Hello dear friends {smile}

Am just popping in briefly this morning to start the string for October. I do hope that {{all}} are well and I will be back later to write up a longer post.

Til then leaving a {{{warm group hug}}} to {{all}} who may enter...

with love always

mermaid...xxx

Well here it is another month and October already! Where has the time gone??

Liz, holding you in my thoughts and sending out continued healing energies your way. You've been under non-stop stress since the breast cancer thing with but brief moments of just enough rest to semi-catch your breath. Am hoping the tests will reveal what's going on so that they get down to the business of "fixing" it.

Elfina, though you must be close to being water-logged by now, must admit that your rainfall sounds wonderful. And a back massage while watching golf, now that's a nice treat! There was a golf course in Big Sur California that was absolutely spectacular with the view of the beautiful jagged cliffs and the massive waves crashing against them. Your talk of the golf course and how pretty it is reminded me of California and how much I sometimes miss it.

Mom and Dad are doing pretty good. They started Dad on his steroids to shock his system into producing the platelets, etc that he needs. While his blood sugar did spike the first day, he'd also loaded up on sugar the night before so think it had just as much to do with that as his medication. Since then though, I must admit, he's done very well about monitoring what he's consuming as well as testing more frequently, so that's a relief.

Ed's health, on the other hand, has been not too brilliant over the last month but he appears to be back on the upswing again now thank goodness.

We've still not heard anything from Donny though I do know he's staying with one of our Aunts, so we'll leave it to him to get over his huff and decide when he wants contact again.

I tried a new mascara and should've known better. My left eye is particularly sensitive to chemicals of any kind and if I'm not careful to get "hypoallergenic" mascara, the end result is unpleasant. As a result, today that eye is puffed up and itching like mad. Though I resisted rubbing it during the day yesterday, woke myself up in the middle of the night rubbing it!

Our weather is finally beginning to cool with temps in the 90s and upper 80s during the day and the 60s at night. The birds are once more back out to serenade in the day and say goodbye at night, so that's lovely as well.

Time to log off for now but hoping this finds all of you doing better. And Kermit...please stop in and say hello bud.

Love,
Diana

Hello again {smile}

Will sit and write up a longer post hopefully this evening yet just wanted to leave a line for you {{elfina}}} and also {{diana}}

I had the ultra sound scan today which appears to show that there is nothing too nasty though I still have to undergo the surgical procedure on Thursday of next week (8th Oct). So fingers etc crossed until next Friday! {smile} The dizzy turns are still with me though not quite as bad so they are manageable.

I have been frantically trying to catch up at home since my return from Mother's and am getting there. We should be having a fairly quiet weekend so am not going to do too much that is for sure {Smile}

Have copied the posts out to respond later yet need to go and do a couple more things outside... hope that {{{all}} are well... and leaving a {{{warm group hug}}}} to {{all}} who may enter...

with love always

mermaid...xxx

Hi. Sorry I haven't stopped by. I've very concerned about the health insurance thing/bill. I'm concerned as all my insurances are connected to the government in some form.

Mermaid, If I would have at least checked in I would have known you are having a problem/s. I'm sorry my friend, you for sure have my support-Love, Prayers and HEALING THOUGHTS. GOD BLESS YA MY FRIEND {{{HUGS}}}

ELFINIA, hOPE YOU AND PAT ARE DOING WELL and as Diana said, send some of that rain this way. {{{HUGS}}}

DIANA, YEP, sure is getting cold in these parts. Hope everyone is doing well. ENJOY {{{HUGS}}}

LIGHT, LOVE & PEACE; Kermit and Friends {{{HUGS}}} BOM BOBBI HERE. WE WERE shocked to read that Mermaid was having medical problems and surgery. Our Loving and caring thoughts go to our friend. Loads o HEALING THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. TIME TO SAY BYE BYE and send my {{{LOVING PAWSEY HUGS AND LICKY LICKS}}}to all.

My best thoughts are with you my dear.

Hello again dear friends {Smile}

Phew what a week it has been!{smile} At least this weekend I can relax a bit although the girls are coming tomorrow morning so we can see if we can get the apples picked and stored. Trouble is that there are now high winds forecast so I think the wind is going to be doing the job for us! {smile} I have been clearing out cupboards this morning as have decided to have a good old clear out here. The thought of anyone having to do for me what Babs and I have been doing at Mother’s apartment is filling me with horror so time for a good sort out methinks in the coming weeks. I am going to get a ~skip~ (or three) delivered here as well to fill up as we will also have loads of bags of leaves to go in there as well.

The consultant radiologist was lovely yesterday and although I still have to undergo the procedure next Thursday it is now looking much more positive and so hopefully more of a little inconvenience than anything else thank goodness.

{{{elfina}}} has it stopped raining there yet? We could do with some of it here as everything is tinder dry yet think that the North of the country is going to get rain over the weekend and if we get any then it won’t even lay the dust. I think we will be watering again (though that should be interesting if the winds don’t abate down {smile}). The family came to visit Paul on the Sunday whilst I was in Reading so that was nice for him though at least I was able to see Emma and little Scarlet on the Saturday before I left as they came over as we also had visitors call in for coffee on their way back from their own holiday on the Broads. It meant I was late in leaving yet that didn’t matter as it was so nice to see them all {Smile} Babs is coming up here next Wednesday and will stay until Sunday. It will be nice for us to just have a visit rather than working our butts off! {smile} Must admit it will be nice once the sale of the apartment goes through though it will feel strange I am sure. I think that there will only be two more trips now. Once we have the contracts exchanged which should be in the next two or three weeks then we can get the furniture cleared out as well. I have been loth to do that until contracts are exchanged as if it all fell through then I want to have furniture in place in case it had to go back on the market. Hopefully that won’t happen though and it should all be done and contracts completed by November. How is John’s house coming along? Should think it was lovely having a day out at the golf especially if you didn’t have to tramp after them all in the rain! {smile}

{{{diana}} awww lovely to read all your news I know what you mean about where does the time do? Sometimes I have felt that if I turned around I would meet myself coming from the opposite direction at a rate of knots! {grin} It does seem to have been a challenging time for all of us doesn’t it? Still as we know all things do pass and this will to. Was so sorry to hear that Ed’s health has not been too great yet good to know that it is on the upturn now and will send out some {{{healing energies}}} both to him and to your Dad. . I hope that all goes well for both of them and am sure it would have put a strain on you as well so please make sure that you take time out for you too.

The nights are pulling in here now and autumn is really arriving with a vengeance – I have been putting the heating on for a while each day for the past few days – sign of things to come after the lovely September. {smile} Somebody said today that it won’t be long til Christmas now! In my Butchers shop they said that in four weeks time they will be taking orders for Christmas and I have seen Christmas wrapping paper on sale today as well! This weekend I am going to get the hundreds of pictures on my camera downloaded and see if I can sort them out a bit so that I can put some in here. That task has been on my ~to do~ list for quite a while now so I want to get it done.

Heck I hope that your eyes are better sweetie it is horrible finding out the hard way if one is allergic to anything – unfortunately that is the only way to find out isn’t it? I usually stick to the same brand and know I can’t eat certain foods else they bring me up in rashes etc. Sending out some {{extra soothing energies}} to help with the healing together with a {{{big warm hug}} {Smile}

{{{kermit}}} Am so glad that you popped in as we were getting concerned. Mind you with getting the odd round robin email forward from time to time I knew that you were still about. {smile} I have been amazed at what is going on with your healthcare over your side of the Pond and cannot believe that people are against a Social Healthcare system being put in place rather than just the “pay for insurance type one”. At least over here we do have the National Health Service which you can top up by having private medical insurance which helps if you want to use it. Everyone is entitled to free healthcare though of course you do make a nominal contribution when you are working with a National Insurance tax. I know when travelling to the US the travel insurance premiums are really high and mainly that is to cover medical expenses if you are unlucky enough to fall ill or have an accident whilst over there. For Europe and Australia the travel insurance premiums are much lower. I do hope that your government resolves this problem and a national healthcare program is put into place so that all can have treatment without having to worry about paying huge private health insurance premiums.

{{rick}} Thank you so much for your kind thoughts. How are you enjoying your retirement by the way (apart from being a grandpa that is) {Smile}

Well looking at the time I think I will pop this post in as am getting a tad tired yet did want to write something up and get it posted so hope it isn’t too rambly as I am not going to check through the spelling etc. I also need to respond to a couple of emails before Neptune time as well.

My thoughts have also been with the poor people who have been in that terrible earthquake – the pictures shown on the News have been dreadful as well as the tsunami. Have been holding them all in my thoughts and prayers at this awful time. There just seems to be so much going on around the world at the moment.

Will be back in the morning with my coffee… til then leaving a {{{warm group hug}}} to {{{all}} who may enter…

With love always

Mermaid…xxx

Hello again dear friends {smile}

Well the apple trees are now bare of their fruit and it is all in and stored thank heavens. The girls were great as they got up in the trees and I was able to carry the buckets to the shed and get the apples in their trays so a good team effort all round.

We fired up the AGA today and it is lovely to have a warm kitchen once again as it is nearly up to proper cooking temperature already! At the moment there is a huge pan of crab apples simmering away as we will be making crabapple jelly tomorrow.

The wind has been howling around the house and so we also brought the sheep up from the long paddock so they could shelter if they wanted to. Needless to say they have all be out in the paddocks instead! {chuckle}

Tonight there is going to be a two hour programme of Strictly Come Dancing (Dancing with the Stars in other countries) so I am going to light the fire in the big sitting room, have an early supper and feed the dogs and then sit and enjoy! {smile} Paul might be watching it though there are good cricket matches on at the moment so have a feeling he will be glued to his TV and the sport.

I really should put the light on in here as it is getting quite dark inside though sunset is not officially until 6.30pm. The mornings are so much darker now I must admit I could quite happily hibernate sometimes through the long nights {Smile}

I hope that everyone is having a good weekend and will look in before Neptune time... til then leaving a {{{warm group hug}} to {{all}} who may enter...

with love always

mermaid...xxx

I'm sorry, but just can't relate.

It is 90 deg here.

Don't have a dog.

{{{rick}} sitting here cracking up laughing! Can see how it would be slightly difficult for you to relate to Autumn here in the UK. {laughing} At least the wind has dropped here now thank goodness. I think 90 degrees would be a tad hot for me though the log fire was lovely this evening whilst I enjoyed watching TV, it made a nice change {Smile}

Looking at the time it is probably not even dark for you yet either! {grin}

Do hope you are enjoying your weekend and lovely to see you call by. I am heading off to Neptune land now and will be back in the morning with my coffee to wake me up. {smile}

love always

mermaid...xxx

Hello dear friends {smile}

Just popping in quickly as I had to delete a string that I guess was spam as there was absolutely no sense to it at all. A little bit of housekeeping was therefore required. {smile}

Babs should be arriving tomorrow lunchtime and I have to be at the hospital at 7am on thursday. Hopefully all things will have been sorted out by the evening time {smile}

Am in the middle of doing Executor type paperwork and things and getting tidied up in readiness for the girls also coming tomorrow so will have to do a bit more of a write up later... so til then

leaving a {{{warm group hug}} to {{all}} who may enter

with love always

mermaid...xxx

Mermaid, I hope and pray everything will turn out all right on Thursday. It has been a hectic week here with the house and such. Both of my kids are having computer troubles so have been stopping home to use mine and then Pat taking over when they leave so I haven't been in here much. The house is coming along quickly now and it should have the roof finished by Friday if the rains hold off.

I received a large package from my Aunt with a lot of old family information for my geneology pages yesterday. It is interesting stuff and I have enjoyed looking it over. I seem to get lost in the past whenever I work on it.

I hope you have a nice visit with Babs. I am having only 1/2 the company I expected this weekend so it should be more relaxing then I thought. I still have lots of cleaning to do and baking for Friday. I am hoping for good weather as they come during this time to view the leaves and enjoy the fall.

Not much else going on. Waving to the room and wishing you all a nice week.