WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR JULY 2013

Just letting you all know that I'm still here and thinking of you all.

There is NO WAY that I can possibly catch up on the posts, at least not from Vince's netbook. BTW -- I HATE this keyboard. And the screen is so small. But you need something small when traveling.

Anyway, the wedding was, I guess you could say,, nice.

After the wedding we went to Madrid. Now we're in Switzerland.

And Vince is in the hospital. About a month ago he had a blocked salivary gland. He was given antibiotic, an anti-inflammatory and one other drug. He went to the MD in the states right before we left and the MD couldn't feel any stone and gave him a clean bill of health.

When we got to Switzerland his cheek was swollen so we went to the emergency. They prescribed a pain killer which did nothing for Vince and some other things. But it got worse so, I guess it was our Tuesday that he went back to the emergency room and was admitted. They gave him morphene for the pain and he's been on IV antibiotics. Thank goodness in a sense that if this had to happen it happened in Switzerland. I'm staying with my girlfriend and her husband. Originally, we were supposed to leave for Paris this afternoon. Jessica and Denise went. We're HOPING that he'll get out of the hospital either late tomorrow or Sat then we'll take a train to Paris where we have plane tickets home.

Even my French is getting a tiny bit better. The signs here are in German and French Fortunately, Vince speaks some French and almost everyone at the hospital speaks some English.

I made an appointment for Vine to see our family MD for Tuesday. that was his first opening.

Oh, to top it off, they have one car and it broke down today. Won't be ready until next week. But switzerland has a good public transportation system (well, all of Europe does -- at least in the major cities)

I admit that I haven't been good about eating Honestly sometimes I don't know what's on the sandwich. Like the night Vince was admitted to the hospital I had to get something to eat out of the vending machine. First to figure out how to use it -- that alone was something else. Finally, I got what I thought was just chicken and bread. Well, I THIINK it was a fried chicken patty and there was some sort of mayo (I think that's what it was) on it. But I was so hungry, even the cafeteria was closed. In Madrid Denise wanted to stop at BK. I really didn't but that was something she felt familiar with. I ordered this grilled chicken sandwich but I didn't know how to say "no mayo" (now I do). I didn.t realize that I was going to get fries. I thought I could at least get water to drink but I couldn't find where to get it and no one else could so I wound up getting an iced tea.. Like I said, I don't know what's in some of the foods until we get it. We went to the Hard Rock Café Madrid and I ordered what I thought was a veggie burger. What it was was a hamburger with some veggies on top of it. Oh well.... But it was interesting, after eating that burger my stomach felt "yukky". But that went away,

I am sorry that I'm missing the food in Paris. It was wonderful last time we went.

I think I may just have a hard time convincing Vince to come to Europe again. The first time we came, his wallet was stolen. The second time we were ready to come -- had all the reservations and all, Vince hurt his back and couldn't make a transatlantic flight. The is the third time and now he's in the hospital.

Michele from NC (now in Switzerland)

Kelley: Elephant ears are fried dough that has been dusted with a cinnamon and sugar coating. They are varying sizes, but around the size of a dinner plate. I have never made them, and only buy one as a treat to share with DH from time to time. Here is a link to a recipe I found on line: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/elephant-ears-2/:flowerforyou:

Robin: I am pleased that you like your new job. Yay!:flowerforyou:

Lucy: I’m glad you’ll be able to go to the beach to escape heat. :flowerforyou:

Terri: Are you in the Roseburg or Medford area? I’m looking at the weather map trying to find places in Oregon that are that hot.:flowerforyou:

Michele: It is good to hear from you, but awful that Vince is in the hospital. I hope he’s better very soon. If I were Vince, with the luck he’s had in Europe, I wouldn’t want to go back again. His bad luck seems to be escalating. I hope things improve soon. Enjoy the rest of your trip.:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:



Today is Thursday, and that is concert night in our little town. Every Thursday in summer we have a different musical group that plays outdoors in the Columbia View Park. The view is great, the music varies weekly, there is a beer garden, food and craft booths/carts, a playground for kids, and serious people watching to do. We usually sit in the beer garden with a group of our neighbors. I look forward to it. It is currently 70F in the shade on my deck and there is a nice breeze. Tomorrow we will be traveling to our son’s new place in Auburn, WA. He is very pleased with it and we look forward to seeing it. It is in a nice neighborhood of townhouses with a bike trail close-by, and halfway between his work and the school that DDIL will be attending this fall in Seattle. I’ll have my computer with me, but I don’t know if they have internet services yet. If I can touch bases, I probably will. This group has become an addiction. If I can’t post, I’ll wish everyone a great weekend right now.:bigsmile:

Katla in Beautiful NW Oregon

July goals:
1. Log every bite
2. Move more.

Katla :flowerforyou: we have a festival that makes monster ears. They also have elephant ears but the monster ears are so much better. It's made of pancake batter. It's pretty flat, deep fried :sad: then dipped ion syrup and cinnamom. Needless to say I won't be having anymore of them. Our annual fall Festival is the largest street festival in the US except for New Orleans Mardi Gras. They have about 12 blocks, both sides, of food booths. We have a large German heritage here so it's all deep fried, your cholesterol goes up just breathing in the air as soon as you get out of the car.

Michelle :flowerforyou: so good to hear of some of your trip. Sorry it has been bad for Vince.

Joyce, Indiana

Just spoke to Vince. He explained that we have a flight out of Paris Sunday. I do hope he comes hoe tonight so that he can shower etc and then we take the train tomorrow. Since we'll be buying the train tickets in Switzerland, we can print them out here that's good. The other tickets we got in the US we bought had to be Fed Ex'd.

Fortunately he knows a fair amount of French because he said this morning he didn't get breakfast. Even tho many people speak Eglish, the gal thought he didn't want breakfast. I' having a REAL hard tie on this netbook so please excuse any typos.

The girls are evidntally having a good time in France. I'm so glad, just the sisters. I'm glad they decided to go.

Nothing more to report. Now its just wait and see. If the antibiotics didn't reduce the swelling, they were going to transfer him to another hosp in Bern but fortunately that didn't have to happen.

Thining of everyone.

Michele in NC who LOVES the Swiss chocolates

I slmost forgot to shre my NSV. While we were driving rom NC to VA to come over, Vince asked if I'd packed some pants. Unfortuntely, I didn't since I saw that the temp in Madrid was in the 90's. I really didn't feel like going to uy new pnts, so I thought "Jessica fits into my pants, mybe I'll fit into hers."

Most of her pants are straight leg and I can't wear those, so they were immediately eliminated. However, she had two pairs of bootcut One was a 7/8 which fit well. The other was a 5/6. They fit!!! Admitted, I probably wouldn't have bought them on my own, but I didn't have to lay down on the bed to zip them up.

I boxed up some of our things, things that we won't need for 2 or 3 weeks. like the books oon Spain and France, the dress I wore to the wedding, things like that. Vince will probably be weak some from being in the hospital, so I tried to make our bags as light as possible. Bet and I will take them to the post office and then go to the hospital. On the waay home, we need to take two uses and the first stop right in front of a grocery store. I'll probably stop in and get some Swiss chocolate for the lady who is cat sitting. She is going to come on Moday just to give Loki his med. I think we land around 3 our time but y the time we get thru customs, etc and then drive home, we probably won't get to NC until around 12. So for now, our plans are just playing it by ear.

Michele from NC now in Switzerland

unusual for me to be posting at this time of day,
Went to work this morning, walked in to NO POWER. then everyone else started to show up,well all having to do with the landlady..
her DH , my late boss passed away 5 1/2 yrs ago, and somehow the account was in his and his wifes name. well they shut the power off and locked the meter,until the landlady straightens it out.could be sometime monday:noway:
But hey here I am with a day off WITH PAY...
so, going to take Chester to get staples out, then to the refuse station and then come home and and just mow the crabgrass. supposed to be 100 today in the shade..

Michele: It is good to hear from you, but I’m very sorry that Vince is having such a bad time and is in the hospital. :flowerforyou: The bright spot is that the swelling is going down. Congratulations on the pants NSV! Wow and double wow. :bigsmile: :bigsmile: I hope your trip home goes smoothly. Enjoy the chocolate. I’m sure it will make a great gift.:flowerforyou:

DeeDee: The pedicure is genius. :bigsmile: It will likely be a memorable occasion for both you and DGD. I'm glad you're enjoying your new laundry equipment.:flowerforyou:

Lucy: Congrats on your exercise NSV. Hanging tough and doing the exercise despite the weather is a real accomplishment. :flowerforyou:

Grandmallie: Congrats on the unexpected vacation day. Enjoy. I hope you're feeling better. Bone spurs are not fun. :noway: I had one ground off of a toe. The surgery was not bad and not painful. It was done in the doctor's office. Healing seemed a bit slow because I had to keep using the foot, but it all turned out very well. I hope your heel improves dramatically. I wouldn't hesitate to have surgery to remove a bone spur if needed because my own experience was positive. Stay off treadmills! :devil: Elliptical trainers are a healthier choice. (IMHO)



We’ve been planning to spend a couple of nights at DS and DDIL’s new home in Washington, but my husband is too sick to go. He is encouraging me to go anyway, and I’m not sure what to do about it. I might be persuaded to go for one night, but not two. DH is not able to drive any more and would be effectively stranded without me. I’ll call DS and discuss the matter a little later in the morning. I’m an early riser, and I doubt a call before 8 am would be appreciated. If my phone rang this early, I’d be in a near panic and imagining a horrible emergency.

Good wishes for everybody. I hope you’re able to stay cool enough for health and comfort.:glasses: :drinker: :bigsmile:

Katla in Beautiful NW Oregon

July goals:
1. Log every bite
2. Move more.

well , im back inside in the AC. right now it is 97 and will be going higher, there is all sorts of stuff heat related in the NorthEast, even the rail system is having to go slower,they are worried about the tracks heating up and warping causing derailment:noway:
Chester's staples are out and he healed well.the crabgrass is mowed:laugh: and stopped at the refuse station with the recyclables.
So my work is done for right now.. think I will get the ice out and Ice the heel, and take my second dose of prednisone...
and chillax for the afternoon

Hi Ladies, Michele so nice to hear from you, sorry that your DH is not well but he's in good hands with you watching out for him, take
care and safe journey home.

Wishing all who are not feeling well better days ahead, hopefully this heat will break and we can all get back to a normal routine.

Congrats to all the great losses and nsv's that have been happening always nice when hard work pays off.
Welcome to the new Ladies,great place to visit and share.

Have a great weekend everyone
Juanita in sudbury

well i dont know how to count anymore anyhow!!!!
my pedometer say 10,000 steps, even in this heat and the fitbit only counts 7700.. what shall I do? guess I will wait till later to count ..
Meg got a chuckle because there isnt any way to count calories shoveling topsoil, so I used shoveling snow instead :bigsmile:
believe me it is just as heavy.. anyway I did just a bit because of the heat.. I have a heat headache now, and believe you me I am sucking down the water...

OK Ladies, I am going to make a valiant attempt to catch up. I’ve been really busy with work this week, but did manage to meet the goals I set this month (so far).

I survived the dentist visit, although I was 2.5 hours in the chair of doom getting the plaque removed. But, all things considered, not too bad. Next week they are making a mold of my teeth, cause I need “some work”. Ugh. When I got home from the dentist, I had guest from this group waiting for me and we went for a nice walk and chat. Hope she comes back again (hint, hint)!

I also have been going to the gym every other day, so that makes my 3X a week goal. I had a reassessment from the trainer there and ended up with more resistance machines at higher weights. It definitely was a challenge today, my first day on the new plan.

Garden advice needed: I am growing some Kirby cucumbers, but instead of the cukes growing length-wise, they are growing in ball shapes. What is up with that?

It is hot as all get out here, I had to give the chickens ice water to help them cool down. Still doing my walks down the lane though. Seems like I am holding in a lot of water, cause I am drinking like a fish but not peeing like a racehorse. Heh.

Grandmalie: you earned the chillaxing, enjoy! Nice that you got an unexpected day off too, what a bonus!
Sandy, enjoy your new tablet!

Heather: the aubergine recipe sounds great, please update on how it works out!

Lucy: WTG on getting your run in! I can’t run, but I walk and I just do it every morning, even in the heat. Get er done! Hope you had a great time at the beach! I prefer to sit in front of an air conditioner!  Ghiradelli Peppermint Bark… YUM!

Michele from NC,: congrats on the NSV and fitting into those pants! Sorry to hear about the hospitalization, but the good thing is that you’re in a country with great medical resources.

DeeDee: sounds like you’re having fun with your new appliances! Enjoy the pedicure!

Kathy: Ice has helped my knee a lot, hope it works on your back! Congrats on your VP appointment and well done on your ticker honesty.

Joyce: those monster ears sound yummy. Sometimes I just hang out in the bakery area at Costco and inhale the sugar air.

Meg: great control saving half the ice cream bar!

Katla: the weekly concert night sounds so great! What a nice time! Have fun on your weekend visit.

Terri: that cell phone ring bird sounds fun! What kind of garden to you have that you don’t have to bend down? I can’t bend down because of my knee. I currently have window boxes attached to the railing of my deck and I’m getting some good vegetables and herbs, for the most part. The tomatoes have been great.

Critter Sue: I seem to be eating less too, at least there is some benefit from all this oppressive heat! Hope you get a diagnosis soon so you can start to mend.

Back to work,
Kat in Maryland

There is no way I can keep up lately! However, I am back in my own house, not house-sitting for my BFF, so I might get back on some type of schedule. It is going to be awesome to sleep in my own bed tonight! My poor cat is very glad to be home; he just is not a social kitty. He likes being alone!

I have not been eating well, and I am probably up a couple of pounds. I am not going to weigh until the regular time on Tuesday morning because I do not want to start obsessing over the scale. I am back where I can get to the pool and rec center, so I will just pick up where I left off and NOT to the beat-myself-up-for-being-a-lazy-sloth, etc routine. Just don't need to or want to go there.



Joyce- Congratulations on re-entering Onederland!

Grannybitbit- I love the name! Welcome!

Grandmallie- He will love the palm trees, but start trimming the trunks when they are small so you can keep up with it as they grow. The people who planted the huge palm that is in my yard never trimmed the trunk. Now it is really ugly, but it would cost about $1,200. to get it done! Needless to say, it is just going to stay ugly.
Take care of those poor feet! I had to have my heel and Achilles tendon repaired because of arthritis damage. The surgery isn't fun, recovery isn't fun, but, when it is healed, oh, it feels good!

Barbie- Just got the estimate for the yard/tree work today. It will be $250. It will look great when Carlos is done, but I will sob while writing the check!

Lila- Thanks for posting the Summer Pops recipe, it looks delish!

City Jane- What is mange tout?

Lucy- Thank you, and you are right, I do need to put my big girl panties on and get busy!

Michele- Oh, I am so sorry to hear that your hubby is in the hospital! Sending healing thoughts and prayers. I think you are right in believing that if it had to happen, Switzerland is better than other places. Take care, be well, don't worry about the food, just take care!
Congratulations on the NSV! Wearing your daughter's pants must be awesome!

So, I spent today cleaning up my house (I can't believe how much dust settled w/ no one here!) I am going out back to mow the little lawn, and then I might get a little walk in, if the rains don't hit.

Take care, have a great Friday evening, be well, Everyone!

Pat

My son will be married on May 3, 2014, to a woman that I will be proud to call my daughter. So, I have 26 pounds and bat wings to lose in the next 9-1/2 months. Any ideas for loose hanging skin on upper arms? I have been journaling in MFP for the last 6 days and exercising. Surprisingly, I didn't snap back to exercising as quickly as I would like.=) I have been walking but it is HOT. Yesterday, I went to the YMCA pool to do water aerobics. The water felt refreshing. My son who introduced me to MFP has around 20 pounds to lose before May. Today, we decided to text each other at night - our calorie intake and exercise for the day. Exercising maybe harder for him because he is in Texas and drives everywhere. Conversely, I am in NYC and walk everywhere. He definitely has the better, younger metabolism. We are not competing just want healthier bodies. Also, being more svelte for a very special occasion helps with our goals. Anyway, it is good to be writing you. I wish everyone a successful food and exercise weekend!

Good evening everyone, I am up to date with reading the posts. Time just gets away from me. But a real stressful week at work. On Tuesday some company working down the street drilled thru the cable for the hospital. We lost all our phones and internet. Which met no one could call into or out of the hospital. Also all our alarms were down and we could not page. It took them 12 hours to get the phones working and still having problems with the internet. I have worked there almost 26 years so I remember before we had computers. These young nurses have no idea and panic when things go down. Becuase I work in the communication center we had areal mess. But we made it and now I have to destress. My BS have been up the last couple days and know it is because of the stress. I work this weekend and things should be better, today we still were having some issues with faxing, hoping they got the fixed after I left. Yesterday DH and had the day off. So we and a freind took off on the motorcycles and rode. Ended up going over 200 miles. Was nice when we were moving, but pretty warm when we stopped. But it was a good day. I had a NSV as I bought myself a new outfit and it is 2 sizes smaller then I had been buying. My DS said it was about time.
Meg- Congrates on the loss. Every NSV counts. My GD goes to that school. She will be in the 7th grade this year(I think) she is 13.
Welcome to all the new people. Looking forward to getting to know each of you.
Katla- We had alot of issues with direct TV. Your elephant ears makes me think of funnel cakes. I love to go to the fair just to have one. So far this year I have not given in, but the State Fair is here next month.
Joyce- Congrates on being under 200 and the lost inches. I was so excited last month when I got under 300, been alot of years since I could say that.
DeeDee- Must be the month to replace washers. Our went last week. DH does the laundry and then he brings it up and I fold and put it away. So I did not realize there was a problem till he told me it quit and would not start again. Seems there is only something.
grannybitit- I find logging my food helps me the most. I have not been putting my exercise on as then I think I should eat those calories back and then ended up going over.
Heather- your garden and birds sound wonderful. We have bird that like to make nests in the gutter on my front porch. I don't mind most the time, but this year they have been leaving me presents on my swing. Can't have that. They are to be replacing my porch roof soon and want them to seal it so they can not get up there. We have an old frame work on the side of the house for an old TV pole. They have made nest there before.
Jane- Happy 20th Anniversary, That is something to proud of. When we had our 25th our oldest DS and DDIL gave us an open house at our church. it was sure nice.
grandmallie- Heel spurs are nasty. I have bone spurs on my knees and somedays they are really hurt. Sounds like a great buy at WalMalmart. That is where I got my new outfit and they were on sale, but not as good as yours. Hope you enjoied you day off with pay when the power was out. I wish they would of sent us home when the cable got cut, but made just alot more work. And it never fails the next day after the phones were back on, alot of people felt the need to tell me that they had tried calling the day before and all they got was an busy signal.
Lucy- Great NSV enjoy. I know what you mean about when GC get older they out grow us grand parents. I take all the time I can get with younger ones hoping they will have good memories, I remember going to my grand parents and how safe and loved I felt.
Micheel-OMG I hope Vince is better and you make it home. Been thinking of you and praying all would go well with the wedding.
Kathy- Congrates on being apointed VP of your neighborhood Assn. Enjoy! When I was elected secretary of our CMA group last Nov I was so scared. The monthly newsletter I have to put out scared me the most. But I just do the best I can and DH gets it emailed out. I thank God for DH everyday.
Tigress- Hope you feel better soon. I have acouple GS that behave that way. I get so upset at DD as she will just space off and let everyone try and calm them down. I admit it makes me not want to spend alot of time with them. then DD wounders why they have problems at school. All I can do is pray for them.
Well best think about getting to bed. 4:30 seems to come earlyLOL. thanks everyone for all your support and advice. I love it.
Blessed! Vickil in HOT HOT NE