What's on your plate?.....
 

So much to be thankful for! Finally got to meet Michaels grandchildren and they are everything we had hoped for. He would have been so proud of them. And of his son Nick. We are also crazy about Nicks wife.

We had earlier company this fall....Moi and family and they also are a joy although I would hope you'll keep Spanish Moss in your prayers....

Our new neighbors across the street have decorated their home for Christmas and I hope they are done, Mr.Alffe says it looks like a convenience store or a small airport! :rolleyes: They seem like very nice people when I have talked with them.

The neighbor in back of us stopped his truck while I was sweeping the street last week (pine needles and cones!) and we had a long conversation about life and death (told me Michael was very selfish to kill himself and told me that his son "packs" most of the time) It's an interesting time of the year.

I'm going to get out some decorations and throw out the pumpkins.

What's on your plate?

I can't believe your neighbor.....:mad:
sigh
love you bizi:Heart:

I love you too Bizi but what's on your plate???? :D

I was thinking about you the other night Alffe.
I sometimes try to watch a show to unwind before I try to sleep. I was watching an old Project Runway series and they were up on The High Line.

Home alone, trying to be good, worrying about the future,blah blah blah.....

Worrying about the future??? Long or short term? :hug: I got the porches "wrapped" and the tree up! Mr.Alffe got the outside tree lit, one strand of lights blinks on and off....not sure if the neighbors influenced him or why...trying to get used to it.

And the neighbor wasn't being unkind, he just wanted me to understand that suicide is ALWAYS a selfish thing. ~heavy sigh~

Now I need to get off this computer and go Christmas shopping! So that's what's on my plate this morning. :wink:

ENJOY!
me

I did enjoy shopping and made a big dent in the list. Mr.Alffe is out in the barn changing the timer for his tree...we want it to come on and go off earlier. I put some ornaments in the garage's window boxes and am going to quit!! :rolleyes:

Love to walk the High Line...they open new parts every year Lara. :hug:

My floors are all awful ...... I really need to sweep and scrub, but I decided it was much more important to fill the goodie bags I was making for the kids in church school - then I would clean.
Then I decided it would be nice to cut out some wooden stars - one to tie on each bag - then I would clean. But each star had to be painted metallic gold on both sides - then I would clean. Each star was lovely but they would be nicer with some designs painted on with glitter - then I would clean.
My floors are awful ........ but, gee, those bags are nice.:o

LOL i love you Wren.... :)

My plate is full.... This is the third time i've retyped this post LOL. trying to stay positive. Sometimes it is hard, but i know in the end "All things work together" :hug:

Wulllll.....
 

You might be able to set that timer to wink on and off every hour or so....kinda give a Wingy to the neighbors....a real conversation piece :D
:hug:

So So Glad
 

That meeting those grandchildren put holiday SPARKLE in your lives!
Uh huh :)
:hug: M56

And...
 

Wren, that is a cool story! Besides, who cares about the floor when JOY is exuding through your creativity!
Wonderful it is,
M56 :hug:

Oh, wait a minute....my plate....well I need to take smaller portions. Been working WAY too much, but the client has needed it this year. It has prevented posting here for a long time.

Spirits are good, a by product of being in such professional need and doing decent work; a by product of counting blessings like getting to skype with our precious grandson when I am not too tired; a by product of seeing our eldest sons collaborate on the "on stage stand up comedy" efforts of one of them at local clubs near here. They are such a hoot, I have said "well why don't you do this together as a stand up act?" but it doesn't catch their interest; of having our tree and lights up in tasteful "non-airport or convenience store" fashion; and by seeing you all faithfully here...such a blessing.
Yup,
M56 :grouphug:

:D non airport or convenience store fashion....I've missed you Mark but you do have your priorities in order!

Almost done Christmas shopping....I keep hoping I'll run into a "flash group", it's on my bucket list which grows even smaller after meeting our great grandkids.

I'd like to get out It's a Wonderful Life and watch it but not sure Mr.Alffe could stand it.

And there is a large hawk hunting in our yard again...now I know why the birds keep disappearing! :confused:

Well ha know
 

It is a Wonderful Life....and Mr. Alffe will accept the film, I'll wager. It brings tears of joy to my face when I see that film.

Hmmmm a hawk predator to stop your backyard hunter....how about a life sized "hunter doll" (I have never seen one) complete with faux shotgun. After all human hunters practice on life sized deer dolls (and you thought guys did not play with dolls), so why shouldn't there be a market sort of like scarecrows to frighten predatory birds?

Missed you, too, Alffe, and your froglike kicking leg, tipping hat, and cane. :D

M56 :grouphug: :hug:

Oh
 

And just in case I am on your gift list....Danny Kaye's "two front teeth" would be nice....:D

Ha!! The sun came out and so did the other neighbors armed with white deer, rooftop Santa in sleigh, and so far a wreath! It isn't dark yet but I have to wonder what will blink!!?? The worst so far are the twirling big snowflakes that flash on and off!! Where is the young man that "packs" when I need him! :o

Now where can I find teeth?? Hmmmmmmm :D

Finals
 

My plate is full of finals this week.

I made it through another semester and things have went pretty well. It looks as though I may pull off another successful semester or at least I hope so. But the finals are the telling story.

I was able to take two of my finals last week and they went pretty well, so that leaves me with two to take this week. I know one is 100 questions and is three hours long. The other is only 14 questions and is at least an hour long (prof wouldn't say exact time). So I am guessing they must be a hard tests.

I will say that each semester has gotten harder and harder but I just keep on fighting my way through. I am determined to get my degree, it's been a long time coming.

Well, I better get off of here and get some sleep so I can get up and take at least one of those finals.

:hug: for all!!!
Abbie

You go girl :) I know you are going to do awesome on your tests :)

you GO and kick butt!

Finals are over and now I must wait, I've been done since Monday. The profs don't have to have the grades posted until the 23rd but finals don't end until Saturday at 11:59pm. The not knowing is killing me. I know I didn't do well on one of my finals but it all depends on how that prof grades as he has a weird grading system.

I'm hoping to do as well as I did last semester, but as long as I remain on the Dean's List I will be happy as I fought to hard this semester to find out that I didn't make it.

Oh well, I hope everyone has a great day!
:hug:
Abbie

AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!
now enjoy yourself

Im writing my PhD thesis.... oh joy... NOT.

I mean, this is not for this week, it will be for the next semester but still... and this OCD/depression is not helping AT ALL. :mad:

some few more bumps
 

this past year has been full of joy and hardship. I started feeling nauseated and gradually there were fewer and fewer things I could eat. My headaches were from hades. My PT thought it was great as I lost 15 lbs and I am obese. I changed PTs and even before the first visit he sent me to the ER. Two hospitalizations later I was almost over my acute renal failure which my first PT thought was such a good thing. I found an endocrinologist through NORD who cured me of the underlying cause and I feel better and fatter again. I loved performing with my 2 bands this year. I missed one performance while I was in the hospital. I go to bed at 8:30 every night and so I have a hard time cramming everything, all the joy, into my day. I won an insurance battle. I think of y'all here and wish you well.

Pain
 

Dang it all. My arm is hurting....a lot, and always. Beginning to disrupt my sleep. Gosh, I hoped that last go at fusion would relieve the nerve bundle to my right arm. It is just barely a year....

Work is good. Enjoying life. It feels good to be helpful. Yet, right now I am doing some counseling to help with the anger from disappointment, loss, pain ..... And NO I am not thinking those awful dark thoughts anymore.

Grateful for you all.

Mark56

All that pain

Why did it have to come back

All that we go through pain for the month
Pick up your script cause they did what had to be done
And now I take pills sucky pills it hurts too

I'm sorry that it came back
So sorry
Are you having any different feelings
As in neck oh so angry something real angry

Hope you get to find out quicker than quick
What's going on

Blessings
Amen

I'm off today to have yet another MRI of my brain. I'm going to the small, local hospital where there is no kindness or help. I wish it were the giant, teeming, city hospital where each patient is treated like they were the most important.

Wren, all the best to you for your MRI. I hope those results are good again. Sorry you have to deal with that today. It would help if you had some kindness and help.
:hug:

Hi Eva and Wren
 

Eva- no direct neck symptoms, just the transiting arm nerve junk which is just nerve injury ick. Don't want pills.

Wren - sorry about the need for further brain scan. I hope and pray it reveals what you need to know.

M56 :grouphug:

Mark, I'm really sorry to read you're in so much pain again.
You seem to have done so well for so long too. That must be very difficult for you especially now that you're working so hard as well. The cold weather probably isn't helping either.

I wish you pain free days.

Mark I'm glad you're getting some counseling...it helps to talk about our feelings as you well know. And wren, any results yet? (((hug)))

Barbo thank you, it's a comfort to think that Michael is with so many people who loved him.

I'm already tired of winter...we did have 4 bluebirds in the heated bird bath yesterday and that amazed me. What are they are doing here this early??

Hope for better tomorrows for all of us. Hugs for the room. :grouphug:

While counseling may be good for managing anger; not sure how much that can help relieve the pain. I know you don't want any more surgery or pain meds; but have you considered any meds for sleep? Ambien CR Has really helped me have hours of sleep where I am relieved at least for a little while of the otherwise constant pain. With all this pain; adding loss of sleep, might make working even more difficult to concentrate and be productive.

The hope was high this last surgery would at least make the arm pain tolerable. Really sorry you are having to continually deal with this pain.




Gerry

You know that pain
 

Dear friend

I am so sorry
So sorry
As the pain in your arm
has never left me
not only that as it
is mentioned
Awaiting my miracle
To wish the same for all
Just a little less pain
Ill carry my cross
Love
Me