Now I really did it :((

[Keeliamira]

Good morning and happy Fri-yay!

@Sandeek woohoo! I’m so happy for you and the PICC line removal! I hope you are well on the way to feeling better!

@Austina you are so right about the power of positive thinking. A positive outlook can make all the difference and can cause positive change. I’m glad Colin’s issue turned out to not be a worry.

@missy I’m so sorry your test results sent you down the rabbit hole of medical googling! I do that far too much and it can be maddening. I too had an issue with my right kidney at one point (and a kinked tube). A mass was seen but it ended up being a common thing that didn’t need to be addressed. Crossing my fingers for the same for you dear! You are so strong Missy. You’ve got this! BTW, the earring you are considering are absolutely divine!

@Tekate your live and support of Missy is just beautiful. It is so amazing that this community has spawned such amazing connections for so many. You are Kate the Great. I hope your week has been a good a good one. What kind of “gigs” does Katie do?

@marcy I keep going back and ogling your divine new set. They really are so elegant and perfect! What kind of newsletter do you do?

@junebug17 i hope your dh was not too jet lagged when he got home! That schedule sounds exhausting! I hope you had a lovely walk yesterday.

@AV_ I hope the writing is continuing to go swimmingly and you’re feeling well!

I’m sitting on my porch enjoying the songbirds in my “enchanted forest” Yesterday brought good news (finally!) Dh was asked to fly out again to meet with the board of directors about the COO job he’s been interviewing for (since January!) so his spirits are lifted. He’s heading to FL today for a conference. I went to the social security office yesterday because we found out dd1s disability benefits were terminated instead of just put on hold which meant an entirely new application (which can take months and months). I worked my JD magic and her benefits were reinstated as of midnight last night so dd1 now has coverage that will allow her to continue to get the hospitalization she needs. As for dd2, still no answers. The ER was not helpful and sent her home with pain pills (which they really don’t do at the children’s hospital). They knew she has an appointment with a pediatric superstar dr next Thursday so they basically said to let him figure it out. Grrr. Everything else is pretty good. Home repairs are almost complete. New carpet is in. And it’s almost the weekend!! Have a lovely Friyay!

 

[missy]

Hi @Keeliamira woohoo for getting your DD's benefits reinstated. Way to work your magic And good luck to your DH on his interview. Hoping for some better news for DD2 soon. Glad she has an appointment with a good doctor.

Just got a message from my endocrinologist. It never ends. My thyroid is lower than ever. He isn't sure what I should do next. He wants me to increase the Cytomel. But I have no prescription for increasing it and I cannot reach him by phone only email and he is now busy seeing patients so I doubt he will see my email anytime soon.

I feel like I am in a rabbit hole right now with everything going on and it is out of my control.

 

[Keeliamira]

Oh @missy! It never ends. I’m so sorry you have so much going on that is out of your control. It can make everything seem harder than it should be. Is there a nurses line you could call to request a refill/new Rx?

 

[Austina]

Hello lovelies, I’m in a bit of a rush so will post properly late, just wanted to say @missy, that they thought Colin had a mass on his kidney, and after numerous investigations, it turned out to be a harmless cyst, which eventually cleared up on it’s own. Hoping and praying that’s what yours turns out to be xxx

 

[missy]

Thank you @Keeliamira and @Austina.

Keeliamara, thanks but it’s a new RX since he has to increase the dosage. I can’t contact anyone but him and have emailed him. So I guess I wait with my plummeting free T3. It’s surreal how long I’ve been dealing with this issue. But I realize I’m but one of thousands of patients they are caring for so nothing is immediate and I must remain patient. Haha patient.

Austina yes, so thankful Colin is good. My kidney issue is different but I’m so glad Colin is AOK. Something is causing swelling of my right kidney and they don’t see anything so need to see it deeper and with and without contrast dye. More worrisome is my high bone turnover rate. The number has more than doubled since last week as my endocrinologist ran those tests this past Monday. I honestly don’t know what to do next. So I’m waiting because I can’t proceed without authorization from my insurance company and also need my internist to write the orders for the bone scan and cat scan.

Sorry to have been monopolizing the convos here. Please let’s move to more cheerful topics. Kate, Sandee, AV, Junie, Marcy and everyone please share some more happy news. I know we have happy babies, family gtgs, bling, and trips to collectively look forward to. Keep them coming.

 

[Tekate]

@Sandeek I can't find your posts??? I read Missy said your PICC line is out WHOO HOOO! so glad.. hope the weather is wonderful in your neck of the woods

@missy I can say with authority and experience that radiologists say the WORST things when it's not that bad because of liability, I send you love and happy joy for this day and the next 100000000++ days Weekend plans are to see Autumn and continue our jaunting about in Hill Country Texas checking out where we might like to live look forward to chatting with you soon. xoxoxoxo Have you been checked for parathyroid disease? High calcium rate from overactive parathyroid(s) can cause high calcium rate and kidney problems, I think my sister had this, we will never know, but I believe this was the problem with her. I know you have great docs Missy so I suppose they have checked this but it is often overlooked by physicians. xoxoxoxo again

@Austina son and future DIL in Japan! never been there.. I've heard from many people that it's beautiful! do you plan to go to meet future DIL's parents? you may have mentioned this before so my apologies if you have. xoxoxo

@Keeliamira I adore your ring too! and no more custom work for me either given my history of failure. have a wonderful weekend. As to Kate, she's an artist and writer, she writes for an online wedding magazine, occassional work for Tracy Kaler's NY, she has been really into jewelry making so that takes up a lot of time.. my sister left her some money so gigs are it for now. She's a very good artist. Love the kid (39) she's named after me. While my sister and I were not close we were if that makes sense. xo thank you for asking about Katie. (also your kind words about Missy, Missy I've met in real time, she is more lovely, beautiful and so kind in life, I always count myself lucky if I meet a person like Missy, truly a caring person, hard to find these days imho)

@marcy Hi lady! sounds like all is good with you and yours! have a wonderful weekend. xoxoxo

@Mamabean wishing you tons of fun and happiness this weekend! xoxoxo

okay @missy, I don't have any good news to report but I have a story - you know me.. Okay, our 2013 X3 BMW just passed 100K miles and I never want another car because they are too expensive and I like this one. So we had been noticing that the check engine light comes on when going up hill especially, and when you start the car the exhaust is A LOT! then clears and nothing is wrong.. so we are one week away from starting the trip back home and I said to John "come on we can't drive this to Maine, what if something is really wrong" so he hems and haws, and finally FINALLY says okay and takes it to BMW of Austin (where we bought it). So after a day we get the CALL.. you know when the rep says, Hi this is XY from BMW do you have a few minutes! you know it's bad.. so it turns out that the turbo charger on the car is malfunctioning and almost broken and we need a new thermostat for the car and that will be 3,800K$ and we can have it fixed by this Sat!.. so after a few hems and haws, John okays it, lucky us that we have Chris's car so we are using that, John could have gotten a loaner from BMW but the silly man thought it would not be seriousl.. MEN.. The good news is Rachel did my hair and I love it! miss my stylist here. 35buck to get my hair and 100.00$ trip as she's getting married this sunday and I so like her, we've been together for 17 yrs.. then I moved to Maine!..

Going house looking now.. Chris coming Tuesday!!!! Autumn is divine. if you want to see my latest pix of her please check IG..

xoxo and happy Friday to you all.

Kate the GReAt

 

[Tekate]

@Keeliamira GREAT news about your husband! sending dust his way for a great interview! xo

 

[missy]

Oh my goodness @Tekate sorry about the expensive car fix but glad you are able to fix it. Reminds me of what happened with our prior car. Loved it so much and didn't want another but over less than a year period we put many thousands into it and enough was enough. Glad you are not at that point yet.

How nice of you to give your hairdresser a lovely big tip and congrats on her upcoming wedding. Love happy occasions.


Dear Kate the Great thank you so much for your continued input and wise advice. I did ask my endocrinologist about parathyroid disease to which he replied I don't have that but if you ask me am I confident he checked for that? I will have to say no I am not. At this point I have had my fill of doctors but I know you get it. Greg called his allergist because David (my derm) said he really cannot say if I am allergic to Technetium or contrast dye. And his allergist's assistant took down the info and Greg's allergist will get back to us to see if I could be tested. Kevin (the asst) doesn't think there is a test for technetium (and Dr Devito said the same) so looks like I have to take my chances with that one. Little comfort that a crash chart is always by these machines due to rare (hello this is me I am queen of rare health issues sadly) reactions.

Enjoy your house hunting and woohoo to Chris visiting in a few days!!! Super excited for you.
XOXO.

 

[Tekate]

I hear you! @missy

 

[missy]

I hear you! @missy

 

[Austina]

Hi lovelies

Ugh @missy, I can’t believe you’re having to deal with all this . If there was something I could do, I gladly would. Just keeping everything crossed that it can all be sorted. As Kate says, hopefully this is just them being over cautious about your kidney. If you don’t think they’ve tested you for parathyroid, can you insist they do, if only to eliminate it? Did I ever tell you about our friend John? He had an endoscopy, a couple of days later, became desperately ill, was rushed to hospital in an ambulance. Turned out they’d ruptured his oesophagus. Anyway, while he was in hospital, he got worse and worse. My friend even overheard the nurses wondering if he had AIDS, he looked so skeletal. He had numerous tests. I asked my friend if John had been tested for Addisons, she said she’d check because she thought they had. Anyway, turned out that’s what he had, and it was a good job she’d insisted they test him. What I’m trying to say in a roundabout way is, is it worth getting tested again? As you know only too well, things can change from week to week. I hate to think you’ve got so much happening to you all at once

Ah phooey @Tekate, what a bummer about the car, let’s hope this expensive fix keeps it going for a long time to come. Have lots of fun looking at houses and of course, spending time with your family this weekend. Kim’s parents are divorced, her Mum lives Pflugerville or Round Rock, and her Dad lives in Houston. We usually see her Mum every time we visit, and have met her Dad, who’s remarried and has a baby

Japan is lovely, we’ve been during Cherry Blossom time, really interesting country.

Oh @Keeliamira that's wonderful news about your DH, sending lots of good wishes and positive vibes that he gets the job. Well done on sorting out your DD’s payments, no mean feat I would think. I hope DD2 isn’t suffering too much, and they have answers on Thursday for you. Glad the home repairs are getting sorted too, one more thing to cross off the list.

Great news @Sandeek, that must be a huge relief to be done with the IV line. I hope you’re feeling much better now.

Do you have any plans for the weekend @marcy? You need to go out to show off your new bling

Hi @junebug17, what are you up to this weekend?

Have fun this weekend @AV_ , I hope you have good weather so you can get out and about.

We’ve got a quiet weekend coming up, and it’s a national holiday on Monday, so we’re having the day off

I had my hair cut and coloured today, I was desperate, it’d been 6 weeks and I was getting mistaken for Pepe Le Pew Had a bit of a change of style, nothing drastic, just more layered.



Sending love and hugs to all the lovely NIRDIS

 

[missy]

Oh your cut and color is beautiful and your hair looks lovely and sassy @Austina

 

[Slickk]

Hi all! Thank you for your continued well wishes. I’ve been busy and I’m sorry for being remiss and not coming back to post. Yesterday, I had the picc line removed and have several more days of oral antibiotics to complete. Then, I pray this part is over. I still have to explore implants and have some cosmetic surgery done to try to get my appearance back to the way it was. Many say I look great, but when I look in the mirror I just have to look away. Like a ding on a new car. You only see that. Work has been crazy. And we have my DHs wedding, DDs move to contend with as well. I have found a dress. The kids liked the below dress better for the time and hour of the occasion than the one I loved. Oh well..

@missy you know you have all of my compassion for your health situation. It does seem like a rabbit hole. I pray with the new testing they will resolve that it’s nothing...you know you’re on my mind often! You need those gorgeous earrings! Hugs

@Tekate I haven’t written lately, I am Sorry. I enjoy seeing your new grand baby smiling and being so very much loved. I hope you’re enjoying your vacation and yay to having a place in the warmth down there and one up here! I do love the fall and spring in the NE. How are you feeling?

@Austina thank you for your continued support and caring. It truly means so much to me. Love your new hair cut and color, beautiful!

@marcy snow!? Sheesh, is spring coming at All? I hope work settles down for you once again. You work too hard! I do love your new earrings! Well deserved for sure! Beautiful!

I know I am missing people like @junebug17 and love to you @Keeliamira and good luck to your hubby. Sending prayers to you, your DD and family.
Hello @AV_ . I do follow along when I can (you ladies move fast here ) and send hugs to you all!

Oops. Edited to add pic. Needs shortening of course. It is a raised brocade material. October evening beach/ballroom wedding.

 

[missy]

@Sandeek you look amazingly gorgeous. The smaller size flatters you so much or rather you flatter the dress so much. Beautiful inside and out.
I totally understand your concern and your face will be back to what it was but you went through such an ordeal. I am sending you many more healing vibes and big hugs my dear friend. You have come such a long way. You handled it with grace and humor and you are a rock star. (((HUGS))).

@Austina, another beautiful NIRDI lady inside and out...thank you for sharing your friend's story...I am so sorry your friend went through such awful medical care and thank goodness it didn't end up killing him. Seriously scary and sometimes you're darned if you do and darned if you don't. I agree with you completely and will ask my endocrinologist to please test me for that parathyroid disease again. And thank you @Tekate also for suggesting it. Though he said he tested me let's try this one more time. Any other thoughts please share. I feel relying solely on the medical professionals is not enough. And though I always advocate for myself I generally like the physician to guide me and always allow them final say or leave their care. I hope it doesn't come to that as I have no one better to go to.

 

[SparkleFest]

missy, I tried posting this a minute ago, but I keep somehow getting my reply in a box.
So, @missy I hope this works.
Was trying to come up with a way to cheer you up, and thought, roses! I can share some of our roses, hope they do the job. So I went out just now and got these pics for you.

Just wish I could send the fragrance thru too!

 

[Austina]

Wow @Sandeek, you look stunning! I have a feeling that, like Missy, you’d look great even in a potato sack!

You’re on the homestretch now, just believe that you’ll be good as new soon. I’m sure those that love you don’t notice your ‘ding’, they’re just happy that your ordeal is almost over.

Lovely roses @SparkleFest

 

[AV_]

@marcy , @missy I would have never dreamed of getting work in this field, & here I am high stakes betting! On the other hand, there isn't much I can do but fielding letters & re-writing done-work into a conference paper (talking is so much happier than writing!) & getting spoiled while at it. You'd think I am old enough to have seen how things work, but of course not - there is much more to life than our art ,) etc.

I remember posting a fig bud here somewhere, just as I was starting the final draft & now it is all done & sure enough:



I'll be celebrating whatever comes of this academic stuff, with the first crop of the year & perhaps a few other local things - the traditional dress worn today by not few old & young, is quite eye-opening: so much nicer & certainly wearable things than obviously on offer without asking. Gorgeous jewelry too - mainly spectacular earrings, that is never to be seen anywhere (shocking prices? haggle? - will see...)

@missy ... I couldn't say I am too partial to any cat because of its colors, but the smoky grays have their little extra. Nice to see the nursery on the deck! .)

@Sandeek Good news from you are good twice! The dress fits you, of course & I love the cut. Picc - good riddance...

@SparkleFest You got me with the semi-double white!

-

It looks like a few of us were writing in the same time .) NIRDI who are reading, have a great week on my behalf!

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDI’s!

Missy, I hate to hear you are dealing with some new health issues. I hope you get your meds taken care of and you get some answers soon and they turn out to be minor problems. I wonder if some of these things are related or causing / escalating other things? Hopefully your doctors communicate with each other. Keeping you in my thoughts and sending you mega dust and big hugs. I did get the newsletter done and posted. I need to pick a topic for the June article and get it going soon. I am trying to get that done by the middle of the month so they run it the first weekend each month. I figure if I’m consistent then people will know to look for it then. Cute kitties.

Keeliamira, thank you for the compliments on my set. I know I will wear them frequently. I put out an astronomy newsletter each month for our astronomy club. That is great news about your DH going for another interview. Mega dust coming his way. Good deal you got DD1 benefits restored. Hopefully DD2 won’t be in too much pain until her appointment. Sweet that the carpet is installed.

Sandeek, sweet you got the PICC line removed and sending you mega dust that all of this is behind you soon. We did warm up a bit; it was near 60 today. I would not bet any money that we won’t see any more snow this spring. Thank you, I am enjoying my new set. Your dress is beautiful and you look fabulous.

Kate, I went back and looked for Sandeek’s post too. Glad to hear her good news. Custom jewelry work definitely is risky. I generally avoid it too. That is cool your niece Kate writes for some magazines and is in to making jewelry. Thanks - you have a wonderful weekend too. Oh no that your BMW needed work; glad they can get it fixed for you. Nice you got your hair done and I am sure your tip was very much appreciated.

Austina, that is so scary about your friend John. I don’t think we have any high end doctors here; if I ever do something about my knees I am heading to Colorado. I bet seeing the Cherry Blossoms in Japan was awesome. We were visiting DC when they were in bloom there; it was gorgeous. We are heading to Colorado tomorrow - Marty found a weight rack he wants to buy. He does want to open his own place sometime down the road. Your new hair do looks fabulous. Very pretty. Enjoy a holiday weekend.

SparkleFest, beautiful roses.

AV, I believe you wound up in your field because it sounds like you were really drawn to it and you’ve worked hard on your thesis. Continued best wishes for success. Gorgeous fig tree.

I am so glad it’s the weekend. I guess we are heading to Colorado tomorrow to pick up this rack Marty wants to buy and we are having friends over for supper on Sunday. Not much else going on.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[junebug17]

@missy, I hope the doctor gets a new prescription to you soon. I'm sorry about all the concerns surrounding these tests and I hope you get to a place where you feel relatively comfortable getting them done. I do get the allergy concern and I hope something can be done to make you less worried about it. A lot has been thrown at you these past few days and it's understandable you're feeling overwhelmed and worried. Luckily Greg is in your corner and he will help you navigate your way through this. I hope you can relax a little and enjoy your weekend with your dh and kitties!

@Austina, love your cut and color! Looks fabulous! My weekend is going to be the same as yours...quiet! No special plans, we'll probably just go out for something to eat tomorrow night.

@AV_, I hope you enjoyed your day off and got some rest. Good luck reconnecting with friends and collegues and I hope you can rekindle those friendships, or at least find out what everyone is up to lol. Strange to think about how much time has passed since you started your final draft...and the figs are proof of that! Such a pretty picture.

@Sandeek, you look amazing in that dress! I'm really glad you are off the picc line and I'm sending best wishes that you are off all antibiotics soon. I'm sorry you're uspet about your appearance but that will improve too; hopefully getting your life back will bring you joy and comfort and see you through that part of your recovery.

@Tekate, have fun house-hunting! And of course holding and cuddling your sweet granddaughter. So nice that Chris will be there soon. Oh no to an expensive car repair, I'm sorry but hopefully this will be it for a long time. Great to hear you got your hair cut by a friend and you love it, win-win!

@Keeliamira, great news about your dh! And it's wonderful you were able to staighten out your dd's insurance issues. I hope this new doctor can help your other dd, the poor thing must be so worn out from not feeling well and I know it's so hard on you too. Glad to hear the home repairs are almost done, must be a relief!

@marcy, sounds like you have a fairly busy weekend ahead...have a good trip to Colorado and a lovely time with your friends on Sunday. Enjoy your weekend, you deserve it!

@SparkleFest, gorgeous roses!

Not much new here...met ds for lunch today and had a nice time. He works close by so we can do that every now and then.

Take care all! Xxx

 

[missy]

Good morning girls! Happy Caturday Saturday!

@junebug17 thanks. I don't think my endocrinologist gets the negative feedback loop with the hypothalamus that is causing my free T3 to go so low if he doesn't raise the meds enough. He didn't reply to my request for the stronger dose and I think he thinks that an increase of 5 mcg of Cytomel will be sufficient which I know for a fact it will not be. But now I have a feeling I have to wait for my next appointment and just suffer with feeling more and more sluggish and exhausted and unable to sleep for more than an hour at a time. Surprisingly I am calm and doing OK so no worries about me. As you wrote I have Greg in my corner and I have my family there for me and I will get through this hopefully in one piece lol.

We hope to have a nice weekend (despite the weather) and week as we are staying through most of the week at the beach house. So far the weather for the week looks to be OK. If anything changes we will reevaluate but as of now putting all those pesky medical tests and concerns on the proverbial back burner and we hope to get some cycling in as soon as the weather clears by Monday hopefully.

How lovely you met your DS for lunch yesterday. That is so nice! Glad you enjoyed your lunch date and hope you have an equally wonderful weekend.

@AV_ love that photo. My favorite kitty (yes I had a favorite) was Billy who was a grey kitty. Most lovable baby every. Personable, smart and just so freaking adorable and very needy. He would start crying every time just to be held and adored and loved. He was such a good boy.

@marcy thank you for your good wishes. Yes to getting the newsletter done and for getting started on the next one. Makes sense to get it over with by the middle of the month so you can relax knowing it's done. Have you found a good topic for the next one yet? Ooh have fun today in Colorado with Marty. I love road trips and hope you and he find just what you want to buy there. Weight rack for Marty and perhaps some new bling for you? Enjoy the weekend and have fun with your friends tomorrow.

@SparkleFest aww thank you so much for sharing your gorgeous roses with me. They do brighten the day. You're a love and I appreciate it.

@Sandeek how is your second day of freedom going? Woohoo still doing the happy dance for you. You made my day you really did. I am imagining your first long hot shower and hopefully that will happen today. (((HUGS))) and good luck for getting a clean bill of health re the C Diff. Keeping good thoughts for you and sending continued healing dust your way. XO.

@Keeliamira I hope your dh had a good interview and that he is going to be offered the new job opportunity. How are your children doing? Thinking of you and hope DD is doing much better. Sending you and your family loads of healing dust and gentle (((hugs))).

Have a wonderful Saturday girls. (((Hugs))).
Leaving you with a pretty (though not as pretty as @SparkleFest 's photos of her gorgeous roses) Tulip photo as we were cycling by.

 

[Tekate]

@Sandeek ha! I thought I'm going crazy then I realized that Missy had been talking to you a bit on IG or text.. sooo I am not insane! just a little.. Glad the picc line is OUT, Sandeek your dress is dreamy, I love dresses like this! I wish I had a pix of my maid of honor dress when my sister married waaay back in 74, it would be perfect even today, gotta see if my brother in law will send me one as my sister never bought any pix, just the proofs! she was an interesting girl/woman!.. YOU LOOK so DIVINE in that dress.. Oct will be here b4 you know it.. and yup I will be closer to everyone in the greater NY area in the next year or so I hope.. thank you for your kind words about Autie! she is a cutie!.. spending the day with her today. I don't think you need Plastic surgery but I DO KNOW that it's how one feels, not their friends. I feel pretty good, won't see any docs til May. xoxox

@Austina love your new hair style and the color, you look sophisticated! glad you have met the future fam! my DIL wants to live in Pflugerville, we shall see, not me! too congested!. Hope you are having a wonderful saturday lady! xoxoxo

@missy it's funny, doctors and THEIR thoughts versus what ONE knows about themselves. Like when I had to pay all that money to be tested for peni/amoxicillin testing becasause all my doctors KNEW that I hadn't had an allergic reaction to penicillin when I was 5, all 4 of them said something to this effect: Mother's over-react to their kids getting a few bumps after a shot, or even IF you had a reaction its probably minor and you should be alright, or "EVERYONE" born in the 50s thinks they are allergic to penicilin. Now I thought to myself over and over, WHAT? My arms had welts from my shoulder to my elbows, my face was bright red, I ITCHED and had welts all over, if that isn't an allergic reaction what is??? So I did the challenge and passed, took 3 days of amoxicillin and had welts, itching and a red face.. I KNEW I was allergic to penicillin but no one took me seriously, even JOHN! sheesh. If you know your thyroid and you know what works for you I support this because we KNOW. Beautiful tulips! have a wonderful Caturday! xoxoxoxo hugs to Greg.

@junebug17 Junie! Have a wonderful lunch with your son, I know the times we get as mom's to be with our son's alone is GREAT times, I love being one on one with either of my son's, don't get it much but cherish that time... enjoy!!!

@marcy I so admire you and the newsletter, I am a slacker and admire people who can be on time and actually do things.. Have fun on your road trip! show the the bling! Colorado is beautiful, love being there. Have fun Sunday with your friends. xoxoxoxo

@AV_ beautiful picture AV, figs yum! I hope you have much to celebrate with your academic work AV.. I'll be accolades come your way.. hope your Saturday has been a happy, fun day! xoxoxoxo

@Keeliamira best wishes on DH's next interview.. hope the girls are doing better for you.. such stress for you.. I hope your weekend is fun and you can get some 'me' time.. xoxoxoxo

@SparkleFest beautiful roses and beautiful thought for Missy! hope you are having a wonderful Saturday!

Big storms here last night in Austin, but gorgeous and 80sF today.. going to be with Autumn and my son and Chris comes Tuesday, I am happy. Going to a few open houses today first before heading up to Cedar Park.. I hope EVERYONE is having a wonderful day and I send love to you all.

 

[AV_]

Thank you very much indeed!

I worked my JD magic

Yours is real magic! Don't I wish.
Likely, flowers are to me, what birdsong is to you...

@missy Only now I am reading what @Tekate said about knowing one's body & bootleg medicine... I have certainly taken plenty of initiative as a patient; it has never seemed daring or out of place, since the attitude was systematically inculcated by two doctors & early enough in my life, through friendship rather than doctor - patient interaction. Unwittingly, they left me with a sense of how MUCH they would have wished to know a cauda of patients they had treated, & I take it is in some part my obligation to take some of that burden off...

I have spent about an hour last evening, going through my notes near this (below) knwing that it will take a year to see the same again:



Gardens are astonishing here & this is one of the oldest - the tree sized jasmine looks like a weed next to the cypresses nearby & still, the garden is small enough to have been walled like most others are. I'll be wathing these flowers thin out, writing nearby on Monday & later - as a prize .)

Come to think of it, a piece of jewelry could hold the memory of a time like this (what could it be!) - & it makes sense even if I stay in place.

 

[MarionC]

So great to be back on the NIRDI thread and catching up! It may take a while...a very prolific group of writers here : )
I just got back from a week of pet sitting on the opposite side of the river; dog, cat, chickens. Reminded me of why I enjoy being « off farm duty » for the summer, but the dog was adorable, and the owner’s view was nice to wake up to every morning.
Happy Sunday to all!

 

[missy]

Good morning girls! Speaking of cats and dogs (@Jimmianne) it is raining cats and dogs here today lol.

@Tekate sadly I am not surprised about your Penicillin allergy story. The doctors don't believe us until we are the ones to suffer the experience proving oh yes we are quite right. I remember just recently my hand surgeon saying to me "wow you really am very allergic to everything...most everyone says they are but you really are"...LOL I can laugh about it now but seriously what do we have to do for the doctors to get it. G-d forbid die?

How did the open houses go? Or is that today? I hope you enjoy Cedar park. Funny because I took a bath after our long bike ride yesterday and it was a mix of Magnesium sulfate salts and Cedar salts. And it smelled heavenly. I love Cedar. All my closets are lined in Cedar thanks to Greg and his handiwork. I really do love smelling Cedar. Is Cedar park named because it has lots of Cedar trees?

Enjoy Autumn, your son and soon Chris will be with you too...just 2 more days woohoo.

@Jimmianne hello there and thank you for the lovely photo. Very happy you are enjoying yourself and hope you have a lovely Sunday. Enjoy catching up. It's as you say as the NIRDIs turn. (((Hugs))).

@AV_ what a lovely garden and I can only imagine how pleasant it must be working amidst the flowers. Makes it all that much sweeter.
Hardly feels like working at time I imagine. And that is how it should be. Lost in the moment and engaged in one's passion.

@Sandeek so happy you had a lovely day yesterday and that for the most part the weather held out. What a beautiful view and just where Greg and I took a photo a few weeks ago. That is the money shot. Yay for enjoying your first hot shower in a long while and may things continue to improve each day. The dress choice is perfect. Hope you have a cozy warm day today whatever you do and cherish your freedom from that awful PICC line. Freedom is never as sweet until we have been imprisoned. I get it because when I broke my leg (and of course that began the NIRDI thread) I was in my own sort of prison for many months. And finally when one is freed oh how sweet it is. Enjoy your sweet freedom and continued recovery and I am keeping my fingers crossed you receive more good news about the infection being completely gone!!!

@Mamabean how are you? Hope all is well. (((Hugs))).

Hello to everyone else. Hoping you are all having a nice weekend.

We are enjoying being at the beach house and will probably be here for the next 6 days or so. Happily and surprisingly we got a bike ride in yesterday. Got a little rain while we were cycling but it cleared up and we had a really lovely day riding. Bonus and unexpected as we thought the weather would be inclement here all weekend. Today however will be mainly all day and we will enjoy a mellow day and run some errands too.

Leaving you with a photo during our ride yesterday. Can you find the Groundhog? OH he is so freaking cute. OMG precious.



Near the end of our ride our chain dropped so we had to stop and of course our Greg was able to fix it though complicated it was as the whole chain just fell off this time vs part of it dropping. Anyway we were in Atlantic Highlands hills portion and a number of people came out of their houses to see if we needed help. So friendly. And while Greg had everything he needed (always travel with a tool kit for such emergencies) one of the neighbors in the area stayed and was chatting with us and what an interesting guy. He invited us over whenever we happen to be riding by which was very nice and his house is gorgeous. And he has a full tool shop that Greg will be enjoying I am sure. We meet the nicest people here. Photo of the repair happening.



Happy Big and small dog Sunday girls! XOXO.

 

[Tekate]

@missy Thank you for your kind words.. Isn't it a fact about dotors.. I KNEW I would get a reaction but hoped I wouldn't.. I did pass the trial test, but 3 days later, welts. It's frustrating. We didn't go house looking yesterday after all, we spent all day with Mike and Autumn (and Cara!).. it was lovely, we watched a few old GOT episodes, and had a lovely day.. Autumn sleeps all the time and she is perfect, John and I took her for a long walk while the adult kids the parents! went food shopping, it was great.. Chains and bikes, when John was in the Austin cycling club and way back in Raleigh too, he always had a tool kit with him, in all his years of bike riding I only had to pick him up once! I so admire what you guys accomplish, it is awesome.

@Jimmianne your pictures are beautiful and glad to see you have returned!

going up to Mike's now for brunch (which I of course am cooking!)..

have a great Sunday! ladies.

 

[Austina]

Happy Sunday lovelies

I didn’t think I liked figs @AV_ until I had them in Malta with procuitto, rocket and balsamic dressing, it was delish What beautiful blossom, I can’t quite recall what it is, is is fragrant?

I hope you had a good trip to pick up the rack @marcy, no bad weather or heavy traffic. Thank you for the compliment, my hair would be like this, if I didn’t get it layered



Hope you’re enjoying your family time @Tekate, plenty of time to househunt when you’re ready.

Sorry the weather isn’t good today @missy, but glad you managed to get out yesterday and had a good ride. How great to meet people along the way and make new friends.

That’s great that DS works close by @junebug58 and you could meet up for lunch.

We’ve had a busy and productive day. We cleaned the orangery floor and polished it, then while it was drying, we tackled 2 cupboards upstairs. I’ve sorted out lots of dresses I know I’ll never wear again, ready for the charity shop. Colin sorted out lots of boxes that we’d kept for things we’d bought “just in case” they needed returning, and I moved clothes from one cupboard to another to give them more space.

Hope you’re all having a lovely day

 

[MamaBee]

@Sandeek I can't find your posts??? I read Missy said your PICC line is out WHOO HOOO! so glad.. hope the weather is wonderful in your neck of the woods

@missy I can say with authority and experience that radiologists say the WORST things when it's not that bad because of liability, I send you love and happy joy for this day and the next 100000000++ days Weekend plans are to see Autumn and continue our jaunting about in Hill Country Texas checking out where we might like to live look forward to chatting with you soon. xoxoxoxo Have you been checked for parathyroid disease? High calcium rate from overactive parathyroid(s) can cause high calcium rate and kidney problems, I think my sister had this, we will never know, but I believe this was the problem with her. I know you have great docs Missy so I suppose they have checked this but it is often overlooked by physicians. xoxoxoxo again

@Austina son and future DIL in Japan! never been there.. I've heard from many people that it's beautiful! do you plan to go to meet future DIL's parents? you may have mentioned this before so my apologies if you have. xoxoxo

@Keeliamira I adore your ring too! and no more custom work for me either given my history of failure. have a wonderful weekend. As to Kate, she's an artist and writer, she writes for an online wedding magazine, occassional work for Tracy Kaler's NY, she has been really into jewelry making so that takes up a lot of time.. my sister left her some money so gigs are it for now. She's a very good artist. Love the kid (39) she's named after me. While my sister and I were not close we were if that makes sense. xo thank you for asking about Katie. (also your kind words about Missy, Missy I've met in real time, she is more lovely, beautiful and so kind in life, I always count myself lucky if I meet a person like Missy, truly a caring person, hard to find these days imho)

@marcy Hi lady! sounds like all is good with you and yours! have a wonderful weekend. xoxoxo

@Mamabean wishing you tons of fun and happiness this weekend! xoxoxo

okay @missy, I don't have any good news to report but I have a story - you know me.. Okay, our 2013 X3 BMW just passed 100K miles and I never want another car because they are too expensive and I like this one. So we had been noticing that the check engine light comes on when going up hill especially, and when you start the car the exhaust is A LOT! then clears and nothing is wrong.. so we are one week away from starting the trip back home and I said to John "come on we can't drive this to Maine, what if something is really wrong" so he hems and haws, and finally FINALLY says okay and takes it to BMW of Austin (where we bought it). So after a day we get the CALL.. you know when the rep says, Hi this is XY from BMW do you have a few minutes! you know it's bad.. so it turns out that the turbo charger on the car is malfunctioning and almost broken and we need a new thermostat for the car and that will be 3,800K$ and we can have it fixed by this Sat!.. so after a few hems and haws, John okays it, lucky us that we have Chris's car so we are using that, John could have gotten a loaner from BMW but the silly man thought it would not be seriousl.. MEN.. The good news is Rachel did my hair and I love it! miss my stylist here. 35buck to get my hair and 100.00$ trip as she's getting married this sunday and I so like her, we've been together for 17 yrs.. then I moved to Maine!..

Going house looking now.. Chris coming Tuesday!!!! Autumn is divine. if you want to see my latest pix of her please check IG..

xoxo and happy Friday to you all.

Kate the GReAt

@Tekate I’m catching up reading all the posts..I will be back on when we get back to Pa today..Hubby is taking David to his dance..That’s when I’ll have free time to catch up on reading the rest of your news and check in. What is your handle on IG?
@missy You asked me somewhere back here what mine was..I’m Lovesparklies...You would think I would be more original..

 

[missy]

@Tekate I’m catching up reading all the posts..I will be back on when we get back to Pa today..Hubby is taking David to his dance..That’s when I’ll have free time to catch up on reading the rest of your news and check in. What is your handle on IG?
@missy You asked me somewhere back here what mine was..I’m Lovesparklies...You would think I would be more original..

hahaha I knew lovesparklies had to be a PSer! And I'm already following you and have liked all your posts.
We need more IG posts though. Just saying.

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDI’s!

Junebug, that’s pretty nice to have your DS close enough you can meeting him for lunch. We did have a nice time in Colorado yesterday.

Missy, I am glad to hear you say you are doing okay; you have such a great support system from your devoted husband to us NIRDI’s from afar. One day at a time, eh? I haven’t picked a topic for the June article yet but I’m definitely going for meteor showers for August. I might go with stellar evolution and point out some easy to find samples in the summer sky. I did not buy myself anything on our trip yesterday; I thought of going to a Coach store but decided not to tempt myself with a new bag. Marty did get what he wanted though. Beautiful flowers. Oh no to raining cats and dogs there - watch out for poodles. Bad, I know. Of course I knew it was raining there since I had to do a bunch of changes since the Yankees game was postponed. Glad you had a nice ride and met some nice people even though the bike chain broke. Most people are good, kind and decent. Sweet that you are at the beach house this week.

Kate, you are so right that doctors don’t know everything. My experience with our local mediocre at best doctors is why you won’t get me to a doctor or hospital unless I’m dying. I’ve have more bad luck than good. I kept telling my orthopedic doctor I was allergic to the anti-inflammatory meds they had me taking for arthritis. He just kept switching me around to different brands of the same thing until one of the broke me out in a rash from head to toe. The rash was so bad it looked like i’d been totally burnt. I was almost crazy (no comment necessary ha ha) from the itching. At least the doctor finally believed me that I was allergic to those pills. Now I take aspirin. I do try to be organized and work ahead on things I need to do; if I don’t I tend to forget. My May article was in the paper today with a great picture of the Milky Way. That should have got some attention anyway. Oh no for big storms last night. Enjoy the open houses today.

AV, I love flowers too. My mom had a green thumb. I get help from Miracle Grow. I agree we tend to know what’s going on with our bodies at least on some level. I believe from my limited observation that specialists have tunnel vision and don’t get the whole picture. My mom had multiple specialists for all of her problems and oddities and as she got weaker she kept falling. My dad finally took her to the ER and they quickly found her problem - her white blood cell count wasn’t an infection (which all her doctors said was normal for her for years) was actually leukemia. Sadly it was way too late to help her then. Gorgeous flowers.

Jimmianne, you have been busy. That is a fabulous view and a very cute dog.

Austina, I totally laughed at the picture of how your hair would look if it wasn’t layered, that would be me too. My hair is so think it poofs out more and more the longer it is on me. We did have a good trip but traffic going down as awful. Coming back traffic wasn’t bad but saw 2 bad accidents. One was a single car which was on it’s top and looked like it rolled several times. The other one was a multiple car pileup and a pickup on it it’s side. I hope no one was seriously hurt. You have been busy and productive this weekend. Marty saves boxes and things we replace just in case too. After seeing that stack of stuff to throw out when we moved I am rather brutal at throwing things away.

The sad things about doctors is they “practice” medicine. They make mistakes like the rest of us but their patients pay the price for that.

As I mentioned above traffic was awful from the state line until well past Denver yesterday. Between construction, 3 lane going down to 2 lane then back to 3 lane and the nut behind the wheel we were stopped on the interstate frequently. It took a while to pack the weight rack in to the back of the pickup. It is solid steel and 3 stations so it weighed a lot; I was in the cab and swear they just put an RV on the back. We had to go find a hardware store then because quite a bit of it was sticking out past the end of our tailgate. We had a late lunch / early supper then before heading home.
The view of Pike’s Peak was worth the trip for me. The sun was out and the mountain still has lots of snow on it so it was very pretty. I did not get a picture because power lines were in my way every time I was out of the pickup.
I was getting cranky as the day went on because the many Starbucks we stopped at for Marty’s coffee and my bathroom break do not sell Coke. The last Starbucks we went to on the way home has a soup / salad place next door so I got my Coke free. There were 3 teenagers working and they even gave me the Coke for free. I was teasing Marty ha ha my Coke was free and you had to pay for your coffee.
We started the day waiting to watch an 80 plus year old steam engine locomotive train pull out of town. They were built in the early 1940’s and retired about 60 years ago. One of them was brought here over 4 years ago to restore. They left town at 10 am yesterday heading for Ogden, Utah where they will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad. It was very cool to see.
I also got a picture of my niece getting a high 5 from Chuck Norris yesterday. He was hosting a 5K run at College Station, TX and he stood at the finish line and have a high 5 to everyone crossing the finish line. Very cool.

I am kind of working on stuff for supper. Our friends are coming over at about 5 for dinner.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[AV_]

@Austina (figs) 'pan de higo' is a flattened two-finger thick cake of dried figs (if picked ripen, they can hardly be dried un-bound!) that can be sliced thinly & used as the name implies. I have certainly discovered how well this works with many things!

(flowers) It is a HUGE jasmine - the scent is there, almost too strong. I suspect that this part of Europe is the only place where this Jasmine (bush, N) meets that Jasmine (the vine, S) - the scent is nearly the same & very heavy. I need to pile these two, before the northern Jasmine stops flowering (days away) & do a thorough testing - they are as close as vintages of the same wine...

.·.

I am losing track of this thread...

@missy I recall reading a call for good news from you? & a mention of my working in a garden... Well, that is how I make good news.

The garden with the jasmine I am ever the sole user of tells of what Alhambra is - a palace built like a village of cloistered gardens, if slightly less private than they'd be otherwise; this part of the plan became separated and built over in the times of Spanish baroque. It is rather fun to see this improbable transformation above ground walking that neighbourhood & try corners out too.

-

dinner overdue! & one more letter