Now I'm hungry. Thanks, Patti!

Cindy, I love the Maine coast. Hoping to have a small travel budget next year -- with medical stuff and getting these built-ins done, plus trips for best friend's son's wedding shower and party, it's a tight budget right now. Hoping 2017 brings more opportunity -- and that maybe I will be able to be on my feet more with less pain. Enjoy camp for me -- especially the water view!

Karla, sorry Glenn shared his crud. Please take care of yourself and rest your body and your eye. The bruises on Michael Phelps and other athletes are from a therapy called cupping. Found this quick explainer: Cupping therapy is an ancient form of alternative medicine in which a local suction is created on the skin; practitioners believe this mobilizes blood flow in order to promote healing. Suction is created using heat (fire) or mechanical devices (hand or electrical pumps).

Of course I watch men's swimming and diving -- makes my eyes very happy. Was bouncing up and down on the bed last night, cheering the relay team on. Amazing what those athletes in all sports can do with the human body.

Tired today so taking it easy. I have a new muscle relaxer (my insurance refused to pay for flexeril, even though it's a cheap generic, so am going to try baclofen. I've been way tight lately in neck, back & shoulders and a massage isn't in the budget right now (especially given the $510 water bill I just got -- getting my lawn greened up has been expensive, but sprinkler schedule has been backed off now and I hope the next bill will be more reasonable). And of course there was a notice of a 6.9% rate increase, effective this month. Yeeks!

Thawing some cooked shrimp for later and will fix a salad too. Time to get salad-focused again, and protein-focused too. One day at a time, dear friends!

Just ordered the paperback and downloaded the Kindle version. Congrats, Cindy! So thrilled for you.

This is turning into a day of doing little here. Oh well ... Must get out for a few errands tomorrow but nothing big for several days -- finally. Need to recharge.

Janet, you can never post too many pics of that cutie so share all you want. Glad you are resting.

Karla, sorry you caught Glenn's crud. Hope it is over quickly and milder than what he had.

Cindy, you know I just loved the book. You keep getting better. Another reason I am glad I met you. Now I can say I know a very talented author?.

We got home a little before 4, and haven't done much since then, other than unloading the car and putting everything away and fixing dinner. All that having fun in the sun takes it's toll, lol.
My son found a house in his neighborhood that was going up,for auction. He and Pam fell in love with it. Auction was yesterday and they got the house for almost exactly what they wanted to pay for it. So happy and excited for them.

Time for bed, talk to you later
Patti

Good Morning, Ladies. Today is Jillian's first day of kindergarten. I went with them to Open House last night. She was overwhelmed and cried, but Greg said today she did a complete 180 and is fine. I'm so happy for her!

My brother has 2 more radiation treatments. He will be moving to a VA approved rehab tomorrow. I'm so hoping this facility will help him gain his strength back so he will be able to manage when he gets home.

Have a great day, everyone!

Good morning ladies,
Rainy morning here as I sit with a cup of coffee and sip some water, while trying to decide what to prepare for breakfast. Hubby isn't a brekkie kind of guy, so it's often an opportunity to combine some favorites into something interesting and tasty to launch the day. Hmmmmm...

We cleared out our wildflower garden yesterday, as it was overgrown with clover amidst all the remaining little blossoms. I removed the large rocks from around the edge, so Myron could launch his landscaping logs project to replace the edging and allow for new soil and peat fill. Found the weeds creeping up once more, so set to task with clearing and gardening on the slopes again yesterday. The back is still a bit tight and the hamstrings along with them, so need to do some walking or hiking to stretch out a bit today, as long as the rain let up a bit.

Have now set up my visual reminder for the pounds still to go, with coffee beans in a little ceramic bowl on the kitchen window sill. In addition to the little reminders written on a sticky note by the fridge of "why I'm doing this", hoping these tools will be helpful on the journey to my personal goals. THanks to Karla for the concept!

Praying for your brother and you, Bert...that he is able to find a spot of stability in his life following the treatments, as well as an attentive care team to surround him during this vulnerable space in time. Smiling as Jillian begins her kindergarten and indeed at all those who are beginning a new chapter this fall!

Karla, hope you are on the road to healing after some good crock pot soup from yesterday. Hopefully the virus doesn't cause added shingles symptoms for you this week and that you continue to "take it easy" to avoid that.

Patti, thank you for sharing your cabin stories and the wonderful meal ideas as well! What a wonderful get away space you and Edd are able to enjoy together with friends and family. Does your Mom ever get there to enjoy it with you? I laughed when reading about the antics of that great dane puppy. Friends have an adult great dane who is just the most affectionate pup and such a quiet - albeit large - presence in their lives every day. Glad you find ways to make summer last with preserving and freezing all that delicious produce!

Cindy, such a wonderful accomplishment for you to have the latest book finally out to the public at large! Kudos to you for hanging in there through the challenges to get to this point! As you enter the next chapter, may you continue to find great joy in your creation and may others join you on your journey into the next book. Your joyfulness is contagious!

Janet, your joy in sharing images of little Caleb is tangible and I appreciate you sharing this with us all here. As you look forward to cooler days in the coming fall, hopefully the watering of the landscape doesn't exhaust your budget and make other potential adventures less attainable. I agree it would be fun to get together and will need to be careful financially to make something like that happen in 2017. Enjoy your olympics feast and I will be alongside watching events at time as well!

Myra, hope all is going smoothly as your summer season begins to transform into fall school preparations. Always great to hear from you and see your smiling and positive feedback here. Having a group as supportive as this is a compelling reason to continue coming back, isn't it?

For Suzi, Jeanette or any of you who I've missed, or who come here periodically, hope you also feel encouraged to keep the faith.

Hugs,
MaryLynn

Hi, everyone, from steamy Kentucky. The Humidity Festival seems to have pitched its tent here for the week -- thank heaven for AC.

Myra, I can feel the smile. Glad your PT is helping some. Have fun with the giggling sleepover! Count me pro-puppy. My friends who visited me last week went to a family wedding in Raleigh -- thought of you.

MaryLynn, you and Myron seem to find new ways to improve on perfection! Going to do some stretching here as well.

Bert, little Jillian is just too adorable for words.

Patti, I know you and your mom had a great time.

Karla, are you recovering and taking good care of yourself?

Cindy, hope every hour of your vacation is restorative.

Ran a few errands here, now home, making lists, etc. I know we are launching a full-court challenge next Monday, but - like Myra - I am trying to use this week as practice, reining it in and tracking everything, no matter what. Did well yesterday and so far today, but the "I'm HUNGRY!!!!" voice is screaming in my head all day. Am fully hydrated (ask the cats about getting dislodged during the night) but just need to relearn to live with constant hunger and to choose reasonably wisely. Got some rice-free sushi (wraps with salmon or shrimp & veggies and all-veg wraps). I should make a big vat of chicken soup the easy way, using canned chicken.

We know what to do, ladies. And we need to live it, just for today. And then just for the day tomorrow.

Am trying not to think about the family snub. Either they forgot or deliberately did not invite me. Either way, it hurts me deeply, but they have no clue. Anything I would say would get bounced back on me like an anvil, so I will keep crying it out and hope somebody will develop some sense. If I ever get a chance to visit my niece in OR I will have a private conversation with her -- other niece and brother are not people I could talk to about this. It is why i TREASURE my friends so much -- we choose each other and love each other as we are, encouraging and supporting with as much empathy as we can muster. And for me, that has to be enough.

Hugs to all -- will try to swing back later!

Karla, good luck with the root canal. Sorry Glenn is still struggling. His other issues have probably made him more susceptible. Keep yourselves as healthy as you can!

As for the lack of an invitation, the real blame lies with my brother and other niece, who could've and should've invited me when Caleb was visiting THEIR homes, J&J are so busy when they're there (both sets of parents, siblings, etc.) and are on others' turf. But when it is ONLY immediate family, exclusion - either deliberately or because they forget I exist and how much love them - is simply inexcusable. Even assuming that it's too long a drive is unfair to me. ASK and I can say no, or go -- just give me the courtesy of choosing. I move on, knowing I cannot count on them to include me. And I am NOT going to keep raising my hand. I'll have a quiet talk with Caleb's mom sometime, but not with brother or other niece (that has gone badly in the past).

There are plenty of people who WANT me around -- in fact, I got the sweetest thank-you note yesterday from the new bride of my best friend's son. It was sincere, loving and wickedly funny.

Thanks for letting me get that out. I'm over talking about it now.

The quote spoke for itself. For me, it's not about reasons. It's about resolve and DOING. And that's where my head is -- not on why but on HOW. Had another pretty good food day yesterday and keeping up with my "soft launch" for Monday.

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS! We can do it because we always have support here!

Good morning, all.

Karla, what a hassle yesterday -- so glad you are feeling better today. Never heard of this cleaning option -- keep us posted.

Bert, your brother may be surprised. When I had to go to rehab after knee replacement, the only bed they had was in the nursing home wing of the place. But it was a full rehab place. Crossing fingers he's in a similar situation. I know how motivated I was to get the heck outta there though.

Patti, I admire your friend so much. Brava! Hug her for those of us who have been following and praying for her from afar.

Learned about a new creature yesterday -- my cleaner came in and said she'd seen a baby hummingbird feeding at my butterfly bush. We knew it seemed too late for that, went out and it was still there, with the colors of a ruby-throated hummingbird, but with lace wings and antennae. Google is our friend -- it's a hummingbird moth. There are several types that mimic the appearance of different. And we found this site -- and laughed watching the animation, because that was pretty much the conversation we'd just had. If you're curious:

http://173.83.194.219/page5b.html

I still don't know what finally gave me the resolve to lost my lifelong massive extra weight but I do know I had to have been over 300 at my heaviest. I've slacked off lately and regained and though it's emotionally hard right now for a lot of reasons, I know that I can do a SERIOUS resume (NOT a restart -- a RESUME is how I think of it, because that word reminds me that I've done it before in a very serious way).

Am tracking this week and still feeling very tempted but trying to practice NO. Was at gas station yesterday and picked up a pack of PB cups but when they rang it up and it was $2.19 I put it back. Cheapness helped. So (full confession) I grabbed a pack of Butterfinger Bits. When they also rang up at $2.19, they went back too. Whatever works, I guess. Maybe I'll start a separate jar, adding the price of the snack item I WANT but don't buy and save up for something nice -- earrings or a scarf or new outfit for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Hmmm. I used to be really good at passing those things up -- just need to exercise those "No!" thought muscles again!

And if you need a laugh, these did me in -- was laugh-crying so hard I had to get kleenex:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/arise-heart?bftw&utm_term=.vuWXd247L#.uhxQXywBx

Good Morning, Ladies! This is my 2nd attempt at posting. I lost what I typed and am having to start over! Today is another hot and humid day. I'm staying at home and am taking care of things that desperately need attention.

TT: The point that turned my bus around was when I was huffing and puffing just to do the simplest things. My blood pressure was high. After my doctor's appointment, I immediately signed up for WW. That's where I met you wonderful ladies after being encouraged to join a message board. I attended meetings, but didn't get the encouragement like you guys give. I lost 50 pounds and have gained 20 of it back. I'm working to get it off, but it's a slower process than when I initially lost. I'm so thankful for all of you!

Patti: I spoke to the facility yesterday and stated that I will be contacting them on a regular basis. I've also spoken to the social worker from the VA and expressed my concerns. They finally have administered his pain meds on a regular basis, so I'm hoping he will have a better outlook.

Janet: I'm sure hoping that my brother gets motivated. Sometimes he just accepts things, so I give him a swift "kick" to straighten himself out.

Jillian loves Kindergarten! I'm so glad she's enjoying it as she cried at Open House on Monday evening and also when they got home. She's over it now and is having a fantastic time. Saturday is her 6th birthday party. It will be a fun time.

Have a great day, everyone!

Bert