Now I really did it :((

[rainwood]

Who will blink first?

Oooooooh, it's a bear v. bunny showdown. Too close to call! And happy 25th!!

 

[rainwood]

Callie, I don't usually like the reunion shows but I did see the last part of the Southern Charm reunion focusing on Thomas and Catherine and her walking off after someone said she flunked a drug test. I didn't see the end though either. What did I miss? Anything good?

 

[Gypsy]

I'm having trouble posting in this thread-- probably dropped my computer one too many times today

We'll see if it works this time. I'm attaching a picture of our cheese plate dinner, since I said I'd share that.

If it's okay, I'll probably be posting more pictures of food. I like sharing food. Even if it's just pictures.

NOW, let's see if this posts.

Okay so I can post this one. But any other is not working. I can edit it too. But I don't want to push my luck. Hopefully whatever the glitch is I can post more tomorrow.

I hope everyone has a nice evening/morning.

 

[MarionC]

Gypsy, that is my kind of food. We must have similar "tastes" : )

So, Marcy, who won the stare-down? Pleeze don't say it was the rabbits!
Happy Anniversary to the rabbits AND the bears.
I don't know how you deal with all those people. They may be a pain but you are so capable. I would fall apart. More power to you!

Scandi, you must be so sick of the log drama. I'm happy for you that it seems to be coming to a close and hope that the outcome is to your liking as much as possible.

Some closure on the driveway: I paid my share after getting documentation. It is not a development per se - he is not a developer, he divided his 100 acres into 10 lots many years ago and still owns 3. Each owner paid 1250 per lot for the driveway, and in the covenants it says he only needed a majority to approve the driveway, so he didn't need my approval. Also, the lawyer is the town lawyer and, on occasion, my lawyer. He's an OK guy.
I felt 100% better after giving the lawyer the check so I could move on.
I am selling one of my lots to my young friends before he puts his 3 on the market this summer.
That will drive the comparables down.
I paid 40k less than the going rate [a short sale] and am selling to my young friends for what I paid, so now he will have a hard time justifying the high prices I know he is thinking he will get.
So yes, I paid, but he won't "win" LOL.
~end of the Driveway Drama!

Missy + LLJs + Adam =
excited for you and very envious.
Will you take photos? I hope I hope.

Now I KNOW I missed someone, because it's someoneS. I am thinking of you and sending hugs.

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!!!!

Marcy, Happy 25th anniversary!!!

Dearest Marcy today is your wedding anniversary
25 years ago the knot was tied by you and Marty
It's been 25 years of one big party

They said it wouldn't last but lo and behold
25 years later and your love story is still being told
Your marriage full of laughter and love and joy so bold

With a bond so caring and so very strong
Full of love and happiness and in no sight any real wrong
Your relationship so special despite the ups and downs
The joy and smiles have way outweighed any of the frowns

You have held true through the course that is life
Full of love and laughter despite some of the strife
Your road is not finished and you have much further to go
Wishing you much more happiness and love to share and to show

I'm sorry cause it's a workday and I'm out of time right now
So though I have to get ready for the day and I now must go
But couldn't post without a short poem cause the NIRDIs we care
Know we love you and send hugs from us, the bunnies and bears



I'm guessing the bears won the staredown last night Marcy. Am I right?


Glad you guys are enjoying Marty's produce and thank you for sharing how you wash it. Also about the Windex tip. Thank you.


Rainwood, great advice with everything and I like your 3 day rule and also visiting your MIL when the guilt outweighs it all. And yes I definitely remember your broken leg being the reason we "met" here in the first place. You and Kristie and a few other dear NIRDIs too. Isn't it funny how we all have that in common but maybe sometimes things *do* happen for a reason. I don't subscribe to that school of thought for everything but definitely for some things.

Scandi, ugh I am sorry you are dealing with this mess still and I am so glad Kristie is advising you on this. Honey I know this will get resolved and you will get through it. It just sucks right now. Thank you for those wonderful photos of your darling daughter and son. They are such beautiful children. Just like their momma!

Kristie, haha yes Tommy's expression is priceless and glad to see the NIRDIs all get cat talk.
OMG so excited for you re possibility of that old cut diamond. If it is meant to be it will be and fingers crossed. !
Love that Bob's father sued to put PJs on to tell his guests it was time to leave. Maybe I'll try that next time? But knowing my family they wouldn't blink an eye. My nieces always change to their PJs in the evening when they come over and that is hours before they leave so my family isn't conditioned to know PJs means it is time to go.





Callie, let me know what happens with the dog from yesterday please and I hope it has a happy ending. I couldn't stop thinking about him after we spoke yesterday and I am worried but know you are doing what you can for him so he is in good hands if he shows up again. Ugh what is wrong with people. Have fun watching your grandniece and glad your weather is cooperating.


Gypsy, you are making me hungry LOL. That plate looks delicious. I love food pics so please post away.
We saw Steven Kirsch yesterday and I am in awe of his work. Your Asscher halo is perfection and his work is just gorgeous and delicate and if I were doing a halo I would want him to do it.

Jimmianne, glad you did the best thing for you and that there will be no driveway drama and yay for driving (haha see what I did there-driving/driveway) the comps down for him. Serves him right.

LLJsmom, glad you enjoyed Jersey Boys last night but sorry we have some tall people in NYC. Great solution though and love the way you think.

LLJsmom and I had fun diamond shopping yesterday and I found a diamond I want and we also saw a maybe contender for another NIRDI but won't comment any more here as that is up to the NIRDI involved if she wants to talk about it . Greg says we need to start playing the lottery though if I want the OEC I saw. Even with my birthday in August.
Of course we took pics and though I am running out of time (workday for me today) I will share a few.




First up LLJsmom gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous OEC. Beautiful faceting and bright and white. The photos don't do any of these diamonds justice btw. But sharing them for you girls.




And the beautiful 5 carat OEC that is a J color. Icy white IMO and really just lovely. Way over any budget I could have set for myself so not even a possibility. Though perhaps we will buy a lottery ticket just in case.




And here are 13.99 carat earrings. Looking good next to LLJsmom ear dontcha think?



OK one last pic of Bea hanging out with the 5 carat J. She is not jealous though and secure in who she is and her color and size and clarity. You go Bea.




and last but not least all 3 OECs in a row hanging out. IRL a blinding row of chunky bright flashes. Our photos do not do them justice. I promise.




Bea enjoyed her time with LLJsmom OEC very much and wants to play again soon.




And finally (really finally this time haha) LLJsmom gorgeous bling. I didn't get her gorgeous VCA bracelet in this photo but OMG still love this photo.

 

[CJ2008]

Good morning everyone

I did a little catching up today, finally!

(still on my DH's computer have not made any decisions on a new PC for me. I have such a hard time with these kinds of things. I feel like I used to be better. Either the decisions came easier or they came easier because I was willing to spend the time to make sure I made a good decision. Lately I find myself not wanting to expend so much energy on doing things "right." Like learning each spec and comparing say 3 different models. I did it a few months ago but now I just want to freaking just a get a new PC. Do you guys feel like this sometimes? Like you spend so much energy researching that you exhaust yourself and then just want to DO something. I secretly feel that people who live like this have it easier and more enjoyable.)

marcy - from what I gather it's that new employee that resigned was the one you thought was going to be great. I'm sorry to hear that he didn't turn out to be what you thought he was going to be. I hope your next one is better.

I have a secret to tell you that's really going to help you: the reason employees suck is because they're PEOPLE.



Seriously though, that's the reason.

(happy anniversary!)

jimmyanne - I am glad you paid off the $2500 to get rid of the issue but that it was also a "justified" $2500 when you looked into the rules so that it feels even better to just pay it.

That makes it a little more bearable (even though you seemed totally ok with doing it for the reason of being done it. Guess bearable for ME to hear about, I have such a "thing" with $.

gypsy - loved everything you said about this thread.

I think missy has a way to bring people together and bring the niceness out in everyone in a way that I don't know anybody else can. I know I certainly couldn't. I would've been here all by myself.

And I *loved* that platter. (happy anniversary!) We went to a Turkish restaurant the other day (BTW how sad about Istanbul ) and I was telling DH how much I just love that type of food, and how much I love that it's so healthy. I had a Tabouli salad with grilled chicken and it was so good. And of course, I *had* to have the rice pudding afterwards. And got 2 to go.

scandanavian I just love all your pictures there's a certain happiness or contentment that just shows through it's really nice.

missy and lljsmom how nice that you guys got together! was this the first time you met?

And, I'm not a big jewelry person like you guys are but those diamonds are GORGEOUS. Like enough that it made me feel like it would have been fun to be seeing them in real life, or to shop for one. In that moment it just really made me appreciate the beauty. And I haven't felt like that for years - well, since I looked for a diamond for my engagement ring I guess.

junebug as always I hope things with your mom are OK and that you're dealing OK.

I often feel so stressed over such little things...someone - I forget who - said in another thread that everyone has different tolerance levels for stress. And I realize mine is super low. So I really feel for you because I've only be able to deal with 1/4, and not even that well...

kristie as always you crack me up at some point

missy love that picture of Tommy (this is how I look when I have visitors )

Love when rainwood puts on her lawyer hat (I followed her exact advice over an issue I had with a lawyer not too long ago and I'm happy to say got resolved in my favor )

Hi Callie kaekae and everyone else I may have missed.

Have a GREAT day everyone.

 

[junebug17]

Hi everyone, just checking in quickly with you all -

Missy, sorry your aunt upset you; I know people who act the same way and it can really get under your skin. Love that pic of Tommy, really cute!!! I want to pick him up and cuddle him, although he probably wouldn't like it very much

And wow,the eye candy is magnificent! The earrings are amazing. I think we tend to get a bit jaded here on PS but these large old cut rocks are rare things and it's a pleasure to see pics of them. The 5 carat is gorgeous, but honestly I think Bea holds her own very well against it, and personally to my eye the diamonds look to be the same size. I prefer Bea's faceting too. And LLJsmom's OEC looks so perfect on her hand. I'm so glad you girls were able to get together and I wish I could have been there.

Gypsy, your post made me tear up and I feel the same way about this thread - I have felt somewhat isolated these past years and have been going through some stressful things, and this thread has helped me so much. I'm so glad it's brought you comfort and support too and it's really great having you here. (((hugs)))) We're here for you anytime you need us!

The tomato salad looks SO delicious! I love tomatoes. I love your food pics, they're making me hungry.

Jimmianne, I've never seen an olive oil dispenser either, very cool!

Thanks so much for looking for some answers for me, that was really nice of you. Yes, it's a common problem with the elderly and there doesn't seem to be a great answer for it. I'm going to talk to her doctor about sleep medications. If he won't prescribe them for her maybe he'll write me a prescription haha

I'm glad the driveway situation is resolved and you're comfortable with how it turned out, one less thing to worry about.

Marcy, sorry about all the aggravation with your employee, and I guess if he's that miserable he'd just be a source of annoyance to you if he stayed so it's probably for the best if he goes someplace else. These issues are so frustrating and distracting though, and I'm sorry you have to deal with it. Happy 25th Anniversary! Wow, that's a big one lol - I hope you and Marty have a nice day together. I hope you got some sleep and are feeling better. Love the stare-down pic!

Calliecake, have a great time with your niece's baby - my kids loved bubbles too when they were little. It was very kind of you to try to find the dog's owner, and in these situations sometimes there's only so much you can do, and you gave it your best shot. My son is living at home, and he will be good company for me and he'll give me a hand when I need it. My mother's sleep schedule is a little better but still off, and she's not sleeping through the night. Yeah, I wish my sister was staying a little longer too lol, but I have to learn to be on my own at some point anyway. She's staying until sometime next week, and she's coming back in August so that I can go to the beach for a week.

Scandi, I'm so sorry the log situation continues to be such a huge headache for you, I wish I had more to offer but I do feel for you and am hoping this is all worked out soon. Love the pic of you on the swing! You live in such a beautiful place.

Rainwood, I think you've come up with a good strategy for dealing with your mil. She sounds like a very difficult person to be around and that can wear on one's spirit, so it's great that you've figured out ways to protect yourself and feel somewhat at peace with the situation.

CJ, I'm the same way, takes me forever to decide to buy something, so afraid of choosing the wrong one lol. Thanks for the good thoughts, I'm hanging in there!

Have a great day everyone!

 

[Scandinavian]

Today's walk and picture Another day another pond!



Have you seen today's horrible news? We were in Istanbul two years ago, beautiful city. I will never understand the evilness of some people.

 

[Scandinavian]

Hi

Callie, I have worried about that lost dog all day too! Some people are unbelievable! But I also know how easy it is to accidentally lose a dog when they are running around free (woods, mountains, etc) so that is why I try to always have a GPS on my baby when she is stretching her legs. I have found a few lost dogs before, I have thrown them into my car and taken them to the kennel that is close to us, and paid for them to be there until the owner is found. One of them was a Chinese crested dog (I think) so no worries about that one, but my dad did yell at me a bit when I was still living at home and came home with a gigantic version of something that looked like a mix of a Siberian husky and Greenland dog or something like that - closest thing to a wolf I've ever had in the front seat of a car with me... LOL Found him in the middle of the main road and couldn't leave him there now could I??? But it is easier here, everything is very local, so everybody just calls the same kennel for all animals both lost and found. Bobbles are the best invention for ever for keeping children happy, lol. That and jumping through the sprinkler system

Marcy, I might cheer you up with the fact that here, employees are normally allowed smoking-breakes from work, 5-10 min per hour. Almost no one smokes any more though, it is not considered "cool" any more, has changed a lot over the last 20 years.
25 years !!! Congratulations !!!

Gypsy, love the food pictures and would love more! Always good with a bit of inspiration!

Jimmianne, I think you found a really good solution to the neighbour + money issue. And I hope you will be very happy with your friends as neighbours! And I love you driving the prices down for him

Missy, you always make the best poems! Thank you (!) for the bling pictures, more please if you have them! I'm starting to feel like I also might need a OEC at some point... Or a OMC perhaps... Hmmmm... Might be an idea for stud earrings later on

And talking about earrings! LLJsmom, your earrings!!! They look like they match perfectly with your ring

CJ, thank you, you are so sweet! I do love my little furbaby very much My advice re PC, just take one, LOL. You can tell I'm no technical genius, I hate to spend too much time on such stuff, I just want it to work, lol.

June, thank you! I do love it here As you can probably tell, lol. Please feel free to share any and all everyday things, we love to hear all your troubles if you like to share them.

 

[Calliecake]

Missy and Scandi, I did as Missy suggested and put out food and water this morning but the sweet dog didn't show up. I sure hope his family found him. I'm hoping if he was lost someone in his family would have come here to talk to me since their son knows he had come to my yard over the weekend. Hopefully he is back with his family and they put a collar on him. I also worried about him last night. One thing that made me feel better was after he ran off yesterday morning and I started looking for his family, when I returned home he was waiting for me on my patio. I hope he remembers and comes to me if he is ever lost again. I would be so devastated if our furbaby were missing and I would want someone looking out for her. I'm also going to buy a large collar. Maybe I can figure out a way to get it on him and keep him until someone comes to find him. It also bothers me that he is so skittish. I so hope he is being loved and cared for at home.

Missy, The pictures you have posted of your nieces are adorable. They are both such cute girls! I miss my nieces being that age. Please tell Greg what a sweet husband he is tonight when you get home. I'm going to see my brother this afternoon after the baby wakes up. I thought I would bring bubbles and we would play with her this afternoon.

Scandi, I love the pictures you post. It looks so peaceful where you live and vacation. What a great place to raise your children. My husband said this morning if the baby is crabby turns on sprinkler system on and let her play. To funny you had the same thought. I bought her a small watering can and let her water the flowers and bushes this morning. She loved it. I had a hard time getting her back in the house. I'm going to stop at Home Depot and see if they have one I can send home with her tonight. Tomorrow I'm taking her shopping with me. She loves going shopping and looking at all the people. I forgot how much energy 2 year olds have. Thank goodness for naps. She even wore the furbaby out, which isn't an easy thing to do.

Junebug, I'm glad you will be getting away and going to the beach house in a few weeks. It gives you something to look forward to. Mim also glad your son is there with you. I know he will be a big help and comfort to you when things are rough if your husband is traveling. I was worried you would be there alone wheny our husband has to travel. Hopefully the doctor will be able to give her something to help her sleep and get her On a sleep schedule. Why did you pass on the beautiful ring?

Marcy, I hope you and Marty are having a wonderful anniversary today. I'm glad you aren't working today. You don't need to be stressed and aggravated on your anniversary. I honestly don't know how you put up with some of these employees Marcy. If I didn't know any better I would think you worked at a Kindercare. They are such babies.

Gypsy, I hope you had a good day today and are feeling better. I just read the other thread and your post on how you get thru rough times. Please know how much I care about you. I know I had wrote a couple times how special I think you are when I first started posting on Pricescope but I haven't told you lately. The way you help everyone here and the love and care you show for animals is very inspiring. I hope you know I mean this from the bottom of my heart.

Rainwood, You didn't miss much on the reunion show. I was pretty surprised because Andy pretty much let them all know how people see them. Thomas and Katherine are train wrecks. They both have so many issues and I can't believe these two idiots act the way they do when they children together. Supposedly Katherine failed a drug test. Thomas is constantly drunk or on something during the show. I don't view him as any better. I also don't understand why any 24 year old would think this man would be a good partner. I just feel badly that their poor children have them as their parents. Shep made the comment that the show portrays their relationship as it truly is. What we see is who they are. They aren't being edited to look bad. Just reading this made me realize I know way too much about this show. Well Houswives of NY is on tonight. That's another one I rarely miss.

Kristie, My husband told me today that he and Bob can't compare to Greg. He said he knew it when I was stuffing Christmas cookies in my mouth. The Hermes purchase sealed it. I just started laughing and told him it's a good thing Kristie and I love you guys anyway.

LLJsmom, I'm hoping you are having a wonderful time in New York. Kristie and I were very jealous yesterday. I called her around the time you and Missy were shopping and told her we needed to go Diamond shopping! It wasn't fair that you two got to go have fun without the rest of us NIRDI's. I can't wait to hear all about what did today.

CJ, I'm with you on computers. I just expect my husband to fix it if I run into any problems. He had to really talk me into getting an iPad. Now he can't pry the darn thing out of my hands. He tells me all the time that he is going to bury with the darn thing. Do you have any big plans for the holiday.

 

[Calliecake]

Jimmieanne, I'm glad it all worked out with driveway. Are you happy to be back at home? Is your daughter thrilled you purchased a home near her? I can't believe how fast everything happened. Your new home is beautiful.

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Thank you all for the Happy Anniversary wishes.

Callie, 25 years is an accomplishment. We were talking earlier about 25 years seems like a really long time but then not that long at all. Weird.

Rainwood, I’m saying the rabbits blinked first because they were all over by the refrigerator this morning. Ha!

Gypsy, boo for trouble with your computer. Your cheese platter looks delicious.

Jimmianne, I’m saying the bears one. They were still in place this morning. The rabbits were not. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. I love your solution to the driveway drama; those comparable lots prices will make a difference on what he can get for his lots.

Missy, thank you so much for the wonderful poem for our anniversary. It made me teary eyed, reflective, happy and smile; all signs of a wonderful piece of prose. Of course the bears won. They are much to clever for those rabbits. Your niece looks comfy in her PJ’s. I love the pictures of diamonds and jewelry. I scrolled through them about 10 times. What a fabulous way for you and Patty to spend the day.

CJ2008, I say that about people quite off and usually related to work or some idiot on the road. The new employee was presented to me as quiet and accurate so I had hope he’d work well on my team. He would have been miserable in there so I’d rather see him go now that get him all trained and then he leaves during one of our busier times. Good luck with your computer search.

Junebug, I thought the same thing about Bea it did look the same size as the 5 carat. I did enjoy being out of work today and we had a low key, quiet day but it was nice. I am glad to hear your mom’s sleep schedule is a little better. I am glad your sister will be coming back in August so you can spend a week at the beach. I bet your DH and DS are enjoying having you at home. Are you getting enough sleep? Did you talk to some caregivers this week?

Scandinavian, it looks like you had a fabulous walk today. It is so pretty there. I bet people abuse that smoking privilege since it’s every hour. When Marty was in Romania everyone was smoking there even in restaurants which is rather unusual over here now.

Callie, I hope the dog was reunited with his family. Listening to your niece’s activities today made me smile. She was so cute watering the flowers. Great idea to get her a watering can. LOL to me working at Kindercare. I have a name tag from a previous job with my maiden name on it that says behavior counselor on it - if I could find it I’d wear it. I think I threw it out when we moved but I may look for it this weekend. LOL to Jeff saying he and Bob can’t compare to Jeff - especially the shoving cookies in your mouth. Jeff and Bob do fine as well in my humble opinion.

We had a nice day. Marty was working on his big project that is due tonight so we stayed in town. We went to Olive Garden for lunch then went over to the Botanic Gardens and wandered around. We got married there in a little gazebo so we took a selfie of us in there.
Marty went to the gym this afternoon and we had supper and the last 2 mini cheesecakes. Marty got us a bottle of champagne but since he has to work more tonight we’ll save it for this weekend.

I didn’t miss work - at all. Strange.

Have a great evening.
Marcy

 

[Gypsy]

I'm so far behind.
HI EVERYONE. Thank you so much for your posts!
I will try my best to catch up but no promises and I'm sorry if I miss something.

Overall this last 2 days has been doomed from an electronics standpoint. I killed my cell today, it's kaput with no hope of ressurection. Thank goodness for insurance. Though the insurance company hates me by now. My laptop finally stopped glitching after the 6th time I restarted it. I have to take it in, I have the service plan, thank goodness. No clue what it's issue is. And the free tablet I got from some Verizon special is MIA, and I don't think I've seen it since the move 6 months. Who knows where that thing is. I didn't even want it but it was free so DH talked me into it. It would FINALLY be handy, but of course that means its lost. Hehehee.

I am doing okay. Highs and lows on mood. Had a nice lunch with a friend today and had a lot of fun and laughs. I really starting to realize and appreciate how much connection adds to my quality of life. I am so lucky to have so many lovely people in my life.

The roses from Friday are still beautiful and going strong-- they don't even look real. Picture below. Having cabbage rolls my mom made (yummy) for dinner. And I'm a bit concerned for my Duncan. He's being clingier than normal and his liver test was high on Sunday. So I'm keeping a close eye on him. Rest of the kiddos are fine. Lucy had another adventure yesterday with being with the other kids. Jack and Whitey are afraid of her, but also conflicted about that so they poke at her when she's looking the other way and they back away real fast. Penny just watches her all wide eyed and from a distance. She desperately wants to be friends but has been rebuffed very thoroughly on that front. I think Penny thinks she's rude. And she is.


Okay. Going to post this part now. As the cabbage rolls are ready and will post the rest after dinner.

 

[Gypsy]

Oh. YUMMO. I love a good cabbage roll, and those were fantastic. I can make them, and DH prefers mine, but they are such a PITA that I never make them. So these were a treat.

Thanks to everyone for the anniversary wishes!

I was trying to explain to someone today why PS friendships are so special. Because the 'normal' stuff that keeps us separate: geography, financial "class", age, color, sexual orientation, marital status, nationality, creed--- all that is irrelevant and stripped away like a corn husk. You see people interacting across all those lines without thought, because on here we are largely BLIND to them. And because of the way the community is set up here, as a safe place, what DOES matter is the heart of the person, their values, their experiences and when you start communicating to a person at that level as a BASELINE it forms an intimacy that, in real life, can take years to achieve with people that because of all that "corn husk" stuff you may never have met.

Jimmianne, I love your pictures from your trip-- and that view! You look so wonderful and alive in that picture. I am so happy to hear your mood and outlook are better and that you are "unstuck" and that the trip was a success. Were there any anchovy stuffed olives in that display. I don't like anchovies in anything else, but in olives they are the Cat's Meow. That dispenser is a trip though. LOL! That's a great deal on the CVB band you got.

I hope that whatever happens with your neighbor you are happy with the resolution and that it doesn't tax you too much. What are you plans for the French House? And when do you get to go back?

Missy, ((HUGS))) back to you. You guys are at 17 years too? Sometimes it seems like yesterday, and sometimes it seems so much longer. LOL! I am so happy your weekend with the family went so well. The beach and the fire and the company (and puppy!) and fabulous food... sounds like a slice of heaven. I miss the beachy weekends and the heat of NJ, not to mention my SIL's fire pit. What a beautiful sunset pictures with the fisherman. They should be titled "Summer". Your ring is FABULOUS but I am sorry your fingers are giving you so much trouble. , it's hard to be at the mercy of our bodies whims (or what can seem like whims) I hope it passes and is a distant memory soon. I hope your visit with LLJ was fabulous for you both. Thank you for the good vibes. I am happy you enjoyed your trip to Steven, and thanks so much for kind comments about my ring. WOW on the 5 carat J. That's a paperweight (in the best way). Holy bling ****!

Whenever I see your cat pictures brings out my inner Elmira from Looney Tunes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP5HA2V6pIw I want to love them and squeeze them and hug them (though I would need a skin graft afterward).

Your picture of Tommy made me seriously laugh out loud, to me it says, "Okay so, I think I've been a patient cat mom. And you've had your fun. But I've really got to put my paw down, it's time for this nonsense to end." My Hally (AV kitty) was the most expressive of my cats. Duncan is the most expressive of the ones I have now. Whitey, god love him has two expressions "intent"--for bugs and food-- and blank/confused-- for everything else.

I'm sorry your aunt put you into a funk. ((HUGS)) I'm sorry I don't remember, but how many indoor kiddos do you guys have?

Rainwood, LOL @ "losers" on the lawn typo. I hope the A/C gets fixed soon! I like the 3 day rule. I think I'm going to institute that. Thank you for the encouragement. You are such a strong amazing woman. I started two years ago with my mother, when I really drew a line in the sand with her and established very firm boundaries about her behavior, just like you wrote. She has been much better because she really does love me very much. But she's who she is, at her core. And that is a narcissist who, in general, lack empathy. So yes, I have to manage and edit the time I spend with her and my step-dad.

How are things with your MIL now? Is she still an active part of your life? How was your day today?

Junebug-- great news on your mom acclimating so well. I am almost embarrassed to admit that I got $650.00 in Nook Credit-- and I did think for a while that I should see if I could cash it out and then Dh said, "so that will last you what? A month?" with his tongue firmly in his cheek, the brat. What does that say about me, I wonder? To be fair, DH, MIL and I are all readers and so my account is the master for all of us, and my previous job used to have a "recognition" program where you earned points for doing certain things and then got to redeem them for gifts and I used that to fund my reading with gift cards several times a year.

I really hope you do spring for a nice pink/red piece for the holidays. Is red/pink a favorite color of yours?

I ADORE fresh tomatoes. I had a boss once that disliked tomatoes. I felt sad for her.

Marcy, I love hearing about the veggie garden. There is nothing like home grown product, though a good farmers market can be a decent fill in. Our patios have not been very sunny in recent years so we are largely limited to herb gardens. I miss growing tomatoes and cucumbers and squash and have always wanted to try my hand at growing melons. What else are you growing?

I hope the thought of Gordon Ramsey gave you some fun private thoughts about your special snowflake millennial. Hehehe on keeping him busy till he leaves. He needs to find his 'big boy' pants it sounds like.

I do hope you are sleeping better. HAPPY 25th anniversary (belatedly). I think the Polar Bear is tougher. The brown bear is going down to the rabbit.

Scandi, I'm sorry for the trouble with the log situation. I'm not sure I understand all the technicalities of it, but it sounds... wrong. And AZ's posts have me concerned for you guys and grateful she has such great knowledge. Be safe, please. Thank you so much for your words of encouragement. Such a handsome pooch picture, thank you for sharing that! I found an old abandoned Cairn Terrier once. She was 14!!! 14!!! We found a great home with her (thanks to Jersey Shore Animal Center) but I worry so much when I see dogs off leash here.

How are things other than the logging?

Callie, You have such a big heart and when I think of you or see your name, that's always what I think-- what a wonderful huge heart you have, it always comes through. So thank you for your lovely words, and know that I feel the same about you. I happy your time with the baby was so fun filled for you both. I hear you on the energy. I went to a one year old's birthday party once. Got home at FIVE PM and crashed till morning. SO much energy. Bubbles are great fun. Tell me more about you, I don't feel like I know enough "stuff" about you. I do hope that dog found his way to a safe place, wherever that is. I am a firm believer though that many animals have good instincts for finding help. So hopefully he found someone, and if he didn't he finds you again. Can you keep something that smells SUPER smelly and tempting around (like Tuna for cats)? Sometimes (as Missy's pics attest to) caution can be overcome with a hungry belly.

AZ, I love you. Can I call you Kristie?

CJ, your post about your computer shopping really reminded me of something I've been striving for. I too over process and over analyze things and I agree... sometimes I think it makes it harder. It comes the way I was raised. Always having to achieve, to be better, better ... best. There is a line (bastardized) from Voltaire. The Perfect is the Enemy of the Good. There are time when GOOD is GREAT. And I think as a society we sometimes forget the value of "good enough." You don't have to have the BEST deal on this, or buy the best (gasp) diamond, or the best computer EVERY TIME. Sometimes convenience and peace of mind are WORTH the compromise. KWIM?

And I agree 100% about Missy having a gift of bringing people together.

I FINALLY (I suck at jewelry photography) got a decent picture of my ring so I am sharing that too.

 

[rainwood]

I just lost a post where I'd almost finished a reply to everybody, and I mean everybody, and I lost it because I'm an idiot! Totally my fault because I decided I needed to check something for work, hit the bookmark just as I realized what I was doing, but I'd left PS and it was gone. I hate losing a post, but I REALLY hate it when I lose a post because I did something really stupid.

So hi everybody! I'll try to post something tomorrow.

 

[MarionC]

I just lost a post where I'd almost finished a reply to everybody, and I mean everybody, and I lost it because I'm an idiot! Totally my fault because I decided I needed to check something for work, hit the bookmark just as I realized what I was doing, but I'd left PS and it was gone. I hate losing a post, but I REALLY hate it when I lose a post because I did something really stupid.

So hi everybody! I'll try to post something tomorrow.

Rainwood, don't worry, because we are telepathic!
Thank you SO much for writing a post to to tell us we are beautiful goddesses.
You are too!
hugs,
J

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Junie, I am glad your sister is going to come back in August so you can escape to your beach house paradise. Also very glad that she is staying this next week too. I am sorry your mom is still not sleeping through the night but it is encouraging that she is sleeping somewhat better. Baby steps so fingers crossed she continues to improve. Do you have special plans for the July 4th weekend? It will be nice your sister will be there with you and perhaps your brother will visit and your children too?

The earrings were unbelievable but really IMO not that wearable. Though I so loved you could see those facets up close and personal from a distance away those OECs are so large. They were a little to off color for me. Unless I was setting them to enhance the yellow.

Rainwood, arghh, I hate that and I'm sorry you lost everything you wrote here last night. That sucks because I know each reply is thoughtful and time consuming. All I can say is you are in good company and I don't think there is anyone here who hasn't lost a few posts or more even when we are being careful. And LOL on Jimmianne's post. Yes please don't worry as we are telepathic and thank you for the goddess (or shall I say "good"ess) comments that you thought.


Any updates re the A/C at the beach house? Are you going to be there this holiday weekend? It's almost July 4th and this summer which technically just started is already going so fast. Hope you had a good night and (((HUGS))).

Scandi, I think you *need* an OEC or OMC. And you know the best place to find a beautiful one right? Come to NYC and let me show you where you will find your dream old cut diamond.

Yes the news is horrible every day and devastating to watch so I usually don't but still get snippets when I tune in for weather before I leave for work. I am on a sort of news break but am still aware of what is going on of course but just not listening/watching in detail. Need the news respite.

Thank you for liking my poems. Yesterday's poem wasn't too long and perhaps that works out best for everyone LOL. I didn't have enough time to wax on and on.

Love your latest pics of your sweet girl F. She is a beauty and a love. Wish I could reach out and hug her and kiss her on her nose.

CJ, awww thank you for such kind comments. I don't know about that but I am so grateful you girls are here with me. I feel like you all are family in the best sense. Family that doesn't piss me off and push my buttons and family that "gets" it. This is a safe place to be and hang and share.

I think we all have that in common at times. Overthinking things and over analyzing things and I love Gypsy's reminder that "perfect is the enemy of good." True dat!

Yes I can promise you bling person or not you would enjoy bling shopping with us if I do say so myself. We have fun.
It is not the first time I got together with LLJsmom. I had the pleasure of seeing her last October/November. I feel so lucky I got to see her twice in a relatively short time despite living far apart.


Which brings me to LLJsmom, OK I am sorry but I cannot stop thinking about those sweet sweet earrings yesterday. They look fantastic on your ears. I am not sharing details unless you want to but perhaps ask advice of the other girls here? I LOVE them on you and since I was thinking about them long after I saw them on you I am thinking pull the trigger...but of course only if you feel the same way. That color (my favorite color as you know) looks amazing on your ears. And yay for having your own SA in the NYC store.

Safe flight back this morning! I am thinking good thoughts and sending safe travel vibes your way!!!


Marcy, your anniversary day sounded so special and I love that you went back to where you got married. Romantic and something we would have done. We usually recreate our first date around our dating anniversary (which is also around our wedding anniversary at least the time we got married with a rabbi and priest and not the city hall ceremony a few months before that). I love remembering those sweet innocent days. I am sorry Marty had some work to do yesterday but glad he made it work for the two of you and still celebrating together on the actual day. I am sure you will enjoy the champagne this weekend and have a second celebration. I am glad my poem made you smile and teary eyed and reflective. That is such a nice comment. Thank you.

And I am pleased you took the day off work so you were not "baby"sitting anyone yesterday. Yes being off doesn't suck does it? Getting you ready for retirement and a glimpse of how nice it will be.


Callie, LOLOL. Your comments to Jeff about Greg made me . Now don't go making Jeff hate Greg before they even get to meet each other OK? When you girls visit we will all get something special from the Hermes store.
So glad you and your sweet grandniece enjoyed the day together and I think you are watching her again today right? What a sweet little helper she is being this visit and yay for that. One good use of children to help their adults.

Hoping the dog has found his way back home and that it is a loving home.


Gypsy, first of all I so LOVE everything about your gorgeous ring. Thank you for sharing that photo. It is a stunning ring. Everything about it. The asscher, the setting, everything.

I am sorry about your latest computer problems. I hate when technology fails us in one way or another. So frustrating. I am so dependent on it and when it doesn't work I get upset. It's funny because Greg forced me to get a mobile phone in 2003 because I had refused one all that time and then one day he just brought a phone home and said here's your phone too bad. And I begrudgingly accepted it and that was it for me. I never looked back. I hope you get the computer and phone issues figured out very soon and back to enjoying technology at its best.

I resisted computers too until 2006 when Greg said time to enter the 21st century LOL and I got my first computer an IBM PC. But after a year of torture with bugginess etc I got my first macbook computer and never looked back there either. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my apple laptops and am on my fourth. The one I love most is MacBook Air and I use it all the time. But even for an Apple they get buggy on me because I keep everything open all the time and I think I have 25 tabs open right now. Greg says it is draining my computer and making it wonky but I cannot help it. I think I have adult ADD or something and need constant stimulation at times so hop from one thing to another. I have to get back into reading and I am quite impressed with all the nook credit all you girls received. That is a lot of reading and even if you are sharing with your DH and MIL that is still an impressive amount of reading you are doing.

That is a beautiful bouquet of flowers John gave you and I am glad they are still going strong. So lovely. Happy 17th anniversary again and yes that is the same time Greg and I have been together. It has flown by and sometimes I just want to slow it all down so I can enjoy every minute. It is going too fast and sometimes I flash ahead (sorry a dark moment for a second) and think about when we are old and near the end and how sad I will be that our ride together will be over and done. I don't think I believe in reincarnation or an afterlife so that just leaves us with darkness and nothingness and it isn't a pleasant thought. Sorry I didn't mean to get all dark there. Just sometimes it goes so fast I jump ahead thinking what it will be like at the end. And then that Peggy Lee song "Is that all there is" jumps into my head too. But I love our life in general despite all the "noise" we deal with each day so I don't feel like that message in the Peggy Lee song. Most of the time.

Thank you for those profound thoughts re posting here really strips away the superficial and gets down to the core of who we are and what we stand for and the unimportant superficial things don't get in the way. We can be who we are without worrying about the external nonsense. So true.

I never had a cabbage roll and now I am curious and want to taste it. Sounds delicious and I like cabbage.

I feel for Lucy as she sounds like she is the odd kitty out and I want to hug her and kiss her. Perhaps she behaves rudely because the others don't accept her for who she is? Greg and I have 4 indoor kitties all of whom are rescues and have had tough beginnings so in their own way they are all a bit different because of that. They are skittish among anyone who is not Greg or me but if they get to know you they become friendlier. They are very discerning kitties as many kitties are of course but their rough beginnings make them even more so and I know you kwim. Fred is the eldest of the group and he is about 13 or 14 years old. Francesca (Frankie or HRH the princess haha) and Bobby are about 7 and half and Tommy who is about 9 years old. Rough guesses at best. Our dearest kitty Billy died in 2009 and Greg and I adopted the last 3 in a relatively short time after Billy died as a way to honor his memory by rescuing 3 more. A tribute to the wonderful kitty he was. Billy was truly special and our soulmate if that makes sense to you. There will never be another Billy no matter how much we love all our other fur babies. Love you sweet Billy.

Thank you for those lovely comments about this thread and everyone in it. (((HUGS))).

Please hug your dear Lucy and Duncan too and all your kitties OK? I am hoping and praying that Duncan is OK and that his liver enzymes are elevated for no reason and go back to normal and that he starts feeling 100% well very very soon. (((HUGS))).

Oh and I completely agree that most of the time "Perfect" is the enemy of Good. So true and it is a good reminder. Thank you. I have to say I am much less of a perfectionist than I was when I was younger. An advantage of aging and perspective and gaining some wisdom in my case.

Also I generally cannot speak for Aztonie/Kristie but yes 100% she would want you to call her Kristie I promise. So if she misses your question please know that she would love you to call her Kristie. I am still trying to think up a good nickname for her but can't seem to come up with the right one.

Jimmianne, good morning. You beat me to posting again this morning haha. I am so sleepy as sleep has been elusive for me these past few weeks (months? years it feels like some days). What is on your agenda this weekend? How are your new tenants/neighbors working out. Are you thrilled they are here? I bet you are enjoying their proximity and company. How is dear Pom doing?

Yesterday was a good workday. Busy at work but not crazy busy and not stressed. With the exception of one emergency patient who I am concerned about but will see how he is doing today.

This morning when I woke up I had an email from Ann late last night and she wrote she is taking Cola today to get spayed/ rabies vaccination/revolutioned and ears clipped and she would explain later. I am thinking this is not good news as that might mean she has determined Cola is a true feral and cannot be domesticated. That makes me sad. All those poor ferals. Such a hard life. I so badly want to domesticate all of them and keep them well fed and comfortable and safe and loved. I know we can just do what we can but still I am very sad.

What are everyone's plans for this July 4th weekend? We are heading to the beach for the whole week so looking forward to it. Forecast right now says 90's and hot. It will just be nice to be away from our regular life and at the beach for a whole week. Though Greg is still technically working which makes cycling a bit more challenging as we will be interrupted a lot I am sure. But grateful we can still get away.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday.

 

[MarionC]

Gypsy, I love your asscher. It's a beauty & I'm certain it gives you a lot of pleasure! It would be nice to see more photos. I know you have posted in the past, but some new photos might be fun - for you, and then for us.
I am a tomato addict and like them very tart with salt, or green and sauteed.
Anchovies - that's another story. I'm glad you like them though. Maybe you can educate me on why they are good and I'll then try again.

The house closing is August 30th. When I can, I will visit the house and poke around, get to know it and probably give it a good cleaning and buy new bedding. The carpets in the bedrooms need replacing so that is the only real project. That and getting rid of the extraneous stuff. There's a world of chairs and tables in that little space.
The rest is OK and very liveable.
My sister wrinkled up her nose at the photo of the tile floor - mustard yellow, black and red, but I love them and think they have strong graphic presence. I'm counting on decor items like art, mirrors, rugs and towels to freshen the space,
then live with the rest because what I really plan to do is have friends come to visit and go sightseeing and eat.
[hint hint]
Missy I can hear you posting! haha
Good morning!

haha yes, I beat you to it.
Pom is doing well. My new people here are wonderful. She helped me change Pom's bandage yesterday and we did it easily so the vet does not have to come out 3x a week anymore.

The ferals have a great life thanks to you, Greg, and now Ann. Since they are wild I think they are happy just being fed and then hanging out together. I don't want you to worry.
Have a great long weekend at the beach!

 

[missy]

Haha you heard correctly Jimmianne. Ooh exciting...house closing August. That's a very good month by the way. Just saying.

I hit send immediately and then add things to my post. That way I have less chance of losing the whole thing if you kwim. Sorry for all the edits but this way just works best for me. Plus I am impulsive and like to hit send without reading and then I need to fix stuff. Haha I am telling you I have adult ADD.


CJ, forgot to say I hope you get your computer issues fixed and also I so agree with what you wrote regarding people. Generally they do suck and generally I prefer animals. So you are not alone there. I will add however present company absolutely excluded. You guys all rock.


OK off to work out as I am once again running late due to posting so much. Wouldn't change a thing though. I LOVE reading and posting in the NIRDI thread. (((HUGS))) to all you girls and have a good day!!!

 

[missy]

Rootbeer sighting. She is such a pretty kitty. I'm guessing she is a girl cause so far all of our Ferals are girls.

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Gypsy, rats to having your phone die and your PC acting up. I am glad you had a good time at lunch with your friend. Your roses are beautiful. I hope Duncan is feeling better. Marty is growing lettuce, rosemary and something else that I don’t remember. He says it is great! I should get myself a Gordon Ramsey shirt to wear to work, that would be funny. The Polar Bear is still ruling the table. The Brown bear is back watching TV. All of the rabbits have taken over the banister. Your ring is very pretty.

Rainwood, I am sorry to lost a long post. Darn it!

Jimmianne, that is funny - that is exactly what I thought Rainwood told us too. It must be true! I am with you and Gypsy; I love tomatoes. And I’m with you on Anchovies. Your new house sounds wonderful and it doesn’t sound like you have to do a lot to get it homey for you. Are you going back to France for the closing?

Missy, that is very cool you and Greg recreate your first date and celebrate it too. It is fun to go down memory lane. I enjoyed looking at our wedding photos. They are still out so I’ll probably enjoy them a few more times. We have a DVD somewhere but I have no idea where it is. Yes being off doesn’t suck! I bet your patients love you; I hope the emergency patient is doing well today. I had a chip out of my cornea one time and the eye doctor put some drops in my eye to get it to stop tearing and crying and I told him he was my best friend forever - he told me not to get too excited because it was going to wear off in about 15 minutes. He wasn’t lying. That was a rough week for me. I thought of you when I saw one of those commercials to help pets; you should start a go-fund-me for your Soda gang. I know you wish you could do more but you are doing so much to help them; don’t ever forget what a difference you made in their lives. Enjoy your week at the beach. Rootbeer is pretty.

LLJsmom, I am with Missy - those earrings looked fabulous on your ears.

Work was pretty crazy / busy today. I had directors and VP’s looking for me about a problem they found Tuesday and no one helped them with yesterday. My boss’s boss was on the earlier email but he didn’t to anything about it. So I spent about an hour working on that only to have a lady a corporate who should have been contacted in the first place jump all over me for going behind her back to work on it. Whatever!

Then I tried to get 4 new reports posted for my employees to pull and it kept failing on me. Found out later Crystal Reports wasn’t working well.

I met a friend for lunch then when I got back started my work for the day that I normally have done by noon.

Marty was bored and went to test drive a Corvette and some other Chevy sports car. Why? I have no idea. No offense to anyone who owns or loves a Corvette but he thought it had a lot of road noise and was so loud inside you can’t really hold a conversation. He said it was fast and I shouldn’t race it.

I guess he wants to go drive a Porsche Cayenne and Macan this weekend. I have no idea of buying a new car so I don’t know why he wants to go look but oh well - I’ll test drive a pretty SUV.

I had mac and cheese for supper and some grapes. Marty had chicken and a salad.

Have a great evening and Friday.
Marcy

 

[azstonie]

Gypsy, you BETTER call me Kristie, heehee!!!!!

I'd post more/and to you all but my stomach is so upset I'm not lingering long on the computer. HOpefully tomorrow will be better. Much dust to your sweet kitty, Gypsy, Finn/my avatar, he's like that too when he's not feeling tip top.

 

[marcy]

Gypsy, you BETTER call me Kristie, heehee!!!!!

I'd post more/and to you all but my stomach is so upset I'm not lingering long on the computer. HOpefully tomorrow will be better. Much dust to your sweet kitty, Gypsy, Finn/my avatar, he's like that too when he's not feeling tip top.

Kristie, feel better soon.

 

[Gypsy]

Gypsy, you BETTER call me Kristie, heehee!!!!!

I'd post more/and to you all but my stomach is so upset I'm not lingering long on the computer. HOpefully tomorrow will be better. Much dust to your sweet kitty, Gypsy, Finn/my avatar, he's like that too when he's not feeling tip top.

Oh no. Hope you feel better quickly.

 

[rainwood]

Missy, love the photos of your nieces. I still think the youngest one looks like you. And you and LL(Cool)J clearly had a great time diamond shopping. I am so jealous (or jelly as the kids say these days). I agree with the others that Bea looks the same size as the 5 ct. except Bea is prettier. But those earrings are something else. I hear you on the yellow being a bit too much, but do those in an I color and I could rock a pair of those throwing off rainbow sparkles as I shop the aisles in Costco! And I envy both of you having such lovely hands. I wish I had those long, slender fingers.

I am thinking of going to the island for the holiday weekend (or at least part of it) if they can fix the A/C. I had to work the phones big time just to get someone to come because the next opening for their best guy (who is the one who came last) isn’t until August! So he was going to go after the rest of his jobs today, but I haven’t heard back so who knows what’s happening. I am proud of myself for being so persistent though. I called 6 times this week, including 3 times today. I didn’t go for the Fourth last year because they go craaaazy over fireworks there and Nina was actually quite good with fireworks until 2014 when we went to a friend’s and her neighbors had an unlimited supply of cherry bombs so that even Nina eventually freaked out. But I’d like to go this year because I can actually walk to the big display which I’ve never done. So we’ll see. I hope it isn’t raining which is our usual Fourth of July weather.

Root Beer is so pretty, but really all of the soda gang is so photogenic. I’m sorry to hear Cola might be considered too feral to be re-homed. You said she was getting spayed. Did she not turn out to be pregnant or am I getting confused?

And in your honor, I tried to watch RHONY but 5 minutes in Bethenny was on the screen and I just couldn’t do it. I think I’m done for good and NY was my favorite.

Jimmianne, it sounds like you did exactly the right thing with the driveway issue. And more importantly, it sounds like you’ll get the last laugh! Speaking of which you are hilarious. You are so right about my lost post. It was all about us NIRDI’s being beautiful goddesses! And that’s always implied especially when some of us need reminding. We all are awesome. And I can’t believe your sister doesn’t like those beautiful tile floors. They are gorgeous and are part of what makes the place so wonderful. And I don’t usually like brightly patterned floors but yours are so striking and so fitting for the house. Love them!!

Junie, thinking of you and hope you have a good holiday weekend with your sister, and that your mother starts to sleep more at night. And just remember, you are the goddessy of us all right now!!

CJ, I’m glad my advice on the legal fees problem worked for you and that law firm decided to do the right thing. Yay! And good for you on persevering with them. I hear you on it being harder to make decisions. I’m trying really hard not to get into paralysis analysis, especially on things that don’t merit all that much thought. My new motto these days is ‘Done is better than perfect.’ Because I’m a Mac person, I always know what make of computer, phone, tablet I’m going to buy, but still have to try not to sweat the details of which model or features too much. I just bought a new phone yesterday, knew what I wanted and it was done. Had to go to the Apple store because Verizon didn’t have what I wanted but it’s done.

Callie, I’m so sorry about the lost dog. It’s hard when you aren’t able to reunite them with their owners. I’ve done lots of lost dog rescues when I was out walking Nina – somewhere in the double digits at least – but it’s the ones I couldn’t get close enough to that I remember the most. Why people don’t chip their dogs is baffling to me. Or don’t have a collar on. Or have a collar but no tags or ID. And thanks for filling me in on the Southern Charm reunion. I don’t get why women are interested in Thomas other than his bank account. He would make a terrible partner/husband for a lot of different reasons, but I hope he can pull it together enough to be a decent father. And Katherine has some serious emotional problems and so volatile. I hope she is able to get it together for her kids. Speaking of which, it sounds like you had a nice time taking care of your great niece. Bubbles make life better for everyone, especially toddlers. And tell your DH that Greg is hard to be compared to but that doesn’t mean he should stop trying! We all deserve Gregs!

Marcy, I’m sure the bears won. They are way feistier than bunnies, even the killer ones. And I’m so glad you had a great anniversary. Spending it away from work was a brilliant idea. I hope your bosses understand how hard it is to get a quality product with everyone else’s rejects. You can make lemonade out of lemons, but you can’t make champagne and that’s what they’re expecting.

How cool that Marty is growing lettuce. It’s so wonderful straight from the garden. I wish I liked to garden, but after so many years, it’s clear I did not inherit the gardening gene from my mother. She had a great garden.

Scandi, I’m sure you’ll come to an acceptable solution on the logs. And I love the photos of your fur baby and the white and black spots are so cute! Having a GPS on your dog is so smart, especially one that has the stamina yours does. You’re a great mother and a great dog mom!

Gypsy, thanks for the kind words on this thread and the one about your future ring. And such a great choice. Love it! Your engagement ring is so great with the asscher and that delicate, delicate halo. Such a beautiful and unique look. And your anniversary roses are so pretty. The ones with the colored edges are so distinctive. Reminds me of some I bought in Paris once and they were so lovely, I can still picture them. My DH knew that yellow roses are my favorite so when everyone else got red rose bouquets for Valentine’s Day, mine would stand out in all their warm buttery glory! Fingers crossed that Duncan is doing better.

I hope the 3-day rule works for you. It helps me to realize how I feel is at least partly a choice. I don’t know if that’s your situation because depression is a physical thing too, but sometimes thinking about it as a choice is just enough for me to be able to turn the day around. And getting out into the world and seeing people (even if you’re an introvert) makes a difference. As you said, having people in your life is vital to feeling connected, and getting exercise is so important too, especially with the RA, so you’re on the right track. I can feel it. Keep it up!

Kristie, one of the things I love about you is your passion. And you give advice because you want to help and that’s always a good thing. Hope all is well with you, DH, and the westies. And hope you’re feeling better when you read this.

Sharon, hope all is well up north! Happy Canada Day!

I had dinner with my MIL Wednesday night and it wasn’t too bad compared to some previous outings. The awkward question of the night was “Why don’t you ever wear makeup?” and the hilarious part is I actually was (I don’t most of the time), but unlike her, I go for the subtle look rather than the trowel she prefers. I’ve known her 42 years and the only times I’ve seen her without lipstick is when she was in the hospital. The woman is 94!! And it was okay because she only sort of talked about the topic I don’t like to discuss with her (has to do with DH but will leave it at that) and I was able to be polite and keep chatting rather than sitting there gobsmacked (love that word!) and rendered speechless. I’m rarely speechless but sometimes what she says is so surprising (in a bad way), I can’t think of a politely acceptable response. She did compliment my ring though which coming from the Queen of Negativity is something. Yay, PS for helping me find a good one (it was a 26th anniversary gift which I did all the legwork for which was the perfect way for us to do it as DH hated to shop).

Had lunch with a friend today which was a lot of fun and am trying to make a dent in both the maintenance backlog (found someone to do the gardening now that I’ve admitted I don’t want to do it anymore) and got a draft of the elevations and floor plans for the studio at the island. I’m really excited that he found a great solution for getting access to the attic. Now it goes into the county for septic approval while he does the final construction drawings. So we may be ready to go for building permit shortly after I get back. But that happens only if I find a contractor. The construction market (both the big and small projects) is on fire and finding anyone good who isn’t booked up for the next 2 years is a challenge, especially for a small job. I’m hoping the island market isn’t quite so busy, but that’s probably wishful thinking.

I went to the local farmer’s market, chatted with some of my neighbors there, and got some great produce and seafood. Plus a nice gluten-free dinner. (I’ve decided I likely have a wheat allergy like when I was a kid.) The farmer’s market is within walking distance, but I drove today so I could buy more. Four pounds of Rainier cherries (the local yellow ones) and peaches and rhubarb and raspberries and greens and halibut completely filled what became a very heavy basket. I will be eating like a queen!

Hey, I did it! I didn’t lose my post! We are all goddesses! We are all beautiful goddesses who I hope are headed for a wonderful holiday weekend!

 

[missy]

Good morning NIRDI goddesses and happy July 4th holiday weekend!


Rainwood, I am hoping fervently they fix your AC this weekend at the beach house. I cannot believe there is a wait till August. That is nuts. I would almost consider bringing a skilled HVAC guy from the mainland (where hopefully the wait for help isn't as long) and having him and his assistant be your guest at the house this weekend if they promise they will fix the issue and get you cool AC. I am only half kidding. Anyway sending you lots of cool AC dust!!!

I am behind on the RHONY shows and have missed a few weeks so if the beach house TIVOd them I will catch up this week. Sometimes things don't work right there (or here) as you have experienced as well and we get there and the TV isn't working or cable isn't working or the internet is down yada yada yada so I just never know. Just hoping our AC works this weekend and coming week as the weather is predicted to hit the 90's most of the week I think. I am sorry Bethenny has turned you off the show but I get it. These women are annoying and I am not sure why I am still watching yet I do. It's like whoa is that really happening and but somehow it has (a bit of) entertainment value for me still. However we shall see how long I "enjoy" watching the RH shows. I am far behind on all of them. Is NJ and OC back yet? I hear there is a new RH show from Dallas. That should be interesting but IDK I will invest any time in that RH show. Unless someone here says they have seen it and it is entertaining.

That's interesting you think my youngest niece looks like me. I think she looks like my mom and sister and I think the oldest niece looks more like me but I have a terrible eye for these things anyway. Personality wise my oldest niece is much more like me than my youngest niece. The youngest girl is fearless and very tomboyish while the older niece is afraid of a lot and more girly. I wish I was more like my younger niece!

OMG I am sorry you have to suffer your MIL. What a pain. But you handle her very well. And LOL on wearing makeup and her comments and her still wearing lipstick at 94. Reminds me of what my derm told me years ago when I told him when I am older I won't care and he said no you will always care believe me. I don't wear lipstick though if it helped my teeth look better I would but I never liked the feel of it on my lips and during our wedding I refused to wear any lipstick too. Generally I prefer the no makeup look and only like eye makeup if I have the energy to apply.
When I was younger I wore no makeup at all and am always surprised when I see young girls wearing so much makeup. They are so much prettier without it IMO.

Kristie, I hope you are feeling all better today! I guess all the excitement yesterday wore you out and the heat isn't helping I am sure. Stay in the AC and stay cool and hydrated OK? (((HUGS))).

Marcy, you are out of the office just one day and everything falls apart without you. Time to ask for a raise I think.
And glad you enjoyed a lunch with your friend to help you get through the work day. Boo to being so behind but worth it taking your anniversary day to celebrate away from work.

I remember your eye story Marcy and I am so glad you have not had a recurrence. Corneal abrasions are very painful but generally heal quickly so that's the good news. A corneal ulcer is more challenging however. Thanks for asking about my emergency patient. It is a serious injury and she is doing better and while I won't go into details it was due to self inflicted trauma. But her retina is intact though she has permanent damage to her vision due to the injury.

Mac and cheese and grapes sound delicious. Making me hungry at 6:10 AM LOL.
Yesterday at work we had a farewell party for a medical assistant who has been there for over 10 years. She is going to nursing school full time. I am happy for her because she has been working, raising a family and going part time to school for a years now so I am glad she is moving full steam ahead with her future. However I am sad because she is one of my favorite people at work and I will sorely miss her bright smile there. They had pizza and vanilla lemon cake that looked amazing but I held strong and didn't even sample the cake or have a bite of pizza. I wanted to but then I thought OK a minute of enjoyment and I will pay the price for much longer afterwards. So not worth it. Though it was getting a little annoying when person after person kept offering me pizza and cake and I kept saying no thank you. And some of them were persistent LOL. After 15 years there and 15 years of goodbye pizza and cake you would think they would get it by now. I hate being "different" this way and for just one week I would love to be able to eat anything I wanted without suffering repercussions. Yes I want to be "normal" for just a short time.

Anyway the medical assistant and I will keep in touch. I love her kids and I love her. She is the perfect example of the "American Dream". I know a lot of people are down on America and there is a lot wrong with this country I agree but there is a lot right with it too. She is from another country, a very poor country and she had no future there. She came here over a decade ago and made a good life for herself and an even better future by working hard to get ahead. And she has a good happy and safe life and is raising lovely children and has a supportive dh who is also from another country and together they have made a great life in the USA.

I am glad Marty had fun test driving the Corvette and a few other sports cars yesterday. If I could have any car I wanted based solely on looks I would want an MG convertible. And my license plate would read either OMG or OMGMG. Greg says the MG is a horrible car and he refuses to allow me to get one. They don't make them anymore and I prefer the classic vintage cars anyway so would want the original. Greg also says it is only stick (I don't drive stick) and has no AC. My response is we can retrofit anything can't we?
I would take almost any color as it looks beautiful in most colors but my fave color for it is silver blue I think. Hard to choose though it looks good in so many different colors. I love candy apple red and cream color too.


LOL read this article when you get a chance about the food coop in my neighborhood. We are not members because as much as I love the idea of a food coop I don't want to make the time to work there which is a necessary part of being a member. But many of my friends in the neighborhood are members. I have gone there before with them as a guest and the whole experience was meh. Crowded aisles, long lines though there are great prices that's the truth. Anyway thought some of you might enjoy the article. Had us LOLing.


http://www.wsj.com/articles/buying-organic-groceries-in-brooklyn-can-be-a-serious-trial-1467315599

The Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn recently tried several members for ‘extremely uncooperative behavior.’
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
By CORINNE RAMEY
Updated June 30, 2016 4:18 p.m. ET

Brooklyn may have the only grocery store in the country that puts its customers on trial.

The Park Slope Food Coop, founded in 1973, is a neighborhood institution known for its deadly serious dedication to organic produce and egalitarian values. Its 17,000 members are required to work 2¾ hours every four weeks in exchange for crunchy camaraderie and discounted groceries.

Over the years, the store has weathered its share of publicity for fighting over topics like the ethics of tuna harvesting. Recently, when one such dispute about Middle Eastern politics spiraled out of control, four members found themselves facing judgment before a jury of their peers, accused of being, well, uncooperative.


The co-op’s parallel criminal-justice system has its own peculiar lingo. Juries, dubbed “hearing and deciding groups,” are selected at random from the co-op membership. Members of a disciplinary committee build cases, which are presented by the “co-op advocate,” effectively a lead prosecutor. Judges are known as “hearing officers,” and the judicial process is overseen by a “hearing administration committee.”

Members caught in the crosshairs are given a choice: an arbitration, in essence a bench trial, or judgment by a jury of their peers. A writer from the Linewaiters’ Gazette, the co-op newspaper, serves as court reporter.

Such proceedings carry the mild title of “hearings.” Rhudi Andreolli, who stood accused in April of “extremely uncooperative behavior,” called it something else.

“It was a freaking trial,” she said.

Over the years, the store has weathered its share of publicity over membership disputes.

The trouble began in April 2015. According to the co-op’s formal complaint, Ms. Andreolli and three other members caused a 45-minute disruption during a discussion of whether the co-op should boycott sparkling-beverage company SodaStream International Ltd.
SodaStream, based in Israel, generated controversy at the co-op because it operated a plant in the West Bank. A company spokesman said it has since closed that West Bank factory. The co-op had battled earlier over whether to boycott other Israeli products, including hummus.

Ms. Andreolli and the other three co-op members were against the SodaStream boycott. The complaint alleged the four yelled “angry demands and sometimes hateful epithets,” got on stage to block photos from being seen, and one tried to disconnect a power cord to the projector. “More than one witness expressed concern for the physical safety of those most closely involved with the disrupting members,” the complaint said.

The accused didn’t dispute the allegations, but said they weren’t alone in protesting at the meeting and that the outburst was triggered by provocative photos depicting Israeli soldiers and Palestinians.

The trial of the four members was held in April in a meeting room on the second floor of the co-op.

Co-op leaders say the judicial system arose out of a need to resolve conflicts fairly, and that their administration of justice doesn’t carry real-world consequences.

“We don’t send people to jail,” said Park Slope Food Coop General Manager Joseph Holtz. “That’s not what’s at stake here.”

Infractions that could land one in court include theft, vandalism, falsifying work records, unauthorized presence in the basement and permitting nonmembers to shop. There have been seven hearings over the past two years, Mr. Holtz said.

The prosecutors’ investigation of Ms. Andreolli and the other three members included interviews with more than a dozen witnesses, photographs and an audio recording of the meeting, the complaint said.

“Your case will be heard and you will have the opportunity to dispute the specific facts of the case by providing evidence to disprove the allegations against you,” the complaint said. It was signed, “In cooperation.”

Pretrial correspondence mirrored that of the real legal system. A lawyer for the defendants wrote a “discovery demand” letter, a reference to the evidence that would be allowed. The defendants protested being suspended before being formally convicted, citing due process.

The trial was held in April in the meeting room on the second floor of the co-op.



Millie Ruttner and Al Ettlinger were found guilty. They now have to shop elsewhere.

After several hours that included testimony from witnesses, the jury found the four defendants guilty of the first charge—“disrupting or obstructing Coop activities”—and acquitted them of the second, “physical or verbal conduct which threatens or endangers the health and safety of another person in connection with Coop activities.”

The judge handed down the sentence: one-year banishment from co-op premises.

“A guy that just committed rape on some college campus got six months, and I got a year,” griped Al Ettlinger, 79 years old, an artist and jewelry maker who has been a co-op member for 25 years. Member Millie Ruttner, 65, who also was convicted, called the proceedings a “kangaroo court.” The co-op manager said the organization has worked to be as fair as possible.

Some members say such proceedings aren’t representative of their beloved grocery store.

At the checkout counter of the Park Slope Food Coop. ENLARGE
At the checkout counter of the Park Slope Food Coop. PHOTO: JOHN TAGGART FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
The co-op isn’t “a hippie-conspiracy trial at all times,” said Toby Vann, 52, who said he designs domes, including one for the cultural festival Burning Man. “It’s just people who like to eat good food.”

On a recent afternoon, a visitor who tried to enter the co-op was told all nonmembers must be supervised. An escort led her through narrow aisles of organic produce, bulk bins and shelves of haphazardly stacked natural products.

“There’s only one sad-looking eggplant on the floor,” a voice intoned over a loudspeaker.

The four suspended members are learning to get by on what they consider inferior groceries. Ms. Ruttner shops at Trader Joe’s. Mr. Ettlinger goes to Key Food.

Sharon, Happy Canada Day!

Have a good Friday girls and woohoo it's the beginning of a long holiday weekend. Weather forecast is for severe thunderstorms starting early afternoon by us and I am not happy about that but we are going to try getting a bike ride in this morning. Leaving for the beach house as soon as Greg returns from work. He was in his office at 5AM today and hoping he is home soon so I better start packing up for the week ahead. Have a good day and hope to chat later with you.

 

[MarionC]

AZ, feel better soon! When my stomach feels weird I drink vinegar in some water and it usually helps right away unless it's really totally upset. I hope that is not the case with you today : (
Please post back with an update later in the day.

M & L those diamond photos are so terrific...those earrings! Good grief Wow.
Bea was a star player in that lineup.
Remember that story about Ulysses having his crew tie him to the mast of the ship so he could hear the sirens singing without fear of succumbing to their seduction? Thank you for sharing your adventure. It is much safer to let you two go to Adam's and send us photos than visit there oneself.

Puff is trying to whistle a tune I've been whistling to him for the past year. He has the wolf whistle down pat but the little tune has him working overtime.
We have started exchanging sounds when I am in another room, but yesterday was the first time we exchanged words - "whatz up?"
He can talk a blue streak, but only if he thinks no one is listening. Boy, parrots take a long time to open up.
And, yes, he is still a scary 6 oz. ankle biting monster. Sometimes I come in the room and he is running around on the floor while the dogs cower on the couch.
The bears could use a parrot in their gentle army. yes?

 

[missy]

ooh I LOVE Puffy boy. XOXO and big hugs to dearest Puff Jimmianne. He is such a smart boy!

We arrived at beach house and threat of rain and thunderstorms high but going to try a bike ride. Fingers crossed because I don't want to get caught in any strong thunderstorms. Light rain is OK.

Leaving you with 2 photos of my dream car. OMGMG.

 

[junebug17]

Hey everyone!

Missy, glad you're at the beach for a little rest and relaxation. You're staying for a week, right? Fingers crossed you have good weather, I haven't had a chance to look at the forecast.

I'm happy to hear your co-worker is going to nursing school, that's great. But I know it's hard for you because you'll miss her.

I'm on a semi news break too - I scan the headlines occasionally just to have some idea of what's going on but lately the news just depresses me and there's nothing I can do about what's happening anyway. It's not that I don't care but all the bad news is just too much for me right now.

My son will be around this weekend, but I think my daughter is going down the shore with some friends. My nephew and his wife are going to pop in at some point so we'll have some company here.

Hugs to you about the ferals, I feel for them too…but I guess in their own way they are content, they are living the only life they know and I suppose they wouldn't be happy to live the life of an indoor cat at this point. You are helping them so much with all your efforts. (((hugs))). Rootbeer is very pretty!

I enjoyed reading the article about the coop, pretty funny!

And hubba hubba to your dream car!

Scandi, great pics of your furbaby, she's such a pretty girl. Anything special planned for the weekend?

Calliecake, thanks for your concern, it's comforting to know someone is thinking of me! Yes, luckily my son is here so I'll have company when my husband is traveling. It would be tough to be here by myself. I decided to pass on the ring for now. Maybe I'll get it for Christmas if it's still available. I'm glad you had fun with your grandniece, the watering can was a great idea. It really is amazing how much energy toddlers have, they don't stop moving!

Marcy, I'm glad you had a nice time on your anniversary. It's so sweet you went to the gazebo where you were married! And now you have champagne to look forward to lol. The agency found an aide and she came over yesterday to meet me and my mother. She is young and very nice, I like her and I think she'll be good company for me as well as my mother lol. My mother doesn't seem thrilled with the whole idea, says she can stay by herself (not!!!) but she isn't putting up too much resistance. Interestingly, my mother asked who's paying for it lol - that's an example of how my mother is still "with it" in some ways. We just told her insurance is covering it. The aide is expecting in October, and of course I'm very happy for her but she'll be going on maternity leave at some point so that means a change in caregivers. For now she'll be coming from 2 to 6. I'm getting some sleep now, but concerned about how I'll make out when my sister leaves.

Sorry you had such a crazy day at work and I'm glad you were able to get out and have lunch with a friend. Those kinds of things help us through the bad days.

Lol about Marty test- driving cars just for the heck of it! Hey, why not? It's something to do lol.

Gee, how weird that you didn't miss work It will be so nice for you to get away when you go on vacation, when is that again? I'm sure you're looking forward to it to say the least.

Gypsy, glad you had a nice time at lunch with your friend. I know what you mean about how staying connected with people, that helps my mood and outlook too. The roses are gorgeous! I'm keeping Duncan in my thoughts and hope he's getting back to normal, please keep us posted. Yes, Lucy does sound like she can be a bit rude lol. It seems like things are improving a little though, sounds like she can be out with the other kitties for a period of time. And the cabbage rolls do sound very yummy.

Wow, you do love to read lol! Don't be embarrassed, reading is beneficial in so many ways and I think it's great you have something in your life you enjoy so much. I love to read too, it's a great escape. I've had a hankering for a pink stone for a while now, I guess I just like the color and it goes with a lot of what I wear. I'm not going to get it now though - and if it sells before I'm ready to buy it wasn't meant to be. Did you see the bypass old cut ring over in pre-loved? I love that too, and is it just me or is the price pretty good?

Oh, and I never told you this but I LOVE your ring. I'm not just saying that. It's one of my favorites on PS, it's basically perfect. I'm a halo gal and I love the plain shank. I think asschers look really, really good in halos and Steven's work is amazing. I love everything about your ring and it truly looks beautiful on your hand. I wouldn't mind more pics lol!

Jimmianne, your new home sounds wonderful and it seems like it doesn't need much done to it. Your decorating plans sound great - you have an artistic touch, a great eye, and excellent taste; I'm sure what you do is going to be beautiful. Eh, who cares if your sister doesn't like the floor, all that matters is that you do ha! It sounds very cool to me. I'm very excited for you, congratulations!

I enjoyed the cute story about Puff so much, thanks for the day brightener. I laughed at the thought of the dogs cowering in fear of
him!

So happy to read the positive update on Pom.

Rainwood, thanks for the good thoughts. I'm doing ok, as of right now anyway lol. Oh my, that is too funny about your mil and make -up! She'd be horrified if she got a look at me right now ha. I'm not doing too much make-up myself these days, just some tinted moisturizer and I try to cover up the dark circles under my eyes with concealer when I have the energy. If I do that, it's a good day. Sounds like the attic project is moving along, I know it can be challenging to get it all organized, sending good wishes things fall into place and you can find reliable workers. Your food purchases sound really good! I hope you can get the AC going at your island home, I do feel for you and I know it's so frustrating to have an ongoing problem like this.

Guess I'll sign off for now, will check in later!

 

[Scandinavian]

....aaaaaaaand after x hours in the car.... We are back at the summerhouse