Random 3 for August 3, 2025 – Projects, foods, Mom

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I’m ready for this!

Only three today. I’m taking a small summer break.

Is this a swan song? – I did a small wallpapering job this week. It took two days. Back in the old days I would have finished it in one day. I had already done most of the cutting beforehand. We have high ceilings which are more work. It requires our tall ladder which is heavy and an extra foot of wallpaper on each piece to wrestle with. It was tiring. I tried a new technique which had its own quirks that I had to learn. While I was doing it, I was asking myself why I am doing this at my age. My balance can get wonky and here I was high on the ladder. There was a small section that was 10 foot high so I was on the step that says “this is not a step.” (Seriously, if it looks like a step and quacks like a step, it is a step!) This may be the last time I wallpaper. I like it a lot though. There is no picture because it’s a texture with muted neutral shades that doesn’t photograph well. It gives softness and warmth to the area. I hate getting old.

Speaking of getting old – My body is constantly adjusting and not for the good. Mostly not for the good! I’ve always been lactose sensitive (rather than totally intolerant). That means I can have dairy products but not too much. How much is too much is always a guess. Some things, like cream cheese, are food rentals (in and out, not spending much time inside my body). Unfortunately, people put that in almost all appetizers. Other types of cheese are just fine. Lately I’ve become even more sensitive. Ice cream is a tough one because I like it. I’ve always been okay with the cheaper ice cream because the milk fat is lower. My neighbor who is totally lactose intolerant (my sympathies to her) has introduced me to lactose free ice cream. It tastes like real ice cream. Maybe life is looking up, but it still means I can’t get ice cream at a specialty shop with all the glorious flavors.

Missing my mom – Periodically I have an intense “miss my mom” moment. She has been gone since 1986, so you’d think I’d be totally over it. It happens when there are events that I’d like to share or maybe get her advice on something. My dad’s birthday is coming up so maybe that was a trigger. Guess I’ll miss her until the day I die.

Here is a giggle for you retirees!!

So how was your week?

64 thoughts on “Random 3 for August 3, 2025 – Projects, foods, Mom”

  2. You definitely deserve a latte for your wallpapering job! But yes, be careful with the ladder climbing.

    Sorry about your lactose intolerance becoming worse. No fun!

    (((Hugs))) about your missing. I am blessed to still mine, but I understand you still missing her. Shows how special your bond of love was. ❤️

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  3. It’s natural that you’ll always miss your Mom…its human nature. Tender thoughts of comfort as you recall all the beautiful memories you have of her. I’d suggest a second bowl of ice cream will make you feel somewhat better. Kudos for finishing your wallpapering project and liking the results. What a great victory to complete it (10 feet tall? Yikes-you are sooo brave tackling that to begin with!)

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    • The calendar thing happens here too. Sometimes I have to think to remember which month it really is. It’s the doctor appointments that keep me on track.

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  6. I lost my dad in 2001 and still miss him and I don’t even want to think about losing my mom. I have been blessed to have her so long. XO

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  7. Anything higher than the second step of a five-foot ladder and I have to cling to something in case I fall. I change the pole sensor light bulbs every November and one time one of the bulbs must have had issues and burned out in Winter and I had to climb onto the ladder, third step, in the snow! It is the only time I climb to the third step of the ladder, but the top part of the lamp post has all these parts under the finial plus to clean it … the job I do cleaning the class is not stellar, but my little trick is using those sponge paintbrushes … I use several of them … wet with soap, wet with glass cleaner, then to dry and that keeps me from having to look down while I am up top. It’s a pain for sure. I liked the funnies. 🙂

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      • Oh yes – not for me. My mom was a stickler for clean windows and it was a happy day when I found that product that you attached to the hose and sprayed the windows down with a stream of soapy water, then clear water and then my long-handled squeegee. Before that I was clinging to the ladder while trying to Windex every corner – not fun! Now I keep the metal shutters down all the time – no windows but it is good as they cannot be opened from the outside and provide some coolness in the Summer, warmth in the Winter.

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  9. Yes. Please make this your last wallpapering job. I try not to climb on ladders these days.

    Like you, I’m lactose sensitive.

    I miss a lot of people: Mom, Dad, and especially my husband. Today I learned that my eighth-grade boyfriend died. All I remember is walking on the beach with him and holding hands.

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    • In the last week I learned my ex died. I googled two other guys I dated. One died in May and the other last September. When the music stops, grab a chair!

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  11. I am impressed that you still wallpaper and climb up high ladders. I have hated ladders most of my life so older age has given me a great excuse not to climb them. Sending you warm thoughts as you think of your mom and things that you would like to share with her.

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  12. Love the riddles/giggles! As for standing on tall ladders, not a chance anymore. I just finished a 6 week class called A Matter of Balance that dealt with all the ways us older folks could fall, and why we don’t want to do that. I learned that my house is a death trap for falls in ever so many ways, all of that without getting on a tall ladder!

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    • I believe that. My husband has less balance than I do. I had a drop cloth down and somehow he got all tangled in it and fell. I thought he broke the floor. Fortunately, no house or human part was injured but the cats scurried under furniture for protection.

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      • I forgot to mention, and you probably know, but Lactaid makes a good calcium enriched milk. I use it all the time; I’ve been lactose intolerant for years.

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        • Yes, I always have it here. Oddly I started to buy it for Jake. Cats are said to be lactose intolerant but he had a taste for milk. I liked it and it lasts longer than regular milk. These days it seems most anything upsets my stomach.

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  15. I believe we never stop grieving, we just adjust to a different way of life without the person. During the adjustment period, we’re also grieving, so that’s why it’s so hard in the beginning. Once we adjust, we still go through grieving moments, yes, for the rest of our lives. Just my 2 cents.

    I also hate growing old. 😕

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  16. I’m pretty brave for my age, but no way would I stand on the step that says it’s not a step. 🙂 Applause that you completed the job, love it, and have no physical issues to contend with. Falling is an issue so take care. Love the retirement questions especially the tied shoes. Happy Sunday!

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  18. Wow you are brave with the ladder! My hairdresser (age 65 or so) broke her arm getting up from the couch, after she stubbed her toe she tried to save herself and fell, so you don’t have to fall from a great height to break something. Now I’m scrounging around trying to find someone who can do my color, as things heal slower when you are older. I hope she doesn’t decide to retire. Another friend tripped over a phone wire in her living room and fractured her pelvis. I try to be extra cautious myself because I already know I have brittle bones, even when walking over rough ground.

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  19. I remember ex partner going to darts on a Tuesday evening and when he got back, the landing was pink daisies instead of blue. I ended up decorating 2 of the bedrooms, bathroom and painting the kitchen cupboards before I paid for a new kitchen and bathroom (well, got a loan from the bank). I hate DIY with a passion now. Heaven help us if we move, Hubby still thinks he can do kitchens! I have been saving like mad to get a professional firm in for that.

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  20. I admire you for tackling wallpapering – all the things you thought about it are things that have kept me from trying it (!)……less trusting of my old legs and old eyes, etc. I’m afraid. I think I’m destined for a knee replacement if I feel adventurous too. Sigh. Getting old is weird – about the time you think you can handle it, something else falls apart. LOL Anyway, lactose intolerance is definitely something I acquired as I got older. I adore cheese so I’m mad about the intolerance thing. I still eat it though! I didn’t know there was a pill that could help with that though……I’ll have to give that more thought!

    Hugs, Pam

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    • There were times I wished I had a safety belt to attach to something! 🙂 The fatigue at the end of the day was massive. I crashed both days and even the day after it was done. I couldn’t get enough sleep to make up for abusing my body. The lactose issue makes me wary of eating out. Most restaurants will tell you what’s in something but it’s weird to ask at a friend’s house. I stay away from appetizers unless it’s chips and a salsa dip! Lactaid pills work but are not miracles. If you have a lot of dairy you need a lot of pills. My doc wants me to drink more milk for my bones. Oy vay!

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  21. OhMyGosh, Kate! The retirement questions and answers… laughing so hard tears squeezing out my eyes running down my face. I would prefer 6 Sundays, 1 Saturday. I totally do the couch thing. I mean right down to the time on the couch. Tied shoes… just be sliding into flip flops and sandals here. Don’t know when I last had on shoes that tie. I miss my Mom every ding dang day and she passed in 1987. I am lactose sensitive too and I depend on Lactaid cottage cheese… gotta have my cottage cheese. I am glad you like your wallpaper. I hate getting old too.
    I was having a craptastic morning but I think the day is going to be just fine after this post! Thank you!

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    • I’ve heard from my neighbor that the lactose cottage cheese is very good. She has been a great source of information on lactose free products. Saturdays tend to have more work projects than Sundays. Maybe it was the way I was raised. Dress up for church, than read the papers until early afternoon. No time for projects. Yay! Then I grew up and became a working adult. Sundays were less free but I tried to keep them open as much as possible. I wear tied sneakers but have learned that if you don’t go through the last set of holes you can tied them and then slip in and out. Seniors are very creative! 🙂 (or is it lazy?)

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  22. I’m touched that you still miss your mother. Says a lot about you, why you’re so caring. She must have been. You always learn it from someone watching what they do and how they treat others including those with paws and whiskers.

    It was my grandfather who taught me.

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  23. First off, you amaze me.

    You wallpapered a wall . . . that was ten feet tall . . . and you didn’t fall . . . not at all!

    Kate ~ have you tried lactose pills? I get some at CVS called Dairy Relief. You take one with you first bit of dairy and it helps with digestion of dairy products. Also, hard cheese (like aged cheddar) are much easier to digest since much of the lactose dissipates during the aging process. In contrast, cream cheese, cottage cheese, and other soft cheeses can be very problematic.

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    • Perhaps you should wonder at my stupidity rather than amazement. I used to enjoy wallpapering because it was instant gratification. Still is but it’s harder on my body.

      I live on those lactose pills. They are the only way I can get away with a mocha latte as Starbucks (and most other places) do not have a lactose free selection unless you go with another flavored milk (coconut or something like that!). The pills help to an extent but even they can’t control cheesecake. Fortunately with enough bad experiences I lost my interest in cheesecake.

      I’ve read that as you age, you get less tolerant of lactose. As a child I didn’t have any issues. It didn’t start until I was in my 20s and then it was very slight. It become more of a problem after my 70th birthday. I also have IBS so sometimes I’m not sure which one is reacting. I can still eat pizza with mozzarella so that’s good.

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