CN Central: Let's Talk

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

For quite a long time it seems, my soap opera has dominated our forum. I’m so grateful to all of you for your love, prayers, compassion and constant support.

With this thread, I’m hoping we can open up our forum to more conversations, with each of us sharing and updating about our lives. Or just chatting.

I miss all of you and want to know that you are well and safe. I hope that you will take a little time occasionally to stop by and say, “Hello,” and share your news.

Here’s my exciting news for the day ~

I spied the Field Roast Celebration Roast in the fridge this morning and checked its expiration date: 10/17. I decided to cook it today. I had two Russet baking potatoes, which I boiled, saving half for mashed and half for potato salad tomorrow. I found a bag of organic multi-colored carrots and a bag of peas, which had been in the freezer for a long time. I had a package of gluten-free vegan savory herb gravy mix.

I surrounded the roast with chopped sweet onion and celery, then basted with a veggie broth, EVO, and herbs.

Although I paced myself throughout the day, I was on my feet more than usual. I know it doesn’t sound like a lot of effort, but it’s the most that I can expend these days.

It was quite tasty, and now I have a bunch of pots and pans to wash and food to put in containers for the fridge.

This is the first time that I have cooked a meal of this size since Christmas. As Jim’s appetite declined, he was no longer interested in his favorite meals. He also couldn’t tolerate that much food.

John and I texted this morning, and I told him that I was “cooking.” He said he would like a “little meat to go with that, but otherwise, it sounds good." He was glad I was making the effort.

Long ago, I loved to cook and bake everything from scratch. I don’t know how I managed to do it and care for my boys, work, maintain our home. Ah, youth!

At least I have leftovers, because I don’t plan on doing this again very soon, if ever.

Now, it is your turn to share your stories and receive love, prayers and support. Please visit, when you’re able.

My prayers and love are with you all and your loved ones. Please be safe, stay strong, and be as content as possible in these difficult days.

I love you ~

God Bless You ~

Love & Light,



Rose

*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!

[funnylegs4]

Hi Rose,
Great idea making this thread! The Field Roast sounds yummy!

I'm so sorry I haven't been around much. I'm extremely busy. As it turns out working online has opened a TON of opportunities for me. I'm a paid mentor, a board member for a creative Org helping with accessibility for the Org, and still working on that TV show which was on hiatus until about a week ago during the pandemic, ONLINE. My friends and family remain healthy. I'll check in when I can.

[mg12061]

E3087A81-1BDC-46BE-8439-A9BFFAC71E73.jpg6519D08A-FD71-49FE-823F-D689A7B2D53E.jpgGreat idea Rose! Your dinner sounds "scrumptious" (one of Kathleen's favorite words, she got it from the word of the day on sesame street LOL). I love when a meal can feed you for a couple of days! Youth, yes, what a gift! I feel pretty active but I also remember having my 3 kids and more (ones I babysat) and making homemade pasta, everything from scratch, always a big dinner all together. I sewed (until it became almost more expensive than buying). I chuckled at John's comment " a little meat to go with that" LOL. My husband was a big meat eater until we married. My dad was a meat cutter at a small local market but I never liked meat. We had lots of it on the table growing up. I remember pushing it around my
plate. I do eat chicken and fish though. My garden is now mowed under... Sad to see it go... I loved going out and picking veggies. I made a big eggplant parmesan and homemade salsa for dinner today. We had a big storm on Wednesday, felt like a tornado! We heard the tree branches breaking which scared the heck out of me. Lost power in the afternoon and it didn't come back on till Friday afternoon. We lost everything in the fridge and freezer. The positive of that is we really got it cleaned out LOL. We were right in the middle of painting our living room which was a trick with no lights but it came out good. My husband fell off a chair about 20 minutes into painting. I thought for sure we were going to the ER but turned out he was ok. Kathleen was not happy about having no power.
funnylegs, nice to see you here! Sounds like you've been keeping very busy that's great. Stay well and safe.
Stay healthy and safe!
I’ve included a picture of a new craft Kathleen and I have been doing. We find some good smooth rocks and Kathleen paints the base color and I elaborate with a picture! She loves giving them awa. Also is the picture of her feeding grace the baby deer.
Mary Grace

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

funnylegs4 ~

Thank you so much for responding. It is so good to hear from you.

Congratulations on your success! You Go, Girl! I'm so happy for and proud of you! You're a dedicated, hard working woman, and nothing stands in your way. I look forward to hearing more about everything you are doing, when you have the time. You have a very full plate right now. Just stop by occasionally, so we know that you are well and safe, please.

Mary Grace ~

Thank you so much for responding.

Two days without power?! Oh dear, I'm so sorry. I wish that I could send you our generator, which we bought so that Jon's room could have power during an outage. It came in handy several times.

I think it may be difficult for people, who haven't been through a power outage, to understand how unnerving it is. The longest outage we had was 22 hours, and that was hard enough for Jonathan (pre-generator ~ he was in his recliner). Jim and I turned it into a "camp out," and we played the radio and read stories. Jon actually loved it.

Like Kathleen, my boys were often focused on technology ~ TV, videos, all of which require power. So, I can understand her dismay about the outage. And maybe a fear too that it would go on longer.

There are just too many things happening all at once with COVID, isolation, inclement weather, and a complete disruption of what our lives were before COVID. It can be very difficult to cope with all of this, keep our chins up, and try to be positive.

Yet, once again, you found a way. I love the painted rocks! Wonderful! What a sweet gift to let someone know that you are always thinking of them. You are clever and talented!

Isn't it incredible to think about what we were able to accomplish when we were younger? I think about this often now, as I am aging, and my abilities are dwindling.

Prayers for you, Kathleen, and your husband with no after affects from his fall.

I hope that others will join in with our conversation.

I promised to keep the light on, and I intend to continue to fulfill that promise.

With love, prayers, and support for all of our BT family and your loved ones ~

Love & Light,



Rose

*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!

[funnylegs4]

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((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

funnylegs4 ~

Thank you so much for responding. It is so good to hear from you.

Congratulations on your success! You Go, Girl! I'm so happy for and proud of you! You're a dedicated, hard working woman, and nothing stands in your way. I look forward to hearing more about everything you are doing, when you have the time. You have a very full plate right now. Just stop by occasionally, so we know that you are well and safe, please.

Mary Grace ~

Thank you so much for responding.

Two days without power?! Oh dear, I'm so sorry. I wish that I could send you our generator, which we bought so that Jon's room could have power during an outage. It came in handy several times.

I think it may be difficult for people, who haven't been through a power outage, to understand how unnerving it is. The longest outage we had was 22 hours, and that was hard enough for Jonathan (pre-generator ~ he was in his recliner). Jim and I turned it into a "camp out," and we played the radio and read stories. Jon actually loved it.

Like Kathleen, my boys were often focused on technology ~ TV, videos, all of which require power. So, I can understand her dismay about the outage. And maybe a fear too that it would go on longer.

There are just too many things happening all at once with COVID, isolation, inclement weather, and a complete disruption of what our lives were before COVID. It can be very difficult to cope with all of this, keep our chins up, and try to be positive.

Yet, once again, you found a way. I love the painted rocks! Wonderful! What a sweet gift to let someone know that you are always thinking of them. You are clever and talented!

Isn't it incredible to think about what we were able to accomplish when we were younger? I think about this often now, as I am aging, and my abilities are dwindling.

Prayers for you, Kathleen, and your husband with no after affects from his fall.

I hope that others will join in with our conversation.

I promised to keep the light on, and I intend to continue to fulfill that promise.

With love, prayers, and support for all of our BT family and your loved ones ~

Love & Light,



Rose

*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!

Hi Rose, You're very welcome! I really appreciate your compliments! Thanks so much! I promise I will check in regularly. Please know that I always read your posts even when I don't reply and I always think of everybody here. I love your "camp out" idea. I have been through many outages so I would say they are annoying more than scary in my particular situation but I always get very nervous for people who require power for equipment like ventilators and other medical needs during outages.

Mary Grace, everything I do, I do safely. No worries. I love the photos of Kathleen and I sympathize with her on her outage feelings. Thanks for sharing! Glad nobody was injured.

[mg12061]

Rose, Kathleen is very set in what she likes to do and when so when that went wrong she just didn't want to do anything else. We used to be able to distract her and like you turned it into picnics and camping time. We may end up purchasing a generator at some point. I think my biggest issue was NO coffee. I would have normally went out and bought a coffee but not these days. This is the first time in 33 years we've been more than several hours without power. 33 years ago in October we had a snowstorm and many lost power for several days. I think we were 2or 3 days. My oldest was just a baby. In general we haven't lost power very often but if it seems to happen more often I may have Kathleen help me make a "power outage box" something to pull out with fun new things in it. It's actually easier these days to get Kathleen outside to do things like workbooks and word search books, the weather is cooler. Last weekend we had campfire and burned some of the stuff that fell in the storm.
Funnylegs, Glad you're being safe and careful.
Mary Grace

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

funnylegs4 ~

You're right that outages are annoying, but after 8 hours, they become more than that. Without power, we can't use our stove/oven, microwave, and all of the frozen foods thaw. No street lights or lights outside or inside of the house. I have lots of LED candles and flashlights to use in case of an outage. Does WiFi work in an outage?

Of course, our main concern during outages was meeting Jonathan's needs. His feeding pump had a 6 hour battery for outages. But his bed and mattress required electricity, which is why we bought the generator. We even considered having a generator installed to hook up to our house rather than the portable one, which was a lot of work for Jim to move and set up. Now, of course, I'm glad we didn't spend the money to do that.

Wishing you all the best in your many endeavors. Do great things!

Mary Grace~

What did you eat during the outage, since you couldn't cook? Did you lose frozen food from thawing? Having a grill might be a good idea, so that you can cook and at least boil water to make instant coffee.

Somewhere in our house and garage, we have earthquake/fire supplies, which we gathered many years ago. Camping lanterns, a tent, a hibachi, plastic plates, forks, spoons, knives, napkins. We always had plenty of cases of water, more than we needed regularly, just in case. Lots of Attends wipes, in case we couldn't bathe or shower. We were as prepared as we thought we could be, given our difficult circumstances.

We never know what's going to happen next, so it's a good idea to be prepared for any disaster or catastrophe.

As always with you, the power outage box is a great idea. A good way to dispose of the fallen debris by having a campfire (unless you live on the West Coast, of course).

Speaking of fires, our skies are blue, but our air quality is still Fair to Very Unhealthy everyday. The fire nearest me is about 88% contained now. God Bless Our Firefighters and keep them safe!

A hawk visited Michael's waterfall/pond this morning. I needed that messenger today.

Keeping you all in my prayers and sending healing energy to you and your loved ones.

Be well and safe and as content as possible.

Love & Light,



Rose

*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!

[funnylegs4]

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((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

funnylegs4 ~

You're right that outages are annoying, but after 8 hours, they become more than that. Without power, we can't use our stove/oven, microwave, and all of the frozen foods thaw. No street lights or lights outside or inside of the house. I have lots of LED candles and flashlights to use in case of an outage. Does WiFi work in an outage?

Of course, our main concern during outages was meeting Jonathan's needs. His feeding pump had a 6 hour battery for outages. But his bed and mattress required electricity, which is why we bought the generator. We even considered having a generator installed to hook up to our house rather than the portable one, which was a lot of work for Jim to move and set up. Now, of course, I'm glad we didn't spend the money to do that.

Wishing you all the best in your many endeavors. Do great things!

Mary Grace~

What did you eat during the outage, since you couldn't cook? Did you lose frozen food from thawing? Having a grill might be a good idea, so that you can cook and at least boil water to make instant coffee.

Somewhere in our house and garage, we have earthquake/fire supplies, which we gathered many years ago. Camping lanterns, a tent, a hibachi, plastic plates, forks, spoons, knives, napkins. We always had plenty of cases of water, more than we needed regularly, just in case. Lots of Attends wipes, in case we couldn't bathe or shower. We were as prepared as we thought we could be, given our difficult circumstances.

We never know what's going to happen next, so it's a good idea to be prepared for any disaster or catastrophe.

As always with you, the power outage box is a great idea. A good way to dispose of the fallen debris by having a campfire (unless you live on the West Coast, of course).

Speaking of fires, our skies are blue, but our air quality is still Fair to Very Unhealthy everyday. The fire nearest me is about 88% contained now. God Bless Our Firefighters and keep them safe!

A hawk visited Michael's waterfall/pond this morning. I needed that messenger today.

Keeping you all in my prayers and sending healing energy to you and your loved ones.

Be well and safe and as content as possible.

Love & Light,



Rose

*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!

Hi Rose, I rarely use WIFI so my understanding is that WIFI will work during an outage based on where the WIFI source is coming from and whether or not the device is charged enough via it's battery. My regular cell phone works during outages on 3G with charge. I have backup charging devices. I also have a generator that can be plugged into my freezer to keep that going and food that can be eaten without heating. I have gone about 2 weeks without power once with very little complication so I don't get too worked up over outages for myself. It's my friends who refrigerate insulin etc that I freak out about.

On that note, can you all pray for my diabetic friend who had an emergency yesterday that required a catheter be inserted in his bladder to save his life? It's the 2nd time this year I'v nearly lost him! It's not COVID19 related, thank god! He's okay but in pain. :( Help?

Love the idea of an outage box Mary Grace! I have something like it.

[Donna Thomson]

Hi Rose!
How wonderful to imagine you cooking your field roast and veggies on the side. I love how you always cooked like this for special occasions for your guys. You always make your holiday vegetarian menus sound so delicious! I'm so glad that you are cooking now these special things for yourself.

LOL I am with John - I am a meat eater (light one, but still, there it is). I have been cooking a lot and recently, I subscribed to the New York Times food section. It's so great, I love it! I get so much enjoyment from these recipes and trying different things. It is my Covid hobby :)

Our news: Jim is doing better although he feels his face is a bit puffy from the prednisone. I think he looks more like himself compared to when he lost so much weight and was so gaunt.

I am busy with teaching online classes and working on research projects. It's fun and thank goodness I have this to keep me amused through the pandemic.

I send so much love!!!! xoxox Donna

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

funnylegs4 ~

I am certainly praying for your friend. Needing a catheter often correlates with an infection prohibiting urine flow. The longer urine is held, the greater the risk of a septic infection, which is life-threatening. A catheter will allow the urine to evacuate and relieve pressure. Diabetes and urine issues are related. While a person might have the urge to pee frequently, it's possible that the urine output will be insufficient. I will pray for good health care for him and send healing energy.

When someone we love has severe medical problems, we are always on the edge waiting for the next one to occur. This is when you need to be sure to take good care of yourself. So, please do take good care of yourself.

Two weeks without power might do me in at this point. You have my great respect for so many things, and this one goes on the list. Perhaps this reaction is because I had to worry about Jon and Michael (and then Jim) during power outages, or disasters like earthquakes and fires. Now, I feel vulnerable as I'm old and falling apart. I'm grateful for John and his family, because I know they would rescue me and help me in that situation.

Donna ~

So good to hear that Jim is feeling better. The puffy face may be from Prednisone or water retention. Does he have swelling anywhere else? Perhaps you could ask his physician whether decreasing the dose might be a possibility. Also, his sugar levels may be elevated. Jim's were, primarily because of Prednisone. I know your baked delights are irresistible, so you might consider on reducing Jim's sugar intake for awhile. Not denying him. Just being moderate.

No grass grows under your feet, my dear! Teaching and research and advocating. Interesting that you refer to this as keeping you "amused." You have a calling, Donna, and you're fulfilling that calling, which strengthens you to keep going. Thank you so much for your perseverance and dedication. Your efforts, your work are making the world a better place. Thank you.

As for cooking, well, that's just not my forte any longer. I'm too tired to do the work in the kitchen, on a hard concrete floor, standing for hours, even with sitting breaks. Cooking for Jim and my boys, friends, family, when I was younger, was a joy. Now, I'm alone, cooking for me, and it's a chore.

When I cook, I think of Jim, and how I could not find anything suitable for him toward the end of his journey. Even the simplest meals did not appeal to him, and I felt defeated. He insisted on having chicken, which I knew would make him ill, and it did.

I think about last Christmas, our first without Jonathan, and my last with Jim, where I clogged the kitchen drain with potato peels and drove around town in the rain to find a plunger, which didn't work to clear it. The next day, our dear plumber arrived and cleaned out the drain for us, as I begged him so that we could have Christmas dinner. There was and still is mold under the kitchen sink, and he didn't want to get in there. But he did it for us.

When he left, I worked hours on that meal, which Jim could barely eat.

So, cooking that roast for myself with the trimmings was a very big step for me. But, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I did have leftovers, which was a bonus, but I was also very exhausted from cooking and cleaning up.

I know my limitations, and my energy level is a tad on the low side these days.

The one good thing in my life these past few days has been watching the Dodgers try to make their way to the World Series. John and I text during the games, which is a blessing, because I feel so lonely without having Jim and Jonathan here to share it with me. John and I were stunned when the Dodgers hit 11 runs in the first inning of the third of seven games. That was historic! Tonight is the last, and the winner goes to the World Series.

Of course, the Lakers won the NBA championship, and my Three Angels are very pleased about that! As are Kobe and Gigi. Bless them all.

Thank you for sending me your love, and I send my love to you and all of our dear friends here, and your loved ones.

Be safe, be well, be strong, and find joy amid the chaos.

Love & Light,



Rose

*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!