Sudokuaholics Anonymous 9A

'their' not 'thier' - at least I didn't spell it 'there'!!

Oh - oops!

Afternoon all!
Hi Julie and Judy - I have been missing you!

Judy, I hope your parents settle in well and find that they enjoy having help and company. I also hope that it easier for you not having to worry as much about them. I hope the food poisoning symptoms are easing off! They're horrible and you must be feeling exhausted.

Cyn, I like all of your new avatars!!

That's twice Cyn!

Hi everyone.
Went down to Lake Cathie today to deliver some Avon to Sexy Sue. She usually comes into Cafe 66 to collect from me but I said this time I will come to you.
Went to a lovely coffee shop they have there called Caramels.

They were burning off along the roadside on the way down and when I went to come home it seemed worse. Hope it did not get away from them.

Hope you get over the food poisoning Judy. My hubby had two days off work last week with a gastro attack. I got the stomach cramps but thankfully it has not gone any further.

Hi Judy, so sorry to hear you haven't been well, hope you are feeling tiptop next weekend. It has been far too long since the mob got together, the last was at Bean's house to celebrate her birthday. This time we are going back to a restaurant we went to for our first gathering. Circumstances have prolonged this one, we were hoping to have one a month, but life has a way of controlling us.

Judy, I know you will soon feel much relieved about your parents next phase, even if it is difficult at the moment. Your post raises an interesting topic for thought- What would you like to be your 'next phase', if you still have your wits about you to be able to decide?

Oooo, that's a tough one Gail. I'll think on it....

Well, Gail, you do know how to raise the tough questions! Mmm, there's still a lot of places I'd like to see - I suspect that's what Rob will have in mind, anyway - the lad does love to wander!

Looking forward to seeing everyone again - make sure you give specific directions, dates, etc. Getting just a BIT forgetful (maybe it's stress?)

Suzy, the place Mum and Dad are in now is only temporary - we now have to search for somewhere suitable. They've been there ONE day and Dad is already unhappy about some of the other old folks (obviously with Alzheimers, or similar) He just doesn't get it ... thinks they're all "a bit weird". Dad's memory has suffered a bit since he's been sick, but mostly he's still pretty bright. I don't know if they'll find anywhere full of bright, charming, intelligent, interesting people ... I really wish we could ...

Ah well, talk to you again. :)

Good morning all. Just popping in before I go and have my coffee outside. It's going to be another hot day, so I want to get out while I can still stand it.

Judy, a lot of people on this site have gone through or are going through what you are with your parents, including myself. This is a difficult time and my thoughts are with you. Hope you're feeling better after the food poisoning.

Nice to see you, Julie.

My coffee is calling me ... see you later!

Judy, we posted at the same time.

My mom was in a retirement home for a few months before she moved into a nursing home. At the time I said that I wouldn't mind living in the retirement home (except for the cost!!!). I guess it all depends on where my daughter puts me ... which reminds me, I should start being really really nice to her.

Yes Judy, that can be the problem, which is why I think I would rather go into somewhere when I am a bit younger, like a retirement village where you are still independent in your own easy care villa, but with people of your own age(ish) who are all still 'with it'.
Firstly, once the darlings have left home, hubby and I would love to get a small rural block somewhere, maybe 5-10 acres, where we don't have neighbours almost on our back doorstep. Somewhere that is a blank slate for us to create a garden from the very start.

Once we retire, we will probably move down to the in-laws' farm (by then they will have passed on). There is a lot of land there and the farm part of it no longer exists, but the house needs a LOT of work. It's a brick house with a huge section blocked off, which really bugged me at one time because I came from a family with a house that was too small. It would cost a fortune to renovate this house and we don't know if we can do it or not. It might be a case of there being so much to do that the house might have to be demolished. Gail, you and your hubby can come and live with us because there's lots of room.

Hi Theresa, thanks for your thoughts and comments :)

Gail, this isn't going to get any easier, I suspect. My Mum was always the planner and organizer - Dad mentions something vaguely and seems to expect it to happen by magic ... On the plus side, he's now seen how bad it CAN be ... I just HOPE we can find somewhere nice for them.

Theresa, is there anything IN the blocked off section of the house?

No Judy, just empty rooms. There's a set of stairs leading from the summer kitchen to a large room upstairs with a smaller room attached. Apparently when my hubby was first born, his parents had the large bedroom and the small room was his nursery. A large section of the house had already been torn down by the time I met my future hubby. Having shared a small bedroom with my two sisters, I was horrified. The existing part that is in use has four bedrooms upstairs. It would be a good place for a B&B or something like that, but I wouldn't want that job when I retire, nor would I like strangers in my house. There is virtually no insulation and my in-laws have not kept up the house as much as they should have. They did repairs as needed without thinking long-term. Hubby goes to see them every Sunday, and while he's down there he does odd repair jobs, etc. It sounds nice, but it's really a "white elephant".

We could start our own SA commune, Theresa!

Oh, I see - it sounds like something from an old movie, with all those locked up rooms ...! It must have been an enormous house to start with, but when you get down to cleaning and repairing ... oh yeah, the time and money add up quickly!
I was trying to think what it reminded me of ... now I remember ... one of my favourite books when I was young was The Secret Garden, with a huge, rambling, half locked-up house ... :D

Hi Gail! (Again)
I have to go to bed now @_@ ... Rob is sleepy ...
So, Good night my friends, and Good Night Moon, etc.
Talk to you all again tomorrow. :D

Woo hoo, Gail! I'll be retiring years before you, so I'll try and have the place ready!

CynB, I like the flower avatar, but the bubble one was very nice too. You know, I typo their the same way you do, most of the time. I know what goes first, my fingers just get confused who goes first! If not for spell check catching it there would be tons of those on here.

Hi to JUDY and JULIE It is good to see both of you here. Judy, come back when you can, Julie, hope your internet woes resolve themselves soon. Wishing an easy transition for Judy's parents, that is such a life changing move for all of you.

VIV, are controlled burns a common thing there? Reducing fuel load before fire season? I also hope it did not get away from them. Glad you enjoyed your outing and a new coffee shop.

Ahhhh, Judy, what memories, Goodnight Moon!! I know I read that book aloud 500 times, it had to be read every night as the last book at bedtime, when daughters were a certain age.

Time to get this day under way, I have phone calls to make and ffuts to do.

OR..... I could knock off IH, add a wing of bedrooms to this place, and turn Surreal Farm into a SA commune. There's plenty of room with 155 acres.

You have just a few more acres than hubby, Heidi. Plus a lot of the farm land has been turned into forest (managed). So maybe your place would be better. Can I bring my cats?

Why not? I already have 10 of them.

I was just reading the news from Ottawa about bed shortages at the hospitals. Apparently one of the reasons for bed shortages (and thereby long waits for surgery for people like my daughter) is that a lot of the beds are occupied by chronic care patients. It has been known for decades that the baby boomers are getting on in years (and I am one of those), so it makes you wonder why they haven't built chronic care facilities for those people. That way hospital beds could be freed up for patients requiring surgery. DUH! The article I read said that more delays can be expected. UNREAL.

Okay, rant over for now. I seem to be Miss Cranky Pants today and I blame it on the weather. It's yucky here, way too muggy. I went to the store to cool off and their air conditioning wasn't working very well. So I bought some "rocket" candies to placate myself. Any excuse ... tee hee.

What are "rocket" candies?

They are a little roll of small round candies that come wrapped in see-through plastic. They taste a little sour and a little sweet ... you see a lot of them around here at Halloween (which is why I saw them in the store and picked them up). Yes, Halloween stuff is out already. Some people just call them candy rolls. There are probably about a dozen of the small candies in each roll.

Good morning. A nice shower of rain to water my garden.
Judy, I hope you find something suitable for your parents. Very hard when they have left it so late that you have to make the choice and they are not happy about having to move.

I grew up in a big house (when my grandparent purchased it was a 10 bedroom guest house with one outside bathroom and down the yard dunny) It was on 230 acres. We sold the farm 10 years ago and the old house (heritage listed) was burnt down on the Christmas day bush fire in 2001. The property is again up for sale.

Morning all!
The next stage in my life is going back to work. A big adventure!

Theresa, I have days like that where I feel cranky and don't know why.

Judy, I hope your parents find some interesting people to talk to. It does make a difference.

MizT, I have one hand that moves faster than the other when I'm typing - it creates some weird spelling sometimes!

Something has upset the little old lady lawnmower. When I fed her yesterday morning she was very jumpy, as if something was going to attack her while she was eating. Then I noticed last night the same reaction after she had been fed her chaff etc by her owner. I wonder what has happened? A snake maybe?

Ebob saw Tomorrow When the War Began last night and loved it. I liked the books, though they are very dark. The ending of the last one (there are something like 7 in the series) was unexpected because it was real and sad and I could imagine it happening exactly the way it was described.

Suzy, my cats are having the same reaction, especially Scooter. If I move anywhere in the kitchen, where her food bowl is, she startles and jumps and leaves her food. Sometimes she is sooo funny looking, her back end jumps around, reminds me of a bucking bronco

I always think it is another cat outside, visiting their territory that does this to them. Happens more in mating season, these local boy cats just have not learned my girls are not that kind of girl

June, did your parents still run the guest house when you were young? Is my math right? that the house was still standing when property was sold?

Theresa we have a sweet and sour candy like that, think it is called sweet tarts?? I always hoped there was extras after Halloween, or that there was enough in my girls goody bags to share, kind of liked those myself. It has been ages . . .


Yes, I agree, chronic care patients should be moved from hospitals to long term care beds somewhere. How many more surgeries could be done in just a month if even a few beds could be freed?

Here, more and more surgeries are moved to the same day surgery facilities, which are usualy new or remodeled. Patients are in and out. Only really complicated surgeries with long recoveries are done requiring overnight surgery beds in hospital.

I should consider what to do about flinging food. later, friends, and hugs to all.

lalalalalala don't want to hear any more about the movie lalalalalala
Not seeing it till next week...

MizT, we have controlled burn-offs here too, a lot more since Black Saturday! It is still a very contentious issue. I think it should be done, as our 'bush' gets a lot of green undergrowth which is very flammable.

Heidi, let us know when IH has gone and you have started on those extra rooms!

What movie, Gail? Did I miss something?

Mizt, they had stopped running it as a guest house just before WW11 but many of the guests had become friends and still came and stayed with us. By the time we sold the farm there were only 6 rooms still used as bedrooms. And one 85 year old(mum) living there. The house was very much in need of a lot of work done. I did replace some guttering once and many other jobs. Mum did not want to spend the money on repairs and everything was so out of alignment that a professional would not have known where to start! I miss the place but not the work that was involved.
Off to do some grocery shopping today.

OK - now I've changed to a retro peace/love avatar.
Judy - I hope you find a place that suits the needs of both of your parents. Do they each have different requirements or are they at different stages? There are always good places around but the problem is - do they have vacancies?
Heidi - book a room for me at Surreal Farm.
Suzy - that film has been getting good reviews.
June - that must have been a blow when that old house burnt down in the bush fire.