CalicoKitty

MarysWetBar Actually my colonoscopy was a piece of cake. Once you finish the prep, the rest is easy. You sleep, you wake up, you go home and eat lunch. I've had two - 10 years apart- and had a different prep each time. But both times it is a very easy test. Thinking about it is the bad part.... Good luck!

EMMA, I used the DNA kit from Ancestry.com. It uses a little less "spit", and was therefore easier for my elderly parents. We did have a good laugh doing the test.

Zoomama, Genealogy is my favorite hobby (and passion, I guess). I have my dad's family traced to the 800's, but my mom's family is pretty much a mystery. I think a lot of the records were destroyed during the war. I did do the DNA test with each of my (elderly) parents, and it was very interesting. My mom's parents were both born in Germany, so she always thought she was German. Turns out her DNA shows 75% Eastern European. Polish--yep. German, not so much. I did my DNA to see how much of what I got from each parent. That came out pretty much as I expected, but it is fun to know for sure. My dad's family is much easier to research. So far I found 5 Mayflower passenger lines. I have found interesting items in old newspapers, too. Oddly, I love looking through old land records and vital records. That is my idea of the perfect vacation!

Several months ago I adopted a kitty from animal control after my big boy cat had a stroke. I still had my little calico girl, and the two cats get along very well. Maise the calico is the smartest cat I have ever had. Lilly the shelter cat------is not. She is by far the dumbest cat I have ever had. She falls off the bed, she can't find food unless I pick her up and put her near the plate, and I'm not sure she knows her own name. She is very sweet and cuddly, but stumpf. She really scared me the other night. I heard her screaming and yowling and hitting the sliding glass door. I ran into the room to find her fighting with her reflection in the glass. She would move, and the "other cat" followed her. She could not figure it out, and I was afraid she was going right through the glass. I turned a lamp on in front of the glass to break up the reflection, and took her in the other room and held her a while. I guess smacking her face hard on the glass a few times wasn't enough to convince her it wasn't a real cat. Maise is a grazer, and Lilly is a feline vacuum. I try to slip Maise a few extra treats because once Lilly manages to find the food, its gone. I'm so lucky that they like each other so much. They spend a lot of time together, but Maise hasn't been able to teach Lilly anything. Cats!

I love my top load, somewhat basic washer. For anyone researching new washers and dryers, be sure to check out Speed Queen. Basic, heavy duty and dependable. Speed Queen makes most machines found in commercial laundry places. And the washer does not eat holes in my clothes!!

We celebrated my dad's 92nd birthday this past weekend. WWII and Korea vet, extremely kind and generous person, very well-read, and all-around good guy. Still drives and does all the grocery shopping, and keeps track of Mom who has dementia. He has the most amazing interest in history. Not too long ago, and totally out of the blue, I was given a 45-minute lecture on the history of the Zeppelin in the US. Until about 5 years ago he was visiting church members in nursing homes and giving Bible devotions. Like so many of his era, he seldom speaks about his military service, but he remains very proud to have served in the Navy. Unfortunately, he is producing a brain chemical which is destroying his speech center, and he is unable to speak clearly, and can say fewer and fewer words. We have been told that he will likely become non-verbal, and I notice a worsening in his speech every week. He enjoys the GREAT COURSES programs, and recently bought "organic chemistry" for enjoyment. (go figure). My brother and I are so fortunate to have such wonderful parents who gave us everything we needed-and so much more--and now it is our turn to look after them. And he got his lemon pie for his birthday!

Catlyn, I did not know that cats were attracted to mint. Mine sure went crazy. Thank you for that information. Question: has anyone given up their land telephone line and switched to Ooma? I am wondering about the quality of sound and the reliability when using it wirelessly. The cost of Ooma appeals to me as opposed to ATT. Does Ooma really cut down on telemarket calls? Ooma says that your address is listed for 911, which was a question I had, but apparently they don't list your number anywhere else. Sounds almost too good to be true.

Several months ago I had a severe finger injury, and am still working with the Dr. and PT. My doctor told me to use something like Emu oil on the joint. Last night I tried some Icy Hot on my finger and went to bed. Who knew that Icy Hot is an alternative for catnip? Both of my cats went absolutely nuts. They kept trying to get to my hand by digging at the comforter, jumping one me, licking my face, and rolling around on the bed. Lilly attacked the container. And they wouldn't stop. I really thought the strong smell of menthol would keep them far away, but I thought wrong. It was really funny, but I worry that it might be toxic to cats. No more Icy Hot tonight!

Just another idea. I had the impression that Andrew was going for a "death by cop", and he knew he could push Liv's buttons. He was saying how unhappy he was living in his condition in a wheelchair. Thought I'd throw the idea out to the group.

I repeat. breastnest.com. Total comfort. They are coming out with a shorter style in a couple of weeks. (and no boob sweat!)

Check out BreastNest. I first found it on Amazon, but they do have a website. I think BreastNest.com. This is an amazingly comfortable bra/garment. They are coming out with a style without the camisole in a couple of weeks. This is a small company in the US, and the owner actually called me to answer questions. This garment looks strange in the picture on Amazon, but, I tell you, it is the most comfortable "bra". Not enough support for me to wear out of the house, but it is fabulous for around the house and at night. Check it out and read the reviews. Most women really love it.

Boy have times changed. When I took my nursing boards almost 30 years ago, we "sat" for our boards--2 tests lasting 3 hours each for 2 days (total of 4 tests over 12 hours). And then we didn't get our results for about 8 weeks. But, unlike the computer tests now, we could go back and recheck and change answers. Best of luck on your boards!!!! Several years ago there was a boy at a local school whose name was spelled S-H-I-T-H-E-A-D----pronounced "Sha-thawd". Things really can be worse.

Ah, Bambi. I remember becoming so hysterical and crying so loudly I had to be removed from the movie. I never watched it again. Speaking of tearjerkers..the movie that makes me cry EVERY time is "Imitation of Life", especially the remake from the '50's with Sandra Dee as the daughter. Saddest movie ever. (Please excuse any typing mistakes; I still only have 9 usable fingers).

2 cans veg-all, 1 can golden mushroom soup, 1 can french fried onions on top. Bake. Instant casserole. (My mother wasn't a great cook either!) My grandmother destroyed all of her crystal bowls trying to make Jello in them. She loved Jello, but didn't learn not to pour boiling water in them-- and she had a college degree and taught cooking!! (Also probably the WORST cook in the world--yikes!) I was having TMJ symptoms which disappeared "over night" after I started sleeping on a Sleep Number Bed. No problems since, either. Go figure. My parents bought a freezer when I was a kid, and I don't think I had any fresh veggies except tomatoes for years. Once I learned what I was missing, I became a huge veggie lover! Nothing but lots of fresh produce for me!!

Thanks, I'll give it a try. It sounds yummy!

We love popcorn in our family. My dad's family tradition is popcorn with milk. You take a bowl of milk and put a handful of popcorn in it. Eat it with a spoon before it gets soggy, and then add another handful. Continue until the milk is gone. Surprisingly, it it really good. (Don't knock it 'til you've tried it :) ) Sunday night was (and still is) popcorn night in our household, and popcorn and milk was always an option.

OK, I just played the kitten video, and Lilly, my year-old cat was trying to find them. She was found with her own llitter when she was less than a year old, and the shelter had to foster them because she did not know what to do with them. She was not happy when she thought I had kittens in the house! Our Thanksgiving will consist of turkey and whatever sides the deli supplies in their Thanksgiving Special dinner. Last year it was turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, green bean casserole, rolls, stuffing, and a great pumpkin pie. We will supply extra salads and deserts. Non of us like to cook particularly , and we like the food from this market. We will have Thanksgiving on Friday instead of Thursday, so those who need to can go to in-laws on Thursday. This gives us an entire, relaxing day to spend with each other rather than having to worry about cooking or time tables. Christmas will be the Sunday following Christmas for the same reasons. It will give us time to fulfill various church obligations or in-law visits, and still have a nice time together. (I will cook for Christmas, however). I know this sounds strange, but it works for us.

I had both of my elderly parents do the Ancestry.com DNA tests, and the results were very interesting. My mom, who is the last of her siblings or cousins, always thought that she was 100% German, since both of her parents were born in Germany. Turns out she is 75% Eastern European and only 8% Western European. Polish, yes. German, not so much. My dad's was very interesting, too. We have had a lot of fun with this, and it gives me more information and direction for my research. I'm typing with only 9 fingers since my pruning sheers accident. I really didn't expect THIS MUCH pain. HappyFatChick, Please give your son my sincere sympathy for the pain he must be going through. I only lost my entire finger pad, not my entire finger!

Well, my day has not gone exactly as planned. I was working on altar flowers at church and managed to cut off the pad on my index finger with the pruning shears. The hand surgeon doesn't think I need a skin graft, and they cauterized it so it finally stopped bleeding. I don't seem to have any tendon damage, either. Then the doctor asked me if I had the missing piece of skin (?) So now I'll have no fingerprint on my finger. I'm afraid it will take a while to heal, and it hurts like heck tonight. I'm hoping it will feel better tomorrow. I really am very lucky; it could have been much, much worse. This is exactly why I don't do yard work! Those flowers better look good Sunday.

I met Bob Cummings and Jesse White (the original Maytag man) when I was at camp the their daughters. That's all I've got.

Just a quick warning on the Holter monitor. Several years ago I had a base-line test run, and I was to wear the monitor for for 48 hours. When the time was up, the tech removed the lead pads---and my skin. I had several perfectly round patches of missing skin from the adhesive on the pads. Extremely painful, and quite shocking to the tech and the doctor. I was holding my shirt up to remove the pads. Then I asked how I was supposed to drive home holding my shirt up because it hurt so much to have anything touch the spots. My skin grew back after a week or so, but it really did hurt. Be sure you are not allergic to tape before you do the test, and if you start to feel any "funny" feeling or itching under the pads, Take Them Off.

I'm going through the same situation with my mother. She is on the max dose of meds, but she is getting more and more forgetful. She broke her hip last month, but she is doing very well with that (GREAT surgeon). She is more repetitive every time I see her. And forgetful. She will tell me how much pain she is in, and 5 minutes later tells my brother that she is just great--no pain. My 91-year-old father, who is all there mentally, has aphasia and has a great deal of trouble speaking. He is so great at looking after her, but he needs to be reminded to go play golf or do something else just for him. I drive the hour trip several times a week so he can have a break. I just don't know how long they will be able to live in their home. I know this will be a long, hard road (why is my computer suddenly writing in italics??)

"You Were There" and the Standard School Broadcasts. We would listen to these radio programs during class as part of our usual schedule. And dittos. The worst was having to MAKE the dittos. You had to know what you were doing to run the thing. Make sure the ink tank was full, and fill it if needed. Turn the tank upside down and make sure the felt was covered with ink. Then crank, and count the cranks. Then you had purple fingers all day (the ink was clear, but turned purple on the paper or your skin). The film strip projector was my favorite. Sometimes the teacher would let a student turn to the next picture, but you had to do it right when the "ding" sounded on the cassett tape, which provided the sound. I retired from teaching 3 years ago (I did my 38 years--time to go). I was still using filmstrips for my music classes. The students loved them because the pictures didn't move, and I could make the pictures big enough for the whole room to see. I could stop and discuss the material at any time, unlike a video. I still have a film strip projector, but you can't buy filmstrips anymore. In college, I actually had to take--and pass-- a class on "technology". That included showing I could run the ditto machine, the copy machine, film strip projector, and the reel-to-reel movie projector. Both kinds of reel-to-reel. The one that threaded automatically, and the one that you had to thread by hand. We also had to demonstrate how to change the bulbs and do basic repairs on everything (except the copy machine). Those were the days!

I have two antique potty chairs for the garage sale. Both are walnut, one has foldout arms, and the other has a needlepoint on the top. I don't know anyone else with two potty chairs in their living room......

amitville, I'm still deciding on a name. Her shelter name was Daisy, but that was too close to Maisie. I've been calling her Lulu, but I'm still not sure. I need some good suggestions.