Good Morning Friends-
I woke up to more SNOW so it has reverted to January for us the temp was 25- UGH. This won't last long but my longing to play in the dirt is delayed for a couple of days if not weeks.
Patti- welcome home. SO glad you have a great time. We missed you!
Janet- some gentle yoga might be a good thing for you- I would check with your doctor. My Emily firmly believes Yoga can be modified for all people not matter what their physical limitations are- she says its not about being perfect in each pose but that you are trying to help yourself- even if all you do is the breathing..... She sent me a link to look at. I can forward it to you too. Some of it is scary but again she said just do the breathing mom... Love that kid so encouraging to everyone she meets.
Judy- good luck with PT today. I"m still dealing with Amazon to get the pages fixed in Last First Kiss so you can download for free the updated copy. They are VERY difficult to work with.
Myra- have fun at the ortho- first appt for your daughter?
Bert- you're right life is precious and sometimes we forget that very important point.
Suzi- is the garage done?
Karla- I'm sure you're loving the quiet zone at Casa de Mitchell-
Well need to run- had a great food day yesterday so I did eat like I loved myself and I threw out the oreos. I'll be able to have them in the house again without temptation but not right now.
Cindy

Good Morning, Ladies. It's very cold this morning, but sunny. I hope I didn't lose any flowers. My rose bushes and mums are above the ground. Mums can take it, but I'm not sure about the roses.

Karla: I wish I only had hard wood and tile. The next time he comes, it will be half price. So I'm happy about that.

I'm heading out in a while to run errands and then have lunch with a friend. Have a great day everyone.

Bert

Good morning ladies,
We have a warm and rainy day outside, so some inside activities may be in order, or don the "rain gear" and head back out there.
Started some topical testosterone therapy today, so it will be interesting to see the impact in a while.
Will check in again later for more personals, but wanted to say welcome home to Patti!
Keep focused on your own mini goal today and enjoy yourselves with those you love.
Hugs,
MaryLynn

Cindy and Janet- the yoga studio i attend is very gentle. in fact, she calls it "yoga therapy" her style is eclectic, so it's hard to describe. it is not like any yoga class i've tried before.... there are no sun salutations, and very few standing poses (although we've done some warrior 2 and some tree poses) most of it is mat work. we do some core strengtheners, and she seems to like doing "end range of motion" strengtheners. and we always finish class with 10 minutes of mindfulness or meditation. So, to answer your question, Cindy, this class is more stretching and "restorative" for me than toning. my two favorite classes are "gentle" which i attend with a handful of sweet little old ladies and "self-myofascial release" which usually attracts a more athletic audience, and we work with foam rollers and strategically placed racquetballs.

Janet- I encourage you to research "hanna somatics" I was having lower back pain over the holidays that just wouldn't quit, and out of desperation, i searched for "how to unlock lower back" and found a video on Utube by a dude named "James Knight". the immediate relief i experienced after following along (about 12 minutes) made me a firm believer! I have since bought his dvd: Gentle Yoga through Somatic exploration...... i have only tried the lower body section and i like it, although it's slow-paced. slow is what i need, but i don't wanna. BUT.... he has BUNCHES of UTUBE videos of varying lengths, so a purchase isn't necessary.... i just felt like supporting this guy who saved my Christmas

I am so glad i have reached angel status just by posting OMG's and here i was feeling bad that i didn't get to it before i left town the other week speaking of feelings.... remember the medication I had to fight my insurance to pay their "part" of? I finally started taking it on good friday. It is a drug that has helped me in the past, but comes with side effects (don't they all). I'm cautiously optimistic that it is working once again for me. I caught myself smiling the other day, and it wasn't even forced I am going to go out on a limb and say I believe i'm really starting to turn a corner. this latest bout of depression has been a dooosy to claw my way back from... so THANK YOU for all of your support and for being such nice people!

Patti- i'm so happy to hear of your great people-visiting vacation did you read that I grew up in Sarasota? btw, your comment about Edd's garage made me chuckle

Bert- I'd prefer to get rid of all wall-to-wall carpet too, but alas, it is more economical upfront. I'm lucky to have the hardwood floors I DO have

that's all for now: one kid has tennis class, the other has soccer practice, so it's a divide and conquer and throw dinner together later kind of evening for us here.

myra

Back from TRX and it didn't kill me, so that is good, but it definitely wasn't easy. Have a nice salad with chicken, fruit and veggies ready and waiting for my supper. Got lots of things accomplished today so I can relax with Mom tomorrow.

Karla, did not mean to skip you. I had in mind what I was going to post and thought I had, still getting my brain back from vacation mode. So happy to hear you have all your rooms back. You will probably always worry about Chris, just as we all worry about those we love, but you gave him what he needed when he needed it. I hope your disability goes thru so you can stop stressing your eye with all the computer work. Have you started the filing process yet?

Mary Lynn, your post gave me a great chuckle. I read that you were starting "tropical testosterone therapy" and was thinking that is was a great way to describe hot flashes. Reread it and had a good laugh at myself. Hope it works, keep us posted.

Myra, I did remember that you had grown up in Sarasota. It was a really nice town. Our friend is the best tour guide and she showed us all around town. When we went downtown to see the statue of the sailor and the nurse we found the best little "art in the park". We made it to Siesta Key and drove thru Longbow Key too. The weather was perfect, especially the day we rode our bikes down to Venice. I will keep the prayers coming that the meds give you more smiles every day.

Janet, when will you be done with low iodine diet so we can put our lunch on the calendar! I a right there with you on the soapbox. One of my jobs when I was a Case Manager was to work for the patient, against the insurance companies to get the meds covered. We can all thank Medicare for the restrictions. So if anyone thinks we don't have socialized medicine in this country, think again. Medicare makes the rules and guess who runs Medicare? I have had to change all my medications in the last few years for my high blood pressure. I'll jump down now too!

Need to go eat my salad before it gets any later. Tried a new Dannon light and fit yogurt today. Caramel fudge pretzel, caramel yogurt with chocolate covered pretzel bits. Liked the bits, but the caramel did not cut it, plus it was 130 calories. Bummer, it was all things I like.

Patti

Hi Ladies-
My eating is going well and portion controlled. As you may remember I'm taking a break from the scale but I do know approximately where I am since the comfort level of my work pants and jeans are the same. Just can't face those numbers and I get very angry with myself which leads to overeating. One meal at a time for me this week.
Janet- So agree with insurance companies- hang in there and i forgot about sweet potatoes the last few weeks- thanks for the reminder. Rick doesn't eat them so I don't always pick them up.
Patti- sorry about the dannon yogurt new flavors. I haven't had much in the way of yogurt lately. Need to get back on that train too
Myra- so glad you are finding your smile again. Doing a happy dance for you
Bert- I have hard wood everywhere except for our upstairs bedroom- its nice and easy to clean. Maybe you could do one room at a time?
MaryLynn- enjoy your day
Karla- when do you leave for Destin?
Diane- waving hello
Suzi- I'm getting some plan details today after work.
Off and running but I'll be back.
Cindy

I survived therapy. I really just lay there while she tortures me! Mostly just a massage. I haven't taken pain pills for two weeks now. I was awake all night so I think tomorrow night I will take one. I have to do therapy three times a week until May15 and then they will reevaluate.

Our son has been very sick please remember him in prayer. He is going to a rheumatologist this morning.

Cindy, I'm not caring about the number either. I have my clothes and skeleton as a guide and also find being too dependent on The Number is counterproductive for me. I loathed sweet potatoes as a kid (only had them at holidays and the only part I liked was the marshmallow topping). Like mushrooms, fish, tomatoes and spinach, they are now favorites.

Judy, you might want to take a pill an hour before OT - might lessen the torture - do use if you need them (something I learned through experience). Praying for your son's health and peace of mind for all. Joint and autoimmune stuff is no fun, and it doesn't always get the respect it deserves. Hoping he gets lasting relief soon.

Karla, love the photo of the six if you before the concert - you look great. Losing the eye clinic is well-timed and will help your eye (ha!). Will see if I can upload that pic (much as the mere thought makes me squeamish. Parents/grandparents, NEVER let children hear negative words (or full conversations) about any child's appearance or other "differences." It not only scars, it leaves open wounds.)

Low-iodine means less protein (meat is limited too) and no vitamins (might be iodine in supplements) so my physical energy level is a little low, but my attitude is positive. Looking forward to a productive day and a mani this afternoon.

Time to get on it - see you all later!

Quick stop as I am running late today. Thoroughly enjoyed my EW omelet this am, it has been 2 weeks! I am on the Cindy Plan too. Staying away from the scale, it is just a tool to sabotage my efforts. Using my clothes and the mirror as my litmus test. Not liking where I am right now but am working to change that.

Karla, yes I saw your weight, congrats, great job, whoot, whoot, way to go, ^5..... Hope that catches me up. Glad you have found a way to scale back. I know Glenn is relieved. I hope he gets some time to join you in Destin. Enjoy your day of pampering.

Cindy, you are doing the right thing and focusing on baby steps.

Myra, I don't care for the triple zero yogurt. Good thing they make so many flavors and types of yogurt. Keep smiling.

Judy, as your shoulder gets looser the pain will lessen. Now is not the time to try to tough it out. Take your pain meds 30 minutes before your session and at bedtime. People worry that they will become addicted, but that will not happen as long as you are taking them for pain!

Janet, you are so lovely inside and out and I pray some day you will see what we do. Hope you post that new pic.

Gotta run, back before Blacklight Zumba.
Patti

Myra -- "Freggie!" Thanks for that -- may I borrow it?

Patti, have fun getting back into the swing of "normal" life.

I've been reading a lot about the demonization of full-fat dairy lately. Recent studies have shown that it may be better for us than low- or no-fat. (I know Patti shares my disdain of fat-free "cheese.") The more I learn, the moore convinced I become that we just need to eat Real Food and depend less on processed and packaged stuff.

Which brings me to a question:

TT: What are your pantry must-have staples? Maybe we can learn from one another.

Mine: Boxed broth, canned beans (especially black beans) and tomatoes (boxed or canned), green chiles, water chestnuts (to add crunch), steel-cut oats, artichokes in water. Not a fan of canned veggies other than tomatoes, artichokes, chilis, water chestnuts.