Thank you so kindly for your welcome! I'm anxious to read and get more familiar with this condition and those affected around me. Be Blessed.

Hi Reed. Russ must be feelin ok if he has the focus and energy to bag up the tree branches.
Yesterday as I was out and about I kept have these surges of gratitude. They would just wash over me at odd times. It was wonderful in every way.
I had a lot planned for today - movies, lunch out, but woke up feeling off and with a nonstop productive cough. My temp was elevated, so I thought the wisest thing to do was stay home and take care of myself. Put my head down on the couch at 1 pm and did not wake until 6!!! It was one of those rock solid sleeps that leave you disoriented when you wake up. So now I expect I'll be up all night, but what is, is.
Have a great Sunday.

Hi Reed- Glad Russ' procedure is over, hope it turned out successfully. Sorry you caught Russ' cold. Look out for the flu, the media says it is going to be a bad year for the flu. I am sure you got your flu shot as did we. Jim got the word from the surgeon that he saw the other day. NO surgery necessary ! He just has to wear a compression stocking for 6 months and continue with the coumadin for that time. We were relieved to hear that. My BG have been OK most of the time. It has been quite cold this past week, but it is supposed to warm up next week. Get Chico to snuggle with you, it will always help you to feel better. Take care. Cat

hi reed, fairly cold here too, a neighbor just called and said look out the window, there's a fox walking down the lake. don't see that every day. My sister is coming over today, she's bringing some of mom's stuff. I guess she's spending the weekend at their Poconos place.

we had to cut the live interview on the chat short yesterday because of technical difficulties. The young man was very good, we'll get him back. Hard to believe at 18 he's a NASCAR driver/racer. He said he would be glad to talk to other teens here, which is great, so that's why you will see him featured. We have had some new teens here recently and I want them to feel like they feel right at home here as well as those of us who are here all the time.

bgs just terrible. woke up at 6 and was 162, so I took a bolus and then by 715 it was 180 something. SIGH. I'm frustrated by the volatility.

Hi Mr Gator, Hope you are coming along with your cold. It is 11 above 0 as I write this.
My BG was 77 on wakeup. Will watch the playoff games today and go to mass in the morning.

Pauly

Hugs back Reed. The cold symptoms Jon had last night, don't seem bad today. He came home in a great mood, but will go down fast as evening wears on. Waiting for dinner, our daughter is off cooking it, but she doesn't usually have it ready and waiting for her Dad when she gets home. She was an ADD kid, and that stuff you don't grow out of, goes on when the kids grow up.

Sharon

Hi Reed, I read that you caught the cold Russ had. My son is sick too. He has been coughing for a week. Chris took him over to the doctor today because he felt too sick to drive. He got a throat culture and almost threw up on the doctor! He got some expectorant and some antibiotics and a referral to the allergist. He does a lot better when he takes weekly allergy shots, especially now that we have the cat. He must be pretty sick as this is the first Friday night I have ever seen him stay home, usually out with friends.
It feels so funny, no work today, instead we had our Holiday party, what fun. We ate delicious food, they had so many good things to eat and all of it healthy, we are all nutrition freaks. Everyone is very health minded on our team. We had a short meeting about work and then had the White Elepant gift exchange. I ended up with a remote control tarantula. It is so funny, big and hairy. The cat is playing with it now in the bathroom. It was so fun to see everyone. We all work at different sites so it is nice to get together. Now it feels so neat to have two days off.
We still have our Christmas decorations up. I can't bring myself to take them down. I have a lot of things with lights and it looks so pretty at night. I don't think it will snow. It is 40 degrees and was sunny, very mild. I might take a walk it is so nice out.
How did the operation go? I hope that Russ heals up nicely. Did they give him antibiotics or anything? I hope he is not in pain. My toe is all better the antibiotics fixed it up like new.
Oh, yeah, my boss gave us all gifts too. I got the prettiest pair of black gloves.They are made so you can wear them and use your smart phone at the same time. They are really neat.
I hope you feel better soon. Lots

Russ is probably worn out from the stress too. HUGS!!!

Hi Mr Gator. I am happy Russ has it behind him now. I bet you are too. Went to adoration chapel this morning and prayed for you and Russ and other TU members. Bright Sunny day today. Warmer, 34 today so it is melting a little. Cleaning my bathroom today. Hope you dont get a cold.

Pauly

reed, did they tell Russ to use peroxide? I think that's how I ruined my hand when I damaged it, I kept putting peroxide on it and that kills good skin along with the germs. now I think I have permanent scar tissue and sometimes it bothers me a lot.

This afternoon we are having our chat with an 18 year old nascar driver with type 1. should be quite lively, i hope. emily works very hard getting us interesting speakers for these friday afternoon chats. I really enjoy them, and sometimes it gets to be like a party. bg 204 dang it. i will go for a walk later and bring that right down.

hello Reed, Hope your cold won't last long. So many people are sick at work with colds, flu, & stomach virus. I'm off till Tuesday. Taking care of Samantha while Kevin & Jen are on Long Island looking for a house. Happy to be home & away from all the sickness without getting it. I hope they have good luck finding a nice house at a decent price. Joe is working si it's just me & Samantha & she's taking a nap. Glad to hear Russ was able to have his procedure & all went well. Well I would be happy to put about 10-15 pounds back on but at least I'm not losing anymore. Cold & windy here.
Take care.Get well soon. <3 <3 Joanne

hi Reed, glad the nose job is done, let the healing begin! sending some hugs for both of you. woke up at 530 and bg was 84, it was 81 at 7 AM and now get this, at 730 it was 114. some mornings are like this, some are even worse, and some I stay steady until I eat. still cold here, brr, thank goodness we have the pellet stove. it's kinda pathetic, but my mother enjoys being a problem. now she says she has lost her giant envelope with all her 2012 tax receipts. I asked my sister to see if she could find it, and she has not. I know for sure no one has thrown it out. oh the drama. of course, this insures another trip from me. ed and I could have gone on a nice vacation with all the money we've spent visiting my mother lately.

Hi Reed. Hope Russ is okay. I was thinking about him all day yesterday.
The lab from my clinic just called and said they "forgot" to do my INR. So now I have to spend my afternoon sitting at the clinic again.
My primary really had little to say, just kept scrolling down the screen and shaking his head. I told him I needed something more for my itchy skin, caused by the allergic reaction. He emailed the pharmacy with a "recipe" that had to be mixed together. I went down and waited. After 45 minutes, they called my name and told me that the person who mixes the formulas only does it from 10 to noon. It was 4 p.m. Boy was I mad.
Still cold here. Slept pretty well. More cleaning today. I am going to get the violin out and see how it goes.

hi reed, how did it go today with russ? been thinking about you two. my mother is out of the hospital, my sister is down there with her, and she is driving her crazy. we will be there again soon. yes they are ice fishing. the lake got stocked with hundreds of trout earlier this fall and they like the cold water. we made a big pot of turkey chili today. numbers ok, bg was 140 before we took our afternoon walk.

Hi Mr Gator, Its 12 above 0 here. Kinda cold. Cloudy too. I wish the best for Russ and hope he comes out ok. I know you worry about him alot.

I feel achy today, it must be the weather. BG on wakeup was 87. I went low during the night though and woke up and didnt feel good.

Pauly

Morning Reed!! 22 degrees out there....snow, with a few lazy flakes meandering down. I was meaning to go to Chapters (large book store) yesterday evening, but it was getting pretty cold after the sun went down (-12)...so stayed snuggled up in my nest, with my wooly socks and my 2 "warm-fuzzy" sweaters. I don't handle cold as well as I used to.
So...the plan is to go to Chapters today!!! Slowly getting into school stuff....so as not to be like a deer in the headlights come Monday morning (sigh...really don't feel like going back yet!). I don't know WHY my blood pressure has been up...but it makes me nervous (and nose bleeds, but no migraines!). Woke up at 4 this morning, feeling buzzy...so checked bg. 104...so bg was fine. Checked breathing flow...a little low (??)...and bpressure. Bp was a little high for that time, and just waking...138/88. At 9am though...bp finally down 109/72. FINALLY!! The higher pressure numbers cause discomfort as well...pressure in chest (but that could be the asthma) and pressure on shoulders/buzzy around face. That's the thing with those symptoms... they could be this/they could be that! Will check again later!
I was redoing a word search on the computer for 3 students in my gr. 4 class. I make personalized word searches for my gr 1 to 4 classes to give them with a card a Christmas time...of varying difficulty levels, depending on age. The word searches have the names of each student in that class, and about 15 or so other words all in French, that they have learned. It's a site I go to every year (build your own), but for whatever reason...3 names did not come through. I felt so bad. So said to them I would re-do it and give it to them in January. It took 4 tries!! I think it partly to do with the fact that the word search was in the shape of a Christmas tree....this new one is no=nonsense lol...just a square...and all their names came through!! So...decided
to make one for Mason too...this one with a larger font, smaller grid, and words that HE is familiar with only going in one direction.
When we had everyone here for Christmas dinner, it was SUCH A JOY to see Mason doing the Sign of the Cross...and saying Grace.
I don't ask frequently about the status of "how's it going with the smoking" to Timothy...let alone Steph....as it comes across as forever nagging! I know though that they still both do. I don't know...I keep praying.
I've gotten some good books from the use of gift card to bookstores, given to me by friends and students. Now to get to reading them.
Taking down the Christmas stuff this week....come and gone so quickly, but II guess it'll be good to get back to a routine!
Hope all went well with Russ. Take care,
luv and baskets of hugs....
linda

Hi Reed- Thanks for the update on Russ and Chico. They are becoming fast friends. Jim is at the lab getting his blood drawn. Hope it is as good as last week. My BG have been pretty good. This AM 88. Hope that Russ' procedure goes well today. It is quite cold here, not as cold as Kathy, but in the 20's. She sounds well, hope she stays that way. I am off to play Bridge this afternoon with my lady friends. Have a good day. Cat

Good morning Reed, I guess today is an important day, Russ is having his procedure. My thoughts will be with you and I hope things go well today. How are you holding up through all this plus Russ and his cold? I am glad that Chico has been around to comfort him. I sleep with Zen and it sure does feel good. She is so cuddly and snuggly. I really love that cat. Chico is so pretty. I got a camera for Christmas. I have it plugged in and now I have to watch the CD and read the manual. Hopefully this weekend I will fire it up and take some pictures. I hope it snows, that would be really pretty to have some snow around the lake. It is 24 today, pretty cold for us, and maybe we will get that snow I want so bad.
Well, off to work for me. Tomorrow is our holiday party we are having a White Elephant gift exchange. I have to figure out if I want to get something nice or something silly. I will decide tonight. Hope you had fun at TOPs, did you gain any weight during the Holidays? Off to the shower for me. Lots.