Common Ground Coffee House #105

Praying for Debbie and you, Sue!

Good Morning Everyone!

Leastwise I'm hoping so. Right this minute I have two home with migraines. I wish I had a clue as to what is causing Cassie's. Chris' is par for the couse cause he is still sick with that sinusy thing (doc now thinks it was viral). Don't know about Cass though. She's woke up every morning this week with one and was out all day last Friday. We go to the neurologist on Monday. I'm betting she gets a new med.

I'm cold today. It's cold outside but I dont think that is what is causing me to be cold. I'm afraid I'm coming down with Chris virus. I've got a sore throat and generally feel really tired and sleepy. Blech! I am not sick, I am not sick, ya'll join in my mantra and maybe my body will believe it.

I'm thinking some of Sue's hot chocolate would be good right about now.

I brought in a pound cake and left it on the counter. Found this recipe last night while I was looking for a good cake that didn't take more than an hour to bake. Late as always I didn't have more than an hour for it to bake. I'll post the recipe in a little while.

There is nothing on my list that absolutely has to be done so I get to piddle around doing whatever I feel like for a change.

Ya'll have a good day!

Right back at you cuz! You musta posted while I was.

If'n your wife is like me, she is almost impossible to buy for. What you have to do is figure what she wants that she doesn't know she wants. My last fav: delicate, dangly fresh water pearl earrings. They were perfect and I don't usually wear jewelry. I have worn these and worn these, even on days when I didn't feel like wearing them. Because they are so light, I usually forget I'm wearing them.

 

Good morning everybody!

Nobody in this house has a migraine. We're not listing to the right or left. No recent surgeries.

So we're doing great!
Will say a special prayer for y'all today.raying:

Hoping for no calls from the Oncology dept. before Tuesday, and for good news when I see the Dr then.

 

Good afternoon, folks!

Fog still hasn't totally lifted, but the temp is climbing, so I'll go outside and finish the roses soon.

FoG -- your wife will appreciate anything. Barry and I have chosen to not support Hallmark. But he writes me a note or a poem for special occasions and I have a collection of them which I prize. They are totally precious. This is in stark contrast to when I was married before and my ex would tell me "I didn't get you anything (including a card) but you know I love you." That was it for the last few Christmases, birthdays, Valentine's Days, etc. I know from having had both sides of the coin that as long as you do something, it will be special. Make her valentine pancakes! Anything just special for her will touch her heart.

Sue, take it easy! I know many of us are praying for you!

MK, I had somewhere around ten years of migraines from the late eighties to the late nineties. At least we thought they were migraines. It turned out to be an abscessed tooth (upper) whose root reaches way up by the sinuses under the eye. Everytime I was treated for what we thought was a sinus infection, things would settle down (the antibiotics worked on the infected tooth, too), and then everything would flare up again later. I remember lying down and not even crying because that would hurt too much. Just waiting and waiting for, somehow, the pain to go. Have your kids caught up on their dental stuff? One other thing I learned -- cayenne pepper. Not in a capsule, but so you can taste it. A little on some salad dressing on a salad or however you can, and when your brain senses it on your tongue it goes "Oh, Pain!" (like the migraine wasn't....) and floods the body with endorphins. The pain decreases by somewhere around 80% in seconds, literally, although the effect only lasts fifteen to twenty minutes. For me, that was often enough time to get to sleep and that would help.

I have no idea if either will help with your kids, but you and they must really be going through it right now and my heart and prayers are with you.

Gayla, you are on our prayer list, too. Please keep us up with how things are going.

God bless you all.

 

Had a tremendous storm yesterday whilst at work .......the rain always get in the roof ( it was very heavy) and spins down the pole onto the desk in my critical care area and then spins outwards onto the electrical equipment.....3 buckets and a lot of towels were put down, me scrabbling about with the fax machine, and monitoring equipment........the power flickering ominously and me very very hot and rather put out....all was restored by the end of my shift.........I reckon as a nurse I am pretty multi skilled....should speak to the boss about drawing salaries for sparky, cleaner and a couple of other things eh:thumbs: :applause: :wavey:

 

Good Morning Everybody,

It is also 17 here, and we have a Freezing Rain Warning.

Sue: Glad you're feeling better, and hope it lasts.

Thanks to my 'cuz and Helen I think I have a handle on my Wife's Valentines Day Gift. Seems like it's getting harder to surprise her with gifts, etc.

I brought in Eggs, Homemade Roast Beef Hash, Hot Homemade Biscuits, and Fruit Jams. Enjoy.

Sue: I liked your half-hearted look at the differences between Men & Women. See?, we're not really from different planets...just different galaxies. :laugh:

We have a good friend who is dying from heart problems. He made it thru the night but his doc says it's just a matter of time now. He and his family aren't saved, and we're hoping we can be an effective witness during a difficult time.

35 years in the funeral business and I still stumble about what to say. I usually just tell them that I'm sorry, and that they know where I live, and when I'm home and leave it at that. At this time people are trying to just stay afloat, and need a life preserver more than they need the anchor of a well-meaning but ill-timed intrusion.

I know it's not popular today but when I was in the business I gave my families my pager and home phone number, so they know they could reach me anytime with a question or concern. Their concerns are real, and important and if I wasn't ready to drop everything and help them I was in the wrong line of work.

Today I'm going to clean their house and make sure they have everything they need as far as food and supplies. I took meals in to them at the hospital last night, and will again today, and made sure their car had enough gas, and took care of their pets, and make sure they have fresh clothes at the hospital. and I will as long as they're there. You get tired of hospital food after awhile. They've got too much on their mind to think about, without being concerned about everyday needs right now.

Time to do my chores, and fix some meals for them and us.

 

You're a good friend, FoG. And you are right about being intrusive. But to be there to answer questions is also really, really important. I think you have found a good balance.

Sue, good for you on the dizziness factor! Hang in there!

Foggy again this morning, but these cold mornings are warming in the afternoons and it is lovely then.

Tonight is Gina's oldest daughter's 12 year old birthday sleepover here. She popped in on Tues. eve to discuss the food thing. Boboli pizzas, fruit salad, M&M's, pretzels, popcorn, sparkling apple-cranberry and homemade shakes should get them through the night...:laugh: We are moving the furniture back against the walls in the great room and putting down a couple of inflatable queen size mattresses that we keep for emergency guest overflow (we have two guest bedrooms, but sometimes that isn't enough!). They will watch DVD's all night or stop when they want. All are parent-approved. Morning will be scrambled eggs and fruit and parents to pick them up at 8. Only five girls, so it won't be a total zoo!

Chris pulled one on us yesterday while we weren't looking. I had a bottle of hydrogen peroxide (3%) in his changing room (there is also a sink, counter, shower, and his own washer and dryer in there) for brushing his teeth. He got thirsty, opened it, and drank 2/3 of it.

And threw up. All over. Twice.

Chris is retarded enough to not understand, so we know he would cheerfully do it again. Thus, the bottle gets hidden now. Out of sight out of mind and that works for him except for cheese, which he will almost kill for! At any rate, yesterday was interesting. God bless Barry for his patience and the teamwork he has made this marriage. I sometimes think there is nothing we can't handle now!

Today Gina watches Chris, and Barry and I will go to Grange and pick out the climbing roses we want for the back fence. We have tried star jasmine, but they are freezing to the ground and that just does not give the desired effect! So we'll move those to right in front of the barn between the arborvitae, where it will be OK for them to freeze back in the winter and come back in the summer and put some climbing roses in the holes left by the jasmine.

While I'm here, a note about Anna, Gina's youngest. We have finally found a cardiologist who knows exactly what he is looking at with Anna and the relief is tremendous. She has an extremely rare version of a particular heart defect which Gina can pronounce and I'm not sure I can spell! She is scheduled for an angiogram next Thursday in Portland, so we will be praying for her and also watching her two older sisters that day and the day after, as she will be spending the night in the hospital.

The following Monday, the fifth, I will be driving Chris to Eugene for a pre-op exam because he has to go under total anasthesia for a full dental exam and workup occasionally. He is not at all cooperative any other way. THAT surgery is scheduled for the 12th of Feb.

It gets interesting...who said retirement was boring?

 

Helen? You're retired? I think it's just an illusion! :laugh:

Anna has been on my prayer list for quite some time. I hope they get some answers and a treatment plan out of this.

Hey everyone!

I can't believe I didn't post this morning. I posted in a couple of other places here. Oh well, I had a lot to accomplish this morning and it stretched into the afternoon and I'm just now sitting down to eat lunch! I got everything done though. Yay!

I've got a craving for chocolate chip cookies but I don't have time to mix the dough, before I have to pick up kids. After school I have to take Cassie over and let her try on dresses for the high school beauty pagent she's decided to participate in. She's turning into a true girly girl. Takes her two hours of primping every morning before she is ready to go out the door! :laugh: We still have to find her a suit for the interview part, but I'll settle for getting the dress out of the way. I may never get those cookies!

Rob, you are an overacheiver! I haven't even thought about what to get T yet, even with your reminder that it is time. I'll be praying for the situation with your friend.

Okay, pick up time!

 

Chocolate Chip Cookies?!?
MK has just flung the cravin' on me! And it's possible that all the right ingredients are on hand, too. Hhhmmm.
And, I actually feel like doing something of that nature, too. It's been so long since the mood or the strength(?) feeling like I could do some baking has even peeked from it's hiding place. The last couple weeks have been unusual.
I'm taking a number of natural supplements, maybe something is kicking in! Started a new one almost 2 weeks ago, that must be it.:thumbs:

Off to the kitchen to find a cookie recipe . . .

 

I do the cooking, stay caught up with the laundry, keep the dishes done and the beds made and that's about it for the last several weeks.

Sue, that's impressive! Considering what you've been through, that's more than enough! As an Aussie I know would say, "Good on you!"

Well, these are the last moments of quiet for a bit. I'll be getting up five VERY sleepy young ladies in a bit and sending them home...

They had a ball. They danced to CD's, sang to videos, played games until at least eleven when we retired, and probably far beyond. I went in to check awhile ago and they are all out like lights. Mandy helped me make her birthday cake and the girls only ate one part of it: the "Mandy" I wrote in the middle of it. The sides are untouched....LOL

M&M's on the floor, and some scattered pieces of pizza. It'll take awhile to clean up today, but once again I'm so grateful for the decision we made to have all vinyl flooring in the house. Cleaning is a LOT easier that way!

It was fun watching and listening to them. I'm also glad we get to send them home and restore order.

Breakfast this morning? I don't think any of them will be a bit hungry. I'm having my cup of tea and piece of toast now and that will hold for a bit. I told Barry to sleep in; no need for him to get up. There will be enough work for both of us later!

Love to all, and God bless.

 

Good morning Everybody,

It is 15 degrees out and we have some artic air from Canada heading our way.

Glad the dizziness passed Sue; although with all you do I'm thinking that the dizziness might not have an organic orgin but be the result of "The Granny Syndrome." Seems like all the grandparents who are raising grandchildren are susceptible to it. Grandparents usually stop suffering from this malady around their G-kids 21st birthday. :smilewinkgrin:

MK I'm not an over-achiever just an over-forgeter. If I don't start planning now,I'll forget for sure.

Thanks Helen, but I'm not really doing anything special. My friends have enough on their plate right now...I'm just helping with what doesn't fit on the plate

Since Sue is having Waffles and Scrambled Eggs right now, I brought some in too with homefries, and bacon and sausage. If you'd rather have Sue's I understand....her's are much better anyway. :thumbs:

Time to get moving.

 

My Very Dear Friend,


The fact that you took the time to prepare the meal to satisfy their request and show your love for them indeed makes them better.


There is nothing wrong with frozen waffles, and microwave scrambled eggs if you make them with love for those you love.


Tonight's dinner is Cheddar-Stuffed Beef Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries, and Shortcakes with Cinnamon Fruit.

 

That is really great news Ann! :thumbsup:

Please take it easy a little, though. You've been through so much and one little goof can undo a lot of good work. [or are just trying to get more delivered meals? :tongue3: ]

 

If I lived closer to you, it would be my privliege Ann.