Good morning dear friends {smile}

Am just starting off the October string before going to get my coffee so that I know it is done.{smile} Will be back later with a longer post... til then leaving a {{{warm group hug}}} to start off the month {smile}

love always

mermaid...xxx

Happy October Mermaid and Friends...It's a rainy Wednesday here in NY. I think I'll spend the day painting as I haven't done any to speak of all summer. Pat has a sore throat, cough and fever, I'm praying he feels better soon. I will make him spend the day resting. I hope I don't get it from him.

My new porcelin "tooth" crown is really nice, you would never know it wasn't a real tooth. It went on well and I pray it stays there forever. I am finished with dental issues for a long long time I hope.

So glad your holiday was relaxing Mermaid, now don't wear yourself out with trying to do to much to soon. Remember to pace yourself and let a little dust collect while you rest up.

Hello dear friends {smile}

Clive and Sarah have now departed for their home in the North so the house is quiet now. I managed to get the lawn mowed and quite a few leaves bagged as well thanks to the new leaf blower/vaccuum machine that I bought earlier this week. With the winds we have been having it is now that time of year with the grass covered in a leafy blanket which needs to at least partly be removed {smile}

The pups are going in to the vet next Wednesday to be spayed as we want to get that done before they have their first season. As they are 7 months old today (bless em) it won’t be too long before that season arrives so at least hopefully we are ahead of it. {Smile}

My energies seem to be returning now (which is wonderful and I am touching wood almost as I write) and I hope it stays that way. Must admit it had been a fairly hard learning curve feeling tired and exhausted all the time during the radiation treatment. As the hospital rightly warned me the side effects did peak and yet by the time we returned from the boat the nasty burns stuff had all healed up and I had to start getting fit again after the enforced rest on the boat! {smile} It was such a restful holiday and Mercury Rx intervened when I wanted to start making some web pages with holiday notes by causing the laptop to crash out in a fairly spectacular style so I couldn’t use it. That was fairly irritating to say the least so all I could do was read books (fortunately I had taken quite a few) and hand write up some notes about the holiday. {Smile}

We have Emma, Dan and little {{Scarlet}} coming over shortly for some tea and cakes so once they have gone I will go through the September postings and some of the other strings so that I can finally get some responses written up and posted over the weekend – at long last! {Smile}

{{{elfina}}} I do hope that you and Pat are feeling much better now sweetie – I did whack out some {{{healing energies}}across the Pond to you when I was reading your posts. Will do a longer note to you later as Emma has just called to say that they will be here in 30 minutes so I had best go and let the pups out for a quick nature call before they arrive! {smile}

Hope that everyone is well and will be back later… til then leaving a {{{warm group hug}}} with the wish that all are having a good weekend.. {Smile}

Love always

Mermaid…xxx

Mermaid, So happy that you had a good rest while on the boat. I've had a most relaxing week as Pat has been sick with a horriable cold and sore throat. He has spent almost the entire week in his PJ's and I haven't even gone to town to buy the milk, bread, butter and eggs that I ran out of 2 days ago. He's feeling much better today so will do a light shopping a little later when the rain stopped. It has also rained every day this week so I haven't even done any yard work at all. The pine needles all are dropping this week as they do each fall and the leaves will soon be covering everything. My computer is now all fixed after loosing everything on it to a virus last week. I miss some of my documents but it is nice having my computer working much faster minus all the pictures and documents I had stored here. I have spent the past few days writing a Halloween story. I think it is rather good and look forward to finishing it before the end of the month. I have never actually sat down to write a book before but this is just coming to me as I write it. It was supposed to be a short story but has grown into much more. I am enjoying the story line very much and wonder where my mind will take me as it progresses. I have read Pat each page as I finish it and even he is waiting for the next part of the story so I guess it is not that bad.
Enjoy your visit with little Scarlet,Emma and Dan. Write back when you have time and thanks for the zap of energies. Pat's biopsy came back with good results yesterday for which we are very happy. I was really worried about it. He will have the stitches removed on the 15th and that should be the last Doctor appointment for us for awhile, I pray.

Good morning dear friends {Smile}

What a weekend’s worth of changeable weather we have just had ! Although I did manage to get the grass cut on Saturday late morning, yesterday it just lashed it down all day so not a lot was done outside! {smile} The forecast this week is not brilliant though I have quite a bit to catch up with inside so that is probably not a bad thing. One of the things about the hotel service here is the amount of ironing that is going to need to be done now that Babs and clive and Sarah have gone so I will be catching up with that as well this week though I will take time to sit and rest up so that I can also catch up with posts for here. I have missed being able to write so much so it will be lovely to actually be able to make a start on catching up in that department as well. {smile}

The pups are going in to the vet on Wednesday to be spayed so poor things are going to be a bit sore for the rest of the week methinks. Kirri really has been in the wars as they both play seriously rough games! Hopefully this enforced rest might help her a bit as well. The mornings are very dark now as we have passed the Autumn Equinox and the clocks will change at the end of this month so then really into short days ahead as we move towards the Winter solstice. It is such a shame as we have hardly had a summer with the wet weather and for myself going through all the cancer treatment – hopefully next year will be different and we can have a much better summer all round {smile}

It is finally just getting light so I had better go make my coffee and see to the wolfpack. Will be back later to continue writing up a catch up post {Smile} Til then leaving a warm {{group hug}} for {{all}} who may enter…

Love always

Mermaid…xxx

darn I just wrote a really long post and lost it. I have to go cook supper now so can't redo it perhaps tomorrow. In the meantime here is some of my fairy dust as wake up the room.***************

Hi to Everyone

Liz: Hope that your last boat trip did the trick, having a laugh here at your laptop playing up, you really were forced into relaxing for the duration eh?
Have the radiation burns cleared up properly now?
Just pleased to know that the treatment is all finished now for you.
Was a while back you posted a pic of Scarlett, isn’t she just a little beauty, and those eyes!!! Still love the name too.

Have been busy the last three weeks, first with the weeks training for the new job, whew, has been a long time since I sat in a classroom type situation for a week, nearly blew my circuits out on that, and then had clients booked in for the next week. The work is picking up all the time and by the 2nd week had twice as many clients as the first. After the initial nerves, I’ve settled in and am really enjoying the people I come in contact with, a lot of them in their 80’s and full of stories about their lives, you gotta know I enjoy that part the best. Just feel like I’ve found a little niche for myself as a support worker :)

Elfina: Hope the teeth problems are all finished with now, its funny how they come in a run, and good news about Pats biopsy, I think waiting on news of biopsies is always the hardest.

Rick: A very very belated Happy Birthday, your birthday is on the same day as one of my closest friends, Mandy, so I’ll remember that for next year.

Kermit: Waving a hello, how are you and Bom Bobbi doing?

Oh, and amidst this Kimmy returned home from Leeds, she’s home for good this time, she’s not going back to England, as her relationship with Ash broke up. I’m really enjoying her being home with us.

Better zip off now, before this turns into a novel…

Love to All

Robynne, so glad your enjoying your new job. My teeth are all better and working well. LOL

Kermit, Are the Santa Anna winds coming your way too? Those fires in California are so scary.

Mermaid, I am hoping you are well rested now and almost all caught up on your work since your trip. Notice I say almost because I know you. You are one of the busiest hard working woman I know. Between the dogs, the animals, the house and company you have your hands full. Please don't overdo it, remember to pace yourself, leave some of the chores for Paul.

Pat gets his stitches removed today. Thank God it was not skin cancer.

Next Wednesday will be Denise and Pat's birthdays. I can't believe he will be 65 and Denise 37. We are going to think young that day and are going to the circus. It should be a fun time for all of us.

On Wednesday Pat and I took a trip to the Finger Lakes Wine region for the day. We visited 6 wineries and bought 2 cases of wine. The tastings were fun and the wines this year were very nice. The 2 hour ride to the wine country was beautiful with the autumn leaves at their peak. We had rain yesterday and the leaves are falling fast now. I'm so glad we decided to go when we did. It has also turned cold with the mornings only in the 30's and afternoons in the 50's.

I better go and get dressed as his appointment is early today, we will do some shopping and have a nice lunch out at our favorite Chinese restaurant a bit later. Tonight we will go to Denise's restaurant for supper and tomorrow she is having a Karaoke DJ there so will go and I will have a chance to sing for the first time this season. I miss Karaoke when I am in NY. I sing in Florida a few times a month which is lots of fun. Well this is turning into a little novel so I'll close. Sending my love and friendship to all who follow.***************

Hello dear friends {smile}

I am feeling very guilty that have not been writing here as much as I would have wanted to yet by the time I have got to the end of the day I have been too tired to write up anything. Mind you at least the tiredness is because I have had lots of my energy back and so have been making the most of it and been outside in the gardening cathing up there and getting it ready for its winter’s rest.

I bought a leaf blower the other week and have been having a great time with it – am not sure just how many bags of leaves there are now. Michael has one yet that always meant it had to be either a Monday or Thursday to get the leaves done and it also meant that he couldn’t do anything else in the garden. At least now when there is no wind I can be out there (with a long electric extension lead as this is electric – the petrol driven models are too heavy for me to try and operate) getting the leaves all sorted. Yesterday I was out nearly all day as Michael were here til 3.30 so we got the leaves done and then I was able to sit on the mower and cut the grass whilst he made a start on some of the flower beds. I got the roses all pruned around the house last weekend as well as the leaves.

It has been lovely this month having energies back as once the clocks have gone back at the end of the month then it will be getting dark so early so then I will have my time to sit and write more and get back to my astrology as I won’t be able to be out so much (apart from the dog walking). In November I will also start taking the Arimidex drug and will monitor it for the potential side effects so we will see how that goes. If the side effects are too horrible then I will stop and the doctor agrees with that as today I was at the hospital for a check up and all appears to be well with the healing process. There will be 4-monthly check-ups now for the next two years so hopefully all will be well. {Smile}

I thought I would take this bit of time to at least get some kind of a post in as we always go shopping on a Friday afternoon when Paul has finished his golf and by the time I have done that and unpacked everything and fed the dogs that is me done for the rest of the day/evening {smile}

{{elfina}} Hope all is well with Pat and that everything has healed up well for him. I have loved reading your ~novels~ {grin} I must take some pics of the pups and pop them in here as they are now very big! {smile} They had their operation for neutering last Wednesday and the poor things were so sleepy and zonked out when they came back I felt terrible. Fortunately they are back to their bouncy selves and you wouldn’t know they had had surgery! Shula is sleeping here in the study at my feet as I am sitting here. I know it has been busy here catching up yet that is usually the case and hard work never killed anyone did it? {grin} I have been pacing myself (sort off) and Paul has been doing a lot of the cooking so that at least when I am tired I don’t have to think about getting meals ready in the evening. It has been a glorious week thus far with the sun shining every day so I have really been making the most of it and been outside. Once the days are shorter then it will be time to be inside more and I will get the Christmas stuff done earlier again this year so that it is not quite as frenetic. It worked well last year putting the decorations up earlier so am going to so it again. There will only be three of us for Christmas Day lunch (as the children/grandchildren are going to come for the day on Saturday) so that will be nice as well as it is always a bit of a rush with the Drinks Party that we do for the neighbours as well.

Heck I have just received a phone call from Paul to say that he got round the golf course quicker than he thought and he is now on the way home so I will have to pop this post in now and hope to be back either later or over the weekend. Sometimes it seems like there are not enough hours in the day! Leaving a {{warm group hug}} to {{all}} who may enter….and will be back soon to continue my post… til then

love always

Mermaid…xxx

Hello again dear friends {smile}

I hope that all are having a good weekend… thought I would pop in before giving the wolfpack and wolflets their evening meal {Smile}

Was out in the garden again today and yesterday getting it all ready for winter. The leaf blower is just great and I got more sacks filled as there is rain forecast for tomorrow with high winds so that should bring a load more down. Mind you there are still lots of green leaves on the trees so will be a while to go until there are all gone. At least it is not all down at the same time! {smile} We will have to get some work done on the Ponds also as leaves need to be removed from the nets and also the ones turning yellow in the ponds (from the lily pads etc)

I have been engrossed in Strictly Come Dancing show (have watched it since the first series) and so it is a lovely way to spend a Saturday night and now a Sunday evening as well. I don’t like the new format they have been doing for this series and for the last one where they have the results show the next day (like the US version ~Dancing with the Stars~) –

Elfina do you watch DWTS at all over there? I did watch some of it from last year though I haven’t been able to this year because I can’t remember what Channel they have it on. It is thank heavens for Youtube so you can have a catch up and watch the dances when you want thanks to the people putting the dances on there. I am still watching last year’s Dancing with the Stars with Mel B and Maxhim (wotshisname)! {smile}

Currently have been checking out the Digital spy forums as they usually manage to get the results out before the end of the evening so it is nice to know who went out before hand then you can go off to bed on the Saturday and just enjoy the Sunday results show for the extra entertainment with the professional dancing displays.

I have to take the pups off to the vet tomorrow for the check up after their surgery. They both have recovered well and the scars are healing up nicely yet the vets will still need to check them over. Think we will be paying all their salaries this month! {smile}

Well looking at the time I had better pop this quick post in and if I am not back later then as it will be raining tomorrow and I won’t be out in the garden then I will make the time to go through the posts for my catch up responses. {Smile} Til then wishing everyone a lovely rest of your Sunday and leaving a {{{warm group hug}}} {Smile}

Love always

Mermaid…xxx

Yes Mermaid I do watch DWTS, I wish that Cloris Leachman would get booted off the show as she is not going to win for sure and is taking away from some of the other really good dancers. I watch 2 shows on Monday on another channel as well so flick back and forth between stations trying to catch the other shows as well. So I have missed some of the better dances it seems. It usually make up for it on the second night when they do a recap.

Pat is out trying to keep up with the falling leaves right now. It is really getting cold and we are expecting our first snow on Wednesday. I hope it is not a heavy snow as it is Pat and Denise's Birthday and we will be traveling to Syracuse for dinner and the circus. I hate driving/riding in the first snow of the season. Everyone seems to forget what to do and cause all kinds of skids and bumps. As soon as the first snows fly I start to dream of Florida, sunshine and warmth. Pat is also going to have to winterize the new sprinkler system for the first time today. I pray the pipes all drain well and that they do not break over the winter. He put so much hard work into this system. Our lawns look so pretty because of it. The system also works the dolphin and mermaid fountains.

I better close as I have plans to do some heavy cleaning today while he is working outside. I will be washing the floors and cleaning the kitchen cabinets.

It is Scooter's 10th birthday today. He is turning into quite the mellow little doggie but still has a big bark when the door bell rings. He weighs 19 pounds so needs to go on a little diet but not today as he will have a special birthday supper of hamburg mixed with his dry food. I am making hungerian golash for supper tonight. I haven't made that in years. It is a good cold weather dish.