Small Talk: The Prayer Closet

[ChiCricket]

43 minutes ago, oliviabenson said:

Young people go to the mall?! I know I know I’m old. 

I guess they do if they live in the Chicago suburbs 🤣

(I can't remember the last time I went to one myself)😁

[oliviabenson]

52 minutes ago, ChiCricket said:

I guess they do if they live in the Chicago suburbs 🤣

(I can't remember the last time I went to one myself)😁

My packages get stolen so if I need clothes I go to the mall. Maybe 2-3 times a year. I do like trying on clothes in the store.

[Iguessnot]

On 9/26/2023 at 4:05 PM, Scarlett45 said:

Parenting is hard, and no parent is perfect. I told her when the baby was born (I was the one with her and cut the cord), that I wasn’t going to tell her how to raise her kid. I said I was going to keep my opinions to myself unless asked or I thought the baby was in serious harm (physical or emotional harm). Other than that, I was keeping my mouth shut. 
 

I can disagree with something but respect your decision as a parent; while still maintaining my own boundaries for my own life. The only person’s feelings I consider before I do something is my Mom.

This reminds me of a TIkTok video where a woman talks about some single mothers with a "my son is my king" mentality. Hilarious video. Of course, your friend has a daughter, but the child is developing a wrong relationship dynamic that's now affecting people outside of their duo.

[ChiCricket]

On 9/26/2023 at 3:05 PM, Scarlett45 said:

Parenting is hard, and no parent is perfect

 I was just telling my daughter (her son is living with me) that parenting is hard, and I don't blame her for anything she did with her son (spoiling him, basically.)

I also reminded her that I went through holy hell with some of MY kids (including her!😁) and she knows that now I am great friends with all 5 of my adult children. 

 Plus I am way older now than when my kids were growing up, and I'm a stubborn old cuss that is not going to let a 19yo defeat me. Hee.

 

 

[Scarlett45]

On 9/26/2023 at 9:20 PM, ChiCricket said:

I guess they do if they live in the Chicago suburbs 🤣

(I can't remember the last time I went to one myself)😁

We have nice malls. I like Oakbrook best actually but it’s far from me. I have a friend who’s wife works at Woodfield. 

[EtheltoTillie]

On 9/11/2023 at 12:15 PM, Absolom said:

I'm thinking of ordering a pair just to keep as a spare.  I think I'd try it even if they aren't perfect.  

i have a spare.  I really need glasses so I can't be without. 

On 9/11/2023 at 1:02 PM, oliviabenson said:

I need a prescription to order glasses online. I need to see a doctor for that anyway. Might be a month before I even get glasses. Who knows how long until I even get an appointment.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions and advice! 

Yes, you need a prescription, but maybe your old prescription is still  valid.  How old is it?  You can call the doctor and get a copy. 

[Porkchop]

And I am so grateful to all of you who I commented on my deafness situation. I have an appointment with an ENT but it’s in November. I’m going to Costco tomorrow without a membership, sort of planning to buy some inexpensive hearing aids. I had an appointment at Umass dermatology yesterday and when they asked me to take off my socks, I took off my top! (My daughter told me this.)

so Im trying to get past denial and to act like a sensible deaf person.

Edited October 1, 2023 by Porkchop
REpeated words

[lookeyloo]

13 hours ago, Porkchop said:

And I am so grateful to all of you who I commented on my deafness situation. I have an appointment with an ENT but it’s in November. I’m going to Costco tomorrow without a membership, sort of planning to buy some inexpensive hearing aids. I had an appointment at Umass dermatology yesterday and when they asked me to take off my socks, I took off my top! (My daughter told me this.)

so Im trying to get past denial and to act like a sensible deaf person.

You will need a membership, they will do a hearing test, and they are real hearing aids just much less expensive. You don't just walk in and buy off the rack so to speak.  Most Costcos need an appointment for the hearing test and evaluation.  Costco doesn't work on commission so no upselling.  They give you 6 months to try them out and can return after that.  I think that is what you should expect, having done it more than once and sending several friends there.  One had to buy the membership, but, it is worth it.  The others were already members.  I don't understand the resistance?  Would you wear glasses if you had to?  

Edited to add - my brother had temporary hearing loss from fluid in his ears and bought "amplifiers" aka cheap hearing aids from Amazon.  They just made all the noise louder and he couldn't hear conversation any better.  Plus the microphone attached made me unable to understand his speech.

Please talk to the hearing aid folks at Costco.

Edited October 2, 2023 by lookeyloo

[BetyBee]

Mr. BB & I just got home from getting our new Covid vaccines. We did a walk-in and they had only Pfizer, which was fine by us. We brought our vaccine cards and they said they're not doing those anymore. So I told the clerk I guess we'll just put them in our scrapbooks! I feel fine, though a bit like a pin cushion. I'm still bearing a bruise from my RSV shot! 

[Salacious Kitty]

Just checked my right deltoid where I had flu and RSV vaccines on Saturday. Don't see any evidence that the shots were even done.😀

Had my last COVID booster back in May, and the pharmacist told me to wait a couple more months to get the new one. Okay then...

[AstridM]

42 minutes ago, BetyBee said:

Mr. BB & I just got home from getting our new Covid vaccines. We did a walk-in and they had only Pfizer, which was fine by us. We brought our vaccine cards and they said they're not doing those anymore. So I told the clerk I guess we'll just put them in our scrapbooks! I feel fine, though a bit like a pin cushion. I'm still bearing a bruise from my RSV shot! 

I have an appointment to get both my Covid and flu shots on Wednesday. Another voluntary pin cushion here!

[GeeGolly]

I'm going back and forth between wanting the Covid vax now or at the end of the month. So I'll likely split the difference. While RSV and Covid are floating around now, we are still having decent weather so everyone hasn't started to hibernate yet when avoiding germs is near impossible.

[BetyBee]

1 hour ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Just checked my right deltoid where I had flu and RSV vaccines on Saturday. Don't see any evidence that the shots were even done.😀

Had my last COVID booster back in May, and the pharmacist told me to wait a couple more months to get the new one. Okay then...

My husband didn't have any bruising either. I never have before. Just lucky, I guess! The pharmacist said it happens sometimes. 

[crazy8s]

I got just the covid vax today and am waiting a few weeks to get flu and rsv shots.

Mrcrazy8s got both covid and flu shots yesterday and he now thinks maybe that wasn't the best idea. Sore arm, body aches and he didn't sleep well last night. This is the first time he has ever said anything about a reaction after a vaccine, so for him to mention it is something.

[Zella]

1 hour ago, GeeGolly said:

I'm going back and forth between wanting the Covid vax now or at the end of the month. So I'll likely split the difference. While RSV and Covid are floating around now, we are still having decent weather so everyone hasn't started to hibernate yet when avoiding germs is near impossible.

I'm also debating when to get my next COVID one. I usually get my flu shot between Halloween and Thanksgiving per some article I read years ago. (I no longer even know if that's still considered the best time to get it. I just keep following it because it's easy to remember.) I could get the COVID booster then, but I am considering just getting it sometime in October. 

[Panopticon]

After 3 1/2 years of avoiding any kind of illness, I finally managed to get Covid last month. (0/10 stars, do not recommend.) So I’ll be waiting a bit to get my booster. Hopefully by the time I’m ready the supply chain issues will have sorted themselves out at least. 

[sagittarius sue]

3 minutes ago, Panopticon said:

After 3 1/2 years of avoiding any kind of illness, I finally managed to get Covid last month. (0/10 stars, do not recommend.) So I’ll be waiting a bit to get my booster. Hopefully by the time I’m ready the supply chain issues will have sorted themselves out at least. 

Since you have antibodies in your system, I think it's recommended that one can wait 2-3 months to get a booster.

[jcbrown]

I'm having trouble getting appointments for COVD boosters--evidently they are in high demand here in the Bay Area--but I'll keep at it. I can get my flu shot at a doctor appointment next week but our medical group is planning on setting up specific clinics for the COVID shots and they are not yet running. May end up booking at CVS.

[Zella]

1 hour ago, jcbrown said:

I'm having trouble getting appointments for COVD boosters--evidently they are in high demand here in the Bay Area--but I'll keep at it. I can get my flu shot at a doctor appointment next week but our medical group is planning on setting up specific clinics for the COVID shots and they are not yet running. May end up booking at CVS.

Yeah we have a grand total of 2 pharmacies in my town, and when the vaccines first came out, one of them was really good about communicating about it on social media. I checked their Facebook post about appointments for this fall, but it's at least a couple of weeks old and promises weekly updates on appointment availability that has not been followed through on. I will call this week and ask, but I'm wondering if that means they ended up not having enough to go around or didn't get any or what the deal is. 

Edited October 3, 2023 by Zella

[Jynnan tonnix]

I know I posted the almost-finished drawing of my granddaughter a while back, but I just finished it and the one of my grandson. They were actually supposed to be a present for my daughter LAST Christmas, but the closer I get to finishing something, the more I procrastinate, for fear that some last-minute addition or correction will destroy it. But I think they are done. 

[BetyBee]

@Jynnan tonnix- those are absolutely beautiful! You are so talented! What a perfect gift. These will be family heirlooms! How lovely to capture a moment in time of two adorable grandchildren!

Edited October 3, 2023 by BetyBee

[ChiCricket]

Omg omg omg...I just got the worst phone call. My dil's youngest  brother was just found dead in his apartment 😭  OMG

 He was only 41 yo. They think it was just an accident.  He was standing on a bucket to change a light bulb, and they think he fell off and hit his head.  OMG

 (and he lived alone and was dead for a few days)

I  just saw him at a family party on Sunday and he gave me a hug. 😭 

R.I.P. Juan 

Edited October 4, 2023 by ChiCricket

[ChiCricket]

 Life's too short...I just called and talked to my most favorite cousin.

We haven't talked in a while, but after this I just needed to hear her voice. I am so sad 😞 

 

 

Edited October 4, 2023 by ChiCricket

[SunnyBeBe]

On 10/1/2023 at 7:55 PM, Porkchop said:

And I am so grateful to all of you who I commented on my deafness situation. I have an appointment with an ENT but it’s in November. I’m going to Costco tomorrow without a membership, sort of planning to buy some inexpensive hearing aids. I had an appointment at Umass dermatology yesterday and when they asked me to take off my socks, I took off my top! (My daughter told me this.)

so Im trying to get past denial and to act like a sensible deaf person.

I realize you got a lot of valuable comments on hearing aids.  I’ll just add that for some reason, it seems a lot of people who get them, don’t wear them. (I recall reading about this on a site I used to frequent.)  My dad is like that.  He got expensive ones from a hearing aid office. (We have an extended family member who works there. ) They were pricy, but he will not wear them.  I’ve heard this is common, though I don’t know why.  It’s unfortunate.  It was a waste of money.  I hope you can find some that work well for you and that you like.  

7 hours ago, ChiCricket said:

Omg omg omg...I just got the worst phone call. My dil's youngest  brother was just found dead in his apartment 😭  OMG

 He was only 41 yo. They think it was just an accident.  He was standing on a bucket to change a light bulb, and they think he fell off and hit his head.  OMG

 (and he lived alone and was dead for a few days)

I  just saw him at a family party on Sunday and he gave me a hug. 😭 

R.I.P. Juan 

I’m so sorry for your loss.  That’s so young.  

[ozziemom]

14 hours ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

I know I posted the almost-finished drawing of my granddaughter a while back, but I just finished it and the one of my grandson. They were actually supposed to be a present for my daughter LAST Christmas, but the closer I get to finishing something, the more I procrastinate, for fear that some last-minute addition or correction will destroy it. But I think they are done. 

These are beautiful! Thank you for sharing, your grandchildren are adorable.

[Mindthinkr]

@Jynnan tonnix You are a talented artist and I love the pictures you lovingly painted of your grandchildren. What a thoughtful and beautiful gift 💝 

[Scarlett45]

@ChiCricket I am so sorry for your loss. How tragic and shocking. Sending love to your family right now. 
 

@Jynnan tonnix Your drawings are amazing. I especially love how you’ve captured the energy and motion when someone is super hungry and eats a crunchy apple in the one with your granddaughter. 

[Minivanessa]

@ChiCricket - I'm so sorry for your loss. Sending hugs.

On 9/24/2023 at 7:36 AM, lookeyloo said:

If you have a Costco go there. You need a membership but worth it. The professionals are licensed and don't work on commission.  Next to the VA Costco is the largest seller of hearing aids. Major brands are labeled Kirkland. They will give you a hearing test free and make recommendations and won't pressure you or upsell. Maintenance and checkups are free.  I have them. They are Bluetooth so no EarPods necessary. I sent more than one  friend and they couldn't be more pleased. I don't work for Costco.  If you don't correct correctable hearing gloss your brain will forget how to hear down the road.   My 75 year old brother just went through sometime similar and he had tubes put in his ears by his ENT which helped a lot. He is going to Costco for a hearing test on my insistence. 

^^Absolutely agree about Costco. I'm on my second pair of hearing aids from there. The first ones lasted about 3 years. The current set is rechargeable but just lately the battery life is a lot shorter, so I'll make an appointment for another hearing test (last one was 2 years ago) and a consult about the current set.

5 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I realize you got a lot of valuable comments on hearing aids.  I’ll just add that for some reason, it seems a lot of people who get them, don’t wear them. (I recall reading about this on a site I used to frequent.)  My dad is like that.  He got expensive ones from a hearing aid office. (We have an extended family member who works there. ) They were pricy, but he will not wear them.  I’ve heard this is common, though I don’t know why.  It’s unfortunate.  It was a waste of money.  I hope you can find some that work well for you and that you like.  

What I've been told, is what @lookeyloo said in the bolded sentence above. Your brain gets out of practice at processing sounds you can no longer hear. So if you let a hearing loss develop for awhile, and then put on hearing aids, your brain has to process noises it hasn't "heard" for awhile. It can be uncomfortable, and rather than try to adjust to life with the "new" noises coming in via the hearing aids, people just quit wearing them at all. An audiologist at my HMO told me that years ago at my first hearing test; she said that's why a lot of older people give up on hearing aids. They don't like the experience with the "new" noises, and they don't have the patience to get used to wearing them, including going back in for adjustments at first. (That conversation was a dozen years ago, when hearing aid tech was just taking off, and I don't think the modern-tech hearing aids need adjusting as much as they used to.)

My hearing loss was subtle when I first got my hearing aids, and TBH it's still not awful. But even just adjusting to the boost in audio input, so to speak, felt odd in a way that's hard to explain. I think getting hearing aids when your hearing loss is more serious, would definitely take some time to get used to.

[Jynnan tonnix]

29 minutes ago, Jeeves said:

@ChiCricket - I'm so sorry for your loss. Sending hugs.

^^Absolutely agree about Costco. I'm on my second pair of hearing aids from there. The first ones lasted about 3 years. The current set is rechargeable but just lately the battery life is a lot shorter, so I'll make an appointment for another hearing test (last one was 2 years ago) and a consult about the current set.

What I've been told, is what @lookeyloo said in the bolded sentence above. Your brain gets out of practice at processing sounds you can no longer hear. So if you let a hearing loss develop for awhile, and then put on hearing aids, your brain has to process noises it hasn't "heard" for awhile. It can be uncomfortable, and rather than try to adjust to life with the "new" noises coming in via the hearing aids, people just quit wearing them at all. An audiologist at my HMO told me that years ago at my first hearing test; she said that's why a lot of older people give up on hearing aids. They don't like the experience with the "new" noises, and they don't have the patience to get used to wearing them, including going back in for adjustments at first. (That conversation was a dozen years ago, when hearing aid tech was just taking off, and I don't think the modern-tech hearing aids need adjusting as much as they used to.)

My hearing loss was subtle when I first got my hearing aids, and TBH it's still not awful. But even just adjusting to the boost in audio input, so to speak, felt odd in a way that's hard to explain. I think getting hearing aids when your hearing loss is more serious, would definitely take some time to get used to.

Yeah, I have been needing hearing aids for some time, and keep procrastinating. My hearing is not toooo bad, but definitely could stand improvement. My dad, in the last ten or fifteen years of his life suffered increasing hearing loss, and I seem to be following in his footsteps. As much as he hated spending money, he had two or three expensive (as in something like five thousand dollars) sets of hearing aids, all of which got with high expectations, but only wore rarely, under great protest, complaining the entire time. He absolutely hates them, and never managed to get accustomed to the feedback and other quirks.

[BetyBee]

My 93 yo Mom spends a lot of time fiddling with her hearing aids. She wears them as little as possible and complains about them a lot. She's a bit on the stubborn side! 

[lookeyloo]

I don't have feedback from mine.  It took a minute to get used to them.  I thought I had a quiet car and that clocks didn't tick anymore.  Plus Sweet Son kept telling me I was missing out on conversations, which I was.  Worth it to me any break in time.  I have had them adjusted now and then and different domes put on (the part that goes in the ear, the rest is behind, which can be matched to skin or hair color)  but always free from Costco.  I don't myself understand why someone would want to put that limitation on themselves?  Would they not wear glasses either?  PS I am almost 80, so elderly counts for me. Also PS I send my friend whose ENT told her hearing aids wouldn't help, to Costco, where the fellow (who doesn't work on commission) said they would help her and she told me she is very grateful I pushed her there, because now her grandchildren don't mumble anymore!!

Also, I got them when I was around 60 and probably needed them before then.

Edited October 4, 2023 by lookeyloo
To add

[Minivanessa]

Thanks to @Porkchop for mentioning deafness and hearing aids, and to everyone else who posted about that. Per my intentions shared here earlier today, I stopped by the hearing aid center at my Costco store today. My rechargeable hearing aids (bought there) now have much shorter battery charge life than they did when new. I'd thought that because they're a bit more than two years old I'd be SOL on any warranty. 

But - I was wrong, yay! The batteries are guaranteed to keep working well for three years. So I left them there to be sent in for service, I assume battery replacement, at no charge, and have an appointment in a few weeks for a (free) hearing test, by which time the hearing aids should be ready for pickup too. Sweet!

Life without hearing aids is - quieter, LOL. I don't have serious hearing loss, but definitely have the TV sound turned higher when I'm watching without the hearing aids. I really notice it in the morning when I'm getting dressed. I put the aids on after I'm done with the shower, hair, makeup, etc. If the TV is on, the first thing I do after putting the hearing aids is? I reach for the remote to turn the TV sound down.

Reminds me of something a co worker said years ago. His mother lived in a 55+ condo community. He said that so many of her neighbors were hard of hearing and had their TV volumes turned up loud as a result. He knew it because he could hear the TVs through the closed condo front doors as he walked down the hallway to his mom's condo. He got used to it and got to know what people watched.  "Joe's got Fox News on, Gladys is watching Jeopardy . . . " 🤣

Edited October 4, 2023 by Jeeves

[Salacious Kitty]

2 hours ago, BetyBee said:

My 93 yo Mom spends a lot of time fiddling with her hearing aids. She wears them as little as possible and complains about them a lot. She's a bit on the stubborn side! 

This sounds like my 91 yo MIL. She lost hearing young, so she's had hearing aids for maybe 60 years. Her left ear is profoundly deaf, yet she keeps complaining that the device is uncomfortable and loud (it beeps when she turns it on). So she doesn't wear it, and as a result, her TV is blaring. Phone conversation is nearly impossible. Yet she stalls and cancels appointments with her audiologist who demonstrates proper usage every appointment. I almost think she does this for attention. She's a bit of a narcissist. 

[ginger90]

An uncle of mine got hearing aids quite a few years ago. His difficulty was hearing what someone was saying to him when in a crowd. They set them up to overcome this and he wondered after, if he had been nodding and smiling when it wasn’t appropriate all that time.

Edited October 4, 2023 by ginger90

[Zella]

2 hours ago, ginger90 said:

They set them up to overcome this and he wondered after, if he had been nodding and smiling when it wasn’t appropriate all that time.

I had a lunch today for a volunteer organization I do some charity work for. Two of the ladies who I've become friends with are both a lot older than me, and their husbands hang out a lot. They told me today that both men are really hard of hearing, and they seem to get along, but their wives are convinced they just talk at each other without hearing a damn word the other says. One of them told me she'd love to quiz both of them separately at the end of the day about what they think the other was discussing. LOLOL 

[jcbrown]

@Jynnan tonnix I am so impressed with your talent--your drawings are beautiful!

I'm sorry for your sudden shocking loss, @ChiCricket.

[Scarlett45]

I had a lovely relaxing birthday yesterday with my mom. We went to the spa and the Himalayan salt stone massage had me feeling like I died and went to heaven. Global warming gave me an unseasonably warm day, growing up a good day for weather was 60-65, the high was 87 yesterday. 
 

Saturday I’m having sushi with friends, so far I’ve gotten gift cards to lush, Soma & shop Disney; I also got texts some items were coming in the mail. 
 

Today after work I pulled out my indoor Halloween decorations and started on my annual Nights of Halloween.

[SunnyBeBe]

22 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

I had a lovely relaxing birthday yesterday with my mom. We went to the spa and the Himalayan salt stone massage had me feeling like I died and went to heaven. Global warming gave me an unseasonably warm day, growing up a good day for weather was 60-65, the high was 87 yesterday. 
 

Saturday I’m having sushi with friends, so far I’ve gotten gift cards to lush, Soma & shop Disney; I also got texts some items were coming in the mail. 
 

Today after work I pulled out my indoor Halloween decorations and started on my annual Nights of Halloween.

Happy Belated Birthday!  🥳💐🌟🎂

It sure sounds like you had a wonderful celebration with fun still to come.  

[andromeda331]

@Jynnan tonnix wow what a great job you did drawing. Their beautiful!

@ChiCricket I am so sorry for your loss.

[ginger90]

Happy (belated) birthday, @Scarlett45 !!!

[BetyBee]

Happy Belated Birthday, @Scarlett45! Sounds like you had a perfect day of celebration!

[Minivanessa]

I'm late to the party, and happy to hear that you had a good birthday, @Scarlett45!

[Mindthinkr]

🎉 Happy Belated Birthday @Scarlett45 🎉

Wishing tou many more happy and healthy years 💛

[andromeda331]

Happy Belated Birthday @Scarlett45! 

[oliviabenson]

On 10/3/2023 at 10:28 PM, ChiCricket said:

Omg omg omg...I just got the worst phone call. My dil's youngest  brother was just found dead in his apartment 😭  OMG

 He was only 41 yo. They think it was just an accident.  He was standing on a bucket to change a light bulb, and they think he fell off and hit his head.  OMG

 (and he lived alone and was dead for a few days)

I  just saw him at a family party on Sunday and he gave me a hug. 😭 

R.I.P. Juan 

I’m so sorry for your loss. 

[Love2dance]

Happy belated birthday, @Scarlett45. Sounds like a lovely celebration!

Oh @Jynnan tonnix, your paintings are absolutely gorgeous. They will be the favorite gifts for years to come!

So  sorry for your tragic loss, @ChiCricket.

[Scarlett45]

I just had the STRONGEST craving for a caramel apple. There’s a Kilwin’s nearby, I’ll have to go and indulge this craving sometime soon. 

[jcbrown]

Happy belated birthday @Scarlett45! My birthday was Tuesday--are we twinsies?

[Scarlett45]

19 minutes ago, jcbrown said:

Happy belated birthday @Scarlett45! My birthday was Tuesday--are we twinsies?

We are! Us and Ashlee Simpson, Tessa Thompson, Gwen Stefani (off the top of my head). 
 

I hope you had a great bday. 90days after 4th of July and 4 weeks before Halloween is a great day to be born!

[ChiCricket]

Thank you all for your condolences. I really appreciate you all so much.

 

@Jynnan tonnix your paintings are wonderful!

@Scarlett45 and @jcbrown Happy Belated birthdays 🎂🎁🥳🎊

 

Question: have any of you ever bought anything off of Temu? Seems too cheap to be real. 😁