Spring September ~ Week 2

[Lavande]

Spring September ~ Week 2

Ah Rusty, I was just thinking about you & here you are so close to me
I imagine the rain is holding up things a bit at the air port. Have a safe trip home!

Dill, the aches & pains of aging are kind of hard to ignore. I think managing them in a healthy way is what we have to do. I am reading an e book right now about inflammation being at the root cause of almost everything
I am making a concerted effort to get to Curves more often ~ keeps me loose
I hope something opens up soon for your son. Has he ever thought about a civil service job? Police/fire/medic? With his military service he's good for extra points just walking in for the civil service exam. Just a thought

Yes, we've had rain but not the big storm the weather folks have been worrying about all day :H
I only have to (supposedly) watch the boys for 2 hrs tomorrow & we've been promised cooler weather, hope so anyway.

[Stargazerlily]

Spring September ~ Week 2

Good morning friends...

Lav, it cooled off here finally. It was so cool, standing on my deck, feeling autumn. The wind was coming off the north and it is low 50s right now, high 65. In my eyes perfect weather. I guess I was never too much of a people pleaser, did not finish school ( college) till an adult, so worked part time at jobs that did not pay well. I realize I did not miss anything as I will work over twenty years in my later adult life. It is OK. At home I always felt not good enough, wanted a career, degree, etc. I just did it backassward. Sounds as if being in a unsatisfactory marriage took its toll. Thank goodness you have such wonderful children and grandchildren. Plus, now you can do what you want when you want. I just felt lonely a lot at home, too much time on my hands. I like being busy, but not too busy. With you home business, you have lots of freedom. A good group of girlfriends would be nice too.

Dill, the adventure never ends with our sons. So sorry he lost his job, what a blow. My son has had to remake himself over and over. He will get a two year degree in a general area (a waste of time in my opinion) and will be looking for another job this winter. Then, more drama I am sure. Good grief. Hope your son is healing and getting it together. It takes time I know. I never see my daughter, she is so independent and lives hours away. So, I guess if my son lives here, at least I get to see him. On aging, I know what you mean. My body in some ways tells me I am aging, but my spirit feels young. I look in the mirror and think, I don't feel old.

Hi Rusty. Safe trip home. Beautiful cool weekend in store for you.

I am off today, errands, cleaning, reading and maybe a bike ride later in the day. Hope everyone has a great day.

[Lavande]

Spring September ~ Week 2

Good morning kids & Happy Friday the 13th

Yep, it has cooled down, thank goodness!
Just spent another crappy night being awakened over & over with hot flashes - yuck
I swear I think this is some sort of punishment.....

I think I'm going to do as little as possible today :H
But I am going to go to Curves first.

Star, I worked all the years my kids were growing up so I missed a lot with them. There's no perfect way to organize your life, don't you think? I don't feel old either provided I keep my thoughts positive

Have a great day one & all!
Lav

[Rusty]

Spring September ~ Week 2

Good Morning Everyone and TGIF!

I have a busy day at home, doing work for my sweet client, and I just wanted to quickly check in here and say hello to all my friends.

Dill-thank you for that lovely prayer....bursts of wisdom we can all use for every day. So sorry to hear about your son's job....was it because he was gone for so long with pancreatitis? I know he got a job in retail management and had to put in a lot of hrs. I agree wholeheartedly with Lav that he should try and get a civil service job that pays benefits. As a person who has been fired/laid off and out of work on a several occasions, I can tell you it chips away at your self-confidence. Even if he could get something....not even in a field he likes.....it would give him a reason to get up in the morning.

Pap-good job on getting out there and making that first step in an exercise program. I'm proud of you.

Lav-the chicks are just so cute. I laughed when Pap said their names are bigger than they are!:H Regarding loneliness, yes, I am trying to prepare myself mentally for the day that my mom is no longer around. She and I are so close, and really, she IS my social life. So, my plan to remain strong is to start volunteering and branching out and making more friends, and try and find hobbies that will keep me busy. Also, remaining AF MUST be part of this plan. Isolating is dangerous for me....and puts me down unsafe paths, and I'll be damned if I go down that road again. Sorry you are still having hot flashes....can your doc or nurse practitioner suggest some other meds? Also, my mother is a people pleaser and I ended up the same way!:upset: This is not a positive attribute in the business world. Management....particularly men, view that behavior as a sign of weakness and especially for women, it's looked upon as someone who needs and craves other people's approval on a daily basis. I really have had to work hard NOT to be that person. It gets you nowhere.

Star-I feel badly that you can't see your daughter more often. :l That alone must make it difficult....as you have your son and your husband, but not another woman to commiserate with, or to at least be in your corner and spirit when you feel outnumbered. I feel the same way as you do:

My body in some ways tells me I am aging, but my spirit feels young. I look in the mirror and think, I don't feel old.

A shout out ot Cyn and Witts.....please check in!

Hope everyone is enjoying their day.

[papmom3]

Spring September ~ Week 2

Hi Ho everyone! Day 2/Week 1 DONE!! It was rainy, dark and very warm this morning when I started out. That plus a malfunction with the podcast I use to coach me almost made me give up but I didn't! I readjusted, used the timer app on my phone and the TuneIn Radio app and made it through. The toughest part again was getting out of bed! Instead of hitting the snooze 3 times I tried to ignore the alarm. At some point I fell back asleep with it beeping and had a dream I couldn't find where the alarm clock was and started breaking everything I saw looking for it so I could turn it off! So funny and weird!! Finally got up for real!

The workout this morning didn't energize me at all tho. I was very sleepy all day long and proofing for 8 hours didn't help. Got myself a nice pedi afterwork as a treat and feel so much better!

Working all weekend but Sunday I'm working 5 min from my dad's house and after work I'm going over there to say hello to my 90 yo Aunt who flew up from SC today. She's staying with my dad for 3 weeks so I'm hoping I'll get to see a lot of her. Could be my last chance. last time she visited was 10 years ago I think!

I too feel young in spirit although wiser but hate what I see in the mirror and double hate the aches and pains that don't ever seem to go away.]

Rusty-glad you finally made it home. Don't you just love Mystic?? Such a cool town and place to visit.

Lav-hope the cooler weather will mean the end of hot flashes for a while!! It nice here at last! Keep those cute chick pics coming!!

Dill-good wishes to your son that his job hunt is short and fruitful.

Star-I'm so jealous you only work 4 days a week and 4 hours a day? Heaven!! Enjoy your bike rides while the weather allows!

Have a good nite everyone-will check in tomorrow.

[Rusty]

Spring September ~ Week 2

Good Morning!

Time to get up! Ok, since I'm the first one up.....well except for Witts, I'll get us started this morning.

Yesterday afternoon, after a hard day's work, I treated myself to eyelash extensions, a massage, and a scalp massage. Heavenly! While waiting for my next service, I was reading the July issue of Marie Claire Magazine, and there was an article about how women and men with children are allowed to leave work early, and are not asked to work weekend hours, just because they have kids, while single women with no kids are asked to take on extra projects, even if it means working extra hours at home and on weekends. I have believed this for years: single people are always discriminated against in the workplace. This article highly recommends that women stand up for themselves and go to the HR dept. if necessary. NO, we don't have kids, but we have lives and we should be allowed to leave early if we are taking a job-related class, as long as we make those arrangements with our bosses ahead of time. Pap, I thought of you instantly. I also believe that sick kids, soccer games, etc. have always been a way-too easy excuse for both men and women to leave work early, while we single people don't have a better excuse so the work gets dumped on our laps. Your thoughts, friends? I wish we had some men on this thread once in a while.:H Where is Mr. G when we need him?

Short post today, friends. I have a fun day filled with workouts, a walk along the lake path, and then some business tasks.

I leave for Washington, DC tomorrow for work. I will be working in Alexandria, VA and will be staying in Old Town, Alexandria, a lovely enclave of boutiques and restaurants.

To everyone, have a lovely Saturday.

[Lavande]

Spring September ~ Week 2

Good morning friends

Enjoying some cool air here - finally

Rusty, I've heard of the work discrimination you described but never experienced that myself. The organizations I worked for didn't give a flying damn who or what you were outside of work. Weekend, holiday & OT work was just expected from all of us & we were a 99.5% female staff :H
Be grateful our stinky east coast weather pattern has finally improved
Hope you have a good trip!

I just want to send some time outside catching up with stuff I have ignored. No other exciting plans for me!
Have a great AF day everyone!

Lav

[Stargazerlily]

Spring September ~ Week 2

Good morning to all...

Rusty, I agree with you that having kids should not mean you get to do less work! Unfair. I would protest if that ever happened in my workplace. I am not usually a people pleaser, get annoyed at work if I am picked on and speak up appropriately. But, at my last job, it did no good. Your Saturday sounds a bit like mine: walking outside, bike riding, a little work from work. Then, we are making pizzas at home and watching football.

Pap, I work 4 days a week, but usually ten hours a day. I just had a slow day this Thursday and ended up working six hours. I would love to work 2-3 days a week, 20-25 hours, but need the income. My current job has no benefits, vacation. So, if my husband is out of work I need to find a job with those things. Right now I am OK.

Lav, I hate when I go through periods of intense hot flashes. I get them every day, some days worse then others. I did not sleep well either, the change in the weather causes more hot flashes for me. Right now enjoying my coffee, hope you have a good cup too.

Dill, hey ho, lovely day ahead.

Witts end, hope you are OK.

Have a great Saturday.

[Lavande]

Spring September ~ Week 2

Back again

Star, I have done more research on hot flashes than you can imagine. Guess what? There is nothing new in the news, no help or cure. I am sure I have tried everything!
I think we need to be mindful, stay positive (no matter how hard it is to do so) & hope for the best!

I stopped back in to mention something about the value of online friendships
Our old friend Kaslo has been helping me out this week on Facebook - bless her!!!!
I repost something almost daily for my Facebook friends on health promotion. When I read something that 'speaks to me' I repost it there & sometimes post a link here.
My younger brother has been responding to my posts this week with colorful 4 letter words, rather unbecoming for a Monsanto employee. I reposted an article this week re the possible link between the use of Roundup on our food supply & the increase in estrogen fueled tumors (breast cancer). He went nuts on me demanding hard core research ~ that's where Kaslo jumped in & kicked his butt! Love her :H:H

Star, how do we not know that the indiscriminate use of Roundup may be the cause of the increase in endocrine disorders, hormone imbalances & more? More reason to go ORGANIC!

[dill]

Spring September ~ Week 2

Hello online Friends,

Wow Rusty, your travels are taking you to some really cool spots! I've been to Mystic years ago and loved it. Will you have time to site-see in D.C.? Hope so! I'm so glad you mentioned Blame. I'm really enjoying it. And, yes, I think he lost his job as a result of the illness. It caused him to miss work (not good in a new job) and he was feeling so poorly when he did go back to work (too soon) that he made mistakes I think. Yes he was in retail, and had some awful hours.

Pap, well done on day 2, week one! I think once you get into the habit, your energy levels really will go up. It's early tho, and if you are as out of shape as I am, exercise will probably wear you out until you build up your endurance. At least that's what I think.

Star, there is a whole generation of young met languishing due to this horrible economy. It really breaks my heart. It also angers me if I dwell on it because I am absolutely sure it doesn't have to be this way.

Lav, this weather today is perfect! Don't you just love it? I sure do.

Happy AF Saturday everyone.

[papmom3]

Spring September ~ Week 2

evening all!
rusty-have a great trip to DC!! I don't think I've ever been to Old Towne but it sure sounds lovely!!

Dill-I hope you are right about needing to get used to the exercise. My headphones have a new battery (that was the problem yesterday, not the podcast) and I found an arm band at Walmart for my phone. Alarm is set for 6. Day 3 here I come!

Lav-this weather is just awesome! I no longer see posts from Kas. Wonder if she dropped me from FB? Glad she was able to come to your defense! She is so brilliant and passionate!!

Star-I think I would panic big time if I had a job with no bennies but often times I dream of being a consultant or being my own boss and that would mean no bens. I don't think I've ever experienced outright discrimination because I am single. But, I have experienced disapproval when I had to call in because my pets were sick. The married with children employees in all my jobs, women mostly, were always cut slack if a kid was sick or a parent or whatever. I never felt that type of acceptance. I mean really, I took one hour off to put Freddy down and then went right into work. Why wouldn't I be afforded the same benefit as someone who lost a human member of the family? he was one of my kids as far as I was concerned. Anyway, I'm expected to put in extra hours, not because I am single and childless but because I'm a "professional" and every one else in the office (except my boss) is union and hourly. it's always been this way. But I have no doubt the discrimination happens in the corporate world in a big world.

Well, I better try to get some sleep so I don't have an excuse for not doing my program tomorrow!! Nite nite!!

[Stargazerlily]

Spring September ~ Week 2

Good morning...

Pap, I was so excited yesterday (this is exercise related). I found an elliptical at a garage sale for 5 bucks, it had wheels on it, and it is now in the master bedroom. So, I plan on starting out 10 minutes a day, then my yoga, and deep breathing. I always go slow, I do not like pain. We can do this. It always feels good when exercise is part of the routine...I know I am lucky to have a four day a week job, only because I have benefits through marriage. Otherwise, it would not work, one operation, broken bone, without insurance it would be bankruptcy.

Lav, yes I know that spraying vegetation with poison is not good...common sense, no? Plus the chemicals in our eggs, meat, it is no wonder all these new disorders are so prevalent. I just don't go on FB much, don't want or need the drama, but do like the catching up with people. Sorry your brother is such a meanie and company man. Don't you want to tell him to think for himself? I notice hot flashes get worse when I eat processed, weather changes, stressful times. But with my experience, better than having periods. THAT was a nightmare for me for years. I try to plan positive thinking daily, deep breathing most days, inspirational reading. Today, I am going to reread The Full Catastrophe by Kabat-Zinn. I want to set up a program for myself from the Mindfullness based stress reduction program. Intention and purposefully focusing my thoughts is really helpful in keeping positive. I know you do too.

Dill, glad you are enjoying your book. We are readers. My son works full time and does not make enough to survive..I cannot imagine with kids. There are not a whole lot of jobs that are 9-5 Monday through Friday anymore. I also think certification or training in a specific skill is important in getting a decent job, what do you think? Hope your son is healing and finding his way. This weather is so awesome, perfect, cool, comfortable. I love it. I decorated the outside of my house for Halloween yesterday, ghosts flying from my trees, I need to get lights. I love this time of year.

Wittsend, greetings.

Rusty, safe travels.

Have a great Sunday.

[Rusty]

Spring September ~ Week 2

Good Morning Everyone,

In a rush here to get to the airport but I just wanted to pop in and say hello before I leave.

Dill-I am going to Alexandria for work. This is the corporate office of the company I was at last week. This company builds ships for the Navy. As far as sightseeing.....no, I lived in both Alexandria and DC when I was in graduate school, so there isn't a whole lot I want to see. I am so glad you like Blame. It gets better with a second read. I hope your son is able to find another job soon. He must be so down.

Lav-now I'm having hot flashes!:H They must be contagious. So sorry to hear your childish younger brother berated you on FB. I'm glad Kaslo came to your rescue and set him straight. 4 Letter Words????? Was that really necessary? You're right....conduct very unbecoming of a Monsanto employee. As far as organic, that's where I've been leaning when it comes to food.

Star-great job on getting the eliptical for $5! I love ellipticals. Put on some great music and pound out your frustration. I'm happy for you. I, too, love this time of year. The weather here yesterday was gorgeous and I was thrilled to enjoy it AF.

Pap-I have to carry my own benefits as a consultant but I have a lifesaver....disability insurance. It works like a Flexible Spending Account, so the money ($495) per month I deposit just sits there until i need it. If I don't ever need it, when I retire, I will have saved about $89K. Right now, if I were to become disabled and wouldn't be able to work, after 60 days, I would be able to collect $5,000/month in disability insurance.

Hello to Witts, Cyn, and all our missing loved ones....got to get to the airport. Have a lovely AF Sunday.

[Lavande]

Spring September ~ Week 2

Good morning friends!

I suppose we should be starting a new week, oh well :H
It is nice & cool here, 43 degrees at the moment. Fewer overnight hot flashes, go figure.

I am at the point in my life where I feel I need to exclude toxic people. Is this going to mean I have to exclude every extended family member?
My kids & grandkids are just fine, even YB is coming around & not a problem but the majority of the rest of them have become the pits!
I don't even want to talk to my brother about his job at Monsanto, the damage they are doing to the planet & it's inhabitants. That's on his conscious! He had no business opening his damn mouth & attempting to bully me around on Facebook because of my beliefs - screw him
Kaslo saw what was going on & really challenged him - she is awesome

Who's a hypocrite? My daughter pointed out something to me yesterday.....
My brother & his wife are California hippie-style tree huggers, vegan eaters, attend the Burning Man event, etc. while both working for Monsanto :H

Enough about them. I got a good deal of outside cleanup done yesterday & will do more today. Baby chicks are growing fast & eating like little machines!

Have a great AF Sunday papmom, Star, Dill, Rusty & everyone!
Lav

[dill]

Spring September ~ Week 2

Star and Rusty, thanks for your comments re: my son. Yes, he is quite down about being out of work, but he is soldiering on. He's beating the bushes and trying to find a new job. Something will come along. And yes, Star, I think specific training is a big help. I don't think college degrees are as much value these days as are certification programs.

Pap, did you get your workout in this morning? I hope so and I hope it is getting easier.

Nice day here. The weather was perfect once again. Mr. D and I took a long, leisurely walk in the woods. Not much else was accomplished today. Just a day of rest.