24th March

[Lavande]

Hey kids, how’s everyone?
We had a mostly cloudy day but it was dry. I’m just hearing on the news that we’ve had > 7” of rain this month. No wonder there’s so much mud.
I sent a few Happy Easter messages to old work friends today. One responded right away & we got to asking about our families. Turn out one of them has a bipolar son-in-law who hasn’t worked in a year & has been nasty with extended family. Her daughter is home with 5 kids & Has been silent about having financial problems. My friend said she just paid off a $27,000 credit card bill for them, geez. I didn’t know she has been dealing with bipolar illness in her family too. My son has been on a camping trip with the grandsons for the past 3 days but heading home tonight. I hope he had a chance to relax & regroup.

PQ, did you really order more snow? LOL
I hope today was quiet & tomorrow even better for you.

Mick, thanks, I will start taking a picture of my shopping list too. Good to have a backup.
I’ll have to look into cat deterrents, there must be something out there. My cats stay on our large lot - so far anyway. I’d be annoyed if my neighbor’s cats came over to my yard too.

Slo, like yo I’ve slept better the past two nights. That Worm moon was a rough one for sure. Glad you were able to get out with some family yesterday, sounds nice. Thank sfor teh Congrats, I’m happy with myself for staying on course despite all of life’s BS.

Hello to Cyn, hope you can check in soon.

Hello to Pie & Wags, hope you are well.

have a nice night all!
Lav

[porqoui]

MAE ALL...well that's a wrap, off for 4 days now. The weather turned as expected, overcast and a bitter wind, but no snow however we'll see if shows up overnight. Tomorrow will be a cool day and then we're on the way up to 17C/63F by Tuesday. I'm hoping to get and do some shoe shopping tomorrow. It's a chore I hate, have a hard time finding anything that fits. Will have to see what stores are open.

Mick...so frustrating about the neighbours cat, it sounds like if he could do something about it he would. There's got to be an answer, I'll reach out like Lav is going to. Yup, off tomorrow and Monday. I do think I need to spend some of that time getting the community garden registration up and running. With all this snow people haven't been harassing me but I know it's coming.

Slo...glad you're on the upside now that the full moon is done. Now you just have to work on the sugar cravings, hard time with Easter upon us. LOL Sounds like you had a nice visit with your Aunt and Uncle. The farm-to-table restaurant sounds like a place I'd like eat at. Scary about the resident crashing into the underground parking garage door. Yup, today was my Friday and it was nice and quiet, got a head start on attendance sheets for the Spring Programs starting on Tuesday. Another bonus, the accountant is taking Tuesday off. LOL

Lav...you had record rain for the month, we had record snow for the month. It's just unfortunate that it all came over a 4 day period. LOL It's hard to explain bipolar to people who have never experienced someone with it. I know when things became obvious to our friends & family that something was wrong with my ex. I felt like a Professor continually explaining the signs, symptoms and course of treatment. Should have just recorded it so I could press play with every phone call. Although bipolar is a chemical imbalance in the brain, mental health can be so complicated. I woke up this morning to the news that 2 bridges into our downtown core were shut down. The traffic congestion was horrendous. Turns out there was a guy sitting on top of one of the bridges, very angry yelling about his wife and the "pigs" (cops). It started at 10pm last night and as of 6pm tonight, he's still up there.

Thinking of Pi, TG, Wags and Sam, hoping all is good. Have a good night all....PQ

[treegirl]

Mae all - so sorry to be away... I don't remember the last post, or what I said. My step-daughter was in town last week - she'll be moving here in May and she found and secured her apartment, so the visit was well worth it, but sharing a 1 bedroom is not so easy... I am still tired. And of course I still worked. The saddest news is that my sweet elder had a massive stroke and was in the hospital unconscious... I heard from one of the family members I am closest to. Her 3 kids gathered in town... I think maybe there was a lot of discussion about how to handle end-of-life, and probably some differing opinions. But several days later I got the message that she had passed away. It leaves me quite forlorn - not unexpected, of course, but we had a loving relationship and had so much in common, we laughed a lot. And I brought her food ever day. I wonder how long it will be before I stop thinking of what to take over to her for dinner. Very sad.
I also have a cousin in the hospital now - she's had major (robotic) surgery - they took a part of her pancreas, plus the gall bladder and spleen. So I am taking things to the hospital for her and her husband. And then there's my SIL who is still convalescing from her major (emergency) gut surgery... I am putting together a little Easter dinner for Sunday so that my brother can get a break.

Off to work at 5 AM tomorrow, so I'll close now. Thinking of everyone and hoping all is well. More soon, promise -
TG

[Mick]

hiya all how are we doing? hope all is well .Went out this morning to Daisy Nook country park ...the original idea was to photograph the kingfisher ...everyone in greater Manchester has seen it ..that is apart from me ...and that still stands !!.We are in the middle of thunderstorms now .
hiya Slo how are you doing this fine day then?hope all is well .Are you doing anything over Easter ?hope you have a decent time .

hiya Lav..how are thing doing with you then?hope all is good .thats some bill your friends lad clocked up..yep looking into cat deterrents too,,Im sure the problem is going to be resolved .Have you got the family for Easter?whatever it is hope its a good one,

hiya ppqp ...how are you doing? hope all is good .have you got anything going on over the Easter period either at work or home?yes Ive no issue with the neighbours ..Im sure their cat will find other facilities.you take care and have a great weekend .

hiya teegee ..great to see you .Im sorry to hear about your friend .especially with the bond you had with her .Its the one thing none of us has a pass card for ..we all say farewell to planet earth at some stage ..make the most of what we have .What are you doing over Easter .?whatever it is stay safe ..

hiya pie sam wags pauly ,sf ,det and everyone else who has passed under the quit drinking portals over the years ...wishing you all the best for Easter

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[Lavande]

Good evening friends,

Sunny here with a lot of wind making it feel cold although it was in the low 50’s. No rain or snow though, thank goodness! Went to the food store for a few things, apparently everyone else did too - so crowded.
I ended up making a pizza in my little oven again with dairy free cheese & mushroom, onion & spinach toppings, yum.

PQ, I hope you have a fabulous 4 days off & find a pair of shoes! I have had no choice but to become very picky with shoes for my worn out achy feet. Forget fancy dress shoes, Lol
In the past I always found bipolars to be ‘annoying’. They weren’t related to me, I didn’t have to have them in my house, etc. I truly believe she is bipolar but I think there’s more going on than that. I can’t talk to her because she feels SO superior to everyone else. My knowledge & experience means nothing to her & she’s told me that repeatedly. I choose to keep her out of sight, just let her spiral out & she will. She’s cost our son a good deal of money with some of her stupid ‘business’ stunts. That’s his problem, I feel bad for him but I’m not going to give her a dime to bail her out of her next fiasco. There will be another fiasco, trust me. My holiday weekend will be here, in peace & quiet & that’s fine.

Cyn, I’m very sorry to hear about your friend. Actually, at her age it’s kind of a good & quick departure rather than wasting away in a nursing home. I doubt she would have wanted that.
I hope her family remembers all your kindness & the support you’ve provided. Glad to hear your DIL has found herself a place, it will be nice having her nearby. Your family having surgeries, wow, sounds like a lot! I’m sure your brother appreciates your efforts. Get some rest so you keep your strength up, will be thinking of you.

Mick, I haven’t come up with a cat deterrent yet but I’ll find something. I have to go back to Amazon & see if that fox deterrent I have on my chicken fence will work on cats - you never know. So you’re having thunderstorms today, very spring-like haha! I decided to skip the usual holiday attempt to gather family & work myself half to death for 3 days cooking & baking. They all seem to have their own agendas right now, it’s fine with me.

Hello to Slo, Wags, Pie, Sam & anyone stopping in later.

Have a nice night all!
Lav

[Mick]

hiya all how are we today then? hope all is well..Some bad luck today ...my fault ..I was ready to go out early doors today with the camera,left the front room door open as I nipped upstairs ..came backdown ..and Bonnie had gone in and chewed all the wiring to the internet the landline and the remote for the heating ..So initially no television no intenet no computer ,phones or heating controls .of course it being easster the provider cant get anyone to even look at the job till Tuesday ..so with some bodging etc we have managed to get most of the stuff ..heating remote...I cobbled a wire together..phone nope ..internet ..we have a portable router we use in the van so we have got that running in the house ..changed all the setting on the television .we have also got an Amazon firestick so we can watch all our programmes through it ..re routed phones and laptops .

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rabbit isnt in a pie ...yet ..so I havent done a lot ..thats taken up a good chunk of the morning and by the way ...https://news.sky.com/story/do-not-ea...urges-13102425

hiya Lav ..yep Ive got them zackt same things ...they work but as I said I probably need more hope you have a great weekend
All the best to everyone

[Slo]

Hi all! It’s so good to hear from everyone, and hear your news.

TG, I’m so sorry that you have suddenly lost your dear friend, and are grieving. Well, at age 97, it was coming sooner rather than later; and at least it was fairly quick rather than lingering.
It’s good for me to hear about how difficult it is to have a house guest in a one-bedroom apartment, as I am entertaining the idea of finding a one-bedroom /one bath place for myself, since I am having difficulty keeping up this place with my physical impairments. I need to weigh the pros & cons.

Oh, it’s terrible what you all have gone through with the bi-polar people in your lives. Interesting, Lav, how your friend’s family with the son-in-law mirrors what you are going through with your DIL. You have good boundaries, Lav, in that it really is your son’s problem since he’s the one who married her.
I have had enough fallout in life from my mother’s type of Cluster B disorder: malignant NPD.

PQ, you really went through it with your bi-polar husband.
I hope you were rewarded in your shopping venture by actually finding some good shoes.
Crazy how one “crazy” closed down two major bridges!

Sorry about the mess that Bonnie made, Mick. Yikes!

I am comforted by the fact that Young Daughter is here with me overnight!
Yesterday I drove to my mother’s and had a meal there with my sister, Young Daughter, and D2 & Huxley! It enabled Great Grandma to see Huxley & everyone again, and for D2 to see her grandma’s new apartment.

Tomorrow I am hosting a short Easter dinner with D1 & D2 and their families, my twin sister, and D4 (Young Daughter). I am making scalloped potatoes & ham. I hope the four young grandchildren don’t cause too much destruction!

[Lavande]

Good evening friends,

We had a sunny day until we didn’t, haha! Clouds & light showers moved in, no big deal. Spent the afternoon baking up a braided sweet bread since it is Easter. It turned out HUGE, Lol.

Mick, methinks it’s time to muzzle a couple of bunnies! That would happen once around here & YB would be tossing them out the door, haha. Glad you were able to return most services until the repair guy gets there. It’s true the world has seen an increase in obesity & Type 2 DM. All you have to do is look back at pictures from the 70’s & see there were darn few morbidly obese people. We didn’t have but one or two as patients back then, I remember. I promise not to eat that entire sweet bread in one day!!!!

Slo, I’m glad you have some friendly company this weekend. Hopefully you’ll have plenty of help preparing that Easter dinner. Is your current condo on one level like an apartment would be? Lugging laundry & vacuum cleaners up stairs is a hassle. Maybe you could get someone in once or twice a month to help with the heavy cleaning until you find a new place. Just a thought anyway. Enjoy your weekend!

Hello to PQ, Cyn, Pie, Wags & everyone.

Wishing everyone a nice night & Happy Easter.
Lav