The pottery jack-o-lantern is a great idea!
In my "younger days", on Halloween day, I was in hospital in the States.  I had never heard of that celebration before. 
Under some excuse, I was called out of my room in the evening.
When I returned to my darkened room, I had the fright of my life! 
On my night table was that grinning face flickering at me.
It's a wonder I did not howled out loudly, lol

I kept that pumpkin for days but then it started to rot
I could not bring it back home to Congo with me. What a disappointment!

Darlene, I hope the antibiotics don't upset you.  Like I said, eat lots of yogurt with active enzymes.

Alpiner, I'm glad you got your hair cut and ready for your surgery.  I did too!  When is your surgery? Mine is Tuesday.

Jane, yuck on the wintery mix this early, but they have had some snow up in the NC mtns not far from us.  Like Mary, it is cool here--70 today and down in the high 50's tomorrow!!

Mary, I'm sorry you didn't get your parking place back yet.  If you are like me, every extra step is an effort.

I picked up 2 Rx's on my way home from the beauty shop. I actually had her style it this time.  It always stays longer when she does it.  Tomorrow, I am to give the stewardship message at church too, so wanted it to look good.

Marilyn, that's wonderful that K is coming around to giving you the POA, etc.  You will probably have to get a doctor's notarized statement about his dementia, along with the lawyer's papers.  I hope you can get it done soon.

Sue, Lori sent me 2 big paperbacks to read during my recuperation, both from the TBSL.  Also both of them have a WWII background.  If they are good, I'll tell you and give you the titles. I don't remember them now.

John's tournament started off slow, but I think he has earned 10 pts as of last night. I think he found a better partner.

Apparently, I won't know if I'm going to rehab until after the surgery and the doctor evaluates my capabilities.  Still not happy.

Soap Bubbles, what a fun story!  I know when I was in France when my kids were little, I showed some pics of them in costume to the family I was living with. They had no idea what Halloween was till I explained it to them.

Nothing else going on here.  Sharon

https://www.seniorsandfriends.org/index.php?topic=11.msg106915#msg106915

Check out Miss Freckles in her costume

Hi everyone, I wenttrick or treat with my friends on Halloween after I was 10 yrs old. Before that, I was living in a dependent children's home on Halloween and we just had fun stuff there to do. I was boarded there during the school year because my mother was working for the army 7 days a week, plus my real father and half-sister had tried to take me out of school and away from my mother. So my mom placed me there for my safety. I don't talk much about that time of my life to many people.

SharonE  I have a counseling appt; with the breast doctor November 1 & surgery is November 9 .

Alpiner, lots of good thoughts going out for you. I'll remember to say some special prayers the 9th.

Marilyn, Freckles is darling. I bet everyone loved her.

My stewardship messages when over well. Everyone was very complimentary.

I have to call the hospital now and see if I can get a definite time for my surgery.  Sharon

Hi Buddies.  I did the usual Sunday activities.  Olyne picked me up for SS and church.  When I came home I had left overs for lunch and organized my Garden Club things for a meeting at Carolyn's home on Wednesday afternoon.  She goes to one of the Methodist churches here in town and took a friend from church to lunch at Amsterdam Café, so wasn't here to go over my plans until 2:30.  We made plans for our meeting at her home.  We have our meeting topics chosen for the entire year, so we're good on that.

Then Tim came over to turn on the outside power so that his friend who will put on my new roof can get started tomorrow morning early.  Tim thinks he'll be here no later than 7:00 and perhaps earlier.  I'll set my clock but probably won't be up earlier than 7:00.

It's really chilly here this afternoon, probably in the low 60's.  I haven't been out to walk yet because of waiting for Carolyn and probably won't now.  It's a bit windy and I'd have to put on a wooly hat and a very heavy jacket.  So I've turned to a football game.  It's the Cowboys and the Redskins.  I'd like to see the Redskins win--but who knows?

I've missed my afternoon nap, but I'll sleep well tonight.  There's nothing like snuggling under one of Mrs. Retzlaff's quilts (Bob's mother).  I'm hoping our local PBS station will have better reception this evening than it did last night.  It was very shaky when I was watching "Doc Martin".  Do any of you watch it?  It's about a dorky Doctor who finally proposed to his girl friend and she decided to call it off.  The scenery is lovely and I think it might be filmed in Wales--in a small town.  Tonight we should get 2 episodes of Grantchester-a favorite show about the vicar in a small town.

Sharon, I'll be praying for good results for you on Tuesday.  Will John take you to the appointment?  And way to go on your stewardship message today.

Marilyn, Freckles seems to be much larger than she was at first.  She's a beautiful dog--and I can tell how much you love her and how much it's returned!

Alpiner, I'm sure your counseling appoint with the breast doctor will ease your fears.  Don't worry about the surgery.  You'll be happy when it is completed and will feel much safer, too.  Thoughts and prayers for a successful procedure going up here in Alabama.

I hope Jane and Ray are having a good time and not freezing.  I can't remember where they were going, but think it might have been some place north of Chicago. 

Have a nice evening, Every Buddy.
Sue

Marilyn...sorry about the childhood.  I guess a lot of us have things we rarely talk about. 

Sharon...hope you got a time and can stress to doc that John isn't able/willing to play nurse for you.

Sue...good idea on paperbacks vs hardcover.  I rarely go to the library anymore....really prefer the ebooks to the paper ones these days.  We were home this weekend....dealing with this nasty cold.  We were in northern Wisconsin last weekend. 

Alpiner...we'll all be thinking of Sharon and then you on Nov. 9 with your surgeries.

Cold and windy here...hard freeze last night, so we pulled up our geraniums from pots and hanging baskets.  Rains coming in tonight.  I have a meatload in oven and wild rice in the rice cooker for supper tonight. 

Our colds are slowly improving.  We were not outside long.

Sue, 60 is a temperature I love.  The high here today was about 46 - chilly for me, but nothing for jane.  e are predicted to have frost in the morning, so I guess I'll have to scrape my windshield - or at least wait for the defroster to do its work.  I miss having a carport.

Marilyn, you're terrific to have made such a good, productive life after a rough beginning.

alpiner, glad you're going to have a non-hospital chance to talk to your surgeon and ask questions.  It really does help.

Sharon, we'll be with you on Tuesday, and will be hoping for news.

I didn't post last night.  When I went out for lunch yesterday, as our all-night 1" of rain was ending, I noticed dripping coming from the ceiling in the hallway.  From our NEW roof!  Ooops!  I reported it quickly, and when I went back after lunch there was a bucket under it.  I'm sure the roofing company has heard about it, too. Margaret came over to retrieve most of the potted plants from my deck.  She had brought them last spring.  She's going to put them in their greenhouse and see if she can get them to winter over.  The coleus and sweet potato vines I had put in the attached boxes will just have to die back.  I brought some clippings in to see if I can root them and keep them over-winter.  With my "black thumb", I'm sure they won't last long.

I hope everyBuddy has a good week coming up - especially Sharon and her surgery.

Sue Freckles only weighs 33 lbs. she is smaller than the close-up picture leads you to believe. Friday I had the opportunity to give a friend a ride home who was the Vet Tech when Freckles was first rescued. She kept telling me how good Freckles looks and how happy she is now. When she was first rescued Jessica said she was one obnoxious dog with no manners what-so-ever. She said that Freckles was so stressed before she came to live with me. We worked together at Snipped and the Executive Director there is the one who rescued Freckles from the farm where she was tied up and used as a breeder. She is the one who gave Freckles to me.

Marilyn....How sad how people treat animals.

Cold, windy, gloomy day here.  I need to do some housework but need to get the energy to do it.

Good morning, Buddies.  The roofer and his crew were here before 7:15.  Thankfully I was up and dressed by that time.  It is now 9:30 and I've heard continuous pounding since then.  So far no headache, but one may develop!  They are presently taking off the old shingles.  I think he brought 6 or 7 employees, so they should be finished early in the day.  Tim will probably drop by shortly as he visits me for a brief time every Monday a.m. and will want to see what is going on.  I just saw a truck from a lumber company drop off shingles in the driveway.  The roofers will return tomorrow to finish the job.

Mary, we were down in the high 40's this morning, too.  I haven't been out to walk yet as one of the trucks is blocking my side door.  I can get out the front doors, but want to be here when Tim gets here, so will postpone my walk until later.

Marilyn, I envy you and your friend Freckles.  I sure miss my dog Stubby.  However, I was past 75 or 76 when he died and I wasn't ready for a dog then.  Now that I'm 80 and have had open heart surgery, I still walk a lot, but am not sure that I can keep up with an active dog now. 

Tim came by to check on the roofers and has just left.  Lots of pounding going on this morning--and will continue tomorrow.  I'll be glad to have this finished!

Jane, I've had a Kindle for a long time, but I don't use it much.  One thing I don't like about it is that I sometimes like to go back a few pages to check something out and that is inconvenient.  With a book I can just put a marker in and turn back quickly.  However, I often order book club selections from Kindle as they usually aren't books I wish to keep in my collection (which is over running my cabinets and book shelves!).

I'm reading a mystery/murder by Michael Connelly, "Chasing the Dime".  The hero has managed to get into a lot of trouble with the villains--and I'm just a bit past half way.  I'm sure he'll survive, but he's having a difficult time of it!

I'm planning to read some more of the book before fixing lunch.  Have a good day, Buddies.
Sue

I can bookmark pages in my Kindle app.  I'm surprised you can't on your Kindle. That roofing thing is sure a lot of noise, as Mary can testify, and I know from having ours done.  Good they're removing the old ones and can replace any plywood or whatever it is they use under the shingles.  We had that done after a massive hail storm here years ago.   It was also redone in 2008 when we had some of the bad shingles that were sold by a well-known company. 

Good news on my mammo.  I'm shaking...just got a call from surgeon's office to reschedule tomorrow's appt with him.  I told the gal I couldn't live another two weeks in this hell of not knowing the results.  She checked and said she could give them to me over the phone. I've NEVER been told that before.  The reason for the recall was calcifications near a blood vessel....same as in 2009...so no changes at all.  Says to have another mammo in a year.  I'll see the surgeon for the physical exam now on Nov. 14.  Those of you who've been through this know the hell of the waiting.

So, a shaking jane is off to wash the kitchen and bathroom floors. 

Thank goodness Jane....I wen thru same thing just recently...benign cyst....beautiful weather here..walked earlier...was 50 degrees...good luck to those facing surgery tomorrow......I think that was the day...Happy Haloween....I don't have small kids close...and the school is having activities as well as the church....I don't do any decorating for this.....Darlene

jane   

Sue, glad you're getting the roof done.  It is noisy.  I haven't heard anything as to repairs of the leak here.

Today is a beautiful, cold day.  It was 31 when I left this morning, and I had to do some scraping on my windshield (yuck!).  And it's predicted to be in the high 70s by the end of the week.  Crazy weather!

I haven't actually gotten the go-ahead to put my car back, but I just did it anyway.  I left a note on the dashboard with my phone # if somebody needs to call me to move it.  So there!!!!

Yes! Good for you, Mary! 

Darlene...you know well the hell of waiting for the report.  I feel wiped out, but we're so relieved.  I was afraid going to TX this year wouldn't happen. 


We have a repairman coming between 3 and 5 to get the screens on our washer cleaned.  Ray could get the one out, but not the other.  Time for a professional.  The cold water one seems so clogged that all I'm getting in the washer is hot water. 

jane

I finally got the time of my surgery--3 PM, so you probably won't hear anything until Wed.  I will see if I can get JOhn to email Jane, but if not, I will use Messenger when I can to let Jane or Mary know and you can pass the info on to the others here.

Jane, I'm so relieved to hear that everything is okay. The same thing happened to me several years ago. It's enough to age one 10 yrs--And none of us need that now!!

Hi to all. I won't comment individually today.

I need to go get something to eat and then get my church articles written for the next month.

Thanks for all your good thoughts & prayers.
Sharon

Lots of hugs, Sharon!

I haven't told our daughter of my surgery .  I want to wait until afterwards because she gets very emotionally upset . Her daddy thinks I should tell her before , I want to spare her the anguish & worry . What do you think ?

Sharon....thanks...let me or Mary know and we can let all of us know.  You KNOW you'll be in our LIGHTnand thoughts and prayers tomorrow.

Alpiner....you know your daughter.  She'll probably be or say she's upset you didn't tell her, but there is nothing she can do for you before except also worry.  If it bothers you, tell her the day before you're going in if she wants to be there with your hubby during the surgery.  It might help your hubby to have her there with him.  My sister and hubby came to be with my husband during my surgery.  It was a 750mile trip each way, but he seemed to appreciate having someone with him.  However, we're all different and others may feel differently.

Jane

jane , I don't know if you know , our daughter has had 4 years of emotional trauma . First her youngest son died , then 4 months ago her oldest son died the result of grieving for his brother . I think she had a nervous break down . I need to be very careful . She & her husband live in Washington state & we live in southern California so they won't be able to come down here at this time .

Yes, Alpiner, it’s you who knows best her fragility and must do what is best for her and her health.  I hope she can begin to heal.  The deaths of two children is incomprehensible to me. 

Jane

I agree with jane, alpiiner.  My heart goes out to your family.  I have an internet friend who has also lost two children - terrible to deal with

Alpine...my prayers are with you..sometimes we don't know what to do...but God does........Im sure you will make the right decision...Darlene

Good morning, Buddies.  It's chilly here again this morning and I'm dressed in plenty of clothing, but I think I'll turn the furnace up a notch.  My roofers are here since 7:15 and the pounding goes on.  The boss man told me he hopes to be finished by 2:00 and will have the sidewalks cleaned up so my Trick or Treaters can get to my front door.  I've already put a candle in my pottery jack-o-lantern and put it in a window in the living room.  I have a Halloween sweat shirt which I will put on after the guys leave and I get my shower.  I don't think I'll have many kids, but you never know.  The 3 families on this street with small children may come by, but most take their kids uptown to the merchants who pass out candy.  We do have a few people from Beauregard who bring a car load of kids to our neighborhood, or have in the past. 

Jane, WOO HOO on your mammo report!  What a relief it is to get a heads up!  I'm just a "Dilbert" when using my Kindle, but I've charged it again and will probably start rereading some of my favorites.  I have all of the Jane Austen novels on it and most of Susan Elizabeth Phillips novels, although I've bought a couple of her more recent ones in paperback from Amazon.

Darlene, I'm glad your recent mammo spot was a benign cyst.  Having to wait for results after having BC is scary! 

Mary, good for you on going back to your parking spot.  I hope the "powers that be" don't give you a hard time about it.

Sharon, I'm glad you finally got a time for your surgery.  Hugs and prayers for good results from here in Auburn.  Be sure to let us know how it goes.

Alpiner, I think Jane's suggestion to let your daughter be there with your husband is a good one unless you feel her emotional reaction might be too upsetting for him.  Good luck with the surgery.  My thoughts and prayers are with you for good results.

I just finished a J.A. Jance J.P. Beaumont mystery, Birds of Prey, and it's a pretty good one.  He is on an Alaskan Cruise with his grandmother and her husband and of course there is a woman overboard and not found and several other incidents that need a good P.I. finding clues.  I enjoyed it to the end.

Have a Happy Halloween, Buddies, but watch out for all those spooky creatures who might show up at your door!

Sue

Alpiner...I had thought your daughter lived near, for some reason.  That distance makes the trip for her way too long and difficult, I'm sure. 

I'm thinking about Sharon, who is at the hospital and probably getting IVs to hydrate her and get her ready for surgery in an hour and a half. 

Nice day here, but cold and windy...in the 30s.  I did get out to pay for our car insurance and to arrange for auto deduct for the next one and the house and umbrella policies when they come due and are switched to this new company our agent switched us to...saves us a couple hundred dollars and good to work with, she said.  We deal with an independent insurance agency that handles various companies.

I also got my hair lightly trimmed and will go back in a couple weeks for low lights and a good trim before Thanksgiving and then we're off to Texas, assuming all remaining doc appts for Ray go well.

I think we'll go out for tacos tonight. We haven't been for quite a few weeks.  It'll depend on how Ray feels.

jane

Yes I'm thinking of Sharon also....Jane..what color low lights do you get for your hair...Darlene

Light carmel brown.  It doesn't cover all the gray and I don't want it to.  I think I'll ask for a lighter brown in two weeks when I go back for another foil session.

Our Sharon says the surgery went well...not much sleep, but the pain is manageable.

HURRAH 😃

Happy November the Oneth! 

Cold, wet gloomy day here...just like a Nov. 1

Off to lunch and bridge later today.

Great news about Sharon. Thanks, jane - I'm glad John got in touch with you.

Nothing exciting here. My back has been killing me. I've finally called the doc and have an appointment with the spine clinic on 8 December. Guess we're all falling apart.