Thread: Everyday Chatting & Waffling {2020} Let's get to know each other!

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Good and bad.

Bad first... My father is still not able to dress himself even after a month or so of physical and occupational therapy and his sessions are over. I don't know how he'll get dressed once school starts as his stubbornness only wants Philip to do it. Wish me luck in trying to work this out. The doctor that visits for his wound care says basically "I screwed." He wants family (who don't have time) to do it, instead of paying for services. I told you he is cheap!

Good news... I got a Civil Service job. Can't put it on FB yet because my boss doesn't know yet. I'll be working 9 to 4:45. Pay is low but I get FULL medical for me and my family. That in itself is worth the low pay. But if I look at it another way, it is slightly more than my current two jobs put together. I get an hour lunch and there is a lot of time off built into the work year. At first pay raises are every six months than yearly. I've never had a job like this before but it's something I've want since forever. At least this is the type of job (I think) where I'll develop life long friendships which I really couldn't do at Panera. Can't wait to tell Panera I quit. I think I'm going to hold on to the library job if they can work around my hours. I'm hopefully talking to my (second in command) boss today as my boss is on vacation this week. I start Aug. 28 for orientation. Wish me luck!

More good news... it seems my grand niece is becoming quite the celebrity. In addition to the link above, she had her story told on Good Morning America and she'll be on our local Channel 7 news tonight between 6:30 and 7.
 
Lily Ann, sorry to read your bad news about your Dad. Hope it all works out well somehow for you. Congratulations on the new job.

I have just started a new thread for us all to share what software we use. I thought it might be interesting and also helpful for those who need help with certain software. you can find the poll and thread HERE
 
LILYANN!!! That's AMAZING!!! Congrats! I'm so very happy for you and your new job. I'm sorry about your dad. You're not "screwed". It just is what it is; and that's sad. I can't tell you what to do with that, but if no one has time to help him, then maybe let him sit a couple days in him pjs and complain. "Sorry, we don't have time. We have jobs and school. You have funds. Hire help." A little tough love?

Glad you're getting back out and jogging, Rae! Sounds like fun.
 
So, I have an interview for a job that I really want tomorrow. One where safety protocols will be followed, one where I will not be forced to visit hotspots in the state to work in public situations. I am happy to finally have this interview, now we will just have to see how it all pans out. That is my good news.

The bad news is that now my prior boss thinks that I'd been lying to her about not wanting to go back to work. I haven't been, I've never made any bones about the fact that I want to work but that I don't want to work in a situation that will put my family in danger. I don't think she is understanding that and went so far as to say that I had lied to her. Oh well, it isn't like I can be fired from a job that I'd already told them I wasn't going to be coming back to at all.
 
I'm sorry you're being made to feel like that Dorann. That's awful! Good thing you didn't want to go back. You don't need that kind of stress. What a horrible person to work for. Good luck on your interview "today", right? Can't wait to hear that you got the job. SENDING GOOD VIBES!!!
 
Lily Ann - congrats on the new job. If I've learned anything over these last 3 yrs of dealing with care for Bailey, it's that you take it one day at a time, overcome each hurdle and move on. Just do what you can do for your FIL and somehow it will all work itself out (hopefully). Hugs to you.

Dorann - sending positive vibes on the job interview today.

I'm busy (aren't I always ? lol) but nothing stressful. Desk work, walking Taz, instant pot beans to mix into a spanish rice recipe for dinner, pay bills. Tonight we'll start binging the Perry Mason tv series.

Have a good day everyone.
 
Lily Ann - That link was wonderful and made me cry. It is such a lovely story of hope. Congratulations on your new job and hope things improve with your dad.

Carla - hope your scrap retreat was fun. I miss them!

Dorann - sorry about the drama with your ex boss. Hopefully you get the new job and all works out.

Rae - glad you are getting time to scrap.

Anne-Marie - I have not forgotten about your challenge. It has been a rough month so far, but I think I will have time to scrap this weekend.

Me - Bruce had his first birthday a week ago Friday. His party was on Saturday 8th with a Peter Pan theme. I was working incredibly hard getting ready for that. I did loads of stuff and it ended up being amazing. It was a drive by costume party and turned out beautifully. Folks decorated their cars and dressed up. We handed out goodie bags and collected Bruce's presents. It was so much fun.

Tomorrow is our 40th wedding anniversary. We had planned on staying at the Luxe Hotel and seeing a friend playing in his jazz quartet. We were not able to cancel the reservations, which were booked before the pandemic, so we decided to go. The event was last Thursday. The meals offered were very limited and I ordered a salmon salad and ended up with food poisoning. I am still recovering.

I am Regent of the local chapter of the Daughters of the British Empire and we have a few fund raisers going on. One of them is masks with a British Theme. I had two women doing the sewing, and one dropped off most of the ones she was supposed to make, all but five. It was the last minute, so I had to make the five masks before the person who was delivering them picked them up.

I also made 60 sets of five cards each with a British Theme. That is 300 cards. They are so cute, but it was a lot of work.

That is a fraction of what I have been dealing with the last few weeks.

Hopefully life will settle down now.
 
Things have been mostly good lately. Baby Lena is almost 4 weeks old and is off her oxygen. She only has a feeding tube now, and she is feeding well and growing like a weed! School started last week for Eren. They divided the students into quarters and each quarter went for a day to get textbooks, etc. and instruction for the semester. They are all virtual for the semester. Also, my son's girlfriend visited last weekend. She is fun and quirky, like him and they are headed toward marriage.

The bad is my abdomen pain is back with a vengeance. My meds ran out and they only helped sometimes. I am waiting to hear from my doctor on what to to next. I do have an appointment with him next month, which will probably be virtual again. *sigh*
 
I am so sorry you are not feeling great, Ane. Are you able to see a pain center? They actually specialize in managing pain when doctors are not able to resolve properly. Other than that, it sounds as though your family is doing pretty well.
 
Wow Lynnie...you are so busy! I thought retirement was supposed to be a time to slow down LOL. Sorry about the food poisoning. My daughter was sick all last night from pork that was "off", not enough for full blown poisoning but milder symptoms that kept her up all night. Luckily I didn't have any since I've been plant based for a few wks now and not eating meat, so really glad I passed on the pork last night.

Feel better and as busy as you are, hopefully you are enjoying yourself.

Today's a record breaking temperature today so went to visit Bailey this morning and then came home to stay inside with the A/C. Scrapping and chores around the house are keeping me busy. Will watch the 2 part finale to The Rookie later after dinner. The wkend flew by.

BFN everyone.
 
A dear friend passed away yesterday afternoon. She was 97 and such a blessing in my life. She was the mother-in-law of my dear friend, Pam, whom I walk with daily (well, except when it is too hot). Delia spent the last five years or so in a home following a stroke. There were a few times, even prior to that, where we thought we had lost her. She would call me and tell me that I was such a good friend to Pam. She loved getting hand-made cards from me, particularly in the time of COVID-19 where her visitors were completely restricted. They allowed her grandson (he is in his 50s) in to hold her hand for 24 hours, but made him leave after that. Another granddaughter showed up at the doors and begged to be allowed in to be with her grandmother. They finally allowed her in, so Delia was able to pass peacefully with dear Jenny holding her hand. Delia died of pneumonia, nothing related to COVID, so they had been a little more relaxed on the rules.

After Pam texted me to let me know she was gone, I went right over. Pam lives a little over a mile from me, so I was there pretty quickly. Even though Delia was 97, she had been such a powerful force in Pam's life and Pam was totally devastated. It does not matter how old someone gets, you never really expect them to be gone until they are.

We talked for hours about Delia and then went out to dinner. Dinner was a wonderful experience, out on a patio with widely spaced tables, fabulous Mexican food. We had such a lovely time, remembering Delia and laughing about funny memories. One time, early on in our relationship, I found Delia dusting Pam's plants. She took me to one side and shook her head sadly and said "I don't think Pam dusts her plants often enough!" I was trying to remember if I had EVER dusted my plants!! I could not see a spec on them.

It is the end of an era. Delia was the matriarch of a wonderful family. She moved here from Puerto Rico when she was 16 and married a man who was older than she was. She arrived by boat on July 4th in New York and thought the fireworks were to welcome her to her new country. Her life was not easy, but she had four beautiful children, two boys and two girls. When those children grew up and everyone had moved to California, they met weekly at Delia's house. When the grandchildren came, they continued to meet weekly. With the arrival of great grandchildren, the meetings changed to monthly and rotated between the kids houses. When COVID came along, they stopped for the first time in forever. I attended all those family days and loved them.

Pam is the mother of my daughter's ex-boyfriend. Things were awkward for his wife, so I stopped going, and cried every time I thought of this big beautiful family I had lost when Karen and Brian broke up. I won't be able to go to the funeral, when they eventually have one, because it would cause difficulties for the wife. But that is okay, I don't have to attend to say goodbye and the video they will show at the funeral will be the one I create.
 
I am sorry for your loss, Lynnie. The best gift we can give to those who are no longer with us is honouring their memory and the good they created in the world while they were with us. Here's a Buddhist encouragement I hope helps.

"From the standpoint of eternity, there is hardly any difference between a “long” and a “short” life. Therefore, it’s not whether one’s life is long or short, but how one lives that is important. It is what we accomplish, the degree to which we develop our state of life, the number of people we help become happy—that is what matters."
 
My daughter, Molly, has had her friend Eric come to the house a hand full of times these past few months and he has become part of our bubble! They met at school last August and have become fast friends since then. This week they "hooked up" (I used that on my FB page and she said of all the words I had to use that one. LOL!). So Molly has a boyfriend! She seems so happy now.
The "boyfriend" I mentioned that she met virtually didn't work out as they really had nothing in common. When they were together I didn't see the chemistry like I do when she is with Eric. This is all new to me! She is growing up so fast. I can say I really like the way she smiles when she talks about Eric these last couple of days.
 
Unfortunately I got the call today that I didn't get the job and I'm pretty sad about that. But, on the other hand, perhaps it is a good thing because I got hit in my car the other day and it really isn't driveable right now so the hour commute would have been pretty difficult for me until I get a rental or my car gets fixed.

The accident has caused me to have some pretty bad neck pain. I went to the hospital following the accident but I think I am going to have to follow up on it because it isn't getting any better.

As far as happy news, well... I have to dig deep for that one at this moment. I'm not trying to be Debbie Downer, but when you have something pretty tough come up, it is more difficult to look at the better side of things. Oh, my bills are all paid on time, does that count as happy news? LOL

Lynnie, I am so sorry to hear about your loss. I'm sure that the tribute video that you make of Delia will be loved by all of her loved ones.

LilyAnne, that is great that Molly has found someone with whom she has a lot in common.
 
Lynnie, thankyou for sharing about Delia. I am sure you will do a great job with the video and it will be good therapy for you to put it together. As you do this you will be feeling very close to Delia and to Pam.

LilyAnne.... our children grow up way too quickly.

Dorann, I am sorry that you are still going through tough times.

Today we should be at my Daughter's to celebrate Kirra's 11th Birthday. Kirra is my middle granddaughter. But sadly both Kirra and her brother are unwell and Michael, my son-in-law feels Andreas' illness is contagious ( flu type symtoms ). My prayer is that it not be Corona Virus as he does attend school and also plays football one afternoon a week.
 
Thank you all... I have been thinking about Delia all day. She was such a character. I feel worse for my friend, Pam - she is taking it hard. I loved her dearly, but Pam is grieving deeply.

Sylfie. that is a beautiful encouragement. Thank you.

Lily Ann, Congratulations to Molly :) I am glad you like Eric.

Dorann, So sorry about the job AND the accident.

Anne-Marie, I do hope that Kirra and her brother have just a touch of the flu. I will keep them in my prayers. I am so sorry you are not getting to celebrate her 11th birthday with her.
 
Lynnie, I am SO very sorry about the loss of your dear friend. What a wonderful tribute. I'm sure your video will be amazing.

Sylfie, those were beautiful words. Below is a card I created years ago with a poem I was given after my daddy died.

LilyAnn, I loved your post about Molly and Eric! So darling!

Dorann, I'm sorry you didn't get your job. And then you had an accident? Dang! That's horrible. I hope you're feeling better soon.

Anne-Marie, prayers for your entire family! All those who are feeling ill. Hope it's nothing serious and you can celebrate birthdays soon.

Well, things are STILL not "fixed", but are better. One step forward, two steps back? But this really was two steps forward and only one back. We were hoping that Monday's pre-trial would be settled BEFORE the hearing, but the prosecutor was apparently "gone" as he didn't show up for the hearing at all. A substitute did and since he wasn't prepared, it got pushed back again, until October 23rd. The good news is the the DANCO got lifted. (no contact order) So Anne doesn't have to "worry" about seeing the "jerk" anywhere. And that's a whole other story because she has seen him, on the softball fields, and he's gone out of his way to BE on fields where she's playing! But she's completely ignored him and that's not making him very happy and it's showing his true colors to a lot of other people that he's been able to fool in the past. Long story, short, we may be able to fix it before Oct 23. We may not. But the goal is to "plea" with the prosecutor "before" the hearing (whether days or 30 minutes) to get the deal we want. Lesser charge, probation, stay "clean" (no other violations for a year), everything goes away. Continued prayers please!

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Lynnie, so sorry to hear about your friend's mom. I know you'll do a good job with the video! I actually thought about finding a pain clinic at one of the hospitals in the area. That will be my first step after my current doctor is done with me (he's actually a GI doctor). I also have an acupuncture appointment next week and I'm really hoping that does something for me. Meanwhile, I am back on the drug I was taking in July, only at an increased dose.

Dorann, bills being paid on time actually do count as a good thing! Sorry to hear about the job and the accident- I hope you can find some pain relief!

Anne-Marie, that stinks that you can't go to the birthday party. I hope they get to feeling better soon and that it isn't covid-19.

Carla, wow, what a creep that guy is! And his lawyer not showing up? That's just wrong. Hugs and prayers things go your DD's way.

I still didn't manage to get LOTW, but close, so thanks everybody! In good news, my granddaughter is thriving in the NICU, and has gained almost 2 lbs in a month. Also, I finished the wedding album! It has 50 or 51 pages (the 2 places I store my files say different things). Now I can work on the small backlog of photos I've built up over the last 2 1/2 months and more baby Lena layouts as well. :)
 
Carla, the poem is beautiful and I am glad the jerk is showing his true colours.

Ane, sounds as though your scrapping is on track :) I am so glad you got the wedding album done.
 
Got thrown for a loop this morning. Random message on facebook from a vaguely familiar name. my father died. he didn't even tell me he was sick. hasn't spoken to me for months and months. the last time we spoke it was about a peanut butter cookie. i am struggling to reconcile my grief with the fact that he was a terrible father, and very selfish. it feels so wrong to say that, but if he knew he was sick, and he didn't tell me... it reinforces what i knew about my place in his life. as an afterthought. it's all very upsetting, and i still need to work. the yorkies are very upset i won't stop crying. i don't think i'll be very scrappy for a bit.
 
Sylan, no matter what happened between you and your father - he was your father and you will be grieving. I hope the pain and any regrets blend away quickly and smoothly for you.

Lynnie, thankyou.... I now have an avatar I like and will have some little "me s " to add to my signature at times.
 
Sylvan, (sorry I don't know your real name), sorry for your loss. We are going through the same thing right now. My husbands brother passed away on Sunday. They were close as kids but my BIL didn't live by us, about a six hour drive. They spoke every couple of months and we haven't seen them in over 1 1/2 years. The family was debating whether to tell his kids (one in jail and the other hasn't spoken to him in a few years) and his ex-wife. Our thoughts were that they should know so that they do not seek him out when they felt the need (if they ever did) and to put things to rest.
I say grieve as little or as much as you see fit under the circumstances. You do what is best for you. Letting you know was the best thing that could have been done in my opinion.

Bad... my BIL was supposed to take my father out today. He called and cancelled. Now my father is crying that he is lonely and wants to get out. Dad has been getting all communications mixed up no matter who he talks to! I can't spend the time with him today with all that is going on with prepping for a weekend get-a-way, paper work for new job and cleaning the house before we go.

Good... Can't wait to get away this weekend to have some alone time without the worry. Have a hotel room at this point with no plans on what we are doing. The whole family needs to get away from the dad for a bit it seems. Getting excited about starting my new job but nervous at the same time.
My boss at the library says it is even possible that if a full time position opens at the library that they can do a transfer from the Nassau County Board of Health to the library if I wanted it because they are both Civil Service jobs. WOW! New doors opened again. I'll continue working 6 or so hours a week at the library depending how the new job works out. I need to keep my foot in the door.

Take care for now. Stay safe. I may or may not be on here for a few days. (Whose kidding who. You know I'll check in when I can from my phone.)
 
Oh Sylvie! I am so very sorry. It's really difficult to deal with loss, no matter what the circumstances. I'd imagine there's a hole that nothing can fill because it was almost empty before. And to find out that way is so shocking.

LilyAnn, you deserve time away so take it, enjoy it, relish it! I'm sorry things are so tough with your dad. It's sad that your BIL bailed. It makes it so hard on the rest of the family when one fails. And so hard on the elderly family member to understand! So glad that your job life is working out in your favor!

Lynnie! Love your new siggie. Bright and colorful!
 
Sylfie, sometimes scrapping is a good way of dealing with emotions, too, don't forget that. You don't have to go through the steps of posting, but putting down those feelings in art is very cathartic. I wish there was something we could do from across the world to cheer you...If we were closer, I would take you out for a feel-good cup of tea or coffee and bring a nice treat for the Yorkies.

Anne-Marie, I am so glad you worked it out with the Bitmoji... What a delight your new little avi is.

Lily Ann, sorry to hear about your BIL. How crazy that time flies by without seeing each other often. My SIL lives fairly close, but we have not seen or heard from her in several years due to a family argument. I worry about her, but she is not interested in a reconciliation.

Sorry to hear about your dad. That's a difficult situation, but it sounds like you're handling it really well

I hope your weekend away is wonderful and brings you some peace and calm.

The new job possibilities sound like wonderful options.

Carla, Hope things are going well where you are.
 
Nothing much changes here. I have settled into the reclusive life of the COVID-19 world quite well, but I have advantages that most don't. I am retired, so I don't have to worry about my income. I have money put away, not a lot, but enough. I have a wonderful husband who does all the grocery shopping and errands that require us to leave the house. My mother is here and quite safe, she has all her faculties and is a lovely person to hang out with.

I keep in touch with my friends and groups via Zoom and I have lots of activities to keep me going. My circle of friends is fairly large, but there are just a few that we have in-person contact with. I see my friend, Pam, most days. She lives a mile from me and we often walk together or sit on her patio. We socially distance and, sadly, have not hugged since this thing started. I miss that. I see my friend, Tina, every few weeks, too. We have been friends for over 40 years and it is lovely when I do see her.

I have a weekly Bible Study that keeps me interacting with friends. I love seeing their faces every week and doing the studies together. It keeps us going, filled with kindness and hope. The Study is a new one, just a little over a year old, but I am loving it.

Church is online, but there is a chat that goes along with it that is nice. The church does have an in person worship, but I am not quite ready for that.

I also have a writers' group that I keep up with. There are separate subgroups that meet in Zoom and I belong to two of those. I am enjoying that interaction, too.

I am part of a Genealogy Zoom, too, that is a lot of fun. This is new for me, but I am learning a lot. Most of everything I have done has been on my own for the last 30 years and this group has opened new doors.

From time to time, I teach a graphics class. The latest just ended, but the PC Education group in my community will ask me to do another one soon.

I am Regent of the local chapter of the Daughters of the British Empire (the DBe) and I do a lot of charity work for them. We are currently doing a mask fundraiser, a bakeless bakesale fundraiser, a notecard fundraiser, and a sneaker fundraiser. We have raised over $1000 in the last month with these, which is pretty good for a small group of women in these times. The funds go to help a local 503(c) retirement home that depends on charity money to keep the costs low.

So you can see, there is lots for me to do.

In addition to the interactions, I read, I craft, I sew, I listen to audio books, I cook and clean. I often wonder how on earth I found time to work.

And the thing that keeps me busy the most? SCRAPBOOKING!!!!!!!

How are you keeping busy?
 
Good morning, ladies.
Sylvan - hugs, no matter what, he was your father and of course you are upset. I can relate, my father disappeared from my life many years ago, I found out awhile ago that he had died 4 yrs previous and his sister didn't contact me to tell me. I had called to tell her my mom had passed away and that's when she said I was an orphan, both my parents were dead now. She assumed I knew. That was messed up. So I felt sad, angry, frustrated and it just re-enforced everything I thought about him. So I think I can relate. Nowadays when I think about him I feel a moment of sadness that he never knew how to be a good dad, how to have a relationship with me. Feel your feelings and then move on.

Lily Ann - enjoy your time away. Positive thoughts sent for the job situation. Sounds like things are starting to work out job-wise.

Lynnie - glad that all is well with you. You are so busy, I don't know how you do it LOL. It tires me out just reading all that you do!

I'm having issues with my work computer so not sure what's going to happen today, if it will continue to work for a bit or if I will be bringing it in for servicing. I'll stay off the internet most of today so I can focus on my desk work to get as much done as I can just in case the computer fails completely.

Looking forward to puttering around the house this wkend. Got lots of chores to do and want to find time to relax and scrap.

I've been eating a plant based diet for a few wks now and am loving it. I thought I would miss meat but I don't. Maybe after years of keto/paleo I just got tired of it. It's a bit of a learning curve, figuring out protein sources and meal planning but so far it's working out great and I dropped 4 lbs, my skin looks great and I have more energy so I think this is a good plan for me. I did it to be heart healthy and have thought about becoming more plant based for a long time but never got around to trying it. I've been searching pinterest for recipes and ordered a bunch of books from amazon. This wkend I will spend time putting together meal ideas/recipes and what Sunday prep I can do for the week. Yesterday I cooked curried lentils in the instapot and it is amazing, I love it. Today I am roasting cauli, broccoli, green beans and japanese yams in the oven.

I'd better get to work so BFN. Have a good day, everyone!
 
So LIFE has kicked me into tomorrow...Mom had another major fall and fractured her foot. She is not mobile and we are waiting for a string of appointments to best handle all the issues.

I miss all the chatter but so far behind that truthhfully I have not read them all. We had have a wonderful evening last night celebrating my gd's 10th birthday...she is growing up TOO Fast!

Today, I am on a 2 week vacation which will be a nice break, but lots of appointments to take Mom to. Hoping to get some crafty time in soon and catch up on whatcha all been up to.

Be safe...until next time!
 
Karen, I saw a meme the other day that said 'My mother used to threaten to smack me into the middle of next year, is that offer still open." I remember when we THOUGHT life was rough... now we have the rough moments AND the pandemic. A big hug for sure.

Rae, I just don't have loads of downtime. Plus I am doing things (mostly) that I like.

Hope your computer issues are solved soon.

We are using up our meat and transitioning to more plant based food. My daughter and her boyfriend are vegan. It may take a while, but we are getting there...

Me, staying up late at night and getting up too early. I just like the evenings, but am used to getting up in the mornings What to do, what to do :)
 
I've been really processing the last couple days just how right my decision was to not go back to my previous job. I said that it would be putting my family in danger because of the travel and the sheer number of people that I would be coming into contact with. Then yesterday, I found out that my prior direct manager has been diagnosed with the coronavirus and wasn't disclosing it to her staff (she fired one ex-coworker and then informed him afterward that she had tested positive for the virus). It is just so wrong that she is doing the staff like that, but it definitely showed me that I did make the right decision for my family.

I am still trying to do the best that I can for me and mine and I'm trying to not let life get me down every day. I know one thing for certain, I won't be walking out of this pandemic the same person that I was at the beginning of it.
 
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