On My Mind

For those of us who are "off" anyways, we enjoy the company.

MsMadge took the day off, and she is not even in Canada!

Yay! Easter Monday! Just after Easter Sunday!

Does anyone know of an organization that has local čhapters in the US for persons or caregivers of people with Parkinson’s? My younger brother was diagnosed about 2 months ago and we’re looking for resource information.

Google Parkinson's support groups - I found a couple that listed groups around the country. MJFox Foundation is a good source of information. Look for a Rock Steady program in your area. I can't say enough about how much this exercise/PT program has helped DH. I saw changes in balance, muscle strength, no shuffling...just wonderful. He's even had improvement in range of motion in his shoulder, which we'd been told might need surgery (just needed steady PT). The side benefit is an impromptu support group of people who get it.

Here's a good link for Maine

https://www.maineparkinsonsociety.org/support-groups/

Countrymouse, Linda 22, Thanks so much for the information.

Did Murphy run away?

Smeshque,
Al Capone.

By the year 2035, SS will be unable to pay full benefits to US residents. It will be cut by 25%.
So probably in 25 more years, maybe none.
Looking like DH and I will not be receiving and SS. I guess what we pay in now and all our working life, goes for those now.
And so the story goes......


Send-It appears Murphy has run away.
Was Al Capone the right answer? To who said, Never mistake kindness for weakness.

They'll probably just keep raising the age at which you become eligible, Smeshque.

Over here it used to be 60 for women and 65 for men. That obviously wasn't okay from a gender equality point of view, plus they raised the age for men from 65 to 68, I think it was, so then they had to even up the gap, so they started shunting cohorts of women up the scale bit by bit.

Since all this began I've rather lost track, I don't know what state pension age is now. 117, I expect.

Just for the "heck" of it, I looked at pages 2, 3, and 4 of the Forum and found 4+ postings that have NO answers or replies.   The Forum has been so busy these past couple of days that there are postings from 5-9+ hours that have never been replied to.  What can we do about this problem?  I don't want these people to feel that we don't care about them.

CM- you are probably right, The way things go now a days.

Smeshque,

For me to collect SS I have to be 74 yrs old. The SS we pay in now goes for the people who are on SS now. I know it really doesn't make sense. So, what you are paying into SS that money is going towards those who are receiving SS right now.

This is online:
Currently, the full benefit age is 66 years and 2 months for people born in 1955, and it will gradually rise to 67 for those born in 1960 or later. Early retirement benefits will continue to be available at age 62, but they will be reduced more.
What is the Social Security Retirement Age? | National ...

And what do we call an investment scheme where the money collected from current subscribers is not invested but in fact is used to pacify earlier investors? Yes, correct, a pyramid scheme.

When companies do that sort of thing we get very cross and send their CEOs to jail. When governments do it, and in our case have been at it for over a hundred years, we call it national insurance.

DeeAnna, lost posts are the reason some of us asked for the "needs answers" feature. If the question is something that you feel needs attention then you can bump it up, but sometimes there are questions that are incomplete, nonsensical or not appropriate to the forum that are better left alone.

I recently got a statement telling me how much Canada Pension I'd be getting if I qualified today, I'll be living the good life with an extra 250 bucks each month. Makes me think I should have just immersed myself in the underground economy and invested my contributions instead. What has always annoyed me is that contributions are based on earnings so the poor get to retire poor too, they can't top up even if they come into some money along the way. If all I had was CPP, OAS and the Supplement for low income I'd be so screwed.

Some questions are better left alone. I have answered a few like that.

CW back in the golden years when I was actually making some money - ah me sigh - I remember reading a sweet and friendly note from Her Majesty's Inland Revenue explaining Class IV National Insurance contributions. These were chargeable on people's "excess" income, they said, and although you didn't get any extra benefits or entitlements by paying them you were contributing to the nation's welfare overall. So that was a happy thought. Well done me.

Our tax people, credit where it's due, I have always found delightful to deal with as people. They are polite and helpful and - as long as they don't think you're trying to pull a fast one - sympathetic.

If you ever want to start a really exciting fight, get some public sector employees and some private sector employees and some self-employed people in the same room, find a safe place to stand, and say "final salary pensions!"

Here in the U.S. the government tells you what you are going to get in retirement,
then spends a whole lot of time notifying you how they are taking it away, bit by bit.

I like movies as a distraction. Just rented "Bohemian Rhapsody". (Warning to not read if you haven't seen it yet.) Felt such sadness, then respect for their talent. Mostly felt glad that Freddy woke up and fired those who were taking advantage and got back with the band. There's some message there about realizing who you are and what is important. Anyway, that is what is on my mind today.

Testing....I could not post just now....Sorry Gershun.

Kindle won't even come on at times. That's okay, I've lots to do!

Oohnooo, don't you hate that gut clenching moment when the tech you rely on fails. Time for a new Kindle?

Just the space I need to vent & not be judged. My daughter died on March 14 from complications from chemo. On March 26 my drug abusing SIL couldn't find where my daughter had hidden his stash of illegally acquired xanax so he took double the dose of her leftover benzos along with some muscle relaxants & I found him passed out when I went to find out why the baby was screaming. Called EMS hoping they would take him away to dry out, but he was coherent enough to refuse treatment. EMS said they are very familiar with him. Next morning found him face down on the baby's high chair tray, baby screaming. My two other grandchildren not the least bit worried. Got SIL into bed, got baby calmed down & SIL reappears wearing one shoe & staggering around saying he is driving the kids to school. I took his keys & hid them & took all 3 children & my poor brain damaged DH to the school & sought asylum. They helped me get in touch with social services for the kids. My uncle died on March 30. My mom with advanced alcohol induced dementia for whom I am POA, fell & broke her hip on April 3 & had successful surgery to pin the bones the next day. She will never really recover but won't be in pain & bedridden.

SIL's family says he CANNOT keep the kids & had already discussed dividing them amongst themselves within two days after our daughter's death. Social services have been doing home visits & arranging assistance for him so he can keep the kids. The caseworker says he can do whatever he wants with the children once he is cleared from this incident as he is their parent. Unless some challenges him in court.

I got all the drugs I could find out of the house. I drive the children to & from school & after school activities. Come to find out SIL's licence has been suspended & revoked for 2 years but he was still driving. SIL does seasonal work & collects unemployment the rest of the year. He worked his last 10 days for the year end of March, first of April with me & DH doing 24/7 child care, cooking, cleaning laundry, shopping, etc. Once his job was done he retreated to his bedroom with the baby & emerges only to eat, smoke or take the baby & go someplace with friends. The other two children join him in bed to watch TV or play video games when they are at home. They emerge for meals & sleep in their own rooms on school nights.

DH & I live a 12+ hour drive from here. Last August we rented this house for ourselves, our daughter & grandchildren while our daughter underwent cancer treatment. SIL is not on the lease as he has felony drug convictions & is not supposed to be here more than 10 days a month & never without a lease holder here.

We gave him 30 day notice he had to find his own place & he blew us off. We gave another 30 day notice & he is again blowing us off. We are terminating the lease 2 months early & going home. He has many relatives in town who could help him, but they think we should take care of him.

Our daughter's ashes are on the shelf in our closet. SIL left her body at the hospital morgue more than a week because he had friends calling around to find the cheapest cremation. I finally researched & called & made the arrangements. There has been no memorial. SIL was going to arrange something but he just hasn't.

We have had enough. We are so exhausted my brother may have to fly here & help me make the drive home.

Thank you for listening!

GingerMay, since you just watched the move Bohemian Rhapsody, would you like to hear another modern singer group who sang this song? They keep to the original as much as possible. I hope you will like their version. As an acapella group - it's all 100% vocal, no music instruments like an electric guitar, drums, etc...
Google: Pentatonix Bohemian Rhapsody

Send, my 2016 Kindle is sluggish when I turn it on, when I tap on Books, etc... I just checked the storage. Oops, I only have 7gb free out of 26gb. Time to delete downloaded ebooks - which I know that I have no plans to read within a year. It'll go back to the cloud until I'm ready to read it. I've downloaded several music from ABBA, Pentatonix, Avi Kaplan, Oakridge Boys, etc... Most were songs I downloaded while I was caregiving my bedridden parents. I guess it's time to delete those from the device... I no longer need it to get me through the pamper-changing parts and cleaning mom's trache...

((((((longears)))))) hope your grandkids get proper support and you take care of yourself.

on my mind - having flashbacks to the fire 3 years ago I had driven north for 8 hours and taken refuge in a work camp. The fire was ranging to town and outlying areas. I knew my kids and grandkids were as safe as I was for now, but I also knew if the fire came in our direction nothing could stop it. I never want to be in that situation again.

Thank you bookluvr

I love the group 'QUEEN' so I gave your recommendation a view.
I LOVED them, they were fantastic.
(Pentatonix Bohemian Rhapsody)

BuzzyBee, if you love Pentatonix version of Bohemian Rhapsody, try their version of "Hallelujah". I think you would love this, too. I strongly recommend that when listening to Pentatonix to use headphones. They have a killer base singer that you can hear very clearly if using headphones.... They also have great xmas songs. I used to play it aloud from my laptop when my dad was alive...

Cinco de Mayo

got a piñata in the shape of a bull - mom's been feisty past couple of days - ole

trying to decide if I should go get tamales and hot chocolate or just donuts and horchata for breakfast at hoca

I'm so exhausted and insomnia isn't helping

Thanks Bookluvr!
I have an old kindle too. Never replaced it, the troubles pop up, and I learn to deal.
I will ask my dH to check my storage. Thanks!


Golden,
I hear you! Never want those disasters to happen again.
That is when I tell myself, "Nothing bad is happening now" .
In my mind, I answer: "Yeah, but"......

MsMadge,
A thunderstorm is on it's way. I believe this contributes to insomnia.
For me, anyway.

Typing this from my Chromebook, my back-up tech, since my techie dH is not reliable.