Hi everyone. We have an overcast and cooler day ahead with a high around 76 degrees and only a low chance of rain.  We did get a nice rain yesterday afternoon and I won't need to water tomorrow so can leave the sprinkling system off.  Today is another doctor appointment day and this one is for Pat.  Then this evening we plan on going to the Pizza Hut for our dinner so we can see our son for a few minutes.  He generally is off on Wednesday but it filling in for someone this week.  Not sure whether Jennifer will join us as she apparently had a bout of food poisoning Monday night and ended up in the ER.  I  learned yesterday that two more restaurants will be opening in North Augusta.  Chipotle Mexican Grill's new building is almost done and will open right away and an IHOP later.

Patricia, if you find an energy infusion or injection please let me know. 

Mary Ann, the cat we had also wanted to get out everytime the door was opened.  Even after he was gone I was cautious when I opened the door or left it open remembering Tiggers wanting to get out.  Unfortunately he didn't mind like Kendrick apparently does for you.

Beverly, that is good news on the cancellation of the surgery for Chape.  We do get wonderful peaches here in South Carolina and many are grown in this area and North of us.  I haven't seen any yet and there was concern due to the late freeze.  Where I lived in Georgia we never saw Georgia peaches on sale in the markets, which I thought was very strange. I'm sure they were available in many places but not where we shopped. 

Beverly, I'm glad Chape feels his current treatment is taking care of the pain so he could cancel his surgery.  My pain is controlled a bit by the Arthritis 650 tablet, but the pain doesn't go away 100%.

Larry, that is about the only time Kendrick minds me and I'm not sure he is minding me but knowing I won't let him out.  He is more anxious now to go on the deck and often leads me in that direction when I go toward the living area. 

Our Michigan peaches will not be available for a while, but they, too, are delicious.  I used to eat them with the skins but now I peel them or put them in hot water for a few minutes so take the skins off.  I think that's an "age" thing. 

The forecast here is for 80 degrees and radar shows no rain for a few days.  I think we need the rain but I'll water my plants with township water instead.

Mary Ann

Mary Ann - It sounds like Kendrick is not only affectionalte, but is also well behaved. Winnie sticks very close to me at all times, and likes to have me within sight. He likes my husband just fine, and will often sit right behind him, on the back of his chair while he is reading or watching TV.  But I'm the one who feeds him and pets him and talks to him all the time, and I always let him in and out.  I think it's that I'm aware of him at all times.  It worries me that if I were no longer here, that AJ would let him outside and forget about him!   

As I mentioned, Winnie isn't allowed in the bedroom section of the house at night, so spends nights in the living room, kitchen, or down a flight of stairs to the family room and basement.  That's all he's ever known, so he's perfectly happy.  However, he's always waiting for me when I first walk through that door every morning. 

I don't think he's been feeling well lately.  He's always been calm and mellow, but over this past year, he seems to be getting more hyper, and moving around a lot. I know he is quite arthritic, and bony, and looks skinny, but he hasn't lost any of his appetite.  Still eats a lot, and drinks lots of water.

Well, enough about old Winnie - who is now sleeping soundly on the bed, right beside me.   

Marilyne, Winnie is entitled to not feel well - I think you said he's 18 years old???

I don't know how many years that is in human years but if he was a dog, he'd be the equivalent of 126!

I don't know where Kendrick is right now but he is inside.  He sometimes lies in front of the slider door where he can watch the birds on the deck support piece. 

Mary Ann

Another afternoon thunder with a nice rain - the lawn was mowed yesterday so that is perfect.  Also, we are in the house after a stressful time spent on the roads trying to go to a breakfast in the foothills.  Everywhere is gridlock, building cranes and huge trucks hauling everything so it isn't easy to drive and it will not get any better.  We finally got out and decided to come back to the house.  In Denver - There is talk about a law against being on the phone while driving and I wish they would get tough like Tucson.  There is a huge fine for holding a phone and I think even a front passenger is not allowed (not sure about it). 

There was a story about a motel in the city recently sold - to a buyer from out-of-state who has been buying up apartments and so forth.  He raised the weekly rent from $200 per week to $387 weekly just days after he acquired the motel.  People are outraged - no place to stay they can afford.

I have a bone scan coming up on Friday and have never thought I needed that test - because of no shrinkage in height at all. 

WOW, I didn't know cats could live so long - they stay younger all through a dog's life - no wonder they sometimes irritate each other. 

Beverly:  Nice news about Chape not needing surgery.  I do hope his pain can be controlled and cured. 

Hi everyone.  It is starting out a beautiful morning with the blue sky and bright sun.  We are to get only into the low 80's today.  Today will be my typical Thursday with coffee and my Wisdom group.  I do need to grate up a pound of cheddar cheese before I leave this morning. 

Yesterday morning was spent with Pat's doctor appointment and she doesn't need to see this doctor again for 4 months.  Last evening we did go to the Pizza Hut for dinner and took both cars and left the Cruiser for Scott to drive home and keep for a week as he can add a little Freon in the A/C.  Jennifer was still recouping from the food poisoning, which apparently came from a little piece of lobster she had shared with a friend as they both became sick and she passed on joining us for dinner.  He was pretty busy so only got to speak to him a couple of short periods but that was all right as we got to see him and didn't want to interfere with his job.

Mary Ann, last year we were able to buy some peaches at a local produce stand where we could actually see the trees they came from and they were very tasty.  I don't mind eating them with the skin on. It sounds like you are in for some very nice days.

Marilyn, I just looked up a chart relating cat age to human age.  If Winnie is 18 years old that is apparently about equivalent of a human being 88 years old.  Here a link to the chart:  https://www.thespruce.com/cat-age-to-human-age-chart-554306 .  It sounds like he is doing well for his age. 

Carol, glad you had some nice rain.  I do think we could survive if we just let our cellphone ring while driving.  After all our telephones used to be attached to the walls of our home or at least plugged into a wall outlet.  I also wondered why my doctor ordered a bone scan for me several years ago although I had lost three inches of height.  It did show I had Osteopenia and have taken calcium with Vitamin D since that time.   It is considered by many doctors to be a precursor to osteoporosis. However, not every person diagnosed with osteopenia will develop osteoporosis.   

Larry, thank you for the chart on cat/human years.  Kendrick will be four in July so he's almost 32 human years. 

We expect to have a nice day today and at 9:20 our temperature is 65 degrees.  We are taking Dot out for her birthday (last Saturday) to the Bostwick Lake Inn near here.  None of us has been there in years.

Nothing more going on here that I can think of.

Mary Ann

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to BEVERLY!
And many more.

shirleyn.

Happy Birthday to Beverly.  Enjoy your day.

Mary Ann

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEVERLY.

Happy Birthday, Beverly.  Hope you have a great day.

Joy

Have a good one, Bev!

Happy Birthday Beverly!

Good morning from the Interior! Farrah remains the same as do I.

My Senior Benefits are due next week and I saw in the Soda Shop that Jane has the same program in her state. Here it is tied to the local farms and seniors. You at 65 or older, receive a set amount in vouchers that can only be spent at a farm or farming co-op or farm related roadside stand. Since I have had a cash pay for some time, this is money back in my pocket without losing the fresh vegetables. It is a win for both seniors and farmers.

We have had wonderful sunny weather and now starting Saturday and through next week, it is both back to the rain and also reaching into the eighties for the first time, officially this summer. This should be interesting.

Since last week, we have had an hour or two every other day without water due to the local area construction. Now the construction company has sent notices that in order to flush out and reconnect the system after laying new lines,(pipes?). Anyway, the newest is to be Friday with no water between nine AM and six PM.  First was new electrical wiring and posts and now the water. Last few years it was widening the streets or putting in round bouts. Construction work is very healthy here!

Farrah will be five in September according to her original chip so that means she is in her prime according to Larry's chart, thanks, Larry! Since cats can live into their twenties if cared for indoors, they do seem to have almost double the lifespan of dogs.

"Cats are living longer than ever. With improvements in nutrition and veterinary medicine including vaccines and therapeutic agents, cats are living to over 15 years of age and in some cases over 20 years of age. Life expectancy depends on many things, including one important factor - whether your cat is an indoor-only cat or an outdoor cat.

Indoor cats generally live from 12-18 years of age. Many may live to be in their early 20s. The oldest reported cat lived to be an amazing 28 years old.

Outdoor cats generally live shorter lives due to being more likely to be involved in traumas such as motor vehicle accidents or dog attacks. Outdoor cats are also more susceptible to several life threatening viruses including Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)  and Feline Leukaemia that are spread by fighting or contact with an infected cat."   http://www.vetwest.com.au/pet-library/how-long-do-cats-live-ageing-and-your-feline

My two that I lost in January 2011 were aged twenty and twenty-two respectively.

I have had osteoporosis for many years but the only time I lost any inches was when I went from 5'7" to 5' 6" during my pregnancy 45 years ago. What concerns me most now is my sometimes falling and the wobbling I sometimes experience while walking. This has only occurred since I fell hard on the ice in February 2014.

Farrah has been very active in the past few moments as I drugged her. She isn't particularly interested in catnip and hasn't been that active lately. So, I added some to her kibble, 1/4th tablespoon, coating the dry pieces in it. My idea of an exercise program...

She will play whack a mole for a bit, then chase down and toss her felt mice for a few moments, all the while growling. Every little bit she will come up close, sit and stare at me then back to the fierce play.

Just a side note, Bonnie, and Duchess are due to be placed together this weekend as their short-term visits went well and they have even played momentarily a time or two. Dora is enchanted with Bonnie and now says she never understood before how people could get so caught up in animals and now she sees. I'm just happy for her and Alan and for two more rescued pets.

Everyone have a great day!

We took Dot for her birthday lunch today.  When they brought our water (with lemon), she and I clicked glasses and I said, "Happy Birthday".  The server asked if today was her birthday and she said, "yes" and the server said Dot's meal was free.  Actually Dot's birthday was Saturday; we couldn't celebrate that day so today was the day.  Dot had too many people wanting to take her out, so a few days late is fine.

It is a gorgeous day with the sun shining, which always makes a day nice, faint breeze and not too warm. 

The cat and I sat on the deck for a while and he enjoys it out there.  He goes to a sunny spot and wriggles around, then noses to see if he can find any birds who have been singing up a storm, then he'll get in the shade and just relax.  The life of Riley!

Mary Ann

We have rain here.  not a lot but just enough to ruin the cherry crops that did not get picked in time.

wjoan - Our weather is the same as yours, here in Northern CA.  Blustery and cool here today, with scattered sprinkles.  No measurable rain yet, but supposed to come soon.  Rain this late in the season, always ruins crops in California.  Today in this area, it will be apricots, that are just about ready to be picked. I hope not, as cots are one of my favorites. 

Mary Ann - your birthday luncheon for Dot, sounds like a lot of fun.  Good that she got a free lunch. Perfect weather for you and Kendrick to spend time on the deck.  Winnie won't be going outside today, due to the cool damp weather, and especially the strong wind that's blowing.

Patricia - You rarely see an cat around here anymore, who is allowed to roam free.  It used to be the norm in days gone by, for both cats and dogs.  If you see one now, you assume that it's lost, and you try to locate it's owner. Winnie is allowed outside in our back yard, but he cannot get out in front, unless someone left a gate open.  The yard is surrounded by a seven foot fence, and in access areas, includes special wire topping, for keeping the coyotes out.

We had a huge coyote problem in out neighborhood a couple of years ago, and many of us added the wire topping or "rollers", to keep the coyotes out of our yards.  After a few years the coyotes seem to have moved on to other areas, (hunting grounds) and we never see them here anymore.  However, they will return!

mARILYNE, i LIKE COTS TOO BUT CAN NEVER FIND ANY THAT ARE RIPE OR SWEET UP HERE.  pRETTY MUCH STICK WITH THE CHERRIES.  OOOPS SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS, DID NOT MEAN TO DO THAT, BUT NOT GONNA CHANGE IT NOW.L

W. Joan, your caps didn't bother me a bit. My eyes need help and the caps did it.

Marilyne, a banana a day may give you all the potassium you need. Better than more pills, for sure.

Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes! I didn't really want to go out to dinner tonight so we went out for a late lunch, then to Lowe's to look at some chairs I'm considering for our front porch area. Spent the rest of the day just doing nothing and enjoying it! 

Mary Ann - A Happy Belated Birthday to Dot! Nice you were able to have lunch with her.

All four kids called, which, of course, always makes my day!

Son, Michael, called tonight and we had a VERY long conversation. We've had several of those lately.  A few weeks ago he found out the carcinoid cancer is back. It's been 11 years since his surgery. This tumor in his liver is inoperable because it's up against the huge main artery to his heart.  Carcinoid doesn't respond to chemo, but there are a couple of procedures they've developed. He's considering seeing a specialist at Dana Farber in Boston or Moffett Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. One thing in his favor is that carcinoid tumors are slow growing. I am trying to be optimistic. Our family has come through some very tough times before! 

Sorry for my gloomy post, but I'd appreciate some prayers!

Bev, belated Happy Birthday.  Also you will have my prayers for comfort for you and wellness for your son. I too have had two of my  children that went through cancer, one of them twice.  Both of them had breast cancer.  Hopefully they don't re-occur.
God Bless.

Hi everyone.  It looks like we will have another nice day with clouds in the afternoon.  We are to get only to 84 degrees this afternoon.  Yesterday was a perfect Spring day with low humidity and a light breeze. 

Yesterday was the best day I have had in quite awhile in terms of how I was feeling.  However, I realize that I need a day of rest from an active day and fortunately the calendar is clear for today.  There was nothing out of the ordinary in what I did but just enjoyed things more. 

My good friend Richard called me yesterday afternoon asking for Pat and I pray for his wife Pam who has been diagnosed with colon cancer and will have surgery on Tuesday.  She has suffered many health issues over the years but is a lady of strong faith.  If you will please include Pam in your prayers for a few days. 

Mary Ann, I see Dot enjoyed her special day out.  It sounds like the weather certainly cooperated with the day. Nice that the restaurant comped her meal. 

Beverly, Happy Birthday although I am probably a day late.  We also prefer going out to lunch rather than dinner especially during the winter months when it gets dark so early.  Isn't it nice to be able to do nothing when we want.  Sorry for Michael that he has to fight the cancer again.  Glad that it is slow growing.  How old is he? I will keep him in my prayers.

Hal, we are fortunate to live in these time where there are many treatments for cancer.  However, there are so many people that have it. 

ShirleyN, thanks for your posting or Beverly birthday would have escaped my attention.

Patricia, those vouchers sound like a great thing to help seniors.  Are they tied to a person annual income?  Every little bit helps on the food bill.  It sounds like you will be having some warm and wet days starting tomorrow.  That is a long time to go without water but at least they gave notice so water can be saved in a bathtub and set aside for drinking during the day.  I can't imagine a cat being 28 years old.  Our cat was 14 when he died of heart problems.  Your cats live long lives. I didn't understand your comment about drugging Farrah. Nice that Dora is taking to the cats and finding the job of pets. 

Joan, why does the rain spoil the cherry crops?  Have the cherries been stripped off the trees or something?

Marilyne, we don't see many apricots in our fresh markets around here.  I hope your rains don't spoil crops in your area.  It sounds like coyotes must be quite a problem out your way. 

Larry, there is a crucial time just before the cherries are picked.  If it rains the cherries split and the crop is lost.  They can be eaten but NOT sold.  Hopefully they were picked in time.

Today I'm testing out my new slow cooker. I am following, more or less, a recipe posted by Trisha Yearwood. Instead of thickening the broth to make a gravy, though, I am going to add mushrooms (the onions are already in). When the meat is cooked, I will add in some peas, possible some zucchini and then two packs of Ramen noodles. I doubled the chicken broth and soy sauce because the cooker is bigger than the one she called for. I expect to be eating pork and Ramen noodle soup for a while.

I very, very rarely follow a recipe completely (pie crust is an exception). I just use them as a starting point for ideas and a loose guide.

MarsGal - sounds good.  I also have a large slow cooker and Tom uses it occasionally but we could use it more often if it wasn't quite so large.  I have the original slow cooker where the insert doesn't come out and we could use that.  I really don't cook any more but Tom does. 

I tried to cancel a crown replacement but after listening to what might show up, I decided to go along with it.  The dentist could patch the decay but until he sees it, he doesn't know what he will get into.  I wanted to cancel the entire appointment but I'll go ahead with it now.  I figured at my age I didn't need another crown but I feel fortunate I have all of my own roots, no partials or dentures.  I'd just as soon he doesn't find any more.  On the other hand I've gone years without anything major, just cleaning.

It is a lovely day today and I sat on the deck for a while.  I'm going to make a sandwich and go out to enjoy the deck before the sun takes over.

Mary Ann

Good morning from the Interior. Larry, Science I.Q., through Google, states,"Most people think of catnip as having drug-like effects on their cats. Some cats lick it, eat it or just sniff it and owners can see a definite behavior change. Catnip is actually a plant from the mint family. It contains the chemical trans-nepetalactone which causes the cats' odd behavior." I want Farrah to continue being active so I have been placing a small bit in her daily dry kibble as she ignores it otherwise.

Yes, the senior benefits amount is tied to a senior's income, but it is available to anyone over 65 as only the amount changes.

We had the water off for two hours the last Saturday, Wednesday it was one to six PM and today, Friday, it will be nine AM to six PM. I think everyone is thinking, enough already!    It is only 9:12 now so it will be a long day.

MarsGal, you sound just like me as I rarely do a recipe the same way twice. My new favorite is my Instapot from Amazon. You can use it as a pressure cooker, make chili or soup, or use it to make rice or to make yogurt and I use it a lot. Instead of soaking beans the old fashion way, it takes nine minutes in the instapot and they are ready to add to any recipe. I made terrific yogurt last week. It is also a replacement for a slow cooker so it covers a lot of areas. However, I still use my old slow cooker out of familiarity.

Beverly, I will keep your son in my thoughts and hope for a good recovery for him. Also for your friend Richard's wife, Larry. My entire immediate family has had cancer. My mother had breast cancer and my father, myself and my two sisters all had colon cancer, mine in 2000. We all recovered. There are so many advances in medicine today and so many people recovering, more than ever before.

MaryAnn, I need my five crowns replaced and my bad deviated septum fixed as it effects both my sinuses and my teeth. I t is just getting out there, finding one who takes Medicare or new Medicare patients and getting it done.

Beverly - So sorry to hear that your son’s carcinoid cancer has returned. I hope that he finds the treatment he needs at one of the cancer treatment centers, and that he will be cancer free for another 11 years or longer.  I will add Michael to my prayer list.

Hi everyone.  It is a nice sunny morning but is suppose to become partly cloudy this afternoon.  We expect to get to bout 90 degrees this afternoon.  I have a light schedule planned for today.  I will attend a 10:30 meeting and then spend the rest of the day home.  Later this afternoon I will watch some of the St. Jude's Golf Tourney.  Many of the big names in golf have skipped this event as next week is the U. S. Open Championship, which is one of the big tournaments each year.  About the only thing I accomplished yesterday was to prepare our dinner last night.  Usually about once a week we have a "salad supper" which is a nice green salad and either tuna or chicken salad on top. 

Joan, sure hope you are right and the cherries were picked in time.  They are expensive enough without losing a big crop. Farmers sort of live on the edge each year with the weather and their crops. 

MarsGal, you sound like my wife who usually doctor's and and substitutes in her recipes.  She has created some good dishes and I suppose this is basically how new recipes are created.  There certainly are enough cookbooks available.  We see this creativity on the Food Channel and other programs where the contestants are given a basket of ingredients that they must use together to make various dishes.  I bet your meal was very tasty and will save you a lot of work for another meal or so. 

Mary Ann, we have two slow cookers and use them a lot.  One is smaller than the other and you can make some delicious one dish meals with meat and added vegetables.  Hope you didn't or won't need another crown.  Our teeth are very important although expensive little duffers anymore. 

Patricia, we would give our cat catnip on occasion and I never really stopped to consider the effects.  Hope they got your water turned back on by 6 pm.  I haven't heard of the Instapot.  Is it significantly different from a crockpot or slow cooker?  It seems hard to find doctors or dentists that accept Medicare.  We only have Medicare Part A but many doctors don't want to be bothered.  Fortunately we are now set up with doctors (to many) and a dentist.

Larry, the dentist's scheduler showed the x-ray to the dentist who explained things to her and she explained them to me and I decided I'd have the crown.  If he had repaired the decay only, he still might have found a crown is necessary so I said I'd go ahead with it.  I could have ended up with a lot of pain if I did not do it.  It just wasn't as simple as I thought it might be.  I still think at 93 that's a serious repair and I'd like for him to not find more!

I think we will have a nice warm (maybe hot?) day and I'm going to dress accordingly.  I find the cat isn't interested in going outside when it's hot.

An article online said the Grand Haven pier would not be ready until October.  I don't know when the original date was.

Mary Ann

Larry & Patricia - I looked at the Instapot on Amazon, and it does look like a useful new appliance.  However, I'm not in the market for buying any new kitchen appliances, from here on out. (that sounds ominous!). What I mean is that we have enough of what we need, for what a small amount of cooking we now do.  I'll only replace items such as Mr. Coffee, and those light weight, ceramic coated skillets that I find to be so useful and easy to clean.  However, I'm going to keep the Instapot in mind for future wedding and Christmas gifts. 

Mary Ann - Good that you chose to go ahead with the crown.  I have some very old crowns that should be replaced, (1970's?), according to what I read online.  However, the dentists that I've seen in the past, haven't suggested it.  My dentist retired a couple of years ago, and I didn't care for her replacement . . .  so I've been neglecting my teeth for too long.  Not a good thing.

wjoan - Are you also getting the COLD temperatures along with overcast and rain? I recently put away the winter comforters and blankets, and now I know it was too soon. The temp dropped to 45 here last night, which is extreme for June.  Supposed to be cool both day and night, all weekend.