Quick Updates from the Moderators Showing 2,201-2,250 of 2,648

[Brandi]

My parents bought a top french door and drawer freezer refrigerator. They love it and I do too. If you are talking a side by side one were the freezer is on one side and fridge on the other, not a fan.

[Lola]

Thanks Brandi, Yes the one with the big refrigerator on top , I have a side by side now and do not like it. Trying to put big things in are almost impossible. We are going to go looking today. Love Lola

[Melinda]

I agree with Brandi. We have a side by side that I tried to talk my dad out of. Mom and I do not like it. We kept the old refrigerator in the garage and it is a bottom freezer. Hope you find one that you like. Keep us posted.

[Lola]

Hi,
Well I bought a Samsung ,I have a Samsung washer and dryer and have had no problems with them. I love all the space and not having the ice maker in the door, this one has a bin in the top drawer in the freezer. I got the reg. stainless steel , they had the black at the store but I like the reg. better. It will be here Monday, so this weekend we need to get the really old frig out of the garage. The side by side will be moved down there.
I worked cleaning out part of the garden yesterday almost 60 deg. , today we drove home in a blizzard , it is snowing so heavy I can't see past my backyard. Ah the wonders of spring in Montana! Love Lola

[Melinda]

Lola,
Glad that you got home safe. At least you know Spring is here so the snow will not last as long.

[[deleted user]]

Hi, Ladies -- Happy Friday. I'm really looking forward to the weekend, not because Ray is on call, but because we have NO plans, no commitments, and I need that. The last two weeks have been chaotic between work, travel, and Ray's schedule. I need to do some cleaning around the house and work out some stress.

I'm in the strangest mood - my heart is not in reading. I can't get into anything I've tried to read, not because the books aren't good, but I can't seem to stick with them long enough to "lock in" to the story. I wonder sometimes if we are so inundated with new releases -- all over social media -- that we reach a saturation point without even realizing it. I've had "dry spells" before but this one is lasting longer than usual - hence no comments on the thread about First Kiss of Spring.

Spring is strange here - inches of rain, then wind, then frost warnings, then 80 degrees - all in the same week. Today is beautiful so I'm going outside to rejuvenate.

I hope you all have a very pleasant weekend.
Paula

[Jina]

Hi guys,
Lola, I bet the amaryllis was gorgeous. Paula, sorry about the strange weather. The poor plants dont know what to do. I know what you are going through. I love love love reading and books and new releases are like chocolate to a chocoholic to me, but I cant get into a book. First off I have tons of interuptions and illnesses going on in my house. I told myself that on Sunday I am going to devote 3 hours to reading and writing. Hopefully I will get back in the groove then.
Sam gave me a scare last week and went into the hospital by ambulance. She had the flu and was passing a kidney stone at the same time and the white part of her eye got bloodshot and her face started getting peticial hemmoraghes. She couldn't hold her head up so I called 911. She came home the same day. A couple days later it was me in the ER. It was my back. They did a MRI and my spine had shifted since the last mri that was done in February. The nerves going to my leg and the ones that control bowel and bladder function are pinched severely.
A friend of ours got in a motorcycle accident and was hurt badly. He isnt out of the woods yet. He broke his collarbone, his shoulder blade his ribs front and back on his left side, a punctured lung, ruptured spleen and road rash. He was so lucky. He had trauma to his heart from the force of the impact. I went to see him a couple times. He is a good kid and used to be Sarahs best friend. They never dated but they loved each other fiercely. They were too young to feel such powerful emotions and stay together. Anyway, he is going to make it and for that I thank God.
Im sorry I haven't been on. Prom took up a lot of time. The girls were gorgeous and they danced with their Daddy. Heather lasted a little over an hour and then she was tired and wanted to go home. Thank you Linda for the box of goodies. Heather wore the scarf you sent. Maybe you seen it in the pictures on Facebook. We got lots of pictures and video of the dance. Even Sarah and Heather danced together and then the three of us danced and we finished up with Michael and Heather dancing to I hope you dance by Leann Womack and then Sarah and Michael and she picked Daddys little girl by Tim McGraw. I thought they'd pick My Wish by Rascal Flatts or Humble and Kind by Tim McGraw. Anyway it was a night to remember.
Love to all,
Jina
Ps. I hope Spring has finally sprung and we all can get some sunshine and daisys for the next little while.

[[deleted user]]

Wow, Jina, as usual, you have been running circles around the rest of us, some good (prom), some not so good (hospitals). I hope things stay settled down this weekend and that you get the reading and writing time you need. And Lola - I have appliance envy, as we have more than a few refrigerator issues, in addition to a double oven that's been broken for a few years now. We keep thinking we'll get things replaced, but because the kitchen was custom built around those appliances, it's harder than it seems - we would actually need to remodel half the kitchen to replace the ovens, and modern refrigerators won't fit in the cubby where the old one sits. We have a compactor that doesn't compact, too. LOL. I'm still hopeful that we will get to the point where we have no choice, which is usually when Ray makes a decision.

I'm printing out the last edited draft of my manuscript so I can work on revisions - but just uploading the draft into Scrivener (my writing software) is going to take a couple of days because of formatting issues. I'm not even sure it will work, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

As for reading, the mood is just...GONE. For the first time in years. I'm going through something that hasn't identified itself yet. But this, too, will pass.

It's gorgeous today - in the 70's, near 80. Tomorrow will be rainy with a high of 55. And so goes spring in California.

Laters, everyone
P

[Linda]

sorry I have been MIA ladies. I have the mysterious rash again. This time it is covering my chest neck and traveling up in my facial area. I went to the walk in clinic today. It was beginning to appear on my back, arms and side by that time. She put me on prednisone again, this time a larger dose, and by this evening the swelling in my face was going down and the itching is calming down. I go to the dermatologist on Tuesday. So far there is no clue to what is causing it to appear. This is the third time this year. I just want to know what the trigger is so I can avoid it at all cost.
I am exhausted so I am going to bed. I will catch up with you all later. Just wanted you to know I have not forgotten about you.
Love, Linda.

[Jina]

Linda wrote: "sorry I have been MIA ladies. I have the mysterious rash again. This time it is covering my chest neck and traveling up in my facial area. I went to the walk in clinic today. It was beginning to ap..."

Hi Linda,
Have you been tested for lupus? Its just a thought. Something you can rule out and check other illnesses that show up as a rash , swelling etc...
Praying for you.
Hugs,
Jina

[Lola]

Hi ,
Sorry everyone is ailing ,my knee is much better but I still have to take it easy. My neighbor's sister is moving into a new place this weekend and needed a frig so off went our old one in the garage ! Funny how these things work out. My new one is due tomorrow , I can't wait! Love Lola

[Melinda]

Lola,
It good that the old ref. has a new home.

Keeping all of you in my prayers. Glad to hear of some improvements.
Jina,
You always have things going on. Glad that the prom was good for the girls.

Paula,
In time, reading will come back. Sometimes when a lot is going on, your mind is just busy.

[Lesley]

Jina wrote: "Hi guys,
Lola, I bet the amaryllis was gorgeous. Paula, sorry about the strange weather. The poor plants dont know what to do. I know what you are going through. I love love love reading and books ..."

Jina, Sounds as if the girls had a wonferful prom & they both looked beautiful. Thank you for posting the pictures.
I know it's easy to say & also that you are busy with the girls, but try & look after yourself. xx

[Lesley]

Paula wrote: "Wow, Jina, as usual, you have been running circles around the rest of us, some good (prom), some not so good (hospitals). I hope things stay settled down this weekend and that you get the reading a..."
Paula, the manuscript will work out eventually but it's frustrating for you when everything takes so long & you are busy. Take plenty of deep breaths.
I know what you mean about reading, I've had the same problem recently but I seem to have got the mood back to read, since we came home from France at the weekend. Perhaps it's because it's easier to read than do the washing & ironing & putting away of the things we took away. xx

[Lola]

Yahoo !!!! I got a new Frig , OMG all the space I have now ! It is so neat looking, will have to post a photo. Love Lola

[Lola]

Hey Ladies,
I was just about to go out and start working on cleaning out my garden, and was wondering , do you have a series you re- read almost every year? I listen to Nora Roberts Three Sister Island every year when I work on my garden ,the one year I didn't I had a lousy harvest. So now I read it every year , I don't want to piss off those 3 witches!!! lol Love Lola

[Jina]

Lola wrote: "Hey Ladies,
I was just about to go out and start working on cleaning out my garden, and was wondering , do you have a series you re- read almost every year? I listen to Nora Roberts Three Sister I..."
Dear Lola,
YES!!! I re read Three Sisters Island each year too. The girls are so different but they compliment each other very well and her "Blood Brothers " trilogy is similar to that . I also re read "In the Garden" trilogy, "the Chesapeake bay series I love how their family is scattered everywhere but they come together to raise a brother. I also love Robyn Carr's Virgin River series. Usually I re-read the first three. Fern Michaels Sisterhood, Debbie Macombers "Blossom street" series, "India Ink" series by Yasmine Galenorn, and Juliet Marillier's Daughter of the Forrest" book. It has several books in that series but I love the first book the best. My husband Mike says I need new copies of certain books because I have read them so much they are falling apart. Lol I love to read. I have to get rid of some books but I am having a hard time letting any books go. He doesn't understand how a person could love to read. I told him that a good book pulls you into their world and you are part of the story, the people in the story become like friends and when a new release comes out it's like visiting old friends again.
Be right back, hubby needs something from the store.
Hugs
Jina

[[deleted user]]

Hi, everyone -- The last week was incredibly stressful, work-wise, and I've been absolutely swamped. Everything got pushed to the weekend, which was packed with errands, and laundry, and two trips out of the county to take care of "home stuff." I managed to write a couple of chapters before the wave of assignments swamped me, so that was exciting. The work itself is anything but - if you've ever dealt with federal grants and government paperwork in general, you know what I'm talking about.

I'm more likely to re-read favorite books in the winter than the summer, but I'd love to read the original Eternity Springs series again - books 1-10. Right now I've got a stack of unread stories on my Kindle, and there are a few that have been on there so long it's embarrassing. Plus, I'm just now coming out of a reading slump, so I need to "wake up" and deal with a few books that I've agreed to review. I downloaded them today.

Ray and I are taking a "road trip" in May to meet Sarah and Layla in Colorado for a few days, so I'm looking forward to indulging myself as we cruise across California, Nevada, and Utah. That will be a great chance for some re-reads.

Take care and have a good week, everyone.

P

[Melinda]

Lola,
I reread Robyn Carr's Virgin River series, Emily's Eternity Springs series, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and The Porter Family Series by Becky Wade. I usually reread them when I hit a rough patch or when the weather has me down.

Jina,
Hope you and the girls are feeling better. When do you have surgery, Jina?


Jina,
I understand about the books. I have had to clean out some books so I have space. The books are going to the loan library at a local hospital . I have looked at the books and think do I want to pay to move that book. If the answer is yes, it stays. I will probably always keep my Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series and my books published between 1860 and 1940 as well as the old history books. It is hard to let the books go but I have had to let go some series that started out well but went down head .

Paula,
hope things slow down a little at work.


Lesley,
What are you reading?

[Lola]

lol Sisters , We are so much alike it is scary !!!! I just started rereading Virgin River a couple of days ago. Can anyone answer a ? Which series has the kooky shrink that thinks he was abducted by aliens , I was thinking it was Virgin River but now I don't, maybe it's Robyn's other series.
Paula, Do you listen to books ? I can't read books while in the car, makes me sick to my stomach. So I listen instead. Oh I am loving my new Frig even Wolf can't believe the room ! I love not having to stack things on top of each other! And the pull out freezer is great , I like not having the ice maker in the door.
lil Sis, I hope you are doing better as Melinda ask when is your surgery?
Love You All ! Lola

[Lesley]

Hi, Ladies, l don’t usually have time to re-read books as like Paula I have so many unread books on my e-readers. I have just finished reading Family Gathering, the third book by Robyn Carr in her Sullivan’s Crossing Series and started Emily’s Season of Sisters which for some reasons I hadn’t read.

[Jina]

Dear group,
The surgeons next opening is in June. But my primary care doctor and my pain management doctor all say that my spine needs surgery ASAP. I am losing feeling in my left leg and the MRI I had in the hospital last week showed that my herniated disc and spinal stenosis has gotten worse since the one 2 months ago. Those 2 doctors want me to have surgery immediately. I am kind of scared. I shouldn't have looked up the lumbar fusion surgery. Tonight my back is bad. For example I bent over to put something in the garbage and the pain hit me and I couldnt straighten up for a few minutes, then later I was walking to the refrigerator and I got such a bad pain from my spine down both legs and up to my head. I froze, I was afraid to move. I tried to finish putting my foot down and the shooting pain came back each time I tried. I finally decided I wasnt going to stay like that and slowly put my foot down. Sam was right there and she grabbed my arms and put them around her neck, she helped me to my recliner and heating pad. I dont know what to do. Any advice is welcome and appreciated.
Love to all,
Jina

[Melinda]

Dear Jina,
When I was really sick , an older Dr was on call for the group and I was having to make the decision for surgery or not - The Dr asked me " Do you like how you are living and feeling right now? If so, I can tell you it will get worse without help. We can help you fine a surgeon and it will improve your ability to do things but in the end it is up to you?
You need to have confidence in the decision and the doctors as well as talk to Michael.
I will pray for you to be able to reach a decision and to feel God's peace with it.


You have determination and something to fight to get better for so that will help.

I will pray that you will find what ever help you will need as well as help f the rest of the family especially the girls.

Wish I lived closer.

[Lola]

Holy Crap!!!! Jina find another surgeon who can do this now or have your Dr. call and plead your case to that Surgeon ! Thank Goodness Sam was there ,what if you had fallen. I have never had spinal problems so have no way of knowing what you are going through. Please take care of yourself ! Know I Love You ! Lola

[Lola]

Hi All,
I was listening to Virgin River and the people from Robyn's earlier series ,Grace Valley were coming up in the storyline . So I decided to reread that series first before finishing Virgin River , and sure enough the shrink I was wondering about is in that series.lol Love Lola

[Melinda]

Lola wrote: "Holy Crap!!!! Jina find another surgeon who can do this now or have your Dr. call and plead your case to that Surgeon ! Thank Goodness Sam was there ,what if you had fallen. I have never had spinal..."

I agree .

[Melinda]

Lola wrote: "Hi All,
I was listening to Virgin River and the people from Robyn's earlier series ,Grace Valley were coming up in the storyline . So I decided to reread that series first before finishing Virgin ..."

I thought it was in a Robyn Carr series but had not checked it out yet. thanks .

[Lesley]

Jina, you’re Dr needs to find you another Surgeon STAT. Take care, sending love and hugs x

[Lesley]

Melinda you will love Robyn Carr’s Virgin River Series. She also did another similar one which I cannot remember the name of but I think one title was Thunderpoint. I’ll check and let you know.

Update: The Series is called Thunder Point and there are 9 books the first of which is called Wildest Dreams. x

[Lola]

Hi All ,
Happy Birthday Melinda !!!!!
The one I was thinking of Lesley is Robyn's Grace Valley series it is set in the same area as Virgin River but is earlier than Virgin River. There are only 3 books in the series.

Everyone keep my Boob's in your prayers ; D lol, I go in for my Mamo or Boob squeeze as Wolf calls it, today. Love Lola

[Lesley]

Lola wrote: "Hi All ,
Happy Birthday Melinda !!!!!
The one I was thinking of Lesley is Robyn's Grace Valley series it is set in the same area as Virgin River but is earlier than Virgin River. There are only..."
Lola, Will keep everything crossed for you.
I've also read Grace Valley & Virgin River Series
Happy Birthday Melinda x

[Melinda]

Thanks Lola!
I have read Robyn Carr's Grace Valley and Virgin River series so that is why I thought of her.
Thunder Point series sounds good ,Lesley . I will put it on my list to read. I missed it somehow.

[Lesley]

Melinda wrote: "Thanks Lola1
I have read Robyn Carr's Grace Valley and Virgin River series so that is why I thought of her.
Thunder Point series sounds good ,Lesley . I will put it on my list to read. I missed it..."
There is also her Sullivans Crossing Series which currently has 3 books.

[Linda]

Hope you are having a wonderful day, Melinda. Many blessings for you.

[Melinda]

Lesley wrote: "Melinda wrote: "Thanks Lola1
I have read Robyn Carr's Grace Valley and Virgin River series so that is why I thought of her.
Thunder Point series sounds good ,Lesley . I will put it on my list to r..."

Thanks ,Lesley, Thanks for the birthday greetings.

[Melinda]

Linda wrote: "Hope you are having a wonderful day, Melinda. Many blessings for you."

Thanks for the birthday wishes, Linda.
Had a nice day. We had to postpone our going out for dinner to today as Dad had dentist problems yesterday but is doing better today.

[Jina]

Melinda wrote: "Thanks Lola!
I have read Robyn Carr's Grace Valley and Virgin River series so that is why I thought of her.
Thunder Point series sounds good ,Lesley . I will put it on my list to read. I missed it..."

Happy birthday. I am sorry I am late. I hope you can enjoy your birthday dinner on another day. Be good to yourself!
Hugs,
Jina and the girls

[Melinda]

thanks for the birthday wished from you and the girls ,Jina. Our dinner was very good. hope you are having a good day and feeling a little better.

[[deleted user]]

Hello, it's me again, and long time no see...

My laptop crashed last Tuesday and I just got it back today. I know there are authors that say they write entire novels on their phones, but I am not one of those people. I hate using my phone to type anything longer than a text message or a list.

They had to replace the entire "shell" of my MacBook, including the display itself. But I always buy the extended warranty and this time it saved me $695.

And then - brace yourselves - I came home and dropped my iPhone in the toilet. Yes, the toilet. Without a second thought, I froze in complete shock right before I plunged my hand down there and pulled the thing out. Then I started laughing because, frankly, what else are you going to do in a situation like that?I ran into the kitchen and wiped it down three times with Clorox towelettes. And it still works. (But if it quits tonight I will NEVER tell Apple what I did.)

Melinda --

I am SO sorry I'm late with birthday wishes. It's been a wild week and I lost track of time and date.

Jina --

I had spinal surgery 5 years ago for compression of my spinal cord that was causing numbness (I broke my foot twice in three weeks because I couldn't feel anything and kept twisting my ankle). My issue was with my neck vertebrae. When your spine is as dangerously compressed as that - and yours sounds worse than mine - you have no choice. My doctor told me that I shouldn't even ride in a car with a spine so compressed - a car accident could have paralyzed me, even a minor one. So get your doctor to pull strings and have that surgery scheduled as soon as possible.

In other news...

My ex-husband, Sarah's father, passed away on Friday. She is as devastated as you might expect and it's terrible to be so far away at times like this. He lived in Nevada and had a long history of cancer. However, he was very well-known in Virginia Beach, where he lived until he retired, and I'm sure there will be a memorial service at some point. Sarah got the message that he was near death, so she called her step-brother (from my ex's third marriage). He held the phone up to her dad's ear so she could say goodbye and tell him that she loved him. Less than fifteen minutes after she called him, he passed away. I told her I was sure he was waiting to hear from her. My poor girl.

What I didn't expect was how I'd react. How many memories would come flooding forward, how much I'd cry, how numb and hollowed out I'd feel. Our divorce was not the friendly kind, it was brutal. The end of our marriage was something out of a dystopian novel. But, regardless of how it ended, I lost a piece of my life that day, too. And like with the other deaths I've experienced, I have an acute awareness of his absence, as if the world changed.

I've been losing myself in some dark books with difficult themes. Nothing I could recommend in this group, but a very cathartic experience. Surprisingly, as dark as the stories were, and as taboo as some of the subject matter was, the themes were deeply moving and in one case, literally life-changing. It's hard to explain, but it dealt with the issue of anger with God, and it opened my eyes in a way that I didn't expect.

So...there's the good, the bad, and the ugly of the last week. Please keep me posted on your news.

Hugs,
Paula

[Lola]

Good for you Paula it never hurts to get your hands dirty lol aren't we glad they invented Clorox wipes ! I am so sorry for you and Sarah , we all here, know about loss, don't we girls, maybe a little too much ! He was the Father of your precious Sarah and your Love once . So of course it hurts. Wolf and I are getting to that age when you start worrying about what happens after one of us goes . After watching a Great First Lady's service last week (Yes that said from a member of the other party ,She was a Texan after all )it makes you think ,married, what was it 73 years, wow! Longer than I have been alive and I am old lol.
Hell I can barely read the messages on my phone much less try to see to type lol. Love Lola

[Lesley]

So sorry you and Sarah are hurting. Hugs.x

[Melinda]

Paula,
My sympathies to you and Sarah.

[Melinda]

Happy Birthday, Jina!

[Melinda]

Paula,
I have enough trouble typing on the computer forget the phone.

[Linda]

Hello Ladies. I will be brief as I am on the road traveling to Oregon to be with my daddy while his care taker is on vacation. My son Joseph (#2 son) is with me. I'm sorry for your loss, Paula. I will be praying for you and Sarah. Jina, I hope you have a lovely birthday. I have been thinking about you and praying for you.
Well better go Joseph is waiting on me. Love to you all.

[[deleted user]]

Happy birthday Jina!!

And thanks you all for your kind messages.

Safe travels, Linda! I’ll be thinking of you and your dad.

Paula

[Lola]

Happy Birthday Little Sister !!!!!! Love Lola

[Lola]

HI Linda,
Please be careful on the road! Give your Dad a big Hug from me ! Love Lola

[Jina]

Dear group,
Paula, I am so very sorry for your and Sarah's loss. I understand what you are going through. My divorce was brutal too. The marriage was brutal which made the divorce brutal as well. When he passed I cried too. I hope you and Sarah find peace.
Thank you for the birthday wishes. Im sad to say it's been one of the worst days of my life. My Sarah Faith and I had a argument on Saturday. She was in a rage over my not letting her get her drivers licence. I tried to explain to her that since she has health issues and faints regularly that she cant get her drivers license, not to mention my car insurance company would not insure her and said that when she does go 2 years with a major fainting episode that her insurance would be extremely expensive. She told me she was 18 and could do what she wanted, etc... she screamed at me for 5 minutes or more and I finally said shut up Sarah. She told me to f-off and that she had a mouth and could say and do what she wanted and that I was a b-tch and I could go f-#+ myself. I smacked her like you do when you wake someone up who has fainted or when (in this case) someone is hysterical. She took off down the driveway and yelled f!_# you. I thought she was walking it off. An hour later she comes in the house acting like nothing happened. 10 minutes later she announces that she is going to spend the night with Cass. I dont know this friend of hers, where they live nothing. So I chased after Sarah and there was a white jeep parked on the road. She ran and got in it and took off. She didnt come home. Today I was notified this morning when I took her bookbag, and heart medicine, and anti depressants and antibiotic to school hoping she would show up at school. She showed up allright and asked me what the hell I was doing there and she was coming between 6-6:30 tonight to pick up her stuff and she was bringing a sheriff. There was a message sent to my Facebook messenger from her account but I could tell Sarah did not write it. She was demanding TVs, computers, my new tennis shoes (the only ones I have she has 5 pairs. Anyway, I spent my birthday packing up Sarahs personal belongings, getting emails from my Mom and my brother to state that the tvs, computers etc.. were bought and given to be used only in my house and she wasnt meant to take them. So I have cried all day. I ask for prayers for Sarah that she be safe and hopefully not taken advantage of. I do not know where she is or who she is with. This pain in my heart is as bad as when Heather had her heart attack and laid in a coma for 3 weeks.
I am sorry I have neglected you all and not posted anything the past few days but I feel like I aged 20 years.
I love you all and will message more later.
Love always,
Jina

[Jina]

Ps. I normally wouldnt air my private "dirty laundry" or drama thats this bad here but you alk have taken the girls and I and made us your family as I feel the same towards you. If Sarah should happen to contact any of you for money or anything like that, don't send it to her. I am quite sure someone is manipulating her and I dont want to enable her.
Love,
Jina