SWEATER WIZARD 3.0 SOFTWARE
A lot of us that quilt also knit and I was wondering if any of you have this software and would like to trade it for Electric QUILT software. If you do, please contact me here or email me at lightningsjATjunoDOTcom
SARA
I can sympathize with your anxiety. I know that, if I live much longer, I'll have to give up my mountain home with the night sky unobscured by light pollution, very little road noise, the ability to let my best friend come and go through the doggie door without ever worrying about her going all the way to the road or bothering neighbors and my wonderful neighbors and quilt pals. Sadly, we are often the last person to recognize when it's time to make that move. With the bust real estate market, I would never get enough for my present house and fifty acres to support me in the purchase of a condo or rent in assisted living. I will feel a lot more secure financially if and when the market picks up. DH and I had always planned that the real estate investment would see us through that time of our lives. It turned out to not be an issue for DH but with all my aches and pains, as far as my doctor and I know, there are no life threatening conditions hanging over my head. I just deplore my increasingly declining short term memory and difficulty keeping up with the chores required for independent living. I promised my girls a long time ago that when I have to make a move it will be to somewhere close to one of them so all vacation time and money won't be spent by them running back and forth. I'm quite a bit older than you, Sarah, but I suppose your DH's recent medical problems have him agonizing over the heavy lifting required for independent home ownership and concerns over your welfare should he predecease you.
On that cheery note I will add that my beloved Shadow suddenly refuses even to eat her favorite treats and then this evening I've observed her repeatedly putting her face toward the water in her bowl and not drinking. The hair under her chin is wet so she's been trying. She is obviously thirsty. She walks with her tail down or even under her belly. Normally she carries it fairly high and often wagging for no apparent reason. I filled a water bottle that has a sort of nipple top and stuck that under her tongue and very gently poured small amounts in water into her mouth. A lot dribbled out but she did seem to be swallowing. I'll call the vet first thing in the AM. If there is a mass in her throat so some such thing it may be her time and I'll come home alone to the home I've shared with her. I left the house fairly early this morning and gave her the usual "bye-bye cookies" which were untouched when I got home this afternoon. That has NEVER happened before even on days she didn't eat her regular meal. I'm sure she's suffering but have no idea how to help her or even if I can. Two days ago she was pestering me to throw the tennis ball out the door for her to retrieve. Quien sabe. It's going to be a long night. There is an emergency vet clinic 75 miles away in Asheville but I'm sure that she will still be treatable in the morning if she is treatable at all.
On that cheerful note I will bid you all good evening. I'll report on Shadow as soon as I know anything. I'm so grateful to have my cyber quilt friends as well as my local ones on whom I can unburden my concerns.
Sorry for the downer post.
Jane
Moving or not??
Who was it that said "Living is inevitable, but pain is optional, so stick a geranium in your hat and be happy"? I think it was Barbara Johnson, the writer.
And Betty Davis is credited with saying "growing old ain't for sissies".
The thought of change scared the socks off of me, yet it will happen whether I'm ready for it or not. There will be a time, if we all live long enough, when we will most likely have to change living conditions. I'd rather be fairly healthy and happy and do it of my own will if possible. Moving the two elderly aunts about 10 years ago was heartbreaking for them and us. They had never thrown away a magazine, or anything including their deceased mother's clothing in over 15 years. I vowed not to do that to my DD. If they had moved to their chosen place many years earlier they could have gone to the college across the street and audited lots of classes, gone on trips with groups from there, etc. They were so frail when it happened that they just were unhappy and made others unhappy.
OK on the bright side, I'm checking on airlines to fly to N.D. so we can visit said DD and family in August. We had a chat on the phone with them last night and all is going well. She even found a B & B in Mountain, N.D. that I might like.
The sinus headach finally went away that plagued my last night. It took yoga, and asprin and hot shower(s) but doing better now.
Sara in Fla.
I understand
Sara, I think that change, which is inevitable in this life, is very hard to adjust to for myself, as well. I like nesting and my home has always been very important to me. I don't have to travel to by happy but I do need certain things if it's at all possible. One, in particular, is a room in which I can work with my designs and sewing; windows surrounding me and something I may not be able to recreate...the country around me. I have all of this right now but age will limit myself and himself in being here with the amount of work required to keep it up. So, yes, I can relate to your concerns and more the fact that an unhappy husband is not pleasant to live with.
I wonder how men might feel if women made them unhappy because of their surroundings instead of the other way round. But, the bottom line is that one of us will be left alone in this life and to me, it has to be a compromise whereby I can grow old alone if I need to.
And then I look at Ceilidh's ashes sitting on my bedroom windowbox where she slept every night and in one moment on May 24th just past, she was put to sleep. Geordie, who is older and nearly 15, was the one I expected to go first, yet he is soldiering on. It was not the natural order of things but then life often doesn't work out that way. Having to adjust to change is hard. Look at Fran with her sons all scattered about; look at any of us with children scattered about and not living near home. The old days where you grew up around a village or town and stayed there, your family and yourselves as you aged, was, to me, the best arrangement of family living. The Grausdoddy Houses (sp?) of the Mennonites and Amish where the elders in the family moved to after being in the farmhouse...attached often to the main house, is a good example of the nucleous of family life.
I wonder that women really assert themselves enough to be considered equal partners in decisions such as where to move and into what surroundings or do they just try to make do and adjust as we often have done and do. Like Scarlet O'Hara...I'll think about that tomorrow. Today is all any of us have.
And today, here in Southern Ontario, it's raining cats and dogs and looking to be that way all day.
Rosey
The possible move?
Yes, Rosy "thinkin' on" is the right term. DH has convinced me to go look at condos at the local beach tomorrow afternoon. There is a sweet youngish (to us) real estate agent that took us around to several places back in 2009. He spoke to her today and we are meeting late tomorrow at one place. Unfortunately with the downturn in the economy, our present house is worth about $25,000 less than what we were hoping for. It all is dependant on the "comps" as they say. Other houses in the general area, of a general size, that have sold in the last 6 mo. or so.
If I could be assured of a place that I can re-create my quilty room in, and the rest of the place to make shabby chic, or thereabouts, I would consider it. An unhappy husband is not a joy to be around. Having gone through cancer treatment he is probably thinking about how much time he has left on this earth. He grew up just blocks from the ocean, and bla, bla,bla.
Meanwhile, I have been having anxiety, IBS, and the whole 9 yards. It's not waking up in another place, but the moving process. --As Bee can relate to.
Just venting ladies. I'm down in the dumps right now. Others would say, she has a chance for a condo on the ocean, and doesn't want it? What's wrong with her!
Change is never easy, but it's one of the things that is certain, along with death and taxes.
OK, need to clean up the kitchen and take shower #2 for the day.
Sara in Fla.
Rosey
you are so right, I was even up at 2am this morning playing on the computer . I don't mind at least I can have a nana nap in the afternoon. Fran, good you could find you way.Hugs from a cold Bee in cold NZ.
Nice to see the postings
And hear everyone's news. Bee, it sounds like you are doing the only thing you can do to deal with grief...keep busy....I'm glad to hear it. Tears can be shed in private but when you are with other people, smiles happen and then, afterwards, you come back home to try and deal with the emptiness of the house but better able to cope over time.
Fran, great to see you posting again. Thank you for commenting on Ceilidh. A week ago Monday, the 24th of May, Victoria Day here and a holiday for all, including vets. Fortunately, we have a vet living nearby and she cares for and looks after our first Aussie, Geordie. She's been with me when I've had to put our earlier dogs down due to old age and illness. It's hard to wipe intense happenings from your mind, isn't it. I can still see Ceilidh's eyes and that, too, is painful but I'm grateful for her life and love. Thank Shannon also, for me; I'm thinking, Son #3, is Shannon and he and his wife will be moving to Melbourne, which I'm told, is such a beautiful city. But you'll miss all your ducklings...won't you. They've been a traveling bunch.
Sara, house up for sale and now what...where might you think of moving to? I could almost taste that Reuben sandwhich that you described and I could certainly see in my mind's eye, the oceon. I also know about the humidity in Florida. In my early twenties, I attended a birthday party of a close friend (she and I live close to one another in the country now, surprisingly enough) and when we stepped off the plane in Miami, the spikes on my heels sunk into the tarmac on the runway...those were the days when we clambered down steps off planes...ancient times, lol. On the way up the coast, we all had our heads hung out the car window...also before the days of airconditioning in cars. I thought that I would surely suffocate. I know it takes awhile for northerners to adapt to the hot, humid weather in Florida but airconditioning has made it all possible, hasn't it.
Two horsewomen guests here at the moment with a dear little and old, Jack Russell, Oscar. He has been provided with Ceilidh's bed on the floor of their room. They are competing in a dressage competition close by. Last week-ends guests had me running and the older I get, my ability to cope with confusion here with the B&B, diminishes.
Rosey
This & that
Hi from the land of humidity. Yesterday and today it is 95% humid out there. Makes you feel like you are walking in a damp sponge.
Well, the big news is that a Real Estate person is coming tomorrow evening at 6PM to tell us what our house is worth on today's market. I've been cleaning out closets, touching up the paint scratches, and spreading more mulch, after pulling weeds. I was totally wiped out yesterday morning after 1 hour of such. Went to Lowe's again for 6 bags of pine bark nuggets, and got them all down last night by where the front sidewalk meets the street.
It looks very good if I do say so myself.
We spent Memorial day weekend in Daytona, biked up and down the beach and saw all the people in various shades of colors and dress. Ate wonderful fish ruben sandwich at a little beach side place. It sounds terrible, but tasts great. Fried grouper with thousand island dressing, cole slaw and served on rye bread. The Atlantic ocean for your view.
Back to reality on Tues, did about 8 loads of laundry and so on.
Rosy--hope your B & B people are all gone, and that things are "normal" now.
Did I tell you I went to a Kirkin 'O the Tartans while in Savannah? One of the Presbyterian churches there has it every year with the Scottish games. The men wear their kilts, bring in the clan banners, bag pipes, etc. Very moving. Esp. hearing Scottland the Brave on the bagpipes.
I think at times like that I'm the designated cryer.
OK, going to consume some coffee or tea and wake up and hit the grocery store.
Sara in Fla.
well, that was simple!!!
Don't know what happened! One minute I couldn't post and the next I could! Thanks Bee for asking for me and Mary for emailing the url. I'm in on my new computer!
First, I need to say - Rosie, I'm very sorry to hear about your dear Ceilidh - it's so sad when we have to say goodbye to such dear friends. Shannon sends his condolences also.
What a blow also to see that someone had infiltrated the BB Chat and been so downright nasty and sneaky. A hope it was a once-off. At least you know who it is.
BEE: Glad to hear that you continue to be filling up your days with activities. We think of you often.
TENNEH: All the best for your move and also in looking for fulltime work.
Winter has arrived here with a vengeance. Cold, wet and blustery today, although all you in Nth America (and NZ too probably) would laugh if you knew what we consider all that to be. It looks as if the drought has broken in S.Aust as well now, as we've had 50 mm odd (2") of rain in the past fortnight here on the edge of the desert, the most for the year and about 2/3 of what we've had altogether.
Our boys have been on the move. DS#1 is almost finished with his studies in Prague but will then spend 2 weeks travelling through Europe and another 3 weeks in SE Asia. We're just hoping that no more volcanoes burst their boilers before he's safely home. DS#2 who works for a travel agent, spent an all-expenses paid 5 days in Thailand the other week. We were on tenterhooks until he came home, but he assured us that although they stayed one night in Bangkok they didn't hear or see any fighting or disturbance at all. DS#3 and DDIL are moving to Melbourne sometime in the next month, as she has secured a job at the Melbourne Library. Thankfully he can work for his company from home and his bosses are quite pleased that he will now be a local presence for them, saving quite a few trips interstate. For us though it's a 15 hour drive or a 4 hour drive to Adelaide before flying or taking the train. At least it's not North America.................yet.
Hugs to those who need them. All the best to all,
Fran in Sth Oz.
Disappearing posts
I started to read the BBChat this morning and all of a sudden all of the posts about the changeover just disappeared off the screen. Did anyone else have this problem? I think I'm in the right place already, but don't particularly like to miss out on what others have posted.
Kathi
ummmm
I have a request from Fran in S'Australia, she missed the changeover and now can't read this board. Silly woman she asked me how to change over. If t hadn't been for our dear Eric changing me I would still be in space. Can anyone help her? Rosey thank you for asking things are getting a lot better, I am beginning to look forward and am getting very involved in charity quilts, did consider Toastmasters (Thank you Sarah)but the vet asked me if I would consider fostering kittens later on , I have done this before and did enjoy it so goody. I have also begun going to a craft group and maybe starting painting again. This will depend on finances as I don't have any paints or brushes etc. I am becoming so busy I have to write down what I am going to be doing each day.By the way the charity quilts are very different from my usual ones , these are for the pr em babies and are quite small ,about my size right now,they go over the incubators and then the parents take them home, I did make the ones for still Born's but not right now. Its very wet and cold but as they all keep on telling me its winter. Hugs Bee in NZ.
