's easy too. MtRider