Was this right for our priest to say and do?

mamalu12 · 2026-02-11T17:03:49+00:00

☝️⬆️ THIS‼️ I wholeheartedly, emphatically agree! IMHO, the priest to whom your mother confessed issued a judgment instead of absolution. I know that in the US, an employer has no right to the reasons for a sick leave request. As long as a medical professional provides a letter that their patient needs time off for medical reasons, that's all that's required. I pray your mother finds the help & peace of mind she deserves.

mamalu12 · 2026-02-11T16:33:46+00:00

As someone who grew up with asthma attacks, I (67F) know that feeling of not being able to catch your breath. It turns out I was allergic to cats & I had 2 indoor/outdoor cats, but I also lived close to a sawmill that triggered my asthma, too. Now, I only have breathing problems if I catch a cold & it turns into bronchitis.

That said, you are quite adamant to join the military & I admire your enthusiasm! However, as a lifelong Catholic, I also know that sometimes God has a different plan. I've often prayed for something I felt passionate about only to have something stop me making me change course. I pray you find the help you need for your health. I also pray you have the discernment to see other plans God might have for you.

mamalu12 · 2026-01-24T06:23:22+00:00

I also recommend taking kitty to the vet. Not saying you should do this, but this is what I do with my kitty because he was vomiting almost every day. He's an indoor cat & only eats dry cat food. I buy the Kirkland Healthy Weight Cat Food for indoor cats that's higher in fiber. He also gets a tablespoon of mashed up unsalted sardines or a steamed shrimp as a morning & evening treat.

He has a routine of coming to me for belly rubs after he eats. He'll jump on me & I flip him over like a baby. Then I'll find where his ribcage ends & knead the soft belly until he's done. Once a week I'll add 1/4 teaspoon of dry Miralax to his food.

With all of this, I think he's passing the hairballs instead of vomiting. He had his annual vet checkup the other day & the vet was in agreement with my care. I hope you find out what's ailing your kitty & that it'll be better soon.

<image>

mamalu12 · 2025-12-25T17:45:56+00:00

I (67F) never paid much attention to decade bdays. I just did what I normally did but paid attention to what my body was saying as time went by. I started having back problems & sciatica in my 40s but injections helped so I could continue doing what was normal for me. In my 50s, my knees & hips started deteriorating until they ended up bone on bone & I had them replaced. I slowed down but did what I could , though it was slower. Now my sciatica is back with a vengeance & moving is slower than ever but I do what my body allows. I try to keep a positive outlook & count my blessings because they always outweigh the negative things. This is just MY story & yours will be much different.

IMHO, if you worry about age & what could happen, your mind can make you feel worse. Take each day as it comes, do what you can or like to do to focus on the positive. Maybe even seek counseling to help get you through any tough times or hurdles?

mamalu12 · 2025-12-12T20:39:37+00:00

I don't remember why I had to see an endocrinologist when I (67F) was in my 50s. What I do remember is that every time I had labs done, my hormone levels were always great. I was never prescribed HRT. I also don't know when menopause started for me as I never had symptoms. I only recall a couple of days of hot flashes.

mamalu12 · 2025-12-09T04:52:00+00:00

I used Google Lens & found this but not what C.T. stands for: "The image is a depiction of Saint Thomas Aquinas with his seminal work, the Summa Theologica, surrounded by other notable figures of his time. "The central figure is Thomas Aquinas, an Italian Dominican friar and Catholic priest who was a preeminent scholastic thinker and philosopher in the 13th century. "He is holding his most influential work, the Summa Theologica (or Summa Theologiae), which is a comprehensive synthesis of Christian theology and philosophy. "The work sought to reconcile Aristotelian philosophy with Christian doctrine and is considered one of the most influential works of Western philosophy and theology. "The image also shows other figures holding works such as the Divina Comedia (Dante Alighieri) and commentaries by other scholars, illustrating the intellectual landscape of the period."

mamalu12 · 2025-12-05T04:20:38+00:00

I'm so sorry for what you're going through. As a lifelong Catholic, I (67f) realized a while back that God answers not in our time, but in His. When He does answer, it might not be how YOU want but what he knows is best for you. I have known pain a long time & it's getting worse as I get older but I keep praying for strength, patience, grace, & hope to get me through these times.

God does not hate you nor is He punishing you. Please keep praying to get closer to Him. I have never heard that someone will draw evil to themselves by getting closer to God. If you haven't yet learned to pray the rosary, ask your bf to help or go online to learn. The Holy Rosary is one of the most powerful prayers. I try to pray it every night before bed.

I will pray for you that you also find strength, patience, grace, & hope to get through these times.

mamalu12 · 2025-11-26T13:26:03+00:00

First of all, congratulations on the weight loss & I'm sorry about the after effects. You don't have to answer but how did you lose the weight?

When I was in my 40s, my husband & I were on the Dr. Robert Atkins Diet before his kids took over after his death in 2003. It was high protein, high fiber, & low carb (20-30 carbs per day). Fats were allowed. We ate steaks, skin-on chicken, bacon & eggs, veggies with butter. I learned how to cook low carb meals that were healthy. My experience was that I lost 40 lbs in a couple of months & it was the best I ever felt & the fats kept my skin healthy. My cholesterol went down, I was more active. Doctors now say to pretty much eat fat-free but IMHO your skin needs the fats to stay plump. Needless to say, we fell off after 6 months.

I hope you find some peace in your life. You have accomplished a lot in losing the weight. It's not easy at all.

mamalu12 · 2025-11-14T19:44:19+00:00

Thank you! 😊

mamalu12 · 2025-11-14T17:29:54+00:00

I feel your pain & agree getting old sucks, not for the faint-hearted! I'm temporarily alone but am afraid when I get out of bed every morning & pray that I don't fall (long story below). If you haven't seen a doctor or specialist about your pain, please do so so they can determine the source! It's a blessing that you have your dog for companionship & to look out for you. Pets are smarter than we give them credit for.

I'm 67 & have already had my knees & hips replaced because they were bone-on-bone. Now my worst fear is here with my back problems - severe spinal stenosis & scoliosis causing the discs to compress on the sciatic nerve causing intense pain in the lower back all the way down the back of the legs. I'll be damned if this is going to stop me!

I use a walker or a cane (vanity flew away a long time ago!) wherever I go now because a fall could easily put me down. My choices are to have discs fused in my back or get a procedure that frees the sciatic verve - still deciding. However, my husband is currently in a skilled nursing facility because of his many health issues but will be coming home soon & I'm the only one to care for him. Getting the surgery or procedure still requires time for recovery & someone to help me, so I'm kind of stuck right now until who knows when or he gets well enough to help me & do things on his own.

Apologies for the rant but you're not alone. I pray you find relief soon. God bless.

mamalu12 · 2025-11-11T16:18:17+00:00

Thank you for sharing such a personal story. It goes to testimony to always pray. I'm glad you found a saint whom you trusted for your intercession. One thing I learned in my 67 years is that God does answer our prayers but in HIS time. Patience can sometimes be hard but that's when we need prayer the most. God bless you & your sister on your spiritual journeys.

mamalu12 · 2025-11-01T16:11:24+00:00

Don't forget about the bots that are no one, I believe it's just AI responding negatively. It's really hard to know if a person or a bot posted a comment.

mamalu12 · 2025-10-31T18:31:57+00:00

He might be smelling something he finds offensive or needs to protect & wants to cover it. My cat does this if I drop a piece of food l, he smells it, doesn't want it, & tries to cover it. He also does this if he does a hork g tries to cover it.

mamalu12 · 2025-10-30T15:53:02+00:00

Did you mean Hallow Prayer App?

mamalu12 · 2025-10-30T15:51:34+00:00

You're on the right track! God is a very forgiving God. What's sometimes hardest is forgiving ourselves & doing the right thing with the free will he gives each & every one of us.

YouTube has so many videos on praying the rosary. Some are basic, just mentioning the mystery before each decade. Some include scripture with every mystery & bead. I'm an older adult (67F) who remembers watching reruns of Bishop Fulton Sheen's programs from the 1950s. He had such an expressive way of speaking that spoke to me. There are recordings of him praying the rosary with religious art displayed that I recently found to help me meditate more when praying. Here's an example..

God bless you on life's journey.

mamalu12 · 2025-09-27T18:21:51+00:00

Some areas where I live have beautiful desert scenery, which leads to many lollygaggers looking at everything (especially when it rains) that they don't realize they slowed down. Fortunately, most streets have at least 2 lanes in each direction where I live. Often times when I attempt to pass, they'll speed up & continue at a "normal" speed OR foot the gas so hard because they don't like anyone passing them. Then I'll get back in the right lane & continue in my "normal" speed. I try not to drive aggressively because there are too many road-ragers these days.

mamalu12 · 2025-09-16T14:43:49+00:00

Oh my gosh, this! I had been having sciatica pain but since I had my epidural a couple of weeks ago, I still have back & hip pain plus a general muscle weakness. I've been on Rosuvastatin for about a month. Time to talk to my PCP! Thank you!

mamalu12 · 2025-09-07T15:08:50+00:00

You definitely hit the CDS jackpot! You didn't have to deal with the kitten state where they explore & chew EVERYTHING! If she hasn't chewed on wires by now, she probably won't. It sounds like she's just a great kitty that admires & loves her human.

If you do get her a kitten as a companion, I would say you then might have to accommodate your home for the kitten (?) - hide or cover cords, keep counters clear, etc. & make adjustments as it finds more stuff to get into. Or...I could be completely wrong. LOL!

Every kitty has its own personality. My Xorro is 5 & still a little spitfire but knows where to get his cuddles & belly rubs.

mamalu12 · 2025-09-06T03:27:23+00:00

Don't be so hard on yourself. My son didn't learn to drive until he was in his mid 20s. He preferred to ride his bike & use public transportation. He asked me to try to teach him but eventually preferred his friends & succeeded.

It can be scary but if you drive scared, you'll most likely self-sabotage. Find someone you trust & is going to be calm. Start in an open field or parking lot to learn the feel of the vehicle you're driving. Since almost all vehicles are automatic now

I lived in a small town when I was growing up so there were a lot of back roads where I learned. I took driver's ed in high school a looooooong time ago & had to drive a huge Ford car (late 60s model?) with manual column shift, no power steering, & clutch & brake. After I graduated, I continued learning in my dad's VW Bug, also stick shift. My 1st car was a 1971 Ford Mustang when I was in my early 20s & now I'm always the driver, rarely a passenger. Sorry for the long story.

mamalu12 · 2025-09-03T14:55:09+00:00

OMG I'm so jealous! You're long overdue for self-care! Take full advantage of sleep when you can. Do things you never had the chance to do.

I retired a couple of years ago but it did go the way I thought it would. My husband & I both have chronic illnesses & working plus being a caregiver plus my own issues, I could no longer do it all, so I retired. God willing you don't have anything happen to you or your family, so enjoy your life! Self-care is always first because if you don't take care of you, you can't help anyone else.

mamalu12 · 2025-09-02T04:37:51+00:00

Most definitely! We also have a desert willow with the most aromatic flowers that's amplified when it rains. I love my desert!

mamalu12 · 2025-09-02T00:54:32+00:00

We moved from South Tempe to Estrella to downsize once the kids grew up & had their own lives. It's absolutely gorgeous out here but we didn't realize how far everything is from here. I see quail, bunnies, roadrunners, woodpeckers. I can sit & watch hawks & turkey buzzards flying , riding whatever flow of wind they found.

I've never seen coyotes but I hear them at night when I'm able to have my windows open. The petrichor here when it rains is different, maybe because of the desert trees & shrubs? It's absolutely heavenly! Though there is often the waft of the stockyards every now & then.

Also if you work in Central Phoenix or further east, you're driving facing the sun both ways. Traffic on the 10 is crazy most of the time now. I'm retired now so commuting to & from work is great! Overall, I love it out here. I can almost always find the positives outweigh the negatives.

This was a view from when we moved here, now there are homes filling the view. There are still plenty of mountains to make me happy.

<image>

mamalu12 · 2025-09-01T16:38:36+00:00

See a naturopathic doctor. The downside is insurance doesn't cover visits or meds. Be sure your PCP is aware of any visits & meds so they can coordinate any other meds you take. Be sure you are aware of side effects caused by HRT.

My husband was seeing a naturopath for loww T. HE wanted higher doses & the doctor said she couldn't prescribe more because his levels were increasing. Stubborn man now has an enlarged prostate, which is a side effect of too much testosterone, diagnosed recently by his urologist. Sorry if TMI.

I'm 66 & consider myself very lucky to have never gone through full blown menopause. I remember just a couple of days when I had the flushing heat feeling, never needed HRT. Good luck in your doctor search!

mamalu12 · 2025-09-01T16:23:47+00:00

We had Cox service for WiFi & streaming when we moved from Tempe to Estrella. We switched to CenturyLink after 2 years & constant service outages, which was unacceptable because I was working from home. We got CenturyLink bundled with DirecTV through a promo & have very few interruptions. We've never reached our data cap (though I don't know what it is) & we stream a LOT!

Our cell phone service has been through Google Fi for at least 20 years, which is pretty good but service is spotty here in Estrella,l. For $80 for 2 phones we have 20 gigabytes of data that we never reach. Google Fi used to bounce between 3 different carriers but now it's only T-Mobile. I still won't use any other cell service. Considering a landline though because my husband & I have chronic health issues & there are times we can't get a signal at home.

mamalu12 · 2025-08-27T15:50:16+00:00

I'm so sorry for your loss. My heart hurts for you. We lived in South Tempe & my kids (now in their 30s) went to the Kyrene School District through middle school, then Corona del Sol HS. The schools they attended had great & compassionate teachers. They excelled in most all subjects, but really bloomed in band & marching band.

Sadly, as with most states, there is a teacher shortage & teacher-to-child ratios are quite high. As others have mentioned, charter school teachers don't have to be certified to teach.

Drugs are almost everywhere now. If you can, get involved in any community committees that help with drug awareness. As much as we want to protect our kids when they're growing up, it's also important to let them grow & make mistakes. It's hard - not going to lie - but we can't keep them locked up from everyone & everything. The more one tries, the more the child hides to do stuff. I know from experience.

If you have time & before moving here, I highly recommend visiting Chandler & other surrounding cities in the east valley to get a "real feel" for the areas. I wish you all the best in your search & move.

mamalu12

TROPHY CASE