*It's quiet in here- what's everybody doing?*

[trinityroyal]

Jane, I always see your signature.
Maybe it just doesn't show when you're creating a post. It does show on the board.

Hope your shoulder heals so you can start dancing again.

Trinity

 

[scent of cedar]

I'm good too, Suz.

We HAVE had some really strange things happening around our house, though!

You know how they say things come in threes?

Well, all in this same week (last week that is), our contractor called to tell us that he could not apply for the permits he needed to start the house because county records indicated we did not own the lot (this was resolved successfully ~ seems the contractor was submitting the address of the house next door....), a pipe froze just seconds after the neighbors watching the house for us left for Mexico and our house up North flooded for something like seven days and seven nights (this too seems to have resolved successfully) and, believe it or not, last Saturday night someone smashed our parked car into another parked car with enough force that the second car plowed into a third.

ALL IN THE SAME WEEK.

And now...husband is as crabby and cantankerous as I have ever seen him ~which is his usual delayed stress reaction.

So, isn't that something.

As I said earlier, everything seems to be resolving successfully.

But what a week!

On the other hand? During that same week I also had an excellent lunch under the palm trees near the beach with some wonderful, funny ladies, learned I had lost something like fifteen pounds (went to the doctor that week), and talked with difficult child on the phone more than once (who seems to be so much better).

Life is good.

Strange, but good.

Please continue to keep difficult child in your thoughts and prayers, everyone. Whatever we are doing, we are doing something right.

He seems so much better.

Barbara

 

[Star*]

But SOS -

DO YOU GET TO HAVE/GET NEW CARPET ON YOUR INDOOR POOL/N. HOUSE?

What ever happened with your son and the digging up the grave of your dogs?

 

[scent of cedar]

Hi, Star

What does SOS mean?

Yep. They are replacing all the carpeting in the house that flooded. There are seven huge dehumidifiers there now. And here is an interesting thing we learned. When we have a flood, the worst thing we can do is turn the heat up to dry the area out. Mold spores exist everywhere, and warm and moist will encourage their growth so much faster than cool and airy.

There is no indoor (or outdoor, for that matter!) pool in that house, Star! It's a little log cabin type house in the middle of the woods. Tall, tall cedars everywhere, a fireplace and a lake, and everything so quiet and clean. husband hates the cold though and so, we are down here.

difficult child buried his dog near the one that died of cancer. His intention is still to bring both dogs North and re-bury them there. We are fine with that, whenever it happens. What we did not want was for difficult child to move home, stop working, and start right back in where he was when he left home the last time. Other than becoming really angry that we would not send him North to repair our house after the flooding (!?!), difficult child has been seeming to pick himself up and take a look at where his life is going, now. Since the last time we have been able to really communicate with him, grandparents have become sicker, babies have been born, parents have grown older, and many other changes have taken place.

There were some conversations I actually enjoyed ~ times I could almost touch the boy he was.

Then, we seemed to have lost him again ~ the anger, the accusations and blaming started again, and the staccato speech patterns that we think mean he is under the influence.

We hear so much about other families, and how they are willing to help their children from difficult child.

I am still a little shaky on my pins, there.

It's hard not to feel guilty. The other side of that is that it is also hard not to feel resentful at being continually placed in the position of feeling guilty.

I am so thankful for this site.

In the past, we have bought the vehicles, paid the fines and insurance and reinstatement fees ~ and more. Things are wrecked or sold.

That is what we are making every effort to remember.

So in a way, this has been a hard time.

Barbara

 

[Suz]

Hey, Judi Springer...it's great to see you again. We've missed you!

Your difficult child's exgf sounds like Rob's biomom with regards to each child having a different biodonor. I wonder how many she will have by the end of her child bearing years? I'm glad you are so involved with your grandchild's life. It will make a difference.

Jo, great news about you and H. I hope it continues. It's a gift to rediscover each other.

Robby's difficult child and Sweet Betsy seem to have turned a corner. WOOOOOOOOO WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!...and yes, I am also knocking on wood as I say this.

And since Nomad posted here, it seems her difficult child is doing better, too. What's your masters in?

Everywoman, hugs to you. It sounds like it's a challenging time for you right now. Vent any time you need to.

Jane, thanks for the update. Busy lives with lots of activity. I can see your signature...you can't?

Star, your life mystifies me right now. It seems you are surrounded by idiots working with Dude. Special hugs to you.

And Barbara, it's always good to see you, too. Life is good for you. I'm so glad.

Hugs to all- hope I didn't miss anyone.

Suz

 

[Sue C]

Sorry I'm coming in rather late on this thread.

Angela is doing GREAT! We are soooo proud of her. She loves her Assistant Fashion Designer job. She's in men's sportswear. She'd rather be in juniors but she says she still likes it. She's been getting to travel with her boss. She was in Vegas last month and LA last week and is going somewhere else soon (I forgot where--NY?).

Melissa is working steadily. She seems to like her job as receptionist at the health club. She wants to move out but only makes $7/hour. She was supposed to get a raise after 90 days and inquired about it. Her supervisor said she "hasn't gotten around to doing her review yet." She has no friends she could share an apartment with, so I don't know what she's going to do. But it is a good first step that she actually wants to move out. She has been behaving. I think it's 'cuz she has a new boyfriend. He lives at home, too, and says he cannot move out 'cuz he has to help his parents with expenses.

As for me, I've been so busy helping with husband's business. It takes forever searching the internet for motorcycle rallies for him to vend at and then make the phone calls and try to schedule them so we aren't traveling more than 10 hours away from home. It might sound easy but it's not.

Anyway, I decided Wednesday morning that Wednesday's are going to be MY day. I went to the library and spent hours there. I am getting into my writing again. I HAVE to do something for me. I published quite a few personal experience articles and children's stories in magazines many years ago, and then Angela & Melissa zapped my creativity and energy. They took my writing life away from me, and I am reclaiming it!

Sue