Norms Bait and Tackle

[Vanilla-Jackie]

FlaJean...
...thank you for your words of encouragement...I know these things happen for a reason and i believe the reason is, this has opened up my eyes, as the song goes..." i can see clearly now.."...I now know what i need to do and that is change course and forget one of my previous options...

Everyone...
...speaking to my grandson today also gave me that boost that i was needing...I left a phone message and he got back to me, for the first time since he got back after Richards funeral we had rather a lengthy chat, or certainly one of the lengthiest we have ever had as he is a hard person to get hold of...I asked him if he would like me to get back nearer, he jumped straight in with a yes, so that confirmed what i will be pushing to do...I do have a County in mind, albeit not a cheap County to live in nor a County i have ever been to before but, it will bring me a a third nearer to him, two thirds away from here where i am now...that will do me nicely if this pays off...anyway this is giving me a focus, a push, just what i am needing...I could do with a complete fresh start, a complete change...Now all i have got to do is make this happen...as they say..." Rome wasn't built in a day.."...and " all good things come to those who wait.."

[Mary Ann]

Marilyn, I just finished watching a replay of the Duluth parade.  Tom had seen it before he left for his church and I was gone by that time.  Anyway, if you go the search line and put in WD10-TV you might get it.  That is what Tom told me to do and it worked for me.  It was photographed by the same man who has the camera for the Duluth sites, Denis O'Hara. 

Yes, Dot and I did our usual.  Both of us brought home half of our tuna melt and I just remembered it is in my purse (we both wrapped them double napkin) and I think I'll get it and finish it.  The pie was a cream pie, but I don't know what kind - just a delicious cream pie. 

Now I'm going to see if I can find the St Clair River sites; my computer has been playing tricks on me; kind of like "you can't get there from here".

I also need a nap but I'll try to wait.

Mary Ann

[angelface555]

The cams were working for me until I spotted the large plume of heavy gray smoke That I linked to. After that, some of the cams weren't working.

[Vanilla-Jackie]

Mary Ann...
... my late mother often said..." i am going to catch 40 winks..."

[CallieOK]

I missed the parade this morning because I also slept in. 

The Duluth Pier B webcam currently has a great view of where the tall ships are docked and all the boats around them in the harbor (or, at least, it did when I checked it about 2 minutes ago!!). 
The Port Huron river cam was scanning this morning and showed s few ships with tall sails still docked at the far end of the camera range from the bridge.

Jackie, so glad you've had encouraging words from your grandson.  As I've said before, the time passes more slowly than we'd like when we're trying to become an Independent Individual after the loss of a spouse.
My husband also died suddenly and unexpectedly when he was 59.  Took about a year and a half before I felt as if I was functioning like myself again.  (A close friend told me "You were functioning but you weren't yourself".) I know some of the choices I made during that time weren't the best ones but things eventually worked out and have continued to do so for almost 27 years.
Now I'm feeling the challenges of being almost in my mid-80's and I don't like them very much, either!!!!

Heat index (how hot it feels) is supposed to be about 110ºF today.  Bleah!!! Not sticking my nose out the door for sure!!!!

 Hope each of you is having an Enjoyable Day.

[Vanilla-Jackie]

Callie...
...that was a young age to lose your hubby, too young...
...oh yes the challenges, mine isn't exactly age but it is my PP-MS, and having to deal with it by myself..i have to live with this every day, it wont ever go away, nor give me any respite..
Callie, thank you, you have given me more encouragement that things will work out, even if it may take its time...as time is all we have left, and that is getting shorter by the hour..

[Mary Ann]

Knowing that several of you lost spouses at young ages, I wish I could ask my dad how he coped.  My mother died of auto accident injuries at 48 and Dad was 46.  He had two young kids plus he taught (more kids).  He did not remarry and I wonder how much effect Norm and I had on that.  A case of hindsight being better than foresight and there's nothing that can be done about it now.  I know how he managed was entirely different than how I managed alone because after Mother died, Dad was never alone.  In fact, after three years my grandmother Tock came to live with us until she died six years later (she wore out her welcome with Dad's SIL). 

I feel I struck out on any Tall Ship Parade in Sarnia.  Whether they had one or if I just missed it, I don't know.  I did see a replay of the one in Duluth so I saw something. 

My computer was directing everything to YouTube and I hope I found out why so I can get elsewhere with little or no problem. 

I'm watching golf on the TV and will go back to ships on the computer.  It's warm here but the a/c does go on.

Mary Ann

[Vanilla-Jackie]

Oh well, as they say.." it never rains but it pours.." I am going to need to phone my local GP surgery tomorrow morning...I have just this minute phoned the man ( 9.pm ) who has been my community transport help to check on days he will be available before i book any appointment, he is available...I will see if my problem still exists in the morning...I was wondering why i was feeling a tad sore down below, now i know, there is a bleed inside..I took my shower yesterday morning and thought the colour of my fresh TENA pad had what looked like blood on it, well more of a faint rusty brown really, yet haven't given it much thought since,  until i had a wee not long ago and thought my inside felt a tad sore and stingy,  then poked a sponge cloth in it, and there it was a couple of large blobs...I would be stupid to ignore this...apologies if this sounds too personal, but we are all women of the world, aren't we...Hm, maybe i should have posted in the medical room...
Edited: 11 pm, it is starting to sting and burn now, and more showing on my pad...also sore inside when i sit down...think it is making it worse the more i wee or after each wee....I am off to bed now but I will make that early morning phone call, driver man isn't available morning mid day Tuesday but available all other times, says he can take me.....

[Joy]

Jackie,  sounds like you have a UTI.  Like some of us here or over in the Soda Shoppe have had for a few weeks.  Hope you can get into see the doctor soon.  Not fun to deal with.  Good Luck !

Joy

[Mary Ann]

I put in a search to find when the Port Huron/Sarnia Tall Ship Parade was and it was Friday.  I did not hear about it until Saturday so that is why I did not see the parade.  I did see the one at Duluth today.

Mary Ann

[Marilyne]

JACKIE -I hope you feel much better when you wake up this morning?  Even if do feel better, it would be best to get yourself to a doctor ASAP, and get a diagnosis.  I know it's hard for you to catch a ride with someone, but maybe there's a special van for seniors, that could pick you up?  If not, you could call a credit card pay service like Uber, which is what we have here?  It would cost you a chunk of $$ from your account, but would be money well spent.  Best option would be if a neighbor could drive you, but I know that isn't likely.  I agree with Joy, that it sounds like a urinary tract infection, or could be another type of infection or something related to your MS?  I hope we hear from you later tomorrow. 

MARY ANN - I wanted to see the tall ships today, and checked out the various cams a number of times, but never found anything.  I was at the wrong cam at the wrong time I guess . . . it just wasn't my day for boat watching! 

Callie  - I didn't realize your husband died at such a young age.  I hope he had a chance to know at least one of his grandchildren?  Twenty seven years is a long time for you  to  be alone. My Dad lived for almost twenty years after my Mom died,  in the same house they had built in 1950.  I sure did hate to sell  that house! 

Time for me to get ready for bed . . . only 9:45 here, but I'm super tired tonight. 

[Joy]

Good morning, Jackie.   Sending you lots of ((((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))))))this morning.  Take care !

Joy

[MarsGal]

Good morning, everyone.

Jackie, I do hope that you can get your problem solved soon.

Mary Ann, I have trouble remembering that Port Huron is still in the same time zone as me. I missed most of the Duluth parade of tall ships, live, but I did find several nice videos up on YouTube last evening. Here is one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCtfgzeTIzs Just loved the fire boat at the beginning. Here is a lovely short of Empire Sandy on the St. Clair River at Port Huron on Aug.10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf0E7odQA3U

BTW, Blue Nose II is already on its way down the St. Clair. It will be a little while until it reaches Marine City. Keep an eye pealed.

It is getting more humid again today. The temp now is at 58⁰ but the air is so still non of it is getting inside the house. It will warm up quickly now that the sun is up, going to around 92^o. Rain tomorrow, possibly heavy. Mowing is done, but I might go out a little to do some yard cleanup/weeding.

[Mary Ann]

MarsGal, I've been watching ships much of the morning.  I got up quite a bit later (8 am) than  your post so I checked to see where Blue Nose was and it was past Marine City.  I went to the cam shot and saw the north end of a sailboat going south and that was all I saw of Blue Nose.  I went to Algonac, hoping I'd see it there and waited and waited, much longer than I should have.  When I checked the chart, Blue Nose was on its way to Lake St Clair.  The sun was shining at the camera and I didn't see any sailboat go by.  I went back to Marine City and eventually a sailboat came through and that was the Appledore IV.  Several freighters came through, going both ways.  I'm glad the Festival is over because now I won't be hunting for a particular sailboat. 

MarsGal, I am west of Port Huron about 150 miles, on the other side of the state about 35 miles from Lake Michigan.  I am in the same time zone as you are.  It's hard to believe but we are.  I think at one time Michigan was in the Central Time Zone but that was when I was quite young. 

Marilyn, I think the information about the sailboats was misleading and I am sure many of us missed the parade in Port Huron.  I would have missed the Duluth parade if Tom had not told me he had seen it.  So I backtracked and saw it.  There were a lot of power boats plus smaller sailboats mixed up in the parade so it was confusing.

I think I'll see if I can find something to have for breakfast.

Mary Ann

[CallieOK]

Ohmigosh!  Go to the Algonac site and rewind to watch the tall ship Picton Castle docking.  Takes quite a while but the close-up camera work is amazing!

(Turn around, Callie, and get your desk work done!!!! )

[FlaJean]

Got back from the store exhausted and then got dinner in the oven.  I promised Larry I'd make meat loaf and scalloped potatoes. They are  both in the oven so I'll have vegetable to go with it.  Right now I'm resting for a few minutes.  I saw a good looking ship go thru the Port Huron site until the trees got in the way.

It is very hot today, but the store was nice and cool.

Hope everyone has a good day.

[Mary Ann]

Jean, your dinner sounds so good; I wish you could share it.

Callie, thank you and thank you.  I thought it was the Appledore V and told Tom so, but when they showed the name, I knew I was wrong.  I don't know if he still is a licensed Captain, but Tom at one time had a Captain's license for sailboats on the Great Lakes, or around Michigan.  He has Meniere's now and gets dizzy when on a boat, so he doesn't sail now.  And that breaks his heart.  I had often wondered what those blue things on the walk at Algonac were for and now I know - to anchor ships that might stop there.  I don't recall being on a sailboat but I was on plenty of power boats so I could tell what was going on.  Everything seemed to be precision work.  I saw some women on the ship too.  I'm so glad you mentioned the Picton Castle, Callie.  Tom had been away and I told him about it when he returned.  I am sure he could not watch as much as I did, but I'm sure he was able to watch some of it.  Old Home Week for him. 

Other than finding something for lunch, I have only watched the docking of the Picton Castle.  Fascinating.

Mary Ann

[Marilyne]

Jean - I know how you feel!  All I want to do is sit and rest, so I have to talk myself into getting organized and doing what needs to be done toward getting dinner on the table.   Seems I'm always out of breath, but I feel I must keep moving! LOL  AJ is feeling much better, and his appetite has returned.  I need to keep a good supply of food handy for him to eat.   It's also HOT here.  Already 90 degrees at 11:30.  I wish our AC were better, but It's old, and probably needs replacing. 

Mary Ann - I didn't realize that Tom had Meniere's.  Daughter Shelley had it off and on for a long time, but now is much better.  It seems to bother her when she's under stress.  I want to get back into a regular routine of checking the cams.  Seems I've missed everything of interest the past couple of days.

Jackie - I hope you're feeling much better today?

[MarsGal]

Mary Ann, I see you are still up on S&F. I don't know how long he has been on, but someone from Picton Castle is one the live chat at Algonac. I backtracked as far as I could to read his comments. I saw it come into Algonac live, but as a result, missed Appledore IV. I have not checked to see if Empire Sandy has left Sarnia yet.

[Mary Ann]

MarsGal, I saw the remarks by the Picton Castle person so we could learn more about the ship.  I watched activities for quite a while.

I checked with Tom about his Captain's license and he said he no longer is licensed.  Knowing his Meniere's keeps him off any kind of boat, I can see why he is not licensed now.  He loved sailing and I think he would rather have sailed than eaten.  He used to lease a sailboat for a week, then take young people (usually church groups) on a trip up Lake Michigan, under the Big Mac bridge, into Georgian Bay.  Tom is a good teacher so the kids would learn about sailing.  All had responsibilities.  And all got back in one piece!  The kids had to pay something to go on the trip and that paid for their food.  I am sure there were chaperones too so Tom didn't have to have full responsibility for 30-40 kids!

Marilyn, I didn't know that Meniere's came and went and it might be the severity of the case as to whether or not that happens.  Tom has never said he had any relief from it, but it is not something that we discuss often.

Mary Ann

[Vanilla-Jackie]

Joy...
...thank you for the (( hugs )) but that is far too many for me, shall we share them around...

Well female GP gave me an internal, said she found blood, and said i had an inside tear...sure she mentioned thinning of tissues..gave me prescription for Fusidic Acid cream to be rubbed around the outside 3 or 4 times a day for 2 weeks..

[Denver]

Good evening.

I have been on edge today as my brother drove himself to the hospital early this morning in terrible pain.  It is determined that he needs his gall bladder out and they are trying to get him a slot to do the surgery.  Got him in around 5 PM and we are still waiting to hear he is out and doing OK.  He lives clear the other side of town so we can not be of much help with our schedule, but it appears his wife and step sons are able to help out.  His wife has not driven in over two years due to the fact that she require more oxygen than a container of oxygen can provide.  She maxes out a concentrator.   

JACKIE, I was hoping you might be back in to share any news about how you are doing.  I do hope the cream will give you some relief and stop the terrible pain.  It seemed to me it was more interior, the pain, but I guess not.  I am just so glad you got in to be seen.i do hope you will be better soon. 

JEAN, I see the temperatures are still much too warm down your way. No wonder you were exhausted when you got home from the store.

I wish you all a good rest of your evening.

Jenny

[Vanilla-Jackie]

Jenny...
...i have a burning and stinging sometimes when i wee..plus often felt sore...lets see what this cream does, told if not improved, to go back to see her, again with no transport, easier said than done..

...oh that is not so good news of your brother, is he older or younger than you, not of course that that matters...I pray his procedure all goes well as planned...

...yes you are right about this new forever church that i thought i had found, well they too have let me down bad...i shan't be continuing with them any more...as my late father often would say..." we live and learn.." girl.....yes we do..

[FlaJean]

I see on the ship schedule that one ship is leaving at noon CDT, and two are arriving this afternoon—-one at 4pm and Paul at 4:15pm.  I bet arrival times change as the day goes by.  According to the weather app, we are having another very hot day—-a high of 90 that (they say) is supposed to feel like 105F.

At least we are having leftovers today, so don't have to worry about what to cook.👍.

Jackie, good that you got some medical help.

Beverly, how are you doing with your self treatments with the vest?  Hope they have been helpful.

Would love to have shared our meal with you, Mary Ann.  We ate one of the little meat loaves and going to finish off the other one today.  Larry says it was the best meat loaf I've made.  We were probably just both hungry.  Food always taste better when you are hungry.

Another busy day for you, Marilyne.  You probably will be too busy to watch the webcams, but you especially like Paul so hope you get to see "her" arrive supposedly around 2:15 your time, but who knows.  They are always changing the schedule depending on the ship's progress, I guess.

Sandy, are you having nice weather up in your area while we are so hot here?  I see that a lot of the east coast is going to be hot the next several days, but your area will probably be spared.

Have a good day everyone.

[JeanneP]

Good seeing
Junee's posting today. I did manage to wish her Happy birthday in Facebook. I was thinking her95 years old. How fast the go.
Such good memories she has of her trips to U.S. She and whimsy became such good friends. I did get to meet Whimsey one time.a sweet lady. How we miss so many people gone from S and F.now.
Seems like many did drop out in 2016 .

[Marilyne]

Good Morning Jean - Looks Like I'll miss Paul, again today.  I'm going to go to the doctor with AJ, and the appointment is for 2:30, so that will take care of the afternoon for me. The temps are supposed to hit 100 today, and tomorrow will go as high as 105 tomorrow.    I notice when I watch the nationwide weather at night, that they always predict the East and Midwest temps as the actual temp, and then the "feels like" temp?  They don't do that for our weather out here??  I wonder why?

Jackie - I hope that the medication the doc gave you, will give you some relief.  You have enough to worry about, without an additional health problem.  Take care, and let the solicitor help you to sell the house and move somewhere else, ASAP.

Guess I had better do a little watering now, in preparation for the heat!  Fortunately, most of the plants I'm concerned about are on the N/E side of the house, so only get morning sun.

Hi JeanneP - Nice seeing you here today.  Hope you're doing well in all this heat?

[Mary Ann]

Morning has come and gone here and it's 1 pm.  I've snacked and that will be my lunch.  Kendrick is asleep on my bed.  The outside temp is in the high 80s and I've turned on the a/c but it hasn't gone on yet.  It says it is 77 degrees in here but my thermostat is set for 76 degrees.  I don't trust the a/c since the Peak thing was put on.  I was going to call the electric company to talk about it, but I think I'll wait until I get the next bill.  I don't know what I'll do if I have another $90+ bill - explode maybe!

Robin is coming today to clean, I think.  I don't keep track of which week it is as far as she is concerned; one week she cleans, the other week she helps with the computer room.  She likes to organize and I prefer to do my own and never the twain shall meet.

Marilyn, if Duluth was on YouTube you could page back to see Paul but I don't think that is possible with the program they have.  I check daily to see when the ships will be going through the Duluth canal but so often miss them.  The same with the Soo, but their camera is undergoing repairs.  I wonder if they are changing to YouTube?  We might see more of the Soo operations if they do.

I hope AJ's visit goes OK.  I know it is a follow-up.  I don't envy you the heat in your area; the high 80s is enough.

Jenny, my mother was a candidate for gall bladder surgery but she died before it was done.  Norm had his gall bladder out and I think it was the "old" way.  Because of Mother's trouble, I have always tried to avoid rich and fried foods.  I haven't eliminated them, but don't have a steady diet of either.  My mother had some very painful times with the problem.  I hope your brother finds relief after the surgery.

I find there is so little to see or read (for me, anyway) on the computer.  I go to only three or four S&F folders, I look at radar, I do a puzzle, I look at Grand Haven, but they don't change enough to make it worth while to visit often.  That is why I view the ships so often. 

Jeanne, it is good to see a post from you.  Stop in often enough, if just to tell us you are OK. 

Mary Ann

[angelface555]

"Behold a salmon cannon that sucks up fish and shoots them over a dam
Physically, it doesn't hurt them. Mentally? Those poor fish probably found religion."


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z3ZyGlqUkA&utm_source=CNN+Five+Things&utm_campaign=2b13798440-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_08_13_01_16&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6da287d761-2b13798440-87090417

[Sandy]

Good Afternoon Everyone!
We have had an exceptionally
good Summer here on the
rocky coast of Maine. 

Right now my AC is off and
because the humidity is low... 
As long as the humidity stays low, 
I can enjoy higher temps... 
but when the humidity
goes up I put on the AC .... 

Good weather makes for happy
days, IMHO.

It is hard to believe that it is
already the middle of August, 
and soon to be September  again!! 

Fall has the best weather, IMHO, so
we have that to look forward to. 

I haven't been posting a lot. 
I feel badly that we have lost
so many friends.

Here is hoping that everyone
has a good week. 

Sandy

[Mary Ann]

Sandy, you have posted just often enough that I didn't worry.  Otherwise, just peek in to say 'hi'. 

Patricia, I'm glad I'm not a salmon.  What will they think of next!

Mary Ann