Emily March Fans discussion
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Quick Updates from the Moderators
Whats everyone reading these days? I myself have 5 books going and 2 extra for Heathers dollhouse. I cant be on my feet for long with the hip pain and dizzy spells so I am also doing coloring books, a project Heathers working on and making jewelry. They are all things you can do sitting down so I feel a little bit productive when I work on my crafts but I feel so guilty about getting behind on household chores. Puppy update: we have found homes for 5 of the 9. We are left with 1 girl and 3 boy puppies. They are so cute and each has its own personality coming out. They are very smart and sweet. I am going to miss them. I hope you all are well and happy. Autumn will be here soon. I love the changing seasons. Each has its own upside. Love and hugs to all,
Jina
Dear group,In Heathers English class she has to tell what her favorite first book she remembers was and why. Do any of you remember your first favorite book? What was it? This should be interesting. Thanks in advance for your answers.
Love
Jina and the girls
Oh by the way, my answers, since I cant pick just one is, anything Berenstain Bears, Richard Scary, Charlottes Web and Heidi. I also loved Winnie the Pooh and Timmy Tiger. In fourth grade I read my first adult type book and that is really the one book that opened up my heart and started my love for books. The book was Thurston House by Danielle Steele. I have about 4 copies of the book now. Its a wonderful story that I have reread about a dozen times. Love,
Jina
Jina,Glad that you are getting closer to answers.
I have added a photo of the cover of the first book I remember. My mom probably wishes she never heard of the book because for a couple years we read it almost every night. I was about 3 when I got it .The book is MAKE WAY FOR THE THRUWAY- LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK - # 439 Hardcover – 1961 by Caroline Emerson. I think I liked it because Dad was running heavy equipment working on building part of the Baltimore Beltway and other roads at the time. He worked long hours during the summer so seeing hi m was hard for a little girl. Her worked 16-20 hours days so I was in bed when he left and asleep when he got home.
Hi, ladies -- I hope everyone is well and all kitchens, bathrooms, washers, etc. are behaving themselves. I'm buried under a pile of clinic work this week, so if anything breaks in my house, I'll be the last to know. Take care, friends.
Hi Little Sis.,I hope you will get all of your answers and that they are easy to solve. About the first book I loved ,funny it has an angel in the title, it is ,"Angel Unaware" by Dale Evans , it is about Dale's and Roy's little girl who died as a baby. I was a big fan of "The Roy Rogers Show" because I had met Dale and Roy a few times at the Houston livestock show and rodeo. When I was a kid my whole family rode horses, we had a covered wagon and always rode the "Salt Grass Trail" a 3 day trail ride that ended in the parade for the Rodeo . A nice story about the book ,I some how lost the book growing up and for my 16 th birthday my Sister Verna went all over and found a copy for me , that was one of my favorite Birthday presents. Love Lola
Jina wrote: "Oh by the way, my answers, since I cant pick just one is, anything Berenstain Bears, Richard Scary, Charlottes Web and Heidi. I also loved Winnie the Pooh and Timmy Tiger. In fourth grade I read my..."
Jina wrote: "Dear group,
In Heathers English class she has to tell what her favorite first book she remembers was
Hi Jina - The first book I remember loving as a child was called The Boxcar Children - I read it too many times to count. It's still available, I think - I looked for it a long time ago.
As an adult, I have to say that A Discovery of Witches is my favorite, although I have literally dozens of second-place contenders...
P
Jina wrote: "Dear group,
In Heathers English class she has to tell what her favorite first book she remembers was
Hi Jina - The first book I remember loving as a child was called The Boxcar Children - I read it too many times to count. It's still available, I think - I looked for it a long time ago.
As an adult, I have to say that A Discovery of Witches is my favorite, although I have literally dozens of second-place contenders...
P
Jina wrote: "Dear group,In Heathers English class she has to tell what her favorite first book she remembers was and why. Do any of you remember your first favorite book? What was it? This should be interestin..."
Hi, Ladies,
Sorry, I am a little late to the party. I have been trying to not type a lot because I am having problems with "trigger-finger again. Different finger, different hand. Ahh, such is life.lol
I see you all have been busy. I have researched patterns and think I have settled on the ones I want to make. I am going to make up a few, once my finger starts to co-operate, and then I will post them on Etsy. Ms. Lola is going to be my Guiney pig and test my first one for me. I am itching to get started.
My future daughter-in-law had to go to the emergency room yesterday because of kidney stones. My son said she has a large one in her right kidney and the doctors were giving her intravenous fluids before they sent her home. Apparently, they are going to see if it will pass. OUCH ! That poor girl was in so much pain it hurt just to see her. I will text my son later to check up on her. She has had these before, I just hope it does not last too long. I look up information on the American Kidney Foundation and found dietary changes that can be used to help in the prevention of stone formation.
As for my favorite book, I really did not start reading for enjoyment until after I was married. My Mother-in-law gave me a complete set of Lucy Maude Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables Series. I was hooked. She also encouraged me to read books by Fr. Andrew M. Greely. They were about Fr. Blackie Ryan, a parish priest, who on occasion got mixed up in murder mysteries. He also had a series about an Irish family called The Nuala Anne McGrail Novels.
I have always loved a good mystery book, not the ones that are too graphic, but the light easy read kind. I love cozy mysteries. Hope Callaghan is my favorite author at the moment.
Well, I should stop typing now so my hand does not get sore.
Have a great day everyone.
Love,
Linda
YEA!!!! No cataract surgery this year! I went to the ophthalmologist today and he said my cataract hasn't grown ,I was really afraid I was going to have to have the surgery. I will see him again next year.Hi Linda,
I am so sorry about your finger and your Daughter-in-law to be's kidney stone. My Sister Verna has had them so I know a little bit about what she is going thru. I hope you are both better soon. I can't wait to be your Guiney Pig , I love aprons , both of my Grannies always had one on. I really like Cozy mysteries too. Love Lola
Lola wrote: "YEA!!!! No cataract surgery this year! I went to the ophthalmologist today and he said my cataract hasn't grown ,I was really afraid I was going to have to have the surgery. I will see him again ne..."Hi Sis,
So happy that you don't need surgery on your eyes. That's fabulous!!!
Its getting cooler here in North Carolina. It's lows have been in the 50's the last couple days. I like the cooler temperatures. I can't wait for the fall colors to start on the trees. The yellows, oranges and reds coming out are so gorgeous.
How's your garden doing? Have you done any canning?
The Exceptional Childrens director called me and invited Heather to come to a class that would give her training so she could eventually work at the hospital a few hours a week. Heather is excited about it. She is getting better at eatting.. we have been making some scrambled eggs for her at breakfast and she's able to chew and swallow a whole scrambled egg! So proud of her. Her progress is slow but the important thing is she's making forward progress. Samantha has been working a little bit now. A friend of hers babysitter quit suddenly so she's helping her a few days a week. She watches 2 preteen girls and a 2 year old boy named Reese. Reese has trouble hearing and I fear he is autistic. He doesnt speak much and flaps his arms and doesnt like eye contact or respond when his name is called. My nephew is autistic and I see so many familuar mannerisms in Reese. Pam, his mom, is concerned but the doctors arent listening to her concerns. I want her to go to someone who'll listen and help Reese but I dont have any idea where to tell her to go. Its doing Samantha so much good to get out of thee house for awhile. She's making some money, getting experience driving to and from and she's able to socialize a bit with people her age. I am able to get more things done with just Heather and myself at home. I am doing some fall cleaning and reorganizing and when Sam or Sarah's here its like the saying goes "too many cooks spoil the stew" and it gets complicated. Sarah is a pack rat and doesnt like throwing anything away and Sam tries to make things more complicated and over organizes. For instance going through clothes, she even color codes her drawers, and separates tank tops, tsgirts, dress shirts and long sleeves while I separate by what is worn most frequently at the top and I dont color code. When its just Heather and I we turn on music or put a movie in that has songs like disney movies and Heather is starting to try to sing a long. I have her help me by folding or putting what we arent going to keep in a box. She enjoys helping and we have fun while doing it.
I go back to the free clinic today to get my results from the tests they did. I hope there is answers to why I am having these spells. These spells arent getting better but they arent getting worse either so I am grateful for that.
I hope everyone is having a great week.
Love,
Jina
Dear group,I am sorry for my absence of late. Internet is still sketchy but starting to think its my equipment as well. My computer is nearly 10 years old so It's been good to me but I am noticing some slowing down and other quirks are happening so I will get on as often as I can. Believe it or not, this group and my time spent here chatting with you all about books or our lives is one of my favorite places to be. I miss it if I miss a day or two.
First off my prayers go out to those lost in Las Vegas last week. Last I heard there was no clear motive for his rampage. It makes me wonder if we all shouldnt watch our neighbors and surroundings and try to get help to those that are lost, hurting or a danger to themselves or others. Just as important my prayers are with your favorite moderator and mine, Paula, where wildfires are really becoming threatening to her area right now. Join me is praying she and all she loves stays safe and in tact. Keep us posted Paula,,, we love you!
Now for update of my household. Last I posted I was on my way to get results from the free clinic. Well that didnt happen. The doctor said and I quote "theres something wrong with your blood tests and we need you to have them redone first thing in the morning at Labcorp". Of course I asked "what do you mean something wrong with my blood tests? Is it something wrong with my blood or something wrong with the test?" His response was "Im not at liberty to say at this time but its important to have them redone." So I fasted and went bright and early to Labcorp. They told me that the Doctor I seen at the clinic was not part of their network so couldnt do the tests unless I wanted to prepay the $800+ dollars out of pocket fot the 4 tests. I told them that wasnt possible and I wanted a copy of the previos weeks test findings. They told me it was their property and they could only share with the doctor that ordered the test in the first place and I was too "please leave" if I werent going to prepay. I was fuming and worried. A friend of my husband told my Michael that there was a chiropractor he went to that worked wonders and would take uninsured people very reasonable prices. So I made an appointment for Friday morning 10 oclock. I went, they did xrays and I started my evaluation with the doctor. After he felt my neck, back and hip he told me that my muscles were so tight and knotted and I have so much thats out of alignment that it wasn't safe and he couldnt touch me or try to make adjustments because he could make me worse. He called over to a sliding scale clinic to get me medicine (prednisone) which would help with the inflammation and if the inflammation goes down maybe the pain would lesson too. He didnt charge me anything but wants to see me back this week to see if the steroids helped. I went to the sliding scale clinic which cost $55 to go there. They did some of the same exercises and a few more. They also said I have my sinuses backed up into my ears which maybe whats causing some of my dizziness, ringing in the ears and nausea. They wanted to run the same 4 blood tests. I asked them how much did that cost. They charged me $10 !!!! After Labcorp wanted $800+ for the same tests. Something is deeply flawed with our healthcare system. Why cant medical tests, medicine, and going to facilities be easier and make some common sense? I got my Prednisone for $12 from the clinics pharmacy. They were very nice, very professional and caring. They are supposed to call me with the results of my bloodwork sometime this week. And they want to see me back in two weeks to see if I feel better. I headed home. When I got home Sarah had her foot propped up on pillows. She had slipped/stepped wrong when getting off the school bus and landed on her ankle. It was already swelling but she could rotated it a little so we iced it and wrapped an ace bandage around it. Saturday morning when we woke up her foot had started turning black and green and was swelled to her knee. I took her for xrays at the ER. She broke her fibula bone about 2 inches above her ankle. She has a splint and we go to the orthopaedic dr. tomorrow to see if she has ligament or tendon damage and hopefully a real cast so she can be more comfortable. The prednisone is messing with me a little. Its hard to go to sleep, my face and neck and chest looks as red as a ketchup bottle and my hair is so dried out I am having to put leave in conditioner on it so it wont break off in my comb. Has anyone else had weird side effects from prednisone? Well thats whats going on here. I hope all of you are happy, healthy and doing well. Check in and let us know what you're doing and anything interesting.
Love to all,
Jina and the girls
Little Sister,OMG I so wish I could take some of your pain! I also pray Paula is safe, that fire is scary with all the wind ! Thankfully we are out of fire season here . It has been in the 20's the last few mornings. The only thing not dead in my garden is the swiss chard , that stuff is hardy . I opened the gate and told Wolf the deer are welcome to what's in there. I finished drying out my onions I bet I have over 50 or maybe more pounds of onions and most of them are huge, great for onion rings! On the down side, I am going to talk to a friend of ours who was an orthodontist ,he retired a few years ago, and ask him to recommend someone for me to go to about my jaw and teeth . One side of my jaw is longer than the other, it was supposed to be fixed when I was a child but I overheard my parents fighting about how much it was going to cost and felt bad so I put up a fuss that I didn't want to have it done. Now I am kicking myself because my teeth have started wearing off and my jaw is started to pop sometimes. Wolf said we will do what ever it takes to fix it, but I am afraid it will take the operation to remove part of my jaw and veneers and implants to fix my teeth and that is not cheap. I am almost 69 and I am scared if I don't do something soon it will really get bad. Yikes I had better head to bed ,almost midnight !
My Love to You and our girls! Big Sis
Hi Jina & Lola, I really feel for you having problems with Medical care. I hope things work out for you both soon.We complain about the National Health Sevice in the UK but at least it doesn't seem to be as bad as you guys have in the US.
Paula please keep safe.
Love to you all xx
Linda wrote: "Jina wrote: "Dear group,In Heathers English class she has to tell what her favorite first book she remembers was and why. Do any of you remember your first favorite book? What was it? This should ..."
Hi Sis,
How's the finger? Is your daughter in law better? Kidney stones are very painful. I have passed a few and its more painful than childbirth in my opinion. Plus it amazes me that a stone the size of a grain of rice would hurt more than a 7lb. baby!
Hows the aprons coming? I was thinking if you run across a pattern for a vest type smock (not sure if I spelled that right), I would order 2 for Heather. She needs a vest with a couple pockets to put a hanky in one and she could carry any little trinket she wants that day in the other. Plus the smock would protect her shirts from stains if she was doing her painting or coloring with markers etc... Heathers cardiologist said this week that she hasnt been shocked by her defibrillator in about 6 weeks!!! Thats a record so knock on wood we have her medicines figured out so she hopefully will remain shock free for a while. He also said she is healthy enough now that she can begin a Traumatic Brain Injury rehabilitation to help her make more forward progress since she is doing so well and hasnt "brainstormed" in a few months. I was going to take the girls to the beach and get the senior pictures done but now with Sarah's broken fibula she gets teary eyed when I bring it up. She thinks she'd look funny and foolish if the cast/splint shows. I think sunrise/sunset at the beach with their sundresses on would be beautiful and no one would pay attention to the cast. Plus I think I could get them to pose on a beach blanket with maybe a funky beach tote or towel drapped just so over the cast and it would be fine. Anyone have any thoughts how to de-emphasize the cast?
Today I felt better than I have for a couple months. No dizzy spells today and I got a lot nore accomplished in one day than I have been able to do since June. I overdid of course and am paying for it tonight with bad lower back pain, hip pain and my neck keeps popping if I turn my head. Lesson learned... baby steps or I will pay for not taking breaks. But it felt so good to get caught up on laundry, cleaned bathrooms, 2 cllosets, and my Mom gave me an early Christmas present... she got me a Shark vacuum!! I must say it is amazing and so light! I definitely recommend one to anyone!
Thank you for all your kind words and support through Sarah's and my illnesses/injuries! It warms our hearts and brightens our day. Sarah is already so bored since she has to keep her leg elevated above her chest all day and night until the swelling goes down. It was too swollen to get a regular cast so she got a cotton wrapand then plaster cast today. She says her leg looks like the elephant mans leg. She's a little melodramatic the last couple days and gets teary eyed easily so for a surprise her best friend is off school today(Wednesday) so she is coming over to spend the day with Sarah and cheer her up. I foresee movies, popcorn, rubberband bracelets and playing cards in Sarahs day today. It will be fun, Chyandre' is a special girl and I love her as if she was my daughter. Hopefully our pup, Little Bit, will give Sarah a break and also quit hovering over Sarah every minute of the day. Little Bit hasnt left Sarah's side since she got hurt Friday. The anxiety my dog goes through when one of my kids is sick or hurt worries me some. It touches my heart how much this small dog loves the kids but I wonder if the worrying is detrimental to her.
Love to all,
Jina
Lola wrote: "Little Sister,OMG I so wish I could take some of your pain! I also pray Paula is safe, that fire is scary with all the wind ! Thankfully we are out of fire season here . It has been in the 20's t..."
Hi Sis,
I am so glad your garden did so well this year! And its kind of you to open your harvest to the deer and other creatures who may need the extra nourishment since the land has went through such a devastating year with the fires and tenperatures etc.. Whats the saying? An act of kindness will come back to you tenfold?? Not sure how the saying goes but I believe in it.
It seems you went from summer to winter in a heartbeat. I dont even want to think about temperatures in the 20's!!! I am loving the 70s and lows in the 50's and 60's. We are getting rain nearly daily at least for a couple hours which is a blessing but also makes it necessary to mow about every 4 days.
I hate to think of you in so much pain with your jaw and teeth but one of Heathers school coordinators just went through the same thing and she couldn't be happier with her results of the surgeries. She said she feels so much better and able to enjoy eatting and only drawback was a TMJ episode after the surgery which they fixed in 2 appointments by spraying some sort of cold aerosol on the outside of her jaw and the popping when chewing or yawning stopped. I am praying your doctors can help you and you will be as happy and feeling better like she is. Keep me posted how you are doing please.
Love you oodles,
Jina
Lesley wrote: "Hi Jina & Lola, I really feel for you having problems with Medical care. I hope things work out for you both soon.We complain about the National Health Sevice in the UK but at least it doesn't see..."
Dear Lesley,
Thank you for your kindness here and on Facebook. Your comments and caring makes Sarah smile which are rare these last few days. You are always so sweet. I hope all is going well with you. How's the weather there? Are you looking forward to Halloween, and Thanksgiving? I love Thanksgiving and even though Christmas stuff is already out in the stores, I dont like the think about Christmas until the week of Thanksgiving. In my family we celebrate Christmas at least 12 days after Christmas so if I was to start decorating or thinking about Christmas this early I would be burnt out about it by the time it gets here. I think each holiday should be celebrated on its own and receive the special recognition of its purpose without the next holiday overshadowing it. Do you have any special traditions or things you do this time of year to prepare for the holidays?
Love and Hugs to you,
Jina and the girls
Jina wrote: "Lesley wrote: "Hi Jina & Lola, I really feel for you having problems with Medical care. I hope things work out for you both soon.We complain about the National Health Sevice in the UK but at least..."
Dear Jina, We are doing reasonably ok at present, just the normal cold sniffles due to constant change in weather temperatures we are getting at the moment. One minute warm then cold & not knowing how to dress from one day to another. We cannot really complain about our weather here as luckily we don't suffer the extremes and dangers that you guys have in the USA. Hoping Paula remains safe from the fires. As we don't live near our Grandchildren we don't decorate for Halloween any more but it is becoming more popular here. Thanksgiving is also something we don't celebrate unless we have any American visitors, which sadly isn't often these days. We usually make more of decorating for Christmas and New Year's Eve with a tree and decorations collected over the years. I still have the tree decoration my parents bought for my first Christmas 65 years ago. We also go to the Midnight Service at Church on Christmas Eve. On New Year's Eve we always used to go to a party but now tend to have a meal with family as my husband Bob was born on 1st January. He will be 70 on 01/01/18. This year we will not be at home or with family as for the first time we are going on a Carribean Cruise, sailing from Southampton and then back. Bob decided that because of the loss of Mark and Judy earlier in the year he wanted to do something different. I was worried that John, our other son would think we were deserting him & his family but he said that we were to go ahead & enjoy ourselves & we will celebrate with them when we get back. I'm excited in one way but worried that I'll miss everyone & that we will feel worse than if we were at home. We will have to wait & see.
Hope the swelling in Sarah's leg is going down & even if you are feelng better, remember 'baby steps'. Love to you & the girls xxxx
Melinda wrote: "Jina,Glad that you are getting closer to answers.
I have added a photo of the cover of the first book I remember. My mom probably wishes she never heard of the book because for a couple years we..."
Dear Melinda,
So sorry I overlooked your post. I can understand and relate to the whole sick and tired of reading the same book over and over. My baby sister is 10 years younger than I and she had to have the same two books every night. One was a golden book about baby animals and the other was Uncle Wiggly. I saw a copy of Uncle Wigglys book shortly after her second son was born and sent it to her with a "babys first bible stories" book. She called me in tears she was so excited and said it was one of Lanes most special presents. I was glad I remembered it was so totally worth it.
I was born and raised on a farm in Nebraska. My Dad was out the door before dawn and home after the sun set. I remember making Dad a lunch and iced tea in a mason jar and riding to the field on my bike just so I could spend time with him. He would come out of the tractor or truck he was driving and we would sit on the tractor tire and talk and eat. He is and always will be my hero. A father daughter relationship is so special and I am so thankful he is mine.
Hows work? Any new hobbies?
Love and hugs,
Jina
Lesley wrote: "Hi Jina & Lola, I really feel for you having problems with Medical care. I hope things work out for you both soon.We complain about the National Health Sevice in the UK but at least it doesn't see..."
My dear little Sis, I can tell by the tone of your writing you are feeling better. That makes me so happy. The thought of you in so much pain was heartbreaking. And the news of Heather's improvement is wonderful. I have a smock pattern and if you will let me know what size (S, M, L,) I would be happy to make them for her. I have several pink fabrics I think she would love.
I hope Sarah is better soon. Unfortunately, patience is the most necessary skill for her at this time, and I know that is very difficult for someone her age. If she will keep it elevated and ice it regularly she will be better more quickly. My heart goes out to her. It was no fun for me as an adult, I can't imagine being bedridden as a young person. I used frozen peas as an ice pack. It worked well and didn't cause as much condensation as an ice pack. It also conforms well to the intended area.
As for my finger, it is better, not so sore. I will probably not get well until I can have it treated, but as you well know, not having insurance at this time makes it almost impossible to do anything about it. I started making a pillow for my future daughter-in-law's (Kimmie) mother's birthday. I will finish it today and then begin making the aprons. I am having trouble getting used to my moms' sewing machine. It is so much different than my old one but I will figure it out in time.
Dave is going back to work soon. He is still complying with paperwork and procedures for hiring. I think it is so dumb to lay people off, call them back in two months, and then go through the expense of going through the hiring process again. Just think how much it costs to go through that kind of vetting over and over again. Makes no sense to me.
Kimmie is doing better. She was able to pass the stone. We have both been dealing with upper respiratory issues. Hers has become productive, mine has not. I keep drinking water hoping it will break up soon. All I have wanted to do the past few days is sleep. Honestly, Sunday morning I woke up early and lay on the couch and fell asleep. I woke, turned on the car race, fell asleep, woke up to see the end, turned on the Seahawks game, fell asleep, and then woke up to the after game show. lol. Just crazy.
Our weather, like Lola's, is up and down. We were saying the other day it seemed to have changed overnight. It went from the 70's one day to the upper 50's the next and now we are in a holding pattern. I think Fall arrived overnight and decided to stay. That's okay with me it is my favorite season of the year.
As far as the photo's go, I certainly think you can do shots that will camouflage the cast. Maybe Little Bit could lay by her side and hide the cast. Or a shot next to a tree and shoot from an angle that only shows her upper body. It will work out fine.
Well, time to get productive. I hope you have a wonderful day. Please try to monitor your tasks so you don't overdo it. I decided while talking to my therapist, to get out the whiteboard and mark out three goals for each day so I don't over schedule my day but still feel productive. I am going to give it a try.
Bless you, dear Sis.
Give the girls a hug for me.
Linda wrote: "Lesley wrote: "Hi Jina & Lola, I really feel for you having problems with Medical care. I hope things work out for you both soon.We complain about the National Health Sevice in the UK but at least..."
Hi Sis,
Heather would wear a Large. Shes long bodied but thin. 5'4 and 130 average weight so a large would fit nicely over her camisoles, tank tops and tshirts she wears. She loves pink so that would be perfect. I can prepay you so you can get materials you need. I sew simple quilts but dont do real well with sewing clothes although my Mom is a master at it. Its a dying art and one day I hope to take some classes with my girls so they learn it too.
Love you,
Jina
Dear group,Just a quick comment. For those of you looking for Thanksgiving decorations, I found some lovely ones at Dollar General real reasonable. And some beautiful gold and silver Angels for a dollar a piece.
As we are impatiently awaiting Emily's next book, what are you all reading? I am rereading Emilys series as well as a Celtic history and myth, folklore and traditions book. I also got a Nursing manual and am studying that just so I can know things to look for and I feel it will help me ask appropriate questions when dealing with doctors no matter who is unwell. Knowledge never hurts anybody. The girls and I are reading Anne of Green Gables and The Discovery of Withches together. Although when I have to set aside The Discovery of Witches to tend to something, Sarah will pick it up and continue to read ahead. It touches my heart since she has a sort of fear/anxiety when it comes to reading. She hates she's not a fast reader and that her speech impediment is obvious when she reads aloud so she tends to avoid reading at times. Some letter combinations arent easy for her and her "r's" sound like "w's". I think its cute as can be. "Birdhouse" sounds like "boydhouse" and "rock" sounds like "walk". Audio additions of a book are a Godsend in her case since she can listen and follow along if she wishes or take notes. I wish I knew how to help her speech. She speaks better when she slows it down but she has always been "a mile in a minute and 10 things going at once" person.
I need to get Sam up to see if she's able to work today. She had a touch of a stomach bug yesterday so she couldnt work. Have a great day everyone !
Love to all,
Jina
Good Morning Lil Sis,I am rereading our series too or should I say re-listening (Tell Miss Sarah I love Audio books too!), I am up to Heartsong Cottage . I have found a new Author I really like ,B. J. Daniels she writes mysteries about Families and ranches in Montana ,it is fun hearing towns I know in the books , I like that her books are romantic without being overly graphic . I know when I have found an Author I like when I don't want the book to end, like Emily's .
I am in my get rid of clutter mode , getting the house ready for the Holidays . For just 2 people we sure make a lot of clutter! I cleaned out my spice cabinet and found stuff with a best by 2009 date lol. Wolf and I are going to go for a fall color drive on the next clear day, the colors are really starting to pop. We are going to take the back road trip to Bozeman , we found out they just opened a fast food restaurant that we haven't eaten at since we left Texas , over 25 years ago, "Jack-in the Box". So of course we have to try it out and see how much it has changed lol. Love You Lola
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY LESLEY BELL!!!! I hope your day was outstanding and as special as you are!Love you,
Jina and the girls
I join my voice with Jina's Happy Birthday wishes across the pond! Love Lola
Jina wrote: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY LESLEY BELL!!!! I hope your day was outstanding and as special as you are!Love you,
Jina and the girls"
Thank you Jina & Lola, It was an emotional day but lovely day. My 'hubby' bought me some lovely Pandora earrings & I received many birthday wishes and gifts. There is group of ladies I used to work with, who I meet up with about every 6 weeks for a meal & a natter. Well last night was our scheduled night & they surprised me with cake & ballons etc which was most unexpected but lovely. Tomorrow, Saturday, I am also going out for afternoon tea with my Sister-in-law & two of my nieces, which will round the celebrations off nicely. xx
lol Thank goodness for Google! Lesley I had to look up what "a natter" was! ,chatting. Love Lola
Lola wrote: "lol Thank goodness for Google! Lesley I had to look up what "a natter" was! ,chatting. Love Lola"Lol Lola, sorry I didn't think about you all not knowing what I meant. As you say, thank goodness for Google. Have a goo weekend x
Has anyone heard from Paula? I haven't seen a post from her for a while. Could be she does not have service. I pray for her every day. The wild fires are just terrible. So much damage has been done to that area of California. They must feel like they are living in Hell. God be with them and keep them safe.Just saw a post on Facebook. Paula is fine. Their area is still in much need of prayer though. A lot of damage to homes and lives turned upside down. A few deaths in her area as well. She said the wind is blowing southward away from them at this time but there appears to be devastation throughout the area. The fire is still not contained.
Dear Lord have mercy and take care of your people who are suffering because of this furious fire storm. Please reign down your mighty power on this area and calm the storm and cause the fires to cease their fury. Protect the brave men and women who are working to contain this fire and give them strength to complete the task. Heal your people Lord, and heal their land. Amen.
AMEN !!!!! Sweet Sister Linda! I have been checking her facebook good to hear they are ok! We will keep sending our prayers her way!Love Lola
Good morning, ladies. I woke up early this morning with so many thoughts going through my mind I just had to get up. I said a few prayers and feel better about things. I hope you are all doing well. We are doing fine. I am enjoying the cooler weather, although, the nights have become down right cold. My #3 son went to Costco last night and he brought me a warm fuzzy blanket. It was so nice and warm in my bed last night I had to throw off the covers for a short while. My boys are so good to me.
I went to Goodwill yesterday and found a drop side table I can use for cutting out patterns and a desk lamp to help my ageing eyes see what I am sewing. I talked to Dave and he is going to help me set up a sewing area so I can have all of my supplies in one organized place and be able to sew without bothering anyone else. We are going to go through the house and declutter. My, my, how we collect stuff. And every surface seems to become covered with stuff in record time. It needs to go to the Goodwill or to the trash heap. lol Look out boys, momma's on a roll. lol
I finished making he pillow for Kimmie's mom. It is not my best work. I had trouble with the sewing machine while sewing on the braided trim and it is not as clean as I would like it to be but the trim frayed and I can't fix it without removing it and replacing the whole piece of trim. I don't have anymore so it is going to stay the way it is and I will send it to Silvana with my apologies. lol I will figure out this sewing machine if it's the last thing I do. lol
I am going to make Lola's apron next. We will see how well I can do with that task. I have it cut out and ready to go so it should not take long. I will work on Heather's after that. I am getting excited just writing about it. I do so love sewing and creating lovely things for other people.
Well, I'd best get busy. Have a wonderful day everyone.
Peace be with you.
Linda
Hello, Friends...
I’ve not had a chance to catch up on all the news in the group but I want to thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers. Your support has been invaluable through this horrendous week. We are blessed and so grateful to be safe, but the areas to the immediate north and south of us, not to mention our beloved Napa Valley to the east, are devastated. Evacuations are still being ordered. It’s almost unfathomable. But we are safe and the immediate threat of a few days ago has passed. We remain on alert for new fires but the base camp for CalFire is nearby and we are well-protected.
Unfortunately I got sick on Thursday so I’ve been dragging myself around, mostly staying in bed yesterday. I’m on antibiotics now and should feel much better in the next 24 hours. The smoke is better and fortunately I don’t have any breathing problems or chronic illnesses—just a temporary setback.
And then there was an earthquake yesterday, which made us realize how “on edge” we are. It was only a 4.0 but the strongest one I’ve witnessed since I’ve lived here. The dog stayed in her kennel for hours. Animals are so sensitive and so smart! She knew what was happening before I even felt the jolt.
We are simply hoping for a quiet, uneventful day! I hope you are all planning to rest and recharge this weekend. I will catch up and reply to your other news ASAP.
P
I’ve not had a chance to catch up on all the news in the group but I want to thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers. Your support has been invaluable through this horrendous week. We are blessed and so grateful to be safe, but the areas to the immediate north and south of us, not to mention our beloved Napa Valley to the east, are devastated. Evacuations are still being ordered. It’s almost unfathomable. But we are safe and the immediate threat of a few days ago has passed. We remain on alert for new fires but the base camp for CalFire is nearby and we are well-protected.
Unfortunately I got sick on Thursday so I’ve been dragging myself around, mostly staying in bed yesterday. I’m on antibiotics now and should feel much better in the next 24 hours. The smoke is better and fortunately I don’t have any breathing problems or chronic illnesses—just a temporary setback.
And then there was an earthquake yesterday, which made us realize how “on edge” we are. It was only a 4.0 but the strongest one I’ve witnessed since I’ve lived here. The dog stayed in her kennel for hours. Animals are so sensitive and so smart! She knew what was happening before I even felt the jolt.
We are simply hoping for a quiet, uneventful day! I hope you are all planning to rest and recharge this weekend. I will catch up and reply to your other news ASAP.
P
Glad to hear you are safe but sorry that you are ill again. I'm sure the stresses of what is happening around you isn't helping either. Take care & keep us posted when you can. Hugs xx
Hi everybody!Linda, I would love to see pictures of your crafts. Whether its a work in progress or a pattern or cute material that you found. I think I am as excited as you are about your sewing projects. I just know you'll be a huge success and since its a dying art, I think you will inspire others to create as well as provide people with products made with love and tender care. I am so glad your kids are so good to you. Nothing much better than a cozy blanket, a good book and tea or wine or hot chocolate to sooth and calm a person. Thanks for keeping us updated about Paula and her area. I saw on Facebook that she marked herself as "safe" but I still worry. Continued prayers for her and her family until these fires are out.
Lesley, so glad you had a pleasant birthday. You deserve to be pampered and party a little. Or a lot!!! Lol What are you reading now? Do you have a special project your doing at prepare for your wonderful cruise that you will be taking soon? I know you'll have a fabulous time. Take lots of pictures to share with us. Is thereaany place the cruise is stopping at that is your favorite or that you really want to make sure that you see?
I haven't heard from Nelinda in a while. Has anyone else heard from her since she posted last time? I hope you are doing well Melinda. Check in when you can.
As for me, things are calming down here a bit. Sarah's pain is more manageable the last couple days. Sam is enjoying her work. She's doing real well and seems happier to be socializing with friends and I know she feels needed by her friend which is always a good feeling. I got some answers about my back and neck. I have spinal stenosis, degenerative disc and what the doctors say looks like old sports injuries that have arthritis. He also said I am built with a "forward" neck. He says its not entirely due to poor posture but even if I try to sit straight it wouldnt matter because my neck bones go forward. He said a posture bra would help and give support. Still no results from blood tests yet but I am getting a handle on whatever's going on with me.
I was thinking about Emilys book about the glasswork. I would love to see that done in person and perhaps make something myself. Its such a beautiful way of expressing your creative side. Is there something that you would have loved to study or take a class on? Is there anything you collect or would have a collection of if it was possible?
Take care everyone. Love and hugs to all,
Jina and the girls
Hi Everyone,So HAPPY to hear from you Paula !!!! Sorry you are feeling bad, Lesley is right all the stress and smoke are not good for you and boy do I know about smoke not being good for you, after almost 3 months of it this summer! You take good care of yourself ! We need you!!!!
Dear Lil Sis,
I am glad you are finally getting some answers about your health. The not knowing can be almost as bad as the problem . I finally talked to our friend, Arnold, about my mouth ,he said he knows the Dentist we started going to and really likes him. Arnold said he would start with him, and that he would help me through everything. He is such a sweet man!
When Jen was in High School Wolf's Mom took her to Germany with her and Jen got to blow glass ,she made me a beautiful blue and white swirled vase. She also bought me my first ceramic tea pot there and started my collection. I have some funny ones ,like a lady in a bubble bath and a dancer in fishnet stocking kicking her leg up, that is the spout. lol We also have a glass blowing shop right here in our little town. I haven't been in yet , I am going to have to get Wolf to stop in there, they have a sign saying viewer are welcome. I have always wished I could paint, tried many times but not my talent. I am really good with polymer clay but haven't done it in years. Love Lola
Linda wrote: "Good morning, ladies. I woke up early this morning with so many thoughts going through my mind I just had to get up. I said a few prayers and feel better about things. I hope you are all doing wel..."
Hi Sis Linda,
Seems like we are both on a declutter binge , it is amazing how much stuff 2 people can stack up everywhere! It sure feels good to get things straightened up . I bought a new sewing machine a few months ago and still haven't use it yet. It is totally different from my old one. I figured I would get to using it this winter when there is nothing to do outside . lol Almost there,but it has been nice the last couple of days . Wolf and I are going on our forest viewing drive tomorrow or Monday , the trees are really starting to change colors. I am so excited about the apron ,you will have to let me know how much I owe you and NO not free! Please take your time with it I am in no hurry! I want you to enjoy making as much as I will wearing ! Love Lola
I am listening to Heartsong Cottage and Brick just made his first appearance, he has been spoken about but never seen until now.Love Lola
Hi Everyone, Jina I had a lovely afternoon yesterday with my Sister-in-Law & Nieces. We had Afternoon tea at a lovely little place called The Stables not too far from we all live. The weather was very warm and unseasonal for October, a bit of 'Indian Summer' as we call it when we have good weather in October.In respect of Cruie preparations, firstly I'm busy trying to make sure all my Christmas Cards are ready to post just before we leave & family presents are bought & wrapped for family. Then I'm going through our clothes summer, winter and formal evening wear working out what's best to take to make the most different outfits whilst keeping packing down as much as possible. We will have at least 7 formal evenings in the 24 days we will be away & where possible I like to wear something different each formal night. Think it might be a challenge, lol. There will also propably be a couple of themed evenings; a Caribbean & probably a 60s/70s night. Tryinging to work out what to take to cover these possibilities - anyone any cheap ideas?
There's no one place on the itinary we want to see as we've never been to that part of the world before.
As far as reading, at the moment I'm reading 'The Italian Girl' by Lucinda Riley & Time Was/Time Changes by Nora Roberts. On my TBR pile I also have the Sign of Seven Trilogy by Nora Roberts.
Hope you are all enjoying your weekend wherever possible.
Paula - stay safe. Love & Hugs x
Lola wrote: "I am listening to Heartsong Cottage and Brick just made his first appearance, he has been spoken about but never seen until now.Love Lola"Hi Sis,
I have never listened to a book yet except for cds or cassettes in the car player. I have heard that books could be downloaded to mp3 players or kindles. Can you recommend a site or way to get a book downloaded so I could listen while doing housework or my cross stitch? Thank you so much for any advice.
Love and hugs,
Jina
Paula wrote: "Hello, Friends...I’ve not had a chance to catch up on all the news in the group but I want to thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers. Your support has been invaluable through this horrendo..."
Hi Paula!!!!!
We missed you!!!! So glad you are safe. I am so sorry for the devastation in your area. But, I try to look at fires as a Phoenix. That its somehow necessary for a rebirth and cleansing of an area so it doesn't go stagnant and nature can rebuild anew a fabulous landscape of new growth and a circle of life begins again. Thinking that way gives me hope. As a small child we went to Yellowstone on a family trip. I mostly laid down in the back window of the Mercury car we had. Fires had raged and the ground was black and brown and trees looked like burnt match sticks. I was sad and worried about where did all the animals go. The next year we went back and it was such a changed landscape. The fresh beautiful green, new trees were growing, and the animals were back. I saw squirrels, deer, bear, bison, and tons of birds. I was so happy to see it "pretty" again. My Dad pulled over at one of the scenic lookouts and let me hike a little and play in the grass. I can remember trying to catch a ground squirrel and my brothers laughing at me saying "you'll never catch it, you're too slow".
A while back I mentioned my all time favorite book Danielle Steeles Thurston House. I think you'd love it Paula. It has to do with the ups and downs of a vineyard, plus a love story.
I hope you feel better soon. With all thats going on around you I bet its hard on your heart both literally and figuratively. Are you able to write some? Please remember that we are praying for you and keeping you in our thoughts. How's your daughter and grand daughter? Write when you can. We are here whenever you need us.
Love you,
Jina and the girls
Ps. Heather is trying to design Diana Bishops "work area" /desk and what it would be like. Do you have any ideas or maybe pinterest dollhouse minis that would fit in with the theme? We have found some mini book sets at Michaels arts and crafts but haven't found a desk or other accessories to tie it all together. Any ideas will be appreciated. We are looking for pictures or a site to give us ideas. Dont go out and buy anything please.. The finding and creating is so much fun!!!
Dear group,Is anyone else plagued with weird dreams lately? I have had a dream of going through identity theft, then being a teenager again and my friends and I chased by kids who were our rivals in sports, then a dream of becoming a grandmother which was an absolutely lovely dream only to wake up and know its not in my future. My girls were advised that having children would not be advisable considering their genetics. Sam has told me that I am talking and crying in my sleep lately. I fell asleep in my glide rocker last night and Sam wanted to move me to the couch where I would be more comfortable. Evidently when she was telling me to wake up and move to the couch I guess I stuck my tongue out at her and told her she wasnt my boss. Lol Evidently she got me up and walked me the 3 feet to the couch and got me sat , laid down. I guess I said I was cold and she told me she was getting my covers and to chill. I told her I was chilled and need my covers. She tells me that I am exasperating when half asleep. Beats me I dont remember any of it. I guess I can be mouthy when I am asleep. Anybody else have weird dreams or do weird things in your sleep?
Love,
Jina
Lola wrote: "Hi Everyone,So HAPPY to hear from you Paula !!!! Sorry you are feeling bad, Lesley is right all the stress and smoke are not good for you and boy do I know about smoke not being good for you, aft..."
Hi Sis,
Heather, Sam and I are just starting to work with polymer clay. What things did you like to make? Anything you haven't made yet but want to? I look at clay ideas on Pinterest and it looks so much fun. I am also checking into crochet and knitting classes here. I can do the basics but I want to try my hand at more variety of designs. I love making things with my hands and with Heather helping it is great tgerapy for her contracted left hand. I also have a pattern book for making bookmarks on perforated paper that I want to try. So many things I want to do but not enough hours in the day.
Love,
Jina
Happy Belated Birthday, Lesley! Glad that you had a nice day.Glad that Paula is safe. Lola and Linda , I am working on decluttering. It is amazing how much we collect.
I ma trying to get so I can go back to doing my crafts . Getting there. Things have calmed down with the teaching and I HAVE HAD TO LOOK AT HOW I am handling everything. I know how to handle it but getting me to do so is harder . I have gone back to try your best , change what I can , and just turn the rest over to GOD and DO NOT TAKE IT BACK.
Glad that crafts are in the plans for most of you. Jna, you and the girls are in my prayers. You can get grandchildren in many ways. We know not the future or God's plans for each individual.
Keeping you all in my prayers. I check in but do not always write.
Melinda wrote: "Happy Belated Birthday, Lesley! Glad that you had a nice day.Glad that Paula is safe. Lola and Linda , I am working on decluttering. It is amazing how much we collect.
I ma trying to get so I can ..."
Hi Melinda!
Good to see you or rather hear from you. We've missed you. It seems everyone is in a declutter/ feng shui mood this fall. Its a lot of work but I am always satisfied that if we haven't used something then its good to passit on to soneone who can or will use it. How's the teaching going? Whats your favorite part or subject to teach? Do you have an age group you enjoy most? If you had anything at your disposal, what would you use to help personalize your way of teaching? Teachers fascinate me and impress me. I would be so overwhelmed thinking that I was solely responsible for the 20+ students in each class "getting it". However I love learning so I buy textbooks to read and answer questions. Mostly history, science and English. Math and I have a love hate relarionship. I am happy as a clam adding, subtracting, multiply and divide but when someone added the alphabet and tiny numbers (exponents) plus order of operation... I was well and truly lost. So, you're my hero! I bet the kids love you.
Love and hugs,
Jina
Jina,I teach at a community college. I love history but do not teach it right now. I am teaching Orientation which teaches the language ,resources and the culture of college . It also helps the students thru a process to decide on a major or a program of study. That is the first 8 week class as a semester is 16 weeks, I teach a 2nd 8 week course. The second class is College Study Skills. Try to teach the skills need to take notes,use your memory,how to read to study,take a test and how to adjust to different styles of teaching /instruction.
Jina wrote: "Lola wrote: "I am listening to Heartsong Cottage and Brick just made his first appearance, he has been spoken about but never seen until now.Love Lola"Hi Sis,
I have never listened to a book yet ..."
Hi Lil Sis,
I use Audible, it is part of the Amazon family , I think they still have a program where you can download 1 book free. I am not sure but I think you can buy & download right from Amazon. I use my iPod but I know you can download to all kinds of players .I have all my books downloaded to my Kindle ,as a back up ,and a friend of mine downloads to her phone. I find the iPod the easiest for listen while working. Love Lola
Hi group!!!!Random question: Do any of you all of a sudden get an urge to read a certain book? For instance: when I get tired of the cold of winter and its brown grass and no leaves on the trees, I get the urge to read Nora Roberts series Blue Dahlia, Black Rose and Red Lily. Its a wonderful series about friends, gardening, and a ghost mixed in. It helps me get over the blahs from winter. Today its very cold and rainy and I had the sudden urge to get out my Debbie Macomber Shirley, Goodness and Mercy books. I have so many books and series that I adored so I keep them in 5 big rubbermaids so when the urge strikes I can find and reread my favorites.
Also, what attracts you to a certain book? Is it the cover art, the summary on the back cover, recommendations from friends, what is it about a certain book that hooks you enough to buy it or check it out? Im just curious.
I hope everyone is having a great Monday!
Love ,
Jina
Nora Roberts has some of my faves , the ones you mentioned , Three Sister Islands, Inn Boons Trilogy,The Chesapeake Bay Saga, Irish Jewels Trilogy,Sign of Seven & I loved The Liar, I will be listening to that one again. I think I have more of her & Debbie Macomber's books than any others.Love Lola
I also read Nora Roberts, Haven't read all of the above yet but have the Sign of Seven Tilogy from the Library to read after I've finished Time Was/Time Change.Have you read any of the following by Nora, I really enjoyed them:
Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy, Guardians Trilogy, Bride Quartet,
Guardians Trilogy. I've also been catching up on some of Debbie Macomber's 'stand alone' books that I hadn't read.
Love & hugs Lesleyx
Jina wrote: "Hi group!!!!Random question: Do any of you all of a sudden get an urge to read a certain book? For instance: when I get tired of the cold of winter and its brown grass and no leaves on the trees, ..."
Hey Sis,
I love Debbie Macomber as well. She lives here, locally, on one of the islands in the Puget Sound. She has a big women's event every summer but I have never gone. She has also had dinner cruises. I love Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy. Such a fun read. I have been reading Cozy Mysteries lately. Hope Callaghan is one of my favorites. Barbara Hinske is also a favorite. And Abby L Vandiver as well. We have an Amazon Prime membership and all of these authors are available on the read free list. Some of them have special offers every now and then for .99 cent downloads to Kindle or other e-readers. You would have to check to see if they are available on Audible. I have never used Audible but I know there are quite a few choices on Amazon.
I usually read the book cover to see if I am interested in reading a book. Some of the books on Amazon have an excerpt from the book to read on the order page. I also look for authors I have read before. I tend to be a loyal reader of series. I like to get to know characters and follow along with their stories. Abby L. Vandiver is releasing a new series, " A Tiny Collierville Murder" this month. I am looking forward to it. Her last series "The Logan Dickerson series" was fun.
It is cold, windy and rainy here today. It is going to be this way for a while so I may as well get used to it. As long as I don't have to get out in it I really don't mind too much. It is much better than the excessive heat. UGH! We very rarely have snow here. I kind of miss it. I prefer it to rain.
I had better get busy.
I will check in later.
Love ya
Linda
I went to the free clinic. They didnt have the equipment to do xrays so I didnt get answers about my back or hip. They took lots of vials of blood and are sending them off to Labcorp for results. They want a full blood panel and some other tests done. I have to go back next Sunday for the results. They are also checking to see if I have diabetes or hyperglycemic (which would explain the dizzy spells,temporary loss of sight, and ringing in the ears. But there are other illnesses that could cause those too. I am glad that I am one step closer to having answers. Thank you for your prayers and support.
Love and hugs to all,
Jina