July Jewels

[Lavande]

Good morning friends!

I think I'm slowly coming back to life here - what a week!
My head has dried up but now I'm developing a cough, ugh. These summer viruses are nasty!

Dill, glad your peace has been restored. It's hard having extended family staying at your home. I think I'm done with all that to be perfectly honest. Sometimes the grandkids seem to be less of a bother, I'm used to them being here

I think I'm going to try to get to Curves a little later because I haven't been there since Monday.
Greetings to Star, hope your trip is going OK.
Hellos to Cyn, Pauly & Papmom. Wishing everyone a great AF Friday!

Lav

[dill]

Lav, I don't know how to avoid having the occasional overnight visitor. My SIL drove a fair distance to be here and is not able to afford a hotel room. We have extra beds so it is only logical that she would stay here. But I am glad it is a rare occurrence! I think the best word for how I felt having her here was "flummoxed". She is difficult to be with for any extended period of time. She is tactless and opinionated and critical. Much easier to have grandchildren than aging relatives.

Star, thinking of you.

Hi Cyn and Pauly.

It's a beautiful sunny day here. I was up early and had a quiet pre-dawn walk in the fields of newly baled hay. What a wonderful start to the day. Have a good one, All.

[treegirl]

Morning all -

Lav - take care and don't push yourself too much. The cough with this cold is very 'trying'...and can go on a long time. You might try your apple cider vinegar fixes, that seemed to help me. Good luck!

Dill - so glad you have your house back to yourself. Your last guest sounds like a real winner! LOL. I loved the image of you walking through the fields of newly-baled hay - that sweet smell is wonderful.

Still trying to figure out the Podcasts. I've got the 'pods' done, and actually have published one on a wordpress website, but the RSS feed isn't working, so I can't set up an ITunes channel. Listen to me, like I know what I'm talking about - which I don't! I'm the least likely person to have to figure this out. I've never downloaded a podcast in my life - or even books! I remember years ago, Dill when you were already ahead of the curve, downloading audio books from the library. I was only contracted to produce these for this organization, not also to have to figure out how to 'publish' them. Gotta love working for non-profits. But of course there's no one there with the expertise to figure it out, no money to pay anyone, and no time for them to get it done! So....it's up to me. I may pay someone to figure it out - I've put literally hundreds of hours in on this project, so I want people to be able to access it!!!!

Getting ready for the big exodus on Tuesday. I figured out yesterday (between visits to the vet and a new gynecologist) that I need to have 42 cups of mixed vegies ready for the dog sitter, along with bagging the frozen nuggets, and 30 cups of bean mix for the 'snacks', etc. I'm on it! At least no visitors this weekend, and I'm alone here so I can actually get some things done.

Thank goodness for the AF life, right?! Cheers all - hi Pauly, blessings on you Star, take care Pap.

[treegirl]

PS - we've been having absolutely gorgeous days here - hope everyone has. SO grateful for cool dry days in July!

[Lavande]

Good morning Cyn & everyone

You need a fulltime assistant Cyn ~ geez!
I have zero knowledge on uploading pod casts, sorry. I hope you can find some help to get the job done.
The weather has been gorgeous the past few days, I agree. Good luck with everything on your to do list

Dill, I hope you are enjoying this nice weather too. I don't mind waking up early if it means I can get out & do something enjoyable.
My relatives have all become so weird I don't even want them around anymore. My two remaining brothers won't even talk to me on Facebook any more - isn't that nice? I think it's better if we just leave one another alone.

Greetings to Star, Pauly & Papmom. Hope everyone is OK!!

I'm heading out soon to pick up chicken feed & see a local grower about getting some fig trees - yum!
Have a great AF Saturday!

Lav

[dill]

This is another quickie from my end. I got off to a fairly slow start today and had a lot I needed to get done. Bad comination! And I had offered to have the grandkids for a night so once the chores were done it was time to climb in the car to go pick them up. It's time for bed now and am just hopping on here while they eat their bedtime snack.

Cyn, I am very impressed! I know you'll get the podcast thing figured out.

Lav, I don't go on facebook at all anymore. I used to want to follow along with family news that way but I had a couple of nieces that would make political statements that would really get under my skin so I just stopped going there!

Have a good Saturday night.

[Lavande]

Good Sunday morning friends!

Hot & humid is the word for the day, oh well. Looks like they're predicting another heat wave for this week.

Dill, I tried & tried to keep the family together after my mother passed away in 1986. I was fairly successful for a while but I grew tired of doing all the work & having to beg my brothers to participate in 'family' stuff. They prefer to be on their own, so be it I guess. We had a little contact on Facebook for a while but they grew very argumentative & nasty. I'm not going to allow them to destroy my peace of mind.
I hope you enjoyed your overnight guests!

Well, we did go pick up 4 baby fig trees yesterday. They are different varieties so this should be interesting

Star, I hope your visit with your Dad is going well.

Cyn, I know you are busy prepping for your trip. I hope everything is going according to plan.

Greetings Pauly & Papmom - check in please.

Wishing everyone a wonderful AF day!
Today is garlic harvesting day, ha ha.

Lav

[dill]

Fig trees? That is something we have never tried. I look forward to hearing about this project of yours! Lav, families are all so crazy in their own ways. Mr. D's family was always close and mine was not. I have just two living brothers at this point and I am on good terms with each of them, but we really don't communicate very often. The one I would be most likely to spend time with if we were geographically close is living in Louisiana, so that is out. I think of my brothers and wish them well, but we are not a big part of each other's lives.

I did enjoy the grandkids and then the solitude afterward. Not much happening here today beyond that.

Have a good night one and all!

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

It was an intense visit, not all of it pleasant. I am glad to be home. Really glad to be home. Running late so will catch up tomorrow. You all sound well and busy. Good. Have a great Monday.

[Lavande]

Good Monday morning friends!

Star, sorry your trip was so intense. I have been thinking about you :hug:
Hope your day goes OK.

Dill, I am intrigued with the fig trees growing in Longwood Garden's vegetable garden areas. I remember a neighbor growing one in his yard when I was a kid. I love figs & they are just hard to find around here so growing some seems like a good idea. Once they are outside & planted they will have to be protected for the winters but the grower gave us some good tips. I like the idea of growing 'almost forgotten food'
As far as my brothers go - they can just live their lives on their own. I understand they don't even communicate with each other. I still harbor a bit of resentment that they never lifted a finger to help out with our parents when they needed help & support. That was their choice.

Greetings to Cyn - are you packed & ready to go? Wishing you a safe & wonderful trip!

Hello to Pauly & Papmom,

I'm watching the boys today starting at 10 am & it's looking like it's going to rain off & on all day. I'll try to get them outside between rain showers
Have a great day everyone!

Lav

[dill]

Good Morning!

Star, :hug: I am glad you are home. I'm not surprised that the trip was intense. How else could it be, given the circumstances? I'm sure you are happy to be at home, sweet home.

Lav, when my parents were aged and dying, my brother who lived closest took on most of the burden. I went to visit as often as I could and helped. My other brothers were too far away to be much help, but they were as supportive as they could be. I and the brother near by both had power of attorney in medical matters and we talked things over with each other when decisions had to be made. Those were difficult times. I don't think I could have gone thru that alone. I'm sorry your brothers weren't more supportive.
I looked up fig trees and they aren't recommended for our growing zone which is zone 6. They do have some cold hardy varieties but they do take extra care in the winter. The only time I've ever eaten figs was in the Fig Newtons and I do love them. Have fun!

Hello Cyn and Pauly. Papmom?

[treegirl]

Quick hello all -

Not packed yet, Lav, but I have everything together in a 'staging' area in the GBR. I try to keep it under wraps because the poor poochies really suffer once they've seen a suitcase. Just finished the dog laundry at the laundromat...I wish I could stay here while the dog beds are not smelly! Lucky pet sitter!

Dill - take care -

Star - big hugs from this corner, too.:hug::hug: I'm glad you're home, and that you're glad to be home, too. Such intense times for you. Take care.

More of everything today - I won't head out tomorrow for the drive to Kennedy until around 2, so I should actually be able to finish most things up. Off to pay the bills and manage money now. Too hot to be outside!

[Lavande]

Happy packing Cyn & I hope you have a safe & smooth trip tomorrow.
Check in with us when you can or check in Facebook. I'll keep an eye out for you :hug:

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Feeling back to normal, so grateful to be home. I feel that now I can really get back on track with eating healthy, getting in a little exercise, and getting to and maintaining a healthier weight.

Dill, thanks for sharing some of your story regarding caring for sick and aging parents. I did not mean to give the wrong impression, my brothers are great, they just went another weekend. With texting and emailing, we are in constant contact, so that makes it easier. They continue to poison my poor Dad with more chemo, when he is already so weak he can barely get up and down on his chair. My brother finally read an article I gave him about how doctors are so inhumane, just giving treatments, not talking to the patient, or thinking about quality of life or what their treatments are doing to destroy health. It is almost like a competition. Doctors are so dishonest, this new chemo has a very very slim chance of working, side effects can be deadly, a minimal amount of people have been helped. Very sad, but there is nothing to be done, he can make his own choices.

Lav, so, this is a time to focus on gratitude: summer, clean house, good healthy food, peace, useful work,and health! That is just to get started. Hope your cough is going away, you were exposed to so many sick little ones, it was a miracle you did not pick something up before this. I am also really grateful for air conditioning, or it would not be an enjoyable summer.

Bon voyage to Cyn, have a useful and wonderful time.

Pauly, miss you, read you are struggling. That is OK, that is part of the journey, but then to keep fighting and to come out on the other side.

Have a terrific Tuesday. Hey, we need to start thinking about August names, August is right around the corner. Can you believe it?

[dill]

Hello Friends,
Star, both my inlaws died of cancer. They both went thru chemo. It is hard not to go that route if it is what the doctors tell you is your best chance at life. It is a dreadful treatment but in many cases it is the best modern medicine has to offer at this point in our understanding. Much progress has been made and many cures have been accomplished as medicine makes its steady progress. I look forward to the day when there is a true breakthru and we can look back at chemo thru the lens of history. Surely its barbarity will be seen and understood in that light, but it is the best tool in the tool box at the moment. Just like back in the dark ages when bleeding the patient was thought to be a cure. I continue to hope for the best for your dad. I'm glad for him that he has children that are there for him during all this.

Cyn, safe travels. We'll be thinking of you. I think it is funny how you had to hide your suitcases from the dogs! They are so observant, aren't they. They will have good care and the comfort of their home territory until you return.

Lav, I do hope you are feeling tip top! What are you up to today?

Hya Pauly.

I'm off to see what I can get into today. Have a good af Tuesday everyone!