When does it get better

Savannah, Linda & I had a cheap
Tracphone. In an eerie Twilight Zone
moment, that phone died, as it turned
out, the same day Linda died. I was
visiting her room in the rehab unit in
the nursing home, and was not happy
that I'd have to take a cab & buy a new
phone without her. When I sat in the
front hallway, waiting for a cab, all hell
broke loose & a rescue squad sped to
Linda's room. I was sobbing bc I had
seen Linda moments before, in her
room, where she collapsed in a twisted
way. I was filled with guilt & kept saying
to the PT next to me, " Why did I keep
bothering her about the damn phone?"
The PT kindly patted my shoulder and
said it wasn't my fault. After Linda died,
I walked into a phone store, and asked for a simple cell phone. "without all the bells&
whistles". The saleswoman pointed outthey ALL had bells & whistles. Now,
I'm so glad I have a phone with music ,
videos, unlimited phone service, and
most importantly, GIC! Lou

 

Yes, Lou you are right. Talk about the horrible days on earth to newcomers then get on with friends and daily lives and I'm enjoying reading all about everyone's daily lives, memories of good times and what they had for breakfast. I'll try to find the "senior" post.

 

Wow,Savannah, you brought back good
memories of TV Westerns. Loved Have
Gun Will Travel, when Richard Boone,
would face the camera ( & us), & deliver
a sarcastic monologue. I also liked that
he lived in style in a hotel. I remember
Clint Walker, but I think girls were more
impressed with him than boys. That's
funny about Miss Kitty being banned if
your grandmother knew. Lou

 

Savannah you’re definitely a member of TGW. I’m glad you enjoyed shopping. I was in Dollar Tree and Walmart yesterday. Do you have to pay a fee for Walmart deliveries? I forget what it is here but there’s a fee one for curbside pick up too. I lost a lot of weight too snd had to buy everything new. At the time I had no desire. I wanted to wear things I had snd that Ron bought me or always liked on me. But I was looking homeless. I don’t like buying myself things ever since Ron has passed. Guilt I suppose. Other things, food, cleaning supplies things for the house or yard I’m ok. But I’ve slowly worked on getting new things that fit. Today as a bent down yo pick something up my glasses fell and broke right in half. Once this storm passes I need get new ones ordered. Thankfully I have my old pair to get me through. My daughters on her way over to have dinner. I made us chili last night. More of the same tonight. I need to get everything ready.
Robin

 

Hi Robin, I have the Walmart+ subscription so I don't have to pay for shipping., and free delivery with a $35.00 order. Did wear clothes,( bought 2 belts to use to hold jeans and pants from falling to my knees), I had until they just looked tacky.
I packed away my old clothes, just in case. I still slouch around the house in one of Teds old sweatshirts.
Good thing you had a back up pair of glasses. Ted and I always went to EyeMart Express for glasses. 2 pair for a set price, plus they took our Medicare Advantage insurance. I need new glasses, so this Spring I will run over , get my eyes checked, get new glasses, so I can see the letters(eye test) at DMV to renew my drivers license.
Chili sounds good. I am making Jambalaya next Thursday, Brittany and I decided to just hang around the house, she wanted to know if I had old photos( I do), said she like looking at them and hearing the stories behind them. So now I have a new project, find all my old photos, sort them out for us to look at. I have photos of young grandparents, several of my ggrandparents, one from I am guessing was taken around 1909, has my grandma(Daddy's Mom) standing behind my ggrandparents, she looks to be about 10, she was born in 1899. I have another one of her, I use to have sitting in the living room, and people would ask when I had it taken(looks like one of those old photos you could have taken at a carnival/fair). Now I look more like my Mom's side of the family. I will stop for now. Answer my other messages. Take care, stay safe and warm. Savannah

 

Hi Lou, My Motorola has a few bells and whistles, when I spoke to the young man at Consumer Cellular, I told him I needed a Smart phone, but a simple one to use and get use to. I am learning the ends and out of it. Ted absolutely hated a cell phone, so he has Magic Jack on his computer, looked up when it would be ready for renewal, lord the man paid it up until 2025. He must have done it just before his heart attack, so the computer will set where it is until then, or until I pass, whichever comes first. I am so sorry about your sweet wife Linda. I still feel guilty about things concerning Ted, but I had no control over what the good Lord wanted. At some point one has to stop blaming themselves for what happened to their loved one, I just don't know when that point comes. In your other message this morning about peeking at my answer to I think either Karen or Deb, I like the idea others can comment on a post, put their 2 cents in, makes it feel like family. I thin GIC may be my life line. Talking here, having Brittany 2 days a week, is making me feel better. Thanks to all I have been in contact with for making me feel welcomed.
Take care, stay warm and safe. Looks like East coast is in for a lot of snow. Savannah.

 

So glad we make you feel better, that's what we're here for. You hit a good site and thank you for joining our family. Always blessings, Karen

 

Hi Karen, Hope you are doing ok this evening. Miss Kitty sometimes sets in front of Teds chair, just staring, kind of eerie, then all of a sudden she will take off and run up and down the hall way. As long as her hair doesn't stand on end, and she is not hissing up a storm, I'm good. Fell asleep in my chair, woke up and it was dark, looks like I will be up most of the night . Miss Kitty is 14, she is a lynx point, has the tabby face, front, back legs, tail, with a solid gray body. My vet kept saying she was part Siamese, but she is not, she has dark eyes, Siamese cats always have blue eyes.
I bet Rambo misses Jack a lot. Miss Kitty missed Ted, until he threw the light on the fridge across the kitchen floor, now she is like ok, Dad's here all is good. I miss him, talk to him everyday, tell him how my day is going, I can do that better now, only use half a box of tissues.
I will close for now. Take care, stay safe. Savannah

 

Just wanted to take a moment to welcome you to the site. My name is Chad, 38, I lost my love and best friend Lizzy, 39, in October after almost 9 years of marriage. I miss her so much and still cry everyday. We have a Shih Tzu, Fergie, and she keeps me company. Lizzy has just gotten Fergie when we met so I have known her for just as long as I known Lizzy. She also loved the dollar stores, not sure which one. Need to figure it because I'm running out of soap and I think that's where she got it. I really like that soap. Ok now I am rambling.

-Chad

 

Hi Chad, Thank you for the welcome, and I am so sorry for your loss. Here, where I live(Ohio) there are Dollar Trees, $5 Below, Family Dollar (that is where I bought the soap Ted liked) Dollar General. I hope you find the right store. I have turned into a Dollar Tree junky, I love candles, I can get the big pillar candles for $1, nice candles in cute glass holders, and food.
Fergie I bet is spoiled rotten. Miss Kitty is, not by me We adopted her 11 yrs. ago, she was a rescue cat.
Rambling is not a problem, I ramble ...a lot, sometimes soothes the mind and soul. Take care, stay safe. Savannah

 

Hey, Chad, good to see you on here tonight.
I often say on GIC that it is good to have
3 younger brothers here, bc I never had
one. We care about each other and ask
if someone hasn't posted for awhile.I
haven't heard from Gary lately. I know he
felt isolated & depressed with the
seemingly endless winter. But, he does
something I've never done ---- ice fishing.
Linda & I loved the 2 Grumpy Old Men
movies, starring Walter Mathau & Jack
Lemmon, which shows ice fishing. I wasn't
posting for a while, bc I got sick Christmas
Nigbt,with Omicron. There were no tests,
but I had all the symptoms, the worst
being a sore throat & cough, both hurt.
I had to go to the ER in the middle of
night for something else, and took the
nostril test for COVID. & tested positive. I
was put on an IV for hydration &
nourishment. I had no appetite, or desire
to eat,so this was a good thing. Upon
discharge, I had to go home & self
quarantine. It was agreed that 2 medical
professionals would visit every week, at
my apartment, and check on my
well being. The first is a VNA nurse. The
second is a PT ( I've had 3 different ones).
I'm tired after this latest ordeal, and
want to walk outside again, sooner. Bc I'm
retired, I don't set an alarm. I will start to
get something sbrj, mmm dvvvdvdvdvdvdvddvdvvdvvdvdvddv!dwwdww!deêdbr bc v=3f49[:

 

Hi Savannah, I used a belt too Judy like you’re saying. I kept all my old clothes too. Cause who knows, but I haven’t put any weight back on. I still lose weight here and there. I told my daughter I don’t think Ron would recognize me I lost so much weight. She says he would. I don’t recognize myself when I look in the mirror, Ive aged too. The stress , and anxiety of losing our spouses sure affects us in so many ways. I do feel lucky I still had my old pair of glasses. We don’t have EyeMart here, I wish we did. I get my glasses at BJ’s, it’s like a Costco or Sams. I’ll go as. Soon as the weather clears up. Thanks for the info about Walmart and the subscription, I wondered if that was the issue. Sounds like you have a nice day planned for next Thursday, jambalaya sounds so good, I hope you’re up to looking at pictures. It can be hard I’m tired, signing off for tonight. I have more messages but they’ll wait. Hope you’re resting, Robin

 

Savannah, went to sleep early & just woke
up at almost 1am on Friday. It's so good to
see your warm post, and kind words about
Linda. Thank you. One benefit of retirement is that I don't have to set an
alarm. If I need to go to sleep early at
night, or sleep late in the morning. it's
OK. If I need to take a short nap in the
afternoon, that's OK, too. I love your
anecdotes about Ted. You were so
different on small things, but on the
same page, on more important issues.
Linda & I were like that, too. GIC is
better than any friend I have on the
outside, bc there are people on here 24/7.
If no one is posting, I can post to someone
& that person can reply the next day. I
found you. for example, on "Alerts". As I
may have mentioned, I had to go to the
ER recently & be put on an IV for hydration
& nourishment. I had lost my appetite &
interest in food. It was wonderful to eat
hot meals again. The food at the hospital
was very good. In fact, before COVID, I
would go to the hospital cafeteria for
breakfast & lunch, standing in line, with my tray. That feels like 100 years ago. I'm
focusing on recovery. A VNA nurse & a PT
come to my apartment on different days,
to check on my well being. After they
check my blood pressure, breathing,
temp., and heart ( using a stethoscope), we talk about my daily living. They want to
make sure I'm eating properly and that
I'm not so depressed that I want to return
to the hospital. It's good to have a support
system, especially in winter, when it can
be bleak. Lou

 

Thank you Deb, I agree, this is progress. I did make the chili for my daughter and I. It’s bittersweet, I know I don’t need to explain. We did enjoy it though. And kept thinking how happy Ron is knowing that I’m pushing through some of the things that make me so anxious and leave me unmotivated.
I have picked up supplies and I’m praying my electric stays on. Doesn’t help that I’ve gotten so many alerts about possible outages, how strong the wind will be., 15” of snow etc. just need Ron here and I’d be good. I have rock salt, contemplating putting it on my driveway before the snow starts. Not something I know anything about so I’ll be researching that. Changed Teddys appointment to get his nails trimmed, it was tomorrow. Charging my devices just in case. You’re not rambling your saying what’s on your mind. That’s what we’re here for.
Take care, Robin

 

Hi Robin, I hope you are staying warm and safe. I haven't gain any weight, haven't lost anymore, so the clothes buying spree is ending. I try to avoid the mirror as much as possible, the woman looking back at me is not the woman I use to see, and definitely not the woman Ted saw on a daily basis. I don't feel as old as I look.
Looking at old photos don't have much effect on me, other than fond memories of relatives I knew, stories from my Mom and Dad about ones I didn't know. Ted has old photos I think he forgot about. He always complained he didn't have photos of his parents, Grandmother, Aunts/Uncles etc. When looking for important papers for the funeral home, bank, etc. I found a large manila envelope stuffed with photos, some had names written on the back, most did not. Makes me sad they weren't found while Ted was alive. I have photos of Ted, Ted and I, Ted and his brother, on the fridge, various photos in a collage in my computer room, and his computer room, so I am use to seeing them. Get teary eyed sometimes looking at the one on the table where his ashes sit.
Take care stay safe and warm. Savannah

 

Hi Karen, You are right, I have hit a good site. I was telling Brittany about the site, how kind everyone was, she said she was glad I had people I could talk to, vent if necessary, share stories, etc. Take care. Savannah

 

Good Morning Lou, Hope you are feeling better today and staying safe and warm. Retirement is bliss, stay up all night, sleep all day, no alarm clock to disturb you. My only alarm clock is Miss Kitty.
I like reading through the post, I haven't gotten up the courage to jump in someone elses conversation, but I love that you and others do, does make it feel like family. I am so happy I found GIC, Brittany is happy for me. I rambled on yesterday about how kind everyone has been, and how I felt I could share stories, talk about subjects and not be judged, vent if I needed to.
Got up fed the cat, went back to bed, got up a little while ago, had coffee, fired up the computer and checked in here.
Missed breakfast, so I better eat something now for lunch. Later would you want to do a "Do You Remember" . Talking the other day about old westerns had me thinking of other shows back in the day , just thought it might be fun thing to do.
Talk again later. Take care , stay safe and warm. Savannah

 

Savannah, I would love to do a "Do You
Remember". It's a wonderful, fun
distraction from grief. As I mentioned,
though a non veteran,I go to an open
house coffee for veterans ( & their
supporters), every Sat am, One day, I
sat across from a guy who served on a
ship in the Navy, during the Vietnam
war. He started reminiscing about TV
shows from our childhood. We had seen
some of the same shows & the Sat. am
cartoons. It was great to see the years
go away, and to see this usually grouchy
"old man" smile & laugh over shows we
had forgotten. Some of the other vets
were older, didn't see those shows, but
enjoyed our enthusiasm. Have you lived
in Ohio your whole life, Savannah? I lived
in Massachusetts my whole life, with
short residencies in other New England
states. We also traveled cross country, and
down to Flirida. We had a local TV show
in Boston: Big Brother, Bob Emery. He was
on every Sat am & would show cartoons.
But. at the beginning of every show, he
would do a toast, with a glass of milk, to
the President of the United States---
Dwight D, Eisenhower. Lou

 

Hum! caught another one, nigbt. But did your fingers go list of port on the last closing, or are your thoughts running away with you in confusion, Ha! Hum! again.

 

Yeah, Karen, that was weird. I was
sitting at the table, trying to send a
message to youngest brother, Chad, and
I slumped over my Smart Phone-----and
fell asleep. It surprised me to see the
gibberish when I looked at my reply
later.The fact is that my sleeping
"schedule" went off the rails since the
hospital. Due to a recent medical
procedure, I've had to sleep on my back,
instead of my usual side. I used to be
asleep by 10:30 pm & wake up around
6:30am. Now, if I wake up in the middle of
night, I will sit at the table, have a snack,
& get on GIC. I have to take naps at odd
times, too. Sometimes for a half hour in
the afternoon, but other times, right after
dinner. I'm hoping the VNA nurse. and
PT will help me get back on track. Bc I
was sick, & the weather was terrible, I
couldn't. do my favorite exercise, which
was to walk by the ocean & downtown.
It was good to vent to the VNA nurse &
to the PT. I agreed to do one set of
exercises every day, but, like most
people on GIC, I'm sick of the winter, &
how it thwarts my plans to walk outside.
It's good to be home, but with support,
this time. so, feel free to kid me, as
always. Lou