What's Happening In Your Life?

[Brooke]

Me, too! Good luck!

[Troubadour]

I'm also quite envious of Lisa's photography adventures! She's been telling me about the course each day, and it sounds fantastic. Really varied and interesting. I've seen a few pictures already and they are wonderful.

On the subject of art, I have had the day to myself today, and I decided to get my sketchpad out. I have always loved art, but since I left school, I've sort of neglected it - or haven't found the time for it. This is a drawing I did back in 2005 of my cousin, Morgan, when he was a baby. (He will be five in October!)

Note: I had to take shots of the actual sketches with my phone and upload them to the computer, so they're not high-quality.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c374/Lulabelle_/Continued/MorganSketch1.png

Today, I decided to draw a portrait of Jesse James. I'm reading the biography on him by TJ Stiles, which is fantastic so I'm on a bit of a Civil War kick. I had this portrait in my history folder (yes, I'm sad, I have a history folder!) and thought I'd attempt it. Bearing in mind I haven't drawn for a LONG time, I was quite pleased with it.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c374/Lulabelle_/Continued/JesseJamesSketch1.png

I'm definitely going to try to draw regularly. When I do it, I really love it. Lisa's already mentioned to me about trying to sketch the Eagles! lol. Of course I'll post my efforts here (providing they're flattering - I don't want any stones thrown! ;))

[TimothyBFan]

Lou those are AMAZING!!!! I'm so impressed. I can't draw a good stick figure and you can do this!! :bow: Have you ever tried to do the Eagles? I'd pay $$ for a certain bass player! :thumbsup: Seriously, those are beautiful!!!!

[MikeA]

WOW Lou...and you are worried about playing a mouth harp! Forget the music and concentrate on the art! It is fantastic! Such talent!

[Brooke]

Lou, amazing! Oh, to be able to draw. I'm like Willie-can't draw a stick figure!

[GlennLover]

Lou, you are one talented lady! I'm so envious. Please keep drawing. Don't waste all that talent! I hope that you can sketch the Eagles one day to.

[sodascouts]

Carole - good luck!

Lou - oh my gosh, amazing!!!! You are so talented! Yes, you must draw the Eagles for us! We demand it! ;)

[tequila girl]

Thanks for the Good Luck Wishes Guys - I'll keep you informed of progress!

Lou those sketches are Brilliant :thumbsup: and like everyone else I think it would be really cool to see what you could do with "The Guys" :)

[Prettymaid]

Lou, I had no idea! You are a mystery woman! What talent!

Maybe we should start a thread where we can see each others' talents or share if we have any at all. Lou's sketches could go there and Lisa's photos and who knows what else!

[Troubadour]

Aw, thank you for the lovely comments. I really appreciate them!

I will make the Eagles my next project. I think the 'talents' thread is a great idea. We definitely have some creative people on here.

[Freypower]

We certainly do and you are one of them. Great sketches!

[Koala]

TG, good luck, my fingers croosed!

Lou, WOW, what for amazing pictures!

[Molly]

Well done, Lou. I used to draw, as well. That's how I made side money in high school. I used to re-create album covers for people large size to hang on a wall. My graduating class even voted me "class artist", but I think that was because my senior art show happened to be on display in the school lobbey when the voting was being done. :hilarious:

I can't remember the last time I sat down and actually finished a project that I started. Wonder if you don't use it, you lose it.

[TimothyBFan]

I used to re-create album covers for people large size to hang on a wall.

I can't remember the last time I sat down and actually finished a project that I started. Wonder if you don't use it, you lose it.


Time to try again I'd say!!! That is so very cool!!!!

I admit I'm envious of anyone with any kind of talent. I'm not one of them.

[MikeA]

I used to be really good at drawing. But with time, it evolved to missing all those inside straights so I quit.

[Peekaboo]

Wow, Lou!! Those are so good!! I can only wish that I had an artistic talent. I was kind of okay at art in high school but I never really tried to do any better at it. Looking forward to seeing your drawing of the guys.

TG, best of luck on your house. Keep us posted on that.

I was reminded of something after reading the brief discussion about a colonoscopy. This bit is by my favorite comedian, Bill Engvall. He's so funny and such a sweet guy. I've been lucky enough to get to meet him a few times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZndnyK1OHdY

[Wildthyme]

He's one of my favorite comedians too. I have gotten to see him perform in person a few times but have never actually met him :jealous:. He is so funny without cursing every other word like so many others.

[MikeA]

That was as good as some of the routines Bill Cosby does! "Frogmen"...YESH!

[TimothyBFan]

I used to be really good at drawing. But with time, it evolved to missing all those inside straights so I quit.

:hilarious:

[Molly]

I used to be really good at drawing. But with time, it evolved to missing all those inside straights so I quit.



Mike! (We need a groooaaan smiley)

Good luck to you TG. What a relief after 18 months.

On the flip side of the housing market, my 24 year old son, Tom went thru the pre-approval process for a home mortgage loan a couple of weeks ago. He and I started some casual house hunting this past weekend, and we did exactly what I cautioned him not to do - we fell in love with the first house we toured. We've toured about 8 or 9 houses after that, and none of the others is even close to the first one.

I'm really excited for him. And yet, I can't believe the bank is really going to give this child money to purchase his own home. We're expecting the realtor to stop tonight so that he can write an offer! Fingers crossed. I don't want him to be disappointed!

[sodascouts]

24 and a house already - wow! Best wishes to your son in his new home!

[Koala]

Molly, My Fingers crossed, good luck!


Yesterday had was my first working day, after the vacation, it was good to be back in school! I have also got a new duty, I look, in addition, still after our school library, this could become interesting!
But it is still not sure that I stay at this school or if I should change to another school or if I should work in both schools! Because the whole school structure is altered, in fact nobody really knows anything, that is annoying!

[Peekaboo]

Koala, I hope things work out for you at school. You may have told us before so i'm sorry if i'm repeating a question here. What grade and subject do you teach?


24 and a house already - wow!

That's what I was thinking!! Wow! What a wonderful thing for your son, Molly. I wish I had my own house. I've lived in the same apartment for 5 years but for most of this year I've been thinking about moving to another place but what I really want is to move into a house. Since I live in a big college town there's lots of rent houses around. It's just about finding one that's decent with a reasonable price. Molly, best of luck to your son with this house. I hope everything works out since you both love it so much.

Before I can get excited about this week I have to get through one more night of work. After that I can enjoy 4 wonderful days off. First, on Wednesday I'll be going back to my hometown to join my family for dinner to celebrate my parents 32nd wedding anniversary. I'm always really excited to get together with my family for special events like this. On Thursday we are driving to northern Oklahoma to get together with the rest of my family for the 134th annual Ponca Powwow. Francene will be driving down from Wichita too so it'll be great to see her again. I haven't seen Francene since she moved to Wichita about a month ago. It should be some good fun filled family time. We'll be cooking out and doing some swimming at my Aunt's house and then in the evenings we'll be at the Powwow. It's been so hot and miserable all summer long but honestly i hope it keeps up (at least through this weekend) because I'd hate for all the festivities to get rained out. Plus, I'm hoping to get some sun and get a good tan when we get to the pool.

[TimothyBFan]

Congrats to Tom, Molly. What a fun adventure buying a house is. :thumbsup:

Jess, enjoy your days off and your family time!!

Well, #18 of my great nieces and nephews finally arrived yesterday at 8 lbs. 15 oz, his name is Wyatt Lee. Hopefully his delivery is no indication as to what he may put his parents through in the future, he gave his Mom a 3 DAY labor. One more on the horizon expected in January and then no more right away....we think. That will be 3 new babies in a 9 month period for our family.

[sodascouts]

Koala - have fun at school and hopefully your situation will be sorted out soon.

Jess - have fun!

Willie - oh my gosh, THREE DAY labor! That's brutal!

[Koala]

Thanks guys!

Jess, have fun on your days off!



Koala, I hope things work out for you at school. You may have told us before so i'm sorry if i'm repeating a question here. What grade and subject do you teach?


I work on an elementary school but I'm not a teacher. So I don't usually teach, but sometimes if a teacher precipitates or he needs help, then I teach, mostly math, art or/and german. My normal job is to take care of the kids ( they are between 6 and 10 years old ) before and after the lessons and to make homework with them and other Stuff just like sports or handicrafts or just play outside!

[Troubadour]

Good luck to Tom!

Have a great time with your family and friends, Jess. The Powwow sounds amazing. Wish your mum and dad a very happy anniversary from me. Neither of them look old enough to have been married for 32 years!

Willie, once again, congrats on Wyatt. He's adorable. A three day labour is the stuff of nightmares, though!

[Peekaboo]

Willie, I saw the pic of Wyatt on FB and he is so adorable. Congratulations on the newest addition to your family.

I've got only just a couple of minutes before I need to leave for work but I just saw this on FB and yes I am stooping low and asking for some help from you all. One the 3 big news channels out of OKC is doing a survey for the game of the week. My hometown is included in that. The winner of the vote will get to have the news crew there live at the game and report live afterwards. Pretty cool. I'd appreciate your help on this. Voting will end this friday (27th) at noon. So please vote here (http://www.koco.com/high-school-playbook/24722797/detail.html) for the Weatherford vs Clinton game. Go Weatherford Eagles!! Thanks in advance, everybody.

[ticky]

Willie, I saw the pic of Wyatt on FB and he is so adorable. Congratulations on the newest addition to your family.

I've got only just a couple of minutes before I need to leave for work but I just saw this on FB and yes I am stooping low and asking for some help from you all. One the 3 big news channels out of OKC is doing a survey for the game of the week. My hometown is included in that. The winner of the vote will get to have the news crew there live at the game and report live afterwards. Pretty cool. I'd appreciate your help on this. Voting will end this friday (27th) at noon. So please vote here (http://www.koco.com/high-school-playbook/24722797/detail.html) for the Weatherford vs Clinton game. Go Weatherford Eagles!! Thanks in advance, everybody.

Done! Hope ya win!

[GlennLover]

Done! Good luck, Peek!

[Molly]

Keep voting for Peek's Eagles -they're behind!

Congrats on the newest addition to your family, Willie. We are in between babies right now. I suppose my boys will be the next ones to add to the family....but I can wait a good while for that to happen!

Well, Tom's basic offer was accepted on the house with the seller making some minor counter offers. Hubby has been so unavailable this week, that I've been doing most of the advising to Tom. I hope I'm steering him in the right direction.

Thank goodness I've logged all that time watching HGTV's House Hunters and Property Virgins. All least I know the jargon and sound like I have a clue!

[Troubadour]

I'm gonna vote now. I almost want to put on my Weatherford Eagles hoodie to get into the spirit!

[Prettymaid]

Thank goodness I've logged all that time watching HGTV's House Hunters and Property Virgins. All least I know the jargon and sound like I have a clue!

See, that stuff comes in handy! :thumbsup:

I voted Jess!

[TimothyBFan]

I've voted also Jess. Good luck.

Looking forward to my 4 day weekend after today. Bittersweet since we are taking Dillon back down to campus tomorrow. He's more than ready to get out of this town tho.

We've had a bit of the week from hell around here so I really need a few days off. I touched on it in another thread. The battery went out on my car, muffler on hubby's car, oven went out, bought a car for our daughter and the motor blew on the way home. The guy is paying for a new motor so that's good but then hubby went last night to get it titled in our name before the work starts and guess what----the title isn't good and it will take 8-10 weeks to get it straightened out. Larry called the guy and he told Larry he'd give us back our money and take the car back but then talked Larry into letting him get the title work done etc. Personally, I want the freakin' money back and we can start over again. Poor kid still doesn't have a car and looks like she wont until about winter and I really don't want to start her with a new car in our winters. I'm letting Larry handle it but it's wearing thin, especially with everything else going to crap.

Then to top it off, my brother called yesterday after taking Mom to the doctor and it looks like the infection that almost killed her 2 years ago is back. Some of you might remember that my mother was put in the hospital with an infection of the spine just months after my father died 2 years ago. She spent 2 months fighting it and going thru therapy to learn how to walk to do things again. We were told at the time that she will always have a little of the infection in her body and therefore would have to be on maintenance antibiotics for the rest of her life. She was having trouble with her leg a couple days ago so went to the doctor and they are pretty sure the infection has settled there. She sees her specialist this morning and we fear she will have to go back into the hospital for IV antibiotics again to combat it. She's in better health now than she has been for years to fight it but it's still scary. Please keep her in your thoughts.

[GlennLover]

Oh, Willie. What a week indeed. Hope this one is better. I'll keep your mother in my thoughts & prayers. Enjoy your well deserved days off!

[sodascouts]

Oh no. Praying for your mom, Willie!

[Prettymaid]

Of course I'll be thinking of you and your mother Willie.

Soda, love your av!

[Brooke]

Willie, good grief! Sometimes life just sucks doesn't it? I'll be praying for your Mom, too.

I have two new baby great-nephews this summer. I have no clue how many that makes-our family is so huge! I don't think there are any more coming at this time, but a wedding is coming up in October.

[ticky]

Awe Willie :hug: Sounds like a week from hell for sure. Im so sorry. I'll pray for your Mom and she's in my thoughts as are you. Im with you on the car thing. Take the money and find something else!! Something reliable before the winter sets in. It's scary to think of your kids out there in a questionable car in bad weather! (It's scary to think of them out there in ANY car anytime, but.. well you know.. *G*) I hope it all works out, Mom and you are in my thoughts!

[Koala]

Oh no, Willie, your mother, you and the whole family are in my thoughts and prayers!:hug:

[EagleLady]

Willie you and your mom are in my prayers

[TimothyBFan]

Thanks all of you. Just spoke to my Mom and her doctor doubled the antibiotic she is already taking and added another one and giving her 48 hours to see a noticeable difference. If there is no difference by Friday morning, she gets admitted. Fingers crossed these antibiotics do the trick.

[Peekaboo]

Thanks for voting, everybody. I appreciate the help. Although it doesn't look like my Weatherford Eagles will be winning. I just voted again and saw that they've slipped into the 3rd spot.


I'm gonna vote now. I almost want to put on my Weatherford Eagles hoodie to get into the spirit!

I completely forgot that you had a Weatherford Eagles hoodie.

Molly, glad things are going good for your son on the house front.

Oh Willie, I sure hope things start to look up for you. Sending good thoughts and prayers to your mom. :hug:

[MikeA]

Thanks all of you. Just spoke to my Mom and her doctor doubled the antibiotic she is already taking and added another one and giving her 48 hours to see a noticeable difference. If there is no difference by Friday morning, she gets admitted. Fingers crossed these antibiotics do the trick.

Here's hoping that those new antibiotics get a supercharged adrenalin rush and kick those infection bugs in the butt!

[EaglesFanatic]

I hope everything ends up okay for your mom! Hang in there, and I hope you had a better week :nod:

Well, I just finished up with my first week of school. Overall, I like all of my classes. Every year, the whole sophomore class takes a Hebrew Immersion trip to Israel. This year it's my turn to go. We are out there for 6 weeks, and we stay at a little boarding school. We have classes everyday, and they are all in Hebrew. I'm really excited, but so nervous! I've never been away for that long, let alone in a different country! :hilarious: We leave like mid November, so it's coming up here soon!

[Eve]

Wow EaglesFanatic, that sounds like a fantastic experience! How many students are going?

Today I actually got on the treadmill, burned 250 calories in 30 minutes. Took care of that cookie I had for breakfast. I don't want to be the fat girl in Mexico in November. ;)

[EaglesFanatic]

Wow EaglesFanatic, that sounds like a fantastic experience! How many students are going?

Today I actually got on the treadmill, burned 250 calories in 30 minutes. Took care of that cookie I had for breakfast. I don't want to be the fat girl in Mexico in November. ;)

Nice job Eve :thumbsup: You're going to Mexico in Novemer? How fun! There will be about 20 students going on the trip. We have a really small class lol

[GlennLover]

Wow EF! That's a great opportunity for you! :thumbsup:

[Molly]

Willie, hope your mom is doing well and the antibiotics are making headway by now.

EF -what an amazing opportunity! Once you get there, I imagine you'll be so busy soaking it all up -nerves will go away quickly.

Just got back today from a quick 4 day trip to the western part of Wisconsin. I'm embarrassed to say, having lived here all my life, I've never been to that corner of the state. We stayed right over the border in Galena, Illinois and drove a few miles further into Dubuque, IA. Lots of history along the Mississippi River. I had no idea how beautiful the area is.

Other than a lot of walking and nonstop sightseeing (a trip with Ditka means no rest for the weary!), it was a very educational and relaxing trip.

[Koala]

Wow EF, that's a great experience for you!

[TimothyBFan]

Thanks again everyone. Mom is still home and the antibiotics seem to be kicking it since they found it so early this time.

Got Dillon settled on campus over the weekend and he starts classes again today. He is now amongst "his people" as he calls them. :hilarious:

Here's hoping everyone has a great week this week!!!

[MikeA]

Most EXCELLENT Willie! Happy for your Mom for SURE!

[tequila girl]

I've spent most of the afternoon clearing out junk and packing in readiness for my imminent house move.

I threw out hundreds of photo's of holidays from years ago and also my wedding photo's (we separated 6 years ago) ironically "Wasted Time" was playing just at that instant needless to say I had a little cry! :-(

[Prettymaid]

Aww TG, sounds like you need to make some new memories!

EL, first Joe Walsh calls you and now a trip to Israel? You are one lucky girl!

TBF, so glad to hear the drugs are working. :eyebrow: You know what I mean.

This weekend we helped my mom and dad celebrate thier 58th wedding anniversary. That just boggles the mind!

[EagleLady]

LOL Cathy You keep calling EF EL :hilarious:

[Prettymaid]

Sorry EL (and EF). All these initials are getting to me! :headscratch: :hilarious:

[Peekaboo]

Willie, I'm so glad to hear that your mom is doing better. And best of luck to Dillon on another wonderful year of college.

Wow Zoe!! That sounds like a fun trip.

Cathy, Congrats to your Mom and Dad on 58 years. That's amazing!!

TG, glad you got lots of stuff cleared out. I need to do a bit of end of summer cleaning too.

I had a wonderful time this past weekend. The powwow went really well and I got to see a lot of my family. Going to Ponca Powwow every year is kinda like a family reunion for us. Lots of good times. The powwow was packed this year. There were so many people there. I don't remember it being as crowded last year. I'm already looking forward to the powwow next year.

I had to miss the last night of the powwow last night because I had to work. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't miss work yesterday because we had our main event blackjack tournament and all of the dealers had to be there. I couldn't believe it when I got picked to deal in the tournament. I had never dealt in one before. I tried to get out of it but I was told that I was requested to deal it. I have no idea who requested me. I was only briefly given instructions on how to deal in a tournament just 30 minutes before it started. I was soooo nervous. I felt like I was new dealer. I'm a decently fast dealer and I'm usually talking to my customers but I had to go so slow and I didn't say a word because I really had to concentrate. Thankfully I didn't make any mistakes and by the time the first round was finished I only had to deal on 3 tournament tables. The good thing about this is that i can say that I've dealt in a blackjack tournament.

Here's some pics from the powwow:
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c95/Pekahchu/DSC_0244-1.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c95/Pekahchu/DSC_0263-1.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c95/Pekahchu/DSC_0265-1.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c95/Pekahchu/DSC_0280-1.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c95/Pekahchu/DSC_0281-1.jpg


(http://s25.photobucket.com/albums/c95/Pekahchu/?action=view&current=DSC_0285.mp4)

[Freypower]

Magnificent photos.

[MikeA]

BJ tournaments are a completely different beast aren't they Jess! I've played in a few and never done any good in any of them. Just way too much LUCK involved. And the playing strategy...well, it is really nothing like cash play. You are playing against the other players and not against the dealer. You have to develop the ability of glancing at an opponent's chip stack and knowing exactly how much he has and how much you have and you bet against him regardless of any Basic Strategy! Very intense.

I'm playing this week on $5 Single Deck tables. This morning was my first attack on the casinos and I have never fought so hard to lose only $35. That was over a 4 hours session. To get back that close to even, I was having to push out bets 4 and 5 times the minimum even though my normal bet was the minimum. Just couldn't catch any cards and when I did, seemed like the dealer was drawing Snappers. Hope it loosens up over the week!

[Freypower]

My upcoming trip now feels almost real. I got some British pounds today (what does it tell you about me that I don't have a pound symbol on my keyboard, much less a euro symbol). I always think when you actually have foreign currency in your hand, then it seems that it is alll about to happen. :partytime: (We leave next Wednesday September 8 and by the way this is our first trip back to England since 1996).

[GlennLover]

Peek, those pictures are amazing! So much colour!

FP, I leave on my trip this Wednesday so I am also going through pre-trip anticipation.

[Koala]

TBF, good to hear that it seems that the antibiotics help your mom!

Peek, fantastic photos, thanks for share them with us.

PM, Congrats to your Parents 58 anniversary, what a long time!

WOW, FP, only a few days until your upcoming trip, how exciting!

[Prettymaid]

Peek, those pictures are fantastic! G;ad you had a good time.

FP, I can feel the excitment in your post. I'm sure you're going to have a wonderful time.

[Troubadour]

Great pics, Jess!

Julie, how exciting! I hope you have a wonderful time over here in the UK.

[TimothyBFan]

FP---how exciting! When you first started talking about the trip, it seemed so far away and now it's almost here already!!

Jess--I just kept looking at your pictures because they are so beautiful. The color is just amazing in the outfits (don't know what they are actually called-sorry). There is a powwow this coming weekend at a county park nearby of the Potawatomi Indian tribe in the area. I'm thinking I would like to go see it since it's open to the public. I hope you don't mind me asking, but what exactly is a powwow about or for? It's obviously a celebration of something but what?

[Brooke]

Peek, I'm amazed at your beautiful pics of the pow wow, too! Thanks for sharing them with us.

Pm, congrats to your parents. Good for them!

Fp, I know you must be excited about your trip to England. How I would love to visit there. What are your plans and how long will you be there?

And what are we going to do around here without you? Will you be able to check in periodically? :ack:

[sodascouts]

Jess, just echoing everyone else - thanks for sharing your experience and those great photos! Wow, some of those clothes must be incredibly heavy to wear!

PM - 58 years - that's really impressive. Congrats to your parents!

FP - I can't believe it's almost time for your trip. You're going to be gone so long - I don't know what we'll do without you! Have fun and take lots of photos!

And Willie -so glad to hear your mom is doing better.

[Peekaboo]

Wow FP!! Your trip sounds like so much fun. Enjoy your vacation!! We'll miss you around here. Pop in here when you can.


BJ tournaments are a completely different beast aren't they Jess!

They most certainly are. It threw me off a bit on the first couple of hands I dealt but it got a little easier after the first table I was on. The pace of the game is much slower.


Jess--I just kept looking at your pictures because they are so beautiful. The color is just amazing in the outfits (don't know what they are actually called-sorry). There is a powwow this coming weekend at a county park nearby of the Potawatomi Indian tribe in the area. I'm thinking I would like to go see it since it's open to the public. I hope you don't mind me asking, but what exactly is a powwow about or for? It's obviously a celebration of something but what?

Glad you all liked the pics. I wish I had more pics of the different dances. There's a certain type of outfit for each dance but you are free to choose the colors you want to use. I danced when I was 7 and 8 years old. I wore a jingle dress and my colors were blue and red.

Willie, I'm not familiar with that tribe but I'm assuming that it wouldn't be much different from the powwows I've been to here in OK. You should go. It's wonderful to be there and experience a powwow in person. There's so much culture and tradition to see. Most big powwows are open to the public. Many people come from all over the world for Ponca Powwow. This past weekend there were people from South Africa and Alaska that attended. Willie, you're right about a powwow being a celebration. It can be a celebration of anything. Usually it's about different tribes coming together to celebrate our culture and traditions but it can be a celebration of anything really. It can be to celebrate our Nation's military, to honor someone or an event, in memory of someone, or to celebrate a birthday.

[Freypower]

Peek, I'm amazed at your beautiful pics of the pow wow, too! Thanks for sharing them with us.

Pm, congrats to your parents. Good for them!

Fp, I know you must be excited about your trip to England. How I would love to visit there. What are your plans and how long will you be there?

And what are we going to do around here without you? Will you be able to check in periodically? :ack:

We have 9 days in London (we have a serviced apartment in Maida Vale) then go to Portsmouth to see the Victory & Mary Rose (Mike's hero is Lord Nelson and he has always wanted to see the Victory - Mary Rose was my hero Henry VIII's favourite ship which he saw sink in Portsmouth harbour). We then take a week to head up to Newcastle, Mike's home town (actually his home town is South Shields but I say Newcastle because it means more to most people). We will probably go via Salisbury, Gloucester then over to Peterborough & Lincoln before reaching Gateshead where we will be for two weeks before coming home. There is a lot to do around Tyne & Wear/Durham, not least seeing my mother-in-law & brother-in-law. We fly out on October 13 & arrive on the 15th.

I doubt I will have internet access at all. We could have paid for it but decided not to. Therefore it is highly unlikely that I will be able to visit here but I am going to send Soda a couple of postcards (as people may know I am a postcard & fridge magnet freak & I am salivating at what I might buy). I am also anticipating going to the Globe Theatre on September 12 to see Henry IV Part I. I expect this to be one of the highlights of my entire life (the last time I was there it was still under construction).

[MikeA]

Jess and Willie, the Potawatomi tribe is big in northern Kansas as is the Kickapoo tribe. Potawatomi has the Prairie Band Casino about 15 miles north of Topeka and the Kickapoo tribe has the Golden Eagle around 30 miles north of Topeka.

I don't know a lot about their culture but have seen Pow Wows going on for both tribes.

I do have their chips in my collection. If you go to http://mvabercrombie.net/casino_albums/photoalbum.html and look towards the bottom of the menu, you'll see pictures of most of my collection categorized more or less geographically.

[TimothyBFan]

The Potawatomi are the tribe that's here in Northern Indiana also and is the tribe that sold the land to the founder, Richard Carlisle, of our little town 175 years ago (I know because there have been celebrations for the 175 all summer here). As far as the 2 casinos in the area, I'm thinking it is a different tribe that has those.

I really need to look into it for this weekend and see what days and what's going on. Larry's best friend is coming into town also and they are planning a camping night etc. so we will see if it will work out. I hope so. Sounds very interesting.

[Brooke]

We have 9 days in London (we have a serviced apartment in Maida Vale) then go to Portsmouth to see the Victory & Mary Rose (Mike's hero is Lord Nelson and he has always wanted to see the Victory - Mary Rose was my hero Henry VIII's favourite ship which he saw sink in Portsmouth harbour). We then take a week to head up to Newcastle, Mike's home town (actually his home town is South Shields but I say Newcastle because it means more to most people). We will probably go via Salisbury, Gloucester then over to Peterborough & Lincoln before reaching Gateshead where we will be for two weeks before coming home. There is a lot to do around Tyne & Wear/Durham, not least seeing my mother-in-law & brother-in-law. We fly out on October 13 & arrive on the 15th.

I doubt I will have internet access at all. We could have paid for it but decided not to. Therefore it is highly unlikely that I will be able to visit here but I am going to send Soda a couple of postcards (as people may know I am a postcard & fridge magnet freak & I am salivating at what I might buy). I am also anticipating going to the Globe Theatre on September 12 to see Henry IV Part I. I expect this to be one of the highlights of my entire life (the last time I was there it was still under construction).

Wow! It sounds like a most wonderful vacation! So, you will be gone for like, 6 weeks or so? I could handle that!

[MikeA]

On Vacation and having a lot of fun, but I really REALLY miss my guitars. Was listening to my JANGO station today and heard Santana. Going to one of his Concerts tonight and am looking very forward to THAT. Saw him at Hard Rock a few months ago and was blown away. The Dude can still play! Like Joe, he's a musician and a craftsman.

[EagleLady]

Don't buy those god for saken Bottle tops. I put one on my can without opening it first and I can't get it off. I HATE MY LIFE.

[ticky]

I'll avoid those, El, but I dont think I'd judge my life by bottle caps. Still best to you and I hope it works out for the best.

Julie! That sounds like a dream vacation! Im so happy for you!

Mike! LOVE Santana!! have a great time and take lots of pictures!!

Jess, what beautiful pictures. I love the costumes and the dancing. I love the idea of having such a wonderful, rich culture to celebrate like that. Just beautiful! Sarah wants to wear that for halloween btw LOL

I went with my big bro and my niece, her boy friend, my cousin, Laurel, and my parents to Sauvie Island, a big island in the Willamette and Columbia River junction. It's flat and made from rich river silt so its filled with sprawling farms, a wild life sanctuary and farmers markets! It's a fantastic day trip especially this time of year.
I've been chomping at the bit to get the canning underway and today I finally got to it! I bought a case of green beans, a case of green Gravenstein apples, a case of red ripe Gravenstein apples, a half case of U-pick Veteran peaches (freestone and easy peel and sooo crazy sweet I'll be making an extra light syrup for them!) 5 heads of cauliflower (for hot pickled cauliflower). Also I got figs just to eat, HUGE beefsteak tomatoes (just four to eat), some melons and broccoli, and zucchini (I know.. Im so pathetic, I had to BUY zucchini). SO, Laurel and I came back here and made dill beans and apple sauce and dinner LOL. She gave me a bag of really delicious dates her boy friend had. (He's from the United Arab Emirates and his family grows and dries these, YUM!) and tomorrow I'll be making more apple sauce, an apple pie, date nut bread, canned beans, dill beans, and hot pickled cauliflower!! It may take more then just one more day.. Oh well, Tonight Im punchy and exhausted, but happy!

[TimothyBFan]

Rhonda, you go girl!!! All of that stuff is going to taste wonderful about mid January!!!!

[Brooke]

Rhonda, good grief! It all sounds wonderful! It's great that you have so much energy and are willing to do all that!

El, keep your chin up. Life is good! Try to look on the bright side! :)

[MikeA]

I didn't take "many" pictures at the Santana concert last night, but I did clip off about 12 minutes of video with my camera. Got "Black Magic Woman" for one and sure hope it processess and comes out good. I would have gotten more but for the darn battery running out on me! This was from my camera, not from my phone so it should be adequate.

[Brooke]

Great Mike! Can't wait to hear all about it!

[EaglesFanatic]

Ticky-That's awesome; all of that sounds so good!!
I leave tomorrow after school for LA with some family and friends. I'm really excited! OH and not to mention that I'll be seeing the Hotel California (Beverly Hills Hotel)! haha I'm packing my Hotel California T-Shirt to wear the day we go see it :hilarious:
I hope everyone has a fun and safe trip to the POT in Aspen. Maybe I'll cross paths with some of you at the Denver International Airport :thumbsup:lol

[Brooke]

EF, have fun! I'd love to see the Beverly Hills Hotel. Bring us a pic, ok?

[MikeA]

Made it home! Avoided disaster at least THREE times! First, Verna lost her driver's license! She was in a gift shop and had to have her ID (the DL) along with her Player's Card. She had given the cashier her Player's Card to check for available points on it and while she was doing that, Verna was looking around the shop to pick out things for the kids and other family back home. Well, her Player's Card had demagnetized! Apparently she had held it in the same hand as a Fridge magnet! Had to go get a new players card encoded and that took forever! Got it done and back to the shop to check out with the gifts and had to show her DL. Well, it wasn't to be found.

Folks, if you travel by air, you KNOW how helpless you feel if you lose your ID! Verna was in a panic and had every right to be! No ID, well, you can fly, but it is a real time consuming hassle to get clearance to board the plane! Luckily, she found it laying in the aisle in the shop where she'd dropped it <SIGH!>

Okay, all set. Almost. I had $55 in comps at the El Cortez. That pretty much is more than the total inventory of the Gift Shop! But we did finally find a way to waste the entire balance on stuff we could compress into our carry-on luggage! Thank God I've got Verna. She is a mastermind at packing! We actually got it all loaded....gifts packed inside other gifts, every cranie in my computer case filled, and her shoulder bag stuffed!

So we get the rented car (a KIA SUV) out of hoc (Valet Parking) and load and head up Main St towards Wyoming to get onto Dean Martin and then the terminal for car returns. I was stopped at a Traffic Light and was in the right hand thru lane with a car beside me in the right turn lane and a Mustang Convertible in the left lane next to me. The light changes...and that freakin' Mustang stomps it and turns RIGHT in front of me. I got stopped before hitting him and so did the guy in the turn lane, but the Mustang came within inches of hitting a pedestrian in the crosswalk and then ALMOST rammed into a car that had just turned! I was doing some serious stress shakin' after that very near miss.

Got to the terminal and dropped off the car and made it to the airport with no problems other than stretching my arm (Verna's too) with the overpacked luggage. We got to the gate and discovered that the flight we were on was running a half hour late. No biggie. We were on the way home and our only care was that we GOT THERE! An hour or so wasn't going to upset us too much!

So, we have paid for Priority Boarding. We do that because we want to be able to get to our seats on the plane before it fills up and there is no room in the overheads for the carry-on luggage. Alligiant charges $30 or $35 a bag for checking luggage so everyone carries theirs on the plane to avoid the charges. We got our seat and had our luggage all stowed away thank God. Then they started boarding the General Seating. It is all assigned of course with with those making reservations on-line getting seat assignments at their choice when they make the reservations. Those getting their seat assignments at the terminal are getting "pot luck" but they don't pay as much. All they know is that they have reserved seating so they will not be without a seat.

That's when things started getting ugly. Alligiant had a "computer malfunction" and they started assigning seating to seats that people had reserved and PAID for the privilege of picking their seats. They had people with ledgimate boarding passes with seating assignments that were for the same seats that someone else had also! Finally the crew on the plane said for everyone to just find any empty seat and get strapped in so we could get the plane in the air!

Oh, man, if I had been one of those who had paid extra to pick an available seat a month or so in advance, I'd have been one upset flyer!

Then when we finally made it to Wichita, we were delayed on deplaning because of the delay in leaving Vegas. There was no crew to man the jetway nor a crew to unload the checked luggage. It wasn't bad though. The got us off the plane with only a 15 minute delay.

Folks, if you are a smoker, you KNOW how long 15 minutes is when you've been watching the second-hand tick away the minutes on a 2.5 hour flight that was late arriving by a half hour and didn't board until an hour after the specified boarding time. That adds up to two hours plus the additional hour plus 2.5 hours plus another 15 minutes. Almost 5 hours without a smoke! I was ready to step out onto the wing to have a cigarette <LOL>....at 35000 feet and 500mph!

But we did make it home. Good to be here!

[AzEaglesFan]

Mike, you made my day. I had such a bad time at the Phoenix Airport last time I flew to Austin that I swore I would NEVER fly again. I must say that the folks at Austin when I flew back were so nice that they restored my faith in airport workers. The whole mess was just bacause I took my laptop (never again) and because of my knee replacement. The people at Phoenix acted like I tried to take an AK49 unto the plane and about had a heart attack because of a couple of metal eyelets on the pants I wore.

[ticky]

welcome home, Mike! Sounds like you had an adventure!! Im so glad Verna found her DL!! I know how scary that can be and you're right, traveling sans ID is next to impossible! She really dodged a bullet finding right where she'd dropped it. WHEW!

I just gotta say one thing... its not pretty, and Im not happy about it.. take this as advance warning if you're anywhere near the Portland area tomorrow morning... my espresso make stopped working. You've been warned... take cover and buy duct tape.

[MikeA]

LOL....I'm nowhere NEAR Portland, but I obtained quantities of Duck (duct) Tape anyway. One never knows the discord that can be generated by an uncaffeined Ticky!

I used to have more problems with laptops. These days, you just lay them in a tray outside their cases and run them through the scanners. But about 10 years ago you had to actually power the computers up for the security people. That was a real hassle because 10 years ago with WIN3, things took a while to come alive and battery life wasn't extraordinary!

But I'm right there with you AEF.....I HATE Airport Security! I don't wear sandals or slip-on shoes so it is a real inconvenience removing shoes that have absolutely no metal in them. I understand that happens because of the "gell soles" some athletic shoes have. Some bomber replaced the athletic gell in his shoes with explosive. Still, I don't see what they could see to tell the difference in an xray scan! To keep the alarm from going off, I have to remove my watch...rings other than my wedding band, necklace, belt...anything that is metal. I have a little tin that I keep a day's supply of pain meds in and forgot to take it out of my pocket. It set off the alarms and I had to go through the "pat-down" with all the chemical patch sampling to detect explosives. Then I had to dig my prescription bottle out of the bottom of my computer case to show them that the pills were authentic and that I had the legal right to be carrying them!

We always take Taster's Choice coffee with us. It has a plastic container but has a metal seal and you DO NOT break that seal before reaching the hotel room unless you want coffee grounds embedded in the clothing in that suitcase. Twice in a row we've had to open our suitcase and let them go through it to confirm that the coffee is coffee! We quit taking water heaters with us. Many of the hotels do not have coffee makers in the rooms...they want you to buy coffee at whomever has the concession for it at the hotel. So I go across the street to Walgreens and buy a water crok-pot for $10 for the trip and just leave it when we leave!

[AzEaglesFan]

Bobby refuses to fly, no matter what he does, he sets off the alarm and has to be wanded and that was before they put you in the "glass cage" that they have now. In Phoenix I stood there so long I wondered if I was going to get to the gate in time to fly out. Everyone stares at you like you are an idiot. On top of that they left all my "stuff" on the belt and I saw several people look around and make a motion toward my laptop and purse. I think one of the things that got me in trouble is I asked if I could get my belongings off the belt before someone walked off with them and it made the security staff mad. I had 4 security staff standing over me before I finally got cleared and could leave. 2 of them never said anything, one was real mouthy (even more than me) and one was very nice and tried to talk to me to calm me down. One of them finally brought my stuff over to where I was and just dumped them on the floor so there was really no calming me down at that point. I will probably fly again because it is a lot faster than driving but not for awhile. I look for things to get worse instead of better.

[MikeA]

It's never been really bad for Verna and I. Nothing like that with you and Bobby. I had to go through what you call the glass cage twice. Once with that pill box that set things off and another time when I was wearing a back brace. I debated on taking it off to go through security, but decided I'd leave it on. Really was hurting and those lines are LONG in Las Vegas. It can take a half hour just to get to the place where they check your ID and let you into the security check area. If you get "selected" for display in that glass cubical, it can take another half hour....that seems like half a day!

I don't know what the deal was at the airport Friday. I'd not have thought there would have been that many people leaving LV. I knew there would be a lot flying in. A Wisconsin UNLV today I think and they were expecting Tens of Thousands to come in Friday.

[Glennsallnighter]

Mike! I'm glad your got home ok with all those little incidents. One would be worrying enough, but 3!! I dunno how you had the patience.

Julie! Have a wonderful holiday in the UK! I know you have been planning it a long time so I hope it is everything you are hoping for. You know, you can always check in here via a cheap internet cafe if you really feel the DT's coming on.

Willie! I'm glad your Mum seems better.

Rhonda!! How DO you Do it girl! Just reading your posts, and all you manage to do in a day makes me tired! Hope the canning goes well.

EF travel safely! I hope you get to see the original HC!!

Jess! Those pictures of the Pow wow are magnificent. I love the rich colour and the energy that vibrates out of them.

Once again, I'm sorry I've been absent do much. Since I started the photography course 3 weeks ago I've been completely run off my feet. I'm back at work now and busier than ever. The week before I want back I had to do a 10 hour round driving trip in one day to the funeral of a good friend's father. Up in West Donegal for those of you who know Irish geography. The kids only went back to school this Wednesday.

So forgive me for my absence, Its not intentional and I DO think of you all and how you and your loved ones are (Yep Willie, that includes the critters), even when I can't make it on here. To anyone I've left out, sorry! I hope to be back a lot more often!!

[Freypower]

I've done two amazing things today - printed an Eagles ticket and printed our boarding passes. The wonders of technology.

[EaglesFanatic]

Just got back from LA tonight. Really fun trip! Here are some pictures from The Beverly Hills Hotel. Of course, I had to wear my Hotel California shirt that day :thumbsup:

[Wildthyme]

I guess I have gotten lucky with airport security when I have flown this year. The TSA people in Medford are all pretty friendly but I suspect that is because its a small airport and even at the busiest time of day its not exactly crowded. And LAX was the worst with really long, slow lines and ultra-paranoid security. I was really impressed with Denver's airport security this weekend - there were tons of people going through that place but there was hardly any wait in line at all because they seem to have a really efficient system.

I do carry a small laptop but I haven't had any issues so far however when I carried on my cpap on my LA trip they did have to take it aside and do a special test on it so this time I packed it inside my suitcase and checked my bag. On the way to Denver they apparently searched my bag (no doubt because of the cpap) although on the way home it went undisturbed.

[AzEaglesFan]

I didn't take my cpap because I saw that I would have to take it out of the case and it was bad enough lugging the laptop around. I thought I would get better use out of the lap top. lol

[sodascouts]

I've traveled to a few "hot spots" in the Middle East and had to empty out carry-ons, but the worst time I ever had was when I was coming back from Colombia, South America, after doing some volunteer work in one of the villages.

I knew they were concerned about drug smuggling, so I was wearing shorts and a white tank top, figuring that would make it obvious I wasn't trying to hide anything in my clothes. Well, I was wrong.

They had a woman give me a VERY thorough pat down - including reaching under my shirt, into my bra, under my shorts and up the skin of my upper thighs all the way to the pantyline to make sure I didn't have anything hidden on my body (luckily panties were left alone). I get that they were just doing their job and perhaps a 20-something American girl traveling alone to Colombia and back was unusual, but DANG! I guess I should just be relieved there was no body cavity search!

[Troubadour]

I get patted down/personally scanned ALL THE TIME at airports. Even just in the UK. I have no idea why! But I often set the machine off, despite having taken all of my jewellery off. Once, I got taken into this little cupboard (I swear - it wasn't a small office, it was a cupboard) by two women at Bournemouth Airport. They patted me down and got me to lift up my top etc, until they finally decided that it was probably the poppers on my jeans and let me out. I haven't worn those jeans to an airport since.

[TimothyBFan]

until they finally decided that it was probably the poppers on my jeans and let me out. I haven't worn those jeans to an airport since.


I'm thinking buttons right? :hilarious:

[Troubadour]

Well, they were these metal stud things around the pocket/belt area, some of which a little decorative strap would pop in to. I don't mean the actual fly buttons... the only way I can really describe them is poppers! lol.

[TimothyBFan]

Got ya!! It's probably what we would call studs or something. I see what you mean now. Sorry for assuming buttons. :hilarious:

[TimothyBFan]

Just heard from hubby. For the 3rd week in a row, someone has had a heart attack where he works. I'm really starting to worry about him even tho he's worked there for 15 years. That place has become so stressful and the last few weeks the heat's been almost unbearable (the exception today tho). The guy that had a heart attack last week, while driving a forklift nonetheless, is still in a coma and they aren't sure he will make it. Larry's bid into another job that he will hopefully get and he won't be in the same stressful department. Fingers crossed for that, especially now.

[sodascouts]

Oh no! Hope Larry's coworkers recover and, of course, that Larry himself doesn't get so stressed out he has health problems. Awful!

[EagleLady]

If I end up getting patted down at one point, I hope it's by a female guard and not male.

[TimothyBFan]

If I end up getting patted down at one point, I hope it's by a female guard and not male.


Not me!! :blush: Oops! Did I say that out loud? :hilarious:

[MikeA]

If I end up getting patted down at one point, I hope it's by a female guard and not male.

Me Too.

[sodascouts]

LOL Willie and Mike!!!!

[Brooke]

:rofl: You are all too funny!

I've flown a few times and never really had any problems. The worst was when coming back from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where our flight was delayed for over 4 hours and the small airport was packed with people waiting. I've heard of lots worse.

TBF, I hope your hubby gets the new job and gets out of all the stress.

[Eve]

If I end up getting patted down at one point, I hope it's by a female guard and not male.

I believe only the female TSA people can pat down female passengers.

[Freypower]

I just want to mention that it is a good day to be a redhead with the initials JG in Australia :laugh: ;) - we finally have our first elected female Prime Minister, Julia Gillard (although it is a minority government).

Well, everyone, I guess this is my last post until October 15 or thereabouts. Hope you all stay safe and if anyone is attending any shows enjoy them. I will miss you all. Bye for now! :wave::bye:

[sodascouts]

Have a safe and fun trip, Julie! You'll be missed and we look forward to your return and all the stories you'll be able to tell!

[Koala]

I know you already gone but I still want wish to you a great, fun and safe vacation!:bye:

[Glennsallnighter]

I've done two amazing things today - printed an Eagles ticket and printed our boarding passes. The wonders of technology.


Thing is Julie........ which did you want more? :wink:

Byeeeee from me too (sounds funny, as the UK is actually a lot NEARER me!) Have a wonderful trip! :bye:

[Glennsallnighter]

I get patted down/personally scanned ALL THE TIME at airports. Even just in the UK. I have no idea why! But I often set the machine off, despite having taken all of my jewellery off. Once, I got taken into this little cupboard (I swear - it wasn't a small office, it was a cupboard) by two women at Bournemouth Airport. They patted me down and got me to lift up my top etc, until they finally decided that it was probably the poppers on my jeans and let me out. I haven't worn those jeans to an airport since.

Same here in Dublin. I ALWAYS end up being patted down when I have nothing metal on me. Just as well we haven't travelled together Lou.....

Must be our highly charged electonically attractive personalities.... ?

[Brooke]

Bye Julie. Have a wonderful time. We'll miss you! :wave:

[MikeA]

Same here in Dublin. I ALWAYS end up being patted down when I have nothing metal on me. Just as well we haven't travelled together Lou.....

Must be our highly charged electonically attractive personalities.... ?

You ladies must just fit the profile of a terrorist! You probably just get to the airport before you have your morning tranquilizer (coffee) and have that glow that says "Look at me crosseyed and I'll KILL YOU!"

[Troubadour]

LOL, Lisa & Mike!

Julie, I am so excited for you. Have a safe flight. I hope your holiday over here in the UK is everything you want it to be, and more. I can't wait to hear all about it - particularly about your experience at The Globe.

I wasn't sure I would write about this, but I am going to. You are all friends and I'm sure some of you have experienced similar before... Yesterday evening, I had some kind of anxiety attack. I was just sitting down at home, eating my dinner, and began to feel funny. Quite nauseous and nervous. I tried to breathe through it, sipped water, opened the window to get a breeze, but it worsened. I felt sick, like I was going to faint, and my heart was absolutely racing. I also had tingles in my hands that spread all the way up my arms. It was obviously highly unpleasant and scary. Thankfully, I knew it had to be an anxiety thing (I know the symptoms), so I took myself to the bathroom, sat down, and did 7-11 breathing. My heart rate slowed quickly, which helped, but the other symptoms remained for about 15-20 minutes, until eventually the nausea abated and I gradually started to feel better. The tingling in my hands remained for a little while. My family has a history of nerves and anxiety - my grandma, great-uncle, and my mum all suffer with nerves, so I have always sort of known how it can affect you. I have had the odd brief episode in the past, where I've had to breathe through it, and the past couple of weeks I've felt nauseous at times all of a sudden, but nothing like last night.

On one hand, I am upset about it and frustrated, because I have seen how it has affected my mum in the past (and occasionally now), and I never wanted to be like that. I do NOT want nerves or the fear of a panic attack to control my life. On the other hand, this is the first time it happened - and I actually think I did pretty well in dealing with it. The 7-11 breathing really helped, and I kept telling myself "It's not real", "You are not in danger", etc, which is what you are supposed to do.

Today, I still feel a little bit unsettled, but I am working hard NOT to think about nerves and anxiety all the time. That's how it becomes a vicious circle. I went out for a long walk this morning and really enjoyed it. I felt a bit nervous a couple of times, but quashed it straight away. It's so stupid - I have done so many things, travelled alone... I will NOT be anxious about going out for a bloody walk!

I am not necessarily asking for advice - really, I just wanted to share this with friends - but obviously it would probably help to hear others who have had similar experiences and come through it. I know it's all in the mind. The irritating thing is that I don't FEEL nervous or anxious about anything right now... I have no debts, no relationship issues, no big, prominent worries... but I know this is the nature of anxiety. It can creep up on you when you least expect it.

Anyway - despite all this, rest assured I AM doing everything I can to be positive and face this head on.

To end this on a little high note - as I like to do! - there was one thing that brightened an otherwise uneasy night for me... Some of you may know that I love Danny Kortchmar... (Indulge me here!) Well, he accepted my friend request on Facebook yesterday, and after thinking about it for a while, I decided to write on his wall. There were a lot of messages on his wall from other fans, saying thanks for the add and thanks for the music, etc. He had 'liked' a couple of them, but hadn't commented on any individually, other than messages from friends of his, like Leland Sklar. Anyway, I wrote a few lines about how I was gutted I didn't see him on the James Taylor/Carole King tour - that I was in San Jose a few days before he played there, and that I regret the fact that I couldn't stay longer. Also mentioned that I love his solo stuff, named a particular favourite song, and basically sent love from across the Pond. Anyway... I woke up at about 4am, still feeling a little bit restless and unsettled, and I idly logged onto Facebook on my phone because I couldn't get back to sleep. I had one notification: "Danny Kortchmar commented on your wall post". I nearly squealed! It was only a quick reply, but he said "Thank you so much!" and assured me that "more music is on the way!" It was so cool - particularly as, not to labour this point, but he hasn't commented on any of the other fan posts! It brought a smile when I needed it. :)

[Brooke]

Troub, I'm so sorry you are going through this. I don't know anything about anxiety attacks, but if it helps to 'talk' about it here, then feel free. I'm sure you will be fine and try to keep your chin up. We're here for you. :hug:

And, very cool that DK responded to your post!

[Troubadour]

Thanks, Brooke. :hug: I think sharing anything helps.

[TimothyBFan]

:hug: Lou, thinking of you. I'm like Brooke, really don't know much about anxiety. I think everyone gets a "spell" once in awhile but nothing like that. It must have been very scary but I'm glad you worked thru it. Hopefully it will just be a one time ordeal for you. Remember, I'm only a phone/text away if you want to talk.

I'm very impressed by your Danny story. How frickin' cool!!!! :thumbsup:

[EaglesFanatic]

Troub-I can understand the trepidation you are experiencing, but it sounds like you really handled the situation well. Hang in there, everything will be okay :nod:
I'm glad Danny was able to brighten up your night!

[Koala]

Troub, I'm so sorry to hear from your momentary state! I hope it gets better quickly for you and it was only one unique thing! :hug:

[MikeA]

You'll get nothing but encouragement for me Lou....no sarcastic attempt at humor or anything like that. My daughter was prone to that type "panic attack" thing and took some medication that alleviated it, but it is NOT a good drug. It is very bad for women who might become pregnant and Amanda didn't find out she was pregnant and was on the drug for a month! Scared her and us silly!

The thing about that drug is that you do not just go "cold turkey" with it. It is fantastic for controlling those panic attacks but it really messes with your chemical balance and coming off of it fast is dangerous. Amanda was able to do this....stopped it immediately and it really did mess her up, but both she and Megan came through it with no reprocussions.

If you are interested in knowing more about this drug, I can find out what it was.

[MikeA]

New Swimming Pool liner being installed. That vacuum is used to suck the air out from between the liner and the floor and sides of the pool. You can still see some wrinkles up around the stairs, but we got all of those out. It is wrinkle free and we are about halfway towards filling the pool now. I ran water for 11 hours yesterday and have another 8 hours to go before it is full <sigh>. Oh my aching Water-Bill next month!

http://mvabercrombie.net/SMPool.jpg

[Brooke]

It's lovely, Mike! :thumbsup:

[MikeA]

Dang Brooke, I HATE it when someone throws one of those huge pictures on the forum and messes up the alignment like that one. I'll see about reducing it just as soon as I get the chance.

SORRY

[Troubadour]

Thanks for all the kind words - I really appreciate them.

As for the pool... It looks great, Mike! I'm envious! :)

[sodascouts]

Lou, I'm very sorry to hear of your troubles. I don't think I've ever had a panic attack per se, but sometimes I suffer a bit from paranoia.

For instance, there have been times when I've been positive I've heard someone moving about in my apartment, and I'll lie in bed terrified imagining all sorts of horrible things - trying to figure out ways to escape if they should come into my room, looking around for my phone in case I need to call 911, that kind of thing. I usually lie there for several minutes paralyzed with fear until I force myself to get up and go see. Turns out there's no one there, but for that few minutes before I force myself to look the fear is awful. I always think "Sure, there was no one there the last time, but maybe there is somebody there THIS time..." The terror is irrational but it feels very real.

Six years ago, I actually did have two men break into my apartment while I was sleeping, and that only made it worse because I never heard a thing - I just woke up to find them in my living room (thank God they were just a couple of drunks). At that point I actually considered buying a gun, but I don't think I could ever bring myself to fire it.

Anyway, it's hard to control those things, but they're not as abnormal as one might think just because people don't talk about it. Luckily in my own case they only happen occasionally.

[MikeA]

At that point I actually considered buying a gun, but I don't think I could ever bring myself to fire it.


Soda,

That is the very reason I do not own a "real gun"....I WOULD USE IT and KNOW I'D NOT HESITATE! Your home is your sanctuary and as such, it should NEVER be allowed to be violated! But if I did use a gun even for protection, I do not know if I'd be able to come to terms with the results.

I do have a pistol.....my Dad's "pillow gun". A little 22cal 6-shooter. Shoot someone with that and if you didn't get lucky, you'd just make them mad <LOL>.

[sodascouts]

Well, my mother had to have a hysterectomy today to remove a tumor. They're having the growth checked out to make sure it's not cancerous. My father tells me the surgery went well and she's resting comfortably. I just pray everything turns out OK.

I have kind of tried not to think about the fact that my parents are getting older, and something like this brings it home that I won't have them with me forever. Of course, I know many people on the board have already lost a parent or parents, in some cases like Maleah's at a very young age. I just hope to God that my parents stay healthy and happy for at least another couple of decades (they're in their late sixties). I believe we'll all meet again in Heaven after they pass away, but I still want 'em to stay around here for a while!

BUT on a happier note, as I said, it appears things went well for her this afternoon and even if the growth turns out to be cancerous, at least it's out of her body.

[EaglesFanatic]

I hope the best for your mom Soda. I'm glad the surgery went okay. Like you said, it's better that the growth is out of her body.
So I had a softball game tonight, and I pitched. I was so happy, because my coach had me throwing my drop ball a lot, and it was working every time. I also made an unassisted double play. We won 11-2 tonight. OH and last week, I hit my very first home run (I've been playing for 7 years and have never hit a home run before :hilarious:)!

[sodascouts]

Wow - you go, girl!

[TimothyBFan]

Soda-best of luck to your Mom. I hope this is the end of that problem and she is able to make a quick recovery. Keep us posted. It's never easy seeing your parents go through these things no matter what your age is. We always need our parents.

How scary, also, about those 2 guys in your apartment. I can't imagine what you felt at the moment you saw them there. I've woken up to 2 drunk guys in my apartment also, but I had already known they were there. :hilarious: Don't judge me! :eyebrow: :hilarious:

[MikeA]

Eagles "The Babe" Fanatic! Always swing for the fence!

[Koala]

Soda, good luck to your mom!

[MikeA]

Miles spent the day Sunday, taking care of poor ole grandpa. He decided the best way to do that was to take "Fan Videos". He's about obsessed with fans of all types, but in particular, Ceiling Fans.

But before we got started with the Fan Video, he took me to Walmart and let me buy him a Nerf Gun. Now, Miles is 4 years old and I didn't see that the toy was rated for 6 and older! But he is a pretty responsible 4-yr-old so he allowed me to let him play with it.

Here is a link to 20 minutes of video I shot of him Sunday. It is an FLV (FLASH) video so you will have to download it....all 122mb or around 5 minutes of broadband time. Be warned <LOL>

http://www.mvabercrombie.net/FanVideo.flv

[Brooke]

Soda, I'm sorry to hear about your Mom and hope everything turns out ok for her.

And I can't even imagine waking up and finding people in your living room! How scary! My husband has had to travel with his work for the past 10 years which is why he has insisted that I keep a gun in our bedroom and has taught me how to shoot it! Hopefully, I will never have to find out if I could do it. But if I'm threatened, I think I can! And if they have no right to be there, they'd better look out!

EF, way to go, girl! Both my kids were pitchers in high school and I can relate to your elation over having such a great game. :thumbsup:

[EaglesFanatic]

But if I'm threatened, I think I can! And if they have no right to be there, they'd better look out!


Woah, Brooke! I feel bad for anyone who tries to mess around with you! :fear: :hilarious:

Soda, that would be really scary to find a couple of strangers in your home! I don't blame you; I don't think I could bring myself to firing a gun either lol. BUT... when I go to Israel, we're doing a week long Israeli Army training session called "Gad Nah". We get to learn how to fire M-16s... I don't trust some of the people in my class with a machine gun :eyebrow: haha

[Troubadour]

Thinking of you and your parents, Nancy. I'm sure your mum will be just fine. Thank you for your sweet words, too, and for sharing your own experiences. I can't even imagine how frightening it must be to wake up to find that two men have broken into your apartment! I can well understand the paranoia, particularly with that experience. Hugs to you. Keep us updated on how your mum's doing.

[MikeA]

Nancy,

Are they starting your Mom on any kind of treatment or are they going to wait until they get a biopsy before deciding whether or not to do anything else?

I have been thinking of both your Mom and You!

[sodascouts]

They are waiting for a biopsy at this point. The doctors don't believe it's cancerous, but they're going to run tests to be sure. If it turns out to be cancer, than they will start her on chemo.

As far as the two guys go - it was very scary at first, but in truth, I was never in any danger. They were just drunken undergraduates who thought they were breaking into their friend's apartment. I found them passed out on my living room furniture.

[Prettymaid]

I remember you telling me that story of the two drunks asleep in your living room Soda. It sounded so funny when you told it but I'm sure it freaked you out at the time!

Thinking of you as your mother goes through this health issue. I know exactly what you mean about first realizing that the day will come when you will lose your parents. It's a horrible feeling, but as I've said before and as you stated, it helps to believe in some kind of life after death.

Troub, it must be frustrating to have your body reacting a certain way when your brain knows darn well that there's no need for it! I know you have the tenacity to fight it. Wishing you the best.

[Glennsallnighter]

Soda! I hope your Mom recovers quickly and that her tests come back clear. I know what you mean about our parents getting older. I've felt that particularly in the last few years. My dad, while recovering very well from his hip replacement earlier this year has definitely gotten slower and more confused than he was say 5 years ago. And my Mom has grown a lot older caring for him. Coupled with losing my uncle, and my father in law, and one of my best friends in work suffering the sudden loss of her father, it really makes one step aside and see how fragile life really is and we can't take it for granted.

Lou :hug: I was sorry to hear about your panic attack when you texted me about it the other evening. Hopefully its an isolated one and won't recur. You are right not to try to dwell on it. Remember YOU are the one in control.

I'm delighted to hear about Danny Kortchmar accepting you as a FB friend and also answering your FB post. How cool is that??

Mike, I LOVE the swimming pool. Hope you and your family have many hours of fun in it.

[ticky]

I just had a strange and very cool experience. I was sitting in my garden (surrounded by trees, a 6' fence and a house) all alone and thinking about my sister. I opened my eyes and there's a perfect tiny bubble coming right towards me. It stops just inches from my face and floats till i reach out and touch it and it pops. No kids around, I looked out front and the street is deserted and the neighbors dont have any kids and no other bubbles are in sight anywhere.

[tequila girl]

I just had a strange and very cool experience. I was sitting in my garden (surrounded by trees, a 6' fence and a house) all alone and thinking about my sister. I opened my eyes and there's a perfect tiny bubble coming right towards me. It stops just inches from my face and floats till i reach out and touch it and it pops. No kids around, I looked out front and the street is deserted and the neighbors dont have any kids and no other bubbles are in sight anywhere.
Awwww That's someone telling you something :cool: :hug:

[TimothyBFan]

I just had a strange and very cool experience. I was sitting in my garden (surrounded by trees, a 6' fence and a house) all alone and thinking about my sister. I opened my eyes and there's a perfect tiny bubble coming right towards me. It stops just inches from my face and floats till i reach out and touch it and it pops. No kids around, I looked out front and the street is deserted and the neighbors dont have any kids and no other bubbles are in sight anywhere.


What did you make in your expresso maker that morning? ;)

[Glennhoney]

...sending some positive "vibes" your way SOda...all the best to you and your family....

[sodascouts]

Good news - the growth is not cancerous!

[Wildthyme]

Yay!! That is fantastic news Nancy... I am really happy for you, your mom, and your whole family. :yay::yay::yay:

[Koala]

Soda, I'm so glad to hear this really good news!

[Glennhoney]

..wonderful, wonderful news...........................

[TimothyBFan]

:thumbsup: So very very happy to hear that Soda!

[EaglesFanatic]

That's great news Soda!

[Stars]

So grateful the growth is not cancer, Soda! Thanking God for that!

[ticky]

Thank God, Nancy! Im so happy for you and your family. Love to Mom and the Family :)

[Brooke]

Nancy, what a relief! Wonderful news!

Eve, those pics of the pine cones are too cute! We have a lot of hickory trees around our yard and the squirrels cut branches so they drop to the ground and then crack the nuts. There are shells everywhere and it makes for some interesting mowing when they get too deep! They aren't too thick this year, but a couple years ago the riding mower would slide around on them. I really didn't know that they ate pine cones!

[MikeA]

Nancy, that is just fantastic! Relief City!

[Prettymaid]

Thank God Nancy. You and your family must be so relieved.

[GlennLover]

Nancy, I'm just catching up on this thread. Thank God that your mother is cancer free. I went through a similar operation years ago.

Troub, I have suffered from anxiety probably all of my life, but it has only been in the past sevel yeas that I have had what you would actually call an "attack". It is scary because it comes out of the blue & for no apparent reason. You did the right thing by handling it the way you did. Hopefully it is just an isolated incident!

TBF, hope Larry gets that new job soon!

Mike, cool pool!

[GlennLover]

Eve, wonderful pictures. Isn't nature wonderful?

Ticky, I believe that experiences like that are a message from God.

[MikeA]

Great surprise on the Swimming Pool. 20,000 gals of water was going to cost a LOT. Not sure how much, but I'm guessing around $400.00(us). Well, my wife called the insurance company (hail damage, remember?) They are going to pay for the refill of the pool! Whew!

[Brooke]

Mike, you should come to Missouri and get your water. I work for a rural water company and ours costs $149.50 for 20,000 gallons! Got a big enough tank to haul it? :lol:

[MikeA]

Somehow the thought of a tank that would haul 20,000 gals of water scares me more than the thought of paying for it <LOL> I don't know what ours will cost. I can't remember since the first and only time we've filled it other than last week, was almost 10 years ago. Hope it is at least another 10 years before we have to do it again.

But if we do have to refill it at some point, I'm thinking that pool will either become a garden spot after filling it in, or a Koi Pond!

[Troubadour]

Nancy - fantastic news about your mum! I, too, am incredibly relieved and happy for you.

[sodascouts]

Thanks guys. You all are so sweet!

:grouphug:

[Glennsallnighter]

Nancy! :hug: I'm thrilled that the news for your Mum is good. I had been thinking of her. I hope she has many more healthy years ahead of her.

Mike! Are you telling me you have to pay for WATER ???

[MikeA]

Oh yes...PAY FOR WATER!. The bill showed up on-line today. $208.99. Not nearly as much as I feared. But yes, we have to pay for the treated water along with sewer service and trash pickup (including recycled trash that we have to separate).

Welcome to Capitalism!

[EaglesFanatic]

Mike-Although the water bill may be a bit excessive, it will be well worth it. I wish I had a pool in my backyard! I hope you have tons of fun-use it in the best of health!
So, during my softball game yesterday, I slid into 3rd base, and my cleat got caught in a little hole in the dirt. I ended up twisting upside down and jammed my knee right into the ground. My knee is black and blue, all scraped up, and the swelling seems like it's getting worse by the hour. I finally decided to go to the hospital tonight, because I simply can't bend my leg or walk on it at all. They said the injury could be one of three things: torn ACL, broken knee cap, or just severe bruising. We'll see how it goes these next few days...

[Koala]

They said the injury could be one of three things: torn ACL, broken knee cap, or just severe bruising. We'll see how it goes these next few days...
Ouch! This sounds NOT good! I hope it turns out that it is "only" the severe bruising!
Get well soon!

[MikeA]

I hope it turns out to "just look bad" EF and that it is really nothing serious. If it is an ACL, you are certainly in good company....or company anyway. That was one of the injuries that really messed Tiger Woods up a couple of years ago.

[GlennLover]

Heal quickly, EF! Hope your injury is the least serious of the three :).

[TimothyBFan]

Mike! Are you telling me you have to pay for WATER ???

You mean to tell me you DON'T have to pay for water? I wish!!! This small town of ours is ridiculous. Our bill includes water, sewer and trash like Mike's and electric also. This month's bill is $307.00 ---for ONE month, and we DID NOT fill a whole pool or even run the air but half of the month. We still have to pay our gas bill seperately. And they wonder why people are moving OUT of town to the country and there are 35 houses sitting in town limits that are for sale and no one is buying. :eyebrow:

EL---Fingers crossed for you that it's just a really bad bruise and nothing more serious. Good Luck!!

[Brooke]

Ok, don't get me started on the water bit, since that is where I work! Lots of people seem to think that water should be free since we have oceans and rivers and lakes full of it. So, do you want safe drinking water or polluted drinking water? Set yourself a few barrels under your eaves and let it run off your roof when it rains. Never mind the bird droppings that are undoubtedly on your roof. Then figure out how to store it and keep it fresh. And deal with a pump to get it from your cistern (no telling what animals are in there!) and in to the pipes in your home. Or if you are lucky enough to have a deep well, I wonder what chemicals are soaking in to that ground water that you are drinking? And what about high iron content that causes rust stains on your clothes when you wash them? :eyebrow: I remember myself as a kid having my parents deal with these problems.

I know that EPA and the Department of Natural Resources has regulated the water industry to death, which makes water treatment plants do more and more testing of ridiculous unknown contaminants that require one to drink 5000 gallons of water in one day for it to affect you! Which in turn makes the water more costly for us to buy. But there have been diseases wiped out since the inception of chlorinating water-one being typhoid.

And don't think that living in the country makes water cheaper. Usually it doesn't because rural water suppliers have to run water lines for miles to get to the houses rather than having homes and apartments buildings in concentrated areas. Those water lines don't get built for nothing. Someone has to pay for it-the consumer. Everyone wants to have safe drinking water. And making it safe costs money.

Ok, rant over! :lol:

ETA: Hopefully no one thinks I'm upset about this. I'm not. Just a little enlightenment for you. It's just the way it is.

[Eve]

Mike-Although the water bill may be a bit excessive, it will be well worth it. I wish I had a pool in my backyard! I hope you have tons of fun-use it in the best of health!
So, during my softball game yesterday, I slid into 3rd base, and my cleat got caught in a little hole in the dirt. I ended up twisting upside down and jammed my knee right into the ground. My knee is black and blue, all scraped up, and the swelling seems like it's getting worse by the hour. I finally decided to go to the hospital tonight, because I simply can't bend my leg or walk on it at all. They said the injury could be one of three things: torn ACL, broken knee cap, or just severe bruising. We'll see how it goes these next few days...

Hopefully it's just severe bruising! In my daughter's soccer career from elementary school through college, she tore the ACL in both knees. One knee had to be done three times. I hate to say it, but with the twisting, it sounds like ACL.

[MikeA]

AFter having to deal with "bad water" from a well at our previous house, I do NOT mind paying for water. We tried and tried to get a zoning exception so that the City would put in those lines. Ironically, they lines were ALREADY in at a Mobile Home Park across the street from where we lived but on the books, the lines were not made available to US.

It was going to cost a literal fortune to get "City Water" because they would not exempt us from having to pay to have the roads paved and sidewalks and guttering installed with storm drains. This would have been assessed as a "special tax" tacked onto our house payment and would have almost doubled our monthly house payment!

So, until we sold that house and moved to our current location, we had no choice but to haul water from my in-laws for cooking and drinking purposes. The water was so hard that calcium deposits formed on all water fixtures and embedded into clothing that we washed. Consequently, we had to load up and take clothes to a laundromat each week and waste most of a day doing laundry!

No, I don't begrudge the water bill. Not even the increase because of the refill on the swimming pool. Even that was about half what I'd been expecting.

[EaglesFanatic]

Thanks for the concern everyone :grouphug:

[Eve]

Going to the Western Washington Fair tonight with my daughter. Fair burgers with onions, scones, elephant ears, corn dogs....I can feel my arteries hardening in anticipation.

[sodascouts]

Sorry to hear about your sports injury EF - here's hoping it's just bruising!

[Glennsallnighter]

You mean to tell me you DON'T have to pay for water? I wish!!! This small town of ours is ridiculous. Our bill includes water, sewer and trash like Mike's and electric also. This month's bill is $307.00 ---for ONE month, and we DID NOT fill a whole pool or even run the air but half of the month. We still have to pay our gas bill seperately. And they wonder why people are moving OUT of town to the country and there are 35 houses sitting in town limits that are for sale and no one is buying. :eyebrow:

EL---Fingers crossed for you that it's just a really bad bruise and nothing more serious. Good Luck!!

No! We don't have to pay for Water, thank goodness. We pay obviously for Gas and electricity. Refuse is €110 per annum, and the €8 per 240KG black bin, ie non recyclable/biodegradable refuse. The brown bin (Organic, food garden etc) is free as is the green bin. (paper, plastic, tetra packs etc). Thats usually €8 per month for us as well as the annual charge.

Gosh, EL Hope you are ok!

Eve, enjoy yourself!

[sodascouts]

I got a postcard from FP this weekend. She is having a great time in London and says hello to all the Borderers!

[Peekaboo]

Trying to catch up in this thread. Sorry if I miss responding to anyone.

EF, very cool about your first home run. I still remember when I hit my first one. I was 12 and it was in Enid, OK. I still have the ball too. I sure hope your knee is feeling better. I had a similar knee injury from sliding into second base during my senior year of high school. At the time it was just a knee bruise but the pain continued to bother me all through my college track years and I finally had surgery on it during my junior year for a torn meniscus. Take care of that knee. Hopefully it will heal soon enough for you to play at 100% again.

Lou, i'm terribly sorry you had to suffer that anxiety attack but i'm glad that you were able to calm yourself enough to let it pass. I was wondering, what is 7-11 breathing? My cousin, Jenifer, has anxiety attacks and has to take medication for it. She's almost 19 years old but the attacks started when she was 17. I know it was really scary for her the first time she had one and ended up going to the E.R. Maybe the 7-11 breathing could help her too. Btw, VERY COOL about the Danny K. comment.:thumbsup:

Nancy, I'm so glad that your mom is in the clear after her surgery. I hope that she continues to stay healthy for many years to come. As I was reading about this it reminded me of what happened with my mom a year ago. She had a tumor and had to have a hysterectomy as well. Thankfully her tumor wasn't cancerous either. I totally understand what you mean about realizing that your parents won't always be here. When that happened to my mom last year it was a total eye opener. My mom is my rock and my dad is my hero. I don't know what I would do without them.

Went to the Wichita Mountains last week with my cousin and nieces. It was cloudy but the scenery was still beautiful. We didn't get to spend a whole lot of time up there because we could see the rain coming our way.

There's not much room on the road going up and down the mountain. You can see in this first pic just how close we are to the railing as I was driving to the top.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c95/Pekahchu/2010-09-16164541-1.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c95/Pekahchu/2010-09-16171239-1.jpg

We could see it raining from miles away.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c95/Pekahchu/2010-09-16164815-1.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c95/Pekahchu/2010-09-16165122-1.jpg

My nieces Shirlene, Staci, and Stefani
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c95/Pekahchu/2010-09-16165334-1.jpg

[TimothyBFan]

Beautiful pics and nieces Jess. Please tell me you weren't taking the pics WHILE you were driving young lady!! :eyebrow:

[Koala]

Peek, nice photos!:)

[GlennLover]

Awesome photos, Peek! So beautiful (that includes your nieces!)

[Prettymaid]

Ouch EF. I hope you were safe. :wink:

[Brooke]

Peek, those are beautiful pictures and your nieces are adorable.

Well, my hubby's last day at work was Friday! He's ecstatic to be retired! But he has a list (that HE made) of things to do about a mile long, so I don't think he'll be sitting in front of the tube much in the coming days. He slept in this morning and as I was leaving for work, he kissed me and said "Don't work too hard today, I know I won't!" I'm so jealous!

We're taking off tonight to go visit our son for a couple days, so I won't be around till later in the week. Ciao!

[GlennLover]

Peek, those are beautiful pictures and your nieces are adorable.

Well, my hubby's last day at work was Friday! He's ecstatic to be retired! But he has a list (that HE made) of things to do about a mile long, so I don't think he'll be sitting in front of the tube much in the coming days. He slept in this morning and as I was leaving for work, he kissed me and said "Don't work too hard today, I know I won't!" I'm so jealous!

We're taking off tonight to go visit our son for a couple days, so I won't be around till later in the week. Ciao!

Brooke, Harold made the same kind of list in March when he retired. He's not very far down the list though :lol:. He'll have a busy winter. I haven't figured out how he'll do his yardwork in the snow ;-).

[Troubadour]

Love the pictures, Jess - particularly the one of the distant rain.

7-11 breathing is as simple as it sounds. You breathe in for the count of 7 (quick counts, not full seconds) and you breathe out for 11 counts. The "take deep breaths" thing is sort of a myth... Basically, if you exhale for longer than you inhale, your body has no option but to calm down. The act of counting in your head and focusing purely on your breathing also helps to distract you when you're feeling anxious. Breathing is central to dealing with these anxiety attacks, and nerves in general. Also remember, you have to use your diaphragm. So, your stomach should rise when you breathe in, rather than your chest. If your cousin isn't aware of these things at the moment, this will REALLY help her.

I'm actually doing really well right now. I had a week or so where it was pretty hard, but I have got some more shifts at work (I forced myself to say 'yes' to a shift, despite feeling incredibly anxious) and I worked through it. I was fine. I went out with friends on Friday night, had a fantastic time, and it really boosted my confidence again and got me out of the rut I'd fallen into. I've booked in for plenty of work shifts this month already to keep me busy, and I've got a few things coming up that I'm really looking forward to. I'm also going to my first spinning class at the leisure centre on Wednesday night. I'm doing a lot of exercise at the moment and it's amazing how good it makes you feel.

[Glennsallnighter]

Awww Lou! :hug: I know last week was hard and that it was a brave decision to do that shift when you still weren't really feeling great about it. I'm glad you're feeling so much better and positive about things this week.

Sounds like you are going to be quite 'Busy Being Fabulous' what with the work and the exercising. I hope it all works out for you.

Brooke! I hope your hubby has many years of a happy and fulfilling retirement. Mind you there was a sense of Deja Vu in your comment. Before we had kids, I'd often be heading off to work, but my hubby was still in bed because he does shifts over a 24-7 roster. As I left the bedroom he'd open one sleepy eye and say 'Bye.... be careful... there's people out there....' Then the kids came. And with them the school run.!

Jess I love your pics, the scenery is spectacular. And your cousins look so cute.

Delighted to hear tha FP is having a great time. She has looked forward to this tour for so long.

[Troubadour]

Aw, I've just received a postcard from Julie! What a nice surprise. She's in Portsmouth, which isn't too far from me, seeing the historic ships there... Sounds like she's having a great time so far! She said she thought that the Globe Theatre was magnificent.

[MikeA]

I used your 7/11 breathing this AM Lou. 5:30am CATFIGHT! Our cat wakes Verna up EARLY in the morning demanding to be let outside. Don't know who or what objected to his being outside, but they were letting the world know about it <LOL>. I grabbed a flashlight and ran outside to find "Chuck" in the front yard, tail puffed up about 6" in diameter strutting around like the King of the Hill.

We have to be really cautious with Chuck. A few years ago, he was almost killed by two dogs who just about turned him into hamburger meat! Almost $2,000 if Vet Bills to get him sewed back together. He has a crooked tail and about 60% use of his right back leg today. I wouldn't have given him a snowball's chance in Hell of surviving that dog attack.

[Troubadour]

I used your 7/11 breathing this AM Lou. 5:30am CATFIGHT!

LOL Mike! Catfights can be terrifying... I slept in the living room one night a couple of weeks ago when I was waiting for my new bed to be delivered, and got woken up by a couple of cats screaming bloody murder outside. My heart was racing!

[EagleLady]

Has anybody else here had Ladybugs in their homes?

[MikeA]

That's a "Florida Thang" isn't it EL? We have a few here in Kansas, but not a plague of them such as I've heard of way down South.

[EagleLady]

Yea Ironically they are used as Pest Control for your garden but become pests themselves.

[eaglesvet]

Actually, in the northeast, they are becoming scarcer...so much so that Cornell University is enlisting the help of school children to count and report the ones they see. They are studying the different types, and trying to find out if some are becoming endangered, or maybe their environments are just shifting to warmer climes (from what y'all are seeing!)

[TimothyBFan]

It seems that every year about this time we start noticing them more. I know of some people that have had real issues with them getting into their houses. I understand the ones we get here are different from your "ordinary" nice ladybug. These one actually get a bit aggressive and bite when it warms up on fall days. I remember a couple years ago, late in September, when I had to bring my kids in one afternoon because they were so bad in the sunshine. The shade we were fine tho. EV, if you need some, I'm sure some of these other states would gladly send some out East! :hilarious:

[TimothyBFan]

Glad I could help!! Now be sure and keep track of poor Bernie & Randy!!

[Troubadour]

LOL! Willie saves the day!

[Glennsallnighter]

Well Done Willie!!

Lou, I love your Av!

[EaglesFanatic]

Just got the news back from the doctors about my MRI for my knee. Apparently nothing is torn or broken, but I guess the back of my knee is rubbing up against the cartilage behind it. They said I should keep using my crutches though. So nothing too serious. On the plus side, I don't have school tomorrow or Friday. I have a three day week next week too! I'm off so many days during September, I love it! haha

[TimothyBFan]

That is GREAT news EF!!! So happy to hear that you won't have to go thru to much more then. Enjoy your days off and rest that knee.

[Glennsallnighter]

Thats brilliant EF! Mind it though, try not to do too much too soon. You don't want to undo the good healing.

Enjoy your time off school as well.

[Peekaboo]

Glad your enjoy isn't too serious, EF. Take advantage of the time off from school. You'll need it to let your knee heal. Take It Easy! :wink:

Good to hear that Julie's trip is going well. Thanks for keeping us posted.

Lou, thanks for the advice on the 7-11 breathing. I'll be sure and let my cousin know about that as soon as I get the chance. I'm glad that you're doing better with your anxiety. It's great that you've got plenty of things to look forward to and keep you busy in the future.

Glad you all liked the pics of the mountains and thanks for the kind words about my nieces. The pics turned out better than I thought they would considering that they were all taken with my phone.


Beautiful pics and nieces Jess. Please tell me you weren't taking the pics WHILE you were driving young lady!! :eyebrow:

OH NO WAY!!! I handed my phone over to my cousin to take the pics because I had to completely focus on the road. I have a small fear of heights so I couldn't take my eyes off the road or else i might've had a mini panic attack. It reminded me a little bit of the drive through the Pacheko (sp?) Pass in Cali as we were on our way to San Jose. That was a scary drive. Very steep and winding roads with a drop off on the other side of the railing. SCARY!!:fear:

[Koala]

EF, I'm really glad to hear that nothing is nothing is torn or broken, this a good news!

[sodascouts]

Good news EF! Hope it gets better soon!

Peek, I know what you mean about being paranoid sometimes driving. I'm usually fine, but if it's nighttime in an unknown area, I tense up!

[EaglesFanatic]

Thanks everyone :)
Peek-Those pics are gorgeous! I love taking drives up to the mountains!

[Molly]

Hope everyone is doing well.

EF-glad your knee is on the mend. My son Peter got "cleated" in football practice and even though he cleaned up the wound, he's battling an infection in the knee joint. It looks like he has a lemon underneath the skin. Should be fine in a week or so, hopefully.

Nancy, glad your mom is well. I know waiting for news is stressful.

Lou-sorry to hear about your anxiety attacks. My older son, Tom has had occasional attacks since high school. It's a very helpless feeling.

Brooke, congrats to your hubby on his retirement! Can't wait until it's our turn!

The last few weeks have been a doozy. Besides Peter's knee-the transmission on his car decided now would be a good time to die. Arrrgghhh! Barely employed college students can't afford new transmissions!

My mother in law has been ill lately. She'll turn 90 years old on Sunday. Unfortunately, it looks like the breast cancer she fought and won 20 years ago may be back. There's a chance it's spread to her lung. We're not sure about any of it yet as she's just begun to have some tests done. We're hopeful it's not too serious.

Ironically, my sister's cancer has returned. She found out this week that it has spread to her lung and she was diagnosed yesterday with stage III lung cancer. She had a piece of her lung removed yesterday. Don't know yet what the treatment options will be for her.

Then...on Wednesday, my mother in law decided (instead of calling one of us for a ride to do errands) she would drive herself around town. When she backed out of her driveway, she for some reason floored the accelerator (while still in reverse). She went up her neighbor's driveway, right thru the closed garage door, out the back wall of the garage and ended up in the backyard where she totaled the kid's wooden playset.!!!!
Luckily, the neighbors weren't home (lots of kids living there) and no one was hurt. Hard to believe a 100 lb. 90 year old woman could do so much damage!!

Obviously, she's lost her driver's license now. We just thank God that she didn't hit anyone or hurt herself. But, what a path of destruction she's left. I think she missed her calling as a professional Hollywood stunt driver!

[TimothyBFan]

Ahhhh, Molly. Sounds like it's been a rough time for awhile. I'm so sorry to hear about your sister and MIL. My thoughts are with you and all of your family through this. Glad to MIL wasn't hurt and no one else either.

[sodascouts]

I'm so sorry to hear your sister has suffered another relapse. She's in my prayers. Same for your mother-in-law and her cancer. As for the garage incident... she must have had that accelerator down to the floor. Horrible that it had to happen that way, but I think it was indeed time for her to surrender that DL!

[EaglesFanatic]

Gosh Molly, It sounds like you've been going through a lot. I'm sorry to hear that. I hope everything turns out okay for your mother-in-law and sister. At least nobody got hurt in that garage accident; nothing was damaged that can't be replaced, so that's good.


EF-glad your knee is on the mend. My son Peter got "cleated" in football practice
I got cleated once a few years ago, and still to this day I have a scar going down my shin from it. And that was just with rubber cleats; I can't even imagine how bad it would hurt with metal ones!

[Peekaboo]

Molly, I'm so sorry about your sis and MIL. I'll be praying for them. Hugs to you and your family.

Cancer is such a beast to face. I certainly hope for all the best for all those affected by it.

I just gotta get this off my chest. If any of you ever decide to go to a casino and play blackjack, I ask that you please do not put the blame on the dealer. It's not the dealer's fault if you are getting bad cards and losing. UGH!! Usually I'm able to put up with taking crap like that from my players but for some reason I was not in the mood tonight. It seemed like every table i got to there was someone in a bad mood and getting all pissy at me because they were losing. I had an old man (looked to be nearly 80) griping me out because I was making him give me the hand signals. It's a part of my job. I have to get the hand signals. Instead he chose to yell at me that he wanted another card. I had things under control but my boss was right there ready to back me up in case the old man got outta line. Then at another table a guy was cussing at me. He said it very low but i could still hear him. I said very sternly "Excuse me!!" and he looked up and said "What? I wasn't talking to you I was talking to the cards." Whatever dude!! It was just a bad night. I mean, I deal to pissy and gripey players every night but it was one of those nights that I didn't want to put up with b.s. from anybody. But like always, i played nice (except with the guy that cussed at me) and put a smile on my face and continued to do my job. Hopefully tomorrow night will be much better than tonight.

[Glennsallnighter]

Awww Peek :hug: I'm so sorry you had such a rough time at work. As you say you are only doing your job. Its NOT your fault if the cards don't suit a player. I HATE getting abused at work as well. Hopefully tonights shift will go better.

Molly! Sorry to hear about your M-I-L's accident. But as we all agree, the fact that nobody was hurt (including herself) is a blessing. I'll keep her and your sister in my prayers. My Mother told me on Tuesday that one of her sisters also has cancer (pancreatic - they did tests on a 'mass' they removed during stomach surgery last week. She seems to be going downhill quickly - they were going to let her home soon, but now is not eating and is getting depressed. So this may not happen. Please keep her in your prayers. :hug:

[MikeA]

Peek, from one who knows how unrealistic players are, it never amazes me when one becomes irrational. No matter how deeply too many folks KNOW IT, they tend to forget when losing that they are involved in an activity called "gambling". There is a lot of variance in Blackjack yet, it more so than any other game in the casino actually gives a player who just follows Basic Strategy the opportunity to play at ONLY a .5% (1/2 of 1%) disadvantage. That is a mathematical approximation.....if one plays long enough, those odds will manifest.

But players do not remember the times they WON when they are losing. With personalities that can't deal with those factors, it is up to the suits (pit bosses) to get Security involved and provide escort services to those who need sessions in Anger Management.

[GlennLover]

EF, glad your knee injury wasn't as serious as it could have been.

Peek, we all have had bad days at work, but doesn't it seem that some days we get all the crap on that one day. I'm sure tomorrow will be a better day :)!

Molly, I'm so sorry to hear about the cancer in your family. It is bad enough to be worried about one person, but two at one time is a heavy burden. I pray for yor MIL & sister & for you.

GA, your aunt & you & your family are in my prayers as well. My father died of pancreatic cancer many years ago, so I know what it's like.

[sodascouts]

Peek, how awful! In a place where the alcohol is flowing and a lot of people aren't just betting what they can afford to lose but gambling with the money they need to pay their bills, I can see how it could get very ugly. It's the difference between someone who views gambling as a fun hobby and someone who views gambling as a source of income.

GA - your aunt is in my prayers also. So many people sick and suffering. :(

Good news on this front - my mother had some complications with her surgery - a pretty virulent infection - and had to go back to the hospital after her initial release, but she's gotten better and has finally been released from the hospital once more. Hopefully she won't have to take up residence there again any time soon!

[Koala]

Molly, I'm so sorry to hear about your sister and Mother in Law.
GA, your aunt is in my thoughts & prayers too.
Peek,hope your next work day will be much better.
Soda, glad to hear your mom is out of the hospital.


This year is really bad for our family. A few days ago the mother from my sisters longtime companion died of cancer.

[Brooke]

Hey everyone! I'm back at work today and hoping to rest up from vacation! I do have quite a bit to take care of here today, but wanted to check in here before I get down to the nitty gritty.

We had a great time visiting our son down by Branson, Missouri and went to see where he works in Arkansas as well as shopping at Branson Landing and going to Silver Dollar City. That's an amusement park with country style rides (think run-away-mine ride and log flume ride!) and with old time crafting going on too, like glass blowing, wood carving, leather tooling, basket making, iron works, jewelry, etc. It's a beautiful place and lots of fun.

We got home Thursday evening after a side trip to Illinois to check out a coon dog for hubby. Did I tell you that his old coon dog died a couple weeks ago? He was about 11 or 12 years old and a good friend and sweetheart of a dog. He just laid down and died one night. We think he had heart failure. Anyway, hubby is always in the market for a new coon dog and this made it even more urgent as coon season is approaching in November.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday was spent doing chores around home that needed doing such as putting rock on our fireplace chimney that is 25 feet from the ground and very steep. A very scary venture for me to help with. I passed mortar and rocks up in a bucket as needed. I just knew he was going to fall off our roof any time. I just would have to turn around and not watch him most of the time. He said it was safer than a lot of the stuff he did at work on bridges, so not to worry! Then we did some painting and mulching that needed to be done.

Lots has been happening around here, too, I see!

Troub, I'm glad to hear you are doing better and practicing your breathing.

It's also good to hear that Fp is having a good time on her trip.

EL, we have those Ladybugs (Asian beetles here) every fall during the soybean harvest. They are absolutely awful! Ev, I would gladly send all of them to you, but you would not be happy! On warm days, they literally cover the sides of our house and, somehow, some of them manage to get inside. They bite and are disgusting! Whoever had the big idea to bring them here to work in the fields was stupid! These beetles are different from ladybugs, but look similar. These are yellow instead of red. :-x

EF, I'm glad to hear your knee doesn't have to be operated on. Take it easy!

Molly, I'm so sorry to hear about your m/n/l and sister and will keep them and you in my thoughts and prayers. So sorry about your m/n/l's accident, too. Poor thing. Thank goodness no one was hurt.

Peek, sorry about your bad day with the complainers. I work with the public, too, and sometimes it's very hard to bite your tongue. Try to keep smiling.

Ga, sorry to hear about your aunt, too, and will keep her and your family in my prayers also.

Soda, good news about your Mom. Hopefully, all will continue to go well for her.

[sodascouts]

I'm sorry your family is going through such a hard time, Koala.

EL - the Asian beetle pseudo-ladybug plagued me when I lived in Indiana as well. I lived on the bottom floor of an old building and they seemed to be in every nook and cranny - especially, for some reason, enjoying the area around my sink in the bathroom. I would wake up and find half a dozen of them there every morning at certain times of year.

Brooke - we've missed you! Glad you had such a great time. I hope hubby gets a new dog soon - it's always so hard losing a pet, but at least you get the opportunity to give some other dog a loving home.

[Troubadour]

Great to have you back, Brooke!

Molly and Koala, I'm sorry to hear that you have some upsetting stuff going on right now. My thoughts are with you and your families.

[Molly]

Koala, sorry to hear your family suffered another loss.

Brooke, welcome back! Good luck to hubby with his dog search. A new puppy in the household! I'm jealous.

Thanks to all for the good wishes. My mother in law is pouty about needing to take taxi's to some of her errands now that she's not driving when one of us aren't available for her, but she'll get over it. Pout away, lady, you're not getting your license back!

My son, Tom had his house closing this morning. He's officially a homeowner. And I'm feeling officially old and in shock! Wow-how the years have flown! Now he can put all the laundry, cooking and cleaning training I've given him over the years to good use.....Yeah, right!

[MikeA]

Something to divert all of these things that are carrying such serious implications for many of us here on "The Border"

There were F16's, C-17's, Jap Zeros, Grumman f6f Hellcats, Beech Model 18 Twin gun-runners....and the new BM-2 Experimental (see picture below)



http://mvabercrombie.net/abercrombie_albums/2010_0926_Liz/JetOutHouseOnFire.jpg

How about that Jet Powered Outhouse? It hasn't been certified for areobatic maneuvers but has been certified for airomatic excursions when fueled properly. Guaranteed to pass GAS stations.

It's for real! Saw this at an Air Show I went to Sunday. The guy also had a jet powered School Bus that made a pass down the runway at 300+ mph!

http://mvabercrombie.net/abercrombie_albums/2010_0926_Liz/JetSchoolBus.jpg

The Thunderbirds also put on a rather long demonstration.

http://mvabercrombie.net/abercrombie_albums/2010_0926_Liz/TBirdOOPS.jpg

Look twice at that last image. Four of the T-Birds were in formation. A Fifth one intercepted their path going in the opposite direction. Now think about that picture. The formation was traveling in excess of 400 mph. The solo flyer must have been going at least that fast...probably faster considering that the two solo planes were doing most of their maneuvers with afterburners lit! Now, think how good the photographer had to be to be able to catch that fleeting instant of opportunity it took to grab that photo!

Liz Enlow is the photographer. She is an amateur whose Mother works with Verna. She posted around 50 images from the Air Show on her Facebook site and every darn one of them is as good as any I've "stolen" and posted here.

[Koala]

Thanks everyone for the kind words!

We say ourselves always much more badly than this year it can't become!

Mike, impressive photos!

[Mrs Frey]

Well, I'm not going to be able to catch up with the 100 million things I've missed on this thread since I last visited it, so I'm just going to say "hello" to everyone here, and say that I'm glad to be back. Time is not my own anymore, as some of you saw in my birthday thread.

FP's in London! Fantastic!!! :yay:

[GlennLover]

Soda, I was sorry to hear that your Mother had to go back in the hospital, but so glad that she is doing better.

Mike, cool pics!

Welcome back Mrs. Frey!

It seems that we can't get away from the dreaded "C" word. We got word yesterday that Harold's cousin in New Hampshire has been diagnosed with bone cancer. They found cancer in the bones from her skull to her leg, but they haven't found the primary source. She is 82 but has been extremely active up to this point, especially in her church. Her faith has kept her very upbeat about her condition & she is at peace with it. The doctors are experimenting with pain meds to find what will work best for her. I just hope that the pain can be controlled enough that she has quality of life in the time she has left. We hear so much about people being diagnosed with cancer but, when it strikes close to home, it makes one ponder their own mortality. erious illness can strike at any age.(Sorry, I don't mean to be depressing here, just venting I guess). We have to keep reminding ourselves to be thankful for every day. :)

[sodascouts]

Very true. It also helps give us perspective. There's petty crap and then there's REAL problems... like being diagnosed with cancer. One is worth getting upset about; one isn't. Unfortunately, a lot people can't tell the difference.

I'm glad Harold's cousin is at peace, though. Another one on the prayer list!

[TimothyBFan]

So sorry to hear about Harold's aunt, Ann. My thoughts are with your family.

Welcome back Brooke!! :wave:

[Stars]

Ann, sorry to hear about Harold's aunt. My prayers are with all of you. I'm so glad she has so much faith-that will certainly be a blessing to her and you too.
Brooke and Mrs. Frey-welcome back! Nice to see both of you posting again!:cheers:

[Brooke]

We have to keep reminding ourselves to be thankful for every day. :)

So true, GL.

I'm praying your aunt can be pain free through out her ordeal and for you and the family. Her faith will see her through.

[ticky]

So tired!

sorry to all those I've missed. I read everything and say prayers for everyone even though I may not say it here. I love you guys! every one of you! Welcome back Brook and Mrs F! We missed you both and I reeeeeealy hope Julie is having an incredibly, once in a life time trip to the UK!!

Okay, so, As most of you all who hang on Face book know (as I can upload and post to FB on my phone) I've gone a little gourd crazy, but I think I've found a niche!
Here's my face book album of the gourds I've been making.
click me
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs643.snc4/60290_1608609612207_1145190649_1733484_3507555_n.j pg (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=90272&id=1145190649&l=8efc742372)
My first sale is a flea market over by my parents house this Saturday so I've been working to try and get my stock up a little. I have NO idea what to charge, and Ive been told I should have a name.. you mean BESIDES ticky? okay.. for my designs.. I was thinking "Helloooooo GOURD-geous" or "From the Ground Up" the first one is cute and relevant for now, but if I branch out into some other area, it wont be so much... and it's kind of cutesy... the other one,, well too pretentious? I dunno... since I've been working on the latest one since 6:30 am and its now 9:30pm, Im pooped and Im not thinking straight. Anyway, feed back would be appreciated and helpful!

[Koala]

ticky, just WOW, the Gourds looks incredible good!:thumbsup:
I want one, lol!

Gl, your family are in my thoughts!

Ok, yesterday I spent hours in a store, I needed a new mattress, I tried an infinite number until I finally found the right one! The seller looked already a little bit weird because it lasted so long! But for such a purchase I brew time, after all, I should lie the next years on the mattress!
Of course it was one of the most expensive one! But I think with such things one may not save.

[tequila girl]

Wow Ticky - they really are gourd-geous!! :thumbsup:
I want one too - can you ship them??

[MikeA]

Wicked Good Rhonda. Thinking on the name thing! :hmm:

[MikeA]

The Gourdart collection of Rhonda.

Gourdetched. Gourrdetching; Gourdged, Gourdluscious. Artisti-Gourd.

Hollow Impressions. Our Gourd, Hollow be Thy Name.

And from Piers Anthony, realize your dreams with an authentic "Hypnogourd".

From the military, everyone needs an "Honor Gourd".

Okay okay....I'm taking my meds now.

[TimothyBFan]

You might want to double up on the dose today Mike!! :hilarious:

But I have to actually say I really liked the "Hollow Impressions" one! That's actually a good one! :thumbsup:

[Brooke]

Ticky, those are really cool! It looks like you are a very hard worker. I can't imagine the time it takes to make those! Did you grow them, too?

As for a name, I'm not good at that! All I can think of is Gourdgeous Gourds! Mike is doing very well! :thumbsup:

[MikeA]

I actually did kind of like "Hollow Impressions" too. "Honor Gourd" was a pretty good pun but too limited in audience.

Oh Willie, as soon as I saw your post and then re-read the suggestions I'd made, I DID go take another dose! *G* :fear:

[ticky]

Mike.. GOOD!! regarding your meds.. you're always so much more stable AFTER the drugs *G* hehehe

Brook, Teq Girl and Koala, Thanks!! There are enough people interested I may set up a web site or take orders. So far I've only made about a dozen in all and some arent so fancy.

Name wise *G* still thinking!! If I find another media, the whole gourd thing could be misleading, but so far the gourds are the best thing I have going.

I dont grow them... yet... *G* My Mom grew some up at the cabin a few years ago and Im using those, but they're small. I have saved the seeds from the larger gourds I got from the farmers market so Ill plant those next year, but it'll be two years before they're ready to use.

I will be using some of the proceeds from Saturdays sale to upgrade some of my equipment. I need some carving tools, the exacto knives work, but they're sloppy for carving and my stylus tipped sharpies are nearly dead AND Im out of varnish! SO Im headed to M&Ds to scam some varnish and get some help on pricing etc.. *G*

[MikeA]

I'm thinking that pricing is going to be anywhere from $15 to $1,500. In other words, I don't think there is any standard from what I've seen available on the web.

[sodascouts]

Now there are some great gourds!

[GlennLover]

You're so talented, Ticky!

[ticky]

thanks guys *G* The sale is tomorrow! wish me luck! we'll see how it goes!! BTW, the name I chose is, From The Ground Up :)

[EaglesFanatic]

Good luck with your sales tomorrow. Those gourds are beautiful!! I'm very impressed.

[GlennLover]

Good luck, Ticky! Hope you sell out!

I got some bad news this morning. My sister called to tell me that my uncle had a stroke last night. It's too soon yet to know what the prognosis is. My poor aunt. She hasn't gotten over my mom's death yet.

[MikeA]

GL, sorry to hear that about your Uncle. Wishing him and your Aunt the best!

Ticky....be sure and take a huge money bag...you're gonna need it today!

[GlennLover]

Thank you, Mike.

[Stars]

GL, so sorry to hear about your uncle's stroke. I pray he has a speedy recovery. My heart goes out to your aunt as well.

Ticky, I hope you do well with your sales!

I am trying to recover from a busy week at work. We have had several people quit, so my boss increased my hours. It's good from a financial point of view, but is a lot more tiring!:yawn:

[Koala]

GL, I'm sorry to hear that bad news about your Uncle.

[Troubadour]

Rhonda, you're so talented. Best of luck selling them!

GL, I'm so sorry to hear about your uncle. My thoughts are with you and your family. :hug:

I've got a lot of shifts booked in at the moment, so I have less Border-time than usual (although I'm making sure I at least check in to cast my vote in the Survivor!) I feel great at the minute. I haven't suffered any anxiety attacks since I last posted, and I'm feeling much more positive - working a lot has really helped, and I've been making time, even ten minutes each day, to practice on the guitar. I went to the Adventure Barn today, which is an indoor play area, with my cousin, his wife, and their two kids, Morgan and Beatrice. It was so much fun, and they were adorable! We had a great game of I Spy in the car.

Morgan: I spy with my little eye something beginning with "Rrrr".
Bea: COWBOY!

Um, okay. :hilarious:

It was fab to see them, as always.

I have the rest of the weekend off, then I'm working a couple of long days, before I have Wed & Thurs off for the Supertramp concert up in London. Getting very excited about that!

[sodascouts]

I'm sorry to hear about your uncle, too, Ann. Hopefully he will be able to recover with quality of life. I'll say a prayer!

Good luck, Ticky - Take it easy, Stars ;) - and keep it loose, Troub!

[ticky]

Awe Ann! Im so sorry about your Uncle. Thoughts and prayers to him and his family. Much love to you and yours!

Stars, Hope you have a really great and relaxing weekend before it all starts again *G* here's hoping the karma kicks in and next weeks breezes by!

Lou, LOL What cuties!! I hope the anxiety attacks are gone for a while and you get a chance to really kick back.

Got home from the sale and got a call from my Mom. I forgot we told her we'd come over after for dinner. We turned around and went BACK (M&D live just a mile or so from where the sale was) BUT we had an awesome dinner of BBQ Ribs and twiced baked taters and a beautiful salad.
I didnt sell a thing at the sale, but Marsha and I traded. She made a really gorgeous bird feeder from a dragon fly plate and a cut glass bowl. She knows dragon flies are my "thing" so she held it back for me especially! It really is beautiful! She got my fall leaves bowl and I think it was a very good trade!! I also bought some beautiful fresh water pearl earrings made by a young woman putting herself through school, and some brie cheese! (yum!) I met some really fun and CRAZY talented people and got a few lines on other bazaars and craft fairs coming up! I was even invited to one especially! How cool is that? I have some new ideas about mixing mediums and textiles and came home from M&Ds with some leather, feathers and awesome cloth! It will be very interesting to see where this all leads!

[TimothyBFan]

Ann, my thoughts are with your Uncle and a full recovery.

Lou, make sure you check in even tho you're extremely busy.

Rhonda, I still don't think the people who attended that sale had any taste if they didn't buy! :stunned:

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!!

[Brooke]

GL, I'm so sorry about your uncle and will be thinking about him and your aunt.

Our daughter is home from Austin for a couple weeks, so we have been pretty busy over the weekend with family gatherings. We had a weiner roast at my Mom's Saturday night for my side of the family and a big family dinner at our house yesterday for hubbies side. She probably won't be able to make it back for Christmas, so everyone wanted to visit with her. She just finished a course at culinary school and is in between jobs. Should be interesting what she comes up with. For a girl that never cooked anything other than in the microwave when she was at home, it's quite a change for us and her! She's cooking for us tonight. Can't wait!

The son is coming in tonight to visit with her, too, for a couple days, so home is busy, busy, busy!

[TimothyBFan]

Awww Brooke--How wonderful it must be to have the kids under the roof again at the same time!! How was the dinner, BTW?