WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR JUNE 2016

pipcd34

Morning peeps-
Giving my hip a break, not riding in to work, taking the train. Took a few pain pills

Charleen2

KetoneKaren - The fairy and her garden were just right, putting a smile on my face this morning. Thank you!

pipcd34

Taking it easy today.

cityjaneLondon

Carey - Can you batch make food to be packed for lunches, so it's just grab and go. Plenty of ideas on the internet.And have you got a slow cooker so you can assemble food (don't worry about prefrying ) the night before and switch it on in the morning. You could make several batches at a time and freeze portions . Then you only have to remember to get them out in the morning.!
I bought my son the Instant Pot Duo for his birthday. It's expensive and there are much cheaper options. You need something ready for you when you get in.

Just made my yogurt and prepped the mushroom risotto for dinner. DH has been cutting our rampant lawn. 70 trips to the compost!

I am still ploughing on with the Duolingo Spanish as I need to familiarise myself with the irregular verbs and all the crazy tenses. Enjoying it even though I have effectively finished the course. I still make mistakes, so I'm not done yet. :noway:

Pip - What's up with your hip?

Charlene - I think upping your calories to the recommended amount is a great idea. And you can add in your exercise calories. This is not meant to be a penance and the more you eat, the more likely you are to stick at it. Slowly does it. It took me 18 months to lose 57 pounds, but I've kept it off for another two and a half years.

Love to all, Heather UK

drkatiebug

The shampoo/Dawn joke is hilarious. In a similar vein, but seriously, a friend of mine told me about her friend who is following a very expensive, strict, weight loss program where she has to use their (that is the weight loss program people's) soap and shampoo because the oils in regular shampoo and soap will be absorbed into her body and interfere with her weight loss. I think she paid something like $1600 for this program. The whole situation just makes me sad.

fanncy0626

Stronglifts Rest Day

Kettlebell Swing

Goblet squat-3X7X 35
Russian kettle bell swing-16 X7X 35

Walk 1,000 Miles Challenge

6 miles



Mary from Minnesota

pipcd34

Cityjanelondon 3 hr spin session on Saturday happened to my hip

barbiecat

Re, congrats to you on discovering that your current eating and exercise plan is sustainable. That will bring you lasting success. The longer I continue my healthy eating and exercise, the less attractive I find the alternative. Some of the foods I used to love don't sound good anymore (they sounds too greasy or salty or something) and just sitting around and not exercise seems like a terrible way to spend my time.

Larisa, I'm so glad you like your new job

Charleen, I can't look at your food and exercise diary so I don't know exactly what your current plan is, but if you keep adjusting it to something that you can sustain, it will start to feel normal and you may not want to go off course for any reason.

Linda, congrats on getting up and getting yourself to the gym

Michele, I'm not a dessert person, either and lots of people think I'm crazy (but not my husband)

Katla, every time you mention yoga I think that I should get back to doing it, but so far I haven't....maybe today will be the day.

janetr, I hate the dentist, too....sorry to hear that you have to go through all that with your tooth

Karen in VA, I get my graphics from two sites, [url=" http://www.glitter-graphics.com/ "] http://www.glitter-graphics.com/ [/url] and http://yoursmiles.org/ If you have trouble figuring out how to use the sites, send me a personal message and I'll walk you through the process

Cherie, keep your eye on the prize with your move and take it one minute at a time....it will be a challenging and extremely satisfying experience

Margaret, beautiful garden

Mary, great workout

Pip, a three hour spin session sounds like it could have injured more than your hip....good idea to take it easy

Jake and I are doing things that need to be done before his trip to the hospital. I have no idea what to expect when we get home---how much help he'll need, etc, so when a good friend said she really wanted to do something to help, I asked her to do the one thing that I know about---put the garbage and recycling at the curb while we're gone and put the containers back after it's picked up. Jake is busy making a double batch of his marinara sauce so there will be plenty of it for us during his recovery and also to be available when his daughter and her family come to visit in July in case we want to cook a meal for them here.


Barbie from beautiful NW Washington where it was too overcast to see the full moon

My word for 2016 is "alacrity"....I will greet all experiences in my life with cheerful readiness

fanncy0626

Barbie- it is very nice of your neighbor to help you out. It's a little funny what Jake thinks is important to do before going to the hospital! It actually probably keep his mind off of the situation. My DH likes to make barbecue sauce when he needs to relax.



Mary from Minnesota

pipcd34

€

KJLaMore

Holy Cats! Good afternoon and Happy Tuesday! I have finally caught up with 179 posts over the weekend!
Love, love, love the pictures!
Cheri- Congrats to your dh on his new position! Sounds like you both have a handle on this moving thing! A couple of days to rest and then off you go!
Miriam-I am so sorry to hear of your struggles. I have family and some of my childcare families that struggle on different types of SS or state aid. Many people are so quick to judge and make disparaging comments about those who need and receive monetary help. There are those that abuse the system; but I think most people in that position would give anything to be in a better position or to be able to work to give themselves a better life. Love and hugs to you!
Janet and all of your sisters! Father's day always makes me remember my dad, too. Lost both of my parents when I was 26, so it seems very odd to think that I have spent more time on earth with my dh than with my own parents.
Penny and Heather- your pics are always fun to look at! In one day's worth of posts, I got to find out where Penny's handle came from and got to see Heather in two gorgeous dresses having the time of her life (although she was horizontal in one photo!)
Lenora-tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. It is used in a lot of Mediterranean and Middle eastern dishes. I have also seen it used in some asian dishes. Very versatile and it keeps for a long time (a year or more) in the fridge!
Tahini- Can't remember who cooked with the tahini and asked for more recipes; but google tahini recipes and you will get a bunch! Just don't chuck the tahini! It does keep for quite a while!
Re- Yea! Victory is yours!
Charleen- I would have to agree with the others as far as continuing on your calorie/food choices. I, too, am at the beginning of my journey; but I know if I rewarded myself with days of not following my food plan I would have a hard time getting back into the swing of things. I tend to up my exercise rather than deny myself. I just look at everything I eat and figure out how much further I need to walk/bike etc. to make up for the treat.
That said, I just finished a weekend of indulgence. I don't think I really ate too unhealthily, but I did allow myself a couple of extra drinks each day and we did pass around a cheese plate every day. It was a wonderful weekend with my dd, her dh, and their dog (my dgp aka. darling grand puppy). My dh was just completely blown away at the surprise for his fiftieth. He was not thrilled with my kidnapping him Saturday morning and he fell asleep in the car during the two hour drive down to South Bend. He woke up when we parked on ND campus and got very emotional. He told me he appreciated all of the effort I put into the surprise, but he REALLY didn't want to go on campus. (He has only been to ND once since our daughter graduated. He says the memories are too painful). I felt like the most evil person in the world as I pretty much forced him to get out of the car to walk the campus with me. We walked through the arch of Lyons Hall (dd's former dorm) and dd, her hubby, and our ds were there waiting for us. It was TRULY one of the best moments in my life. To see Tim just break down. He was so surprised. He got the tears under control after a few hugs; then Lauren (dd) told him that they would be coming home with us for a couple days, the waterworks started again. We picnicked on campus and must've walked a good ten miles (and it was SO stinkin' hot and humid). We then headed home and had a glorious weekend of family time!
I have to say, as much as I love my daughter; Chappie the grand puppy was the icing on the cake for me! I got to walk and play with the dog for three days! Haven't had a dog since I was a kid. Lauren and Jaime are very "loosie-goosie" with Chappie at home and let him sit where ever he wants (on furniture) etc. So...when Lauren put his blanket on my couch and said "He will stay on his blanket" I was a bit skeptical. He got up, and stayed on his blanket; for about 20 minutes. I left the room for some reason, and when I returned, he was off blanket and on another part of the couch. I looked at Lauren and looked at the dog and said to Chappie "You are in my spot. No." He got up and moved back to his blanket. As the day went on every time I left the room, that dog would sit wherever he wanted, then get down when he saw me. By the end of the day, both my couches were covered in hair. SO...Monday morning Lauren and Jaime took off to have some alone time to celebrate their first anniversary and Chappie and I got to hang together. I removed my couch covers and put Chappie's blanket on the floor. He put one paw on my couch like he was going to get up and I said "NO!" and directed him to his blanket. From that point on he stayed on the floor, he followed me from room to room; if I was working in the kitchen he would lay in the kitchen, same for every room. Laundry, bedrooms, etc. He would follow and lay on the floor until I moved on. I took him for a couple of long walks while they were gone and he saw a deer for the first time and tons of bunnies which sent him into spasms of excitement. (Kind of reminded me of those Snoopy cartoons where he would dance with the bunnies). I walked him down to Lake Michigan and he was afraid of the waves. Silly guy! By the time Lauren and Jaime got home, Chappie was mine. lol! Lauren saw how he was with me and that if I gave him a command he did it, and she said "Wow. Mom. You're the alpha male!" She asked how I got him to listen to me and I just had to tell her that I have to talk to small children the same way I talk to Chappie. (I am a little more polite with the kids) I really think, though, that Chappie saw how Lauren and Jaime reacted to me in my house and decided that I must be the "alpha". I think most moms are the "alphas" in their home. It's our territory. Anyway, kids and dog headed back to Texas this morning and I have been cleaning up the remnants of Chappie. The hair. Gone, but not forgotten. They just closed on a house in Burleson (sp?) the day before they left for our place. They will be packing in the next week and will make the move from their rental in Arlington to Burleson on July 1.
Today's calorie burn brought to you by Chappie the wonder dog! House cleaning (read* dog hair removal) and some yard work (read* repairing the lawn that dog excavated to find the moles, bunnies, etc.)

GRITSandSLUTSandWINOS

Chaleen2 – Also remember to up your water intake as well as the exercise. I think that 1300 a day calorie is probably good for you to lose weight; but, I am a big proponent that people ought to go talk to their GPs or MDs to find out what caloric number you should be taking in order to lose weight. I’m not sure if the number of CI that MFP sets for you is for ‘losing’ or ‘maintaining’. Maybe some of the other women know this answer. I’m on a MD ordered medical weight loss program and I needed to lose at least down to 150lbs to reach my goal; but, the nurse is more concerned about when my BMI is down to ‘normal … whether I stop at 150lbs or go on down to 145lbs. I know if I use the number of CI that MFP sets it is way over what my MD said I needed to get down to, in order to lose the weight. Weighing your food and tracking everything that crosses your lips and tracking it honestly is the best way. Putting you food on a salad plate instead of a dinner plate will also help ‘trick’ your stomach as to ‘how much food’ you take in. Ergo the saying of ‘my eyes were bigger than my stomach’. Get a good set of measuring cups – WW has a really good set, sort of expensive; but, still very easy to use. They come in 1 cup, ½ cup, and ¾ cup. Get a good scale for your kitchen … I usually weigh my container that I am using for weighing in my food; and, then adding enough of the food to come up with the right weight.

Prbford64 – Dawn or any dish detergent does ‘dissolve’ fat (oil) and if you use it, it will strip all the oil in our hair out and your hair will not shine and will be brittle and break; if you color or perm your hair, it will strip those as well. Especially, the color. Cut little story; but, not accurate.

Janetr – I think most hate the dentist. Especially the shots to make your gums and teeth numb.

Joyce – I got a ‘lump sum’ on my SSD because of the time I went out on disability (before my regular SSD checks started coming in). Also, time was donated by the other people who would have lost their vacation, if they did not take what could rise up to 5 weeks. Few people also donated their extra sick leave (although that could roll over year-to-year. I got paid for a full year after I left my job for my disability at the full rate and still accruing sick leave and vacation time which was used first before the ‘donated leave’ came into play. This also help me get to the number of years I would need to be ‘vested in my job’ (and allow me to receive my ‘retirement check’. But, when my income got dropped by 75% and not dropped TO 75% - it was a hard blow. Even though we had planned for it. The surprise was when my ‘retirement’ (on disability) dropped and again dropped for the difference to comply with Obama’s Affordable Care Act. My take home pay is now less that my insurance amount. That hurts; but, I have to carry it so I can pay for my medications; otherwise, I could not afford them. Seriously, one of my Rx costs $1200 ‘if I did not have insurance’ … now it only costs me $85 - $90 from my mail order pharmacy.

How about that ‘amputee’ on American Ninja Warriors last night (Monday)? So ‘impressive’!!!! Even though he was unable to ‘finish’ it.

Karen in Virginia – Thanks for telling me what ‘Tahini’ is. I’ll have to look for it. I also ‘love’ Hummus; but, at 2 TBS as a serving size and it being ‘high’ in calories … it I a treat for me.

Lisa – I’m in a small town; my Daddy always told me that ‘if’ I wanted to know what goes on in the county (and why) I needed to attend the ‘county commissioners’’ meeting. I got totally frustrated with the ‘politics’ and knowing and seeing the Head Commissioner put the ‘screws’ to things that would have benefited the county; but, because it was NOT on HIS side of the town. He’d vote them down.

We applied for an ‘equity line of credit’ just to have it ‘in case of an emergency’. I think the appraiser low-balled the appraisal ‘big time’ … but to appeal it is just not worth the effort. He should have told us what he used as comparable house/property; but, didn’t … there has not been a house that has sold out in the county near here; and apparently he appraised the 10 acres of land at $2000 an acre (which would be correct for land around here); but then he added what we ‘owe’ on house to it to come up with his price. Our insurance company has appraised the cost of replacement of the house – almost twice as much. But we also own 40 acres ‘free and clear’ of all encumbrances. If we ever had to sell the house – the 45 acres the house sits on would have to be taken into account. We own 2 tracts of land of equal size (less the 3 acres that DOS paid for and had 'surveyed' out of that tract. When we are both dead and gone; they can use the insurance and pay it off; deed one another their share in each tract to the other, divided up any money in Retirement account, party ... whatever. The things that are of sentimental value is written down and attached to our Wills.

Miriam – Husband CAN work since he is over the ‘retirement’ age, he has paid into SSA all his working life, and he will receive it until he dies. I am the one who CAN’T, even though I paid into the SSA all my working life. He does report his ‘extra’ income as well as our SSI/SSD benefit. It is his SSI and my SSD (Medicare) for our medical bills that is not taxed. But, we still have to report it, it just isn’t taxed. I know a person who has a mental disability; and, worked part-time as a ‘gun smith’ … he HAD to give up that ‘hobby’ and was ‘compensated’ for it … his SSD/SSI check was higher than it normally would be because he ‘depended’ on this ‘hobby’ to ‘supplement’ his income’. I’ve been told so many ‘different’ stories about whether or not I can work (has to be under a number of hours and under a certain amount) per year, he was a ‘gun smith’ and could not have any guns in his house. Because the SSA ‘does not “expect” someone to totally be dependent upon SSD/SSI’. It was not set up for people to totally live on. When I paint anything and sell it; I run it through my husband’s business just so it will be ‘reported’, no matter how they pay me. I’ve been told that I could ‘work part-time’; but, since I get a totally different answers about it, I choose not to work ‘outside the home’. I don’t want to do anything to make me lose any of my SSD and know if I do, they will lower what I get. Supplemental Income Insurance (Medicaid/Welfare) supplements people who don’t work, it also is what ‘food stamps’, subsidized housing, cellphone for emergencies only, medical bills, and lower utility bills get paid. This program is far more abused that SSI and/or SSD; but, it is the SSA budget that gets ‘raped’ to fund the Medicaid program. We don’t get any of that because we own property, vehicles, make too much money from all sources of income, and other things. I don’t know where you are getting your information; but when he turned 65; he started receiving income from Social Security Administration. The age of Retirement has now gone up to 66 and they are talking about it going up every year until it is something else closer to 70 or 72 since the age that people live to and sometimes are able to continue to work has increased. You can take early retirement at the age of 62; and, that might be when you can work some and not have it cut out totally. I was only 49 years old when I became 'disabled'; and, I have been receiving SSD and my retirement ever since. They paid a 'lump sum' between the time I actually stopped working and when they set up my account; it takes a few months; then Part B (which takes care of MD/Dentist - if you do not take out the Part D) and for my prescriptions that I'd never be able to afford if I did not have Medicare and a Retirement check coming in. They might be able to cut it by a certain amount (or based on what you receive). It’s automatic if you have worked and paid into the 'system'. You receive it because they consider you ‘too old’ to work. Social Security Income is based on the number of work quarter hours you’ve put in. Social Security [Supplemental Security] Income are different. I do not know what your work history’ has been where you would have paid into the Social Security Administration from taxes; or if you have never worked or only part-time; but, SSI is different from SSDI. SSI is Social Security Income – which one has paid into the ‘system’ and is entitled to receive upon retirement from a job or now at the age of 66. You are limited to what you can earn if you take retirement early at 62; upon the age of 65 (retirement age) one gets to work as much as they want to. SSDI is Social Supplemental Disability Insurance (and they are different). Medicare and Medicaid are two totally different ways of getting a check. Medicare (for us) pays us some income and for our hospitalizations, MD visits, some dental visits, and prescription drugs. First one based on income. Second one based on lack of income. Some of the abuse is young women having babies every year or two and not naming the ‘baby daddies’, sometimes there are 2 or 3 or more ‘families’ living under one roof and each are getting a check and pooling them which tends to make them stretch further than 'if' they were living under 'individual' roofs … that is also how their ‘men’ can afford to drive ‘fancy’ cars because they don't pay for child support (or they have a thriving drug business). Of course, like always, this is IMHO. IF we were breaking the law, I can guarantee that our financial advisor and the former IRS agent that has been doing our taxes for years would let us know in a NY minute. It's possible that what my acronym for SSI is not SSDI - it is Social Security Income; not Supplement Security Disability Income.

Prbford64 – If you are using ‘dish detergent’ to wash your body … you need to make sure that you aren’t using it to wash your hair. It will strip the color or a permanent right out of your hair and make it dull, straight, and dry. But, it is certainly good to use on your hair if your ‘color job’ is way too dark or garish.

Cheri – We are planning on taking “Cracker” with us when we go to Louisiana; because if left at home for DOS to feed and let out; she’d be in the crate 10 hours. We don’t want her to have an accident in the crate or get the idea that it is ‘ok’ to go in the crate. A little too long to board her since it will be about 10 days. We will probably board her for the time we go to the beach with granddaughters and to the beach with my sisters; because that boarding period would be a lot less and depending on where we board her, she will be outside playing a lot with other dogs that are being boarded. She rides well in the car; and, since I usually have to make a lot of ‘stops’ myself … we figure that she’ll be fine in that regard.

WOW, Cheri, to leave you plants in the house for the ‘new’ owners would be totally unexpected and 'nice' if they are going to be moving in immediately. I don’t know how long your trip will be to wherever you are moving; but, if they were ones I wanted to keep; I’d water them good the day before and wrap them in newspaper and put them in the back seat with the dog and rent a trailer to anything else. I would not park in the sun; and, I would take a ‘mister’ to use on them every few hours, especially if you are planning on stopping for meals, etc. Plants are a lot sturdier than we think they are. You should know that by rescuing houseplants from the rejects. I will usually rescue plants that are perennials … like daisies.

Lenora

NO_Excuses_515

Reading but no time to respond to all today. Have a great day!
Linda/IA

kevrit

Did a 40 minute walk this morning then did gardening for another hour. I'm tanning nicely. Now going to see a counselor to start dealing with my depression this afternoon. Hope it goes well, he is 45 minutes away!

Thank you all for the welcome back and well wishes! I really did miss this thread!

Rita from CT

miriamwithcats

https://www.ssa.gov/redbook/eng/overview-disability.htm#&a0=2

Katla49

Janetr: I'm sorry about your broken tooth! My parents both had false teeth from the time they were teens. I still have my teeth, thanks to modern dentistry. I LOVE the dentist. (This doesn't mean I love having work done.) :bigsmile:

Lisa: Good luck! I hope you find just the right RV. :flowerforyou:

Cheri: I hope you and your DH are happy in Texas. I have only moved a few times in my adult life. I look forward to learning how the process goes as you share your adventure with us.

Carey: Good luck getting into a healthy eating routine now that you are back to work. (((HUGS)))

Pip: I'm sorry you're in pain. :sad:

Charlene: I agree with Heather and have a similar personal weight loss story with MFP. Earlier in my life I had another kind of dieting experience. After my daughter was born I went on a diet and lost the "baby weight." It was less than 1000 calories a day and after I met my weight goal I resumed my old eating habits. The weight came back because I hadn't learned healthy habits. This time I had the guidance of MFP and took the weight off slowly. The time it took has allowed me to stay healthy and learn better habits. I have a number of myfitnesspal friends who are still counting calories after reaching their goals and have maintained their healthy weight for years. None of them has gone the extreme low calorie route to weight loss. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

Barbie: Yoga has been a life changer for me, and I'd recommend it to anyone with access to a good teacher. I wouldn't do yoga from a DVD or App because someone with skill and knowledge needs to make sure your form is good enough that you won't inadvertently do damage to yourself. I don't dance because I get dizzy when I try. I have left/right issues. Dance is a wonderful way to be active and fit for those who don't get dizzy.



I just returned from a walk with my neighbor and heard all about her trip to TX to visit her son's family. They have adopted four kids and my neighbor is in love with each of them, but especially the oldest girl. It was wonderful to hear the stories about her. When we got close to home some new neighbors were outside working on their front door area. We had run into another neighbor along the way home so I took both my walking buddy and the other neighbor over and introduced them to the new couple. I embarrassed myself by not remembering her name, but everything went well otherwise. :embarassed:


DD's brother-in-law passed away from liver failure after a long stay in the hospital. He was only 36. What a horrible and tragic loss this has been for the whole family. He was a heavy drinker for years and the long-term effect of alcohol abuse on his liver was the cause of death. He left two daughters behind, and his wife is pregnant with another baby. My heart breaks for the family.



Katla in Beautiful NW Oregon

Tibetan proverb: "The secret to living well and long is: Eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure..."

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

barbiecat

fanncy0626 wrote: »

Barbie- it is very nice of your neighbor to help you out. It's a little funny what Jake thinks is important to do before going to the hospital! It actually probably keep his mind off of the situation. My DH likes to make barbecue sauce when he needs to relax.



Mary from Minnesota

Mary, it's even nicer than that---all my neighbors that I know are aged or infirm or out of town....my friend who volunteered to help lives about five miles away. She's coming over in a few minutes so I can show her exactly what to do....she knows me well enough to not question my need to "explain" how to take out the garbage and recycling.

jmkmomm

Afternoon ladies.

Cheri, I am over the moon happy with DH new job. You all have waited a long time for this. I know how attached my Mom was to her flowers. I'm not sure how she wold have parted with the, Yet when Dad was a minister and e moved from place to place I am sure she had to part with a lot. Some of the churches gave us a generous amount of money for the move and other times it was pretty small. So I am sure she had to leave behind some things.

Rita, be sure and take care of yourself out in the sun so you don't get skin cancer.

Lenora, our insurance is AARP United Health Care and it costs both of us $29/month. It is our Medicare D supplement. I have been seriously thinking about going with the mail order that they offer. It's 90 days supply of our maintenence medicine and it's $0/month for 3 months. I mean you can't get any better than that. But we take so many medicine that 3 months of medicine comes in big bottles. I use a 8x10 cake pan for mine and a tupperware oblong container for his.

I really enjoy watching American Ninja Warrior. The stories of what motivates those people to get in shape and take on such a difficult obstacle course. The guy last night with the artificial leg was something else the way he struggled on the rolling logs. I was watching his children as he was struggling and was successfull of several logs. and although he eventually fell, his kids were in awe of him. He never failed in his kids eyes.

Joyce, Indiana

Marcelynh

csofled wrote: »

Waiting to hear from TAMU (have since learned that is the acronym for Texas A&M) about travel plans for housing search.

Having my coffee. Checking in with you ladies.

Cheri
Sunny NE oHIo

Not in Texas. All you need to say is A & M and everyone, EVERYONE knows what you mean. I have a few issues with some Texas Aggies as they seem to think they are the only Aggies. I was wearing a t-shirt with our alma mater name and mascot on it, which happens to be Pistol Pete as they are the Aggies also (NMSU - New Mexico State University). Sheesh, you'd think I'd committed the worst sin as this guy goes ballistic telling me that the only Aggies are TX aggies and I need to stop wearing fake shirts. Gosh Mr. Know-it-all... all *ALL* original land grant state schools were (insert state name) Agricultural and Mechanical schools in the beginning and they were ALL Aggies. Not all of them dropped the Aggie mascot when they took on the state university designation (My dad graduated from Colorado State University when it was Colorado A & M and they were the Aggies then, the Rams now). It actually was insulting and led me to start referring to TX A & M as "the cult school." There are several schools that retain the Aggie mascot, NM and TX being just two of them. Some people just never got past the ring ceremony and Galveston Christening, bonfire (uh, banned now I think since the major accident), and numerous other A & M traditions. Half of TX has 12th man bumper-stickers. But off my rant.... I do think A & M is a good school, tops in Texas and I don't hold anything against the school, Congrats to your husband on the job. Good school and quite prestigious.

As to houseplants... I understand. I have had success in taking most of my houseplants but in the heat you will be traveling through make sure to take something to mist them with, that car/trailer is going to get hot!

Having a hard time getting back into life on dry land. I'm editing my dive video and it makes me want to go back where I had no internet, news, worries.....

Went to the Dr. this morning for shoulder issues. Been having problems for about six months. MRI on Friday to rule out Rotator Cuff tears in addition to the bone spurs we found today. Tired of my arm hurting and not being able to do a push up anymore is stressful to me.

Peach1948

Katla ~ So sorry for your DD's in-laws who are going through so much pain with the DH's passing.

Miriam ~ I think Lenora was referring to the fact that in GA you can choose to take SS at the age of 62. Both my DH and I opted to do this. If we had waited until we were 65 or 70, we would probably have received more benefits each month. And, yes, you can work and still draw on your SS. I have a friend who works for the DOT and is receiving part of her benefits. When she retires next Fall, she should receive more.

Janet ~ Sorry about your tooth. When my crown came off last Spring, the dentist detected so decay under where it was placed and my best option was to have it extracted. That was no fun at all and I hope I will never have to have another one done. My mom is 90 and still has all of her teeth.

We had to go to Magistrate's Court this AM to get an eviction for our renter who has given us 3 or 4 bad checks in the last 6 mos. I was shocked at how crowded the court room was with folks who were going through the same thing. We would have gladly worked with the renter if he had been more forthcoming. He supposedly deals with finding race horses (I don't know how to explain this) and I have decided he must also be a gambler. Hope he was not lying when he said he would be out of the house by Friday. Also, hope there is not too much damage that needs repairing. We will have our work cut out for us over the next month.

Carol

margaretturk

Above is beginning of the garden. Below I added a welcome and the elf. I also found a glass hummingbird I bought when shopping with my mom. The pink flower in the pond is one of my mom's earrings. Reminds me of seeing all those water lilies. The stones that make up the path I collected from a beach when on a trip with DH and sons. The bigger rocks are from Missouri. It is a fun project to find those things that have meaning to me and bring back good memories. The little bear was a gift from a friend.


Margaret

margaretturk

I did go back to take pictures of the water lilies. It was hard to do them justice.

Peach1948

The water lilies are just beautiful and the fairy garden is so whimsical. Thanks for sharing.

fanncy0626

Katla - what tragic news about your DD's brother-in-law. (((Hugs))) to her and her DH's family and the wife and children.

Margaret - The fairy garden looks beautiful. Thanks for sharing the pictures. I love the little turtle.



Mary from Minnesota

IremiaRe

Carey - I feel you on the cooking thing... .I hate to cook - I never learned because DH was the cook forever - until he had his stroke and couldn't really hang out at the stove anymore... so swell - there I was at 49 learning to cook.

*sigh*

BUT - I have become the queen of the crockpot. I work until 8pm - so the last thing I want to do is go home and try and cook a meal after work. Until I was forced to buy a new vehicle, I was doing a lot of take-home dinner - since eating at ten pm is just not recommended - but the take-out budget is now all assigned to the car payment - so... we do what we must.

I have a repertoire of tested crock-pot recipes - some spicy, some not - but all tasty - that I can prep before I leave the house, and serve when I get home. That covers dinner. Thankfully, my DH is not opposed to leftovers, so I cook one pot full and we eat for two nights.

Lunch is easy enough, I live on cold cuts and/or greek yogurt. Occassionally, I take veggies and dip - I just chop the veggies over the weekend and have them bagged and in the fridge... it takes some planning and preparation - but it can be done. **you can even pre-bag and weigh out your cold cuts, so you can easily log your food.

Good Luck!


Re in TX

cityjaneLondon

Margaret - Love the terrapin! We were watching a wagtail walking about on the lily leaves in Norway.

Katla - Always sad when needless deaths happen. But you can't do it for them.

I had a couple of thoughts about the people on the cruise that conflicted. On the one hand, there were people who could have made their lives a good deal easier if they had taken their own health in hand, on the other hand it was lovely to see sometimes quite disabled people being so well cared for. The staff were so good to them. But there were a lot of "can't " , "won't " and "don't "s going on. Not very interesting to talk to. :grumble: However, it was certainly a wonderful way for some very compromised old people to see more of the world. What an opportunity! But too many were resigned to ill health and obesity.

But you can't do it for them.

Heather UK

nccarolb

That's funny about Texas A&M. We don't have A&M schools here; we have A&T(Technical) schools. NC State University began as an agricultural college (has a vet school) and is often referred to as "Moo U." I was proud of my alma mater's mascot. We were the Fightin' Christians! LOL They got a new president about 12-15 (?) years ago so now they are the Elon Phoenix (the school burned and was rebuilt somewhere back in history) therefore no longer quite so unique.

Pretty much just checking so I won't get too far behind. Back to work I go...

Carol in NC

Katla49

Carol: My daughter's brother-in-law is the one who passed. It is a sad situation for the family.

Heather: Lifestyle choices have a huge impact for the individual and those who love them. Some things are beyond our control. My husband's chronic diseases are examples. Other things are within our control, such as whether we smoke and what & how much we eat or drink. I think we are fortunate that we took ourselves in hand and began this journey to better health. Our efforts have made our lives better. We are lucky that we stumbled into MFP & this supportive group of women.

IremiaRe

Oh - and thank you to those that have been posting pictures... the gardens, the vacations, the flowers... all are marvelous to see!

freidaws

Hi all! I am pretty new to MFP, but began reading early June some of the posts and then skipped over to June 19 to get a some idea as to who everyone is. Well, the individual I remember most is Penny, with the very pretty daughter, going to Prom. I'll just have to learn as I go. I was told by my doctor I'd gained weight so, on 5/16/16 I began my diet and at the same time, I joined MFP just logging my food. I decided to interact on 5/31 and requested a few friends that we encourage one another, but when I came across this thread, I decided to post. There are a lot of exceptional women on this group and thought it might be nice to interact rather than just read. I'm on the Keto plan for weight loss and have lost 24 pounds. I'm so excited about the process of the Keto plan. My doctor wasn't so excited but agreed to allow me six weeks to try it out and if blood work comes back ok I can stay on it as long as I go in for regular 3 months checkups. My fingers are crossed because this is the only diet program that seems to work well and I'm not hungry. That's a big statement for me, because I'm always hungry. I was born with a spoon in my mouth - not a silver spoon - but one with collard greens and cornbread in it. Haven't stopped eating since.

I live in the Dallas TX area, been in TX for 8 years. I work for a legal firm as a paralegal in public benefits which I've done since I was about 31 years old. I'm 63. I'm a case handler so I actually do representation within administrative law. I want to retire in a couple of years. My husband, Terry, says he will never retire, but I told him he can do what he wants, but I'm retiring and doing some things I'd like to do, rather than advocate for everybody else. I'm originally from Florida and my husband's job brought us to Dallas.

There are many of you not in the US. Love the pictures earlier of the Norway scenery. All the pictures are nice. The flowers are beautiful that have been posted and the fairy garden. So, ladies, you are my kind of company.

I don't want to bore you guys to death before I get your welcome, so thank you for your time. Love this blog/thread. Freida