WOMEN ages 50+ FOR JULY 2016

Miriam That is some family and personal history you've got there! Ugh. I just have to say that suicide is something that is extremely difficult for the survivors. Not that you ever really get over the death of a loved one, but suicide just warps the whole grieving process...sorry you have had such a time of it...and I empathize.

Karen in Virginia

Karen in Virginia, after I started working in mental health, I realized the effect that suicide has on the families left behind. That was when I decided it was no longer an option. And when I chose to have children, I renewed that commitment. I have sometimes had a hard time reminding myself of that, but it has kept me here! Sometimes I use it like a mantra when I am having a really hard time, "Suicide is not an option. I made a commitment to my kids not to do that to them. Suicide is not an option."

Here it is the 7th of the month already. Time is just flying by. We had a great time on our trip. DGC did really well with being in the van for hours at a time. Had some problems with DD and not sure what is going to happen there. She is really a step daughter to both of us and DH was married to her mom and had two children and we have always accepted Dawn, but never spent alot of time with her. Boy! has the last couple months been an eye opener. Doing alot of praying about it.
Went to the doctor yesterday and got my stitches out and looks like it is healing well and the report came back they got it all. So can relax about that.
Sorry I have not had time to read and catch up, first day back at work and what a mess. One day at a time.
Blessings to each of you beautiful ladies. Vicki GRAND ISLAND, NE

OOOooo, I just saw a recipe that sounds and looks good (unfortunately the calories are done in grams and I don't remember how to do them in ounces).

Fried Smashed Potatoes
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients:
12 - Small red potatoes (1 1/2 - 2" in diameter) [about 1 1/2 - 2lbs]
1 - Teaspoon salt
1/4 - Cup olive oil
3/4 - Teaspoon salt
1/2 - Teaspoon pepper
3/4 - Cup, fresh ground Parmesan Cheese
2 - Tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
Directions:
1. Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with at least 1 inch of water. Add the 1 teaspoon salt to water. Bring to boing; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 25 - 30 minutes or until potatoes are very tender; drain potatoes.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Transfer potatoes to a foil-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Cool for 10 minutes. Using a potato masher or the palm of your hand (be careful not to burn your hand), lightly press down on each potato to smash to about 1/2 inch thickness, keeping each potato in one piece.
3. Using half of the olive oil, brush on potatoes. Sprinkle half of the salt and pepper on potatoes. Bakke, uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned and crisp. Turn potatoes; brush with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes more or until potatoes are lightly browned and crisp. In a bowl combine cheese and parsley. Sprinkle on potatoes. Bake for 2 to 3 minutes more or until cheese is melted.
Make-Ahead Directions:
Scrub potatoes; set aside overnight. Combine the grated cheese and parsley in an airtight container; cover. Chill for up to 24 hours. Continue as directed.

Might be a lot higher in calories than I think it would be; but, it sounded 'different'. One small red potato; how many calories can that be. I don't think I would even use that much olive oil to brush on either side of the potatoes. So, really the only thing that would 'add' calories would be the Parmesan Cheese and that seems like a lot of cheese for 12 potatoes.

I think I am going to ask DH if he'll stop somewhere tomorrow on his way home and pick up a couple of hamburger patties or something.

Lenora

[quote="grandmallie;37026030"
I have to tell you I have not well at all, I am almost as big as I was when I started MFP and am so ,I have to get my tail back in the swing of things, I saw pictures of me at the wedding and I look like a house..
gonna start with food and then get back into exercise again..[/quote]

Allison, I'll help encourage you! Just use you Fitbit and join the challenges I start. I invited my sister and now have 3 other people really challenging me!

Rita from CT

For all my friends here:


Cheri
feeling accomplished in NE oHIo, anxiously awaiting lease approval

Hello ladies: Well DGD has gone home. We had a really good day yesterday swimming and playing games. She spent the night with us and she and her aunt built a fire last night and made s'mores after dinner. I passed on those. She likes our new barn cat but is not impressed with the rat presents. We got another one today.

I had a lovely visit with Rori and she was kind enough to post the picture. We were at a cafe and wine bar, very nice in the middle of a wine festival. I learned later that my DSon was also there for a concert. I also learned something about my new state that Woodinville is considered the Napa valley of WA. Who knew? But then I am not a wine aficionado. It was a fun time.

Lisa - Great front page!! We used to catch horned toads when we were kids. The RV looks great, I like the floor plan.

KJL - Has your DH been on long-term steroids for his RA? They can cause cataracts.

Barbie - Did you get the Boston Pops July 4th concert taped? We tried but got Gasworks park instead.

Cheri - Hope the new rental works out for you and that it is even better than the first.

Allie - Hang in there woman, you know how to do this.

Vicki - Glad you had good news on the arm.

Everyone take care, Sue in WA

:-)

grits wrote - Pip - you must have long legs if you are only 5'5" and you could straddle the bike without hitting your private parts. Are you saying that this bike did not fit you? I can't remember how I got fitted; but, I do remember someone 'holding the bike while I stood up on one peddle' ... had something to do with being able to reach the extended peddle while sitting on the seat and still have my back straight'. I have not ridden my bike in over 15 years (since about the time we moved out here) anywhere; but, it is the 'best' overall exercise. Was at my best weight and shape when I rode a bike every day. We live on a dirt road ... so tires are way too skinny to use it. I got just a cheap wide tired Wal-Mart bike one year after we moved out here; the first day I rode it I stood up and started 'pumping' the peddles and ended up falling over the handlebars. Every bolt on it had been put on by a 'power wrench' and all were 'stripped'. I took it back to Wal-Mart and told them that 'if had to have been put together by using a power wrench' and wanted a 'new' bike that had been put together by hand (or my $$$ back).

i have been told i have long legs. the bike that i had sloped downward slightly, didn't go evenly straight across. the guys at the bike shop where i bought my bike are the ones that said that bike was way to big (the frame) for a person of my size. you don't want to fully extend your leg on the downstroke pedal, it needs to be at a slight bend, they measure that. they put you on a bike trainer to see your stroke and it's a lot more complicated. you also don't want a straight back while pedaling and being measured, thats why they have you on a trainer while doing it.

exermom - your question about my beans ---- they are straight out of the can rosarita no fat refried beans. i don't even heat them up

Did an hour of Gin Miller Seriously Strength DVD. The plan for tomorrow is to do Patrick Goudeau ExtremeCardio burn DVD.

I downloaded this DVD but I have it under another name. This is the DVD that I have: https://www.totalfitnessdvds.com/Seriously-Strong-DVD-Gin-Miller-p/772.htm. however, the one I downloaded is called Seriously Strength. But they are the same DVD. If someone would like it, I'd be glad to send it to you. It's on a DVD+R

pip - if you've never heard of a bike store that takes in bikes used to apply credit towards a new one, is there a way you would suggest our best chance to sell it?

Becca - Vince doesn't even stand outside the store when I'm looking for clothes. He takes me to the mall, drops me off, and then comes home

Joyce - what I do with that fusible stuff is I put a TINY piece of it under the tag on my shirt. You know, the one that tells you the size and all. Then I iron it so it stays down. Too many times I've had that tag sticking out. What a sewing find you had there! I had one with MIL passed away and I got most of her sewing things.

The Wii said that I lost 2lbs today. I'm thinking that part of that is that I didn't have anything to eat in the evening. anyway, I celebrated with a chocolate chip cookie (bad me). At least I had it early in the day so I'll have time to burn it off.

Karen in VA - Just to be sure I'm clear, I didn't lose 100% of my hearing, just partial. Like I said, I'll never get it back and should that tumor grow I might wind up losing more. But then again, it might not grow and I won't lose any more. The hosp where I went to see the specialist called to set up for the next MRI, I just asked them to call me back in Jan since I probably won't have it done until around April. It's just too early to make a definite commitment

Mary - good for you mixing up your exercise. It's always a good idea to do that. that's one of the premises of the P90X program - muscle confusion. You're doing so well with the weight loss and doesn't it feel good to get rid of clothes that you can no longer wear???

Lisa - that's wonderful that dh gets home by 4! Love your front page. Your publisher sure is lucky, and I bet he knows that

janetr - I can certainly relate to Jack's worrying.

Made the chicken salad for our neighbor today. I want to take it over to them later in the day so that I get those chocolate chip cookies out of my house! then baked (really, microwaved) some more purple potatoes for me to have. Vince will only eat white potatoes. No matter that they taste the same, they just don't look the same. If I liked potato salad, I would think they'd look really nice in a potato salad

Terri - so very glad to see you back!

Thank you for the compliments on the angelfish. As you know, I want color by the pool and to me, this is colorful. I also have a starfish, but that's mostly a light brown. Right now I'm working on a sea turtle. It'll be mainly blue and yellow

Cheri - sounds like you are really getting ready for this move. Isn't it exciting? Our last move was company done, so all the packing was done for us, which was nice. this time around we had to pack ourselves. Took a lot longer, but we're here. How wonderful that your son is going to be with you!

wickglamgirl - 50 pounds in one year is probably doable. There are 52 weeks in a year so that would be approximately 1 pound a week. Just remember that the closer you get to goal, the harder it is to lose so don't get discouraged.

Lisa - thanks for the listing of Texas-speak. I remember the first time I was called "mam" down here. I was walking out of a restaurant, this man held the door for me so I said "thank you very much". He said to me "you're welcome, "mam". I'm not old enough to be a mam! Culture shock! Here someone actually talks to you in the grocery store, that never happened when we were in PA. Another shocker. For the life of me, I just can't get used to a grocery cart being called a "buggie".

Made the chicken salad for the new neighbors, then made some purple potatoes for me to have, then went and cut more weeds. Vince came out and helped me since it was just cloudy outside. Came in and took the salad and chocolate chip cookies (good, they're out of my house) to the new neighbors. He was very nice. Not sure if the lady who answered the door was his wife or not. That person didn't say a word to me, so I don't know.

janetr - so glad to hear that things went well for Jack. I bet he's real relieved and so are you

Heather - hope all your tests come out great. I'm sure they will with your healthy lifestyle

Susan - welcome

Cheri - so sorry about the house. You're probably better off without that kind of owner.

Re - when doing crunches, don't forget to also work your back muscles (the opposing muscle group). Don't want to be unbalanced....lol

Michele in NC

Miriam I understand how dealing with families after suicide made you realize it was no longer an option. One time I was in so much pain I briefly considered it. Then I remembered the pain in my mother's voice when I told her about a cousin's son who died at sixteen. She thought I was calling to tell her our son had died. It was remembering the pain in my mother's voice that stopped me from even thinking about it. Fortunately I completely recovered from my illness.

Rori We did have a fox living under the deck next door and one year we had a feral cat that held the bunny population in check. The problem with the cat was it also went after the birds. Unfortunately I am allergic to cats, so getting one is not an option. I already am noticing the plants improving that I put chicken wire around. They were the ones that were hardest hit by the rabbits.

Michele glad tumor benign.

Margaret

Rosie, what kind of work do you do. I must have missed it. I just know you seem like a busy ambitious woman who has the gift of knowing the rights things to say to people to help lift them up.

Michele, did that tumor cause your seizure? So glad you are better now and I love the colors on your last ceramic piece.

Well bag did come off tonight. It doesn't bother me that it didn't make 6 days. I don't know how things are going to do when his incision no longer needs packing. that's when I inspect every inch of that seal. I would imagine by this time next week I won't need to do the packing. Maybe sooner.

We sure had the storms today. Lots of major trees and electric lines down. Still a lot of people without power and our heat index is in the triple digits now. Sure glad we had our tree taken down.

DJ, your butt kicking is wicked.

Joyce, Indiana

Morning Ladies~
I have to take a deep breath and pray that I make the right decision
I still try and live by the serenity prayer,I have to have the courage to change the things I can,the serenity to accept the things I cant change and the wisdom to know the difference...
I would like to make some phone calls this morning,but I start work at 9 and we are flat out until at least 4 ,I will make pb and J as we might run through lunch.. and bring some fruit..
next weekend is my brother's wedding and I am the one who has to get Jeans mom dressed and bring her down to the wedding and bring her home and get her to bed, stay over night and then to work ,then home for the night and ,will be with her for the next week after that.. and this time I think the dog will be there this time, but they will have someone come and take him out a few times during the day