February 17, 2025 Monday

Good morning!

I am going to try something new.  Going to post this after midnight so I can go in and try posting a comment to get comments once again.  I do so miss being able to respond to each of you personally.  I quit getting the emails every time someone commented (where I could write back) long ago.  Never could fix it or find out why.  For a while I tried the making a comment so I could click on getting all the other comments via email...and it worked!  But only for a short time and then that wouldn't work, either.  Well, I thought I would give it a try again.  Can't hurt to try.  Even if it works, it might not work for long...but it would be so nice!

Well, the week started out where both Dagan and Leah had gotten the flu and were home sick from work.  The boys had gotten it at school and were over it in like 2-3 days.  Dagan was better shortly, too, but Leah was getting worse.  She has asthma so is more prone to respiratory illnesses getting the better of her.  Being short of breath and coughing, she wasn't able to sleep for days.  Wednesday night she went to the walk-in clinic.  Lower respiratory infection left lung.  Needed antibiotics and steroids and to keep using her inhaler.  If you're not better in two days of meds come back.

She thought the pharmacy she told them to call in the meds would still be open...but they were closed when she got there.  So she had to drive over and get the medications on Thursday morning.  Another sleepless night.  I was very worried about her.  But by Friday she was feeling a bit better and was able to sleep for a few hours...and nap!  By Sunday noon she had slept a total of 14 hours overnight!  Feeling hungry even.  Whew!  On the mend.  Hope it lasts after the meds are gone, right?

Playing the calming music videos puts Allie right to sleep.  Despite the soothing music, this week I stayed awake and didn't nap--lol!

I was cooking a couple of days.  I made the copies for my SNAP and Medicaid annual review and got those mailed off.  Been working on letters.  

Had a nice long surprise phone call with Linny I grew up next door to and have known since I was five years old!  Linda's not on the computer and hasn't been writing letters like she used to, so it was a joy to hear her voice and know she's okay.  

Also had a long phone call with my friend Bonnie whose health now prevents her from writing letters or even emailing.  We've been friends since the 90s in Minneapolis when we both joined a Women's Spiritual Group.  A lot of energy workers in that group--including myself at the time.

I had been thinking for quite a while about being more environmentally active, shall we say, after I move.  There will be recycling at the house.  I had been searching online for cloth alternatives I could try.  Well, since I lost all my assistance programs for a few days there...it became an even better idea to start right now instead.  To save money--lol! 

I already had gotten the supplies for using cloth toilet wipes years ago...but that went by the wayside with my health issues getting worse, etc.  Well, I got those back out and set up again.  (Not that I want to use them if I have diarrhea--lol!)

I have chronic sinus and use my Puffs endlessly.  Never go anywhere without them.  I am actually trying handkerchiefs!  Makes me feel like my Grandpa Johnson--lol!

I didn't think I would like using them, but they have surprised me.  So far, so good.  But I needed to find smaller sized ones.  Those big regular sized ones--too much for me.  These are going to be a game changer for me.

Lastly, I am also trying cloth paper towels.  I really like them.  Also found ones on the smaller side.

In fact, I am thinking of ordering some about this size to use for napkins.  I am not a fan of the huge regular sized napkins, either--lol!  So I might as well get what I like and would gladly use.

I also have some Swedish dishcloths coming.  Now that won't save any paper goods, but it might save my arthritic hands a little.  Supposed to be more absorbent, wring out easily, and dry quickly.  Have any of you heard of them?  I hadn't.  But they popped up when I was looking for cloth paper towels.  I'll show you when they get here.

Anyways, I am really using cloth more than paper this past week and it is going really well.  Whoohoo!  Maybe some of you have been using these for years, but I didn't even know there was such a thing as cloth paper towels.  Now that I have tested these items--I will probably order some more in April.  I am a convert.  Not that I won't still have my Viva paper towels and some Puffs around, but they will last soooo much longer because I will only use them for things like killing bugs and other really gross stuff I don't want in my washing machine--lol!  

A few pictures from Leah.  The boys do love the Target dogs--lol!  Liam and...

...Ian.

Another shot of Ian's build with sweeteners at the restaurant.  I just love how happy he and Daddy look.

The plumbers came back and caulked the shower!

It is all done now.

Just need a shower curtain rod.

The boys all bundled up to catch the bus to school.  Been super cold!

We've got wind chill warnings again.  Sunday through Tuesday down to 50 degrees below zero wind chills.  

Doesn't help to check other forecasts.

They are basically the same.  Frigid.  LOL!

Oddly--especially since I just filled out my annual review and sent it back--I received a letter notifying me that I was randomly chosen for a SNAP (food stamps) review.  Phone review at 8am Tuesday.  I've never even heard of random reviews.  I sent off all my paperwork and all the copies they needed to prove my income (or lack thereof--lol!).  The government can go into my bank account any time they wish, as usual.  So, I googled it.  Was wondering if it was a scam.  There are 25,000 cases that are randomly picked for federal review every year.  So out of 41 million people on SNAP, I got randomly picked for review?  Right after I sent in all my annual paperwork?  Strange.  I'll let you know how that goes.

I hope the comment to get comments will work again.  But the blog has to be already posted and then I can go back in and make a comment...so 5am won't work for me for that--lol!  I'll just post before I go to bed on Sunday nights...if this works again.  Just because it quit on me before doesn't mean it won't work now, right?  Fingers crossed!!  Till next week!!  :) :)

February 10, 2025 Monday--5am

Good morning!

My good IBS days left once again. *sigh*  So it was a quieter week.  Funny...when I told Dr. Failing about it he said I was the second patient who was struck with constipation out of the clear blue.  Nice to know I'm not the only one--lol!

We've had some light snow.

Critter Cafe is always a lot more busy when it is really cold and there is snow on the ground.

Tuesday night through Wednesday we got a decent amount of snow...finally!  Not a lot, but enough to turn the world sparkly white.

I made calls this week.  Have an appointment with a new lady urologist for a poke n' peek at my bladder.  Wednesday the 26th.  Leah suggested I try someone new--maybe a lady.  Then I have the dermatologist on March 6th.  Annual checkup on March 12th and dentist checkup on April 3rd.  You always have to wait quite a while to get in to see anybody these days.  In fact, they got a couple of dermatologists to come in to help out.  If I was going to see the guy I saw before, he was booked up into December!

Wouldn't you know, I just told Dr. Failing I hadn't had to take naps for a couple of weeks.  Have needed to nap three days this week.  Oh well.  Such is life.

This is Allie every time she hears people in the hallway.  Her ears are much better than mine.  I can't hear a thing unless they are talking in the hallway--near my door--lol!

The partridges come at dusk.

The fun thing I have discovered this last week is that there are YouTube videos where you can watch beautiful things or see gorgeous scenery while listening to very peaceful, calm music.

I think it lowers my blood pressure and takes my mind off the state of our country...and it puts Alie to sleep.

Maybe that is why I am taking peaceful naps?!  LOL!  I've been avoiding even the headlines for days at a time.  Very, very happy to be watching Vera solve murders.  The night of the snowstorm I peeked out the patio door blinds to see how much snow we'd gotten and watched two arctic hares bound away!  Made me very happy to see them.  Has been no sighting during daylight hours this winter, but I suspected they were stopping by from the tracks in the snow...when we have had any snow. 

So, not much happened this week...but it was a calmer week on the whole.  Just started season five of Vera.  There are fourteen...so I am looking forward to another calm week.  I hope.  Although I do peek at the headlines every 3 or 4 days...and there's always something--lol!  I can't live through this with my head in the sand, I guess.  Just can't.   Till next week, my friends.  :)

February 3, 2025 Monday--5am

Good morning!

Allie hasn't had to follow me into the bathroom as my patient guardian many times a day anymore.  *knock on wood*  

Things have suddenly improved quite a lot.  Whew!  These fibro bouts are very unpredictable.  That part has shifted to tolerable, while the body aches all over are even worse...but the exhaustion/chronic fatigue has let up some, too.  So--a good week on the whole as far as my (cancer free!) body goes.

The bad part of the week was finding out I had suddenly lost Medicaid, food stamps, and Federal Housing Assistance out of the blue on Tuesday.  Many, many people were thrown into turmoil because of many, many federal assistance programs and grants being cut off.  Trillions of dollars in aid...from Meals on Wheels to school lunch programs to veteran aid to fire & police...the list goes on and on and on.  Thursday I heard a federal judge put the order on pause until Monday...but I wasn't sure I would have coverage for the dentist appointment I had already had to reschedule for Monday.  So, I called and rescheduled it once again to be on the safe side.  I wasn't sure if I should see my oncologist on Friday, either.

The good news is, I had already seen my results for lab and CT scans online and I was still cancer free so I could pass if I had to.  There were people who had to cancel surgeries and treatments.  I am so lucky I'm not in treatment anymore and that I already had my CTscans done the week before!  Leah said if I got charged for the visit she and Dagan would pay for it...so I said I'd go.  I am one of the very poor, truth be told.  I live on SS--a little over $1,000 a month.  What a stressful week!  

And it is not over.  I heard that Elon just got access to the entire federal payment system...for everything!  ???  Why?  What are they planning to do next?  Randomly stop payments on individual programs?  Trump has made it clear that he wants to stop all federal assistance and grant programs because he thinks they should all be switched over to being privatized.  Anything else should be the responsibility of each state to take care of their own--including natural disasters.  Like we are each a separate country?

Okay.  I don't usually talk about politics, but this was a tremendously stressful week and most of what all else is going on sounds insane to me.  Enough said.

Silver lining.  One anti-diarrhea pill a day and fasting before appointments has been working to keep things tolerable and I made it to see my oncologist on Friday--lol!  Amazing!  There are always silver linings.  :)

When I asked the girl at the check-in desk if Medicaid was working she said--"yes" with a big sigh...and we both added at the same time..."for now".  Dr. Failing, my oncologist, wants me to see the urologist for another poke and peek of my bladder.  I am going to try a new doctor--a lady doctor.  I have also had another mystery lump.  This one is on my face and been there 7-9 months maybe.  So, another trip to the dermatologist is on the list, too, to have that removed and tested for skin cancer.  Have to try to make calls today.  All the stress has my entire body complaining...quite painfully.  Nothing I haven't had to endure before, obviously--but worse pain always slows you down.

So, I am happy to report that I got into the studio again to play this past week.

Tested the other handmade art journal and it was about the same.

Quite buckly...and likely made of the same student grade paper.

Then I tried the Strathmore Visual Watercolor Journal with better quality paper...and it is hard to explain the difference, but ahhh!  Let's just say that it's more what I am used to and the watercolor paint does more what I expect it to do.  

Even though I am still mostly a newbie and years out of practice at what I did know...I was having such fun trying to remember how to judge how wet the paper still is to get this and that effect and so on.  Felt like I was now finally on the path to remembering how to paint with watercolor!  Life is too short to use crummy paper.  I will give the grandboys the handmade art journals.  I didn't know when I made those journals so very long ago how bad student grade paper really is--lol!  For watercolor paper anyways.  

Got too overconfident and tried the new method she was demonstrating on a YT video I had on my laptop.  I want to learn how to do what she does...where she has a dark edge around every petal.  But I need a lot of practice.  As you can see, if I tried it when it was still too damp it spread too much.  Too dry and it didn't blend on the edge at all and was just a sharp line.  

Anyways, I was having a lot of fun and I shall continue to try to learn how to do transparent flowers--on good paper--lol!  (Notice the lack of bad buckling--whoohoo!)  Probably need breaks to do something else fun, too. ;)

Speaking of fun!  The boys went to one of their favorite places.  I can never remember the name and just think of it as the trampoline place--lol!

They stopped at Perkins and Ian was using sweetener packets it looks like to build what I think of as a card house--lol!

Excellent job!

Meanwhile, they have worked on the cat tunnel between Blink's litter spot under the stairs and my maintenance/laundry room.  They used hunks of carpeting to enclose it.  Leah says she needs to figure out some way to keep the top hunk of carpet up higher.  View from one end...

...and the other end.

This is where it comes out in the maintenance room by my washer and dryer.  Blink made it through, no problem.

They shut off the door on the litter box side under the stairs so Blink can't get into my apartment because she has claws and is clawing the new lift chair upstairs.  They keep my apartment door shut, too, so she can't get to my new red lift chair down here.

I want a new bin to hold the clean kitty litter and a trash container with a lid for the unmentionables--lol!  We'll be getting those before I move.  The bins I am using over here for litter and bird seed are just too big for that space.   

I plan to keep Allie's litterbox in the maintenance room at first.  She has a similar door/hole from my bathroom (behind the toilet) into the maintenance room so I don't have to keep the maintenance door open all the time.  Eventually we hope they will get along and we can open up the tunnel so Allie and Blink can come and go as they please and I will move Allie's litterbox under the stairs, too.  That's best case scenario, as you never know with cats. ;)  Oh, and the cats are using different litters!  Blink uses wood pellets.  Allie was not having any of that when I did try wood pellets over here.  We hope they can both use the same kind after a while but who knows with that, either.

This was exciting!  Ian went to a paid class on carnivorous plants!  Leah and Laim went along to the free version.  It is like having new pets.  I could see the pitcher plant and the Venus Fly Trap but there's another low one I don't recognize.  Ian got three plants to take home.  Anyways, later on they found a millipede in the house.  

The millipede could not climb out of the pitcher plant!  It must be really slippery inside like they said at the class.  Future bugs in the house beware!

Kids fall asleep in weird positions...just like cats and dogs, eh?  LOL!

Anyways, we were warmer (above freezing) for a few days and now back to cold again, but not as cold as those 50-60 below windchills, hopefully--lol!  For the next two weeks it says below freezing during the day and if below zero that'll be during the night.  Nippy, for sure.

That's about it from here for now.  I finished the Agatha Christie series and decided to rewatch all of Vera on BritBox.  I find that gruff old lady catching the bad guys quite soothing.  Right, Pet?  Yes, Love.

Hopefully this coming week will be less shocking, but you never know.  Allie, Vera, and my paints will keep me company--lol! Till next week, my friends.  We are all in this together.  :) :) 

January 27, 2025 Monday--5am

Good morning!

Can you tell we had 60 below windchill the beginning of the week--lol!

Super cold for a few days.

There was even a partridge food fight between this covey of eight and another covey of five that visit the Critter Cafe--lol!  

Lots of chasing back and forth across the snow.  That's why some of the residents here call them the roadrunners--lol!

Well, between anti-diarrhea pills and fasting I made it to the lab on Tuesday and the CT scans on Friday!  TaDa!!  Now I have the oncologist this week on Friday afternoon...but then the rescheduled dentist checkup on Monday after that.  Apparently will be a lot more fasting in my future--lol!  Oh, and Keanna comes to clean on Tuesday.  Life seems to have picked up the pace recently--lol! ;)

I made it into the studio to test out the old watercolor journal I had made all those years ago.  Notice I brought in my laptop to watch Agatha Christie episodes--ROFL!

I wanted to try the transparent flower petals.  Didn't use her book.  Just played around from memory of her videos I have watched.

Didn't try anything besides the petals...no darker edging on them or anything because nothing was working very well for me.

I don't know if it was more from the buckly, absorbent paper or more from my total inexperience with the technique.  Didn't matter to me.  I was having fun and learning.  But this paper was buckling so that it made the water puddle in places you didn't want it to and then was drying out quickly where you didn't want it to.  Regardless, I do love the transparent look and want to keep testing the other better watercolor paper and journals next.  Left it all set up and ready to go.  You will see a lot of blue flowers--lol!  I plan to use the same paint and brush so I can compare papers fairly.  (That is a true challenge for such a lover of variety, I tell you.)

Made and prepped foods for two days.  Not easy to accomplish when you are fasting--lol!  Especially the beef soup in the crock pot smelling soooo good all day long!  ;)

McFamily had to come over here for our Christmas.  The boys opening their Mad Libs books.  Liam wasn't interested until he realized how it worked and found out he could pick (hysterically funny to a 7-year old) words like poo, pee, butt, fart, poopy, pooping, peeing, and farting.  Then he enjoyed them tremendously!  

But he still goes right to Gramma's frig magnets.

They are his favorite things to play with at Gramma's.

I think Ian quite enjoyed the crazy, silly stories, too.

It was a lot of fun!  They brought Allie and my Christmas stockings with, too.  Gramma got some bags of her favorite Twin Cities coffees, an Amazon gift card, and some new-to-me Keto goodies--like fake pop tarts and a cinnamon roll!  And we shared a bunch of sugar-free, handmade chocolates from a shop Leah found that were really delicious!  Allie even got a couple of new toys (she loved) and some cat treats (shown no interest in--strange cat is she--won't eat canned cat food or any people food, either).  Anyways, it was a nice--if late--Christmas. :)  

Oh, and don't worry--their cat, Blink, will gladly eat the treats--lol! ;)

We're supposed to be in the 30s through Thursday so a lot of the snow will be gone again.  I thought I lived in Fargo?  Such strange weather.  From -60 wind chills to snow melting away.  Remember when I showed you snowbanks from the plows that were as high as the peaks of the garages out there?  Been a while.

Leah's back and shoulders have been bad.  She's been at the chiropractor every week I think for a bit.  Says she's feeling a bit better.  Otherwise, the rest of the family is doing well.  Even I am doing a bit better.  Hey!  Made it to appointments this week!  Even got into the studio--whoohoo!  Hope to be playing in there some more this week!  Life is good!   

Till next week, my dear friends!  May you have a week filled with giggles and doing things you love!  :)