WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR JANUARY 2018

Happy 2018 ~ May the year be filled with blessings and calm!

Happy New Year!

Did well with my sleep goals.

I have slept through without waking up from 6-8 hours.

The neighbors did have a party that woke me up when they all went home. I was able to get back to sleep. It took them about an hour to all leave. Total sleep was 8.5 hours.

Goals:
8 hours of solid sleep

Proper exercise and diet:
Less sugar by reading labels
Keep myself moving and visit Y 12 times a month

Words to guide me Grace, Grounded, Kindness

Margaret

Hello everyone and Happy New Year.

One of my New Year resolutions is to join this group, so hear I am. I'm 52years old and live in East Tennessee.

Like many people I "put it in neutral" during the holidays and use the new year to get back on track. I stepped on the scale today, for the first time since Thanksgiving, to find I'm only up 4 pounds. That's good news for me.

My goals for January are:

Join a weekly yoga class to improve my form during my home DVD yoga.

Hit the gym at least twice a week. I have a lovely retired high school gym teacher who has created a workout route for me, now it's up to me to do it.

Get back into quilting. We've lived in the new house now for almost 3 year and I still haven't finished set up my quilting room! I've let work consume me but I woke up to 8 degrees this morning so now I'm thinking quilts for Christmas presents this coming December.

Wishing the best to everyone,

Debbie in East Tennessee.

Barbie Thanks for keeping us going! Even though you had a tech glitch, you walked those miles and miles and miles and those doggies are glad you did, whether it gets stored in 0s and 1s!!!

Joyce So glad you are home and feeling better. Nothing nicer than your own jammies and your own bed!

Planning on a lovely last day of vacation with a happy to do list to get started on the right foot. I really vegged out this vacation and didn't put any social pressures on me aside from visting family. Looking forward to my work structure, it will help me get back to real meal planning - I'm making my lentil soup today and also, little mini muffin quiche's with leftovers from the fridge. This makes for an on the go breakfast or late snack; they are protein filled and little. No cookies, cakes, or candies in my house--yippee.

Karen VA as a string player, I heartily approve of your word for 2018--PLUCK!! ha! Reminds me of the
ee cumings poem about harp players, goes like this: To be a harp player, takes lot of pluck, a long black gown and a truck

Happy, healthy New Year Ladies! NYKAREN

Good Morning Ladies - new here, but I've read so many of your posts, I feel like I've already started to get to know you all. Love that you all seem to be spread out around the world, but know each other like neighbors. A little about me - I'm in NJ, USA - near Atlantic City. I'm 51, married, self-employed, with 4 kids, although with the youngest 14 and the oldest 21, I guess they aren't really kids anymore. About 6 years ago I had lost about 100 pounds over 3 years doing WW, but something mentally stopped me from going under that 200 lb mark, and I slowly put it all back on, finding plenty of excuses, until I find myself where I am today - with 135 lbs to lose. I'm encouraged that I found this group - the first one I stumbled upon, I think it fate. I joined MFP because I wanted somewhere to track my carbs. My husband and I will be married 22 years in 5 days. He has been traveling on vacation since Thanksgiving - right now in Medelin, Columbia. We both love to travel, but since the kids are in school - he is going it alone right now. One day when the kids are all grown and settled, we'll most likely retire outside the USA - way too expensive to live here. Originally our plan was to retire in Egypt - where he was born, but with the way things are going, that doesn't look like the best plan. Some of the things I want to accomplish in

Jan 2018

Work out twice a week
Throw away things not used last year (goal is 2018 things in 2018)
Grocery shop only with a list and a plan
No FB or other social media without working first
Lose 10 lbs


Every year I've always picked a key word, like I saw many of you have. It works, at least for the short term, but eventually life interferes, or I get to busy, or I find another of my million excuses ... kids, husband, work..... so this years word is much easier - and more direct....... ME

This is the year I focus on ME. What I need to do to make me healthier and happier. It may not be what everyone else around me wants, but this year I'm going to treat ME like I've always treated everyone else.

Happy New Years to All, looking forward to getting to know each of you a little better


Deb

Read the morning posts ... glad that I looked harder for the link from last month. So here I am.

Louis totally spoiled Cracker while I was 'gone' to the 'other side of sanity'. I don't think she can comprehend that we both love her. Can't decide if she wants to be with one of us or the other. Louis did teach her to wait until he says 'OK' before getting her snacks. She is so hyper, like that portion of the JRT she inherited; but, she minds well.

Seizures are draining!!! Now I have to call one MD to find out how what another one (Neurologist) decided that he does not want my 'seizure' medications lowered (and how it will affect my 'bipolar' meds if it isn't changed. I was not really happy with the MD who treated me while I was in the hospital (not my 'regular' MD) cutting my seizure meds by 200mg. She said she wanted me 'theraupedic' so that my moods would be like (she made a small wave motion) versus 'spiking' up and down drastically. I prefer to be just one step off on the manic side, so that the 'depression' doesn't hit me ... or only takes me back to sitting of the fence of being therapeutic. Hopefully, when I see him on the 29th ... he can help me get back to that point. I certainly do NOT want the lowered dosage of 'seizure' meds to throw me into feeling like I might be having one. I have found that if I get overly tired (or upset) I have that 'sinking feeling' and think I might be having one. My seizures seem to make me 'weak' and I feel like I am going to just pass out; but, Louis says that I 'shake' all over. That part of the seizure I don't remember, just the part of feeling like I might be having one. That is the 'only' medication that did not go back to my 'normal' (pre-hospital) dosages. Well, one other one changed, but, that is "OK" because it is one that he Rx's. But, I've got to call him tomorrow to find out how going back to pre-hospital dosages will affect me. None of my MD appointments for 'follow-ups' are before I run out of the 'new' dosage refills. K-Mart faxed, then called, the attending MD about a refill ... but she hasn't responded, so they called the MD that was the one who was the one they had on record when I called to ask about what to do - if I would be running out before I went back to any of the MDs I go to. They told me not to try to cut up the pills (into smaller amounts than what they are scored to do if I needed to break them) as it might mean I would not be getting the proper dosages.

I slept right through celebrating the New Year coming in; but, it was when I woke up and realizing I had not taken my evening meds ... so I went and took them. This can't be something I do, if I expect to stay out of hospital.

Today, I will write out my list of things to accomplish for the day - might not get to 90% of it. Didn't do it yesterday; it is a 'holiday' and I am going to rest up for the rest of the day. Start week off with a haircut (much needed) and then listening to a CD that my sister left me to listen to. Need to listen to it before having the counseling session - which is an 'intensive' one ... about 6 hours. Both she and DBnL went through it after he had his stroke. She had gone before it (alone) and once without him (afterwards). Says it is amazing. I will go up to Peachtree City in order to go through it. There will be another woman with me (I will choose Suzanne).

Louis is going to call a plumber (hopefully this week) to come out and see why dishwasher still has water in the bottom of it, if I don't use it daily. I don't because it isn't full - there are only the 2 of us.

Oldest granddaughter (who has been in the custody of oldest son for 8 years) has the same sort of feeling about her mother (she calls her the 'egg donor' or 'incubator'). She hasn't spoken to her but a few times since. She really is a piece of $#*T. She has lost custody of all 3 of her children and hasn't done any of the things she was ordered to do to even get the 2 littlest ones back. They all live with their respective Daddies. The middle one is the only one who talks to her; but, she is beginning to see what Taylor says is true. Her Mama's 'boyfriend' called over the holidays and told her she 'needed' to call or visit her Mama and she told him, "FO, you don't have any right to 'tell me what to do'. He said, 'well she is sober' ... she told him that was 'different than being clean' and she hasn't changed any on that note. She really is 'my baby'. Always comes over when she is home and visits. Occasionally, the other 2 will come with her. The last time, a couple of days ago, we discussed Madison's choice of a boyfriend. We don't think he has any ambition. Kids even took him on a trip down to FL to visit with a couple of their friends. He might have moved back in with his mother. Apparently, he doesn't get along with either step-parents. He has graduated from HS; but, hasn't gone to any college. We think kids are making a huge mistake of letting him weasel into times that are meant for family. Apparently, they don't want to have a 'sulking teenager' because of her not being able to be around him. If she shows up PG, they don't have anyone to blame but themselves. I was never allowed to have a boy at my house if my parents (or one of them) was not home. Louis was not allowed to do it either. His mother always knew the parents of any girl he dated, and if he was going to just go over to her house, she always called to make sure it was 'OK' with her parents. That was just not done in the 50s or 60s ... parents seemed to be more 'in control of what their children did or where they went'.

After seeing the difference of the 'before' and 'after' purging of bathroom, I am 'stoked' to doing the rest of the house, or at least beginning to do so. Walking into the bathroom is now not one of walking in and wanting to cry or throw up because of all the clutter. Can't believe we packed up 4 garbage bags full ... only to the point of being able to carry them ...; but, enough. I think we accidentally threw out 3 steps to a 5-step process of face-care I bought from oldest granddaughter. I know I cannot replace them. But, at this point, not sure I have ever wanted to spend the time doing it 2x a day. Thankfully, I have my Mother's skin and really don't have to use it. Learned several years ago that I just cannot wear foundation or powder any longer - makes me 'look' older. Will be needing to buy some more eyebrow make-up; will have to save up for that so I don't have to use DH's credit card for it. Of course, I will if I have to and just give him the cash.

After 4 weeks of just having a few cups of 'decaffinated' coffee, so glad to have my caffeine back; but, now it is a push to even drink 12 ounces of it. I don't drink soft drinks and haven't in more than 2 years. Needing to push more liquids into my diet ... at least 8 8-ounces glasses of it. The coffee liquid will just be my 'extra'. I count the sugar that goes in it; but, not the 'otherwise black' coffee. I need to buy a couple of 'new' waters so I can have 'new' bottles to use to put my well water in them to use in the fridge.

I've been getting better and better with each day that passes. Last Thursday, a week ago, I think I had a revelation that put me on the right track to follow to get back on the road to recovery. I wasn't nearly as 'manic' as one guy who referred to himself as being the 'Archangel Michael' and made all of us want to 'put him out of his misery'. This guy was way over the top. I think his being there is one of the reasons the 3 women were moved. Things were getting very 'testy' and about to 'escalate' because of 'overcrowding'. I didn't just 'imagine' that I had been put in a private room when I first got there (in another section of the unit) while waiting for a room in the unit. I also learned that Louis had told them when we had the 'family session' that I was not well enough to come home. I don't blame him, but that extra week really took me a bit too close for comfort.

Cold and rainy - another day with a fire roaring. Need to get a fireplace chimney sweep to come clean it out and find out if we need to do something so it will 'draw' better. About every 4th or 5th time of building one, the smoke comes out into the room; but, at least we know our fire alarm works. It'd wake up the dead!

Happy New Year!!!

Lenora

Happy New Year !!

Just read all the posts. Too many to comment on each but enjoyed every one.

Thanks Barbie for setting us up for another month. What would we do without you!

We made it to midnight and did the traditional strip and run outside to dance around like fools and yell Happy New Year. DH tried to whimp out because it was-9 but I wouldn’t let him. He was a good sport. Since we aren’t outside more than 30 seconds we didn’t get too cold. Dog didn’t know what to do and just kept barking at us. We laughed our heads off. Good thing our neighbors can’t see us as they surely would think we are crazy. But what a wonderful way to bring in the new year...with laughter!

So we slept in and it’s almost noon so better get up and get the new year started.

Thank you all for always being there for me. I value you more than you will ever know.

May you have joy, peace and met goals this year.
Terry in VT