What's outside of your picture window today?

@joyces What a tale to tell! I hadn't heard of slow-acting insulin. how does that get figured out for a patient? Do you have a calendar book to refer to, and mark down every couple of months a reminder to log in and not let your password expire? In my situation, I keep a paper calendar book for general and medical, another one for just medical, and a third purse size that carries the same infor as the general/medical/ Never have been comfortable with electronic calendars.

Bet you are seeing the summer increase of tourists in your coastal home, now, right? I was speaking to a gentleman last week at my cancer center in Eugene, who had driven over from Florence. He was lamenting the fact of increased traffic and delays, let alone the draw bridge going up which all add to his drive time.

We have cloudy then rainy then sun then wind today. BLM has advised us of nearby scrap wood coming available this week so we are putting the sides on utility trailer and will head out for a cord or two with the neighbors before it gets too hot. Soon there will be the chainsaw restrictions in place, so we need to hustle!
Ginger

I spent the last week working to renew my USDA APHIS permit to import "animal parts." My husband is one of the roughly 5% of diabetics who cannot tolerate fast-acting insulin, and ALL the various forms of artificial insulin are fast-acting, because that's the norm. The pharmas continue to invest in making "designer" insulins but flat refuse to make one kind of slower insulin for those who really need it. You cannot buy slow NPH animal insulin in the US: it's an "illegal" drug, so I've imported it, first from England (where it's made from pig pancreases) and later from the English pharama's Canadian branch. This means that I ONLY need nine separate documents to import porcine insulin, the USDA permit being the most difficult to renew.
Tuesday I started trying to call. By Wednesday I had found a more direct number and started to leave messages. Ditto Thursday. I decided it might work better to call when they open, which is 6:00 a.m. here, so tried that Friday and, for the first time, got an actual human to answer!!! She transferred me to the doc who had spent almost a year-and-a-half designing the wonderful new efile form; it only took the doc over two hours to walk me through the form, which features drop-down menus for states and Canadian provinces that only drop down partway through the list AND don't allow you to simply type in the state or province. He advised me to select "Alabama" for my state and "Alberta" for the province from which the insulin will come, promising to change them to Oregon and Ontario. The country of origin (the drop-down list is many pages) has to be scrolled through to get to "United Kingdom," but then a new wrinkle appeared: it is impossible to actually click on it after finally getting to the very end of the list! Another fix by the designer. Some of the questions were vague, impossible to know exactly what was wanted. Finally got the application completed and accepted, was told it will take two weeks to process (by which time he'll run out of insulin that's safe for him to use). Whew!

Then, a few minutes later, someone returned one of the calls I'd left earlier that week...so they don't just discard them at the end of every day as I had suspected! Better yet, the vet who works with people trying to import animal insulin called. When I mentioned the name of the doc who had assisted me in completing the form, she broke into gales of laughter: seems that, despite the 16 months he's spent on developing this form, it has caused many problems for the people trying to help those applying...and all the permits expired this year so that all of us would get a chance to use the swell new form! She's frustrated because she's the one who helps people desperate to get the damned permit so that they can order insulin! She gave me her direct phone number and e-mail address so that the next permit renewal should be much easier. Good news is that this permit will last for five years; bad news is that I'll need to log in every couple of months to avoid having my password expire, which would prevent me from simply renewing the permit when this new one times out. AARGH! Best of all, she had fast-tracked the permit and sent it to me right then...no two week wait!
So, I finally was able to place the actual order and confirm that it had arrived, all nine forms present. We can hardly wait to have the Canadian affiliate call to ask to charge the thousand-buck order to our debit card! We should have a 3' square box (that insulates and protects the 10 tiny vials) arrives via Fed Ex Air week after next! So, it was the usual long, frustrating process of preparing to order, but with a good chuckle toward the end of getting the USDA permit. All the requirements are pretty insane, considering that you can buy artificial insulin in the US without even a prescription! The requirements are intended to discourage anyone from buying drugs outside the US, to protect the very US pharmas that refuse to make a single slower insulin that the 5% of diabetics could use safely. I always feel that their attitude is, "it's only 5%...let 'em die!" I can assure you that when a person's blood sugar drops below 25, they quit breathing. I don't really want to see that ever again. <g> All I need to do now is to remember to go to the USDA EPermits page every couple of months AND to renew his passport before it expires in 2026.

@loribmt, @artist01, @john bishop, and all...
Attaching some rescue Plat updates. Growth in 2 weeks. 2 orchids are new rescue...got better in a few days and began putting out blooms. 2 orchid are older, had for years. Never did well but now 1 has buds!!!! and 2nd has new leaves. Don't know who they are...nice ones, maybe Sara Palin and Red something??? We see... happy they're improving.
Showing the white shell pot I'm ythinking would make a nice focal piece, but hate to mess with them too much.
Money tree is taking off since I pulled out dead trunks and moved it closer to window.
Enjoy my babies...elizabeth

Wow! These are gorgeous plants. You have a green thumb! ☺️

@loribmt...haven't used my thumb for years. Been focusing on health issues and Rob help issues. This year, I'm getting a touch of my MOJO back....just a touch, but WOW! I'm loving it.

Actually having fun with these little rescue babies. All so small and responsive. I do love my plants, tho. Good for me. Mayo docs, iron infusions, sinus surgery, nebulizer, and Connect! So many good things working together at this moment. Not getting cocky, but feels good even when don't feel good.
Thanks, my friend. You're part of my healing, you know.....
Love and blessings, elizabeth
....

I think the beauty of Connect is how we all help each other heal. 😘

You getting your Mojo back is groovy, baby! 😘 Reminds me of the Austin Power movie years ago where he lost his mojo…giggle.

@loribmt, @johnbishop, @sueinmn,@artist01, and all...quick update...after meeting with God's wonderful gift, Amy the contractor, I rested, then watered patio, and quietly began emptying areas in the LR/DR/BATHS making room for the plumbers to get to walls,etc. I was able to calmly handle this. I think the positive moving forward with Amy re the jobs with which I need help, perhaps my energy level improved due to emotional relief. I was breathing easier. Could think clearly about how, what, where. Good thing.

I really want, need to have my home and life settled before I leave this earth. I want my life back. Think it may happen...

Rob has nerve procedure tomorrow to help with pain. Great!

I'm taking my sweet laptop to the laptop doc for one final estimate before buying new one. John, any suggestions on new? This is HP 17" Pavillion, 8 gb. Etc. Love it. But, time now to take care of this issue.

Attaching a couple of pics of my front area, and back yard. I have for years planted red/white impatients along all the front borders. Not in last 4 years...2018. Was very ill with endocrine issues, in hospital and rehab, recoup, for 2019, and on...

Still looks OK. Just not perky and colorful as I like it. Well, acceptance must be in many areas of aging.

Be blessed...elizabeth

What a blessing to find a great contractor - we were fortunate to find a couple to do our Texas bath this Spring. They are scheduled to come back in October to do the kitchen, so we can stay in the same place for the years we have left there. My friend is getting a new studio shed next week, and I have serious she-shed envy, so we may be having them back a 3rd time to help with finishing that...
I am sure your feeling of peace and calm is coming from finding the right person to help you. Maybe if you run into snags with the plumbers, you can just designate Amy and/or her daughter to take over and deal with all the complications. You have enough on your plate! That was a blessing for me in February and March when my husband was ill and the contractor took over getting everything ordered and picked up for the bath.

Keep us posted on your exciting progress, but remember to rest so you don't have a crash!
Sue

@sueinmn, @loribmt, @johnbishop, and all...You are so right, Sue. I will indeed hand over the decisions on lots of work to my dear Amy, Contractor. And, no rush. One step, one breath, one thought at a time.

Hey, my bird friends...I thought squirrels don't like safflower seeds??? Well, folks, I have one little fellow who's been munching on my safflower seeds over an hour! All his buddies, 5 of them, are fighting over the 2 peanuts and sunflower tubes, falling off seed feeders with baffles...this little guy just munches. Pooh.

Can't get a good pic of any of my woodpeckers. They are shy,, ha g upside down and in strange places, but are so lovely I really want to share.. also,, anyone have hummers?? I did years ago, but not now. I'm taking down my pretty feeder and they get no attention from me. Through.

I took Rob for his 3rd nerve block this morning, 3 in 2 weeks, had conference with the pain doc, came home and collapsed into my robe and lounge chair. Rob is suffering so. The doctor said he can not help with anything else. He referred him to Mayo neurosurgeon for brain surgery. He said the dystonia is too severe for the pain treatments to touch. So, I called and began the work to get this attention. I know the qualifications for this surgery are high. I know it's quite severe surgery. I also know my son can not continue to 'live' like this. So, here we go.

I'm resting, watching my bird friends, may plant my succulents finally, if it doesn't rain. We're in the tropics...

Signing off for now. Tomorrow plumbers come and wreck my home more. 8:30am.

Be well. Hug your children. I cant hug Rob, not for years....it hurts him to be touched.

Blessings all. Elizabeth

@gingerw, @sueinmn, @loribmt, @artist01, @johnbishop, and all...
My big cast iron pipe is fixed! Done. Fini! Finally...only took 3 plumbers charging me for work that didn't address the problem, one to finding and quote last year 3700, this year 5000...and this plumber-one of the ones who did me wrong last year-fixed it, charged labor and supplies less 10%...good business $819...I was up and down all night and finally up at 5ish. Exhausted from the last weeks with Rob and the pipe...so, got in bed at 2 and rested/slept all afternoon.

Tomorrow, look for laptop, drop off FedEx for Rob, spend afternoon at Mayo. Bloodwork, CT heart, annual consult with heart surgeon.

Pics of my nutty squrrels. One splayed out on huge red feeder, little one wrapped around tube with peanuts. Out of pic are 2 more. Also, new pic of rescue money tree. Tripled or more in size of canopy...love it.

Be well, be blessed.
Elizabeth