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stusue · July 20, 2015 5:20 pm

Wendy, I'm so sorry about your sister. And I really feel for your niece.

Just an update about my mum, if anyone's interested...

Last week was an awful, awful week. Something happened that upset Mum so much that she suddenly went downhill as we watched. We had a couple of really bad mornings but Mum felt so bad when she woke up Sunday morning that she just wanted to go, saying she couldn't take any more. Thank heavens, after medication, a couple of days, and lots and lots of TLC, she's feeling not too bad this morning and is now sitting up in bed, sound asleep, with lots of time to rally her forces before the carer comes later this morning (we had to cancel the carer 3 times last week as Mum was simply too sick and we're now trying the carer coming later in the morning rather than first thing).

My sister has now said that I'll never be alone at night, and will only be left alone for a few hours on days when people swap over. But I like my time alone with Mum as it's so much quieter and restful, and Mum likes it, too. I also like my time alone when I get up early and don't have to keep as quiet as a church mouse, tiptoeing around and having to watch TV with some huge headphones stuck on my head!

But, after the coldest snap since before 2000, with storms racing up from the Antarctic, bringing lots and lots of snow (but not in Sydney, of course!), we're back to beautiful, warm, sunny days, which always makes things seem not as bad as they had when it was cold and raining and miserable.

teeitup46ok · July 20, 2015 5:41 pm

So sorry to hear about your mum's setback, stusue. Hope she continues to rally and I'll say some prayers for her and you. Are you doing better healthwise, since it's "winter" there.

We had temps today of 96 (heat index 109),ugh. I just found out I had termites (not too bad yet) and they came out today to do the initial treatment. Felt so sorry for them as it was hot.

Took the pups in for their first grooming as they were getting pretty shaggy looking. He said they should be trimmed very little as each trim encourages more rapid hair growth and their hair is pretty course but wanted to see them cleaner looking for a while. Going to pick them up and will take a pic. Meant to take a before shot but forgot.

stusue · July 20, 2015 5:57 pm

Thanks, Tee!

I totally agree with your "winter"! We're back to sun and around 20C (70F).

And, yes, it does help with my health, thanks.

I can't wait to see the pups after their very first grooming!

WendyDarling · July 22, 2015 8:33 am

More puppy pictures!!!!
I have a buddy out here, he found out on the 4th of July that his father's chemo hadn't worked and they gave his dad 6 months to live. He finished out the next couple of days and then went home for the next week and just came back out last Friday. Yesterday he got the call that his dad had just died. It really sucks when they tell you six months and it wasn't even 3 weeks. How can they get it so, so wrong? He was in bad shape, it was that lung stuff, mesothelioma or whatever those commercials are always on for, and he was in a lot of pain the last day, so it was probably for the best, he was ready, but still, if they tell you six months you figure you've got 3 for sure, you know? But at least he went home and had the couple weeks with him.
Home life is unsettled, as usual. It sounds llike hubby is putting the RV in storage and going to come up north. His buddy has been living with his mother since his breakup with long time girlfriend and is ready to get out of there so I guess he's going to get an apartment or house we can all live in. I will miss Florida but I'm willilng to try something else, and if it doesn't work out I can just leave his ass up here and head back south. Don't know how this will work out with regards to my sick sister, just wait and see, I guess.

WendyDarling · July 22, 2015 10:33 am

It was around 90 a few days ago with Florida humidity and then last night I turned on my electric blanket (oh, the comforts of 24 hour power) and it's almost noon today and still cold in the shade with a brisk Canadian breeze blowing.. It's been a great summer temperature wise, mostly 70s with a few mid 80s. I'm sitting in my van in the sun and I have to roll the windows up more because I'm chilly, lol.

Last edited by WendyDarling (July 22, 2015 10:34 am)

sunshinej · July 22, 2015 1:22 pm

Husband and I have been busy with a project that we been thinking about doing since last year and this year we finally bit the bullet and got started with it. It involves a lot of painting, after two weeks I am so sick of painting! I was complaining to him a couple of days ago about how summer is passing us by and still we keep painting. At least not much longer now and it will look nice when finished.

I bought a gorgeous lucky bamboo plant (I'll post a picture of it) at a yard sale awhile back and it started to look a little yellow in the leaves. Looking up on how to care for it online the article said never to use tap water since the plant does not do well with the fluoride in the water. So, of course, I looked up articles on fluoride and a website I found called fluoridealert.org that brought up all kinds of series health problems you can get by consuming fluoride internally. Including a mention of lowering IQ's in children. So, of course, I looked to my bottle water that I usually drink Dasani and on the back there is a phone number you can call about the water quality and information, so I called it and it doesn't contain fluoride. Well, that's good, but what about all the other things I use tap water for. So here I started with trying to take better care of my plant to ending with vowing to consume less fluoride.

stusue... Is your mom strong enough to get outside? Being outside on a beautiful day often raises my spirits up. Rain & miserable weather is enough to put anyone in a funk. Glad to hear that she seems a bit better regarding her mood.

oscar...How adorable your pup is. Getting so big now.

teeitup...How did your puppies like being groomed? Back when I had my dog he always felt a little prouder when he came back from the groomers, like he knew he looked good.

mila...The puppy is cute, but have no clue on the breed. It looks familar though.

wendy...Glad to hear that your season is going so well. I just love those stiff Canadian breezes in the summer. Not so much in the wintertime.
Your husband sounds like that he is the type that makes friends easily. What a nice virtue to have. I hope the living situation will be better for you than last winter.

Last edited by sunshinej (July 22, 2015 1:30 pm)

stusue · July 22, 2015 6:16 pm

Sunshine, I gather you're painting your house? Inside or out? Or both?

I had a lucky bamboo years ago and it grew amazingly, until one day it just died. I have no idea why. We don't have fluoride in the water in Germany but it's added to things like salt. I have no idea how bad it is to ingest but you need it for your teeth (and I assume other things). When I was young we didn't have fluoride in the water in Sydney, either, and I remember us 4 kids lining up at night after we'd cleaned our teeth (me, being the baby, always at the end), and dad would pop a little fluoride tablet in our mouths and watched while we chewed, making sure that we had strong teeth and no caries.

My mum can't go outside as she's chained to the oxygen tank 24/7. It's placed in the centre of the apartment and she can get to anywhere in the apartment and just outside the front door but no further. The apartment doesn't have a balcony so we're kind of stuck. The only way to get Mum outside is to hire oxygen tanks but Mum said she has no desire to go out (and she has zero energy so it would tire her too much).

However, the apartment is right on the beach (literally - when the kids are here we throw lollies out to the window onto the sand and they run and pick them up - all the other kids on the beach wander over, hoping to get some, too!). And it's directly opposite the entrance to Sydney Harbour, so we watch all the big cruise ships and tankers and naval boats coming and going into and out of the harbour. There have been naval exercises with America going on and so we've seen some really big (some of them really weird) ships coming and going, and even an aircraft carrier! We get to see them all really close, and even closer with the binoculars, so it's quite fun. We also get to watch the big ferries going back and forth to and from Manly, as well as lots of yachts and fishing boats. We also get to watch the goings on at the small naval base which is opposite us, sometimes even seeing the gorgeous hunks that pass for navy guys doing excercises on the beach.

There are also lots of regulars on the beach and we've named them all and have made up stories about them and their families, if they come, too. People also swim right in front of us 365 days of the year and the kiddies' swimming rock pool is right in front of our window so there's always heaps to watch! So Mum's quite content just sitting by the window, looking out over the harbour, checking out what's coming in through the Heads, checking out who's swimming, who's on the beach, who's wandering along the boardwalk, etc. As long as it's warm and sunny there's always heaps going on, even in winter. And, if there's a storm, that's also heaps of fun to watch, as is the fantastic rainbows we get, going right down to the water. We also get the most amazing sunrises and moonrises, as well as dawn and dusk. As you can see, we're never bored just looking out the window.

If anyone can let me know how to post photos here I'll show you the view we have out the window.

Well, it's Mum's breakfast time. I wonder how much I can get her to eat today. She woke up first at 05:15, thinking it was morning, even though it was pitch black. She and Anne went straight back to sleep but I, of course, have been awake for hours. I'm so tired!

Have a good one, everyone!

lilyr · July 22, 2015 8:41 pm

Darn Microsoft! I had a pretty good post almost all written when *poof* Microsoft started installing updates. It was the type of update that you need to restart your computer. I went to get dinner. When I came back over and hour later my computer was still "shutting down". So who knows if the darned updates even got installed. Let's see what I can get done this time.

stusue -- I'm so sorry your mom had such a terrible week. I've been praying for you both since you first told us. I thought sunshinej had a good idea (about your mother going outside) but totally understand why she doesn't. WOW!! What a great place to live! I'd have my face glued to the window and probably get even less done than I do now! : I'm glad the weather is helping you feel better (somewhat).

tee -- Awww -- their first haircuts! Hope you can post pics.

Wendy -- I worked Oncology for many years. When people are terminal the amount of life left is a VERY rough estimate. I'm so glad that your buddy went home and got to spend some time with his father. And I can't tell you how many times I've seen patients hang in until all the people they wanted to see made it. Maybe your buddy's father felt it was okay to go after seeing his son.

sunshinej -- Better you than me regarding the painting! My ex has a lucky bamboo plant and it gets (fluoridated) tap water. It's thriving -- and has been for several years.

stusue · July 22, 2015 10:08 pm

Just had a very tear-filled talk with Mum and she said that she just wants to go. That she'd hoped she'd go this morning but she's feeling a bit better now and so she'd stuffed that idea up. She said that she can't take it anymore, that she can't fight anymore and just wants to go and be with Dad. We told her that if she wants to go then that's fine. She said that she wants us to be happy for her when she goes and we said that we would be, that it's fine to go and be with Dad if that's what she wants. I think the end is nigh...

WendyDarling · July 23, 2015 9:24 am

Aw, Stusue, she probably will go pretty soon, then. She's fought really hard for a long time, and you just can't keep fighting forever. I felt so bad for my mum, she kept saying all she wanted was one good day before she went, but she never got it. She didn't mind the thought of going, she was tired, too; but she just wanted to feel good one more time.
Hubby put the RV in storage so he's really making a move. Good for him. His life needs to change.

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