WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR APRIL 2014

Cindy781

Good evening Lovelies,

Wow, many of us have had a difficult time with our Mothers, as well as grief. I just started a book by Louise Hay called "You Can Heal Your Heart". I have read a little of it. I turned to the chapter on losing a pet and cried all over my yoga mat this morning! This book deals with all kinds of loss, not just death, but also divorce, jobs, friendships.

Sandy, I was fortunate too in that I had a wonderful Grandmother who helped to raise me. God makes up for some of things, I had her as well as some great role models growing up.

Sylvia, you are one strong lady and a great Mom. Thanks for the daily joke.

Margaret, Hugs.

Cynthia, hope you get some rest tonight.

Welcome new ladies.

Hugs to all, I think we all can use some ( ( (HUGS) ) ).

Cindy in OK

jmkmomm

DeeDee I hope your siblings don't give away all your Dad's things. My Mom kept a lot of Dd's things and it gave her so much comfort to just wear an old shirt, or sweater or even a pair of socks. Plus I enjoyed using some of his old clothes in some of my quilts. I hear of some people that feel they need to spare their parent of having to go through their mates things so they do it themselves and either throw everything away or give it away.

Tied something new at Dennys tonight. I always get the senior grilled breast but was tired of it. So I got the grilled chicken pecan cranberry salad. I know that the darker the salad greens are the more nutrient rich they are but I just prefer the old fashioned iceberg and carrots, tomato type salad. Well this was on a bed of spring greens and I just don't think those purple leaves and greens that look like weeds have no flavor and don't cut up well. I love the cranberries and the chicken was very tender but it just wasn't what I wanted. So the waiter gave me a bowl of iceberg lettuce and some purple onions and I mixed those in and it tasted pretty good. I know now to just ask for the regular stuff instead of a fancy salad.

Joyce, Indiana

1GirlRiot

Hi, all--

I read through a few posts, but didn't really get a handle on what this thread is for, so I'm just going to dive in.
I turn 50 on May 1st, so I'm almost eligible to join the elite.

I just joined the site 4/9, but it is soooo not my first time dieting. It IS my first time tracking my food, though. I thought it was going to be a pain in the butt but it's not as much of a hassle as I feared.

I live in Southern California in the very hot desert. (121 last summer, but it's gotten to 126 before.)
(We were not touched by winter woes, obviously)

Nice to meet you.

exermom

Bonnie - so sorry to hear about your friend. I live in Newton.

Rita - love the name Chewbaca for your pet

Doesn't jb look great? I'm sure she's so much prettier now.

Sylvia - yea for you getting to the Y. I'm going to take the deep water class tomorrow, but first I'll stop at the Humane Society to give them my aluminum

Sue from TN - welcome! What part of TN are you in?

Jill - congrats on the great NSV's. You deserve them

The day started out with my exercising, then stopped at CVS and got a bottle of soda. I thought Vince had a prescription there, but it was at WalMart. Oh well. Then went to the food pantry to give them some things. Then volunteered at the Green Room. Then to PetSmart to get more dry cat food (I'd used it up this a.m.) along with more pill pockets for Loki's med. Then to Aldi to get what I needed that they had, then home to make the cake. It's cooling right now.

missyfit - welcome!

Meg - have fun at lunch today!

Rori - welcome back. Love the pic of the cat

Kim - It never ceases to amaze me when I realize that I'm actually HAPPY when people forget to do things like bring a cake. Never thought this would happen, but it has. I really prefer to cook my food from scratch so I know what is going into it.

Cynthia - so sorry you are in pain

Amanda - feel better

Liz - congrats on the weight loss. I like your "take 5 extra steps". That's so positive

alf - welcome. Lovely pic. Anyway, I've never heard of the 21 day tummy. Tell us more about it

Cindy in OK - I always carry samples of whatever it is that I'm trying to match.

Gloria - yea for losing those inches

Katherine from KS - yea for the great loss

yanniejannie - recently a friend took me to Chili's. Vince wouldn't be caught dead in there. Anyway, I seem to recall that they had some sort of "light" menu. Check online.

Sandy - what a great NSV. Hope you get a good night's sleep tonight

Sylvia - sorry you lost your hoodie but you did find it. That's wonderful. I remember once I thought I'd lost my light jacket, then I remembered I'd left it at the Y. They had it at the desk. Loved the joke, thanks

Meg - I'm so sad...no pictures. Well, you guys will just have to get together again and take some, that's all there is to it. Glad to hear you and Jill had such a good time, and thank for clueing us in on exactly why Jill was in Omaha

Dropped my aluminum off at the Humane Society then did an hour of the deep water class today. Tomorrow I'm planning to do Jillian Michael's No More Trouble Zones DVD.

After water class stopped at WalMart to get a few things. This afternoon we went to a friend's house. They recently moved and I know that she likes to entertain but right now is having a hard time due to her knees. Her hubby's birthday is Tues so I took a cake with me. Of course, had to have some. We called it "half welcome cake and half birthday cake" so we had the half that was the "welcome" part. The good news is that I helped the hubby by cutting up the cake so I gave myself a small piece.

Going to post this so I mark my spot

Michele in NC

Gardengail

1GirlRiot - we don't have a particular theme or topic, unless you'd consider it good-natured support and caring concern for each other. We're all just of an age with the common goal of weight loss and healthful living.....and we like to talk....a LOT!! :laugh: :laugh:

I've previously said it is like a giant kitchen table where we each come and go as we are able. While a number of gals have been here a long time, not everyone has, so just jump in anytime. Some people give detailed replies, others (like me, most of the time) respond more generally.

If you sign off with your first name and where you live, we'll see who is in your neighborhood. Welcome! We'll look forward to getting to know you.

Gail, metro ATL

barbiecat

:flowerforyou: This morning right after line dance class, two of the students got married in the same room where we dance. They decided on Monday to get married and enlisted a friend who dances and me to help and make the announcement about the wedding at the end of the class—it was a surprise until then. They wanted to dance after the ceremony and the toasts and let me know what dances they wanted to do. I taught the class an easy waltz to “Could I Have This Dance for the Rest of my life”. It was very touching. Both of them lost their spouses a few years ago and took up line dancing and some other activities to help with the grieving process.

:flowerforyou: After class I visited my friend who is the actual teacher of the class. She went to ICU with blood clots on Sunday and today they let her come home. She is on oxygen and is using a walker to get around but she is hopeful that she’ll be dancing again soon. Her daughter who flew here from Arizona is lobbying for her to move down there so I don’t know what will happen next. I assured her that dancing would continue while she figured out her next steps.

:flowerforyou: Jake is feeling better but has a lot of pain at night so I’ve been sleeping in the guest room so he doesn’t disturb me if he’s restless.

:flowerforyou: When I can’t sleep, I read and if I fall asleep, that’s great, and if I don’t fall asleep, at least I’ve had an enjoyable time with my book since there’s no time during the day for me to read....right now I'm reading a series by JoAnn Fluke (mysteries set in Minnesota featuring a cookie baker and a wonderful catt)

:flowerforyou: Yesterday morning I taught the intermediate line dance class so the regular teacher could go to Seattle to a concert. It was fun, but much more challenging than the beginner class I teach on Fridays. In the afternoon I practiced for two hours with the group that will be performing at the county fair in August…..in between I walked the dogs.

Barbie from beautiful NW Washington


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edraper70

Hi all,

We're having beautiful days lately...At least to me. I love it when it's in the upper 80's and hate being cold.

Tomorrow it will be one year since my mom died. It's hard, but we know she's in heaven and that makes it better. Reading about everyone who has had a troublesome life with their parent saddens me. Mom and I had our moments...especially when I was a teenager...but never anything resembling the things I am reading about. How very sad!

Barbie, I love the Joanne Fluke books. I've read all of them I think.

Next week (on Easter) dh and I will go to Tucson to see my dad. He is at my sister's right now. I don't think he wanted to be home this month. Too many memories. On the way there and back, we will stop in Yuma to see my son and family. They are expecting their baby (boy) on May 1st. Getting close.

Gotta go. My favorite two teams are playing each other...the Padres and the Tigers. It's win-win for me.

Eileen near sunny, beautiful San Diego

Yardtigress

I love joann fluke books I have them on my iPod. I listen to audio books all the time. Someone posted they have a hard time sleeping, I used to have a hard time too. I now listen to audiobooks and I fall asleep in minutes, of course it isn't a new book, but one I've all ready heard. Tigress in GA

RebelRenny

No time to read...just bumping. Love ya. And further, we're getting little toddler for the weekend. So, who knows how much I can get on this thread.

Renny

mollywhippet

1GirlRiot- welcome! Where are you in the desert? I went to high school in Lancaster. Hubby was on sabbatical for a year and we lived in Ridgecrest. Hubby was doing research at China Lake. That was 10 years ago, but we LOVED it there! It was 118 the day we arrived and we wondered what we had gotten ourselves into, but once we got used to it, it was great.

Meg - Ian just turned five, but he seems a little less mature than some of the other kids. He has a little catching up to do socially. He told me though that he thought he might want to try again next week.

Barbie - the wedding sounds great! Such a sweet story. I like the Fluke books on audio, too.

We went to Joplin tonight to go shopping. We went to Rib Crib for dinner and I had their chicken salad. It was great, and so big that hubby helped me finish it. Normally we go get ice cream after, but tonight we went to SAMs and I got a box of strawberries instead. They are so sweet! Who needs ice cream? We found a couple of short sleeved dress shirts at Penneys. Those are very hard to find. He wanted any color but blue, which narrows the field even more. Then there's the "no plaid" rule, and the "having one pocket, not two" rule. We were lucky to find two tan ones. I'm happy that they don't need ironing. That's MY rule.

Good night!

Sylvia

Poerava14

Bumping to stake my place.

Jill and Meg -- so happy you got to meet each other. Meg, let us know your Colorado dates, so I can plan to be in town to greet you!

Rori in the Colorado Foothills

SueTN2

Hello all Happy Friday.

I had a nice day today the weather was very nice and warm. We love to go to Yard Sales so it was a perfect day and a great way to get exercise. I did pretty good today on my food choices and did get in a good amount of water.

I hope everyone has a nice evening.

Sue in TN.

PS. Thanks to all that has added me as a friend. I really need the support.

GodMomKim

Katla – hope you and hubby get over the tummy upset! :noway:

Barb – we have a park hiking program here too; no prizes – but I am looking into signing up too. – but I can’t bring Levi – no dogs in the parks…:indifferent:
.
Brenda – Wow excellent job, I’m not a runner but how cool for you.

1 girl riot – we are just a group of supportive ladies, sharing our ups and downs virtually -- Welcome:drinker:

Sylvia – Love your shirt rules! :laugh:

So worked in the yard all afternoon - planned on working from 1:30-3:30 Looked at my watch at 5:30 and was opps ! guess I need to fix dinner. Got both hedges trimmed, and weeded a ton - still more to do; but great headway! Will try to put in a few hours tomorrow too.

So I have this nice guest room; and am only 50 minutes outside of San Francisco - right on the rapid transit line, any one headed to California? 20 minutes from the Livermore Valley wineries ..

So I am thinking about doing more meal planning... I sometimes plan a particular menu - usually if I am having company, but often just wing it. That worked fine when I wasn't trying to eat healthy but now, it can be difficult. Do you all plan ahead? if so how far? a week? 2-3 days? more?

I was lurking on some other threads and there was one asking about what you missed, and a lot of folks have given up everything fun - no desserts/sweets, no pasta, rice, chips or potatoes, no booze..... and I just fit all the things I love in - smaller quantity but still there... but it made me think do I miss anything from the past eating style to the current eating style and I think I miss the mindless eating, that sounds kinda weird but there was/is something about just stopping for a "treat (could be anything)" and not having to decide if it fits in...Not giving up; not really wigged about it at all; just made me think.

Smiles Kim in N. CAL

Kayzoola

Today, I did a Bodycombat class at the gym.

Sandy, I wonder if that is anything like what you are doing? It has lots of punching and kicking and leaves me in a sweaty heap at the end, but feeling great!

Gloria, muscles weigh more than fat. You must be making progress!

Stowe62, we have house rabbits too. Your bunny seems rather spry for a six-year old with all that bouncing and zooming around. Our bunny of the same age is slowing down a bit, and likes to sit in a sunny spot to warm her bones. My DDs friends are afraid of her tiny fuzzy self because she grumps at them. One of my favorite things is when they randomly fall over with their little feet in the air. So silly!

Tomorrow, I plan to take a long walk with DH
Kayzoola (PNW USA)

jmkmomm

Eileen, I am one of those like you. My Mom was wonderful, my parents were wonderful. My childhood was wonderful. My relationship with my siblings today is wonderful. Mom died about 2 1/2 years ago and it was just like yesterday. I still miss her very much. I talk to her a lot and still gain a lot of strength from her. I am so proud of how even her great grandchildren loved, adored and admired her so much. She will always have an impact on their lives growing up and therefore will affect their own children. That's the way a Mom should be.

We got a call today that I thought we would never get. Our ex son in law called. I dearly loved him when Michelle was married to him but he was a bit of a restless soul, came into the marriage with A LOT of baggage. I really never even considered how my daughter divorcing her husband would make me feel. Yes, I was very hurt because of him cheating on her but I still lost a son in law that I loved. He returned that love and my Mother meant the world to him. He was in the local National Guard when he lived here and although he moved up to the opposite end of the state he remained in the guard here in town. So he comes down here for his guard duties often. So he was in town today, getting ready to go to Fort Campbell for the weekend. He served in Iraq for 2 tours and the National Guard gave him a plaque to give to Michelle for her support of him during his tours. It has her married name on it. She took back her maiden name since they had no children. Well I won't put here what all she said he could do with it. I'm sure she toned it down for me though. But since she doesn't want the plaque I will take it. I won't display it but I will put it in my cedar chest. When he was getting ready for his first deployment, they had their readiness training around Philadelphia. At the end right before they were to fly out they gave the men a long weekend off so they could fly home and see their families. Dan didn't want to do that. He said he would be wasting a lot of time flying and then have to divide himself up many ways in order to see everyone so he wanted Michelle to go to him. And he also requested me to come with her. He wanted to have my support before he left. He even made me second beneficiary if he were killed over there. So I will call him and get this plaque. I just have to make sure that she is not here. Sunday is our time for her to be with us so I am sure if I take this it might alter that time. It felt so bad during the final divorce hearing. Michelle wanted us to go with her. He of course had to come down for it. We saw him in the lobby and in keeping in the frame of staying as Michelle's parents, we didn't talk to him. I wanted to. I wanted to go hug him and cry with him. He doesn't have a Mom, she ran over his Dad and killed him and was in prison. She is out now but he doesn't have anything to do with her. He considers two of his foster Moms and me to be his Moms. He is married now so I hope he has a good relationship wit his mother in law. He married the girl that he had a one night stand with when he was in college and home for a weekend. They got a baby from this weekend and he grudgingly paid child support. When his daughter was 11 she wanted to know about her Dad so her Mom allowed her daughter to have a supervised visit in a zoo with ex SIL. Well that kindled the romance back up with her and Dan cheated on Michelle with her and his several trips up o see his daughter. As soon as Michelle asked for a divorce, he was headed back up there and immediately moved in with her and they married shortly after. They now have a son. He seems like a very loving father but a know that pictures can be decieving. I still wonder if he is as immature as he was before with spending, speeding and holding a job. He was always in trouble with the law, he always wanted to be every profession and constantly changing jobs to 'find himself'.

Joyce, Indiana

CynthiaT60

Joyce: Wow, what a story. Your ex-sil must feel very lucky to have your support!
Rabbit people: I had a tiny black rabbit about 10 years ago. Feisty little thing, and very beautiful. I’d let her run around if I was in the area and she was so much fun. If I vacuumed, she’d stand her ground with an “EXCUSE ME!” look on her face, very annoyed, but she didn’t run away. I’d sit watching tv with her on my arm, up around my collarbones. She’d fall asleep under my chin. When she woke up she’d lick my face. Unfortunately she had epilepsy and there was no real way to treat it. Had to put her to sleep when she was (maybe?) a year old (a few months after my husband died and 9 months after my cat). At least she learned that not all people are bad (she’d been dumped outside with the rest of the litter :mad: , and she was the only one living when someone on horseback found her).

I lost a bit more. Now I’ve hit two milestones: 10% of my bodyweight lost *and* out of “obese II” and into “regular obese”.:laugh: :drinker:

Hi to everyone and hope everyone has a good Saturday! :flowerforyou:

Cynthia

tiarapants

Good morning ladies

I'm up and at work. That's about as good as it's going to get today!

Just needed to add a bit about my own mum. She died nine years ago next month and I miss her all the time. We didn't have a good relationship when I was growing up. She was a complex women who needed everything to be centred around her. When I was sixteen she pushed me into marriage with a man of 30 who I barely knew. It was only later that I found out that she had been having an affair with him for over a year and was actual pregnant by him at my wedding (she lost the baby soon after). It all sounds terribly 'Jeremy Kyle', but we really weren't like that. My mum just needed all focus to be on her and needed to be adored.

I will never be my mother!

And now I will do some work and wish you all a wonderful and productive day. Or ... a wonderful and unproductive, but restful day!

Love to all.
Amanda x

cityjaneLondon

Good morning everyone! :flowerforyou:

Brenda - good for you for all that running! Wonderful NSV!

Vicki- have fun with your DGD. The time together is so precious. A quote from "Happiness at Home " - the days are long, but the years are short. So true and they get shorter the older we get.

Meg and Jill - so great that you met up.:flowerforyou: I would love to have been there, listening to you gor 3 hours!

Sylvia - loved the frog joke. I think that's my favourite as well as the porch joke.:laugh:

Barbie - what a great wedding! Second chances at love are so precious and wonderful. :flowerforyou:

Cynthia - so great to be in the regular obese range! Well done for the 10%:flowerforyou: :drinker:

I so adored seeing the DGC yesterday. The six month old is a lovely smiley character and the nearly 3 year old is such a hoot! He is so into fantasy play now with dressing up and has such a wonderful enthusiasm for everything. A very happy nature. When he doesn't want to do something (like have a bath) he says 'No thank you mummy, no thank you' ! ! ! :laugh: When I was sitting down with my feet on the coffe table he was on the table in his Spiderman costume and asked "Can I climb on you Granny?" Most children would just have launched themselves! ! ! ! :bigsmile: There house looks wonderful with the loft extension and all the improvements, but I blench at the money they are spending. I am such a cautious person when it comes to that sort of thing. DS was saying they are going to have their Victorian tiled hall renovated. The whole floor has to come up and be reset in concrete. It is very intricate, like a mosaic. I could see DH shaking his head out of the corner of my eye. I think that meant, where are they getting the money from? They have already remortgaged.
DDIL had a try out for a tv series, but they said she looked too young. She is 34. I think for psychology advice they want someone with a look of gravitas.:laugh: Her books are now on Kindle. My favourite is "This Book Will Make You Calm". Dr Jessamy Hibberd. All you anxiety suffers out there? ! ? ! ?:bigsmile:

We will see them again in two weeks. It was a lovely day. As always I love to watch the relationship between DH and his stepgrandchild. They spent a lot of time rolling around laughing at being the pirate parrot shouting "Pieces of Eight". Giggletastic!
DS cooked us Dim Sum and then we dashed off to catch the train. On the way home I listened to Rhythm of the Saints and read When Things Fall Apart. They went together surprisingly well and I arrived at our station in a state of almost ecstasy! ! ! All this from one phone. Ain't technology wonderful! I think Paul Simon is a great genius. It took me back to the period when I first heard it and was in a state of great turmoil in my life. It really spoke to me then. Now it made me feel really glad that I am no longer in that place of exquisite pain.

Love to all, Heather in sunny and beautiful Hampshire UK

DeeDee2211

Good morning beautiful ladies:flowerforyou:

Just popping in to wish everyone a wonderful weekend:flowerforyou: ! I`m taking a break from the computer this weekend:bigsmile: !

Drink your water:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: and log your food!!!

Hugs,
DeeDee in gorgeous NC:glasses:

Simbikat3

Hello everyone! Another day, another opportunity to better our health! :-D I decided to not renew my gym membership until Fall. Instead I would like to challenge myself to take part in the blodomloppet race that will happen next month. I won't be able to run it, but I can walk it, that is if I build up my walking strength. For the last few months I've been trying to increase my cardio to 150 minutes each week...some weeks are better than others. This week I've already walked 180 minutes and I'll soon be going for a walk today to add to that total. I feel so jazzed! I wish you all better health and continued success in reaching your goals. Hang in there! :-D Here is one of my favorite poems by Maya Angelou: Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.