you are never too old to set another goal... MONDAY!

[Nancy]

Lunch is done.
Walked to the corner w ddog & kidN.
Let out some hens others not laid yet.
Cleaned water containers and refilled them.
Sheets are done bed is made.
The last load is in the dryer.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Harmony: I was listening to a podcast today and the guy was saying "the thing with software is that it is supposed to have improvements and updates and if a company isn't doing that on a regular basis, I know they have abandoned the product." And I was screaming in my head, "No! No!!!! If is working as designed, then don't change it for the sake of change! Leave things alone so I don't have to keep learning new stuff!"

LadyM: for all but the investments, YNAB would work for me. The business books are separate and they do need specialized and expensive software since I'm running in two currencies and have Canadian tax issues to track. That needs to be updated again this year, they say they will no longer guarantee the robustness of my data. The dual currency is the expensive part. Dh is working with a company right now that offers cloud-based Canadian business accounting for $10 a month. But add in US accounting as well and the price goes up to $40/month.

The package I'm using now went from own outright for $400 to update every year for $325. Some how that doesn't seem like a good deal so I'll be talking to my accountant about it.

Credit card expenses are done on our personal cards to make it easier to collect rewards. So for my household accounting I need the credit card reconciliation and records to be accurate. YNAB (or excel) will do that. When (I hope, not if) I move from Quicken, I'll split the investments and the budgeting/expenditure tracking. I've identified an investments program but they may end up in Excel as well since I don't really care about present value.

I don't track present value of investments now because my Quicken no longer downloads stock quotes. Dad used to track his net worth all day long watching the business network channel. The stress it caused him showed me to take a longer view of these things. In Jan/Feb 2016 the market dropped badly and my sister was stressed out. I put my head in the sand and was pleasantly surprised at our results at the end of the year. The Trump Bump paid off for me (although at any time I know that can vanish if he goes rogue again.) It is best leave the day-to-day tracking to my broker. So I only need to track things for tax purposes and since Quicken didn't work well for me, I can't really use it for income tax filing. I enter the broker statements into it but flag transactions that have tax consequences and do those by hand when I do my tax return.

*******

In the meantime, I'm making progress here with the end of year accounting. I'm down to one last round of entries (about 2 dozen) into the accounting software and I have to count up of foreign cash on hand (although, aside from US, none of the rest was used.) Then I'm ready to run off reports for the accountant. In fact, I've already run off a couple of them.

I've also dusted the apartment, washed up the dishes, stripped and remade the bed, washed and put away the sheets and been tidying as I avoid doing the accounting.

I really, really, want to get the vacuuming done but am trying to force myself to keep at the accounting. Every time I move around the apartment to get files or printouts, the crud crunches under my feet so I know it needs vacuuming.

[lucylee]

Not doing well at cuop, but wanted to say hello to everyone!

We made it home, all in one piece, and dh feeling (relatively) well today. Last night... oh my... he was in full Fred Sanford mode, sure he was dying... but he slept pretty well and is ready to go again now. DS is playing one of those local "music in the park" kind of things tonight, with some friends.
During the weekend, dh stayed put at the gazebo where ds & band were playing. DDIL and I walked the park with dgrands, riding some of the rides and all that stuff. DH could NEVER have managed all the walking, but he did fine just sitting there in the shaded area, and he got one of the little restaurants to cook him an unsalted hamburger. He ate fruit and cereal in the hotel room before we left each day, and he didn't worry about restricting his fluid intake, b/c he felt like he was losing a lot by sweating. (It wasn't uncomfortably hot in the shade, but it was pretty hot out in the sun.) They played 30 min. each hour, at the top of the hour, so they were pretty much "stuck" in that one area for 4 hours each day.
OTOH -- dh's weight was up 3 lbs this morning... but I told him to give it another day; it might drop a little more. Riding 8 hours each way and sitting for 2 hours of music each day, plus little extra movement in between, sorta begs for fluid retention, IMHO.

[Elizabeth]

Hi everyone! I got a good report at the doctor and no longer have to wear a boot. I am allowed to put a little weight on it, but I forgot to see if I could get it wet. (I doubt it because there are stitches). I ate lunch, did some financial stuff, then goofed off on jigsaws. I have a church friend coming at 530 to cook me dinner. Here is what I need to get done before she gets here:

• Print a statement for tomorrow's appointment with financial person
• 15 minutes LR
• 15 minutes kitchen
• Repeat until done

Other useful things if time:

• Create system recovery disk
• Email work (the prodigal returns Wednesday)
• Apply shop vac to plumbing issue

[Twins' Mom]

I agree about the fluid retention, Lucylee, I bet the lbs drop off.

More to think about - I went to a close-by nursing home first because I knew the adult daughter of long-time friends is the social worker there. She was a font of information and help! Oh my goodness, wants me to consider assisted living instead of nursing home. So there's that to think about. She also talked about not choosing a place based on convenience for dbro necessarily.

I went to look at one place. Hoping they aren't all as expensive!

[lucylee]

I wouldn't choose based on dbro's convenience, Twins, bc I've got a feeling we all know who's going to carry the brunt of responsibility anyway. Especially if his transportation is unreliable, you're going to be the one running errands, meeting for patient conferences, all that stuff. I do pray for you that it is all settled as smoothly as possible.

So glad you got a good report, Elizabeth!

(((HUGS))) for all the software headaches. Kathryn.

Waving to all -- we're on our way now. Ddil and dgd are staying home. Ddil may be sick of us -- but ds says she just feels sick. I know she got a visit from Aunt Flo right before we left Friday, and she was having trouble with her all weekend.

I went to Wmart today and I vacuumed out the car. Y'all would not believe how many potato chips/crumbs, Cheerios, and yogurt bites I vacuumed up!

[LadyMaverick]

Hoping they aren't all as expensive

Wasn't there an advertisement or something about being cheaper to live on a cruise boat than a nursing home?

I've ordered DGD5 birthday gift (3 weeks away). Last weekend DGD6 mentioned she is getting magnetic earrings for her reward after she has some dental work done. I immediately thought the magnetic earrings would be a good gift for DGD5. I also ordered supplies to make loom bracelets. I think DGD5 is focused enough to sit and make those.

[CathyS]

I did a bit of sweeping and heated up the leftovers from last night. I also did some cross stitching.

[Harriet]

Dee, about graduation stuff, I don't know if I posted much here, but we had a situation, too. Some family friends were surprised they weren't invited to attend dd18's hs graduation, so basically invited themselves. It was just awkward. It's not that we didn't want their company, it's that there was only so much attendance that was supposed to happen, or could even be worked out, in seating at the graduation, and lots of people might have liked to come. I think sometimes these things are just bound to be confusing. Congratulations to your new RN in the family!

".... ..set another goal" - like Twins' I have my eye on another certification. The Agriculture and Home Economics certificates are getting pretty dusty and need some company, I think. One in Nutrition intrigues me. Dd18 is astonished at the price tag - as much as 2 of her college courses. But she doesn't know how much things really cost out in the world without an "in-state" rate, and I do want one that's respected. We'll see. Ds shrugs and says do what I want, he'll be interested to hear about it. Can hardly catch dd37 long enough to get to talk to her, but I know she is very complementary of distance learning these days, which is part of her work. HRH says I might as well, since I'm going to give everyone my opinion anyway. He says this way he can say, "My wife's not crazy. We had her tested."

Today was laundry day here, with 3 loads through to put-away. That's a help. Floors done, rug at back door taken out and beaten. Did a good bit of cooking today and several meals set aside. I had found purple cauliflower again, at the same price as the white this time, and can't resist that!

Ramblin' and Elizabeth, thanks so much for the updates on the recuperation, and the good news is very welcome, of course!

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

It can be cheaper to live on a ship than in some of the retirement homes. But the same isn't true for nursing homes (medical care on a ship is incredibly expensive.) Not all retirement homes are as expensive as the few we've been to. The one I preach at is only $4000 month (which is about $2700 US) so cheaper than a cruise. The one I also used to preach at is up to $10K a month ($7500 US) and you can find some cheap cruise lines that come in around $200 day when you consider all the loyalty discounts. On our last cruise there was a woman who lived aboard.

It is less boring on a ship than in a retirement home. Constant stream of lecturers, entertainment, exercise classes, new people to talk to and a library, internet and amazing meals. Free room service and laundry (once you have a certain number of days on a ship, you get free laundry service but the self-serve machines are free, unlike the machines at a retirement home.)

Better facilities (pool, theatre, library, internet cafe, card room and casino) and nicer rooms. Your own maid. No charge for soap or shampoo or toilet paper, and your towels and sheets will be fresh daily.

The trick is that 1) you can't get sick because medical help is not always available and 2) you have to be willing to be on a ship all the time. Family and friends can't drop in for visits, you can't go where you want to go and if you decide to give up and go home, that may be an expensive trip home from the other side of the world.

Seriously, if you don't get seasick and are looking at an expensive retirement home, it is worth looking into to see if you can make it work for you, even for just a few years before coming back to stay put on land. But it is only for people with mobility and most of their marbles (although I've watched the crew with those with mild dementia and they are wonderfully caring.)