keepsmiling7

ML........you mentioned thanks to your dad for being so organized. Hubby's mother was living here in Austin at a nursing home while hubby was living in China for a Motorola project. She died and the home called me. Obviously it took more than a day for hubby to get back to the states. I had to make all of her funeral arrangements and thank goodness she had everything planned out, even the dress she wanted to be buried in. After that experience, I immediately set up my own final arrangements. Some people don't like to talk about those things, but that is the best gift you can give your family to make arrangements ahead of time.
So glad that chapter is closed in your life ML.

podmom

Thank you keepsmiling if I can get photobucket to work for me I will post some pix there and get some here. We will see how that goes. Not real soon but pretty soon

Wow first your hubbie was in China back then ...that had to be interesting. Two you had to do the mom thing while he was gone. Bless you and her too for having her act together. I need to do that....starting with getting this house more organized and prying junk out of podads hands

ML glad you got a laugh out of the "blinds: think. Mostly we are doing them because it is so expensive. Perhaps we will be doing the thing that guy came for. Our front door is like 8 ft tall and mostly glass with 2 huge side lights mostly glass. ( the front of the house faces a beautiful view so it is as much glass as possible. It is like being outside on the porch while inside...best of both worlds.) Podad was the one to let the guy in ( I had to be at eye dr) so he got all anal about drilling holes in the door so he might do it with adhesive...I am dubious on that front but have to let him do his thing...maybe it will work.

My friend Katie's Bday is tomorrow but I will be in DC for the graduation then Friday seeing Emily so going to take her lunch ( she is watching her granddaughter this year while daughter teaches) and some presents after going into town to get the great nice ( who is graduation) UD hoodies and stuff for her graduation. Remember she is coming here for college.

keepsmiling7

PODMOM........safe travels for the graduation activities. And the never ending challenges with the OC location. Your treadmill just keeps on spinning!

MyrnaLynne

A 'view' is nice, but being blinded by sun/too much light isn't, so blinds or shades of some kind sound like a good idea. Well, PodDad is the engineer, so i guess he knows about attaching things. As always PodMom you are on the go!

keepsmling that sort of happened when Mr ML's mother died - her oldest daughter (Bossy Betty) was the person in charge of her affairs, but she and her sister had gone down to NYC to get some varicose vein treatment or something and weren't home, so my sister-in-law Barbara and I were tasked with going through his Mom's closet and picking out her funeral dress/dress to be waked/buried in (I don't remember this at all, but Barbara told me about it recently), and then Bossy Betty was furious because the special funeral dress was in some drawer that we didn't know about/nobody knew about but her, and her mother wasn't wearing it... Oh,t hat would be awful to have your husband way off in China, and you have to figure everything out, so it was a blessing her plans were in place!

Yes, we're seriously shopping for a cemetery (wish we'd done it 30 years ago when prices were lower) and plan to do the pre-need funeral planning and make it easier for our kids, when the (inevitable) time comes along. I think this is when my Mom and Dad made their plans, when their parents passed and they had to deal with burying them. I'm not crazy about the spot where my people are all buried - they have the flat metal plaques in the ground, and I am sort of partial to headstones, so we're going to look around. That's one of the reasons, after my ex-Boss's funeral, we drove down to the cemetery, so I could scope it out and see if I liked that one. But also to pay respects to Mr and Mrs Boss, for whom I worked for so many years. That place was a weird hybrid - they had a stone with the family name, and then flat stones on the ground with the person's information. I liked that even less! Yep I am picky about cemeteries!

podmom

ML Yup shopping for a cemetery is the phase we are in another one is the SS medicare thrill....I am hoping to go to the office today to start the process....yes I am 30 days late for the optimum timing of 90 days before trying to actually get to the office number not the 800 # but that seems to be impossible

I think we are all on the treadmill of life keepsmiling I just seem to have to drive more frequently on my treadmill which I wish wasn't the case.

keepsmiling7

ML........good luck with your shopping. Believe me it is much better doing it now when emotions are not so involved.

PODMOM.........it's interesting how the focus changes in our lives, year by year. I laughed when my oldest son admitted his group of friends were changing their direction in conversations. Won't be long now PODMOM until that baby arrives!

podmom

Keep smiling I know about the conversation changing from teen stuff to kids and husbands to kids de and grandkids and then health issues ..... pretty soon I’ll be telling you guys when I’m getting my cateracts out.... for real. It kidding

I’m waiting in the SS as I type ..... I have every document I could think of hopefully I have them covered.

keepsmiling7

PODMOM......did you ever think you'd be standing in line at the SS office? I think I handled everything over the phone. Do they not do that anymore?

Hi ML, WEN and MEZZ......and everyone else.

MyrnaLynne

You can do social security online, Podmom, you don't need to go sit in their office. But I'm glad you are doing it. I hope you won't have to pay a penalty (forever) for missing the 'window' of signing up. Or maybe that's the Medicare piece, as I haven't put in for Social Security yet (waiting a bit longer).

I've heard its very hard to get them on the phone - Something like 10,000 baby boomers a DAY are signing up for Social Security? So they are very busy!

podmom

I tried the phone and the wait was way too long.

I decided to just go do it in person and get it over with. I am not late yet ML August 4th would be my deadline. I asked the person what would happen if I did it after and she said lots of ppl do and it is no fine or a big deal. For me I just want to make sure I have my supplemental in place. I will have my card in a month from when I applied ( that would make it July 12th if she is right) the lady said. I am doing medicare not SS. I have to wait for podad to get his SS since I didn't work enough.... Texas takes out no SS ( one of the few states) for teachers so the one time I actually made any real money it didn't count.

keepsmiling7

PODMOM.........it's good you have your Medicare all lined up. How much longer does your hubby plan to work?

My son-law-is back in the hospital again. This time his blood pressure dropped very low. They have him stabilized now but it is just one thing after another. I hate that he has to go through all of this. Why isn't it me, I've had 81 great years, he's way too young?

podmom

keepsmiling My husband is retired but he is a year younger than me plus our financial advisors say to get SS a little on the later side...maybe he will do it when he is 66 or 67....they said 70 but they didn't know I would get nothing on my own and they told me to get it early.

I am so so sorry about what your son in law is dealing with he is too young! I know what you mean.... about wishing to change places... this is surly a broken world but we take heart since this is just the waiting room xxxoooo

MyrnaLynne

Oh, I'm glad it's not late PodMom, I forgot you are an August baby. I had to convince hubby to wait for his 'full retirement age' to take Social Security, and I'm trying to wait until later, but we'll see how it goes! After 70, it doesn't increase anymore so that's the latest to start taking it. Depends on health and longevity - my friend is taking it sooner than later, because her parents died young and her siblings died young/are very ill, so the odds aren't good for her. Barbara is a similar situation, because she was a teacher and had city benefits - she can't get social security either, but I'm pretty sure she has Medicare, and she gets stuff through her teacher's thing.

Yes, I was sorry I worked part-time for Mr and Mrs Boss for 12 years with zero benefits, and then quit and ended up going back, so lost those 12 years I could have earned more for my pension, based on years of service. Oh well, water under the bridge! And we're okay so.. letting it go!

I thought if you didn't sign up for Part B when you turn 65 and get Medicare (Part D also), you pay a penalty forever when you finally sign up for that, unless you have had other coverage, like Mr ML was on my insurance when he retired, so he just took part A, but then they needed a form and proof and everything when he signed up for Part B (and D, drug coverage) when I retired, that he had had 'creditable coverage' or it would have cost more.

Keepsmiling I'm so sorry for your son-in-law, having to go through challenge after challenge. It's a very tough business. But you are a blessing to your husband and whole family, and we're glad you're here!


Found out my niece, Kate was due to have a 4th of July baby too, or thereabouts, but he arrived early (second baby) - June 26! So she has two little boys. I'm so jealous of Tom's brother Jimmy - he had three kids, and now he has SIX grandchildren (we had two kids, and have zero). :< So it goes...

keepsmiling7

It's going to be an exciting 4th of July with new babies coming.

ML.........good to see you back. You have been MIA! And PODMOM is on ready now.

I've just returned from helping out my daughter while Jay was in the hospital. Spent several days with him while daughter went into work. Now I am repacking and will be heading to a family reunion in Dallas. Look forward to seeing my three nieces that I only see once a year.

MyrnaLynne

Good travels keepsmiling, enjoy Dallas and your family reunion!

It's HOT here right now (though nothing compared to Texas, I'm sure) but phew, I have been hiding indoors with the ACs running - we have two window ones that manage to cool two rooms and the hallway between them. Better than nothing. Used to only have one in the small office and be shut in there getting cabin fever on hot days.

But my daughter came over to go bird watching with her Dad, so we went to a nearby pond, walked around the path, saw some birds (in the broiling sun - I kept in the shade as much as I could) and then we went out to lunch, which was very nice! But hot, boy, we were all very hot. She's heading home before rush hour gets too bad.

Her apartment mate, Andrea, got married on Saturday (it was an outdoor wedding and also really hot), but at least the reception was indoors with AC! It sure is summer.

First babies are often late, so maybe the 4th of July baby will be a few days later? My neighbor across the street had her 3rd kid, a girl. Beautiful baby with red hair, so I hear (the Dad has reddish hair) and they named her Mailys, which I guess is a French name? All three kids have odd names.

Right now we have no plans for the 4th but we might go to John's parents' house and swim in their pool, and watch for fireworks from John and MLette's balcony, but it's a vague plan (John wants to invite us, but his parents didn't exactly invite us - would be sort of odd to show up with our towels and bathing suits - we're here!)