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

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Oh Anne-Marie, I am so sorry, of course I will say a prayer for your son-in-law, your daughter and Lily's family.
 
For those of you who have not see it... Anne-Marie's challenge is fun, you should stretch yourself and do it.

Here's mine, and the challenge is HERE.

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Gosh Anne-Marie, I am so sorry for all of that. Prayers that your SIL heals quickly so he can get home to his family and prayers for your friend's family for comfort and peace. There are just too many questions left behind in suicides. So sad.
 
How restricted are your lives at present? Not that restricted. Our county has a mask order which is perfectly fine by me, that's the only way I will go anywhere. I am not really going anywhere but home and work, and the occasional trips to the Zoo and the Botanical Gardens.. both require masks even outside. We are also very fortunate to have a place a few hours out of the city where we go every other weekend to get away from the crazy. It has certainly been a blessing this year!

How are you filling those hours? School keeps me pretty busy. I have 11 students this year. Our class is off in its own building so we are pretty isolated from the rest of the school. I am very okay with this, my introvert and skittish self are quite happy being isolated at work. I wear a mask and a shield because I teach very close to my students, often one-on-one, and I am just more comfortable in a shield. I am probably the only one at our school that wears one.

How are you doing emotionally? I have my moments. I miss my photography buddies and our trips the most. Finally joined up with a small group of photography friends at the gardens one night, it was very nice! The thing that hits me the most is that a lot of my friends are trying to get back to normal life... birthday parties etc.. and I feel really bad saying nope I'm not coming.. but I don't feel safe going so I stay home!

Do you need extra support from your sisters here in the waffling thread? I honestly feel like I am doing okay. I haven't checked in to this thread recently.. life has been super busy.. but I appreciate having a place to let things out. ​


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It sounds as though you are doing pretty well, Elizabeth :) I am glad. I feel the same way about parties, etc. I am not comfortable going yet.
 
How restricted are your lives at present?

I work at home so am used to being here but I miss my visits to the local casino a few times a month, frequenting a few of my fave stores and most of all, I miss wkend outings with my photography groups. I have been out by myself a few times for a walk through a few local parks but it's so much more fun with a group. I stay away from crowds b/c even though our numbers are relatively low in BC Canada, you never know when or where you'll contract COVID-19. We're used to visiting with family/friends on wkends but have only gone to see family once and friends once a few wks ago but we all sat outside and social distanced. Because Bailey is so high risk and we get to see her now on Sundays (with masks on), we have to be careful as it would devastate us to pass the virus onto her, as masks are not 100% safe. I started using an online delivery company for produce and some other groceries as it saves on how often I need to go to a grocery store. Anywhere I go I wear a mask and keep my distance. I miss walking along the river path with Taz but often don't go there b/c too many people aren't wearing a mask and are walking/jogging/biking right by within a foot or so, so not safe at all.

How are you filling those hours?
Now that my daughter lives at home I have more family time and less scrapping time. I also took my scrapping computer out of the living room and put it in my office b/c my work computer broke down and I didn't want to spend money on a new one at this point. So, I have my main scrapping computer down in my office that I use during the day in between working but at night I don't scrap anymore since I can't do it in the LR with my family as we binge watch shows together.

I'm also focusing more on my health these days. I have cut out meat completely and am on a plant based plan so have been researching and watching videos, buying books to read and trying new recipes. I feel great and don't even miss the meat at all. I have been out jogging regularly with Taz and my daughter.

How are you doing emotionally?
The first 2-3 months were tougher, worrying about the economy, the health of everyone, but now have been able to stop stressing about it so much, focusing on what we can do to be safe but not watching the news constantly and worrying about the numbers. I read more lately (although I have always been an avid reader) and watch a lot of videos which entertains me and has helped me learn how to change my lifestyle.

Do you need extra support from your sisters here in the waffling thread?
I'm actually doing really well now, have been taking better care of myself and enjoying my family time. I am a bit worried about how things will go over the winter with the schools being open and less social distancing here but my family will continue to do what they can to remain healthy and the rest is out of my hands so am not letting myself stress about it.

 
It is surprising what you learn about people from posts like this :) Rae, I would never have thought you were a casino visiting person - I always think of you out in nature, with Taz, more etheral.... Casinos are a completely different side of you that I would never have suspected. What fun! I have always thought of you as a wonderfully interesting person, even more so now :)
 
I guess everyone's busy enjoying the birthday festivities! I certainly am. :D

I had an appointment with my GI doc on Friday. I get to double my pain medication and have a colonoscopy (4 years early). Today I had my 2nd acupuncture appointment, and received needles in my ears that look like multiple piercings, LOL. I wear them until they fall out, apparently. Hubby and I went apple picking on Friday. It was nice to be out with just him. Saturday we went to IKEA and other places, shopping. Sunday was church and yesterday we just kind of chilled out. Eren is having trouble with online school- some teachers aren't handling the format very well. I think it's Eren's depression/anxiety/ADHD too. Sigh. We were all for in-person school, but the Covid-19 levels in our county are too high.

Anyway, that's enough for me. Take care everyone! :)
 
I have been busy making cards and masks for the Daughters of the British Empire. I feel as though I haven't rested in months! I hope we get to see a picture of you with these needles, Ane! It sounds very interesting :)
 
Hey everyone. I'm doing fine. Just trying to get into a new routine with my new job. Than this week returning to the library job after taking a week off from there. Add to that getting adjusted to Molly in school and I'm her transportation. Thank goodness it is only 5 minutes from where my new job is. Than add Philip starting remote school today (with a hiccup that they were having internet issues with the server) so no school today. So tomorrow he goes in person. He alternates in school and remote. So another week of adjusting to a new normal routine.
Hopefully I'll have time to finish a layout I started two weeks ago this weekend.
Off to bed now. Stay safe everyone!
 
Lily Ann.... hope you settle in well with your new job.

My husband, Ken and I head off tomorrow for a short 4 night holiday. I am looking forward to some walks on the beach ( if the weather permits) - it is raining a lot right now where we live which is much needed spring rains.
I will not have internet so you will not see me popping in again from tomorrow until next Wednesday.
 
Good morning ladies. I'll be on and off the computer over the wkend but not sure how much scrapping I'll get done. I have chronic back problems (arthritis in my lower back and sciatica and SI joint problems) but generally it is manageable and doesn't interfere too much with my life but yesterday morning the pain hit and I've been in agony ever since. Hopefully it will ease up over the wkend. I won't be leaving the house for a few days as I can't walk much and will alternate lying down and sitting in chair (that's when I can scrap a bit) with heat/ice. I slept in my clothes last night, on top of the bed with pillows under my knees. I was afraid the blankets would get in the way if I moved a bit in my sleep. I managed to sleep a bit thankfully. Today I am living on anti-inflammatory cream and pain meds so my brain is a bit foggy. I think I'll lay down at lunchtime for a bit and try to nap. I've never thrown it out this badly before.

Looks like a quiet wkend for me.
 
Oh man Rae! That's sounds horrible. I'm so sorry. I can only imagine. I remember throwing out my back and it made me wanna crawl under a rock and curl into the fetal position and hide. I hope you can get some relief.

Have fun on your holiday Anne-Marie! Enjoy!

Glad you're enjoying your new job LilyAnn... or at least getting used to things. It's always an adjustment, isn't it. Nice that Molly's school is so close.

Well, I started back to work this week and it's totally messed me up. I am working from home, which is wonderful and not. Our building space is SO TIGHT that it was beneficial for me to stay home, so that worked out for the best. And this way I don't have to deal with the woman who didn't want to sit near me and implied that I was racist. I did share that, very privately, completely off the record, with my SIS (student service) director, who is a dear friend and she was SO supportive and understanding. Gave me some wonderful words of praise for my job and made me feel so good.

On the unfortunate front, we found out our pup, Harley, has diabetes. We've started giving him insulin every day. We were very upset when we found out. There were so many terrible side effects, but the vet has assured us that he can live a very full and wonderful life with us as long as we do our part and care for him properly and we will, of course. The only really sad thing, IMO, is that he will probably go blind, but it should be gradual and he'll just get used to getting around our house by memory. He doesn't seem to mind the shots. He gets a little peanut butter to distract him and the needle is very small.
 
My weekend so far: Yesterday I woke up early to go to the local farmer's market. It's small, but has a lot of variety! I was able to get breakfast there- so good! Then hubby and I went shopping and apple picking. It was fun, just the 2 of us. After that, I had to take a nap (I had a bit of insomnia in the night). After that, we just chilled- both children were off doing other activities.

Today we had home church and I took another nap. After lunch, I came here, yay! Maybe I'll be able to get some scrapping done today. I just haven't had the motivation the last few days.

I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe. There is so much happening out there! <3
 
Stopping bye to wave hi.

I got my brain mri done on Last week, now wait for results.

the various tests I had for kidney issues didn’t help point to why they are declining steadily.

Kids have both started school virtually.

Missing you all.
 
Sherri, so good to see you stopping by, I just wish that they were able to figure out for you exactly what is going on with your kidneys. But great that the kids have gotten to start school, even if it is virtually.

So update on me...both of my kids have also started school virtually (which is what they will be doing for at least the first semester). Kathryn has started her senior year and Paul is in 8th grade. It is crazy how quickly they have grown up. Kathryn had a few schedule changes and she is now taking 7 classes instead of 6 and three of them are college level courses. She is also working on the application for her first choice college. She worries way too much and is so incredibly concerned already about student loans.

Me, still looking for a house. I never knew how hard that it was to find the right place. It seems like everyone wants way too much for a place and they want to know your entire life history and I am just not comfortable sharing all of that with someone that I don't know. Heck, there are very few people that know everything about me. There are just some things that I feel like need to belong to me and only me.
 
Anne-Marie - I hope you have a lovely few days off. You should be back by now :)

Rae - Your back issues sound terrible. I hope you treat yourself to a nice rest and get better soon.

Carla - Your poor little dog, that is hard to deal with. Glad you are getting back to work. That must be a relief. At least you don't have to deal with the person who was giving you a difficult time.

Ane - It sounds as though you had a lovely Sunday. How nice to be able to chill.

Sherri - here's hoping your brain MRI is amazing! Me, I would be grateful if they found a brain! It would be lovely if they found out why the kidney's are declining. My mother totally flabbergasted her nephrologist when she moved from Stage 4 (which she had been at for 10 years!) to Stage 3. He says she is very much his miracle patient.

Dorann - Good luck on the house - it seems as though it has been going on forever. I can't even imagine! Did you ever get your stuff from your crazy ex-roommate? It sounds as though the kids are settling into school okay.

Me - I have had quite the crazy last few weeks. But I think that is the nature of my life. I used to think things would calm down when I retired, but then realized I keep chaos in my back pocket and bring it out when life calms down. I think I feel that there should be no breaks between doing things. Having said that, I have made between 120 and 130 masks this week. Half of them were for charity, half were for my daughter's Etsy shop (which she swears she will open soon, haha). The charity ones are British themed. I also made over 500 cards, which we sell in packs of five for $2.50. I have copyright permissions on the graphics for charity. I also have been writing, scrapping and a hundred other things. Today and yesterday, I spent the day getting ready for the Daughters of the British Empire meeting. I feel as though I am running around in circles.
 
Lynnie, I think sometimes one has to retire to fully enjoy life and do what you enjoy doing! Keeping yourself busy is what you WANT to do otherwise you wouldn't do it!
I did enjoy being home on Covid quarantine being able to do what I want to do. Now a barely have an hour to myself only a few nights a week. I do find more time but that takes away from my sleep time.

Wish I can just spend some time chatting with my friends on FB which I enjoy doing. And finding the time to chat with some new friends I made here which I didn't initiate conversations with yet. Will you be next? LOL!
 
Lynnie, no... We haven't been able to get our property. Hubby and one of his buddies went down there with the trailer a couple weeks ago to get some of it. But, the crazy's girlfriend said they had gotten rid of all of our stuff (supposedly) and the landlord said to call the police if hubby showed up. Trust me, there is no truth to it. But crazy people. Funny thing is, I am pretty sure that the crazy is wanted by the law, but I've not been able to figure out for sure before I report him.

The house search has been going on for quite some time. I get frustrated because landlords seem to want your entire life history. I would think the fact that I work and that I pay my bills, I have the money for deposit as well as first and last month's rent (and more if needed) should be sufficient. But no...the most recent really good lead that I had wanted to know exactly how much my car payment is, how much I have to pay in expenses for the kids and on and on. Honestly, it kind of freaked me out. I tend to be a private person and I really don't want to share as much information with a landlord as I would with a mortgage broker.
 
Good morning, ladies. I've tried to get my CT duties done as needed but other than that, not much online time this past wk. My back arthritis flare hasn't gotten much better, as the lower back starts to improve the sciatica has flared down my right buttock/leg, so the pain has lessened in one area and intensified in another...ugh. I like my phsyio guy (my daughter recommended the clinic) and will be working with him over the coming wks/months, right now working on a few gentle stretches and then we'll progress to more stretches and exercise for strengthening, and weight lifting routines. Unfortunately he thinks I might never be able to jog again, too much impact on my lower back which he thinks started the flare. I am going to get into yoga when I am able to move a bit more.

Well, life is not stagnant, it's always changing, isn't it? So, my routine is going to change but I'll figure it out. I hope you are all well. I haven't read the dailies from you all as I have to limit my time but soon I'll be back to hanging out more (I hope).

Take care everyone.
 
Sherri, I hope the results of your MRI come back with good results. Also hoping the reason for you kidney troubles is nothing life threatening.

Dorann, May that right house for you come along very soon.

Lynnie, you have been very busy. I also have permission from a few designers for what I use when making my cards for charity.

Me, We are back from our holiday. We had a nice relaxing time. I got some crocheting done, read a complete novel on my kindle, had a couple of walks along the beach. But overall was a little disappointed in our destination as people had spoke so highly of this beach side town but to me it was not as nice an area as other places we have been to in the past. No doubt some photos of our holiday will appear in a layout or two.
 
Happy Friday, everyone! How is everyone doing? I am up and down on the back pain progress. Yesterday felt a bit better but last night was much worse again. Today I'll have to limit my chair sitting time as I think I overdid it last night. It's so frustrating being in constant pain and not being very functional. Let's hope that next wk brings some improvement.

Anyone doing anything fun today? If so tell me about it. Your schedule has to be more fun than mine (which consists of sitting for very short periods in chair, working, and then lying on floor, bed or couch with knees up...ugh.

Thankfully I have Netflix and Amazon to watch. We're currently binging The Boys.
 
I must say it's been awile AGAIN! I have been so busy with Mom and life in general but I did finally get to scrap a bit, Yah ME! Fall is upon us and the weather is getting cooler, not my favorite season but I make the best of it with cleaning up the yard and getting the house ready for the cold winters we have here in central Canada.

My son just bought a cabin so we are going to have Thanksgiving there. And I just bought a new long lens for my camera and hoping to get some nice pics of the area, plus spending time with my grand daughter is always a pleasure. Emily started back at school now and things look a bit different but she is liking her new school and making new friends, Grade 5...where is the time going?

Mom is not doing well, day by day new issues keep poppin up. She had a lymphatic specialist come to the house to do massage and wrapping for her leg. She taught my sister and I how to do it but I am the primary caregiver so I am spending alot of time with her now. I am not complaing as we have some good chats and I cherish the time I have with her, it's just draing sometimes.

For years I have attended scrap weekend events where I usually work on all my Christmas cards and projects, this year one event that is out of town for me is virtual so I will not have to go out but then I also don't have my peeps to mingle with. Grateful for on-line events though! This is the magazine that I have had my work published in for many years, such an honor to see my LO's in print. And the owners and creators are so wonderful! It is open to everyone if you want to check it out, https://creativescrapbooker.ca/2020greatcanadianvirtualscrapbookcarnival. It would be so cool to see you join in. Sheri, this is your neck of the woods.

Hoping all is well with all of you (sorry, don't have time to comment on everyone's post but I did scan through them). Take care everyone and until next time I will be admiring all your creations!
 
Good afternoon everyone,

In the end, we went to Austria, because I would be able to see my sister- we couldn't, due to her potentially being infected, and Switzerland listed Vienna so we had to run back for the borders. Simultaneously, I saw that the obituary that went 'live' was the one that completely omitted my existence and found out my grandmother has esophageal cancer. She's not strong enough for Chemotherapy, so it's a matter of time. Then to add insult to injury, the apartment's washing machine broke and the owner won't replace it, just wants me to 'see if I can't make it work'. So I had to buy one to reliably have clean clothing. I've been running around like a madwoman- US Embassy for a passport renewal, bosses and coworkers to arrange to work remote-from-abroad for a month, and swapping days with the girls so i don't have to work midnight to 8 am, but can instead do other non-time-sensitive tasks. If everything goes well, Macchiata and I will fly out of Zurich as early as the last week in September / first week of October. My partner has agreed to take care of the other two terriers, and will check my mail and house weekly. I am scared and frustrated, but determined.

I have quite literally not touched a computer for more than 2-3 minutes for necessary banking actions for two weeks, and as much as I missed scrapping and creative things, I really think it was the break I needed.
 
OMGosh Karen, I went through that leg wrapping last summer...... YES SUMMER! What a pain! But it is worth it. I'm sorry your mom is not doing well. Maybe this will help with some of the excess fluids.

Sylfie, I just can't imagine your sorrow. That must have hurt so much. Sending love and hugs and prayers. Then when it rains, it pours, right? I know that too.

Everyone ELSE!!! Just praying for your needs. God knows, right?!?
 
Oh, no! How can you tell if you have allergies or the dreaded Covid? Sniffles and dry throat. Slept 4 hours today!
 
I am having a pretty lazy weekend so far. I've basically done nothing all day while my son works, Eren went to band camp, and hubby went to band camp to help with a live stream of the band and take pictures. I haven't even scrapped today, LOL!

Tomorrow I just have church at home and a nap on the docket. Hopefully some family time too.

Living the homebody's dream. Sigh.
 
I had a bit of a shock yesterday. I got a call from my friend, Chelsea to say that our friend, Jamie had died unexpectedly the night before of a series of cardiac events. Chelsea and I believe, with all our hearts, that it was the strain of the pandemic that triggered the cardiac issues. Since the initial announcements and lock down, Jamie has been completely isolated. She had not seen a single soul. We kept in touch via video calls, etc. and she was a faithful attendee of our book club meetings, but she totally isolated herself and would not let a single person in her bubble. She sounded pretty normal and rational most of the time, but when we mentioned maybe stopping by for a socially distanced visit on her patio, she would go into a panic, you could see her blood pressure rising at the thought of it. She often said she did not think she would ever step outside her house again.

I don't need any sympathy for the loss of my friend, but I would like to suggest we all take a look at the people we care about and see who is locked off and alone and reach out as often as you can and support them all you can. Suggest they have online doctor visits to make sure they are doing okay. Jamie was in her 50s, she was not old, there was no need for this.
 
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