My Sanity Needed Vents

[kayc]

We need snow but not here, up higher in the mountains, at the ski resort would be good.

[kevin]

What a change in weather...Minus 40 to Plus 40 , that is 80 degrees F over 10 days.     Planning outdoor BBQ on Tuesday....Winter will return I'm sure,  but not as severe as mid Month....

[Margm]

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.  

[kayc]

Ours was 56 yesterday, unreal this time of year but will snow Thursday night on...roll with whatever comes, I guess!

80 degrees is a LOT!

[kevin]

What is causing your power problems Kay? Wind and Rain....Our weather is normal  or above for next two weeks...Bought garden stuff today, family thinks I'm jumping the gun.......

[kayc]

I didn't have power issues here but in a nearby city there was a huge ice storm that affected Eugene, Springfield, Marcola, Dexter, Pleasant Hill, Cottage Grove, it shut everything down! Trees came down, it was dangerous to be out, no one could walk or drive, basically everything shut down!  Never been anything like it in our history!  My daughter and her BF couldn't go to work for five days!  He finally got his truck fixed after everything opened back up.  Amazingly, we were left unscathed up here but we were shut off from the world, no internet, phones, cellphones.  Cellphones wouldn't give any credit even though the towers were down.  None of the credits equalled the disadvantage though.

Getting snow today on, supposed to be a mild winter except here the next two months.  Praying the power holds.

You may be jumping the gun but if it gives you hope, what does it hurt!

Got my well head covered with an insulated wooden box and painted, gravel put around the sides.  Now waiting for the well people to come back out and bury the electrical line but it may not happen until Spring, they haven't answered their phone or email or texts for four weeks tomorrow.  I was lucky to get them out just before the ice storm hit!

[KarenK]

Marg, are you floating away? I saw the floods in New Orleans on the weather channel. What a mess! Supposed to rain here for the next couple of days, but nothing like that.

[Margm]

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.  

 

[KarenK]

So proud of you, Marg! I knew you would do great.

[kayc]

Marg, wishing you the best as you heal.  dim the lights in your house if possible, wear the shades they give you to wear.  Shouldn't take long and you'll be healed!

I have two friends in California affected by the severe rainstorms/flooding, one seemed to be getting through okay but haven't heard from her in a day, she made it to work, hope she made it home okay.

The other is getting the flooding, waiting to hear if it's affected her home, a day ago no but she couldn't go out, praying it starts to recede soon!

Good to hear from you, Karen! Sometimes I think you're the smart one, living where you do!  Unless your A/C goes out in the summer, ugh!

Getting snow this week, hoping not much.  We've had quite a couple of months, never knowing what to expect, blizzard, high winds, branches down, well going out, illness, injuries, dogbite, severely bruised arm, all the time something.  Hoping to have a good week but supposed to snow tomorrow, hoping not much.  Winter it's go with the punches.

[kevin]

I'm in the Q for cataract surgery...Wait time is at least 4 months...I told them I am available for cancellations.....Marg how is your sight?

[Margm]

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.   

[Margm]

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.” 

[KarenK]

Marg, that is a book I won't forget, unlike the multitude of serial killer books I usually read. I chose it for the Alaska location and it turned out to be so much more than I expected. I'll be reading her other books when available.

I remember one fellow in our group of friends who returned from Vietnam as mean as a snake. He had been a Green Beret and became a wife beater. Those of us who were safe at home can't imagine the horrors that were endured. My ex and his cousin joined the Coast Guard in 1963 at age 18 and missed the draft. I guess that was a good thing.

[Margm]

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.  

[Margm]

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.  

[kayc]

I've seen some spring wildflowers out as well, but it's snowing this morning!  Will see if it sticks, it may.

[kayc]

Hi, Karen!  See your name as online.

[KarenK]

Hey Kay! I just stay logged in as I check the site a few times a day. I'm usually awake until 6 or 7 in the morning. Was thinking about Gwen last night, how we would talk in the wee hours. Sure miss her and hope she is okay. Guess we'll never know.

[kayc]

I know, I think of her often too.  Makes me wonder if she still has that woman there and she's keeping her from communication with the outside world or what.  I don't trust her.  A nursing home would have been better imo.  I checked death notices when looking for her...nothing. 🙏

[kevin]

Winter cold returns today, Plus 50 yesterday and _-15 today and next 7 days.....But very little moisture in forecast....

[Margm]

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.  

[kayc]

That is so cold, Kevin!  We're going to get slammed with snow starting tonight, Friday will be really bad, Sat, on.  I will miss a memorial I really wanted to go to.  Hoping this won't be all month!

[KarenK]

You're looking at snow. I'm in 80 degrees. Go figure!

[kevin]

I shoveled the walk and driveway to get rid of the first 6 inches....Its light and fluffy so I'll repeat again in the morning..My area needs the snow for the agriculture...Appears the Ground Hog was right, another month of this...