December Chit Chat

[Virginia]

I am probably the only one awake on the East Coast at this time of night. As Howie said earlier we are now in December and that is the last month of the year. Time does march on! I just hope that next year this time we will all be right here and maybe have added a couple of new members to share their journey.

I understand there is some bad weather in parts of the country. I hope not many of our people will be involved in it. Linda thinks she is going to be in a snow storm shortly. I don't know where that will leave Ann. Right now we are just having some rain. I think some parts of California have had quite a bit of rain, but they might need it.

I wish I could tell all of you about my squash dishes and all the food I am making and all the other things that Peg talked about, but I am afraid I can't.

I know there were some years that Cat just put a roast in the oven with carrots and potatoes. Of course Cat had her jams and things she like to make and Peg liked to freeze when the garden was right for it. We also got to hear about Thain and Nora. Peg also enjoyed getting together with people and playing card games. She said it was mostly family. When Cat was up to it I think she enjoyed some friends stopping by also. Lets all try to remember Ralph and Joe during their first Holiday Season without these two extraordinary ladies.

I hope that this month is a good and healthy one for everyone and that next year we can all celebrate how well we are doing.

I have already said Rabbit. I am probably the first one to do it.

[Sunshine]

Virginia, Thank you so much for the wonderful memories of Peg and Cat during the holiday season...it will be hard on Peg and Cat’s family for sure.

[Lazarus]

Happy December to everyone. Thank you Virginia, that was a lovely way to remember lost friends.

It is hard to figure out what will happen in my area of western MA with the coming storm. I might just be in a lower snowfall area in Hampshire county than the rest of the area. Or not. And the storm might dissipate for the hours I am due for tomorrow’s infusion. Or not.

One thing about getting older....I have finally stopped trying to control the impossible to control. Or not!

[agate]

Thank you for starting a December thread for us, Virginia.

My grandson was toddling around here yesterday--visiting with my son and DIL--and I'm still putting the place back together. He's a happy little guy and loves to laugh. He does high-fives and fist-bumps on demand and his comments are always interesting. A new voice being heard!

I hope that anyone who's getting snow can stay out of it. Unless of course you enjoy being in it!

[Howie]

Virginia, I was up when you posted, but had already gotten offline to watch TV. I did finally go to bed about 3am. So that ruined my "shoulder experiment" to see if lots of sleep helped it.

But I slept until just a little while ago. My shoulder did hurt when I got up, but not as bad, and it stopped after 2 ibuprofen instead of the usual 3.

Agate, I sure would enjoy a surprise that tomorrow is payday, but I'm okay if it's the normal 3rd. I have a little money in the bank, but just don't want to go out today. I made just 1 cup of coffee today.

Well, enjoy the day, and the month, and remember, Santa is still making his list, so be good for goodness sake.

[Virginia]

Agate, I guess little William is growing a lot now. So happy to hear he is spending some time with you. We would love some new photos if you have some and would like to share.

Here is hoping Linda doesn't get hit with a lot of snow.

[Virginia]

Howie, we were posting at the same time. If sleep would cure all that is wrong with me I would go to bed early (not early in the morning) and get up late. The problem is I can't sleep much of the time, but when I do it is a good feeling.

[agate]

Virginia, I sleep every chance I get. I can fall asleep in my wheelchair while waiting around somewhere or while riding the van. Sleep is so essential to me that it's top priority. "Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleeve of care," as Shakespeare put it.

I took a photo of the little lad but it was one of my first attempts at using my phone as a camera. I'm still working on how to transfer the image. Stay tuned. It's not an especially good photo of him but I'll be trying to transfer it here--it may take a couple of days. The first of the month is a busy time here.

Howie, I wish I could give you better news on the Social Security payment but the Website is saying that payment is on December 3. They've been wrong about that sometimes though. We can always hope!

Because my neighbor and I shared an Instacart delivery on Friday and she reimbursed me with a check for her share, and it will take days for her check to clear, I'd be very happy if that payment came in earlier but so far there's no sign of it.

[Howie]

I may just wait until Wednesday to do my running around. I just went to the store, so I'm good until then.

[Virginia]

Howie, so proud of you for having money to go to the store before payday.

Well, I guess I've finished my Christmas shopping. I ordered a gift card from Belk's Department Store for the lady who does my hair. I will give cash to Laura who helps in the house and to Kathy the girl who does my nails. They like that best.

For my family Christmas we are doing what we did last year and having what I think Cherie and Ann called a Yankee Christmas. We are buying gifts for $25.00 each. We will number them and put numbers in a bowl and let everyone draw a number. You get the gift that you draw the number for. But then if someone else draws that likes your gift better than theirs they can steal yours or you can steal someone else's.

So Friday I saw that Kohl's had a "Google Home Light Starter Kit" for their black Friday that was originally $55.00, which was on sale for $25.00 and it is free shipping. Then I started to wonder if most of the family had these lights already in their houses. Yesterday I was browsing through my iPhone when I saw a list that BuzzFeed put out of good deals. They admit that some of the things they get some money out of and others they do not. I saw a Mikasa set of 4 mugs that I really liked the looks of and the size. They were originally $58.00 on sale for $25.00 and since I got them through Amazon Prime again free shipping.

I have been wanting some classy good looking mugs for awhile so if I decide to keep them that will be good. I can also use the Google Home Light Starter Kit that has two lights coming with it. I sometime go out and forget to leave lights on and when I come in with my hands full it is dark. I can hook it up to my lamp in my foyer and tell it to turn on when I walk in, so I can also use that. Now my decision will be to decide which is the best to give at the family Christmas and which is best for me to gift myself for Christmas.

[agate]

Christmas is a time for letting people who've been kind to me know that I appreciate them by giving them a gift, and that includes the mail carrier, the lady who cuts my hair, and the grocery delivery person. Mail carriers can't accept cash and so I've ordered a food item. Our regular mail carrier has just retired, and so there will be a new one, who might not turn out to be regular, but that person will get the gift.

We aren't supposed to give anything to the building managers. Sometimes we've been told that small gifts of food are OK, and one year I tried that but the office manager acted a bit odd about it, as if it made her uncomfortable accepting it. I don't want to put them on the spot, and so I won't be doing that again.

What to do about Instacart? Every Instacart delivery includes a tip, and I've never had the same delivery person. At this time of year there will be at least 3 Instacart deliveries though, maybe more if there's a weather problem. I'm wondering if any Instacart delivery person should get a special holiday tip if the delivery happens around December 25? People work hard at that type of job, and often run into difficult situations with traffic, crowds, unpleasant customers, etc. I'd like to promote goodwill with Instacart people and show them I appreciate them. Probably the thing to do is to give them a larger tip than usual through the process that is built into the system, and wish them a happy holiday. Or would a card with cash enclosed be better?

[Virginia]

Agate, I have done both with Instacart, except for the card. I have always given more tip than they add on and one time I gave some in cash. I think these people do appreciate it and I appreciate what they do when it is really cold sometime and really hot.

I can't very well give to my Postman since I have one of the cluster boxes that is too far from my house to put food in and leave it. However, I take the paper daily and he sends me a self addressed envelope at Christmas so I give to him.

[Sunshine]

Hello my fellow warriors.
I have not been on line very much the past week.
The SPS is stable as is the MS.
But the Side effects to Baclofen (no able to have BM) has created havoc, in that the med Linzess has started to cause explosive diahrrea every day from about 9:30am through about 4 pm and beyond.

Will see Doc Monday, and have had daily calls to the nurse with some suggestions.

Will skip it tomorrow and Wed for IVIG, and Thursday for a visit with friend.

When I skip it i have to take large doses of Lactulose which causes huge belly distension from the gas from fermentation. Nothing controls it but time....

So, there it is...

[agate]

You can't win, Sunshine. What a shame that you find an assist for one thing and it causes a boatload of other problems.

Hope you can enjoy the visit with a friend in spite of all of this.

[Jeanie Z]

:) Andy is off today and he came and put up the outside Christmas lights, put the Christmas tree up and decorated it and is now mowing the yard.

Lacy likes laying under the tree. She thinks she is a gift. It is so nice to have all that done. I wrote about 20 Christmas cards yesterday and that is all I will send this year. Feeling blessed. Jeanie :)