Older but better...?: February 2025

Friday, February 21, 2025

Another cold morning...

It's 11 F here this morning (Thurs). Hopefully this is the coldest it's going to get. Supposed to warm up by this weekend... sure hope so. We have the heat lamps on outside for the ferals, lots of food, water, and blankets on the porch. We also have a heated tent-like winter cat hut that our daughter sent us a while back that is plugged in and handy if needed.

Actually it isn't bad this afternoon. Temps up to 28 and sunny. We went out to the grocery after lunch and it really wasn't too bad. (BTW, Dug I looked for those Utz chips, but couldn't find them... did however, find and bought the VO5 shampoo.) Does anyone remember Halo shampoo? That's the one my mom bought when we were growing up and I remember that smell well.

Friday... here. Still cold.

We did go out to dinner with a dear friend and her hubby for her 79th birthday this week. She and I went to grammar school, high school, and college together, and were in each other's weddings. Lost track for a few years when DH and I moved to Florida, then Texas. Then serendipitously (is that a word?) they moved to Texas too. Now we're back - and it's as if we never parted.

The other friend I mentioned in my last post (whose birthday is coming up soon too) will be 80 next month. She was one of my room-mates in college. It's kind of a funny story as both of us were assigned rooms with people that (how do you say this nicely?) were not compatible? Nice girls, but very different ideas about fun and life.

So we decided to switch room-mates. It worked out very well and she and I have stayed friends over the years. She lives in New Orleans, so we don't see each other very often, but we text almost daily. She lost her husband a few years ago to Alzheimer's and was herself caught up in Katrina as well as another hurricane that took the roof off of the condo she lived in. So she's had to move several times on her own. But she's a strong person and seems to handle it all well.

That's about all I have to share this week. I'm still on antibiotics, but am feeling a lot better. Next Cat scan is in March...

Question: This is just an 'out there' question that I've often wondered about. Nothing terribly important. But if any of you have tile showers, do you wipe them down after every shower so that mildew doesn't collect in the grout? I've always done this and wondered if others did. Of course if you don't have a tile shower (which probably dates my house), this wouldn't apply to you.

Now - just a general mention concerning all the 'stuff' going on in the world today. I saw this meme... and had to share:

But I'm pleased to learn that there are some things we can do to show how opposed we are to what's going on. It's frustrating to feel helpless...

Thanks for reading!

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

Thursday, February 13, 2025

a few things on my mind & Happy Valentine's!

Those of you that read my posts know that I've been going through some 'issues'... that have kept me busy with medical tests as well as spending a lot of time in bed (due to 'other' issues). With the weather cold, wet, and dreary here (26 F this morning, supposedly 13 on Wednesday), I find myself either in bed sleeping or on the sofa by the fireplace reading. I missed getting my haircut for 2 months and basically have let the house go. But DH has been taking good care of me... even fixing supper when needed (and has even taken over feeding the crows out front - and yes! we have been able to entice them to our front yard. In fact, they call for us if we're not out there to leave their peanuts... and come down almost immediately when we do.)

Anyway, as those of you know that have had these periods of inactivity, you tend to 'think a lot about a lot of things' (things that need doing as well as just things in general). Well, there are 2 good friends birthdays coming up and I've been racking my brain as to what to send. I tend to try to send things I know I would like to have or things I do have that I use a lot and really love (and then co-ordinate it with that specific person). I do this because they have done this for me and whenever I use their gifts cooking or otherwise, I think of them... and that's a comfort.

So far I've gotten 2 birthday fun care packages started - both totally different due to very different personalities. One has art as well as kitchen gadgets and goodies, the other has mostly kitchen gadgets and gluten-free goodies. Both have chocolate!

Another neglect: We haven't been to the Senior Center in months. Need to get back there.

And talking about things that really work for me (and I mentioned this on Kay's Musings Blog)... if you wear glasses (I do) and wear a mask when out and about, it's a nuisance when your glasses fog up. So, not that long ago, I saw a box of Zeiss AntiFog Wipes at Walmart. Thought: wonder if those really work? And bought them. Well, they clean my glasses better than anything I've ever had as well as keep them from fogging up. So, if you have this problem, try them!

Another thought... and this one's funny (kind of). Last time I was at the Oncologist, they gave me a list of questions to answer. Starting with 'Are you in pain?', etc. Also 'are you anxious about anything?' Then went off to list things like, 'money, family, job, etc.' Since I wasn't, I didn't check anything. Then at the bottom it asked, 'Other?' I wrote: "State of the world?" DH said, 'Are you really writing that? I said, "why not? It's true."

...good advice from Snoopy!

And lastly...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

Saturday, February 8, 2025

the week in review...

It's only Thursday and I'm starting my 'several days post' today. Making Chicken Tetrazzini and a green salad tonight along with some dark chocolate peanut butter brownies. Some weeks just need a 'pick me up' to help them along.

DH and I met with my Oncologist Tuesday. He explained what he thought we should do and why. Basically he thinks it may be best to hold off on the biopsy for a few months and 'wait and watch' with another cat scan in April (to determine any changes). This decision is partially because the pet scan doesn't identify the nodules specifically as cancer... could be scarring or inflammation in the lung from previous radiation. And he mentioned the fact that his needle tech (is there a name for the tech that does the actual biopsy?) who is apparently very good at what he does, says the location of the nodule makes the needle biopsy difficult (blood vessels could be nicked, etc.). So, we are OK with waiting. I know an immediate biopsy would answer the question, but risky as it may be to wait, at my age I don't want to 'poke the bear'...

Now for lighter news. We spent part of last week at Grandparents' Day at youngest granddaughter's school. That's always a hoot! They start out with Mass and breakfast and then everyone goes to the classrooms and play games, etc. We don't do the Mass and breakfast, but get there in time for the classroom games with granddaughter. The big gatherings for breakfast with all the grandparents together (the whole school) during flu season is not our idea of a smart idea. But the classrooms only have about 15 students, and you sit at a table with your grandchild... so that is more acceptable (and we wear our masks). This time we did a science scavenger hunt in one classroom and a "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?" game in another. It was fun. After, we signed her out to spend the day with us.

We also had brunch out with some dear friends last week at a local restaurant called "Brunch Time". They recently moved to a Senior Living Community and are still getting used to this new arrangement. Apparently all is going well. They say the food is great (and since we ate dinner there with them a few weeks back, we can agree. I had filet mignon and it was delicious!). They play bridge... and I think they said that they also joined a choir. I'm really glad its working out for them. Personally, I like my house and neighborhood... and I'm not sure the Senior Community thing would work for us. We're not really 'joiners'... and the activities that interest us (like sketching, painting, writing, reading, feeding ferals, ship building, etc.) are more solidary endeavors. But who knows... things change.

OK, now it's Friday... and I'm still posting. Finished reading "A Gentleman in Moscow" (Supposed to be streaming also on Paramount +... but haven't seen it yet.)

and

my stack of books in front room

I've already finished these... (need more books!)

And I'm going to share my plants with you, the large one is a Fiddle Fig and it's growing like a weed. And the smaller ones are under our new grow light and are doing well. My Thanksgiving cactus finally decided to bloom!

Now it's Saturday and I don't have any more to add. Well, how about a few pics of around our house? I always like to see pics of my fellow bloggers surroundings...