WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR AUGUST

Happy, lethargic Tuesday! I have been running errands, trying to get materials for tiling a backsplash. Just driving & running into stores, and going down mile-long aisles has me worn out. Maybe it is because so hot & humid out & I was in & out of air-conditioning? Maybe it is because I have been been using all my great defensive moves agains the hoard of mosquitos - Alice, they ARE awful! - Maybe it is because my breakfast was on the run - a protein bar - and I ate a late lunch via Subway? Who knows, but I had to log on here & get a mental boost from your posts in order to make it further into the day without nap or snack. :yawn: I thought Amanda's idea of snuggling in with a good book sounded divine!!

Actually, I am snacking. Mimi, I have a bag of veggies right here that I am snacking on in your honor! I am thinking "The Queen Veggie" would be a good name, also! What a darling story; I am betting our grandchildren & nieces/nephews wonder about us sometimes . You are such a great researcher! You know, they pay people to do That!!

Thanks to Michele & Barb, also, about the good info. When I first mentioned it to DH last night, he said, "Tried it: it has a funny aftertaste. I can only find it in packets so it gets expensive." Now I can counter with good info!

Oh, you girls with such energy: Donna, I wish I could get that same busrt of energy (flea market LOL!) Robin - all I can say is WOW - impressive! Minnesota is one of my favorite states. Perhaps because my DGD lives there :happy:

Oh, no! My DD's dear boy friend, who is staying with us in order to actually put the tile on the backsplash just informed my I bought the wrong adhesive.....back to the salt mines, my dears. More late!
Take care,
Bec

Happy 36th Anniversary, Kackie....enjoy your celebratory dinner!

Getting ready to go out for a walk. Just wanted to say Hi first. I got to use my new (very used) little truck today to do an errand for my son. He needed one more piece of trim for the stair rail before the painters got there. I just hopped over to the lumber yard then up to where he's working. Hurray for my new little truck. She's not pretty but she's solid.

Michelle, maybe you could call the cruise company to ask about the salad. That or bring some of your own food. You can do that with pride. Who knows, it might catch on! Re the asparagus, I do break the tough ends off. Then I spritz them with olive oil using my Misto sprayer, place them on a broiler pan, and bake them at 475 or so for about 9 minutes...the exact time depends on the size of the asparagus. Don't overcook! I love it roasted but also like it steamed. Either way, the flavor's delicate. I think it's a little more interesting roasted.

pcw52, your approach makes sense. One of the books I read (Strong Women Stay Young) recommended building up some muscle before you tried cardio because the exercises are easier for someone who's out of shape. The eating part will come in time. Be sure to log everything. You'll find it tremendously educational. One of the things that struck me the most was how exercising bumped up the number of calories I could eat. I knew that but I didn't truly get it. You've come to a great place for support!

Chellus, welcome.

Bec, good for you on the veggies. I just had a big bowl of fresh-picked tomatoes and cucumbers with a little yogurt, vinegar, and pepper. I'm full now but have lots of calories left. I'll have a little more to eat when I get back from my walk. Speaking of which, I'd better get going. It's easy to procrastinate when I'm talking to all of you. But the daylight won't last forever.

xxx

I have returned. I live in a small town, so had to drive 30 miles to exchange the adhesive. Since we drive that so often, it seems like nothing. However, huge storm blew up on the way back home. Fortunately, Angus & Mac were not too upset about the storm (DH at a meeting), but tails wagged fiercely when we came through the door. :ohwell:

Contiinuing with some comments:
Mimi - if the Veggie lovers belong to HEC - would they then be HEClers?:laugh:

Chicletgirl - Kackie is so right: just work on making it one day @ a time. You know you have a place to turn when you need to vent, cry, whatever it takes. One technique that is so affective is to journal. That could be here. Please take care of yourself.:flowerforyou:

SuzyQ - I am sure that your daughter is going to thrill her grandmother! Her presence will be a wonderful birthday gift.

Laura - thanks for the Today Show link. Inspirational is right!

Alice - I am sorry about your aunt. My mom was the last of a generation, also.

Bkrbabe - I love your lessons - thanks for sharing.:flowerforyou:

Erica - Good For you! I hope to be reporting "into the hundreds" . I just hope I will be able to say that before TOO long! fo how long will that temp job be? Will there be a chance of it becoming permenant? Will it give you time to search out another full time job? I hope you find what is best for you!!:drinker:

Michele - We always grill our asparagus with olive oil, Italian seasoning and sometimes garlic. What a dilemma on that cruise! I think you should take something with you like some apple slices to eat with the turkey. I have done that, pleading "doctor's orders" - so I fib a bit....Well, my doctor did tell me to cut out fats & sodium! :ohwell:

Kackie - Happy 36! We hit 30 this year :flowerforyou:

Pcw52 - Welcome! I only weigh in once a week, but weight myself constantly! My goalwas to exercise 3 times weekly, but try to do something everyday. I am relatively new to this all, also, but have done much better since getting help from these supportive women and this board.

A -/+:
1. :grumble: I ate too much food tonight. Even though it was good, healthy food, I feel uncomfortable.
:happy: Tomorrow I am on all clear liquids for the day so will not feel too full all day!

Random thoughts:
1. Does anyone else use a lap top that has a curser that is cursed? I will be typing along when suddenly the curser jumps to another line and I have typed something in the middle of other words! I try to be sure I correct them, but if you read something that does not make sense, that is why. Well, that and I am a pretty bizaare thinker.
2. Another story from my childhood related to my dad: I thought babies came from mail order stores like Sears. That's because when I would ask my mother where dad was, she might say, "Out delivering a litter of baby pigs". I thought that dad had gotten in a litter from the mail and was taking them to the farmer. I had no thoughts about where the mail order store would get the piglets. This continued until my 8th birthday when my dad let me watch our dog have puppies. I was surprised to say the least, but glad that I finally knew the truth! (I am starting to sound like a goofy kid....)

Question for you HEClers:
What is a really good, quick breakfast that will help me in my good eating habits when I return to teaching in a week? I am not a morning person. (love mornings, but love to sleep & keep kind of strange hours - such a night owl and no internal clock). What is quick, easy, filling, good for me? Thanks!

Time to help with some more tiling. This post took me hours to write since I would stop to help, eat suppers, etc. Thanks for everyone's posts. They are wonderful!
Take care,
Bec

Good night, ladies!

Last night's candlelight dinner was not so romantic, just me and the pooches. Power came back on 5 mins before DH got home from work. Second power outage this summer, our thunder and ligthing storms have been terrific this year. THIS time I'm not putting the candles away!

Did try roasting brussels sprouts, ala Mimi, but didn't cook them long enough and the marinade must have had some sugar in because, they were a bit blackened on the outside, and decidedly C H E W Y !!!

Tonight I stopped at the new smaller farmer's market, maybe only half dozen vendors. Got beets and turnips with their tops on, a small watermelon, some garlic, red peppers both hot and sweet and a cucumber. The cute sweet gal who sold me my first bluberries last week persuaded me to try a cherry tomato (pink brandywine). It is a testament to my mother's training that I didn't spit it out or throw up. I really DO NOT LIKE TOMATOES! And yes, I'd read SuzyQ's excellent and inspiring advice. Will not be following it tho'...Got home and scrapped planned dinner in favor of turnip greens sauteed with a strip of bacon and one of our tiny home grown potatoes, a piece of bread and some brie. YUMMMMM! Oh and some red wine... ;}

Dance class tomorrow and Thurs so that will be all the creative cookery until Beer Friday night. Lenten lifestyle is going by the wayside. Light beer Monday and 2 glasses of wine tonight. Ah well.

Chiclet, Its so hard to feel so powerless. You have nothing to apologize for, if you can't share with us, who can you share with? We are here, we care and we all send you warm thoughts. I am so glad you chose to try the meds again, at least for awhile. And you're right, sometimes you need a good cry to purge the bad chems as well as the pent up feelings. As Kackie suggests, put one foot in front of the other. And again. And again. And as Laura says, take a walk. Have a good cry. Try to sleep. Get up and take another very very very long walk. It sounds crazy but exercise can help. It's something you CAN do, it will improve YOUR health, and maybe even your outlook. It might not be a bad thing for your mom to stay in the hospital for awhile. She'll get care there. Sending you a big squeezing bear hug. and a littler one to Boo. Thnaks for sharing the story about your momma and the hot guy nurse. She must be a pistol!

Barbie Tea at the Empress, now there's a memory... I must have been 5 yrs old, While Mama and Papa were enjoying their tea, I walked up to the pianist and proudly announced that I, too played the piano... Well done with the blessed peach pie. All that walking must have paid penance forward.

Erica_q, "was reminded that the hours I had last year weren't my hours" sorry but I don't understand?

Elizabeth, what happy news! What does your son do for a living in Cabo? It sounds like living in any other resort-too good to be true! "You must know that you are a big chunk of my life, even if I'm not a good poster. I visit you every day here, and I care about what happens to you all." You said it just right.

SuzyQ My grandfolk were gone before I was born too, one Great Gran lived to see me at 1. How old were your parents when you were born? How many sibs do you have? It is a different experience from most. So glad for DDs quick fly in. Enjoy!

Amanda, I can't fault your guest for wanting to sample the local brews, it would be HIGH on my list if I ever returned to the British Isles. Just so long as he doesn't get loopy before lopping of the branches, that could be dangerous. On the other hand, your home is YOUR home and if you don't want booze in the house he must respect that. Sorry about those glasses, hope the broken "arms" don't come in 3s. Whod've thought we'd need new glasses sizes, too? (tee hee!)

DoobieDoo, sage words!

Peggy, no wait, you must have me confused with someone else. Exercise is one of my struggles, as in haven't made the gutt'n'butt yet today... The only exception is dance class which is NOT EXERCISE BUT FUN... (think this is key)... Please tell us more about your loom and your spinning. Do you have a wheel? Do you card your own wool? What the heck are noils anyway? Oh Stained glass, if only I had the artist's eye and some hand coordination, I'd love to try it. Oh well somebody has to be on hand to say "Bravo!"

Jeannie Having a hard time picturing "boat camping"? Do you have a brazier setup on deck for the s'mores?

Donna Thanks for the toaster oven idea, it really is too hot here to fire up the ol' oven... "Why would anyone want to buy fleas?" snorted the wine that I most certainly DO NOT spit out. Know how hard it is to resist the smell of those fries. Maybe GD will share 1 or 2 with you, you can savor the taste, then move on to a fruit and walnut snack which is pretty yummy too...

Laura WTG with the bike riding and giving DH a good workout! The whole family coming Christmas? You must be so excited! Not sure you'll come back tanned from an Alaskan cruise... relaxed yes, tanned, don't think so... Paperwork, you inspire
me! It's mounding up again... 5 lbs to go, its soooo close, you must be so proud!

Bec, There is a special place in hell for dog poisoners... I want it to be for them to come back as the dogs they poisoned, knowing what is happening, powerless to avoid and knowing they did it as they suffer.
Lightening up, school year survival yoga plan sounds GREAT! ConVERY gratulations on eliminating 2 of the meds! It won't be long for the other 3. Sweeteners, I can't use nutrisweet, or sweet'n'low or anything with aspartame, it gives me a headache. Maltodextrin makes me "windy" but I like Splenda even though it is chemically processed from sugar. The last time I tried Stevia (a natural product) it had too much "green" taste for me... but imagine they've improved the refining process.
Sometimes I just use honey and count every calorie. For baking I still use real brown sugar and white sugar and molasses. Haven't experimented with the Splenda blends, worried about their influence on texture and tooth.

Pat Good for you! 5 mile walk AND badminton? Well done! Perversely, I have trouble exercising on weekends, but can make it to dance classes during the workweek. Go figure. 4th wrist surgery? How hard that must be! Whatever are chocolate aero and sugar foam shrimps?

Michelle your variety of exercise is inspiring! Sorry the cat cuddler class got cancelled, please tell us about it when its held again.

Kackie you said it and you said it well!

Peggy again, what agreat idea about the calendar. and Again one of my favorite phrases "Throw momma from the train" when she said the magic word I bout snorted my drink! What about cues for getting that paperwork done? Like Barbiecat, I'd
rather read and post than clean house (or sort paper and pay bills!)

AllisonMO Enjoy Sweden, but beware of the lutfisk.

Erica again, WOW Congratulations, what a MilePost. Well Done!

Alice mosquitoes as weightloss strategy, oh noooo! The bite would make me swell up more than offsetting the exertion. I HATE THEM. The trout can starve! The least offensive anti-bugstuff I've ever used was Avon's Skin-so-soft wipes...
Sorry for your loss but it sounds liike you have wonderful memories. The older I get, the pages seem to be more of an animated flip book than a leisurely read...

Barbiecat, Thanks! Only partly familiar with one that you mentioned, Quarter After One, and I'm struggling with that, can't seem to get past the first 24 counts... My ab favorite is an oldie done to a polka song about "I want to be a cowboy's sweetheart" DH requested roasted veggies for lunch? hmmm, maybe the next weekend I cook, which looks like it will be Labor day (no pun intended)...

MacMadame, Good for you for trying all the alternatives, AND for being alert to what works for you and what does not. How's the sleep coming? Don't think the body can heal without it... Your Mom still works at 70 and travels to China, and
credits Chinese medicine for keeping the Hep C at bay? WOW! Maybe that's where you get your energy and determination?

Jackie oh nooo, the fishy box in the recycle bin is NOT the kind of "cue to exercise" Peggy meant! Just love your sense of humor tho'.. Good job on the Zumba, think you're onto something there.

Mimi, aka SVQ, you don't know how much you've influenced me. I ate blueberries. I ate a cherry tomato and didn't puke. I've cooked vegetables two evenings in a row. In the past, was ok with salad and raw vegs mid-day but at night it was carbs and protein. Think that's changed permanently, for non-dance class nights at least. All thanks to YOU our beloved SisterVeggieQueen! What the HEC indeed!

There are many small or toy breeds that don't shed (need grooming) or are low dander, poodles, many terriers, bichon frisees, miniature schnauzers, and so on. Our Robby is a "little black dog" mix who doesn't shed. Our Dixie is a larger (35
lb) Wheaten Terrier who doesn't shed and looks like an apricot poodle with a Jimmy Durante nose. Do not be deceived. She is ALL TERRIER. You are good and right to recognize that in the Sierras you need to keep a dog close, inside or on leash
because of the timber rattlers, coyotes, and other hazards. Not to mention they can roll in poison oak and bring the oil home to you! One problem with the electric fence, it doesn't protect the dog it confines. As for foxtails. there's no way around it. Must check every inch of ears toes pits and butt after every outing. On the other hand, grooming is a soothing activity that actually lowers the human's blood pressure! Dogs need walking. Dogs love you no matter how you feel or look. Hope I'm not pushing too hard but can't help my enthusiasm. Dogs HELP!

As for the avocado oil, I prefer the Hain refined stuff instead of the Chilean... its too green looking!

Maltodextrin in Splenda? You couldn't prove it by me... Maybe its time to check out SweetLeaf, don't think it was available when I was first experimenting with stevia. Thanks as always Mimi, I'm so glad you're here now!

Donna Hope you don't stress too much over the minor indulgence. Veggie supper and a good night's sleep should offset. Wake up refreshed and energized and burn off the remainder with a happy morning walk!

Robin you must be so excited both to see you daughter and for her new job/adventure! Wow, not only are you our extreme excerciser example but your also roasting vegges ala Mimi and following Rebel's fruit? 4-6 miles at a time! No kidding you are AWE inspiring!

Kackie more hikes WOW! Keep the bear spray handy, and be careful! You are so right about logging on MFP. Its those days when I give up and don't log that I pay the price both in the way I feel and at the scale. A very happy anniversary to you both and enjoy the champagne! Life is too short not to celbrate such a milestone!

Viv, "...dogs are away of an evening..."? They go out without you?

Michelle I'll see your nehru jacket and raise you my black velvet bell bottomed trousers that I wore throughout the Peoples Park Riots in Berkeley 1969 ...

Chelius, Welcome and Hi!

pcw52 Try it different ways and see what works for you. I weigh in every morning, but only update MFP on Fridays. Others weigh twice daily, weekly and everything in between. As you read the posts you'll see everything from extremely active exercisers to those who are just starting and trying to move around more a litle every day. Whether you start with exercise or food, or a little of both, you are doing the right thing... you are STARTING. Congratulations! And as Barbiecat teaches us ... "Never never never give up!"

Barbie, What's FA? ... "the dogs liked her" They do tell us so much, don't they?

Bec Breakfast for me is frequently a Luna Bar and a piece of fruit, but the Luna bar IS processed, so looking to switch more to real food, like homemade granola, half cup yoghurt and piece of fruit. Or a good old fashioned pb&J on a whole grain bread is something you could make the night before and munch on the way to school. Or an apple, an ounce of cheese and some nuts or whole wheat crackers. A devilled egg and some fruit salad. Oatmeal and an orange. Morningstar Farms breakfast patty and a whole wheat Eggo waffle. My old favorite, CHILI! The important thing is to eat breakfast and to include protein as well as carbs. Good hunting.

Barb et al, HEClers, Love it!

Gutt'n'butt 7th try day 8, still. Didn't make time this morning. Tomorrow for sure!

Hugs to all,

G'day Ladies (That's the influence of our Aussie visitor!)

Kackie, happy anniversary! Hope the champers was delicious.

After a pretty awful day yesterday, I had a really awful night. At 2:00 am I gave in and took a valium. Normally I only take them when my back is really bad, but I felt the need to just switch off. Of course, it means that I have that horrid, leaden feeling today, but I do feel a little better even though my therapy session this morning was fairly gruelling - old issues were brought up and I 'brought my mum back into the room'. Mum was always hypercritical about me and, even after all these years, I still suffer from low self-esteem. One of the things that I always remember her saying to me was when she arranged for me to marry my first husband at the age of 16. She said that it was my only opportunity to ever get married and that nobody else would have me. I was SIXTEEN!! At the age of 51 I should be over this, but some things are really hard to let go of.

DD#1 came over to visit last night, along with Son-in-law and my step-grandson. She had been for another scan and brought photos of the babies. I can't believe how clear they were! Baby boy was looking right at us and you could actually see his features. Baby girl was a little more coy and seemed to have her hand over nose. My step-grandson decided that was because baby boy is stinky! (Charming - but as a big bro, I guess he gets to say that). It was lovely to see them all and a little sad too as step-grandson is flying back to the States next Monday so we won't see him again for a while. Hopefully he will be coming for Christmas this year, but it depends on his mum - who is not particularly helpful, but then again, why should she be.

Chiclet, never, ever feel bad at coming on here and saying how you feel. We may not be with you geographically, but we are here to support you any time you need us.Big hugs.

Bec, my netbook has a cursed cursor also. Extremely frustrating isn't it! As for breakfast, my favourite is an egg, scrambled with a good heaping of spinach and black pepper. Yummy.

I am happy to be a HECler!

My DH is allergic to aspartame and I have to make sure that nothing I buy contains it. I do have a little section of the pantry which contains things that may have sweeteners in, that DH knows he can't touch. Generally speaking I avoid artificial sweeteners as much as possible.

As I wasn't feeling particularly wonderful last night, I didn't have much of an evening meal (despite cooking for all my visitors). I ended up just having a few lightly steamed brussels sprouts topped with a little coriander and lemon hummus. My family look at me as if I'm crazy when I eat something like that, but it suits me.

Auntiebk, Chocolate aero - they are THE BEST! I used to love the mint flavoured ones. They are chocolate with ... well, bubbles in them. Delicious - but no longer to be eaten by me as I cannot manage sugar these days.

MacMadame, your Mum sounds wonderful! Good for her!

Jackie, step away from the fishy exercise area. Of course you can come and use my gym!

I was pleased to step on the scales today and to see another 2 pounds gone. It really put a spring in my step. Sixteen more pounds and I will have lost 100 - I will definitely do that!

Viv, I envy you living in York. It's a beautiful place and so diverse. We were up there for the weekend last month, visiting DH's aunt in Holtby, and I could definitely spend much more time around that way.

Sister Veggie Queen, I have always been a lover of veggies, including the roasted version, but they will now always be 'Mimi's veg'.

Time to get into action. Mum-in-law needs visiting.

Have a good mid-week my friends.

Amanda x

Good morning everyone I want to say this first before I forget, and you know I will :laugh: Welcome Connie48 and to the rest of the newbies as well. I am not one to give advice as I am learning how to eat well and healthy myself, but in this group you will find support, knowledge, and humor. Alot of wonderful ladies in this group, Now, with that said, let me go to a second window so I can try to mix and mingle

Today I ate reduced fat/calorie waffles for breakfast, plain. I think it has been the first time I have had waffles since I was a kid, child not a goat :laugh: although I can be an old goat at times :laugh: I also had a half of a cup of blueberries. I wasn't all that impressed with the fruit. Hmmm, I thought I liked blueberries, but for some reason they tasted, well, tasteless I ate them anyway just because. I also had 6 oz serving of blackberry light lowfat yogurt. Sounds like alot, but it was around 270 calories and I am full.

Chiclet, like the others have said, glad you are feeling better and there is no reason to apologize.

Michele, thanks for asking Mimi about cutting the tips off of the asparagus, I have been meaning to ask the same thing and kept forgetting to, imagine that :noway: I will do that for sure because the ends tend to be tough and stringy and gets caught in my back teeth, then I sort of lose my apetite for them:grumble:

Bec, I guess my way of thinking hasn't changed much since I was young :blushing: when I seen your name on here, angusowner, I thought you owned cattle :laugh: Little did I realize your dogs name was angus. As for me having energy?, that's a rare occasion. It just so happened that day I slept the morning away (another rare occasion) and after awhile of being awake, I realized I actually felt like doing something! Amazing what some good sleep will do for ya

Kackie, a day late, sorry. Happy 36th aniv. to ya, hope you had a wonderful time :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

auntiebk, I did stress alittle over the mcdonalds food, but I am over it now I probably wouldn't have if I didn't do so poorly over the weekend, but today is another day and I am off to a good start. A decent breakfast and already have 4 glasses of water drank:drinker:

Amanda, brussel sprouts used to be one of my favorite veggies when I was younger, I just bought some lastnight. I am going to steam some tonight. I hope I still like them as before they were loaded with butter :noway: Maybe I'll try some lemon pepper on them seeing you use lemon hummus although that's not quite the same

Well I better get off of here. It sure does take me along time to type, correct errors, and etc. It's a good thing that I don't work in a office:huh: :noway: I have been posting this for about 45 minutes now :laugh:

I hope everyone has a good day :flowerforyou:

Good morning all!

I missed yesterday as I played scrabble with DD#2 after dinner, watched NCIS, and promptly fell asleep on the sofa. UGH!!! :mad: I haven't yet exercised, but I will get it in before lunch. Not working this afternoon, but I need to get to the library to renew two books before heading off to Las Vegas Friday for my son's basketball tournament.

Reading about everyone eating roasted veggies makes me want to have some, but sadly don't have the money right now to buy anything. Please pray for us as we will not be getting paychecks until October, just my DH's retirement which is not enough to cover living expenses.

pcw52 - Welcome. Exercise is a great way to start. Changing one thing at a time has always worked best for me. If you find one thing to change each week, you'll find yourself making wonderful progress. Make sure to applaud yourself for every positive change you make.

Chelius - Welcome to you, too. Can't wait to learn more about you.

Connie 48 - Welcom to you, as well. Congrats on having the exercise down. Working on your eating shouldn't be too hard, since you already have the discipline of exercising. I would suggest, though, that if you are packing a lunch, that you forego eating out. What do you do with the food you pack? If possible, find out ahead of time if anyone is eating out and plan accordingly. Good luck!

Chiclet - There is no reason for you to apologize. Everyone has those days when they need to vent. This is a great place for doing that. I can't remember who suggested journaling, but that is a great tool. I don't journal as much as I used to, but it has helped me in the past to get things out. It, also, gave me an opportunity to look back and gain a better understanding of what was going on. I'm sure it would be a useful tool for you, too. Hang in there. :flowerforyou:

Amanda - I hear you on how our parent's words can stick with us for a lifetime. :frown: Although I don't remember specific words being said, it was understood (by me, anyway) that perfection was required when growing up. Obviously, being the imperfect person that I am (aren't we all? ), I never felt I was good enough. I still struggle with that today at 53. CONGRATULATIONS on your 2 pound loss. :happy: Way to go! Even better, 84 pounds lost! :bigsmile: I'm sure you'll be minus the next 16 before you know it. :flowerforyou:

Barbara - What I meant by "they were not my hours" is that I was working another person's shift. She was out because of an injury and decided not to come back to work. I was given her shift, and someone else was given mine. My supervisor, reminding me of that, also told me that I could not be scheduled for more than 3 hours because of my position (the other shift was 3 1/2 hours), which I didn't know. It's all very political, especially since the union has taken over. :grumble:

Bec - I don't know any details about the job. All I know is that it is in a doctor's office (with 14 doctors!) and there are 4 pregnant ladies. My friend said it would be temporary, but it was possible that it might turn into a permanent position. As we all know, though, there are not guarantees about anything, so I need to give it a lot of consideration before giving up my steady job. Even though the office manager has asked for my resume, there's not even a guarantee that it will get past that. It's been over 20 years since I've worked in a doctor's office, so I'm a bit rusty. Who knows if she'll even want to hire me considering the length of time? :ohwell:

Well, I haven't eaten breakfast and my tummy is rumbling, so I better put some food in it. Have a great day, everyone.

Erica

Happy Wednesday everyone......

First of all, welcome newcomers you'll find fun, support and motivation here...enjoy

Viv...good for you for making the effort to exercise. It gets easier and becomes more fun with time and patience :flowerforyou:

Michele....too bad the one person pushing for the lunch cruise won out.:ohwell: The buffet would probably have been a more"user friendly" choice for everyone and less stressful and a lot more fun. Let us know what happens, and good luck

Bec...I use the same reason to ease my way out of little "problem" food situations. It's just so much simpler to say Gee, I can't, my Dr. says no. Hard for people to argue with that:noway:

Auntiebk...I haven't had turnip greens, but I really like beet greens...yummy:happy:
Tea at The Empress is a lovely experience,but it's gotten sooo expensive. It was $50. per person last time I was there:grumble:
My son works in management at a resort in Cabo. Jenn is a personal trainer at a spa/resort. She's certified both in Canada and Mexico. Loves what she does and gets to work with some interesting celebs.....recently Goldie Hawn. Gerard Butler, Rob Lowe....all very nice people:glasses: She sure enjoys what she does:bigsmile: My son's job is not so glamorous, but since he was a banker before they moved to Cabo, I guess going to work at a resort IS more exciting. They've been there for 2 years and certainly have no regrets. Actually, they were married there six years ago. Jenn's Dad has a condo , and they had lots of friends before they made the move. It certainly wasn't an impulsive decision:bigsmile:

Chiclet....Good to know you're feeling better.This is a safe place to vent....lots of people with willing shoulders to lean on.

Michele...I'll go all in with a Mary Quant jumpsuit....so cool back in the day:smokin:

Amanda...congratulations on the 2 pound loss:drinker:

Suezzzque....Sophie is just adorable. I think you two were meant to meet. She's a lucky little lady

Laura....You and Kackie must be doing something very right. I've been married and divorced three times and only managed to "log" in 34 years in total. What I did accomplish was to become the proud and devoted Mom to my 4 kids. And now of course Gramma to 4(going on 5) grandchildren. Believe me, I count my blessings every single day

Someone asked me if I'm Gran or Nana to the grandkids....I've been Gramma since my first grandson was born 20 years ago.
I speak to, or e-mail, or facebook or skype with all four every week. My 2 year old grandson looks at the computer screen and says " I kissing you gramma" It's such fun to see him. He was dancing for me this morning. Can't wait to see him here next month. Got to spend some good time with Jared (20) in May and will spend a month in Charlotte (Dec-Jan) with Hannah and Evan (17 and 10), so this year I get to see all four in a 12 month period. Hannah passed her driver's exam last week and my daughter and son-in law bought her a cute little Honda on the week-end. She's already planning our shopping trips:bigsmile:

I know I've probably missed some replies, but this is the best I've managed for a while. I don't really like my laptop:sad:

I appreciate and care about every one of you........Have a happy day

One last question about roasting veges -- how long will roasted asparagus last in the refrigerator?

Remember I was telling you about that kid selling those cards? Well, I told Vince about it, he said that I should have written the kid a check. He's probably right, the kid is probably $5 richer now. But then again, it's only $5, it's not like we're going to die.

You know, last year (as some of you may remember) I broke a bone in my foot and was out of commission for 7 weeks. If it hadn't been my right foot, I probably would have taken the deep water aerobics class since there's no pressure on the foot. However, since it was the right foot, I had to depend on Vince to drive me everywhere and there is no way he'd have gotten up early to take me. Plus, he was of the opinion that for 7 weeks I should have just been sitting around with my foot up. Of course, he didn't mention how the food would get cooked or the house cleaned....lol And I didn't tell him that after about 5 weeks, I would walk from the bedroom to the bathroom without the boot on. If he'd seen me doing that, he would have really reamed me out. So I made sure he didn't see me. I also didn't tell him that most times I would take a shower without the boot on. He kept telling me how I needed to wrap that boot up, after a while, I couldn't be bothered.

Hi there pcw52 and welcome! People weigh in basically as often as they feel the need. Some people every day, some every week. As far as posting your gain/loss....again, that's something personal. Whatever makes you feel most motivated is what you should do. We are here to listen and give you encouragement (and sometimes hints). Congrats on the exercise! I didn't start out exercising every day. I started out twice a week for a few years (yes, years), then I increased it to 5 times a week (for many years), then increased to 6 times a week. You'll get there. Don't beat yourself up, either, if one time you miss. Consistency is more improtant! Just get right back to doing it. Actually, it's good to give your muscles a rest. Seriously, log all your food. I'm still amazed at some of the things that I learn, certain foods that I thought were good really aren't, certain foods that are high in sodium that I would never have expected (like tuna)

If I get the cookies and chips on the cruise, I've decided that I'll probably only eat one or two (most likely none) and give the rest to someone else. I'm just afraid that I'd hurt the feelings of the people that we're taking if I brought my own food, that's all. Just wish that one gal didn't insist on the lunch. Maybe I should just take a salad with me......

Bec - I'm not a mean person, but someone who would poison a dog should come back as a dog and die a slow and very painful death. VERY PAINFUL! When I worked in the high school, we used to have a yoga class right after school. It was very relaxing, especially after those students!...lol

They've rescheduled the cat cuddling orientation for this Friday at 4, which works for me. Then I have to go to another class which is primarily about cuddling cats. Then, I'm a cat cuddler. Only thing for me is that the Humane Society doesn't open until 12 and I'm usually out and about exercising or whatever early in the day. But then again, Vince and I could go together.

Barb (auntiebk) - I've heard so much about Lara bars. I think they only include 3 or 4 ingredients. Unfortunately for me, one of those ingredients in every bar is nuts.

So, who on here was at Woodstock??????

Amanda - I just can't possibly imagine a mother saying the things your mom said to you. Did she maybe have emotional problems????? Of course, in those days, they didn't get therapy.

Well, had my egg whites for breakfast today along with some edamame. Then, to balance out the proteins, I had 1/4 of a Fiber One waffle (need those carbs too). It also helped me drink more water. Update: someone brought fresh fruit, so I had some pineapple. The cantaloupe didn't look all that great (I know, I'm pickey about my fruits)

Welcome Connie. Pull up a chair, put your feet up, pour yourself a tall glass of (decaf unsweetened) tea, and jump right in. It's great that you love to exercise.

Donna - about the tough part of the asparagus, I remember seeing once on Emeril Green that after he cut off the tough parts, he peeled the tough outer layer and said that inside is tender. I've never tried that. Wonder if it's true?????

Oh, SuzieQ -- Sophie is SOOOO beautiful! I can certainly see how one look and you're in love, I already am!

Laura - I've already asked them if the salad could be a replacement for the chips, and I was told that it would be extra. I'm seriously considering calling and asking them if I can bring some of my own food. Yup, I'm definitely going to see if I can get rid of the cookies. One other gal is bringing her gd, so I might get the chips and give them to her.

tomorrow I think I'll do this weight training DVD, then some HIIT on Friday and yoga on Saturday. WiiFit hula hoop on Sunday. You know something, my left ankle sometimes feels "funny", like I need to crack it. I'm beinginning to wonder if it's because in the summertime I'm wearing flip-flops which don't give much support. Last year I broke that bone in my right foot at the end of August.

Well, everyone have a great evening!

Michele

Michelle,
You are spot on about flip flops, worst thing ever even for feet that haven't had broken bones. Absolutely no support, and not the same as walking barefoot. I suggest "losing" them right away, and if you can budget a pair of Birkenstock sandles into your shoe closet, I urge you to do so, but make sure you get fitted by someone that knows what they are doing. I used to sell the shoes and too many times had people coming into our store who had purchased them without a proper fitting, and now they were complaining they "weren't comfortable." These were people who didn't understand the sizing system, or were fitted by someone who didn't and they ended up in a narrow footbed instead of the medium width one. This results in your weight not being supported properly in the footbed, which = discomfort and tired feet.



Barb

Those Birkenstock shoes look comfortable! What makes them suprior to regular sandals? How does one go about finding someone who can fit you properly for them? Where would I look? I'd rather get them right the first time around.

Michele

OMG!!!!

I am in love!!

I just had my first roasted vegetables and OMG they were to die for! I sprayed them with olive oil and seasoned them with garlic powder. My son barbecued them for me. We laid a piece of foil over half the grill and laid the asparagus, yellow squash, and baby potatoes on it to roast. They were wonderful. AND guess what, my son who hates vegetables, especially asparagus gobbled them down. HE NEVER EATS ASPARAGUS!! He loved it and at half of what I made and it was a lot. Originally when he saw what I was making for dinner he turned his nose up and said he would cook it for me but not eat much because he ate a lot of hot dogs at work. ( They barbecued at the pool where he works.) I said fine and he cooked. When he was finished cooking I was on the phine with my mother and couldn't get off right away to eat. By the time I was able to sit down at the table, he had half his chicken kabob eaten and was going for his third serving of vegetablles and told me the asparagus was great. I sat there shocked and said "You don't like asparagus." He said "I know."

Mimi its all due to you. You get full credit for this little gem, "The proof is in the pudding!" You got my son to eat asparagus! it's a miracle.

Oh my mom is doing better, still out of it from the drugs, but her swelling has gone down and the infection is gone. My SIL called my mother and because of the drugs and not being able to understand her she hung up on my mom and promptly called me and left me a message (even though I was there, I just didn't want to answer her). She told me, quite sternly, that, it was her calling, I need to talk to you. Call me back, and hung up on me. I called my mom and she told me what she did with her and was practiically begging me not to hang up on her when she started mumbling and I had to tell her to repeat what she was saying. I told her I would not hang up on her and not to worry. I asked her if my SIL said anything to her and she said "Just that they are staying a few more days on vacation and when she couldn't understand my mom she started crying and hung up".
What the heck is she crying for?? I'm thinking that she might have talked to someone there before my mom or maybe when she heard my mom she figured she must be in really bad shape and got upset. I don't know, but I told my mom to not to worry about it. She may be discharged tomorrow and will be transferred to a rehab home for about 10 days to get her walking again. She does not want to go back to my brother's house and said to me, "Deb, they were starving me." I told her I know.

So I am working on what to do to get her over her to Cali and hope she can walk enough to be able to fly. It wouldn't be good to drive her as staying in one position so long in a trip like that would be bad for her legs. So it has to be flying. Well we'll see what happens.:ohwell:

Chiclet

Evening lovlies!

Just a short one for a change. Gotta get to bed quick as taking DH to the motorcycle repair shop before work tomorrow am.

Mimi our SVQ, tried asparagus and bias cut parsnips this morning on the Foreman grill with just a spritz of avo oil. Delish and didn't even heat up the kitchen!

Amanda I can not imagine the pain you suffered, married off at 16. It must be so hard to put that behind you and enjoy today. Try telling your mother's-voice-in-your-head to "Put a sock in it!" . . . ;} You are a charming and beautiful and accomplished and loving woman who deserves only the best!

Michele, not at Woodstock but was at Altamont and frequently at Winterland for Grateful Dead /Jefferson Airplane concerts. Do you have to avoid things that are even prepared in a facility that handles nuts?

SuzyQ so happy for Sophie, so happy for you. Your DH is a good guy!

bec's Your vest couldn't have been longer than my skirts, from 1974-1980 I wore floor lenghth skirts and boots to work every day...Never wore Birkies, I'm a Dansko gal myself. Someday I'll tell you the story of my first colonoscopy, but it's a long one and I'm too tired tonight (Whew!).

Barb what a font of knowledge you are... You are a blessing to us all. Keep on keepin' on!

Chiclet I'm grinning and sending you joyous hugs... for your Mom's wish to not return to you brother's house, for the hope of her coming to be nearer to you, but especially for your son's Miracle of Mimi's Asparagus. Sister Veggie Queen ANGEL!

No gutt'n'butt for 2 days. Time to start over. ;{
gutt'n'butt try 8 day zero.

Hugs to all,

Good morning my lovely friends.

It is a chilly and grey day here, although it was bright when I first got up.

Suzyq - Sophie looks like a little darling! Well done to her for finding such a loving home.

Laura - a blessing in disguise that you got to see your DDil and Gks when you went to help out your son.

Elizabeth - I covert your Mary Quant jumpsuit and will throw in my Biba velvet dress with matching black nail polish.

Michele - it really annoys me that you can't get a healthier option to chips and cookies on your cruise lunch. I think it's outrageous actually.

Barb - I am right with you with the Birkenstocks! A friend of my daughter's does fittings and also gets me discount on mine. I love them.

Renny - I'm certain your 'healthy glow' is extremely becoming. Keep it up!

Chiclet - what a turn up for the books - Sister Veggie Queen is even impacting on your son! Relieved to hear that your mum is improving too. Fingers crossed that you can arrange for her to be closer to you.

Bec - good luck with the dreaded colonoscopy. I hate them but they are a necessary evil - especially as bowel cancer is prevalent in our family.

Autiebk - thank you for your kind words and I will definitely try telling mum to 'put a sock in it'. I just wish I'd had the gumption to do it when she was alive.

To everyone else and all newbies - hello and hugs.

It is quite amazing how much more housework there is to do with just one extra person in the house! At least the kitchen floor got a good clean this morning. I knocked the water filter jug out of the refrigerator door. That kind of thing only ever happens when it is at it's fullest. Still, the floor is absolutely spotless now. However, my padded socks (which was all I was wearing on my feet at the time) are just about done for. I've put them to wash but don't hold out much hope for them as they are 80% cashmere. Drat it - why couldn't I have been wearing my wellies!

My dad has a busy day today and doesn't need me - which is a bonus! I will be visiting mum-in-law this afternoon. The lift (elevator) is out of order at her nursing home and they can't get the part for it until next week. Crazy in this day and age. Unfortunately mil is in a room on the upper floor, so is pretty much stuck there for the duration. There are still day rooms etc on her floor, but I normally try to take her out into the gardens when I visit. I'm pretty sure it is not going to help her mood at all so I'm going to take some things to try to distract and entertain her. We share a common interest in Jane Austen and I may take a dvd in to watch with her. In the past I have read to her but her mind tends to wander a little unless she has visual stimuli.

Time for some coffee now and then I'm taking Aussie out. We were hoping to do a trip to Kew Gardens, but it's not really the weather for it today.

Enjoy your Thursdays ladies. Come back and post regularly .... eat your veggies, keep moving and drink your water!

Amanda x