WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR APRIL 2016

Beth – I’ve never heard of ‘squid steaks’ either. I’m sure like escargot; must be an ‘acquired taste’. My MnL ‘loved’ escargot; but, they are way too ‘chewy’ for me. Enjoy the stuff that my DYS cooks; lots of Louisiana cuisine. Like stuff that is ‘hot & spicy’. My DOS is a great cook, too. One thing my DFnL used to do is put ‘hot sauce’ on everything at supper. I also use mustard and only a little mayonnaise on my hamburger or hotdogs; but, I hate ketchup. Love fresh tomatoes. Spaghetti sauce; tomatoes cooked in a dish; but, ketchup. I have not acquired a taste for it. Don’t like the texture. I dip my fries (the few times I eat them now) - in mustard. I might try something, like trying fish roe, caviar (black and red), raw oysters (love them in any shape, form, or fashion) and ate my boss under the table once on a bet. Won $55 for eating 5 ½ dozen of them at one sitting. My DH’s grandmother would cook anything (no rats or armadillos) that any of them killed – 8 children – so she had to be creative. My paternal grandmother had 9 children. I’ve never had ‘squirrel’ cooked in any manner; but, DH says that his grandmother cooked it with homemade gravy. DMnL claimed it was ‘wonderful’. I don’t think I have ever had ‘rabbit’ either. I might ‘taste’ something I have not ever eaten before; but, I don’t want it served to me without any other choices. I think they’d have to NOT tell me what I was eating … ever. I cooked venison cubed steaks once and my DMnL ‘loved’ it; until my DOS (as a child) asked her how she like the deer meat. After that, she would NOT anything I cooked unless she saw me buy it, take it out of he package,prepared it, and serve it. Love ‘frog legs’. Funny how people always say, ‘it taste just like chicken’. Not the way my DSY prepares them, much better than chicken.

Katla – Mine have been this way since ‘birth’; but, a lot of things I’ve found out as an adult might be ‘considered’ a birth defect. I had a ‘horseshoe shaped’ palette (top of mouth); and when I had dental work; the dentist considered just doing the 2 front teeth and I told him, that I did not want ‘rabbit teeth’ or ‘chicklet’ teeth; and, he agreed that he needed to lengthen all 4 across the top. I had never been able to whistle at all; until he did the dental work, not great; but, can whistle. My Mother’s whistle was one that was distinct and could be heard more than 2 blocks away. She’d come out and whistle about 4:50pm and we had 10 minutes to ‘get inside’. I’m always amazed at people who can stick their fingers in their mouth and do an ear-splitting whistle. One that will make an entire room get very quiet. Have you ever heard of ‘webbed toes’ (where the split between them aren’t all the way down and even with others? My 2nd and 3rd toe are webbed. My DDnL#1 doesn’t have them; and, her toes are so long that she could probably hold a pencil with them. I had never really noticed it until someone doing a pedicure on me mentioned it and showed me what she meant.

I always thought that ‘hammer toes' was something you got if you wore heels all day and your foot gets pushed into the end of the toe of the shoe. I can wear wedged shoes; but have a problem steadying myself with regular heels; and, I wore them to work every day for 20 years.

Connie – I can remember the first time that I could get into ‘skinny jeans’ and not feel self-conscious about it. Almost all my Spring pants are ‘skinny jeans’. They are very comfortable.

Lisa – Both DH and I enjoy getting cards from our sons. It is so obvious that they have read cards rather than just picking one up and going with it. They are so ‘true’ about us. But, after about a week, they get chunked (usually).

Margaret – It’s like doing the same thing over and over and over and expecting a different outcome. Doesn’t work that way; sometimes you have to ‘step back’ and see the ‘entire’ picture. Like not being able to see the forest for the trees (need to get above it). I know to keep my own sanity, sometimes I have to avoid things; negative family members who don’t try to be polite about anything or friends who do not know what the word “NO” means and expect an explanation. I don’t like feeling like someone is pushing me into a corner. It makes me feel claustrophobic and I will come out ‘fighting’ if they continue pushing me for a decision. At that point, saying “I’m sorry” has come a day too late, and a dollar short. I have ‘hazel’ eyes and one can ‘look at me’ and know what my mood is, if they know that normally they’re bright green. But, when I get ill, mad, frustrated … they turn pure amber. They usually don’t want to hear what your decision is (especially if it is contrary to what ‘they’ want). I do get ‘angry’ in a situation like that and I’m usually not very polite about it. After a while I ‘think’ about what I have maybe said or done; and then think, MMmmm, maybe I should or should not have handled it that way. But, there are ‘different strokes, for different folks’. No matter who we are, the only person capable of making ourselves ‘happy’ is OURSELVES! Others can ‘make you unhappy' – if you let them; but, they can’t always make you/me happy’. Sometimes they don’t want to; or they want to drag you down to their level.

Miriam – We have a light (two pieces) in our MBR that turns the total lamp on, turn it again, and only the top stays on, click it again, and only the bottom (which uses a night-light size bulb in it); and, since we got our new bed; which sits high off the floor, I keep the bottom light on; mainly because DH gets up several times during the night. The table it is on, is lower than the bed so the light doesn’t prevent us from sleeping yet gives out enough light for us to get to the bathroom without killing ourselves tripping or bumping into something. When any of my DGDs are here (or company); we leave the bathroom light on and pull it almost closed. I’ve tried to maneuver around in the total darkness before and gotten all turned around. Too far away from light switch to turn it on. That is a terrible feeling. I would not ever want to be ‘totally’ blind. Being an artist, eye sight is most important to me. I could become good with using my left hand if I needed – I’m ambidextrous doing a lot of things.

I was terrified of the dark growing up; grew up in an old house (had a Christmas ghost); had been a Civil War Clinic/Hospital. Sounded like somebody walking the upstairs hall. One Christmas my Dad went up the front stairs (with a gun); BnL up the back stairs (with a gun); but, nothing. Got back downstairs and comfortable … heard it again. I’d turn on EVERY single light upstairs when I was there by myself (with parents downstairs). I don’t know if this works for an older child; but, I can remember my sons’ Pediatrician telling me to NOT go into their rooms just because they cry. They needed to learn how to ‘satisfy’ themselves by focusing on something rather than have me bursting through the door the minute they cried. It’s difficult for ‘new’ mom to listen to their ‘baby’ cry him/herself to sleep. But, to react each and every time they cry lets them know that ‘crying’ will make you appear. You just have to find the ‘middle’ ground. Maybe your daughter is afraid of being left by you, since she has been ‘left’ before (by a parent or some other caregiver).

I do not think that anybody ought to attempt to scare a child about the police coming to get them – EVER! Children should be brought up and taught that the police are there to ‘serve and PROTECT’ citizens. That’s what makes me ‘angry’ about how the secretary handled the situation. Maybe the mother is attempting to protect her children from her own condition; and, this might have brought it to light (something that maybe she wasn’t ready for her children to have to face). Maybe a suggestion of having someone carpool for her. If they rode the bus, they’d have to learn to be there when it came. Someone else driving them to school would probably be helpful for the Mom. It’s really possible that getting up and getting started is hard for the terminally ill mother. But, none apparently, knows the real story behind it.

DamitJanit – Yes, I grew up a Southern Baptist. Parents would not even allow me set foot into a different church. I felt like the time my BF took me inside the Methodist Church we lived next to; and, she belonged to, that, I was either going to get ‘zapped’ or my parents would find out and I’d end up tied to my bed. Funny thing is, my Dad used say, ‘that no daughter of his would marry someone who had been married before, especially if they had a child or children; never marry a Catholic; never marry someone who went to Emory University (which at the time was extremely liberal – he called it a ‘commie college’), and something else (maybe marry outside my race). When we got home, we had to go get our marriage license; and although I had told my mother about DH being married before and having a child; she told me that I’d have to tell my Daddy myself. He was going to the person who took it to get it filed. Have to fill that out on the marriage certificate; could not ‘hide’ it.

When I told him that I had ‘broken’ at least 3 of his ‘rules’; he did not care … he saw how much we were ‘in love with one another’. Somebody (DH) had to be ‘special’ to me; for me to ‘let go of my Daddy’s baby status’.

I did not become a Christian until 5 years ago. I’m sure that a lot of us have changed from one faith to another for a variety of reasons. I know that to make the Catholic Church ‘home’ to me (again) I will need to be ‘involved’ in it (again), other than just attending Mass. In another way now that I no longer have children in parochial school. I’ve missed not having a ‘church family’ and knowing that if I get ill or hurt someone would be praying for me (and my family). I strongly believe that you need to communicate with whatever Higher Power you believe in. “I can do all things through God.” I believe in miracles, I believe in a Heaven and Hell. I’ve read the Bible cover-to-cover twice … and plan on doing it again next year with my Husband’s Study Bible. There was so much I learned the 2nd go round, and hopefully, even more the 3rd time.

In the Baptist Church that I grew up in … there were people who were opening ‘involved’ with one another; and, it was obvious. Yet, they were the ones ‘preaching’ to others about ‘being saved’ or ‘changing their ways’. I don’t think anybody can ‘preach’ another ‘into salvation’. It’s very personal; and, the way you live your life and show it to others is what will either bring someone to believing or it will turn them off to it.

When my oldest sister became a ‘born-again’ Christian … she “preached” (and ‘judged’ us) so much that my middle sister and were actually being ‘driven away – from herself, from religion, from a lot’. When she stopped ‘preaching’ to us; we were open to what God had for us. For me, it was ‘belief’; although my middle sister says that she does not think she’d ever be able to a Jewish friend that he/she is ‘going to Hell because – their Messiah has not come back in their belief. According to her, they believe that Jesus was a prophet. However, I think that we should all respect those of other faiths. We’re here to convey a ‘message’; and, how one lives their life is what makes others either want to know what gives them peace; or don’t want anything to do with any type of ‘organized religion’. For many years my husband’s attitude has been that ‘he talks to God all day long about everything’ and it wasn’t necessary to go to a building to pray. I know that my DH is a ‘godly man’ and has always been. We can go to Mass, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, or we can dress in the finest clothes … what we wear or not does not mean we are any better off or less off than anybody else.

I came home Sunday, after attending service at a non-denominational church I had attended for a couple of years. They have lost their ‘preacher’ when he and his wife became missionaries. So much has changed; and, apparently they (men) are taking turns each Sunday on a rotating basis. I might have just ‘hit’ on someone’s ‘bad day’; but, I walked away feeling totally confused by the ‘sermon’. He bounced from one thought to another. It was like listening to a child who's ADHD/ADD – I did not get anything out of the service. I came home and told DH what had happened and that I planned on going to Mass next Sunday. He even said, ‘I might just come with you, too’. Be still my heart, did I actually hear him say he’d attend with me? GREAT!!!!

Kim from N. California – I agree that no two churches in the same faith are the same and I think that, as parents, we need to lead our children in faith; but, honestly (for me anyway) … I was not at all prepared for ‘joining any church’ (at the age of 8 years). I became a Christian as an adult. Two days before my 60th birthday. It was as ‘crystal clear and real’ that anything has ever been in my life. I saw all those things that ‘doubting’ Thomas said he wanted to see - before he’d believe that Christ had returned to earth. I’m not afraid anymore of ‘dying’ … I just don’t want to ‘hurt’ (painful). I think I am ‘prepared’; I’m just not ‘ready’.

Before I had nearly died several times in my life – having a complication of a pregnancy that my OB/GYN had to do a LOT of research before knowing how to treat me; several wrecks, and, just getting so down that I did not care. Never did anything to try to end my life; just wanted to fall asleep and not wake up. I’ve never been that depressed before or since. I think you need to remember that God has a plan, and stepping in the way of one’s salvation … is not only hurting them … it hurts you for judging. All this said IMHO.

Lenora

I actually thought the word "brand" conveyed exactly what Kim was trying to say. I didn't see it as political correctness.

My Fitbit counts my steps and my "active minutes." I'm not sure what makes them active, but I think it has something to do with continuous movement. My goal daily is 10,000 steps and 60 active minutes. Today I got 17,000 steps and 142 active minutes.

Did 20 minutes of yoga, held my plank for 2 min 50 sec, 1 hr extremepump. The plan for tomorrow is to do a Gay Gasper Metabolic Interval DVD which I know is going to be on the rebounder. Her videos are always on the rebounder. Wish I could get some DVD's for the bosu.

You know that feeling you get when you get something like an eyelash in your eye? Well, I have that feeling in my left eye. Yet, when I've looked for it, I can't find anything -- no eyeast or piece of fuzz or anything. Guess I'll just have to live with it for a while. Update: Vince said that he sometimes gets this and it's allergies. Now I don't feel it

AR - welcome! Yes, this is a very "chatty cathy" group, and that's also one of the things that makes it so very interesting. There's always something new. I've been on forums where you check in one day...nothing new. You check in the next day...maybe one new post. That doesn't happen here! And many different opinions of things, which is good. Sometimes it helps you to see things in a different light.

Connie - woohoo, fantastic loss. I'm assuming this has been since July. Even with the holidays in there, you did wonderful

Went to the extremepump class then stopped at the Salvation Army (they didn't have anything) then Goodwill. Got a pair of shorts at Goodwill, not sure they will match anything I have in FL. I really was looking for a pair of dark brown shorts. Well, they'll show up. I honestly prefer the SA to Goodwill. They pack the clothes in so tightly you can't find what you're looking for! And I understand that their finances aren't exactly the greatest.

Lisa - I'm the same way about cards. Only thing is..I don't even go into the card aisle and let Vince see what I got. I just toally skip that part for us. I don't want to spend $3 for a card. I do for the kids, I think they look forward to it. Actually, Denise said "I didn't get my St. Patrick's day card". Not that I've ever sent one to her. Liked your pic (and the jacket). I like having things nearby, don't know how you do it being so far away from the stores. Well...I guess you get used to it. I'm just not used to it. I like to hang my clothes outside (even tho the HOA doesn't allow clothing lines, I have a freestanding clothing rack. In summertime I almost never use my dryer for my bathing suit when I take a water exercise class, I'm too cheap to use the electricity. Right now it's sunny outside so I have a bedspread hanging over the railing and two pairs of my pants on the rack. The only problem is, sometimes I forget to bring them in..lol

KJ - great walking up those stairs. Many times I'll take the stairs while Vince will take the elevator and I get to the floor before him!

pip - is the lock you have just a combination lock? I wonder if that would even work. Do you have to lock your bike onto something or can you just leave it (for lack of a better word) free standing?

Heather - when you have the shirataki noodles, do you put anything in the bowl with them? I like to put some sort of vegetable with them. I also find that I like adding a little bit of salsa, just to give them a "boost" in flavor. Do you have to order them over the Internet or does your store carry them? If you have to order them, how many do you have to order at a time?

katla - unfortunately, I don't feel I can always go by sizes in clothing. I have one pair of pants that are a size 10 that fit me, yet another is a 4Petite that fit me. Go figure. Now I have two pairs of jeans, same manufacturer, you would think they'd be the same. One pair I think I'm going to retire to my "a bit too big" closet, but not quite ready for the other pair. Oh, how I wish our Y had a yoga class. I can really use it. When they had a yoga class, I could tell that I was getting a bit more flexible. But, of course, that's gone now

Sioux - welcome!

I'm finding this conversation about churches/religion very interesting. I must have missed the original comments so I'm not going to comment. But it IS very interesting.

LoLo (I forget your name..CRS) - in the pool is the place where I love having hot flashes. No one can tell you're having one and the water helps to cool you down.

I got Vince to have the area in front of the house landscapped. I tell you, I am so very disappointed. The guy who did it is the son of the lady who does the sewing for me and Jess. I specifically told him that I wanted a plant in front of the garage that blooms early in the season. I'm still waiting for it to bloom. He put in about 5 plants, I'm thinking that I may have to dig them up and put in something that blooms. That's what I wanted, I know that's specifically what I told him, that's not what I got. And the grass that he planted! To me, it looks rediculous. His mother said that he did all their landscaping, so I assumed I'd get the same kind of grass that she has. Well, what I got was grass like she has but in it is this other type of grass (if that's what it is). It has a thick blades and it grows like a weed! I think I'll have to cut it twice a week. I wonder how I can get rid of this, I don't want this. I know if I tell Vince that I'm unhappy, he'll get upset. Also, when we were down in FL I told the ceramics lady that I wanted to put these things on the pergola. She said that she had these molds of an angelfish. Well, I called and ordered one. I showed her a picture of the pergola. What did she send me? An angelfish that you stand up, not something that you hang up. And since she fired it to make it bisq, there's no way it can be altered. Well, actually, Vince said that the bottom (the part where you stand it up) can maybe fit in between the slats of the pergola, he can probably drill a hole in the fish to hang it up. It just annoys me when I tell someone exactly what I want and I trust that that's what they're giving me, and I don't get it. It also annoys me that I specifically told this lady that I wanted something to hang, and she recommends something that stands up. Sorry for taking this out on you all.

Anna - best of luck to you. Wishing you all the best

Mia - Max is so adorable. Merri isn't bad, either. Thanks for sharing the pics

Had mahjongg at my house tonight. One gal came at 7:30 so we played The Crazy Cat Lady game and then Rummikub. Around 8:45 the other gal came so we only got to play 3 games. I did get two, one that I never got before. I made these strawberry bars and then gave them away. At least they're out of my house because I thought they had pretty good flavor. But I think I should use real jam. I was trying to be healthy and used the "all fruit" which I thought was jam but maybe not. Is there something I can use in it to make it thicker?

Michele in NC

Katla, MFP system gave me "grammyx23" but I chose Sioux in Tulsa so I prefer the latter. I am Native American and proud of my heritage. Thanks for asking.
WOW! This is really a great group of gals. I look forward to getting to know ALL of you better. I have tried to read most of today's posts so this has been a long but pleasant day. Good night to all my new friends.

Penny, I lost another foot of small intestines. Not laproscopic this time. Some funny business with the anesthetic I think.

Takes forever to type. Hubby reads me your posts. It's a little hard to focus, but getting better pretty quickly, I think.

good night.

Busy day today and again find myself on here late at night. Remember when I said my family was going to do some of the cooking for me so it would relieve some of my 'stress'? Well that was my daughter speaking for her husband and he wasn't on board. It has worked out OK though. I had 3 fairly easy meals, one in the crockpot, some simple hamburger type sandwiches that probably only our family know about. It is pound of hamburger you brown and drain, add can of Minnestroni soup, spoon onto half hamburger bun and a piece or portion of cheese and put in oven until cheese melts. The other a casserole with Watergate salad and veggie. The kids were all out of town for the day and let me know when they were on the way home so I could put it in the oven. We had a meal planned to go out but Charlie's bowels didn't cooperate so we got a carry out pizza. They ate all their lunches while they were out on their staycation trips. Still, the nine year old is very high energy and has some deplorable habits. My daughter says she works on the important things and lets the others go. So I am really tired.

I now remember wheat I was going to say to Heather. I love brain sandwiches. When we first got married I thought they would be terrible. I mean, they came from brains! Yuck. So my husband decided if I was ever going to eat one, I better eat the best. So we go way out of town to this local tavern. I loved it. The hospital we worked at had them every Thursday until they had no more and they were very popular. I have had some that were awful though.

Same with churches. I loved the church we got married at, my husband and both daughters were all baptized at and both girls also got married their. So I went there a long time. Then they got a preacher that I saw was taking the church to a place I didn't want to. It is now a completely contemporary church and I don't like that at all. i am not saying they are bad. They just aren't for me. I go to my daughter's church when I go to their house and it's a good church. The doctrine is sound. I just don't like the type of music. So I found this rare church that is like the kind my Dad was preacher at for years. Maybe it's something about my parents and feeling closer to them.

Goodnight ladies. Joyce, Indiana

Barbie, thank you for your smiling sunshine.

Miriam, I use an room darkening mask at night. Every light could be on and I wouldn't know it. I got mine at Old Navy, they don't always have them but Bed Bath and Beyond always do. The cheap ones don't fit well even for an adults head but with some crafty sewing and adding elastic it would work. Also 5 below has them for, wait for it, $5! I couldn't live without it and my sound machine that is quite loud.

Sioux in Tulsa: It is important to maintain connections with our heritage. DH's grandfather was part Algonquin, but not enough for tribal privileges. His grandfather moved from Wisconsin to Idaho where he met DH's grandmother. My grandparents were German/Austrian immigrants in the late 1890's. :bigsmile:

Sylvia: (((HUGS))) I hope every hour is better than the one before. It is good that you feel you're getting better quickly.

Laney: Welcome to a great group. When I started I let MFP set my daily calorie allowance. I filled those calories with healthy foods that agree with me and that I like. I always made good food choices but I ate too much. MFP taught me to measure my portions. I still eat good food, but now I eat smaller portions. I met my goal a while back but I'm still here because I know I need the support and discipline to keep up my good habits. I bet you'll find as much help and support here as I did. :flowerforyou:

Michele: We have combination locks on our bikes, too. They're long plastic coated metal cables and have combination locks that we set to our choice of numbers. We've been satisfied with them.



We heard from DD this evening and have set up a visit. She and the kids are coming & will be here from the 16th to the 28th of April. I hope we have lots of good fun together. I am thinking a beach trip would be very nice. I hope we ge a stretch of nice weather while they're here.

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

April Resolutions :
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. Monitor sleep. Try to average 7 or more hours of sleep nightly.

grandmallie wrote: »

I will talk to Tom tonight, and if he is so worried about dog food will let him do the dog food.. and he can cook his own cheeseburger tonight...

Allie - that sounds like a good, totally reasonable plan.
/Penny

Good morning all

Lenora the secretary did not say that to the students. The students were so upset about their mom they heard what they wanted to hear. Because the adults were so upset instead of staying on the issue of truancy nothing got resolved. The students also witnessed adults struggling to communicate. The reason I told this story is I find myself in this pattern of defensiveness and blame. I am trying to learn alternatives because this pattern no longer serves me. Finding effective strategies when conflict occurs is my goal. Right now I am taking time to observe and reflect as part of that change . Hence the nature of my posts. Changing old habits is a process. My goal is to have healthier relationships with others and with myself. For me weight is just one of the markers of health.

Margaret

Heather, yes, abusers are insidious. They start out being very attentive to your needs, but over time start criticizing every single thing you do, say or think. It is very like the frog in the water, gently heated until it is boiling and killed. I used to long for my former husband to be in a "hunting accident". Considering hunting required vast quantities of alcohol, it was a possibility. Once his best bud shot out the tire in his pickup on a mountain road as they were driving. I had wished the gun was pointing the other direction, at his head! But I never could harm another person myself.

calefor wrote: »

Hi Ladies! Wow, its a job keeping up with all of the posts and keeping everyone straight. Hope to do better soon.

Connie
Central Oregon

Good luck with that one! I've been participating in this thread for a while, at least a year, maybe two, and I still have trouble keeping people straight. It's all good. I can't speak for the others, but I'm always flattered when people call me Katla.

Sylvia ~ So sorry for your health problems and wishing you a complete recovery.

Noreen ~ I had to look on a map to find Quincy, Fl. Very close to Tampa I see. Sounds like you are surrounded by wild life.

Miriam ~ Sounds like your DH was a total loser/abuser. Glad you are no longer in that situation.

Held my plank for another minute yesterday and am doing (a very few) floor exercises that seem to address the abs. Found this on You Tube. Looked up exercises for the torso.

Carol