halkel and Mary Ann - Thank you for your kind words.  My brother is my only sibling, so I'm really going to miss him.

Mary Ann - I remember when Norm passed, and I felt so bad for you at that time.  I'm three years older than my brother, and I think you and Norm were the same age difference?


hal - I hope that Hurricane Harvey, bypasses your part of Texas?  Also that it stays away from where you daughters live.   

Harvey is already making his presence known, the outer bands are bringing us some lite intermittent rain, they keep changing the forecast on us.  They say possible hurricane force winds and 8-12-25 inches of rain.  And it might hang around until Tuesday.  Going to be an interesting weekend.

Marilyn, Norm was nearly six years  younger than I am.  He was born 87 years ago in December. 

Hal, I know you've been wanting rain, but I am sure you'd rather get what you are getting now instead of the deluge you are expecting.  I doubt you have to take the precautions that the people by the ocean have to take.  I'll be watching the Weather Channel and thinking of you.

Mary Ann

Mary Ann, no worry about flooding, I am on a hill and so long as winds don't take down one of the big trees close by and hit the house we will be okay, but with the prolonged rains soil could get saturated and a heavy wind could take down one of our big oaks.

Hi everyone. It looks like we are in for a mostly cloudy day today and temperatures in the low 90's.  The housekeeper will be here in a couple of hours and I may try to make a quick trip over to Costco for just a few items.  Other than that expect a nice quiet day. 

Yesterday I did pick up my friend and go to coffee and later helped fix the salad supper we had.  After supper we decided to go to Dairy Queen to take advantage of their special offer of buy one blizzard at regular price and get one for $1 more.  Pat had the Triple Truffle and I had the Heath small blizzards.  Health has always been my favorite.

Mary Ann, sometimes we can just get overloaded with information.  Even seeing the appliances in person can be confusing as there are usually several different makes to look at when we go shopping. Pat uses our washer several times a week.   

Mary, it is sad they build in obsolescence in our appliances and other things.  A waste of our financial resources and big additions to our land fills.  We have a Frigidaire dishwasher and range that the builder put in this house.  The dishwasher is fine but Pat is not thrilled with the range and would like to have had the LG range we bought months before we decided to make the move here to South Carolina.  If our house hadn't sold so quickly I think we would have switched the ranges but after we had a contract that would not have been the right thing to do.  Pat is also not thrilled with the granite counter tops.  They look nice but take a lot of maintenance as does the glass top stoves. 

Joan, we have eaten at Ruby Tuesday's both before we moved here and especially since moving here as it is probably the top restaurant in our town.  We have lots of fast food places, several bbq and Chinese places but only a couple of places for a really good meal in a nice atmosphere.  Of course, there are many places across the river in Augusta that are pretty close. 

Sue, my wife resisted getting a dryer when the kids were little until she got one and then seldom used the clothes lines we had when we lived in Oklahoma.  I'd say you got your money's worth from your first dryer.  You can't beat the smell of freshly dried things when hung outside.  However, in the cities the air isn't like it is in the country.  I can't image have to mow 10 acres of grass.  Was all this a part of your yard?

Marilyne, certainly sad when a loved one is in really bad health.  I guess when it comes down to the bottom line we look for any options available including alternative medicine.  Sometimes denial is our only coping mechanism at a given time.  Pat and I stayed in denial even though we knew our daughter had signed up with Hospice.  We just weren't ready to accept what that met until the time came that reality hit home. 

Hal, I see you are already beginning to experience some of the impact from Harvey?  Listening to the weather people it sounds like this is going to be a very bad and devastating storm that could reform back in the gulf and strike twice. I keep thinking of you when I hear the weather report.  Stay high and dry.   

Larry, I have never been one for eating out much.  I prefer my own cooking and when I was raising the children we could not afford it.  To this day  I prefer eating my own cooking.  LOL

Larry, looking outside you would never know what we have on the way.  It was dead calm when I got up and now slight breeze and sunshine.  Donut know what happen to the rain bans from yesterday.  They say storms tonight.

hal - I guess your lovely sunny morning today, is where the saying, "the calm before the storm", comes from?  Those hurricanes seem to move slowly, so that gives you time to prepare or evacuate.  Still, with that much waiting time, I would imagine that the tension really builds up, and people are very much on edge.

Larry - I have a coupon for a DQ Blizzard.  I've never had one, so will try to take advantage of it, ASAP.  We don't have a Ruby Tuesday, anywhere near us, so I've never eaten at one.  The chain restaurant that we favor most, is The Outback.  I love to go there.  The one called Applebee's is not convenient to us, so we've never been there.  I've read that many of them are closing across the country.  Seems like Starbucks, continues to expand, and others are closing down.  No food except for deserts and rolls at our Starbucks, but I've heard that many of them are going to start serving food?

wjoan - Not much home cooking going on here anymore.  We get a lot of take-out from the Safeway or Whole Foods deli, and sometimes ready-to-eat food from Costco. Neither one of us can handle standard Chinese food anymore, so that is no longer on the agenda.  However, we do like Vietnamese Pho.

Good afternoon,  Beautiful Fall like day.  I am waiting for someone to take me to get a sonogram on both legs, the doctor is worried about a blood clot.

Hal, I am also watching the awful weather coming in your way.  We worry about each other. 
we are a members of the same cyber family,

Larry, I was married a at lest 10 years before I got a dryer. same as with the dish washer.  I remember way back when Dennis was born, we lived in a 2nd floor apartment.  I would hang out the window, and use a pulley to hang the diapers  and other cloths out on the line

Marilyne, I am so sorry about your brother.  I think we all deny anything like this.

Marilyne, I'm so sorry to hear about your brother's health.  We are also going through some sad times with our oldest grandson who was 36 in May.  He is in Stage 4 cancer and has been receiving those immunotherapy treatments.  He is on a special healthy diet and with the treatments some of the tumors are beginning to shrink.  We are hopeful but our hearts are heavy.

I don't know when I bought my first "semi-automatic" washer and I can picture it but I don't remember why it was called "semi".  As you know, I worked in the appliance department of the local electric utility.  My mother had always had a spin-dry washer because my dad was afraid she'd get her hand caught in the wringer.  When her spinner wore out, I bought another one and that led to the semi-automatic.  In summer clothes were hung outside but in the winter, clothes were hung in the basement.  I had the washer first but when dryers were available, I bought one of those, presently I had a matched pair and I've gone that route ever since.  I think my first washer and/or dryer was purchased in the 1950s.  Long time ago.  Now, of course, living in a condo complex, we can't hang clothes outside. 

Jean, I'm sorry about your grandson; he's too young.  I hope the treatments work and at least they seem to be helping him.

Mary Ann

FlaJean - I remember when you first found out about your grandson, and I have wondered how he is doing.  I've heard about the immunotherapy, and I know that it is available at both Kaiser and Stanford.  It is the latest treatment, and has proved to be very successful.  My brother has Kaiser, but they don't want to give it to him.  I don't know why, but could be his age?   He will be 80 in October.  I certainly do hope that it will continue to work for your grandson.  Thirty six is so young.  I will be holding positive thoughts and prayers for him to stay strong and for the treatment to be successful.

Jean, my thoughts and prayers are for your grandson and you and the rest of your family.  I know how terrifying the words "cancer" can be.  Tim, my son who lives near me, had thyroid cancer when he was almost 40--and had most of his thyroid gland removed.  I'd had to have my thyroid partially removed when I was 18 and others in my mother's family have all had thyroid problems.  I still take thyroid meds daily as does Tim.  My other 2 sons have escaped the thyroid problem, thank goodness.

Sue

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.

I don't like to inject humor here after reading about Jean's grandson, but I'm going to bed soon and will not be back.

I'm watching the Weather Channel and seeing the meteorologists fighting the wind. 

Kendrick tried to give us a gift tonight.  I let him out on the front stoop and stood watching him because I don't like to have him out there unsupervised.  He jumped off the stoop to eat some quack grass at the side and I saw a movement in the grass (it's a foot high) and Kendrick saw it too and made a jump into the grass.  I saw something go across the path and Kendrick went after it - and got it.  It was a small bird, probably a baby bird, and he brought it up on the stoop.  He got in the house and Tom got hold of the cat and got him to drop the bird.  One wing was hurt but I'm not sure Kendrick did the damage; I think the bird could have flown out when the cat jumped down.  Anyway Tom wanted to put the cat in the bathroom but he got out before Tom could get the door shut.  The bird went under a cabinet right by the wall.  It is hard for Tom to get down and he was trying to get the bird with a plastic plate and something in his other hand.  I finally handed him a napkin and he was able to pick up the bird.  He put the bird outside and Kendrick was restricted to inside the house or on the deck.  With an injured wing, I have an idea something else will get the bird tonight.  I may not let the cat out tomorrow.  When Kendrick is good, he's very, very good, but when he's bad, he's horrid!  (He doesn't have a curl in the middle of his forehead, though).

Mary Ann

Mary Ann - Kendrick was only following his instinct, which is to catch something, and then present it to you.  Winnie has never caught a bird, but over the years, he has brought us quite a few gophers, rats, a snake and a rabbit!  He brings them up to the glass slider, and drops them, and then he just sits there and waits for one of us to open the door.   The rabbit was the most recent . . .  earlier this summer.  I really felt bad when I saw it . . . a cute little dove gray cottontail.  I know that people hate to have rabbits in their yard, but they have never bothered us, or eaten anything that we cared about.  They stay in the front of the house where Winnie never goes, so this one obviously strayed into the back yard, and I'm sure he regretted it! 

Hi everyone. We are seeing the sun this morning but will be partly cloudy throughout the day with a high in the low 90's. 

I stayed home all day yesterday but this morning will definitely go to Costco for about 9 different items.  Pat is going to the Church this morning as the ladies are doing the pillow ministry this morning.  This is a project they each year to make pillows for people fighting cancer.  Last year they made well over 200 in about 90 minutes and will do the same this morning.  They have a good group of women and they have it set up so it is very efficient. 

I am looking forward to watching the golf this afternoon as it is a close match and Jordan Spieth and several others are tied for the lead.  Next Saturday the College football season starts.   

Joan, I agree with you that homemade cooking always is better than what we can get when eating out.  However, the big factor for us is that is one meal that Pat and I don't have to prepare as that is becoming more difficult each year.  We eat out usually a couple of times a week and the rest at home.

Marilyne, I agree with you that Kendrick was only trying to bring back his catch and give it as a present to Mary Ann.  We never had a problem with our cat as he was strictly an indoor cat and only got out a few times when he could slip by as the door was opened.  You must have been excited when Winnie brought you the gophers, rats and snakes.  We do have an Outback Steakhouse not very far from us but haven't been there since we moved here. I hope you like the DQ Blizzard.  I usually get the small one but they also have a mini cup size that Pat has had and said it was enough. 

Mary Ann, it has never made sense to me why the weather reporters need to stand out in the bad weather during bad storms and almost get blown away or hit with debris.  But they didn't ask for my opinion.  I bet Kendrick doesn't understand why his gift wasn't appreciated. 

Jean, I will add my thoughts and prayers for your young grandson and sure hope that the immunotherapy continues to shrink the tumors.  Does he live near you?
  Don't give up hope. After being with Kaiser for over 30 years we sure miss it here. 

deAngel, I sure hope that the sonogram didn't show any clots as you certainly don't need another problem to deal with. Pat and I were only married a couple of years before we got the first dryer.  In the early 1960 almost everyone had outside clothes lines in housing communities.  However, we never had them again after our first home in Oklahoma.   

Good morning, I tried to set on the deck and read the paper, but came in because of the cool breeze,  Feels so good. and no A/C running the last few days.

FlaJean, I add my prays to every one else's, for your grand son.

MaryAnn, Kendrick I agree with every one else, was doing his thing, bring a gift to you.  Last winter, I got up one morning to eat my breakfast, and next to my chair was a dead mouse.  eeeek

Larry Wow! what close scores yesterday.  to day they are all going down hill.  That course i Westbury is about 40 miles west of me.

Hope Patricia is OK, she has been missing the last few days.

Fla Jean:  Praying for your grandson and you as well. 

I know Kendrick was doing "what comes naturally" - for a cat.  I'm thankful Tom was here because I can't lift Kendrick because of my arthritis and his weight (15#).  I am not letting him out that front door for a few days but I am sure some animal got the bird last night.  I don't think the bird could fly because of one wing that may have been broken.  I know that inside Kendrick would have played with the bird and probably killed it but I doubt he would have eaten it. 

I have weeds (crab grass) in front of my unit that I've never had before.  I always had vinca that grew close and high.  My neighbor has helped a lot but she hasn't gone after the crab grass and I don't blame her and I wouldn't ask her.  It looks awful.  We do have a woman in the complex who has weeded but with 66 units, she can only be at one place at a time.  I hope I can get my "lady" shovel and dig up the crab grass.  Kendrick does eat it, but he can't eat as much as I have.  If it isn't crab grass I have, it's quack grass.  I don't know the difference.

Its a nice day here, close to 80 degrees.  I was ready to dress this morning but Tom went out for breakfast and to bring mince back to me so I didn't get dressed until after noon.  I do not like to wait that long, but I did it!!!

I'm watching the hurricane coverage on TV and thinking of Hal, who I understand is located in a safe area.  I hope to watch some golf, but the most exciting is Sunday, the last day.

Mary Ann

Jean. Sorry to read about Grandson. He is young and so much more they are doing now in the Cancer field. Keep your hopes up. He will fight it.

Not spoken to family in Houston yet today. Fact it was Thursday night when they called. Will try them tonight.  The younger ones all live in Houston but Julies Ranch is out in Magnolia. They get the flooding but out in the lower highways. Makes it that they can't drive out but at least it doesn't see to get onto their land.  Still the wind can give a big problem. Both the Grandsons just moved into new homes in Houston. Hope they have good sewer systems. Sure got the damage in the last big storm.

I told my neighbor about Kendrick and the bird and she told me she had a hanging basket where a bird had built a nest so the baby bird came from the nest.  I did not let Kendrick out the front door today and may not tomorrow.  I did not see any sign of the bird today but I did not look, either. 

Tom is with a group of former young people he guided at a nearby church he attended some 30 years ago.  I am anxious to hear about the dinner because I am sure the people have scattered to other parts of the country by now.  I think it is nice they can get together.

Jeanne, where in TX is Magnolia?  I know the Fixer-Uppers live in Waco and their businesses have the name Magnolia in them so I wonder if it is near Waco.

Mary Ann

Mary Ann - I hope that not seeing the baby bird today is a good sign, and that maybe it's okay.  Like you, I wouldn't have looked for it either.  Some things, we just don't need to know.

I just heard on the news tonight, that there is a Magnolia, Texas!  It's somewhere near the Gulf, because it was hard hit by the hurricane today, and was shown on the storm map. The Fixer-Upper show, is one of my favorites on HGTV.  The newly renovated silos is called Magnolia Marketplace, I think?  I've read that thousands of tourists have been pouring into Waco, all summer, because of the show, and that the Silos stores are doing a booming business.

Hi everyone. It is another beautiful morning in the mid-70's and headed to the upper 80's this afternoon.  Today will be our usual Sunday schedule with Sunday School, Church, out to lunch, rest and then watching Golf later this afternoon. 

Yesterday morning I took Pat to the Pillow Ministry sewing session and then went on to Costco.  I came home and put everything away and got the hamburger wrapped in small packages and into the freezer.  At noon I went back to the Church and picked her up.  After resting I caught the last three hours of the 3rd round of the golf tournament.  Nothing exciting but it turned out to be an enjoyable day.  Yesterday evening we watched a most interesting program on PBS called the Queen's Garden.  It was all about the gardens at Buckingham Palace that have been there for well over 100 years and how interested the Queen is in it.  The time lapse photography of the beautiful flowers and the commentary was so interesting.

deAngel, since you didn't say anything about the results of your test for a blood clot does it mean that none was found?  Enjoy your cooler weather.  Jordan Spieth sort of ran away with the round of golf yesterday.  He is going to be hard to beat with a three shot lead and the way he is playing this week.  He is quite a competitor and a great golfer.  I will certainly be watching this afternoon.  That is certainly a beautiful country club where they are playing.  I have also been missing Patricia's postings. 

Mary Ann, it won't be too many more weeks before the grass will die out for the winter.  I have had a few weeds popup in the area in front of my house where the azalea bushes are located and the pine straw isn't as neat as I would like but just not up to doing much about it.  I will occasionally pull up the weeds but the pine straw is going to have to stay as it is.  Nice that Tom still has contact with the people he guided so long ago.  They obviously have great respect for him. 

JeanneP, sure hope your Houston family is OK.  I just now am looking at the Weather Channel and it shows Houston is really getting hit. 

Marilyne, hope you and all who stop by today will have a good Sunday.   

Good Morning.

I know I have not been around for a while.  I am fine, but have not been posting much any place.  I do manage to read the messages most of the time, but just get carried away with what I am reading, and completely forget to write any responses.

Nothing much new in my little corner of the world.  Have been doing a lot of reading and taking naps.  Not much goes on here where I live.  There is so much complaining and so much negativity that I try to stay away from all that.  I enjoy my apartment and I can always find something to do.  I do read a lot,

Jean, I do hope your grandson will respond well to the treatments he is getting.  As Jeanne mentioned,  there are so many new treatments and wonderful advances in a lot of these new treatments that hopefully,  he will be able to be helped.  Always have to be on the hopeful side.  Do not give up hope !!!'' My thoughts are with you and your family. I know what a worry it is on all of you.  And, being so far away, makes it even harder.  (((((((hugs))))))))

It is a pretty sunny morning, but so chilly. I am sitting here shivering.  My plan is to snuggle up in my recliner with an afgan and read for a little while.  Nothing much doing on a Sunday morning.   Hopefully will get to Wal-Mart later today.

Hello to all the other Senior Friends and hope you all have a wonderful Sunday.

Joy

Larry, I looked to see if the Queen's Garden was being shown here, but I know our fund-raising is over for now.  Maybe next time. 

I am watching the Weather Channel almost constantly.  It is very interesting and I'm glad I'm not in Houston. 

Dot and I did our usual Sunday this morning.  It was the last Sunday for our minister and we found that we will not have our 8:30 service until we get an interim minister.  The man who made the announcement has been against having the 8:30 service so he talked very strongly to assure us that the service will be back.  I think "Old Power" contributed to being able to keep the service.  I understand their concern now in not asking guest ministers to do the two services; he also said it would save some money.  But we will have to go at 10 am until we have an interim minister.

After church, we went to Mr Burger, aka The Cholesterol Pit for our usual brunch.

Mary Ann

Joy, i have been thinking of you and am glad to see all is well with you.  You usually post in the photo forums and when I didn't see you posting I was concerned.

I appreciate all the thoughts and prayers for our grandson.  He has a wonderful supportive wife and she helps him keep a hopeful attitude.

Joy - I also noticed that you had been missing for a while.  I've always enjoyed reading your messages, so I'm glad to have you back!  If you enjoy reading, watching TV, or music, be sure to join us in the Leisure Activities forum.

Mary Ann - I've heard that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find new ministers to take over churches, when the original one leaves or retires.  I wonder what it will be like, in years to come?  Small towns and rural areas are being hit the hardest. 

Glad you enjoyed your usual Sunday breakfast at the "Cholesterol Pit".  That tuna melt, always sounds so good to me!

Marilyn, we didn't have tuna melts today; Dot had an oliveburger and I had a hamburger.  Of course we had our usual sweet roll. 

I belong to a "mainstream" or "mainline" (don't know which is the correct term) church and many of them are having trouble.  We were doing OK until our prior minister who caused many of our members to leave.  This one who left today was good in Dot's and my estimation.  His wife was born in Puerto Rico and doesn't like our winters.  The minister had hoped to retire from our church, but "mama" won out.  They're going to Florida where he will teach at a college there.  He has a doctor's degree. 

I am alternating between golf and the hurricane this afternoon.  Spieth is ahead in the golf tour.  But he has 10-11 holes to play yet. 

Mary Ann

MaryAnn.

Now Magnolia, Texas is just on the Outskirts of Houston.  Use to be sort of Country. More Ranches and cattle land but now it has built up with new homes. Shopping Centres. New Schools etc.  Daughter has still 57 acres I think. she has sold off 35 acres but the people just built a beautiful home and they also raise horses . The took the part with the pond on. (Thank goodness). Both places have iron fences and big Iron Gates on them and so still pretty private. They want me to put something on the land and move down. I am not that crazy about Texas. (Specially after seeing all the flooding and storms they have had in last few years.)