WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR JULY2015

fiddletime

Hi. I'm new to this site. I live in California. Have two grown kids. I went to a few other MFP forum rooms but everyone was so young! I ran a marathon 24 years ago but don't relate much to that level of activity anymore. I'm trying to lose 20# and keep it off. Keeping it off is my problem. Slipping back into poor choices and habits. I've lost 3# so far. Nice to meet you all. Call me Fiddle . Yes, I do play the fiddle.

cd_va

Popping in to read posts and say "well done" to everyone. DH and I went galivanting today, walking around some early Colonial sites in Virginia. Got several miles of exercise for the week woooot!!!! Time for bed now.

pipcd34

fiddletime wrote: »

Hi. I'm new to this site. I live in California. Have two grown kids. I went to a few other MFP forum rooms but everyone was so young! I ran a marathon 24 years ago but don't relate much to that level of activity anymore. I'm trying to lose 20# and keep it off. Keeping it off is my problem. Slipping back into poor choices and habits. I've lost 3# so far. Nice to meet you all. Call me Fiddle . Yes, I do play the fiddle.

Welcome, where in California do u live

gawworthington

CD - what part of VA, I used to live in Norfolk. I loved going to the colonial homes. Hi Fiddle I live in Idaho now but I am from SD CA

DamitJanit

Call me crazy but I love to see other people happy and succeeding .

Good Evening Ladies,

NMMargaret, we know you behave all the time. You can’t fool us.

Barbie, have fun at the dog show. I’m sure you will work in lots of steps.

Lisa, sounds like progress is being made. I hope the clean-up goes well.

Pip, you need to do some of that exercise for me. You don’t need to lose any more weight or that purdy bikini you bought will end up too big.

Katla, I’m with you and Joyce when it comes to Indian food. I like the flavor of Jalapeños but not the hot of them. I have a wimpy palate when it comes to hot stuff. It sounds like the kids are having a great trip on your boat.

Heather, I hate hearing about your hip pain! I suffer from that, too, and couldn’t walk nearly that much. It sounds like you got to see some great things. I hope you can get a good night’s sleep.

Allison, you are so good to your DFIL but also to other residents there. You sure deserve more than you get at home, for what you do for others. ((((Hugs))))

Vicki, so sorry you have a virus. Sending healing thoughts your way. I don’t do sick well, either. Yeah for staying caught up. Sometimes it’s a struggle. Lol

Becca, I talked to DD today and asked her about the pumping gas. I just can’t believe she never mentioned it to me. You mean with all that coconut oil, you are pulling it through your teeth? Maybe you joined us after all the discussions? You need to Google it if you aren’t familiar with it.

Patsy, welcome. This is a great place for support and information. Come often and join right in.

Sylvia, today when I talked to DD about the gas pumping in Oregon, she told me that the first time she went to get gas there, she wondered about the tipping. She was in line, so walked up to a car in front of her and asked an older woman. She was glad to learn that they don’t tip. Poor Spot. It’s not easy being a “chicken”.

Janetr, love the picture. You look wonderful. I hear that those grands can wear ya out!!

CarolNC, s glad you got the insurance check. I’ve been worried about you feeding the kids. Enjoy your haircut.

Fiddle, welcome. No young’uns in here, just the young at heart. You will find there are a few that really put us to shame with their exercising. We are happy to have you join us. Come often and chat when you like.

to any Newbies that I missed. Come often and join in the chat. This thing works!! Please sign your post with what you want to be called. It makes it easier for us to respond to you. Also a location is great, be it specific or general. We are happy to have you join us.

We had a good rain yesterday and today was beautiful. Tomorrow DH and I will go to the beach. My shoulder doesn’t seem as bad as it was last night, but I’ll see when I go to bed. For some reason it hurts the worst early in the day and at night. It just reminds me that Old Age Ain’t Fer Sissies.

I hope you all have a happy and healthy day.

Words I live by:
Savor. I have to slow down and savor every bite.
and
Opportunity. Each day offers new opportunities for good health and happiness if we just look for them and choose them.
I Love you,
DJ
Myrtle Beach, SC

Annr

@DamitJanit no no no....lol I don't pull the coconut oil thru my teeth!!! On the days I do not shower, I just fill the sink with really warm water. In it I squirt some Dr Bonners soap, some almond oil (because I like the scent) and a blob of the coconut oil. Using a washcloth and inhaling the peppermint soap scent is my wake up call! I am lost however on the past discussions....or maybe I missed it....or maybe I was passed out from inhaling my peppermint soap...WHO knows... lol Um what am I to google? Coconut oil teeth pulling? *giving you the deer in the headlight look* ( * > * ) Becca at the Oregon Coast

exermom

Did 50 minutes of a Total Body Strength Training DVD today. Tomorrow's plan is to do a Total Body Cardio Flow DVD.

Went to the farmer's market,. One guy was selling these really good small tomatoes. Came home, made fundge for Vince and salmon loaf for during the week, then went in the pool. Came out, got dinner ready, lectored at the church, home to dinner (Vince had to grill, I was going to make beer butt chicken, had the chickens bought, even tho Jessica didn't come but we still needed to cook the chickens.)

Lenora - great about the pants! The spinach and feta pie is a SkinnyTaste recipe. You can get it by googling SkinnyTaste

Becca - NJ is another state where you can't pump your own gasoline. I didn't realize that you didn't have any sales tax, either. We lived close enough to DE when we lived in PA that if we bought anything big, we always bought it in DE to save the sales tax.

Put a pepper in my salad. Now I don't mind a little heat but this pepper was too hot for me. I just threw it out. Fortunately, I'd only bought one.

Mary from MN - hope everything goes well for your closings. Have fun on your trip. How long will you be in LV?

Not anyone buys hay and stores it and so can answer my question? How much of a lead time do you need to purchase it?

Joyce - when we're in FL we usually go to Dennys at least once. I like to get their senior grilled chicken. In our second house the bushes were quite large (like yours) and I remember one neighbor (the cop) saying that that made a good place for someone to hide. Fortunately, we never had that problem. There are so many landscaping things I would like to get done. When this house was built, NC was in a bad drought so they couldn't put in a lawn. Then they sold the house. To be honest, Vince and I aren't getting any younger. Lately, between his shoulder and then the v-tach, I'm afraid that if we don't have someone do it, it'll be forever (if ever) before we get done. Yet, I know that Vince feels strongly that we shouldn't have to pay for something we can do ourselves. Yet, this summer he really hasn't gotten to much at all. You have a lovely home

Big welcome to everyone new

Miriam - you are a Master Gardener? I have a question, what can you plant on a steep slope, that doesn't need to be mowed, low maintenance? We have all red clay so it has to be something that will grown in the red clay. Any suggestions? What you went thru! Isn't it frustrating when adult kids act like teens and there's nothing you legally can do?

Alison - what did they give SIL for infected salivary glands? That's what Vince had a few years ago. Did he have swelling?

Toni in MN - what a situation you had! You have my utmost respect

DJ - so sorry to hear about your shoulder.

gaw.... - wonderful week!

Lisa - so glad to hear that manager is gone! Good for you promoting that hostess. Good luck on the deep clean

My left foot (the one that had the plantar wart) is hurting. I now it's because I'm putting most of my weight on my heel. Well, it just means that I need to rest it a bit. I'll be on here and then go watch some TV, probably crochet while I'm doing that.

Heather - hope your hips are better soon. Every place sounds so lovely

Vicki - hope your hubby likes his fitbit. Did he want to get it?

janer - lovely pics. Really like your shoes

I don't know what it is, but my heel is really hurting me. I know a lot of it is the way that I'm walking right now. May be because of the fact that I'm not wearing any shoes right now. Well...going to be going

Michele in NC

Katla49

Heather: Your eyes and mind have feasted and your hips seem to have paid the price. I hope you're feeling better tomorrow. Decades ago there was an exhibit from Britain touring the world that visited Portland. It included a genuine suit of armor and an ancient copy of the Magna Charta, as well as brasses that visitors could use to make rubbings. We took a group of talented 9-11 year olds to see it. The suit of armor was too small for the bigger boys. The whole display was housed in The Old Church for its visit here. It is a lovely memory. :flowerforyou:

Margaret: Add me to those who will miss Lesley, and are praying for her daughter.

Annr: I would like to add a comment about having service station attendants pump gas. Gas in Oregon is not more expensive than gas in nearby states where people must pump their own and get fuel on their hands. Yay! The other side of the picture is that many gas stations are not open 24 hours a day. :noway: Fine with me. :flowerforyou:

Patsy: Welcome. I'm also a retired Oregon teacher. Once you get the hang of it, retirement is great. :bigsmile:

Sylvia: No one tips gas station attendants in Oregon. :flowerforyou:

JanetR: I love the photos. You look wonderful in front of the chair.



I went out shopping for gifts for a DGN's (dear grand niece) bridal shower. My DD gave me a great idea, but I'm not happy with the results of my shopping trip. I'm going to take things back and start over tomorrow. It is a good plan, but I didn't find the right things. "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." I'm not a naturally talented or happy shopper. Trying again makes me have to face the task all over again. I'm having a pity party, and it isn't pretty. :frown:

Katla in Beautiful NW Oregon

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” Thomas A. Edison

July Goals:
1. Log every bite and swallow.
2. Cardio exercise at least 3 days a week. Work on flexibility and back strength.
3. Have fun every day.
4. Drink at least three glasses of water daily, preferably more!
5. Eliminate alcohol.
6. Monitor sleep. Try to average 7 or more hours of sleep nightly.

oystereyes

Okay! Feeling absolutely virtuous! I just finished my calisthenics and will try to join my Hubs after dinner with the weights. We'll see! More about me. I still paint and have gallery shows but not as many as I used to do. I paint in acrylics (sorry Grits) and I paint mainly marine subjects and abstractions. Living here on the coast has completely spoiled me. We don't even like to travel at all. I like to garden, flowers only. At our age and my determination to lighten this load of lard, we throw out a disgusting amount of food. The local Costco is our enemy. It isn't a place for a retired couple needing to watch their waistline. It is interesting that our entire family fights the battle of the bulge...Right on through my grandmother and all my aunts and uncles. I love everyones great sense of humor here. A little wicked humor can carry a person through the dark times and put us back on track. Anyway, that's my story!
Patsy

jmkmomm

Miriam These are the cone shaped trees I like on the sides of the house.They just seem to always stay cone shaped. I do not have a green thumb at all. I even killed creeping flox. Also Charlies lawn mower is a big problem with anything. Tomorrow I will take a picture of a house that I like. I like small decorative trees, not the bradford pear trees. They seem to break to easily. We once had a dogwood tree that didn't flourish very well at all. By the end of it's life it was only producing one or two flowers a year. I don't know if a huge pine tree and the huge bushes that are in the picture were the culprits or not. My youngest grand daughter and both share a love for weeping willow trees. I don't know what the cost is on those, how long it takes for them to grow into any kind of weeping status or not or what kid of soil they need. The ones I see around here that are so big are around a lake or stream.

Sharon, sounds like you and your family had a wonderful time, memories abound and still coming. Enjoy that DGS.

Allison, OUCH, salivary gland stone! How do they get rid of that. I would think it would hurt so much she couldn't drive.

toni, what a nightmore. My best friend adopted a new born boy from an addicted and alcoholic mother. He had many behavioral issues as a young guy and into his early adulthood. He is now in his 30's and much more responsible. He still has problems holding a job, sometimes because of behavior and sometimes looses interest quickly and quits. You are quite the advocate. Daniels job working with animals is probably a good thing. Animals seem to understand humans needs so much and just give them love when we think we are the ones giving it to them. The human sometimes gets far more from it.

toni and Miriam, I applaud the two of you for being the advocates to some of our 'unwanted children'. My brother has 2 boys who are both bipolar and have oppositional defiant disorder. The older one has grown up now and respects his parents. I wish he would get married to his live in and quit popping out children but that's a whole different story. The younger one just turned 18 and still sees his parents as the enemy.

Carol, Ga. Those bushes were low at one time. But Charlie wanted them to be big to protect his daughters whose bedrooms were on the top level. But they are 35 and 39 now and I want them DOWN!

MNMargaret, I have told Charlie those exact words. And in the dark I don't have good light from the street lights to easily unlock the door. So if there was some creepy guy, or guys, behind those huge things I would really be in trouble.

DJ, it wouldn't jsut look like a different house. It would finally look like a house. Now as far as people know, there is no house behind those bushes. When you go to the beach, do people from Myrtle Beach go to the public beach like all us tourists go or is there somewhere less hectic?

Lisa, YEAH!!!!

Lesly, maybe you can teach Blaze how to type so we can see how you are doing and give you some support.

Heather, thank you for taking us on another one of your adventures. That is what I love about Europe and it's surrounding countries. There is so much history to take in. I guess us over here in US are still a baby. And sometimes a big whiny baby. I can't wait for you to go to France so we can see it through your eyes.

Becca, I didn't know that there were any states that you cant' pump gas or didn't have sales tax.

Jane, enjoy those grand kids!

Janetr, you look fantastic. Enjoy those kids. I really like to go to Children's museums. Even my 'stuffed shirt, I'm not going to have any fun' husband usually finds something that puts a smile on his face or that he will stop and play with.

fiddle, welcome. Yeah, another very creative woman over 50!

It's been a good day today weatherwise, not as cool as it has been thing week but not the 100+heat index either. My favorite golfer actually made the cut in this weeks golf tournament. There is a fan page on face book for his and I seem to be the only person who writes anything there. He has been pretty bad the last couple of years and is pretty close to losing his PGA tour card this year. Maybe that's the kick in the pants he needs. jet setters don't make good golfers. I don't even know how to swing a golf club but really enjoy watching the sport and it's nice to actually have someone that grew up right here in Evansville, born and raised and went to IU. So he really is a good home town boy. Has a temper though. He has one of the guys on the PGA tour that has never one a tournament.

As Pip says, type at you tomorrow. Joyce, Indiana

JanetMMcC

Left for the gym (walking) at about noon, got back about 4p (including some downtime and a bit of shopping at the end). Wound up with <1cal/hour. <pouting>
That included doing the gym's circuit of machines & steps, and 30 minutes each on the reclining bike and the treadmill. Sweated like the proverbial porcine.

Been a bit of a bear of a week - according to my fitbit, I slept 12 1/2 hours today. Worked 6 days, with yesterday OT because of the movie theater shooting in Lafayette. Four staffers went there -- 2 overnight and 2 the next day; I worked in the office.

I stopped at the end of p51 last time, and we're up to 63! yikes!

Mia - great story about your Gramma Lil. I never knew any of my grandparents, let alone the greats.

Meg Blair - I wouldn't pay that much just for the halibut.
Sorry to hear about the stinging ants. I'd go for ant baits.

Sylvia - sympathy for you, your son, and his estranged wife & her folks. Sounds as if your son has done permuch all he could.
re the hips, sounds as if maybe you tried too much your first time running. I agree that taking a day off sounds reasonable.
I have the Fitbit that includes a watch ... but I still wear the watch, too, because it has features the Fitbit doesn't, like a countdown timer and a stopwatch.
If you see roots coming out the hole in the bottom of the pot, or if the plant comes out of the pot easily and you can see a web of roots, it's root-bound and needs a bigger pot.

Rosie - the splashing sounds fun! And lovely pix, including the spider.

NC Carol - good idea, being firm about your sked.
<later> Glad it worked!
About leaving breakfast in the car - what about a cooler with ice or blue ice?

Carey - GREAT improvement on the recumbent bike! My arithmetic could be wrong (it often is) but I think it's an 800 percent improvement!

Joyce - best of luck with your husband. And good on you, demanding respect. You deserve it.
Great dirty trick! Sensible, too.
Would it be worth getting a hidden bag of decaf coffee and mixing it gradually into the high-test grounds?
Larry has a short temper, but he's never called me names. (And he controls his temperature better with me than with outsiders.)

Heather - how scary, your husband's fit. I'm glad you were there for him. I'm sure he is, too.
About song lyrics in books - titles can't be copyrighted, so you're free to refer to songs by title. But to quote even a line of a song that's under copyright, you need permission. And that tends to require $$$$$$.
Sounds like a fun day looking up nostalgia.


Allison - hope you're feeling better.
Good idea not to go to the nursing home when you're feeling punk.
<later>
This has been going on long enough that maybe you might outghta see the doctor.

Lorena - hoping the DDnL got the job.
20 pounds in 10 weeks - that's GREAT!

peep - yikes. Just read about hitting your head again. I'll keep reading, and hope that you're in better shape. And that insurance takes a huge bite out of those bills.
A hot air balloon should be fun for the both of you. But jeez, Kirby's sure being a poopy-head! I mean, he's acting as if you intentionally sabotaged his celebration. <snort>
Congratulations on holding your tongue.

MNMargaret - good on you, sorting *and* seeing the scale go down.

Chris in MA - what a lovely weekend w/ Trinity!
And good idea to take yoursef out of the way of those pita chips. Tomorrow starts anew.

Margaret Turk: good ephihany, "I want what is best for my son even if it means I have to butt out."
Yup, the tail up is the skunk warning: I'm about to stink up the place. And IF one can catch the critter and push down the tail, it can't fire.
And yeah, Al-Anon (the family version of AA) is roll a good thing.

Yvonne - count me as another who can handle cockroaches but not palmetto bugs. I've been known to hide under the sheets from those huge flying roaches.
When you eat out it might be worth asking if your food could be cooked without added salt. Wouldn't cut out all the sodium, but might help. Tell the waitress you have high blood pressure and hyperlipidosis.

Lisa - huzza for the GM's backing.
And YIKES for almost falling asleep at the wheel. The suggestion for a sleep test makes sense to me.
Glad to hear about the pound down.
which makes me think of Petula Clark ...
It's been three weeks that Lisa's been in a stall,
But now she's getting down,
Pound down.
Now she needs sleep, and not to eat on the road,
But Lisa's getting down --
Pound down.

Barbiecat - it's your house, too. Good on you for doing the weight training.

DJanet - woo-hoo! *****GREAT****** NSV with the meds. And outa obese! <cartwheels> Whoops! Shouldn't cartwheel with open champagne.

Tulip Lori - that's just how I always felt about exercise, until this year. Funny thing is, it was a phone that started it for me. A month or so after I was assigned an iPhone for work, I discovered it had been counting steps ever since. Which forced me to see just how very little I was doing - about 2000 to 3000 steps a day. I started out with small goals - a hundred or so steps each day beyond the previous day's total. I explored more and more of my neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods. And just recently I joined a gym.
I've also started downloading audiobooks from the library. I tell myself I can listen to them only when exercising.
I also have a bunch of tunes on the phone.

Terri - good idea. Don't know if I still have the receipt, but I've been meaning to call during 9-5 hours to talk to the women's clothing manager.
Maybe you could also keep some Quest bars or Fiber One 90-calorie brownies on hand for times when you're too tired to cut up fruits or veggies? (Me, I don't bother to cut up most fruit; I just eat it out of hand.)
Oh - Costco carries big bags of freeze-dried apples. You can have, if I remember aright, a half-cup of those for 90 cal.
Popcorn, too. Pop a big bag, but put most of it into a baggie and have 3 cups at (I think) 35 or 45 cal a cup.

JanetR - that's a great trailer!

Colleen - welcome back! Good for you, re-starting while you still fit your clothes.
Where'bouts in Virginia? I grew up in Fairfax County, between Alex and Ft Bevoir, and my kid brother now lives in the Danville area.

Vicki - woo-hoo on hte pound! Interesting incentive - how much do you have to increase steps daily to get it?

DJanet - Losing while quitting smoking is indeed an accomplishment. Congratulations!

KateKyi - :::kick!:::

Becca - fun dress!
Can't help you w/ pointy shoes. My toes are more duckish than pointy -- the 2nd and 3rd toes stick out beyond the big toe, and the next toe's right on a level w/ it.

Beth - congrats on staying on track in spite of your son's problems.


made it from 51 thru 57

janetr7476

@DJ - Wrote "Janetr, love the picture. You look wonderful. I hear that those grands can wear ya out!!"

Thank you for the cudos on the pictures. For sure the grands can wear me out. Today was a trip to the zoo. They leave tomorrow I will have to recuperate for a day or two I'm sure. The fun trip for the 14 yr old girl was shopping to a store they don't have in Lubbock. She picked out quite a bag full (or two) of cute little clothes, jewelry, purse, shoes, hair band the whole sheebang. I don't get to take her shopping very often so its kind of a years worth at once. She was thrilled. That's what its all about.

@Michele - Thank you so much. The shoes are very very comfortable for walking. I have them in a couple of colors. I'm all abut comfort! Sure hope your heel gets over hurting that bad. Its miserable to have anything on your feet hurting. Its not like you can stay off of them very easily. Healing thots!

@Katla - Thanks. My daughter asked me why I didn't sit in it, I told her I wanted to but it was too high and I couldn't very well ask anyone to "lift me up" lol I volunteer to be your personal shopper. I have my "black belt" in shopping

@Patsy - Love your statement "I love everyones great sense of humor here. A little wicked humor can carry a person through the dark times and put us back on track." This group absolutely is the best and has gotten me thru the days I'm struggling by putting a big smile on my face. Love these ladies!!! Glad to have you aboard.

@Joyce - Thanks so much. I understand about your DH, my 14 yr old DGD was the same, boring lets just go shopping. Then we got there and she was going from one thing to another trying it out just as eagerly as her little brother. We really needed much more time to see all of it. We went to the planetarium show and the "dome" movie theater show so just did not have enough time to cover all of it.

@JanetMMCc - Thanks on the trailer, it really is very handy for the company, just gives everyone a little more privacy and their "mess" stays a little more contained. DGK's tend to spread their shoes, toys, phone chargers all over the place. This way its a little more localized and easier to get it all packed up to ensure it all gets back home.

Tired out again tonight. Between the constant running about and the HORRIBLE heat and humidity my head and nose are stuffy and my eyes burning. I haven't slept well the last couple of nights so hopefully tonight I can get at least 5-6 hours of decent sleep.

GodMomKim

Well I have been lost in space for a few days… but that is my MO it seems, life gets so busy and I choose sleep over keeping in touch.. and one day I didn’t choose either and I only got 2.5 hours of sleep; grrrr … but I have caught up a bit now.

So I read a couple of random pages in the 400+ posts I missed, best wishes to all, cheering everyone on the journey of weight loose, holding your own, and on all the family and friend issues we each try to deal with with grace.

So I had a wonderful visit with both my nephew and my god son at the same time, they are 5 years apart in age and have had completely different upbringings but both good guys with sports, girls and aunt kim in common. We did a walking tour in San Francisco, 22K steps that day!

I have been, as some know, in counseling again… it is so good for me, I have a counselor who (bless her) works with what I can pay and or trade … So I have been re-evaluating my friends and weeding out the “takers” so today I dropped out of my gourmet group… they are not bad people just not what I need at this time in my life.. it was a hard thing to do.. we have been eating a meal together once a month for 4.5 years, but really what I will miss is the once a month cooking event. For those with family this is different, but as a single gal folks to cook for who like food is a treat. Especially since I love to cook. I am working on finding something to fill that space with- something that will give me a sense of belonging and friends I could count on. Wish I could have you all over – I would cook my way through skinny taste.com.



July Goals:
Walk everyday –try to hit 180 miles 7/25 - 131miles so far
1 plank every day and log here – goal more then 19 - 9
Log everyday –
Eat mindfully-
Weekly fun things –
W1 – Mom is here for the 4th, and we are going out to dinner –her treat!
W2 – a new smart phone, my business paid off, a visit from an out of state friend
W3 – final week of camp
W4 – summer starts (for me) 3 days with my “boys” , a trip to SF,
Kim from N. California

Poerava14

Hi Friends. I’m back and all caught up with reading about your busy and complex lives. By contrast, I have been chillin’ and taking 2-3 days a week as paid time off. I extended that rest to include a break from sitting in front of keyboards, so that meant taking a sabbatical from this thread. Have spent more time in the pool and walking Mars the cat on his leash. Walking a cat forces me to slow down and just enjoy the environment.

Completed a stand up paddle boarding lesson. SUP looks so easy, but it takes a surprising amount of core strength. Standing up is easy, but hoisting myself back on the board after falling in the water is a challenge for me. I’ve adjusted my strength workouts because I really want to get better at this. My arms and abs are already showing more definition.

I’ve kept up with the early morning exercise routine and have added more calorie burn by starting at 5:00 AM instead of 5:30. By the time Saturday rolls around, I have to get in a nap. Another great lesson learned from Mars.

In a couple of weeks I start traveling for work again. Next stops will be San Diego, Charlotte (so looking forward to meeting Exermom Michele and NC Carol!!! ), West Virginia and New York.

My prayers are going up for peace and continued strength for all of you living with family and health issues. Miriam and Toni, your stories really touched my heart. (((hugs)))

Stay well. We can do this.
Rori
Colorado Foothills
My word for 2014 is mindfulness.

janetr7476

Forgot to say on my previous post, that I have tracked everyday even with company, didn't really blow total calories so badly, but definitely ate more carbs and not as healthy as I normally do nor have I gone to water aerobics. I HAVE stayed off the scale but hopefully have held it petty steady. Ready to get back on my normal routine. I must be old, getting pretty set in my ways. Night all, cudos to those doing so well and big (((hugs))) to all who need them (I'll let DJ administer the kicks) lol

dreamwriter

Lillian - I loved the short time we were at Keremeous. We drove down back roads where the smell of freshly cut hay took me back to childhood.

Toni - Thank you for sharing this sliver of your life. It sounds like Daniel has come through the other end. You are a brave woman.

Becca - I hate pumping gas. The smell turns my stomach. It's probably from all the times I was free labour at my brother's Service Station. Oh, the joys of having an older (He would say wiser) brother.

Slow Day today. Got up when I felt like, such a luxury. Took DGS to DD's house where he surprised his cousin. It was a joyous reunion.
Walked down from DD's to look at the house my DS and DBIL are looking to buy. My DS must love this house because she actually walked. We could only walk around the outside , look at the roof and peek through the window. I got her assurance it was vacant as I prefer not to be picked up for peeping. Tomorrow she has asked DH and I to go through it with them.
Returned to DD's and did some serious sitting in the backyard. DD decided to order pizzas for all. We had a good visit. The DGC all came to our house for a sleep over. DGD was asleep within 5 min. I let the older boys stay up and watch movies until one was snoring and the other asked me if he could turn off the TV and go to bed. I'm hoping they stay sleeping so I can be leisurely in the morning.
Didn't do much but it was a great summer afternoon.
-Sharon in Lethbridge
(skipped out on the air show)

lhannon062709

Thanks, JanetMMC for the song ... welcome to the new ones--this community of like-minded women has been an enormous boost for me during times when all this seems so hard.

We seem to have fewer walking wounded through the last couple pages, which makes me happy, and more losers, also a happy thing here!

Have seen two different people in the last couple days that haven't seen me since March (I began all this April 1 and joined MFP April 23). Being told you look amazing is both an ego boost, and motivation to keep on. Can't believe July's nearly over already!

My NSV for July: Since April 1, I've now lost seven inches around my waist and my hips, and five inches around each thigh, and an inch of each of those has come in July, even with only a pound lost. That's the running, I assume. And it's why measurements matter! Your body continues to change as you continue to get more fit, and can save you from the scale's tyranny when it JUST WON'T MOVE!

I know I could not have dealt with the physical burden of being on my feet in the restaurant this last week and a half if I were NOT so much more physically fit than four months ago, I can tell you that much. In order to gain these people's respect quickly, I worked a full shift from open to close my first day (from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. the next morning) with the servers, with the dishwashers, helped out in the bar, helped out in the back to the extent that I could. It worked--and was something the previous manager (and can I get an amen! for the "previous") never had sense enough to do. They know I know how to work, and am willing to jump in if it's necessary.

I've got to finish this off, go finish the first schedule that I had my new crew chief create, so that I'm managing the process rather than generating it. And tonight at four p.m., my entire family is coming in to assist--so even if NO ONE shows up employee-wise (and I think they all will, out of curiosity if nothing else) we'll get this place clean front to back, top to bottom, no problem. I have my husband to make sure we don't blow the place up disconnecting gas lines, etc. My daughter and son-in-law are both Army specialists, and have CPR training, so I've got someone in place if there's an accident. Plus, they know how to work, and how take an order, as well as how to organize people to get things done.

Once I've got the place CLEAN, then it's time to finish cleaning up their processes. The bar (seriously!) has never had a liquor inventory done. And there's no cleaning checklist for the dishwashers, the cooks, etc., thus the horrendous state that it's in. Going to be one more long day, people, but then I might actually be able to eat in the place where I work!

cityjaneLondon

I'm baaaaaaaaack!
Our journey took 45 minutes, compared to the 3 hours it took to get there.

Breakfast was a much more enjoyable experience. Perfectly cooked eggs, (we asked specially), and I couldn't hear the music because the rain was beating on the glass roof.

Feel a bit tired and flat now, but a friend might be dropping in this pm for cup of tea and a chat.

Joyce, Katla, DJ - Indian food, REAL Indian food does not have to be hot. The stuff we get in the majority of "Indian" restaurants in Britain bears no relation to India. It was originally created by Bangladeshi immigrants for the European palate and is quite horribly gloopy, artificial and unsubtle. In India there are many regions, each with its own style, and some do not use a lot of chilli. Some do. The restaurant we went to had quite subtle spicing apart from my husband's Rogan Josh, which tasted as if it was made with commercial paste. My halibut was good and not hot at all.
We normally don't eat in "Indian" restaurants over here as it is never as good as my own cooking with freshly prepared and ground spices. I have some excellent cookery books.

Ah well, feeling lazy. I'm going to have porridge for lunch as we had a huge cooked breakfast. I like my porridge just with salt.

Kim - so glad you are redefining your boundaries. The key to mental health.

I want to watch the final of Celebrity Masterchef that I recorded. Don't know who won.

Will I do any exercise? Don't know. Where is DJ when I need her for a kick? :laugh: My hips have stopped hurting, but I feel all of a flop. :laugh: Might have a nice nap instead. :bigsmile:

Love to all, Heather, back in rainy Hampshire UK

grandmallie

morning ladies~
a quick hidee ho,
going to feed dfil and then off to grocery shop and come home and cook, no relaxing fun stuff this weekend .. oh well, hopefully after this week, we can slack a little more on the weekends, once the kitchen is all done will post pictures for you.

miriamwithcats

Michelle in NC- I don't know much about clay soil since I live in Iowa where we have wonderful black soil. I will do some research for you today and get back to you.

Joyce, the tall shrub on the left that is cone shaped is an arborvitae. They do stay cone shaped and are fairly easy to grow. We had a huge die off of them here in Iowa- we had summer drought followed by a long cold winter and in the spring about a third of all the arborvitae I saw were dead. The biggest problem with them is that they have multiple trunks, so sometimes are damaged by a heavy wet snow fall that breaks off some of the trunks or separates the cone. A better alternative might be an Alberta spruce- slow growing, cone shaped, and only one trunk. I have a dwarf Albert spruce that is only about three feet high. The shrub to the right of the drive looks like the same as yours, hard to tell without looking closer at the leaves, but just younger and pruned. The tall plants on either side of the windows look like clematis vines growing on trellises. If you stay away from the autumn clematis, they are well behaved vines (not growing out of control). Jackmani is a purple variety that is hard to fail with. I cannot tell what the yellow-green shrubs are- they may even be bo><woods since their new growth is that color. I am not certain what the shrub is to the right of the door, but it looks like a lilac that is pruned to keep it short and the older growth is pruned out. A good choice for small decorative trees is a Japanese maple. There are some that have a more "weeping" aspect than others. A redbud is another good choice since the multiple trunks that are slightly contorted are interesting in winter. Your dogwood was probably starved of nutrients and water with a huge pine and huge shrubs competing with it. Weeping willows require wet soil to flourish, and have highly invasive roots so they are not a good choice for anything but a huge yard. You can get the same weeping look from some small decorative trees as well as some grafted specialty "trees". I have seen *kitten* willow grafted to a trunk in a weeping formation. These often have to be supported with a strong post. A good way to contend with your husband's mower is to delineate the planted area with some sort of barrier. All of my flower beds are edged with melon sized rocks. There are other edgings you can buy too. Your husband can use a string trimmer along the edge, or you can keep the grass out by spraying vinegar along the edge (or Roundup if you use chemicals). And yes, your huge shrubs are definitely a safety hazard. It might be a good idea to go to the best nursery in your area and look around, ask questions. Their staff are knowledgeable about these things and know your climate/ soil requirements. Some even offer landscaping design services. There are some really great websites too. I love whiteflowerfarm.com for ideas but now that I am not working I cannot afford their prices. But they are a great place to buy if you can afford them.