WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR MAY 2015

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The above would be the happy booty dance of joy... here on a Thursday? morning...

The book is finally out of edits to the point where I feel I can send you to Amazon to get a copy! And can even acknowledge my full name, so, Hi! I'm Lisa C Hannon. You will find that I always use the "C" because my beloved husband married two women named Lisa. No, I am not joking. Saves him some trouble. Weirds me out on occasion.

If you're on Prime, you can pick up a copy through their lending library for free, and if you're on Select, it's also free to you. It is a murder mystery, set in East Texas, so if mysteries aren't your bag, please don’t feel any obligation.

I'm not directly linking, because it's a violation of the terms of service of MFP, but if you want to message me directly, I'll be happy to send you the link. if you are interested, please feel free to search on Amazon, in Books, for Lisa C Hannon or This Little Pig, A Flak Anders Mystery. If you just search for This Little Pig, you will find a lot of other stuff, so the author search is easier! While it IS titled “This Little Pig,” it is NOT a children’s story! Here’s the synopsis, so you can decide if you might be interested.

“Anita ‘Flak’ Anders, the first woman sheriff of Nacogdoches County, is called to a fire in the wee hours of a hot July night in Deep East Texas, where she finds Curtis Lee Barnes, the husband who left her four years ago. Trapped and dying in the burning building is the father-in-law he would never let her meet. Flak's fragile new relationship with the fire chief and her old feelings collide as Curt becomes a suspect in the arson murder, along with his whole family. Against the backdrop of the religious fervor of the area's Pentecostal sects, she must survive fanatics, bullets and bombs to pierce the family’s defensive walls. The chilling history of Tucker Barnes' abuse ratchets up the tension in alternating chapters, as violence explodes across the great Piney Woods of East Texas."

Due to the prohibitions against direct advertising on myfitnesspal, again, I don’t want to put up a direct link, but you are more than welcome to go to my website, now that I’ve released my real name. My website is www.lisachannon.com, and the books page is www.lisachannon.com/books. The first link on the books page goes straight to This Little Pig, as does the last one at the bottom.

The final print proof is in my hands by Monday/Tuesday, and should be available late next week, if all's well, which it should be. However, it will be significantly more expensive than the Kindle version. I've looked at the blinking thing 'til my eyes bleed black and white print. If you've got an e-book reader which is NOT Kindle, I'm exclusive on Kindle until... July 9, I believe, and then I'm going to expand out to Nook and the rest of the e-platforms. When I get my non-fiction book finished (fingers crossed in May!) I don't plan to be Kindle-exclusive.

Now I get to take a break from messing with mine and go read our own Heather Eyles' book Windows, which I've had on my Kindle for days, but couldn't get to because I was finishing my edits! Her literary fiction is also on Amazon, if you didn't see her announcement. Anyone else got a book up that we need to know about?

Lisa from West Texas

Lisa, I love your kind of writing. Will investigate for sure.

Going to vacuum, mop and dust this AM. House is so so dusty after all the pollen we have had!

Hi All, I am back from my wonderful two days in Lincoln. Loved the cathedral and the town. Have read all posts (taken me two days!!!) but have not managed to take any notes.
BIG huge congrats to all who are doing well, and commiserations to those who are struggling in one way or another. So happy I did not come back to a 'squashed pip'!.
Thanks to Lisa for the recipe which I will be trying out soon.
Now I am back at work and getting back into the grove, I will try to make more effort to keep up with everyone.

Gilly, Suffolk, Uk

Sylvia: Congrats on dropping a size!

Gail: I remember that song very well… especially the chorus, which is now stuck in my head.

Peach: Hope the sore throat/cough is over soon, they’re so miserable.

DamnItJanet: Congrats on 50 lbs!

Joyce in Indiana: Refried beans are kind of an acquired taste, or actually texture. I grew up with pinto beans, so loved the taste, and the “refried” part is kind of a misnomer. The canned ones have little or no fat in them, and are simply slightly blended pinto beans.

Rough evening yesterday food-wise, unfortunately. First true sticking episode I’ve had in easily two months, so can’t complain too much. I'm ten years post gastric bypass (for the few who haven't already heard me talk about it) and the culprit was probably a bit of inattention over a protein bar I was eating while working over my website in the afternoon. Got things settled down enough to chew on some papaya enzyme about 8 pm, finally straightened up about 9.

And, I dropped two pounds. Don’t think it was due to the hurling, but we'll find out… official weigh-in is Sunday, so we'll see if it stays gone.

Lisa in West Texas

My personal website: lisachannon.com

The picture is me, last fall, about 20 pounds heavier, standing on the 3,000 (ish) foot hill above where we live. The road that can be seen below runs past my husband's shop, and the poky little hill about 500 feet below me, to the right in the photo, obscures our house, pretty much. We live in the “Big Canyon.” They seldom got unnecessarily creative in the naming around these parts.

National Bike to Work Week 2015 will be held on May 11-15.

Good Morning, ladies

Peach – glad to hear you like your GE as that is what we bought! Mine has the settings you set manually with a knob and not the digital display that sets everything for you. I don’t mind turning a knob in the least. My DH always says the more electronic things are the more can go wrong with them. Sorry to hear about your sore throat. When I get one, I make a hole in a Vitamin E capsule and suck on them. Helps to sooth and heal the throat. I had one for a few days last week followed by a cold. Seems my throat stops hurting just as the cold begins so I use that as a warning of things to come.

Becca – congratulations on those pounds lost and being the winner of the basket and the money! Wow…now I can say I know a nudest. Always heard of the places but never knew anyone that went.

Pip – what a handsome pup! Happy Birthday, Floyd!

MNMargaret – love the time of year to plant. Hope you don’t get any unexpected frost this year. I think our frost date is May 10th. Looking at the extended forecast, I think I’m good to start this weekend.

Janet – WooHoo!! 50 pounds is wonderful! Hope the storm doesn’t impact your cruise.

Mary from MN – glad they decided to make a decent offer. Guess they were trying to find out how desperate you were to sell. So, sounds like you accepted the offer and things are moving forward to finalize. Congratulations! Any idea yet if you may be heading South?

Joyce – no, didn’t find any socks but did find a quarter, a dime, a pen and a door stop along with several clothespins behind the washer.

Cynthia – glad you’re feeling better after getting some sleep. I’ve been that way on occasion and know how bad that feels.

Grandmallie – so sorry to hear your brother is still drinking. I hope he is willing to get help before he ends up back in the hospital. If I did half the things you do in a day, you’d find me face down in the floor somewhere.

Lisa from West Texas – congratulations on getting the book on Amazon. Sounds so interesting. I will be downloading it tonight once I get home from work. With DH gone fishing, I’ll have all evening to read! Glad you’re feeling better after your episode last night. Beautiful picture. So wide open. The clouds look so low you could reach up and touch them.

Beth – congratulations on your dining room set and enjoy your meal on it on Sunday. Great Mother’s Day gift to yourself. Sorry to hear about your friend, Laura. Will keep her in prayer. Did she have cancer in both or doing both as a precaution? Will also keep you and your sons in prayer as they continue with their struggles.

Jane – saying a prayer for your DIL’s surgery this morning. Hope you get some rest.

Tina in MD

Oh. My. Gosh! When will I ever learn?! All my comments gone, in a puff of smoke!! And if I try to recreate them this minute I won't have time to exercise (which would pretty much defeat the purpose of being here in the first place). Poo! I can't believe I did that! Curses!!

Just a quick thought then... I had a good day yesterday, until I started to feel anxious and overwhelmed and found myself cruising the kitchen and inhaling whatever was in my path. It occurred to me later that I need to take the advice of my DH to people in recovery. When I am feeling strong and 'sane', I need to make a game plan for those moments that will inevitably come. I think I will make a list of all the things I can do in response to my stress and anxiety and turn to that instead of trying to 'stuff the stress' as though that will make the anxiety disappear. Man, I'm going to have to live to be 300 years old before I get this whole 'journey through life' thing figured out.

Wishing you all a productive and successful day!

Hugs for anyone in need and high-fives all around... we're here and we haven't given up yet!
Selena
Utah

afternoon ladies,
today has been bad eating day for me, I guess at almost 55 i have figured out i am a stress eater
and eating nothing but trail mix and dark chocolate covered fruit, went to see DFIL, they had to sedate him last night but saw that coming, stopped to see DB , then went to visit my dd for a bit, then came home and put 2 loads of laundry in the wash.. then went out and mowed the lawn, riding mower and push, then washed the car and dried it.. came in and parked it for about 5 minutes with Homer barking at me to play..
checked facebook to find out a dear neighbor from down in florida died, he had been on dyalisis many year.. and he was a dear..

Hi all-
I think summer has come to visit in middle Tennessee! We are expecting near record temps the next 3 days. Now on Memorial Day weekend it will probably be in the 50's.

Becca - Congrats on the 3+ pound loss. I am a TOPS member, too, and the leader of our group. We do a pot of dimes for the biggest loser of the week and then draw a name for 3 play dollars. In June we have an auction of new and gently used things using our play dollars. We have a rule that you have to have attended the previous week's meeting to win either of the prizes. I could not do this without a support group. Now I have 2 TOPS and my Menopals!

Joyce - Gatlinburg is my idea of purgatory! Nothing but traffic, people, junky food, and overpriced touristy stuff! I love the mountains. My husband is originally from north Georgia. When we have vacationed in the mountains we go there and to North Carolina. Haven't been there in many years now that his mom is gone.

Sylvia - Your trip sounds wonderful! I know you are glad you can enjoy this without the fluffy self you used to be. So proud of what you have accomplished!

Lisa - I love mysteries! I'll investigate yours and Heather's books. The picture of your ranch is beautiful!

Selena - love to hear you talk about the hummers!

Chris - how great to find 3 possible dresses for that wedding event!

Dr.Katie - what a thoughtful gesture sending cards to all of those in your Bible study. Glad the teaching experience was rewarding and is winding down.

Beth from near Buffalo - I was just wondering where you were. Have been missing your regular posts. The dining set sounds so nice.

Some of you mentioned Ross' stores. I enjoy getting a "find" at ours from time to time. I really need pants for the summer! all my capris are so big they look bad. Make me look frummpier than when I was at my fluffiest. I don't want to have to go aunatural like Becca!

Well - I want to say more but I am off to working. Doing 2 extra shifts this week and next. Th - F - Sat - Sun - T -W. Then on Friday the 15th we are having a farewell cookout for members and staff at 12:30. and I will help with that!

Toni

Beth ~ congrats on scoring the new/old dining set. I recently thought about what furniture we have purchased over the years and realize it is less than a dozen pieces (mostly sofas and recliners). We were so lucky to have pieces of furniture passed down through the family.

Janet ~ losing 50 pounds is such an accomplishment. Kudos to you for all the hard work.

Pip ~ lovely pup.

Lisa ~ I feel dizzy looking at that photo of you on top of the hill/mountain.

Peach

Hello ladies :-) Prayers to your families, and to friends and family hurting, or dealing with alot.

@tgram2seven That is great that you are a leader of your TOPS group. We currently have about 38 members and about 7 of them are KOPS. I love all the games and prizes. One of our games when I was in the Northern CA group was a mountaineer game. I made a poster of a mountain...like an alps, with different huts here and there. I put string connecting each hut making it snake up to the top of the mountain. I had measured it out and was like 20 marks between each hut. I then made climbers using clothes pins and a pic of a cute nordic looking climber with their names on them. They had to do specific things, call or email someone, journal, lose weight, exercise for 30 min a day, to get points...and each point was a mark on the string. Sometimes there were pile ups so I just clipped them hanging on to each other clothes pin wise lol. Whoever got to the huts first won prizes. I had gone out to the community and gotten free stuff like a months free membership at a gym, free pedicure etc. Sometimes the hut prizes were a basket. It was a fun contest! You are welcome to use it at yours:-)

One hint I have started to do is keep a pile of index cards and cool pens by the computer. I get nice thoughts, mantras from you all, and from TOPS, and other random places, and I write them on index cards...every other day I find myself thumbing thru them. I think of it as re-programing my brain, or getting out of a funk I sometimes get myself in. I have quite a stack. One thing that is really important for me to do, is to do my homework. I tell my son to do his, so I have to do mine. So I am continuely going thru my pantry, and keeping my "plan of attack" in this journey, this mission I am on. (That is the Navy Retired Chief's Wife in me....yep it is all caps"...I sometimes put my food in a different area of the kitchen when I am really OCD about it all. It is a form of control that I can control you see. I have come to realize that my weight is a self induced disease I have done to myself. Yes, outside influences happened, and for many years I just "settled" and never put myself first. Is it a Navy wife thing? Or just a woman...we are the nurturers of the world thing? But I got myself into this state, no one else. It is up to me to get myself out. (I see to be having a serious talk with myself eh?)

For the couple of you that commented on me being a nudist, I have to admit I have not always been one. I grew up in a conservative Lutheran household. My mother, and her mother had self esteem issues. I remember my mother taking me to a Weight Loss Center when I was a freshman in high school because I whined I was fat. I was about 130 lbs. Why on earth my mother didn't just sit me down and say I was fine, is beyond me. So I remember eating 800 calories a day, and peeing in a cup at the facility, and I was humiliated. She did the best she could think of at the time. She was going thru a divorce and probably didn't have the best coping skills.
So now, when I attended the resort, walking in the sun, with complete acceptance from others...was such a self esteem boost. The interesting part of a resort is the non-sexual aspect of it. They sat my sons down and talked to them, saying this is a safe place for you, if you ever feel weird about someone or anything, tell us at the office and your parents. So as a mom that was wonderful. To raise children in that environment was a blessing. My youngest son would be chatting in the hot tub to ladies that had underwent mastectomy's etc, and it didn't matter. Its total acceptance. As a large woman, to teach my sons that women don't have air brushes in their back pockets etc, was important. As a result I never found playboy mags under their bed that was for sure hahaha. The most important fact I taught them was that nudity didn't equate sex, the two don't always go together. I am hoping that all three of my sons took from their experience growing up vacationing there, was that outer shells of people do not define them.

ok ok...enough ranting....maybe I need to call my therapist and start again...naaaa.

Janet...LOL. I know size 8 sounds small but I'm not very tall, than 5'4" (probably less now that I've aged). I am still 11 lbs, from my goal and 20 lbs. from a healthy BMI, so I do have a ways to go. I love that you have no sympathy for me, I always wanted to be in that position. I started at a size 14.
Chris in MA
PS, my BFF wanted to lose 5 lbs. (which she did) and is now a size 2 petite (4'11"), so I feel huge next to her.
Many congrats on the 50 lbs. lost, that is an admirable accomplishment!

Good afternoon! We got back from the funeral just in time for me to pick up the kids from school. Tonight is their school carnival, so I'm going back at 5:30 to take them to that. It'll give me some time to spend with them before we go on our trip.

This funeral was for a friend/colleague of hubby's, and it has really given us a chance to think about what we want in the end. All the way home from the visitation last night (it's a 90 minute drive) we discussed it. Hubby has never really said before, but last night he told me that he wants to be cremated, and he wants me to make him an urn. I thought that was so sweet I almost cried, until he added, do you know how much they charge for urns? That's my sweetie! Thrifty to the end.

Something very strange happened too. Both at the funeral home last night and at the church today, hubby put his hand on my back. Gentle, sweet strokes that lasted a minute or so. Now, that doesn't sound like much, but he has NEVER touched me in public before. He is not demonstrative in any way. His whole family is like that. I think he was feeling his own mortality a little bit. I hate to think it's because he was ashamed of me before and he's not now, so I just won't go there.

Oh, and my hubby was best man at their wedding 21 years ago. The bride picked out purple paisley ties for the men in the wedding party, and today my husband wore that tie to the funeral. She was very touched.

So he's coming home in a few minutes so we can walk the dogs before I go get the kids.

I hope you are all having a great evening!

Sylvia

Sylvia - Good conversations! More of us should discuss that stuff. So important. Love the back stroking.

Vicki - :flowerforyou:

Gilly - :flowerforyou:

Jane - glad the wrist is mended!

The results of the election are coming in. It can be very addictive, but I am determined not to sit up late. Not with the long drive on Saturday. Bedtime! NOW! ! ! :laugh:

Heather UK

stats for the day;
Ride hm 2 gym- 12.38min, 13.9amph, 2.9mi = 95c
stairclimber - 20min 182aw, 5floors per min, 896ft, 102floors, higher than Eiffel twr = 155c
Ride gym 2 wk- 53.14min, 12.8amph, 11.3mi = 474c
Ride wk 2 hm- 49.34min, 12.2amph, 10mi WINDY = 445c
total cal 1169