January 2020

Well, so here we are. 2020. I do like writing 2020, almost as much as I liked writing 2000, back when Y2K was such an issue. Can you believe it has been 20 years since the start of the new century? We are a fifth of the way through the 2000s already. Time flies.


We began the year with the carpenters working on our hay building this afternoon. Two days in a row they have showed up! At this rate we may get the building done before the end of this decade!!

I was going to ride Ivan this afternoon, but since the guys showed up, I didn't want to risk being a spectacle. They were working in the arena where I would have ridden. And the wind was howling, it was very chilly, and who knows how Ivan would have reacted to those guys swinging boards around.

Donnie goes back to work tomorrow. It's been nice having him around the past couple of weeks. Only 4 weeks until his knee surgery. I hope we can get all he wants to get done before then. He won't be moving very fast after that for awhile.

Hello all,

I wrote a long note yesterday and must not have hit "send" for it to post. Par for the course I guess. December has been really rough for my family and from what I read it was pretty rough for many of you too. I'm really hoping 2020 is better than 2019.

I can really use your help right now. My brother is in a rehab facility because he had a below the knee amputation (I told you December stunk.) I have rented a recliner chair for his use from Rent A Center as the facility does not offer them to their residents. This is a short term lease while he is in the rehab center. The chair is normal height, but low enough it is hard for him to get out of. I would like to raise it about 3 inches. Normal chair risers will not work. I'm thinking of some sort of block. Any suggestions?

Indy, can you rent a lift chair? Those have a motor that raises the chair and helps the person get up. If your brother is on Medicare, they will help pay for a chair that he could also use at home.

ELLEN, that of course would make sense. However, my bullheaded brother has not yet accepted the fact that he is going to have to make major changes. "Lift chairs are too slow" is the current complaint. "I can still get up if the chair were just higher" I'm also just trying to quickly fill an immediate need on the cheap while his wife gets her act together to actually find out what the insurance is going to cover. Because she is too 'stressed' with everything I had to come up with something for him to sit in other than the very uncomfortable bed on short notice over the holidays. The recliner from Rent A Center was the only affordable thing I could come up with on a Friday without having to wait until Monday for delivery only to find out it's hard for him to get out of. I'm now committed to the recliner for a month. Hopefully by then his wife will have been in contact with the insurance company so we can come up with a long term answer. Nothing is ever easy.

Oh gads, INDY.........I don't even know what to say.....you're in a real fix........Can you pad the chair with a pillow to make it a bit higher? It sounds like your brother is being belligerent despite all the
help you're trying to provide..........I hope a solution is found soon. T has problems with being very weak,
but, he never gets angry. We'll get through this INDY all in God's timing.......sure not sure how, but we
will get through.

Sounds like you're rolling along with your hay shed, ARK..........good news.

Happy 2020 to all and God bless.........

INDYAPP:
Would it be possible to put the chair on a raised platform, maybe made of 2x4s and plywood? It might have to be bolted on to keep it from sliding. I hope you can find a reasonable solution.

GRAYMARE:
Is Terry home now? You and he sure had a hard holiday season....


We are in for a few days of rain. The hay building guys were here for 5 hours today and made some progress. I doubt they will be able to work for a few days until the big rainy system gets done with us. It's going to be Mud City by Saturday night.

Hello everyone.  Life has been a whirlwind of one disaster after another during the week of Christmas.  2 deaths, 2 surgeries and a daughter to the ER in the ambulance, admitted to ICU and is still in the hospital. 

2020 has not started out very much better either.  Gemma has the flu, gave it to Stacy and Bailee, Trina had to fly back to Florida for her mom's funeral (she died on Christmas morning) and she also has the flu.  Other than that our Christmas was uneventful.  LOL LOL  Gotta laugh or I would be crying everyday.  

One great note my friend Karen had a MRI and her brain cancer is under control.  No new tumors and the old one is dying off (thanks to the Neptune Helmet).  She still has to remain on chemo and wear the helmet for a year. Praying for 2020 to b a turnaround for everyone who has been having trouble in their lives. 

My friend sent me a manta to hold onto for 2020.  "This is the year I will be stronger, braver, kinder & unstoppable.  This year I will be FIERCE".  I'm sharing it with everyone I know.  

Ace is still with us, slowing down and full of lumps but still thinks he is a puppy and we play everyday.

Even when I am missing from the forum, I try to keep up with what is going on with my horse buddies.
Love & extra prayers for everyone...

Trudy, with all that has gone on with your family, the coming year just has to be better. How is your daughter doing? Is Gemma settling back into feeling safe?

Christmas is officially over. I took down the tree. Yesterday, I took off all the ornaments and put away the fragile ones. Today, I took the tree apart and put it in the storage tubs and then into the little storage area. Tomorrow, I'll run the vacuum and it will be DONE.
I keep wondering why I do it. But, when the tree is up for Christmas, I like it. A lot.
It was a very nice Christmas and I enjoyed all of it.

TRUDY:
Wow. I would not do well with all the stress you are going thru right now. I hope everyone in your family, and your friends, all recover and do well very soon. And take care of you!!!!


ELLEN:
I love having the Christmas decorations up, but am not too unhappy when they are all put away. This year we put them away in record time. Congrats on getting your much more complex Christmas tree put up and taken down!!


Donnie got his yearly physical today, along with a tetanus shot. His arm is sooo sore! Thursday he meets with his knee surgeon, that should be interesting.

My hay barn builders are having a spat. I may lose one of them....sigh....It will be so great to get this thing done and over with.

Snow predicted for here tomorrow morning...1 to 4 inches. It won't last long, Saturday we have rain and 65 degrees predicted. We aren't getting any snow to speak of, so far, but the rain has been frequent lately.

I haven't watched any news on the fires in Australia since I saw a sobbing lady walking away
from her horses and dog on a beach...........she got on the boat........I can't imagine..............
Pray for Australia..............there were several in the same circumstance................

And America.................

Incredible video!

Hope this goes..............

Sorry............oops

I heard that they have been arresting quite a few people for arson, some intentional, some accidental. I just don't understand what the intentional arsonists must be thinking. Those are the ones who need to be locked up for a long long long long time.

Yesterday, I met friend Sherry at a restaurant about half way between us. We hadn't seen each other since before Thanksgiving, so we gabbed for more than three hours. For a part of that time, we were the only customers in the place, after lunch before dinner. Of course, we got all the problems of the world completely solved.

This is the time of year around here when not too much is going on. I think I'll start shopping (not buying) for Christmas next year. I liked being ready for Christmas two weeks early. Sometimes I watch QVC or HSN for ideas.
I have also discovered that my Amazon Fire Stick has some good TV options.

Where'd everybody go?

Still here, ELLEN! Just busy, busy getting ready for Donnie's surgery. We are rearranging the bedroom and installing some things to make it easier for his recovery. He had a couple of doctor appointments this week, so the countdown is on.

GRAYMARE:
How is Terry doing? Is he still in rehab? Hope the shingles have gone away...

We got 4 inches of snow, but is melting off and will be gone by tomorrow when it hits 65 degrees. I have been slip-sliding down the hill and having a good time using that wheelbarrow. It has 2 wheels, which are great until you have to move it thru snow or mud.

I spent an hour brushing horses before the snow storm to make sure everyone was nice and fluffy to stay warm. They are now covered in dried mud. So much for fluffiness. It hasn't really been terribly cold anyway, they are fine.

The carpenters come and go. Both are here today and Donnie is off work this afternoon, so things are happening again. They should have the rafters done this afternoon.

T is still in rehab...........BORING................he's still too weak in his legs.............SHINGLES are a bad thing, for sure.

ARK, hope your building is soon finished................DONNY, hope your knee is a breeze

Prayers for ALL.............

My phone keeps croaking on me. I use hubbys phone a lot now. He is home from knee surgery...grouchy...but aluve!
Prayers and good vibes for one and all.
May 2020 be a better year for us all.

CB, I hope the grump feels better soon and won't be so grumpy.

Overnight, the rain changed to snow. We have just enough snow to make a mess.

Guess it's a stay home day, ELLEN.......at least you didn't get a bad storm.............Glad for that.

My friend's new house is almost ready.......she's one week away from moving in. Ellen, it's about
like your house which is what made me think of it. She's very excited. It's on a golf course with
small ponds instead of a lake and then she has a summer home in the mountains............

Nothing new here in the "hood"..........horses are out & happy.

Everyone check in please..........

Have a good day and God bless.

GRAYMARE:
We had a terrific storm last night. It lasted a couple of hours, lots of lightning, thunder and horizontal rain. My barn was wet about 8 feet into the front areas. I had a fun time scraping up bedding and horse manure this morning, getting it all cleaned up. The barn didn't flood, the rain just came in under the eaves and soaked everything. Daisy and ponies were dry in their stalls, but I bet Ivan and Areion got a bit wet. Anyway, it's all cleaned up and the sun is shining, the day is beautiful and looks like spring, it's going to be 61 degrees.

ELLEN:
Glad you didn't get those storms. I bet the lake is interesting during a big storm. I had a dog and two cats sitting next to me during the storm, like I could do something about it.

CB:
How long did they keep Harry in the hospital after his knee was operated on? I hope he is feeling okay. Donnie isn't looking forward to the procedure.


We have two guys here working on the hay building this morning. The main one doesn't seem to have any difficulties finding sidekicks. Keeping them seems to be his problem. This new one works at Chick-Filet during the week, but says he can help on Sundays.

16 days until Donnie's knee surgery....

Hi all! Checking in and it has been far too long. Not sure when I posted last but lots of changes in the last year. I’m writing this from Puerto Vallarta where we are vacationing for two weeks. First time I have been in this part of Mexico and Jim’s first time in Mexico at all. I’m getting to refresh my Spanish.
Now that Mom is at the nursing home we can go places together and have been making up for lost time.

I read back over December and January. So sorry to hear of so many difficulties, illness and partings. Life can be so hard to bear at times.

Wishing everyone the very best new year, health and unity to all

Nancy

Hi Nancy Lee..............great to see you and so happy for you & Jim that you're in Mexico........
ARRIBA!!! Enjoy and check in again soon.

I hope everyone is doing well..............

God bless.............

Hi, Nancy.  Always good to see you checking in.  

Graymare, I hope TL can kick the shingles SOON, and start getting stronger.

Perma-gloom is in full force around here.  In the last week, we've had about 10 minutes of partial sun.  This morning its so foggy I can't see across the lake.  There's nothing much going around here, so the weather is the topic of most conversations.

Indy, I stole your word for the gloomy weather. Perma-gloom is so appropriate for this time of year.
How is your brother doing?

Hello everyone.  Life has settled down to a mild roar here in PA.  All the surgeries and sick family members are on the mend.  The weather has been great up until today, snow arriving today and tomorrow.  Temps in the single digits.  YUCK...Life has gone back to a nice boring January.    Thank God...I couldn't stand another month like December.

PA has really been hit hard with the flu this year.  Meadowbrook school is closed today so they can disinfect the building.

Last Saturday I went a 50th wedding anniversary party.  Hard to believe I have friends who have been married 50 years.  Guess I am older than I thought.  LOL

I had planned on attending a movie at church tomorrow but with the bad weather arriving I think I'll stay home and bundle up and read a book.

I put the blind kitty in the basement so she doesn't freeze, she doesn't click with the feral barn cats, they don't allow her in their space.  Poor kitty...who throws away a blind kitty?  It's not her fault, she was someone's house cat I can tell by how she acts. She is starting to trust me a little.

Stay well everyone.  Love & prayers...