WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR NOVEMBER 2012

junekaatz

Hi,

Hustling towards the bus-stop along the icy sidewalk after work, hood up, nose buried in my scarf, puffing like a steam engine my hot breath ices up my glasses. It’s a fog glaze that gives the car headlights and street lamps colourful halos and blurs the rest of the snowy landscape. My MP3 is sending a little Brazilian guitar to my brain; it's a ‘trippy kaleidoscope’ moment in a cold, winter sort of way.

Small moments but we cling to them.... hehehe.

Our furnace is working like a charm, thank you. The repairman popped by as the posting 'without heat' gets bumped to the head of the line. Apparently our ignition was broken; $310 later the furnace began to purr but we do have to schedule a cleaning after all the renovations and drywall dust.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and didn’t get injured in the Black Friday madness and mayhem!! Watched some of it on the news, holy smokes! Crazy people! They are trying to introduce Black Friday here to keep the Canadians home but I don’t see it as being very successful yet.

Tomorrow I hope to drag my DH out Christmas shopping, mostly for tools for our soon-to-be-nephew. They have moved in together and apparently he needs tools and I drew his name in the family Christmas draw. I am not looking forward to it as taking my DH into a place like Home Depot is dangerous territory. I have also been shopping for ladies clothing as my guys drew the two real fashionistas in the draw. Oh boy, I don't shop well and my brain starts to go into overload trying to figure out just what they would like. I tend to stress out trying to buy the perfect gift! All my mother wants is new aprons that she doesn't have to iron and its getting impossible to find a poly cotton blend! Its quilting cotton everywhere now..... And so begins the Christmas craziness.

At night I leave my living room curtains open for a while as my two neighbours have decorated their lawns with all kinds of lovely lights, its so pretty. I have been unpacking boxes and books from the storage room and I may be able to actually reach my Christmas boxes in time to decorate before Christmas! There are so many Christmas trees already up in neighbours windows!

Back to my sewing, must finish inserting zippered pockets into my hubby's winter hunting pants for he is home tomorrow.

Be well my friends,
Kate

LinCharpentier

Thank you all for the warm invite. It's a little after five and been up since 4:30 just can't sleep. But was in bed with the chickens last night. So not much to report yet today. But yesterday I was way under calories not hungry don't eat. Isn't that the way it should be. I wouldn't have the problem I have had I done just that.

Wessecg Put the leftovers in the fridge right after the meals. Out of sight out of mind. Just a suggestion.

Dee dee Coming from an old caterer What I did was cook my meat ahead of time and freeze it. Take it out a day before the occasion. Pour a little of the broth you save for your gravy over it and send it to the oven. So fast so easy. And you can cook it anytime. Better yet cook it when your out of turkey for your diet. Keep some out no one will miss any. I slice it all in my roast pan another chore you don't have to worry about on the day of the party. Do this with beef and pork also.

Again thanks for accepting me. And I can already see I will enjoy this forum.

tiarapants

Happy Saturday ladies.

Grey and wet in London. I'm walking around a bit like a pregnant duck - my neck, back and knee are all conspiring against me. I have cream on my neck, a hot belt on my back and my support on my knee. Lordy, I'm gorgeous! Ha ha. I am so determined to be able to walk around the Christmas markets in Germany next weekend.

My dad is having his endoscopy and colonoscopy on Wednesday week. I think we will all be glad when that's over - no matter what the outcome. Once we get the results we will be able to decide how we are going to move forward regarding assisted living.

Well, I managed to get all the Christmas gifts that I have (about 99% of what I need), wrapped and out of the way. It's such a relief as I don't know where I will stand with my dad during December. On top of that we have our Aussie friend arriving on December 7th for six weeks and I want to be able to spend some quality time with him rather than dragging him around shops on my days off.

Yesterday I didn't do much in the way of actual exercise, but I was so busy doing housework and trying not to aggravate my back pain. I did strip and remake the bed in anticipation of our guest. Altogether quite proud of how much I achieved whilst feeling like a sack of something unpleasant!

Speaking of achieving - time for me to do some work. Hopefully the gallery is going to be good and busy today.

Have a great weekend my lovelies.

Love to all.
Amanda x

DeeDee2211

Good morning beautiful ladies:flowerforyou:

Lizzie Glad you got home safe and sound!!! Ah..the E`s accomplished!!!! A good motivator for me is to go into my closet and try on clothes and see how big they are:bigsmile: , just makes me want to continue on!!!!

Barbie How nice you take the time with the new students, making sure fun is had by all! Your beef stew sounds very good!

Linda I think we all miss your long posts, but we want your hand and wrist to heal, so you just take it easy until you`re feeling back to your normal self!!! I agree, being kind and loving ourselves (just as we are right now) is a key to having a happy life!

Kate I love the first paragraph of your post!!! I have this picture in my mind of you walking to the bus stop with fogged up glasses! Glad your home is all toasty now!!!! There are crazy people out shopping, I go nowhere near the stores on Black Friday:noway: :noway: , today we have Local Small Business shopping day, where the merchants give a discount, I do try to go to a few places and support our local economy, my florist has some of the most beautiful ornamnets and I like to pick up a couple of new ones from them. DH in dangerous territory at Home Depot:laugh: . I`m looking forward to seeing some Christmas lights, I`ve not seen any up around here yet.

LinCharpentie I think we all on occassion have those early morning:frown: . Make sure you`re eating enough now...when I first started I wasn`t eating enough and I upped my calorie intake and the weight started coming off! It`s slowed down a lot now, but it`s still coming off. I think my body was holding on to every calorie I put in afraid I was going to starve to death if it didn`t! I try to eat at least 1200 calories, sometimes I fall short but not very often! Thanks for the cooking tips!!! I am so NOT a cook:noway: , I can use all the help I can get:laugh: !!!

Amanda You gave me a giggle:laugh: with the description of yourself....I`m sure you look nothing like a pregnant duck:noway: :laugh: ! I hope with all your doing, your back, neck and knees will be feeling better and ready to tackle the Christmas markets on your trip!!! Congrats on getting your shopping and wrapping done! I`ve got the shopping almost done:bigsmile: but none wrapped:frown: ! Hoping for good results for you dad!!!

I`m going to be a bit lazy today, I really should wash my hair before going out, but I`m not. I fully intend to get myself into my Christmas decorating today, and I`m sure I`ll need a shower after that, so I`m not going to take one twice today! I have to go by the Vets office and pick up Noels food, and to the florist and pick up a couple of ornaments, I`m sure the hair will be fine in a ponytail:blushing: :bigsmile: ! And I will probably stop by Starbucks and grab a coffee, or maybe a hot chocolate, I still have calories to use up, mmmm..hot chocolate sounds good, and it`s supposed to be cold all day today!!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful fun filled Saturday!!! Drink your water:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: and log your food!!!

Hugs,
DeeDee

kathyszoo

Happy Saturday!

Althought I did not get any official exercise in yesterday, I did get all the drawers (7) cleaned out in one of my roll top desks.:happy: I found a lot of memorabilia in a few drawers. Pictures and letters going back to 1946 between my parents and other relatives! I usually get blue around Thanksgiving because my dad passed away that day even though it was many years ago, so this was actually really neat that I found these now! It was so uplifting reading their cards and letters and getting a glimpse into their lives before they had children. I knew I had these but never really sat down and went through all of them until now.

Anyhow, I just have the rolltop part to finish this am which is cluttered with old insurance paperwork and paid bills. Good thing I have a shredder! Never did make the pool but will aim at getting some stretching and chair exercise in today. Think I'm really nervous about doing anything strenuous until I see the doc this week.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!:flowerforyou:

Kathy

“So long as there is breath in me, that long I will persist. For now I know one of the greatest principles on success; if I persist long enough I will win.” – Og Mandino

santd

Hi everyone, new here!! but not new to weight loss So far I've lost 11stones but struggling to get to target weight.

pjs52

Hi! I'm 60 yr old, started fitness pal in august, my oldest son (37) told me about it. I was working out at a gym and enjoyed it, but about 7 weeks ago I started DDP Yoga. Anyway, just counting calories and exercise I'm down 16 pounds and about 9 inches. So I am happy!! We mature babes should stick together...so welcome!!

auntiebk

Good morning lovelies!

Off to line dance workshop *yay* with pot luck *uh oh*.
Will try to get back to logging today or tomorrow for sure...
and catch up on the posts eventually.:laugh:

Hugs,

Barbara, the AHMOD who WILL be size 10 one day


2012: dance more, bark less and check in!!!
November: back to basics

rjadams

Enjoyed my holiday and I didn't do to badly. I avoided the desserts so that was a big win for me. I plan to get some tap dancing in today.

Welcome to the newbies.

Robin, Bodi and Ritter.

bjmcq

Hey Kate,
dragged my DH to a mall to buy him a new decent wool car coat....and, well, it was sorta Black Friday here in the southern parts of O Canada! completely full mall parking lot at 3 in the afternoon.....and Sears has decided it will compete with American prices...

Neither of us are "shoppers"...but he was happy to get 150 dollars off his coat! got out of there asap! I really do think the Black Friday thing is going to overtake us! Hope you find some nice polycotton....:bigsmile:

jb_2011

Good morning! Welcome to everyone new!

Yesterday it rained cats n dogs. My hiking buddy and I bundled up and took the dogs hiking at the big park across the river, it's a beautiful place with miles of well-maintained trails through the woods. We held a rapid pace up and down hills for just about an hour, sure felt great! We were both soaking wet afterwards. Did I remember to bring a change of shoes and socks? Uh, no. My foul-weather footwear has something to be desired. LLBean, here I come.

We'll be having friends over for dinner and cards tonight, so I'll be cleaning and cooking in preparation. I'll be roasting Cornish game hens basted with a mixture of ruby port, brown sugar, garlic and Worchestershire, making roasted beets and carrots, cooking some small red potatoes and putting together a lemon cream pie. There will be wine, of course.

So, on this Stupendous Saturday, I fully intend to be Smart and Sip Slowly, Spoon only a Smidgeon of Sauce, Savor a mere Smattering rather than a Sizeable amount of Sweets and be Satisfied with Simplicity! Good luck me.

Amanda, so sorry to hear you're having such a time with your back and all! Get well!

DeeDee, I just now read about the rotten turkey, blech! I can't think of anything else that would ruin someone's taste for poultry once and for all. I'd be having steak, too, lol.

Barbie, beef stew is always a hit, love the more-veggies version! Are the nuts and goodies gone from your house now? They sure do have a way of tempting us, don't they. I have nuts daily, but it's the chips that haunt me. I might have to figure out a way to hide them from view.

Everyone travel safe today if you're going to be out on the road. I'll check in again soon, wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

jb

bjmcq

Good Saturday Morning to Everyone,

It was a very warm sunny week here for late November in the very south part of Canada, people were out golfing on Thursday, putting up their Christmas lights in their shorts and t-shirts across my street! Last night someone turned on the winter switch, and we woke up to a lovely inch of the white stuff, and cold temperatures. I have delayed cutting my cedar because it was too warm out, and it will die too fast...that changed today. Will put up wreaths now that the temp has dropped so far.

My food has been clean and logged now for 45 days in a row, so I am about half way to ensuring this wonderful MFP world remains an ingrained life habit, not just an attempt. There has been lots of shared experience, knowledge, and motivation offered, so I am very grateful to everyone on MFP, and especially this very supportive thread group! closing in on crossing a big number barrier! I will be there before Christmas, that is for sure!

Hope all your friend and family time for the US Thanksgiving weekend has been wonderful.....it is the Canadian Grey Cup weekend here, (like Superbowl) and it is the 100 anniversary...so this will be a great game, especially when we have a team from the East and West competing. We play a slightly harder game with less downs to make the yardage... My guess is that DH and I will sit and mark papers together as we watch, and cheer on the Toronto Argos..... He deserves it, he has no hockey, and his spirits are dashed!

I have had a week of flu/cold stuck in my chest, and my exercise plan has been derailed....trying to be kind to myself to ensure I am healed, and can breathe again, before i go out again. Poor woofy...he misses his trot through the cemetary and his head out the window car rides!

Enjoy your holiday weekend for those US pals, for the Can"eh'juns, enjoy the great game!

janehadji

Hello all! I haven't been on here since Wednesday, so have just finished catching up on the posts. Growing up so close to Canada, I've always thought of Canadians and Americans as being exactly the same, except that your groceries are cooler since the labels have both French and English on them! It's interesting to be learning of a few more differences, such as when some of our holidays fall.

I have just two more days in this cam boot, although I don't think wearing it has solved the problem. I'm looking forward to not having to drag it around. My daughter arrives for her visit on Monday, and my son should have gotten back from Miami last night late.... I'm waiting for him to wake up and call me. He scared me half to death on Thursday night, calling at 1:30am to say that he was lost and walking alone in a bad neighborhood. Then he abruptly said he had to go and hung up! I thought he was being attacked. I couldn't reach him again, and was on the phone to the Miami police department and trying figure out where he might be for over two hours. It turned out he was fine, but we didn't get any sleep that night. (His cell phone battery had died; he read some street signs and called a cab to get him "unlost"). Kids! It doesn't matter how old they are.

Laura80111 -- So glad to hear that hubby got the promotion! Huge congrats!!! :bigsmile:

Michele -- I can't wait to see pictures of your pool/landscaping when it's finally all finished. It sounds like it's going to be amazing!

Meg -- Down 1.5 lbs..... congrats!!!

DeeDee -- I'm glad you got the turkey traded, it sounded awful. My father ate some bad chicken nearly 65 years ago, and has refused to touch any form of poultry ever since. I also have an alarm system and a driveway gate, but no cameras. Many years ago, I looked out the window to see a man circling my house and a truck with an empty trailer sitting in my driveway. That was what decided us on the gate, etc. No problems since, and it's eliminated solicitors!

Cheryl -- I loved your story about sweeping everything quickly into the basement. LOL! Congrats on being down another 1.4 lbs.!

Barbie -- I really like your quotes. The one about eating between Thanksgiving and New Years versus the opposite made me laugh. :laugh: The one from Baryshnikov brought back memories. I've always loved his amazing dancing. He danced in Denver when my daughter was 5 years old (she was in ballet classes at the time). I knew that he was getting older and probably wouldn't come again, and I wanted her to be able to say she had seen Baryshnikov dance. I spent a small fortune on nearly front row seats so that she'd be able to see well. Guess what? She has absolutely no memory of it at all! :ohwell:

Micki -- Happy 42nd Anniversary!!

Nancy -- I've never heard of ganglia, but I'm glad it doesn't hurt. Hubby ended up gambling on Wednesday instead -- said he felt guilty skipping Thanksgiving on me. He doesn't celebrate any of our holidays, although I've always had them for the kids and myself. We celebrate only one of the Persian holidays. Their main one (equivalent to our Christmas) is Norooz, which is the Persian New Year in March.

Kate -- Glad to see that the furnace is fixed -- that sounded cold!

Kathyszoo -- I'm glad that the chest pains are finally gone. That must have been scary!

Jen -- Hooray for you and your Thanksgiving challenge! :flowerforyou:

Katla49

Happy Saturday morning, ladies. In our family, this is Christmas morning, and our daughter told us not to come over until 10 am. Then she changed it to 11 am. They must have been up most of the night decorating the tree and making stockings. I can hardly wait to see if the presents we brought bring smiles.

My husband and I haven't figured out what we're going to do on real Christmas morning, while our kids are at their in-laws. Last year everyone came to our house. I get the part about taking turns, only I want more than my share of turns.

I am away from scales and wonder if I'm making progress. My clothes are fitting looser, and I have more energy than before. I guess I'll call those NSVs.

It is great reading all your posts and seeing how well things are going for so many of you.

megblair1

:bigsmile: Hey everyone it’s still the weekend! Having 4 days off is grand.:happy: Not much happening around here. DH took DD#2 shopping; they are going to get some lights to replace some burned out ones on the Christmas trees we have on the porch. He got up early and did the grocery shopping too…what a guy. It’s cool and overcast here and I have the rest of the day to work on my book and do some cooking. I fell asleep after breakfast and woke up to the clocks chiming 11:30. Ugh. I love my naps but hate wasting so much of the day.

LinCharpentie: welcome aboard. This is a great group of motivated women. I too take metformen, but I am still in the prediabetic phase. Are those your grandbabies in your pic?

Wessecg: oh that is so sad about your doctor’s nephew. We have 2-3 drunken boating deaths every year here. Good for you on the weight loss…I’m sure she was pleased. I’ll be searching for that movie LOL. :happy: Turkey soup is easy….pretty much like the chicken soup. Cook the carcass with whole onions (don’t peel…they add a great color), celery, and carrots, bay leaf, lots of pepper. Then let the broth cool and strain. When it’s time for soup I add the same kind of veggies again (but this time I peel the onion LOL) and any small amounts of leftover frozen veggies we may have and Reams frozen egg noodles. YUM.

DeeDee: I was reading your post and you mentioned salmon….was this the yucky salmon on your home page? Ugh! I bet the hot chocolate was better!

Lizzie: glad you are home safe and sound

Barbie: good for you to miss black Friday. DD#1 worked yesterday and said it was awful. She kept finding the security tags all over the place which meant people were removing them and stealing the items. As for those nuts….they claim to be healthy but not if you eat too many!

Linda: I know we are all hoping your hands/wrists heal! Hope you have a great time at the wedding!:flowerforyou:

Kate: I loved your description of the fog glaze. I do adore the winter for all the effects it brings. I’m the one who is a disaster in the tool store…I LOVE tools. Strange! I also can dry wall with the best of them….we have rentals and have flipped houses and do most of the work and I love mudding the drywall. :glasses:

Amanda: good for you to be nearly done with shopping for Christmas! I hope all turns out well with dad. I can’t wait to hear about your trip. I have been to Munich and Freiburg and loved it. I used to be fluent in German; now I guess you could say I’m sorta conversational! As long as I’m talking to someone who keeps it simple! :bigsmile:

Kathy: how wonderful to find those letters! I bet they were so interesting and really did show a side of them you didn’t know. Keep them safe.

Sandt: welcome to our group. For all us yanks, what’s a stone?:glasses:

Barbara: have fun at the potluck and good luck!

Robin: is that your pic? OMG you (or someone!!!) are gorgeous! What a great photo…so happy.

Jb: is it me or is your dog blue? How do you roast beets? I would love to try some. I love LLBean too. Lands End is another one I tend to shop in lots. Your dinner menu sounds fabulous! Have a glass of wine for me!

Bjmcq: Why no hockey? I know here the NHL cancelled the season or at least part of it, but you have your own hockey league, right? I like hockey in person; I can’t follow the puck on TV.

Janehadji: OMG that would have scared me too. When you see him, you’ll have to kill him LOL.:laugh: Kids! They are like walking heart attacks! I’m so glad he was ok…why was he walking alone in a bad part of town?

Katla: good for your NSVs!!! Those count as much as the scales do. Maybe you and DH can take a little trip on Christmas…go to a nice hotel and eat in a restaurant. I would LOVE to do that. We have a beautiful state park with cabins and a lodge with loft-style rooms and a great dining room. They do a tremendous business over all the holidays.

Well I’m off to get some work done. Nearly done with chapter 13 and have read most of 14 so I can get started right away on that one today. I am getting a little panicked about these books that are piling up. Of course I have the text book. I have secured the authors for my 3 chapters I am overseeing, but still have to re-write 2 of them. I also have 2 chapters to write for a national exam review book (don’t know why agreed to that one) and I still am waiting for page proofs from something I did over the summer. Plus this test bank. It’s going fine, but one of the authors has not sent me a single chapter yet, so those will be coming in while I am busy with the others. UGH OK….take care! Meg :drinker:

Greatorexc

Hi all! Caryl here. I am a 58 year old full-time working Mom of two adult, gainfully employed children (yahoo!) Have been a lifetime Weight Watcher member for many years struggling to maintain my weight within the 2lbs of my goal weight (the uppermost for my height) 5'3". Have been using MFP for one week now and I am finding it much more helpful than WW Etools. I Have come to the conclusion, supported by MFP, that I have not been consuming enough calories for my activity level which seems counter intuitive but I am going out on a limb and try to increase my consumption, of healthy foods, of course. I have a sedentary job but i exercise regularly including walking, hiking, jogging and weight lifting. I especially like all of the nutritional information MFP provides. Wondering if anyone has purchased the Witherings Scale. Am thinking about putting it on my holiday gift list. suggestions and support are welcome! :flowerforyou:

Sasha4427

Hi everyone on the post-TG Saturday. Did anyone do the Black Friday thing? I was considering it but after I saw TV footage of some of the last year crowds, I chickened out, I remembered that I don’t like crowds very much (bad experience with Cabbage Patch dolls rabid crowds) and I couldn’t think of anything I really, really wanted to buy. So, I went to work and had a very productive day, but I still feel like I need a day off playing hookey.

Barbie – love the Baryshnikov quote and just seeing the name brings back memories of watching him dance (that man could fly and land without noise I swear, what an amazing beautiful dancer). Your TG sounds like a very nice celebration with friends. The beef stew sounds like a plan for tomorrow, I’m craving some comfort food – must be because we got a couple of inches of snow yesterday.

DeeDee – just the thought of the smell of rotten meat makes my stomach flip. I had a similar experience with a leg of lamb once (and yes, they made me bring it back, and they gave me a replacement that I didn’t feel like eating any more). It took a long time to look forward to lamb again. It sounds like you also taught your DDiL a good lesson as well. Fix it and keep going.

LinCharpentie – welcome and come back and chat frequently. I’m sure the support you get here will help you with the 3 month health challenge and keep you on a longer road to healthy weight loss.

Linda- glad to hear you’re mending. 10 pounds by January – very ambitious and we’re all right behind you supporting you. I’m going about .2 of a pound a week at the moment so it might take me until Easter to do that. Have fun at the family wedding celebrations – love those things!

Jen – congratulations on the 100 mile success, not only success but exceeding the goal. Good for you. Share the lessons you learned about achieving goals. I can use any insight you have.

Kate – great description of the morning walk, almost felt like I was there! Glad to hear your furnace was so easily fixed. I’m not sure if Black Friday Canada style will take off, part of the draw seems to be going to another country to shop. My neighbours have all decorated last weekend, so I will be out today getting my lights up and it’s a beautiful sunny day for it after the snowfall yesterday. I don’t think I’ll flip the switch until Dec 1 though.

Amanda - pregnant duck indeed! I hope you get over the pain challenges before the Germany trip, the Christmas markets are so cool. Vancouver attempted to re-create one in the city core, (OK but not like the real thing) and next door New Westminster has a Sinterklaas celebration (but Zwarte Piet has been banned as a racist symbol).

bhncq – so it looks like the Canadian BF did get some reaction! Hmm, maybe I should go out to our local stores and see what’s shaking.
Hi Jane H – I hope you’re wrong and the cam boot worked for you. Sounds like your son has no idea what kind of a reaction his phone call would cause on your end. It’s like they just don’t understand we worry about them. Ahh – another Baryshnikov fan!

Oh Meg – your hockey question to bjmcq made me laugh. Don’t repeat that in a room of hockey fans - I'm sure a lot of them wish we did have separate leagues by now. I’ve never tried leaving the onions whole in the broth, will have to try that, my broth always seems to be an anemic sort of lack of colour so I assume the onions will add some golden tones? Good luck with your texts, sounds like you are a very, very busy lady!

OK, enough typing, off to the stores now. I have decided to buy myself a kitchen digital scale so I have a better idea of portion control. I am tired of trying to convert ounces to grams and vice versa. I don’t need the mental workout that badly. Also need to buy a little gift for one of the holiday party gift exchanges. We have a lovely Country Store here that has wonderful little gifts that fit those type of occasions so we’ll see if I get out of there with only one gift. Also need to visit the post office see how I need to pack DD2’s gifts to send this week.

Enjoy Saturday – oops sunshine jus disappeared in a very snowy looking overcast sky so maybe the Christmas lights won’t go out today after all.

Talk to you all tomorrow.
Lila

lizmil79

Hello Everyone,

The Gremlins are acting up on my computer this makes my third attempt and I was almost done and ready to post the last one:sad:
So right now I am going to take a break and try again later maybe for at this moment I am feeling like a 2 year old and want to throw my computer and jump up and down. :explode:

I am thinking of each of you and have read each of your posts .

Liz

linder4866

Just a quick note.......I've read all the posts and once again everyone accomplishes so much. You should be proud!!

Meanwhile if you remember all my whining a while back about what coat could I find to wear for this winter.......and I finally found something to wear. Now wait for it, here's the laugh......it no longer fits. I tried it yesterday and the wind is blowing up under this one now and I can't get the drawstring tightened up enough on it. While it's nice to have evidence of weight lost, I sat and laughed and laughed. Best laid plans......time to regroup.

Take care. Virtual hugs.

Lin

exermom

jane - Six kids under 11 -- you must be exhausted!

Meg - one time when Bryan was little, we went to Sabarro's in the mall and he has spaghetti. I thought this one container was parmesan cheese, so I really put it on the spaghetti. Only it wasn't parmesan -- it was garlic powder (or salt). Did he reek for days! Another time I made a whiskey cake for his 21st birthday. Since this was the first time I'd made it and it was a VERY old recipe (like the paper was yellowing), it called for "1/2 whiskey". It didn't say 1/2 of what. I did find out that it didn't mean 1/2 cup, tho. Bryan's review of the cake was "the cake was good, ma. But I really felt that I needed to wait 1/2 hour before driving after having that icing"....lol Congrats on the weight loss. I so agree with your rules for Thanksgiving dinner. I know right now that I'll go over. For one thing, I'm bring up two bottles of wine to Jessica's. One is a bottle she brought back from France for me, I have to try it. I know it'll be sweet (which is what I like). I also bought this chocolate strawberry wine that I'll have to try. I was told it tastes like chocolate covered strawberries. We shall see. I'll have some turkey, try to fill up on veggies. But I know deep down inside that no matter how mindful I am, I am going to go over. The good thing about this lifestyle is that you don't need as much to feel full, you know that if you overeat, you'll feel "yuk". I know that I will. A friend of Jessica's will bring an apple pie. I have a suspicion it'll be a pie from a store which means high fat and sugar. If it is, I just may pass up on that. It's nothing special. Now the cookies I made, the brownies, and the cake are all from scratch. I made the cake because it's an applespice angel food cake, is light. I really think that after a big dinner, I'll probably want something light. Also, the calories aren't bad. I, too, am trying to limit my eating somewhat before the holiday. Not going super low on the calories, but being more mindful. I had salmon tonight (guess why?)

cheryl - woohoo, getting those pants. Jeans are about the only thing that I can sometimes find at WalMart. They SOMETIMES carry petite sizes. I can never get any shirts or sweaters there, they never fit quite right. Wow! A 10 and an 8! That's just great. Those 8's will give you something to work toward (you certainly don't want to have wasted that money!) LOL I can just imagine your basement. It's OK if you don't post pics of your dogs. I love pics of horses. They are such stately creatures.

barbie - we went to the doc's back in Sept. to just meet him before we changed over. At that time he gave me my flu shot. This year I didn't have any reaction. Last year did I ever have a reaction! I didn't do any food shopping today, but I did go to Target to get this game for one of the kids (the Battle of the Sexes) since I could use my coupon and it came to about $15. Then I went to Kohl's and found a sweater that fit me. It was on sale 50% off, they have a coupon for $10 which technically starts tomorrow but they took it today. Then I had a coupon for another 15% off. I also bought Denise a hair straightener for Christmas, that's something she wanted. I honestly thought the price was lower but the lower price was for the shorter straightener. I didn't even know that they had a shorter one! Well, the manager gave me another $5 off. So in all, this trip saved us $20. But I could see the increase of traffic. When we get back from Jessica's, I want to try getting out the gifts that I have, see how much we need to get any of the kids (and Vince), and then on cyberMonday do shopping.

Lila - one paper around here is offering a fantastic deal on TV's, but in the paper it says "stores may have 6". What a prescription for turmoil! And no rainchecks. I believe WalMart will give a raincheck for their Black Friday deals. We won't be around for them, which I really don't mind.

rrboxer - prayers. I remember how much I hated it when I broke the bone in my foot and couldn't exercise for something like 9 weeks so I can hardly imagine how you're feeling.

Micki - happy annivearsary! 42 years, that's wonderful!

For all the cooks out there - I just got a recipe in my inbox for a "tipsy apple pie". Basically, it's an apple pie but you add brandy. Do you think I could substitute bourbon? I just think this recipe sounds interesting. I may make it for Bryan's birthday if you can substitute bourbon. I'm also going to make him bourbon balls. Can you tell that I have bourbon that I need to use up? I'm not a drinker, but Jessica wanted this bourbon glazed ham for Easter and you only needed something like 2 Tbs of the bourbon, so now I have this bottle open. I know it won't go bad, but I would like to use it up

Just found this on another site - "did you know that a teaspoon of honey and a 1/4 tsp on cinnamon will usually knock out a cold within a day or two? Take twice a day for 3 days for best results. Both honey and cinnamon are antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal. Also knocks bladder/kidney infections, reduces sugar levels, blood pressure and acts as a pain reliever for arthritis". Don't know how true this is. If anyone tries it, please let me know.

jb - I know what you mean by not wanting to put off exercising. That's why I need to exercise first thing in the morning, otherwise, it doesn't get done.

Robin - when we have to clip Bonnie's nails, what we have to do is put her in the bathroom, close the doors to the toilet area and the closet. she knows that she can't get away, so she just puts up with it (much to her dismay)

DeeDee - that was so nice that you got a cooked turkey. I know what you mean about the smell of bad meat. I one time got a pork tenderloin, and did it ever smell! The house reeked! But eventually the smell did go away.

barbie - do you know what happens if you get your flu shot too early? Glad Jake's shoulder is getting better. Sounds like you had a fabulous Thanksgiving

Jen - how wonderful that your son was able to say grace! Yea on your Thanksgiving challenge

Meg - when I make Christmas dinner, many times I'll make things like the desserts in advance and freeze them. I've frozen the soup and other things, too.

Lin, sandt. pjs52, greatorexc - welcome. And welcome to everyone else who is new that I may have missed

Vince loves his hockey and is so mad that the season is basically cancelled. When he's watching a game, I don't even want to be near him! He yells at the TV and so on. But ever since we've gotten Lexi (who gets scared), he's really toned it down. But I still don't want to be near him when he's watching a game

Cheryl - that is so sad about your gyno's nephew. Awesome weight loss!

LindaSundance - have a great time at the wedding celebration!

Kate - glad your furnace is working again!

I mentioned to Vince that we need to get all the presents I have for the kids out and see what we need to buy them then order it hopefully Monday.

Amanda - feel better fast!

My Thanksgiving - we drove up to Jessica's Thursday. There were a lot of trucks on the road (surprising) but in all it was clear sailing. I did a DVD before we went. I'd told Jessica we would be there at 6 since we couldn't check into the hotel with her cats. At 6:20 right as we were turning into her development, I called and said "Jess, get your shoes and coat on, come outside to see your babies". That's when she told me she wasn't home but would be home in 30 minutes. We just knew that she was with Zac, and eventually she did confess that she went bowling with him, that she was drunk. I just said to her "Jess, we're cold, we're hungry, we're tired, we haven't had anything to eat since breakfast, and you made us wait out in the cold for an hour". I think she did feel bad. Zac, to me, plays on her feelings, gives her the "oh, wo is me" act. He totalled his car because he was driving drunk (that wasn't the first time).

I knew that I was going to overeat Friday so I did 30 minutes of jump rope and then 30 minutes on the treadmill at the hotel. I did find that I could jump rope about 40 times before I had to turn around, tho. There is a car rental place in the same hallway as the fitness room, so I tried to be finished with my workout before they opened. There isn't enough room in the fitness room to jump rope.

We had dinner Friday. I didn't eat a whole lot, but I did drink way, way, way, too much. Jessica's friend, Amanda and her son came by. Amanda was going to bring an apple pie. Remember I said that I'd bet it was a store bought one. Well, it was, but she kept insisting that she'd made it so I had some. Then, when I sobered up a bit I realized that the crimping was much much too perfect for the pie to be homemade.

Remember the "friend" Jessica was going to have that she didn't remember the name of. Well, seems that this "friend" was really my other daughter. I get to see her 3 days a year, and this year I get an extra 4 hours with her, and I really wasn't in any shape. I will NEVER let that happen again, not ever.

But I must say, the wine Bryan picked out for me from France was goooooooooooooddddddddd.

Drove home today. Denise wondered if I had a headache, but I didn't. I just felt like I wanted to drink a lot, didn't have much of an appetite. But that was good because I totally forgot to take the turkey sandwiches with me and the carrots. At least I did have pumpkin seeds, fruit rolls (which I didn't eat), apples, V8 (which I didn't have), soy milk in a box (which I didn't have). I didn't even eat any of the microwave popcorn that I'd brought.

When we got home, I went to go to church. The battery in my car was going and it got cold, the car had been sitting for a few days (Vince likes to drive his SUV, I find it uncomfortable) so we put a battery charger on it. We'll get a new battery tomorrow. In a way, I'm almost afraid to go to church tomorrow, I'm afraid that when I come out my car might not start again.

Well, I knew that I had to make up for the excessive drinking yesterday, so I did 15 minutes of jump rope, 30 minutes on the treadmill, then I tried their elliptical for 15 minutes. It's much harder, you really need to use your arms. I don't think I could go very long on it.

Tomorrow I'll do some balance games on the Wii

Here's hoping everyone has a great evening.

Michele

lizmil79

Hello Ladies,


Decided to give this another try. Today (outside of the computer acting up) has been a good day. Very productive got all of the cleaning done including laundry folded and put away. (Normally I get it folded but leave it on top of dryer) so finishing it felt good. It has been cold and rainy outside today. So I.put in my Richard Simmons Sweating to the oldies Vol 2. I have done it a few times already this week and been please that my knee is holding up and not hurting. Happy that i am now able complete it.

@Micki Happy 42!!
@Meg congratulation on the loss. Plus that is a nice DH shopping really nice.
@Janehadji -- Wow I would have been freak too. After I made sure ok than killed him.Lol kids
@Barbara have fun at your potluc
@Lin that is a great story as to why your coat isn't fitting right because of weight loss. That is classic. Very encouraging.
@Lilies we brave black Friday sales. In years pasts and this year meet my sister in laws we go make a day of it. Love it social gun festive and it helps s lot for our sticking to.our budget. It is going to.help this year too but next year we will be doing our shopping on line. I thought it was way to crazy pushy aggressive to be fun. Even in.Caldwell, Idaho .
@Barbie beef stew sounds good. I think it will be on our menu Monday. Tomorrow is our last Thanksgiving party with family coming in from.out of town. Sp by Monday we will be ready for something other than turkey.
@Kate Glad to hear that your furnace is working now.
@Linda have fun at the wedding.
@Kathy glad younare feeling better
@Amanda hope you feel better soon.
@Dee the smell of meat rotting makes my stomach flip its understandable. My mom to this day won't eat either turkey or chicken due to a childhood experience. For every thanksgivings that I could recall we had turkey but there wad also either a ham or roast beef too.

Next year going to plan better we go to every year at 4 thanksgiving parties. I host one but. Need to get a better grip on intake.
Due to ybe gloomy days notice that off feeling @I get a little depressed. But now I am walking working out hopefully it will.past. my friend thinks I should get one of those lights but I am hoping with workouts won't. Be neefed
Welcome everyone gray group.to fe a part of.

Remember to complete your diary and to be drinking your water.

Have a good evening,

Liz

bjmcq

Welcome, hope you enjoy the homey and supportive and interested group! 11 stone is remarkable acheivement!

barbiecat

:flowerforyou: Kate, I’m glad you are warm again……we have a furnace maintenance plan that puts us at the top of the list if we have any problems.

:laugh: Jb, the bad food is still here except for the yogurt because Jake is eating nuts, raisins, cereal, and peanut butter……I had to make a decision to stay away from all those things and it has been a bit of a challenge, but I’m doing it.:bigsmile:

:flowerforyou: Janehadji, I took ballet classes from age 8 until I was in high school…..we lived near New York and Philadelphia for several years and my mother took us to see some amazing ballet performances but I don’t remember who the dancers were….I was never sufficiently passionate about ballet and I was built physically wrong so I didn’t find out about my passion for dancing until I took Jazzercise in my 40’s and then started line dancing at age 58.

:flowerforyou: Lila, when it gets cold here, instead of going for comfort food, Jake builds a fire in the wood stove and that seems to warm us inside and out

:flowerforyou: Michele, I didn’t have a reaction from my flu shot except that the site of the shot ached for a few days….the pharmacist said that if you get your flu shot too early, it might have lost its effectiveness before the flu season is over

:flowerforyou: We shopped at the grocery store at 8AM and Costco at 4PM and missed all the crowds.....now the cupboards and the refrigerator are full but we're doing a cleanse day tomorrow......we bought a beautiful fresh organic turkey today at a great price and stuck it in the freezer to eat sometime this winter.

:flowerforyou: I went for a walk today with my friend who just came back from Waco, then we visited a friend from line dance who lives in the same neighborhood and that filled my afternoon before Jake and I went to Costco.

Barbie from NW Washington

junekaatz

...and just when you think nothing could surprise you, a horse and sleigh clippity-clop up your street in the gently falling snow and you look around for surely there must be a group in top hats and be-ribboned bonnets preparing to break into song .... "Here we come a wassailing among the leaves so green...."

bjmcq

'Hey Meg, I guess I am chuckling at the question too.:happy: ....The N in NHL is mostly thought to be a Canadian 'National'..... the way the US claims baseball, it is "our" game.. although it was purposely left vague..and this league has had a very hard time establishing successful franchises in the US beyond the early American teams from the original six of the league...while we have cities like Hamilton that go begging for one! The hockey owners have locked out the players, so there is no professional hockey in NAmerica....and many of the players have gone to play for European teams this season.

Hubby is going through withdrawal, but I am enjoying the chance to go out with friends! His team used to dominate the league in the 60's but has not won a Stanley Cup in almost 50 years....and yet it is the richest, most loyal franchise in the whole league!

This year I don't have to worry about shouting "Go Leafs!", and trying to mean it. :devil:

bjmcq

JB, you gave me a great insight.... I have had no luck finding rain/running gear over size 16, if that, in Canada, or for shipping to Canada....until I checked LLBean. Have placed an order, and finally will be able to be rain/snow/ wind proof when my order comes in! Thanks for sharing!

DeeDee2211

Good morning beautiful ladies:flowerforyou:

Kathy Congrats on getting those drawers cleaned out, finding the picutres and letters had to be so wonderful!! Hope your Dr. appt. goes well:flowerforyou: !

Santd, Pjs52 , Caryl Welcome to the group!!! Come in often and chat!!!

Barbara Hope your dancing was fun and you did good at the potluck!!!

Robin congrats on avoiding the desserts!!!! Get that tapping in!!!

Bjmcq Congrats on saving 150.00 on the coat, that`s great!!! and congrats on 45 days logged in, keep it up!!!

Jb Your dinner sounds just wonderful!!!

Janehadji Oh kids, they never seem to care that we worry about them ! I`m glad he was okay!!! Enjoy your visit with your daughter!!!

Katla49 Congrats on looser fitting clothes and more energy, those are great NSVs!!!

Meg Yes, the salmon I was waiting for, for dinner is one and the same:grumble: , it smelled fine, a little fishy after it was cooked, but just didn`t taste right ! What a sweet hubby you have shopping for you !

Lila I bought a digital kitchen scale and I love it, I weigh out everything, and was surprised at the amounts, some I could actually have more of than what I thought:bigsmile: !

Liz I see the gremlins have paid you a visit ! I know the feeling about wanting to throw the computer!!! Oh, I see they have left now...Yay!!! I`m so bad about leaving folded clothes on top of the dryer too:embarassed: , I`m trying to get better with that though!

Lin Congrats on the coat being too big! Look at the progress you`ve made since you first tried it on:bigsmile: !!!

Michele Lol at the wiskey cake and garlic instead of parm. cheese:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: ! Sounds like you got some real bargins at Target!!! Sounds like your Thanksgiving was fun:laugh: ! Too much wine you say:huh: , I try not to do that very often, I don`t like the feeling I have the next day , how was the strawberry chocolate wine?

Barbie I like to avoid crowds at the grocery store too. I have to go today and it seems like Sundays are always busy:frown: ! How interesting you danced at a young age, but didn`t develope a passion for it until later on. The older we get the wiser we are!!!

Kate A horse and a sleigh in the gently falling snow....sounds just beautiful!

Well it is time for me to go put on my tiara:bigsmile: ! I am prepared with clean hair today too! Hope you all have a great day!!!
Drink your water:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: and log your food!!!!

Higs,
DeeDee

LinCharpentier

Holly gee whiz guess I shouldn't wait a couple days before coming here. Now it's almost impossible to respond to all of you. I did read all of the posts. And see where you are all doing wonders.
I don't believe some of you are finished with your Christmas shopping. I like last minute shopping. But I do want to decorate a little earlier this year but not until sometime in Dec. Did buy the mop I wanted to whip down the walls and that will be done starting tomorrow.
As for today I want to get to the sewing trying to get these quilted towels done for the oven door and pot holders.

So it's on to a good good Sunday. Weekends are tough. But it's almost over. And I did it.

Thank you all for the nice invites. And those are my grandbabies.

Katla49

Just wanted to say that I appreciate being able to stop by here in the morning and find out what everyone is doing. You ladies are awesome.

jb_2011

You'd think after the last 3 days of feasting I'd be ready for fasting. But I saw this recipe, and since I have a bunch of peppers from the garden that need to be used up, I just might have to give it a try.

Quinoa-Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Ingredients
4 large poblano peppers (or bell peppers)
2 teaspoon olive oil
1/3 cup quinoa, uncooked
5 button mushrooms, finely chopped
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup salsa (or less)
¼ cup ground flax seeds
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh marjoram (or cilantro)

Directions
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Rub peppers with olive oil and place on prepared baking sheet. Roast until slightly blackened and softened, 15 to 20 minutes, turning once.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, cook quinoa according to package.
Remove peppers from oven; set aside to cool for 15 minutes. Discard pepper skins; slice peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds.
While peppers cool, spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Add mushrooms, corn, chickpeas, sea salt and pepper; cook for 3-4 minutes or until fully heated through. Add in cooked quinoa.
Prepare a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Stuff each pepper with quinoa filling and place in the prepared baking dish. Cover with salsa, flax seeds and fresh marjoram. Return to the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 20 more minutes.
Remove from oven; set aside to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free and Vegetarian
Serves 4

Have a wonderful Sunday!
jb