Jeanne Lee, do  you have an answering machine connected to your phone?   You could leave a message that you are in the shower and will call the person back when you get out.  I know that would be a pain changing the message each time, but it is just a suggested. 

The shower cap sounds like it would work, also.  Can you  take the phone into the bathroom with you and put it in a place where you could see it.  I take my phone in the bathroom and lay it on some washcloths in a little basket that I can see it.  My phone blinks when the answering machine comes on.   I can see that someone is leaving a message.  Might take you a few minutes to get out of the shower and put the hearing aids back in, but at least you would know you have a message and could return it as soon as you can hear again.

I don't have a hearing problem,  but with the phone in the living room,  I can't really hear it when I have the shower running.  But, I can take a shower and even wash my hair in less than 5 minutes, so I am in and out pretty quick.  I don't waste any time. LOL

I can understand this being a very serious problem for you. 

Joy

No answering machine.  I had one but it cost me extra every time I retrieved a message, which was usually a sales pitch, so I cancelled it.  I do get a signal that I've missed a call, but it doesn't chime or flash so I've been known to miss that completely.

And the problem with the hair is not how to keep it dry, but how to shampoo without getting shampoo and water into my ears.  So I don't think a shower cap is the answer.   

So thanks anyway, but I guess I'll just have to keep taking chances or get someone to come in and sit while I shower.  Sponge baths in between aren't as satisfying but they do the job.   

Jeanne Lee, I've taken a lot of sponge baths with the leg injuries I have sustained in my elder years, plus I grew up when we didn't have bathrooms, so the kitchen and a wash pan was where we bathed. I agree, they are not as satisfying, but a shower cannot replace a bath tub either and I can no longer get out of a bath tub. I am not complaining though..we have running water and still the ability to care for ourselves.

Jeanne Lee
I know the problem you have with those hearing aids.  I am so fortunate to have daughter living upstairs so I schedule my showers without aids when she is home.  Hope you may have a kind neighbour who would sit for a short while and give you peace of mind while you shower and shampoo.

Jeanne Lee, what has your nurse or doctor said about this? And, have you tried Googling? I Googled and the only things coming up were what to do after the hearing aid got wet. So, I would stick to asking your nurse or doctor about it or if there is a community he/she  could steer you to that would be familiar with these issues.

Jeanne Lee, do you get that many phone calls while you are in the shower?  I wonder if you could use a shower cap while you are taking your shower, then for the few minutes it takes to wash your hair, you could remove the shower cap and hearing aids, when you get out of the shower you could put back the hearing aids.  I don't get that many calls and when/if I do, I ignore them and let them go to the answering machine which I check after I'm finished.

Mary Ann

Jeanne.  Now do you shampoo your hair every time you shower?I usually would but now I only do it every other shower as it has gotten long.
I do at times put a shower cap on as hair can always get a little wet. Since I had the surgery on that side of my face I have to make sure water does not get into my ear. I have always had to be careful about getting water in even prior to that.
When it comes to my home line phone. I let a answering machine pick up most of the time. In the past if I was getting into the shower I would just dial my own number and that way it just acts like you are on the phone talking.
Now are you talking about a Mobile phone or a Home line?
I don't have that many people calling anymore and they ones I do I know will call back after about 15 min. if I don't answer.

Jeanne Lee was talking about her lifeline or medic alert going off on its own and she doesn't hear it. When she doesn't respond, they send an ambulance. This is her concern about being in the shower and an ambulance shows up.

Hi everyone.  It looks like we are in for another stormy and dangerous day around here with heavy rains, flash flood warnings and good possibility for more tornados in the area. Fortunately I have no reason to leave the house today. 

As I look out my office window is appears it is evacuation for our neighborhood as there is a large United Moving Van that was here all day yesterday and back this morning and another smaller van loading up from the neighbor across the street.  I spoke with that neighbor to say goodbye a little while ago and she said they are moving into a bigger house with a large yard for her two boys to play in and it has been hard on her living here as her mother, before she died, lived across the street and in the house next to us.  I will miss seeing the boys playing but they had to mainly play in the driveway and street in front of her house. 

I was on the phone early this morning with Comcast as my home closed wi-fi had stopped working.  The tech seems to have fixed the problem and all seems well again. 

The only thing on the schedule for today will be dinner tonight with Scott and Jennifer.  We will be having dinner here as there is no dinner at church the week of the Master's Golf Tournament.  Pat has one dish casserole planned for dinner and hopefully Jennifer will help make it unless Pat decides to go ahead and get it ready before hand. 

Mary Ann, after today the forecast looks great for the Master's.  However, those with tickets for today may be in for an interesting and shortened day.  So far no rain but it looks menacing. The 100% chance is at 5 pm but there is no guarantee we won't see storms throughout the day. 

MarsGal, when my neighbor with the Bentley's (and they are not old) came he had a Jaguar but apparently traded it for the second Bentley.  They are sure some classy and classic old cars.  You are right it seems most of the cars look a lot alike these days. 

JeanneP, sorry to read that you lost your brother at such an early age.  That is a hefty price for a new VW Beetle.   

Marilyne, you do have a classic car with the Porsche.  My son restored ad Datsun sporty looking car some years ago and had it repainted and it still looks very nice.  However, he hasn't driven it for sometime.  My PT Cruiser is also  standard shift car and I doubt that my wife would ever be able to drive it. We have no need for a second car now as Pat hasn't driven for a year or so.  She is hopeful to be able to drive again after the shots in her back but that remains to be seen.  I read yesterday that Tesla is now worth more than GM, which is hard to believe.  I have never owned a Beetle but still see the newer ones on the road.

Jeanne, better to have the false alarm on your LifeLine than to fall and not have it detected.  Does one of your neighbors have a key to get in your house in case of emergency?  My neighbor in Grayson and I exchanged keys and here my son has a key to our house.  As long as there are two of us in the house I don't worry about something happening and no one knowing. 

I haven't responded to everyone but this has gotten so long think I better cut it off.  I have read all of the postings. 

Larry, I just looked at my radar and it looks like rain and storms in your area and they cover quite a large territory.  I do hope they clear out by morning.  Radar for our area shows rain.  We had a forecast for snow tomorrow but I think it might not get cold enough.  There could be snow in the UP, however.

Tom just told me we are eating today at the Score, a sports bar near here.  Apparently Terry feels well enough to drive from his home near the west county line. 

I've showered and washed my hair and I'm in my housecoat drying off.  I'll have to get dressed soon before we leave for lunch at 1 pm. 

We went to the Score last summer and they import some beach sand and palm trees so we can eat outside next to a man-made pond.  It looks quite tropical and we all enjoy it.

Mary Ann

Mary Ann - The Score, sounds like a fun place to eat.  I like any restaurant that has a beach or tropical theme.  That New Orleans cajun style place where we ate the other night, was very plain and basic.  There was nothing in the way of decor, except for Mardi Gras beads, hanging all over the walls.  The tabletops were made of some kind of tin, and the plates and utensils were placed directly on the tin top.  It seemed a little distasteful or unsanitary to me, but my husband and daughter didn't seem to think anything of it.  I would have liked to have had a placemat of some kind.

Jeanne .... 

"Jeanne Lee was talking about her lifeline or medic alert going off on its own and she doesn't hear it. " 

This would concern me ...  My lifeline never goes off by mistake..
If it did,  that would upset me as much as not having the lifeline...

If my life line was going off by mistake,  I would contact them and tell them to make it work right ....   That is why you are paying for this service ...  it should work right or they should fix it until it does.   

Good luck in finding a solution to your getting your hair washed,
with out drowning your hearing aids..     

Sandy

Now is jeanne talking about the life line she has around her neck or the main box. I just never shower with the one around neck. Fact it sits close but never wear it around the house.  Now the mail box only goes off once a month to check if still works. they just ask if all O.K.. Now it did something awhile back to let me know it had become disconnected from the wall.  I had moved a table and pulled it out.

Marilyne, we did get to the Score.  The sand and palms are for the summer when it's hot and we can appreciate the atmosphere.  Inside, we were in a large booth.  Usually Tom prefers a table and both he and Terry are big.  I had a cup of broccoli cheese soup and a salad that consisted of dried Michigan cherries, walnut halves, feta cheese, red onion rings, greens and a good dressing - which I cannot tell you what it was.  It also looked very nice.  I finished the soup and brought most of my salad home for tonight.  I bring a lot of things home because it is hard for me to eat off the tables because they are too high for me.  I eat most of my meals at home sitting in a chair in the computer room because it is more convenient to eat from a plate that is on my lap rather than on the table.  My bum shoulder has a lot to do with that too.  My soup and salad cost $7.49 plus tax and tip.  The portions were adequate and the salad will be enough for supper tonight.

Nap time!

Mary Ann

MaryAnn you talking about tables too high for you reminded me of many years ago when I went in for angioplasty on my leg.  It was suppose to be a in/out procedure and I was admitted that morning very early and fasting.  Turned out to be an all day affair and I didn't get out of the operating room until after 6PM and no food all day.  At any rate, doctor decided to keep me overnight and I ask the nurse if I could have something to eat, by the way I could sit up or lay on my side, I had to lay still for several hours.  Well they brought me a roast beef dinner and the nurse wanted to know if I wanted her to feed me and being a big bad he-man I said no I could manage, she put it on the tray that rolls over the bed up about neck high and I ended up raking it off the plate into my mouth.  What a mess, but it sure tasted good. LOL

Good afternoon from the Interior! The beginning of April and no more below zero temperatures have made a big difference here. The melted water is pouring off roofs and the yellowed, dirty, sunken snow has all been dredged into piles in various parking lots. Everywhere is brown or gray as we wait for the greening. Temperatures are mid-fifties for a high and early thirties for a low. Such is Spring in te Arctic.

Farrah is busy watching the birds. I have yet to see the eagle return but others say it has been around, I see mainly ravens, owls, and a few sparrows or other small birds. It will be the end of April, early May before we see the other songbirds, hawks, and Golden Eagles return to town and the rivers.

My neighbor had a big bloody gash yesterday over his left eye. He is a big man, well over six feet and had fallen heavily outside yesterday. They had the ambulance, but he stayed here rather than go to the hospital. Just an inch or two down and he could have lost an eye. He must be very stiff and sore today. He is a leading member of the men's gossip and cribbage players that hang out in the first floor common room.

I'm joining a new group today at two which is a six weeks course called "Money Talks." It is about financial preparedness for seniors and should be interesting. Later is a presentation by the American Lung Association and next week there is a Preparedness group starting. They never have entertainment such as June's building has unless you count the Barbershop Quartets or Sweet Adelines we see during the holidays.

Or you could count the various times they bring school children over to sing for us or bring us something to teach children about charity. I guess as we are independent living apartments, we don't qualify. The local Senior Center may have entertainment along with their daily lunches and various activities but I have never been there. I always plan to...but never make it over.

Lifeline ....

Here we go again.   I pay a little over $30 a month for my "Life Line" ....
and it is ALWAYS around my neck.   (Mine is only good around my apartment,  as I have no need,  as yet, to have to use it outside my apartment.   

I always wear it,  because,  if I fall down and can't move,  or if I am sleeping and can't move,  one of my hands can always reach it... 

If it is anywhere but around my neck,  it is useless to me. 

I have to keep in mind the reality is that if I should suffer another stroke,  I will not be able to get to anything that is not hanging around my neck. 

One of my hands will be able to reach it,  because one of my arms and hands might just be useless at that moment.    Forget trying to get somewhere  (ie move my body to get out of bed,  and or to be able to reach the table next to the bed where I am laying.     
I will be lucky if  I can use one hand to sound the alarm.

But if I should only slip and fall,  and break something,  I will still
not be able to reach my Life Line unless it is around my neck .... 

I am not saying this for someone who believes that wearing it around
their neck is not necessary,  because that is a lesson one can only
learn for themselves.     

I just say it to remind someone that might be considering purchasing
a life line,   that the commitment to  wear it all the time is why
it is given the name  "lifeline".... 

Ok...  I am done my lecture for another few months.   LOL  ..
Best wishes to everyone.    And may no one ever have the need
for their lifeline.... 

Mine brings me peace of mind  and that for me is enough
to commit to using it as directed.

Sandy

I wear my vitacall always.  Never take it off and it gives me a sense of security at all times.
Actually that was the instruction given.    It is tested once a month when they call me and though I resisted for a long time, would not be without it now.
The ambulance man who helped get me off the floor once really talked me in to getting this device.   Daughter likes it too as she knows when she is out that I can get help.

Hope nobody needs to use theirs and that no one has a fall.

Mine only works in my building but it went off twice when I rolled over on it in my sleep so it is on the table next to me at night. However Sandy has a valid point. What is ironic is that since I got the device, I have had no falls in the building.

Both later falls were away from home and yes other than at night, it is aways around my neck. What convinced me to get one was the bathtub fall when I went over backward and smacked my head on the bottom of the tub. I had grabbed the safety bar, but it is metal and smooth, so my hand slid right along it. I was shaken, had a headache and was stiff for a couple of days, but it could have been far worse.

My financial awareness class was interesting and we took a test and set goals, not calling it a budget. I had missed the first meeting so I missed out on most of the preparatory stuff such as having a Go Bag in a case of emergency. Besides papers, you need enough to get you or your family through the first 72 hours. There was also info about where to keep some important papers such as copies in your go bag, fireproof safe or bank deposit box. All my originals are in a bank deposit box. I have never had a go bag and never had a fireproof safe...hmmm.

I can't see the sense of paying for a lifeline and not wearing it all the time - 24/7!  I have the automatic fall detection. It tends to overreact, but that's better than not detecting a serious fall.  I didn't take the "mobile" because if I'm out of the house I'm always with someone else.  One place I would NEVER consider doing without the fall detector is in the bath/shower, which according to statistics is where most falls happen.

Hal, I know what you mean about those trays at the hospital beds.  Norm's first wife had bone fusion and was in the hospital for several days.  The staff brought her food, but no one came to feed her and she could not feed herself, so every night I drove to the hospital to feed her.  Of course, by the time I got there, the food was cold, but she ate it anyway.  As for me and tables in restaurants,  I've said I could shovel the foods into my mouth.  My table at home isn't too bad, but it is kind of high.  I should get a pad for the chair to raise me, but I eat most of my meals in the computer room sitting in my chair which is a good height for me.

When I let Kendrick out on the deck, he stalks any birds he sees.  Some are brave enough to land on the posts of the deck but he'd never get any that do land.  He probably could jump as high as the tops of the posts,  but by that time the bird would be gone.  I'm not sure he'd know what to do if he caught one anyway.  As it is, he keeps an eye open for me to see that I don't get out of sight but he doesn't stay long.  In the summer, I set a timer for 10 minutes but in the other months, he is ready to come in after he's scratched his back a few times.  I could leave him out 10 minutes now, but he tells me when he's ready to come in.  I can see him "talking" to me but I can't hear him since I have the door closed.  He also puts his paws high up on the slider door and that lets me know he's ready to come in.  And the funny thing is that he goes right to his scratch pad and scratches.

Mary Ann

Larry - I've been watching the weather in your area today.  I hope you and Pat are doing okay, and are not affected by the wild storms?  The possibility of a tornado would be very frightening.  I'll take our California earthquakes any day!  Bad, but not nearly as destructive as tornadoes.  (Knocking on wood here!)

Patricia - The emergency Go Bag, sounds like something we should all have ready at all times.  There are lots of emergency preparedness classes here, that are run by the LDS (Mormon) Church. I went to one about 30 years ago, and at that time, it was mostly about food storage, blankets, tents, and first aid.  With all the threats coming from North Korea, about nuclear missiles aimed at the West Coast, it's probably time to rethink the LDS plan. 

wjoan- A couple of weeks ago you told us about your small stool with wheels, that you can scoot around on in your kitchen to access low cupboards and drawers.  I'm wondering where you got yours?  I've found some online, but it's the kind of purchase that I would like to see and sit on, before I buy.  I've looked at Office Max, Staples and Home Depot, but they don't have them in the stores. 

Marilyne, have had mine so long I cannot remember where I got it.  I know we used therm at work.  If you order it from Amazon dot com and it does not meet your requirements, you can always return it for a full refund.  Other than the nane you mentioned I just cannot imagine where else to look.

I did some checking around, and it looks like you can order rolling stools in various configurations from a lot of places, including Walmart and Target, but none of my local stores stock them in the store either. If you get if from one of those stores, you can pick it up at the store and return it there if not suitable rather than messing with return packaging. Do you have a medical/home care supply store in your area? They may have some in store.

Hi everyone.  After a rainy and dreary day yesterday the sky is clear and it is cooler here this morning.  It is going to be a nice day at the gold course for the start of the actual Master's Tournament and the rest of the week is suppose to be the same. 

We are down to one moving truck this morning and it is across the street.  I expect they will finish up soon.  The huge moving van was parked in front of the house next door lst night but was gone when I came to my office this morning.  So it is undoubtedly on its way to Texas.

This will be a busy day as planned now but I will just take it hour by hour.  I will go to coffee, making a brief stop at Walmart as I pick up my friend.  Then, as usual, will bring him home and go back to the Wisdom Class if I still have enough energy.  If we continue to have problems with our wi-fi I will likely take the Gateway modem back to exchange it this afternoon. 

I will have to be brief in comments today as don't have much time before I leave and still need to put together a sandwich.  Pat has given me a break this morning as she is fixing her own breakfast. 

Marilyne, we didn't have the storms like we did on Monday.  However, we did get a lot of heavy rain.  If there was any damage or tornados in our area I haven't heard of them. I have a Mormon friend who showed me his food storage system in his basement and also took me to their warehouse for a tour.  It was very impressive.

Marilyne, if I am going to pay expensive prices for food I want it served on a tablecloth with cloth napkins.  I wouldn't be impressed with those type of tables either and in a place with no sense of decor. 

Sandy, as I have often said I am a total fan of wearing the life alert device and since they are now waterproof I would keep mine on all the time also.  Both my daughter and daughter-in-law benefited from having them.

JeanneP, is your lifeline device waterproof.  We each have to do what we think best so no criticism met with my remarks above, just my opinion. 

Hal, tough to eat when you are laying flat in bed.  Been there and tried to do it.  However, the last couple of caths I had done I was allowed to raise my head a little bit as long as I didn't move my leg.  They are using some type of glue to close up the puncture wound.  Things have really changed from the old heavy weights with a clamp they applied when the line was removed to the way they do it today. 

Patricia, your neighbor sounds fortunate not to have lost an eye.  I bet he didn't want to miss his cribbage game by having to go to the hospital.  We used to have young school children come to the Senior Center, which was just across the street from the Elementary School, to sing for us.  They were always so cute and much enjoyed by the group.  Occasionally they would make us place mats or something and would be so proud of their efforts.  Guess I should prepare a "go bag" in case of emergency.  That sounds like a worthwhile project. 

Junee, glad to see you also have the protection of the lifeline type device. 

I fear I haven't been very brief with my comment above--but that is the way it is. 

Good morning Larry. According to information gone over in class, a go bag or emergency evacuation bag should have originals or copies of your most important papers, clothes, and some food, enough for 72 hours in case of fire, floods, earthquakes or some other type of natural disaster.

I think I would also be uncomfortable with such minimalistic dining, Marilyne.

I have never been in a situation where I was not able to raise a bed to a sitting position or lower the tray table, but my worst hospital experience was having a white diet for a week. I had been severely dehydrated due to pneumonia and was hospitalized.

I was never hungry but always weak, dizzy and everything was about getting as much fluid as possible. I had a case of severe strep that migrated to pneumonia and my neighbor luckily checked on me and called an ambulance as evidently I wasn't making sense.

Where I live the Life Line is given to us free of charge, with strict orders to wear them at all times. If we are leaving the property we can remove them, as Rowntree is not responsible for us when we are out with family or friends...or even on our own. If we should lose our life line we must pay for the replacement. Mine has helped me half a dozen times in just a little over a year.

Nothing new going on here.  We are getting some rain but it is better than the predicted snow.  We did have a dusting overnight but at 40 degrees, it's all water.

I finished the salad I brought home yesterday.  The cherries, walnuts and feta cheese were OK but the greens were very wilted.  I ate them, but they weren't pleasant to eat; kind of like flavored spinach. 

Tom is having lunch today with his friend whose wife was murdered by her son a couple of weeks ago.  He is Tom's age, so doesn't have family living with him to occupy his time.  He had been living with a brother but I think he is back home now.

I had e-filed my Federal tax a couple of days ago, but I had a wrong Payer number so it was rejected.  I have corrected the number and I'm having a heck of a time refiling, which Turbo Tax says they will help me with.  If I continue to have trouble, I'll send it by snail mail even thought I have a refund from the Federal.  I pay the State, so I'll mail that in when I get the Federal taken care of.

Mary Ann

I have good news and bad. The bad news is we are getting sleet, then rain and then sleet again along with some wind. The good news is that some geese and a couple of swans have landed at the sanctuary. I'm sure the barley that the boy and girl scouts put out each spring was welcoming.

I dropped off my final donation at Career Corner and hopefully, some will find use in those old clothes of mine. They have gone to Salvation Army, Good Will via Amazon and finally to Career Corner and are now someone else's responsibility.

Now, all that is left is my paperbacks, prints, and a few odds and ends that really don't fit any category but junk! Then comes another cleaning I'm afraid.

Farrah is growling and watching the birds play in the wind. She is funny to watch as she hunches down, hurries a foot or two, pauses and repeats. I'm sure MaryAnn sees the same with Kendrick. Does Taffy react that way to birds Gloria, or Winnie, MarsGal?

I'm being very bad. I downloaded some bird sounds from Cornel and poor Farrah is hunting all around the couch, back and front. Poor thing is so serious looking for birds in my couch! LOL

We are getting a downpour right now. One of the patrons at the library said we are getting rain the rest of the week. Fortunately, I am done running across the river to feed and check on George's five cats. He is due back today.

Neither of my current cats are not very verbal about the critters they see out the window. Oscar may give a low rumble once in a while; Lucy usually only twitches her tail. The Siamese I had years ago would chatter her teeth.