(((((Starz))))). Good Lord Honey.:eek:

Barb - Glad you are ok and didn't need us to send an ark to rescue you. :)

Starz - OMGoodness! I'm glad baby was ok. How are you doing? I'm sure you are sore from it. Did you go to the doctor?

I'm not doing too much today. I took a couple of naps. My sleep pattern is so messed up from the surgery and being in the hospital & rehab. I wake up a lot at night, like every 1 to 2 hours. I'm really hoping that will start to change soon.

DD24 and my GS are coming over tonight. DD24 has to print something and we decided to have dinner. She's going to pick something up on her way over. I can't wait to see my little GS. He is getting so big, starting to say some words (mom, dad, dog, boat, row, nana for banana, and I can't remember what else). My girls were not saying any words at 10 months. This little guy amazes me. I still can't hold him as my incision has not healed but just having him here will be a treat.

Have a great day everyone!:grouphug:

Ah. Haunted by the ghosts of Halloween Past. So many memories to choose from!

I remember fondly the last one in my "old" neighborhood in Scottsdale. The last before moving. Children going from house to house was replaced by costume parties but all of us die hard moms still had bowls of candy for the kids that did not ring our doorbells. I set up my candy and myself in my driveway.

My neighbors soon joined me with their bowls of sweets. We brought chairs out, we drank wine, had laughs and gave huge handfuls of candy to the lone trick/treater who was walking home from somewhere.

It was a fun night despite no little ones. Only us big ones enjoying the cool night of October.

I bought candy for the two or three trick or treater's I'll have tonight. Most of it is left......well, some of it is left. Okay......three pieces are left. :o

Cyn - That sounds like so much fun!

Kelly - Any left over candy is either going to my next door neighbor or my girls. I'll be too tempted to eat it if it's here.

So far, I've had no trick or treaters. :( I miss the days when more kids were out trick or treating. Now they have things at schools or malls or other places like that. I can see why, but I sure miss seeing the kids in their costumes.

I haven't been up to much over the past few days. I nap a lot. I also just started a new book and have been reading. I'm really not that far in to the book.

The weather took a nice turn. I think it was in the upper 60s yesterday and 70s today. We've gotten some rain with hail but nothing compared to what Texas is getting slammed with.

I hope you all had a fantastic Halloween!:hug::grouphug:

my husband thinks we have A LOT of trick or treaters and I can't ever get him to remember we don't. Tonight we had about 30. He got a 250 count bag of his favorite candies to give out. I keep telling him it is best for him and I to get what we don't want. I also told him to give candy to the adults going around with the kids but only 1 Mom would accept it. So we have this huge bag left. We have a dentist in town that takes all the left over candy and sends it to the troops wherever they are. So if there is any left of this bag of around 175 pieces left on Monday we need to do that. I would say we could put it in the freezer until Christmas but then I say Joyce get real. Even by putting it in my daughter's freezer it would be the same. I asked her if we gave it to her would she take it she could take it to work Monday eve and she said there wouldn't be any left. She has this little Korean guy who must be 5'2'' 100 pounds that is a room mate who also works with her and he sure can eat. He is the funniest guy, he can tolerate my wild and crazy bunch for Thanksgiving and Christmas so I know he must be a good guy.

But Halloween must have been DH favorite holiday as a kid. He was sure that since we had rain forecasted for today that they would start coming around last night and then come again on Sunday. So he was all ready last night.

Hi everyone! I was at my sister's last night, and there were probably about 130 kids. And that was down from previous years.

It was horrible here Thursday night and Friday for most of the day. We got 14 inches of rain. Lots of flooding in the area and people houses ruined. the senior center in my little town is closed indefintely due to flooding. Watching the rescues on tv was horrifying. Two people lost their lives in Austin.

I ended up with rain coming though my guest bedroom window and about 2 inches in my master bathroom. I called the emergency number at the apartment complex, and received no response. i went to the office yesteday mornng and they said someone would be by, but noone came. I guess it is no longer considered a poriority since the rain stopped. We are supposed to get more rain Wednesday through Saturday.

Oh, Barb, how awful! Watch out for mold and mildew. I can't believe nobody responded to your call. I'll bet you weren't the only one who got water damage there. If all else fails call the local news!! They love stories like this. :rolleyes:

Barb. That is quite a lot of water. You seem so calm. Damage?

I read a good book...The Stranger by Harlan Coben. It is a mystery. Well written and it had a decent ending. Sometimes mysteries seem to cheat with the clues and endings, well that is a personal perspective.

Funny aside. I was talking with DS about his reading and recommended this book. He was a bit confused since the same title is an existential novel by Albert Camus. Hardly light reading!

My Mom used to live in neighborhood where they bused kids in. And they did it for 2 days. She would have some kids come by 2 or 3 times in a day. Of course she was giving away pennies. When she moved here she had graduated to nickles! We finally convinced her to buy a big bag of tootsie rolls.

Wow. That triggered a memory. We used to have both candy and a bowl of pennies on Halloween. When I went "treating," I had a small milk carton from UNICEF to collect pennies for the organization.

We did the Unicef thing, too!! I remember my Mom buying greeting cards from them.

hey everyone...great to see more activity on this thread!!:)

Barb, Texas hasn't been very welcoming for you:hug: Hope that things dry out quickly with no mold damage...glad you're safe!

Trish, so sorry to read about your latest challenges. Wow, your DGS is really saying a lot of words for his age!! You'll be able to hold him real soon...:hug:

Sal, glad to see you checking in regularly!! We all missed your posts!

Kelly, how are the kitties?

We have been busy still settling into the new house. DH installed a sprinkler system over the last few weeks. With all of the heavy labor that entailed along with putting up shelves, etc., he caught a really bad cold. Usually he doesn't want to be coddled, but he was so sick he let me tend to him, which told me how really sick he was. He's onto the annoying coughing phase now which means he's almost done with it.

DD & family came down the weekend before Halloween to have a family celebration of DGD's 1st birthday. It was great having everyone over, but my tolerance for the havoc and noise has lessened, so I don't seem to be able to enjoy the visit as much:( I'm trying to put on a smile and make the best of it, but occasionally I sneak off to a bathroom just to get away from it all.

We had a LOT of trick or treaters in our new neighborhood!! It was so much fun seeing new and familiar faces.

I've scheduled my old knee's replacement for early December...just can't deal with the limited mobility any longer.

Hope all are well...have a wonderful evening!!

Hi Everyone!

I remember the Unicef boxes too! It's so sad they don't do them any more.

Debbie - I find it hard to be around a lot of commotion, especially lately. It must have fun to see your daughter and her family though. I'm glad you had a lot of trick or treaters at your new place. That must have been fun. I hope your surgery goes well.

I really haven't been up to much. My insurance company gives me credits every quarter to use on things like OTC medicines, toothbrushes, first aid stuff, etc. I forgot about them and haven't used any this year. I had $320 in credits to use. So, I place my order today online. I got an message that they were unable to email me my confirmation and to call them. When I called the lady told me that I still had $2 in credits left (I stocked up on things I use a lot, but also got a couple of bigger things like a bp cuff since my bp has been low). I told her I knew but didn't know what they had for $2 and didn't really look. So, she starts rattling off all these things I could get for $2. I ended up adding a big bottle of hydrogen peroxide. That was the highlight of my day. :D

I hope you all have a great day/evening!:hug::grouphug:

Our new insurance for next year has that program also. I thought we were both going to ave to use our $50/quarter to buy diapers for DH but we found out today that he has clostridium defficille. He will start on antibiotics tomorrow and from what I see on the internet it should work pretty quick. So maybe we won't have to buy diapers after all and we can spend that money on vitamins etc.

I'm so sorry your DH has C. Diff. I had a mild case after my surgery and was on antibiotics for a while. Then, about 10 days after stopping the antibiotics, I got it again but it was severe. I was readmitted to the hospital for a week. While in the hospital, a team of infectious disease doctors came to see me. They told me to start taking probiotics in the form of kefir or buttermilk or yogurt. I did some reading online about it and a few studies. I started with yogurt with every meal in the hospital, if I could eat as I had no appetite at all. Again, read up on it and see if you can find some probiotic your husband will like.

I will say some prayers for him as it is pretty miserable and in some cases difficult to treat.:hug:

You're exactly right, Trish!! Why in the he77 the docs don't tell patients that is beyond me...
My late FIL got it bad...ended up in the hospital/nursing home for a few months off and on. Once we began giving him milk with acidophilus in it, the side effects cleared up. The docs didn't recommend it--we found out by researching on line. DH would stop off at the nursing home every day to make him drink it.

The antibiotic that often brings it on kills all of the good gut bacteria. It's a very serious disorder!
Doydie, don't use the toilet after him, and clean it thoroughly with antiseptic wipes!!
You might want to drink a probiotic as well...

We have two bathrooms. He has been using the hallway bathroom just because it is closer. But since he is the one who sleeps in the master bedroom, that bathroom is assigned to him. But just in case he can't make it, he goes in the hallway one. So I have 3 of those containers of Clorox wipes. The germs that are covered are on the container. I hope there are more germs since C dif isn't one of the ones listed. I already have a zip lock bag full of a bunch of the for him to use when he is out. He loves buttermilk but will not eat yogurt even if he knows it is good for this. That is how stubborn he is. Just like he knows tomato juice really bothers his bowels. Within 10 minutes of drinking it, he has a stomach ache and he is having diarrhea but he still drinks it.

Hi everyone! It's been crazy around here so I haven't been on much. My mom came to visit last week and she was supposed to stay at my sister's because my niece had a tummy bug. So I drove to the airprt here for the first time, and brought her to my place. She was here until the heavy rain hit us on Fridayand I had the flooding issue so I took her over to my sister's as my niece was better. Well on Sunday morning my brother in law got sick. So she came back to my place. My sister then got sick on Sunday evening. We are still both okay, but figure if we are going to get it it will be soon.

They finally showed up on Tuesday to fix my window after I complained on the apartment's facebook page. About 20 apartments had similar problems. Luckily the water did not get into the carpeting, but I am sure there is mold under the floorboards in the bathroom. I plan on looking for a new place. I am hoping to buy a small house. If I give them 60 daays notice here, I have to pay one extra month's rent plus another fee that is almost
as much as my rent.

My mom is supposed to fly back to Ohio on Saturday if all goes well. 60% of the flights out of Austin have been cancelled or delayed for hours since last Friday as the air traffic controller building flodded and equipment was destroyed. supposedly things are supposed to be better by the end of the week. They have moved controllers to San Antionio to operate the airport here and both runways are now open. Praying she doesn't get sick. I have a feeling this will be her last trip to Texas. She almost didn't come this time. She obviously hasn't gotten to spend much time with my sister or niece and as we all know, flying just't isn't a lot of fun these days.

We are now under another flood watch until Saturday morning, but it doesn't look like we will get as much rain.

So that's the news from Texas. I am not loving El Nina!

Hi all...cloudy but in the LOW 70's:eek: It's November, for goodness' sake!!

We are going to visit family for several days, so our pup Sonny is with DS35 until we return...gosh I have never missed one of my dogs so much!! He is such a happy being--makes us smile just looking at his face...

It is so frustrating having to wait for DH to do things to get the house organized, due to my increased inability to do physical labor. I feel so helpless...I am weaker and my body just can't do what it used to do in terms of lifting, etc. So I have to wait for him, which is a test of my patience:mad:

At least the living area is habitable. We are celebrating Christmas at Thanksgiving this year (we trade off every other year). So I want things just so by the time everyone from out of town comes in. (Twiddling thumbs...)

Hope everyone has a good weekend!!:)

It's been really warm down here in GA too. I mean we expect to not be freezing this time of year, but this is a bit ridiculous, especially with the mad humidity we're having, it's a bit stifling.

Well, I did end up going to the doctor after my unfortunate swing incident. Got x-rays of most of my body it seemed, and nothing was broken yippee, though a lot of bruises and a scrape that still hasn't healed fully. DGB was not overly traumatized by the incident either as the very next day she jumped right back up on the swing. DH has also since fixed by adding another chain to act as an anti-tip.

Other than suffering through what is hopefully the last of the heat, I'm doing my best to keep a little tot as busy as possible. Her GiGi bought her a brand new bike (no used bike shops in town) but the Bug hasn't quite gotten the hang of peddling, which means a lot of dragging of the bike on our morning walks, plus a lot of stopping as she tries to "adjust" the peddles so they work :p.

Still for a 2 year old she has managed to peddle a surprising number of times, making 2 whole rotations this morning before hitting the breaks again. (why kids peddle backwards I still can't figure out though I know I did the same thing...:confused:)

And DSD is quite happy and so much better rested now, since the DGB is on a schedule which includes a nap! She went from insisting her daughter wouldn't take naps to now counting down the minutes until the glorious NAP TIME!! And the result has a been an exceptionally well behaved little toddler in so long as we can keep her occupied.

Which isn't especially difficult since she picked up pretty quickly on it being time for breakfast, time for snack, time for walk, time for nap, time for lunch, time for snack, time for movie, time for dinner, time for bath, time for cookie, time for bed! And she's not afraid to tell us, she'll grab the cereal in the morning and if you're not up she'll smack you in the head with it. :p When it's time for a walk, she puts on her shoes and if you still don't get the hint she'll grab your foot and start putting your shoes on. :D She's got this down. And there is no, "just one minute".

But for all that, I don't know where I would be right now in her schedule if not for Netflix having Ocean Giants. We managed to get her to sit still for a minute or two, put on the Ocean Giants and she was off to dream world. Now she tells us it's naptime by demanding to see the whales. (lots of swirling blues and whale songs, very relaxing to watch.)

Still even with her mama, GiGi, Aunt Dotty and myself, I feel like I need about three more of me to keep up with her bouncing ball of energy. Just watching her, makes me tired, let alone getting dragged into her play. And with her mama leaving in two weeks for radiation therapy, I know I'm going to need six more of me, but I'll spread the one I've got to the breaking point for her. I'm seeing a balance beam going up very shortly in the yard. That should give this grandma a break while she runs back and forth, back and forth.

I fell during the middle of the night. I had gotten up to use the bathroom and in trying to crawl back into bed, my leg was not lifting high enough to accomplish the feat.

I was just contemplating waking DH when I went off balance crashing my back against the nightstand as I slid down and all the various stuff made a tremendous noise but DH was soundly asleep.

My calling to him finally aroused him to my rescue but it was pretty funny because he was really still asleep. He rushed to my side and exclaimed, "Have you been like this since YESTERDAY?!"

Could not resist a little fun so I answered, "Yes."

DH says, "Since YESTERDAY?!"

I said yes again. Then he helped me into bed and we both went to sleep. I am a bit sore but not as hurt as other falls.

DH is at work. One of his coworkers made us Albondigas Soup from one of my favorites recipes. She had made it a couple days ago for the office Halloween party and it was so popular that the tureen was empty before DH had any so she made another batch just for us. Sweet.

So dinner yum and it will be interesting to learn if DH remembers anything from the night.

Oh my gosh, Cyn, I'm glad you're okay. Falling is so scary. I'm glad DH was there to help you.....even if he doesn't remember it! :D I wish I could sleep that soundly. I wake up if the cat walks by the bed on the carpet! :rolleyes:

DIL came over today with the girls and Emma found my cell phone. She was walking around with it up to her ear just jabbering away and "talking" with her hands. It was so cute. DIL got her phone out and dialed my phone and when it rang Emma's reaction was priceless. My ringtone is a song so she immediately got this big grin on her face and she started dancing. It was hilarious. When it stopped ringing we called it again and she had the same reaction. Evelyn got in on the action and danced right along with Emma. I've now got about twenty missed calls showing on my phone. I wish we had taped it because she was so funny. Those babies just brighten up my day! :circlelove:

I fell long ago and DH was working far away. The EMTs were called and I looked up from the floor and saw an angel. The best looking guy I've ever seen. The next time I fell they sent a guy who wasn't that pretty. With the chair now I don't fall.

Lol kicker... I live in Georgia, the men here are considered pretty if they have at least half their teeth :p... I shouldn't say that though, back when I was working and shortly after I broke my back, I was crutching it over to my desk when both legs just bottomed out on me. Managed to stay upright by balancing on my crutches like they were parallel bars, but my boss called the EMTs...

They sent a few good lookers (had all their teeth, and pearly white to boot) to lift me on to the stretcher... not that I let them, but they were there. And probably the reason my pulse rate was up... couldn't have been the pain...but then they stuck a girl in the back with me to keep an eye and check vitals on the trip to the hospital. I still think I'd have been skipping off the stretcher if they put one of the guys in the back and I got to stare at that eye candy for the trip :p

I remember a time when I needed a root canal done. That guy was the best looking guy I had ever seen. I don't think they really needed to give me any anesthetic. I will never forget those blue eyes.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post1182285-14.html

Hunk stories always make me think about Sally.

Sorry to hear about Sally. She is in my thoughts and prayers. I know she loved her independence, but the time may have come where she is going to need more care. I know that it is something that most of us dread.

As I understand it she's aware of a need for more care but is hoping that it can be at home and not in some institution. I hope she'll be back at home soon where she can be more in charge of her life even though it means having helpers.

Omgoodness Board Buddies! What is going on? Illnesses, falls, bad weather, and now Sally back in the hospital. :(
Cyn and Starz, I'm glad you are ok. I am cautious but I know a spill is a probability in my future.

Barb - Your poor mom! And you! I hope the weather gets better for you.

Doydie - How's your DH doing? I hope he's feeling better.

I'm just resting today. My pain has increases and something is going on. My home health nurse put a call in to my doctor. :(

I spent a little bit of time with DD24 and the baby on Saturday. He's getting so big. I enjoyed their visit.

My concentration seems to have taken a small vacation or something. I haven't been able to read. I was reading a book by John Irving and enjoying it but had to stop. I've been playing silly computer games instead. It keeps me busy and occupied. I very rarely watch tv during the day but have been listening to some classical music, which has been so relaxing. I forgot how relaxing classical music can be.

I hope you all have a great day!:hug::grouphug:

trish, we thought DH was responding to the medicine because he was having significantly less abdominal pain. But today his diarrhea is back to where it had been although no pain. Because of the infection, he wasn't allowed to have his infusion for the ulcerative colitis. So we have to wait until he has a negative stool sample before it can be rescheduled.

Yeah, it looks like we are going to have a bleak holiday season with a lot of illnesses here.

One of the games I play on face book is Criminal case because I do have to remember where things are hidden and sometimes I am timed.

I know I haven't been on NT for awhile, but have been having a lot of problems. MS is playing a # with me. Also depression has been bad again.

I am sorry to hear everyone also is having their problems getting worse.

I read that Sally is in the hospital. Please tell me what happened.

Just the reading I have doing for a little while, my vision is clouding up, this has been my biggest problem, My Vision. With the change of weather everything else is acting up more. Had a Drs. appt. today but had a bad dizzy spell with a bloody nose. The bloody nose is what scared me more.

Will try to keep in touch more.

Jappy :grouphug:

We went out last night. We went to the local Comedy Improv and saw David Spade. It felt good to get out.

DS's GF is on tour with the traveling theater group doing "A Christmas Story." They are in Oklahoma right now. If you like musicals, if you buy tickets, look for her! It is heading west.

Trish - what is the latest?

Hi Everyone!

Jappy - :hug::hug: Depression can be tough to deal with. It's also hard to be social when you are feeling so down. I went through a period of that for the 1st time this summer. It was pretty much pain related because when the pain finally subsided I felt great physically and emotionally. And then I had surgery, but at least I know there is an end to post surgical pain. Hang in there and know you are not alone in that and we all understand. I hope you vision starts to improve so you can join in more often.:hug:

Doydie - I'm sorry DH's diarrhea started up again. What abx do they have him on? From what I have found online, Clorax Germicidal wipes are the only wipes that work against C. Diff as they have bleach in them. I think you can get them on Amazon. I have a spray bottle of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water in my bathroom and paper towels. I use it on the faucets and toilet handle each time I use the bathroom and my aide has been bleaching down my bathroom every day. I tested positive again for the 3rd time since September. I don't think it's fully going away with abx as within 10 days of being off the abx, it's back again. I just started 2 different antibiotics. I see the dr tomorrow. We're trying to treat this on an outpatient basis this time since I'm not running a fever. I'll be seeing an infectious disease dr as soon as the insurance approves it. Please take care so that you don't get it too. As you can see from your DH it's not a pleasant experience.

Cyn - I love "A Christmas Story". It's such a great story. I'm sure DS's gf is enjoying traveling and performing.

I hope you all have a great day!:hug::grouphug:

Hi Jappy,

I'm sorry I don't have any more information about Sally since I posted (see the link in Kitty's post, above). If any more news comes my way, I'll share it here. Meanwhile maybe others will know more.

Oh Trish, you aren't being encouraging at all:eek: It seemed pretty good all afternoon and then it is the evening and night that it is a raging bull. I am going to have to think of some pleasona activities we can do in the afternoons to give him some happiness in his life right now. His insurance will give him a free Silver Sneakers plan starting in January. He really needs it to gain some strength. But i also know he shouldn't be going to the Y with an active C Diff infection. We are using the Clorox wipes. Luckily we have 2 bathrooms so he is limited to using only one bathroom, U have a zip lock bag full of them when we go out. Is your comprimised immune system from MS causing you to get it over and over again. Of course his ulcerative colitis isn't helping any of this.

Sounds like a bummer holiday season is going around... My DSD is leaving Tuesday to seclude herself while she does her radiation therapy for her thyroid. And I think I might need to go back to the doctor and get my arm looked at from that fall from the swing. They X-rayed all but the elbow, and wouldn't you know, that's what's giving me the most issues now that the huge chunk/scrape has healed.

The GB is coming up on a growth spurt too, which isn't helping anyone in this house maintain their sanity, she is eating everything she can reach and cranky as they come. It is pretty much 20 fits a day (on a good day) that she's throwing right now, before we finally get her down for a nap and finally to bed at night. But at least once she's down, she's pretty well down for the count until her little belly rumbles then it's right back to the shrieks of hunger. I swear she's a caterpillar and not a human... She really needs to shoot up her awaiting inch soon, or I might just return her to wild, who ever thought of domesticating children anyways?! :p

I'm sorry that so many of you are struggling with health issues right now. I remember being tested for C diff once when I was having a colitis attack, and was so happy that the test came back negative.

Cyn - I'm glad you were able to get out and had a fun evening. I have never seen a theater version of A Christmas Story. That would be fun. Is she the mom or the teacher? I don't remeber any other female roles.

Yesterday, I went and look at a model home in a neighborhood that I really like. It is about 6 miles from where I am currently living. I just can't take apartment living. So i am seriously considering building. The division has two parks, lots of other trees and green spaces, hiking trails, a lake stocked with fish for fishing, two junior size olympic pools, and a clubhouse. It is a multigenration neighborhood, with all sizes of homes. One of the things I like most about it is that almost evey house has a front porch that people actually use, and the garage is in the back.

The lots are pretty small (I like that; less upkeep). The plan I am considering is an open floor plan with the great room, dining area, and kitchen all coneected. It is a two bedroom, two bathroom home with one car garage. I have the option of choosing a five foot walk in shower spa for the master bedroom.

It is in an area called the parks where there isn't actually a street in front of the house. Instead there is a rather wide green space with park benches and adirondack chairs. They are also planning a bocchi ball court and a pickle ball (which is big here in Texas) at the end of the section. All of the house have alleysin the division behind them where the garages are. My only concern is that there would be only one place for parking for guests beside my garage. So if I had company over (book group or something) they would have to park on a different street and walk. In other sections of the division, there are streets in front of the house too.

I have alot to think about. I want to try to make a decision fairly soon because they are building out to May now. My lease is up at the end of June so that would be perfect is they actually got it done by then