Newbies Nest

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Greetings Nesters,

Raining today as was promised. I think it’s a good thing, it was getting pretty dry around here.

Wags, i’m sorry the home has been non-responsive. Wonder what the issue is? You probably won’t get any response over the weekend. Think about a in -person visit Monday & get them off their hands.
I know how frustrating all this is, nothing is ever easy. You have been doing everything right, don’t forget that. Try to relax & breathe this weekend, it’s all going to work out :hug:

Ava, glad y enjoyed your birthday
Has your Mom ever worn a cardiac monitor for a few days? Sometimes that’s the only way to tell what’s going on & causing her episodes. Could be an irregular heart rhythm that only pops up occasionally. Ihope they can get it figured out soon. Good to hear Carl is back to himself. Enjoy your weather this weekend.

Hello to all & wishing everyone a safe night in the nest!

Lav

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Ava - sounds like Bindi and Carl are both doing well, which is great. Sorry your mom is having those episodes though. I hope it's nothing serious.

Lav - you had rain, we finally had sun. I don't really feel comfortable going to the home in person without calling first, so I'm just going to call Monday. It's just a bummer cuz it seemed so perfect.


Hellos and waves everyone!

[STEADFAST]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi Nesters,

Sorry for not checking in for a while. All good, I just get caught up in things and the days slip by.

Wags, I hope you hear from the care home soon, and things work out the way you and your Dad want. Today's the 8th anniversary of my Dad's passing, and he's been on my mind a lot.

Ava, I was sorry to hear about Gucci, and I hope your Mum is ok now. Glad you had a nice birthday!

Like others have said, it feels so good to be sober, and to be present to help loved ones. I really don't know how I would've coped with my parents getting old and passing on without the clarity and more stable mood that sobriety gives me.

stay well & strong everyone,
Steady
xo

[NoSugar]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi, Nest

If it is a small place, it could be just a glitch in communications, Wags, b/c of small staff size. If they had changed their mind about your dad, they likely would have answered if they could so maybe they just couldn't. I hope you get good news on Monday.

I agree, Steady, that at this stage of life with all of its ups and downs, there is just NO ROOM for booze. We are so fortunate!!

Life sounds good for you, Ava. I'm so glad :hug:

It is back to winter here, Lav. I even saw a bit of snow yesterday so look out!!

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Greetings Nesters,

We had a nice day after yesterday’s 1/2” of rain. No big storm developed so that was good.

NS, we’re out planting things we purchased at an Amish greenhouse this week so I definitely don’t want snow, ugh. Hope it warms up for you very soon.

Steady, good to see you & I 100% agree being sober through life’s ups & downs definitely has it’s advantages.

Wags, I guess you can tell I’m not the shy type. I would just walk in & ask for clarification on bed availability, Lol
Do what makes you comfortable of course & I hope you get a positive response from them. Enjoy the sunshine

Hello to all & wishing everyone a safe night in the nest!

Lav

[available]

Re: Newbies Nest

Evening nesters

Well ANZAC day tomorrow so no work and a day to reflect on all the lives lost. My house is now quiet and everyone has gone home. I can now be a slug and not worry!

I can see my mum just getting older, i am learning to be so patient but damn i realise i need a good sleep for that and my arm starts not wanting to play nice a few days after acupuncture so i get a bit frazzled. So many questions about nothing in particular and one of mums hearing aids wasnt working so the constant yelling gets tiring but i appreciate she is still with me. I called aged care and asked them to email me and mum the information so will organise an apt and go down to mums for that. I think my son is going to move out so that puts a whole new aspect on care for mum so hopefully that will get sorted.

My niece who lost our little Jasper (nearly a year ago already) is pregnant again and is about 15 weeks so we are all holding our breath. Cant get too excited just yet but everything is crossed that she carries the baby to full term, due October. She is being monitored fortnightly atm which is good but i dont think she will enjoy being pregnant with worrying.

We had a beautiful day today, all the washing got dry and tomorrow is supposed to be just as lovely. Might be sheet washing day. Its the small things in life really.

Cant believe you are getting snow NS.

Lav, i planted some winter veges yesterday and need to plant some seedlings that have come up. not sure what they are but i do love suprises.

Steady, lovely to see you. Being sober is great. We went to David's for yum Cha on Sunday and i was impressed they had non al drinks and if you wanted al, it was in a shot glass. it was funny as when they offered me a drink, i think all my kids asked if it has al in it. They still have my back after 9+ years lol.

take care xxx

[KENSHO]

Re: Newbies Nest

AVA... Happy late birthday! Sounds like it was a nice day for you! Congrats to your niece! I bet it's a little scary, but I have a good feeling about it. It's great your kids are so supportive of your sobriety. Mine are too, maybe the most supportive (they have probably don't want to lose the sober me!)

Wags, sorry you are in that torturous state of wondering... that's the worst. I hope you get good news this morning! The right path will show up. Only way out is through, right? Drinking seems like such a good idea for about 1 second, and then it seems asinine. We have all learned how much easier life is to navigate without the numbing.

LAV, what did you plant? Do you grow veggies, or mostly plant flowers? I wish we could grow more food, but we get so little southern exposure so not much more than herbs make it to our table. We won't plant much before we go to Italy for 3 weeks anyway - don't want to pay someone to water it for that long

Hi Steady!

I'm having a slow morning. I think I'm tired from burning the candle lately. One morning is isn't going to set me back too much, if I relax and take it slow.

Have a great day everyone!

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Greetings Nesters,

Sunny but quite a bit cooler than last week & that’s OK. I may go outside & cover up some of my new plants, we have a frost warning for tonight. Figures!

Ava, it’s not easy taking care of an older person, been there & done all that. I hope your mum appreciates whatever arrangements you make for her. Congrats to your niece, I hope the pregnancy goes well & easy for her. Sounds like you’re going to have a surprise garden, that’s cool. Enjoy whatever grows

Kensho, I’ve been planting container gardens of sunflowers, geraniums, etc. My husband does all the veggie growing, lettuce, spinach from the greenhouse all winter has been nice. Onions & garlic in raised beds outside. Soon he’ll add tomatoes, peas, green beans, whatever haha! We don’t go anywhere so the gardens here get pretty big. I’ll bet yo’re so excited for your trip to Italy, awesome!

Hello to all. Wags, thinking of you & wishing everyone a safe night in the nest!

Lav

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

I've been having trouble getting onto this site the past few days - it seems hit or miss. Glad to see people checking in!

Ava - hopefully after a few more acupuncture appts your arm's benefits from the treatment will start lasting longer. I empathize with your situation figuring out care for your mom. As Lav said, caring for another person isn't easy, and I'd add caring for an aging person is especially hard. I hope you find a smooth and solid path forward, whatever that turns out to be.

Kensho - yep, drinking sounds good for about a second and then the reality of what a bad idea it is hits hard. That's a good thing! Kudos to you on giving yourself a slow morning. That is wisdom for sure!


No news on the care home for my dad. I left another phone message this morning, but honestly I'm just gonna move on. Either something has happened that makes it impossible for them to reply (which means they can't add a resident right now) or their communication skills are sorely lacking. I've got a couple of tours at new places scheduled for Wednesday. One of them is in a great location near a huge urban park my wife and I love to hike in, so that'd be a decent option if the facilities, care options, and costs all turn out ok. And they have a specific Memory Care program/facility so that's good if/when my dad's dementia progresses.

Not much else going on here. My life now revolves around attending to things for my dad and trying to keep my business afloat and my relationship/household in good shape. I know it'll get easier, so I'm hanging in there for now.

Take care everyone :heartbeat:

[NoSugar]

Re: Newbies Nest

I like the word 'asinine' to describe the drinking option, Kensho - that is exactly right.

Wags, I guess you don't want your dad in a place that does not communicate well. That would be a constant concern. Good luck tomorrow with the new options. As I wrote recently, you are so lucky to have options where you live!

I'm still in Medicare hell. Something is wrong w/ the income reporting and social security seems to think we are Jeff Bezos! They have assessed my husband at over $500/mo for Medicare B. Most people pay ~$165/mo or something like that so we've got to appeal and get that fixed. I'm the one figuring this out for both of us -- no way would I have done that (or trusted my decisions) if I were still drinking. That would be ASININE!!

[KENSHO]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good morning Nest! It's a beautiful day in Colorado. I'm so glad I listened to my body yesterday and just took it easy. It's amazing how my energy comes back around.

LAV, it's nice that you and your husband split some of the gardening. Do you get year-round veggies with a greenhouse? Does it stay warm enough?

Wags, in really tough situations, or when I'm trying to find something, I really turn on my "gut instinct" and let that guide me. I believe the universe provides for us what we need (corny, I know), but when we let it guide us, the best option usually shows up. Sorry it's so arduous and emotionally draining. You are the kind of daughter I hope my kids will end up being for me when I'm no longer able to make the best decisions for myself. More hugs to you.

NS, what a bummer about the math errors. I've been in paperwork / legal hoop craziness lately too with this business restructuring, and it seems like such red tape. Sorry it's harder than it should be. I'm sure you'll get it worked out.

Time to make a plan for the last few weeks before I leave. There are so many things that I want to get done, but I'll make the "must do" list and schedule in workouts and fun. Otherwise, I'll be a mess when we leave. Not worth it. Type A is not always great for wellness.

Wags, I think you asked where we are going: Munich, Venice, Cinque Terre, Tuscany between Sienna and Florence, Amalfi Coast and Rome. 3+ weeks. It will be an adventure for sure. I guess Italy is very celiac friendly, so that shouldn't be too difficult I know how to say "niente vino"...

Birds are out... opening my window. Best to everyone; have a great day!

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Greetings Nesters,

Definitely cooler here this week but it makes working outside easier. Trying to help (a little) with the spreading of many trailer loads of mulch. Looking better so far but have a lot more to do.

Wags, looks like the universe has pushed you in a different direction in finding placement for your Dad. I’d be worried about a place that does not return calls or emails. Good luck & I hope you find the right place very soon. Take care of you too :hug:

NS, I don’t remember the exact problem but I also had to straighten Medicare out about a few things when I first got started. Turns out they were very responsive on the phone & fixed everything that needed fixing. They explained that these problems are usually a result of a keystroke error. I can understand that. Hope you get it fixed quickly.

Kensho, our greenhouse is heated in the winter so we can keep orchids many other plants alive & grow whatever we want to eat. It’s my husband’s project so I just visit it once in a while to see what’s blooming or ready to eat
Your trip sounds awesome, I hope you can relax & enjoy the experience.

Hello to all & wishing everyone a safe night in the nest!

Lav

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

NS - I'm so sorry to hear about the Medicare headaches. My wife just enrolled in Medicare last month and she has such math phobia I ended up navigating all of it for her. Honestly the whole system could be much simpler and more straightforward. Having a keystroke error or similar making those payments so much higher should hopefully be an easy fix. I wish you luck!

Kensho - I'm a big believer in trusting my gut too. I also follow the self-created advice (from my own experiences) that if I'm having to try too hard to "force" something to work, it's probably not the right direction. This care home didn't feel that way until I got no reply to my 3rd message, in fact, it felt like a GREAT choice, but I'll trust the universe on this one. You've got some fantastic places on your Italy itinerary! Well, probably *anywhere* would be fantastic, but I can personally vouch for several of the places you're going.

Lav - yep, it seems that the universe has different ideas for my dad's care. As I just wrote to Kensho, I'll definitely trust the nudge to check out a different path. I've learned that sometimes things don't go the way we *think* we want them to go, and only in hindsight can we see how much better the different outcome turned out to be. So I'm taking some deep breaths and staying open to what else we find as options. Tomorrow's tours will be very informative. On a different note, I didn't realize you have a greenhouse! That's awesome. That must make winter growing so much easier. Do you have veggies in there too or mostly the orchids?

Ava - What's ANZAC day? I mean, I know what it stands for (thanks to google) but what do people typically do on this day?


Hellos and waves everyone. Happy Hump Days to you all!

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Greetings Nesters,

I’m dealing with a very loopy 6 month old kitten this evening. He had his neutering done this morning & I’m pretty sure he’s still drugged. He’s been using a front paw to stir the water in bowl to the point of having overflowing all over the place, haha!

Wags, I hope you found something good in your tours today. I’m doing my best to listen to the wisdom of the universe too. I spent way too many years trying to make things work ‘my way’. Turns out that was just dumb so no more of that for me.
My husband got a sizable severance check when he retired from his retirement job (if that makes sense). He wanted a greenhouse so that’s how it got one. He grows lots of plants that he takes to the local auction where the Amish sell their veggies & things. It’s a nice little cash cow. He grows orchids easily in there along with lots of greens for the kitchen & whatever else he feels like growing. Basically it keeps him out of my hair haha!! Outside the greenhouse in raised beds he grows tons of garlic & onions & theusual summer veggies. Good thing we like veggies

Hello to all & wishing everyone a safe night in the nest!

Lav

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hey Lav - here we are again, eh? I hope your kitten has a gentle return to reality when the drugs wear off. Your greenhouse sounds pretty amazing, and I'm sure it keeps your husband busy during several parts of the year.

My wife and I toured two new possible care homes for my dad today. The first one was awesome! It's a small (14 residents) memory care wing in a larger retirement community. It looked and smelled clean (but not like "cleaning supplies"), the residents we saw looked happy, the room my dad would have is quite large with good sunlight, and his nextdoor neighbor would be a guy in his mid-late-80s who sounds kinda like my dad (well-read, well-educated, but having memory issues). The second care home was a definite NO. It smelled and people looked totally depressed. I'm going to sleep on it, but if it still feels good in the morning we're going to move forward with the first place.

Please send positive energy and good vibes to us so that *if* this is really a good direction to go, things will unfold relatively smoothly.

Good nights and days everyone. Hope you're all having good weeks!