I've settled down

Ha!  Who would have thought?  I checked a few other plans and found a compatible and acceptable offer to which I will switch.  It was not listed in the Medicare booklet I received and only has % co-pays for tier 5 as before.  Done.

 

I went into the attic where a large black bag has been residing for a few years, filled with larger grungy gourds, and couldn't find it.  I must have burned them and don't remember.  But I did find a bag with nicer shapes and sizes.  Mark reminded me that there is a drawer in the basement with more, and that's where they will stay for now.  I scattered these in a few rooms and put the small wooden trencher back on this shelf.  I'm enjoying your posts showcasing your fall decorations, but a few gourds is my limit.  I may add the Halloween tree in a few weeks, but with all the appointments coming up again, meh.

 

While going through the old photo file, I came across this one and I'm sorry I did.  I mentioned earlier that I wanted something in that colonial yellow that DT Smith puts in kitchens, and after seeing this, wish  I would have done the foyer and stair in it.  Why am I so fickle about color?  Was I born this way or did I make a conscious decision to drive myself mad?  I have been living with the almost white scheme for a few months and like the chosen colors but ….. not sold.  I still want lighter trim than what I've lived with for 25 years, but too light does not appear colonial.  To me anyway.

 

Missy is enjoying the warmer days and they will continue through the weekend.  Darn cool mornings and nights, but at least a few holdover days until the big chill.

 

Thanks for visiting!

 

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Looking back

While sitting and using heat packs yesterday, decided to go through the picture folder to remove extras.  There was an old file that transferred from the dead laptop!  Thousands of photos.  Many of Nitzy when he was a kitten with dad staying close by. 

 

 

 

Budman was a good dad.

 

I also found hundreds of my old labels.  I had deleted them but this old file was unknown to me.  Holy tuxedo cat.  I was surprised at how many there were and some were never even used.  But without Pat Catan's, no more boxes to be had.

 

 

Then the mail came which turned my mood hotter than my packs.  All the Medicare Advantage plans and Plan D mandatory drug coverage plans, have now moved their higher tiers to a percentage co-pay rather than a set rate.  My Eliquis was a $75 a month co-pay before, now it will be 38% of $500 per month (190.00).  Restasis will be 38% of $598 (227.24).  If you use a GoodRx coupon, it doesn't involve your insurance, so the higher pharmacy price will be used as a base price for the percentage. So anyone with higher priced drugs that were in tiers 3, 4 , or 5, will be paying so much more in 2020 that many will be unaffordable.  Enbrel and Humira are $4000-$5000 a MONTH and will now be charged to patients at 38-50% co-pay, if covered at all.  Since 2014, those two drugs have increased 100% and will continue to climb.  Medication costs came up over the friends weekend and I found out that two pay nothing for Eliquis, another nothing for Enbrel.  One is on the retired federal worker plan and two are retired PA teachers.  So far, I have not heard any candidates asked if their Medicare for all plans will include ALL, including government workers and all politicians.  Do you think it will?  Absolutely not. Patient Assistance programs vary in their requirements, yet our income at a fraction of my friend's state pension and SS was denied, she was accepted.

 

I hope I will never need the Enbrel or Humira, but many seniors do.  If you're on Medicare, it may be a good idea to check with a benefits manager to see what is changing in your plan and if there is another better suited.  But if you are on a biologic or specialty drug and had co-pays this year, it looks like you will be paying a percentage next year.

 

Thanks for listening!!

I am pretty hot about this issue.  Better settle down because I plan to stitch this evening and already have a thread tension problem!

 

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It's really over

 

 

The hydrangeas are drying on their stems, a sure sign that I can no longer ignore the loss of summer.  No need for water in the vase, the pink and green has replaced the white and their soft petals have stiffened.  I don't understand why the bushes are still producing new blooms, maybe to appease me, maybe they aren't ready to shed themselves into bare and stiff branches.  It will be eight months before they sprout and thrive and feel the warm sun and winds.  How sad.  And corny.

 

In just a few months this bucket will be holding a Christmas tree and I'll be crabby for months after with darkness coming very early.  My friend has said to me more than once, "don't wish your life away".  I never thought of it that way.  By hoping for summer to arrive quickly, am I wishing for my life to pass sooner?  I complain about time passing so quickly, yet that is exactly what I am desiring and not realizing it.  I am grateful to her for setting me straight.

 

She will be leaving tomorrow.  I hope to start feeling better this week.  I am not stressed about anything, but maybe I am not realizing it, and this is what's causing my symptoms to be so bad.  I got the results of my xrays and was upset about what they showed.  But my cousin's family member was just diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.  Set me in my place rather quickly.  Damn it's hot in here.  Yes the flashes are returning and I have no idea why.

 

 

 

Carol is enjoying her visit here very much, but the first thing she said as entering the house, "what the hell is that!?!!?!?"  So far, not one person has known they are gourds and not from some sort of ritual.  The new landscaper was very professional, very nice, good looking (but no one can compete with Jason), and stared at them while going over our estimate.  I had them on my exterior door at one time, and the neighbors were puzzled, so I removed them.  These three are the only ones I have left, not sure I want to keep them out.  Sort of tired of the reactions!

 

Hope your week goes well.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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Frozen fruit salad

1 large can crushed pineapple including juice (I use heavy syrup)
1 10 oz - 14 oz sliced strawberries (I use frozen)
1 Eagle brand condensed milk
1 8 oz Cool Whip (reg. or lite)
4 sliced small/medium bananas

Combine milk and Cool Whip, stir in fruits to blend, and spread into two glass bread pans.  Freeze overnight.  Take out of freezer 15 - 20 minutes before slicing and serving. 

So many versions with different fruits but this is our favorite, sort of like a banana split.  I haven't tried the one made with cream cheese and sugar instead of the condensed milk, but will one day to see the difference.

 

Decided on a stitched piece with black accents for the new built-in.

 

So what am I wearing to the reunion mixer?  Jeans, white shirt, rhinestone bracelets, and a 48# cold sore.

 

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Sometimes ....

you just have to laugh.  With all else happening, we tore apart the bedroom for a good cleaning from walls to floor to corners to bedding.  I washed the HVAC registers and put them in the sun to dry.  When Mark asked for them to reinstall, I walked out a door I rarely use, could not see in the sun, and failed to lift my bare foot for the raised deck.  It's not bad enough that my ankles are fat and shapeless, now they are swollen and skinned from the wood's edge.  And about those fat knees, the swollen sides are making my jeans awfully tight.  At least the highly padded hip isn't any larger, not much room for growth there.  The good thing?  I jammed my left wrist trying to break my fall so the right is ready to go when the eyes allow stitching.  See?  Look for the bright spots.  We had a chuckle this evening about it all.

More good news - I tried a trick I found online and can now get my gmail imported again.  And it did.  All 14,578 emails since the beginning of time.

 

Carole offered to make a very easy and luscious frozen treat for the weekend.  It makes two loaves (bread pans) and uses crushed pineapple, frozen strawberries, bananas, Eagle canned s/c milk, and Cool Whip.  You freeze it and slice it for a very refreshing dessert.  I'll list the recipe (it's not the fluff one) if someone is interested.  Great to have in the freezer for unwanted unexpected guests.  Unfortunately, mine never lives more than a day.

 

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Huggers

Greetings folks.  Received the spool huggers today and secured the ridiculous amount of excess linen.  The silicone grabs nicely and doesn't shift, no ends sticking out to catch floss, and except for the double fabric corner they should work out for this project. 

 

 

 I'm not sure how they would hold on much less fabric, possibly too loose.  Bobbin huggers may work but they are clips like the Clover Wonders.  Because huggers are made of soft silicone they should grab better than Clovers and stay in place. 

 

One end is more tapered and comes to point, it can easily be trimmed to a rounder edge (I already cut it) so it doesn't poke the linen.

 

A few of them are not as tightly wound and by changing which end goes over the other, that can be remedied.

 

My friend from high school is coming to stay here for our 50th reunion this week.  I'm getting a room ready for her and planning meals.  I will attend the mixer Friday night for a brief period but am not going to the reunion dinner.  I can't handle the disrespect and intolerance for others in today's society of labeling and name calling, most not justified.  I'm not a party person.

 

There is no change or improvement in this latest flare of symptoms.  I can't tolerate light, everything is a blur except for 10 seconds after the drops, the burning is even my surrounding skin and eyebrows.  I know there are many issues so much worse, but I am thoroughly disgusted and emotional.  I saw an orthopedic about the associated joint pain and he has seven patients in the last two years that developed auto-immune from their flu shot.  I know the risk is very low, but I am fuming that every possible risk is listed for even an aspirin, yet no one is warned of what could happen when you trigger the immune system, especially if you have an unknown predisposition.  So far, five of my doctors agree that vaccine caused this, and knowing that makes me more angry.  How many people (women are highly more susceptible) developed Crohn's, Sjogren's, and other auto immunes within months of their injection and it was never associated? 

 

My friend will be leaving next week, and hopefully my eyes will start calming down by then.  I went for so long not wanting to stitch, and now that I do, I can't!!  The doctor wants me to start a medication (the one that can cause vision loss) but I am terrified to take it.  Not sure I trust "low risk".

 

Have a great week.

 

Thanks for visiting.  And listening.

 

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