Now I really did it :((

[Calliecake]

@marcy, Your new ring is gorgeous. The color of that stone is perfection!!!! Oh no, snow already???

@MamaBee, What wonderful neighbors you had in Texas. It’s especially nice they were there at a time in your life when you really needed them. They sounded like angels.

@Austina, I hope you and Colin are enjoying every moment and are able to relax now that the move is complete and you are finally here to stay. Have you gone to take a look at the progress on your new home? The new car is beautiful. I love that gray. I hope you know my feelings about Texas right now are strictly due politics. There are good people everywhere. Thank you for your kind message @Austina. I’m really lucky. I have really great kids in my life.

I hope you are having a wonderful week @junebug17 and all is well with your family.

@canuk-gal , I’m hoping your mom is improving and things are beginning to get a little easier for you.

 

[missy]

GM girls and happy FriYAY!!!

Aww thanks @marcy. You are a peach. No make that a delicious ruby. That ring. TDF. RUBYlicious. Love it. Wear in good health and blingy joy and good luck with the periodontist. That trumps your car for sure. Thanks for the birthday wishes for Greg and for enjoying my photos. I post for you girls here because I know you enjoy them and I enjoy taking them for you. XOXO

OMG @Austina love your new car and so thrilled everything is falling into place. Adam and Kim must be so happy you both are there finally. I hope you are getting on USA time slowly but surely and had a better night's sleep last night. Big hugs and much love to you and Colin and Bertie and Adam and Kim. I am sorry about the storms scaring Bertie. They scare me too. As for the emergency alert there is a way to shut it off. If you have an iPhone that is. I am not sure about the other phones but would imagine yes. For the iPhone go to settings. Notifications. Swipe to bottom of notifications. Shut off the government alerts. And viola. No more waking up from the alerts in the middle of the night.

@canuk-gal sorry you aren't working right now. That sucks and I hope that changes soon. Yesterday was another perfect cycling day...the temps were almost 80! Not too warm because it was dry and it was gorgeous. No complaints here about the weather. It is going to rain tomorrow with high winds but it's been a good run and we may even get to cycle before the rain though we haven't gone food shopping for almost a week and there are items I buy fresh and have to get weekly. But while the weather is nice I choose cycling over food shopping lol.

@MamaBee aww you are a doll. I appreciate you and your genuine friendship so much. Words cannot express how I feel about you and many of the girls here. True friendship means everything to me. There are unfortunately fake people all over and I am grateful I know who is truly a friend and kind and well who isn't. Big hugs and hope your mom is doing well. She is in my thoughts as is David.

@springerspaniel I hope the week was a good one and today is a good day. October is flying by. How is Fred? Big hugs to him. And you.

@sarahb my friend how are you? Sending you good wishes and big hugs. Have a good friYay and wonderful weekend.

@MMtwo I hope all is well with you. I miss you and am sending you hugs.

@bling_dream19 happy FriYAY sweet friend. XOXO.

@Slick1 yay it's weekend eve.


Hi to everyone else. Hope all is well.
Greg and I enjoyed the unseasonably warm weather yesterday and cycling was pure joy. Sea, sand, ice cream, dogs, cats, friends, we enjoyed it all.







Have the sweetest FriYAY lovely ladies. XOXO.

 

[missy]

I love this photo. As I was just searching for my antique overhead lights for another thread this one popped up. I don't remember the time of year. But it was an early morning cycling start.

 

[MMtwo]

Good morning, Ladies! I'm dashing through for a quick minute to say hello. I've been loitering in the halls and peeking in occasionally.

Not much new here except work and sleep. The new job has been quite challenging and it's a busy! And with this ridiculously brief note, I must run off for a meeting.

HUGS!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

We picked the best part of the day for a ride, sun was out but cool. Wind came up, luckily I had gloves and Gortex. @missy I am so jealous of your temps!!! Felt like Fall again today.

Went for a 10,000 calorie lunch so glad we had some exercise. Busy errand day.

NIRDI shout out!!!!! @MMtwo nice to see you! Hope you are settling into your new job.

@Calliecake thank you for kind inquiry after my Mom. Medically she is stable but remains a complex patient. We had to tell her that her drivers license was revoked. For obvious reasons, but she quite upset, nonetheless. Only one sister is allowed in with the Covid restrictions.

cheers--Sharon

 

[MamaBee]

HI:

We picked the best part of the day for a ride, sun was out but cool. Wind came up, luckily I had gloves and Gortex. @missy I am so jealous of your temps!!! Felt like Fall again today.

Went for a 10,000 calorie lunch so glad we had some exercise. Busy errand day.

NIRDI shout out!!!!! @MMtwo nice to see you! Hope you are settling into your new job.

@Calliecake thank you for kind inquiry after my Mom. Medically she is stable but remains a complex patient. We had to tell her that her drivers license was revoked. For obvious reasons, but she quite upset, nonetheless. Only one sister is allowed in with the Covid restrictions.

cheers--Sharon

@canuk-gal That’s good that at least one sister is able to see her. The really scary part for me was when my mom was in total lockdown. She doesn’t have an iPhone so sometimes a kind nurse would sent me a pic from their personal phone.
It’s hard for them to give up their independence. It’s a definite role reversal when they are old. I thought my mom would blow a gasket when she found out they called me to ask if it was okay for her to get a perm. I had to explain to her that they have to make blanket rules to protect the ladies that can’t make the decision. She wanted her tweezers but she can’t have them in her possession. She would be okay but there are other ladies that would pluck out all their eyebrows. That made her laugh.
I hope you can get to see your mom soon.

 

[Austina]

Hello lovelies

Wowsers @marcy, your ring has turned out beautiful, I love the halo and sparkly band, it really highlights the colour of your ruby. Even in the photo you can see it’s glowing

I totally understand @Calliecake, I had to give all my usernames of any social media and forums I belong to on my visa application, which is why I have been very careful not to participate in any kind of political discussions and issues, but I know where you’re coming from! We’re going up to see the house at the weekend.

Lovely to see you @MMtwo, I hope your DS is also coping well with his job.

I’m sorry it’s so difficult for you to see your Mum @canuk-gal, I’m sure she’s devastated not to be able to drive anymore.

Thanks @missy, I have now managed to turn off those pesky alerts, and put the phones in another room last night. It’s purely habit to have them in the bedroom, as we had all the security cameras on alerts when we were away. Not a problem now as we’re homeless Sounds like you had the perfect day!

Despite having driven for 45 years and never caused an accident, I’ve had to do a 6 hour online course today in order to get my learner’s permit. It’s all geared to irresponsible kids and I found a lot of it completely irrelevant. I’ve been ploughing through it all day and it was really boring. The good news is, I’ve passed! Now I’ve got to go to the DPS for the permit, have the physical driving test, and go back to the DPS for the licence.

It was 75 deg F before 9am this morning when we took Bertie out for a walk. I’m really tired now and probably have eye strain too!

Big love and hugs to you all

 

[Calliecake]

@canuk-gal, I’m sorry. It has to be really hard for your mom. Losing your independence would be hard for anyone. Thankfully your sister can be with her. Do you know when you will be able to visit her?

@Austina, You went thru what they put 16 year olds thru to get a drivers permit. You would think they would have a course for kids and one for those who have been driving for years. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the house. A new country, a new car and a new house. You are getting years worth of excitement in a week!

@MamaBee, It is like a role reversal when our parents get to a certain point. This would be so much easier if Covid wasn’t an issue and you could pop in and visit her often.

 

[missy]

GM girls! Happy Caturday Saturday!

@canuk-gal big hugs. That is so difficult watching your mom go through this. Aging is challenging in so many ways and the loved ones stand by feeling helpless. Doing what we can as best as we can but there is only so much one can do. Life is very hard and it doesn't get easier as we get older. Gentle hugs and so many well wishes to you and your mom.

@Austina I am sorry you have to go through the driving test etc but I suppose not everyone is as good a driver as you and better safe than sorry. I wish they would make everyone repeat the driving test every five years or so especially as we get older. There are so many bad drivers on the road oh my goodness. Really dangerous when you see elderly people with very slow reflexes, poor vision trying to navigate traffic. Bertie is super lucky to have you and Colin there with him. He is surrounded by love everywhere. What a life. Hope you had a good night's sleep and are feeling more rested with each day. And sounds like pretty nice weather too.

@MamaBee how fast it all changed. One minute your mom was living with you and the next she was living at the residence. In most ways she is so much better off but for Covid and all the restrictions and complications. You are a wonderful daughter to her and your mind can rest easy. I hope she is doing well and you get to visit her this weekend.

@MMtwo sounds like the new job is going very well and I am so happy for you. I wish you a lovely weekend and hope you get some much needed R and R.

@bling_dream19 happy Caturday Saturday sweet S.

@Slick1 have a wonderful weekend.

Hi to everyone else. We had another picture perfect day. Weather is unreal. high 70s, sunny and just overall beautiful. Today is super windy but the rain is holding off til later so we are going to cycle despite the high winds. I predict a shorter than usual ride but mainly because Greg has to go food shopping for me afterwards lol. I am sending him because after a ride I am too tired. I am lucky he is such a great DH.

We saw a groundhog or was it a woodchuck? And many animals along the path. And lots of friends too. We have made so many friends during our long rides that we never get to cycle uninterrupted but I actually enjoy it very much. I feel like we get our socialization fix this way outside and it feels safe. And it is nice to make that connection. There have been many good things to come of Covid if I am to be completely honest. The main thing is Greg WFH. Unfortunately it looks like they want everyone back at work starting next year. I believe Greg will retire before he goes back to the office so we shall see. I love having him home. I don't want to go back to how it was before Covid.

Enjoy a fabulous Caturday Saturday my lovely friends. Lots of love and big hugs.

 

[missy]

Oops almost forgot. Some of our wildlife along the way. I never get tired of the preciousness all around us here.








And a few Halloween pics. For those who enjoy them.











Enjoy a not spooky Saturday girls!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

NIRDI shout out!!!!!

The weather exceeded our expectations and predictions--so we cycled and I walked! 18C is very fine for this time of year! Tomorrow is supposed to be the same or better, so maybe we'll have happy hour on a patio.

@missy your neighbours sure like decorating for Halloween! Such effort! We didn't see any wildlife on our ride today but I could "smell" them. Saw some "bear warning" signs along the way.....

@marcy enjoy your new ring! Very pretty!!!

Not much else to report. Stay safe and well folks!

cheers--Sharon

 

[MamaBee]

@marcy I LOVE your ruby ring! I’m amazed at how you’re able to trade rings in..Do you mind telling me what store it is? I wish I had a store like that near me!

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDI’s!

@Calliecake thank you, I generally like blue gemstones but I couldn’t pass up that color and clarity of ruby. Yes we had snow but it melted quickly.

@missy I lucked out and was able to move my car appointment to the afternoon on the same day as my periodontist appointment. They are just evaluating if they can trim down the gum to the point where I can get a crown so I doubt they’ll do anything other than put on a new temp crown after they check it out. Beautiful photos. Sounds like Greg and I might be retiring about the same time; I am thinking mid December (today anyway).

@MMtwo I hope you are enjoying your new job. I’d rather be busy than bored at work but that’s only if you aren’t too busy.

@canuk-gal that is hard to give up driving but I can understand why your mom wasn’t happy about that. I hate to hear only one person is allowed to see your mom, that makes it so hard on everyone. What did you eat for your 10,000 calorie lunch? I am sure it was delicious. Good deal you had nice weather for a ride and walk.

@MamaBee that is so hard to give up your independence; my grandma must have had a scare because she called my parents one time and said come get my car - today! My mom kept driving long after she should; my dad started hiding her keys. It’s heck getting old. Most of my gemstone rings are from the Shane Company which I know is frowned upon on here. They sell loose sapphires and rubies (and diamonds) that like their diamonds - have different ratings. Once I figured out their internal rating system I ask for the best cut/color and have been able to pick out IMO very nice gems. Their gems can be upgraded for $1 more than you paid for them and all of their jewelry can be upgraded for double what you paid for it. It has worked out great for me over the years since pretty much anything I buy I have a nice down payment for my new bling. My first round of sapphires were the 1/2 carat range, then I upgraded to the 1 carat range and now I’m in the 1.5 to 2 carat range. I also went from liking thin bands to chunkier bands so most of my current rings are 2nd to 4th versions later; makes it nice for my changing tastes.

@Austina this ruby does glow and I am glad to see putting it in a halo didn’t really dim it’s color and performance. That was a long day at driving school but woo hoo you have a permit now. The biggest change will be driving on the opposite side of the road.

Busy day in M&MLand. Marty got up early and went moose "hunting". He is determined to get a picture of the moose he sees hiking with his new lens. One of his friends went with him since sunrise is later now than it was in July. After he got home we went out to eat and ran the my through the car wash. While Marty was gone this morning I did my Sunday lifting, worked on laundry and made some vanilla cupcakes for tomorrow. My sister, BIL and nephew are coming to visit and take Marty out for a belated birthday dinner. Cake mixes don't have high altitude info on them any more so I dug up notes I had from another brand of cake mix and adjusted accordingly - sadly the cupcakes are kind of dry. They'll taste better with ice cream tomorrow and I'll send the rest of the cupcakes home with my sister - my nephew will eat them for sure. We had popcorn for supper.

Now that I upgraded my ruby ring I want to upgrade my ruby studs. I emailed Brittany at WF to get some halo earring jackets for my ruby studs. They are 4mm so I need jackets for a .25 diamond and online the smallest size they have is for .30 carats. I don't know if the difference between 4mm and 4.3mm or 4.4mm would be enough to notice but hey I can ask. I was looking at prices to just have the studs mounted in some diamond halo studs but they would be quite a bit more expensive.

I am trying to figure out what my topic will be for the newspaper article. I need to get busy on that.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[missy]

GM girls! Happy Sunday!

@canuk-gal yay for cycling and walking and nice weather. I love good weather surprises. Enjoy a gorgeous day today too. And yes be careful of bears. They are magnifcent but best from a distance. Especially if there are any cubs around. Continued well wishes for your mom.

@Austina hope with each day you are feeling more at home and enjoying every moment of being here. When is your home to be anticipated to be complete? Hi to your entire family and lots of hugs. Please kiss Bertie from me.

@marcy that worked out quite well, nice going with getting the appointment for the car that afternoon.
Hope Marty gets some good photos. They are gorgeous animals.
Nice you did your weekend lifting yesterday. Me too. Now that I am on hormones I sweat a lot more. It feels good to sweat so much actually. I feel like I am detoxing lol. Nice your Sis, BIL and nephew are taking you out for a belated Marty bday celebration. Have fun. Everything tastes better with ice cream. Halo jackets will look beautiful with ruby studs. You cannot go wrong. Good luck finding an interesting topic for your next newsletter.

@MamaBee how is your weekend going?

@Slick1 hope you are enjoying time with family and Bear is doing well.

@bling_dream19 hope everyone in your family is well and you are enjoying the weekend.

@sarahb soon there should be lots of worthy PIP to be shared. Tis the time of year around here. Though I haven't seen that many leaves changing but there are lots on the ground. Hmmm.

@MMtwo hi again, hope you are having a good weekend.

Yesterday was quite windy so we went South to get ice cream and then we headed North and then West to get out of the heavy winds for a while. We are lucky there are many different routes we can take to make the best of the wind situation. Today is another windy day. Unfortunately we cannot get ice cream as Greg has a colonoscopy tomorrow. He has to be on an all liquid diet all day. Sheesh. I have never had a colonoscopy because the prep is unappealing but mainly because I have too much other stuff going on but I know before I hit 60 I will get one. Our SIL was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in May and went through chemo and radiation and it was horrible. She is doing well but one potential worry. Praying everything will be OK. Life is not easy. One has to be strong or one gets strong in order to survive.

One of my good girlfriends (LI NY) is retiring and moving to North Charleston. I am so happy for her but will miss her. I cannot believe she is retiring because she was always one to love making money lol. And she isn't old at 61. I thought she would work till her 70s TBT. We are in the same profession and it isn't back breaking work or anything so definitely if one wanted to work til one was old one could. But I am pleased for her. Her boys are working and out of the house. One lives in Spain as a teacher of English and one is a mechanical engineer in Delaware. She did a great job with her boys. But I digress. It is on my mind because we just caught up with each other and it is exciting news.

Have a wonderful day lovely ladies. Much love to my sweet friends here. Be well, be safe and enjoy. All that is promised is today so let's make the most of it and enjoy it to the fullest. XOXO.

Leaving you with something sweet and something beautiful and something neat.

Our ICOTD for Caturday Saturday. No ICOTD today but we shall resume our regularly scheduled ICOTD as soon as possible



We had a storm around 6PM yesterday for just a few minutes and then this appeared in the sky. Beautiful.



And the storm front as it came over our area. Right before the rain started. Cool.


Have a sweet, beautiful and fun Sunday. XOXO.

 

[Jemi]

Missy, your photos are fabulous! Truly truly.

Austina, you have made it! And a passed drivers test as well.
Welcome to your new home.

Marcy, Orion is the BEST. Love when he shows up for winter.
Your ring!!! Enjoy in good health, and sparkle on.

I am heading for the French west coast to fossil hunt for a week with my petite canine companion. His first time seeing an ocean. But the “sleeping on a hotel bed” part he has down pat. LOL

XX to you all.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

NIRDI shout out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@Jemi I am jealous of your travelling! Sounds wonderful. Keep well and safe. So happy you have your furry adorable companion with you!

@marcy after yesterday's $600 oil change and filter, we will not be returning to a dealership for any alphabet type of servicing. (except for our BMW where those types of service are free). Sorry, but they are a total rip off. Oh and the high cal lunch was poutine, southern fried chicken, topped with a fried egg.

@missy very breezy day today, but did our 14k loop. Saw our "friends" LOL and the paths were very busy. 22C and sunny!!!!!! I saw a lot of bear scat along the way, but no Pooh bear or anything otherwise genuine. PHEW! I was sweating like mad, but unlike you I don't enjoy that feeling.

@Austina well I don't know about British drivers but I found Californians to be as mad as snakes on the road. (LOL) Maybe Texans are better, but at least you now know the rules they may be breaking! LOL

@MamaBee how wonderful your Mom came home. I am sure she is grateful to have clean huggies! Did you cook for her? I am sure she'd appreciate it as I know hospital type food is not very good. My Mom has lost 8kg since she's been admitted. (granted 2/3 of that was water retention weight, but nonetheless).

That is all that is fit to print. Off to Happy Hour soon--can't dance so may as well.

cheers--Sharon

 

[bling_dream19]

Nirdi shoutout and happy Sunday funday!
@marcy your ring is just gorgeous! I love the reset.
@missy your pictures are just glorious! How beautiful to see a rainbow! The last one I saw was on our honeymoon and we were kayaking and got to see a double rainbow. It was pretty cool. Glad to hear your is doing the food shopping and getting your favorites!
@mrs-b what absolutely wonderful news that you will have a daughter! You and she have such a special bond and it only seems natural. I love that she gets to wear your rings when you go out to dinner.
@Austina WELCOME home! I hope you are getting settled in. I'm sure your son and DIL is so happy to see you all again. I'm sure it was emotional. I hope all of your gorgeous bling made it there too!
Cooking out tonight, steak, spaghetti squash gratin, bok choy, and some chocolate for dessert. I've been on a soup kick and made sausage and bean, vegetable soup, and a bolognese. Makes life so much easier to pull something from the freezer. I'd like to make black bean soup this week.
Thank you for all the love and bling support.
Love and hugs to all!

 

[Austina]

Hello lovelies

Sorry I didn’t check in yesterday. We took Bertie out then had an appointment at the bank. Oy, you’d think they didn’t want our money!

Thank you @bling_dream19, I carried all my really expensive pieces with me, and the less expensive pieces went in to my locked case, and all arrived in one piece!

I don’t know how you manage to come up with an interesting article month after month @marcy. Glad you’ve got the halo bug, I think diamond halos look especially good around coloured gemstones, so with your ruby earrings, they’ll be amazing.

Sounds like fun @Jemi and maybe you can train little Monsieur Kine to find fossils, wouldn’t that be something?

Wow, fantastic photos @missy. Good luck to Greg for tomorrow, honestly, I’m not surprised you‘Ve put off having a colonoscopy. I had a sigmoidoscopy when I was 55, and it wasn’t fun. I only found out after, that people are usually offered some kind of relaxant before hand, but nada, it wasn’t pleasant at all. Thankfully after that, I’ve just had the poo stick tests. Yay to Greg thinking about retiring, it’d be hard for you him not being there all the time after this last 18 months.

So, it turns out that the first available appt to get my learner’s permit is 28th December!!!! I can’t get insurance on the car until I have a Tx licence, but I can hire a car on my UK licence and drive wherever I want Adam’s going to take me to the DPS early one morning and wait for them to open in the hope I can get a walk-in appt. Unfortunately, he can’t do it this week, as he’s away, but another week won’t be too long to wait.

We were at the bank for over 2 1/2 hrs yesterday. We don’t have our physical green cards, but do have our visas in our passports, which clearly show we are now permanent residents, but apparently, that’s not enough proof! Long story short, we did eventually get accounts open, and have to go back when we get the green cards for them to amend their records.

We went from there up to the house, and there’s been lots of progress in the last month. The a/c’s in, all the first fix electrics are done, all the plumbing is done, the fire is in, though not connected, and it’s really beginning to look like a house. We both actually felt quite excited about living there.

Unfortunately, by the time we got back, I felt quite unwell, I was dehydrated and my blood sugar level was low, so I felt dizzy. Adam and Kim had a neighbour over in the late afternoon, so we sat outside, and not long after they left I went to bed.

We took Bertie to the dog park this morning, did laundry, and Kim and I made dinner, chicken piccata

Hope all the lovely NIRDIs are having a good weekend

 

[missy]

GM girls! Happy marvelous Monday!

@Jemi thank you, coming from you that is quite a compliment. Your trip to the French coast sounds wonderful and I hope you and Kine have a marvelous time. I love that kind of search and well, you know I adore the coast. Enjoy.

@Austina I hope you are feeling better today. It sounds like all you have been going through is catching up with you. Please make sure to eat well and hydrate and take good care of yourself. You and Colin have been dealing with a lot and sometimes our bodies take time to feel all the stress. Even good stress. Sending you good wishes and lots of love. Sounds like a lot of progress made with your house woohoo. Wow regarding the driver's permit. Maybe Covid has delayed everything but what a hassle. I rarely drive and know I need to drive more. Yesterday I drove to and from the gastro center where Greg is having his colonoscopy today. It's been so long since I drove I wanted to practice lol. I am terrible with directions even with Waze. But anyway hope you can get your permit sooner than that but if you cannot I hope it doesn't prove too challenging to get around before you do.

@bling_dream19 aww thank you and how special you saw a rainbow during your honeymoon. Yummm to spaghetti squash. I love that dish. I also love black bean soup and I agree. Defrosting and heating up dishes is super easy especially when one is hungry haha.

@canuk-gal I hear you. I only enjoy sweating when I am working out at home and can have a shower immediately after my workout. I don't sweat when we are cycling unless it is super hot. I am glad you enjoyed a lovely day yesterday and woohoo for cycling. Have a wonderful Monday.

@Slick1 happy Monday. Hope your week is a good one.

@marcy hope the weekend went well and you enjoyed the company of your family. And hope the week is an easy one.

@MamaBee hope you enjoyed a good visit with your mom.

Hi to everyone else. Greg and I had a good ride despite his liquid diet all day yesterday. We skipped ice cream but we did get a lot done not taking time to have ice cream and chatting haha. I drove to and from the colonoscopy center to get to know the route (lol pathetic I know). And then we went cycling. And I felt the need to drive it again haha. Then before we knew it the day was over. Poof. So fast. Anyway I am trying not to worry about what is happening in 2 weeks from tomorrow. But I am nervous. Focusing on one day at a time. Today let Greg's colonoscopy go smoothly and may he get the all clear.



Leaving you with a few scenes from our beautiful Sunday.










Have a marvelous Monday lovely ladies. XOXO.

 

[MamaBee]

@missy I hope Greg has a good colonoscopy today….I hate getting them but they are so important. I get mine on the 29th of November.
I also have been walking around with crossed fingers and toes with dust for a good test for you in two weeks. After that you and Greg should have a double serving of that delicious looking ice cream..Hugs

 

[missy]

@missy I hope Greg has a good colonoscopy today….I hate getting them but they are so important. I get mine on the 29th of November.
I also have been walking around with crossed fingers and toes with dust for a good test for you in two weeks. After that you and Greg should have a double serving of that delicious looking ice cream..Hugs

I just picked him up. Thanks for asking. It went fine. One polyp. Last time he had a few. So once again next colonoscopy due in five years due to having polyps. The prep was so much better IMO this time. No drink. Just pills and water and a liquid diet. Yes he had to take pills at 1am and so sleep wasn’t great due to bathroom visiting but hey no gross drink to drink.

I am anxious. Spotted and cramping this AM. Not looking good. I can’t be upbeat anymore. I’m beaten down. It’s not looking good for me. Just facing facts. I guess two weeks after the biopsy I’ll know more. I wish I could bury my head under the covers. :/


Good luck with your colonoscopy Joanne! You will be glad when it’s over.

 

[MamaBee]

I just picked him up. Thanks for asking. It went fine. One polyp. Last time he had a few. So once again next colonoscopy due in five years due to having polyps. The prep was so much better IMO this time. No drink. Just pills and water and a liquid diet. Yes he had to take pills at 1am and so sleep wasn’t great due to bathroom visiting but hey no gross drink to drink.

I am anxious. Spotted and cramping this AM. Not looking good. I can’t be upbeat anymore. I’m beaten down. It’s not looking good for me. Just facing facts. I guess two weeks after the biopsy I’ll know more. I wish I could bury my head under the covers. :/


Good luck with your colonoscopy Joanne! You will be glad when it’s over.

Missy I’m happy Greg’s colonoscopy went well.

I feel so bad for you. I wish you would get a break.

 

[mrs-b]

Hallo ladies - and welcome to the new working week!

@missy - glad greg's colonoscopy went well - those things really are a pain in the butt! I'm worried about you and will be SO glad when you've had your biopsy. I'm sorry you're feeling low. I just wish you'd get a bunch of good news - you must be emotionally exhausted. Biggest hugs to you! And thanks, too - because despite feeling so flat, you continue to lift us up with your beautiful photos! Love you, AG!

@bling_dream19 - well? Did the butterfly pendant arrive? And what do you think of it? Can't wait to see photos of it on you! Your dinner sounds delicious! Any meal that includes 'chocolate for dessert' is going to get my vote of approval! I hope all your family is well! Just to add - I always keep frozen soup in the fridge - such a convenience on occasion to just be able to throw something into the microwave!

@MamaBee - how are you? How is your mother doing now she's home? And D and S? You're in PA at the moment, yes? I thought of you a lot this weekend as I put up world's least convincing spider web in my front garden. I've never done the spider web thing before and I swear - it looks like snow! It's WAY too thick and heavy and sticks to e-ver-y-thing! It's going to be a nightmare to get it off! I need inspirational photos, J! All photos appreciated - you know you're my decorations guru!

@Austina - you have AAAAAALLLLLL my sympathies re banks and driver's licenses and all the stuff entailed in being to prove you actually DO live here - and legally, to boot! When I went to the Dept Motor Vehicles in NY, when we moved here 20 years ago, I waited in the queue for an hour and a half, then gave the man at the desk all my paperwork. It was EXACTLY as listed on their web site, but he snorted, said one of the pieces of 'proof of identity' I'd brought with me wasn't sufficient, then - and I kid you not - basically went "Pffft!" - and threw my bunch of paperwork into the air over the counter when it fluttered to the floor, landing scattered all around my in every direction possible. In front of everyone, I then had to bend down and run around picking it all up, piece by piece (there was a lot of it and it went everywhere), before leaving the DMV in disgrace. And let's be clear - he didn't sort of 'toss it in my direction' - he threw it INTO THE AIR away from him, over my head, and it landed everywhere. It was the ultimate "Get away from me and take this shit with you" kind of move. All my original documents. All I can think is that he must have been having a major psychotic break, because I had NEVER encountered behavior like that in my LIFE. We ultimately went to a different DMV, where they approved my paperwork and registered me for a license. I hope things go more smoothly for you. Paperwork aside, tho, it sounds as tho you're having. lovely time. At the risk of being a pain...some house photos would be lovely.... And I'm glad you're here.

@canuk-gal - I'm glad you've been able to get out riding! It's been very temperate here, as well, tho I fear that won't last much longer. I think seeing bear poop would freak me out entirely! have you ever actually seen one wandering around near you? <shudder> That would be it for me!! I was sorry to hear of so much weight loss re your mother. Is her facility still in lock down? I hope you can see her very soon! Sending warm thoughts for continued blue skies, mild days, and time spent in the great outdoors! (...without the bears!!)

@marcy - Your ring looks wonderful! That COLOR!! I think jackets for your studs will be equally fab - what a lovely addition to your collection! Re cupcakes.... Altitude makes a difference?? What sort of a novice am I that I didn't know that?! I make gingerbread angel cakes every Christmas and had NO idea! I'll have to google this! I do these for the neighbors and put them in nice Christmas tins and they're our neighborhood gifts. They're filled with chocolate ganache and they normally seem to be very well received. How was Marty's belated birthday dinner! I hope it all went well!

@MMtwo - lovely to see you, albeit briefly! I hope the new job is both enjoyable and fulling, as well as busy!

@Slick1 - hugs to you, my friend! I hope all is well with you!

@Calliecake - I hope your week is off to a good start! Waving at you from over in Boston!

@Jemi - have you already left for the coast? What fun! What is the weather like there these days? I hope your small canine companion has a FABULOUS time! How is your daughter and her baby? I'm sorry about this, but I've lost track on where she is. is she back in France or still in the US? And pls continue to post photos of your fabulous garden! Also, if you get a moment, pls scroll back to the previous page and answer my questions about the sky garden and those fabulous gates~! I still want to know!!

I have news but will need to come back and do a new post as I'm out of time and have to head out. Warm wishes to all and NIRDI SHOUT OUT!

oxo

 

[missy]

Aww thank you @mrs-b. We just got back from a glorious ride. The weather is crisp and windy so we got a good workout too. The winds are fierce. But it didn't detract (maybe it added to) from the beauty of the day. This photo is just for you. XOXO.



And @mrs-b LOL you are teasing us...omg! Please come back and share some happy news with us. ((((Hugs)))).

Thank you @MamaBee. You are a doll and I so appreciate your support. XOXO.

This photo is for you Joanne. Also from today.

 

[MamaBee]

Aww thank you @mrs-b. We just got back from a glorious ride. The weather is crisp and windy so we got a good workout too. The winds are fierce. But it didn't detract (maybe it added to) from the beauty of the day. This photo is just for you. XOXO.



And @mrs-b LOL you are teasing us...omg! Please come back and share some happy news with us. ((((Hugs)))).

Thank you @MamaBee. You are a doll and I so appreciate your support. XOXO.

This photo is for you Joanne. Also from today.

Beautiful @missy! Thank you! I just love clouds so much. I would be speechless if I lived there. My husband would love it…being speechless…

 

[mrs-b]

@missy - I would LOVE to share happy news, but unfortunately, this isn't that.

Tim's BCR (Birdshot Chorioretinopathy) - an Auto immune disease - is not responding to treatment. Instead, the drugs he's on have pushed him into the realm of diabetes, so he's had to stop all treatment till his stats are back to normal. Tim is not overweight, exercises daily, has no history of diabetes - either person or genetic - and has always had excellent blood glucose readings. But the drugs he's on are SO strong - and he's on two of them, both strong enough to be used historically to stop transplant patients from having their bodies reject their new organs - they've crashed his kidneys - which is why I've been MIA for the last few days. He's off all meds now as of this morning - a situation which can't be continued or it will radically effect his eyesight in coming years - and we're hoping his symptoms will resolve. When that happens, we'll start again. But we had no idea how heavy duty these meds were, so we're very shaken and unsure how to proceed. Tim has been sleeping 10+ hours a night - and exhausted the rest of the time. He gets up 4, 5, 6 times during the night to go to the bathroom, and his weight has dropped 8lbs in the last 3 weeks, and 5 lbs in the last 10 days. So we have a genuine 'situation' here. It's also affecting his personality - making my beautiful calm, gentle, easy-going boy cranky and snappy. He's just miserable.

My back continues to hold together ok. Not stellar - but for me, pretty well. I've officially cancelled my surgery for now and have pushed it back 3 months so I can do it then if this good streak doesn't continue. I'll have to have the surgery sooner or later, but since it's a surgery that generates as many problems in the long term as it solves in the short term, the longer I can push it back, the less likely I'll be to have to have it repeated in 10-15 years. I do NOT want to be 80 and trying to go through a quadruple fusion! I'd rather be, say, 67 and doing a double fusion and never doing it again then going through it now - then repeating it plus the vertebrae either side in 15 years when I'm old and the recovery would be almost impossible. So that's our decision and we'll see how it goes.

 

[missy]

Oh no. I’m so sorry
It never ends.
I am sending you and Tim bucketloads of healing vibes and always lots of warm hugs and love. I’m here for you no matter what I’m dealing with. We are going to get through this stronger than ever. I believe it in my heart
((((Hugs))))

And yay for postponing (hopefully forever) your back surgery!!! That’s the kind of news I love. XOXO

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Busy errand day. Started out great--going into Safeway greeted by 4 Police bringing a fella out and into the police van. Awesome. Ya just don't know who is next to you on the street.

It is 5c outside and gloomy--good day for errands but not cycling.

I had a surgery scheduled for the end of Oct--but now postponed due to Covid. OR closures. Not surprised.

@Austina I LOL about your banking hassles--I think they thought you had way too much $$$! Your British Pounds go pretty far in the US. I'm sure it will all get sorted out.

@missy glad the pooper scope went well. Glad you enjoyed your ride. I've seen more tandem riders this year than ever before.

@mrs-b I'm sorry to hear your ray of sunshine (DH) is unwell. Healing vibes across the miles. Hugs.

NIRDI shout out!!!! Keep calm and carry on.

cheers--Sharon

 

[MamaBee]

@Austina I agree with Missy…You and Colin have been on overdrive getting the house ready..That’s not even counting all the paperwork to get yourselves here..It’s mind boggling. I think you probably were all tensed up..Now that you’re in Texas..the bunches of nerves are working themselves out. I felt that just moving to a different state. Transferring David’s guardianship to a different state was a nightmare. We had to start all over again.

 

[MamaBee]

@missy - I would LOVE to share happy news, but unfortunately, this isn't that.

Tim's BCR (Birdshot Chorioretinopathy) - an Auto immune disease - is not responding to treatment. Instead, the drugs he's on have pushed him into the realm of diabetes, so he's had to stop all treatment till his stats are back to normal. Tim is not overweight, exercises daily, has no history of diabetes - either person or genetic - and has always had excellent blood glucose readings. But the drugs he's on are SO strong - and he's on two of them, both strong enough to be used historically to stop transplant patients from having their bodies reject their new organs - they've crashed his kidneys - which is why I've been MIA for the last few days. He's off all meds now as of this morning - a situation which can't be continued or it will radically effect his eyesight in coming years - and we're hoping his symptoms will resolve. When that happens, we'll start again. But we had no idea how heavy duty these meds were, so we're very shaken and unsure how to proceed. Tim has been sleeping 10+ hours a night - and exhausted the rest of the time. He gets up 4, 5, 6 times during the night to go to the bathroom, and his weight has dropped 8lbs in the last 3 weeks, and 5 lbs in the last 10 days. So we have a genuine 'situation' here. It's also affecting his personality - making my beautiful calm, gentle, easy-going boy cranky and snappy. He's just miserable.

My back continues to hold together ok. Not stellar - but for me, pretty well. I've officially cancelled my surgery for now and have pushed it back 3 months so I can do it then if this good streak doesn't continue. I'll have to have the surgery sooner or later, but since it's a surgery that generates as many problems in the long term as it solves in the short term, the longer I can push it back, the less likely I'll be to have to have it repeated in 10-15 years. I do NOT want to be 80 and trying to go through a quadruple fusion! I'd rather be, say, 67 and doing a double fusion and never doing it again then going through it now - then repeating it plus the vertebrae either side in 15 years when I'm old and the recovery would be almost impossible. So that's our decision and we'll see how it goes.

Oh @mrs-b .. I’m sorry Tim is having a really hard time. I can see why he wouldn’t be his usual sweet self.
That’s a good idea for you to push back the surgery if it means repeating it later. I would do the same thing…postponing it as long as you can.
Big hugs to both you and Tim..