Dear Diary

It is good read most of us are looking on the bright side.
Today is is dripping. My call it pissing. I haven't decided what to call heavy rain. One positive side of retirement is the shopping hours; we can choose the time everyone is gone. Alright. The same works for the doctors.

I just heard from my daughter in Cincinnati. I do believe she is looking forward to the week in the Pine Mountain cabin (GA). Her MS has been causing numbness of legs, foggy vision and such. Some of you know what I mean. Anyway, she has always relaxed around B. and I, plus the baby will be around.

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You don't have to but I suppose you could. Or am I missing out on something here?

Dear Diary,

Got some excellent news today. They did the test on mother-in-law and discovered there is no blockage at all and the faulty valve is no worse than it was a couple of years ago. This means that the excessive water retention is due not to any dimishing heart function -- it's too much salt! In fact, it's any salt at all -- she's not supposed to eat anything with salt and she has been, per her own words, using less than she used to, i.e. too much.

Now, the problem is how do you convince a stubborn 82 year old that she's only hurting herself. She eats salt, she retains water. She retains water, she can't breathe. Don't eat salt if you want to breathe. Easy for me and easy for you, but apparently not at all easy for her.

Brother-in-law traced the start of this episode back to mid-November when they took her out to lunch for her birthday -- they went to her favorite place, an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. Talk about your salt. And then came Thanksgiving (and I know she was cheating then cause she was at my house).

It will take some gentle scolding and some lecturing, too, and maybe it will work. But she will complain about it incessantly (already started at the hospital today when they brought her some food with a little packet of salt substitute ("I'm not going to eat that. It tastes awful.") She does nothing quite as well as she complains.

I am having difficulty reaching page eight. I am diverted to another page. I finally made contact by clicking Bandylu's last posting.

Good news Bandy.

mapleleaf, try this link: http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=869&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=70

Also, I notice you've double-posted a few times. Did you know you can delete your last post if it hasn't been answered? Since your last post was answered, I will delete the duplicate.

About midnight folks dissented on one of my interactions. Is this accidental or is there a group of members who kick into gear about that time?

I usually turn in around midnight so I'm not really sure. Which thread is it, mapleleaf?

There is kind of a late night crew, Mapleleaf. Bandylu and myself, amongst others. Who's getting rowdy?

No one's rowdy...I forgot...when do the Europeans tend to post? Would you believe I forgot the thread...what time is it anyway...oops...almost 5 AM.

Great news Bandylu :-D

I'm usually one of the night owls, but my sleeping habits tend to slip back and forth :-)

bandylu, That's wonderful!

Thanks all. Now we're dealing with her not wanting to skip the salt. She is now, and has always been from what hubby says, a bit of a complainer. Well, actually, lots more than a 'bit'. She's one of those people who is happiest when she has something to complain about. Hubby is very good. He calls her each morning to make sure all is okay, though he dreads making the call because he knows how she will be. It's not a great way to start off his day. Think I'd better go post on Phoenix' thread about dealing with taking care of the 'old folks'.

Anyway, today was nice. Finished the last of the cookie dough -- it's all in the freezer and waiting to be baked next weekend. We brought the tree in and will decorate it tomorrow (giving it a chance to 'settle' first). Baked brownies and cranberry-orange bread (both from mixes) and made crab cakes for dinner (they were yummy). Even figured out a way I could make crab cakes for Christmas Eve without the salt (for when mother-in-law comes over). Luckily, my son has lots of crabmeat in his freezer from his summer crabbing so I don't need to use the salt-laden canned stuff.

It's been raining on and off all day and was a very good day to stay in and do Christmassy things.

Great news, Bandylu!

I ended up working a 10 hour day today. I had planned to stop after work and finish my Christmas shopping. I almost talked myself out of it, but I knew I'd regret it if I didn't, so I went and fought the crowds. I do have one person left to buy for - my 17-year-old nephew. Those teenagers have expensive hobbies. His is snowboarding, and everything needed for snowboarding seems to be out of my budget range. I guess he'll have to settle for a gift certificate from the sporting goods store.

I'm so tired, I don't feel like wrapping presents tonight, but I really need to. I talked to my daughter today and she won't be able to make it here for Christmas. She lives about 100 miles away, but she has to work the day before and the day after, as I do. So I'm hoping (weather permitting) to go over there next Sunday to take their gifts and spend a little time with them.

I'm going to keep telling myself - it'll be over with soon! I'll enjoy whatever moments I can and grumble through the rest.

DD, shopping is nearly finished and baking has started. Finally, I'm starting to feel the Christmas spirit, although it comes and goes.

My husband and I are retired and spend part of the year in Florida and the other part in Connecticut. We are in CT now because we always come back for the holidays. We live in a beautiful little town in Connecticut, reminiscent of a Currier and Ives painting, yet I sometimes miss Christmas in Tucson, Arizona, where I lived as a kid, with Christmas lights on the saguaro cactus and spray painted tumble weeds decorating either side of the front door.

The sky there is so clear that the stars seem within reach. I don't know why I'm feeling this sense of nostalgia--perhaps because of addressing cards to relatives in the southwest.

Bandylu, your news was good to hear. Hopefully with a little gentle scolding, you mil will be more careful.

Chatoyant, good luck with getting the abcess taken care of soon.

Gautam, I used to be able to party like that, but it was about a million years ago! It was fun to hear of your time in Prague. Someday, maybe I'll get there.

Great news bandylu2.

We drove to Alpharetta, GA to help with grandkid. It sure is fun when you can play awhile and then go home. I recommend it highly. Nice people on this thread...

Our power went off at 12:50 PM today, and it was just turned on at 8:45 PM. Hooooray! Couldn't watch t.v., open the refrig. or go on the computer. It was depressing.... What's that? Christmas shopping? What kind of thing is that? I know I'm sounding a little foolish, but you can't blame me for being somewhat off center after our eight hour black out. c.i.

c.i., You have earned the right to be off center occasionally.

Dear Diary

I've thoroughly enjoyed reading all the previous 10 pages of entries here. Too many interesting stories to be able to comment on them all:
Great developments, Bandylu! Let's just hope that things just get better & better! .. And Chatoyant, glad things are on the improve with you, too. You haven't been having a fun time, have you?
Diane, your home sounds heavenly!

Me?
I'm only beginning to surface after shifting into this little Victorian doll's house on Thursday. Shifting has been the hardest work I've ever done & I probably wouldn't have made it out of my old house if friends hadn't pitched in & helped at the last minute with the packing ... They were like a whirlwind! I have never seen anything like the energy they put in! I'm so grateful to them.
So today, Sunday, I feel like life just MIGHT return to normal before too long ... I now have a cold, cuts & bruises all over me, most of the cursed boxes unpacked & 3 cats who appear much more adjusted to what's happened to their lives than yesterday. I was SO worried about them!

But best of all, this is the start of a new life! The past 5 or so years have been so sad & distressing .. (you know, relationship breakdown & all that !..) & now I feel that I can begin to put that phase of my life well & truly behind me. Now, that HAS to be a plus!

Thanks msolga, things are definitely looking up for me. I forced myself to wrap gifts tonight. I hope no one looks too closely at the way they're wrapped!

The best of luck to you in your new beginnings! Keep us posted on how it's going. I'm glad the cats are adjusting too.