What's Happening In Your Life?

[TimothyBFan]

How exciting Austin!!! Good for you!

Good news Nancy!

GA--so sorry for the loss of your uncle. Thinking of your family.

Horrible weekend here in my sleepy little town. Friday night, word quickly spread that 2 small children had been found in a trunk of a car a few blocks away. The authorities quickly started roping off the area and it didn't look or sound good-especially on a 90 degree day. As it all unfolded, we found out who they were, 2 brothers ages 2 and 4, and that they were found by their mother but no idea of how long they had been in there or their conditions. Within a couple hours it was released that the 2 year old had died and that the 4 year old was in critical condition. He passed away Saturday afternoon. In a small town where everyone knows everyone else, it has struck everyone very hard. The grandparents where the children and their mother lived, own the small bakery here in town. Still very few details but it is assumed it was an accident. Unfortunately, these children have been seen playing in the front yard unsupervised on more than 1 occasion and of course this has been mentioned several times the last couple of days. I can't even imagine what this family is going through at this point. There was to be a fund raiser at the local pizza place to benefit the Little League but it has been changed so that the proceeds will now go toward funeral arrangements for the boys. Just a very, very sad tragedy.

[Brooke]

Willie, what a terrible tragedy. At least these poor little guys are in God's hands now.

Ga, so sorry for your family in your uncle's passing. Good news about the money though.

Soda, I'm glad to hear your nephew is doing well.

I'm in the midst of a very happy time for our family. Our son is getting married on July 16th in sw Missouri and our family had a shower for them Saturday. I also went to one for them last weekend, so they are reaping the benefits of having a large family-lots of gifts! I know the next few weeks will go fast and it will be here and over before we know it. We are really happy to be getting a new daughter! She's a sweetheart!

[Glennsallnighter]

GA, sorry to hear about your Uncle. :sad: Nice surprise from the solicitors letter from the other late Uncle though. :)


Indeed! On Wednesday when I was telling the story to a good friend and neighbour of mine I mentioned the death of the 2nd uncle. To which she responded 'And was he single too?'. He wasn't, and as a result I have met my cousin Noel who I haven't seen in 20 years at the funeral. I had met his brother Shane last September but that too had been after a long time. We were all close as children, and along with another family of cousins we have decided that we are fed up meeting at funerals and we want to arrange some kind of joyful celebration in the near future.

Thank you Koala, Austin, Brooke, and Annabel for your kind thoughts and words.

Austin, I'm delighted with your good news. You deserve it after the rough time you have been through with your health. I hope you have a wonderful time in Nashville! I'll be dying to hear about your experiences.

Willie, what a terrible tragedy indeed. These things can happen so easily particularly with small children. My heart goes out to their poor parents and family, and indeed the greater community.

[Brooke]

Austin, I forgot to congratulate you on your invite to the Gibson Jam! Wow! That is great! Hope you have a wonderful time! :thumbsup:

[Prettymaid]

GA, sorry for your loss, but it seems your family lives long lives. That's good!

WF, I was happy to read about your being chosen to go to Nashville for the Gibson Summer Jam. Sometimes I worry about you and your depression. This is just what you needed. I'm glad you're able to go.

TBF, I've been to your town and it's hard to imagine something like this happening there. From what you've said, this could possibly be another sad lesson to parents who do not supervise their children. My thoughts go out to them.

Brooke, I'm so happy for you and your family. What a joyous time! (And it doesn't hurt that you LIKE your DIL-to-be!)

Soda, I'm so relieved to hear your nephew is doing well with his recovery. When you posted this it remended me of my great-niece Whitney. She's going to be five next month, but she was born without a soft spot on her head. This article from 2008 about another baby explains it pretty well.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,380804,00.html

They waited until Whitney was six months old before performing the surgery on her. Here she is post op.

http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s348/chilca0001/Miscellanious/2hourspostop-2.jpg

Love this next one

http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s348/chilca0001/Miscellanious/Feb22-3dayspostopbandageon.jpg

http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s348/chilca0001/Miscellanious/Feb22-3dayspostopincision.jpg

And here she is today, with my nephew Eric and her older sister Hailey.

http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s348/chilca0001/Miscellanious/WhitnetEricandHailey.jpg

[Brooke]

Wow. I'm so amazed at what doctors can do today! How wonderful!

[WalshFan88]

Thanks everyone! I can't wait - I'm very excited. Since Don Felder has been promoting Gibson so much lately I was kind of hoping he'd show up but he isn't on the artist list yet that I know of!

TBF - How very sad. :(

Brooke - Congrats! :)

[Annabel]

Austin, that is awesome. You will have the best time I'm sure. :thumbsup:

Willie, that is so sad. Poor little mites. :sad:

Brooke, an exciting time for you and your family. Hope all goes off well for the big day. :)

Cathy, Whitney looks adorable. :nod: What a traumatic thing to have to go through so young. Not to mention what all the family went through too.

[Victim of Love]

There is a hole in our world tonight. Fourteen months after her initial surgery, my grandmother passed away this evening. My aunt, uncle and great-aunt were with her and they assure me that she passed peacefully in her sleep. She will be greatly missed by all of us but I am comforted to know she is at peace and with loved ones who have gone before her. I love you, Gran...forever.

[EaglesKiwi]

VoL - so sorry to hear that. May your memories of your Gran stay clear & bring you comfort.

Brooke - yay happy times - and I can say as a DIL it is so nice when your MIL actually likes you :hilarious:. Enjoy the build up to the wedding.

Nancy - so happy to hear your nephew is doing well. He continues to be in my prayers, together with all the Borderers' loved ones going through rough times.

Austin - WOOHOO!!! :partytime::guitar:

GA - sorry to hear of your loss, but great news about the inheritance - do something special with some of the money too - it's a nice way to remember family!. And hope you get to have a happy family get together some day - surely somebody must be having a significant anniversary or something?!!

[Troubadour]

VOL, I am so sorry for your loss. It's a comfort that your grandmother passed away peacefully, but I know she leaves a large void in your life. Revel in all those wonderful memories and know that she will always be with you.

Nancy, I am thinking of your nephew. I keep everybody in my thoughts and prayers, including Brandon and Chuck. I hope those guys are doing as well as can be expected. I recently read a book by a writer with ALS, and I thought of Chuck most of the time. It is so sad and such a devastating disease, but I pray that he will still be able to enjoy his life for some years to come.

Those photos of Whitney are incredible. She is such a beautiful little girl! As Brooke said, it is amazing what doctors can do.

Brooke, I'm thrilled for your family - what an exciting, happy time!

Austin - That is awesome! I KNOW you will have a brilliant time and we all expect a full report. This may be just what you needed. Enjoy every minute.

[Prettymaid]

My condolences VOL.

Troub, could you please give me the name of the book and the author?

[Troubadour]

The one I have just finished is called "The Killer Within" by Philip Carlo. Carlo died last year but the book was published posthumously. It may not be everyone's bag - he was an expert on crime/the Mafia and it's sort of billed as his tales about meeting infamous prisoners like Richard Kuklinski. (Very graphic.) I found, though, that it's actually more about his life and his own day-to-day experiences of ALS. He interweaves the two subjects. It gave a real insight into his own struggles from diagnosis and beyond. He mentions all sort of everyday issues and problems that ALS sufferers face.

There is another book by a guy named Phil Simmons, which you will probably enjoy more. He lived with ALS for nine years and wrote a collection of essays called "Learning To Fall: The Blessings Of An Imperfect Life." A film was subsequently made named "The Man Who Learned To Fall." I haven't seen it, but it is meant to be a realistic but uplifting account of living with ALS and overcoming struggles. This page (http://www.rideforlife.com/archives/001172.html) tells you a little more about it.

[Koala]

VOL, my condolences for your loss.
TBF, what a terrible tragedy, very sad.

[Glennsallnighter]

VOL, my condolences on your loss. Its a difficult time for everybody and i hope you will all derive strength in knowing that your Grandma is at peace now. And you will always remember the great times you had with her. :hug:

Brooke! Have a wonderful time in the run up to the Wedding and have a wonderful time at it as well.

Cathy! Whitney and Hailey look adorable! Its amazing what modern medicine can do for our kiddies now, isn't it!

[TimothyBFan]

Cathy--amazing pictures. I can't imagine a baby having to go through these kind of surgeries and how strong you have to be as a parent to get through it all.

Brooke--I just bet you're all getting so excited!! Enjoy it all.

The autopsies on the boys show that they did indeed die of hyperthermia and that one of their body temperatures reached 107. Still no explanation of how they got in the trunk or how long they were in it before she found them. Lots of special interest groups chiming in about recalling cars and getting safety release latches in trunks--I'm sorry, but I don't imagine I know a 2 or 4 year old in the world that while locked in a dark trunk would think to look for one---I say let's be parents and supervise our young children. There is talk that those children were in that trunk for over 2 hours---why in the hell didn't she go look for them before that? It just angers me. I know accidents happen but this one seems to be nothing but negligence at this point and could of been avoided. We'll see what becomes of it but it just sickens me. I deal with kids everyday in my job and can't imagine something like this happening just because someone wasn't watching out for them.

[Annabel]

VOL so sorry to hear of your loss.

[Brooke]

VOL, my sympathies to you and your family. I lost my dear Gramma about 16 years ago and I still think of her and miss her a lot. Hold on to your memories.

[WalshFan88]

VOL - So sorry to hear that. :-( May she RIP.

[TimothyBFan]

Just have to brag a bit. Just received notification that my son made the Indiana University in Bloomington's Dean's List! I'm so very proud of him. That can't hurt his prospects for being accepted into a good law school. He obviously got my brains. :lie: :hilarious:

[Annabel]

Wow, that is great Willie. :thumbsup:Well done to your son.

Mine isn't as big as that, but my youngest daughter (DD2) has been chosen by her college staff to go on a day out at an outdoor centre with her school. She is one of 40 chosen out of 160. She would get to do 3 activities there including kayaking, raft building and one other choice -team challenge, abseiling or climbing. :partytime:

I say would because the chosen date is .............July 1st !!!!! (A non school day because of the year 11 prom.) The day eldest daughter and I are at the Hop Farm Festival and youngest is on a day out in Kent with hubby. :brickwall: So she can't go. :thumbsdown: But at least she was chosen. :hilarious:

[Brooke]

Willie, congrats to your son! That's great! :thumbsup:

Annabel, congrats to your daughter, too, even if she can't go. Sounds like it would have been fun.

[WalshFan88]

TBF - Congrats!

Annabel - Congrats to you as well!

[Koala]

TBF, congrats to your son!

Annabel, congrats to your daughter, too!

[Troubadour]

Willie, congrats to Dillon!

Mel, congrats to your daughter, too, although it's a shame it falls on that day!

[ticky]

Hey Everybody! thought I'd check in and let you all know Im still alive and kicking :)
Been a strange summer thus far, with the farmers markets and the kids et al. For those of you not hanging out on Facebook, I've been making decorative gourds, carved and burned (woodburned aka pyrographed) and selling them at Farmers Markets and galleries. My niece is my partner. We go to a small market in Banks Oregon every Friday afternoon and will start going to a much larger market in Hillsboro soon. We've been considering Saturday Market down town, but I think we're both a little nervous about anything that big just yet.

Last month Jenni found a guinea pig in the park across the street and brought it home. Some brain trust "freed" it! We're not so far in town that we dont have wild coyotes and hawks around. Freeing the poor animals is simply a death sentence. We saved it and guess what? it was pregnant! BIG SURPRISE! not really... We had four babies!! they looked exactly like real live zhu zhu pets!! they were adorable!!! I said were... they grew.. we had one boy and two girl babies and separated the boy at 3 weeks just to be safe. We posted an add on Craigslist. DO NOT EVER POST AN ADD ON CRAIG'S LIST FOR FREE STUFF!!!! this is an invitation for CRAZY PEOPLE to email and call you!!! We had about 7 calls wanting the babies... but not ONE of them lived within driving distance!! FIRST OFF... why are you people looking at Portland Oregon when you live 300 miles away?? SECOND.. NO they can NOT be shipped UPS and NO I will NOT drive them to your house!!! THIRD.. by some of the spelling maybe you should ask your MOTHER first??? Whew... anyway, we called the only two rescue shelters in Oregon, both were closed. SO In desperation and with a heavy heart I called the Humane Society thinking that at least they'd have a chance to be adopted. HAPPILY I learned they don't euthanize small animals!! they keep them till they're adopted! AND they have a better then 98% adoption rate for Guinea Pigs!! YAY! So we took the little boy and one of the girls in. We're keeping one of the girls (Well, Jenni is... supposedly) and the Mommy for Sarah. Guinea Pigs are great pets... in moderation.

The Garden is growing and the sun is finally making a show! We've been to the cabin only once so far :( but we're heading up for the 4th :) I'll try and pop in more often but all is well here. Hope everyone is doing well out there!! (i'll do some catch up reading right now.. I promise *G*)

(Willie and Annabel! WOW! congrats!! Awesome kids!!!!)

[EagleLady]

So nice to see you posting again Rhonda! Sounds like a busy summer.

[Troubadour]

So happy to see that you've checked in, Rhonda. I miss you! I still want to buy one of your gourds one day. They are beautiful.

Thrilled that the guinea pigs will be okay. Hopefully they'll find safe, loving homes very soon. So sweet of you to take care of them.

I'm sure you're looking forward to your trip to the cabin! Enjoy, and take lots of pictures to make us all envious. ;)

[WalshFan88]

Welcome back Ticky! :) Hope everything is going well!

[Koala]

Welcome back Ticky! Nice to read from you again!

[Annabel]

Thank you everyone on behalf of my daughter, Rachel. She was chuffed that you all thought her worthy of praise. Bless (she's not so bad, - in small doses :hilarious:)

Ticky, love the Guinea Pig story. We have had 3 in the past but are now down to just one. Great pets and very cute too. :thumbsup:

[TimothyBFan]

Melanie---awesome on the invite. But I'd rather go to the concert also if I was her.

Rhonda----WELCOME BACK. I love you and have missed you so (even tho I see you on FB all the time, it's just not the same!).

It was a very rough weekend, to say the least, and the week is going to be an even rougher one.

Several of you here remember me talking about our friend Millie who is the 91 year old neighbor we adopted as our own many decades ago. She's been a member of our family as much as if she were blood. She passed away on Saturday morning. Not totally unexpected cause she hasn't been good for a couple of years and has been in the nursing home since I found her on the floor one morning when hospice couldn't get into the house and I had to let them in. She would have been 92 on Wednesday.

So we were just unwinding from that difficult day on Saturday night of making calls and supporting her Granddaughter (Millie's son was on his way up from Missouri) when the phone rang around 10 pm from Larry's cousin (and best friend) that Larry's Aunt Florence had just been taken to the hospital and it didn't look good. By 11:30 she also had passed away. We literally started the day with a death and ended the day with a death. Was still making phone calls at midnight to relatives.

Yesterday was spent helping wherever we could, including a trip bright and early to the nursing home to give Larry's Mom the bad news. We have a long week ahead of us beginning tonight when relatives start coming in. A wake tomorrow night, a funeral in the morning Wednesday morning, another wake Wednesday night and another funeral Thursday.

Please send some positives energy the way of both of these families who have lost 2 absolutely wonderful women.

[Troubadour]

I'm so sorry, Willie. My love and thoughts are with all of you.

[tequila girl]

So sorry to hear your sad news Willie....my thoughts go out to the family and friends of two very special ladies

[Brooke]

Willie, I'm so sorry to hear your sad news. Thoughts and prayers coming your way.

Ticky! Long time, no see! Welcome back! Sounds like you've been busy!

[Koala]

Willie, I'm sorry to hear these sad news! Thoughts and prayers with all of you!

[Annabel]

So sorry to hear your very sad news Willie. ((((hugs)))) to all of you.

[sodascouts]

I'm sorry, too, Willie.

Although no one I know has died, thank God, I did have some disheartening news last night. My sister's eating disorder is more severe than I thought. The clinic she currently is attending has been unable to get her to gain even one pound. She has damaged her digestive organs and is going to have to be treated at a special residential clinic in another state! I know it will be hard for her to be away form her family, but the treatment takes at least 2 months. Just pray that it works!

[TimothyBFan]

Oh Nancy, I am so sorry to hear that. Can the damage be reversed? My thoughts are with your whole family because it has to be so hard not only on her, but all of you also. I certainly hope this works and she starts gaining weight soon.

[sodascouts]

Can the damage be reversed?

Well, nobody has said so, but the impression I got was that this new clinic would help her get to where she could eat normally and be healthy... I hope that means that whatever damage she did isn't permanent.

[TimothyBFan]

Me too. Again, thoughts are with all of you and I wish her nothing but the best of luck.

[tequila girl]

Best Wishes to your sister Nancy - and the rest of your family too, it must be a terrible strain on all of you..

[Annabel]

Sorry to hear about your sister Nancy. Hope that she gets the help she needs at the clinic and (((hugs))) to you and your family.

[WalshFan88]

Willie - So sorry to hear that. :( Take Care.

Nancy - I pray that the new treatment will work and that the damage isn't permanent. Sorry to hear that.

[Brooke]

Nancy, I'm so sorry about your sister. Best of luck to her in overcoming this.

We had a severe thunderstorm last night and the power is still out all over the place! We actually got up and went to the basement last night around 1 am after hearing the terrible wind and thunder and lightening! And now for my rant.

I have a weather radio that is tuned in for my county's NOAH weather alerts. Well, the thing will drive you crazy during the night going off with a loud alarm every 5 minutes for a flash flood warning and I even unplugged it last year. I'm not in a flood plain, so flooding is not a worry for me. Well, after the Joplin tornado I decided that maybe it was a good idea to have, just in case. So last night around 9 pm it went off for a flood warning in another county. Ok. A fluke I guess. Then at 1 am we woke up with the terrible storm. No weather report from my radio. I turned it on and got another flood warning. No tornado or severe storm watch or warning at all from it. Actually, static. I couldn't hear anything they were saying, but the wind outside was horrible and hubby and I headed for the basement. The power went out, but I had good batteries in the radio. So, what good are they if they can't even get their signal in a severe storm? Our weather people have really been promoting them around here is why I'm asking!

There are a few homes on the south side of town that have power, but most everywhere else in the county and surrounding area is out. I have it at work, but not at home. I had to bring makeup and hair stuff to work to get myself presentable this morning! I may have to do the same thing in the morning. We have water, but no electricity! No major damage, just trees and limbs down everywhere which took power lines with them.

My co-worker's new camper is upside down in her front yard.

[Troubadour]

Thinking of your sister, Nancy, and wishing her well in overcoming this terrible disorder. I know it's very rough not only on the person affected but on the family and friends, too. Keeping you all in my thoughts.

What a pain, Brooke! Although I'm glad no-one has been seriously injured. My power has been out for some of today, too. It's very muggy here and I think we're due storms tonight (which I am quite looking forward to!) The power flickered off again a little while ago but fingers crossed it's here to stay...

[ticky]

Awe Nancy! I hope your sister's all right. That's a hard road to toe. My prayers are with her.

Brook, Wow! Im so glad everyone's all right! It sounds scary!

We seem to be having a coastal summer so far. Now if we lived in the LA area or anywhere in So Cal that'd be awesome! but no.. Oregon Coastal weather means over cast grey skies, occasional rain and about 65 degree days. Not so bad unless you're a gardener (and partial lizard) like me (I need to sit on a sunny rock and soak it up for a few hours before I can operate fully) SO.. Im waiting not so patiently for stuff to GROW!!!

We are getting ready to go to the cabin for the weekend. Im looking forward to that and hoping the sun will make an appearance! We've got some serious toe danglin to do!! *G*

[Lisa]

Time.
I would still hope that within a few months, a condition could start to change for the better.

[Koala]

Soda, sorry to hear that bad news about your sister. I know this is a difficult time in which the family should/must keep together. My thoughts are with your whole family.

Brook, I'm glad everyone is okay!

[WalshFan88]

Brooke - Oh no! :( I'm glad everyone is ok though!

[Prettymaid]

This thread is a roller coaster!

TBF, congratulations to Dillon. I have no doubt that he gets his brains from you (and Larry)! So sorry to hear about Millie. You spoke of her so fondly here that I felt like I knew her a little bit myself. What a long life she lived! Sorry also to hear about Larry's aunt.

Annabel, congrats to your daughter. That sounds wonderful! Hope she's not too disappointed about not being able to go.

Soda, I was afraid we were going to hear bad news about your sister. My understanding of that disease is that it's very difficult to convince the person to eat to benefit their own health. It's very complex, but I hope we hear some good news soon.

Ticky, hi. How the heck are ya? I see you still have your Christmas avatar. That's a clue right there that you need to come here more often. :nod:

Brooke, yuck! I hate it when the power goes off. Fortunately we don't have that problem here very often. I understand your frustration with your weather radio. What good is it? At least you have water. You can shower in the dark!

I'm a happy girl. I'm on a week's vacation. Not going anywhere, just going to enjoy the deck. We're going to my aunt's on Sunday to celebrate my dad's 83rd birthday (it's actually today) and on Monday the Fourth we are having a cookout here with our families. Hope the weather holds out.

[Annabel]

Brooke, that sounds scary. Glad you are okay and hope your power is back soon.

Got awoken by a huge clap of thunder this morning at 5.30. Followed by nothing. :ack: Thundering again here a bit, but still no storm. Need to have the air cleared, although it is cooler than the sticky mess that was Monday.
I'd just put the rabbits and guinea pig out in their runs then I heard the distant rumblings, then overhead so had to dash to get them in. Now have 2 rabbits hopping round my lounge. Poor Pig went back to her hutch.
Just heard on the radio that we have heavy thundery showers moving into my area so maybe they heard me?

[TimothyBFan]

Brooke-very happy you all are safe. We don't have a weather radio but I know one of the local tv stations are always promoting them. They actually have special times when you can bring them in to have the programmed correctly. That would be upsetting to have it not working when you really need it most.

Enjoy your week Cathy. That deck looks like it would be an awesome place for a staycation!! I'm looking forward to my deck & patio for our long weekend.

Tonight is the first wake we will be attending. Then we have a funeral tomorrow followed by the other wake and the last funeral on Thursday. Family started arriving last night and rest today. Gonna be a long couple of days.

[Troubadour]

Thinking of you, Willie. :hug:

Cathy - YAY, vacation time! Relax and enjoy, you deserve it.

[Brooke]

Still no power this morning. I hear they are getting closer to my area though.

Ticky's post reminded me of my garden. Some of my sweet corn was tasseling and it's now flattened. :sad: The weather people are saying we had 80 mph winds. My boss said he slept through it and didn't know anything till he got up yesterday morning! Yes, it could be a lot worse and I'm thankful it wasn't.

Cathy, enjoy your vacation at home. I do that a lot and it's nice. I hope you have good weather.

[Glennsallnighter]

Willie, My commiserations on the two losses your families have suffered this week. You take care of yourself. You've had a lot on your plate recently, and I hope this is the end of it. :hug: Bear up!

Rhonda, great to hear from you. I'm delighted to hear that the gourds are selling so well. I hope they keep up, and like Lou, I too must treat myself to one. Hope the rest of the family are keeping well.

Brooke! I hope you can get your power back as soon as possible. Your state has really suffered for the tornados and storms this year. At least nobody was hurt this time.

Nancy! I'll continue to keep your sister in my thoughts and prayers. I know that eating disorders can be very complex, but she has a big advantage with the love and support that you and your family have for her.

Cathy! Enjoy your staycation!

Annabel! Hope you get those thunderstorms over and done with before the hop farm festival!

I'm BBF marking the State Exam scripts as I always do between June and July. So far its going well but with the primary schools closing for the summer on Thursday, I'm gonna have far less time. Hopefully the kids will be able to entertain themselves for at least SOME of the time. Otherwise I'll be pulling quite a few allnighters!

[Brooke]

Yes, we got power yesterday around 10 am. Thank goodness!

Here's a pic of my garden:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/desperado74/Family/Mypoorgarden62011.jpg

That's the worst of it at my house, thankfully! With all of the rain we've been having it's been way too much work keeping it weeded!

[Prettymaid]

Would you look at that! Too bad about your corn, Brooke. I don't know anything about gardening - will it bounce back? :shrug:

[Brooke]

The shorter rows probably will, but probably not the taller rows. Some of the roots are even showing on the taller rows. :-(

[Glennsallnighter]

Assess pity about your corn Brooke. Hopefully some of it Can be salvaged!

On a lighter note, I've just thought 'I teach in Brookfield. This must be 'Brookesfield'. Sorry

[WalshFan88]

Brooke - Sorry to hear about the corn!

[EaglesFanatic]

Hey all, I don't want to bring anyone down, but I just thought I'd come here and kind of talk this out. I just found out this evening that my 21 year old cousin passed away earlier today from an accidental drug overdose. This came as such a shock to me and everyone in my family... It's very sad for my whole family, but I just feel horrible for my grandparents especially. They're taking the loss pretty hard. It was just yesterday that they were at a baseball game with him. We all loved him a lot, and he was a great guy. RIP Steven.

[tequila girl]

Zoe, I'm so sorry to hear that, what a tragedy :-(

My thoughts and prayers go to you and your family

RIP Steven xx

[WalshFan88]

EF - So sorry to hear that. :( May he RIP.

[Glennsallnighter]

Indeed EF. What a tragic situation. I'm sure your family must be devastated. My thoughts and prayers go out to you all. May Steven RIP. :-(

[Annabel]

Sorry to hear about your sad loss EF. :( RIP Steven.

[Troubadour]

Oh EF, I am so sorry. How heartbreaking. I will keep you, Steven, your grandparents and the rest of your family in my thoughts. Lots of love to you all.

[Koala]

EF, so sorry to hear from your sad loss! You are all in my thoughts and prayers.

[Prettymaid]

Oh Zoe, I'm so sorry. It's sad when anyone we love dies, but when the loved one is so young and the death was so unexpectedly tragic it seem to make it so much harder. Did anyone in the family know he was taking drugs?

[Brooke]

EF, what terrible news. I'm so sorry and will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.

[EaglesFanatic]

Thanks everyone, your words mean a lot to me. PM, he has had a history of drug abuse, but he was doing much better for a really long time up until this incident.

[whitcap]

I'm sorry for your loss Zoe. May he rest in peace.

[Freypower]

Zoe, I send you and your family my deepest sympathy.

[Lisa]

I'm sorry to hear about your terrible loss.

[Peekaboo]

Oh, Zoe, I'm so very sorry about your cousin. I'm very close with many of cousins. A few of them I consider to be like sisters to me and I would be devastated if something were to happen to any of them. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family during this difficult time.

Brooke, so glad y'all are ok after that storm. Same thing happened here about 2 weeks ago but I was only without power for about 6 hours. I don't think I could've handled the heat much longer if they hadn't gotten the power back on when they did.

Cathy, hope your vaca is going well. I could sure use one of those myself right about now.

Rhonda, looks like you and me have both been MIA for quite some time now. Glad to see you back around here too.

Nancy, I'm hoping and praying for the best for your sister.

Willie, I'm very sorry about your loss. It's always hard to deal with one death but to have two in one day...Wow. My best to you and your family.

[Peekaboo]

I sure have missed The Border. I have this place and you all in my thoughts each day. I've always been a smiling, happy, go-lucky type of person but many things in my life over the last few months have really changed me. I have moments when I feel better and I'm in somewhat of a good mood but then something comes up and just brings me down again. I've talked somewhat about what's happened in my life over the last few months but I haven't really gone into detail. I had my reasons for that but I'm at the point now that I just don't care anymore. I told you all that my parents had split up at the beginning of February. The reason for that was because my dad had cheated on my mom. I was mad and upset with him then but it got worse when he and I finally saw each other and talked last month. So many hurtful things were said by the both of us. Everything he said hurt my heart so bad but what hurt the most was that he said it was all "pretend". Everything that he ever did or said over the last 15 years or so was all fake and pretend. Dad and I used to be very close but not any more. I haven't seen or talked to him since May 13th and I don't plan on seeing him again anytime soon. Since this all started Mom has taken him back 3 times. They've tried to work things out and the latest was over the last 3 weeks and once again it didn't work. He left her again this past Monday night. Each time he went back to Mom it made her so happy. The times he came back I stayed away but kept in touch with mom over the phone. I know that mom tried so hard to make it work but then he would leave her and it would break her heart all over again. I would then have to go back to be there for her. Things have changed over this last month. Mom has become very distant. I don't really understand why but she's starting to push me away. She's doing the same to my brother and her sisters. Everybody that has been there for her during these hard times, she's just pushing us away. It's gotten to the point that I can't even talk to her any more. At times I really feel like i'm at a loss because I can't seem to talk to any of my close friends or family any more. I try talking to them but it seems like I can't get through to anyone. They just tell me to quit moping and move on. Sometimes the way I feel is that I've always done everything I could to be there for my family and friends whenever they needed me and when I need them to be there for me they aren't there. That just hurts. It hurts even worse since I can't seem to talk to my mom any more. I don't know if this was the smartest thing to do but I just decided to stay away from everybody and everything. I just go to work and then go home. I haven't gone back to my hometown in 4 weeks and I haven't gone out with my friends lately either. I just feel like I need to distance myself from everything. It's worked for a while but I've started to feel kinda lonely so I got outta the house and went swimming with some friends yesterday. Honestly, I just don't know what to do any more. I want to be there for my mom and help but every time I try I get more upset about all that's happened. It's like the more I try to help I end up hurting myself somehow in the process. I'm trying to keep my head up and stay positive but it's getting more and more difficult. I'm just ready for all of this to be over with.

I'm sorry to be such a downer but it feels a little better to get some of this out. I've been holding a lot of this in for so long.

[EaglesFanatic]

Thank you for your words WC, FP, Lisa, and Peek. Peek, I'm so sorry about all that you are going through. I can only imagine how hard it is to deal with. These kinds of things certainly take time to blow over, but it will get better.

[EaglesKiwi]

Zoe, so saddened to hear about your cousin. The death of young people is so tragic because of the lost potential.

Willie, very sorry to hear about your losses too. I hope you get some comfort from knowing they both did have long lives full of love.

Nancy, you too are in my prayers together with your sister. I have known people who've recovered from eating disorders, but it can be a long process and is so hard for everyone around them too.

Jess, you've had so much to go through. Maybe your mom is feeling that same need to distance herself from everything - a numbness inside. Plus a whole lot of other things as well, and some of them will conflict with each other. Have you thought of maybe sending her a card to say you love her and you'll be there when she's ready to talk again? If you send it through the post she can respond when she's ready, but in the meantime she's reminded of how much you care.

[Koala]

Jess, I'm sorry about what you have to go through, this all must be so hard for you, hope that everything gets better for you very soon!:hug:


Today was my last working day until mid-August!:)
But unfortunately I have no plans for most of my vacation!

[Freypower]

Jess, I am not very good at this topic but you are a lovely person. Hang in there.

[TimothyBFan]

Just glad to say that these last couple of days are over and I'm looking forward to an extra long 4 day weekend for me here. Boy do I ever need it!

Jess-I've thought of you and your situation a lot and we've "talked" back and forth about it. I just can't express to you how much I feel for you. I wish I could be there to give you a great big hug. You know we are always there for you and don't hesitate to write or pick up the phone to me. Hang in there, Hun, I still think time will heal some of the wounds.

[Brooke]

Jess, I'm so sorry about everything going on in your life. Just hang in there and try to get out with your friends some. It will help. Time has a way of healing so just take one day at a time.

I'm having a terrible time with a toothache. It's a tooth that was broken last year and filled. It started the night before last and I went to the dentist yesterday. He couldn't find anything wrong, but put me on antibiotics and painkillers in anticipation of an infection. Well all it did was get worse. I barely slept last night, but after a phone call to him this morning, he said it takes a day or two for the antibiotic to start working sometimes and he gave me a stronger pain killer. I'm at work since it is such a busy day, but not feeling too great. :sad:

[Troubadour]

I feel for you, Brooke - toothache is awful. I hope you feel better soon.

Jess, it breaks my heart to hear that you and your mum are so upset right now. I think EK's idea is a good one - perhaps send your mum a card or a letter, letting her know that you love her, that you need her, and that you're there for her. I'm sure she doesn't mean to push you away. She is obviously dealing with an awful lot of emotions too and is probably trying to protect you somewhat from them. She doesn't want her children to see her so upset. I know my mum is the same - she feels guilty for not being stronger for her children at times, and it can come across that she is distancing herself or being abrupt/dismissive. I would send that card, for sure. Also, though it is tempting to stay at home and hide from things, try as much as you can to get out and about - with new friends and old. Keeping busy, being active and talking to other people is the best way to help ease the sting of your own situation. I know it's hard, and no-one is saying that the pain will disappear straight away, but time really does ease the hurt and anger. Just know that I am thinking about you, I love you LOADS, and I am always here for you. Sending big, warm hugs to you, my friend. :heart:

[sodascouts]

Thanks everyone for your kind words about my sister. I just try to be there for her, but they're taking away her phone for the duration of her visit. :(

Zoe - how awful. I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. Your family is in my prayers.

Jess - I've been thinking of you as well. I can only imagine what you're going through. I wish I could be more help. Please let me know if there is anything I can do.

[Peekaboo]

Brooke, my fingers are crossed for those antibiotics to start to kick in soon.

Koala, enjoy your time off from work. Maybe you can fill in some of your vacation time with the Eagles. Kick back and relax with some good 'ol fashion Eagles dvds. A little HFO and Farewell 1 is always a good plan.

Thanks everybody. The support from all of you is amazing. I'm very thankful to have people like y'all in my life. :grouphug: I'm sure you are all right about time healing all wounds. The only problem with that is I can sometimes be an impatient person, especially when it comes to this situation. I'm slowly learning to be patient...slowly. I do love the idea of sending my mom a card or letter. I've sort of already done that but I think I may still send her something. About a month ago I made her a cd with some uplifting and supportive songs. I'm not always good at expressing myself so I tend to turn to music for that. Here's some of the songs I included: Rascal Flatts - I Won't Let Go; Eagles - You Are Not Alone; Sara Evans - A Little Bit Stronger. I also included some songs that me and mom have always considered to be "Our Songs". Neither of us can carry a tune but when we would hear certain songs we would be singing together at the top of our lungs. Some of those songs are Beach Boys - Surfer Girl; Eagles - How Long; Bette Midler - From a Distance. She really liked the cd so I'm sure she would like a card too.

It's Fourth of July weekend here in the States. For those of you celebrating I hope you all have a wonderful, fun, and safe weekend. I'll be at work (like I am every weekend) but I'm hoping that I'll be able to catch a good fireworks show at some point. Happy Fourth of July!!:)

[Troubadour]

I love the idea of that CD, Jess. How sweet. I'm sure she really appreciated it. You have a wonderful weekend, too! As a very wise bloke once said... "one day at a time". :hug:

[Glennsallnighter]

Jess, its great to hear from you after quite a while. I'm sorry your life has been so turbulent over the past few months. Please take comfort in knowing that you are a lovely person and that none of this is your fault. Your mom needs some time to sort herself out on her own I guess and maybe that's why she appears to be shutting you out. I'm sure things won't stay like this too long. But I know too how upsetting all this is for you physically and emotionally. Hang in there, we all hope things will be better for you and your family soon. :hug: The cd is a wonderful idea!

It's after 4am here. I went to bed about 12:30 am. Laura woke us using the bathroom about 2 hours ago and I can't sleep since then! I guess I can Mark a few more papers.

[WalshFan88]

Peekaboo - Take care and try to stay positive! Good thoughts sent your way!

Brooke - Oh no! :( Get well soon!

[Glennsallnighter]

Yeah Brooke! Hope that tooth sorts.

Well my dear daughters best friend shows up on our doorstep tonight at 7pm to attend a sleepover that they arranged the other day. In a TENT. Thing is, they never told ME their plans!!

[Troubadour]

Naughty Timtot! LOL. It's a good job she has such a lovely mum. :thumbsup:

[Glennsallnighter]

Awwwwww dunno about that Lou! But thanks! :hug:

[Brooke]

Feeling much better and the swelling is down, thank goodness! Wow, toothaches are awful!

Off to a family picnic for the 4th, so hope everyone has a great Independence Day!

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y63/desperado74/july43.gif

[Glennsallnighter]

Same to you Brooke and all the others who celebrate on 4th July!

Love your animation! :thumbsup:

[rcknalwys]

My heart goes out to all of you who are experiencing so much pain. I don't get to stop in often but each time I do I find the same kindness and caring from everyone here. What a lovely group of people you all are. Whenever I mention The Border some poor misguided fool always comments about the "obsessed women" slobbering after some old men. I always chuckle to myself because while we all share a love for some multi-talented guys, The Border is so much more than that. I believe many of those here are closer than they are to their own friends off the net. There is always a listening ear when one of us is experiencing pain or sorrow, loss or just the blues. And there is always someone to share our joys with. Many of us have come here to share our feelings and experiences knowing we will never be made light of. I am one who has shared happenings in my own life and have always been grateful for the kindnesses I've recieved. I just wanted to thank you all for this wonderful group.

[Brooke]

rcky, that was very sweet and you are so right. Thanks for putting it all so eloquently. This is a wonderful community of caring people.

And now my big news. I get to have a root canal on Friday! :cry:

So, has anyone around here had one and how'd it go? :fear:

[EaglesKiwi]

Nicely put, rcknalwys!

Brooke, I've had a root canal done, but had it under propofol (had 4 wisdom teeth out at the same time!!). I had the tooth rebuilt with just painkiller injections though - the dentist wanted me to take propofol again, but that's for his benefit not mine!! I still haven't had the crown done a year later... you have to sell your firstborn child for dental care over here!

I have to say I felt so much better afterwards! Hang in there, and hope everything goes well.

[Koala]

And now my big news. I get to have a root canal on Friday! :cry:

So, has anyone around here had one and how'd it go? :fear:
I never had a root canal and I hope I'll get no a root canal so fast! But my mother had some. She says it's not pleasant but it is bearable!
Good Luck on Friday!

[Glennsallnighter]

rcky, that was very sweet and you are so right. Thanks for putting it all so eloquently. This is a wonderful community of caring people.

And now my big news. I get to have a root canal on Friday! :cry:

So, has anyone around here had one and how'd it go? :fear:

I had one done 5 years ago. To be honest it wasnt as bad as I'd expected. I took 2 ponstan (codeine) before I left the house. I can't remember how many jabs I got, may only have been 1. She drilled it all out the first day. No pain whatsoever. Then did her work and filled it temporarily. 2 weeks later she put the new proper filling in. I think it took 2 sessions because it was a back tooth and also to avoid infection. Anyway apart from being a bit uncomfortable holding my mouth upended for so long, it was ok. And MUCH better than the pain I'd been suffering.

See if they'll let you play your iPod while you are in the chair. Glenn :heart: can soothe you.

RKA! Great to hear from you again.

[TimothyBFan]

rcknalwys----You are spot on!!!! :thumbsup:

Brooke--GOOD LUCK!!!! I've always been lucky and have never even had a cavity so I have no advice at all for you other than take it easy over the weekend & make everyone else wait on you!!! :hilarious:

[Troubadour]

rcknalways - Lovely words. This is a wonderful community and I am extremely glad I stumbled upon it. I have found some true friends-for-life, had some incredible Eagles experiences and visited some far-off places... all because of The Border. Pretty amazing when you think about it.

Brooke - I have never had root canal, but I'm thinking of you and hoping it's as painless as possible! Hugs to you.

[Wildthyme]

Brooke - I have had two root canals. One in a molar and one in one of my canine teeth. My regular dentist isn't actually the one who does them though --he sent me to a dental specialist who did the actual root canal and put in a temp filling then a few days later my regular dentist finished the job. Neither of the root canals was especially difficult and certainly were better than the terrible toothache that I had been putting up with in both cases. They numbed me up with several shots of novocaine and then it was mostly a matter of laying there for what seemed like forever while they finished. If I ever need another one I am taking my mp3 player next time and listening to a book or something to pass the time!

[ticky]

Hey Everybody!

Brooke, I wont go into my dental history, most of ya'll know the horrors of it, but lets just say, I have had many root canals and survived. They really arent all that bad. Just be sure you're numbed up sufficiently. My BIG advice here (and this goes for anyone needing to alleviate temporary pain) before you leave the dentists office, take two tylanol extra strength and two advil gel caps. I checked with my Doctor about this and she told me it was perfectly safe and I have never found anything that actually alleviates the pain like this does! My cousins nurse told her about it after surgery and this is MY number one fall back for tooth pain. It really works! Vicodin is fun *G* (happy happy drug) but this just takes the pain away. It might make you sleepy, so be prepared for that. And remember, once you're done that tooth cant bother you any more! Luck! and I hope you feel better after :)

We spent a BEAUTIFUL 4 days at the cabin this week, from Saturday to Tuesday and the whole time the weather was fantastic!! We rock hunted in the river and had a camp fire on Monday night. It was just a really beautiful place to be and my favorite people to be with (including Cami *G*) As soon as I can figure out where Cliffy uploaded the pictures, I'll post some. It's weekends like this I really wish I could just bring ya'll up with us *G* (and by ya'll, I mean EVERYONE here and our four favorite guys *G*)

[EaglesKiwi]

Glad you had such a lovely long weekend, Ticky!

[Brooke]

Yes ticky, it sounds so nice up there!

Thanks for the advice on root canals everyone! It sounds like I will survive. Can't wait! :lie:

[Brooke]

Well, the big day is just about here! Our son's wedding is Saturday and we are heading to sw Mo early in the morning, so I won't be around till probably Monday. I'm glad it's finally here and am very happy to be getting a lovely daughter in law.

Have a great weekend everyone!

[sodascouts]

Hope everything goes as planned and your son has a beautiful wedding!

[Glennsallnighter]

Have a wonderful time Brooke and enjoy the wedding! Best wishes to your Son and Daughter in Law as they start their new life together. I hope they have a wonderful long and happy life as Mr and Mrs!

Take care! Look forward to hearing all about it next week!

Ticky! That cabin holiday sounds fantastic!

[EaglesKiwi]

Brooke, hope you have a lovely weekend and that it makes a great start to your son & new DiL's married life.

[WalshFan88]

Brooke - Congrats!!

I've been gearing up for this coming week. It's going to be a BUSY week.

Tomorrow I am going to an auction (possibly getting a nice Fender amp) and going to see Harry Potter. Then on Saturday I have a wedding to go to. Then on the 18th I go see KISS in Concert in Springfield. Then the 21st I leave for Nashville. Then I come back the 24th. I have a lot of stuff going on but I'm looking forward to it as my life has been quite dull and boring lately. I need some excitement! :rofl: I'm really getting excited about the Nashville trip. Going to the Gibson factory, buying some pedals, AND getting to eat great food while I'm there?! Talk about a guitarist's dream vacation! :D Can't wait!

[Koala]

Brooke, have a wonderful weeding lweekend!

Sounds after a great time for the next days , Austin!

[TimothyBFan]

Brooke-hope everything goes smoothly and please take time to enjoy the day. Hope the weather cooperates for all of you also.

Enjoy Austin, enjoy!!!!

[ticky]

Brooke, Have a wonderful time!

Austin, How fun!! The auction and the movie! I hope you make a killing at the auction and dont tell me about the movie, Im looking forward to seeing it soon *G*

It's another Friday and Im getting ready to head to the Farmers market. I started doing this with my gourds and a few other pieces. My niece joined me with her pottery then we talked my brother into joining us. My niece then went to Seattle with her boy friend for the summer to help his parents out and it was just my brother and I. We have a great time and I love my brother, but he's like a big puppy with a new ball. He's soooo enthusiastic and thrilled about selling his stuff. He sells about 2 or 3 pieces a week and he's decided my gourds arent enough. They dont sell. They do sell in a different venue. I sell them at art fairs and galleries but not so much at Farmers Markets. Still, since I started this whole thing, I've been paying the fees, (not much, $15 a week) and now he wants me to sign up for another, larger, market. I might do better there, but I really cant afford it! at $15 a week, that's about $70 a month. Add the larger market fee at $30 a week, that's about $175 a month for both! I've added carved rocks to my stuff and I have some painted gourds and herbs from my garden. I might even have produce later in the year and I'll be trying my hand at fused glass next week, but for now I have my gourds.
I couldnt do the Farmers Markets alone, it's just way too much work, and I do love it, it's a lot of fun! I guess I'll keep doing it even if I dont sell much, but if we want to branch out, Im just going to need some financial help.
Thanks for letting me whine a little. These things just build up and spill out occasionally *G* I'm getting my gourd page put together, I'll post it when its done.

[EaglesFanatic]

Good luck at the Farmer's Market Ticky, I love your gourds!

I just want to share with you all that I passed my driving test with flying colors today! I am officially a licensed driver :)

[tequila girl]

Wow it's all happening isn't it!

Brooke - I hope your sons wedding goes off without a hitch and everybody has a great time! Congrats to 'The Happy Couple!' :)

Austin - Fingers crossed you get what you're after at the auction :thumbsup:

Rhonda - I love your gourds, hope you sell loads at the FM :)

Zoe - Congratulations, Well Done, but...... 'Take it Easy' :stop:

[Glennsallnighter]

Congratulations on passing Zoe! But remember, you don't need to have 'Life In The Fast Lane'.

Wow Rhonda, you are certainly very busy at the moment. I hope it all works out for you.

I've finished my marking, and am now gearing up to the family holiday in Portugal. We fly out at 6am Tuesday for 10 days. Then I'll only have a few weeks before the big trip to Canada!

[Koala]

Ticky, good luck at the Farmer's Market,I hope the business is going well for you!

Congratulations, Zoe and like the others have said: Take it Easy!

GA, have Fun in Portugal! Do you go to the same house as last Year? It was wonderful!

[Peekaboo]

Wow!! GA, you've got lots of exciting things to look forward to. Sounds like it's gonna be a lot of fun. :thumbsup:

Brooke, Congrats to the Newly Weds. Have a wonderful time!!

Austin, have fun!! I agree with Rhonda, please don't spoil the ending of the movie for me. I'll be seeing it next week on my days off.

Rhonda, I'm so envious of how crafty you are. I wish I could do something like that. I'm just not that creative. Best of luck at the market.

Congrats, Zoe!! Have fun driving around but stay safe on the road.

That reminds me, I got my first ticket ever about 3 weeks ago. $211 for "changing lanes unsafely." I also got a warning for speeding. Thankfully the cop was really nice and we actually chatted a bit about my job at the casino. I'm still really ticked about this ticket. I'm usually a pretty safe driver but it was one of those moments that I wasn't totally focused on the road. I was driving back from my hometown after getting in an argument with my mom and I was less than 15 miles from my home. Needless to say I had a lot on my mind and all it took was for some stupid SUV to cut me off and slow me down from 70 to 55mph (speed limit was 65). I saw my opening and went around the SUV and that's when I got caught. It was after dark and I didn't even see the cop until he was flashing his lights right behind me. I'm still debating on whether or not I want to go to the court date and try to fight it or just pay off the ticket. My plan if I go to court is to tell the judge that at 27 years old I've never had a ticket and have always tried to keep my record clean. My hope is, at best, I'll get the ticket dropped from my record (but I know I'll still have to pay the court fees) or at least have the ticket price reduced. I have less than 2 weeks to decide.

Zoe, don't do what I did!!! This is gonna cost me a lot of money. Please learn from my mistake and drive safe AT ALL TIMES!!!

Now to explain that argument with my mom. I believe when I last posted in this thread I told ya'll that my dad had left again. Well, he came back and this time he moved back home. I told my mom from the beginning that I would support whatever she decides but if he comes back I won't be coming back. I've stayed true to that. I've missed seeing my mom so much. She's changed a lot since he's been back. She's trying so hard to be who she thinks dad wants her to be that she doesn't even realize that she's pushed away those of us that have been there for her from the beginning. To make a long story short, when we last spoke I told her that this has all been too much for me to handle and every time I try to help and be there for her I somehow end up feeling more upset and hurt by the situation. I told her that i need to stay away for a while. I've got to find a way to gain some sort of happiness in my life again and this is gonna have to be the start of that. After a few upsetting words to each other I finally told her that I wouldn't be coming back home for a while and that I wouldn't call anymore. I told her that i love her very much and that I'm always here for her whenever she needs me but right now we just need some distance. She agreed. With the exception of now being estranged from my dad, this whole situation with my mom is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It still hurts and I tear up whenever I think about all of this but I am starting to feel a little bit better. Staying away has helped. It was really hard in the beginning but it's getting easier. I know this thing with my mom won't last forever. I see this as just a temporary thing. I know I'll see her again and talk to her within a few weeks because my SIL is only 3 weeks away from her due date. I know that once the baby is born I'll be going back to visit more often but for now I've just got to continue with this distance thing and try to feel better each day. It's still hard to do but I'm trying.

[EaglesKiwi]

Hang in there, Peek, and remember we all care very much. :grouphug:

[ticky]

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. The sale was fun, but I didnt sell anything. My brother sold some pots and my friend Marsha, who runs the farmers market, said I could pay her for that week later. So Im good.

Jess, :hug: hang in there. We love you and we'll be here anytime you need us.

Here's the link to my gourds. I've updated it so the newer ones are there. (there's a small link to the next page at the bottom. I'll work on the page more someday, make the links easier to see and add dimensions and prices and emails etc to it, but for now, it's just something to keep track of my work.)

http://tickypages.com/gourd_art/

[sodascouts]

Austin - have fun!

Rhonda - I admire your artistic creativity with your gourds. It's a shame they usually don't sell well at the Farmer's Market.

Zoe - congrats!

GA - have a great trip!

Jess - you have been going through so much! I just want to say, though, that I really hope your estrangement is only temporary. I have a friend who was estranged from her parents and then, one day, they were in a car accident. Both died instantly. My friend lives with a lot of regrets now. Don't wait until it's too late.

[Koala]

Peek, this is a hard time, I can only imagine how difficult this must be for you. I hope so much for you that all this for you in the near future is much easier again! :hug:

[Glennsallnighter]

GA, have Fun in Portugal! Do you go to the same house as last Year? It was wonderful!

It is indeed Koala. it's my brother-in-law's villa. And we don't even have to
pay him for it because it's letting is managed by a company which gives him 6 'free' weeks in the year. As well as as much 'off peak' time as he likes.
So we go on Tuesday and return on Saturday week. Then 3 weeks later I'm off to Canada.


Austin, you too have a whale of a time. I'm sure you'll value every minute of your trip.

Peek, I know it's hard, but hang in there girl. I think you are right giving your parents some space that they need. They may not make the right decisions but they have to realise that. And you are doing the best you can.
Hopefully he birth of this new baby might signal a fresh start for you with your Mum. She knows you love her, and hopefully you will all, given time, heal eventually in your own ways from this very traumatic situation.

Meantime, you know we are all here for you. :hug:

Im sure you'll make the right decision re court. Would they take into account the fact that you we're very upset while you were driving, which is why your concentration lapsed?

[Henley Honey]

Hey Peekabo,
Having read your last post, I debated whether I should post my feelings, as we don't know each other at all and I thought you might resent my putting my two cents in -- but I decided to do it anyway in the hopes that it helps.
I don't pretend to know ANYTHING about your situation and family dynamic. I don't. I can only tell you that I lost my dad 28 years ago when I was 23-years old and not a day goes by that I don't wish that I had him with me for just a little while longer -- even one day.
None of our MAJOR or petty arguments (and there were lots of them) mattered in the long run. We wasted alot of time. I wish I had the maturity to recognize that none of us are perfect -- including our parents. We all make mistakes. We all have shortcomings and character flaws. I also wish I was more cognisant of the fact that we all have a very short and finite amount of time to be together and forgive each other. I wish I had recognized all of this then. I wasted alot of precious time.
I hope you work it all out -- however that may be.
That's just my two cents and I'm sorry if it offends.
I hope you find peace.

[Koala]

It is indeed Koala. it's my brother-in-law's villa. And we don't even have to
pay him for it because it's letting is managed by a company which gives him 6 'free' weeks in the year. As well as as much 'off peak' time as he likes.
This is nice!:thumbsup:

Then 3 weeks later I'm off to Canada.

Canada? What are you doing in Canada? Do you want to see at places of interest like the CN Tower or the Basilika Notre-Dame in Montreal ?:hilarious:

[EaglesKiwi]

Canada? What are you doing in Canada? Do you want to see at places of interest like the CN Tower or the Basilika Notre-Dame in Montreal ?:hilarious:

Oh, Koala!! :rofl:

[TimothyBFan]

Jess-I'm so sorry that you are having some issues with your Mom also. Hopefully time will heal the wounds and everything can start to get back to normal again. You all have to do what's best for yourselves in this healing process. Everyone handles stressful situations differently.

Received a phone call from my best friend this morning around 5 am, and my heart just sank when I heard her ringtone because I knew it was bad news. Her FIL has been very ill with heart disease and had taken a turn for the worse at the end of last week. He passed away about 4 this morning. Our families have been very close for years and we all live here in the same block. I'm just glad that it happened quickly and that he's out of pain now.

I spoke for over an hour with another friend of mine yesterday who is out in Washington state right now as her mother is dying from cancer. She's really struggling with seeing her mother losing weight, losing her strength, etc... Said she now completely understands why I had told her after my father died of cancer, that it was actually a blessing after all the struggling, to finally know that all the pain is over.

Brandon is also undergoing some more troubling times with his cancer also. He was hospitalized last week with a huge blood clot in his leg. He is extreme pain and they are trying to break up the clot. He has another chemo infusion this week of the newest trial they are trying and then will be scanned again probably next week to see if there has been any change in the tumor.

Have I said how much I hate cancer lately?!?!

[Brooke]

Hey everyone! The wedding turned out to be just wonderful although the heat was horrible. Luckily we were all inside most of the time! Everything went off just perfectly and it was just beautiful. It's amazing that something that requires so much thought and planning is all over in a matter of minutes! They are off to Jamaica this morning for the rest of the week. I didn't have time for many of my own pictures, but if any turned out, I will post one in the Every Picture thread later.

Jess, I'm sorry things aren't going well between you and your parents and I know it's hard, but in the end you may want to forgive and forget. Very tough to do, but you never know how long you will have them around.

Ticky good luck with your gourds. I think they are fantastic!

Ga, have fun on your vacation!

[Glennsallnighter]

This is nice!:thumbsup:

Canada? What are you doing in Canada? Do you want to see at places of interest like the CN Tower or the Basilika Notre-Dame in Montreal ?:hilarious:

Yeah, something like that alright Koala! :hilarious:

Think I'll do well to see the Niagara Falls!

Ok I'm off to Portugal in 4 hours. See you all Saturday week when we get home! Take care! Love you all! :bye:

[Maleah]

Wow, so much has been going on and I feel like I just haven't been able to spend as much time here on the boards as I used to and would like to! I mean I have my smartphone but it's hard to type out those long posts on that little screen! ;)

First of all I just wanted to say how sorry I am that you're having such a tough time Jess. I don't know all the details but one can tell from your post that you're very frustrated and hurt. My father and I butt heads quite often and he can be very harsh and cutting with his words. The older I've gotten, it's been harder for me to let it go as easily as I once did. I think because I've been "walked over" so much in my life that I just have gotten tired of taking it and so I don't anymore. lol That being said, having lost my Mom so suddenly, the thought that I could lose my Dad terrifies me. No matter how frustrated I get with him, and I get SO frustrated. The fact of the matter is that no one knows the situation like you do and no one is going through it but you. I have faith that everything will work out! :hug:

Ticky you are one of the most talented people I know! You make me sick! :nausea: ;)

Willie I'm sorry for all your bad news you've gotten. :( One of our family friends has cancer and was told he only has months to live. He's the father of four children, the youngest two are just starting high school, and the grandfather to two little grandbabies. He's just wasting away and it breaks my heart to see it happen.



On July 8th, there was a domestic disturbance two blocks away from my house at about 11pm. I didn't find out about any of it until the next day but a police officer was shot and killed by a man that had threatened his girlfriend with a knife. The officer was Sergeant Steve Kenner and he was 56 years old and preparing to retire within the next year. I never met the man but I'm having a really hard time with his death. I suppose that seems weird to some and I guess that's why I haven't really talked about it with anyone. My nephew's wife was in the hospital emergency room with someone from her work the night that this happened. There was a cop there that told her that there had been reports that the man who shot Sgt. Kenner had been saying for a week that "he wondered what it would feel like to kill a cop." I literally just sit and cry over how horrible it is that someone could intentionally take someone away from their family like that. He was a father of 4 and the youngest is 9 years old. At his funeral they said he was preparing to take his kids to disney world in the next few weeks. I guess it bothers me because things like this just don't happen here. It bothers me that a man lay dying on the street two blocks away from me and I was relaxing in my home, completely unaware. I never knew him but he sounded like he was an exceptional human being and it breaks my heart to know that he lost his life trying to protect someone who willingly put herself in a relationship with a dangerous man. Everyone was shocked for a week, up to the funeral and a couple of days after, but now it's like life is back to normal but I just can't shake it. There's a youtube video that someone uploaded of the funeral procession with the recording of that day's end of watch for Sgt. Kenner, with the status check for his badge #40 going unanswered. It's absolutely heartbreaking. I just don't understand people and sometimes life just sucks.

http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/large-crowd-gathers-at-civic-center-to-say-goodbye-to/article_7f143aca-ae59-11e0-82ce-001cc4c002e0.html

[WalshFan88]

Well I'm getting ready to go to bed. Getting up early and hope to be out of here by 6 AM (US Central Time) and heading to Nashville.

I'm going to leave you all with some pics in the photo threads and then I shall hopefully resume posting Sunday! :hilarious:

[Koala]

Austin, Have Fun in Nashville! I know you will!

I'm out of town until Saturday, have a nice weekend everyone!

[WalshFan88]

Austin, Have Fun in Nashville! I know you will!


Thanks!

[sodascouts]

On July 8th, there was a domestic disturbance two blocks away from my house at about 11pm. I didn't find out about any of it until the next day but a police officer was shot and killed by a man that had threatened his girlfriend with a knife. The officer was Sergeant Steve Kenner and he was 56 years old and preparing to retire within the next year. I never met the man but I'm having a really hard time with his death. I suppose that seems weird to some and I guess that's why I haven't really talked about it with anyone. My nephew's wife was in the hospital emergency room with someone from her work the night that this happened. There was a cop there that told her that there had been reports that the man who shot Sgt. Kenner had been saying for a week that "he wondered what it would feel like to kill a cop." I literally just sit and cry over how horrible it is that someone could intentionally take someone away from their family like that. He was a father of 4 and the youngest is 9 years old. At his funeral they said he was preparing to take his kids to disney world in the next few weeks. I guess it bothers me because things like this just don't happen here. It bothers me that a man lay dying on the street two blocks away from me and I was relaxing in my home, completely unaware. I never knew him but he sounded like he was an exceptional human being and it breaks my heart to know that he lost his life trying to protect someone who willingly put herself in a relationship with a dangerous man. Everyone was shocked for a week, up to the funeral and a couple of days after, but now it's like life is back to normal but I just can't shake it. There's a youtube video that someone uploaded of the funeral procession with the recording of that day's end of watch for Sgt. Kenner, with the status check for his badge #40 going unanswered. It's absolutely heartbreaking. I just don't understand people and sometimes life just sucks.

http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/large-crowd-gathers-at-civic-center-to-say-goodbye-to/article_7f143aca-ae59-11e0-82ce-001cc4c002e0.html

Wow, Maleah, how tragic! It is truly awful that there are people like that in this world and I don't understand it either.

I don't think you're weird for being so affected; it was near your home and you have a very soft heart. It's to your credit that you're so caring even about people you don't know, but don't obsess about something you can't control. I know you have a strong faith in God and everything happens for a reason. Hold on to your faith and don't focus on something you can't change.

What you might do instead is send the family a sympathy card or something like that - perhaps that will allow you to vent your feelings and move forward more easily.

[TimothyBFan]

Well Austin is on his way. What an experience this will be for him. I'll be anxious to hear all about it.

Maleah--I was glued to the screen while reading your post. I think it would be strange if you didn't feel something, because we all know you as a caring individual and a very spiritual person with a huge faith in God.

It is very hard to understand why some people do these things. I hear stories like this and think that I can't be anymore shocked than I am and then I turn on the news a few weeks later, only to see something even worse. It's a scary, scary world out there.

a friend of ours, Chris, had a brother who was always in trouble and so very different from the other 2 sons in the family. He was often on medication for mental health problems and could never hold down a job. A few years back he was pretty much homeless but was staying at a sleazy motel in the city closest to us, drinking heavily and had hit rock bottom. Chris, the only member of the family still trying to get thru to him, went and saw him one night and ended up leaving and said he felt that was probably the last time he'd ever see him.

The following night, the police were called to the motel because of gunshots being fired. Chris' brother was the one shooting at random things. There was a standoff and his brother ended up killing an officer and then turning the gun on himself and killing himself. It of course was all over the news. The whole family was devastated, Chris had boys in school and every station had this story about their uncle who had the same last name, etc.... He felt helpless in trying to help his family deal with and felt at fault because he hadn't been able to help his brother and prevent the whole thing. It led to him & his wife divorcing and an attempted suicide by him. He's now doing well and has been able to move on with his life.

My point is, that I remember how it affected everyone in this area because it was such a senseless crime and death. People talked about it every where you went. And I remember not only feeling so sorry for the officer's family but of Chris's whole family, especially his parents that just couldn't get their heads around the fact that they had a son who's life had gone so wrong when everyone else in the family seemed to lead such normal lives. They were good people who never would of wanted or thought something like this could happen by a family member.

[Brooke]

TBF and Maleah, I'm so sorry to hear your stories. I don't understand why these things happen sometimes. So very tragic.

A bit of happy news, hubby and I celebrated our 37th anniversary yesterday. It was just as hot back then on this day as it was today-98 F! No air-conditioning in our little country church and a long sleeved high necked wedding dress to boot! He sent me a big bouquet of roses and then took me out for a nice dinner. When we got home we listened to Eagles music (where it all started for us!) and reminisced about our 37 years together. We try to do something like that every year. It was a nice!

[Maleah]

But Nancy....obsessing is what I do BEST! At least that's what my family says....usually it's in reference to my favorite music artists though. ;) lol

Seriously though, I know I shouldn't obsess about it but it's just so hard for me to let things go sometimes. I don't even think I could tell you why this case in particular bothers me so much. Part of it is probably the fact that he was the same age as my Mom when she died. Obviously she didn't die in this manner but they were both so sudden. I remember when my Mom died that the hardest part was one day she was there, walking around...laughing...talking...shopping...driving.. ....and the next she was just gone and I'd never see her again. I think I just keep thinking about what the family is going through and that's a big part of it. Another part is just not being able to get over how senseless it was. It was so hard to lose my Mom suddenly the way I did, but I cannot even begin to imagine losing a parent so suddenly by the hand of another human being. Just knowing that someone willingly CHOSE to take the life of your father/husband? I don't know if I could handle it. I know it probably sounds like I'm going crazy (or went there long ago lol) but I can't get his face out of my mind. Even when I intentionally stay busy and distract myself, it just pops right back in there. I know in time I'll be able to move on, but I guess the problem is right now I'm still trying to wrap my head around it and the fact of the matter is there is no wrapping your head around it.

Willie that's so sad about your friend and his brother. Breaks my heart to hear stories like that. I read an interview with the lady that was being threatened by Sgt. Kenner's killer, and she stated that his killer had been talking about wanting to kill himself and when he did, he'd go out with a bang. I'm never for someone killing themself but really, if you want to kill yourself why take someone with you that wants to live? I just don't understand and I know a person never COULD understand.

Thanks for being so understanding guys and for your kind words. You're right, I do have a very strong faith and I know that God's reasons are far beyond what I could ever even imagine. And I know that we have our own free will and that's why there's so much evil in the world. Bannister CHOSE to take Sgt. Kenner's life and I can't even begin to fathom that. It's just hard to accept that good people lose their lives because of the choices of evil people. Life goes on but it's never the same.

[Annabel]

Brooke, Happy Anniversary to you both. :cheers:

Maleah, sending you a big hug http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n242/Mellie1961/thHug.gif (https://www.eaglesonlinecentral.com/forum/http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n242/Mellie1961/thHug.gif)because I don't really know what else to say or do.

Afraid what is happening in my life isn't very nice atm either although it doesn't directly affect me.

Last Thursday my (ex) work mate from school / crafting friend's Dad was diagnosed Thursday with 5 types of cancer. Lung, liver, blood, bone and hip. He's already gone through and come out of prostate cancer a couple of years ago. He hasn't been well for a while now but things started getting very bad this last couple of months.

Things settled down for him when he was put on his morphine medication and he seemed to be doing okay on it. Better than he had been before at least, although my friend Sharon told me yesterday that they had had to increase his dosage. She also told me that her Mum had been told on Tuesday that he has between 2-3 months left. He had declined to know when the doctor visited a couple of days earlier. He hadn't even thought that his illness could be cancer although his wife had.

Anyway my daughter Hannah received a text this morning, meant for me, from Sharon to say that her Dad had taken a turn for the worse in the night so the whole family has driven up to Liverpool to be with her Mum and Dad. He is now in hospital and sedated.

So I'm asking please would you keep my friend and her family in your thoughts and prayers. The outcome is going to be bad at some point we know but hopefully they will have a bit more time together yet. They are in the process of trying to get him in to see a Man United football game as he is a lifetime devoted fan. Looks a little more doubtful today. Bad enough that the season hasn't started yet and doesn't until mid August. :sad: Thanks all.

[EaglesKiwi]

Brooke, congratulations to you and your husband - 37 years is a big achievement!

Annabel, will be thinking of and praying for Sharon & her family.

Maleah, big hugs from me too. Free will does bring many blessings too and among those blessings is the caring people who go out of their way to help others, to pray for strangers, to share a part of themselves in any way (through writing books or through music or just through a kind greeting and a smile), and who make the world a better place because they are here. :hug:

[TimothyBFan]

Melanie---my thoughts are with your friend. I have so many friends going through this right now also and have lost so many friends & family, including my father, to cancer. One was told yesterday that it's only a matter of days for her mother now.

Have I ever said how much I HATE and am AFRAID of cancer!?!?!?

[Annabel]

Thank you EK and Willie. :heart:

I lost my Dad to Cancer when I was 13 years old. Didn't really understand it all then. Since then it hasn't touched my family thankfully but I have had 2 friends die from breast cancer, another friend told me yesterday that her dad has terminal prostate cancer and then there is Sharon's Dad. There have been a couple in my hubby's family too. :thumbs down: Wish THE cure to end all cancers could be found and soon. At least my 2 girls have been vaccinated against cervical cancer, so giving them a chance.

[Brooke]

Ab, so sorry to hear about your friend and her Dad. Thoughts and prayers are going your way.

Cancer is very scary for me, too. I lost my Dad a couple years ago to it. It seems that nearly every day I hear of someone I know of having it. We have come a long way in treating some forms, but there's lots more to do. I hope and pray they can come up with more treatments to combat this terrible and devastating disease.

[sodascouts]

I'm so sorry to hear about your friend, Melanie, and I will pray for them.

I'm afraid of cancer, too. I was just thinking last night how I know we all have to go sometime, but I sure hope for me it's quite a while away.

[ticky]

Annabell, My thoughts and prayers are with your friends father. Cancer is a horrible thing to endure or watch others endure. I lost my sister to complications of cancer treatments about 14 years ago, my mother had a partial mastectomy and I lost both my grandmothers to cancer years ago. It's an ugly thing and so massive in its scope as to what it covers, it eventually touches everyone. Ive been trying really hard lately to live for the moment while balancing care for the future (if only Id known I'd be where I am now back then, I would have taken much better care of myself! ha ha!) I guess that's all any of us can do, that and have faith in something larger then ourselves as well as those we love.

Im headed to the FM again today (every Friday from 3pm to 7pm Banks Farmers Market) I have 4 new gourds to sell and Im trying something new! I made doggie cookies (cookies for dogs - not dog shaped cookies) They're all shaped like south western things, the beef and cheese flavor are shaped like cow skulls, the Apple oatmeal are shaped like howling coyotes and the peanut butter poppers are shaped like chili peppers. I also have tiny cat shaped one for samples called kitty chasers. I hope they're popular. There are a lot of people who come to the market with dogs so hopefully they'll be willing to drop a half buck on a canine cookie. It's something new to try. I'll post FM pics to FB and if I can get my phone to connect, I'll try posting some here too :) With me luck!

[Annabel]

Thank you Brooke, Nancy and Ticky. :heart: Not heard anything more from Sharon so hoping that no news is good news.

Ticky, love the sound of your doggie cookies. I'd buy some to try. Well for Tots not me. :laugh: Hope you do well with them and your gourds.

[sodascouts]

Success at the Farmer's Market, Rhonda!

Brooke - Happy Anniversary and congrats on such a great marriage!

Well, today my little niece Sophia (4 years old) and nephew Lucas (2 years old) have come to pay a visit and will be here all week. Now, I'm at my parent's place, so it's not like I'll be taking care of them... but apparently hanging out constantly with Aunt Nancy is a high priority item on their agendas. Right now, they are at the grocery store with "Grandmommy and Granddaddy" so I get a chance to relax... and Milton, my cat, gets a chance to temporarily come out of hiding.

[Annabel]

:hilarious: :hilarious: Sounds like Aunty Nancy will be needing a rest when she goes back to her home. Poor Milton, hope it's not too stressful.

[Peekaboo]

Melanie, I'm so very sorry about your friends father. Sending prayers to the family.

It seems like nobody can get away from being affected by cancer in one way or another. I lost my grandma to colon cancer 5 years ago. She was diagnosed in February and passed away May 3. Stupid Cancer!!! I hate it!!! :mad:

Maleah, Bless you. You have such a big heart. Hugs to you. :hug:

Rhonda, I hope the sale went good at the FM. Those doggie treats sound like a great idea. :thumbsup:

Congrats on your anniversary, Brooke. Very cool that ya'll threw some Eagles into the mix to celebrate.

Nancy, have fun with your niece and nephew. As a fellow Auntie, I know that we get the best of both worlds with our nieces and nephews. We get to spoil and play with them without having to dish out any of the disciplinary stuff. We get to do the fun stuff. :grin:

Thanks everybody for your kind words. You are all such wonderful and kind hearted people. I thought long and hard about whether or not I wanted to post about what's happened with my parents. In the beginning I wasn't sure if i wanted anyone to know. It almost felt too personal to tell anybody. I hadn't even told some of my closest friends. In the end, I decided to talk about it because I was tired of holding everything in. I knew it wasn't doing me any good to keep all of that bottled up inside. Talking about it has helped and I've gotten good advice and amazing support from my friends, including here on The Border.
I've never been the type to hold a grudge and I realize now that that's exactly what I'm doing. I don't want to be that way but I can't help the way I feel. I am a forgiving person but this has hurt me so much that's it's hard for me to forgive just yet. I will forgive my dad some day but I can't do that right now. I just think that it's too hard for me to forgive him if he's not even gonna try to tell me that he's sorry. He's made no attempt at all to make amends. Not one phone call, no text. I don't know why but everyday I still wonder if he's gonna show up at my work to talk and work things out. I'm always searching the crowd to see if he's there at the casino, but just like it's been since day one, he's not there. I always think about talking to him and trying to mend our relationship but then I think "Why should I be the first one to initiate it? He's the parent and should be the one trying to make things right." I go through every scenario in my head and that's always where i end up. I don't know when things will be right again but for now I just try to get through each day.
Nancy, Maleah and HH, I appreciate what you've said and I have taken that into consideration. I do wonder about that. What if something bad does happen? Oh man, I almost don't want to think about that but it does cross my mind from time to time. I want this all to be over and for my dad and I to be close like we once were. I miss him so much. I don't want there to be any regrets. I don't know if I could handle any more heartache. I just need some time. I know time is precious but I've got to find a way to get through this and that's gonna take me some time. I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of this. I've always been very close to my family and for that relationship to be torn apart is really overwhelming for me.

HH, no worries. I take no offense to your comment. As stated before, I appreciate what you've said.

[EaglesKiwi]

Rhonda, hope the dog cookies went down well. I've seen dog cookies at one of our local markets, but not in cool shapes like yours!

Nancy, you're going to need a holiday to recover from your holiday!

Jess, sometimes when someone has done something dreadful they're too ashamed to even try to make amends. Even though your dad is the parent, you may have to be the adult and make the first move - when you're ready.

[Koala]

Brooke, congrats on your anniversary!

Annabel, I sorry to hear about your friends father.

Willie I'm so sorry about your friend and his brother.

Maleah, big hugs from me too.

Ticky hope you have a lot success at the Farmer's Market.

I hope I'm not forgotten everyone if yes with no intention!

[sodascouts]

Jess, thanks for sharing with us. I wish only the best for you!

[Victim of Love]

Everyone here at our house is excited and looking forward to the arrival of Mom and Bruce in a few days, especially the twins who think the only reason for their visit is for their birthday. Too funny! Actually that's part of it, but they decided to come and experience Rally firsthand. They'll be here for a couple of weeks and it's going to be so great. Freezers and refrigerators are fully stocked, pantry is crammed, in-law suite is prepped and we've staked out the perfect place to sit and watch all of the hoopla -- right in our own front yard! Bring it on!

[ticky]

VoL- Sounds like a fun time!

Jess - Love ya love ya love ya! Stay strong! :)

Nancy *G* hope your visit went well! and I hope Milton finally came out of hiding *G*

The FM couldnt have gone better! Thanks soo much for all the well wishes! The Doggie cookies went over like gang busters and I sold 8 gourds!! Needless to say my stock is slightly depleted but I just finished two new ones. One is a candle holder with Japanese characters that say Wisdom, Strength, Dignity. Then I've carved the words in english down the side in italic script. The other is a really lovely golden patina I didnt want to loose so I carved roses and leaves around the top and free form cut the top off. The insides were thick with residue (kind of a thick dried membrane I call it natures styrafoam,) so I took a sand paper wheel attachment for my dremmel (usually used for stripping furniture) to it and by the time I was finished, I, the table, the deck and everything in a 10' radius was covered in about an inch of gourd dust LOL! but it was clean!! and it came out really pretty! My brother ,who studied photography in school about a million years ago *G*, agreed to take some semi-professional shots of my gourds so I might have some better pictures to post soon!
Im adding three new dog treat flavors to my repertoire. Mama Cagna's Chicken Parmesana Biscotti (Thanks Cami *G*). Prickly Pete's Cactus Cooler Breath Busters for Discerning Dogs and Snickerpoodles! I went to good will and found three new large jars (one I think is pretty old and made in Italy!) and three small jars (to hold my kitty chasers- small sample nips shaped like kitties) All of them are odd shaped, clear and have sealable lids. I sell the doggie cookies individually so this is a great display.
One thing I learned last weekend how naive I am. We had a really great day. From what I heard from most of the vendors, we all had really great days. Everyone sold more then usual, but there were a few people who complained about me selling dog treats (vendors, not customers) One was the cookie lady who also brought "gormet dog treats" Her treats were the same size as my samples and, where I was giving them away, she was selling them. She got her nose out of joint and complained. The problem was she hadnt told the market manager she was bringing dog treats to sell (not that it would have mattered) but I had told her and had permission to sell them there. The other complaint was I had a small TV tray set up on the side of our canopy and technically I was outside out allotted 10'. I was in a free space near the porta-johns and there was no other vendors around there, but I guess it was disturbing to someone. SO... we solved that, now I pay an extra $5 a week for my TV tray space behind the porta-johns. Well, whatever, Im okay with it as long as it stops the whining.
Here's my little Doggie Treat Stand
http://tickypages.com/gourd_art/banks%20FM72111-1.jpg
and here's our Gourd/Pottery/all kids of funky stuff stand
http://tickypages.com/gourd_art/banks%20FM72111-2.jpg
You cant see him too well, but that's my big brother back there behind the canopy on the right.
I'll let ya'll know how it goes next week! :)

[TimothyBFan]

Congrats, Ticky!!! Sounds as if a couple of "oldies" got their noses bent out of shape a bit because the "newbie" was very successful!!! http://bestsmileys.com/signs7/17.gif and http://bestsmileys.com/signs11/20.gif Keep up the great work!!!

[WalshFan88]

Annabel and TBF - So sorry to hear about that. :(

Brooke - Congrats!

Hope I'm not forgetting anyone but my apologies if I do!
______________________

My Nashville Trip went VERY well and was very fun. The only problem with it was the fact that it was WAY too short! :hilarious:

I started off on Friday going pedal shopping and bought some pedals (you can read about them in the Gearhead section and I'll have a video coming soon) and going to the Country Music Hall Of Fame. That was more my dad's cup of tea than mine but I did get to see a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Sunburst Standard which turned me on - so I guess it wasn't a bad place to visit afterall! :rofl:

Then on Saturday we headed over to the Summer NAMM show at the convention center. Talk about the highlight of the trip! I took in a clinic by an AMAZING studio/session guy who also plays lead guitar for Supertramp. His name is Carl Verheyen and he's one of my new inspirations. He really can play and he put on a great 1 hour seminar on how to get the best guitar sound possible. It was a testosterone fest at the clinic - no women to be found. Too nerdy for them I suppose! :hilarious: There were however women on the show floor, especially demo girls in the exhibits/booths. :heybaby: :D I ended up buying one last pedal while browsing the show floor (and that also can be read about on Gearhead thread).

We ended our day at the Gibson Summer Jam event. This is where mild disappointment starts I'm afraid but also ends. It's ironic that the reason we went down there for ended up being the least amount of fun and the place we decided to go to last minute (Summer NAMM Trade Show) ended up being the best by FAR. The Gibson event was hot and not all that it was hyped up to be. There was no factory tour, no public jam, no buying of guitars, and nothing other than a demo bus where you could try out a handful of guitars (which I did and enjoyed somewhat but not enough to make it worth the time at the event), a food/drink bar, and a place to buy shirts/hats. There were a couple of bands playing though the whole time. The Gibson people had even bashed the forum/message board I go to about Gibson guitars. And the people weren't all that friendly. I ended up getting hot/sick so I left early and headed back to the hotel. I'd had enough.

I wish I would have just stayed at NAMM all day. Not only is it air conditioned but it's a hell of a lot more fun, educating, and informative. That is my only regret. Again, it's ironic how it worked out. I've heard that this Summer Jam was watered down by a lot compared to Jams of years past that were more fun and had more activities. I also heard that Gibson was disappointed with it's turnout and won't be having them anymore. Not to brag, but I've played in front of more people with my Eagles tribute than were at this event. :shock: It was really a bad deal. NAMM and the guitar stores were definitely the highlight of this trip.

That said, I'm glad I went! Nashville is by far the friendliest city I've been to and let me tell you - I've been around a few times and I have never came across a place so friendly. Everyone was helpful, kind, and cheerful. I definitely will be back. As I said, I didn't have time to hardly do anything except for what I mentioned and I got on the computer late at night at the hotel for a bit but other than that, it was all busy during the day. I will be back to Nashville, hopefully soon and then I can visit more and see more.

[Brooke]

Austin, glad you had a good time and got some 'stuff'.

Ticky, sounds like the FM is working out for you!

[sodascouts]

Glad you had fun, Austin! Sounds like a good time!

And congrats to you, ticky! That jealous lady can take her overpriced dog treats and shove 'em where the sun don't shine.

[Koala]

Glad you had a good time, Austin!

Ticky congrats to the successful sale.

[WalshFan88]

Thanks everyone! I really enjoyed myself..

On an unrelated note - I just got back from the doctor yesterday. Had to get some bloodwork done. I've been really tired, dizzy, and more hungry than usual lately so they are going to check my thyroid levels. I see an endocrinologist because I have Hypothyroidism and Addison's Disease (lack of Cortisol) and it was my scheduled checkup anyway, so it worked out as I was going to have to call them. I'm not sure what the cause is but I have been putting on a lot of weight, eating all the time (I feel like I'm starving 24/7), and feeling lightheaded/tired a lot so hopefully the blood panel will shed some light on what the problem is. Hopefully it's something simple like low thyroid in which they can just increase my medicine a bit and I'll be fine again. Hope so.

[EaglesKiwi]

Glad you had a wonderful trip, Austin, and fingers crossed they can sort out the latest blip in your health FAST.

[EagleLady]

There is a little kitten on the porch, I want to help it but My Parents said No :-(

[WalshFan88]

Glad you had a wonderful trip, Austin, and fingers crossed they can sort out the latest blip in your health FAST.

Thanks. I have a feeling it's just low thyroid and I need some more meds. If it's not one thing it's another it seems lately. Everything's fine and then, wham, hit with all sorts of stuff all at once.

[Koala]

I told you I got a Eagles Wall Tattoo, of course I wanted to do it today on the wall! Stupid ideal!:brickwall: I only still had to take an old poster from the wall,
it was fastened with scotch tape and when I wanted to lose it parts of the wall colour were loosened, this must have been good scotch tape! Now I have eight colorless stain on the wall,:brickwall: there was a large poster, so I have cleared the wall in the evening and tomorrow morning we must painted it!:brickwall:

[EagleLady]

That sucks Koala, Hope you get it painted the right way.

My Mom has to have surgery again on Thursday, this time to change the battery in her pacemaker.

[Koala]

EL, good luck to your mom!

[EaglesKiwi]

That sucks Koala, Hope you get it painted the right way.

My Mom has to have surgery again on Thursday, this time to change the battery in her pacemaker.
Best wishes to your Mom, EL.

[sodascouts]

Austin - feel better soon!

EL - best wishes to your mom. Sorry about the kitten.

Desire - yikes, I hate it when the wall gets damaged!

[Brooke]

El, good luck to your Mom.

[Troubadour]

All the best to your mum, EL.

I'm not too well at the moment. After a week of feeling rough - constant headaches and tiredness - I got really sick today. I felt awful and thought I was starting to have an anxiety attack, so it was almost a relief when I actually WAS sick. I'm not sure that's the end of it, though. I still feel horrible and I'm stuck here on my own. :-( I know there's a load of bugs going around. Hopefully it won't last too long.

On a positive note, my friend, Helen, and I were talking at work the other night and we think we are going to go to somewhere in Europe for a long weekend at the end of October. Probably Amsterdam. Flights are pretty cheap, and it will be lovely to get away for a few days and take in a new city. Something to look forward to!

[Henley Honey]

Try some tea, toast and chicken soup -- works for me everytime!

Feel better, Troub.

[EagleLady]

I hope you feel better soon Lou :hug:

[Brooke]

Troub, get well soon, now, ya hear?! :fingerwag:

[Koala]

I hope you feel better soon, Troub!

[sodascouts]

Aw, Troub, get well soon, poor thing! At least you have your upcoming trip to cheer you up a bit!

[TimothyBFan]

EL---how did your Mom do? Hope everything is well!!

Koala--I hate when that happens. But now you'll have a nice, fresh wall for your new Eagles display. :thumbsup:

Troub--Get well soon! Looking forward to hearing where you decide to visit.

[WalshFan88]

Koala - Oh no!

Troub - Get well soon! :)

EL - Hope everything went well.

[Koala]

Koala--I hate when that happens. But now you'll have a nice, fresh wall for your new Eagles display. :thumbsup:


Yeah, and it look's great, I find! I call it my music wall ! Besides this things still depend on the tour poster from 2009 and the Streange Weather advertising image on the wall!
http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss120/wall_e_2009/All%20Stuff/musicwall.jpg?t=1312450186

[TimothyBFan]

Awesome, Desire!!!!!!!!!:thumbsup:

[Koala]

Glad you like it!:)

[Annabel]

Koala, the wall looks great. :thumbsup:

EL, hope things went well for your Mom.

Loi, hope you feel better soon.

Heard from my friend Sharon yesterday to say that her Dad passed away yesterday morning. He was just coming up to 64 in a couple of days time and had gone downhill since I last posted about him and his horrible cancers. The doctors had shortened his time left from 2-3 months, down to less than a month and then as my friend was coming home on Tuesday after visiting for a few days, to less than 3 days. Sharon came all the way home from Liverpool to Southampton (taking 9 hours by bus !!!!) with her daughter and then went back up straight away with her husband by car. (taking about 4 hours !) Although saddened by her loss she realises that he is now at peace and pain free and for that the family is glad. Whole thing from diagnosis to passing was just 3 weeks. :-( Next job for them is to do the final sorting out and then after the funeral next week Sharon's Mum will be moving down to Southampton to be with her 2 daughters and their families.

[EagleLady]

Awww I'm sorry to hear that Melanie. Your Friend is in my prayers.

Everything went well for My Mom, She's on her way home now.

[Annabel]

Thank you EL and so glad that it all went well for your Mom. :thumbsup:

[sodascouts]

Koala - love your wall!

I'm so sorry to hear of your friend's loss, Melanie. Just three weeks.. how difficult.

EL- glad to hear your mother is OK.

As for me, I'm still in Texas. I was supposed to go back to Memphis today. I got all packed up and zipped up the suitcase with 90 minutes to spare until it was time to leave for the airport. I turned around and saw my cat Milton running for it.

Well, no surprise there. Surely I'll find him in 90 minutes, right?

WRONG. My parents and I looked EVERYWHERE - we thought - and no Milton.

I missed my flight and had to reschedule - tack on another $300 for that. Lovely, eh?

So, about a half an hour after we give up because there's no way I'll make the flight, Milton comes strolling into the kitchen. It's like he somehow knew he had completely screwed up my plans and now had nothing to worry about.

And to add insult to injury... he strolls over to the cat carrier, sniffs it, then plops down a few feet from it and reclines. Now, I know he's just a cat, but that move seemed very "IN YOUR FACE" to me, lol.

Well, I've calmed down about it, but it still SUCKS. He's just lucky I didn't leave without him and tell Mom and Dad to ship him to me. ;)

[ticky]

Lou, Feel better soon :) rest, relax and LOTS of Mr. Henley!! *G* always the best cure for what ails ya! *G*

El, Im glad to hear your mom is doing so well. Be sure and baby her for a while!

Annabel, Im so sorry for your friend. It's rough loosing a parent especially at the somewhat young age of 64! My sympathies for your friend and her family.

We're headed for another Farmers Market tomorrow and the weather is spectacular! It's supposed to be in the low to mid 80s and sunny skies!! We have to tape and weigh everything down tho because in Banks we're just about 45 miles from the coast and the wind whips in through the Mountain pass and blows EVERYTHING all over! but it keeps the temperature livable too, so we cant complain. I'll be selling doggy cookies again but I've made some percussion instruments out of gourds and we'll see how they do.
Im letting my b*tch flag fly a bit this week too *G* Im taking my home made cookies to share with the other vendors and friends (they're MUCH better then the cookie lady's cookies *G*) I cant sell them as I dont have a registered kitchen, but I can share them with whom ever I choose! (in case anyone missed it, she was bad mouthing my doggie cookies last week and the week before. In all fairness I dont think she KNOWS I used to bake and sell cookies to coffee kiosks and cafes. Still that's no reason to trash talk another vendor!) Okay, so I dont want to complain so Im just sayin *G* My cookies are better :nahnah: hehe
NEXT week is the big family/friend gathering up at the cabin that's dedicated to my sister (the gathering, not the cabin..) So I'll be getting ready for that. We leave on Wednesday and we'll be back on the following Tuesday. Cami is meeting us up there so we'll be toe dangling and sipping exotic fruity things while we talk about ya'll and our beautiful boys *G* Only good things... *G*


*** Just read your entry Nancy LOL Awe poor Milton's got you pegged! hehe you might try giving him tuna fish IN his carrier for about a week before you travel *G* maybe he'll learn to like it!

[Peekaboo]

Melanie, I'm very sorry about your friends loss. Prayers going out to her and her family.

EL, glad your mom's surgery went well. :thumbsup:

Nancy, bummer about missing your flight. One good thing about that is it gives you some extra family time before you go home.

Austin and Lou, I hope both of you are feeling better.

And Lou, I hope you're also making plans for another certain trip. ;-)

Desire, Love your wall. Looks like you've got quite a guitar pick collection. Very nice! :thumbsup:

Rhonda, I can proudly say that I have tasted your cookies before and they are DEEEEELICIOUS!! That so-called cookie lady ain't got nothing on you.
You and Cami have fun at the cabin. I love that you all get together every year to honor your sister. Such a wonderful thing.

Finally some happy news from me. I'M AN AUNTIE AGAIN!!! Rylie Kaye was born on July 28th at 3:35pm. She weighed in at 7 lbs. and 5 oz. and was 19 1/2 in. long. The delivery went well (and fast) for my SIL. The only hiccup was that Rylie's temperature was a little low so she had to stay under the warmer for the first day. After that she was perfectly fine and both Rylie and my SIL got to leave the hospital the day after she was born.
Rylie is just the cutest little thing and has brought so much joy to me and my family. I surprised myself by how comfortable I am holding her. I remember being so nervous holding Natalie when she was born. Nat is so excited to be a big sister. She stayed with me at my house the night Rylie was born so that my brother could stay at the hospital with his wife and new baby. Nat stayed up late to make her little sister a card. She put alot of time and effort into it. That was so sweet of her and it was such a cute card.

Here's some pics of Rylie:

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c95/Pekahchu/IMG_20110803_101803.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c95/Pekahchu/IMG_20110803_091743.jpg

Here's my two nieces, Natalie and Rylie. I love those girls!!
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c95/Pekahchu/Picture300.jpg

[EaglesKiwi]

Peek, Congratulations on your adorable new niece! (And Natalie looks so proud holding wee Rylie :)).

Ticky, best wishes at the market. Your doggy cookies are such a fantastic idea, and hopefully all the other vendors you share the "people" cookies with will drive more business to you too!

Melanie, sad to hear of Sharon's loss & will keep her in my prayers.

Oh Soda, I laughed so hard at Milton! I think you are right about his attitude. They KNOW. :nahnah:

[TimothyBFan]

Melanie--So sorry about your friend. I also had ANOTHER friend who lost her mother Sunday morning to the "C" word. Hadn't posted it because it sometimes feels as if that's all I ever post here about. I'm so sick of loved ones having so much suffering, it seems endless. It's the 4th one since summer began and hopefully the last.

Ticky--You go girl!! Show off your cookies!!! ;-)

Nancy---I'm sorry but I admit, I had a good laugh over it when I saw it on FB. I say you take the $300 out of Milton's allowance! :hilarious:

Peek---She's beautiful!! I'm so happy for your brother, SIL and all your family!! And love the name!!

Question for all of you----Why are parents so freakin' stubborn about going to the doctor when they are ill? My Mom's been down with something for a week now. Thought it was just a touch of flu but she hasn't gotten much better and is very weak and not eating well. So I finally had it out with her yesterday and she has an appointment this morning at 10:30. After a few years ago when she ended up in the hospital for months with that spinal infection after letting it go to long before finding out what was the matter, you think she would have learned. She promised us that she would never do that again. She almost lost her life, and when she finally beat the infection, was told she'd never walk again. She also beat that after months of rehab, she now walks with a cane. As a result, she will always be on maintenance antibiotics for the rest of her life and has to watch her temperature (sign of infection) on a daily basis. Hope this is nothing, but I told hubby this morning, I just have a bad feeling and that I'll be calling him from the hospital this afternoon. Hope I'm wrong, but with my Mom, it's usually the case.

[Koala]

Jess, congratulations on your new niece! Natalie and Rylie are so cute!

Annabel, I'm sorry about your friend.

El gladto hear it all went well for your Mom.

[Brooke]

TBF, good luck with your Mom and I hope it's nothing serious. My mom is kinda the opposite. It seems like she's always going to the doctor!

Annabel, I'm also sorry to hear about your friend.

El, glad your Mom is doing well.

Ticky, good luck at the Farmers Market!

Soda, I'm sorry about your missing your flight. Milton, you bad boy!

Peek, Rylie and Natalie are both adorable! Congrats!

[Koala]

Question for all of you----Why are parents so freakin' stubborn about going to the doctor when they are ill?
I think that a is parents gene and every women and man gets when they has children. My mother has it too!
Seriously, this is a bad habit! Parents should admit when they're ill and they need help, we are their children, then we try to help them, finally we want that they are fine!


Desire, Love your wall. Looks like you've got quite a guitar pick collection. Very nice! :thumbsup:
Thanks, the picks with the guys in the background, I bought last year and the other was given to me by a very good friend!

[sodascouts]

Well, I'm back in Memphis - finally!

Have fun at the Farmer's Market, Rhonda! I do kind of feel bad for the cookie lady, though. Her sales are bound to drop after people taste how much betters yours are - and free to boot!

Jess- your little niece is adorable! Welcome to the world, Riley!

Willie - hope whatever is ailing your mom is easily treated and she gets well soon.

[Freypower]

Jess, congratulations on Rylie, she's beautiful.

[rcknalwys]

Life is just so hard in such different ways on all of us. We are all blessed with the people on this board who genuinely care. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone.

Congratulations on the birth of your neice, what a beautiful baby she is. And the smile on her big sister-priceless!

Love your wall, I'm working on one also but way too new to share.

Like many of us here, I am also dealing with an aging parent. It is definately difficult and my heart goes out to all of you. Mine showed up at the bus station with just the clothes on her back 2 months ago(89 yrs old), leaving every stick of furniture and clothes in Oklahoma and it's been downhill ever since. I made a trip to Oklahoma in July to get her things and the people who's house she left them at refused to give them to me so she has nothing. I already have 8-10 people living in my house-depending on the presence of my prodigal son and his fiance-and 4 of them are children. After living alone for 35 years, the chaos was overwhelming for her. Her personal hygiene has deteriorated into some very disgusting ways along with her mental status. I bought her a small trailer of her own and put it on my property to give her privacy and that's not going so well either. I thought she would do better there but her hygiene has worsened, something I didn't think was possible. She won't let us help her, not even a bath. I am in a catch-22 situation because I don't have power of attorney to help her despite herself and if the doctor says she is incompetant she can't give me one. But no one will declare her incompetant and place her and if she places herself she will be able to check herself out, something she has done in the past. We found her in the floor 2 days ago. She is in and out mentally but because she can tell the doctors her name every time she is asked, they send her home. I could tell you so many incidences of altered mental status that even include her trying to jump out of a moving car and the doctors just sent her home. I am so worried about her safety but my hands are tied. All we can do is take her her meals and check on her often and hope for the best. It is so sad to see this bright, independant woman in this condition. I am doing all that I can do and hoping for another solution soon. It's exhausting all of us but my daughter has been helping me care for her so we are managing for now. As I said, it's a sad situation but we are muddling through.

[sodascouts]

Wow - how awful! I hope your situation improves somehow.

[ticky]

rckn - I cant even imagine what you must be going through. It's hard enough to just watch your parent grow older, Im sure it breaks your heart and frustraits you at the same time. My thoughts and prayers are with you!

Peek - You're an awesome Auntie!!! and Nat and Rylie are gorgeous!!!!

Just got home from the Flea Market in Cedar Mill. The dog cookies went over pretty well and I have a few people who want larger quantities! I even sold a gourd! The woman who runs the Flea Market there is named Jeanine (Hi Jeanine as Im sure you'll be peeking in *G*) and she's as Eagles/Tim obsessed as we all are!! Needless to say, the music playing was most excellent and we had several highly entertaining and provocative discussions!! It made for a really good time.
I also purchased a really beautiful vintage 1950s picnic basket in near mint condition! The woman who sold it to me was nearly in tears. She said she had to sell it because she was downsizing and she had 4 others at home (collector I guess?) but she really hated to sell it. I told her I loved it and would take excellent care of it. I plan on packing it full of potato salad and taking it up to the cabin this weekend. Jon suggested I use tupperware instead. WHAT A FUNNY GUY!!!! hehehe Anyway, between the Market yesterday which went well, and the flea market today, Im about marketed out for a little while and Im reeealy looking forward to sitting on a rock in the river and sipping on something cool and fruity *G*

[Brooke]

Rckn, I'm so sorry to hear about the situation with your mother. That is all just so sad. I hope everything can somehow work out for you and her. It sounds like you are doing your best, so just hang in there. I'll keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.

Soda, glad you and Milton have made it back home safely.

[sodascouts]

Just dropping by to let everybody know I got home safe from Denver - the only problem is that on the way home from the Nashville airport, I managed to scratch my eyeball. I can only look at the computer screen for a few minutes at a time, so I won't be able to post until I get better (I'm going to the eye doctor tomorrow - hopefully that will fix me up).

The Stevie concert, however, was fabulous! One of the first things I'll do is post a review!

[Brooke]

Yikes, Soda! That hurts! Get well soon!

[EaglesFanatic]

Feel better soon! Glad you got back home safely though :)

[Henley Honey]

I managed to scratch my eyeball. I can only look at the computer screen for a few minutes at a time, so I won't be able to post until I get better (I'm going to the eye doctor tomorrow - hopefully that will fix me up).




Ouch!!! Feel better. If it had to happen -- better on the way home from the concert. Good luck at the doctor. Fingers crossed for you.

[Koala]

Ouch, get well soon, Soda!

[Prettymaid]

Oh Soda! Didn't that happen to you once before?

[sodascouts]

I've been to the doctor and I'm feeling better, despite the fact that my eye is still red and sensitive to light.

PM - yes, I'd had this before, but that doctor treated the symptoms and didn't find the cause. This eye doctor is better. He told me that my left eye has somehow developed an allergy to my contact lens. He said that as a result my eye scratches were really abrasions caused by the inflamed eyelid reacting against my contact and moving it around.

So... short term... lots of drops and no contact in that eye for at least two months. Long term... one-day contact lenses once I can start wearing them again.

Ah well. It could be worse.

[Henley Honey]

Glad they figured it out and that you're feeling better.
I suggest you close the blinds, turn off the lights and listen to music all day. No reading, no stress. Just "the boys" and maybe a nice glass of wine. :thumbsup: Sounds like a plan.

[Tori]

I haven't been doing much of anything, considering I'm on summer break from school. I suppose I should start going back to school shopping though.
On another note: my HFO VHS tape is currently stuck in the VCR, and I'm waiting for my dad to get home from work so he can help get it out. I am seriously sad right now... :worried:

[sodascouts]

Glad they figured it out and that you're feeling better.
I suggest you close the blinds, turn off the lights and listen to music all day. No reading, no stress. Just "the boys" and maybe a nice glass of wine. :thumbsup: Sounds like a plan.

Too late - I got busy reading the Border and couldn't stop! But your idea sounds like a great plan for tonight. ;)

Tori - that sucks about your tape. Have you thought about buying it in DVD form?

[Tori]

Tori - that sucks about your tape. Have you thought about buying it in DVD form?
I have. I saw it on Amazon.com, so I think I'll try to get it there. The VHS tape is just kind of a sentimental thing to me - I grew up watching it. But hopefully I'll get the DVD soon so I can watch it again. :)

[Judy]

I have. I saw it on Amazon.com, so I think I'll try to get it there. The VHS tape is just kind of a sentimental thing to me - I grew up watching it. But hopefully I'll get the DVD soon so I can watch it again. :)

Tori, you have the get the DVD. If you ever get to listen to it on surround sound, you will be so happy. Even without surround sound, it is so good. I know what you mean about sentimental, though.

I was just reading the last few pages of this. So sorry for what everyone has been going through.

[Glennsallnighter]

So glad you are feeling better Soda! We need you in top form for Niagara Falls in 10 days! I've been pretty much off the Border the last few weeks, not by choice. The whole family has been off work and school for holidays so it's been difficult to grab any time at all. Also we had Internet access problems when we came home from Portugal. They were fixed on Tuesday but on Thursday night my laptop froze up. Basically it uses a fingerprint recognition system to log into it! It won't recognise my prints!! So for the second time since I bought it in February I have to leave it in for repairs. I wouldn't mind but it was expensive and was supposed to be a v good model!

I've missed a lot over the last few weeks. I hope things get a lot better for those of you undergoing difficult or stressful situations at the moment. You are all constantly in my thoughts and prayers, even if I don't always get the chance to post here.

[EaglesKiwi]

Tori, you have the get the DVD. If you ever get to listen to it on surround sound, you will be so happy. Even without surround sound, it is so good. I know what you mean about sentimental, though.

I was just reading the last few pages of this. So sorry for what everyone has been going through.
Totally agree, Judy. Hearing HFO on surround sound was what got me into the Eagles in the first place. :)

New York Minute in particular is great in surround. :angel:

[TimothyBFan]

Where do I start? First I want to thank all of you here that are also FB friends for your kind words last week that were a great comfort.

When I was on here last, Aug. 5th, (has it really only been a bit over a week ago?) I told you all that my mother had been ill and would be going to the doctor that morning and I felt they would put her in the hospital for awhile. Well, little did I know....

My brother took her and phoned me from the emergency room in her little town (about 45 minutes away from me) where her doctor had sent her for some blood work and some fluids because of dehydration. Told me what was going on and he'd stay in touch but at that point that seemed to be all that was needed. Not a half hour later, he phoned back and said I had better head down because they had hooked her up to heart monitors and it was showing an erratic heartbeat and possible other issues.

By the time I arrived, they had also found a kidney issue and that she was in heart failure. They prepared her to transport to the large hospital in South Bend and had already contacted a cardiologist and a renal specialist who would meet with us as soon as we arrived.

They put her in a room on the cardio/vascular floor and immediately started running test, taking xrays, ultrasounds and hooking her up up to monitors, etc. Within a couple hours we were told she was in heart and kidney failure and that there was fluid on her lungs and damage there also. They told us that things would move fast but that they weren't sure if she would get better or not. At that point, her prognosis was still up in the air as the results were all coming in.

Saturday morning, she seemed to be improving a bit and was eating, talking coherently (which was not the case at all the previous day) and things were more positive. She had a very good day while my aunt & uncle and cousins came by and since my kids were both working and my niece was in St Louis (several hours away), we told them all to not worry about getting there that day because it seemed to be improving.

Sunday morning was a whole different story. I showed up and instantly knew she had had a bad night and things had gotten worse quickly. She was struggling breathing, not eating, and after talking to her cardiologist, called my brother and told him to get there NOW!!! He showed up within minutes with my niece and her boyfriend who had driven all night and had arrived around 4 in the morning. (She said something told her she had to get there even tho her Dad had told her to wait). Within a couple hours we had had to make a decision to put her on life support with one last hope of her kidneys improving. As they worked on the kidneys, it was doing more possible damage to her heart and if they worked on her heart, it would do more damage to the kidneys and the lungs were very bad also. A catch 22, that all the doctors were working together on. They were all honest but said they weren't giving up hope yet but told us if this didn't work, we would have to decide how long we wanted it to go on. They then put her into a drug induced coma, put in a breathing tube and started her on 7 I Vs trying to regulate her heart and get her kidneys to start functioning on their own, and moved her to ICU. My husband left to go get our kids and bring them up to the hospital also.

Monday morning we were all told that things were getting worse and that there was little hope, it could be a matter of days or hours. My brother and I went into a room by ourselves trying to decide how long we wanted to let this go on before taking her off the life support. As we were telling the rest of the family what we had decided, a social worker had come to get us, my hubby and SIL. As we went back to her room in ICU, her cardiologist and 2 nurses awaited us. Her cardiologist said she had made the decision for us and that she had just flat lined but they had used the paddles to bring her back but it was a matter of hours. We told them to unhook her from everything but keep her sedated and comfortable. We brought all the kids in to say their goodbyes (she was awake at times briefly so that she knew everyone was there and could talk to them a bit). Three hours later she passed away with us all by her side.

Needless to say, it was a very long week and we had her funeral Friday and she was laid to rest next to my father.

I don't know if I have actually gotten my mind around the fact that she is gone and that all of this happened yet. It seemed to have blind sided all of us and it all seems to be unbelievable right now.

I asked Larry over the weekend if when he was planning my surprise birthday party that took place only 4 weeks ago, if he would have ever thought that it would turn out to be one of the most important nights I would ever have with my mother (we were all on our patio until 1:30 in the morning having a great time)? She was in such good health and good spirits, never would I have ever thought that would be the last time I would get the chance to do that with her.

[Brooke]

Willie, I am so sorry. I missed you here last week and wondered what you were up to. I assumed you were just busy with other things that had come up. What a shock for you and your family. My heart goes out to you and I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Even though you Mom had been ill, this was totally unexpected. We just never know what tomorrow brings. :-(

[Henley Honey]

I'm very sorry for your loss. I'll keep you and your family in my prayers.

[Koala]

I'm so sorry to hear that sad news, Willie!You and your whole family in my thoughts and prayers! :hug:

[EaglesFanatic]

I'm so sorry about your loss Willie. Always cherish the memories you shared with her, especially of that night on your patio. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family.

[Judy]

I'm so sorry Willie. You're in my thoughts and prayers, too.

[Glennsallnighter]

Willie, I too was very sorry to hear of your dear Mother's passing this week. It has obviously been a very stressful time for you and your family and you will need time and a lot of TLC in the next weeks. At least you can draw some comfort in the memories of that wonderful time you had on your birthday with her. Treasure them in the months and years ahead.

I'm sure your mother was very proud to the end of the wonderful caring daughter that she and your dad raised. You are a credit to her.

Take care of yourself, and remember that we all here (and I'm sure I speak for all on this Border) love ya! :grouphug:, and are keeping you, your parents and your extended family in our thoughts and prayers.

[Freypower]

Willie, I am so, so sorry. Deepest sympathy to you & your family. We will be thinking of you.

[Prettymaid]

It's times like these that I am glad I got a facebook account. I was able to give Willie my support there. Again Willie, I'm so sorry for the loss of your mom. I'm amazed at how strong of a person you are. I'm proud to know you.

[whitcap]

I'm sorry for your loss Willie.

[sodascouts]

Oh, Willie, I got choked up just reading your post. You and your family are in my prayers. I know there's not much I can do from afar but send you my love, but I'm definitely doing that.

[tequila girl]

Willie, I'm so sorry to hear of your loss, the fact that everything happened so quickly means you didn't have time to prepare yourselves for it (not that you can ever really prepare) .....

My sincerest sympathy goes to you and your family at this very difficult time :hug:

[TimothyBFan]

Thank you everyone!! It really means a lot to see the support from all of you.

[Victim of Love]

Willie, there are no words to express how much my heart goes out to you and your family. Having lost my Gram not too long ago, 'sorry' seems completely inadequate. I'll keep a candle lit and say some extra prayers. Just remember her fondly...because although I ever met her, somehow I think she'd like that.

[Annabel]

Willie, I already sent you my condolences via facebook last week but wanted to add something here.

I am a crafter, both scrapbooking and some card making. Last week I had the hard task of making a sympathy card for my friend's mum on the loss of her husband. It was such a difficult card to make and I in fact threw away 2, then nearly bought one instead. I persevered though and ended up with something I was sort of 'happy' with. Then came chosing the sentiment. I knew exactly what I wanted to say there and I will add it here for you.

Those we love don't go away
They walk beside us every day
Unseen, unheard but always near
Still loved, still missed and very dear. :heart:

I hope your memories will help you as you come to term with your loss and that as time passes your pain will ease.

[TimothyBFan]

Melanie--that is beautiful!!!

[Freypower]

It's beautiful and it's very true.

[WalshFan88]

Willie - I'm so sorry to hear that. :( Take care. :hug:

[EaglesKiwi]

Willie, so sorry to hear about your Mom. I'm so glad you had such a wonderful birthday with her, with more memories to treasure. :hug:

[luvthelighthouse]

Willie, I was in Timothy's thread when I read that Cathy mentioned your mom had passed away. My heart breaks for you. Losing anyone near to you is awful, but moms... well, they are in a league of their own. I wish you peace and strength to get through the the next few months. There will be times it will hit you out of the blue and I hope you have many fond memories to comfort you when you need it most.

Ev

[Brooke]

I'm having a stacation this week like Pm did a couple weeks ago. Just doing some stuff around here that needs to be done, sleeping late, etc! Hubby and I painted the laundry room Sunday and had a birthday dinner (29! unbelievable!) for our son that evening.

Yesterday I trimmed all of my Mom's bushes around her home. (Didn't plan on that but it was mentioned and figured it was my duty!) What a job! I need to do my own this week too. :yuck:

Today I'm going to the eye doctor for a routine check. Plus a little fun shopping! By myself! :nod:

Tomorrow our daughter is coming home for a few days. Don't know what that will bring, but I'm sure lunch out at least one day!

[TimothyBFan]

Have fun Brooke!! Sounds wonderful! I'm a bit jealous. One of these days I have to try that. Seems it just never works out and the only days off anymore are for bad things or something I really don't want to do. :brickwall:Need to change that soon!!! :thumbsup:

[Annabel]

Have fun Brooke. Whatever you do. :thumbsup:

We had a 2 weeks stacation for our 2 weeks (a week and a half ago already. :eyebrow:) holiday this summer. The first week we were out every day and had lunch out for those in some lovely places. The 2nd week was filled with dentist, vets, opticians, shopping and painting our youngest daughter's bedroom. Had to 'slum it' and have lunch at home then. :rolleyes: Boy those 2 weeks flew by.

[WalshFan88]

I've been feeling pretty good here lately - which is good as I had been pretty down. Between a new dog, a new guitar, and getting my medicine straightened out (endocrine), I've been feeling a lot better. I like to hope it stays that way for awhile.

[EaglesKiwi]

Good to hear, Austin!

Brooke, enjoy your time off & especially your daughter's visit.

[WalshFan88]

Good to hear, Austin!


Thanks!

[Prettymaid]

Brooke, enjoy your staycation! Don't do too much work :yuck:. Since I just did this I encourage you to go to a state or county park near you and walk a trail, weather permitting. It's amazing how good I felt after walking through the woods for a few hours!

Austin, I want to say something to you but I don't want you to take offense. I don't claim to know what depression feels like, but I do know that things (new dog, new guitar) are not going to keep you happy for very long. You need to find a way to find your happiness within. You're such a great guy and I enjoy your posts so much, I know that you have a heart of gold. Just remember that what makes you happy is not the puppy, but your reaction to the puppy - not the guitar but the talent you have and the persistance you have to play the guitar. It's not the stuff that causes the happiness. It's your reaction to the stuff. And we all have the power to control how we react to things.

[WalshFan88]

Austin, I want to say something to you but I don't want you to take offense. I don't claim to know what depression feels like, but I do know that things (new dog, new guitar) are not going to keep you happy for very long. You need to find a way to find your happiness within. You're such a great guy and I enjoy your posts so much, I know that you have a heart of gold. Just remember that what makes you happy is not the puppy, but your reaction to the puppy - not the guitar but the talent you have and the persistance you have to play the guitar. It's not the stuff that causes the happiness. It's your reaction to the stuff. And we all have the power to control how we react to things.

Thank you. :) You're too kind. :hug:

I do try to find happiness but it seems very difficult when I'm constantly faced with saddening things or negative things. I try to keep happy and try to find things to keep me happy but it never works. You're right. I still am trying to find happiness but it seems so difficult when you feel so downright gloomy and worthless. It's worse when I'm bored because I get to thinking about things and one negative thought snowballs into another and it's like the domino effect and it won't stop until I have myself so deeply depressed.

I keep trying though and hope that one day I won't feel so down, alone in my life, and hopeless. I just take it day by day. I try to keep pushin' on. I'm just afraid one day my energy will run out. It takes a lot out of me - that's for sure.

[Koala]

Austin, glad to hear you feel better! I really hope you find a way that you overcomes your depressions soon!

[ticky]

Willie - Huge Hugs!!!! Im so sorry to hear about your Mom. God bless her and you!!

Brooke! Have a great stay-cation! I love that time when I can find it.

Austin, I can relate. I've been dealing with clinical depression for years. Treasure the good days and survive the bad. It sounds like you're doing great! God Bless!!

Annabell, *G* the time flies wayyy too fast, doesnt it? I cant believe summer's almost over! Ahh well, More good to come :)

AT LAST we've got the pictures from the big summer to-do up and running!! This year's picnic day actually started out kind of over cast and chilly but warmed up nicely later on!! It made for a beautiful camp fire night and of course the days leading up to and right after were spectacular weather wise. We did a lot of toe dangling and rock hounding AND the fishing this year was wonderful!! 17 rainbow trout in all!! Ahhh, NOTHING better then fresh rainbow trout for breakfast! Yum! SO, without further adue, here are a few pictures of the actual event!! (you might even recognize a few faces here *G*)

(let me apologize for the size ahead of time... Cliff put them up but didnt resize em.. sorry!)
These are my two babies and my baby's Boy Friend, Joe (*G*she has such good taste in boy friend names.. and he's not too bad either!)
http://www.tickypages.com/2011_Aug/picnic_217.JPG
okay, everyone all together... AWwwwwee.... too cute...
http://www.tickypages.com/2011_Aug/picnic_152.JPG
BREAKFAST!!! Yum!!
http://www.tickypages.com/2011_Aug/picnic_101.JPG
Well, there's a couple of borderers harassing an old lady (my aunt Nan) and a high school boy!(Chris, my charge for the week) (Eagles?? did someone say Eagles?? Ohh, the flying kind? .. never mind..)
http://www.tickypages.com/2011_Aug/picnic_112.JPG
Run River, Run... *sigh*
http://www.tickypages.com/2011_Aug/picnic_006.JPG
THIS is a miracle!!!! Jenni!! doing STUFF!! only Joe could get her in that boat.. it's amazing the power those Joe's have...
http://www.tickypages.com/2011_Aug/picnic_018.JPG
This is my Big Brother jammin with Joe on MY guitar (note the AWESOME and sexy signature on the pic guard...)
http://www.tickypages.com/2011_Aug/picnic_015.JPG

I know there are a lot of these and I want to post more and AGAIN I apologize for the size... I'll post more in the picture thread! bare with me... *G*

[tequila girl]

Once again Ticky Fabulous pics.........Keep 'em coming I say! :thumbsup: :)

[Prettymaid]

I love looking at these Ticky! The one of the river is beautiful. Heading over to the picture thread to see more...

[Brooke]

Ticky, beautiful pictures and what a cute couple (Jenni and Joe)! And of course everyone else is cute too! lol

[TimothyBFan]

Ticky--love the pics and am heading over to the other thread to see more. And I'm liking Joe---he's looking like a pretty cool dude and seems to have Jenny smiling---that's worth a lot!:thumbsup:

[Koala]

As I said in the ohter thread great photos, ticky!

[Annabel]

Great photos Ticky. :thumbsup:

[Peekaboo]

Of course it would happen that when I finally log on here I'm feeling incredibly sleepy. I'm gonna take advantage of this now while I can because I haven't been sleeping well over the last 4 weeks. For the second time this year I've been experiencing constant restless sleep and only sleeping for 3-5 hours a night. I plan to see my doctor next week and get some sleeping pills again. They helped me a lot the last time this happened.

Before I go I just want to say that I've been checking in every once in a while for the last few weeks (usually from my phone during my breaks at work). I haven't logged on lately to post because I just haven't felt too great about some things (some of it being what's been going since February) and I didn't want to bring anyone down. I'm doing better now and I hope to get back into the swing of things here on The Border very soon. I've kept in touch with those on FB. For those of you not on FB, know that I'm thinking of you all. My best to everybody here in both good and bad times. :grouphug:

[sodascouts]

Thanks for checking in, Jess. I'm wishing all the best for you!

[Koala]

Peek, nice to hear from you again!:)

[Glennsallnighter]

Great to hear from you jess. I know it has been incredibly tough for you this year. I hope getting to see Don soon will help bring a smile to your face. take care of yourself and try to sort your sleeping pattern out. That too will help you feel better. Remember we are all here for you. :grouphug:

Love the pics Rhonda!

[Brooke]

Enjoying a long weekend and it has cooled down at last! Busy, busy, busy with family get togethers and every day stuff!

All you American workers, enjoy your Labor Day holiday! http://www.anchoredbygrace.com/smileys/sflag171.gif

And of course all the rest of you too if you celebrate this day!