Monday, July 21, 2025

117.4 - down 1.4 after a day when I had the hungry horrors and fed them. Weird!

So my 2 younger children left by late morning yesterday to avoid the Cape bridge traffic (DS was successful at that but DD not so much since he left 2 hours earlier than them). I had forgotten that DSD was coming to stay for part of this week too! She arrived at 5. Luckily the deck had been swabbed and clean sheets etc. were back on the beds.

Today DSD will work here, then we are going to take SIL out for dinner. She isn't eating much but it is meatloaf Monday which usually goes down easily for her and will provide some good leftovers. Right now her biggest problems are her persistent back pain and lack of appetite. They want her to go back on Keytruda which early on worked dramatically in fighting the cancer essentially putting her in remission but with her weight so low all that is scary.

Today the fence construction continues so hopefully we can have a free range Justice in a couple of days. Tomorrow will be an early day for me so I may or may not post beforehand. DSD and I are going on the ferry to Martha's Vineyard for the day to scatter deceased DH's remaining ashes off of a sailboat. Most of his ashes are buried next to our eldest DD, some were scattered in Ireland by DS, and this is where he would want the rest to go.

Have a munificent Monday!

200.5 UGH... And I had a pretty low calorie (for me) day. Have to have the long haul mentality right now. I know the drop will come.

BFFs dogs are restless in the early hours. It does not make for great sleep much past 5 am. Luckily, I went to bed early (again for me) around 11, so being awakened from 5 am on wasn't too terribly bad, but I would have appreciated a nice deep sleep until around 7! I'm actually surprised by how restless Lulu is. She used to be such a hard sleeper.

I am hell bent on creating a list of to dos today. I have the road trip to Ohio and my dad's move to plan this week. Best to be hyper organized.

I have yet another full day planned. I am beginning to realize just how much I crammed into a day while I was working. The lack of a full teaching day makes my current schedule pretty doable.

Yay for fencing! You will be able to relax once Justice can safely lounge in the yard.

I know! He really wanted to lay out there this morning but he'd be barking at the fence guys constantly.

When we were planning this years trips (small and large) I did an Excel spreadsheet where I listed the tasks to be accomplished for each trip, who was responsible, and assigned priorities (1,2 or 3), A tool from my project planning days but it really helped in focusing on getting stuff done. Here is an image of a piece of it:

OMG! You are amazing! I dream of being someone like you, but it is truly not in my DNA. A handwritten list on paper is a pretty large order for me!

DH is the same with his handwritten lists but he did use this. He had complained that there was too much to accomplish and he needed to focus. So he attacked the priority 1 tasks first, then the 2's etc.

Taking a break from finally reading the paper to post from the porch. Maybe that can be the name of my blog (do people do that anymore?): Postings from the porch.

Liz, I hope your trip to Martha's Vineyard is lovely, and that you and your DSD find some comfort in taking time to honor deceased DH. The Jewish blessing, may his memory be a blessing, seems true for your family.

Peps, you articulated my thoughts about how this summer is different than other summers. Yes, the approach of August brings no sense of omg, summer is slipping away. I like the term school summer. I'm going to use it when people ask. DH keeps saying, your life is a weekend now. Truth.

Paula also sending good thoughts that no bad sushi got you or any of your family.

Diane you are so wise to avoid unnecessary meetings at the studio. Not my circus, not my monkeys, such a useful attitude.

CC, Kirby in Michigan looks like such a happy guy.

Today started cold and rainy. Felt very Irish when we went for coffee. I have a lightweight sweater that says summer on it, that is suitable to wear only a few certain days. Today was one of them. Now the sun is out, and the sky is a lovely shade of blur. After coffee we ran a few errands, whi*****luded buying a new set of pans from Costco. Our current non stick are flaking, so we're probably poisoning ourselves. These are ceramic insides. Hopefully they will last longer. If not, I've saved the receipt, because Costco is very generous about returns if you are not satisfied.

The paper had a very intriguing and troubling article about organ donations If someone is brain dead, they are removed from life support and stop breathing quickly. No controversy. But something called circulatory death happens when there is not clear brain death, but someone is in a coma and deemed not going to recover. Families do make decisions ethically, to remove their loved one from life support, and then they do pass away. They were not going to recover, they can't live without the machines. If they pass within about an hour, they can be organ donors. There are numerous reports where the transplant team may have jumped the gun. One doctor testified a supposed corpse was brought to the surgical room, and when he started the organ harvest, he discovered a beating heart. Other medical people worried that patients weren't left on life support long enough to truly determine if they could recover. Others reported families being asked about organ donation before they independently made the decision to remove life support. Very unethical, and could interfere with true consent. I am absolutely in favor of organ donation, and I've told my family if at the time of my death if there are any viable organs to donate, they'd better do it! But I thought organ transplants involved the highest level of ethical practices. Another thing to be concerned about in these troubling times. Now you can all be concerned with me, as I share this cheery news story!

Even with my heavier than normal reading, it is sublime here on the porch. A friend will be stopping by in a it for a little visit. DH is off on a bro date with his BFF. My BFF is bringing home a frozen lasagna to cook for dinner. I have a couple more sections of the paper to entertain me. It is a Monday of many small delights.

This organ harvesting dilemma is not a new thing. I withdrew my organ donation status on my driver's license because there were some major, major issues throughout the US where treatment "may have been" withheld for the sake of organ donation. BTW, this was especially prevalent in Florida. Not okay by me. I'm all for it, just like you are, but not until AFTER all possible avenues of recovery have been exhausted.

Greetings all

Mostly sun today. DH had a dental apt this morning and since it is a half hour one way I was left with blissful control of the tv. He likes it quiet in the morning and I am a news hog. So just me and the dogs for a bit. Tomorrow is more structured; scrabble in the morning with a dental appointment for me and also for Tesla. Beaucoup bucks going for dental work in this house. I should not have made those on the same day but it is doable. DH will take her in early in the am and I will pick her up later. That is after I get a bunch of fillings. Crap.

So Liz and Peps geez, spread sheets for your daily chores!!! But yeah it is the way to get stuff done and it is so satisfying to check stuff off the list. I actually sort of do this on a paper list on which I arrange the errands sort of like a travel itinerary nearest to farthest with the tasks or items under each heading. They say making lists is one of the seven habits of highly successful people. Wonder what the others are? Looking at jokes on facebook is probably not one of them.

Have a good and meaningful trip to Martha's vineyard Liz.

Yeah Paula don't skimp on the calories right now. You are at a good weight.

Wow DD, now I am worried about organ donations. Seems like in every basically good think there is an element of ******y. ( i tried to play that word in on line scrabble but the computer would not let me). See how nice a Monday can be?? Newspapers and coffee are excellent.

Horrific weather reports all over the nation. Extreme heat, giant hail and floods.

So I worked at the studio a bit and got payroll and reviewed financials. We have a board meeting wed and that is when the reallocation of space will be discussed. It will likely be a long meeting so large mug of coffee required.

Not much else. I stopped at the hippie grocery for a pot pie. Life is good.

Diane S

The Steve Miller band was scheduled for the Grandstand at the Minnesota State Fair. They cancelled their entire tour due to climate change and the level of severe weather during the summer. They were scheduled for a lot of outdoor venues and said it isn't safe for the band or their audience. Crazy times, but they're probably not wrong.

It is very disturbing to hear that medical people may be jumping the gun on declaring death to hasten organ donations. It seems like rules about when death can be declared need to be established that are consistently applied regardless of location. Stories like this will make all of us pause when considering donating our own or a loved one's organs.