Fabulous Freedom February

[dill]

Hello and happy hump day!
I'm just hopping on real quick to say hi. We are having some storms here and the electricity has been out for some time. It just came back on. I have to get dinner going and do other things that were interrupted by the power outage, so no time to post. Usually we have no problem with power outage because of the back up generator. But something went wrong with it too! Grrrr! We don't know what or why.

Have a good af evening. I'll try to catch up tomorrow.

[Lavande]

Pauly, I have had to turn into a real control freak where food is concerned for me, ha ha!! I just don't want to eat what everyone else considers 'normal' & feel sick all the time, ugh!

Cyn, good luck with your presentation
I told my kids that if they wanted to go to grad school that they were on their own for that cost. I paid for 4 years of college for each of them then I retired, LOL

Dill, we have had thunderstorms & tornado warnings since dinnertime. Still have power, I feel fortunate so far.
The last time our generator didn't automatically kick on we found out that the big car battery inside the thing was dead - duh. We replaced the battery but it still doesn't turn on automatically, it has to be started by hand, not a big deal. I hope your power stays on now.

Peace & safety to all tonight!

[dill]

Wind, rain and power outages yesterday, snow on the ground this morning! Luckily the power has stayed on. We have an appointment scheduled for Monday to have our generator problem diagnosed and hopefully fixed.

It was a shock to my system this morning when I could not log in to MWO! I'm glad we're back up and running.

Cyn, I hope your presentation went well and brings you the result you hope for. And wow! You and Mr. T have been very good to SD. There are many young adults struggling these days in this job market. I hope I'm not still helping my son as long as you have carried SD, but we do what we must.

Lav, Star and Pauly, let's all have a good Thursday!
Lav,

[treegirl]

Hi all -

Holy Cow, what a storm here last night. I feel so fortunate that none of our old huge trees came down in that wind -- it sounded like a freight train was going through our property for hours and hours. Some big roads are closed for tree removal, so I feel lucky. We made a decision last fall to have some trees taken down that were close to our power coming in from the road... though it was expensive, now I feel that we made the right decision - that power line didn't get ripped off of the house because of a treefall - WHEW!

Dill, sorry about your generator issue - we don't have one here, so I'm always crossing fingers. But with a gas stove, we're at least always able to cook on the stovetop. Hope you get caught up today.

Lav - smart choice on your kid's education. I'm marrying into this situation, but I think it's the right thing - in fact I suggested it. HB is using the money that he would have left her after his passing, and instead is paying down the loan. It's for Law School; she got the degree at the insistence of her Dad, but was always pretty sure she didn't want to be a lawyer. So now she's in public health, and the weight of that loan on her would have made life really difficult. Still, she's darn lucky!! I don't know what she would do if we didn't help... declare bankruptcy, I guess.

Pauly - how is it going? Are you finding good stuff to eat that isn't poisoned by additives?! Hope so -

Star - how is the piano playing going? I hope the painters are done by now - PS - paint fumes can be kind of a problem for us, just like food additives - i would crack a window in the painted rooms, if you can...

Thanks, all, I did the presentation and finally feel like some action may come from it. Crossing fingers. In the meantime, I'm working on optimizing my health and getting back to full energy. Otherwise I won't be able to do the jobs I want to do! Being healthy is EVERYTHING -- good job all on keeping an AF life ---

Cheers -

[Lavande]

Good afternoon friends!

Glad the site is back up.
Also very glad I was able to get to my granddaughter's house OK this morning.
Those violent storms spawned a tornado last evening in Amish country, not far from home. They lost a lot of property & a school but I haven't heard anything about injuries. The news helicopters are showing buildings with the roofs & upper floors ripped off. How sad!!!
I almost feel guilty because we had no problems whatsoever.

Dill, snow? Really???
It's supposed to be near 60 degrees here Sunday so I hope you get the warmth too.

Cyn, glad you are safe & your presentation went well
That has to be a relief!!
We were straight up & open with our kids. They were told that if they stayed out of trouble as teenagers that we would pay for college so they could start off in life without school loans. It was a good deal for all of us I think. My son is taking classes (off & on) towards another degree but his employer is picking up the tab. My daughter is accumulating loans for her change of career schooling but they won't be too bad. Funny how things work out. I always thought my daughter should go to law school but she wasn't interested.

Hello to Star & Pauly.
Have a great AF day everyone.

Lav

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Well, the painting job has turned into a challenge...the workers stated they would be done yesterday, I gave them the final check, and when I came home, my house was still torn up and not one room was finished. I am furious. No note, no phone call, nothing. I was able to get in contact and one of the workers became ill, so they left. Of course the check was cashed, and they are supposed to come back today. We'll see. In the meantime, I am up at 4:30, preparing what I will do when they show up or don't show up. Not good.

Our weather was not bad, despite what the warnings were on TV. We got a half an inch. Seriously. That was the good part of my day.

Hope you are all doing well, are safe and warm. Sorry I am so crabby this morning, but I am. Have a good one.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends, happy Friday!

Star, geez I am sorry you have to deal with that issue. Finding reputable contractors is difficult. Have you ever heard of 'Angie's List'? I started a subscription with them while I was here on my own just in case I needed help with something. I like that you can pick contractors based on reviews of people in your own area. I hope you can get this resolved very soon.

Waiting for my granddaughter to wake up. She should be thrilled, he long awaited 5th birthday is today
He parents will be here at dinnertime, the grandsons & their parents as well for a little party. I will be busy getting ready for the crowd.

Hello to Dill, Cyn & Pauly.
Have a great AF day everyone!

Lav

[treegirl]

Morning all -

Star, what a difficulty!!! SO sorry, dang. I really get it - having things torn up in your house is the worst. I'm sending you good energy to get this all resolved. Good luck - be a warrior!

Lav - i saw those tornadoes on a weather map, and wondered if you were being affected. I'm so glad nothing happened at your place - what a huge job for that Amish community to cope with. Your kids were lucky to have such good boundaries and supportive parents regarding their education! I think lots of families cope with decisions that happen because of divorces, guilt, complicated issues... not having had kids, my hat is off to anybody who has dealt with all of this!

We are taking care of SD's dog while she takes a brief (well-deserved) mini-vacation. It really changes the dynamic of the household! Lav - good luck with the party and all the cooking today, it sounds like all the family will have fun. Star, hoping that all of this gets resolved soon for you. Dill and Pauly - here's hoping you will have a great Friday!

[paulywogg]

Hello friends, couldn't post yesterday cuz the site was down,then started a book after work and got lost in it Lav,I bought a better probiotic off of amazon,it has to be refridgerated which is weird but its free of milk,soy,etc I guess the one I was taking had good reviews but contains milk?weird,been having crushing headaches but I think its hormone related as I've had TOM(time of month) twice this month! I'm breaking down I swear,Bradys 18th birthday today,probably take him to eat later and I'm buying a cake cuz I like store ones better,when I was a kid my birthday cakes were always homemade, still in the pan,no decs just frosting haha,hello Star,Cyn and Dill,hope we all have a great Friday

[dill]

Hello All,

Star, OMG! I'm so sorry you had such an up-ending experience. I hope you have better news to tell tomorrow. I don't blame you a bit for being crabby!

Lav, what fun! Her fifth birthday! So great to be able to have a special family event at grandma's house. Much better than the Chuckie Cheese party madness for example, at least in my book. We've done it both ways over the years of course.

Cyn, I thought your background story on SD's circumstances was very interesting. Did she ever actually complete the law degree? I wondered instantly if her training in law would somehow end up being beneficial to her in her current profession too. Life is interesting and not all paths are straight, but all experiences are valuable.

Pauly, what's up? Last I heard you were on a quest for healthy chips. I find healthy chips are hard to find and when you do find one you like, they are usually too cost prohibitive for me! Even the unhealthy snack chips are kind of expensive. I find that even tho the snack aisle is full of all kinds of offerings, I tend to go for potato chips, pretzels and doritoes. I'm a complete salt addict! LOL

I haven't watched American Idol in years, but Kelly Clarkson was on last night and gave an incredibly moving performance of her song Piece by Piece. It's about unconditional love and it is so moving. Grab a tissue if you watch: http://www.americanidol.com/watch/63...663/7716941568

[dill]

Cross-post, Pauly! Good to see you!

[SnoopyC]

Good morning all...

Well, the stupid painters are still not done, my house continues to be torn up, they are now supposed to finish today, again. I have decided to just go upstairs and work on bills and my tax stuff while they are here. It is supposed to be beautiful out today, so will open up windows and get outside. I really lost it yesterday, and it was not good for me to get so upset. So, I am chosing to have a better day today.

Lav, have fun at the party. Five is such a great age. I blame myself partially for the mess at my house due to the fact that my husband knows them, and it was more informal. Bad sign for me in the past, bad sign now. You are really at someone's mercy when they have your house torn apart. We had found some really reputable people up North, and I forgot how bad it can get.

Dill, hope you can get outside a little today, sunny and warmer for sure.

Cyn, thanks for the support, we are in a new area and just don't know who the good workers are. I had clues though and didn't follow my gut. I just have to get through this and get my stuff put back together. Doggie weekend sounds fun. I miss having a dog lately. We are just not home enough.

Pauly, hope you feel better.

Have a happy Saturday.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends, happy Saturday!

The party went well last evening, everyone went home happy
My grandson's 5th birthday will be here in a mere 5 weeks. Hard to believe that 5 years have gone by so quickly since those kids were born. Grateful that I have been fully present & fully involved with them

Star, sorry your house is still torn up. Hopefully everything will be back in place by the end of the day. Get outside if you can for some fresh air & sunshine!

Dill, my granddaughter did have a party at Chuck E Cheese last year, ha ha! That place is kind of overwhelming, to say the least. We had pizza & cake & ice cream here without all of the extra glitz & glam!

Cyn, having an extra dog or two in the house throws the pecking order off, that's for sure, ha ha!! Enjoy your doggie weekend!!

Pauly, I know the hormone hell you are experiencing right now. It is just a whole lot worse for some than for others. Finding a medical person you can actually work with helps a lot. Good luck with the new probiotic.

OK, time to feed animals here.
Wishing everyone a great AF day!

Lav

[paulywogg]

Morning friends,Lav,little granddaughter looked so cute on Facebook, I'm glad she had a good birthday Bradys was ok but he wanted a bigger TV and didn't get one but he got a guitar so to me that's better I'm a hormonal heaping mess and I just dunno what to do,I'm alone in all of this cuz doctors just poo-poo this stuff away around here,I don't feel like going to work cuz I had a confrontation with an old man last week over nothing and my nerves are frazzled, I'm tired of being verbally abused by these low income,ghetto people! Sorry for the rant, I guess I need a thicker skin,I just have a hard time blowing things off,hello Dill,Cyn,Star,I really hope we all have a great,easy Saturday

[treegirl]

Morning all!

Pauly - so sorry your workplace is not a happy one -- that must be hard. We all have those skills to learn and to practice every day - good boundaries and detachment. I think Lav is our ringleader for that one! Did you receive the Dr. Lee book? Did it help at all?

Star - I'm just glad the painting guys are back and will finish up; glad that they didn't vanish! I hear ya on not following your gut instinct - it's a good reminder to trust ourselves, right? I hope that you get out and enjoy the sunshine today. It's sunny here, but very cold, so taxes will be keeping me company today. HB is restless, so he's going out for a walk and a tour at a nearby Maple sugar factory.

Dill - how are you doing? Thanks for the link, that sounds interesting. What are you reading nowadays? Any craft activities?

Lav - the party sounds like such fun. Wow, I can't believe those kids are 5... it does not seem that long ago that you posted the pics of the 2 sisters-in-law very pregnant, waiting for the arrivals. Yes, what a great thing to have been totally present all this time. A great gift to your family --

Have a great one, all. AF!!!!