WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR AUGUST 2105

Hello all....thank for the support! Most of you seem like you are so far far away.....anyone from Australia out there? Where I live we are just coming out of a very cold miserable winter. I was fortunate that I broke my ankle while it was winter..... My hubby has been wonderful and my mum who is 83 has taken to cooking for me and visiting every day! I had most of my boys (I have four) and their wives plus several of our grandchildren (we have 9) up yesterday. Great day had by all.....anyway I am exhausted after my first day of walking(not sure if that is what you could call it but I was vertical). I even made some bean and lentil soup (I'm a vegetarian) and enjoyed a big bowl for lunch...I'm working so hard to cut out the sugar and other white foods.
Hope you all have a successful day today! Marg F

lhannon062709 wrote: »

I feel as if I've had my head buried in this restaurant forever, but today is actually exactly one month. Thank you all for your continuing support on it. Tomorrow is the second GM walkthrough, and while it won't be perfect, it will be very, very different. The DH and I spent Saturday there, unclogging drains, and Sunday at our warehouse.

Lisa, I'm so happy for you! You've accomplished a ton in a short time.

Hi, Marg! East coast of the U.S. here. It's still hot, but not as stinking hot as I remember eastern Virginia summers being when I was here 20 years ago.

I'm doing the before-the-prep prep for my colonoscopy on Wednesday. I realized on Saturday that I'd been telling myself that it's going to be awful, so I told myself to CAN IT!!!! I changed my eating habits (sadly waving a temporary goodbye to my almond butter, chia seeds, spinach, whole wheat bread, etc. etc) starting on Saturday, and will do all liquid on Tuesday before drinking "The Solution" starting Tuesday evening.

I did a good kettlebell workout this morning, and I'm at work getting ready to have a lovely cup of coffee. A sweet lady from church and her husband started a coffee roasting company shortly before she passed away. He is bravely carrying on, and I ordered some coffee to help support him. If anyone is interested in the website, I'll pass it on in PM.

Have a healthy and marvelous Monday!!

Colleen in Virginia

Chris, Aren't you gorgeous!

Sylvia, I am envious... a Cat show! Although I do have opinions about some of the "breeds". For instance, the adorable tailless Man>< cats that jump like rabbits. Did you know that many have spinal cord deficits. So up to a third of the kittens born are incontinent and thus euthanized? I took in one that someone brought in to my vet to be euthanized. Somehow she "passed" and was not euthanized as a kitten but she was incontinent of feces and also had chronic urinary tract infections because the urinary sphincter did not work properly so bacteria got in. She died at only 6 years of age from kidney failure due to these deformities. The adorable munchkin (short legged) cats end up with painful arthritis at a young age due to the pressure on their deformed legs. Etc. Etc. Some of the breeds should be banned, in my humble opinion. Not all, just some. Irresponsible breeders. And Maine Coons are gorgeous animals! Our shelter had one for a while and one of the employees fell in love and took it home. I personally adore the old fashioned, apple headed, darker Siamese. I grew up with two, have had several in my life (all freebies needing homed) and currently have one that isn't purebred but looks it on a casual glance. She has one spot of white on her chest, and her tail has subtle striping. Queen is one of the cats that I am "fostering" for the shelter- she was so fearful there that she hissed and clawed at everyone so was unadoptable. She spent the first month here hiding under the bed and only coming out at night when everyone was asleep. This morning I actually was able to pick her up and put her on my lap and have her stay there willingly for about five minutes! I was amazed.

Janet- I know what you mean about making friends in a new situation. I have lived here in small town Iowa for 15 years now, and the only friend I made was the director of the library until I took the girls in. So many adults already have enough friends and are not willing to bring someone else into their circle. During my lifetime, I did not have the normal outlet for making friends- work- due to the stigma of having a mental illness. I worked in the mental health field AND was open about my bipolar diagnosis because it was so helpful for clients to have a positive role model. Folks that work in the mental health field are the most discriminatory against folks with mental illnesses so in over 25 years in the field I was never ONCE invited to a party, to someone's home, out to lunch, etc. I think for about half the people I worked with, it was a fear of being found out- that was how many fellow staff workers told me that they also had a diagnosis but they never told anyone! So if they openly embraced me in friendship, they would potentially out themselves. When I lived in OKC and Dallas 35 years ago, I found that the natives would not associate with non-natives, so the only friends I made were newcomers like me. I suspect that has changed some with so many people moving there for jobs. The 15 years I lived in Southern Idaho I was ostracized by the 85% of the population that were Mormon. They are not allowed to associate with non-Mormons. If one refused to convert one was shunned. That is part of the reason I am so glad I found this group!

Gayle in Idaho, I am in the Iowa City area, but did a lot of work in the Ames area when I was still working. Is your family still in Osceola?

Hi everyone!

I'm up in London, sitting on a sofa and waiting for DGD to wake up. I can hear her coughing on the intercom as she has a cold. We always bring back some bug from these visits! DH is upstairs reading to DGS.
The new kitchen looks great and I love the garden. You can walk straight through to the kitchen from the living room and it's all lovely and light. Lucky kids!
Had a cup of tea and an egg sandwich.

Chris - love the photo of you in Cancun! That weight will dissipate really quickly as you know. It does look a bit frightening though. I always allow a few days before I weigh myself when I've been away as I find it too depressing!

Kim - great to see you back! You are sweet about my self discipline, but, of course, I'm no angel. I have stuck to my exercising though, through thick and thin, which has hugely helped my maintenance. I eat really well and find I can cope ok with visitors etc these days. Mostly I leave out the carbs and cut back on rich sauces and, if there is something that is impossible to fit into my limit, I just have a very, very small amount. I exercised this morning before catching the train, though I cut it back by 70 cals as I have to do some walking in London. I feel so much better about myself when I am practising self discipline. I wish I'd known that years ago instead of thinking it was cool to be a rebellious slob! ! ! ! :laugh:

Katla - the trail ride sounds wonderful! :flowerforyou: You have transformed your life by going for what you want.

Love to all. Heather in North London, listening to the coughs! UK

Most men are 'whooshes' when it comes to being sick or hurt. They aren't used to being 'home' or 'in bed'. You just have to close the door and turn on the TV in their room and hope they have a connecting bathroom. My husband had kidney stones a few years back and moaned and groaned and carried on until I told him that I was either going to call the EMTs if he did not allow me to take him to the ER. He apparently let me; but, it was right around the time my youngest DGD was born and my DDnL was upset because they would not let her go up and visit with him. She had had 'blood clots' after the birth. Finally, they agreed to wheel her upstairs to see him. I wasn't able to go to the hospital, or else I just don't remember it. I'm not sure of which. Terminal case of C.R.S.; which sometimes keeps me 'out of trouble'. I'm sure I was there for him though.

@mirianwithcats - I love the Maine Coon cats and wish that I could find one. Although Tux would probably get upset (unless I got a kitten, so he could train it - HA!). He is pretty 'territorial'; but, he doesn't mind sharing it with a dog. He is not afraid of my DOS's lab (although she comes down and eats his food). He is definitely afraid of my DYS's dogs; but, they will tear a cat from 'limb to limb' if they find one. I'm surprised they have not gone down and killed my DOS's cats. He has 3 of them and 2 are outside cats, and the other one comes and goes.

I know what you are talking about with being Bipolar. It is difficult to break into a circle of friends; I've found that to be very true. I also have 'trust' issues and only open up to family and just a 'few' friends. My oldest BFF knows when I am going into a downward spiral, because she has seen it so often; the first thing she will ask is 'have you been taking your meds?'. My oldest sister does not want to hear from me; and my middle sister will either talk to me and ask to talk to Louis if she thinks I am 'losing it'. My BFF suffers from 'depression' a lot of the time and we both seem to know when that is occurring - I don't have the wherewith all to deal with her at that point. She calls her sisters when that happens. Shortly after her 3rd husband died, she went into a 'deep' depression and almost killed herself with an overdoes. She had called one of the men that she was close to and because she wasn't sounding like herself and had made several comments to him . . . he went over and called her sisters to meet him there since they had the keys. That's when they found her 'on the floor' with several bottles and pills lying all around her. They took her to the ER and they admitted her for 3 days (standard procedure). I got upset when I could not reach her and finally called a sister and she 'hem-hawed' around the issue that she was 'in the hospital' in the 'psyche unit'. I told her the next time she pulled that 'stupid' trick and did not call me - I'd been so pissed that it might take me a while to 'trust' her again. So far she has been doing ok; part of it was because she was so upset with her grandson she had raised since he was 3 or 4 as if he had been her own son. His father and his wife would not allow him to come stay with them, as he was a 'royal screwball'. I told her to allow him to be 'arrested' and 'stay' in jail, that's where he needed to be anyway to get the help he needs. He is ADHA and ADD - neither of them will he be something that he 'outgrows' and he won't take meds for it because 'if' they are 'in his system' he violates his probation (or so she says). Having worked in the field of law, I told her that 'if they put him on any drugs', that the probation officer would know that. Still he would not take them if they suggested that he get them. He was stealing from her to buy drugs. With a drug arrest and a probation violation - he couldn't come home anyway and then before getting arrested for the PV he got arrested in another county, so it was even longer before he got out. By that time, I think I had convinced her NOT to allow him to come back to her house. He is now working in another town; but, he calls her all the time - for money. She went back to work in order to pay off the bail money she lost because he did not show up for court once. I don't understand all that she has gone through - neither of our boys gave us trouble in that sense of the word, thankfully. Other than my DYS likes 'beer' and has since he was small and popped the lid a little so he could have it dribble into his mouth. But, I have told y'all about that story before.

Tomorrow I go for a weigh in . . . I'm hoping that my weight will be at least what it was last week when I went to the MD for him to take out stitches he had to do from taking a lump (B9) out of my upper arm. That would 'thrill' me to no end. I haven't been as 'good' about keeping my caloric intake as low as it is set; but, not going over it by too much either and other than yesterday I got in the pool to do my exercise. It rained cats and dogs here yesterday (twice) I had gotten into my swim suit to go over there and as soon as I stepped on the deck steps I heard it thundering so I did not go. Good thing because the bottom let loose shortly after that. Next time will be 3 weeks from weigh-in to weigh-in and I might ask her about the appetite suppressor. So far she has not felt like I needed one and I have gone along with her program and done well. I'm just not so sure that I can suppress my appetite when we go to Louisiana because everything is so good that you put in your mouth. I know we'll be eating pizza (at least once, maybe twice) while we are out there because his best friends own a 'great' pizza joint in between where his place is (where he works and stays some of the time) and his 'their's house', where he stays most of the time. We'll probably stay at his place so that we won't put DGD out of her room/bed. And just meet up with them when we can. Her house only has 2 bedrooms and 2 baths and is a small house (although not any smaller than the trailer they have at his place); but he does have a 3rd bedroom. His place is now called their 'lake home'. He's spending more time out there than at her house because hunting season is coming up. He is still wishing that the farmer that has land next to theirs would allow them to 'rent' the hunting rights to the place because now and in the past he has allowed someone to hunt on it that hunts for 'free' and they kill anything that moves into the field they have to cross to get into the woods. He is planning on putting some of his stands on the dirt road that divides them. He already has cameras up so he can tell if they are crossing over into his property and poaching - or even picking up the dead deer. That way they can get the Sheriff to come out there and charge them. Several years ago, he tried to talk his bosses into buying the land when it went on the market; but, it wasn't 'in their budget' for the year; and now it has apparently been sold to someone else and they have not been able to get a lease on it to keep these guys off of it; and now the land is too expensive for them to buy unless the person goes into default on it. The same group of guys still hunt on it and none of them are any kin to the farmer who owns/owned the land. I don't understand, because what they have offered him in the way of rent would more than cover the taxes on the land. DYS has gotten into several verbal confrontations with them. One night all of them showed up drunk at his place and he went out on the porch and listened to their threats and told them that he could shoot all of them where they sat if they did not immediately leave. I was so worried about him when he told his Dad that one night. He is 'afraid of nothing' as he put in a school paper assigned at the beginning and then again at the end of the year. He also said that he had one 'bother' in stead of 'brother'. The first was probably more true. I know when my mother still owned land, we leased it to hunters for the year in order to pay the taxes on it. When they bought the land we pro-rated the rent and still had enough to pay the taxes on it at the end of that calendar year. We had been leasing it to them for over 10 years and they were good about keeping the area clean and the fires they set were always put out and we never had to worry about it.

@Margaretturk - a couple of years ago, my MGD walked her Boston Bull down here at Thanksgiving and Jake, my DYS's male lab, who was sleeping go up and jumped him and the 4 men sitting at the table on the deck jumped up and either beat the dog in the head or were pulling his jaws away to have DDnL get the dog's head out of his mouth. The 2 oldest girls were screaming their heads off; my DDnL (who helped) and I were seated between them and the 3rdDGD who was being held by her 'other' Nana and she had her facing over her shoulder and away from seeing this fiasco. Thankfully, they were able to get the BB out of his mouth before he started shaking it, which would have definitely broken his neck. They held onto Jack (BIG lab) so that the girls could get the BB back home, in one piece. They stayed home and would not come down so DYS had to go down there and explain to them that you can't bring a 'strange' male dog into a yard where another 'male' dog was - because he had already 'marked his territory' when he got there. Can't even do it with female dogs - but to a lesser degree if they are approximately the same size or age. This little BB has recently died. YGD left him out to do his business and he wandered off. My MGD was really upset because he was really 'her' pet. I had to go down and try to help them find him; but, apparently he had wandered far off and we could not find him or his bones. The next day the buzzards came and I think that her Dad went down to see what they were circling; unfortunately, he did not find anything that he could have come home and given him a proper burial. But, the dog was so pitiful looking. Skin and bones; but DGD did not want them to take him to be euthanized. She could not understand why he wandered off to die; but, I told her that it was 'instinct' that pets wander off when they know they are dying and go a long way away to do it, especially, if they had been a pet that someone loved a lot. DOS had told her that if he 'messed' in the house again, that he was going to do so. So she was good about letting him out several more times than she normally let him out. He wasn't supposed to be 'let out and not have someone watching over him'. So sad; but, they had gotten her a little kitty; but, he/she is 'wild' and won't let anybody get her. She messes with the lab when she is loose in the house; and he hates his tail being touched. I'm surprised that she has not killed the kitten. Actually the lab belongs to my son; but my oldest DGD says that 'she loves her the best and that she really belongs to her', because she gets so excited when she comes home from college'. She is practically as tall as DGD when she is standing up on her hind legs. She almost knocks her down when she comes into the house and she 'minds' ODGS more than anybody, even my son (at the time she comes home). DGD gets so mad with her Daddy for 'spanking' Luna; but, he has told her that a dog (hunting dog) only knows she has done something wrong if he swats her on the rear end. She is good to stay, and sit, house trained (thankfully), and she will also 'crawl' to DGD. DGD has taught her to 'use her inside' barking whenever she comes to the table and looks for food. She loves pancakes and syrup probably the most because she gets fed that when DGD comes home. She has such 'soulful' eyes that you can't help from loving her. She's a 'good watchdog' as well. She'll bark her fool head off if anybody comes into the yard ... even me, when I go to the pool. DGD is planning on becoming a vet. She made her first "C" during summer quarter and was 'really' upset about that. But her cousin told her that no matter how well she studied or was on Honor's Roll or made Star Student, that college was altogether different and she needed to expect to make a "C" once in a while. Cousin told her that she even made a "D" in one of her classes, and took it over to make a higher grade. I don't think that DGD will take the class over that she made a "C" in, because she at least passed it. I think it was Chemistry (and not her Calculus class). Now that one I would have had trouble in.

We have to make sure that we put the ladder up on the pool when we leave so Luna won't get into it and tear up the lining or worse, drown. I hope the sun comes out; but, if it doesn't I have started a new book.

Sylvia: Taking your DGD's to the cat show was inspired. You are a top-notch grandma! I hope your DH is better soon.

Gloworm in WA: Welcome! I love this group, too. Finding it was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. :flowerforyou:

Kim: I'm glad that you are back and that you were gone simply because of a very busy life.

Mimi: I think you've had a major "ah-ha." People in your life will respect you more because you take care of yourself and when they truly need your help, you'll have more personal resources to share. :flowerforyou:

Joyce: It is wonderful that Ellie wants to talk with you but she needs to learn to take turns. Is she the baby of the family? :flowerforyou:

margf: Welcome to a great group. I think you may be the only current Aussie. We had a lovely woman from Tasmania with us for quite a while, but she's had a serious family emergency and has not been here since the beginning of winter in your half of the world. I hope the emergency will be resolved in a good way and that she'll be back. :flowerforyou:

Lisa: You are a busy woman! I hope you enjoy your trip to Montana. :flowerforyou:

Colleen in VA: I remember the "solution" all too well, but had forgotten that I had to avoid seedy items for a while. That part was easy. The solution requires that there be more than one bathroom because the person with the colonoscopy will be using the bathroom constantly. I recommend taking a stack of good books in there with you. :ohwell:

Cheri in NE OH: Thanks for a great poster. We do believe what we tell ourselves. :flowerforyou:

Miriam: My mom also favored the saying, "This too shall pass." She struggled with depression and low self esteem all of her life. She told me that her mother hated her. Her dad had the mumps and they "went down" on him so his doctor said he couldn't father children any more. Evidently the doctor was wrong about that, and mom took the fallout of her mother's resentment.

Heather: The trail-ride was so much fun. I'm grateful that my teacher chose to invite me rather than one of her friends. She said I'd appreciate it most and she was right. It was very generous of her.

Margaret: I'm so sorry your neighbor's friend brought an unsafe dog into her home. That is not a good thing to do. I hope the little minpin-chihuahua is going to be okay.


The sailboat is back from adventuring with DS and DDIL. They took their stuff off and went home. Our stuff is in the garage, and we will sort through it to put back the things we want on the boat, and weed out things that aren't needed anymore. The senior center thrift store will be getting quite a few donations from us. I'm glad were able to share the boat so they could have a wonderful adventure, but a bit disappointed in their care of our property and lack of any effort to put it back they way we had it. I am still doing boat laundry. :noway: :frown:

Today I have yoga, and we have friends coming to spend the night. They will be talking to the marina owner down the street. He's planning to build four or five condos on waterfront property that overlooks his marina. He is planning rowhouses and they would rather have a townhouse like ours. We will see how things go.

Katla in Beautiful NW Oregon

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” Thomas A. Edison

August Goals:
1. Log every bite and swallow.
2. Cardio exercise at least 3 days a week. Work on flexibility and back strength.
3. Have fun every day.
4. Drink at least three glasses of water daily, preferably more!
5. Eliminate alcohol.
6. Monitor sleep. Try to average 7 or more hours of sleep nightly.

gawworthington wrote: »

Linda- I attended ISU in the 80's and my mom's family lived in Osceola. I enjoyed spending my summers in Iowa.

I also attended ISU in the 80's! I was there from fall of 1984 through spring of 1989. Yep, I was on the 5-year plan. I lived in Maple Hall my first year and a half, my sorority (Alpha Phi) for the next year and a half, and then off campus. I met my husband at Iowa State when my sorority did VEISHEA with his fraternity. When I think of all the fun I had at ISU, it makes me even more excited as my daughter now starts her college adventure.

Linda/IA

jmkmomm wrote: »

Linda, IA, can you imagine what your daughters are talking about in the car behind you. One hting they are probably saying is that you are driving to slow. When our DD#2 went off to college she said it was always her dream to be driving a car that was full to the brim and everyone who saw her driving down the interstate would be saying that they bet she is going to college.

Actually, right before we left, she said "I'm going to follow you, but you have to drive the speed limit." She knows my hubby has a bit of a lead foot. She is probably more conscientious about following the speed limit than either of us. But, wasn't a problem yesterday. We had her futon in the back of the car and it doesn't quite fit. So, the back door was tied down and we were watching to make sure nothing slid around to potentially fall out the back. The move-in went well, but I do miss her already.

Linda/IA