Book Board Chat

Happy Thanksgiving, all! We will be going to middle dd and family tomorrow. GS Ian is 5, so it should be lots of fun. 🙂 I hope they send home leftovers, because other than the cranberry-orange relish I've been asked to bring, we're not cooking!

Nancy - sorry to hear about your kitty.

Patsy - we grew up near Plimouth Plantation, and guests were often surprised at how small everything was. Houses were often one room with a loft above for sleeping. It was not uncommon for a family plus a single person or two to share a home.

Health Nuts: my father did not want to die young like his mother (73) so he spent nearly 30 years depriving himself of meat, eating mostly vegetarian, obsessing over vitamins and health foods, and died just before his 71st birthday. I think I'd rather enjoy life like my memere did. 🙂

Maureen, that's why I've bought a bunch of cheap pairs to leave in every room of the house!

Treasuremomz I bought Halloween pencils and erasers to avoid the candy this year. I won't buy anything but Fair Trade for candy and coffee.

Does anyone remember Doreen Hendrix from years ago? I've forgotten her ebay name, but her husband wrote the book "If the Legends Fade" about the Cherokee Trail of Tears and had the stone wall he built... Anyway, my email address for her has bounced back, so if anyone has a current address, I'd really appreciate it!

Patsy - I actually look forward to your FOL reports! To me, they are a reminder of the human spirit in action, working together for a common goal. Don't ever stop!!

The world is small, even without the internet. A woman in Egypt wants to attend a faith conference in the US, specifically Lancaster, PA, but can't find an affordable place to stay after paying for the plane tickets and conference fees. She regretfully cancels her plans. Her brother grew up with a friend who now lives in Chicago. This Egyptian friend is married to an American. This American just happens to know someone from Lancaster, PA, but this person is now in Papua New Guinea as a missionary. The missionary emails her small support team to ask if they know anyone with a room. The coordinator of the support team is one of my daughter's best friends, and has celebrated holidays with us for years. She knows I have a spare room, and that its open for ministry use. So, four days before the conference is to start, the woman in Egypt is on Skype with me at 2 a.m. their time, and rebooks her tickets. She is 38 years old and just delightful to have around, in the spare moments when I get to see her. Tonight, we introduce her to real American ice cream, full-fat Ben & Jerry's... tomorrow, it's pumpkin pie. I'm trying to eat an Egyptian pastry covered in assorted nuts, very thin, and super-rich and sweet. Needless to say, out of respect for house guests, my low-carb diet is out the window. Sounds like a reasonable excuse, doesn't it? 🙂

sareader "Sandy- I don’t play Words With Friends, but I have a good story for you. At my son’s school (big boarding school right near where you used to live!) it became an obsessive craze this spring. Students were playing in class, teachers were playing while walking between classes, results were posted in the school paper, feuds were happening LOL. It was a big distraction."

I think that kind of distraction is much better than obsessions over sports, etc. in a school. It would seem to me that teachers and students bonding over a Word game would be a good thing. 🙂 Of course, when it takes away from class time, it's gone overboard a bit, but I remember days in high school where some of my male teachers spent more time talking about sports than the subject matter at hand.

Didn't read all the notes about hearing aids, but I want to jump in and say "get them!" I was missing parts of sounds/words, and certain tones and thought I was either losing my mind (who only misses parts of sounds/words?) or that people were mumbling. Finally got a hearing checkup and learned that I needed hearing aids at 54! Things that were particularly difficult was conversation with background noise, especially electronic background noise, and listening to television or the phone. It seems that there's something to do with compression of sound and if the compressed sound ends up being one you can't hear (in a range of tones) then you can't hear that part of the word. Any sound engineers who can explain it better, hop right in.

I tried the full-in-ear-canal ones, which I LOVED, but sadly, my ears did not. I went from never having any ear wax/oil problems to overproduction of ear oils that literally ruined the hearing aids. While they were fixed free, it meant I had to do without them for two weeks at a time. After realizing that this would be an ongoing battle, I opted to get the ones that go over the back of the ear (but small) and had the same technology, same price, no additional charges as I had a three year warranty plan. I love my hearing aids and really notice when I forget to put them in, or sometimes forget to pull them out until I'm beginning to wash my hair and realize that oops, I forgot. Grateful I take baths and not showers!! I also have the drying machine for them, and notice a huge difference in the length of battery life as well as the ability to remove all moisture should I sweat too much, or the accidental oops.

Sorry if this was too long... haven't learned the "shush" feature yet.

Today is the first day I have felt normal in a long time - thanks for all your good wishes. I was actually able to do some exercises/therapy for the first time, and I can climb the stairs normally (well, at least once "up") but can't yet come down normally all the way. But the muscles are getting stronger and the pain is tolerable with the new meds.

Diane- so sorry about your mom. My condolences to you and your sister. Get some rest and take care of yourself, please.

Hello everyone. Thanks for all the good wishes and prayers. By Sunday night, I was in tears from the pain and lack of good sleep. I'm thinking that what happened is that I had developed a reaction to the Vicodin - nausea, weird dreams, no real pain relief, and because of the no sleep, more pain (including muscle) and increasing depression symptoms (which are often triggered in me by no sleep). The doctor called in a script for oxycodone and I took a two hour nap and woke with no headache, and no sharp pains anywhere. During the day I'm taking one every 4-6 hours along with 800 mg of ibuprofen and feeling well enough to walk around with minimal pain. Exercises increase the pain, but now I have something to control it. At night, I take 2 every 4 hours (I wake up normally at least once a night for...) and last night was actually the first full night of sleep in a long time. I hadn't thought about it, but I wasn't sleeping well with the original pain med before the surgery, either, but had written it off to simply needing the surgery. So now I know to avoid Vicodin and its generic form, and tell the doctor I need something different.

I think I'm going to go have a good cry. It seems as good as any other option right now. I'm just overwhelmed with this knee and my schoolwork. Goodnight, all. Goodnight, barbaragene.

Is this a new feature (RSS) or did I miss it? I like it.

@bethofvt Definitely no joy this past week. Stumble to the couch, ice and elevate. Stumble up the stairs to the bathroom. Back down again. I should study. Study what? I think it's here somewhere. Ice and elevate, grab book. Zonk. Snore. lol That's been my week. And of course assignments are due tonight and tomorrow as the week ends tomorrow night just before midnight. Today was mostly spent in weaning off of pain meds. (no headaches - phew!) Hopefully I can catch up tomorrow. I've done it before, so I'll remain optimistic.

I like this new board, and our new webmaster. Curt contacted me because I had only posted once after the surgery and he was concerned. Did I say I like this new board!!?

I am used to easily bouncing back from things, and this surgery is keeping me flat on my back except for when I force myself to get up, move, exercise, etc. I haven't had a good night's sleep since Tuesday because immobility increases the pain level. And due to the pain meds, I haven't been able to focus for school, so I'm a bit behind. Ugh. I know I can catch up, but how much of a grade hit I'll have to take is unknown.

We took the house off the market, and it's such a relief. The market in our county has bottomed out, and nothing is selling. I didn't want to keep our house there and have people pointing and saying "see, it's been on the market for years! I wonder what's wrong with it.". I guess it's just not in God's timing for us to move right now.

So, I'm okay, and if I disappear, I'll be studying. Feel free to email, though. I love that feeling of being cared for... 🙂

surgery on my knee went well... 1/2 hour of surgery, 45 min in recovery, and I'm home - able to walk carefully. Thanks for your good thoughts and prayers. I plan to enjoy being pampered for the next few days.

off to the surgical center for repair to my knee (medial meniscus tear)... should be back later this afternoon. Prayers appreciated (I don't like going under anesthesia). Hot, hot, hot and humid here.

I'm going to restart an oldie:

Five things that make me smile:
1. Ice cream with hot chocolate sauce and salty slivers of almonds
2. Seeing smiles on the faces of my grandchildren
3. Hearing that my granddaughter keeps replaying the recorded books I sent her "Shhh, Mommy. I'm listening to Nana on my special book"
4. the Rose bush blooming in the back yard
5. losing weight (17lbs!!)

@newt0n Jim - if you were too old to be there, then the process then was far removed from anything you'd want to be a part of. Childbirth back then was "medicalized" and now it doesn't have to be. My youngest SIL just gave birth to her first child at home with a midwife. Calm, short delivery, and no nurses to wake you and give you a sleeping pill (which they did to me with my first child). However, if you were there and involved with the raising of said children, then you did well, my friend, because that's all that really matters.

Patsy, I would think that most adult men have had to deal with childbirth from the vantage point of a father, or the very least, an uncle... If we promise not to get even more graphic, I'm sure they'll be able to keep their supper... lol

Ellen - sounds like what used to be called child-bed fever... infection. With antibiotics they should be able to tackle it. Why did they keep trying for five days instead of waiting? Were there other issues? And why not a C-section at that point? Poor woman... none of this has been fun for her. Glad to hear the baby is okay and only a carrier (lots of healthy carriers out there) Congrats on the new little one! How many is that, now?

Patsy - put in vinegar in the coffee maker to go through the guts (instead of water). Brew two or three pots of plain water afterward to flush out the vinegar. It won't hurt you, but vinegar makes lousy coffee!!

Coffee pots: baking soda in the filter cleans the filter and then the pot from coffee scum. Vinegar in the water container cleans the deposits from the lines so that the pot brews better. Both work, just on different areas. Time to flush vinegar through my brewer...

Thanks Beth and Kaye - it sounds familiar now that you've written it out. I probably saw it on the Original BB (OBB)

Kaye: lol "small slabs" is an oxymoron! Care to share Beth's recipe?? I wonder if we could have a recipe archive somewhere on this board? yummmmmm

Goodnight, all. Goodnight, Barbaragene!

It would be GREAT to see some of our former posters come back! We each need to reach out to the ones we're still in touch with....

LOVE beet greens! lol

Regarding tomatoes: my dad was a hard worker and expected the same from us. Our job was to weed a large garden (acre) daily and it was NOT fun work. At the end of the summer, however, we were allowed to attack him with rotten tomatoes (he started it) and had a wonderful rotten tomato fight. Lots of fun, but smelly! I wonder why my mother insisted we hose off outside before coming in? LOL

Liz - my mother always put black pepper on her cantelope, and we called it musk melon sometimes, too! So of course, I use black pepper and some of my friends think I'm weird. My family is used to that! LOL

I absolutely LOVE cilantro and lime in my rice! And rosemary goes well on chicken and potatoes. Thinly sliced cucumbers soaked an hour or so in vinegar and used to make sandwiches with mayo was another of my mother's favorites that I adopted. From my father's side, we got bananas and mayo sandwiches, which seems to be common among French descendents, at least in the NE area. And the only place I've every seen Chow Mein Sandwiches is in a New Bedford, MA chinese restaurant. The noodles used are the flat crispy ones, which obviously are soggy once in the sauce and sandwich. Sounds weird, but very good.

For tomatoes, I love yellow pear tomatoes and almost any heirloom type. Big Boy was the one we grew the most as my father could sell them on his milk route. But we grew small/large pear type tomatoes of all colors, as well as the grape/cherry-style small ones. Fresh and WARM from the garden is my favorite way to eat them. This year, we had almost a dozen plants seed themselves from last year's garden, so it will be a surprise as to what we get. I transplanted them as we weeded the garden this spring and saved money by not needing to buy tomato plants.

It was torrential here for awhile as well... rivers running down the street and all. I love it when the air gets cleared by a massive downpour, and the garden and grass needed it. One thing I like about the city is that mail is delivered to your door. 🙂 All I have to do is step out onto the porch, rain or shine.

Kathleen - thanks for posting that about Ellen's book (because we know she won't toot her own horn!!) That is a very impressive review and it makes me want to run out and buy the book!

I had to laugh at your comment about someone preferring to have the answers to the quiz visible as they could come up with the answers quicker!

June - I enjoy being my age (and yes, I've survived menopause, which I actually was eager for) but I don't feel the need to rush things either. I am 55, and quite comfortable with where I am in life, in contrast to my husband who despairs of being old and reminds himself (and me) daily of how old he is. As you say, embrace it and enjoy it. It is what it is, and no amount of moaning is going to change anything, and there are definitely benefits: enjoying little ones without losing sleep at night, wisdom from having lived through bad decisions, and an understanding of who you are. I am me, and I like myself enough to be engaged in every part of life!!

Stamphick: I'm with you on the contributions if they become necessary. I wouldn't mind paying $10 a year if it meant a safe place to keep up with friends!

Delete: how cool to be able to delete your own goofs! Such a great idea!

Pat - we've had thunderstorms off and on the last two days, as well. I was just sitting out on the front porch enjoying the rain and cool breeze. Tomorrow and Sunday are supposed to be HOT.

Patsy & Meanjeannie: what about using a vacuum sealer to make it airtight before packaging? Now, there's a money-maker! lol

Sandy, I didn't know that the URL was supposed to be a secret. The whole concept was mentioned on the BB before it was even a reality.

Kathleen, you did it! 🙂 Someday when I have time, I'll have to try that feature. Are there enough quiz questions to do one a day for awhile? That would be fun.

June, while discounts would be nice, I'm not sure if I could handle having someone think I'm older than I am. You're a stronger woman than I !!

It's good to see people finding this board. I was afraid that some people would just disappear into the mist and that would be terrible! Helen, good to see you. Sorry you have not been feeling well. 🙁

Kathleen and Patsy: I understand opting out of the groups and I'm considering it as well. The ones I want to keep up with will probably all be here eventually, and when that happens, one more place to declutter!

And I must add to the THANKS -- this site is fabulous! Lots of hard work in the creation of it, I'm sure. Thank you!

I recently finished The Widow's War (set in whaling times on Cape Cod) and it is worth the read. Good enough that I wish there was a sequel, and I rarely say that!

Well, I found the site and registered. I don't see my photo that I uploaded, though.... hmmmm...