Finally got myself in gear and went down for a bandage change.Old wound is looking good..healing is noticeable. New wound is still bleeding a bit and looks terrible.But I get the best of care..no complaints. Nice soft drizzle still coming down, thank you God.

We have a program at 2p.m. that I hope to attend, The Singing Good Timers..all older folks, but very young at heart, and fun. At 6:30 p.m. is a documentary Can we make it to Mars. I am "iffing" that one. It is up to the body, of course.  I hope Lloyd is behaving himself, I feel he is pushing too soon again. And hopefully Hal is surviving his tests. That shot in the tummy sounds dreadful. Don't know if that is today or later.

Sandy, I hope your shopping goes well. I am happy you are celebrating the Super bowl with some goodies.

And BIS, I know you are having a joyful time with Linda...time goes too quickly when a beloved one is visiting, I know.

Sun is coming out this morning, so we will warm up a bit... not too much though. 

LARRY, no damage to trees or the like from the ice storm.....just lot's of black ice on roads and build up on cars.  I have only witnessed in person one terrible ice storm in my life.....it was December 1983 in Birmingham.  We were at Bob's Dads funeral... it stopped the city dead in it's track.  It scared me to death as I witnessed people trying to walk or drive a car.  The cars would just slide side ways.... it was impossible to stand let alone walk!  Now tha was an ice storm!  It was much worse up North here in our are.  There were 6 fatalities in six different accidents.  If that doesn't tell you folks are driving much too fast, nothing does.  I have never heard Dave's Alexa say a word unless she is addressed by her name!  Maybe it is because with a family there is so much talking going on, where if out of the blue she hears talking she might assume it is for her!  I, too, use Siri for the same purpose. 

JOAN, I hope by now Linda is there and you are enjoying a nice visit. 

JUNE, I am sorry you are feeling out of sorts again this fine day. Sorry you must be forced to continue the salt tablets....that sound terrible.  Wish there were another way they could get it into your system. Take care dear lady. 

Getting a bit of laundry done this morning...got to keep the clothes clean just in case we decide to pack up and head to AZ. 

Have a good day, EVERYFRIEND.

Jenny

GLORIA, I am so thankful that for the most part we do not have to get out and about when we have the bad weather days....  I feel for those that do, but then we did it when we had to also.  I just smile to think that you are able to stand up now rather than being hummed over.  I hope and pray this shot will continue to work for you.  This new doctor of your is a blessing for you...the last one you had sure didn't give a hoot about your pain or he would have helped you out just as she has.  Very sad... but there are many out there like that.  Sure is nice that you feel like and are able to get outside and enjoy a bit more now. 

Linda is here and has gone out to do some shopping for me.

Jenny dear heart, we all have days when we just do not feel "up", so I will take it as it comes and be grateful. I have to remember to keep God in the picture of this day, and focus on Him, rather than on ME. We are having a nice cool, drippy day, no snow down here, but my Grandkids in Idaho are enjoying freezing weather...honest..they enjoy the winter. And they were both born in So. Ca. McCall is a lovely place to live. I will enjoy the pictures. 

I only watch the superbowl for a few miniutes as I don't have a favorite in this years..... 

But I will  use any excuse to buy some goodies...
(giggle)

Sandy and Joanie, I have never sat and watched the Super Bowl but I'll defend to the death, my right to have SNACKS whenever I crave them....like now!

Yes,  lately, I will use any excuse for having snacks available ......  I am blaming it on "Old Man Winter"....

Matter of fact--Linda and I had a bunch of snacks this afternoon.  I am really enjoying having her here.

the only thing that keeps me from eating too many snacks are the four legged beggars.

I went down for lunch, had a pastrami and swiss cheese sandwich, cup of potato and bacon soup, cole slaw and v8 juice. The sandwich had no taste. Either my taste buds have aged along with the rest of me, or foods have gone downhill in flavor. The dill pickle and cole slaw were delicious. Came home for a bit, then down to hear the Singing Good Timers sing and act up a bit. They are a fun group, some are in their late eighties, but their voices are great. Unless I lose my energy, I do plan to take in the Can we make it to Mars trip, just to keep myself moving along.    

Bis, build some happy memories of Linda's visit to hold you over till the next time. I dug out an album today that Dori made of the 89th Birthday party they had for me. All the Grand kids  and Great Grands (minus one that was still  a gleam in my Grandson's eye) were included in the party at Sunwest Village. Nice memories, for sure.

Janie, those four legged helpers are a blessing for sure. How I miss having my own. They are a big chunk of love covered with fur.

Good afternoon, I am waiting for the friend that always calls and said put the coffee on I will be over in and hour, with food.

June, I am so sorry about your new problem.

Sorry have to go someone is knocking at my back door, and the bell on the front door is ringing.

Hugs to all

I am trying to keep up with everyone and am so sorry I didn't get back right away to thank all of you that rejoiced with me about my neighbor's great news.  None of us dared to hope for "no cancer found anywhere"... and since she is having trouble getting over 5 weeks of radiation and I am still battling whatever has hold of my body, we are not going to mingle any germs.  Thank you for cheering with us.

Last night I put an eye of round roast in the Dutch oven, browned & let it bake in the oven a few hours so plenty of flavor & tender.  Just got it ground up & boiled some eggs to chop up, with a couple stalks of fine chopped celery, pickle relish & jar of Miracle Whip.... will take a new box of Keebler's club crackers to let all eat along with what everyone else brings.... and I'm picking up the biggest ice cream cake Dairy Queen makes.... "they" tell me I am not contagious so hope nobody catches this & blames me!!!  This bug is all over town, my good friend said she heard of 2 people that had the cough for 4 weeks. 

Kansas is cold but to warm up a few days & then more winter.  Stay healthy, sweet dreams to all.  Shirley

I did go down and watch the documentary, "Can we make it to Mars". It was fascinating and I would recommend it to all.The men and women that are working at this are all devoted to the work, and our Government must spend Jillions of dollars supplying them with needed material. I don't understand why we need to go to Mars...but there are many things in this life I don't understand, but I find interesting. There are great brains at work.

Now I am all medicated, cleaned up and ready for bed and book.

Sleep well dear friends, I love you. Hugs, Prayers, and more love. June

Janie, I have the solution to your problem! Distract them with these!

PEANUT BUTTER PUPCAKES
Marlynn Schotland | UrbanBlissLife.com
YIELDS 6

These pupcakes are a wonderful, tasty way to celebrate your dog's birthday - or to serve any day!
10 min
Prep Time
20 min
Active Cook/Bake Time
30 min
Total Time

Ingredients

- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons peanut butter
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 cup quick cooking oats
OPTIONAL: peanut butter for frosting, dog biscuits or treats
Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a cupcake tin with 6-7 cupcake liners (we made 7).
Combine the egg, peanut butter, oil, honey, and shredded carrots in a large bowl. Feel free to omit the honey if you'd like.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and oats. Add this to the carrot mixture, and stir until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Divide the mixture evenly among prepared cupcake liners.
Bake for 15-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs on it and the tops are slightly golden brown.
Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack.
Recipe Type: Homemade dog treats
Notes

OPTIONAL: Frost tops with peanut butter, and top each pupcake with a dog biscuit .

Good Saturday morning, Everyfriend.   There's your choice of a hot cereal and blueberries or strawberries to accompany your coffee or tea. I wish everyone a good day!!





Get Supplies

At the end of my factory shift, I was asked to purchase some supplies. The machines' conveyor belts needed talcum powder to prevent them from sticking, and we had run out of aspirin for workers with noise-induced tension headaches.

I drove to the nearest store and loaded a shopping cart with four cases of baby powder and several boxes of aspirin. As the man behind me in the checkout line peered at my purchases, he laughed and exclaimed, "Must be one big kid!"



Parrots and Priorities
(By Alan Smith)

The story is told of a woman who bought a parrot to keep her company, but she returned it the next day. "This bird doesn't talk," she told the owner.

"Does he have a mirror in his cage?" he asked. "Parrots love mirrors. They see their reflection and start a conversation." The woman bought a mirror and left.

The next day she returned; the bird still wasn't talking. "How about a ladder? Parrots love ladders. A happy parrot is a talkative parrot." The woman bought a ladder and left.

But the next day, she was back. "Does your parrot have a swing? No? Well, that's the problem. Once he starts swinging, he'll talk up a storm." The woman reluctantly bought a swing and left.

When she walked into the store the next day, her countenance had changed. "The parrot died," she said. The pet store owner was shocked.

"I'm so sorry. Tell me, did he ever say anything?" he asked.

"Yes, right before he died," the woman replied. "In a weak voice, he asked me, 'Don't they sell any food at that pet store?' "

Sometimes we forget what's really important in life. We get so caught up in things that are good while neglecting the things that are truly necessary. We've got to provide the family with a nice house. And of course, we've got to have at least two cars. And to make everybody truly happy, we need the latest smart phone. But, if we're not careful, we'll make the mistake of thinking those (and many other such "things") are the things that bring us satisfaction and meaning.

The prophet Haggai had a lot to say about priorities. The Jews were spending plenty of time and energy taking care of our own needs, building their own houses, planting their own fields, but they were neglecting the things of God. They were too "busy" for God, but the things that were keeping them busy were not things which should have been of highest priority. "Is it time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?" (Haggai 1:4).

We can easily determine what our true priorities are by looking at (1) what we spend our money on, (2) what we spend our time doing, and (3) what we talk about.

Jesus said, "The thing you should want most is God's kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you." (Matthew 6:33, NCV).

Take a moment to do a "priority check", and strive for what is *most* important today. Don't wait for the parrot to die!



Too many of us complain that our days are few while acting as if they will never end.

--Author Unknown

Good Morning Everyfriend!  I've got to get on the move today because my daughter is coming up here from Maryland when she finishes work today.  It will be a nice visit but her primary objective is to help me clean the carpet in the living room and hall as a part of my Christmas present.  It's been needing it and I was just about to call a professional but we have a Bissell Carpet Cleaner and she is very good with it.  So I'll be making a quick trip to the store for a few items (including Bissell carpet cleaning solution) and then beginning to move small items out of the living room into the dining room.  I can take my time and getting that done because she won't be arriving until around 9 tonight.  We'll get an early start after church tomorrow.

Right now, the dogs are breathing down my back for their breakfast.  Make today a good one!

Good morning everyone

Snow is lightly falling adding to the bit we got overnight.

Laundry is first on the agenda then maybe a sash shay with the shovel. Looks as if there is snow for most of next week too!!!

Better get a move on here

Joan, thank you for breakfast

Enjoy your day everyone.

Good morning everyone, a sunny cold one here at 21° but more normal for this time of year. My son and DIL were here yesterday. She brought her scissors and clippers and at last I have a good haircut again. When he was here last time hew must have told her how terrible my hair was. She is what I call the second daughter I always wanted.

JOAN  glad that you can have a visit with Linda even if it is a short visit. It has been too long since my daughter was here.

LARRY  I do not have your heart problems but every time I go anywhere t takes me a day or 2 to feel rested again.

JUNE  it is a pain when we have to keep records of how meds affect us. I have a form now for how my back feels from the shots the other day.

SANDY  I have 2 grandsons who will be watching the superbowl. I will find out who won on Monday on the news.

JENNY  you do not have to drive fast to slip and slide on icy roads, It is frightening to drive along and suddenly hit a patch of black ice and start sliding. Even chains on tires cannot stop a skid like that. Been there. I am happy I changed doctor. I had asked the last one about pain clinics and all he said was he would look into it but did nothing. First time I have a lady doctor and she takes time to listen and she got all these other doctors lined up for me.

JANE  I am with you, nothing special to enjoy those snacks.

SHIRLEY  wish I had some of your energy. How you can be fighting that bug and still cook for your family is something I would not attempt anymore.

Just heard on the news that some state senators want those on welfare to submit to random drug tests. Might be a good idea, some abuse what they get to buy drugs and they will loose the welfare. They have arrested some who sold food stamps to buy drugs.

JOAN  hot cereal with blueberries please. Good chuckles, cannot picture a baby that big. Food for thought is true of some people. Have to have the best and forget about what is important. Thank you for all today's goodies.

JANE  you make me glad I have no carpeting in here. Much easier with the tile and wood floors I have here.

AMY  no snow here today. You have had more than enough for both of us.

Hi everyone.  It is a clear sky and one of the colder morning we have had all winter as when I arose the weather report said it was 34 degrees.  However, my outside thermometer now says it is over 40 degrees.  I really didn't accomplish much yesterday.  We did go to Ruby Tuesday's late yesterday afternoon after Pat stopped at the Dollar Tree store to get more cards for the Sunday School card ministry and I waited for her in the car.  We had a very good meal and they have improved their salad bar a lot but have also increased their prices by a dollar on most items.  We did get home before dark.  I have nothing on the schedule for today and glad as got up tired again this morning after plenty of sleep.  So I will just take things easy again today.

Joan, glad you were happy with the work the guru did remotely on your comptuer. 

June, I do hope today finds you feeling much better and hope today's salt tablets don't make you sick again.  I was glad to see that you  attended the afternoon event yesterday as you must have been feeling better.

Jenny, I have been though numerous ice storms like you describe.  When Pat was working as a nurse on the night shift I had to drive her the probably 5 miles to the hospital and the roads were glare ice.  It was not a fun experience.  Atlanta sometimes has ice storms and one while I was still working was memorable.  Fortunately I carpooling that day with one of my bosses, who lived across the street from me, and he had a front wheel drive vehicle.  The one hour trip ended up taking 5 hours.  We were in no accidents but saw plenty and road blockages from cars sliding hither and yon

Sandy, nice of you to prepare to celebrate Atlanta's win in the Superbowl.    I certainly will be watching.  I was glad to see it is starting fairly early in the evening although that may not be the actual kickoff time.  Now I read your posting that you are only going to watch a few minutes of the game.  Shame on you!  I hope your cold, snowy and icy weather won't be too bad up your way. 

deAngel, callers at the same time at your back and front door.  You must really be popular. 

Shirley, your meal sure sounds good and so doess the Dairy Queen ice cream cake. 

JaneS, glad your daughter will clean the carpet for you as that is hard work just like running the vacuum sweeper only more so. 

Gloria, these last couple of weeks I don't seem to be able to get rested up.  I am as tired this morning as I was when I went to bed last night and that is after having a long sleep.  Just glad I can stay home today. 

I have experienced some ice storms, making my way to work over winding roads across a mountain.  One morning I drove most of the way with my drive wheel on the shoulder where the rough surface provided some traction.  Another time the county road maintenance truck kept driving up and down a curving hill backwards to release the salt/sand mixture for him to drive on. as the light drizzle kept freezing the surface as fast as he could deliver.  Cars were lined up at the top of that hill, waiting a turn every few minutes for three or four of them to progress.  A couple of other times I never got beyond the corner about 300 feet from my house when a 45^o right turn became a 360^o.  I inched my way home from those spins and called in to work.

Good Morning Everyone!

I didn't make it in yesterday, I was, it seems, messing with something all day long, nothing important, just things that needed to be done.  Like balancing the checkbook and fixing a el cheapo calculator (put in a new battery, which requires taking the thing apart).

June, I don't have a date yet for me shot in the tummy.  I have to see the doctor first so he can review my CT scan and blood work.  It is painful but only for a short period of time.  The nurse (male) is quick and the last one I got wasn't to bad.  He doesn't mess around, he gets it in, plants the seed and he's out of there.

We have to go to a funeral this morning.  So we are up and about and I have to get in a shave when the wife goes to put on her makeup.  She has a special place by a window to do that.  She likes the light, I guess.

Weather here is raw, not really really cold, just miserable,
Jenny, the first time I encountered ice like you were speaking about was in Fort Worth and I was a young guy, working, and my Mother gave me a great hint.  Put socks on over my shoes.  And she gave me an old pair and you could at least walk on the ice, you could still slip if you weren't cautious. 

Larry, I saw in todays sports page that Super Bowl was coming on a 5 or 5:30.  But I had read previously that kickoff was around 7, but I could be wrong.

Got to go, being paged to get in there and get shaved.

In March 1976 we had a bad ice storm.  I worked for the electric utility and my boss asked if I could be there to take care of phones and other things that needed attention.  I have no idea how I got to the building which was about 15 miles from home.  I may have ridden with the tree trimming supervisor or I could have driven.  We would drive on the expressway which was kept clear by road crews.  Anyway, we had crews from out-of-state to help.  One of my jobs was to order sandwiches from a local restaurant and I had to order in bulk.  Lots of sandwiches.  I don't know if I had to make coffee or not.  I wasn't the only one there, but most of the office force for the entire division was not there. 

Mary Ann

My daughter has departed, and I am lonely.  This was a very short visit.  She managed to get some things done for me.

Joan, isn't it strange that when company departs, especially family, your place seems dead - it is so quiet.  I used to notice that when any of my nephews and their family left. 

Mary Ann

Mary Ann--You are exactly right.

Good morning from the Interior, I didn't sleep well, tossed and turned, finally getting up at 10:51; after sleeping in. Farrah had been coming and going on the bed, reminding me of breakfast but I never fully awoke.

Joan, MaryAnn said what I was going to about family visiting. I had hosted a friend from work for two weeks. She had given up her apartment because in two weeks she was moving back to Nashville and was fretting about paying an extra month for the apartment or a hotel. So I invited her to stay at my place and loved the company, we got along great, and I was sad to see her leave.

I have seen only two ice storms here in sixty-five years, one terrible one in 2006 that brought this city to its knees and one almost as bad in 2008. Those were enough and schools and all unnecessary employment was closed. Luckily there were no fatalities in either of those events. But electricity was out and for some up to three weeks due to falling trees.

I was working, at both times, for the state employment office and our department issued licenses such as trucking and other kinds and dealt with military returning to civilian work and that sort of activities. So we closed up and went home. It was quite a trip, walking ten miles on ridged ice to get home. The department manager called each morning for a week, both times, to tell each of us to stay home.

Good afternoon dear friends. I woke up early and had a two hour nap later, so my timing is really weird today.

Gloria, it is an added chore keeping check on "stuff" affecting our bodies, but I prefer that to having some one else interrupt my day by doing the job. I have decided on my own to take a bite of some food following the ingesting of all these chemicals that we need to keep us alive. so far, so good. I'm sure glad you have such a great doctor now Gloria, it makes a big difference having someone who listens and acts, rather than just shuffle us off.

Larry, I think both you and I have learned to listen to our bodies, rather that our "will". We spend our youth pushing ourselves to do more, to do it more quickly, then feel great for what we have accomplished. Then the day arrives when the body says "enough", and we have wised up to obey.

Jeanne Lee, good thinking..using the shoulder of the road for traction.

Larry, I had a male nurse take care of my last leg wound,and he did an excellent job. Now I find the female nurses following the same pattern of bandaging that he used, and I prefer it. Rather than a plastic backed single bandage they are using gauze that is more porous, and I feel oxygen is essential to healing…I don't know why, just one of those things. And I am a happy camper.

Bis, I can associate with your feeling with the short visit. Gary is in and out, although he did spend about two hours installing my new t.v., and last delivery of my Ensure, he took the time to open boxes and arrange half of each flavor with the other half. Dori again is never in a rush,even though she has more programs that she belongs to..even an un-wed mothers organization.

Today is a leisure day for me. Nothing at all scheduled unless I go down at 6:30 to hear George Rossi play and sing for us. I do love his music. When he plays "Pretty Woman", my body can't stay still, that rhythm makes me move. Sigh………

That was sure nice of you to let your friend stay at your place to avoid paying extra  rent, and it was also company for you.

June--Gary and Dori are wonderful.  They are busy folks, but find time to spend with you.  The only kind of Ensure I buy is chocolate.  I don't like the other flavors.

Hello Everyfriend!  Two good things happened or or happening today...

My daughter will be arriving soon from Maryland.  She's staying until Monday and we're going to clean the carpet in the living room and hall.  And we're going to do some heavy-duty visiting while we do that. 

Second, My granddaughter, Natalie, who is in grad school in Texas, sent me a text asking me if I would be willing to participate with her in a class project.  She is supposed to enlist the aid of a sage/senior to discuss the topics that they discuss in her class.  I told her to call me and we'll see what happens.  She did and we talked for about an hour about her class and lots of other life facts.  I hope you all don't mind and I hope your ears weren't ringing but I used a lot of you as examples.  And the upshot of this call was that she will be calling me once a week after her class and we'll talk about whatever they discuss in class.  And I suspect that we'll talk about lots of other things, too.  And I suspect that I'll use you all as examples more than once.  You are such a unique gathering of people and this class is all about Seniors and how they deal with the aging process.  I know there are people out there who deal badly but you are all such good examples of people dealing with aging. 

She said she is supposed to ask about people who live in Elderly and Care facilities and I was able to tell her about June, and a little about Joy and Patricia and that deAngel is 90+ and still living in her home alone and that MaryAnn is also 90+ and still in her home but her nephew also lives there.  I told her about Shirley and Joan and the "boys" in our group.  She said you are all a group of great people and she's glad I have you for friends.  I am too.

And I'm sure more examples of Senior Living will be forthcoming.  So if anyone's ears ring, it's probably me talking about you.

Jane, I am happy to be part of Natalie's project along with you.  I'll have to watch what I write so I don't do something to downgrade the project!

Today Tom and I met his son, James, and wife, Alicia, at Butterworth Hospital for lunch.  Alicia's parents from Milwaukee were there too.  I think I've written here about Alicia expecting twin girls and she's had blood pressure problems, causing the doctors at the Holland MI Hospital (they live in Holland) to send her to Butterworth in Grand Rapids.  The babies are doing fine so far and weigh about 2.5 pounds each.  If her blood pressure holds steady for two more weeks, they will send her home so the babies can be born in Holland.  She looks good and feels good.  Another great-nephew, Geoff, and his wife, Charissa, are expecting a boy in early March.  The babies would be great-grandchildren of Norm's.  One great-granddaughter was a year old last week.  It's taken a while, but here they come!

Geoff's father, Terry (brother of Tom) put up a metal grab bar in my bathroom today.  I know Sandy will be happy.

We are at 25 degrees now, but we had 2 degrees early this morning.

Mary Ann