WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR MARCH 2013

Yesterday was a good day. I worked hard out in the yard all day and soaked up the sunshine. I actually almost felt happy. Today we booked the flight and the RV for an August trip to Alaska. Well I need to get back to the yard.

Robin, Bodi and Ritter
in the Sunny PNW

Hello to all - I've been reading a couple of times a day, but not posting much. The two DSs are on their way up for dinner. Ham, cheesy potatos, roasted asparagus and biscuits are on the menu. (We are in the south, after all!)

Made a batch of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies for DS1's birthday (@ the middle of March) and will send those home with him - much too tempting to keep here!!

Have had a lovely Easter weekend and wore one of my new dresses to church. I must say that I felt quite sassy in my dress and red peep-toe pumps. Perhaps I'll wear it to work tomorrow and shock one and all.

Feeling very blessed with reflection on the past year since my heart surgery. As a dear friend always says, "Happy to be healthy!".

Talked with several family members and friends today as well. Off to finish getting things ready for supper.

Gail, metro Atlanta, where spring isn't sure it has arrived, but the pine cones on the trees are about to burst out with icky green pollen... (too long a sign off for every post, I know)

Katla:flowerforyou: - how are your knees now? Thanks for the positive support about surgery being my decision! I guess I never thought of it that way!

My right knee is now totally pain free. My left knee is dramatically better. It gets stronger all the time and now only lets me know when it is tired. Losing weight was the biggest help in my progress so far, but the strengthening exercises the doctor gave me do also help. Those are to sit on a chair or lay on the floor, raise the leg, tighten all the muscles and hold it ten seconds then relax. This is repeated in groups of 10 on each side for three rounds of repetitions. I do this while riding in the car, mostly, so I'm not as diligent as I should be. Lucky for me, it is all helping anyway. I wish you luck with your situation. I can testify that losing weight is a huge help.

Katla

Katla:flowerforyou: - how are your knees now? Thanks for the positive support about surgery being my decision! I guess I never thought of it that way!

My right knee is now totally pain free. My left knee is dramatically better. It gets stronger all the time and now only lets me know when it is tired. Losing weight was the biggest help in my progress so far, but the strengthening exercises the doctor gave me do also help. Those are to sit on a chair or lay on the floor, raise the leg, tighten all the muscles and hold it ten seconds then relax. This is repeated in groups of 10 on each side for three rounds of repetitions. I do this while riding in the car, mostly, so I'm not as diligent as I should be. Lucky for me, it is all helping anyway. I wish you luck with your situation. I can testify that losing weight is a huge help.

Katla

Katla and Sundance: I have had double knee replacements and I can say that it was the best decision I ever made. Lose whatever weight you can before the surgery and be sure to do whatever knee exercise they recommend both before and after. In less than two weeks, I was walking without the aid of a walker or cane and pushing my 375 pound husband into the hospital emergency room in a wheel chair. Sure there are things I can't do, (like kneeling to scrub the floors) but it's a lot better than the pain I had all the time before. Hope my experience helps with your decisions. :happy:

I'm sure that surgery is a wonderful option for those who need it. It was never suggested for me by my doctor, so I never have considered the idea. I'm not recommending for or against surgery; that is a decision for the person with the problem and their doctor. I wanted to see how much I could do for myself and I'm very happy with the results I've had so far. I shared that experience here. I'm happy to know you've had wonderful results with your surgery and are pleased by the outcome.

Katla

Hanging out waiting for Barbie to post the April thread.

Joyce - we're driving to Galveston (about 5 hours away) on Thursday and staying there until Sat. We're going to the Western Caribbean for 7 days. The reason we took this trip is to see the Mayan ruins and to celebrate DH's birthday.

DeeDee - don't be too hard on yourself. Your body is trying to heal itself. Just get well then pick up where you left off.

We had a quiet Easter also. Church, lunch and working in the garden (actually it's flower beds).
Will pop back in later to see what's up.

Sue in TX

moxie - congrats on the great loss, for you AND you dh

M - you had me salivating reading your post!!! Portion control really is the key.

Vince went to chruch with me last night since I was serving. At the Easter vigil mass the bring new members into the church. When we got there Vince kept saying to me "it IS in English, isn't it?" As far as I knew. Well...it was bi-lingual. We were there for 3-1/2 hours. They had to have two readings in English, two in Spanish. Half the mass was in English, half in Spanish. Never again. On top of that they had a new chalice and ceborrah (is that the right spelling?) that they HAD to bless at that mass. They couldn't wait one more day, oh no. It was so hot in the church. I had a light pantsuit on, but I couldn't get over how how I was. Then...when we're leaving there's all these flashing lights on the road alongside the church. Seems the police had some sort of checkpoint, I guess they were checking for expired licenses and that the car was up-to-date with the registering. There WERE a few cars pulled into the middle of the road. They had 3 cops checking licenses and tags! I suspect they were also looking for people drinking under the influence. Now Vince is a C&E'er, so being there for 3-1/2 hrs was NOT his favorite thing. Really, I thought it confusing, I couldn't understand lots. I think the idea was that they were bringing two cultures together...but by the time it was over my feeling was "if you're going to live in this country and raise your family here, speak the language!"

This morning it was cold, now it's warm. I think I might change into a lighter shirt.

Did a 45 minutes pilates DVD today. Tomorrow I'll do some yoga then take the etremepump class.

jane - (((hugs)))))

mrsjayBob - welcome. It doesn't matter when you found us, that you did is what's important. We're so glad that you did.

I made some brownies for when Jessica comes down here this weekend and put them in the freezer. I also made some low fat oatmeal raisin cookies. Gail - like you, they're too tempting. I will take some to mahjongg and the rest one of the girls can take home (she previously mentioned that she was running out of cookies), siome for two of the gyms that I go to and the rest in a baggie to send to Bryan.

It's a bit warm out, now it's raining. It's supposed to be in the 70's tomorrow. But then on Tuesday it's supposed to be in the 50's. Mother Nature can't make up her mind....lol

moxie - wow! your dh was having allergies from the eggs in the stores. Never heard of that, but I certainly can believe it. Bet your eggs taste much better anyway.

Rori - oh, how I love Bonefish Grill!

March goal -- forget it!!!

Going to go take a shower and get ready for tomorrow. Hope everyone had a great day.

Michele in NC

:flowerforyou: Happy Easter my lovely ladies!:flowerforyou:

An entire week of warm weather, downspouts sounding like babbling brooks, small rivers running down driveway to the street, the great glaciers that covered the landscape are slowly receding, revealing scraps of boggy lawns and the mounded brown edges of the garden. Tiny noses of hope; hyacinths, narcissus, tulips and daffodils, each are timidly poking through the soil to see if the long bleak winter is in retreat. It is a lull; we know that yet we beg to hope that we have seen the last of the snow and cold. Ha! It is barely April, still considered a winter month in these parts.

Filled with anticipation I put my chair out in the sun on a newly cleared space in the snow of the back yard and sit and read, yes, jacketed and mufflered, I inhale the rays of the sun like some life-affirming elixir. Squirrels are stretching their legs and chasing each other along the tops of the fences, thousands of waxwings are a surging ribbon across the sky in the search for mountain ash trees, their ‘tavern’ stops along the way on their trip to the summer cottage.

While the Easter feast is in the oven, I have turned off the furnace and opened the house for a thorough airing out and the Royal Miss Cinnamon Buns has woken to sense a change in the air. As I sit and read she pokes her nose out of the door, eyes blinking against the brilliant sunlight, a few steps forward and she drops to the concrete trilling and rolling back and forth as if to assure herself this is real. It is kitty, enjoy this intermission.

If we are lucky we will be rid of the last foot of snow within the week (hahaha), be given a vision of the yard-work ahead of us before the next white blanket descends. It has been a lovely Easter, good Friday being the best with a surprise morning visit from my BIL and SIL who are out from Abbotsford , B.C. for a birthday/farewell for a family member, a time to say their goodbyes.

:laugh: The evening brought my nieces and great nieces, the younger two being a set of whirling dervishes ages 4 and 6! None were shy and the 4yr old made straight for the cat on the sofa, nose to nose. Why little Calleigh was delighted with her find, C.B. was less so and streaked out of there post haste. It was a game of ‘find the cat’ for half the night. They stayed for four hours and didn’t stop moving the entire time! For a while they latched on to their cousin, my son, used him as a climbing tree and he had them hopping to his Xbox KInect (a form of WII). For that little time of quiet time, I am so grateful as I talked to my lovely nieces as I have never been able to talk before. They have grown into such wonderful women. A big hug from each at the end of it all and the little one said, “I going to miss you so much! Will you show me how to do those things you make?” She was referring to the flannelette pajamas I make them every Christmas. So precious I wanted to keep them but know full well, after a week I would be giving them back out of sheer exhaustion! Lol!

Easter dinner itself was pretty quiet, I ate very little as for the past two days I have felt like I have been kicked in the stomach by a mule and don’t dare wander too far from the throne room. Hope I am over this soon, this is quite unpleasant!

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!:flowerforyou:

Kate, in sunny:glasses: (for the moment) Alberta

Good morning ladies.

I've been MIA from the boards for a few due to being super busy at work. Only got a couple of minutes now, but wanted to say hello to you all in case you forgot about me!

No time to catch up with the posts, that will have to come later I'm afraid.

Have a great day if possible please.

Love to all.
Amanda x