WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR MAY 2016

Marking my spot.

Thanks for your kind words about HB2.

Miriam - I feel so bad for your grandson. I detest those that pushed the bill through. And, they're using fear to hide the other nastinesd included in the bill.

Heather - I read some of the stuff going on around you. Thanks for thanking the time to read about HB2!

Janet - I'm so sorry! ((((((Hugs))))))

I ate too many calories today. Nothing unhealthy other than it being too much. Disappointed but tomorrow is another day.

Thanks, Barbie!!

Carol in NC

Janet – Thanks; I will go by Lowe’s Tuesday when I will spend all day in town.

Kim from N. California – Love pesto. “Bone Fish” serves it warm. MMmmmm.

Carol in NC – I love “everything bagel thins”; ½ the ‘bread’ of a regular bagel and I love bagels.

Janetr – So sorry to hear of your step-daughter’s passing. Thoughts and prayers and hugs for all the family. Sad that her son lost his mother so close to graduation.

Becca – Love your picture of the woman throwing her clothes off at the beach. Your haircut looks good, too.

Spent the whole afternoon, 4 hours, taking one of my big ferns and dividing them up so they will 'bush out'. Lordy, they had about 1/2 of the frons dead; DH finally took an ax to them to divide them. Put it (biggest one, a Kimberly Queen) into 4 pots. Repotted my "Moses in a Boat" that I had never planted from the original pot; had just thrown it into a pot that had a little soil in it. Had to fight with it, too. I am 'exhausted'. Mass in the morning; then later in the afternoon will be taking the entire family to "Olive Garden". DOGD says that is going to be her 'cheat day'. Says that her step-mom (DDnL#1) needs to have a 'cheat day' once in a while; because she is only (on this diet she is on) allowed to eat 'green vegetables' and white meat (chicken or fish). Also, her "MD" told her 'not' to drink a lot of water. DOGD (and her half-sister on her mother's side) came over for DOGD to 'vent' a bit. Conversation went from 'diets'/life-style changes to their biological mother who is probably going to end up getting arrested again. She's left the state and is not doing what she is supposed to be doing on her 'probation'. Her two half-sisters are now in the custody of their respective fathers. They now have sole custody of them now and no possibility of bein reunited with the mother. DOGD and her 'sister' don't have anything to do with her; said that the youngest sister saw much more than they ever did and what they saw was bad. DOGD 'admitted' to getting DFACS involved today. She had 'skirted' on it; but, said that 'if she had not been accused of kidnapping her' she would have taken her to raise. Not the responsibility of - at the time - and 18-year-old to take on; especially with college ahead of her. She said that she called her Daddy and told him what was going on. I don't understand why it seems like the women who don't need or want children can 'pop them out' so easily whereas women who can't have them and would be good mothers can't.

I'm so 'tired' of 'politics' and 'politicians' ... can't turn on the TV without it all in your face.

Hi to all the 'newbies' and prayers and hugs to all those who have had issues in your families.

Lenora

Janetr - my deepest sympathies to you and your family. ((((hugs!))))

Becca, your hair looks great!

There was an almighty crash in the family room, and when I raced in there, my always indoor housecat Fred came walking across the room with a mouse dangling by the tail from his mouth! Not the thing that you want to see in your family room!
I ran into the kitchen to get an oven mit to grab the mouse, and something to cover the mouse with, while saying "good boy Fred"!! I guess he was bringing me a present because as I came back into the room, he put the mouse down. It promptly ran across the room while Fred sat and watched it go. Because of the age of the house, I have hot water heat, which means 1/2 inch hot water pipes coming through the floor and running through the baseboard heaters. The mouse made an Olympic quality dive through the very small opening around one of the pipes and headed into the finished ceiling of the basement. Lost him!! Fred spent the rest of the evening on mouse watch at the opening that the rodent disappeared into. I spent the evening baiting mouse traps with peanut butter and figuring out where I could put the traps so that the cats wouldn't be able to get at them. (Oh what an exciting life I lead on a Saturday night!)

Heading to bed to stop myself from eating everything in sight out of frustration. Have a good one everyone!

Nikki in MA

Have any of you ever gotten a personal call from a doctor on Saturday night? Well, I just did.

My PCP referred me for a colonoscopy. I started having them 20 years ago when my dad was diagnosed with colon cancer. My maternal grandfather died from the disease. My father survived his and is still kicking at 87. My last one in 2011, this doctor told me I could wait 10 years, but my PCP said the report said 5 and strongly recommended we stick to the 5-year plan based on my family history. All this confusion was why the gastroenterologist was calling me tonight. He asked me if I was still teaching, said he liked my plan to go to exercise class every day instead, wanted to know how old my folks were when their cancer was diagnosed. He said it was certainly not unreasonable to stick to the 5-year plan. He said his PA would call me on Monday to schedule it. I've always loved this doctor, and I like him even better now. But bless him, he needs to take Saturday night off.

Lenora~
http://jillnealgallery.com/ This is the artists site. She does really great work, and her drawings are such fun!
Becca
Oregon

Hi gals,

Clairblue – so you are human! And think of how much much better you did than before you joined MFP – that makes that a win!

Janetr – my heart breaks for you DH and the rest of the family sending you virtual love, hugs and kleenex

Lisa – you always make me laugh and I love the way you roll, it reminds me how to stand up for myself.

Katla – Wow, pesto is one of my favorite things, quite heavy on calories, but a little goes a long way… Come on down and I’ll make it for you! Glad the boat sold, that was the goal – An RV could get you to my house for pesto! LOL

Carol – You go girl!

GLo – you should write that! Our annoyances are real even if they are not huge, and it is good to get them down and out…

Thanks Barbie for the new thread

Katiebug – wow I’m not even sure my doc would know my name with out the chart.

Becca – cute hair

Kim from N. California

Barbie - thank you so much once again for keeping us moving forward one month at a time! Your faithfulness to this is part of what keeps me coming back, month after month, day after day.

JanetR - I am so incredibly sorry about Tara. Your whole family is in my thoughts. At times like these, simply standing up and putting one foot in front of the other can be the hardest thing. Keep talking to us, my dear, we have broad shoulders, and we're here for you.

Joyce - it sounds like dry socket and/or infection in the space where the tooth was-four wisdom teeth did that to me, and it is extraordinarily painful. Warm water and salt rinses seemed to help, but in the end, the only thing that fixed it was them packing the space with a tiny cloth mixed with clove oil. It covers the exposed nerve and deadens it. ERs aren't good about seeing people for tooth pain, but your dentist should be able to see you quickly and provide what you need one hopes.

Kim from No. Cal - I always thought I'd be an example to others, but wasn't always sure it would be as a good example! Thank you for the compliment. The older part of me worries that I might have torched my chance at the job--but I'm no longer being someone I'm not for ANYone, whether job, marriage or family. It's a much better place to be in my head, but not necessarily making me more employable. Luckily, the person I am is a pretty nice person, and I like her a lot. I don't regret having tried to change myself for others in the past. It brought me where I am right now. But you can be nice and also get what you need. The key, I've found, is to make it clear to yourself and to others that you have the power to walk away. When it's clear to you, you never actually have to say the words to anyone else. It alters the way you interact with them in subtle ways that people recognize without knowing why, often enough.

Lisa in East Texas...

Insomnia bites. But it can also be quite productive. Soon as I'm done here, I'll get my regular weekly article written (yes, the same newspaper that is thinking about hiring me). Today I think I'll be writing on "What my mother taught me," in honor of Mother's Day looming next weekend. It took me ten years after her death to write about my mother without tears. I still miss her so.

Second cup of coffee burbling in the coffee maker, my husband asleep ten feet away, and the last morning in the hotel. Glad of it - I miss my office at the ranch, and my big monitor and keyboard, so I'm not staring at the laptop tiny screen. Plus hotel desk chairs always lose their height, and I'm a short little bugger, so I end up losing the feeling in my hands before too long, as they're reaching up to type. First world problems. I'll get over it!

Such an amazing time with my sister this weekend... we kind of go in cycles, but both want to see more of each other during this one. You forget in between how much this person is like you--we say identical responses at the same time, laugh the same way, look even more like each other than we always did, and most people thought we were twins growing up. She's my baby sister, indeed the baby of the family, and we were the last two, so we were close as kids, grew apart until we were in our early 30s, and have cycled, as I said, in and out for the last 25 years or so. I've lived with her for short stints, she's lived with me for months at a time. Losing so many people this year, and her falling off a ladder was part of what inspired the first visit this year, and I'm hoping to see her quite frequently over the course of the year. I've never actually met my two oldest half sisters, and only met one when I was 17. We were both pretty unimpressed. So, when I say "my sister," I mean this one.

I may change my article to be about her and about my mom, because she's an amazing mom, as well. Not exactly June Cleaver, but who is?

We're heading home as soon as we get the trailer loaded, which won't be until four hours from now... because I have insomnia, and the men don't! Will roust Corey out about 7:30, and start loading at 8:30... My sis and DBiL will be bringing a trailer load to the storage unit, and we'll be transferring it all to the larger trailer we're going to be dragging. We've already packed the van to the ceiling, literally. Then seven to nine hours of driving, unload the van and trailer, stopping in Odessa to pick up one of the ranch vehicles at the airport, which I'll drive back to the ranch, and then home for the night. Then pee testing tomorrow for the job.

Life is always interesting.
Wonder why?
Lisa, soon to be home in West Texas, if the good Lord's willin' and the creeks don't rise.

Ack - forgot my goals for May!

April goal - be lighter - I achieved it. One pound. Woo-hoo!

May goal - same. Be lighter. One pound is sufficient. If my spirit gets any lighter, I'll float away.

Love y'all,
Lisa

Happy May Day to All!

Thanks Barbie for starting the new thread.

Carol

Good morning! Happy Sunday! Happy May Day/Lei Day! It has been a rainy weekend here in West Michigan. This is the second weekend in a row of rain, so not much is getting done in my yard. The grass in front is getting so high, I am nervous the bunnies are making their nests. It happens every year. I find them when I mow and sometimes have to take the babies to a rescue center if the mama doesn't come back after I mow. Hoping it dries up later today so I can get out there and get the grass cut! I spent yesterday cooking and prepping for meals the rest of the week. I made a pot of white chicken chili, spoon bread, three meatloaves with three sides of mashed potatoes, portioned out into three containers and taken to family members that need some help with meals, got greens prepped and washed, and made baby food for my very little ones. This week, they have their choice of peas, carrots, green beans, peaches, and apples. I pour the prepped baby food into ice cube trays and freeze them, so I can pull out exactly what I need each day. You can see the NYFR in the background of this pic. I got a lot done yesterday, shopping, laundry, and bedding laundry, along with the cooking. I ate a good breakfast (eggs and zucchini scramble), then got busy and drank the rest of my meals. I drank three NYFR while I cooked and cleaned. Oh well, one day of that won't kill me.
Janet- So sorry for your loss! I will continue to keep your family in my thoughts and prayers.
Lisa -Ugh! Living and working out of a hotel is so hard sometimes! Hope you can get back to your place safely and find things in good shape.
Marcelyn-Thinking of you as I complain about the rain (I know how lucky I am) and see the news footage of the storms in your area. Stay safe and dry!
Pip-Hope the auction went well and good luck on your 11mi run. Will you be getting it in today?
Heather- You cook such amazing and unusual things! Have you taken cooking classes? Or is this a hobby you have acquired? Do you choose meals you have tried before or do you browse for recipes and experiment? I envy you, your husband with adventurous tastes. Mine would eat meat and potatoes every day; and for some recipes, it seems ridiculous to make only enough for myself. But I have done it on occasion.
Joyce- I would have to agree with Allie and Lisa in regards to your tooth. My dh had a couple of lower teeth out last year, and if I remember correctly, it was two or three days of intense pain and soft room temp foods. Foods that were too hot or too cold seemed to irritate those nerves. He was almost constantly doing the salt water rinse. I had the clove oil, but he didn't want to try it. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon!
NC Carol- Kudos to your pastor for tackling subjects that most churches don't like to discuss, but really need to be. Brings to mind, long, long ago; when I was a teen, making the rounds to churches and church youth groups with my mother to speak about abortion and other choices. When we were scheduled to speak to youth groups we would find just as many adults present to listen as there were children.
Lenora- I hear you in regards to the political drama! It is a tense subject at my home as my dh and I NEVER agree on politics (or religion). He never used to vote; UNTIL he found out who I was voting for. Now he says he votes just to cancel my vote! LOL! He only votes in the presidential election though. I don't think it has occurred to him that you need to vote for everything to "clear the path" or "make the road easier" for your candidate!
Becca-Your hair looks wonderful! I think haircuts are great spirit and mood lifters!

April goals and resolutions:
30 day squat challenge: I got in 27 days of squats; had to suspend the work out due to P.I.T.A.
(final three days will be completed as soon as issue clears itself up)
cardio daily: Probably closer to 3-4 days a week, will carry over to May
water conservation: Success! Even my dh noticed that I am not leaving the kitchen faucet running!
projects for daycare: Completed a surprise box, a chill corner, and a puppet stage.
log every meal/bite: will continue into May

May goals and resolutions:
cardio daily: I really want to get this in EVERY DAY! 30 minute minimum
log every meal and bite
follow my meal plan
finish squat challenge and begin an upper body work out
duolingo daily and begin spending time on the piano

I think that is all I can focus on as far as self improvement goes. Love and hugs to you all!

janetr.....so sorry to hear you lost her.

Happy May Day! We have a gorgeous and sunny morning today. :bigsmile:

April Resolutions with comments :

1. Log every bite and swallow. Done. This is the core of staying in control of my health.
2. Cardio exercise at least 3 days a week. Work on flexibility and back strength. Done, and feeling healthier.
3. Have fun every day. I found something to enjoy every day, sometimes the pleasure of watching pbirds at the feeder, and sometimes an adventure.
4. Drink at least three glasses of water daily, preferably more! I'm pleased to say I'm getting this done without the bad attitude I began witih. I feel better because of it.
5. Monitor sleep. Try to average 7 or more hours of sleep nightly. Sleep is going well. If I have to move to the other room on noisy nights, I do it. The noisemakers last night were sea lions. :grumble:


Lets have a great May!

Katla in Beautiful NW Oregon

Tibetan proverb: "The secret to living well and long is: Eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure..."

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

May 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.