Margm

It seems like when we lost Gwen, the voices seemed to fade. Getting old really is not for sissies, according to Bette Davis, and me too. Gwen was a stark out bitching female we were all pulling for. I hate it if someone took her voice away from all of us. But, I'm also hoping she is not hurting like she was. We all worry about the creature she was turning her life over to and hope she does not control our Gwen. And with this site, we just never know. We are here. We are heard, but we are still anonymous. And then we are gone, somewhere, and it seems another friend is lost. That is how it is. I guess that is how it has to be. So many, the young lady from Spain, I think. Another in a war torn country, had lost her husband to war and was trying to keep her son safe. Gin in Chicago. Karen in Arizona. A retired teacher in the mountains of Arizona, think he is/was with another member from "across the pond." I hope it worked out. The rest of us, we hang on, all we can do.

Kevin, it was Billy's favorite. We knew it was made probably all in beautiful Canada with Canadian actors. We found it years ago. We watched it until Billy was gone, and since he had loved it so much, I felt lost watching it w/o him. You are right though. It is one of the most wholesome TV shows around, and I think it is still around so many years later. If anyone can find it (we have it on the USA TV's), so if you want something interesting, follow this family for years. My favorite was the "grandpa."

Why would you "catch it" from so many people? Maybe they feel awkward that a lone woman will have to shoulder so much work. Looks like someone would have asked to help you. Heck, I get people trying to take my groceries into my apartment, help with them at the car, people asking can they help all the time. I don't need their help, but I decline graciously, and tell them I still can carry things. I think maybe their conscience is hurting them if you "catch it from so many people." Reminds me of the song "I am woman hear me roar." (Not the name of it.). You sound terribly self-sufficient, and you expect the kind of treatment you deserve for being one little woman doing a monumental job.

Well, after reading this, I'm not sure if the weather/snow/cold/exertion will either harm you, kill you, or make you stronger. I know the anger is not good for you. Believe me, I go through with it. (Just the anger, not the exertion). Stay as safe as you can and realize people don't do unto others the same way you will help them. Makes it harder to help yourself. Stay inside as much as possible.

We have storms predicted, but since I rent an apartment, it does not worry me much. Too old to shovel anything. These won't be ice storms though. Have been running A/C.

I do not like tornadoes and sometimes too much/too little rain, but I do not like snow like y'all get either. Guess that is why we all live where we do. We get used to whatever problems the weather provides. I rode a straight road (well, there are curves) to across the Arkansas line this past week. It is a good road. The beauty of it is that it is old homes (lots of new ones too close to town), but mostly for 50 miles is old farmland. Actually, the people who own it now, or once owned it were all my relatives, and they were farmers. Houses are far between, but in the distance are old fruit trees and other things that were planted many years ago. They are blooming now. All along the roadway were the yellow daffodils and the white and yellow other bulbs flowers that had been washed from old homeplaces down to the highway. It was a most beautiful drive, peaceful, no traffic ever, and because it is home, I would not trade it. The mountains were exciting, the lakes, rivers and streams were beautiful in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and miles of endless nothing but probably wheat in Kansas. But we had four eyes enjoying all this. I enjoy seeing things close to home, but I don't venture out more than 175 miles from home anymore. We all get used to the heat, cold, snow, wherever we live. Because it is home.

To quote Bette Davis "Old age is not for sissies" and I don't know if that is word for word.

Gosh Kevin, it is good you know about all this stuff. I just learned how to set the time on my car. Billy did everything. I looked down, punched a button and hey, I know how many miles are on this vehicle. Good luck with your tires. We've got cool days and coldish nights. You all stay warm. Karen, stay cool. I know it is a broken record, but I wish we knew where Gwen was. I hope she is not hurting.

Someone wrote this, and it is true.

For your section of Canada, that is a very big plus. Okay, doc says my vision is good enough to not wear glasses period. I don't like no glasses, but I bought a pair of Polaroid sunglasses tinted dark yellow. Perfect. I go back down to my #1.50 reading glasses. I honestly could not tell that big a difference until he had me reading lines I almost guessed at. Tiny letters. So, Kevin, after a month of drops and complaining, I guess it is worth it.

It was a record, supposed to be another record today. Humidity is thick. This is Louisiana. Gotta go to eye doc this morning and I am doing southern flatlander sweating, after shower. Sorry Marty, I love your dad's sweet sentiments, but this ole gal just plain sweats. EVERYTHING is blooming. This is our "first" spring. We still have some more winter to go through before we hit our real spring. Oh yes, A/C working.

It is now 88 degrees, a record high for this area in February.

I won't ever make it again, but condensed milk and snow makes the best ice cream. I know I've said it on here a hundred times. Billy's favorite. I'd get it out of the truck bed and one time put many bags of it in the freezer. Put it in the blender with a little more milk and the frozen is ready again. There has to be something good about snow.

I'm sorry Kevin, we have an apple tree on the corner of the apartments in full bloom and the tulip trees are losing their flowers. It is cold, near freezing at night, A/C in the daytime. Hey, this is Louisiana, the swamp state. We have plenty of creeks, streams and bayous in the northern part of the state, but we have hills to climb and red rocks in a lot of the area. The swamps are further south, although we have one that is on the northwest of the state, I suppose named for the Caddo Indians, that has lots of swamp. They film many movies there. It is beautiful. I hope this "false" spring lasts all the way till the real one begins. We have all the daffodils blooming too. In my memories on Facebook, Billy and I are walking Arkansas's dirt roads nearly every day. Now, I think "a hill to climb" would be too hard. What a difference 10 years make.

It is a hurt that never heals. We just get older. Thinking of you on this date. I'm sorry any of us have to be here. It is a safe place to voice our pain.

And lots of happiness on this February day.

I saw what I will call buttercups yesterday in our first "false" spring. Not my picture and might not be the name of the flowers. Let's just say spring yellow flowers. I know we are not through with winter yet. This is flatlander Louisiana.

Actually our "insurance man" had been a Green Beret also. We did not follow him all the years, but he admitted to having violence as a partner. I feel for his family and all the young men who hid in the hills and mountains because of the unwelcome coming home experience. This man had been a good man (in the book), but glad the mother protected her child.

Karen, I think you recommended a book to me. I read "The Great Alone" by Kristin Hannah last month and enjoyed it very much. It was sad, then happy, sad and finally a bitter happiness. It reminded me of a man we met when we lived in Texas. He was an insurance salesman and had just returned from the Vietnam war. He admitted to us that his wife would wake him at night because he was attacking her. The man in this book had been a prisoner of war for many years and his little brain was turned to mush. I felt so sorry for the family, and just like a mad dog, the time came when he had to be put out of their misery. So sorry for our Vietnam veterans who came back to a country that had turned against them for fighting in a war they were made to go fight by the thing called "the draft." We met some of these veterans in our RV travels and we as a nation did them such an injustice. It brought to mind a quote by Edward Abbey: “The tragedy of modern war is that the young men die fighting each other - instead of their real enemies back home in the capitals.”

Well, right now, I'm not sure how much better my vision is. I have been driving w/o any trouble for years. After Billy passed, I got a new pair of glasses and because his glasses were relatively new, I wanted to use his frames. They told me I had the beginning of cataracts then. That was some over eight years ago. I am a reader. I read eight books in January alone. With my Kindle at its largest lettering, I was having no trouble. But, in my mind, I figured it "was time." I have the (can't think of the name) vision loss to blindness in my family. An aunt went blind, but was in her 90's. Night driving quit over eight years ago. If I had the lines on the roads, I was okay. Louisiana is not known for their great roads. But seeing oncoming cars lights bothered me, so I quit driving at night. Still, no trouble during the day. In my mind though, my greatest fear was being unable to read, so I went to two ophthalmologists. The first one was over 73 years old. The service was terrible, and I am a very patient (patient). I am always nice to the service people, but five hours was entirely too much time to wait for service when I was the only patient. I called Medicare, the main provider, and they said it was my right to go for a "second opinion." When I was a transcriptionist, I typed more than one Dr. Lusk. Now, the sons are ophthalmologists also, and I got one of the youngest. We also have an office here where I live for the follow-ups. The drive to their own hospital is almost like going to Texas, going through two busy interstates to south Shreveport. Kelli (who has too many health problems to mention) was determined she was going to take her Mama. She did, both times. She drives in Shreveport all the time, I can, but I sure do not like to. Long story. I love writing long stories. I actually do not know if I can see better yet. I'm still using the drops 3 times a day (two different kind). I wear the dark glasses if I go outside. I suspect there is still some swelling. The first surgery right eye was a breeze, but I am a "wuz" and kept telling them I was still nervous (wanting IV drugs). They do not give you the IV until the doctor walks in the room. I saw beautiful lights, felt nothing, never felt like I was "out" at any time, but they slosh your eyes with so many liquids, you know they are deadened. Beautiful lights. They put a sticky mask on one side of your face with eye part exposed. This may just be the method these/this doctors use. My left eye supposedly had a much denser cataract. I was aware of what he was doing and still no pain, but the lights were not as pretty. And once he told me about a stick that might hurt, it didn't. So, I didn't have as good a time with my second. But can I see better? Because of the numerous drops, I really cannot tell. My friend last night said she had just undergone laser surgery because hers had grown back after about 10-11 years. (I am late in life getting this done). I will tell you after the right eye, the next day I made a 100+ mile round trip driving by myself, with my dark glasses and thought I could see better. I think the swelling just has not gone down in the left eye. I've mentioned before, my grandmother had said if she could not read, she would just as soon die. That is why I had the surgery. They offer different lens put into your eyes for up to $2000+ per eye, understanding your insurance won't cover it. I just wanted the most basic, just to be able to read until it is time to go. Hey, I'm back, I wrote another word salad. Sorry Kevin. Simple answer is I don't know if I can see better yet. I have to use three weeks of drops. I will do it so I can keep driving and reading. I have heard high praise for the surgery. Right now, with the swelling still, I'm glad it is over with.

Oh, we are used to rain. No road closures in North Louisiana but the bayou's are overflowing, just not over the road. I think California is supposed to get a lot of rain too. Just had my 2nd cataract done, lots of bright lights, but no trouble. Don't want anymore snow. Y'all take care.

Winter temperatures changed for massive rain in Louisiana. Now, if it only does not freeze. Too much flooding already, more rain expected. Temperature is 44 right now. Glad your temperatures went up. I'm tired of winter. Warmer temperatures have brought out blooms on fruit trees and others. Not big blooms, these will freeze off.

Weather extremes cause pandemonium in the south. Sharp drops in temperature and then flood rains, very warm temps (today up to 66) can cause tornadoes. One year in the 1970's, down the street from where we lived in the neighborhood of the city, a tornado blew a cinderblock into two little girls' bedroom and took out both of them. I hate fickle weather, wish it would just stay cool. Not freezing.

I'm doing weather like I do politics, trying to ignore. Enough rain to cause flooding in all "streams, creeks, bayous, and rivers". If it freezes, we can ice skate to New Orleans.

One reason I love Louisiana: We had our frigid few days. It has been cold enough that the ice is not gone in some shadowed places. This week we will have rain, temps up to 66 degrees. I might take a shower.