Good morning All. Coffees on.

[Jani]

7 hours ago, JennaLSinclair said:

But I'm out! I came out to my work. I actually came out to Secretary Pete in front of all of my work colleagues.

Congratulations! 

[Willow]

Good morning everyone 

 

Not too long ago on Facebook a friend posted about her father and all the wonderful things he did with her and taught her.  My reply was to say how my dad didn’t do much of anything for me.  Not even things he did for my sister or a friend of mine.  I tried and tried but unless it was solved by $, he would find someone else to do it.  He bought me a ball glove, but never once did that glove catch a ball thrown by him.  I wanted a dog, he got a friend to bring him a hamster for me.  He was a world champion shooter, but he got others to teach me to shoot.

 

But I was reminded of something more important than all of this that he did teach me.

 

to do things with my family, camping, biking, shooting, baseball and softball, hiking in the woods and teaching them about the world around them.  I’m not patting myself on the back, I’m just saying no matter how bad a parent you have, take something from it.  Don’t treat your kids the same way you were treated, treat them and everyone else with love and respect.

 

thank you to everyone for wishing me a happy birthday.  We spent the day just the two of us but it was a good day.

 

hugs

 

Willow

[Mmindy]

9 hours ago, JennaLSinclair said:

I'm out! I came out to my work. I actually came out to Secretary Pete in front of all of my work colleagues. But that's another story. I'm out at church. Which is very important to me.

It's still morning where I am Jenna,

This is a great update, and you look wonderful.

 

Hugs,

 

Mindy

[Mmindy]

7 minutes ago, Willow said:

Don’t treat your kids the same way you were treated, treat them and everyone else with love and respect.

Good morning  Willow,

This is something I repeat to people when parenting is brought up.

"My parents were better parents, than my grandparents, my wife and I were better parents than our parents." I'm extremely proud of our children. Because they're better parents than we were. Love and respect have to be part of the guidance, as we teach our children, and grandchildren to be independent.

 

Hugs,

 

Today's coffee was Hot, black, strong, and needed.

We rearranged the home office so I could see the Winter bird feeders, and now I'm getting cold.

 

Best wishes to all,

 

Mindy

[Mmindy]

It's 12:00 noon, and I'm still tired.

[Hannah Renee]

3 hours ago, Willow said:

 ...I'm not patting myself on the back, I’m just saying no matter how bad a parent you have, take something from it.  Don’t treat your kids the same way you were treated, treat them and everyone else with love and respect.

 

With respect to the second sentence, my mother treated me and my three siblings - especially me - rather poorly. None of us kept up with her much in adulthood. I moved away from her and my siblings at 13 to live with our dad. 'Tis why I avoided having children until I was 50, when I was "certain" I wouldn't be like her.

 

She did, however, if even accidentally, I still in me a love of different types of music.

[Ivy]

Off to our family Christmas gathering today.  I might spend the night, just have to see about that.

My son was up all night smoking pork shoulders.   It's kinda nice when the grown kids take over these things.  

[Willow]

It is Saturday morning for most of us. For some of our friends it’s afternoon and for some others, it is Sunday morning.  
 

but all in all, my coffee is good and today I need to make bread.  I ate the last of what I had last night.  I’ve walked our dog had my shower and I’m working on prepping our kitchen.  But I was interrupted by a hot flash. When I get them I “glisten” like crazy about my head and neck.  
 

it’s calming down so I can get back to bread making.  I’ll let you know when to stop by to try it.

 

Willow

 

 

[Mmindy]

2 hours ago, Ivy said:

It's kinda nice when the grown kids take over these things.  

Ivy, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas with your family. Yes, it's nice to see your children becoming adults, hosting the family gatherings, so all we have to do is sit back, and love what we see. The only downfall is the leftovers.

 

25 minutes ago, Willow said:

It is Saturday morning for most of us. For some of our friends it’s afternoon and for some others, it is Sunday morning.  

Good morning Willow, it is really great to realize that we're a global forums here.

 

Mindy

[Bri2020]

I've been off line a bit so missed some important things here:

@KymmieLmy heartfelt condolences. Words just fall short in times like these. 

@JennaLSinclairYou look amazing! I know this has been a tough year so I am happy to hear you are doing well. (we need to go shopping sometime GF!)

@WillowHappy Belated Birthday!

 

Not much to report in my life these last few days.  I'm pretty much back to life full time. I feel like I turned a corner in my post op recovery last weekend and can now wear most clothes without discomfort and get through my day pretty easily. I'm back working a normal schedule.  I still have to choose my sitting surfaces carefully though.  I'm down to a twice daily dilation schedule which has been life changing in terms of my daily schedule. 

I got good news from my accountant this week. The businesses are going to show a profit on paper for the first time since covid!  We've done fine over the last few years since the covid PPP program threw us a lifeline but due to accounting rules it looked like we had lost a lot of $$ in 2020 and those losses rolled over into last last year.  It wouldn't have bothered me except it made me look poor and I couldn't get a mortgage when I separated from my wife and wanted a new place. Apartment living is kinda a downer when you are trying to sell real estate. lol.  ANyways, the short of this is that I will qualify for a loan this year so sometime in May/June I will be buying a condo or townhouse!! My plan is to live there for 3 years while building up the real estate biz. Then if things are going well I have my eye on a small townhome that has water frontage on one of our lakes here in town. I will rent out the condo. I don't care about a big house, I care about morning coffee on the patio looking out over the water or even better, taking the coffee out on a kayak and drinking it on the water. This view from a house sold this summer is my inspiration.

[awkward-yet-sweet]

Spending most of today in bed. One of my partners is really sick.  When we woke up this morning, she was freezing cold.  She loses body heat even during simple illness like a cold, and she was nearly hypothermic. 

 

I put her in a hot bath for a while, then back to bed.  It took over an hour to get her to stop shivering, and I had to carry her as she felt like she was going to pass out.  I'm wrapping myself around her since I have a high metabolism.

 

Now I'm trying ying to find movies with decent subtitles.  We don't watch much video here....but not much else to do in bed.

[rachel w]

Hello every one    I have some good news but first the month of nov. started out not good for me ICU for 3 days then 2 more in reg room had 2 blood clots in lungs 1 in left leg.  the good part was i made piece with myself while in the hospital and let go of my guilt from when my wife of 36 years passed away in april of 2021 and then came out as a transgender woman just in this past week my oldest sister finely accepted me for me it was great, then i called another sister and we are going to meet up at my place in 2 weeks awesome. to top it of my friend took me out to lunch today i was Rachel  it was so much fun had no problems that was awesome to, I just feel so dam good right now i wanted to share. also my granddaughter is now chris and is non binary thank you all for being here

[Willow]

The weekend is winding down.  We took a day off and just veged.  My daughter gave me a Suzuki method for piano book for my birthday.  If you are unfamiliar it is heavy into teaching kids strings.  But the piano book follows the same tunes.  And since I’ve heard them from my younger granddaughter I am familiar with them.  I’m done with twinkles right hand and just starting twinkles left hand.  Then you put them together.  I never was much good at reading base clef so this is a bit of a challenge.

 

i had a good time at our Christmas party.  Saw people I haven’t seen in a couple months.  I find more and more people know who I am.  I get hi Willow from people I don’t even recognize.

 

one last thing, at my recent therapist appointment we got on to the subject of all the acts of violence real and threatened recently.  I mentioned that it concerns me as there have been several threats in this area and more than just threats in Wilmington.  Here they stopped a drag show by protest not violence.  My therapist suggested that I should have a means of protection with me at all times.  Said even he does.

 

well dinner is about ready

 

until tomorrow 

 

Willow

[RhondaS]

Had occasions to wear a bra and makeup that wasn't totally low key for 3 straight nights (that time of year, but first 'that time of year' for me since covid helped crack this egg). Sat in so much traffic to wrap up the third night that I had that 'can't wait to take this bra off' milestone. 

[Ivy]

4 hours ago, RhondaS said:

Sat in so much traffic to wrap up the third night that I had that 'can't wait to take this bra off' milestone. 

I don't often wear one anymore.  When I first started it made me feel good to wear one.  But they're not that comfortable when it comes down to it.  I don't really need it for support since I'm not that big.  And as long as I have a couple layers of clothing, nothing is exposed.  In warm weather I do wear it when out and about, since there are not more layers.  However, I would not feel comfortable topless.

[Billie75B]

On 12/8/2022 at 7:11 AM, Willow said:

Good morning everyone 

 

thank you all for the birthday wishes.  Funny, I don’t feel any different.

 

@Billie75B yesterday was my injection day.  I forgot.  Perhaps that’s why I don’t feel any different.  I’ll have to be sure to do it today..  

 

warm with high overcast expected temperatures in the 70s.  Our weather guesser predicted January 12 for snowflakes.  Then admitted it was just a number pulled out of a hat.

 

well we have to go back to Charleston for a follow up to my wife’s appointment on Monday.  So far she is quite disappointed with the results.

 

Willow

@Willow LOL I almost forgot to do my injection Friday night, remembered when I was about to get in bed.              also happy late birthday wish.

[Billie75B]

@JennaLSinclair Congratulations on your coming out at work and your church. That is a huge step, I came out at work in September and like you said about feeling of hitting a wall I was the same way but since coming out my whole world has changed to where I now feel free.

 

Hugs Riley.

[Willow]

[KymmieL]

No activity since Monday. This is for us to talk about anything.

 

Well things are still up in the air, since my brother in law passed. 10 days after my father in law. My wife has been trying to get her inheritance. I was to be split between her and her brother. Now she has to take a certified death certificate to the bank in Ft.Collins, CO. To prove my brother in laws death. Then they have to send it to their legal dept to sign off on. But mother nature is a real witch and right now most roads out of town are closed because of the weather. 

 

That is only one of the problems. When my in-laws divorced my mother in law got the family home. She put it in my wife's youngest brother name. My mother in law passed in 04, my brother in law passed in 16. My recently deceased brother in law never put the house in his name. SO we have to play circus and jump through hoops to get the house in my wife's name. So we can sell it.

 

We all took our bereavement leave next week. So we can go back to MI to get the things my wife wants from the house. Without the inheritance we cannot afford to go back. Fun on all sides.

 

Work for me has sucked. Even being assist manager I get no respect. It seems like I am stuck with the closing shift. While out new assistant (about a year with the company) has the day shift and makes the schedules.

 

I am either stepping down to a driver position or looking for other employment. maybe both. Time will tell.

 

Hugs,

Kymmie

[Ivy]

When My mother passed, I was executor.   It took a little time to get everything straightened out, and in her case there were no complications.

[Marcie Jensen]

@KymmieLI'm sorry you're having to go through this. It's a really stressful situation. You will be in my prayers.

[Willow]

Good evening

 

i see the snow is falling, Christmas must be near.  
 

that’s always difficult to foretell here where there is snow ever so rarely.

 

Willow

 

[KymmieL]

Now my wife wants to wait. She couldn't take my advice about the possibility it could be bad. She was told by a friend of hers it could be dangerous. So she decided that we are not going to Michigan next week.  We are not even going to our oldest sons this weekend. I don't get it. I try and tell her we could get stuck with closed roads or worse. Yet, doesn't listen. But she listens to a friend. I guess that my opinion doesn't matter to her. Now it is happening at home in addition to work.

 

Friday after I get me recertification of my bi-pap machine. We will head to Ft. Collins to try and take care of the inheritance.

 

Kymmie

[Willow]

[Mmindy]

Good afternoon everyone,

 

@KymmieLI'm sorry your travel plans were changed. We have a young friend who is attending college in Billings, MT and she was wanting to drive back for Christmas. Looking at the weather forecast, caused several of us safety minded elders to advise her on the need for Winter Survival Gear requirements. This was also followed up with recommendations to resist the urge to drive, stay there and we'll mail you your Christmas gifts. Well just minutes ago she sent out a text saying that she will not be driving anywhere. We're all sad, will miss her, but it's the right decision.

 

@WillowI think everyone enjoys Complimentary Coffee.

 

Hugs,

 

Mindy