Hit My Five Year Mark!

I'm still here! I hit my five year mark, since my surgery on November 22, 2010.
 I am doing good. Staying on my all organic, sugar free, gluten free, meat free diet. I do eat organic eggs that are grass fed and free of any hormones. Rated the highest on the Cornucopia web site. I am also on the Budwig Cancer Protocol program. I get raw, organic milk, right from the farm, and make my own cheese. Here's a brief description of what I do.
I use this protocol. I make my own "Quark", from fresh, raw, organic cow's milk, straight from the cow. I won't use any store bought cottage cheese. Even though it says organic, it has to be pasteurized, which ruins all the natural enzymes and other good components in the milk. I buy my cultures from the New England Cheese making Co. I buy unbleached cheesecloth, to strain the cheese, which I boil to sterilize, first. It's pretty easy, once you get the hang of it. I don't believe that Dr. Budwig ever mentioned "Lowfat", in her original books. And I believe that using full fat is the best way to go. I feel much better, since starting on this. I refused Chemo and Radiation, five years ago, with Rectal Cancer that metastasized to my liver. I did opt for surgery though and begged the doctor to do it, because of the large tumor that was causing me to bleed all the time. Now I have a permanent colostomy. But when they told me I'd only have up to a year to live if I didn't take the chemo, I said, "NO". He only gave me up to three years, "with" the chemo. So I said I was going home and live that year, without all the sickness and pain of those poison chemicals. At first, I thought I was going to die within that year, so I did not really care what I ate. I ate everything I loved, which meant lots of chocolate! Needless to say, after a year, and 50 lbs. added onto my body, I was wondering why I wasn't dead yet, but kept on going with the bad habits. Then I finally woke up and told myself that I was not dying, so I better eat better. That's when I started doing a lot of research and started taking the right supplements and eating organic. Now I am totally organic, gluten free, and sugar free, except for some raw honey, now and then. I still love chocolate, so make my own chocolate cookies, with organic cacao, coconut oil and coconut flour, along with almond meal flour, and some Stevia. I don't eat meat, but I do eat organic eggs, straight from the farm. I use my Nutri-bullet, for grinding up all my veggies and a few fruits. I am hitting my five year mark on Nov. 22, 2015. I sent the doctor a card and letter, asking them what they can attribute my five years to?? They know nothing about nutrition. I do get pleasure sending those cards every year, but especially this year! I never went back to any doctors after my surgery, except for my primary one, to get prescriptions for a few items I need for my Post Polio, and for blood tests, just for my own curiosity. My cancer markers, (CEA) was normal for a few years, till last year, when it was very high. I attribute that to stress and sucking in secondhand cigarette smoke, in this apartment building where I live. I have to fight the landlord and government all the time. It caused me so much stress, that I think that is what cause my cancer markers to shoot up. I've lived here for 19 years and it has just been in the past 3 years, that I have been bothered by the secondhand smoke, because of smokers moving in, close to me. I have my name on a list for a non smoking building, but that takes a very long time. Meanwhile, I try not to get too stressed, and hopefully, a law will be passed soon, to make these government funded buildings, smoke free. It sure isn't good for my immune system. I am trying so hard to keep myself healthy, but the environment around me is not helping. I've never been sick since the surgery. "Knocking on wood".. I'd highly recommend this Budwig Protocol! It could prevent cancer also!! Eat to stay healthy!!


I heat one gallon of raw, organic, or make sure it's from a reputable farm that only has grass fed cows, with no GMO foods being fed to them, and no hormones. Jersey or red cows are the best. I'm not sure the names of them. Heat in a good stainless steel pan, to 86 degrees only. Take off heat and add cultures. I buy the Buttermilk cultures from the New England Cheese making Co. Follow directions on the packet. Sprinkle the cultures over the top of the milk and let sit for two minutes, then gently stir into the milk. Cover and let sit from 12-24 hours. I usually let mine sit for 12 hours. I have to scoop it out into two cheese cloths because I don't have room, or the strength to do it in one big hanging batch. I let that drain for 12 hours, at least. You can save the Whey that is left from the draining, for baking or cooking. It's very healthy. Instead of me explaining this whole process, I'm going to add the link from The New England Cheese Making site, so you can read all about it. I have used Fromgage Blanc Cultures also. Comes out a little firmer. But I think that is better to use with lightly pasteurized milk, that has the cream on top. This is a great site, for learning to make all kinds of cheeses.

http://www.cheesemaking.com/Quark.html

I'm in their news letter, showing my cheese hanging and a brief explanation of why I am on this. Scroll down till you find my article, under Virginia Miller.

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/The-Fantastic-Moos-Letter---October-2015.html?soid=1101615349414&aid=tUCwKBbu1bg



I get about a quart of cheese from a gallon. Maybe a little more. The whey, which drains off can be used in cooking. Some people drink it. Not me. But have used it in cooking and baking. It's full of nutrients and protein. It can be frozen and will last for quite a while in fridge. My cheese will last a week. I use it all up, so it might last up to ten days.

May 18, 2015-Update On My Niece's Murder

Update On My Niece's Murder-may 18, 2015


Update, as of November, 2015

The two girls that were involved have been let go to probation. There are hearings coming up in December for the other two, and especially the 16 year old, that did the murder. Will let you all know how that goes.

Murder Of An Innocent Girl, In Las Vegas, On April 17, 2015 (My Niece)

One of the first articles about my niece's murder.

By RICARDO TORRES
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
A woman was killed in a west valley shooting late Friday night, Las Vegas police said.

First responders were called about 10 p.m. to 1300 block of West Wind Road, near the intersection of West Charleston Boulevard and Lindell Road, Metro Lt. Troy Barrett said.

They found the woman critically injured by a gunshot wound, Barrett said. She was taken to University Medical Center where she died.

Metro homicide detectives were at the scene to investigate, Barrett said.

More details were not immediately available.

By KIMBER LAUX
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
The woman who was killed in a shooting overnight Friday in the west valley was identified Saturday by the Clark County coroner’s office.

The woman was Cassandra Lee Cassidy, 24, of Las Vegas, the coroner’s office said.

Police were called about 10 p.m. to the 1300 block of Westwind Road, near West Charleston Boulevard and Lindell Road, police said late Friday night.

Cassidy was found critically injured by a gunshot wound, according to Metro spokesman Lt. Troy Barrett. She was taken to University Medical Center where she died.

Contact Kimber Laux at klaux@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lauxkimber.

And this was when they arrested one of the kids in the car.

News

Arrest In Drive-By Shooting

Police release cell phone video from inside a car

April 22, 2015 4:00 PM

Breaking-NEWS

( Las Vegas, NV ) –  Teenager surrenders to police in shooting of Cassandra Cassidy.

Without saying where they got it, Metro Police released a short video that looks like it was taken on a cell phone inside a car showing a man investigators want to talk to in connection with a fatal drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.

24-year-old Cassandra Cassidy had just arrived at her job at a drug and alcohol treatment center near Charleston and Lindell on the valley’s near west side Friday night, when a white two-door car with several occupants drove by.

Shots were fired from the car, striking and killing Cassidy.

Police say Wednesday morning a 15-year-old turned himself into police.

He was accompanied by his mother and is said to be cooperating.

This is one of the articles written in the Las Vegas newspapers, about my niece, Cassandra.
As of May 16, 2015, they have not arrested anyone else in this case. It's an ongoing investigation. It's been a very sad time for my sister and her other daughter, Chelsea.
This article includes an interview with Cassandra's boyfriend, Adam. They lived together. He's devastated, of course.

By RICARDO TORRES and KIMBER LAUX
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
The woman killed in a drive-by shooting Friday night was unconditionally kind and friendly to everyone, so it wouldn’t be out of character for her to help two females who police said were seeking aid, her boyfriend said Saturday.

Cassandra Lee Cassidy, a 24-year-old Las Vegan, was an “innocent bystander,” Metro said in a prepared statement.

She had just arrived to her shift at a house owned by Solutions Recovery Inc., a drug and alcohol recovery center with multiple houses around the valley, shortly after 10 pm., said Adam Loghides, her 26-year-old boyfriend.

Cassidy parked at the house, in the 1300 block of Westwind Road, near West Charleston Boulevard and Lindell Road, and encountered two “fearful” females who were asking for help, police said.

They told police later they were afraid of males in a car down the street, Metro Lt. Jeff Goodwin said Saturday.

The two-door white car occupied by multiple people approached Cassidy’s car while she was talking to the pair and at least one person in the car fired multiple rounds, fatally injuring Cassidy, police said. Then the car sped off.

The pair who had asked Cassidy to use her phone were not injured, Goodwin said. They knocked on a door to try to get help and then went into the backyard of the home, he said. Residents returning to that home found Cassidy lying on the driveway and called police.

Cassidy was critically injured by a gunshot wound and later was pronounced dead at University Medical Center, Metro Lt. Troy Barrett said Friday. She was identified by the Clark County coroner’s office Saturday.

Loghides was expecting a message he usually receives from her after she arrives at work and instead got one from her mother telling him she was unconscious and being taken to UMC, he said. He had last spoken to her about 30 minutes prior to the shooting.

Solutions Recovery was a good fit for her because “she really enjoyed being there for people,” Loghides said. Cassidy had a strong character but was also a problem solver who “always finds the best ways and finds the best qualities in people.”

Her passion for equality made her an avid supporter of civil rights issues, including those involving the gay and lesbian community. She was someone “who represented fairness on all levels and equality,” Loghides said.

She was “super nerdy” and like all things gaming, anime and technology, Loghides remembers of Cassidy, who he met online over two years ago.

Cassidy was also creative and dwelled her extensive “creativity” into fashion design. She was expecting to graduate from the International Academy of Design & Technology-Las Vegas this year, Loghides said. She wanted to start her own fashion-related business and had recently gotten involved in the cosplay scene where she was trying to expand her brand in costume making.

Loghides didn’t know anything new about his girlfriend’s death.

Police questioned the two female witnesses, Goodwin said.

No arrests were announced and shooter descriptions were not immediately available Saturday afternoon, police said. The shooting remained under investigation.

On Saturday, David Marlon of Solutions Recovery confirmed that Cassidy was employed by the center.

“Cassandra Cassidy was a beloved employee that was looked up to by both her co-workers and those she sought to help. We are devastated by this loss and are working closely with LVMPD to make sense of this horrible crime,” said Marlon in a prepared statement, adding that clients and staff are being offered additional counseling.

This was the 28th homicide investigated in Metro’s jurisdiction in 2015. Anyone with information about the case can call them at 702-828-3521. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555 and www.crimestoppersofnv.com.

If anyone hears or knows anything about this case, please call the numbers above.

April 3, 2015-Happy Easter Everyone!

I don't post much any more. Will try to do better this year. Just wanted to stop by and with you all a Happy Easter. I am still alive. Bet some of you are surprised. :) On March 31st, it was my one year anniversary, starting on a better eating program. Got rid of all processed foods. I am now totally organic, gluten free, meat free and dairy free. I have so much more energy and feel lots better. I also lost 42 lbs. over the past year! That helps a lot!
I'm still dealing with the second hand smoke in my apartment. Still waiting for another apartment in a smoke free building. Meanwhile, my bedroom still sits empty because of the mildew. The cigarette smell in there has subsided for some reason. I guess that one woman who was causing all that, has changed where she smokes, or maybe she quit. I have no idea.  I am still sleeping on my lift chair. Not very comfortable. If I can get up to Richfield Springs, one of these days, I am going to buy a new one. I have the prescription and will have to pay half of it. Medicare will pay about $300 towards it. But I am truly grateful to my Aunt Bev and her late husband, Ken, for giving that one to me. It's been a Godsend. The remote doesn't work as well, and It has hard lumps in the seating area. But I've managed to get by and sleep on it every night.

The mildew smell is starting to get worse, now that the snow is melting. When it is at it's worse, I want the air tested again. The landlord was going to send someone down during the winter. I put a stop to that. That's what they did last time, and then said there was no mold or mildew in that room. I keep the door closed at all times now and put a barrier across the bottom, so the smell won't come out into my living room area.
I still am thinking about taking the landlord to court, for the loss of my peace and quiet enjoyment of my apartment all these years. had to get rid of moldy clothes and all my bedroom furniture. It's not right.
I am hoping I can get out of this apartment more this year.

Nina is back in her Herkimer home again and hating the commute to Albany every day. She's still hoping to get back in the college, teaching, and opening her own auditing service, now that she has her CPA license.
Debby has been having more problems with her legs and back, due to the kind of work the Remington Arms has given her. She had to take a few days off to go to therapy and the doctors.
Pam's daughter, Stephanie had a baby girl on Feb. 8th. Emma Elizabeth Blum, is her name. She had some complications and had to stay in the hospital for 3 weeks. She contracted Pneumonia and was transported to Albany med. But she is home and doing well now.
Everyone else is well. Jane is busy working in Savey's office for the tax season. They'll be glad when that's over, so they can head for Myrtle Beach for a few weeks. Jane is still having problems with her shoulder. This last surgery is taking longer to heal.
Stephen's daughter, Alysha, just moved into a new place, down in SC. She loves it. She's under a lot of stress, with her man friend, who has late stage Lyme disease. They can't find any cures for it. Once it hits the brain, I guess it's pretty bad.
Mike moved back to Vermont and loves it. He's back near the mountains, where he can go hiking all the time. He and his girlfriend love it there.
My daughter, Ginny, is living somewhere in the Dakotas now. She is alone. All the boys now are with their father in MN. CPS got on his case and now he has to comply. That's the only way he got to keep the boys. Ginny was forced to leave there, and was living in a homeless shelter for a short time. But where ever she is, she says she's happier than she's ever been.. I don't know why she left Oklahoma. Most likely she was forced out that home she was staying at. But Dave, the father to the boys, came all the way there and picker and Othiniel up and took them to MN. Just hoping for the best, for those boys and her.
So that is all I can think of for now. Take care everyone. Happy Easter!

November 11, 2014-My Health

I made it to 68!! It's a miracle!

Nov. 5, 2014
My sister, Jane, took me over to Herkimer today, to get a pulmonary test, lung x-ray and blood work. They wanted to do an Ultra Sound on the tumor in my lower belly area, but I would have had to make another appointment, and have to drink 32 oz of water before having it done, and hold it it in, and fast for 12 hours. Well, I had already fasted for 20 hours by the time I got there today. And I've had other ultra sounds done, without taking water. I could never drink 32 oz of water and hold it!! She said it was because it was in my pelvic region. I never had to drink water for the liver and spleen and heart veins before. So what gives on that??? So I will not be having that done. I went today and that will be the last time I go for another two years!! I won't know all the results for a day or two.


Nov. 6, 2014
Doctor's office called and said my chest x-ray was okay! So that is good news. They still wanted me to have the ultra sound, but I told them no. Just a slight problem with kidney blood work. They want to run more tests, but I'm done. No more doctors for me. I'm getting back on my own remedies, and hope I get a different apartment soon, so I'm not choking on this poison from cigarettes. They would want me to have a CT Scan to see my insides better, and I'm sure not putting any more radiation in my body at this point.


Got my paperwork from the doctor's office. All my blood work was within normal range, except for the main one. My CEA (Cancer markers) levels have gone up tremendously since two years ago. It is 29.3. Two years ago it was .06. Normal range is 0-3.0. Before my surgery four years ago, it was at 12, and they were alarmed. So, not sure how bad this has spread now, but it's still one day at a time for me. I've had four years and I might have another one, or ten more. I do have a growing tumor in my lower abdomen/groin area, and I have been having some familiar aches in the past month. My doctor's papers do say that I have "Metastasized Liver Cancer." I will still refuse the chemo and radiation treatments, like I did four years ago. It won't help anyway. I will eat right and take certain supplements, to try and keep it at bay, but I know this won't last forever. I've already been given more time than I thought I'd have. It's not for me to say, how long I might have. None of us know that. So, it's just something I have to work on harder. Nothing is different for me. I just keep on keepin' on, as usual. I'll keep you all updated now and then. But not till I feel something changing, for better or worse.

To refresh you on what I went through. I wrote this recently for "The Quest For The Cure" website.

I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Rectal Cancer in 2009. They wanted me to do 25 radiation treatments and Chemo, before surgery. They did talk me into the Radiation, but I refused the Chemo treatments, since watching my sister die of the same thing a few years earlier.
So I went and got 5 radiation treatments, before my mind told me to stop it and never come back. They keep telling you that you can;'t miss a day, yet their machine kept breaking down, and you can't come on weekends. So I quit it all. The doctors did not like it one bit, and made me sign a release. So I went home and suffered with this huge tumor in my rectum for another year, till I almost bled to death.
That's when I called the surgeon and asked if he would just cut it all out and give me a permanent colostomy bag. But I also made him understand that I would not do any Chemo or Radiation. He agreed to do it.
I had the surgery. Got my butt all sewed up and a colostomy bag. The surgery went very well and I wasn't in much pain, and never took one pain pill after I got back home, 7 days later. As I was lying in that hospital bed, the doctor/surgeon, came in to talk to me about taking chemo. He told me I wouldn't last a year, if I refused to take any. He said it had spread to my liver. I asked him how long would I live if I did do it?? He said, "well, I have seen a couple live for three years." So I told him that I'd rather have one year, without being sick and puking all the time from the treatments, than three, with all the sickness. And that's where we left it. I went back a couple weeks later, so they could remove a few stitches on my belly area, and I never went back again.
On November 22, 2014, it will be four years since I had that surgery. I've never done anything different. Since I thought I was going to die within a year anyway, I ate everything and anything I wanted to. I gained 50 lbs! And as one year went by, then two, and then three, and now going on four, I wished I had eaten better. I've never taken anything but Ibuprofen, for my Polio related back problems. No more than two a day. I take Vitamin A, Raw B-Complex, Vit.C, D3, 10,000 IU, Zinc, magnesium, and Iron.
For the past five months, I had given up sugar, completely, till a few weeks ago. I started eating chocolate again. But now, after seeing the first two episodes of this program, I am going to stop all sugar again.
I do eat scrambled eggs every morning, along with Pumpernickel toast, with Extra Virgin, Organic Coconut Oil. But the first thing I do every single morning, is squeeze a fresh lemon and add a little pure water to it and drink it down. I wait an hour before eating. I never eat red meat, but will have an organic chicken breast now and then. I eat lots of frozen veggies. I can't get to the store to get fresh. I'm disabled from Post Polio. Another reason I didn't want Chemo. My legs would have gotten weaker, and I would have landed in a wheelchair. At least I can still stand and walk with crutches or a walker.
I eat apples and a banana just about every day. But that's about it.
I have started to feel some aching in my rectal area, even though it's been taken out. And I do have a growth in my groin area, but it never bothers me. I am going to get real strict with myself again. Cutting out all the sugar. I never eat pasta, so I don't have to worry about that. I do eat lots of nuts. Walnuts, Almonds and Pecans, unsalted, and salted Whole Cashews.
The one time that I felt the best, in my life, which was way before I was diagnosed, was when I went on a high alkalizing diet. Every red mark on my ankles disappeared. I felt great! I might have to do that again. But it's just not that easy. back then I was going to the store every day for fresh, organic veggies, and juicing, and growing my own sprouts. I don't think I can do that again.
I am now taking Lugol's Iodine drops every morning, along with Beta 1, 3D Glucan, Pancreatic Enzymes and will be taking all three kinds of Selenium, as soon as I get them in the mail. Also will be buying "Carnivora". All Cancer killers.
Take care everyone!

The Quest For The Cure-Very Informative About Cancer

I think this is very informative. This is Episode 1.  I'm not sure how long these will be available, so I will put this post up for now. Well worth the time.

http://youtu.be/Rc1rtIxvkao

October 18, 2014-I'm Still Alive

Yes. I'm still alive. Just haven't been in the mood to write in blogs this year. And probably won't be much. I'm trying to find a different apartment because of all the second hand smoke that is killing me, and has killed my last pet bird. You can read about Ricky here.

http://ginnymypets.blogspot.com/



 It has been a very sad time for me. Been a real bad year really.

Two deaths in the family. Uncle Ken, my Aunt Bev's husband passed this year, and a cousin, Howard Broadbent, died also.

This landlord put rat poison out and it killed all the chipmunks and squirrels, skunks, Bluejays, and who knows what else. That was in July. I don't have one critter outside my windows any more. Not even a bird.

Happy Spring! March 20, 2014

Happy St. Patty's Day-Me And The Kids-JibJab

February 9, 2014-Hibernating Yet!

Hi everyone!
It's been a very cold winter so far, here in Central NY. I'm sorry I don't get back here much. Seems I keep everyone updated more on Facebook these days.
I'm still being bothered by the second hand smoke. Not as much in my living room area, but still bad in my bedroom at times. The landlord hasn't done much else for the past two months. They locked the upstairs storage room door though. Someone saw smoke inside and out, which means that someone was smoking in there. That would make it ten times worse for me downstairs. I'm below that area. There were men checking the crawl space upstairs and checking to see where a good spot would be for an air filter in the roof. I don't think that will amount to much. Probably never even get put in.
I've written letters to the Congressmen and Legislators from this district, hoping that they will make a law to ban all smoking in these senior/disabled buildings. Since they are Government funded, it's up to the Gov't. to do it.
Two of the high rise senior buildings in this area have decided to go non-smoking, permanently! That means if this landlord doesn't follow suit, there will be more smokers moving in here. I have begged him to go non-smoking, but he won't do it. He's such a jerk.
Nina is still getting my groceries. I try to limit that to every other week. She's so busy.
Salena turned 13 on January 22nd. How fast they grow.

 Jordan turns 16 on Feb 13th. Guess he'll be driving soon. More worries.
Everyone else is doing fine I guess. Don't hear from anyone much. Debby hasn't gone back to work yet.
Alysha had a court date up in NH at the beginning of Feb. Steve met her there. Haven't heard how that went. The baby's Aunt wants to control his trust fund. Crazy!

Here are some of Alysha's friends up there in NH. Steve and Bobby, our cousin is in this photo also. Bobby doesn't live too far, so met them for breakfast.
Alysha is back up in NH this weekend, for a wedding I think. She took the baby with her this time. She has a boyfriend. he's an old one from a few years back. If it didn't work back then, it most likely won't work again. But I wish her the best. Steve isn't too thrilled about it I heard. It's her life.
Time will go by fast and soon it will be spring!! Everything will be coming to life again!
That's all for now. Take care everyone. I'll say Happy Birthday to my Aunt Bev now, in case I don't get back here till March..Ha! She can't wait till winter is over. She suffers from that SAD. I told her to load up on Vitamin D. That's what causes it they say. As for me? I love winter. But I don't have to go out, and I've always liked the dark hours better than light. I'm a night owl..LOL

December 31, 2013-Happy New Year!---Christmas Photos Too

I'm still dealing with the cigarette issues. Sure hoping the landlord does more soon. I'm getting sicker day by day from it being in my bedroom all the time. I wake up choking and coughing a lot now. I've written him numerous letters. He never answers them. I've written to the Governor, about getting a law passed for these kind of buildings. I should think that all Government funded Senior Housing and disabled, should be non-smoking, period!!
Other than that, everything is fine.
My sister, Jeanne stopped by on Christmas Eve, to bring me some cookies and a dessert she made for Christmas. Also a small sausage bread! That was very good!
On Christmas day, my two brothers stopped by before going to my other brother's for Christmas.
Hope you all have a happier and healthier new year. Here's a few pictures. Adding some of Alysha and the baby and Steve's, from his time down there at Thanksgiving.

 Beautiful photos of Alysha and Benny. The others are Faith and her family.

 Steve and Benny. I think that kid makes some of the same faces as Steve..Ha!

The whole gang.

Steve, his girlfriend, Grace, Alysha and Benny, Jalyn, Faith, Kevin and Jordyn, and Faith's son, Bradyn with the helmet on. The other little boy was a friend.

Here are some special made graphics I made for everyone.

 Steve, Benny & Alysha

Mike and his two girls at Christmas. Tonya and Kailyn. Tonya got her Ass. Degree this year and Kailyn has to continue to get another one. Haven't got all the info on what they are doing. Real pretty girls! They live with the Maternal Grandmother in Rome.

 My sister, Carol, who lives in Las Vegas

Carol's two daughters, Cassandra and Chelsea. They love coloring their hair different colors..

 Nina

 Jordan

Salena

Jessi

Mike, me and Steve, on Christmas day. They stopped to see me before heading up to Jim and Patty's.

Jeanne and I, on Christmas Eve day

Here's Jane's photos that I collaged, from their Christmas day at Jim and Patty's. She's not much for taking pictures. No one is besides me. Guess the future generations won't have any nice, old photos like we had.

 Pam's husband, John, my brother,Jimmy, Jane's hubby, Savey, and my sister,  Jeanne in bottom left photo.

 Jeanne, Patty and Pam. I've never seen their remodeled kitchen. Jim did a good job!

 Jeanne and Jim in top photo and Jeanne and Mike in bottom.

 Pam, John and Steve. Guess Pam was about ready to go when Steve got there. Steve and Mike were late because they stopped to see me first.

 Nina and her family, and man friend, Jason. Jason & Nina in back, then Salena, Jessi and Jordan. Jordan is so tall now! He will be 16 in February!

The host and hostess! My brother, Jim and his wife, Patty. Patty made a roast pork for dinner. And she made tons of cookies!! You can see one tray sitting there. They are always so good. Too bad I have to miss all the parties now. Just too hard with a walker and not being able to get up from a very low toilet in everyone's homes. I feel safer at home. I've done my thing. Now I just want to be comfortable in my old age..Ha!

November 16, 2013-The Past Month-Smoke Issues-Birthday Etc

I have been so frustrated with the smoke issues in my apartment, from other people smoking upstairs, that I haven't felt like writing at all. I've been so pissed off about all this. I'm going to add all my notes that I put on Facebook, so I don't have to write it all again. I'm getting too tired to write these days. Or I can't be sitting at my computer very long because the smoke comes in right next to it and makes me choke.
I made it to another year anyway. Still can't believe that, but like a friend told me on Facebook. God doesn't want me yet and the Devil is afraid of me..Ha! I am copying and pasting all my notes from the past month, so it will be quite long. I only do this so I can have the blog printed out at the end of the year, and I'll know how my year went. I do that every year, if I live to the end of it..

Debby is recuperating from her shoulder surgery and most likely going to therapy every week now. I haven't talked to her in a while.
Jane and Savey have gone to SC. She's still on crutches from the broken bone in her foot, but healing. My left foot has been in a lot of pain for the past two weeks and my leg has been all red and hot. I have been taking Ibuprofen every day and it's getting better. I think I injured that foot somehow. It's my drop foot and is always giving me a hard time.
Rich and Ann are having Thanksgiving at their home. Jeanne, Jimmy & Patty, Jane and Savey are going. I'm not. Steve will be down South. Mike and his girls go somewhere else for Thanksgiving. So it won't be too bad for Ann.

One of the notes I put on the door when I was so pissed about the cigarette smoke:

Your smoke is killing me!! Stop the crap! Get yourselves an air cleaner. I can't breathe and I'm getting very sick from all the smell.

At night it's in the bedroom till late at at night.

Some days it's in my living room and my bedroom. I have no place to breathe in here.

Who the hell is smoking upstairs till 1 am!!

I am so sick of this F'ing shit!!

Turn your exhaust fans on! Get air cleaners. Do something!!

I have lived here almost 17 years and never had this problem before.

Here's all my notes:
Oct. 16th
I have been cigarette smoke free all day today!! It's a miracle that I got to breathe regular air for a change! They have started digging outside also. Moving dirt around is more like it. To reroute the water. Now I will be waiting to see how it flows after it rains this week. I think they might be coming to knock out a hole in that cement drain out there, that has been sitting above ground all these years, with no water at all going in it. Hopefully things will be getting done by next week.

Oct. 19th

They haven't started inside yet. They are replacing the outside wall right now. Mark and Kevin came in to move my dresser away from the wall. It's all black mold behind there and still wet. My solid oak dresser is all mold on the bottom legs that I can see and it's most likely growing up inside of it. I'm going to make the landlord replace it or I'll take him to court for not fixing this issue years ago! This could have caused my cancer, for all I know. But I won't go that far, to blame it on that. They asked me about the rug and since they aren't the ones who do it, they will just put a patch from a remnant of their indoor-outdoor stuff down for now. I don't give a shit what they put down, as long as that mold is gone.

Oct 19

Going to be a stressful day because they will be in and out of my apt. all day, working on the walls in my bedroom. I'll be in the living room on my laptop though! Thank God I got it in time and Ang got it hooked up for me. Just in time!! Have a nice day everyone.. Got to shut my desktop off now and cover everything with plastic. I'll post more moon photos later. Just got them done and in my little flash drive. 

Comment from a childhood neighbor, Steve Price:

Hope all went well Ginny, and I as well as your many friends and family am sorry you have had to live this way this long and hope things get nothing but better for you ! If not, We'll just have a party and open up a big can of Whoop you know what !! I still got my violin case handy and rarin to go !! Of course at my age I'll need lots of help, ha ! I've noticed that drain in several of your pictures and wondered what it was for. By the time any water ran down it you would already be in New Jersey. Who engineered that ? Big Bird ? Someone should invent a mold alarm like the smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Take care gal and best of luck with the mold removers. Funny when you see them on T.V. they have space suits on and helmets and oxygen breathing apparatus and heavy gloves. It's O.K. for us to live in it till someone squawks and it gets noticed. Dirt bags !!

Oct 20 am

Two hours sleep at the most. Better than nothing. So hard to sleep on chair. I was still awake at 2:30. Up at 4:30 to the bathroom. Heard someone come in the building at 6:30. Hope I'll get back to my bed soon. With the window open all night and bright lights on to dry it out, and they haven't even painted yet. Oh well. I'll deal with it, like I have everything else. Nina and Jessi stopped to get the bird cage last night, so that is out of my way. Now for someone to get that portable air conditioner out of here.

( Not sure if I mentioned in my last post, that my little Gigi passed away on Oct. 13th. )

Oct. 20th

Walls done. Paint on. Half my room will be mauve and half white now..I don't care, as long as that mold is gone. One more night in the chair. The paint smell is something my lungs can't take. Tomorrow he comes back to glue the rest of the runner carpet on and an electrician has to come and hook up the new baseboard heater. That will be it, till they want to put new carpeting in, but I don't care. It will just mean more disruptions for me. They were out of here at 3:30. I might go in and take off all the plastic that is covering everything, since they won't be sanding anything any more. Then I can vacuum and wash everything off. They won't be making any mess tomorrow. I need to get at my desktop, where all my photo software is, so I can collage them. This new one is way too touchy. Hope I can sleep more tonight.

 Stinky smoke in my living room from 5-8 They were having a party up there, so more smokers most likely. Now I'm smelling it in my bathroom too. Never got in there before. They will be sealing the storage room this week, and getting the mold problem out. That is right on the other side of my bedroom wall. That might help keep the smoke out a little also, if they put sealer on the walls and ceiling. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it helps. I think I better get them to put that foam behind all the living room sockets also.

( They never did do much in that room. Just sealed one back area. )

Oct 21

Not good night, trying to sleep on the chair again. I was sleeping for about an hour and the woman upstairs wakes up and crashes her recliner, and stomps across the floor. This was at 2:30 am! That bitch! One of these days, that chair is going to come crashing through the ceiling. Then at 3 am I started choking and coughing so bad. My lungs are getting bad from the cigarette smoke. It was bad in my living room last night. I fell to sleep for another couple hours, off and on. Was up at 6:30. They were supposed to be here at 9 to finishing gluing the carpet piece down, and the electrician was supposed to be here at 11. No one showed up till noon. Then the guy and his son comes in to do the rug and has the grandson with them. That little baby is eating Cheetos and goes in the bedroom and is all over the place, with his dirty little Cheeto hands. Got some on my bed cover. I took him into the bathroom to see the turtle and then washed his hands. Didn't do any good. He was still eating them. So got little pieces of those things in there now and mud on the floor. I had cleaned everything last night. Now I have to do it all over again. Those guys laid their tools right on top of my white cover!! I had to tell them to get that stuff off. He laid the dirty box that held the heater, right on my bed! What is wrong with people? They finally are out of here for now. But they will be putting more foam behind the plug outlet, so I guess I won't vacuum or clean till that is done.

Oct 23

Just wrote the landlord another letter about the smoke issue. He sure is procrastinating about the signs he was going to put up. I was choking at 10 am in my LR so had to come in the bedroom. Now I am beginning to smell it in here, so going back to the LR. At least my mold issue is fixed for now. What a way to live. I hear that Mohawk is looking into grants for more housing. But I won't be living long enough to see a new place to move to.. Just hope they don't let this landlord build a new one!!

October 24

The noon smoke has started..Yuck! Damn smokers! It's in both rooms, so I guess I'll sit next to the open window and catch a cold. Just to have fresh air. GRRRRRR!

Oct. 25th

They fixed my walls in the bedroom and fixed it outside so the water won't come in again. So that should handle the mold problem for a while. My biggest problem is the smoke coming in my living room and bedroom. I am choking and coughing so much that I'm hurting from it. I've written to the landlord a few times about it. They are supposed to be putting that expanding spray foam behind all my outlets, but I told the landlord they should be doing that in the smoker's apartments also and making them get smoke cleaners. This coughing is going to cause me to have a blood vessel burst or a heart attack. as soon as the smell starts coming in, my lungs constrict and my voice is real bad. there are seven smokers upstairs now, and it's theirs that is drifting through the walls into my apartment. This year has been the worst. Before I dealt with only that one woman downstairs. her smoke would travel down the hall and under my door at times. That was nothing to what I'm dealing with now. All because of new people moving into apartments that never had smokers before.

I'm even putting nasty notes on the door, telling them to turn their exhaust fans on or get air purifiers. They hate me and I don't give a shit any more.

If I had somewhere else to move to, I would at this point. The landlord said he would put signs up on all the doors telling everyone to stay off the property when they smoke. That won't help my situation, since it's coming through the walls.

So I will be writing letters to the landlord all the time, till he does something. It took him seven years to fix my mold issue though. Assholes.

Other than that, I'm okay..Ha!

I couldn't sleep in my bedroom for three days, till they got that all done. Then I had to clean everything and wash the curtains etc. good thing I covered everything up with plastic. They would never have done it. Dust everywhere. I hung my curtains back up myself, with the help of one of those low medical step stools and my grabber. Threw the old shade away and stuck up a temporary one that I had from a few years ago, that I never got to putting up. I couldn't reach too well to push hard to stick it up but I used my steel rod that I have to hold the window up with. I'll be ordering a regular shade soon.

Oct. 26, 2013

I was up before the crack of dawn this morning, thanks to the bitch upstairs. She must have been packing to leave. Sounded like a heard of elephants up there. Her daughter I presume. Stomping around, flushing the toilet numerous times, which goes down the wall by my head. Stomp, stomp, stomping, for an hour. Now it's all quiet at 7 am. I'm hoping she's gone to Florida for a month! No good sleep for me this morning. It will be heaven if she's gone. She bangs her recliner chair every time she gets out of it and scares me half to death sometimes. I swear it's going to come through the ceiling one of these days. Now I'm hoping the rest of the day will be peaceful. I also hope those damn smokers will go away. I had it in my living room and bedroom last evening. So I had to go in the kitchen and make me some cookies. I needed a chocolate fix..Ha!

Oct. 30, 2013

I have had almost two full days without any cigarette smell , except for in the bedroom at 7:20 pm both nights. Someone is by that exit door upstairs, when I smell it in my bedroom. But at least it was only at that time and I never smelled it again. The landlord still has not put up any signs. But my signs on my door tells them just what I think. I also wrote another letter to the landlord today. And I will keep writing. They haven't been back to plug my outlets yet either. And the one in the bedroom, where they put the new wall up is still sitting there with no cover. The asshole cut the hole too large. I tried to put the cover on the other day and realized their mistake. That's most likely why they haven't been back. But I told the landlord about it. Sure is nice to breathe better air. At least I'm not waking up choking. But I know it won't last. I think the only reason I am not smelling it in the living room is because that woman has had her grandchild up there.

Oct. 31st

This has not been a good day for me. The smoke has been bothering me real bad. I wasn't feeling very well because of it. I had to get out of the living room at 9 pm, when it got bad. Then when I came into the bedroom, it is just as bad. It is continuous in here. Every half hour it gets stronger, then fades and comes back strong again. I've got a face mask on right now and I don't mean a Halloween mask!  I have to go to bed and cover up my head again. I'll be waking up with another headache and not being able to breathe good. The landlord is an asshole. He still has not put the signs up and now I don't think he even will. My eyes are stinging. I am really pissed off right now. I hope tomorrow will be a better day. Good night you all. I hope none of you ever rent from this Accattato guy.

Nov. 1, 2013

I was hoping the wind would be blowing harder, so it would blow in my windows. The smoke started in my bedroom at 7:30 am. So disgusting. It's just letting up now at 8:45 am. I have my air purifier on high, my window open wide and my exhaust fan on over my stove. Nothing helps till they stop. It was going on all night last evening, till 1:00 am, when I went to bed and covered up my head. I haven't even checked the living room yet. At least it's warmer today and I can open all the windows, without freezing to death. My poor bird will catch a cold and die on me probably. Not a nice way to start my day. I'm hoping it will be clear the rest of the day, but I know It's only wishful thinking. I sent the landlord another letter this morning. He has never been over here to even talk about the situation. He sits in that office, on his big fat ass, and laughs about it. At least that is what he did the first time I wrote a letter about it, back in January. Telling everyone that he'd never go smoke free in his apartments. Now it's time to start writing letters to all the Government agencies, but from what I have read online, there's not much that can be done, except for moving, if the landlord refuses to do anything. I will look into the disabled advocacy group. But they tell you to move also. All these Government funded senior buildings should be smoke free.

So now I have to go get my pet bird, Ricky, his breakfast, and hope that we have a better day ahead. Sorry about my bitching all the time. I have to get it off my chest. 

Nov. 1st

After a bad start this morning, with the smoke and everything, the rest of the day went well. My sister, Jeanne came over. My daughter and Grandkids will be coming tomorrow or Sunday. That's when I'll have cake! Jeanne brought some homemade Pumpkin Cookies, with cream cheese frosting. Yummy!

The guy came in and fixed the area on my wall where the outlet is. I had to tell his daughter, to remind him that he never put the cover on. He bought a larger cover to cover up his mistake.. Had to vacuum up after him of course. 

I sent the landlord another letter this morning. Then I talked to the girl in the office. The landlord called her right after that and told her to tell me that he will be here next Wed. or Thursday, to talk about the smoke situation. They turned the exhaust fan on upstairs in the storage room. It's right next to my bedroom area and maybe it will suck the smoke from up there before it has a chance to come down to my place. But I have to print out a sign and have the woman upstairs put it on that door for me. Otherwise someone will be turning that switch off all the time. I will slowly get this resolved a little. (I hope) I haven't smelled the smoke in my bedroom tonight anyway! Maybe I'll get to sleep better. It was in the living room a little, this afternoon, but not tonight. So that one is probably out for the night, thank God! It was a nice day. Quite breezy and warm. I kept my windows open all day. Love the fresh air when I can get it.

Thanks to everyone, for all the birthday wishes. I love all the attention for one day.. Hugs to you all! I hope I will be around for the next one. But I never look that far ahead. Best to take it a day at a time and make the best of it.

Nov. 2nd

My daughter and the kids today, and my chocolate cake!! That was so yummy! Got my pizza also!! Had a nice day. The smoke has held off since this morning. had a real bad few hours early this morning in my bedroom. Then it was good the rest of the day, thank God!

My daughter, Nina and her children on Nov. 2nd.

Nov. 2

Had a pretty good day. The smoke was heavy in the bedroom from 8:30 am till 11:30 am though. But the rest of the day was smoke free. Till now! It's been coming in my bedroom heavy since 11:30. It's weird that it smells real strong about every half hour. But it's time to go to bed anyway. I've got lots of old photos to scan tomorrow.. Hope I will be able to. If it's smokey, then I can't. My ex had the good album of photos, ever since 1971. I hadn't seen any of these since then. He did not take very good care of it. It was one of those heavy leather albums that we bought from a traveling salesman. Then we put Olin Mills portraits in it. Well. It's a shame that this thing is all ruined and smells of mold and mildew.. Half the photos are missing and lots of the large ones are gone or damaged. His wife threw some away apparently. She hated having it around I guess. But I am salvaging most of what's left. That will keep me busy for a while. Now to get away from this wall. It's terrible with cigarette smell. Yuck!

Nov. 4th

 Still smoke free! Can't believe it!!

November 4 at 10:26pm 

Guess I spoke too soon. Someone is smoking upstairs by that exit door. The smell just came in my bedroom. Didn't last long.

Nov 5th

I have not smelled any smoke today. I have heard that woman on the other side of my living room, upstairs, coughing a lot. Maybe my curse worked. I wished they'd all get sick so they wouldn't feel like smoking..Ha! The maintenance man came in today and put filters in all my outlets. That should help. But they still need to put them in the smoker's apartments to keep it from drifting out. They also put the signs on all exit doors, saying there is to be no smoking near any of the doors. I got them to put a note upstairs on the storage room, to keep the exhaust fan on at all times, like they do downstairs. It might catch some of the smell and send it out the roof, before it wanders down to my bedroom. The landlord, himself, is coming to talk to me. So I might be able to get a few more things straightened out here! A little progress....finally!!

 Nov. 7, 2013

The landlord, Jim Acattato, his son in law Dominick Bellino and Sara, who works in the office, all came in my apartment at 1:40 pm. I explained the whole smoke situation to them and suggested what they could do to help me. They will be putting filters in those two apartments and giving them air purifiers! He is also going to be installing a HEPA filter exhaust fan upstairs, in the hallway, that will shoot out to the roof above. That should take care of a lot of the smoke. But that won't be installed for a few months, after they get their new budget for the new year. But for now, they will be getting the air cleaners and putting the filters in those two other apartments.

No more smoking outside that door upstairs either. He said he will be designating a spot outside, downstairs, for all smokers.

So at least it's a start, and hopefully it will help me. The smell was bad in my bedroom all morning. Just enough to to make me cough and feel sick. I had to close the bedroom door and open the window again. Those filters don't do the job when there is smoking regularly up there.

Acattato was very friendly and wanted to know every complaint I had, so he could work on them all eventually.  ( That's because he's afraid I'll report him.)

He will be installing security cameras very soon also. ( Probably take a year! )

He asked if I wanted my bedroom all painted and a new rug put in, but I said no. Wait till I croak. I don't want any more disruptions. He was okay with that also.

Now I will wait and see how much of that stinky old stale smoke I smell. I do know that the women upstairs will not give a crap about any signs, and will still stand by that exit door, smoking. Just wish I could catch them. It's that spot where all my bedroom smoke is coming from.

I can smell it now, in the bedroom, as I am typing this.

So that's it for now.

Nov. 12th

I have had a full day without smelling cigarette smoke. Just a slight smell tonight in my bedroom. No. The landlord's people have not done a thing yet, in those other smoker's apartments. Last night I shut off the exhaust fan in the storage room next to my bedroom wall. I'm thinking it might be dragging the smell down from upstairs. Then when I took my garbage down to the trash room, I flipped the switch to the whole building exhaust fans. They all run on one switch though. No one shut it off all day, and it's still on. I think it's helping. But the people don't like the noise in the hallways. Mostly because they want to be nosy and hear everything that's going on. The maintenance man wondered why they were on and asked the girl in the office. She called her boss and he told her to leave it on. He knew I turned them on. And since he's procrastinating, then he knows he better not piss me off. It will keep the smoke rising anyway, so it doesn't come down. I hope. I only heard what was said because I talk to one woman in this place. She told me. Even though she doesn't like the fan noise either but she understands. And she's a smoker, and the only one who smokes underneath her stove fan at all times.

The girl in the office is sick, so that might be why she hasn't gone to get the air cleaners yet. And if she's sick, then her father might be also. He's the one who has to put the filters in the outlets upstairs. The other guy doesn't do much around here any more. I sure hope I don't come down with anything, since she was sitting in my apartment last Thursday, with the landlord. I've managed to stay sick free for the past few years.

I was chilly today, so had to turn up my heat a little. Felt like a damp chill.

At least I had a better day, breathing cleaner air. My lungs were a mess yesterday. 

Nov. 13th

Someone in this building did not like the exhaust fans on in the hallways and shut the switch off this morning. I got right on the phone and called the landlord. It's back on now. He said he'll put a lock box over it if they continue to do that. It sure is helping to keep the smoke away from my apartment. They haven't gotten around to putting the outlet filters in those smoker's apartments yet, and buying the air purifiers for them either. It will be a week tomorrow that they promised to do that. Typical!!

He sure isn't getting things done too fast. I've been smelling the crap in my bedroom every hour since 6:30. It's not as strong, but still don't like smelling it at all. Guess the fans in this building don't help much. When I called the office this morning, they said the girl who works in this office was supposed to be buying the air cleaners today. She didn't. But she's been sick, so I'll give her another day..

Nov. 14th

 I've been smelling it all night in my bedroom. Got to get that area fixed now. The one that affects me in the living room has her new air purifier, and it is helping I think. I didn't smell any in that room today.

Nov. 15th

I had a smoke free day, till 8:20 pm, when it started in my bedroom, and kept on going till I went to bed at midnight. I am just so frustrated. I turned the building fans off because they weren't helping. I put a note on the downstairs storage room, that is right next to me bedroom wall, to tell them to shut off the fan when they leave. I went out there and the light and fan were on. I am trying everything I can to stop that upstairs smoke from coming down. I thought maybe that exhaust fan in that storage room was pulling the smoke down.

 About every half hour, someone is puffing on a cigarette. My living room was smoke free all day and night. I hope it's from the guys putting filters in all her outlets and putting a door sweep on, and giving her an air purifier. I hope it's not because she wasn't home. I want this stuff to work. The maintenance man has not done the apartment that is causing my bedroom problem. I hope he gets at that next week. He was just here at 5 pm to do the other apartment. And it's the weekend already, so I won't be getting anything done till Monday now. If ever. The exhaust fans to the building did not work. So I shut them off. Too many people were complaining about the noise. The problem has to be fixed from within their apartments. 

Nov. 15th, 2013

Note on my door

Whoever is still smoking upstairs, by that EXIT door, your smoke is still coming into my bedroom down here and it's disgusting and makes me choke and cough and feel sick.

I can smell your smoke every hour from 5:30 till after midnight sometimes.

On the 13th, it was all night long. 6:30 pm-7-7:20, 7:45, 8 pm, 8:30, 9 pm, 11:30 pm.

On the 14th it started at 5:15 pm and continued all night long. 6:30, 6:45, 7:40, 8:15, 8:30, 9 pm, 10, 10:30.

I have been smoke free all day on the 15th, till 8:20 pm. Then it started in my bedroom, and kept going every half hour or 45 minutes.

Who the hell has to smoke that much?

Leave all fans off in the storage rooms. Do not smoke in there. It smells so strong, it seems like someone is smoking in there. My bedroom is right next to the storage rooms.

Be considerate of other's health.

DON"T SMOKE AT ALL ANYWHERE NEAR THAT DOOR, INSIDE OR OUT! 

SMOKE INSIDE YOUR OWN APARTMENT!

You apparently aren't obeying that sign on the door. A new one will be up soon and there will be NO more smoking at all in that area.

I WANT TO BREATHE CLEAN AIR. 

We, who do NOT SMOKE, have the right to CLEAN AIR  in our apartments.

The Landlord will put filters in all your outlets and switches. And put a door sweep on. He will also get you an air purifier. Mark will get to that soon.

Please use your exhaust fans, in your apartments.

THANK YOU!

That's it for this month's post. Take care everyone. Hope you all have a very nice Thanksgiving.

 

 

October 13, 2013-The Leaves Are Falling Fast

Hello everyone. I finally made it back here. Just realized it's been almost a month again.
Fall is in full swing and it's past peak here in the valley. The leaves are falling off the trees so fast. I can see into the woods again. But I'm not seeing any animals. Not sure why, but not one squirrel showed up for a few weeks after that big storm that knocked trees down. And when I did see one, he'd be off in a distance. And it's still that way.  No squirrels, no foxes, no deer, no birds. Just a couple chipmunks, that were lucky enough not to get caught by the cats or rats. And soon they will be gone to their dens for the winter. Not to be seen till at least February.
Since I wasn't seeing any squirrels, and they were the ones I always fed for the past 17 years, I quit feeding all the critters permanently. The birds were in the middle of migrating anyway. I do hear a few Bluejays off in a distance now and then, or see a little Titmouse or Chickadee fly by. It is so quiet outside my windows now. But it is for the best. Now when I do get so sick that I can't feed them, I won't have to worry about that.
Since I have money left over each month now, I am buying myself a new laptop and router, so I can be anywhere in my apartment and still get on the computer. This chair gets uncomfortable at times when I have to sit too long. I should have it by next weekend. I'll have to get used to a touch screen and Windows 8, but I'm pretty good at catching on to new things. If I have a problem setting up the router, my cousin, Angie said she'd come over and do it for me. Tamara, on the hill next door, offered to help also. But since Angie is a computer tech, I'll let her do it.
I'm having a bad time with the cigarette smell coming into my apartment. It's real bad. Now it's in the living room area, when that woman in 204 smokes. It's in my bedroom too much. I've been choking and coughing so much that my lungs ache and my back hurts. I am getting so pissed off. I really wish I had somewhere to move to now. I wrote another letter to the landlord and he said he'd put notices on all the doors so no one can smoke within 20 feet of the doors or windows. but I haven't seen that happen yet. He even sent the girl in the office over with a brand new air cleaner. I told her to take it back. I already have a $400 one in the bedroom. They don't do any good because they pull the smells in from any crack. The ones that should be forced to have them are the smokers themselves! To keep their own smoke in their own apartments, and to clean their air a little.
We had another bad rainstorm on the 7th of Oct. The water came right into my bedroom again and caused a heavy mold odor again. I told the landlord that if he didn't fix something around here, I was going to call the codes dept. and health dept. and write to Rural Housing. He did send a guy down to get an estimate to do the job. Nothing was done yet and it looked like rain, so I called the maintenance man and asked if he could at least get that metal flashing back because all the water and mud were going behind it and getting inside. So Mark did come over the other night and dug the mud away and pushed it back and held it with a piece of wood and then he dug some dirt and built it up against the wall so the water would flow the other way. I've been trying to get them to do something for seven years out there. About 4 years ago, they did come and tear that piece out of my wall and replace the outside wall because there was two feet of mud up inside. But then they never came and finished anything, so it happened all over again. Now it's worse. Now they have to tear out my bedroom wall again and the carpeting also. That means I'll be disrupted for a few days. They will have to move all my furniture out to my living room. I'll have to sleep on the chair most likely.
The landlord keeps complaining that he has no money to fix things till the new budget after January!!  I am NOT waiting that long!
I could move now that I'm not worried about the outdoor critters. That was always my biggest concern anyways. Sure wish one of my brothers had an apartment with a ramp. But they don't. The only good thing I have going for me, is I'm supposed to be dying from this cancer. But when?? I have lived too long as it is, from when the doctor's told me I wouldn't last a year.
The pains were starting to get worse in my tumor and liver area but they come and go and I ignore them. I'm still eating whatever I want and getting fatter. Who cares! But if I had known I was going to be living this long, I wouldn't have eaten so many chocolates..Ha! Ha!
We've had some beautiful weather. Clear, blue skies almost every day. We might get rain once a week.
Nina is doing okay but she and the kids have been sick recently. She never did hear from the state or get any money from her flooding. But she had already took out a loan to repair some stuff. She still has to get her cellar repaired.
The kids are in sports. Salena is in Field Hockey. Jessi is playing Soccer again this year. Jordan is in Varsity and he's playing football. I'm waiting to see this year's school pictures and Jordan's football one.
My sister, Debby, has to go in for surgery on her shoulder later this month. She'll be out of work for quite a while. She sure isn't looking forward to that again. She was in a lot of pain when she had the other one done a few years ago. Working at Remington Arms has done her in.
Jane broke a bone in her foot and is on crutches and can't walk on that for a few weeks. I gave her my shoe that the hospital had given to me when I fell and hurt my foot and toes that time, three years ago, when I broke my wrist. I also gave her a set of my crutches. Savey came over and got them that day.
Guess everyone else is doing okay. Never hear too much.
My daughter, Ginny, called last week and she has moved out of TN and living with some sort of religious group. Not Amish or Mennonites, but close. No TV's. But she does have a bed to sleep in now. She and her youngest son are there. She said she's eating good now. They all have chores to do and her son is being schooled now, which he really needed bad. She said he's learning fast too. The other boys are still with their father and they won't be moving where she is. She wouldn't tell me where, so I'm in the dark again about that. Glad to hear she has a bed and running water and heat now for the winter.
Guess that's all I can think of for now. Take care everyone, and enjoy the fall!

October 13, 2013 5 pm

My pet Parakeet, Gigi, passed away this evening at 7 pm. I held her for two hours and she died in my hands. She was such a good bird. So independent and tough. She could figure out things real fast. When I first got her, at six weeks old, her wings were clipped and if she'd fall to the ground, she would go right over to the Cockatiel's cage and shimmy up the legs to get to the top and then jump to her cage. She could figure out how to press buttons on her toy also. She'd use them when she wanted attention, if I was out of the room. It was so cute when i'd hear that button say, "Helloooooo", or "I love you!", or "Hello Bird!" It was as if she was talking to me through that toy. She loved it. She hadn't been feeling well for a long time. She'd be good one day and then the next, she'd be bleeding from her behind. On this last day, she was bleeding more and was very weak. I heard her fall off her perch at 5pm and went right over to get her. She was too weak to bite me, like she usually tried to do if I tried to get her. She didn't and let me hold her. I wrapped her in a paper towel and held her, so she'd be warm. I talked to her the whole time and petted her head gently. She had her eyes closed and I thought she had passed and all of a sudden she'd get up a bit. Just as she passed, she opened her eyes and looked right at me, as if to say goodbye. I cried so much. She was almost 13 years old and lived a long, happy life. She was always allowed to fly free and I never clipped her wings. She's flying free now! I miss her and sometimes when i walk into the living room, I expect to see her there. but her cage is gone. My daughter came and got it. Ricky is now alone. He will look for her sometimes. Even though he didn't like her too close to him, she was still a companion for him. So now it's just me, Ricky and Jasper, my turtle.

This was Gigi on October 9th.

This was Gigi at 4 pm on October 13th

This was Gigi as I was holding her and when she passed. Fly Free little girl! I loved having you as my little friend all these years.

September 19, 2013-Fall Is Here

Hi everyone! Sorry it's taken so long to get back here. I think it's because there's nothing interesting going on in my life..Ha!
Nina has been feeling sick but she thinks it was the antibiotic that she had to take when she got her tooth pulled.  And she's been busy with people doing things at her home. She never did get any of that State funding to help for flood damage. She took out a loan though and is getting everything repaired. She hired a contractor off "Angie's List", thinking he would be good to rewire her house for her washer and dryer and move them upstairs. He sent two younger guys to do it. Well! They dropped the washer, and put lots of dents in it. It was only two years old. Then they put scratches all over the tops of them with their tools. Spilled glue all over the washer and Nina could not get it off. Left a mess all over the place. The contractor said he'd make it right but I haven't heard yet. Poor Nina.
The girls are in Gymnastics this year and Salena is playing Field Hockey, while Jessi is playing Soccer. Nina is on the run all the time. I sometimes feel guilty because she has to get my groceries, but she said she doesn't mind. Last week she got them and I hadn't gotten any in two weeks, so she had quite a lot of stuff to carry in. Jessi and Jason helped.
Nina won't have to worry about picking up critter food any more because I quit feeding them. It was easy because the squirrels seem to have almost disappeared. Ever since that bad thunder and lightening storm, when a few trees were knocked down. I think some got killed. And because the cats are always around. I have only seen one squirrel down here in the past few weeks and this past week I haven't seen any at all. I did see one way over in the neighbor's yard, high up in the tree though. The reason I am not feeding anything is because I have  half dozen rats here now. I have to get rid of them. When the neighbor's trees fell down during that storm, he had to clear them away and was sawing the tree and also had a stump removed. I think all those rats came from his wood pile. I see them running across the lawn sometimes. They were killing the chipmunks too. So after almost 17 years, I'm finally stopping the food supply! look at the money I'll save and have for myself now! I was spending too much. It was my entertainment though, all these years. I will miss them. It's been so quiet outside this past week. The Bluejays aren't making their noise and the Chickadees aren't singing. I don't see the fox pups any more. Guess it's time for them to find new territory. never did see them too much anyway. I didn't even see the fawn much. Twice when it had spots and once last week when it's spots were all gone. It's been weird this year.
Jessi was over here for the day in August. She showed me the drawing that she did that was hanging in the Munsun Williams Institute in Utica. This is it.

This is Jessi, drawing some pictures for me.

She was real proud of this, and so were we!

Jimmy and Patty stopped by to visit on Labor Day, and then Debby came later the same day. I hadn't seen Deb since January. She's got to have surgery on her other shoulder soon. That won't be any fun.

Jim and Pat had just gotten back from their vacation out West, to visit Matthew. They were also in Sturgis, like they do every year. They had a good time.

Little Benny is standing up against things now. He will be running soon. He's so cute!

He loves the water. Alysha can't get that "Binkie" out of his mouth much I guess. Ha!

Jeanne stopped by this past week. She's doing good. Her landlady hasn't got the cellar done yet, so there's no furnace yet. Sure hope Jeanne has heat by Nov.!

My brother, Rich & Ann, wants to have Thanksgiving at their home. But Jane and Savey will be down south, so if anyone goes it will just be Jim and Pat, Jeanne, Debby, maybe and maybe Steve. I won't go. Too much for me to handle.

Pam's daughter, Stephanie, finally got a job at Marcy Psych Center in Housekeeping. Her brother, Greg, is in security there and her Aunt works there also. So far she likes it. It's a State job so I hope she keeps it. It's been two years since she's worked. 

Everyone else is doing okay I guess.

So that's all for now. Take care everyone. Enjoy the fall weather!