Fashion

[KonaKat]

Good morning, shopping friends. It is a great day to relax after working every day this past week. Despite that, I may tackle the garage in the afternoon. As I drove out yesterday morning, I reminded myself that there were some things there that need to go.

So far, we are on the 9th day of the New Year and I have yet to buy anything but that may end if I gett another car. The payments for the car would come out of my sub money and I am considering a loan that would end about the time I plan to quit subbing. Even if I didn't sub, it would still be possible under my other income but I would have to be very strict about my buyiing habits.

This is being motivated by a very good deal right now, plus the fact that the car is starting to develop some issues after ten years of use. I live in an area where driving is a challenge plus there are numberous long dead zones. I would not want for the car to "die" in one of those spots. I hate to say this but sometimes I am reminded of the movie "Deliverance" when I go through some areas that are beautiful in Summer and Fall but spooky as can be in the Winter.

We all have our challenges and we meet them in different ways. I remind myself daily of the challenges Linda and Twinny and others face with ailing family members. It is at times such as this that humor helps and I must admit that I found humor in Linda's story about the phone call, etc. from the "drug dealer."

Oh, these people are bidding for my business. I just got a phone call on a great deal but it is over 3 hours away but it may be worth the drive. Decisions, decisions!

Have a great day. If you shop, shop wisely.

[Bird mama]

@KonaKat

Jean, that's the spirit, make them fight for your business, lol.

I watched AM Style, chatted throughout and then went outside and removed the exterior Christmas decor.  All I need to do is finish wiping the light strands from the gutter that were wet from the rain and then store everything.  Since we are expecting really cold weather and my old Camaro has less than a quarter tank of gas, I think I will fill up the car while the prices of gas allow a less painful tank of premium gas.  Since the dry cleaners is on the way, I'll pick up the coats I dropped off and paid for about a week ago. 

I don't drive the old Camaro that much in bad weather so I'll use her to run my errands today.  I learned the hard way a year or so ago that I need to drive her, even around the block every so many days or my new battery will drain.  

I need to work on my garage this spring/summer.  So much needs to be purged in there that if I do it on weekends, it could take all summer.  Everything has it's place so it's not sloppy.  I just don't need everything in there.

[LindaLatte]

Good Morning!  I'm sure you will make a good decision about the car purchase, Jean.  I know the roads near you can be frightening as well as beautiful at times.  It is so important to stay safe while driving.  

 Don't know if I mentioned it, but my SIL purchased a "neused" (new to her used) Toyota Corolla to replace her totalled car.  I think she picked up yesterday or the day before.  It is fairly new, in good condition, and should get better gas mileage.  

Yesterday was a very crazy day for me/us.  I need the weekend to relax.  

The hospice nurse was supposed to be coming after 4:00 p.m. yesterday, and while we were waiting for her, and a health care aide showed up -- she wanted to schedule time for her to come here and bathe DH -- three times a week.  Nice lady and very experienced, but scheduling was difficult due to her other clients.  We finally settled on 7:30 a.m. or so Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  She will come in, bathe and dress DH, and leave.  Theoretically, she could stay for two hours, but that doesn't work for her schedule at that time, and while she could only do so later in the day, that doesn't work for my schedule.  We will see how this goes -- she starts Monday after next. 

Meanwhile, I had a call from the hospice social worker who wanted to come over, and I told her that we were expecting the nurse.  But, she could come as well if she liked.   While we were waiting for the social worker, the nurse called to say that she was coming over with a person in training (turned out to be another nurse who will be helping her since she is overwhelmed).  

So, the social worker showed up and immediately handed me a list of mortuaries and body donation places and started discussing options -- right in front of DH.  I tried to have her drop the subject, and I think she realized it wasn't the best way to get started.  

Then the nurses showed up -- the other nurse was male, and I didn't like him very much (can't totally explain it, but....)  They started working on DH -- taking his blood pressure, etc.  They asked if I had questions, and I went over the medicines and vitamins.  She will be back next Thursday afternoon, and I think that will be our next contact since the chaplain and social worker only check in twice a month or so, and the health care worker starts the week after next.  

At least I slept better last night, and so far so good this morning.  The nurse pointed out the "throw" rug I had at the entry way could be a falling hazard, and suggested that I remove it.  That makes me very sad since I purchased the rug on my first trip to Turkey, and DH and I really like it so much. He even carried it home for me on the plane.  I tried smaller Turkish rug I have, but I think it would still be a hazard.  So, I may check back on eBay to see if they have any rugs that would fit the bill.  I know it is just a rug, but it was more significant to me than most of my possessions. 

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and good wishes.  I am sorry to unburden myself so much, but I know that you ladies are so kind and understanding.

Not sure if I was clear, but DH can go to the "club" on other days, but they do like a regular schedule or at least one weeks notice if their is a change.  I am happy they can accommodate him next Tuesday.  And, I will need to think long and hard about making that a regular thing.  

Waves to Kathleen, Arlene, twinny, Susan, Bernie, snicks, spix, Marijane, Barbara, LindaR, Rosa, Charlene, Karen, pinky ann, Gayle, and all of our posters and readers.

Hope everyone has a nice day!

Hugs,

Linda

ETA -- Good for you Bernie getting those decorations down, etc.  It is a good idea to run that car every once in a while, and it is also good to take advantage of lower gasoline prices.

[KonaKat]

Linda--It sounds as if you have some good plans in place. It is difficult to remove items of significant emotional value because of safety.  I don't think it was very proper of the so-called social worker to discuss "end of life" options in front of DH if he was not prepared to discuss them as well as understand them. It is good that SIL found a great value in a car.

Bernie--It is amazing what can go wrong in a car if it is not used often.  I remember a car I had once in which the back power windows froze shortly before the warranty expired. I rarely rolled them up or down. I was totld that despite my preference for not using them often that I should roll them up and down periodically to keep the mechanism from "freezing" or whatever it did. Batteries keep their charge better if used periodically as you are doing. Good job on the Christmas decoration removal.

FedEx just delivered my Amazon "subscribe and save" order. I guess that is my first purchase of the year. I didn't expect it until Tuesday but I guess Amazon wanted an early delivery.

[twinny70]

JEAN, You have been busy subbing, so a different car might be a good investment right now.   Our garage needs cleaning but not before spring comes.

BIRD MAMA, Good job with getting the lights down & put away. Gas went down 4 cents a gallon & is now 1.85.  DH filled up as we are ready for a week of cold weather.  Our garage is orderly according to my DH, but still too much stuff.  He says that he knows where everything is.  

LINDA L, When we had a social worker inspect mom's home for safety, she suggested that I go to Dollar Tree for the rubber shelf liner for a couple of scatter rugs.  I bought a roll of it, but never used it as she couldn't go back home.  Hospice has been helpful as mom has more than one nurse, a chaplain that we used to go to church with & a social worker.  It is nice that you can get some extra help with your DH, as you have a very difficult situation on your hands.

My infusion went well yesterday.  My port was acting up so that made me happy.  I had a nice lunch up there so that was a bonus.

I did 3 load's of laundry & washed the floors with my new steam mop.  Very happy with that purchase.

Off to see mom after lunch & time in the hot tub.  I plan to take a game as she  is bored sometimes.  I also bought her a bunch of grapes as she misses eating fresh fruit year round.

Lunch time is calling my name.  Hugs to all of you.

[KonaKat]

Twinny--It is good that your infusion went well. Good job on getting the laundry done. I think your suggestion to Linda is a good one. I do know some stores sell those things to make rugs more secure but I have not looked at them.

I did a little on the garage but it started raining a little, so I think it is now time to watch an episode of "House" via Netflix streaming and then spend some Kindle time with Midnight.

[cerb]

Hi everyone!  Jean - I think your idea of buying a new car and paying it off while you're still subbing makes a lot of sense.  LindaL - there sure is a lot of turmoil in your life right now, what with hospice, new caregivers, etc.  I am keeping you and your DH in prayer, and hoping that the people who are working with you are the right fit.  (So sorry about the insensitive social worker.)  

You are right about old cars.  We have an extra car at our house, an old Ford Taurus that my Mom gave us.  We drive it about once every two weeks or so to keep everything working alright.  Houses like to be lived in too.  Once I was at my Mom's house and I noticed that there was an unpleasant sewer smell.  I had my DH check it out.  The very simple explanation was that no one had used her "guest" bathroom shower in a long time and the trap had dried up, which allowed the yucky smell into the house.  All it needed was to turn the water on for a minute.

We've had a very nice amount of rain this week.  It's sunny today so my DH and I cleaned out the goat pens (very mucky) and gave them straw for their sheds.  Rosie's doing alright.  Not great, but okay.  We had another earthquake early this morning.  That makes 3 in the past couple of weeks, but they haven't been strong ones.  

Anybody besides me own stocks?  I have the responsibility in our household for managing our stocks, including those in our ROTH IRAs.  It's both exciting, and worrisome.  Because the market was down sharply this week, I rearranged some of our holdings.  Takes a lot of time to think things through and make decisions.  

I don't have too much planned for the rest of the day.  Waves to all!  ~  Charlene

[cerb]

Oh, and Twinny - glad the infusion went well.  You sure do work hard around the house!  I should be half as industrious!

[Snicks1]

Hi to everyone, just popping in to say hello. I am having a lazy day, no sewer/water leak problems so I am relaxing, rofl. LindaL and twinny, my best to both of you with the issues you both are dealing with your loved ones, alike, but yet so different, in the relationships. We are having snow today, then temps will fall out the bottom, with a low of around 7 tonight, not my idea of nice weather at all, lol. Have a nice weekend. Waves to everyone.....

[FunkyHulaGirl]

Hi girls!

Oy vey...what a lousy start this year is off to!  But, I've been praying for help, and the Lord has been good...

A couple of days ago I stopped by the Christian gift shop that my friend owns to ask her about a special order of tracts.  It was about 5:30 and she closes at 6.  While we were talking a sweet little old lady came up to the register and started talking...and talking...and talking...  Well, by the time she left and I got around to asking about my order and talking with my friend it was 6:30 - she NEVER stays past six.  Turns out the whole thing was one of those "God things"...I had to stop at Dollar Tree a few doors down as my lips are really cracked and I needed lip balm.  The cashiers know me, and I was chatting with one who asked how things are going, so I told her I'm without heat until my HVAC unit can be replaced and I also have a flooded basement. When I got out to the car the guy who had been behind me on line came running out and asked if someone had looked at my unit - he said he does all sorts of construction and repairs.  We ended up talking for quite a while; he's a Christian man who commiserated with me over people who overcharge and take advantage of people.  I asked what he'd charge for some odd jobs around the house, including lighting the pilot on my water heater (I told him someone wanted $95 just for that!).  He said he'd light the pilot for free, would charge $15 an hour for jobs that didn't require him to bring special tools, and $25 if he did have to use special tools. 

Long story short, he came over the next day.  He tried to light the pilot...and nearly lost his eyebrows!  Apparently the insulation on the water heater is soaked through, and something else is filled with water and has to dry out.  He tried to figure out why there's so much water in the basement, looked around the house, and finally determined that there's a broken cap on some kind of sewer drain (?) outside that was letting water pour in. 

Anyway, he was here this morning and left a little while ago. He got the water in the basement sucked up, put in a fan to dry it out, and is off to Memphis...so he'll be back in a few days to try and get the water heater going.  He said if it's not still under warranty and needs to replaced he has one I can have...it's smaller, but then, being alone I don't use huge amounts of hot water anyway. 

I had him look at a few other things; he can fix my fence easily and has panels he salvaged and said I can have.  The dishwasher has to be replaced; it has black gunk in it after I run a load of dishes and although I took it apart to try and clean it out (and - amazingly - got it put back together), there's no way to really clean it out properly.  If I get to where I can replace it, it won't be the cheapest model (as this one was), because in the long run it's not worth if it you have to replace it every two years.  I looked at how to clean dishwashers out on YouTube, but the way this one is (cheaply) made, parts that should be removable, aren't.

So, things are moving along; I'm still having to wash by heating water on the stove, but...at least I have water.  But back to my original point, had that little old lady not interrupted us, and my friend and i not talked past closing (while her husband called to see where she was), I'd have missed meeting this guy...

At one point he mentioned taking me to dinner, but that's not going to happen...apart from no physical attraction whatsoever on my part, he's about 10 years younger than me...and has four little kids aged 2-9, and since his wife died in October he's fully in charge of caring for them. No thanks!  Another thing is, he doesn't like cats, and was complaining that he could smell the litter boxes.  (Well yeah...I haven't had hot water to scrub them thoroughly.)  At the same time, I had to light a special odor-removing candle because I couldn't stand the smell of cigarette smoke on him, LOL!  But...I could always use a friend.  Oh - he might also possibly be interested in taking Angelica!  That's what she needs...a bunch of little kids to play with her and wear her out.

LindaL, I'm so glad things are starting to come together for you; being a caregiver isn't quite so overwhelming when you have a support system.  I agree it was totally insensitive (and stupid!) for that social worker to discuss mortuaries and things in front of DH...she should have known better, but I guess she wasn't well trained. (Although I would think common sense plays a big part, it's rare these days.)  It's like people who speak above the heads of those in wheelchairs to a caregiver who might be with them, as if they can't hear and respond for themselves.  Can you put that rug someplace where you can see and enjoy it, but out of the traffic pattern?  Or is it small enough to use as a wall hanging? Praying for you! 

Jean, I know what you mean about the dead spots.  When I lived in Na'alehu and then Ocean View that drive was treacherous, and I was always afraid of getting stuck in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes I wouldn't see anyone else on the road all the way home after I got out of Captain Cook, and then there were those who were very familiar with the road and would come speeding through with no thought that there might be another car around the next sharp curve.

Oh, I learned the hard way about things no longer working if a car isn't used!  I moved my late husband's car (which he bought new and had used for less than a year) to Hawaii, but it had been sitting in the garage for several years, since I didn't know how to drive.  I wasted a lot of money on repairs.  Had I known I'd have sold it earlier and gotten a car after I moved.

It looks like this adult coloring book craze is really taking off!  I'm not only seeing them everywhere, but there are a bunch of FB pages that offer pictures that you can print out and color.  I'm tempted to get one, but with school starting in two weeks don't know that I'd really have time.

I did go and meet an assistant manager from the horrible Walmart.  I got no apology for the multitude of errors and the time wasted by the inept cashier, and no apology for the cart-retrieving fool in the parking lot who told me that my car had probably been towed  when I asked him if he'd seen a car with three dogs...all he did was refund the overcharges...and almost knock me over with his body odor. Holy cow...the guy REEKED!  I mean, it was so bad I wanted to vomit; how he made assistant manager I can't imagine - I feel sorry for the people who have to work near him. OTOH, I missed all the excitement....had I gotten there a half hour or so earlier I'd have been able to witness the takedown of a guy wanted for murdering a woman a couple of towns over!  Apparently a customer recognized him as being a wanted criminal and called the police.  Any wonder I (and many others) avoid that particular Walmart in favor of one 10 miles away?      

Glad your infusion went well, Twinny - enjoy your hot tub.  Oh, that sounds so good right now!  Is a coloring book something your mom could do to help keep her from getting bored? 

Gas here is $1.52 at Sam's Club. Publix has the $10 off a $50 gas card with a purchase of $50 in groceries this week, but I don't need anything they have on sale. It seems to always work out that way - the cards are offered during the week they don't have anything I particularly want, and their regular prices are much higher than Aldi, so I wouldn't be saving anything.  Oh well...

I think I'm going to take a nap; I was up early because of Mark's coming over. With all the stress I'm hurting, so hopefully that'll help.  I have to keep reminding myself, "This too shall pass." 

Have a blessed day, everyone!