Now I really did it :((

[Scandinavian]

Jimmianne, you are a very strong saint.

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Jimmianne, I am so sorry about Bogie but I am glad he had a good life. (((Hugs))). I am glad Pom is doing well and glad you are looking forward to France. Love that photo you posted yesterday. So peaceful and hauntingly beautiful somehow. I will tell Ms Bethany, thank you.

Marcy, thank you and yes I slept well last night. How is your cold this morning? Thank you about my nieces. They look like angels but well looks can be deceiving.

I'm with you. Rap is not my favorite genre of music but even within rap I can find a song or 2 that I like so I haven't written off any genre yet.

Glad dinner turned out OK and you didn't burn it despite Marty being at a concert and not there to cook for you. And whew relieved nobody (and no tires) were harmed in your latest curby incident.

Scandi, Ugh, sorry you have to work the next 3 weekends. Glad the kids are well and I hope they stay that way. This is a tricky time of year being indoors and people sharing viruses and such with each other. Fingers crossed everyone remains healthy. Hahaha about not even thinking about the human kids and instead just concentrating on F. I think it is because you know your kids are A-OK and F is more dependent on you....Love you Scandi.

Halloween plans nothing special per se. I used to love Halloween and dressing up and the parties and such and also my mom is a Halloween baby but this year I do have a special long distance visitor on Halloween so it might be one of our best Halloween's yet.

Love that photo of Finn Kristie. Glad Maggie doesn't have that valley fever and hoping she is on the mend soon.

Junie, big hugs. Hoping that the estate stuff is getting worked out slowly but surely and with no drama or extra stress.

Hi CJ, I hope everyone does eat your Halloween candy so you don't "have" to.

Hi to everyone else! Hoping everyone has a good Thursday. It is stormy here for the day but hoping the weather clears up for the next 6 days after today and safe flight vibes to you know who! (((HUGS))) to all.

 

[missy]

Just sharing a quick pic and also a very wise quote by William Golding.


Pic of Theo.
He's doing very well. And his mom and dad love him and he loves them and they are taking amazing care of Theo, I am so grateful for his new parents. Truly wonderful people.

However, there is a huge problem with the situation with the other 2 kitties and their lives are at risk.
Please don't ask me about them as I promised to not share anything else about the situation for now. The only reason I'm sharing this small bit is to ask for you girls to please please hold good thoughts for Zeke and Yoshi.


And lastly sharing this pic I read this morning on Facebook. True dat.

 

[LLJsmom]

Missy, I am so happy for Theo. Good job! You found him a wonderful home. Sending good thoughts for zeke and yoshi!

Thank you for sharing the quote from William Golding. I love it.

 

[CJ2008]

kristie - oh my gosh your doggie is so cute! but I have a feeling his mommy is the one that really wants the candy

jimmyanne I always feel I'm leaving someone or something out - but I feel like at least with the list I'm saying hi to everyone.

I am really sorry to hear about Bogart.

I've only had to go through 1 cat plus this kitten and you're right that it doesn't get easier but with experience I guess you know what to expect so it helps somewhat.

june how are things going with you, I remember reading that you were dealing with a lot of estate issues. And how are you doing re: your mom.

callie I want you to know that when you told me you woke up thinking about me, I totally believed you. I think it was in the other thread that you said that, but I've been wanting to acknowledge it ever since. Thank you.

For all of you who said something, I know I've said it before, but it doesn't seem like enough times yet. So thank you again. It helped me so much to know you guys were all here for me.

missy I am so so thrilled to hear about Theo. He so deserves it. I am sure your heart is filled with happiness over this. I will keep Zeke and Yoshi in my mind too

How are your feral kitties doing?

And your skin?

Hope the sleepless night doesn't repeat itself. Greg is always ready to take care of you though. So nice to see.

scandi I love that you want me to eat the candy I think what I'm really hoping is that SOME kids show up so I get to see them and feel good about it, but then I get to eat candy too. Less guilt that way.

marcy definitely pick up some candy! Then we can share what happened and eat some together.

Do you like when the kids come? I am kind of like not into Halloween at all and for all these years I never wanted them to come but then in the last few I kind of regretted it wanted to see them because some of them look so cute. I'm getting softer in my old age (in some areas - in others I'm getting grumpier

Glad to hear you didn't burn your dinner or hurt your tire. It was a good day then.

Everyone else, hi!

 

[MarionC]

CJ. It took me a lot more that two to ...well I can't say "get used to it", but at least be less emotional and more philosophical.
Those first few were devastating, so I know how hard it's been for you. It's somewhat easier with an animal that has had a good and long life. Let's hope none of us has to deal with this matter again for a good long while!

I will mention here that I have a notion of NYC in March. Just in case anyone wants to have a GTG.

Well, I got up at 1am so I'm now having a BIG glass of wine and going to bed. Trying the theory of getting on French time 3 days in advance. I've never been there without feeling quite fuzzy around the edges the whole time.
Missy, I'm glad we are in the same time zone so we can cut to the chase - the diamond chase.

Goodnight all <3

 

[rainwood]

Hi, everyone! I've been reading everyone's posts even though I haven't been posting. I have no good excuse so will spare you all the lame ones.

Missy, I'm so sorry to hear that Zeke and Yoshi may be in jeopardy. I won't ask, but am hoping things can work out for them, and will keep them in my thoughts. I'm glad Theo is loving his new life in Vegas because that was all due to you and your efforts. Angel on earth for the kitties, that's what you are.

I too like making playlists although I do them from iTunes as I have a TON of music on my computer - I just checked 17 GB's. I put all my favorites from my CD collection on there plus all my purchases from iTunes over the years. I have all sorts of playlists, but don't make them as frequently as you. And I'm the opposite of you - I have a number of happy playlists and am not attracted to the sad stuff. Music is a mood lifter for me for the most part and I try to keep it that way. I used to burn CD's of Christmas music to give as gifts - I did something like 10 years of Cool Yule - until CD's stopped being the way people listen. Now I have my playlists on my old iPhones hooked up to speakers in both houses and I can call up playlists like 'Happy, Happy' to 'Doin' the Decades' to 'Dinner Jazz' and 'Innocent of Nothing.' Coming up with the titles is half the fun for me and I take a lot of time to put songs together so they segue nicely and have a flow to them. Takes forever though.

And I like the quote from William Golding if not the man who made it. I knew his name was familiar and it turns out he wrote Lord of the Flies which I haven't read and don't want to, and he apparently admitted to trying to rape a 15-year old girl when he was 18! Wish I hadn't googled him to find out why his name seemed familiar.

This is a terrible segue, but your nieces are so cute! And so much younger than my two nieces. My two are in their 30's, one is a mother of two and the other is expecting her first! How does time move that fast?

I hope your skin is starting to improve. And that you are sleeping better. I'm going to assume the problem is because you're stressed out over J and the kitties. I'll say it again - holy basil. I also have a natural supplement recommended by my naturopath which can help. It's not a sleeping pill and doesn't make you groggy. It just makes you a bit sleepy so you can fall asleep. Let me know if you want details.

Jimmianne, I'm so sorry to hear about Bogart but you were an angel on earth to rescue him and give him a good life. And what a relief Pom is recovered so he can be cared for more easily while you're gone. Speaking of which, I'm assuming you may be Missy's special NIRDI visitor and hope you have a great time in NYC as well as France. I'm not sure if November will always be the month you plan to spend, but I'm thinking of a European jaunt next October, starting in Paris then heading south to Italy so would be interested in stopping to see you if you were thinking of being there earlier. It would be so much fun! And I'm glad you're taking your ring - it may be more of a fall/winter look with the black but is very striking with the band. I hope you have a great, great trip! With your new red camera! Love the early morning photo and the fence!

Junie, I understand about the estate stuff. I learned that no one ever does anything right the first time, especially financial institutions. It made me tear my hair out until I finally accepted that and was grateful when it only took two tries to unwind the mistake and get it right. And I was responsible for dealing with my mom's house (she lived there 62 years) so can totally sympathize.

The way I wanted to deal with it was have family take what they wanted - my sister and I would have first pick then my nieces. My sister and I had already agreed on the few family heirlooms of value so it was supposed to be the two of us choosing and then my two nieces, each taking a turn until they had what they wanted (one niece is way more pushy about this kind of stuff than the other and I wanted it to be fair). It didn't quite go that way because my sister and her family stayed there over the holidays and had already gone through everything without me. I didn't like they'd done that, but just asked to see what was in their respective piles and spoke up only for the one thing I wanted. I already have enough stuff of my own and had taken a few of the few things I really wanted beforehand, but I'd already mentioned to my sister than I wanted that darn roasting pan so when I saw it I had no qualms about taking it off the pushy niece's stack! And they couldn't really squawk because it was my decision as the executor on whether the nieces even got anything. So this can be tricky, but it's ultimately just stuff and I tried hard to separate the memories from the stuff and just take the things I knew I'd use or cherish

Second, we cleaned out what was clearly trash or personal things like photos and later that shouldn't be sold or donated. There was almost a dumpster's worth because my mom's husband had ended up chucking a lot of stuff into the garage because he didn't have the energy to deal with it. Plus, neither of them ever threw anything away, just stuffed it into a drawer or closet. The third bedroom was full of Christmas gifts they didn't like. Not many of mine in there thankfully! But don't throw out anything that isn't either clearly trash or too personal to give or sell. It's amazing what people will buy!

Third, we had an estate sale company come in and evaluate whether it made sense to use them. Their fee was $2500 which would be deducted first from the sale proceeds and they'd then take everything else away to donate. They decided the stuff wasn't sufficiently valuable enough for the estate sale to make sense for us. That was mostly because we found most of the good vintage things stashed in the attic. I wish we'd known that because it would have been so much easier than going the auction route because then we had to handle the donation part of it and charities have gotten quite particular about what they will and won't take. So I'd recommend the estate sale option even if you don't have much in the way of net proceeds because they'll handle everything. We kept a bit of the furniture to state the house for sale and then donated that when the house sold (on the first day it was listed). It was a hassle, but it helped having a method for how to tackle it. I hope this is helpful for you.

Marcy, love your Oreo astronomy demo. I'm probably the only person on the planet who can easily take a pass on Oreos but I can see how they'd be great to use and no clean-up afterward. I'm glad your car is okay. I was dreading the first scratch when I got my car, but it was inevitable. Hope you're having good weather and the rabbits and bears aren't fighting too hard or too dirty!

Kristie, that mediation class in Tucson sounds intriguing. I'm trying to plan a trip for every month - have Nov. and Dec. planned as well as Feb. through April but Tucson in January might be just the thing. Tell me more. And your furry pirate is such a cutie! Dog treats aplenty for that pretty face!

Scandi, sorry that work is hectic and that your dog training session last weekend was so much driving and having to stay somewhere other than you planned. It's all in the details. And it is gray and rainy here - probably Swedish weather!!

CJ, hope you're doing okay though missing your kitty.

LLJ, hope all is well.

As for me, I have heat now - too much of it. For one part of the house, the heat won't turn off regardless of the temp so it was over 80 degrees when I came up that first night. And I can't just have the fan on either because that also brings on the heat. And they charged me a fortune (I could have bought some small diamond hoops for what I had to pay for 2 guys to try and figure out what is a very complicated and custom system). I could say more about the whole HVAC epic, but am trying to forget and think of a way to get things back to a working normal. Gah! And I fired my yard guy today. I've hired someone else to do part of it, and finally decided the first guy had to go. He now has someone else do the work and they mowed a lawn that didn't need mowing and just blew the leaves into the flowerbeds. The opposite of what I wanted and I came running out of my house to stop them. They probably thought I was crazy, but I went straight into the house and made the phone call I've been debating for weeks. I was nice, but still fired him. All this house maintenance stuff drives me nuts.

Oh, and I had my blood taken to do the food allergy tests. They test for 93 different foods. I'm just not sure I'm focusing on the right culprits so am going that route even though it isn't covered by insurance. I had a sandwich with great bread today and am going off the GF thing until I find out if I really need to. I was going to post more photos but need to make something for dinner so will leave you with a cute pic of my dearly departed pup thinking deep thoughts:

 

[Gypsy]

Hello All, I am reading your posts, even though I am MIA. Life is just ... completely out of control and, as my therapist puts it, I am capable of only dealing with basic needs right now. Food, shelter, clothing, and for me, election and distraction to help me cope. So I haven't been posting at all, just because I don't have the capacity to. I do miss you all. I know it is incredibly selfish, but I hope you understand. Much love, Me.

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Jimmianne, I am sorry to hear about Bogie but he had a good life showered with your love. Hugs to you; I know it is a tough decision. Glad to hear Pom got a clean bill of health. Great idea of adjusting to French time before you go.

Scandi, what an upsetting dream for you to have. I can understand how that would wear you out. I hope you have sweet dreams tonight. Ooh a car made of diamonds. Good idea.

Missy, I think all of us have a bit of the devil in us, right? Your nieces have their aunt Missy as an example so I am sure they are mostly angels. I hope you don’t have a cold and rainy weekend. Great picture of Theo. I am glad he is doing well.

CJ, I will probably pick up some candy this weekend. I’d feel bad if kids come and we didn’t have any candy.

Rainwood, that is great you have so much music and fabulous play lists. That sounds like Marty. He absolutely loves music. I hate to hear your heat works way too well and you had to fire the yard crew. What a hassle for you! I hope your food allergy test comes up with some answers for you. Food allergies and combinations are so challenging to figure out.

Gypsy, I hope things get better for you.

Work is so busy right now the days just fly by. I had a few pieces of leftover pizza for supper. Not much else exciting going on here.

I took a 1/2 dose of NyQuil last night and didn’t cough until 5 am. Sweet. I was kind of groggy from the pill till about 10 am. I wish this cold would go away. My voice is disappearing occasionally - Marty will enjoy that.

Tomorrow is Friday. All Right!

Have a fabulous Friday.
Marcy

 

[MarionC]

Hi Gypsy, I'm sorry you're having a hard time and living in survival mode. I know there are brighter days ahead, but it is not a fun place to be and can seem endless. Here I go with the quotes again - "When one door closes, another one opens, but those hallways are a bitch!"
Hugs to you.

Rainwood, I was wondering what you were up to. I wish you HAD given some lame excuses, as we all could use them for those times when we lurk here instead of writing : )
I don't know who the mystery NIRDI visitor is.
We can keep in touch about next Fall. I'm playing things by ear. November is a good time for me to go because the work here slows down, but I may, after this trip, decide that it's not a fun time for a vacation and will go in October instead. It's exciting that you are planning your trip now - something fun to look forward to. Do you travel by yourself too?

 

[Gypsy]

Thank you both. Yes, I'm stuck in a hallway that resembles a maze. Best description I've heard. ((HUGS))

 

[Scandinavian]

Good "morning" girls

My youngest was so upset that the Kindergarten / preschool was not going to celebrate Halloween, so I decided this morning that they had made the wrong decision. So I re-decided for them Stopped by the store and bought a ton of Halloween stuff and supplies. Hah! Now they have to celebrate, because the children could see me carrying all the stuff in there!

Gypsy, please do not feel bad about stalking us, we all do that sometimes I'm sorry about the stupid maze hallway that you are stuck in. Wish I could help you find a better hallway - you know what they say - it is always a light in the end of the tunnel. And as my family says - yes - it is a train heading your way.... But it *will* be OK. It just takes an annoyingly long time to navigate a maze sometimes. Hope your kitties and DH takes good care of you.

Missy, thank you for the picture of Theo!! I was thinking of him yesterday but did not want to ask but you answered anyway For his brothers - good thoughts and happy wishes and fingers crossed. I do think it will work out in the end and that they will all be together again. Even if it does not - Theo is happy! You did save his life, at least!

Jimmianne, so that is why you are in my time zone You are French already I like red wine France might be a bit cold in November, but some friends were in Barcelona last weekend and they had a really nice "summer" there. So it might be "spring" in France now I think I is !! I just checked! It is sunny and warm and nice and nothing like Scandinavia right now at all! And if you get bored, I'm only a short flight away

Rainwood, I know - people can get a bit strange about dividing up inheritance, can't they... I think you did the right thing! Take what you want and try not to let the rest upset you. We have done much of the same. Once, we had a family action. Not a good idea. Some people are still not speaking to us over a dinner table set that my dad bought (no one else bid on it so we got it cheap because it was the opening bid from the auctioneer and my dad said "ok" when no one else did to get the action started. Oh my )

June, sorry you have to deal with all this!! But soon it is all over and you can join that gym I would also like a well paid, no drama, short hours, interesting, and challenging job, so if you do think of one... please let me know (For no drama; all my colleagues now are men, I think that has reduced drama quite a bit actually... I can say anything I want and nobody gets upset so I don't cause any drama )

Marcy, you're the best! Marty might enjoy you loosing your voice - you just made my day! I do hope you are feeling a bit better today though. Perhaps you should stay home today and relax? I once got pneumonia from refusing to accept that the cold was winning... and that was not fun at all actually! LOL had to stay home for weeks. Really boring.

Hugs!

 

[missy]

Good morning girls! It's Friday!

Rainwood, Oy, I didn't know that of course or I would not have even mentioned the man's name or given him credit for the quote. But I am glad you told us because I would rather know the truth than not know and even bad people can say wise things occasionally right?
I ordered the Holy Basil when you first told me about it in 2014 but I don't remember if I tried it and it is expired now. LOL that's me alright. I order so much stuff and then I never get around to trying it because I procrastinate so darn much! So I just ordered it again same day Amazon delivery (LOVE same day Amazon and I only had to add about $40 extra of stuff I don't need to get the same day LOL!!!!) and thank you for reminding me. When you reminded me last month I was planning on getting the Holy Basil again because I knew the original bottle had expired but then I promptly forgot! So yes please never hesitate to remind me of something because these days I retain nothing so I must take action immediately or I forget. It is coming tonight and I plan on taking a pill tonight. Thank you!!!

And I am sorry about the heat not shutting off in part of your home. How exasperating. Spending so much on a fix that doesn't completely work. I think too much heat (for me) is worse than too cold and I hope it is remedied soon. What a huge PAIN it is dealing with home issues times 2.

I'm sorry I was mysterious about my NIRDI visitor. I will share if she says it is OK. Actually (and not to be a tease) tomorrow it will be 3 of the NIRDIs getting together and today it is just me and one NIRDI and we plan on blinging it up the next 4 days or so.

I had heard that food allergy tests are inaccurate so can you please share what you know about them. I am seriously considering having allergy tests done again but this time for food if it is somewhat accurate. When I was tested for other things excluding food I was allergic seriously to EVERYTHING they tested me for so I declined the food allergy testing because well I just didn't want to know but now I want to know. Knowledge is power right?

Yes I am not sleeping in large part to thinking about J and the kitties. It is a nightmare and J doesn't even know who anyone is now and well her sister is going to "get rid of" the cats. LONG story and the ending is not resolved yet but of course I am sick about it and being it is so far away and I just cannot fly right now (it is a serious issue for me but now is not the time I am going to get over my fear) there isn't that much I can do long distance. Theo's mommy and daddy are doing what they can but for reasons I cannot disclose they cannot make the trip for at least a few months and J's sister refuses to wait that long. Now that J doesn't know who is who the sister has no qualms disposing of the cats. I am so angry right now. There are many more details but I cannot share at least right now. Though I can via email so if you want to know just shoot me an email.

I am broken hearted and these kitties have more than half their lives left (they are only a little over eight years old ) and are such good boys. Personable, smart, sweet, and just great kitties. I keep seeing Zeke running up to me the day I picked up Theo to bring him to the airport to meet his new daddy and Zeke ran up to me so fast that day and was rubbing against my leg and meowing so loudly as if to say don't leave me behind please. OK now I am crying hard. It is breaking my heart and I am so angry with Js sister and with the whole situation. Poor J doesn't know what is happening around her but I think she knows she is dying. Its a heart wrenching situation and I just cannot shut my brain off. Greg of course is being so supportive and saying we can spend however much we need to in order to save these kitties but it isn't the money. And on top of it all Zeke is hiding and not eating because J's sister moved them a second time and now he is not doing well because he is scared. And because he is hiding and not eating that is making Js sister that much more determine to get rid of him. What a lovely woman right? Sorry, I hate always having such upsetting news to share with you girls but thank you for letting me get it out.

Almost forgot to respond to your playlists comments. I love happy songs too. Louis Armstrong It's A Wonderful World is one of my faves and so is Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Though that might be more bittersweet than happy. Anyway just wanted to say I do enjoy happy songs too but when I listen to sad songs somehow it makes me feel better. I know that makes me weird but listening to sad songs (Billie Holiday, Chet Baker to name 2 of my favorite artists) lifts my spirits. Maybe because it allows me to realize the human existence is basically miserable with some happiness thrown in and that makes me appreciate the happy times more? IDK and I am sure I would give a psychiatrist a run for his/her money.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the photo of N and thank you so much for sharing it.


Jimmianne, 2 more days for you and then you are off to France. Did I get that right? I am so sorry about Bogie and I am sending good thoughts his way and that he will be at peace soon. Heartbreaking doesn't begin to describe it but yes he had a good loving life thanks to you. But the sadness and loss is still there. I hope you find comfort in the fact you gave him love and a good home. ((((HUGS)))).

And I'm in for a March visit. If you visit around March 17th you can join Greg and me on our regular pub crawl with Greg's friends from undergrad. They are a great bunch. Hmmm might be some single gentlemen in that mix...just saying.
Remember if you want to visit me just you that is A-OK with me. It might be hard arranging all the NIRDIS at the same time and that is why this trip was arranged. Originally it was going to be 5 of us remember? Anyway food for thought. Safe trip to France and please keep in touch with us!

Marcy, how is your cold? So far weather is OK with some rain Sunday later and fingers crossed our weather remains good through the next 5 days for our NIRDI visitor! And no I am not an angel just ask my parents LOL. And unfortunately I think Ms Bethany has more of me in her personality than not and that is where she gets her devilish ways.
What are your weekend plans?


CJ, I know you are sad and so missing your kitty. How are you doing? How is your dh doing?
I am OK. Hanging in there. Theo is doing great but thanks to his new parents not me. They deserve ALL the credit! I wrote an update about Zeke and Yoshi above. But don't read it if you don't want to be upset. You have dealt with enough kitty sadness over the last month. I hope you are doing better each day and (((hugs))).

Gypsy, I missed you and am glad you are reading. Please don't put any pressure on yourself to post/respond etc. You know we are here for you and I am keeping you in my thoughts and sending big hugs your way. (((HUGS))). One day at a time. That is the best any of us can do. I'm holding it together with a bobby pin (loved that thank you) most days.


Junie, big hugs still going your way honey. So many of the NIRDIs have gone through something similar and I am glad they can share their experiences with you and I hope it is helping. (((HUGS))).

Scandi, yay for making them celebrate Halloween for your son. You are such a good mommy! Hoping the next 3 weekends of work go easily for you and big hugs. When are you visiting the states? Spring is a great time here just saying....

LLJsmom, thank you. But I am not taking much happiness from that right now because there are 2 amazing lives on the line and it is not looking good. I hate most people right now and I am sorry if that sounds awful but it is the truth. With the exception of the NIRDIs and my closest friends and family I just cannot bear most people. Who think nothing of getting rid of animals. That an animal is disposable and when things get tough it is no biggie to get rid of them instead of making it work. Makes me sick.
OK sorry for the extra mini vent after I took up all that space crying about this above.

What are your weekend plans? How are you enjoying your new necklace?

Have a great weekend girls and big hugs to everyone.

 

[MarionC]

Thank you both. Yes, I'm stuck in a hallway that resembles a maze. Best description I've heard. ((HUGS))

Gypsy,just a thought.
I had an approximately 4-month episode of depression this summer. [quite long for me]
How I get out of the maze each time remains a mystery, but this time my sleep schedule got way off due to using the therapy light. I was getting up at 2am and staying up until 9 or later at night. Three days of this and my depression started to lift. I just found this article and there are many more to substantiate it. The next time I get lost I'm going to try it again.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-sleep-deprivation-eases-depression

Missy, OMG the pub crawl!! Wearing green! that would be so much fun.
It is also Maple Week in Western NY State and recently my cousin, a maple farmer, suggested I come for the festivities. woo hoo!

 

[CJ2008]

missy

First, thank you so so much for saying you know I'm missing my kitty. It felt like it gave me permission almost to feel OK that I am still missing him. There's not one day DH and I don't talk about him. DH is heartbroken too. There's a little more to the story than I shared here - but let's just say that DH found him while he was away and flew back with the kitten here. He went through a lot with the kitten (long story). It just feels surreal that he's not here anymore. I keep saying he was mine but the intention was to find him a good home once he got healthy. I shared with DH the family you found to take care of Theo and it gave me hope that we'd be able to do the same for this little guy. As much as I was attached I kept telling DH that I have a feeling I would have been able to let him go, even if it was heartbreaking, because I know it would have been hard for us to have 3 cats. Although DH mentioned a few times how he thought that this little guy would have been a great playmate for our little girl, who's very playful. So who knows what would have happened. I just knot the reality is we have a small place and we already have some challenges with just 2 cats. But again, thank you for for all your support and kind and gentle words. They mean more than you know and more than I have probably expressed.

missy - I am so sorry to hear about what's going on with Zeke and Yoshi. If you found someone willing to house the cat for a few months do you think Theo's mom and dad would definitely take them. I can send an email asking to see if anyone could provide a temporary home. And i if so, the location is still Montana, right. The sister sounds like she has no compassion or heart...:/ and I'm sure she realizes using phrases like "getting rid of the cats" sound exactly like that.

I'll be back later...

rainwood such a cute pup...when did he pass?

 

[missy]

CJ, Hi and thank you sweetheart. Yes J and her sister and the cats are about 45 minutes outside of Missoula. I have faith in Theo's mommy and daddy and she is working hard to find a home. But if you know of anyone willing to take them for a few months please let me know. If you could contact me offline (I'm on loupetroop) because we don't want to share more online. And again I am so sorry about your sweet kitty. I know you and your dh are very similar to Greg and me re animals and your love is unconditional and the pain of losing one of our fur babies is not different than losing a beloved human. My heart goes out to you and sending comforting thoughts and love your way.


https://loupetroop.com/listings/other/for-rainwood-and-aztonie


Jimmianne, hugs and thank you for all your support here and offline. Thinking of you and Bogie today.

 

[junebug17]

Hi girls -

Missy, I am sure you don't need a mask lol! But I am sorry your skin is giving you so much trouble. Thanks for the good thoughts, I am doing my best with this estate business and trying not to stress over it.

Love the pics of your nieces! Sending lots of good thoughts that she wins the election, but even if she doesn't I think it is so awesome that she is running and no matter what happens I really admire her for trying and I'm very impressed by her making the effort.

And I won't dwell on it too much because I don't want to upset you even more, but I'm really sorry about J and the situation with her kitties, and I hate hearing you are losing sleep over it. It's hard to understand why J's sister just can't hang onto them a little longer. The whole situation is just so sad and I'll be hoping and praying things somehow work out. ((((Hugs))))

Very happy that Theo is doing well with his new family, you definitely deserve credit for it, you made it happen through your efforts and you truly are an angel for it.

Jimmianne, big hugs to you, I'm so very sorry about Bogart and that you have to go through this, such a difficult thing but yes, a comfort keeping in mind he has had a long and good life. Thinking of you and Bogie, (((hugs))) We're here for you, whenever you need us.

So happy to hear the good update about Pom!

I'm excited for you about your trip, and it is so cool that you'll be in the same time zone as Scandi, love that. I hope you will still be able to stay in touch with us a little.

Marcy, love the ghoul bear, such a cute thing for Marty to get and I love that this bear has scary teeth just like the rabbits ha! Sorry your cough is keeping you up, I really hate that and a cough can linger for a while, hope it clears up for you soon. Take care of yourself and take it easy, and get lots of rest! I want to thank you for your input and sharing you experience on settling your parent's estate, it has been so helpful to me.

Hi CJ, glad things are ok with you, I'm keeping you in my thoughts and so sorry for all you've been through recently (((hugs))) - thanks for asking about me, I'm doing ok, some days are kind of tough and yes, this estate business is a bit overwhelming right now but I'm plugging through.

Kristie, that pirate costume is so cute! I hope Maggie is doing better.

Gypsy, big hugs to you, thank you so much for checking in - please don't worry about not posting, I go through those periods too and it's great just to hear from you. I am so sorry you're going through such a hard time, I truly get it and yeah, I can relate to feeling like it's an accomplishment just to get through the day. You will get through this, and please know the nirdis are here for you and I'm really hoping things improve for you soon.

Rainwood, thank you very much for taking the time to provide me with your advice and empathy! Both are very helpful to me. I think I'm ok on the financial things, at least for now, and that's because I feel I have at least some control over that. My mother lives over an hour away from me so the logistics is tough. I'm just going to have to start driving up to my mother's, even though my brother keeps telling me to hold off. My mother doesn't have any family in the area and my oldest brother and sister live in other states and don't seem to consider it their problem so it seems to be falling on my other brother and myself to figure it all out. My oldest brother claims he doesn't want anything. I already have a mixing bowl my mother used when I was a kid and I'm happy with that. My sister and brother don't get along and I've already had one instance of a disagreement between them based on spite, (sister requesting a somewhat expensive item, brother protesting) and of course I'm stuck in the middle. It got straightened out but I am on edge it will happen again. My sister has requested a few other things and my brother isn't giving me any grief so hopefully that's the end of it. I have to remind myself I'm executor and I will be fair but I shouldn't have to put up with any nonsense. I really appreciate all the information you provided and it is definitely helpful to me, so again, thank you!

Oh no to having too much heat now! Ugh, that is frustrating and I do hope you can get the system running normally again. Sorry you had to fire the yard guy but yes, there are times it's necessary and if they're not doing the job properly you have no choice.

Sending good thoughts that the food allergy test provides you with some answers, sounds like a good idea to do it and to know for sure if it's even necessary to cut out certain foods from your diet. I can see where it can be very tricky to pinpoint what foods are causing an issue.

Love the pic of your sweet dog, what a beautiful face. (((hugs)))

Scandi, lol to just throwing your own Halloween party! And I laughed out loud at having no drama at work because you work with men, I can see how that could be ha.

I want to thank everyone again for their support and advice with regard to setting an estate, I appreciate it very much, you guys are the best! xox

Take care everyone!

 

[Scandinavian]

Good morning weekend! Slept in so now I need to work! Hugs!

 

[MarionC]

Scandi, I like that when I wake up early I can see that you have visited here.
On my bucket list is to see the Northern Lights. Do you see then where you are?

Yesterday while waiting for the vet I took more photos of Ish. This is the stack I'm wearing for my trip.




My dog had an excellent day with numerous human meals, treats, and a bone from the butcher.Whatever he wanted. He had a peaceful transition with kind and gentle vets. I have learned something - that is; I usually wait too long. This time we got ahead of the curve. It was difficult to do because he might have had a few more weeks, but he was in pain and it would have been my selfishness that would have kept him here longer if I were not leaving town soon.
I stayed while he was tranquilized and sleeping, then left with Issy [and a shot of vodka] and went down to the pond and threw the ball for Issy. I no longer think of myself as a wuss when I run away before the end. I know how much I can take. My last memory of him is sleeping peacefully, pain-free, in the garden surrounded by people who cared.

As the NIRDIs turn...right? : )

How is everyone today on this beautiful Saturday? What about weekend plans??

 

[missy]

Quick check in with you girls...Happy Saturday!

Jimmianne, (((Hugs))) and I am glad you are at peace with your decision and that Bogie went peacefully surrounded by love. He is with all our beloved fur babies who are no longer with us. Thank you for your comforting email this morning. Thinking of you.

Scandi, big hugs to you too. Hope work goes well and you still have time to enjoy a bit of your weekend with the family.

We had a wonderful day yesterday with lots of bling. Beautiful antique diamonds OMG. Just wanted to say hi and let you know we had so much fun yesterday.

Please continue thinking good thoughts for Zeke and Yoshi as there is a lot going on right now and we are keeping our fingers crossed it goes smoothly. Not to sound dramatic but their life hangs in the balance and we are hoping and praying it works out for these dear cats. Thank you for all your good thoughts and wishes.

Off to begin the day. Have a wonderful weekend girls and big hugs to all of you.

Sharing 2 pics with you from the party my nieces attended last night.

 

[Sunstorm]

Hi Girls,

I just thought that I would say a quick hi to everyone, it was so nice to catch up a bit with Missy. I hope that you three Callie, Missy and Junie will have tons of fun at the GTG: I seriously consider it next year. Are you three going to the jewelry show? I loved the quote you shared Missy.

I am just really sad to read that there must have been bad news I missed. Missy, for the kitties I am really praying.

Gypsy, I have not been online to know what happened to you but hope you are ok. This worries me, I do get survival mode trust me, whatever is going on, hope things are ok.

Junie hope you are ok too, I am sorry for having missed out on bad news for you and not being able to be there.

I have no excuse not to write girls besides being crazy busy, well lots of survival battles too and some surgeries this past year as well. I feel a little more rested now due to a much delayed vacay but it is not nice to come back to horrid weather. I think I am in after vacay shock.

Jimmianne, oh wow, girl that set is oh so stunning, has my heart for sure. Can I know more about it? I am sure you shared but I missed it, well you can always write to me to tell me too. Hope you are well. I missed you too.

Everyone else I am sending you hugs and have missed you all. Feel free to drop me an email too so I can hear about each of you privately if you feel like it. Biggest hugs to Missy, Callie, Kristie, Junie, Jimmianne, Marcy, LLJsmom, Gypsy (No order of importance meant and sorry if I skipped anyone accidentally) and all of you who made my smile brighter many times.

I promise to try to follow a bit more closely at least, well, as much as life allows around this time of the year, it is the craziest of course but tons of fun as well.

 

[Scandinavian]

Jimmianne, All we can do is love them for the time that is given us. My condolences.

 

[Sunstorm]

Jimmianne sorry for not saying my condolences, I just caught up on this.

Trust me I have made the same mistake, that is waiting for too long, never again. I used to let them go on time before very bad suffering but I could not give up on Niello. Not because he was my favorite cat, they all are and were but because he was my first as an adult and he died just weeks after his best friend. I tried everything under the sun, only to have him suffer more.

You made the right decision, absolutely so. Peaceful is the best we can wish for and this is the hardest time. I have the most gut wrenching memories when I was there, those last moment and I could not stand it with Niello and ran away too. I know he was already transitioning and he knew that while I was outside, I was still there.

I do not think anything we say can make the pain go away or lessen it, just know that we are there. Actually one thing that has always helped me tremendously was the PetLossforum. I always participated in their candle ceremonies and chatted there with people. I used to be a grief counselor there but no longer have the time sadly. I think it is a wonderful resource to use when you are in pain grieving. I know that to me every time it required days to get to the point to stop crying and be able to talk about anything else.

Big hugs to you.

 

[junebug17]

I'll be back later but I just wanted to extend lots of hugs and comforting thoughts to you Jimmianne. I'm so sorry for the loss of your Bogie. I hope it brings you comfort to keep in mind that you provided him with love and care and he had a happy life because of you. I agree with you on waiting too long. It's a tough thing to go through and please know my thoughts are with you.

 

[rainwood]

Missy, have a great time hosting the NIRDI's. I hope you get glorious fall weather for their visit. And your nieces look very cute in their costumes. Fingers crossed for Zeke and Yoshi. I know you're doing all you can.

I know the blood tests for food allergies can give false positives, but I'm hoping the results will at least narrow the universe of culprits. Elimination diets are tricky for me because I don't have big reactions and it's hard to isolate what's going on because I also have a fair number of environmental allergies as well. I think gluten might be a small problem, but not a big one, and there is another bigger allergen out there I haven't identified. I've gone off GF, but part of the problem may be just my body readjusting because I've eaten so little of it for months. My naturopath warned me about that so I will probably just eat small amounts for a few weeks and see how it goes - this probably won't start until that loaf of wonderful 3-cheese bread is gone. I could inhale that stuff it's so good!

Jimmianne, I'm so sorry about Bogart. You did it exactly right though. I had scheduled for the vet to come out, but my sweet girl was having a good day and I almost changed my mind. After, both the visiting vet and the naturopathic vet told me that it's better for them if they go on a good day, and I now agree. I wanted to be there at the end - I wanted the same with my husband - but that isn't the right decision for everyone. It's good to know what you can and cannot handle, and what you do and do not need. Experience, as sad as it is, can be a great teacher.

I love your Asscher with the bands - they all go together so well and so much pretty to look at which is of prime importance! I don't think I look at my rings very often, but if I'm not wearing them I realize that I actually glance at my solitaire a lot. I hope you have a great trip to France - sorry you're not stopping off to see Missy. I haven't traveled on my own except for business trips years ago so the trip to Europe next year will be one of my first. My April trip will be alone, but it's a week at a spa so I'm not sure that counts. I don't know if I'll enjoy traveling by myself, but there's one way to find out. It feels like another one of those muscles I need to develop. Any advice you can give me?

Junie, have a great visit with Missy. It sounds like fun and you certainly deserves lots and lots of that! Glad my estate stuff was of help.

Scandi, I think we're having even worse weather than you. Turns out this is the rainiest October ever - which is saying a lot because October is usually pretty bad - and the month isn't even over yet. And you're right about families being weird when it comes to inheritances. I'm sorry that you had to go through that. When my mother's husband died, his family got even weirder and that's saying a lot. I wasn't the executor but he'd done something in his will that didn't really make sense so we needed to come up with an alternative. I proposed something that would give them money sooner as most of them really needed it. They thought I must be trying to take advantage because why would I try to do something nice for them? Paranoia and suspicion has always run deep in that family so I should have anticipated it. Some of them got miffed as did I - another example of no good deed goes unpunished - but we eventually worked out a solution that everyone was okay with. And once my mom died, I didn't have to see them or deal with their craziness anymore.

CJ, my sweet girl died in March. She was almost 14. I miss her a lot.

Marcy, hope you're feeling better. I saw you didn't post last night and wondered how you were doing. Is Marty back to take care of you?

Kristie, saw my typo too late in my reply to you. It's meditation, not mediation! Once a lawyer, always a lawyer.

Gypsy, sorry life is still so hard. Hang in there.

To everyone else, have a great weekend!

 

[Sunstorm]

Hi rainwood sorry that we missed talking to each other, I think you came onto the thread when I went away for a few months now, wow, missed it. Which country are you coming to in Europe?

 

[rainwood]

Hi rainwood sorry that we missed talking to each other, I think you came onto the thread when I went away for a few months now, wow, missed it. Which country are you coming to in Europe?

Sorry to have missed you too! I checked into Missy's thread very early - another member of the broken ankle club - then checked out for quite awhile then came back on a regular basis earlier in the year. I'm thinking my trip next year will start in Paris then I'll head to Italy - with maybe a stop at Jimmianne's chateau in between if the timing works out.

 

[CJ2008]

oh, no, jimmyanne Sorry about Bogie. I am glad he went peacefully and in the garden.

Bye sweet Bogie.

I didn't know him, but I bet it applies.

And yes, like kristie said, NIRDI's don't need to face anything alone.

missy by the way if you ever get around to writing that poem, it would be so lovely. No rush, no pressure. Just wanted you to know I - we would love it. I contacted you offline re: Zeke and Yoshi.

june you're so kind, thank you.

rainwood oh, so recently she's adorable rainwood. I am sure you miss her terribly. Glad you posted a picture of her for us.

Everyone else, hi - i'll double check later to make sure I didn't skip responding to any comments. Hope you're all having a wonderful Saturday.

xxoxox

 

[MarionC]

I'd forgotten what a pleasure it is to spend an hour attempting to get a good diamond photo. Highly recommended for feeling happy...The red camera certainly does influence close-ups!

Meanwhile, an early Happy Halloween to all you wonderful people.
Someday we'll have that big GTG. haha



Sunstorm Hi stranger! Glad to see you back. We need to catch up.

Rainwood, I would like nothing more than to see you at "the chateau". I think we would have fun and have a lot to talk about.

June, you are so kind. I hope you have some photos of your NYC visit to share...yes? Those yuge diamonds??

Callie, you too! Any photos of the latest adventure?

Gypsy, please report in on how things are going. While I'm away I can read the PS posts, but cannot respond, so I look forward to your next posts.

CJ, thank you. I'm so glad you are a NIRDI now and we can share the ups and downs of our days.

Missy, those girls are growing! They look like the sweetest kids and It's wonderful that you get to see them so often and be part of their life. Are they getting any bling training from their Aunt Missy and Bea? One can never start too soon. Will they be trick or treating? More importantly, do they share their candy??

Marcy, did the bears get a pumpkin? I think the ghoul is my favorite right now. I think the rabbits have perfect teeth to carve a nice pumpkin or two for their housemates.

AZ, hugs and happy halloween!

Today I leave here at 3, get the plane at about 6 and arrive in Paris at 8am tomorrow. Then I will be on Scandi time! Two trains and I arrive in Saumur and walk to the rental car agency. A 15 minute drive and I am in Montsoreau where I'll stay at an AirB&B, then meet the agent at the house on Tuesday. I"m not taking any clothes - my little carryon suitcase is full of decor stuff, including a large 3d moose head puzzle printed with a map of the world to put together and the afghan I'm knitting. Then all the work I've dreamed of will commence. If you think of me, envision a happy lady joyously scrubbing floors and pulling up carpet.

 

[Scandinavian]

Jimmianne, I hope you will have a WONDERFUL time scrubbing and cleaning and pulling out old stuff and carpets Safe flight !!!