WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR JANUARY 2015

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  • barbiecat
    barbiecat Posts: 17,200 Member
    ohmygosh33 wrote: »
    Hi everyone. I am new here so I am just sitting in the background getting familiar with this site. You guys give some good advice. I have already gotten some valuable information. My name is Linda and I am 63 years old and need to lose 25 pounds. This is the hardest thing I have ever done.
    smiley-happy110.gifLinda, welcome, I found MFP when I was 62 and on day 1 I made a plan of what I was going to eat and logged it in my food diary then stayed with the plan all day even when someone offered me a food treat that they had bought for me. I have been making small healthy changes every since and most of what I've learned came from this thread.
    <3 Barbie

  • grandmallie
    grandmallie Posts: 10,094 Member
    evening ladies~
    went to 99 restaurant had a childrens cheeseburger and carrots..
    there is a show on HGTV that I adore called fixer upper.. the couple is soooo cute.. and they refab houses..
    Tom and I are hitting Sams club tomorrow and then it is a cooking day for me...
  • janemartin02
    janemartin02 Posts: 2,653 Member
    Happy sat!!
    Been trying to catch up.changed my ticker to show the gain from the holidays.Slow and steady I`ll get there.
    Got a call from MIL,hubby`s uncle died last night.looks like another wake and funeral this week.
    Hugs jane
  • tngram2seven
    tngram2seven Posts: 465 Member
    Quick hello-
    Did some training at work today. Tired!
    Welcome newbies - you're in a great group here!
    Michele - you can't taste the tomato in the chocolate cake. I don't know about other flavors.
    Linda - so sorry for the loss of your friend - ((((hugs))))
    Meg - take care of that knee
    Katla - bareback, handsfree trot - WTG
    Heather - DARLING picture of your DGC

    Have a blessed evening everyone.
    Toni in Sunny and Warmer TN
  • janehadji
    janehadji Posts: 206 Member
    Thank you all -- I found the star, so now have the thread bookmarked. This is Day 2 of logging again. Day 1 was a definite eye-opener of why I need to be logging. Today was better, although I did have cake for my father's 86th birthday. It was duly logged, though!
  • GodMomKim
    GodMomKim Posts: 3,703 Member
    Viv – a garden centre that sells cakes? Wow wish ours did…. For a while they sold coffee, but no longer… I loved getting a coffee and wandering around… now I bring mine.

    Alison – sending good thoughts for your interview.

    Cynthia – glad to see you posting, hope it means you are feeling more yourself.

    Gail – Ok I must be out to lunch but what surgery????????????? Take care hope it goes well!

    Belinda – welcome!!! There are a few cooks here… and Heather found and shared skinnytaste.com and it has become a favorite resource.

    Lorielliott, Michele-AZ, Linda (ohmygosh33)– welcome

    Katla - I bet all the balance work on the horse is really building core muscles… I only ride when I feel obligated by the desires of my niece and then I just hold on with all my might and relax later with a glass of wine!

    Jane – yes, when you find the topic, at the top of the list of posts is a grey star, click on it it will turn yellow and then it is book marked.

    Linda – this is the place to rant, we read, we understand, we love you just the same!!!
    I am so sorry to hear about your friend… ((((((hug))))))))

    Heather - Love the pic!!!! And I am very careful about my food budget when traveling also! No mini bar, I tend to pack in my luggage my wine LOL – do you have to be careful about the quality of the water in SriLanka?

    Meg – take care, the surgery is not bad if it can be arthroscopy - just remember it is better than what you are currently going through!!!

    Jane – So sad to hear about your hubbies uncle… it is so hard when they are one after another!!!


    January goals:
    Walk every day
    Log all bites everyday
    Do a fun thing every week.

    Kim from N. California
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  • pipcd34
    pipcd34 Posts: 17,264 Member
    janehadji wrote: »
    Thank you all -- I found the star, so now have the thread bookmarked. This is Day 2 of logging again. Day 1 was a definite eye-opener of why I need to be logging. Today was better, although I did have cake for my father's 86th birthday. It was duly logged, though!

    keep it up, it'll get easier as time goes on. the drag is when you first start but when you remember meals they are already in there... i hated the having to weigh everything... but it does work... don't stop
  • exermom
    exermom Posts: 6,528 Member
    Did 70 minutes of "The Butt Bible" DVD. Tomorrow's plan is to do another segment of the 30 Day Butt Lift

    Alison - Even if the nusing home doesn't provide a mask, it would be worth it for you to buy one. I know Vince got one a while ago to wear when he cut the grass. You would feel horrible (and probably never forgive yourself) if you got FIL sick

    I just got a nice surprise call from the lady who took care of my father shortly before he passed away. It's been around 10 years since she's been in the US, but we still keep in touch. Wish I could understand her more, tho

    Gail
    - I'll be thinking of you Monday. Best for the surgery

    Belinda
    - welcome. I do hope you come back often. I'm always on the lookout for new ideas and recipes, too.

    lorielliott
    - welcome. Most gyms have some sort of "member initiation" where they show you how to use the machines, etc. Maybe you'd want to look into it to see if that's a possibility? Once you go to the gym frequently, you'll make friends and before you know it, you'll be WANTING to go

    Katla - I find that I'm viewing food differently now too. My first thought seems to be "what is this going to do for my body" followed by "are the calories worth it?". You know what I do when buying clothing as a gift for me from Vince? I go to the store, try it on, buy it, then give it to Vince to give to me. Hey, at least I know I like it and don't have to return it. If you have to return it, many times you need a different size and by the time you get the gift and return it, they don't have that size any more. Bolding things: I tried the "control" and highlighting just the person's name. But when I went to "control" the next name, the entire paragraph to the previous person was bolded. Not a good thing. I do like when the names are bolded, tho. So glad you had such a good yoga class and I'm impressed with your horseback riding.

    Michele from AZ
    - welcome! ANOTHER Michele who spells her name with only one "l". Kewl!

    Alison - what's the story with your parents? So many times you talk about FIL but never mention your parents. Are they no longer with us

    Went to PetSmart to get more canned food for the cats mainly because it was on sale until, I think, Sun or Monday. Then went to Aldi, I actually got Vince to go with me. Fortunately, I didn't get much. If I ever let him loose in that store! He kept eying the cakes and brownies. I'd prefer to make my own.

    I will be so so glad when this nominating committee stuff is over. I called one guy, he's thinking about the vicepresident position. It's amazing, a really simple job and no one wants to do it. I'm just afraid that he might say "yes" only because it was me who asked him. I don't want him to feel that he has to do something just for me. Really, I sort-of am concerned if he'd be a good fit for the vice president. but then again, no one else seems to want it. I don't mind coordinating the magic show stuff, but this is NOT my strong point. Note to self: never volunteer for this again.

    Lin - Juls sounds like a wonderful friend. So glad you have her. Rant any time at all

    pipcd - I never go by the calorie burn on the machines, either. I've found that it will tell you how many calories you burn at a constant pace. Now there are times when I'm sprinting and I KNOW that I'm burning more calories than the machine says that I burned. So I never even look at that number. My heartrate goes down really fast, too. One time a few years ago I had to go for a stress test and the nurse was amazed at how fast my heartrate came down!

    Linda - welcome. Keep coming back for lots of good information

    Meg - Bryan did call today and Diana got on the phone (miracles do happen!). She did say "thank you" for her gift. I just was always taught that you should thank someone as soon as you got the gift. Bryan mentioned that they needed to give one of their cats a pill and he has to push it down the cat's throat and hold its head up until it swallows the pill, so I'm going to send him a pill shooter. Loki isn't fond of it, but it gets the capsule in him in no time at all.

    Michele in NC
  • mollywhippet
    mollywhippet Posts: 1,890 Member
    Just checking in. I have not read much but Linda, I'm so sorry about the loss of your friend. Diabetes is really scary.

    I spent the day in Arkansas at a ceramics workshop. It was wonderful, and I learned a lot of new techniques and enjoyed the day with my friend, Daria.

    Now I'm home and I'm tired.

    Goodnight everyone.

    Sylvia
  • DamitJanit
    DamitJanit Posts: 1,329 Member
    Call me crazy but I love to see other people happy and succeeding.


    *Terri, I'm glad you are feeling better. Just don't over do.

    *Tina, your walking tour sounds great. I haven't heard of that on a treadmill, but then I haven't been in a gym in years.

    *Meg, sorry about the knee. At least after the surgery you will feel much better. And I agree that the better shape you are in before surgery--the faster and easier the recovery. You know we are with you all the way.

    *pat, that was an interesting article. Thanks. And you "are" one of a kind. :)

    *Kim, I'll trade Christmas gifts with you, even though the ugly sleep shirt would be too big for me. I got my last gift yesterday and it was some nice perfumed skin lotion. The
    problem is that it is way too strong on me. I put some on the back of my hand to see how it smells and it made me nauseous. I tried washing it off with soap but that didn't work. Tried it a second time and still too strong. I finally took a Clorox wipe and scrubbed the back of my hand with it so I could get to sleep. Needless to say, I won't put it on again.

    *Linda, I'm so sorry for your loss. Take the time to grieve and rant all you want.

    *lorielliott, welcome. It sounds like you have the tools and we can help with support so if you have the motivation you are on your way. Most gyms have someone that can show you what you should be doing to fit your wants and needs. Go to the front desk and ask them about that. Good luck.

    *Michele, welcome. We don't really care that you are young. Good luck with your goals. I admire anyone that is willing to run a 10K.

    *Allison, good wishes going your way for the bird store interview. I know you would love that.

    *Linda in Ontario, I'm sorry for your loss. Congrats on your weight loss.

    *OMG Linda, welcome to our get-togethers. Yes it is a very informative and supportive group of ladies. We are happy to have you join us. I have actually found this to be much easier than and of the diets that I've tried over the years. And knowing this is a life journey somehow makes it even easier for me. We wish you success.

    *Heather, I love spinach in anything but never thought of it in hamburgers. I'll have to try it and I bet it does help the turkey burgers be moist. Thanks :)

    Every one keeps talking about staying warm. Before MFP I was hot all the time. I mean I would sweat while others were chilly. And no one ever told me it was because I was "fat". Now after only 30 pounds, I'm cold all the time. Go figure? But I'll take the cold and the missing pounds any day. :)

    I wish you all Health and Happiness!!


    My word for the of the month is savor. I have to slow down and savor every bite.

    Janet in Myrtle Beach, SC
  • mollywhippet
    mollywhippet Posts: 1,890 Member
    Janet, take some nice unscented lotion, dump it in a big bowl with the scented lotion and mix it up. Then you have twice as much lightly scented lotion. You can put it into a big ziplock bag and cut the corner off and squirt it back into the empty lotion bottles.
  • Katla49
    Katla49 Posts: 10,385 Member
    X marks my spot. >:)o:) (*)
  • GodMomKim
    GodMomKim Posts: 3,703 Member
    Hey all, forgot to mention a couple of things... responded to all, then was off to have dinner, but I got asked to be a "waitress" at a super bowl party - it is a gal in my network of friends who has this huge (100 people) party in her home - yes it is big, and gorgeous! they set up different rooms with tvs in each -the serious room, the chatters - they eat and chat - the room for fans of team 1 and the room for fans of team 2... So I have helped before but my white shirt was donated a few months ago - I don't wear white usually so went thrift store shopping today - got a girl friend to go with me, we did 5 different stores and found one that fits they were having a sale so $1 for a shirt!! score :) then did lunch it was great fun and that will count as my fun thing for this week...

    also you all who are de-cluttering motivated me, not to deal with clutter directly but set my timer for 20 minutes and did 20 minutes in the garage - wow what can get done in 25 min (I added a few minutes to finish up) put away all the christmas wrapping paper, took down and put away the outside lights, put away some empty canning jars.... So tomorrow another 20 minutes and then I should be able to put the car back in the garage. yeah!!!

    well off to watch a bit of tv...

    Kim
  • tngram2seven
    tngram2seven Posts: 465 Member
    Michele in NC
    Your message to New Michele reminded me. Ten years ago when my best friend retired I wrote her a poem as a tribute. It was called "Michele with One L". The whole time we taught together everyone at school, including me, spelled her name with two Ls. She never corrected us. Somehow near her retirement date I learned about the one L spelling. She loved the poem and it was a surprise to everyone else who spelled her name with two Ls all those years.
    Toni in TN
  • jmkmomm
    jmkmomm Posts: 3,247 Member
    Tina, I loved your 'tour' of New Zealand. It would be nice to get a DVD player and get some DVDs and hook it up to my TV. It sure would make it a lot better to ride my bike in the living room. I wouldn't think of it as a task to do like that.

    Meg, your blood pressure reminds me of my last appointment with the cardiologist. When I see her, the nurse waits until you have been seated for about 7 minutes or so and then takes the blood pressure. I hate it when i see my regular family doc. The walk from the waiting room to the exam room is only several yards and part of that is taken up by removing shoes to get weighed, so of course my blood pressure is higher. I admire an office when they get a resting level.

    When I bought this fake 'under armor' shirt at Sams Club the other night I was afraid that since it was so clingy that it would flatten my chest so I got a 2X. Well it definitely did not flatted my chest and then when I got the size large in the pants and realized that they need to be clingy to really insulate you, I realized I needed a smaller size in the shirt. So tonight when Michelle was out eating with us she wanted too take her usual trip to Sams. She also wanted several more of the shirts. Where she works, it is really cold plus she sweats a lot. So she wanted 5 shirts. So I told her that if I could find some 1X that she could have my 2X. So I found one, got 2, and now I realize what it is supposed to feel like. Kind of wish it was a large since it isn't tight enough on my arms but the belly and the boobs really need the 1X. It sure has made a difference in how I feel this winter. I am not brave enough to wear my regular leggings in public like Sylvia did but I am not as thin as Sylvia. But these leggings are nice and colored. The shirt tucked into my pants sure helps me from picking on my psoriasis. My kids make fun of me leaving my DNA lying around!!!

    Love you all, Joyce, Indiana
  • dreamwriter
    dreamwriter Posts: 610 Member
    Viv from York - Reward yourself with the flowers or a plant for resisting the cake.

    Alison - Glad you are feeling better. You DFIL is blessed to have you in his life.
    Sending best wishes and positive vibes for the bird store interview.

    Katla - I'm glad you enjoy your riding classes. There is a special connection between humans and horses. They can have such a therapeutic effect. Horses have a special place in my heart. My Dad used to take me on horses before I could walk.

    Linda, Northern Ontario - I am so sorry for your loss. It sounds like you had a very special relationship with your friend. Grief has no time limit and we each express it in our own way.

    Today I made sure I had super salad. It tasted so good.
    DS and DDIL are in Calgary so I have DGD all to myself (have to share with Grandpa). We did puzzles, played babies, sang and read books. Now she is sleeping like the little angel she is. I know her Mom is apprehensive, first time they are apart overnight in 3 yrs. I think it is good for all.

    -Sharon in Alberta where the Chinook is blowing.
  • fanncy0626
    fanncy0626 Posts: 7,152 Member
    Just checking in!

    We were in ND for a hockey game with friends and I really maxed out at 2,200 calories today! I'm freaking out about what it will do to all my hard work
  • fanncy0626
    fanncy0626 Posts: 7,152 Member
    I hate that. My post got cut off again!

    Linda - I'm sorry to hear about your friend! I just lost my brother exactly the same way from diabetes. My heart goes out to you
  • wizzywig
    wizzywig Posts: 1,246 Member
    Good Morning running a bit late this morning, It's already 8:30 time I should be getting off the computer, but I've only just finished catching up.

    Had a lovely chat with friends yesterday in the coffee shop at the garden centre - I resisted all the cream cakes but did have a biscuit with my coffee, but I was careful the rest of the day and even had a lb loss this morning. Haven't logged it yet though.

    When I came home from the garden centre I had a look at the declutter 365 website. I made a start in the kitchen. Sorted out the food cupboard, was embarrassed to find out of date packets of "Maggie - oh so juicy" or something like that. Out they went! Also binned some old chipped cups/mugs on the top shelf (We have more than enough cups/mugs without chips lol) That made a bit more room to store spare cups.

    Where I am struggling is the counter tops, I have no room in the cupboards to put the coffee pot etc so it has to stay on the counter. The counters do look a bit cluttered but what else can I do?

    Linda sorry for the loss of your best friend, but what a kind thing to do for the family, taking around food. I must admit cooking was the last thing on my mind - that was where my weight loss is from - for a few weeks I hardly ate, because I felt so sick when I did) I'm sure they appreciated the food. Congrats on your weight loss and good for you not giving in to comfort eating.

    Heather I don't blame you either, Hotel food is always so expensive, and you can eat cheaper out. I've always taken drinks and snacks back to the B/B we've stayed in.

    Look at the time, I'd better make a start. It was frosty this morning but no snow thank goodness, but I think it is getting closer!

    Welcome newcomers.

    Have a good Sunday <3

    Viv in cold York UK (I'm going to put on an extra cardigan!)

  • cityjaneLondon
    cityjaneLondon Posts: 12,710 Member
    edited January 2015
    Hi all!

    Viv - you are doing great. I can't even think about decluttering my utility room! :sad: Luckily I have one so my kitchen stays tidy, but it really is a dumping ground so it is difficult yo see what I've got. I currently have so many different flours that I have nowhere to put anything. Must cook something with the buckwhest flour I ordered.
    - I have really gone off cooking since I stsrted my typing, so just now DH said he would cook dinner tonight. :love: He is going to make a rabbit stew. Lovely, and rabbit is low fat. Left over turkey burgers for lunch in malted wholewheat bagels. :laugh: They are delicious with the frozen leaf spinach in them, but do make sure you thaw the spinach and squeeze out the liquid. I also put scallions, garlic, a little bit of chilli, herbs and Worcestershire sauce in them. Fresh mint is good in them, but I only had a bit in the pot outside the back door, so I mainly used frozen cilantro. Parsley is great, obviously.

    Kim - yes, we will be careful of the water, though I understand it isn't as bad as India. The hotels give you bottled water, but it is never enough and one of our first jobs when we get there is to buy a crate of water to put in the back of the car. (We are touring with a car and driver, so staying one, two or three nights at each hotel). In my research yesterday I saw there was a supermarket just up the road from our first hotel, so I guess we'll be going up there. There is also a restaurant popular with locals about half a mile away, so that will be great. It pays to do research.
    In India once I made one stupid mistake and had a lassi at a (respectable) roadside restaurant. (That is a yoghourt drink mixed with salt and water). They must have used tap water as I became very, very ill with the worst "Delhi Belly" I have ever known. Oh my word! It lasted two days, on one of which I stayed in the hotel, but then we had to move on, driving through the desert, so I fashioned nappies from the hotel pillow cases! ! ! ! ! ! Never, ever want to go through that again. I will be extra careful. That is the only time I have been that bad and we have had many exotic trips, including previously to India. Just one stupid mistake. I didn't think of lassi as water, but of course it was.

    Looking forward to seeing the grandchildren tomorrow. :love: And my friend. I am blessed.

    Heather in gloomy Hampshire UK
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  • grandmallie
    grandmallie Posts: 10,094 Member
    Michelle~ My dad is still here he is 86 still living in his own home, my son lives with him, my mom passed away at the age of 65 ,15 years ago of PKD ,Poly Cystic Kidney Disease.
    My DMIL passed away 7 years ago of vasculitis and diabetes.. Tom and I each drove over to Wolcott which is an hour away to where my DFIL lived and took him to the hospital daily she was in for 6 weeks, then to a nursing home, for about a week before she passed.
    so we have our dad's, no moms
    I am back to 100% I think with Tom with me he see's what I really do with his dad daily,, real eye opener...
    we will be off in a little bit to feed poppa, then to Lowes, walmart and sams then home to do some cooking
  • Zinka61
    Zinka61 Posts: 563 Member
    I'm not sure how joining this thread works, but I'm new to MFP. I've been on it for 2 weeks and have lost my first 5 lbs and plan to stay the course for another 25 plus maintenance. I'm 53 1/2 and gained all this weight immediately following menopause. I teach English as a second language to immigrant adults (in Iowa), and my family consists of me, my DH, kids ages 22 and 18 (only semi-at-home), 4 dogs and 2 cockatiels. The humans in the family are vegetarians (DD and I mostly eat vegan) since 1990, and I love international cooking, recipes, languages. I like practical exercise like walking dogs, walking to the store, or yard work and am leery of going to the gym, but I may try it sometime with my daughter and her friend because I want to see what an elliptical machine is like. I have osteoporosis in my spine and need to do something about weight bearing exercise on top. Best thing about this adventure is that it has reminded me how I used to eat when I was thin. I feel better than I have in 3 years, and almost all my misc. aches and pains, which reached a crescendo over the holidays, have disappeared. I'm walking for 45 minutes most days, and new, cushioned walking shoes have helped my arthritic big toes so that I have upped my pace to 4mph. I may even try a little running once my weight is lower.

    I'm looking for friends who can help this feel more like a hobby than a chore. So, hello.
  • Zinka61
    Zinka61 Posts: 563 Member
    PS: I see a lot of you have dogs, including a whippet! I have 3 retired racers right now plus an Italian greyhound. We lost our sweet little English Labrador just a few weeks ago to severe arthritis, possible cancer in her only hind leg/hip. Also, I see some of you talking about de-cluttering. We are sorely in need of that at my house.
  • SwankyTomato
    SwankyTomato Posts: 442 Member
    edited January 2015
    Good morning ladies...such a beautiful day here in Missouri this Jan. Today's high is going to be 55!!! :)

    Yesterday, I got my DH (dear husband) out to the park and we walked the dogs for 45mins. I am taking advantage of this "warm spell" this week and hopefully will be able to get the dogs out a few more times.

    I have been playing with the calories, exercise, and all that jazz to find a perfect balance. It really can get confusing!

    After asking around on these boards the general info was I need to start "heavy lifting" as a part of my exercise routine. My reason for doing this is so I do not lose "lean muscle". So, I will be looking into that. Also I need to up my protein a bit and probably reduce those carbs a smidge. I am still learning.

    Hang in there everyone and enjoy your day.

    Jeannine
  • SwankyTomato
    SwankyTomato Posts: 442 Member
    edited January 2015
    sprepej wrote: »
    PS: I see a lot of you have dogs, including a whippet! I have 3 retired racers right now plus an Italian greyhound. We lost our sweet little English Labrador just a few weeks ago to severe arthritis, possible cancer in her only hind leg/hip. Also, I see some of you talking about de-cluttering. We are sorely in need of that at my house.

    I will be 50 next month and I have 2 dogs that are almost 9yo & 2 dd's ages 23 and 18.

    We are decluttering getting this house ready to sell because the "kid" is almost done. Letting all this "stuff" go gets easier as we go through it. DH is making cash on the side selling some of it on craigslist. The rest is getting donated or priced to sell at a garage sale in the spring.

    Youngest is going off to Truman in the fall. Older dd is moved out. So we will be semi empty nesters soon.

    DH's family is from Boone, IA. :)

    So sorry to hear about your loss of your pup. Sending you hugs.




  • margaretturk
    margaretturk Posts: 5,258 Member
    edited January 2015
    Good Morning,

    Sprepej love the idea of this being a hobby and not a chore. I think that mind set makes it much easier to stick with it.

    Michele been there when I have agreed to something and later think why on earth did I agree to do this. I am glad it is coming to an end soon.

    I know how important names are in subbing I try to learn and pronounce names as quickly as I can. Some names present quite the challenge on Friday I had a Darwaishi. I think that is how you spell it. He prounounce it Dar wa shay. In another classroom I had a Yabzara again not quite sure how to spell it. Pronounced Yab zra with a flipped r. He said I am one of the few who says his name correctly. It makes a big difference in how my day goes. I think my singing experience helps me in saying the names correctly. With younger students I start off the day by singing their names. If I mispronounce a name they all like to correct me at once. I sometimes tell them I know how it feels to have your name pronounced incorrectly. My maiden name was Freerks. I would have teachers call me Freaks. Not fun! Sometimes students make fun of my name Turk. They will call me Ms. Turkey. I just say calmly I try to say your names correctly I expect you to do the same for me. My name is Ms. Turk. I often times just say call me Ms. T.

    I have a friend Carole that for years I spelled it Carol. I don't remember how I learned how to spell it correctly. She never corrected me. Another challenge for me is it Cathy with a C or K. Patty or Sandy with an i or y. Again I learned how important that is I had a parent read me the riot act because I spelled her daughter name Tylieta instead of TyLieta. When I got her name from the office they spelled it the first way.

    I don't always say or spell a name correctly, but I try because it is the most important thing about that person to them. As well it should be.

    2014 word: Strength

    Just because I see the hook does not mean I have to bite.

    :heart: MNMargaret
  • Zinka61
    Zinka61 Posts: 563 Member

    DH's family is from Boone, IA. :)





    I'm in Iowa City. :) Susan
  • mollywhippet
    mollywhippet Posts: 1,890 Member
    Sprepej, hello! I'm the one with a whippet. Years ago when my 19 year old mutt died I told hubby I really wanted a greyhound, but he thought they were too big. We wound up at the local shelter where they had a beautiful brindle whippet, and I fell in love. She was the perfect compromise. Sleek and gentle but small enough to go through the doggie door. We've had three more since then. Right now we just have one whippet, Molly, and two other mixed breeds. One from a shelter and one found in a parking lot. I'd love to hear about your greys! I still want one. I'm sorry about the loss of your other dog. It really hurts to lose a beloved pet.

    Margaret, I don't envy teachers having to pronounce the strange names kids have these days. One granddaughter has a girl in her class whose name is Qoe. She pronounces it qu-O-ee. Where do the parents get these things?

    Sharon, how sweet that you got to keep the little one so her parents could have a little break. Fun!

    Viv, I'm going to check out that decluttering web site too. (Spell check just changed decluttering to devil uttering!). I really need to do it both at home and at the studio. I can't find anything!

    Well, last night hubby wanted to go to KFC for dinner. I just had grilled chicken but it was SO incredibly salty! I don't care what their web site says, it had LOTS of sodium. This morning my weight is up about 2 pounds, which I am attributing to the salt and the fact that I didn't take my water pill yesterday because I was going to a workshop. I hope the numbers will be better when all the salt is gone, maybe in a couple of days.

    I thought I could sleep late this morning, but Bruno and Spot thought differently. At 5:30 they were ready to play. So I took them in the living room so hubby could sleep longer. This afternoon the kids are coming over to ride bikes. It's supposed to be a beautiful - and warm - day!

    Well, I hear hubby stirring. Time to get busy. Have a wonderful day everyone!

    Sylvia

  • peachstategal
    peachstategal Posts: 398 Member
    Margaret, I commend you for doing such a fine job of learning the student's names. I taught 5th grade for over 30 yrs and then did substituting a year after that. The name of one of my gifted students was Aja pronounced "Asia." And, the last yr I taught I had a Shatequa. For some reason the name reminded be of a brand of bananas and I had the most difficult time learning to say it correctly. Also, I had a child whose parents branded him with the name Chester Molester W......... I will never get over that one.

    Carol ~ Ga
  • Zinka61
    Zinka61 Posts: 563 Member
    Sylvia, my daughter's name is Sylvia! We've had 7 retired racers over about the last 12 years, usually 4 dogs at a time. They are wonderful, wonderful animals, but so was our little shelter Labrador. The Italian greyhound is another story--He was turned in at our local shelter from out of town. The shelter wasn't supposed to take him in, but he had been starved to bones and was filthy and covered with urine burns, and the director was afraid to leave him with the owner. They called me to see if I could find a foster home via my greyhound connections, which I couldn't. Next thing I knew I was offering to foster him, and of course, he's been ours for a year now. Impossible to potty train, barks, rowdy, mouthy little thing, but the greatest cuddler and the most whimsical animal I've ever known. Makes us laugh constantly. He is 25 lbs and large-framed, almost whippet sized, and I've thought about looking for a homeless whippet that could match his energy level (our greyhounds are all elderly, and one of them has osteosarcoma in her shoulder, so she won't be with us much longer) to keep him exercised. I worry a bit about his playing with the big hounds, as they are so prey-driven. We muzzle them outside.

    I don't know much about whippet temperament, but even though the big greys are larger (ours range between 65 and 85 lbs), they are so lazy and mellow, and so silent, that living with them is a breeze. You could look into finding a smaller one, maybe a female.

    I have to laugh when you all talk about pronouncing unusual names. I teach adult ESL. My current students are from Togo, Sudan, Congo, China, Vietnam, Honduras, Iran and Iraq, and pronouncing foreign names has become one of my specialties! The students are very understanding while I struggle to learn the pronunciation of their names. I tell them I'm "studying", and they can identify. I almost always teach beginning level, so that's about the extent of our early conversations about it. :)

    It's such fun getting to meet you all!