Good afternoon, on a cool day, the sun is in and out.  I now have the space heater on next to me while I write.

Mary Ann, I had my hair cut to day, but the lady lives in the park, works 3 days a week at the Lemon Tree. She comes to the house and also cuts hair, which is convenient for people like me. She only charges $15. it would be more if i went to the beauty parlor.

Larry, I am sorry to read that Pat can not get any help with her back. I guess it is standard from most doctors saying they do not like to operate on us older people. They told me that, when I hurt my shoulder playing golf 10 years ago. He said you need and operations, BUT AT YOUR AGE?  He said the recovery would be so long.

Gloria, you're right, I pay more than $15.  I don't know what I started out at, but the woman I had for over 30 years worked up to be head stylist and of course, the rate went right along with her promotions.  She retired earlier this year and the stylist I have now is not the head, but she's getting up there.  But I'm not going to quit now!  I have a standing appointment every five weeks.

Mary Ann

Hi Everyone.  It is another nice and beautiful day here in South Carolina and it isn't suppose to get out of the low 80's this afternoon. I had a long morning at the doctor's office as my appointment was for 10:30 but it was noon before the doctor made it into the room.  She apparently had an emergency that required here presence in the cath lab.  I don't mind the wait as I realize that someday it might be me who needed her immediate attention.  With my iPhone I something to keep me occupied.  When she got to me she spent probably half and hour with me. After my last appointment with her she had ordered an overnight oximeter test and it showned my oxygen level at night had gone down to 69.  So she is contacting my lung doctor and wants me to start using oxygen with my CPAP machine.  She also wants me to suspend using the Renexa medication to see if it could be part of the problem why I am so weary and have shortness of breath when I do anything. 

Today will be a day of stay home and take it easy to try to recover from the last three days that were pretty busy, at least for me.  We do have dinner at the church this evening and then Scott and Jennifer will likely come out for a couple of hours.  Pat will go to the Church this morning for her crafts group.  Their bazaar is coming up later this morning so they are meeting every week until that is over. 

Sandy, it sounds like things are being put in order in preparation for winter in Maine. 

Marlyne, I am hoping we don't get anymore 90 degree days here but that is likely wishful thinking.  However, our nights are only into the high 50's or low 60's now. 

I decided to try to keep this shorter today as really can't think of anything I can add to the conversation.  I have enjoyed reading all of the individual comments. 

Our nites are now down in the 30's and freeze warnings are up for the farmers.  Hope they get the grapes picked before the freeze.

Yes,  Winter is just around the corner... 
I just ordered  a Patch Work quilt and and a  comforter for my
bed as nights can get chilly here,  so I am prepared to
stay warm and sleep well.   

I remember as a child I to sleep on the top floor
of a old farm house that did not have central heating..
but had what they used to call  a one pipe furnace (wood and or coal)
so getting up in the morning it was a race to the bathroom
and then stand on the vent  over the furnace.

My dad used to get up real early and stoke the fire so
that we could get warm,  fast.     We all slept like rocks back
in those days.    (since sleeping was warm,  where as
staying awake and walking around the house,  was
freezing!! 

We rarely ever got sick. Unless we got bronchitis which could
last months.      Ah, those good old days!

Early October - last night our temperature was 70 degrees.  I don't remember what it was this morning but I think it was 65 degrees and now it is 65 degrees.

My furnace control is beeping and I hope it keeps it up until Tom gets home.  The beeping is driving me nuttier.  Changing the batteries has not helped.

Tom is going to walk Robin's dog, then go to the bus station to pick up a friend of hers.  Robin and the friend took a train to Portland OR for the wedding of friend's son or grandson.  They intended to fly back.  The friend is on oxygen and included only one extra "tube" instead of the two needed by the airlines.  I guess it is in the list of instructions that a person must have two.  So Robin flew home and her friend had to take the bus, a four day trip from Portland.  How foolish.

Sandy, we had central heat when I was growing up, but I always dressed in the bathroom - and I still do.  The bathroom register and the one in my bedroom were back-to-back, but it was much warmer in the bathroom than in the bedroom.

Nothing else going on at present.

Mary Ann

Good morning from the slightly warmer Interior with lows and highs in the early forties and fifties rather than early thirties and forties. Looking out, it is dry but the trees in front are black and eerie, no leaves present. Farrah is content with breakfast and a smidgin of tuna and I've had my first coffee.

I purchased a small antenna but no luck on the television other than it still silently mocks me with a flickering "No signal." The antenna has no instructions other than the box photo and the TV never had any. Folks I've talked to seem to assume I'm dense when it is more probably cultural. I'm really regretting buying this and why pay for expensive cable I'll never watch? Just one more of life's small lessons.

I did enjoy time out with friends yesterday. Found a wool poncho in mulberry, with narrow, small green & black stripes, and a gray studded leather bag. While we were waiting for our ride, we were approached by a young girl trolling for fives or tens because she had "No food." Of course, we had several bags between the three of us and she looked skeptical when told we had no money.

She said she hadn't eaten since yesterday and looked very robust, good color and moving easily. I shrugged and to my chagrin out of my mouth popped "Oh well." Soon after that, however, she corralled an older man who after a few protests, pulled out his wallet and gave her some cash.

There are several local homeless shelters, two in the mall's general area, I know because I volunteered at one of them over the winter in 2013, often administering breathalizers. They all serve lunch and dinners free to anyone who comes in not drunk or high. That's not what this girl was looking for.

I sound cynical this morning, I've been in such a downer lately. This weather makes everything gloomy.

Tom came home and realized it was not the furnace control that was beeping but a smoke alarm.  The fire department came around about a year ago and put smoke alarms in every room of all of our condos.  The one in Tom's bedroom went off at 4 am one morning and he took it off the wall and has not put it up again.  The one beeping now is just outside his bedroom door and I think he'll put it back.  The furnace control is at the top of the stairs and the smoke alarm is at the bottom so the sound was loud and that was why I thought it was the control. 

Patricia, I don't have any words of wisdom for you regarding the TV and antenna.  At one time I did have an inside antenna, but it's been so long ago I've forgotten about it.  All I remember is that it attached to the TV.  I am sure if you get things to work, you would find programs to watch.  I only turned my TV on a few minutes ago to overpower the beeping of the smoke alarm, otherwise, I'd wait a while.  And as I've said, I listen to music on my TV if I don't find a program to watch.

Tom just said the smoke detectors are "one-time-use" so he will get a new detector to replace this one and it will take care of his bedroom.

There are quite a few whitecaps on Lake Michigan but I don't see any swimmers.  I see they've raised the water temp to 68 degrees from the 48 degrees that I knew was wrong; the water doesn't cool off that fast.

Mary Ann

Mary Ann - Glad you got your smoke alarm situation under control. We have somewhat of a problem with ours.   Our house is a split level, so we have a basement, garage and family room downstairs, plus bedroom and bathroom.  We have to walk up a full flight of stairs to get to the main part of the house (kitchen, living room, bedrooms, bathrooms and back yard.) If a smoke alarm goes off downstairs, we never hear it unless we happen to be down there, or passing through.  Not safe, I know, but nothing we can do about it.

Larry - that was a long wait for the doctor, but sounds like once she arrived,  she spent some quality time with you.  I hope that eliminating that medication, will help you to have more energy and to feel better. 

Tonight, is the start of the hockey season, so AJ is all ready and waiting to watch the first game of the San Jose Sharks. He and our son, and lots of our friends, are big hockey fans.  Everyone is hoping for a better season, this time around . . . the last one was not so good.   

Marilyn, you might invest in a smoke alarm that the fire department distributed here - no battery or hard wiring - and put it at the foot of the stairs downstairs.  I don't think they're expensive and it would be good peace of mind.  I have two hard wired ones that came with the condo and when the one up here goes off, I know it. 

I hate to tell cat stories since  you just lost Winnie, Marilyn, but until a couple of minutes ago, I had a cat sitting on the top back of my chair.  Earlier Tom came home and the porch light was burned out so I gave him a new bulb to put in the fixture.  When he opened the door, the cat scooted out and I saw him; Tom did not.  He got the bulb screwed in and went to close the door.  I told him the cat had gone out so Tom opened the door to go out to see if he could find the cat and Kendrick scooted back in.  I have let him out on the porch stoop when I've gone after the mail and he's been a "good boy", coming right back in.  As he was tonight.

Mary Ann

Hi Everyone.  Just checking in this morning as have a very busy morning ahead.  When I came to my desktop this morning I had difficulty getting the computer to function correctly.  Think all is in order.  I have two doctor appointments this morning.  I have read all the postings but will make no individual comments, but will try to do better tomorrow when I won't be rushed.

Mary Ann - Please, continue to talk about Kendrick!  I enjoy reading about him, and all of his antics and daily activities.  I still miss Winnie so much, and I always will, but I like to be reminded of the the pleasure that pets bring to our daily lives.  That applies to Farrah and Taffy as well as to Kendrick!

This morning I had to get up early and drive to the lab for a blood draw.  It's a real pain, because of the morning traffic mess on all of our roadways. When I got there, the waiting room was full, and it was amusing to me to see that everyone, except for me, was sitting there, looking down at their smart phones.  Even those standing in line were looking at their phones!  Nobody smiles, or even looks at anyone.  It sure is a different world out there, from what it used to be just a short time ago.  I wonder if the addiction to smart phones will taper off, or if this is just the new way of life?

Marilyn, I think phones are a way of life now until something new comes along.  In 2000, Tom's MIL and I flew to Denmark and Germany, so visited a few airports.  It was common to see people coming off the planes, phones glued to their ears and nearly everyone had a phone and that was 17 years ago.  I have to say I have not succumbed yet!  My phone is a TracFone that I keep in my purse, charge it ever so often and I use it mainly to call Tom to let him know I am finished with whatever appointment I'm at so he can come get me.  It also is good in case the electricity goes off (and that is not often) so I can call out if necessary.

I am sure I will have tales of Kendrick in the future.  He's showing that he is learning the "routines" around here and that when I let him out, he must come back in when I say so.  If only I felt he would do that 100%.

I like Patricia's avatar of Farrah.

Mary Ann

Good morning from a dry today, for now, Interior. Thank you MaryAnn, she does photograph well, all imperfections are solely due to the photographer! Today for the first time, Farrah took food directly from my fingers. So she is still learning.

When I lost Sarah, not so long ago, I both missed her and yet was so hungry for news about other cats. An odd turn of events I thought but see I haven't been the only one. Pets bring so much to our lives both socially, mentally and medically.

I've gotten quite attached to a feline media star, Lizzie, who is only 35 days old. Lizzie's mother, a north of Seattle stray I believe, was picked up with a litter of kittens. When the kittens were old enough to be neutered and Mama too, they discovered that Mama was again pregnant. All the rough time and multiple litters had taken its toll and the new litter produced only a number of stillbirths and one live struggling kitten.

On the fourth day, the new kitten died and unbelievably, Mama gave birth that same day to one last miracle female kitten. Lizzie was mastering climbing a one-foot barrier fence at less than two weeks and has progressed amazingly above her age. At less than a month, she was climbing two feet scratch posts when she was still walking like a drunken sailor. At 32 days, she discovered second gear and now runs everywhere. The foster dad says in his ten years of fostering, he's never seen anything like her.

Now, After a week of Mama letting her know the milk bar is closed, Lizzie has picked up kibble snacking and litter box etiquette.

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

Patricia - I enjoyed watching the video/cam, of Lizzie, and will look in on it often!  Lizzie was sleeping and curled up in a perfect round ball, so I haven't gotten a good look at her yet.  Mama cat was wandering around and checking things out.  Thanks for posting it!

Good late afternoon Warm sunny day.

Marilyne, Taffy sticks to me like glue at night, and sleeps on my legs, since I have been in the hospital 3 times this years. Yes I too, like reading about the other babies.

MaryAnn Taffy got out a couple of times, and took about a half hour to get her in, when she was lose in the back yard was not so bad, but the day she ran out the front door was scarey, as I live only a few feet from the road, and some cars drive by much faster then the speed limit.

Patricia, nice story about Lizzie

Thanks, Marilyne and Gloria! I love hearing about all the other babies too.

There are older videos of Lizzie among others listed to the right. The one of her with all head and very little body, scaling that pet fence was an amazing study in pure determination!

I have never heard of a cat at any time, delivering a kitten four days later than the first group. It has been said that the stillbirths and the poor kitten that survived birth and died after four days, were nature's way of expelling those not able to survive. No one really seems to know.

Lizzie's big breakout!

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

When she continued to breakout by standing, so to speak, or leaning against the fence hooking her claws legs and head to pull herself laboriously up and over, it wasn't more than three days later that he gave in and removed the fence.

Patricia, that was fun, seeing the kitten and her mother.  Kendrick was four months old when Annie got him so we didn't see him that small.  You're right, she does walk like a drunken sailor.  But so do I sometimes. 

Mary Ann

Hi Everyone.  It is another clear and beautiful day but no rain in sight.  The housekeeper has arrived. I don't think we will go out to eat as we often do on the day she comes since we ate out yesterday.  I plan a quiet and very laid back day today as only got about 4-5 hours of sleep last night.  I was really tired after a very busy day but just couldn't go to sleep even though I wasn't in any pain.

Yesterday was one of those days that I don't want to repeat, at least not very often.  It got started when I came to my office and found my computer monitor had a blank screen.  I had to reboot it several times and it seemed that many things had changed.  I had a doctor's appointment at 9 am with my new GP.  It was just to get established and I liked him and his office is in North Augusta rather than about 30 minutes away.  I got right in and out so decided to stop at Publix for my flu shot as they were offering a $10 gift card when you got your flu shot there.  I had another appointment at 11:15 with my foot doctor and so came home and picked up Pat so she could drive home after the procedure.  I was in an out of the Podiatrists office in about 30 minutes.  He removed both of my big toe nails.  I couldn't believe it was so quick and painless.  My instructions were to come home and put my feet up as much as possible for the rest of the day.  He gave me a couple of prescriptions and so on the way we stopped at Diablo's Tex-Mex Restaurant and had our big meal of the day and then went on to Walmart and Pat went in and got the prescriptions.  I came home and laid down for a while. 

When I got up yesterday afternoon I went to use my Chromebook computer only to find I had apparently in getting the desktop working yesterday morning messed up the Chrome browser settings.  It took me about 4 hours trying to get everything back the way I wanted them but finally succeeded.  I did come back in my office and make the airline reservations for Pat's sister to come and visit with us later this month.  Then last evening she called Pat to tell her she had been broadsided in her car and thought she might have a broken ankle.  However, later she called to say it wasn't broken but just a bad sprain.  We haven't heard from her today but sure she must be pretty sore.  Fortunately she wasn't at fault and her nephew was able to drive her car away from the accident.  I purchased trip cancellation insurance with the plane ticket so if she isn't able to make the trip I hopefully can get my money back on the tickets.  My SIL insisted last evening she still plans to make the trip.

Marilyne, after dealing with terrible traffic where we used to live in the Atlanta area it is such a joy to live here in the Augusta-North Augusta area where we don't have a traffic problem.  I would give up my computers before I would give up my smart phone.  I was able to stay occupied with my hour and a half wait on the heart doctor on Tuesday by using it. 

Patricia, I like your picture of Farrah. 

Larry, you certainly were busy yesterday and I can see why you might be tired.  It's nice that your SIL has only a bruised ankle and not a broken one.  I can't imagine losing two big toenails at once.  Do they grow back?

Things are quiet here but if she isn't too tired, Dot is going to call me when she gets home from the church Second-Best Sale and we will go to lunch.  She has a sit-down job there but it still is tiring.

Tom has gone and come back from grocery shopping.  When I make out a list, I try to imagine the various aisles and I've forgotten much of the store.  If I let Tom do "his thing" he buys what he likes and I have to say our tastes are different.  The store seems to have done away with the 6-oz salad packages and I can't manage to use up the larger packages, so I had Tom get me a salad from the deli.  It may last me one or two meals and then I can have him get one the next time he goes to the store.  Tom likes things like salsa and more spicy than I do.  I don't know that I could stand walking around the store and I don't know how to run the go-carts and I don't feel like learning!

We finally had some rain last night.  I saw one flash of lightning and heard one clap of thunder then anything I heard was rain - some hard, some barely audible.  It's the first rain we have had a weeks.  I am sure my outside plants appreciated it.

Mary Ann

Good afternoon, sunny and quite warm.

Maryann, I still go grocery shopping once every other week. As long as I have the cart to hold I too, I can shop for a while.  this week, I was completely confused, as they have turned everything around. the bread is now on the far right, when you come in it use to be in the middle of the store, and so went everything else I was looking for.  took me twice as long to shop.

Larry, better day to morrow. I went to the foot doc. the other day, he said my circulation is very bad (witch I knew) and I should wear wool socks..  also he said i had and ingrown toe nail, that if the infection did not clear up in a few days, I had to come back and have the nail removed. that sounds awful.

Sad to say that my brother David, passed away yesterday, Oct. 5.  He was 79 years old, and would have turned 80, on October 30.  It was not unexpected, as he was suffering from cancer, and was in a lot of pain.  There will be a Celebration of Life, next weekend.  If anyone is interested in seeing a picture of David and I together, I changed my Facebook profile picture to one of the two of us, taken two years ago Thanksgiving, 2015.  Even if you don't have Facebook, you can probably see the picture.  My FB, is Marilyn Cole Erickson.

Marilyne, I am so sorry to read about your brother. I know every it was expected, it comes to you as a shock. Know my prays to day are with you.

I am so sorry Marilyn that you lost
your brother.        I checked out his and your picture
out of Facebook...     Good Picture!!!

Sandy

Marilyne I too am sorry that you lost your brother. I am so sorry for your loss.

What a lovely photo of the two of you together and such an adorable photo of your childhood Christmas! The warmth between the two of you shines off the page.

Marilyn, I'm so sorry to hear about your brother.  He wasn't quite as old as Norm (85), both lived a long time and I hope his life was as good as Norm's.  We miss them, don't we?  Norm was just short of his next birthday too (about two weeks).  At least your brother is not in pain any longer.

Mary Ann

Marilyne,  sending you sympathy and prayers for the loss of your brother.  Haven't looked up your Facebook page, yet but the pictures sound like wonderful memories.
Callie

Marilyne, So sorry to hear about your brother.  Precious photo of you and your brother on Facebook.

Marilyne, please accept my sincere condolences on the loss of your brother.