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Welcome back. It was a treat to see your post

Hi Diana, thank you, it is good to be back.  I hope that you had a good month of May.  Happy to see you here in the forum.  :)

Wonderful post! I do think that Life is always about changing things to fit whatever season you are in. And changing furniture arrangement is a big part of that. When we are young, we don't think about what we may need when we are older and don't think to plan for it. I tell everyone young that I see when they buy a house, "plan now for when you are older!".  When you are young is when you should plan for wider doorways to accommodate wheelchairs, even though you may feel that is so many years away...accidents happen and we simply never know what may come up in our lives in the future. 

Love the photos and how lovely your home is. I am sure it feels so good to get so much done and organized. I have been fighting the grass and weeds. The rain we have had made it all so hard, but now that we finally got some dry days, I am getting the yardwork all caught up. For now!  ;-) My goal for the Summer is to get the shed cleaned out and organized. It is my "catch-all" area. 

I'm pacing myself as my hubby has been diagnosed with Dementia. I have questioned it for a year now. His neurologist blamed symptoms on his Depression, but I felt it was Parkinson's. After a stay in the hospital, (18 days) for a tick bacteria, Anaplasmosis, he was tested and the EEG showed Dementia. Doctor said he has had it for a while. I wish I would have insisted on him being tested earlier. I know now if my "gut" is telling me something is wrong, I am going to insist on testing being done.

I don't know what my future is going to look like, dealing with him and the Dementia, but for all you younger readers, think about what you can do now for your future. I'm in my late 60's and I can tell you it came a lot faster than I thought it would!!  

But God is good and all will be well~

Darlene R, a perfect reminder of plan ahead.  We all know the possibilities of what could happen but there are so many people that look down on us that even consider thinking much less talking about the possibilities that can happen.  They don't want the negativity so they embarrass those that are "negative people" and that keeps us bound from good planning ahead.  

My dad had strokes, my mother had breast cancer, my mother then had dementia,  Charles aunt down the street had pancreatic cancer, macular dementia and diabetic all while she was living alone while Charles was helping her each morning and each evening on his way to work and on his way home. No preparation for elder life.  I was home taking care of my mother with advanced dementia. 

 Charles mother had a stroke and brain cancer.   Charles father died suddenly while sitting on the side of the tub using a Qtip to get the water out of his ears at the age of 66. A widow maker heart attack they called it.   You are so right, plan for the future when you are young.  If only we are allowed some "negative" in our life so people could follow their gut and plan for the what if's. 

You are so right, lesson learned about listen to your gut.  Thank you for sharing and you will be in our prayers for your changes in your journey. If you ever have questions please just ask me, here on the forum so others can learn, or in private if you want.  My mother's care was seven years and we experienced a wide range of issues during years with dementia.  Big hugs and love. Donna

Welcome back!

I have reduced screen time but I still use my computer for banking, bill paying, etc.

I have been going through closets and pulling out stuff to get rid of in a yard sale or donate.  My living room looks like a yard sale is going on right now!  I have a sibling who will be visiting me soon and she will help me put on the sale.  I'm looking forward to getting this stuff out of the house, and as always, wonder why I held on to it for so long!

I have a yearly Medicare wellness physical, and I just had one last month.  My doctor has started asking me about how I am preparing for reduced mobility/poor health/new health conditions, etc.  One thing she mentioned was getting rid of rugs that can trip us or slide under our feet.  I hadn't thought of that.  She also asked about grab bars, moving things to lower cabinets, and any access/egress issues at my house.  Due to my late husband's health issues, I already have a walk-in shower, grab bars in the shower and by the toilet in the downstairs bath, and a ramp outside.  I have already put things in the kitchen in the easiest places for me to reach, but I'm thinking about adding a section of cabinets to increase the more accessible places. It's a good idea to start making these changes before it becomes necessary.

I've worked steadily on my yard and garden.  The rains have finally come, although we are still behind in rainfall amount, but the frequent watering is over for now.  I'm starting to get produce to eat, reducing my grocery bill.  As GDonna stated, there is always more to do.  I just need to remember to pace myself.  

I haven't actually rationed, but I've watched my usage of things like chocolate, sugars and fancy ingredients.  I rarely or never use them now.  I've been cooking plainer meals and making sure I waste nothing!

I've also done some sewing for the home and plan to do more.  Painting is also in my plans - my pump house, a bathroom and a hallway need repainting after 25 years (!), but my living room/kitchen area has a vaulted ceiling up to the roof of the second floor, and I can't manage that on my own.  I will have to hire someone for that.

I look forward to seeing how everyone else did.

Joan S, hang on to that doctor that had concerns about you being prepared for reduced mobility and actually mentioned thing you might need in your home.  She sounds like a very good and concerned doctor. Very good on clearing things in your home and I hope your yard sale goes well when you sister comes to visit. :)  We are happy about the rains as well, very needed. 

Your bread looks beautiful, and I like the new schedule. I like having weekends off, and the new schedule closes the forum for the weekend (and then some). I am trying very hard to have restful or recreation activities on the weekends, and no work. Not that the forum is work, but it takes my attention from these other activities. 

I did get a lot done during May, though I had the stress of the hail damage to deal with. We are getting all new siding and a new, hardened roof, and my rooftop solar attic fan installed over the bedrooms. The attic fan should keep the house cooler and the electric bill down. It is completely solar operated with no electricity at all. It has a built-in solar panel instead of one that isn't attached, and I think it looks a lot better that way. We did have to pay extra to get the third side done with new siding and the upgrade on the roof, but we think these changes should last for a very long time, maybe even for the rest of our lives. Fingers crossed. :) It's been raining almost non-stop, so no one has a new roof on yet. It's meant that I can't get the carpet ripped out until next near. :( I would rip it out with my bare hands today if it wasn't raw particle board underneath. 

Tomorrow is June, and that's when I start my summer, so my meals have changed again. I've decided to start making extra to freeze since I never got my canning started. If we have a power outage, we have some generators, and since it's cooked food, it will last awhile in a cooler. I need the convenience. I have gotten too busy with the house right now for everything from scratch every day. Tomorrow I am freezing bread and meatloaf slices for sandwiches. I am cooking the meatloaf in the Crock Pot. it was 91 degrees today and it will be 91 tomorrow, but tomorrow I can turn on the air conditioning because it's the 1st of June. :) When we start canning from the garden, I'll be sure to can more meat and stews and things along with it. 

I have no hummingbirds! I've seen two this year, and they were a few weeks ago. The bee population is down too. I'll work hard to provide homes for the bees this year. I think it's the only way they will be safe. Our carpenter bee lives here, and he is very happy. Of course he's got practically all of the flowers to himself! We might have a cat. Someone dropped one off in the neighborhood and it was so hungry it meowed at the screen door and came inside to me when I opened the door. It was all bones. It ran out after that, but we put out food and water everyday in the garage and leave the garage door open enough for it to get in, and it stays in the garage some times. It's a very nice cat. I hope it gets comfortable enough with us to be our inside cat, but it's not there yet. 

And that's our news. :)

Oh, yes, the 1942 study. The tank in the car was finally almost empty so I could start rationing my gas, and then my husband came home from an errand and told me he had filled it for me. :) I'm at half a tank now, so it will still be awhile, but I have started to reduce my Victory speed to 35 when it's appropriate. I've been too busy this year to give proper attention to a study. I miss being able to give my attention to a study, and I'll be so glad to have the house in order next year so I can go back to one. I still haven't been able to give as much attention as I need to sewing, and I really want to do that. I keep telling myself this is just a season in time and it will be over soon.

Thank you once again for such a wonderful, helpful post!

In May we had our attic mold remediated, which included having a new ceiling put in my closet.  Luckily the original assessment was incorrect and there was no mold damage in the bathroom.  Then we got a new HVAC system, which is a heat pump but there is a backup gas furnace (it is dual fuel).  After that, we added 8 more solar panels where the old HVAC unit had been on the roof — wow have those added to our production, as they are on our south facing roof.  Just Friday we had a drop down attic ladder installed, and now other than having the permit signed off on, I believe our leak and HVAC issues are solved.

I changed out the bedding, I finally realized that the dark sheets and quilt with darker colors weren’t pleasing to me simply because of the time of year,  I packed them away and put on the white sheets and white and yellow comforter, which we don’t sleep under because of the heat, but I like the bed to look properly made.

I decluttered and organized the pantry — I always know it is time when things start getting put on the pantry floor.  I switched where the foods are, I had them on deeper shelves but find it hard to know what I have when it’s that way, so I moved the food back to the shallow shelves and the storage containers and jars to the deep shelves.  After the HVAC stuff was done I moved back into my closet, which also calmed the bedroom.

I mended a hole in my husband’s hoodie pocket, and also mended my robe, I can’t remember if that was late April or early May.  I sorted all of my scrap fabric, and in doing so found a cotton table runner I had set aside because we didn’t use it.  I decided to cut it into three pieces and I hemmed them into tea towels — it was the perfect upcycle.

That’s about it in terms of my productivity.  While I have had success with a new medication for one autoimmune disease, I have unfortunately been diagnosed with another one, only it is an uncertain diagnosis right now.  All signs point to lupus, so we will see.  I have had a lot of joint and muscle pain, along with edema.  I’ll be seeing a cardiologist soon, as the rheumatologist wants and echocardiogram done to look for heart damage and pulmonary hypertension.  I am praying it is all negative.  I had no idea all of this time that some of the health issues were pointing to an autoimmune connective tissue disease, and neither did any of my doctors!  I only went to the rheumatologist on the hunch of my GI doctor, who wanted to rule out any other causes for my joint pain (other than my IBD, which can cause joint pain too).  Even the rheumatologist didn’t expect the blood results I got.

So I am facing a new normal, and this post was timely for me.  I need to stop climbing up the step stool, for one thing!  I get dizzy and uncoordinated and could fall.  My husband has already offered to build shelves in the craft room closet so I can access totes one at a time instead of having to move them all, just as you and Charles did.  I have lost a lot of strength.

I have spent a lot of time winding embroidery floss onto bobbins.  I started doing embroidery more often and bought many new colors second hand.  I can hardly believe the prices in the stores now, 69¢ each at Hobby Lobby and 79¢ at Michael’s although I can get a senior discount at Michael’s or wait for a coupon.  I remember when the sales brought the prices down to 9¢ each!  Using eBay I was able to get them to around 25¢ a skein, and after I finish doing an inventory I might sell the extras that I don’t need.

I did stick to my sugar rationing!  Also, with much dedication in addition to not eating sugar, I lost 10#

It sounds like you had a very productive month of May. I have little energy to do much these days and can totally relate to growing slower rapidly as we age.

We were not planning on a large garden this year but, we both, felt it is prudent to change course and grow what we can anyway. We aren't up to alot of canning, however, we have two large dehydrators and use them frequently.

The herbs, in our yard, are ready for a second cutting, so the dehydrators will be going constantly. We have about 15 different herbs growing for culinary and medicinal purposes.

I am still working on getting my organization re-established after almost a year of too many days unable to work due to autoimmune flare-ups, vision issues and a huge amount of dental work that was caused by an autoimmune disease. Simplifying is the goal.

So glad you have a sound new schedule. I enjoyed your post.

Happy to see this post and know that everyone is well.

I did so much in May it seems like I was in a whirlwind. I cleaned and sorted the 3 car garage, the storage shed and the equipment shelter along with yardwork, cleaning the pond and the usual house work.

I started so many seedlings and transplanted them for the greenhouse. I have been able to gift seedlings of several perennials to family and friends saving all of us money and having fun doing it.

I have done well on the rationing of everything but gas....DD's car had to be repaired so my other DD takes her to work and I pick her up.  It uses more fuel but family is important. 

Still baking bread and have slowed on sweets as they aren't too much wanted in the summer, enjoying fruit and strawberries are coming on well.

Garden is planted but will have to replant beans and corn and I had poor germination, could have been old seed. But I have time to replant my "victory garden".

Just this week a raccoon has killed 2 of my chickens and had to do a deep repair on the coop, I have traps out to catch and relocate them. I did catch an opossum.

My "movie" nights are now watching documentaries on Netflix.   

My home had many of the handicapped modifications made for my late dh but there are still issues.   

I have stenosis of the lower spine, and I've had to make changes to avoid leaning over especially lately.  I use the front of bottom cupboard shelves for everyday and store occasional use items to the back.  I also have "grabbers" that I use to pick up things from the floor, pull from the back of cupboards and to unload the dryer.  I put light weight items on the top shelf and use the grabber to get them.  If they fall, being light they won't kill me.  I put multiple small items in dishpans so I can pull the entire thing out rather than reaching/searching for smaller items.  Also, I use old 9x13 cake pans to contain small items so the whole thing can be pulled out.  It is easier to slide them out and set on the counter to find what I want rather than leaning over to reach the lower shelves.

I use dishpans for sewing projects.  Everything pattern, fabric, thread, elastic, trims, buttons etc. go into the pan so it's all together when I'm ready to sew.  They fit on a shelf next to the sewing machine and are neater looking as well as convenient.

My garden is planted.  It is much smaller than I planned because of my current back issues.  I plan to can tomato products but not much else from the garden.

I receive a bi-monthly mobile pantry box.  In March we received a 10# bag of frozen chicken hind quarters.  Last week I cooked, picked off the bone, diced and canned 7 pints of chicken in broth.  The gentleman who picks up my box for me got a10# bag in his box this month (I didn't).  He gave it to me (I didn't really want it!!) but I have it cooked etc. it and have it in the fridge trying to decide between canning or freezing.  The broth is going to a neighbor who just had all her teeth pulled.  I have a lot of canned chicken already in my pantry and plenty in the freezer.  I'm thinking of canning and then giving it to the gentleman who gave it to me.  

I had cataract surgery in May so have not been able to do any shopping.  Eating from my pantry I only spent $82 for groceries in May.  It will be another two to three weeks before I can have the eye exam and order new glasses.   I actually can see fine to drive without glasses however my license is restricted to glasses.  I've driven a couple times but only locally in the small town where I live but we do not have a local grocery store.  Shelf stable milk has been a blessing!!

Grandma Donna, I just have to say that this post is my PERFECT, DREAM magazine photo spread!!!!! Even though that’s not what it is, that’s what it looks like to me! I can look at these pictures for EVER and get all sorts of ideas! :) I LOVE EVERYTHING!!! Your “new” bedroom is FABULOUS!!! You two have done an AMAZING job this month! Put me right to shame! lol (I know it’s not a contest! ;) )  The beach pictures are lovely too. So glad you got to see your brother. 

I got some things done in May, but still plenty to do, of course! Seems like that’s always the way, but that’s OK, because what else would I be doing? ;) It’s not veggie gardening time here in So FL, and we’re still waiting to catch up on rain. We’ve had some here and there, but not nearly enough. We have planted some wild flower seeds in our yard for fun and to see what happens with them. But, we are still currently watering them. Today God watered them though, and hopefully will continue that trend for a while! I hesitate to complain about not enough rain, because I don’t want to invite the… you know… extreme kind of weather. Whose name shall not be mentioned! 

My husband has done a ton of yard work  in May, and that has been a nice thing to catch up on. Some of it was “extra” though because of our extreme cold this year. Some things are coming back in quite nicely, especially my Pink Wild Pear, which I was extremely worried about! It looked absolutely pitiful after the below freezing temps! In January, it has more blooms on it than I have seen in the 15 yrs we have been here, and the bees LOVED it and were everywhere! But then Feb practically wiped it out! My husband pruned it back after the weather passed, and it is really doing well now. Our Acacia (sp?) palms are still recovering, and many fronds are brown and need to fall. We have many of these trees in our yard. 

We have been staying home as much as possible, because we love to, and because of the gas prices. We are very much homebodies. During Covid we were quite happy. But, our then teens were not of course! 

Reading your post G'donna is very inspiring! Since it's late I will post what I did for May tomorrow. I love reading everyone's comments!

Another interesting post.  Luckily doesn't affect us as our normal winter temps are around 8-10 degree minimums and much warmer during the day - the worst is the cold wind coming from the west which can make it feel colder but electricity, summer or winter, isn't a big deal here, we don't use much anyway.

Lovely to see you back, I've missed reading the blog.