Monday Fresh Start

[Harmony]

I have read through everything but I'm fighting a headache trying to start. It is the last partial week of the month so I did some end of month work. Frustrating that we are 2 months into the year and still new tax forms for the year aren't available. I did find finally they came up with new withholding chart and we will apparently save about $312 this year over last.

It is very quiet here, DH out working. I am going to work on spreadsheets as I haven't started them this year at all. I usually have everything set up by now, but dragged my feet because of this being new computer and I haven't copied and set up anything on it yet. It shouldn't be difficult, I just don't like new things.

Twins, I wish I knew some of the things you do. There is not much I know about one side of my family. Maybe when we aren't working any more I will give it a try.

[blessedw2]

I do hope your headache goes away d harmony

~ waving d twins

I organized paper, cards are on table (ready for some elf to do them), spending listed, paper recycling done for today, cook books open for tonights cooking - checked to see if I have everything.

dishes from breakfast in dw
sink swiped (nothing great)
dh has been swiping out his bathroom sink
struggled with visa as they did not think a purchase for dh mom was real... I hope I got that straightened out and I can use my cards again. They did my debit and my cc - I appreciate that they are trying to protect me - but cancelling both cards at once would have been hard if I had been at a dinner.
I am grateful it was me and not someone pretending to be me.

[Nancy]

I have vacuumed living room enjoying a quiet morning h is at work. I am enjoying the sunshine and warmer we are experiencing today 27* then up to 32* now and up tp 39* for a forcast hi temp. I ordered a book this weekend I am looking forward to that coming.

Fed animals.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Since my last post I've got dressed and learned about hammer toes. I have one. Early stages, my toes are still flexible enough that I can pick up a mini eraser off the floor. And even a pen but not as reliably. I need to look for marbles, but was using what was at hand at my desk to see. This has come on rather suddenly. I'd guess since last summer.

I showed my family doctor last fall and he said it was a bunion along with my big toe knuckle on the other foot. I didn't know there is stuff to do to help it get better (aside from surgery) so now I'm upset that I wasn't referred somewhere. (Need a referral can't book directly.) I need to figure out how high a priority this is. Since coming home I've been using my foot massager daily (a spiky wood thing I roll my foot on.)

I'm wondering why I have it. My second toe is not longer than my big toe, and it has never been injured. I've worn wide box running shoes almost all my life since I haven't been in the workplace since I was 25. I wear 1" heel or less shoes for 1 - 4 hours each Sunday. I wear hiking boots almost all the time when I'm out (except on Sunday when I wear 'dress' boots which are actually ugly big toe-box boots.)

Anyway, I'll start work on stretches as soon as I watch some more videos. The ones I've watched so far have someone else doing the stretch on you, not you doing it yourself.

The sheets are done in the dryer so I need to move those over and then have lunch.

Harmony: I have a dull headache too. I took something for it an hour ago and am feeling a bit better but really just want to lie down and have a nap.

I've had all my snacks for the day already. I can recover from this but only if I'm careful with my dinner meal. My lunch meal is leftovers from the pub so not exactly low-cal (but under 350 so not high calorie either.)

[Ramblinrose]

Kathryn... bunions are hereditary and usually only women get them. I’ve had surgery done on my left big toe... twice. First time was 35 years ago when I was in my early thirties. It grew back and I had to have it removed again abt eight years ago.

In the past the buildup on my toe was shaved. Years later the procedure is much different. My big toe was broken in surgery and reset with a plate and screws on my first joint closest to my nail. Hammerhead toes are also inherited and surgery is also required to fix it. Exercises and such only delay the inevitable.

Your bunion will continue to get worse over time. I was 32 the first time I had it done and was at a point where I could no longer find shoe that fit and wouldn’t hurt me. The second time I knew better than to wait till it got to that point. Recovery time is 6-8 weeks and a boot which reaches to your knee is required. Down time is one week after surgery. I spent my spring break recovering.

Shoes do not make your feet develop bunions and hammer toes...I got mine from my grandmother and my mother... and my grandmother got hers from her grandmother and mother

[Harmony]

Yikes foot troubles. I have curled toes (just a bit) they are not flat and straight but curved a bit through the middle joint. I don't know what that's called. The foot dr. Orthopedist showed me on the xray when he was checking my foot due to the break I had. He said he could fix it but I think it is breaking and resetting them. ///shudder/// That part of my foot does not hurt and it's not so bad my shoes touch them. I'll leave them alone as long as I can.

Bad feet run in my maternal family. Mom and an Aunt had them bad.

I've managed to set up my spreadsheets for the year and I filled out one for the first 2 months (the short easy one).

I'm going to go take a rest and eat something and take something for this head. Kathryn I hope your headache goes away.

[Elizabeth]

Good morning everyone! I had a run-around weekend for sure. Friday, I did not have to do anything and actually got some rest. Saturday was the usual cat clinic, where we may get one adoption. I talked to the people myself and it looks like a really good match for Theodora (not my foster), who would like to be the only pet. Then DD16 and I were called to help at her friend's Girl Scout troop's spaghetti dinner/silent auction fundraiser. Apparently some who had promised to be there didn't show and some were ill. We did that and it took care of feeding us. The friend's mother was running the show, but was having trouble breathing. She used her inhaler several times, and was assigned (by me) to be the person who watched the auction items (from a chair). DD and I were waitresses. Not a good job for me unless I am given a notepad. Went ok though. I offered to drive the friend's mother to church the next morning, but given her health that night did not expect to hear from her. Surprise! She was feeling better than usual next day and we all went to church. (Her car runs right now, it just won't stop).

After church, I got DD16 settled with lunch and reported to the animal org annual meeting. DD slept all afternoon, a new pattern for her. I figure if she sleeps 4 hours she probably needs it. I was re-elected to the board. My campaign "speech" was, "If you don't vote for me, you have to take my place on the board". A copy of my qualifications had already been emailed out. I was re-elected unanimously and will likely be voted secretary again. There was talk of me becoming president, but I am not in Home Metro Area on any weekday at all. In my mind, this is a serious enough issue as to be disqualifying. How can I do banking and other in-town chores? Got home in time to take DD to youth group. Fortunately, the leader had been able to find someone else to do the dinner. I didn't even have time to get S ubway sandwiches. While she was there, I did the church webwork. After she went back to the x, I cooked stuff for lunches and (cue Hallelujah Chorus) put my suitcase away! Then, I stayed up too late doing computer jigsaws. Gotta stop that. With all the goings-on, my car and house look like a tornado hit.

Today's plan:

• Leave payroll early for dentist appointment
• Get more yarn if cheaper than the online sale, else order online
• Dinner out?
• Groceries
• Kitchen maintenance
• Finish putting the stuff from the suitcase away (just because I put the suitcase up does not mean I finished the chore)
• Get SOMETHING done on the LR and hallway

Curved fingers and/or toes: clinodactyly. Curved pinkies are common in Down Syndrome. I have foot problems, but thankfully not this one.

lucylee: Maybe it's not the socks that he doesn't like to touch. Maybe it is the material they are made of. Perhaps he can pick out his own non-objectionable socks. If they are wool, it may not be the autism that is the problem. I can't touch wool at all, even 5% blends, due to an allergy. I have a friend who cannot stand the feel of fleece material. She is not anywhere close to the spectrum, just hates it.

[Nancy]

Bathroom swosh & swipe done s2s happened, mail is processed. I have decluttered knitting needles the too big and too small ones they will leave tomorrow.

Rounded up spinning stuff to go down stairs with other similar items to go wirh wheels when they leave I hope to sell them this spring. Be cause I to dislike wool.

I got the progress I needed to get unstuck this will help. Next up to load donations for delivery this week.

[lucylee]

Just plain cotton athletic type, low cut socks.

Toes...
Y’all will see in J&C. Dmom is considering NOT doing foot surgery at all.
Sigh... whatever. It’s her feet. As long as she can — and WILL — walk, I certainly don’t care what they look like.

I am sooo thankful that when the less desirable traits were handed down, I got “daunt’s butt” and a bit of dgf’s unattractive nose, rather dmom and dgm’s FEET.

[lucylee]

So far today — FRESH START —
— s2s (in progress)
— shaved legs
— colored hair
— Long time w/tech support, helping dh get his baseball games to play
— Bible reading, journaling
— breakfast, vitamins, 5-min exercise
— talked to dmom
— made doctor’s appt for dmom
— looked up the name of Randolph Scott’s horse for dh