[Travelinglady]

This thread is for us to just talk about what we want to--like we're in a coffee shop --just visiting over a cuppa and a sweet roll.

I'll start, being that I have a big mouth anyway.

I am back to doing some coloring, and I scrolled through all the coloring books available on eBay, Here's me, looking for books of cute kitty cats and flowers and such Susie Sweetness topics, and I see there are coloring books for gun lovers, porno lovers, bad language lovers, and so on. I did get a laugh though when I came across one called "humping animals." People actually want to color such things?!

So, what have you all been up to? What do you want to talk about?

[Nammu]

Oh, I just missed the ending of my show! I was watching midsummer mysteries and started looking at my emails. I received my credit card bill and decided to pay it. But my bank changed their website. It’s not as friendly as it used to be. It took concentration and rummaging around to figure out. I do like my new iPad makes it easier to navigate. So I got my bill paid but I missed who did it!

Sipping a Pepsi, reaches for a sweet

[*Beth*]

Me, I'm recovering from surgery I had on May 28th for a problem with my achilles tendon. I've progressed from a cast to a walking boot. 6 more days on the boot, then my feet are on their own. I have high hopes of losing the pain I was living with prior to surgery...I'd love to take walks again! Won't be able to drive for quite a while, though; probably not until September.

In other news, last week someone tried to run a charge for $143 through my PayPal account. Then they did it again this morning. Fortunately, both attempts were declined.*sigh* So I have to figure out how to deal with that today.

[Travelinglady]

Oh, dear. A friend of mine had her Facebook account hacked. The hacker contacted me, wanting me to click on some site, where I could get government money. He didn't write like my friend. My husband said the hacker was trying to get money from me.

I hope you can be free from pain and be able to walk. I had a knee replacement in January---and only now am pain-free and almost walking normally. Boy, we have a time keeping these bodies going.

Sorry you missed your show, Nammu. I don't have any particular shows I keep up with. Good thing, because I'd probably miss most of them.

That reminds me, I didn't go out to water the flowers in my front yard today. I guess I'd better get my carcass up to do that!

(Trav talks a sip of coffee and a big bite of her sweet roll.)

[*Beth*]

I get some thing or another hacked just about every 3 months. It gets tiring. The bank makes me come in and spend time signing papers which is really annoying, considering I'm not the hacker.

Whew, knee replacement...yikes. It's great to hear that you're doing so well, though! My GP once compared the human body to car tires. We start out with great tread, but we rack up the miles and...so on

[Travelinglady]

I've read we should change our pass words and such frequently. But I have enough problem keeping up with the same one!

Is there some sort of protection company to take care of such things? I guess they just notify people, though.

[*Beth*]

Yes, we are supposed to change passwords frequently. But that's my problem, too - I cannot remember the passwords. I've written them down...lost the paper I wrote them on...ugh. It's gets nutty. I do try to change them now and then, though.

I think there are companies that alert people about fraud.

[wing]

Hi Gang, butting in here!

I’ve always wondered how safe PayPal is, glad to see they have fraud protection.

I had both knees replaced 2 years ago 6 weeks apart. It takes commitment to keep from getting stiff. I just had an MRI and learned I have spinal stenosis causing nerve pain. My meditation practice is going to have to have a new focus, pain management.

I color mandalas for fun. I think I’m going to keep the ones I like in a notebook. I hate to just pitch them in the trash after all the time I put into them.

I hope everyone has a good day!I’m off to the pool to swim a few laps and loosen up the old bones!

[*Beth*]

Originally Posted by wing

Hi Gang, butting in here!

I’ve always wondered how safe PayPal is, glad to see they have fraud protection.

Welcome!


Every time someone has hacked an account of mine it's been through PayPal. They have never succeeded because PayPal is cautious. They do the payment declined thing, then notify me right away.

I had both knees replaced 2 years ago 6 weeks apart. It takes commitment to keep from getting stiff. I just had an MRI and learned I have spinal stenosis causing nerve pain. My meditation practice is going to have to have a new focus, pain management.


Whew, 2 knee surgeries...that sounds very intense. I hear you on meditation practice. You're probably familiar with the book Full Catastrophe Living, by Jon Kabat-Zinn?


When I look back on all I did when I was young, it's no wonder my body is beat up. I was folding laundry last night when I had flashes of memories...overworking my body every day. Ignoring pain, pushing through it. Carrying a toddler in my left arm while hauling basket after basket of laundry to the laundromat with my right. It hurt my back and shoulders but hey, it had to be done and I was the one to do it.

It's no wonder our poor bodies fall apart!

I color mandalas for fun. I think I’m going to keep the ones I like in a notebook. I hate to just pitch them in the trash after all the time I put into them.

Putting them into a notebook is such a nice idea.

A few years ago I colored some pages in a coloring book, then measured and cut the pages into triangles. I rubber cemented (so no ripples) the colorful triangles onto a string of cardboard triangles (I had bought it for $2 at Michael's). It made a garland to hang up.

Coloring books are such fun, and so relaxing.

I hope everyone has a good day!I’m off to the pool to swim a few laps and loosen up the old bones!


Swimming sounds great. All the pools here are closed this summer; I miss swimming.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Travelinglady]

Hi, Wing! Glad to see you joining in. I'll be back later.

[Travelinglady]

(Trav gets a cup of cold mocha coffee and sits at the table with the rest of the folks.)

Hey, everybody! Hot enough for you all? I've been busy doing odds and ends around the house, so this week is really passing by for me.

When I watch TV, I usually read or color at the same time. wing, what do you use to color? I tried markers, but I like pencils better. I have a box of 72 of them--and it has 5 different shades of green, etc. I'm working on kitty cat pics now.

Do any of the rest of you change house decorations when seasons and holidays come along? I have fun with that. Currently the house and yard have lots of flamingos. And I;m also into sunflowers and bees.

I've also been working on potted plants. I have some coffee plants and succulents now. I've read that coffee plants need lots of water and succulents not very much. I've had trouble keeping outdoor plants alive, since it's been so hot. I've been resorting to lifelike flowers and plants instead.

What have you been doing and thinking about? (I would talk politics, but I'm sure it wouldn't be allowed.)

[Nammu]

I used to decorate a lot but it was such a chore I quit.

It’s nice and cool here not sure it even broke 80 today. The cable went out so I spent time out on the deck. Getting humid tho and I hate humidity. I loved the low humidity when I lived out in New Mexico, the weather was great.

( takes a sip of Pepsi)

I did the coloring for a while but then I went though a slump and my mother gave everything to my sister! All my pencils and markers. I used both on the same coloring bit. I liked the contrast.

[winter4me]

Hey Traveling Lady and THANK YOU for your efforts in promoting conversation and musings on our daily lives ----
I am knitting a hat for no one in particular and not doing the things I plan to do, think I want to do. Just trying to accept that I am in one of those unsettled times (in my head and in the external world) & torn between action and retreat. Driving back roads with my camera is soothing even when I don't stop to take pictures like I mean to...
Looking for a 'project' to absorb myself in---open to suggestions & just love to read other people's small pleasures anyway. Another cup of coffee on a still, gray, birdsong morning. Hugs to all.

[Travelinglady]

Hey, winter4me. Good to see you!

[Nammu]

The place I bought the car from called, my license plates are in! I bought my car back in January then before they got around to my plates the the state mad shut down. When they opened everyone was working from home. Now I’ll finally have plates! 7 months!!!! There was a article in the paper that the police would not be stopping people for plates or tags. That was a relief to read.

Sunny out again but very muggy. I have to go to the store I hate, Walmart. We used to have other stores but they closed. Now Walmart is it unless I want to drive and hour away and get stuck in traffic. I hate traffic more.

My cat has been wanting attention lately.

[Travelinglady]

I think Wal-mart is requiring masks now. My husband is going there later today. I also think the Target store here might close. I sure hope not.

I went out to do some bank business and to get my hearing checked today. The ENT office is being super cautious--all wear masks, answer questions while still in the car, only a few in at a time, marked off chairs to sit in.

Since went to have my hearing checked and to get more hearing aids, it was a riot trying to answer questions over the phone. As in, "Are you taking blah-blah, blah?" Me: What's the first letter? What's it used for?"......"Do you have problems with your prostrate?" Of course, that's not what she asked, but that's what I heard

I saw a guy with a tee shirt about politics. It listed Democratic party and Republican and a place to check one of those. Neither was. checked. Then it said Pizza party was that was checked. Sounds good to me!

[winter4me]

I got my first future second grandchild pix ---ultrasound, twenty weeks and active---ohmy feet and hands, heart valves and a nose, an ear...wow

[Travelinglady]

What fun! Those ultrasound pix are amazing!

Not much going on at my house today. I am reading and need to work some more on my second book. A friend has been reading my first book, and she and I plan on getting together soon to talk about it.

We had a major thunderstorm last night, but it's nice and sunny today. At least my outside plants got watered! I overwatered my mint plant and some of it died, but a sprig or two still survive. I want to go to Lowe's to see if they have any.

I went on Thursday to get my hearing checked again--and it is getting worse, which I knew. I will be getting new hearing aids. I just hope I don't have to pay an arm and a leg for them.

What are you all up to?

[*Beth*]

I'm so sorry about your hearing, Trav.

Staying up way too late, which is unlike me.

I used to decorate our porch for every holiday when the kids were growing up. It was such fun! Doing the theme colors was a blast. I live in an apartment now with no outside area, so don't do any holiday decor these days. In fact, I'm trying to redecorate my little living room and I'm stuck.

Our weather has been lovely, but yuck...here comes the dry valley heat this week. BUT! I am getting a brand new a/c on Monday! WooHoo! The one I have is so old...it must be left over from the '80's, seriously.

Oh - and how cool is this - the new a/c is also a heater! So I can set it however I want to. Very special stuff, eh?

[Travelinglady]

It's been really hot here in NC lately, too. I'm always glad for rain, so I don't have to get outside and water my plants.

Today I have terrible back pain. I knew I shouldn't have lifted that box of cat litter, but I did anyway. I plan to read to try to distract myself from it.

We had a friend over yesterday to eat lunch with us and tell me what she recommended as changes for my first book. AT least she didn't tear it to shreds. In fact, she said she thought it could get published. Yay! I gave her one of my coffee plants. Maybe someone can get them to live long enough to produce the beans.

I'm on a diet plan to help me lose my extra weight and get in better shape. I am 50% fat now. I think lots of it is in my head! The diet really cuts down on carbs and emphasizes veggies and lean meat. I've even allowed to have a bit of dark chocolate. That's sure nice.

[*Beth*]

That's so great, about your book!

A friend sent me a video of a storm that rolled through her town (in Texas) yesterday. The rain was pouring down! It looked amazing. We won't see a drop of rain here until at least December. It's been hot, dry, and dusty. Although tomorrow is predicted to be only about 80 degrees. I would love to be able to keep the windows open all day.

[Travelinglady]

We're having lots of rain where I am in North Carolina, particularly from thunderstorms. They are common when it's really hot.

Anybody doing any reading? I'm plowing through the China Bayles books by Susan Whittig ALbert. They're about a lawyer who quits doing that to run a herb shop in a little town. She marries a guy in law enforcement and handily, in each book helps to solve at least one murder.

I've also been tooling along on my second book, now working on Chapter 5.

And I'm working on keeping my houseplants alive. Anybody else growing coffee plants?

[*Beth*]

Hi Trav! Yes, I've been reading novel after novel all summer. Between the shelter in place and recuperating from my achilles surgery I'm quite home-bound. The books are a blessing. I've purchased some paperbacks from Amazon or AbeBooks, and now that our library is doing curbside, I'm getting some books there.

The past few I've read are by Alice Hoffman, Anne Tyler, Carson McCullers, Isabel Allende, and right now I'm reading The Vanishing Half, by Brit Bennett. So far, I'm enjoying it.

Hey- I saw that there was an earthquake in NC today. Anywhere near you? I've been in a couple of 5.1's and it's strong enough to knock things around!

[Travelinglady]

Thanks for asking about the earthquake, BR. (Is that nickname OK?) The earthquake was in the western part of NC and I live in eastern NC. I don't think my area is prone to earthquakes, thank goodness.

I have a big pile of books on the floor in my den that I need to shelve. I'm keeping some of them, but others I read and pass on. I get my books from eBay, most of them used. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to have so many!

I can't tell if there's a certain genre of book you like. It sounds like general fiction, based on the authors you mention. I'm into murder mysteries, thrillers, and scifi, but I occasionally read other kinds of books. One of my college majors was English, so I'm sort of tired of really literary tomes. I'm sure I need to read some more of the classics at some point.

Anybody watch any particular TV shows?

And, oh, yeah, are there any good new-drinks here at Starbuck's?

[Travelinglady]

Speaking of new things, check this out: Oreo Is Reportedly Coming Out With Java Chip Cookies That Are Loaded With Coffee-Flavored Creme





I sure wish I wasn't on a special diet. I'd love to try them!