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Hey folks, welcome to the new whine/general topic thread. Feel free to use this thread to discuss anything that is on your mind. Caregiving- related stuff, life after a loved one's death, your own emotional wellbeing. Whatever..........anything on your mind.

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😔 can't feed the birds in NYS for a while. I haven't in a few months, but was hoping I could again, soon.
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Way, I know you are an excellent housekeeper and wouldn't put up with white dust. Glad the filtered water works.

Daisy I am glad dryness is not an issue for you.

It's very dry here. The humidity goes down to 15% if we don't do anything. My sinuses start to hurt at 20%. I noticed when I read the reviews for the ultrasonic humidifier some commented on the white dust and some didn't. I think it must depend on several factors such as how hard your water is and how much you use it.

When I open the door to the hallways the humidity drops quickly so whatever air they are using to warm or cool the public areas is not humidified. Condo living is different from a single family house in ways I didn't expect.

The tank holds 6 gals and we had to fill it the next day and the next day after that. Hopefully when the place has been kept at a good RH level for a while we won't have to use that much water.
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Way, and golden, well I learned something new today. I have hot water base , dryness is not a big issue, thanks for that!
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Daisy ,
I use an ultrasonic humidifier .
If you use filtered water it’s fine . I use water from my Brita water pitcher .
It’s too expensive to keep buying distilled water.
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Daisy - it's particles like minerals in the water given off as mist by the humidifier.
We are just breaking through to above freezing here and still lots of snow.. 70 sounds lovely.
I understand the resentment. You should be proud for holding your ground. It gets less daunting with practice I found.
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Golden, what's the white dust from? I'm a bit confused, hope your weather is improving too. It's going to be 70 here today, actually sounds hot compared to a month ago! Not sure if I'm ready for 70s . I keep forgetting my name is Daisy now, lol

I've been doing so well holding my ground, mom was better yesterday, my brother got a chance to sneak away and go to moms, now I'm a bit resentful towards my whole family that just , expected and expected from me, and had no care about how I was doing, but so gosh darn proud of myself! 🤗

Great to be back!! 🥰
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cw - That's what they recommend to avoid the dust, but at the rate we have to fill it up, the cost would be prohibitive and I don't think that would avoid bacteria/mold being spread around. I gather stuff is still spread around by the evaporative one but to a much lesser degree.
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We had an ultrasonic humidifier years ago and I remember the dust - I think they must need to be run with distilled water but that would get expensive.
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Alva, I agree.

Glad to see you back, Daisy

I took a day off yesterday. R was at the farm overnight, so I only had to feed myself and the cat. It was good!!! I basked in the humidity generated by our new evaporative humidifier. I can control it from anywhere via the app on my phone! We won't get an ultrasonic one again - too much white dust. Spring cleaning got started last week by R doing the windows which were covered. Imagine that in your lungs!!!
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Yup seemed to work it didn't glitch like it did before after posting, so looks like I'm back.
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I think I'm back on for good, I've been waiting and it hasn't glitched in days, so testing to see what happens after posting. 🤪
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We lately are absolutely inundated here with ads and scams.
We have people posting about scammers and more scammers answering them.
I wonder if there is any oversite on AC of questions on a daily basis? Anyone know?
Because these questions should be poofed without our having to keep reporting them I think.
I guess just a sign of the times that there are more and more of them.
I worry about folks coming for help and ending up "taken" by someone or something.
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Thank you, ITRR. I think he is on treatment. I wouldn't have known he has COPD just visiting with him. He has good colour and R thought he looked better than he used to. What I noticed was his unstability. He said he has trouble in the shower. I should have mentioned grab bars and/or a shower seat. I will when I next text her.

He was very impressed with the underground parking and trash arrangements. They have a sloping driveway (as I did) and have to take the trash to the curb in large bins with wheels. it's a bit of a nightmare in the winter when it can be slippery. She has looked after that for years.

Mother, despite her emotional problems, was been a good example to me in some ways as she aged. She made some sensible choices for herself as she got older. She gave up driving when she was 85 and had moved to another city, she had household help, always got her flu shots and more. She even agreed to go to the geriatric psychiatric hospital as the dementia got worse. It was a tricky time but finally she agreed. Not that being her daughter and POA was easy. It wasn't. It was very stressful, but it could have been worse.

So I have a good pattern to follow as does R. His parents downsized, sold their home, and moved into an AL in their 80s as their health started to decline and the stairs became an issue. Neither of them had any dementia. We both are prepared to move to an AL when/if needed. It only makes sense.😊
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Golden, there are new medications for COPD that are life changing.

If he is not currently getting relief he should be encouraged to see a Pulmonologist sooner than later.

The right combination of meds changed my cousins life, now he has some quality not just gasping for every breath.

Reading your downsizing experience is so beneficial. Change of that type is hard to make and it is good to read how well it can work out.

You and R are certainly inspirations to all of us.
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Thanks, send. I think so. I think the trip here opened their eyes to other possibilities for future living. She said something to the effect that we might be neighbours again. That would be just fine with us. I am concerned about them staying on in their house waiting for the Ft Mc real estate market to improve. As far as I can judge, his health is deteriorating faster than the market will change. COPD doesn't get better.
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Golden,
Sounds like your 'friends' are pleasant people and would make good friends now that they are no longer neighbors.
I enjoyed your story.
It may help others who are considering downsizing, moving to a new area, and the details of what one needs to consider.
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Our friends (ex-neighbours but I think we can call them friends now) couldn't make it for dinner so they came for coffee yesterday. It was great. He chose to sit in the cat's chair so I removed the cat blanket. It is a good supportive chair. She is a small lady so the sofa was fine for her.

We showed them around the condo building as well as having them look around our unit and they were impressed. He said they were hanging on in Fort Mc because the real estate market is so bad. Personally I think they would be better off selling anyway and buying somewhere else where property is appreciating. I'm pretty sure they could buy somewhere like here and still have money left over. Of course I didn't say so, just emphasized how much we like it here, how good it is as you get older, and showed them the benefits.

He said himself he can't do anything around the house. He is a bit unstable on his feet and has COPD and heart issues. Quote: If one doesn't get you the other one will!

She is younger and could manage in a house another 5 or even 10 years, I think, as long as she had help for snow shovelling and such. They have a bilevel so there are stairs but apart from her back she is in good health.

I think they were really interested and hope they start planning to sell up and move. He is obviously well past safety in a house with stairs.

Had to laugh. He was very impressed with my bathroom. "Give me a TV and I could live in there! lol

What was very nice was that Rocky the cat seemed to recognize them. She got pats from both of them and went back for more. She has never done this for anyone, even my dd who she knew. They both are very good with animals and always have had at least one dog. I made sure they knew they could have a small dog here. 🐕 They have a daughter on an acreage 10 mins from here, one in Fort Mc and one in BC. It will be interesting to see what they do.
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The topics is senior-suitable furniture. Our ex neighbours are coming for a visit and I realised that my furniture is not entirely senior suitable. It's fine for my kids and their families but the leather sofa is low and soft. R has trouble getting up from it. She has back problems and he has lung problems, Think we will show them around the condo then take them out for dinner rather than having them over for tea.
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@Peasuep

I have so many cardinals in my yard it's crazy. Also bluejays, woodpeckers, robins, all kinds. I have several birdfeeders that get filled every couple days year round so the birds know where to come.
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Peasuep - cardinals used to be almost unheard of here when I was a kid but they have moved into my area and are fairly common now (maybe all the bird feeders?). I do still find them thrilling!
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Peasuep, I was a red cardinal bird in a school play! We did Aristophanes ‘The Birds’, and the chorus (including me) all had proper names. I’ve never seen another either.
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cwillie, I would so love to see a cardinal in real life - not just a picture on a Christmas card!
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As cold and snowy and miserable as it may be the little creatures outside my window are telling me spring is coming; I can hear cardinals singing and the squirrels are chasing each other around the trees in full mating mode. Dare I hope?
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Anx, we got all the global warming down south. We had 6 whole weeks where the max was over 105 degrees. ‘Cool change’ last thursday, 3mils of rain, and now it’s creeping up past 100 degrees again. Even the long term locals said it’s been worse than normal.
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🌨️🥶🌨️🌨️❄️❄️😒😒🤬
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Wind and rain was predicted for Friday, Valentines Day.
The past week, and the day before were a bit brutal.

On the day, sunny skies, no rain what-so-ever!

Potluck was a success!
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Dementia is weird Anabanana, I've always identified with the Swiss cheese model because in some ways my mom was absolutely dead on but in others she was in total la la land. But even that wasn't consistent, the voids seemed to come and go.
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Also, we recently celebrated my mother’s 100th. Brought cake enough for all, flowers and balloons to the home. Staff brought out other residents, put on music and made it a real party atmosphere. After about 4 years of not being able to consistently identify even me, she called us by name, acknowledged her age, but talked repetitively about how she wanted us to bring around her car so she could drive to her parents’. Fortunately we were near big windows and could see snow falling so I convinced her to hunker down where she was for the night and check the weather and road conditions in the morning.
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Cwillie, we have snow thrower attachment on a 20hp garden tractor. (and a big tractor with a front loader) I’m procrastinating until that icy wind dies down. I bought groceries yesterday and can shirk my responsibilities until Saturday afternoon! (when I’m to pick up daughters for Family Day Weekend)
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Hm, well I probably got another 6 - 8 inches but it was mostly light fluffy stuff and just what my Snow-Joe was made for. With the wind whipping in from the northwest I imagine the roads out in the country are nasty, but 🤷‍♀️, that's winter.
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