Norms Bait and Tackle

[FlaJean]

Callie, how is your album work going.  For several years I was really into Creative Memories albums and have about 15 thick albums.  I put all the pictures in with photo corners so there won't be any fussing after I'm gone on who gets what picture.  They can take them out and make copies.  I also did journaling, etc., so everyone will know who, where, and when.  I stopped after the great grand children.  I could have done some during this pandemic on the great grands but it is a lot of work.  My youngest daughter did a couple of online albums with one of those photo places and they printed them.  They were nice and also a lot of work.😊

Yesterday evening we had a really nice rain.  Today it is bright and sunny.  It is very quiet here today.  We've been filling our time with reading.  We do need to get out to vote as it is early voting in the Florida Primary this week.  We also need to get to the grocery store for a few items.

Has anyone heard from Jackie?  Good to hear from you Beverly.  How is the weather up in Maine, Sandy?  You probably got a little of that latest tropical storm?

Marilyne, It was nice you had a good visit with your son and wife. 

Hi to Jenny, Joy, Patricia, JeanneP and so nice to read everyone's post.

[Denver]

A Good Day wish to all.

I was hoping to see a post from you, JACKIE. I do hope all is well and you are just too tuckered out to post.🤪

Yesterday was our #3 grandsons 12 Birthday so we did get to join the family for a little celebration.  It sure was good to see them all.  We picked the oldest grandson up from his tennis practice.  He is trying out for his high school tennis team since football has been cancelled.  He will find out tomorrow if he will make the team. 

The quick synopsis from Michele's test results today  are over all very good.  One spot shows a marginal amount of growth, but oncologist feels it is not significant enough to worry about .  She will return in three weeks to learn what the new plan of maintenance chemo will be.  Of course she wanted to hear "you are clear of cancer" but we all know that is sadly more than likely never going to happen, so we must be thankful for anything that sounds positive.  She again was told that she will be on some kind of chemo for the rest of her life, and those are hard words to swallow after all she has been through😩😢  I ask for your continued positive thoughts and prayers and thank you for prayers in the past. 🙏

Have a good one.

Jenny

[MarsGal]

Oh, Jenny, that is awfully discouraging, and sad to think that Michelle must stay on some kind of maintenance chemo. Not having any cancer in my family I am not real familiar with treatments and maintenance so I looked it up and found this site which you most likely already know about. So now I am somewhat encouraged by the percentages I saw on another page of people surviving long term on maintenance doses.

[Marilyne]

Good Thursday morning to everyone.    We're heading into a heat wave, with temps into the 100's.  That will make life uncomfortable for a few days, but is expected this time of year.  Our AC is okay, but works hard to keep the inside house temps under 80 degrees, during a hot spell.  Reason being the large single pain windows across the entire South and West side of the house. We have plantation shutters in those rooms, but they don't offer as much insulation as our old lined draperies from long ago.

Jenny - I'm really happy to see all the good news about Michele!  Yes, she will have to be on maintenance, but she will get used to it, and her body will adjust.  My dil's sister has been on a maintenance chemo pill for a couple of years now,  and she looks and feels like normal.   She has/had, a highly aggressive form of breast cancer, and went through a long and grueling treatment program that was similar to Michele's. 

Wonderful that your grandson is trying out for the tennis team!   Football, is just too much of a close contact sport, so it's a good thing that it will not be played this season.  He and your other grandkids are fortunate to be going to school this Fall.  Schools will remain closed here in our district, and throughout most of California.  Only the more rural counties will be having classroom teaching.  The majority will be online.

Jean - my oldest daughter also did lots of Creative Memory albums,  a few years ago.  She made a couple for us, as well as for her adult children.  Now people don't use old fashioned cameras anymore.   I really miss the old days, when we would shoot a roll film, and then take it to the drug store for developing and printing.  So exciting to pick it up a week later, and enjoy looking at all the pictures.  Those days are gone forever.

MarsGal - I will respond to you this morning in either the books or TV folders.  We're still doing a lot of reading and TV watching.  The last couple of nights, we have been watching two LONG movies about the emigration of the Swedish people to Minnesota, in the mid 19th Century.  The first one was called The Emigrants, and the second one was, The New Land.  Both Swedish films, with English subtitles.  Worthwhile watching!  AJ especially enjoyed the two movies, because his great grandparents emigrated to Minnesota from Sweden, at that time. 
   

[Joy]

Good morning.

It is a little overcast right now, but looks like the sun might be trying to make an appearance.

Jenny, I did mention this over in the Soda Shoppe, but I have been dealing with cancer for over 13 years and have been on a chemo pill for over 5 years and doing well.  There are so many new treatments and drugs today that work well.  She has been such a strong gal all along, so tell her to stay strong and positive.  A positive attitude, I feel, is so important.

Jean, I have been wondering how your grandson is doing???  I continue to pray for him and Michele.  I also pray for all our friends here in Seniors and Friends that they will stay well and hopefully, we will all get through this current  health crisis. However,  just seems like it isn't getting much better.  Our state of Maryland has done well in keeping cases low, and people seem to be doing what they should do.  I just don't understand how people can't abide with the rules.  I don't like having to wear a mask, but it is a small sacrifice to have to go through.  But, I have not been anyplace  where there are a lot of people.  I can't see taking any unnecessary chances.

I hope everyone has a good day and stay well.

Joy

[JeanneP]

Yes, I agree. this is going to be one of those virus that they will never really find out what causes it. Just like the Flu, Aids, Even TB is now back some. It will just be people taking a shot at different times of the year. Soon all will be starting out as babies taking more from a start. They say that people are living longer now but that will change. Go the other way. We older people are still going to see lots of changes in the next few years. (I hope). I have been noticing such a difference in US from when I came. Seems to have started going down after Vienam and then most things got being made in other countries. Got cheaper for us.People bought all the wanted in a short time.Did not have to work hard to get them like in the 50 60s. I remember how long I worked to buy my first new car. TV. Washmachine etc. Now my grandkids got married. Bought a house. Furnished it . Drove newer cars and complain about having to work 40 hours a week.
These are the ones that will be getting the shocks soon.

[CallieOK]

Good Thursday morning,

Jenny,  I'm glad to see hopeful news about Michelle. I didn't know about "maintenance" chemo meds but that sounds like something good and I hope she's able to use them.

FlaJean,  I'm familiar with the Creative Memories albums but have never made one quite that detailed or "fancy".
 This is a "Memory Album" for son/dil's 20th wedding anniversary and designed to trigger memories and reminiscing. I'm only using pictures that he provided.
 They have no children so copies later on are unlikely.

He was here last evening and we went over what I've planned and made some adjustments.  He agrees about cropping some pictures and now wants to bring some mementoes (tickets, clippings, etc.) to add to some of the many travel pages.
He liked the idea of using  different color pages for each year so I'll continue sorting out photos but won't attach any to pages for which he might bring "extras".

Marilyne, there are quite a few pictures from recent years that I could "lift" from dil's Facebook page, put on a cd and have printed at Walgreen's but that's more work than I really want to do.

I'd planned to sleep in this morning because I'd had to get up every day so far this week to get somewhere by a certain time.  Naturally, the phone awoke me with one of those blasted Anonymous calls that either hang up or leave a robo message "warning" me that something dire will happen if I don't "press any number" or call them back ASAP. 

Hoping Everyfriend will find something Enjoyable about today.

[angelface555]

Jennie, I am glad that Michele has been so strong and determined to pull through. I also know many on daily chemo rations who seem to be doing well. MarsGal, your family has been lucky for cancer. In the nineties, every single person in my immediate family had cancer, four with colon and one with breast cancer.

My own unsubstantiated belief is that most people have a weak area, such as the abdomen for me or the legs for a sister. For those who do, it seems all illnesses in those particular people congregate in that weak area.

After twelve weeks of wind, rain, and T-storms with ominous rolling thunder, we promised the following two weeks to be at least warmer and with more sun. Instead, I awoke to more dreary grey skies and more steady rain. When you're already in lockdown, this weather seems to be just another insult.

Farrah has been more needy and demanding. She is also hypervigilant about what goes on out in the hallway. For some reason, birds that generally entertain her have been absent this summer, probably to do with the rain. However, last week, the ravens returned from their cooler summer mountain retreats, so that could mean either winter will be sooner or autumn will be cooler this year.

Some of the folks living out in the bush say the marmots (similar to a woodchuck); and some weasels have already begun denning.

[FlaJean]

A nice sunny summer day.  I have a pork roast in the crockpot and it smells so good.  We'll probably eat a few slices and then I'll have pulled pork with the rest.

Joy, the doctor decided to continue a different treatment.  He is still being fed thru a tube and my son says he looks really, really bad.  The pandemic has made life more difficult, especially since covid-19 is so bad in their area and the schools will not open.  Having very active 8 and 4 year olds at home all the time with no relief in sight has made it harder.  Son and daughter-in-law stayed 2 months and just not able to stay longer.  My son has MS and my daughter-in-law also has medical problems so they really needed to get back home.  Life can be so hard sometimes.

Jenny, that is good news about Michele.  I too am wondering about Jackie.  I hope she is all right.

Callie, I know your son appreciates your work on that album.  Sounds like he is really getting into it.😊

Marilyne, Our summer temps are about the same from year to year in the 4 years we have been here.  When we go for groceries around 6 or 6:30pm, it feels so nice out.  The mornings aren't bad but the temps climb up to about 90 in the afternoons and go down to the 70s during the night.  The humidity doesn't bother me.  We are close to the Choctawhatchee Bay and about 10 miles to the Gulf.

Right now I'm keeping my eye on Josephine the latest threat starting up and all at once we are having a summer rain.  The sunny day sure left in a hurry.  Enjoying all the posts.

[angelface555]

Dancing Belugas and jazz!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki3tviGtYXs

Dolphins understand it's themselves in a mirror and like to look at themselves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgJl4bONOqc

[angelface555]

Bulldog Sees Cheetah On TV, Calls Sister For Backup

https://tinyurl.com/ybn99qzb

[Beverly]

Another typical day in Florida........mixed weather from sunshine to stormy skies and thunder but no rain. Tonight it was lovely out. Wish I'd felt up to taking a walk!

Jenny - Good news for Michele! The maintenance Chemo should be much easier than what she's been going through.

Joy - I wasn't aware that you also have been dealing with cancer for a long time. I'm glad you are doing well now.

Jean - When you aren't well having active children around can be difficult, even if they're your own and you love them! It's hard for the whole family. I hadn't heard about Josephine. I hope she's not going to be a major problem. Guess I should check the weather!

Marilyne - A few summers ago our A/C "died" on an extremely hot week-end. Our inside temps reached the 90s. We should have gone to a hotel but I wanted to sleep in my own bed. I wouldn't do it again! It couldn't be repaired so we had to get a new A/C. $$$$ 

Callie - We get those phone calls all the time. We just bought new phones and when we figure out how, we can have the calls blocked.     I even get one every day on my cell phone.

Jeanne P. - Unfortunately credit cards have made "instant gratification" possible.

Patricia - Your family has had its share of cancer! So far it's hit two of my four children.

MarsGal - How is your feline family doing?

Good night all.

[FlaJean]

Patricia, Loved that video!

[MarsGal]

Bev, the cats are doing about the same. I have been able to up Lucy's thyroid meds to one and a half to two (the doctor's recommendation) a day. Oscar has been claiming more lap time lately. Shan is not pesting for so much playtime lately, but he always makes sure he gets in a hair-brushing session every day.

I am very happy with the new stretch fabric sofa cover I recently bought. It sure beats the old one which never stay put. Funny how, when I have a cover on the sofa, the cats do not bother with it. Just take the cover off for a little, and one of them decides the sofa arm is fair game.

My sister's knee surgery was successful. She is now recovering at home and will start physical therapy today. They seem to have sent her home with a whole bunch of post-op meds.

George is having trouble with his back again. The physical therapy he is taking now does not seem to be doing what he hoped. He is resisting surgery because he knows/knew too many people who when through back surgeries where it did not help or actually made things worse. I know my mom was one of those that surgery did not help.

Well, time to see what kind of stuff I can get into today. I've nothing specific planned. Vacuuming is done, dusting maybe? I can do more sorting or and boxing thinks I don't want anymore. I am soon going to have to call the junk haulers to come pick up what is stashed already.

[Beverly]

MarsGal - Have you ever posted pictures of your kitties in Photos Then and Now? I still miss my cats but can't take on any pets now. Calei was a beautiful long haired yellow cat. I had him from the age of 5 wks. and he always acted like a baby........He'd ask to be picked up and literally hug me around the neck.

Another lovely morning here in Florida but too hot to be outside.

Patricia - Great videos

[Marilyne]

Jean - So sorry to hear that Jason is not doing so well, and that he still has the feeding tube.  He is so brave, to continue with these painful treatments.  He is young and determined, and I really admire him.  I am praying for him, and for his young family.  I hope your son is feeling better, and that his MS has settled down some, now that he's home again.  I also feel bad for Jason's wife, and hope that she has family who can step in and help, now that your son and dil have left?

Joy - I also didn't realize that you've been dealing with cancer for such a long time. You're a good role model for Michele and Jason!   As you said, there are so many new treatments and medications now.  I have heard that immunotherapy, is working well for good, long term results.

Beverly - I'm glad that Donna, as done so well since her chemotherapy.  I know I told you that AJ, was also diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, about ten years ago, and went through the same long term chemotherapy as Donna.  He still has the Pet Scan every six months, along with other tests.
I hope our old AC holds up during this heat wave, and doesn't stop, like yours did!   Yesterday the temps reached 100, and it was very uncomfortable inside the house.  Our AC worked hard, but couldn't get cooled down below 81. I'm afraid today is going to be worse, being as it will again be in the 100's.

Patricia - my family sounds a lot like yours.  Lots of cancer in the past couple of generations on my mother's side.   Before that, none, so I can't help wondering why?  I've also had surgery for colon cancer.  My mother died from ovarian cancer, and my brother from liver cancer.  My father's side has had none, that I know of? 

JeanneP - I agree with you, that things have changed so much in the past 25 years.  Sometimes I wonder about all this high tech stuff that dominates our lives now?   Is this good for us, or not?  It's interesting to me also, that we worked hard and long when we were young, to buy a used car, or for a down payment on a house.  Now the young couples seem to get everything, without having to wait and save.  Where I live in California, young people in their 20's make so much money, that they can afford a first home, for one to five million dollars!      Just imagine what the monthly mortgage payment would be on a house in that price range.

I still want to say hello to others who posted here yesterday, but I have to get ready and make a quick trip to the grocery store for food.  I want to get there by 9:00 am, before the really bad heat arrives.   I will return later!

[angelface555]

Good morning everyone. We're having a rare sunny day, but I'm thinking of that old saw, "Fool me once..."

Farrah is not losing weight, but she has started to look and sound very interested in my meals, even green salads when she was never interested in human food before. She is fifteen pounds, and the vet back in January 2018 wanted her to get back to 12 pounds.

Farrah has been on a senior indoor cat diet food, Iams, since February 2018 when beginning weight was at 15.5 lbs. In two years she has only lost a half-pound! Farrah does get exercise. She has a four-foot tree by the window that she has to climb, and her bed is a five-foot leap. I asked the vet for help last January, and he suggested a lower-carb cat food. Sometimes, I believe he thinks I'm still giving her treats or the odd snack. How can a cat on feline diet food for indoor-only seniors, only lose a half-pound in two years? It's a mystery. And I'll get off my labored subject now.

There are still two questions left on my quiz if anyone is interested.

[Tomereader1]

Does anyone know how to contact VanillaJackie?  Has she posted at all in any of the forums?  I am totally worried now since she was so unwell after the move.

[angelface555]

I'm sorry to hear of so much suffering, especially in those so young and with children. Sometimes as with my daughter, there are just no answers. You're all in my thoughts, I hope for a better solution.

Tomereader, Jackie has not been on the site since the ninth, but I know she mentioned earlier that she might have issues initially getting on and or staying connected.

[angelface555]

Kenny Roger's The Gambler, Home Free's Acapella version;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZQXj7K-_1M

[Sandy]

FlaJean
How is the weather up in Maine, Sandy?

It has been typical Hot August weather
here on the rocky coast of Maine,  JEAN...

I have been holding up in my apt
with the AC on high....   August is
always beastly....  but Fall is
right around the corner, thankfully ..

Hoping for cooler weather.. 
Sandy

[angelface555]

New quiz availble,  https://www.seniorsandfriends.org/index.php?msg=182845

[angelface555]

I was surprised to read that this is Fairbanks' wettest summer on record for a whopping 26.2 inches according to data compiled by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, yesterday. And we still have to get to Halloween's snows.

We also had only two days of plus 80 or over this year. Meteorologists say all the warm weather stayed over in Siberia this year.

[Denver]

It is LATE on Saturday night.  I am way behind in posting, so here goes.

First of all, once again I thank you all for your supportive comments about Michele. I have found out that many of you are on or know someone that is on chemo maintenance.  I hope and pray Michele will be one of the success stories THIS TIME, too.  She was on 8 pills a day of chemo therapy and sadly they did not keep the cancer away....one morning she was totally numb for the top of her head to the bottom of her feet one one half of her body....she was rushed to a ER with the thought she had a stroke and it turned out to be a golf ball sized tumor on her brain....and then the tests discovered the cancer was back with vengeance in many places of her body.  This time we are hoping and praying for a true miracle.....

MARILYNE, I remember you asked where Mark is going for his new job in Cali....I can not remember if I ever told you or not, but he is going to Palm Desert.  Also, our freshman grandson did make the JV tennis team and he sure is happy.  He is the only freshman boy on student council and both of those are keeping him very busy right now.  School starts here this coming Monday....one group is Monday & Wednesday the other is Tuesday & Thursday in person, then on Friday everyone is on line together. Oh my, there has been a lot of uproar over this returning to school.  Many districts are refusing to start....

I am really concerned about JACKIE. I have sent her emails and still no posts from her.  I certainly do hope she is OK.  IT IS not good that there is no way for any of us to be able to have her checked upon.  😩😢

PATRICIA, I really enjoyed the link you shared for is to see how the dolphins reacting to the music.  Thank you.  I sure wish you could share some of the moisture you have received up your way.  We are very very hot and dry here with 4 wild fires burning in Colorado.
The entire state is in a terrible drought. 

I really must head off to bed.....pleasant dreams to all.

Jenny

[Beverly]

Good Monday morning from sunny Florida!

Jenny - I hope things go well for your grandson with the school openings. Congratulations to him on making the tennis team. I've been watching the wildfires in Colorado. Awful! Sending prayers for Michele........

Marilyne - Haven't seen you for a few days. I hope the California wildfires aren't close to you. I also hope your A/C is holding up during this heat wave. I heard they were asking people to use as little power as they could to avoid brownouts/blackouts.

Sandy - I was remembering the other day how I went through late pregnancy for three of my children in July/August.    The first one in a tiny upstairs apartment with no A/C or even a decent fan! We moved to a nice downstairs apartment before she was born. People don't realize how hot and humid Vermont can be in summer.

I'm also very concerned about Jackie. She had internet connection the day after she moved but we've heard nothing since.

I'll check back later.

[Marilyne]

It's 8:00 AM  here, so nice to wake up and see that S&F is open again, with recent messages from both Beverly and Jenny!

Beverly - Yes, we are having some crazy weather, which is forcing our electrical utility to begin "rolling blackouts".  This is to save the overloaded  grid from going down, and leaving this entire section of California without power for an indefinite length of time.     The temps have been as high as 105 degrees here in the Bay Area, and so much worse in the inland valley, where our older daughter and granddaughter live.  I'm grateful that we haven't been shut down yet, as I don't know how AJ and I could endure those temperatures, without our AC!  It was bad enough WITH the AC!  Yesterday, the temp inside the house was 83 degrees, by evening.   We just sat in front of the TV, and watched the news stories of the wildfires, blackouts, and extreme hot temperatures.

Beverly - It would be hard, going through the final months of pregnancy, in hot weather - without air conditioning!   All three of my children were born in the Spring, (March, April and May), so I didn't have to endure the intense heat, except in the early months.   Instead, I had the flu season to worry about in the Winter, along with endless colds.   No flu shots in those days!

Jenny - Palm Desert, is a lovely community, and I'm sure Mark and Megan will like it there during the Fall, Winter and Spring.  I don't know, but suspect that maybe the golf courses close there during  the hot Summer months??  That will give them an opportunity to spend those months in Colorado!   
Also,  Palm Desert, will be a nice place for you and Bob to visit in the Winter months!

I'm going to have to cut this short, and return later.  It's been almost an hour since I started writing this, with a couple of breaks for breakfast, and filling the bird bath outside, before the heat sets in.
I'm sure others have posted here in the past hour, so I will return to say hello later!

I'm also very concerned about Jackie?   I'm hoping that it's only that she has run into come internet connection problems, with her move.  I remember that she posted in the Christian Photographers, site.   I tried to look in there, to see if there were any messages from her there, but I couldn't connect.   I don't know if that website is still open or not?           

[FlaJean]

I've also been concerned about Jackie.  I also tried the Christian Photographers site, Marilyne.  I wonder if they just dissolved after Pat's death as I believe she is the one who started it?  Jackie sounded in pretty bad condition in her last message.

The usual hot summer day here in Northwest Florida, supposed to reach a high of 90° by afternoon.  Tomorrow is my usual medical checkup which I always dread for some reason.  I didn't go for my lab test because I had extensive tests last Oct. and I don't want to go for the lab work during this pandemic.  The pandemic is not as bad in our area but still more numbers of positives are added each day and our total is almost 4000 for our county.

There isn't much to write about.  Sato sent me some beautiful color photos of autumn leaves.  We don't get much fall color here because it is a little too warm, but I love the fall and am looking forward to October, my favorite month of the year.

Have a good day, everyone.  Jenny, let us know if you receive an answer to your email to Jackie.  I wonder if she has a Facebook page.?

[CallieOK]

Merry Monday,

Re: summer pregnancies...  Oldest son was born in August in Amarillo, Texas.  Three friends were expecting about the same time and I remember that we would get together, drink iced tea and "awfulize" with each other about the heat!

#2 son was also born in August but, by that time, we were living 10,200 feet above sea level in the CO Rockies.
 Definitely no heat problem there. 

I rather enjoyed saying (to certain people  ) , "Son was born on the 9th and we were married on the 17th (yes,62 years ago today  ...in southeastern Oklahoma and it was hot then, too!)" or "We were married on the 17th and son was born on the 27th".  After "reaction", I would add, "There were 4 years between wedding and first birth and 4 more before next one."   

Had a couple of errands to do this morning - first time I'd been face to face (umm....mask to mask...) and spoken aloud to another person in several days.

Adding my concern to those for Jackie.

Hoping Everyfriend Everywhere finds something to Enjoy today.

[angelface555]

https://www.christianphotographers.com/community/

The site only has a few, under ten people including Michael posting in August. The majority of posts were in 2017, a few in 2018 and 2019, and even less in 2020, mainly Thoughts for the week or for the month.

[Shirley]

Buzzing through to see if Jackie has posted. Wish someone had her phone number, for sure if she can't get online she can't get e-mail or any other computer contact means.

When June was missing we realized we needed to share contacts with someone in our families & someone here. Did we ever get that done?  I sort of remember thinking that Jenny has met my Andy and do have a note for him or any of the other kids, to let her know if I get into trouble. Not sure if I told Jenny that, did I?