Just want to say hello. Have congestive heart failure & COPD

Hi @Liebchen50,
Hello and hope your having a great day! It can be pretty depressing if one wallows in their pain. God knows I have done it and it never works. I've recently been diagnosed with Copd and it was a shocker but not surprised because I have smoked for 45 yrs.. My sister-in-law has it also but much worse. We are the only smokers in the whole family and both have the disease. I stay home a lot also and don't go out much so I keep busy collecting recipes from Bon Appetite and Epicurus that are online and tuck them away in the computer because I know I will never share them or cook that much. I love food and collecting recipes. I use to crochet but arthritis has kicked in and find it hard most times. I use to knit. Sweaters and blankets, hats and scarves. It's a lot of fun and time sure passes by. I am not sure if you can have pets but I have a parakeet (miniature parrot) I say!! They are great companions and keep you busy talking to him. They mimic things back so I teach him what to say. He picks things up from the t.v and surprises me when a few lines haha! He keeps me laughing when he does his acrobatics and silly things with his toys. He loves his toys. So he keeps me company a great deal and love him to bits. They don't cost much to feed and if you take care of them they will live a good 8-10 yrs. You can train them to sit on your finger and shoulder. Some like to fly outside of their cage but this one doesn't like to leave his cage and doesn't care too much with fingers poking at him in his space. Just a thought.
Well time to eat and I am thinking of you. Take care.
Lorraine

Hi desirea
Thank you so much for your speedy reply..yes i agree with you about depression in wallowing, unfortunately i can be a wallower at times but its something i havent figured how to control as of yet..to me it just seems to come on and i find myself there..i think alot of people of our generation are finding themselves or will find themselves with copd.. everyone smoked back then very few didnt.. who ever thought of the consequences, back then. I also smoked for many years.i have friends that smoked and have it and others that never got it.. Everyone in my family smoked and all passed on from some smoke related condition.. I was a knitter, crocheter and had just learned how to spin. Loved making sweaters hats, slippers and toys for my 4 grandsons. Shawls for some friends and like you arthritis kicked in and now on some days cant even part my hair without holding my arm up..so the knitting and spinning had to go. I did pick up crocheting again and so far so good.. i can have pets and do..if it was up to me would have a bunch more I love animals.. right now we have a little girl chinese crested powder powder puff dog who is 13 pounds...who is literally like our baby, we just recently had to put our almost 18 year old cat (calico) down which literally broke my heart. My daughter brought her home to me when someone had dropped her off in front of the animal hospital my daughter worked at when she was about 3 weeks old and on both sides it was love at first sight, she was always with me and a very unique cat. I did have parakeets when my kids were younger and loved having them too...just lost about two years ago a “mustashed parakeet” which is a small parrot..he flew into my back yard asa baby and we had him for about close to twenty years..and i agree I love their affection and loved to watch them. I always tried to keep a canary years ago but they never lasted long much to my upsetment. Whats your parakeets name? Does he say it? Give him a kiss for me. Thank you-for answering.. will keep you in my thoughts too. Have a good rest of your day
Alaine

Hello Alaine I love animals and sounds like you do as well. I wasn't sure if my parakeet was a male or female so I just called him Baby, He's a year old now and found out he's a male budgie. I also heard male budgies talk more than females. O yes he knows his name inside and out... He says Baby ... Sweet baby... Mamas baby and all kinds of things. I could fill a few sentences with things he says. He surprised me one day and said Polly want a cracker? also Trick or Treat and You like my choo choo train? HAHA!!! I have no idea where that came from unless he can hear the little girl across the hallway or from the TV. For a year old he's quite the character! I was house sitting my brothers home with their 4 dogs or else I would of answered you earlier. Take care for now.

Hello Lorraine
Yes i do i always have loved animals but in getting older (and wiser?) lol i have not only loved...i have developed a respect and wonder about them and their ability to love and bring joy..Life would be so colorless without them which is one of the reasons i will sign and help as best i can all those that are in danger of extinction to those just lonely in shelters.. but enough of my love for animals for now i could go on and on but onto your sweet little boy.. you can tell the sex by the top coloring of the beak is that correct.. it is soo precious when they talk you can just see how proud of themselves they are when they do..love it adored when my little guy would rattle off things, he was a male too and i heard the same that they are better talkers...i up until about the last twenty just had exposure tothe smaller birds (parakeets, canaries finches) but after this little parrot flew into my backyard i visited a “bird” store and was blown away by the beauties in there a white cockatoo over 2 ft tall was sitting on a perch right out in the open and when i went over to him the owner saw that i was new to the bigger birds and told me to put my arm out and the bird grabbed my forearm and climbed on, his toes practically wrapped around my arm and he put his head sideways on my neck and said into my ear “i love you” well i did everything i could think of to get that bird!! Lol when i told the owner about the little guy that flew in my backyard and how i put him in the shower but blow dry him each time she actually offered the cockatoo at a much lower price..too high for me still but what a beautyand she wanted him to go to a good home..!! I often think about him as they live very long lives if taken good care of..if you ever pass a “ bird store go inside and look at those beauties..you’ll love it!
Well give your sweet boy a kiss and snuggle for me, you take good care

Hello @Liebchen50 Haven't heard from you in awhile. Is everything okay? I think I am going to get a little female for my male budgie. I think he would love the company. Okay Alaine talk to you later 🙂

Hello Lorraine
Thank you so much for thinking of me.. ive been okay thank you, you know how it goes one day up the next not so much... ive been reading the notes that have come thru but I have also been trying to get a few blankets done for the local animal shelter furbabies... i feel so bad that the weather has been so cold and that I cant knit or crochet as fast as i used to. I did make alot last year when my arms worked better...been trying to use up the yarn i used to make the bears with.
Nomally i think getting a girlfriend for your sweet boy would be a wonderful idea.. i always feel two of everything makes sense but with birds i think there might be consequences
1. A baby bird which needs certain things in the cage or
2. he might get very attached to her and not be as loveable to you.or even stop talking...
google parakeets and read up on it if you can.. i think when i had my swet boy many moons ago, i read that somewhere.. dont quote me or take my word for it because its been so long but i think the same sex might be a better idea.. let me know if you have any luck finding information if not ill try and help and send what i find to you.. hope you are feeling good.. talk to you soon 🙂 take good care..
Alaine

Hello Alaine
Thanks for writing back so soon. It must be frustrating trying to get as many blankets done and your fingers just don't work the same. Your such a good soul to think of the furbabies! I would do the same but my fingers are just as bad and finances also is a burden.
Yes I think I heard the same about with 2 birds my Sweety won't talk anymore and he talks up a storm. I am home with him all day and he seems to be getting spoiled with me talking to him as much as I do because if I am on the computer and not talking to him - he complains. He's such a sweetheart - maybe he will be okay to solo. Having 2 birds might be too noisy since I live in an apt. I knew I would get a reasonable answer from you (hehe)! Not going to worry about it. My sister-in-law said the same thing so I guess I'll listen to the experts. I hope your getting info and support from Connect. I sometimes take a break from the computer.
Okay Alaine, I'll leave you to your crocheting. Take good care. 🙂
Lorraine

Hi Lorraine
Its very frustrating when your hands dont work the way they used to..especially if you’ve done crafts your whole life..its hard to let things go.. and to also remember you cant do that any more.. i ordered a book on whittleing and luckily i remembered while there was still time to cancel the order. I had made real pretty wood carved santa face ornaments many years ago and thought, i would try something like that for next Christmas-maybe angels this time.. but then remembered .. not a good idea!! I had signed one of those petitions from change.org about getting Virginia to change the laws to protect the animals when it gets so cold like this not to tie or tether them outside...a few of them froze and it was so upsetting to hear, i figured even though these furbabies are in a warm shelter i would get back to making blankets for them to lie on..I have soooo much yarn left over from when i made bears, that i feel good its getting made into something helpful again..instead of just being stored in those big plastic storage bins..
Yes I agree... YOU be your sweeties girlfriend (which you are already] birds so enjoy their people!!!! they do all these little special things to impress them and are so happy when your there with them. So to risk losing that im glad you decided against getting him a buddy..we can be their best buddies, they give us such joy in return...
i basically joined wanting to connect with people whose lives have changed alot in getting older for one reason or another, not so much in getting info but happy it is there if needed..you take good care.. and give that sweet talking little guy a snuggle from me.. 🙂
Alaine