MONDAY 'MAKIN' IT'

[blessedw2]

today I had planned to go to do a couple errands an hour away - I will think about it this. dd younger had a migraine all day yesterday and slept most of the day. I do worry of what she will be able to do for a career with her health and nervous system issues.

I might just go because tomorrow and the next few days I will need to be home. I really don't want to leave but I should get it done

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Dee: yes, the equivalent of an iPad but in the Android world instead of iOs/Apple world. There's also Microsoft tablets but I don't know anything about them. I see tablets on sale at $100 all the time. I haven't looked at their specs. I bought a Samsung Nexus 7, so mine was about $300 (all prices are Canadian.) Dh has a high end one at $1000 but his is 8 x 10" and displays his sheet music. ALL his sheet music is in it, 1000's of songs and it is more portable than carrying hymn books and other books around with us. My girlfriend has one that 18" so she can have two pages of music side by side (dh has a device he taps which 'turns' the page for him while he's playing.)

So you can go from $100 to well over $1000 for tablet in the Android world. It is more expensive and more limited in choice in the iPad world.

I'm still not dressed, nor have I eaten. One email took over 30 minutes to resolve. Then I waited for a phone call from a travel agent.

I'm now ready to eat my breakfast. Then I'll shower.

[Elizabeth]

Good morning everyone! I survived another meeting with the x and DD15 will now have access to some $$$ that belong to her. I proposed that he load an all purpose gift card and she could carry that. Neither he nor I want her to have a card that accesses her entire savings. Unexpected support came from the other woman, who thought it was a great idea and said they would do it. The x hemmed and hawed for a while over fees, then agreed to turn over a little of DD's OWN MONEY, but she still has to ask him whenever she gets low. He was all paranoid and said, "She could buy SOMETHING BAD with it." Finally, I said, "There is not much opportunity to buy bad things with me. I'M NOT TAKING HER TO OPIUM DENS!" Other woman laughed out loud at that. When we told DD how it would be handled, he kept harping on the price of TVs and how it would eat up a lot her money to have a TV in her room. She kept saying, "I don't WANT a TV in my room."

Poor guy is losing control. DD's school requires a computer, so he can't keep her off it. Now she has access to money without begging. Soon, she will be driving. Then, she will be in college. He can't stand to have someone around he cannot dictate to. Even five years after the divorce, he still tries to tell me how many cats I can have, what I am allowed to feed DD, how to spend MY money and time, and who I am allowed to have lunch with. Yeah, right, IGNORE! When we were discussing thinking about purchases before making them, I told DD that there was no one watching how I spent my money, so I had to think things through carefully and thoroughly. I could practically hear the x's teeth grinding when he realized he had absolutely no say in what I chose to buy. All this resulted from DD's purchase of a BOOK that cost a little less than 1.5 weeks of allowance and represents 1.6% of her total savings. I predict that the other woman is about to have a totally hellish time. The x never had control over his stepson (they also have a mutual dislike), he has learned that I don't care about his opinions and he can only get me to do things I want to do anyway, his control over DD is slipping and will be gone in the next 5 years. Who will he have left to harass and control? And the more control he loses in one area, the more he tries to exercise in others. HER problem not mine! I actually feel sorry for her most of the time, knowing what she is going through. She made her choice though.

Briggs is at cat coordinator's house today so he can get to a vet again. His steroid shot for allergies wore off and he needs another. We don't think it is a food allergy anymore, because his diet has not changed. How he survived the streets for 6 years is a mystery. The church webwork is complete for the week. Dayrunner is updated with a 2018 calendar. DD and I went to a jewelry store to get her 15 and 16 year rings resized, that cost a lot. Tonight is the first night of a 6 week fan veil workshop, then I have to pick up Briggs. There are other things I need to do, but I have not made a list yet. I don't really have time for a dance workshop, but my knee is bothering me and it will help.

[Nancy]

I have done u tube research for ip for today. I am processing what I learned now. I need to do a m routine and pupa upstairs making it cleaner.

I also need to read manual on vacume so I know how to empty the canister wout a big mess after I dump trash. Make call about Rx when the open so I can pick em up on errand day.

It is sunny this week so taking a walks will be more fun. Glad I found my glove.

Elves I painted are a hit, I have more stones ready to paint later on.

[Harmony]

Elizabeth, it sounds like you are handling X's control issues just right.

I am making progress here. Slowly. Another bookmark found and set up. That one was hard. I couldn't find just the right page to get me to what I wanted. I've managed to order tax forms from I RS to send. They have yet to put a printable one online that one can download and print out and use. I suppose I could learn how to just submit, but we need to have to have a service to do that. I don't know the way they do that now. My way is easier.

Reconciled bank statement. Pitiful interest rate is up a tiny bit.

Phone call after phone call. Annoying. 3/4 of them are from DH.

Getting a delivery today, called and it's between 1 and 2. Interesting. DH is not supposed to be lifting right now. Well, he has very strong arms and what you and I would call heavy lifting is not that for him. So he can do a bit more than me but I'm hoping this window that comes is not heavy.

Called the phone company again. Internet keeps going down. 3 times today so far. once last evening. Once the evening before and the evening before that. We have a buzz on the line and they said that's the reason. I've called in a repair on the line twice now. Maybe it will happen.

Kathryn, good advice on the pad. I was actually thinking about it. Really, I don't want to be on the internet while I'm out. I like to get my stuff done and get back home. I don't sit around in restaurants or parks, etc. I'm actually too nervous in the car watching the traffic if someone else is driving. I can only remember 2 times it would have been helpful to have access while I was out and I just called DD and asked her the question! But maybe later when / if we ever get to travel about.

Lynlee! A river cruise. That sounds so NICE! I always thought that would be a great thing to do. Never wanted to cruise the tropics, we live here, it is all the same. But I used to think a trip on a cruise boat up the Mississippi would be wonderful. (Like Tom Sawyer, haha!)

Back to work.

[Twins' Mom]

Kathryn, I'm still in pajamas also. I have working on my "document work" for the portfolio, taking a second look at the doc they sent me that I have to transcribe. Ugh. And I needed to do one more feedback comment for the Pro Gen group and then we meet this afternoon at 4 p.m. online.

I need to get off my bottom. I'd like to work on the garage some today, and also get some of my pansies into their planters. Supper tonight will be hamburgers and leftover chili.


-----and now I only have until 4 p.m.

-change clothes, clean up
-walk the ddog
-make the bed
-fold a lol
-sort and start a lol


Elizabeth, I am in agreement with Harmony. You're doing a great job of resolving the issue with all parties involved. The next few years will be hard for your dh to let go of dd. My dh has some control issues, particularly with respect to dd who strongly resists.

Some one asked - dkids are happy and a little apprehensive about moving out. DD is engaged in terms of planning.

[Nancy]

I am excited got the vacuum container emptied perfectly. Swept hard surface floors. Hard boiled eggs were perfect yea. This week I hope to figure out times on veg. Fresh and frozen found those. Rx call made.

Researching stew recipes now.

[LadyMaverick]

Putting my feet up for lunch break. Enjoying my time to CUOP.

I caught the Kindle Fire's sale during the Black Friday weekend and bought a couple for DH and DS9. I find it amazing how the prices have dropped over the years. I would have never thought we would see a 10" tablet for under $100. The Kindle hardware is not fragile. It is kid friendly and can take being dropped. NOT that tablet should be dropped but life happens and it is a relief when they keep on working.

Homeschool has gone well this morning. Lesson finished = Math, Grammar, Reading, Math, Math, Math, Writing, Math, Geography, Math, Music (piano lessons) and Math. This afternoon will be less math (only 2 more Math lessons today) and more English, Science, Grammar and start reading a new book (Ten Boys who used their Talents).

DS9 has a Doctor appt (chiropractor) this afternoon. He continues to work on connecting the cause/effect cycle with the tics. We are not sure they are caused by food (sugar, dye, etc but it seems like they are influenced. Yesterday afternoon his tics were bad and he was frustrated. I asked him "What did you eat today that you normally don't eat?" He thought for a moment then said: "I had Donuts and Hot Chocolate at church". So......that leaves us wondering if the donuts and hot chocolate (both very sweet) made the tics worse or was it just a coincidence? Did the Hot chocolate mix have dye in it?

I found and bought some candy suckers with no dye online. It arrived today and DS9 was THRILLED to be able to have candy. It is almost impossible to find candy in the store without dye. I looked at the Health Food Store but they had very limited candy selection. And I find it hard to stand in the aisle reading the tiny writing giving the list of ingredients. I swear they make it hard to read on purpose. They put the writing on top of a dark color so the contrast between the words and background is limited. If it wasn't hard enough already to read the teeny tiny print.......

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Harmony: given what I said, then maybe wait on either a tablet or smart phone. Why bother when you don't have a burning desire for one (and therefore make up all kinds of reasons why you have to have it!) You aren't the sort of person who does something because everyone else is doing it.

Your point about not hanging around restaurants is good. I do because it is often more efficient for me to do that rather than go home. Plus I travel so have all the waiting time in airports. And I don't mind not watching the traffic while dh drives. So those are the times I'm using my tablet a lot and times when you don't have, therefore a tablet makes no difference to you.

The only advantage I can think of is to learn it now so if you do have a lot waiting time (for instance, for doctor's appointments) you already know how to amuse yourself with it. But a good puzzle magazine will serve the same purpose. So don't think you need it just for that contrived reason I just made up.

****

I've s2s, cut my bangs and am having lunch now. The laundry has been flipped to the dryer and my computer has been updated and rebooted. So I'm making slow progress and knocking off the easy tasks.

[blessedw2]

good afternoon - I did run to buy the gift and stop by a special bakery that have St. Nicholas day treats (now in freezer) - done. dd younger still feels bad so I shall see how it goes

had a nice chat with dh about his sweet dad (reminiscing for him - a joyous one)

I have been thinking a lot about family and loss and change and how to make the holidays still the holidays for dh and dd's. Will my dd's have an extended family gatherings in the future as the cousins will split off to their own individual families. Things that I can't do anything about. I have been blessed for a really long time with a large family and it is weird thinking this is going to change. I know I will find others to help or get involved but not sure about how dh, dd's will handle the change especially if they don't have families of their own. lots to think about but also have faith.

hi lady wow not a bad price at all!!! good for you! yes - I knew another boy whose parents had to get of red dye #1 (i think) and sugar for other issues.

hi d nancy - yay for you

I love those jammy's d twins - it's so weird for me to hear about planting pansies as where I live everything is empty (except my boxwood). I bet your chile was delicious

hi d Harmony yay on your progress!

hi d lynlee did I see river cruise - lovely

hi d elizabeth good for you.

Hi d Kathryn - glad you were able to have a little time for yourself before s2s

hi everyone