Now I really did it :((

[Scandinavian]

Junebug: Suddenly realised that I forgot to answer you: The eternity is for my 0.7ct engagement ring (the 5ct is sitting with my wedding band but is not the engagement ring - the engagement ring is on the left hand and the wedding ring is on the right hand - Scandinavian thing, lol). Really really needs a good wash, but you get the idea (no idea why the picture is so big, I look like a giant, lol):

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Junebug, I am glad you have set a timeline for moving your mom and are making plans on how you want to handle it. Good idea. I just remember talking to a lot of social workers when my mom was in and out of the hospital and they seemed to know a lot of in home options. Most of my studs are 4mm with more recent pairs coming in at 5mm. My earlobes are small and anything else doesn’t look right to me. That saves more money for rings. I sure do like my EC.

Scandinavian, good deal picking out what you want for the ceiling, a marble top and inlaid sinks. Marty wanted to get some of the bowl sinks for our last house and I vetoed them because I worried they’d be messy. Sadly March Madness gives way to April Agony then May Mayhem. After that we are slower for a few months. I am looking forward to it. Your snowbunny looks snowy. Your ering is very pretty. I think an eternity band will look fabulous with it.

Missy, yay for taking tomorrow off and going to the pub crawl. Have a blast! I honestly don’t follow any sports other than NFL. I sadly know more about sports than I ever wanted to because of work. It is nice to have that extra hour of light at night but I hate the changing back and forth. Maybe they should make it permanent. We are going to have a snowy first day of spring. Boo. Up to 8” is expected.

Jimmianne, did you get your dangles. Do you love them? I am so excited to see them. My EC is my favorite too. I love your clouds and sky picture. Very pretty. How was sketching with your daughter?

Yes, there is snow moving in tomorrow night. Boo.

Marty made himself turkey sausage then made up a big batch of breakfast burritos one of which he ate for supper. I had a frozen lasagna for supper. Marty’s paleo diet is resulting in dismal suppers for me. Rats. Maybe I’ll drop 20 pounds. That wouldn’t hurt.

Work lived up to it’s name today - work.

Have a great evening.
Marcy

 

[LLJsmom]

Hi girls. Work is keeping me busy but just wanted to say hi. And I do love reading about your meals marcy. Weird huh?

 

[Scandinavian]

Good almost lunch time from Scandinavia!

"Horrible" day today. First - Easter breakfast at kindergarten. Then conference call from home because now way to get to work in time. Now: make coffee. Todays highlight. Soon: Parent conference at school. Later: builders meeting regarding the house. Sun outside, whish I was not a "responsible adult", lol.

Hope you will have a fantastic time crawling Missy Marcy, thank you for feedback re my ring and eternity band. Hope todays work goes ok. And Missy, do you know anything more about the changing offices and how your room is going to be? Was thinking about that earlier. Hi LLJsmom June, I hope your plans for your mom is coming along nice and slowly without stress and that the rest of the family is onboard and helpful.

I met a friend / acquaintance earlier today, and she told me that her husband had left her for a neighbour and moved directly in with this other woman. And now he had sent her a bill for rent for his part of the house until they are able to sell it. Oh well. I guess I'm lucky. I felt lost for words, honestly. They have two small children. So I just told her that she was better off without such an ******* in her life.

Hope you are all having a wonderful day! Let us count our blessings

 

[missy]

Good morning girls! Happy St Patrick's Day!

Marcy, I'm glad Marty is doing well on his Paleo but sorry you are suffering. Though lasagna (frozen or not) sounds tasty. Now I want lasagna! I wish they would make DST permanent too. I don't mind the darker mornings and I much prefer the lighter evenings. But if they ever do keep it permanent I think they will make it the other way. Standard time vs Daylight Savings and that would not be my preference. They have been threatening to do this for a while but decades have come and gone and still we keep changing back and forth. It is a pain. Oh no snow. Yes the next few days are proving that winter is still here for us as well. Going to be a cold and rainy (maybe some snow) weekend this weekend. We are seeing Greg's family this weekend so the weather will match my mood perhaps.

Scandinavian Sorry today there is so much non fun adult stuff on your plate but you play the part of a responsible adult very well. Hope the rest of your afternoon goes well and that you get to enjoy outdoors and the sunny weather very soon. Wow Easter breakfast at kindergarden. How fast it is going. I cannot believe it is almost Easter. I'm sorry about your friend and her husband. What a lousy thing to happen. Does she have to pay him rent? OMG he cheated on her with a neighbor and now she is paying the penalty in more ways than one. That sucks and I hope she has recourse where she can make him hurt in the wallet at least. How does it work where you live? I am guessing similarly to here where he is going to have to pay child support at the very least. I hope no matter what he remains a good father to the children. Yes we are very lucky.

LLJsmom, Hi again... more (((Hugs))) being sent your way.


Have a good day girls!

 

[MarionC]

LLJsmom
Hope you are doing well!

Scandinavian, I am sorry for your neighbor. How awful for her. I am glad she has you nearby. I know - don't you just hate being an adult sometimes?! LOL I hope there is more play for you in the near future.

Missy, I wish you had better plans for the weekend rather than a family visit you are not crazy about. I remember that stuff and the enduring rather than enjoying. I think I would have much preferred the bling outing with your parents. I would love to go bling shopping with you and your Mom : )
Happy St.Pat's!


The dangles arrived yesterday ~ouf! they are beautiful! I'm so glad I went with the AGS Ideal. While the first pair [JA stock] I got were beautiful, these have more presence & fire. I can see the cut with naked eye - in these tiny 1/3s!, they are super sparkly and I do love having a certificate for each. Silly, maybe, but there you have it.
And before Missy asks...I am on board with old lady hands, but old lady ear lobes? No way! haha
or maybe I should start a thread - I loved it when all the PSers could not wait to show off how old their hands looked. Very empowering...
and aren't long lobes a sign of wisdom???





The sketching with DD was wonderful. I think we found something good for us - draw & talk - it kind of freed up conversation in a nice way - we get along very well, but most often focus on problem solving. She wants to meet again this afternoon to do more. yay!

 

[missy]

GORGEOUS! And Jimmianne, did you see the photos I posted of the antique jewelry show from last weekend? I posted my mom's earlobes and they are (forgive me mom I love you!) "old" lady earlobes and I think they are beautiful. They show a lot of love and living and they are beautiful in every way IMO. So please don't be shy. Let's see some ear pics girlfriend.

They are just lovely and I hope you love them.

 

[MarionC]

GORGEOUS! And Jimmianne, did you see the photos I posted of the antique jewelry show from last weekend? I posted my mom's earlobes and they are (forgive me mom I love you!) "old" lady earlobes and I think they are beautiful. They show a lot of love and living and they are beautiful in every way IMO. So please don't be shy. Let's see some ear pics girlfriend.

They are just lovely and I hope you love them.

See- I did not even notice the Mom-lobes - just the Mom-bling!
btw, Joy says hi to Bea. She is out of her dark place [the safe] and enjoying the Spring light with thoughts of an emerald halo for this day

 

[canuk-gal]

GORGEOUS! And Jimmianne, did you see the photos I posted of the antique jewelry show from last weekend? I posted my mom's earlobes and they are (forgive me mom I love you!) "old" lady earlobes and I think they are beautiful. They show a lot of love and living and they are beautiful in every way IMO. So please don't be shy. Let's see some ear pics girlfriend.

They are just lovely and I hope you love them.

See- I did not even notice the Mom-lobes - just the Mom-bling!
btw, Joy says hi to Bea. She is out of her dark place [the safe] and enjoying the Spring light with thoughts of an emerald halo for this day

Thanks JA--for your shiny pictures--I love your earrings, and well, everything you post. I needed a pick-me-up, as we have light snow today--first in months! Oh well.

cheers--Sharon

 

[LLJsmom]

Thank you Jimmianne and Scandinavian! I'm relieved for them and now just hoping all goes well re the surgery for Andres and then for Andres and Simon to find their forever home.
Leaving you with a photo from the past. It makes me LOL so thought I would share it here. And then on to start my day. Have a good day and ttyl.

I know I'm late. But I love this pic!

 

[missy]

Thank you Jimmianne and Scandinavian! I'm relieved for them and now just hoping all goes well re the surgery for Andres and then for Andres and Simon to find their forever home.
Leaving you with a photo from the past. It makes me LOL so thought I would share it here. And then on to start my day. Have a good day and ttyl.

I know I'm late. But I love this pic!

You are always right on time as far as I'm concerned.
And Tommy says purrrrr...


And lol I have to add this pic from last night. That possum is so adorable and see,s to coexist peacefully with the feral kitties. If only people could all do the same.

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

LLJsmom it's good to hear from you. I am glad you enough hearing my menu du jour.

Scandinavian, I see your lunch time was 10 hours ago. Mine was 2 hours ago. I read during lunch. You are having a busy day. I know my friends with kids are running all the time. That stinks what happened to your friend. Does she still have access to a joint account? Write him a check on that account. Ha!

Missy, I guess I'm not really suffering but I'm not having the variety and assorted side dishes my palate has grown accustomed to lately. Marty is eating a lot of chicken, turkey, fish, onions, peppers, etc which are all not Marcy friendly. My lasagna was some of Marty's homemade lasagna we put up in the freezer. It would be interesting if they quit moving the time back and forth. I like it light later too but then on those snowy mornings I'd rather the sun be on some of that ice before I drive. I hope your visit with Greg's family goes better than anticipated.

Jimmianne, your dangles are beautiful and perfect. I love them. I agree going with the AGS0 was a good call. I have 1/2 ctw ACA melee PC studs and they are night and day different over the 1/2 ctw PC studs I had before. My old studs are side stones on my rhodolite garnet ring. That is awesome you and your DD had such a lovely time sketching. The emerald halo is very pretty. I am glad Joy is out to brighten your day.

Hi Sharon, we are getting snow too. I guess it's been 45 days since the last snow.

I am waiting for the afternoon reports to pull then I will be done for the day. Wow. Unusual for me.

I didn't meet my girl friend for lunch today since it was so icy this morning. Of course the roads were dry by noon. We are getting up to 8" of snow by tomorrow sometime. Boo.

I am going to have a cheeseburger tonight with an english muffin for my bun. It sounds tasty and warm.

I wore my tsavorite garnet ring today for St. Patricks day. They just put an additional light bulb over my desk. It's good for the diamonds and gemstones to sparkle.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[Scandinavian]

Hello all!

The sun is up and soooon - Easter holiday! We leave for our cabin tomorrow morning Just have to do some packing and shopping first.. lol. I hope for good weather and will hopefully be able to share some nice pictures with you girls during the week
Yesterdays contractor meeting (house building project) was difficult. It went ok, but I just wanted to bang my head in the wall most of the time - how hard can it be to understand that we need to have a written progress plan and that said plan in principle should be followed??? Oh well, in the end (and at the beginning as a matter of fact..!) I just said that it is not negotiable, and that if they are not on board with that, they could just leave. Money wins, I would just be nicer to be a little more nice (lol) but my patiens run out..

Missy, hope you had a fantastic time last night!? I'm sorry that your weekend perhaps will not be too much fun. But at least I know you really like one person in Greg's family - Greg! I don't know too much about yours, but I think all in-laws are a bit difficult, because they are family, but they are not your family. If they are boring , just try to think of a new dress or something else you would like to buy Or pretend that PS is important work mail.. Personally, I always prefer to do something, any kind of activity even a nice restaurant, over just sitting still and talking - talking - talking. And awwww the possum (I love all animals (who has fur and legs..))

Scandinavian divorce system in general (economic perspective only) is a follows: You keep what you owned prior to entering the marriage + all that you inherit whilst you are married. All income (and assets purchased with that income, bank deposits resulting from that income etc) earned whilst married is split in two equal halves. 95% (??) of all divorces follows this system. Some of the wealthier people use a prenuptial, but it is not a common thing to do. In addition, case law states that the efforts of spouse who is a stay at home caretaker for children etc is equally important to paid work. Hence, also stay at home efforts can result in a claim in the other persons assets, and thereby make a claim in that persons business etc, even if said business by agreement was protected by a prenuptial. Mandatory child support is very low.

LLJsmom

Jimmianne: The dangles are really really nice!! I love them! And I think they look bigger than their size - a lot of sparkle there
Sketching with your DD sounds lovely I couldn't sketch a - anything - to save my life. You are very welcome to show us your work
Joy is beautiful, I LOVE her cut!

Marcy, I too love reading about your meals. I love lasagna.. but I don't eat it because I'm intolerant to gluten (30 min later I look 9 months pregnant and a few days later I also get blisters, real fun, started a couple of years ago), and the gluten free version is just not the same. I do love all kinds of meet and vegetables though, so I would just have had Marty make me some of his diet also, LOL. Come to think of it, I love most foods. Not too crazy about fish, but working on that one.. I pretend that scallops, crab and crayfish is fish though... LOL. Sounds like your day at work was not too bad, hope that holds for today also.

No "report" from me tomorrow morning, but I'll check in every now and then to read my favourite "newspaper" and post some pictures!

HAPPY EASTER HOLIDAY

 

[MarionC]

LLJsmom, it's so good to have you here.

Missy, that is a lovely & cute young possum. When you are talking about opossums, that says a lot!
Nice photo of you and Greg in your finery. Your are our King & Queen Bees : )

Sharon. Hope all's well in your corner of the world.

Marcy, that cheeseburger sounds good. I hope you enjoyed it. It's hard to stick to the good diet and I wish Marty luck. I have gone downhill from my excitement about a healthier diet but happily I have stayed completely off sugar so far. Nice that Marty has you to help him stay in line, but it sounds as though he is eating well, so maybe it's a diet that does not involve much sacrifice!

Scandinavian, happy holiday! I hope you get good weather the whole time and get a respite from your contractor.

Hi June! How is your plan coming along??

I'm excited - I got on Amazon this morning and ordered some jewelry making tools. [I took a few semesters of jewelry making in college and hated it. haha. I had no patience for tiny things - well THAT has changed]. I wanted JA to attach my old 12pt dangles to the bottom of the new dangles and they would not. I know it's a simple thing, so I'm going to give it a try.

DD leaves for her 2 week trip to France around lunchtime. Long distance relationships are hard. He has a break from school & comes here in August, but meanwhile she will have been there six times in a year, which is pretty wild. Exhausting for her, and for me, her "life-coach". I think both our lives feel fragmented right now. ugh. thanks for listening.

Today is cleaning day, hooray! and my carpenter is coming to talk about building an elevated walkway from guest parking to the front door. Then I take DD to the airport, come home and start looking at bling, my go-to for distraction.
I have been mowing the fields and am about 1/5th finished so maybe that will be the project for the weekend.
You are all welcome to come and help! It's fun! I swear it is!

 

[missy]

Good morning girls! Woke up and saw I won an ebay auction overnight so woohoo I think. LOL you never really know what you are going to get with ebay auctions but I will keep you posted. It is bling (of course) and should be here within a week or so. Don't get too excited because I have a feeling it might not be as good as I am hoping it will be but we will see.

Marcy, I'm sorry you had an icy drive yesterday morning and I hope today the ice is all gone and the roads are easy going.
Your frozen lasagna is sounding better and better because I know with Marty's homemade you cannot go wrong.

How much snow are you anticipating getting this weekend Marcy? Looks like we are going to be having snow here Sunday the day we were supposed to see Greg's family and that might put a wrinkle in things as we have a 2 hour drive each way. I suggested to Greg (just woke up and he said Sunday might be a problem with the snow) we ask about Saturday when their flight arrives. Saturday is not ideal because they are just getting in that afternoon and we don't know the time but we'll see if that will work. They always come this time of year because it is spring break for my niece and nephew but more often than not the weather is always quite bad during their few days here.

Glad you had the extra lightbulb at work to admire your blingy bling.

Scandinavian, yay for a cabin holiday and easter fun! I'm sorry you are having difficulty with your contractor but I would say that is par for the course. And as long as you get what you want in the end it will be worth the aggravation during but I feel for you. Just focus on how beautiful the outcome will be.

Thanks for the explanation on divorce and how the splitting of assets work where you live. I think that is similar to many of the states in the USA but funnily enough I have no clue about NY. I know California splits assets in a similar fashion but why I know that I have no clue haha.

I love all animals too so I am right there with you.

Jimmianne, wishing your DD a safe flight! How are you enjoying your gorgeous new dangles? Yay for spring cleaning.
LOL I'll be right over to help with the mowing. Believe me I would much rather do that than our current weekend plans.
Love that you are going to be working with jewelry and making earrings yourself. I have a few pairs I am going to send to you when you have perfected your skills if that is OK. I have quite a few adjustments I would like to have accomplished and there is no way I can do that myself. I trust you though!

We had a lovely time yesterday and it was fun seeing our old friends and meeting new ones and we had our good friends from the shore come all the way just to see Greg and me. We haven't seen them since the autumn. Unfortunately there have been some health issues as our friend S needs surgery scheduled for late April at Sloan Kettering due to prostate cancer. But his prognosis is 100% curable.

Also more bad news as S's ex wife died in November of metastasized melanoma and that scares the crap out of me due to Greg's history. His ex wife got skin checks very regularly because she had a melanoma removed over a year or 2 ago so it is not as if she was ignoring this. I was very sad to hear she died (I didn't know her) and our friends adult daughter is understandably taking it very hard. We usually spend Easter with these friends walking the city but this year they are going to spend it with S's daughter so we will do our Easter walk with them in April this year instead. Sorry to share that bad news but I am sad thinking about it and it helps to share with you girls because I know you understand. I feel badly to think about Greg when hearing about this bad news but it is human nature I think to worry about the fact that Greg has the same history and what happened to Steve's ex wife who was being regularly checked. And Kristie before you say anything S's ex wife did get that experimental drug that actually helped but she died of a heart attack because the drug was so harsh and damaged her heart.

Good news. It was great seeing the B family as they are some of my favorite people. Especially the younger brother who missed last year as he was in LA. He and his dh bought a beautiful apartment in the city finally and they are having us over in the summer. Cannot wait.
And I LOVE his sisters and of course the older brother who arranges the pub crawl every year. I always say to them I wish they were my in-laws LOL. Greg doesn't mind as he loves them too. They are so much fun.

We didn't take but a couple of photos and I did that just for you girls. I shared them already but will add one here just for Scandinavian since you are the only one I couldn't text it to yesterday.

Have a great day girls and happy last weekend of winter. Spring is here Sunday though we are getting 6 inches of snow.

 

[Scandinavian]

Jimmianne, jewelry making tools sounds fun Look forward to seing the result
Sorry about your DD and her boyfriend living so far away. Sounds exhausting and no fun at all. I think she is really good and smart to go there often. How long will he have to live there? Best wishes to her, hope she will enjoy the holiday.

Missy, really sorry you are worried. Cancer is becoming so common. But I'm sure (!) Greg will be fine! That is one good thing about you worrying, you will probably know right away if he is not feeling well! Also, I think I heard something about a blood test that they can do to check that there is no "signs" in the body of cancer returning? Might be worth looking into. I'll ask my mother, I think she has had some tests like that. (Free healthcare + she works at a hospital = lots of tests..) You really do look just perfect together And the picture screams "we love eachother", which is always so nice to see Hope your weekend turns out ok.

 

[missy]

Thanks Scandinavian. He gets checked every 3-4 months and wanted to start doing it every 6 months but I decided we are going to continue every 3 months. It's a sign to continue the frequency with which we have been doing his body checks. He also gets something called Molesafe at NYU every summer which is a series of high resolution photos of every single mole on his body even though it is not covered by insurance. It is worth the extra check and suspicious lesions are flagged and his oncology dermatologist scrutinizes the results of the Molesafe. So we are doing everything we can as far as I understand it.

I hope you enjoy the weekend too! Right now it is very up in the air as to our plans. Long story but of course getting together Saturday is complicated as they already have tickets to a show in Princeton. And so the saga of family continues.

 

[Scandinavian]

Missy, sounds like he is in very good hands with very little risk if any at all

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Scandinavian, thanks for reminding me of Easter. I need to get the Easter cards in the mail to the family. I am glad it’s sunny there and you are heading out for your vacation. I have a nephew who has to eat gluten free things and he likes the gluten free pasta noodles. Marty makes a great lasagna for sure but a pan lasts the 2 of us a long time. I still have about 6 pieces in the freezer. How awful it bloats you up and you get blisters. I have a ton of food allergies and quite a few things give me hives and make me itch. Other things swell my tongue and throat, some make me mildly sick and some I wouldn’t touch with a 10 foot pole.

Jimmianne, Marty is doing great with his food and tracking everything in Fitness Pal. He is trying for 1800 calories right now and he is really dropping weight and inches. Since he is working about 4 times a week he probably should be eating more but that is what he is doing. I should eat what he cooks for himself - I either can’t eat it or don’t like it. I’d be dropping weight like crazy. Glad to hear you are doing well without sugar. Ive struggled with weight all my life and lost over 1/2 my body weight about 5-6 years ago then it started creeping back on. I’m not back where I was but I’m getting there. I sure need to stop and go the other direction. The last few years I haven’t had the mental strength to work on that though. I agree a diet you can live with shouldn’t have you sacrifice so much you can’t stick to it. Good luck with jewelry making. I tried that once and quickly found i didn’t have the eyesight, skill or patience for that and I sure shot some garnets flying trying to bend over some prongs. I feel for your DD being in long distance relationship. It is rough but with Skype and similar things it makes it easier to stay caught up with each other’s lives. Yay for cleaning day and getting 1/5 of your mowing done.

Missy, ooh for winning an ebay auction. I will be anxious to see what you get. I hope the weather and in-laws work out for you this weekend. This time of year it is hard to work around the snow storms. You guys probably are almost done with snow though. 2 hours on the road in bad weather is not fun though. We got about 3” of snow but it’s really wet so it was very icy this morning. I had my chauffeur take me to work. I am glad you caught up with some friends yesterday but I hate to hear one of them has prostrate cancer. My BIL had that and he was able to recover fully with treatment. They did those radiation beads for him and it worked great. We were calling him BB Butt. How awful his ex-wife died from Melanoma. That is such an awful and aggressive cancer. I know you worry about Greg with that and I think it’s good to get closely checked every few months. Marty and I are both very careful with our fair skin and moles too. Love the picture of you and Greg.

So we ended up with more ice than snow. Marty came back from the gym and said it was very icy so I had him take me to work. Good call. It was mostly dry when he picked me up but that’s fine. We stopped and had supper on the way home then are heading out to an astronomy meeting. Marty is giving the program and doing a question / answer session. He told me I couldn’t answer questions unless he asked me. Rats.

We aren’t doing much this weekend. Tomorrow my cleaning lady is coming again. Marty is going out with some of the guys tomorrow night so I’ll take him and pick him up.

We watched The Big Short last night. It was good. I think we’ll watch Sisters this weekend too.

Take care and have a great weekend.
Marcy

 

[MarionC]

About to go to bed, but had to post a funny thing.
I bought five tiny jump rings from Tiffany for attaching charms to my bracelet - and today a surprisingly big box arrived.
Although I had told Tiffany to just send the rings without any fuss, each tiny jump ring came in a blue pouch inside a blue box tied with the usual white ribbon & a gift card. So - 5 things to open. Silly & cute!

 

[junebug17]

Hi Nirdis!

It's been a long day, I didn't sleep well last night and I've been dragging all day so this will be short but I really wanted to check in with everyone -

Missy, yes, hopefully things will all fall into place with moving my mother to my house. Things don't feel totally settled because we haven't told my mother she's coming yet - my sister is coming to visit her next weekend and will talk to her about it then. My brother initially was against the idea because he said I've already done so much. But he seems to be warming up to the idea. I think the guy has just had it and is really burned out. I think there's a part of him that thinks my mother will just refuse to leave the house and he's having a hard time visualizing all of this happening. I feel that way sometimes too

Aw, such a cute possum! Dh thinks they look scary ha. What does he know?

Glad you had such a good time yesterday! Very glad you enjoyed seeing both old and new friends and have plans to get together this summer, sounds like fun. So sorry about your friend Steve but I'm glad his prognosis is so good. Also sorry about your friend's ex wife - I can understand that hearing something like that would be scary for you. But it sounds like Greg is completely on top of being checked and you are doing all you can to monitor things. Hugs, I know this is very concerning for you.

Oooh, can't wait to see your ebay purchase!!!

Scandinavian, your ceilings are going to look beautiful! Yes, I do a feel a little more at peace coming to a decision, although I'm still feeling some stress because my mother isn't going to want to come to my house, and if she does she won't be thrilled with having a caregiver so this whole thing isn't going to be easy. But I just have to wait and see how this all plays out. Love the pic of your snowbunny!

Your ering is SO lovely! An eternity band will look beautiful alongside it

That is just terrible about your friend, how devastating. I would not know what to say either, and I agree with you that she really is better off without someone like that in her life. But what a traumatic experience this must be for her.

Sorry about the frustrating contractor's meeting - good for you for staying strong and being very firm about your requirements.

Jimmianne, thanks for your kind words…I'm not so sure I'm such a great daughter lol - but this just feels like the right thing to do. I ordered curtains for the windows and I think the next step is to figure out where to store the extra living room furniture and get a cable line put in. Actually, Visiting Angels was the agency we used when my mother first came home from the rehab center 5 years ago. My mother pitched a fit after 4 days so we cancelled it. That's one of the reasons my brother is so hesitant about having help in. And why I'm nervous lol. but my mother has declined quite a bit since then so she might not have the energy to put up as much of a fuss ha!

I'm so glad you and your dd had such a great time sketching together! So cute that she wants to do it again soon! It can see how these trips back and forth to France can be stressful for everyone. I'm sure she will have a great time though.

Jewelry making sounds like the perfect hobby for a PS'er. Good luck with your first project, looking forward to pics!

Your dangle earrings are gorgeous! I love them, I can tell they sparkle like mad just from the pics. Fabulous!

Marcy, lol to Marty's diet putting a crimp in your dinners! I always tell my dh he's no fun when he's on a diet haha. It's great that Marty is doing so well. I hope the ice and snow aren't making getting around too difficult for you. We're supposed to get some snow on Sunday but I'm not sure how much. I don't think it's going to end up being much and it should melt quickly. Thanks for the suggestion about the social worker, I'm going to get in contact with a few and see what they recommend.

Hi LLJsmom! So good to hear from you!

well, that ended up being a little longer than I planned ha! I better get myself to bed, I'm fading fast here - hugs and love to all, and I will see you soon!

 

[MarionC]

Thanks, June. I'm enjoying the new dangles. I hope you had a good night's sleep! I can well imagine how difficult your Mom is about having help come in. Mine refused help, but finally the board at her condo said she could not live there without help, which would mean a move to elder care. It took that much pressure to get her to see the light. I hope things are easier for you! and I admire your strength very much.

Yesterday & today have been a little tough. My DD had such a hard time about the trip, breaking down over and over and not wanting to go, but not wanting to NOT go. When she got to NYC she wanted to turn around and come home. I advised her to eat a good meal and then make a decision. She opted to continue the trip, but once in inflight thought she should have come home. ugh. I stayed on the phone texting with her from yesterday afternoon until about 15 minutes ago when her plane went into landing mode. All last night just as I would finally fall asleep my phone would ring. So finally at 3:30 I got up and made coffee : ) I am such a good Mom [patting myself on the back]. and relieved that she is on the ground.

So, an early weekend goodmorning, everyone. I hope you are dreaming of pretty bling... Scandinavian, I know you are probably having a nice breakfast at the cabin.

 

[missy]

Good morning girls! Happy last weekend of winter and hello Spring. March is behaving like a Lion right now and I am waiting for the Lamb to reappear!

Marcy, so glad Marty took you to work the other day. You cannot fool around with icy roads for sure. Ice is worse than snow. Looks like our snow might be more wet than anything so guess we are traveling on Sunday. Even though Greg has a rip roaring cold. I hate when he's sick especially with such a long travel day tomorrow. Wow on Marty doing so well on his diet! 1800 calories is very low for a man especially. Tell him not to overdo OK. I am glad your BIL is doing well and fully recovered. Thank you for sharing that. Glad you are getting a clean house today and that always feels great doesn't it. Our cleaning person is coming this Thursday and I have a lot of straightening up to do before that lol. Hope you have a comfortable and safe and happy weekend.

Jimmianne, you are a good mom and I am relieved your DD has safely arrived in France. Hoping she has a good visit with her FI. Glad you are enjoying your beautiful dangles. I guess they were worth the long wait. You know I am still looking forward to ear pics.
LOL Tiffany's does it right. Funny but nice right? Who doesn't love opening lots of pretty bling gifts even small ones.

LLJsmom, I hope your darling son is feeling all better today. (((Hugs))) to both of you.

Junie, it's a process to be sure and the only advice I can give you is take things slowly one day and if necessary one hour at a time. When life gets overwhelming for me I just tell myself I will deal with things one hour at a time and somehow we always get through it knock wood. You have been on a long and challenging journey with your mom and you are doing a fantastic job of it all. You will find a skilled person to help you with her care and it will all work out just as good as it can hopefully. Sending more good thoughts and lots of love your way. I hope you had a better night's sleep last night honey.

Scandinavian, I hope you are enjoying a terrific weekend with your family at your cabin and getting lots of skiing and other fun winter activities in for your vacation. Enjoy!

Leaving you girls with a photo I took last night of Francesca and Tommy. LOL they are so cute. You know the Francesca levitating photo right? Well here's the two of them lined up doing just that. Tommy is in front of Francesca in this photo. Those glowy eyes...oooh so spooky! Including the original Francesca levitating photo first to refresh your memories.








And a sweet sleeping pic of Fred and his pink nose from last night as well. I have to share. He is such a sweet baby.

Have a great Saturday girls. Last full day of winter woohoo!

 

[Scandinavian]

Hello
No time to tell you all I should, so I'll settle for this: you are all such amazing daughters, mothers and wifes! Proud to know you!

My day in pictures:
After a long car ride, 16 km cross country skiing with no tracks. Fireplace. Soon our 4 poster bed Love cabin life

 

[MarionC]

Beautiful & elegant dog! My Issy is more of a class clown. They would have fun playing together.

Missy, an ear shot just for you lol. Ear shots have got to be the most difficult & I don't know how you do it. Most of the photos I take end up being of the ceiling.
The wires were so long that I cut off about 1/4 inch and bent the remaining wire to make the earrings shorter. I really don't care for the stock hinged ear wires and have already been searching for something better looking yet secure. As you can see, they are diminutive, but have a nice shape so they have a bit of presence and and are perfect for 24/7 wear-and-forget.

Goodnight all! from cold & rainy NC where everything imaginable is in bloom. ah-choo!

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Jimmianne, that is awesome you received so many nice blue boxes. That is what makes Tiffany’s so special. I hate to hear DD was struggling with her decision to go back to France for a few weeks. You were a good mom giving her some sensible advice. Hopefully she’ll enjoy herself once she gets settled in. Your dangles look wonderful on you. I take earshots in the mirror. I can see what I am pointing the camera at that way.

Junebug, sorry you didn’t sleep well. I am sure you have a lot of your mind. I am sure your mom will resist moving to your place but I think it’s the next logical step. I hope everyone accepts it gracefully and comes to terms with it quickly. My mom resisted admitting she needed more help and finally she fell down and my dad couldn’t get her up and he told her I just can’t do this anymore and she said well then you better take me to the hospital. She didn’t argue about anything they decided she needed to do after that. Marty is doing very well on his diet and is pretty excited about it so that is very cool. Maybe he’ll inspire me. I hope you are resting today.

Missy, I hope Greg is feeling better. Traveling in wet snow isn’t bad as long as it doesn’t get icy on you. Safe travels tomorrow! Marty is doing really well on his diet (except for today). I am not the only one telling him 1800 calories is too low. I love that we all clean up before our cleaning ladies come. Your kitties are so cute and I love the spooky eyes. Ha Ha to levitating.

Scandinavian, you will be snug in front of the fireplace at your lovely, cozy cabin. Enjoy!

We had our astronomy meeting last night. Marty’s question / answer presentation went well. Then a few of us went out to Perkins for a late night snack. I opted for a peach muffin.

I got to bed at my usual 11 pm but my mind wouldn’t shut off so I doubt I actually went to sleep until about 1 am. Sadly I got up at 6:30 since our cleaning lady was coming at 8. Yay for a clean house though.

We went out for breakfast then came home and waited until the cleaning lady was finished. Then we went to the mall and sadly I spent hours watching Marty try and clothes. Not my idea of fun but I amused myself by giving smart comments. We bought Marty 2 new sports coats. He has lost enough weight and inches his suits and dress shirts are very large on him. He is going to Las Vegas next month for 2 conventions and needed something that fits him better. Darn it. I was contemplating when to make my new sapphire upgrade trip but no having clothes to look good for work seems to be a more logical way to spend money.

While we were at the mall I have the jeweler clean my multi color diamond ring and my ering. I looked to see if they had any pear diamonds but they didn’t.

Then we went out for lunch and I was starving so my 9 oz. glass of wine certainly got my attention.

Marty is going out with the guys tonight so I’ll pick him up when they are done. I think I’ll have some popcorn for supper and watch Sisters.

Only in Wyoming on our way home this afternoon we saw a sheriff’s car with it’s lights on off to the side of the road. We get up with him and he has a red car pulled over - it’s empty and there is a 1/2 bottle of some cheap gallon bottle of wine on it’s roof. We could see it from our bedroom when we got home and we saw the tow truck show up. I was highly amused by it all. Someone is spending the night in jail. I tried to get pictures of it because you could see the wine on top of the car but I couldn’t get the camera up to the window close enough in that direction. Rats.

Take care.
Laters,
Marcy

 

[Scandinavian]

Hello and Good Morning
Well installed at the cabin today, a fire in the fireplace (where it should be, lol) and baking bread for breakfast. In other words, pretending to be a responsible parent again. Missy, I think you hit the nail on the head when you say that I'm good at pretending, LOL LOL. Not sure parenting comes natural to me, but I do try to keep everybody safe and happy, hoping that is what matters and maybe even that that *is* parenting.. I look forward to go skiing later, look for some birds for the dog to practice on. A bit windy today, but hope it calms down a bit after breakfast.

Missy, so sorry to hear that your friends are having a hard time. Hopefully light in the end of the tunnel. I'm really exited about your ebay action and can't wait to see what you got Your kitties are extremely pretty and a little scary... that glow in their eyes.. But joking aside, they are all so beautiful. And they also look really cuddly. The only cat I know belong to my inlaws. That cat really does not like me. Comes to cuddle and when I start to relax, he puts all his claws in my thigh and makes a hissing sound and jumpes away like I was trying to hurt him. They have trained him well, LOL. Thinking of you and hope that the roads are safe and that you have as much fun as possible with the family visit today. Let us know.

Marcy, I really love Easter holiday, its a tradition here. Skiing, lots of nice food, just relaxing and hang out with family. So sorry that you too have food allergies - they really suck. But you still made me laugh "and some I wouldn’t touch with a 10 foot pole" - that is exactly how I feel about gluten So I have thrown it out of the house completely. Which is why I need to bake bread for the family, lol. I love the Fitness Pal too, used it after our youngest was borne and I was impatient to get back into my old clothes. I'm sorry to read that you are not happy with your weight. I'm sure you are perfect just the way you are! But if you ever want some support, you know where to find us Your astronomy meeting sounds like a lot of fun! I'm sure you could have out-answered all the others if Marty had let you Probably why he didn't, lol. I live in the country side, so there really is a lot of funny "arrests" - for example there was a train robbery a few years ago - nothing dramatic, the train was parked at the station unattended for the night. The train was full of sports equipment. Didn't take long to know who had robbed it.. based on the people with brand new everything, lol.

Jimmianne, I love Tiffany boxes Sounds like a nice little surprise even if you know what is inside I think you are an exceptionally good mother!! Not only because you do so much to support your DD, but also because you obviously love her so much and she knows this. Still I know how hard it can be to worry for someone you love, and still manage to be supportive and their "rock". So much much much patting you on the back. I hope you have heard from her and that she is a little happier now. A long distance relationship must be so hard. After I stared dating my now DH, we planned to spend Christmas with our own families separately (we had just started dating). I missed him so much he came on the night bus two days before he should take the plane to meet me for New Years. So I know I would have had a really hard time with that too. I really LOVE your dog. So beautiful and peaceful - and looks like a lot of fun and good times Might even like to play fetch? My baby doesn't understand that game, lol. She only understands running and searching for birds. She is very playful, but fetch and swimming escapes her. Your earlobe pictures are stunning! The new bling is very sparkly!!

Junebug, I'm sorry you are not sleeping well some nights, that can be really difficult. Ruins the whole day if you let it sometimes. I have no idea how you should tell your mother and make things as easy as possible. The only experience I have is forcing my father to the ER a few years ago when he had a stabbing pain in his heart area. I just told him that this was non negotiable. If you had known my father, you would know the force in my voice was obviously above its normal level. He almost had his appendicitis burst (probably not the correct term) when I was a child, because he was so convinced that it would pass on its own. Didn't cave until the ambulance was at our doorstep and he was standing upside down (literally) in the bed from the pain. So I wish you nothing but luck.

All the best! -S

 

[missy]

Happy Spring girls and also a happy Palm Sunday to those who celebrate!

Jimmianne, Thank you so much for taking an ear pic for me! I really appreciate it. GORGEOUS earrings. And I am impressed you can alter them yourselves. I have a few pair of dangles I would love to make shorter and now I know who I can send them to...
You know how I love sweet Issy. Sending her big hugs and kisses and love.

Scandinavian, I LOVE your sweet sweet dog. She is a beauty and I just want to reach out and give her a big big hug and lots of kisses too. OMG it looks so comfy at your cabin with that soft chair and the wonderful fire burning in the fireplace. I see why you love it there! And baking bread sounds so delicious. I don't remember where I said about pretending but you *are* a great parent and wife and there is no pretending involved in that!!! Haha yes kitties can be spooky and they tend to have weird fits of activity that might throw someone off so I see where they can get the scary reputation. But I am hooked. I grew up with dogs and didn't have any cats till I moved out on my own and got my first apartment in the city. And the landlord didn't want ANY pets but my realtor said I was planning on adopting a rescue kitty (I had not done so yet) and would not consider renting any home without that OK that I could have a pet. And she added that you will never get as good a renter as Melissa. Haha he took the bait and allowed me to rent what I considered my dream apartment at the time. City views, big one bedroom (over 1000 SF which was quite a lot for someone used to dorm living for the last 9 years LOL) and in the best neighborhood and I could afford it too! He even dropped his price by $100 per month so it could fit into my 1K a month budget and it was mine. OF course I adopted one rescue kitty but a year later I rescued 2 more for a total of 3 and imagine Barry's surprise when he came with prospective buyers for the apartment (it was a coop and he could only rent it for a max time of 1 year but the building extended that for me to 3 years!) and all 3 kitties came right up to the door to greet him. LOLOL. He didn't say a word. Sorry for that long out of control story. I cannot stop sometimes once I get started. But so began my love affair with cats. I still love dogs of course but for now cats suit our lifestyle much better.

I hope you are having the best vacation with your family and look forward to hearing more about it!


Marcy, yay for a clean house! You are such a good wife to pick Marty up after his night with the fellas. I am spoiled in NYC because there are so many transportation options. Subway, Uber, taxi, etc. So you will never see me picking Greg up after a night out. And he will never get in the driver's seat if he has been drinking so no worries there. Hope Marty had a nice evening and hope you enjoyed your movie and popcorn. We watched Happy Valley all night and finished the first season. Really liked that series and I recommend it if you have not yet seen it. Reminds me of Top of the Lake which is also an excellent Netflix series. Oh I fell asleep to SOAP last night when we got into bed. Thank you for that recommendation.

I'm disappointed the jeweler didn't have any chunky pears. But it doesn't surprise me at the mall. Glad you got your rings all clean and shiny. If that person who is spending the night in jail was drinking and driving he/she deserves to spend the night in jail. I am a person who believes one offense while drinking and driving should be your last offense. IOW license should be taken away forever. There is no room for leniency IMO when it comes to this serious matter.

Glad the astronomy meeting went well the other night and a peach muffin sounds delicious. Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend and are staying warm. Did you get a lot of snow? Our snow is now not predicted to get here till tonight and tomorrow.


Have a good Spring Sunday everyone! Leaving you with another spooky eyes kitty photo.

 

[Scandinavian]

Missy, sorry! Didn't mean to say that you said I was pretending. You tried to be nice - as always. I said that I was doing something, trying to pretend I was a good parent. You said I was good at pretending (I think). But not as that I was pretending. But like that I was doing a good job. My best friend sometimes say the same, because I'm not naturally very parentish, lol. So I didn't mean anything, just thought it was fun that you would say the same LOL. Hope you understand what I mean because this was the worst explanation of the century. ..

 

[missy]

Missy, sorry! Didn't mean to say that you said I was pretending. You tried to be nice - as always. I said that I was doing something, trying to pretend I was a good parent. You said I was good at pretending (I think). But not as that I was pretending. But like that I was doing a good job. My best friend sometimes say the same, because I'm not naturally very parentish, lol. So I didn't mean anything, just thought it was fun that you would say the same LOL. Hope you understand what I mean because this was the worst explanation of the century. ..

Haha no I get it honey don't worry! But lol I loved you writing I "tried" to be nice.
Of course I know what you mean. I'm just fooling around with you. <3

(((Hugs))).


We are going to meet Greg's family at a diner only an hour away from us (with minimal traffic hopefully) and it is around 40 minutes from them so not bad. At least we are not traveling the full way just to go to their local diner. I mean it's not as if my mil would cook so no reason to travel that far each way. They were not thrilled with it but too bad. Of course they still went ahead and had a late breakfast out today though we wanted an early lunch so you can see how controlling and selfish they are. Greg is sick and has work early tomorrow and they could not accommodate an earlier day. Ok fine. If they are late or if they stall re ordering Greg and I will go ahead and order anyway. This should be an interesting day. Hoping for the best but girls I cannot promise I will be on best behavior. One thing I cannot tolerate is inconsiderate selfish behavior and if they continue to behave that way I will as well. Junie and Peggy I'm terrible I know. I know you and the others would not stoop to that but I'm not above it.


Ok rally going to "try" being nice today.
Have a good day all!