Goodness, I didn't realize how long it's been since I was here. Our Christmas was good. Quiet compared to some years, but enjoyable just the same. My birthday came and went the same way.
Amanda, no I didn't read Reconstructing Amelia. Well, sort of. I read a bit at the beginning, but couldn't seem to get into it, passed a few pages, read a bit more, skipped a little more, read some. . . Read enough at the end to figure out what happened. It's not that there was anything wrong with the book, it just wasn't my type.
Thanx for the "sympathy" on my Christmas busyness. Sounds like you were just as busy.
Donna M, okay, that's just weird. I haven't changed anything having to do with my computer since I can't remember when. I did crash it, and was off-line for about 3 weeks, but that was in Feb, not way back before Christmas. Our friend, John, took it and fixed it for me, but he warned me if it happens again, he may not be able to help (that's how old it is).
I hope you've had some rain by now! We've had less than half the snow we usually have, and it's been a cold, cold winter! We've been breaking record cold temps. every few days. March 4 today and it was -28 this morning. I am SOOOOO ready for spring!
Trudy, what a gorgeous, gorgeous baby! Congratulations!!! And on the other hand, condolences over the insurance troubles. Hopefully by now everything is straightened out and working smoothly again.
Lucky you, going off to Ireland! When is this trip taking place? And how long will you be gone? I would love to visit Ireland. Lucky you! Oh, I said that already. Well, double the luck then. {:-)
Now for what I've been up to. . . };-) We thought we would have a very restful, uneventful winter. Well, we thought wrong! My middle daughter decided she needed to go hareing off to Cuba for 2 weeks to warm up from our very cold winter. So she was gone from Jan 20 to Feb 6, while we stayed home and looked after her girls and the dog. While all that was going on we also joined a musical drama group. The performance is called "His Promise" and depicts the life of Christ from birth through death and the resurection. It's being sponsored by the Faith Build section of Habitat for Humanity, and all the $$ raised will stay in the community to help fund a home for a needy family. The music is fantastic, and the drama gives goosebumps, still. The man they've got playing Jesus has a wonderful deep voice, and to hear him call "Lazarus, come out!" absolutely makes you tingle. There's almost 100 people in the production, so I really hope that each performance is well attended. We're into dress rehearsals now, and the performances start Thurs, Mar 6, one each evening till Sun, Mar 9 when there's also an afternoon show.
Then is Hardy's birthday at the end of the month, and come Easter we're hoping to head to Edmonton to spend some time with my folks. My mom's dentist found something he didn't like in her throat the other week, so he's sending her to a specialist. As if she doesn't already have enough health problems!
One of my sister-in-laws has been diagnosed with cancer. They're having a terrible time trying to decide what type of cancer it is, and where in her body it started from. The mass they've found is near her lower spine. She's in excruciating pain! This has been going on for several months already, and the drs are frantic. One dr told her that there was nothing they could do about it, as that type of cancer was untreatable -- and fatal, so she should just go home and get herself ready to die. The whole family was shocked over that one. First they say they don't know what type it is, and then they say it's untreatable. She's now seeing a different specialist at the cancer clinic in Vancouver. He's supposed to be the best in the country.
Must go. We leave for practise in an hour and haven't eaten yet. I'll try not to stay away so long next time.
Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all!
READERS UNITED
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Wed. night
As I sit here and write, it is a very cold, dreary and rainy January night in Florida night. The temps hovered around 45F all day, yes, you read that right! Fortunately, I live far enough south to avoid the SNOW and SLEET that the Panhandle and Jacksonville experienced! I am so, so grateful that I don't live in Atlanta or elsewhere in the Deep South today; this was bad enough. Whereas, Dec, 2013 was unseasonably warm and everyone was posting "I Hate Florida" signs on FB, January, 2014 has been unseasonably COLD, with temps running 10-15 degrees below normal and most days being cloudy, dreary and rainy. I know that you all have suffered far worse than I have but I'd much rather have the "I Hate Florida" signs than this.
I have a new grandson. Jaxson Alexander Miner was born by C-section Jan. 2, 2014, weighing 8.8 lbs and 21" long. His birth came just ahead of the blizzard that hit Reading, PA, later that day!
My insurance nightmare still isn't over. I've changed primaries again after being left sitting in an unheated (yes, unheated vs not a/c) room for 2 hrs and nearly freezing to death and then my blood work wasn't back! Now, I have to wait until the beginning of Feb. for my new primary to take effect. On top of that, the other one screwed me up with two specialists and I still don't have my swollen ankles taken care of.
My plans for my trip are slowly taking shape. I've booked a room in Dublin so far. The tours are still so expensive and the single supplements are running about $340 on top of that. My cell phone won't work overseas either but I've bought a tablet which can be used as an ereader.
Please stay safe during this horrible winter and read some hot books to warm up!
Trudy
I have a new grandson. Jaxson Alexander Miner was born by C-section Jan. 2, 2014, weighing 8.8 lbs and 21" long. His birth came just ahead of the blizzard that hit Reading, PA, later that day!
My insurance nightmare still isn't over. I've changed primaries again after being left sitting in an unheated (yes, unheated vs not a/c) room for 2 hrs and nearly freezing to death and then my blood work wasn't back! Now, I have to wait until the beginning of Feb. for my new primary to take effect. On top of that, the other one screwed me up with two specialists and I still don't have my swollen ankles taken care of.
My plans for my trip are slowly taking shape. I've booked a room in Dublin so far. The tours are still so expensive and the single supplements are running about $340 on top of that. My cell phone won't work overseas either but I've bought a tablet which can be used as an ereader.
Please stay safe during this horrible winter and read some hot books to warm up!
Trudy
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Hello Readers United!
Remember me!
Merry Christmas.
Lets go back to normal size!
Donna H.
I sent an email out to everyone today to wish you all a Merry Christmas. I got yours back. Please send me your email address to: donna40m@gmail.com Maybe there is a problem on your provider. Anyway I just want to make sure I can reach you. Thanks.
Amanda, I love the snow pictures. However, glad it isn't me! I do wish we would get some rain we have less than two inches through the end of this year. The weather year starts in July but we don't usually have rain until sometime in October. We are in drought mode which means problems come summer. Hopefully the new year will bring us rain.
Just wanted to let you all know I'm alive. Soon I will come back to try to catch up a bit.
Merry Christmas to all & to all a Good night!
Donna M
Remember me!
Merry Christmas.
Lets go back to normal size!
Donna H.
I sent an email out to everyone today to wish you all a Merry Christmas. I got yours back. Please send me your email address to: donna40m@gmail.com Maybe there is a problem on your provider. Anyway I just want to make sure I can reach you. Thanks.
Amanda, I love the snow pictures. However, glad it isn't me! I do wish we would get some rain we have less than two inches through the end of this year. The weather year starts in July but we don't usually have rain until sometime in October. We are in drought mode which means problems come summer. Hopefully the new year will bring us rain.
Just wanted to let you all know I'm alive. Soon I will come back to try to catch up a bit.
Merry Christmas to all & to all a Good night!
Donna M
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow
Do I remember November? Lets see, I worked, went to visit two more colleges with Aurora (way closer than that first one in NY - although its still the front runner), and had 5 days off at Thanksgiving (the best part). Its still crazy at work and I have 6 days to get as much done as possible before Christmas shutdown. Vacation can not come soon enough! I have book club this week - we are reading Skipping Christmas by John Grisham. Just found out the movie Christmas with the Kranks was based on this book. Who knew? We are doing bc at The Melting Pot - a nice holiday celebration. I've never been, so will let you know what I think. I am also going to a party on Friday - one of the girls I went to school with is hosting it. Should be fun. Its going to be a busy week!
DonnaH -- Did you read Reconstructing Amelia? What did you think of it? I enjoyed it. Could really feel for the mom in this. Glad the wedding ceremony was nice, despite a bratty child. What were they thinking bringing her? And who makes everyone else suffer like that? I did not regret the "no child" rule at my wedding, esp since it was at night when must young children would normally be going to bed. Wow, 22 people for xmas eve - you are better than me! I don't think I could fit 22 people into my mobile - lol. Sure wouldn't be anywhere to sit. Glad you don't have to do all the cooking, even more so since it looks like this has been a busy month for you.
Trudy -- Happy belated Birthday! How was the show you went to? No doubt, you had a great time. It was nice that your friend was in town to visit. Never a bad day at Epcot, imo. Sorry about the whole health insurance deal. Ours went up in October because of David's work being bought out (I had no notice, thank you very much) and it will be going up again in January - ugh! Also, our dentist doesn't take this insurance, so I will be on the lookout for a new one again. Happy happy joy joy.
If I am not back on here before Christmas, I wish everyone a happy one. Anyone got plans for New Years? I don't - yet. I guess we shall see. I will leave with one more picture . . . this is from today.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas
Wow, Trudy, you've had a busy summer and fall.
I've actually been reading quite a lot, too. I've gotten all my Christmas-themed books together, and am reading "Christmas" like crazy. I'm reading A Bridge to Dreams by Sherryl Woods right now. It's a novella in with 2 other authors. The one I really wanted in this book was Sister of the Bride by Susan Mallery. It's part of her Fool's Gold series. I also have the Fool's Gold Cookbook by Susan Mallery as well. Never thought I'd be "reading" a cookbook. It's got a few pages of the story, then a few pages of recipes, then more story, more recipes. It's actually quite annoying as very few of the recipes are what I would try.
There's one recipe called Easy Pull Apart Elephant Ears which seems to be one I might try. It's mentioned on about page 4, and the recipe is on page 88. Grrr.
Gabapentin causes swollen ankles?!? I'm on gabapentin too, for neuropathy in my feet due to my diabetes. One of my ankles has been swelling a bit the last couple of weeks. It's the ankle I hurt when I fell on the stairs to the soundroom at church back in spring. I'm not due to go back to my Dr. until next Feb. If it gets worse I guess I'll have to see him sooner. When I saw him last month, he was actually on vacation, and I saw his partner. He changed 2 of my meds, and totally messed up the gabapentin one, to the point that I had to go back to the dr's office and get a new one written up. But the two changed ones have brought my bg down almost to the point where it should be. It's in the high 7's to low 9's now, instead of over 11 like it was before. It really should be below 7, but I'm thinking that's just a pipe dream that I'll likely never achieve. (Our 7 is the same as your 100)
The arthritis in my left hand (I'm left-handed) is getting to the point where I can't even roll out the dough for my special Christmas cookies. My daughter and her friend came over last week and mixed up a batch for me. I put it in the fridge to cool, and yesterday my daughter came back and between her and Hardy, we got half the batch baked. I've got 4 gallon ice cream containers full now. Tomorrow she's coming back to help me bake the other half, and then we'll also mix a batch for her. Hardy was rolling the dough out, and he pressed so hard that he broke my rolling pin. {:-D So Joy had to rush home and get hers. My job was to take the pans out of the oven and take the cookies off the pans. Hardy and Joy did all the rest.
I just sat down and added up all the people who will be here for Christmas Eve. 22. We do pot-luck, so I don't actually have to do all the cooking, but I do still have lots to do. We've already gone to 6 special Christmas parties and one school concert. 2 more school concerts and I think we're done.
We're having a candlelight Christmas Eve program, and they want my candle sticks. I've got 24 x 5 foot tall candlesticks that I made. They stand on the floor and have a sort of handle thing that fits over the ends of the benches to hold them steady. Drape some greenery on them, or a pretty red bow, and they look quite elegant if I do say so myself.
Oh my! Have I ever been chattering on. Many apologies!
I hope every had a very good Thanksgiving.
Merry Christmas! to everyone. {:-)
I've actually been reading quite a lot, too. I've gotten all my Christmas-themed books together, and am reading "Christmas" like crazy. I'm reading A Bridge to Dreams by Sherryl Woods right now. It's a novella in with 2 other authors. The one I really wanted in this book was Sister of the Bride by Susan Mallery. It's part of her Fool's Gold series. I also have the Fool's Gold Cookbook by Susan Mallery as well. Never thought I'd be "reading" a cookbook. It's got a few pages of the story, then a few pages of recipes, then more story, more recipes. It's actually quite annoying as very few of the recipes are what I would try.
There's one recipe called Easy Pull Apart Elephant Ears which seems to be one I might try. It's mentioned on about page 4, and the recipe is on page 88. Grrr.
Gabapentin causes swollen ankles?!? I'm on gabapentin too, for neuropathy in my feet due to my diabetes. One of my ankles has been swelling a bit the last couple of weeks. It's the ankle I hurt when I fell on the stairs to the soundroom at church back in spring. I'm not due to go back to my Dr. until next Feb. If it gets worse I guess I'll have to see him sooner. When I saw him last month, he was actually on vacation, and I saw his partner. He changed 2 of my meds, and totally messed up the gabapentin one, to the point that I had to go back to the dr's office and get a new one written up. But the two changed ones have brought my bg down almost to the point where it should be. It's in the high 7's to low 9's now, instead of over 11 like it was before. It really should be below 7, but I'm thinking that's just a pipe dream that I'll likely never achieve. (Our 7 is the same as your 100)
The arthritis in my left hand (I'm left-handed) is getting to the point where I can't even roll out the dough for my special Christmas cookies. My daughter and her friend came over last week and mixed up a batch for me. I put it in the fridge to cool, and yesterday my daughter came back and between her and Hardy, we got half the batch baked. I've got 4 gallon ice cream containers full now. Tomorrow she's coming back to help me bake the other half, and then we'll also mix a batch for her. Hardy was rolling the dough out, and he pressed so hard that he broke my rolling pin. {:-D So Joy had to rush home and get hers. My job was to take the pans out of the oven and take the cookies off the pans. Hardy and Joy did all the rest.
I just sat down and added up all the people who will be here for Christmas Eve. 22. We do pot-luck, so I don't actually have to do all the cooking, but I do still have lots to do. We've already gone to 6 special Christmas parties and one school concert. 2 more school concerts and I think we're done.
We're having a candlelight Christmas Eve program, and they want my candle sticks. I've got 24 x 5 foot tall candlesticks that I made. They stand on the floor and have a sort of handle thing that fits over the ends of the benches to hold them steady. Drape some greenery on them, or a pretty red bow, and they look quite elegant if I do say so myself.
Oh my! Have I ever been chattering on. Many apologies!
I hope every had a very good Thanksgiving.
Merry Christmas! to everyone. {:-)
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Saturday night
If I did nothing else, I guess I did get everyone to vote on the blog! I'm glad you all want to keep it open actually but I was feeling quite lonely all summer.
On Oct. 3, I went to EPCOT to see a friend from Wernersville, PA whom I've not seen in 10 years. She came to FL to visit her brother who lives in Jacksonville and spent the day at EPCOT. If I wanted to see Kathy, I had to go to EPCOT! It was like it had been yesterday the last time I saw her! Other than it was stinking hot (86), it was a great time had by all!
I've been reading a lot of books and posting on Goodreads; however, they keep telling me that I'm 5-6% behind all the time! Mostly, I read historical romances as you know. I've gotten most of them from my library's book nook sale; then I turn them back in to sell again.
Three weeks ago, my ankles swelled suddenly and without reason. That week I happened to have visits scheduled with two specialists and I also went to see my primary; the consensus was that I have fluid on my ankles, no, duh! My primary told me to go see a vascular guy and I have an appt. on Wed. I've been wearing compression socks for several hours each day which has brought the swelling down considerably. It could be as simple as the gabepentin I take or something more sinister.
To make matters worse, the hospital group that my primary belongs to dropped my insurance for next year. It has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with Obamacare but I am devastated to lose my primary; I've been with her for many years and she's an excellent doctor. I was all set to go straight Medicare plus supplement and Part D until my agent realized that I have Rx's; he said that I couldn't afford the co-pays on top of the monthly payments for the plans. And that was that. Last year, this same group dropped that insurance company too and I switched to the one I've got now but managed to keep my doctors; not this time.
On Dec. 5, I'm going to see George Donaldson of Celtic Thunder at a solo gig here in Dunedin. He's the lone Scot. I'm so excited!!! Several of my friends are going with me and I'm going to meet Sue-Ellen Welfonder at long-last who's driving up to see George sing too. I've been following Sue-Ellen's Tartan Ink blog now for a couple of years; she lives a couple hours south of me and writes Scottish medieval romances and time-travel romances. For once my birthday won't be a non-event!
For all of you who have been shivering in the cold, it's been a mild fall here. The temps have been in the 80's this week but that is coming to a screeching halt tonight as the first of two cold fronts are coming through. We will get the big cold front Tues/Wed. with the threat of severe weather before you all get it for Turkey Day. I hope it doesn't last!
I don't know how to access this blog on IE. I'm using my old computer and use Google but I'm giving this computer to a friend who doesn't have her own computer. If you know how I can access this blog using IE, please let me know. My friend is one of the people I'll see Dec. 5th.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Trudy
On Oct. 3, I went to EPCOT to see a friend from Wernersville, PA whom I've not seen in 10 years. She came to FL to visit her brother who lives in Jacksonville and spent the day at EPCOT. If I wanted to see Kathy, I had to go to EPCOT! It was like it had been yesterday the last time I saw her! Other than it was stinking hot (86), it was a great time had by all!
I've been reading a lot of books and posting on Goodreads; however, they keep telling me that I'm 5-6% behind all the time! Mostly, I read historical romances as you know. I've gotten most of them from my library's book nook sale; then I turn them back in to sell again.
Three weeks ago, my ankles swelled suddenly and without reason. That week I happened to have visits scheduled with two specialists and I also went to see my primary; the consensus was that I have fluid on my ankles, no, duh! My primary told me to go see a vascular guy and I have an appt. on Wed. I've been wearing compression socks for several hours each day which has brought the swelling down considerably. It could be as simple as the gabepentin I take or something more sinister.
To make matters worse, the hospital group that my primary belongs to dropped my insurance for next year. It has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with Obamacare but I am devastated to lose my primary; I've been with her for many years and she's an excellent doctor. I was all set to go straight Medicare plus supplement and Part D until my agent realized that I have Rx's; he said that I couldn't afford the co-pays on top of the monthly payments for the plans. And that was that. Last year, this same group dropped that insurance company too and I switched to the one I've got now but managed to keep my doctors; not this time.
On Dec. 5, I'm going to see George Donaldson of Celtic Thunder at a solo gig here in Dunedin. He's the lone Scot. I'm so excited!!! Several of my friends are going with me and I'm going to meet Sue-Ellen Welfonder at long-last who's driving up to see George sing too. I've been following Sue-Ellen's Tartan Ink blog now for a couple of years; she lives a couple hours south of me and writes Scottish medieval romances and time-travel romances. For once my birthday won't be a non-event!
For all of you who have been shivering in the cold, it's been a mild fall here. The temps have been in the 80's this week but that is coming to a screeching halt tonight as the first of two cold fronts are coming through. We will get the big cold front Tues/Wed. with the threat of severe weather before you all get it for Turkey Day. I hope it doesn't last!
I don't know how to access this blog on IE. I'm using my old computer and use Google but I'm giving this computer to a friend who doesn't have her own computer. If you know how I can access this blog using IE, please let me know. My friend is one of the people I'll see Dec. 5th.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Trudy
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Rembrance Day & Stuff
Oh boy, everyone's going to be tired of reading blue. . .
I got Reconstructing Amelia from the library. Hard cover, so it's big and heavy. Haven't started it yet as I also picked up The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James. I actually read it first, even though it, too, was larger than usual -- trade size I think they call it. Even though it was an historical, I still enjoyed it, and have a hold put on the other book by this author. She's fairly new, these are the only two books that were listed under her name. I would tell you what the other one is, but I can't remember.
Well, the wedding was yesterday. Went off okay, but IMHO was very disorganized. Supper was supposed to start at 6:30, and we finally got to eat at 7:30. The ceremony was almost half an hour starting, and the seating was so crowded in the place they had rented that my daughter commented to me that she was sure glad she knew the people on either side of her as she'd feel very uncomfortable sitting that close to a stranger. The woman sitting behind us had a 3 yr old kid with her. A 3 yr old undisciplined !! kid. My daughter and I both turned around and glared at her until she finally got the idea that we didn't like someone yelling in our ears and kicking our chairs, so she finally tried to keep her quiet. Obviously the kid has never been taken anywhere before where she had to be quiet as she was a total monster the whole half hour of the ceremony. But the ceremony in itself was actually very nice. Brief, but nice. No frills. A 5 min talk on what love was, then the vows and the rings and finished.
Tomorrow we'll go to the Rembrance Day service in the morning, and probably go in to town for birthday cake as one of my granddaughters is turning 12.
I got Reconstructing Amelia from the library. Hard cover, so it's big and heavy. Haven't started it yet as I also picked up The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James. I actually read it first, even though it, too, was larger than usual -- trade size I think they call it. Even though it was an historical, I still enjoyed it, and have a hold put on the other book by this author. She's fairly new, these are the only two books that were listed under her name. I would tell you what the other one is, but I can't remember.
Well, the wedding was yesterday. Went off okay, but IMHO was very disorganized. Supper was supposed to start at 6:30, and we finally got to eat at 7:30. The ceremony was almost half an hour starting, and the seating was so crowded in the place they had rented that my daughter commented to me that she was sure glad she knew the people on either side of her as she'd feel very uncomfortable sitting that close to a stranger. The woman sitting behind us had a 3 yr old kid with her. A 3 yr old undisciplined !! kid. My daughter and I both turned around and glared at her until she finally got the idea that we didn't like someone yelling in our ears and kicking our chairs, so she finally tried to keep her quiet. Obviously the kid has never been taken anywhere before where she had to be quiet as she was a total monster the whole half hour of the ceremony. But the ceremony in itself was actually very nice. Brief, but nice. No frills. A 5 min talk on what love was, then the vows and the rings and finished.
Tomorrow we'll go to the Rembrance Day service in the morning, and probably go in to town for birthday cake as one of my granddaughters is turning 12.
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