Watcha doing today?

[Jeepers]

Oh boy am I behind. If I miss anything, I'm not ignoring anyone on purpose!  

 

@Necie I loved the family pictures! You guys have so much fun.

 

@ANewMe Welcome home! Love your drying racks! And a 30% electric bill increase is obscene. They say a dishwasher saves more power than hand washing but thsts hard for me to beleive. I wash all of mine by hand too. But then again, there is only one of me. Just this weekend I bought another fan. Just a cheapy one from Wal-Mart that I still have to put together. Its on a pole. Sigh. I turned my AC down to 78. As long as I can have a fan on me, I'm good. I sleep with one on me too. 

 

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, I think you will find that the one-story house will be much easier to heat and keep cool. I do use my ceiling fans all summer long, but only in the rooms I am in at the time. The one in the pantry stays on 24/7 for circulation. It helps keep the food much cooler. 

[Jeepers]

When I was going through the POTS testing stuff, my Dr. confirmed that my internal thermostat was broken so I'm hot a lot of the time. Broken thermostat? I think he is correct but a professional diagnosis? Sometimes I get surges of heat just like a strong hot flash. 

 

I could guess thyroid but I have hypothyroidism. I do take thyroid meds. Who knows. 

 

I have ceiling fans in the bedrooms but I'm only ever in one of them. I'm sort if leary about sleeping underneath a fan going full blast. What if a blade works loose? I know strange thought. I like a fan blowing right on me.

 

I do have a ceiling fan in the great room too. But it's pretty useless. I don't think it's spinning the right direction. I think it's in winter mode. And it spins very slowly. The only switch to it is a light switch on the wall. It's either off or on. I can't do anything to adjust it because it so high up on a vaulted ceiling. It needs a remote control. There could have possibly been one there when I moved in but when I changed the garage door opener, I probably figured that the remotes were for that and threw them away. I don't know. It could have happened. To get a new fan would require a professional with scaffolding.

 

The house itself is pretty cool and for some reason there is always a breeze blowing out there. Must be the farm fields around there? I have AC but with my 'power surges' I want a fan blowing directly on me sometimes. 

[Mt_Rider]

Welcome back, ANewMe!  Long time gone.  You'll have to catch us up.

 

I assume Jeepers, that you're back from Indy?  How did that go? Get some more Grandson hours?   

 

Speaking of heat... I took a pic of our front porch thermometer today and sent it to my brother in D.C.  100*  It is RARE to see that in the mountains!  More common to see MINUS 20*     ( why is the asterisk not at the top...it's in the middle, not making it as good for the degrees sign....) 

 

But the temp dropped down into the 90's within a half hour.  I'm scheduled to ride on Sat morning.  Supposed to be a little cooler and rain in the afternoon.  We'll welcome any&all rain!!  Even hail/groupel/snow.....   Cuz.........there are at least 2 wildfires in CO by now.  I think they just popped up.    I really hate to go into that again.    ...and CA needs rain toooooo!   

 

My energy was back again.  Yesterday I was wiped out cuz of getting involved with deep cleaning the shower.  Lots of scrubbing!  We try not to put too many chemicals into the septic system.  I was mainly using Soft Scrub.  Didn't realize how much energy I was expending....on such a little area.  Yesterday evening, dog and I walked down the driveway....and back up the driveway.      But tonite....    I did the whole mile which doesn't include going back UP the driveway.  We get a ride from DH who takes care of ducks/goose while we walk.  

 

MtRider  ...earlier to bed - well, not quite there yet. 

[Midnightmom]

@ANewMe Check with your utility company to see if you are on a particular "Rate Plan." Perhaps you could change that to give YOU more control - but, sometimes  there "incentives" (ie: discounts) for being on one plan vs another.

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, glad you made it back to Ohio safe and sound.  I have been using ceiling fans for many years and never had a blade to come off or even to come lose.  I have a fan right over top of the bed and it is on high setting. Never had an issue.  Sounds like your den fan has a remote for it.  Though being that high up would be hard to set that button for summer months. 

Mt. Rider, I need to deep clean my whole house. But GS just messes up faster than I can clean up. Hopefully by end of year he will be in Coast Guard. Or at least he better be because I told him he has till the end of year to get it together or else. 

Today I am mopping floors and cleaning up bathrooms, washing a load of towels and reorganizing the pantry. Stuff everywhere from where both I and grandson bought groceries and they are still sitting on the floor. So, need to get in there and put it all away. That will be my afternoon project. 

Edited July 31 by Littlesister
Hit save by accident again.

[Jeepers]

@Mt_Rider I'm home. I posted about it in the wrong forum. I was in the canning forum and thought I was over here. Yeah, I'm back. 

 

I would copy/paste/delete but I don't know how to do that on the phone.

 

I don't know how to move it on my phone either. I'll probably delete it over there in a few days. 

 

That temperature is horrible for the mountains or any other place. We are supposed to get to 90 today with a chance of rain the next 3-4 days. With that heat, I hope we don't get storms. 

 

@Littlesister there probably was a remote to the fan but I guess I figured it was for the garage door. It would have happened right when I moved in so I wasn't even thinking about the settings on it. That ceiling is probably 25-30 feet tall. 

 

[Littlesister]

That is tall Jeepers. Yep, you would have to hire someone to replace it. My DD's house has ceilings like that.  Still can't figure out how SIL got up there to paint. He did a good job and I really wish he would help me paint my house but that won't happen. So, I am going to hire someone at some point. Right now, it is on the bottom of my list. 

 

Mt. Rider, that is hot for the mountains. Our hot weather is coming back but we did get rain last night. But heating up now. I went out to the shed this morning and guess what I found? Yep, I have at least 80-pint small mouth jars out there that I forgot about. There are a few of the quarts and 1/2 pints as well as one case of 4 oz. jars. So that should hold me a while. Though there were no wide mouth pints and that is what I use to can meat in. But I am just going to make do with what I have. 

[snapshotmiki]

@Jeepers, how is your son doing?  I'm glad you are back!

 

Walked early this morning.
Paid bills.
Going to help friend finish getting her medical card and then take her to local grocery.
Last night of revival tonight. Appetizers after.

[Jeepers]

@snapshotmiki  Thank you for asking! He is actually doing pretty well. He is very tired though. He is really getting tired of the whole situation. But we are encouraging him to stick with it. He is stubborn. He only has two more weeks of the daily radiation left. I think he also has two more weeks of the chemo that is pumped automatically. After that he will go on the really stronger chemo. Two days on and two weeks off, I think he said. It will be a lot stronger. I'm not sure why they set up the two different kinds it that way. They haven't told him yet how long that will be. It will probably be rough. But so far his blood work is great. The doctor told him it hasn't affected his immune system any yet. And so far he hasn't lost his hair and he has gained a little bit of his weight back. He won't know if the tumor shrunk until it's all over and they do more surgery. For some reason they said a scan wouldn't show it.  🙏💙🙏

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, glad your son is doing better and gaining a bit of weight is a good sign. I know the radiation and chemo will make you tired, but he will get past that. When he starts on the heavier stuff that is when he will start feeling it but hoping and praying it won't be for two long and he will be done with that part of it.

 

Been working on pantry off and on today. Lots of interrupting from GS. Seems he just wanted to spend time with me today for some reason. He went to doctor, and he said his finger was not broken but he may have popped it out of joint and it went back into place. He said he could get an X-Ray, but he doesn't want to add anything more for coast guard to see. So, no X-ray and he checked it out good and then taped the 2 fingers together again. He is to just be careful with it.  I took next door neighbor to UPS to get some papers faxed and then we hit dollar tree, roses, and lunch again today. When I got home GS was back from doctor, so all is well. His issue is now clearing up and he is almost done with the medicine he had to take. He ate lunch and then got ready to go to work. He left for work and next thing I know he's back. Said he wasn't going in until 5 and he wanted to start putting the raised beds together. So, we did get one started, but they are not easy to put together. Told him to wear gloves and he wouldn't do it. So cut his hand and a finger. Not bad but I had to clean him up. The one between the thumb and index finger is a pain to bandage but I got it cleaned up and done. He did leave at 4:30 to go to work but you could tell he wanted to hang out with me for some reason. I have a feeling he either wants to borrow my car or wants money. That will be a NO and NO on both. He is leaving Friday to go see his online girlfriend for the first time. 

[Jeepers]

Thank you Littlesister. They already gave him some anti nauseous meds but he has only had to take it 1-2 times so far. I remembered about the scan. It didn't detect the tumor at all. Only the colonoscopy did. So a scan now wouldn't show anything. 

 

Even if your GS did break his finger, all they could do for it would be to either splint it or tape it to another finger. I wouldn't have added to the medical bill either. Going to go see his girlfriend...probably money. Come on Coast Guard!

 

While I was in Indy my cousin called and said they thought her brother had a mini stroke. He has to be around 78 now. Anyway, they took him to the hospital for tests and they wanted to do a scan (MRI?) to see if any damage was done. Insurance denied the scan. While he was fighting it, a week later, the hospital called and said they finally got the approval. Turned out he did indeed have a stroke. I don't know what kind of insurance he has but I know he would be on Medicare. Lousy medical system. Insurance companies shouldn't be able to override the doctors  IMO

[Littlesister]

Medicare unfortunately is cutting out paying for a lot of things these days. It's really getting bad now.  And speaking of Medicare. I keep getting the Medicare spam calls all day long and now on my cell phone. First it starts with Chesapeake, when I don't answer the next call is Norfolk, then Hampton and now Williamsburg.  So today GS took my cell phone and told the guy I passed away.  Then he asked if he wanted to know how I died. He told him I went to Hawaii, and he didn't know where I got the energy to climb to the top of the volcano, but that when I got to the top of it, I slipped and fell in. Told him he needed to get that off his chest as it wasn't pretty. Don't think they are going to call back. It's been really quiet now. He does know how to stop these spam calls, and it really gets to a point I have to leave the room as I can't stop laughing.

[Jeepers]

Oh. My. Gosh.  Littlesister. That is so funny! 

[Necie]

Hi @ANewMe  Welcome HOME!! 

And welcome home to @Jeepers, too!! I miss ya when you come to Indiana. 

Praying for all that need them.. whether for health or personal reasons. 🙏 

@Mt_Rider, 100* is HOT for you. Hopefully it’s at least a dry heat? Not so here. We’ve had OPPRESSIVE heat. Temps in the upper 80s/low 90s, but HIGH humidity— 80-100%. 🥵 🥵 🥵 Miserable.

It’s been a very long week and it’s only half over. Did get more work done here at home on Sunday. I think I made 10 trips to the basement, one way or the other. It goes around in a circle—two stairways, as does the main floor. My house is one big runaround!! 😂 I think it’s been added on to 3 times, plus the basement expanded, and then a crawl space added on the last one— in the ‘50s or ‘60s, I think. Attic added off an upstairs bedroom during the first add on... but we don’t use it. It’s a little crawl through *door* in a low wall... creepy. 
Monday, I sat and crocheted and sorted/wound yarn all day. The humidity over the weekend made my sinuses go nuts (more than usual 🥴), so I tried taking allergy meds— wiped my @ss OUT!! I didn’t take anymore after Monday morning. 
Yesterday and today were hot and miserable at market. I wore shorts. I hate shorts. 🤢 

DS2 called last night. Remember the dogs? Mastiff and the new Cain Corso pup? Well... yeah.. puppies. The problem is that the mastiff is getting older (7), this is her first litter and she’s FAT! X-ray last week was no help. She started labor sometime yesterday morning. This morning, they took her to the vet... c-section. Three BIG pups, 2 males/1 female, the biggest being 2#2oz!! 😳 They had her spayed during the section. 👏 I have tomorrow off, so am going up to do 10:00 mom/pup care. 
Mom is coming down early in the morning to drop off her little “$hithead” dog. 🥰 Her, DSIS6, and DS1 are going to Georgia for the weekend for my great-niece’s 1st birthday. She was a premie, born at 29 wks, just over 3#. My niece had preeclampsia and we came closer to losing her than the baby. It was really scary for a couple weeks. 😢

We have extended market this week. One of our two weekend markets. So I get to do Friday and Saturday solo since mom will be gone. Not supposed to be quite as hot, mid 80s, but still oppressively humid. The weather people aren’t giving us a timeframe for the end to the humidity... kinda disheartening. 😔
 

and 

Necie

Edited August 1 by Necie
pic

[Jeepers]

@Necie

 

Puppies!!!!! 

 

I start singing "Back home again, in Indiana" and "There's a little red barn on a farm down on Indiana" as soon as I cross the border. Every. Single. Time. 

 

Then a little bit down the way I start waving in your direction, as I pass the Shipshe exit. I know you're out there close by. 

 

It's a Hoosier Thang. 

Or maybe it's just me. 

[Mt_Rider]

Yes, Necie, 100 is RARE....but it's dry and not nearly as miserable as growing up back in eastern Iowa.  That was wretched!  But with our heat, it can sneak up on you...and can be dangerous in that.  Midwest = there is NO Mistake that you're hot. 

 

Oh my....puppies!!!    Gonna be kinda big, right?

 

Jeepers....glad to hear the update on your son.  Long process and not fun at all.    for good outcome at the end of this gauntlet. 

 

Glad you found more canning jars, Little sister!  You're gonna get your place organized so you'll know exactly where things are....if you GS gets outta the way!    

 

Miki are you as hot down there as the rest of the nation...or is HOT "business as usual"? 

 

We weren't quite as hot - mid-90's tho.     But I stayed inside.  I wasn't feeling well today.  Got less sleep than I'd like (usually dog's 'I wanna go out' whine doesn't wake me).  Got hot cuz A/C is tiny in the window and sunshine was mighty!  Felt sick....so I made a small chocolate shake and some salty potato chips.  Lay down in the coolest room and read Kindle.  But the time the sun was down over the western ridge, I was ok and ready to walk the dog.  I'm trying to refrain from whacking those thistle heads off....but my neck is really quite sore from that.  My (ahem) chiro keeps telling me to quit!!!  So I didn't whack any of them tonite.  But.....they'll spread and ...take over the planet!!!  Really!  They were run over by the road crew and still popping back up.    But I restrained myself.  After a recent adjustment, I can even turn my head to the right...mostly.  Hmph!  Bring out a pair of clippers and get them with that!

 

Off to bed cuz cognitive therapy starts again tomorrow.  New person... hope they're good.  Too much bother if they aren't ...and a co-pay!

 

MtRider     almost...

[Littlesister]

Ahh, cute little puppies. They are adorable. Betting they will be spoiled rotten soon.

 

Jeepers you made it.  You are at the end, and they have just lowered the interest rates for housing loans. That will help get that house sold faster. 

 

I have been on phone all morning with my loan company and just refinanced my home equity loan. Now it is much lower, and I can get some bills paid off faster now. I didn't take out any more money but just refinanced what I still owe. Much lower monthly payment. And in 6 months if they drop it again, they will call me, and I can refinance again at an even lower payment. But right now, I am working on getting it paid off totally. It was paid off years ago, but I took out some home equity to do the much-needed work on the house. Not going to do anything else this year to the house. I am waiting till GS moves out to do much of anything else right now. 

[Mt_Rider]

Ugh!  I had the worst night.....  Got to bed at reasonable time for a 8AM wake up time.  Half Unisom and    AWAKE!  Actually drowsy but cannot achieve SLEEP!    After a long time, another half Unisom.  Still getting drowsy but not actual sleep.  At some point, I did get a couple hours.  

 

I was so sure I wouldn't be able to get to and survive the new cognitive counseling today.     I DID get up and get ready....well, the driver had to wait a few minutes for me dashing about.  But I do really like the new lady for cognitive.  It was fun....but I kept telling her which of the tests I'd do poorly on.  And yep - same ones.  On the on-line cognitive tests I was doing last year, I had done again once this past week.  I had those numbers to compare.  LOL  She said: You score better than me on some of these!  But not the verbal recollection.  Yeah....and WHERE do I put my salt shaker???????? 

 

Anyway, I think this time/money will be well spent.  I was able to do the basic first tests fine, as always.  But then counting backwards by 7's....I used my fingers and still had a LOT of hesitation while I scrambled my brain for the next number.  I don't DO numbers.  AND the 5 words to remember.... Complete blank!     Then, as the guy last year did, she names the categories:  color, animal, etc.  It is so odd.  If I just blurt out the first color/animal/etc that comes to mind, it's correct!    How?  I get a blank ....total blank....and when she says "a color", I say "blue".  WHERE is that information hiding when I'm searching for it????  Hmmmm....   I do find all this very interesting.  But the main goal is to slow the progression of "brain wipe".  

 

So....I've had a good day.  Arrived home again and the thermometer was 105*    Sheeeesh!  I'm not sure we've seen over a 100* here before.  But the sun is blocked by the porch roof so I'm safe with the A/C unit running in the window.  If electric went off, the back bedroom facing NE is the coolest and decent temp.  If all else fails, the half subterranean basement is always cool.  Dirty, unpleasant ....and totally dark without electricity .... but cool enough to be safe.  

 

MtRider  ...really do need better sleep tonite! 

[Mt_Rider]

I'll mention, if anyone is interested, the cognitive site is:

 

https://humanbenchmark.com/dashboard

 

Free.  Sign in and play.  Some things are difficult till you begin to anticipate what's coming.  I'm still way low in Verbal Memory and couple others.  But I'll keep doing it and work the brain! 

 

MtRider   

[euphrasyne]

It has been a week. Kid was sick.  Brother called yesterday to tell me that maternal grandmother is in hospice on a feeding tube with aphasia.  It is an 18 hour drive and she does not talk, recognize anyone, or respond.  We will video call next week when he sees her.  I'm having heavily mixed emotions as she was quite abusive physically and emotionally, but she always had a room for me when I needed it (which was often).  She spent more hours with me than my actual mom.  Beulah lives on through me. She was the eldest child.  I am the eldest child of the eldest child.  Amber is the firstborn of me.  5 generations of firstborn daughters in a line.  She is in the back right.   great grandmother on the front right has passed a few years back.  Pic is very old as kid on front left is now 21.  (yes I have Scots/Irish DNA, what is different is that both grandparents on the maternal side had full Cherokee grandmothers, it shows less on the skin.)  If you were ever wondering what happens when a Cherokee marries an Irishman look no further than bottom right at Rabekah.  

 

Edited August 2 by euphrasyne

[Littlesister]

That is a great picture of first-born daughters.  I am so sorry to hear about your grandmother Euphrasyne.   for both her to not suffer too much and for all of you in that family.  

Praying that River is feeling much better now. 

 

Just sitting here waiting for DGD to bring the baby to me. I am babysitting today.  GS is supposed to leave sometime today to visit his girlfriend. I think he said check in time for the hotel is at 3 pm. So, he may be leaving here around 12. Though he hasn't even packed a bag yet. But that's him. The procrastinator. He's on his own. I am just going to enjoy my 3 days of him being out of the house. 

Today is the day I usually give the house a good cleaning, did most of it yesterday afternoon. So that will have to do. Will finish up on it either tonight or tomorrow morning. 

[snapshotmiki]

@Mt_Rider, yes, it's very hot here with 89-99% humidity.  Not easy to be outside!  

Such darling puppies @Necie!

 

Yesterday, I helped change the marquis at Church and then went all over town putting up flyers for our 198th anniversary of our Church. It was a busy day!

 

Today, I have walked, watered and deadheaded flowers at Church. Ran by local bank.
Getting ready to can 4 (or 5) bean salad and then take it easy for awhile.

[Jeepers]

198 years is quite the milestone. 

 

That reminds me that I wanted to can bean salad too. I keep forgetting about that. I THINK my recipe calls for yellow beans, green beans and kidney beans. And onion. What other beans? 

[snapshotmiki]

I use whatever I have.