Sudokuaholics Anonymous 11

''Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.''
Aniäs Nin, Diary, 1969

I got the cows moved to the calving pasture, and fed 6 fresh rolls of hay. I now need to move the hay rings, then get IH to help me sort out the 5 calves I'm taking to the sale barn tomorrow. It's so much more pleasant to work outside without mud.

After moving the hay rings, I decided that I needed a nap... so I took one. I just woke up in time to make supper. The calves did not get sorted. So we'll do that first thing in the morning. I'll then take them down to the sale barn before going to the Lions' board meeting at 2:30 pm.

Hi, All! Happy Australia Day to all of our friends down under!

We miss your frequent posts, Suzy, but understand the difficulty in posting from a iPad. I usually don't post if I don't have access to a desktop. I hope Alie is feeling better, and hope all will go well with her tonsil removal when that happens! Take care! Enjoy the baby chicks! When does the new school year begin? I suspect you'll be as busy as last year when it does.

June, Laura is one lucky little lady to be the beneficiary of your sewing skills! As for wedding dresses, there may yet be 1 more you will want to make - in 20 years or so.

Oh, no, MizT, not another leak! You may have pin-pointed the source of the trouble. Hopefully, your upstairs-neighbor will be willing to amend her schedule and reduce the number of problems her balky drain cause. I hope your niece's health is improving!

Heidi, hooray for the absence of mud and ice under your new layer of snow! We're scheduled for even more tonight to tomorrow. (Unfortunately, the cold and snow this winter have reinforced the nay-sayers who claim there is no global warming.) Since you'll be moving the cows into the calving pasture, does that mean that calving will be starting soon? I'll hope that you can avoid the ice and mud problems for the entire season this year!

Great TOPP, Heidi! I'm glad you were able to get the cows moved and fed. I suspect the nap was far more necessary than sorting the calves. I just hope that goes quickly tomorrow, as I suspect you'll be doing it alone. I hope everything goes well and as planned tomorrow, and you can get the calves to the sale barn and then get to the Lions' board meeting in the afternoon.

We have a mighty busy week coming up, even busier than usual. Unfortunately, high temperatures for the next few days are predicted to be below zero, and I think there's an evening meeting many days next week.

Sending lots of {{{{{ H U G S }}}}}, positive thoughts, healing vibes, and prayers for all who visit (or used to visit) here!

Julie, school goes back next week.
Julie, IF I am around in 20 years I do not think I would still have the sewing skills to make a wedding dress. Laura can just have her Mother's dress altered!
hubby is mowing the lawn and I have done some gardening. I should have done a lot more. I have bowls Tues and Thurs and haircut on Wed so will be a busy week.

Happy everybody!

The calves have been sorted out (a 3 person job), and taken to the sale barn. I now have an hour and a half before I have to get ready for the Lions' board meeting. That means.... NAP TIME!

Heidi, I have joined your favorite pastime, napping. a lot of hurt today and I am once again so cold, when the temp inside is more than adequate to keep me toasty warm. Even my best warmest Sherpa throw is not doing it's job. Lots of coffee, hot tea and hot chocolate drinking today. At least holding the steaming mug gives the illusion of warmth. Lots of napping waiting to get warm again.

I took apart one of the broken grocery totes today, used it as the lining of a bright parrot fabric to make something a bit more likely to be stable. I did not finish. I still have to hem half of the top edge and attach the handles. The two fabrics together should give it a lot more strength. It has been a long time since I have had the sewing machine out, it was kinda fun.

Heidi, are these the calves you fed a while to see if that would increase their price? Any idea how much weight they put on? I am glad there is no mud at the moment, and hope that continues through calving. I remember your saying cold mud could be deadly for newborn calves.

Julie, the maintenance man did check in with me Saturday. He just opened up the drop in ceiling, said yep, it was that drain again, and now if it leaks it will just fall into your tub. I am to phone him Monday morning if it has leaked again. He did tighten something up there, so hope it holds. I do need to phone Susan again (never did reach her Saturday) and ask her to go run water in her tub to see if I am going to have another leak. I now have several towels and those super absorbent fake shammy things to get to laundry. that was on my list for today, did not happen.

Hugs to each of you, with extras, till later.

I went to the Lions board meeting, but my back and legs were on the warpath, and I was miserable. So I came straight home and went back to bed. I don't have much to do tomorrow except for the University Extension banquet for civic leaders. We really have to go, even though the food is always lousy.

The temperature warmed up today to a balmy 52˚F / 11˚C !!! But it's supposed to plummet tonight. Tomorrow is supposed to have a high of 22˚F / -5.6˚C and a low of 2˚F / -16.7˚C !!! Yesterday's high was only 17˚F / -8.3˚C !!! This is the most schizophrenic weather I've ever experienced!

My doctor told me that the reason that I've been getting so hot lately, then getting chilled, then hot again is that I'm going through menopause! I has a complete hysterectomy 18 years ago, and stopped taking hormones almost 10 years ago. Why did my body hold off for so long?

Napping! That sounds good about now. We've had Tahli and Daniel for 2 nights so far and have them again tonight. Dana was feeling very nauseas 2 nights ago and then got a severs stomach pain. Like a contraction that doesn't stop. She called a health Dvice line and they told her to call an ambulance. She did and called us. They had to wait for us to arrive. We waited at Dana's with the kids until she called to say she had to stay overnight. We brought the kids home here. I took them up to see her the next day -she was still in emergency. They didn't know where to send her. All this time she is on nil by mouth. Eventually they say she can have clear fluids until midnight and they are moving her to surgical ward, but the section that is part of maternity. 11 o'clock she finally sees a surgeon who says he wants her to eat. If she feels nauseas again then she hard appendicitis. So she has to stay another night, more if food makes her sick.

Sending out more thoughts to MizTs niece.

Also sending thoughts to Nola. The cyclone warning is close enough that you will likely get some very heavy rain and all I can think is, not when every thing is finally fixed!

I'm not sure if I'd want it to be her appendix or something wrong with her reproductive tract that requires a hysterectomy, Suzy. My first thought when you mentioned the symptoms was an ectopic pregnancy. At least she's in the right place. My fingers are crossed that it works out for the best.

Ditto your wishes dor Nola and MizT's niece.

Greetings from cold and snowy Illinois!

June, you definitely have a busy week ahead of you! I can understand that you don't think you'll be up to sewing a wedding dress in 20 years. On the other hand, we have become so accustomed to you being able to do anything you set your mind to. It's hard to think of you ever slowing down. (I hope you will take that as a huge compliment.)

Heidi, good for you for getting the calves sorted and to the sale barn, and then to the Lions club board meeting. It's no wonder you're exhausted. I hope some major napping will help to get your back and legs feeling better! Here's hoping your menopause symptoms are quickly a thing of the past!

Suzy, you certainly have your hands full with 2 little ones. I hope Dana appreciates all you do for her. What a frightening experience to need to call the ambulance and spend several nights in the ER/hospital. I imagine she must have been starting. Hopefully, the doctors can find out what is causing her problems and find a solution for them! What a rough time she has had!

Suzy, thanks for letting us know that Nola is close to the cyclone area. Prayers that it passes by without causing any problems! Nola, we're thinking of you!

MizT, I hope your niece is better. I also hope the problem with the tub leaking above your apartment will soon be fixed! I also hope you will find relief from your pain! Hopefully a nap or two will help! Will you be posting photos of your grocery totes when they are done?

Thinking of Victoria and hoping all is well. I imagine it's a busy time with work and checking in on her Mum! Sending {{HUGS}}, Victoria!

Positive thoughts, healing vibes, prayers, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and for Everyone!

Happy Chinese New Year (sometime this week, I think)!

Dana has taken food well today so she will probably be home tomorrow

Do they have a diagnosis?

Julie, I had almost the first grocery tote finished, only lacked sewing the last handle on it, and I bent the sewing machine needle! Just too many layers of fabric for this machine t o handle. I have to remember this is not the heavy duty one I had for years, with all metal gears, it would sew through anything you could force under the needle I did find a new needle, and got it back in service, Perhaps when I get more than one finished I can snap a photo and get Joy to post it to fb for me. the others I need to re-make are put together differently, I will have to think about those a lot longer. I am having to seam the parrot fabric at the center bottom, because it is a directional design, or I would have parrots standing on their head, oh no!

Suzy, I hope Dana gets to come home as planned. I know you are exhausted tending those two babies. We are not as young as we once were, not made to keep up with little ones now. I hope they found whatever is happening to cause her pain, and can fix it easily.

My niece must be getting better, she is complaining that she cannot get any chores done at home. Moving about, bending and such bring on more coughing fits. she is also hoping she can get back to work this week, if she is not still contagious. Keeping my fingers crossed for her. thank you for asking.

I went out for groceries today, and before leaving looked at the weather online to know how to dress. It said temp was 53, sunny and no wind. Before I got home it was 42 and 15 mph winds, making it feel like mid 30's and here I am dressed for a balmy 53 and sun. I had on a zip front hoodie as my light jacket, and believe me, that hood was up and over my head and ears! I was only gone from 11 am to 1:30 pm, temps just took a fast tumble with a cold front coming through. AND I found a good parking place when I got back also, yeah!

I got groceries put away, had lunch, went downstairs to sign some paperwork Shannon needs for her files, came back and washed yesterday and today's dishes. NOW, for my favorite new pastime, a nap.

Hugs to each of you, with extras, till later.

You got your weather freak-out a day after we did, MizT. It's now 12˚F and dropping. I just got back from the banquet (yep.... the exact same boring meal they've served for the past 22 years we've attended it) and it's COLD outside. It's supposed to be just above 0F when I head down to the sale barn in the morning for my check. Our temperature right now is supposed to be tomorrow's HIGH!!! It's hard to believe it got up to 54˚F only yesterday!!!

No diagnosis. Whatever it could be must be serious or she wouldn't have kept her in for so long. Most of 3 nights and 2days. She has to have follow up,but doesn't have to be in hospital anymore. If I could have a maid to clean up and someone to change diapers I would love to have them more. I'm going to be washing for a couple of days to get rid of the pee smell.

Greetings to all!

Suzy, it's good to know that Dana has been able to eat some food. If only a diagnosis and course of action could come with it, I'm sure she and you would be relieved! How wonderful that you could help with the little ones and enjoyed it! Do you have 'Febreze' there! In addition to a lot of washing, it might help with the pee smell.

MizT, the quick temperature drop seems to be happening a lot lately. I'm glad you were able to get out and accomplish an errand or two while it was still relatively warm. I'm glad you had the hoodie as your light jacket, so you could at least put the hood up as the temperatures dropped. Our temperatures are still below zero with no predicted high above freezing in the next 5 or 6 days at least. Sorry to hear about the bent sewing needle and the difficulties with your bag. Hopefully others will be less challenging.

Heidi, maybe there were a lot of compliments for the menu 22 years ago, and the organizers decided not to mess with a 'good thing.' One sure way to change it would be to become involved on a planning committee. With all you have to do, I'm guessing it's better just to have a boring meal once a year.

I'm headed to bed. Sending warm (but not hot) wishes for improved weather for everyone, as well as healing vibes, prayers, positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}} and

We won the first round of the pairs today. It was rather hot but I survived!

FANTASTIC, June!!!!!!!

Morning Everyone...Nothing much of interest or of any importance to take care of today other than taking Angelique to school shortly and watching some movies or reading. I'm lucky to have little or nothing pressing at the moment. The weather is bitterly cold and we've experienced the same temp drops that Heidi and MzT have experienced. I must go grocery shopping, but tomorrow is senior day discount that I'm holding out for...but plans may change once I check the weather on my way out and I'll forgo the discount to get finished.
Don't remember if I had mentioned that my entire household has been sick with colds but are now in the final stages and on the road to full recovery. Granddaughter still has little or no voice and Jazz had eaten another sock rather than suffering from a cold. Happily all is now clear. I had a long talk with Jazz about socks and told him I just can't keep having him operated on and costing me a small fortune...hope he listened this time.... .
Time to get off of here and check out the other needs...Thinking of you all and great job winning the first round June...you've still got it going on...good onya. Suze..rest up ...taking care of those babies was lots of work, but I know you enjoyed them. Wish you at least had help with the hard parts so you could do more...but you can only do what your body will let you..so forget the cleanup and just do the fun part as long as you can. Best wishes for a quick and full recovery for Allie and Dana....Boy...your plate is much too full...smh.Heidi...hope you are feeling better too, but like the Ever ready bunny, you just keep going and going...be safe. Julie...no words will be able to slow you and hubby down so just stay warm and safe as you both go about your long days and take pleasure in the fact that you are able to do and be around stuff that you like to do basically.Everyone isn't as fortunate. Good health and good cheer to those who are just keeping their heads above water or are lucky enough to immerse themselves fully into whatever needs attention at this time. Thoughts and inspiration are gathered from many of you, as you add your joys and challenges on these pages...my thanks to all. Peace.

WE HAVE SNOW! and yes I am shouting. Happens infrequently enough to be that kind of event . Cars in the car park are covered. Any hard surface out there that is light colored, concrete vs asphalt is covered. the dark surfaces seem to hold enough heat to keep it melted.

The road out front is white and seems to be void of traffic, it is usually a busy street. Glad I got my errands done yesterday. current temp is 22, well below freezing, whatever falls will be here for a while.

I think I will take my e reader out to the sun room and watch the snow falling, big view of the front street there. Hugs to each of you from a white Alabama, with extras, till later.

Our leaders are deserting us! they just announced there will be no noon meals delivered today. I know of a few frail residents who get meals every day, their main nutrition. I hope they have something in their cupboard they can prepare! The office is closing, I see staff making their way to autos. Hope there are no problems here. You must remember, Birmingham has no snow removal equipment, only a few sand trucks that sand down hills and bridges on main thoroughfares.

Well, two of our staff here tried to leave, got only a few blocks and traffic was at a stand still. they returned here where at least they are safe and warm. Highways are a parking lot, everywhere. Alabama is just not prepared for this kind of weather. Advise on the TV news coverage? If you are warm and safe, stay where you are. Children are at schools, parents cannot get to them, buses will not run to take them home. Accidents everywhere, blocking roads. I have counted about 4 different 18 wheelers that have jackknifed, blocking many lanes of traffic. Snow still falling, and will continue here for another 2 hours. So glad I am here where it is warm and safe. One of my friends who is in a power chair is outside taking photos, silly young lady!

Hasn't Alabama asked a neighboring state with snow removal equipment, like Tennessee, to help?
Yep, staying put is the safest thing to do if you don't know how to drive on snow. There is a technique to it.

I've gotten the horses fed and watered, and picked up the cattle check this morning. This group of 5 averaged $100 more per head than the last group. That's because they were heavier.

Gil's father is going down to Florida tomorrow with a tour group. They'll be stopping in Nashville the first night, so I'm trying to convince IH that we need to drive down there tomorrow evening (2 hours each way) to visit with his father, if only for an hour. I've tried to explain to IH that at his father's age (he'll be 90 in 4 months) we need to take advantage of every opportunity to see him. You never know when it might be your last chance. Of course, I told him that I'll do all the driving.

No time to read. Just stopping in to say hello.

We saw the band Chicago in Chicago performing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra tonight! FUN!

{{{{HUGS}}}} and to all!

Nooooooooo super long post lost.

Seriously too tired to recreate it. Love to all, be well and well rested

MizT your description of what is happening in the snow where you are happens here nearly every time we get snow, even if it is just a couple of inches. The only difference is we should be equipped for the snow.
Heidi I agree with you on taking every opportunity in seeing IH's father when you can.

Roads are still icy here, road crews cannot get through many areas, wall to wall stranded traffic usually at the base of some hill that they cannot get over. Photos on TV showed what had to be over 50 big rigs lined up side by side on the interstate. Report was there were a couple of jackknifed trucks ahead blocking all lanes. Tow trucks could not get through to them. Ala DOT (department of transportation) is still saying 'STAY OFF ROADS, give us time and space to treat the roads'. Temps will not get above freezing today. Only hope is with the sun and very low humidity we get some clearing by sublimation, when ice goes straight to vapor.

Here in our parking lot, I see a bit of melted snow/ice on the black asphalt areas. The snow has melted on the back tinted windows on one side of my auto, the sun on those tinted windows melting the snow.

First time I ever remember, there were school children stranded at some schools. There was one school located near one of the interstates that hosted children from a different school system even, their buses could get no further and this school welcomed them and their drivers in. One business here and in Atlanta Ga, which had as big a problem, opened their stores, kept them open over night, Home Depot, as refuge to people stuck on the roads. Most other shelters were either opened by local governments or churches. One doctor's office did offer refuge to stranded motorists on the highway outside their door.

One of my nephews spent 6 hours getting across Atlanta to get home. A niece's husband is stranded at the Atlanta airport, he never made it home last night. He works at the airport. My BIL had to pick up his grandsons from school up a bit north of me, buses would not run. Their Dad spent an hour and a half at 7 pm driving a few blocks across Birmingham, to get to the freeway which was much clearer headed north at that time. Good to know all my family was safe and warm and none stuck overnight on the roadways as many were. It was a mess!

I never did find out if our 2 staff members were able to return home or if they stayed here last night. One local TV newsroom has named this Winter Gridlock, and it was very accurate. It will be tomorrow noon before we get above freezing and this mess will start to melt. Usually our roads are warm and snow falling does not stick from the first flake that falls as it did yesterday because of our low temps for so long. Birmingham road crews work under a policy that they do not put down chemicals or sand until AFTER the first snow falls. That was too late for this storm!

Heidi, the problem is not so much the snow, we only had an inch or two, but ice. The first snow that fell momentarily melted on the streets and highways then froze as a solid sheet of ice that is under the snow. IF crews can get to the hills and other roadways that are the worst today, they might make inroads with their ice melting chemicals and sand.

So glad I do not have to be out in this!

I understand about the ice underneath. That's the biggest danger. Any yankee can drive on snow, but nobody can drive on icy roads.

At this point, it looks like we're taking off to see IH's father in a little under 2 hours. Right before we leave, though, we're going to call him to make sure he's up for a brief visit. We may abort if he's really exhausted.

Morning all,
June, congratulations on your win!!

MizT, I'm glad none of your family was stuck anywhere. It was heartwarming to hear about the places staying open to help people.

Heidi, I hope you get to see your FIL.

Julie, Chicago and Chicago in Chicago? Sounds like fun!

Thoughts to MizT's niece. Sending her strength to help her get up yet again.

Nola, the news is so confusing. Yesterday I went to the BOM site and they said the cyclone warning was downgraded to a low system (which would still have 120 winds). then the news last night and online talked about people making preparations and bunkering down for the cyclone. I called Susan yesterday as her little town is right in the middle of the projected path of whatever it is going to be. She hadn't heard anything about a cyclone but she has already lost a portable carport to strong winds...

It looks like we're aborting the plan to see my FIL. Oh, well. That gives us 1 1/2 months before his return trip to plan this again. It's still 4 months before his birthday party.

My day yesterday...

I had planned to have a quiet, peaceful morning in my empty house then go over town take Dana to buy the fruit and veg she wanted from a place she couldn't walk to, buy myself some joggers, visit my friend's shop to see if I could get an update on her hubby, go to the gym, go home and relax.. A nice, quiet day. Was not to be.

My phone rang at around 8.45. It was Dana telling me that apparently it's better to get to the fruit and veg shop early. At 9.20 I pick up the 3 of them and we head to the mall so Dana could get cash and I could get the coffee I didn't have time for before we left. We only had the single stroller so I was carrying Daniel. Dana asks me if I can help her do her shopping too. I didn't have a problem with that as while we don't know what happened it's better if she isn't pushing a shopping cart all the way to her house. but in the back of my mind I'm thinking about my quiet day. Dana drove us (she still needs about 40 hours to go for her license), we went to the fruit and veg shop. Boy did that feel like a bargain!! A box FULL for $20. We dropped in to my house (only about 5 km) and I put mine in the fridge. Then we drove to Dana's (Tahli screamed when we drove past the mall parking lot without stopping), then back to the mall. The parking lot was full so as we drive out again Tahli had another scream. Got a park near Aldi and luckily a cart with both a toddler seat and an infant capsule bit. Phew! My arms were getting very tired from carrying Daniel. Still itty bitty, but 6kg now (13lb). When we got to the registers the lines were really really long. Daniel started crying - he was probably hungry as we'd been out and about for so long. It's impossible to breast feed standing in line at the grocery store so I picked him up and patted and rocked and patted and rocked and patted and rocked. We eventually got through.

Phew! I lost my post again, but luckily had saved up to here...

We went back to Dana's, 4 trips up the stairs and all of her stuff was inside. I left them then and headed home. On the way home I stopped at a chemist and picked up some iron pills for Alie and more nicotine pills for me. I ran into a friend there and caught her up on all the news.

When I got home I got to play some lex, put the washing I hadn't got to hang out through a rinse with eucalyptus and get changed into my gym gear.

I forgot to pick up my rings (still in from when I covered them in superglue) and went straight to my friend's shop. Her sister was holding down the fort. Her BIL is an alcoholic, which is why he had the brain bleed in the first place. They have him on withdrawal drugs but had kept him sedated for 3 days because every time they brought him out of it he went apesh1t. (That was how it was described to me). While I was on the phone my friend called her sister and said they had sedated him again because he had become very aggressive again. He doesn't believe he is an alcoholic so treating him for it is impossible. It's very sad.

From there I staggered my way around the circuit at the gym, very proud of myself for making it all the way. Alie arrived (she came from her first day back at school) when I was about 3/4 of the way around and so I waited for her to finish - very pleasant sitting in the air conditioning. She got about 3/4 of the way around and mouthed at me that her chest was hurting. Apparently a doctor told her that was anaemia making it hard for her lungs to get enough oxygen. I went over to her and asked if she wanted me to ask them to ease off for her - they do much more aerobic stuff for her than they do for me. The owner came over to ask what was wrong and they toned it down. Lucky I had remembered to buy the pills!

I got home and Alie made me a cup of coffee, which I got to drink half of before I went to get hubby. I forgot to tell you that he had called telling me he had a flat tyre and his jack was still near the trailer from when he put the tyre back on it. I knew he was going to be exhausted because he'd had to walk to work in the morning so I'd bought a frozen lasagna when I was out with Dana. I put it in the oven as I left to drive him to his car. Eventually got the tyre changed and home. Ate the lasagna and I settled myself to surf on my iPad. Hey, we're going for a walk. !!! I know hubby needs to walk, and he is doing it because he wants me to walk, so I got my shoes back on and we headed off. I think we managed about 3 or 4 ks.

I watched 27 dresses on TV then fell into bed and asleep. Only to be woken by a huge BOOM at 4am. It was followed by a hissing sound - like water escaping from a pipe - so we assumed main break. But there was no water on the road so we're not sure what happened.

The good news is that when hubby said he had a flat tyre I told Dana that I wouldn't be able to take her anywhere today as I'd probably be taking hubby's car to the shop for new tyres. It's not going in until tomorrow, but I didn't tell her that. A me day! Pick up my rings, buy my new joggers, do some stuff around the house...

Bugger, she got me anyway!