[flaggies]

G'day all,

Firstly about my email for Peggy and Slavika, I did put my Numeric IP address is and it also said I was not listed.
I have sent an email to you both a few days ago, I have not received acknowledgement of receipt and think it must still be hanging in cyberspace somewhere.

Peggy I just loved the photos of little (perhaps not so little ) Peyton, he is no longer a baby but looking like a real little boy. You are really involved with the school cafetaria, it sounds like a heck of a lot of work but I can imagine the little kids would be very cute.
The Preble County Pork festival sounded like a lot of pork chops...and a lot of craft booths. I hope we come across some festivals like this when we are in America.

Ann what good news about Holly. I now know exactly where you are going now, hope you have a great time.

Karen that is a long time you will be away from 'your little corner of peace'. Are you staying with family and is Sprout travelling with you?

Glenda I like the sound of the alterations to your house. Your kids are good helping you paint. It is so true about the 'Funny how if you don't really look you don't see how dated and dirty things can become.'

I had some good news, went for my check up with my cancer specialist and all is well again for another year.

Looking after Matilda yesterday was a bit of a pain, she was very grumpy and hard to get on with. Not sure what her problem was but all she wanted to do was things she was not allowed to do.

We have also bought a Lonely Planet book on the USA, we bought a cheaper version but it was just not as good as the real thing. We use Lonely Planet books a lot when we travel but they are a bit pricey and of course the USA one is huge and $52.00.

Have a great day all,

Cheers
Maria

[Karen L]

Hi all ,
Been down sick with some kind of a bug. Spent a lot of time hanging out over the toilet yesterday. I'm better today at least the food is staying down.

Maria Yes Sprout is going with us. He is like my child and I won't never board him. We are not staying with anyone while we are back in Minnesota. My good friend has a Motel and is giving us a very good rate for the 6 weeks that we will be there. We'll have most of our meals at moms or with the kids. but we figured for that amount of time it would be best if for all if we had a retreat to go to at the end of the day. Plus we always are up at the crack of dawn and we would be afraid of disturbing the whole house . This way is going to be better I hope. The Motel is a Mom and Pop type. Nothing fancy but it is clean and we will have a microwave and coffee pot and cable TV so DH can watch Imus on MSNBC. I think he stinks but Dh and I differ there.

Also glad Maria that your check up was good for one more year. Is Matilda teething would that be the reason she was out of sorts. Hope she is better now.

When I sign on to my mail this morning I had 42 messages. That's what happens when you don't sign on for a day. Thought I would never get through them.

Well I'm going to jump in the shower and dress then I'll see if I feel like doing anything else. I am craving Krispy Cream Donuts. I just may have to go buy some . Maybe DH will pick some up for me on his way back from the Va Hospital he is having a check up today. Think i will call the cell and leave him a message.

Karen

[flaggies]

G'day all,

What a sensible thing to do Karen staying in a motel. I know when we stay with our daughter in Melbourne, a few days is usually enough so I could not imagine 6 weeks
Sorry to hear you have not been well, I am amazed you are craving the donuts.
I remember dh coming back from Sydney with the krispy cream donuts, they had just been introduced into Australia and there was a line up at the airport for the jolly things. I didn't really like them, it tasted just like a mouthful of tasteless sugar. Perhaps your Krispy Donuts are different.

Doing some work making a poster for the Police Department and their Christmas Carols event.

Hope you are all having a great day

Cheers
Maria

[survivor]

Maria, "tasteless sugar??" Sugar is one of my many downfalls. Sugar is never tasteless. But for me, Krispy Kremes are just sweet air they are so light. I think I could eat a whole box. And if I remember correctly each donut is enough points for a whole day. So I stay away from them, for sure.

Karen, sorry you have been ill. Our pets become our kids at this age, don't they? So glad you found the motel. That will simplify things for your visit. Three days is my limit and that is pretty long for staying with the kids. For one thing they totally wear me out. Grandma has to do everything. I need my time staring at the wall and not moving. Just kidding!

All, I am so enjoying my fitness center. Last night I walked with a friend around the lake, the equivalent of 3.3 miles. It was windy and it was so much harder than walking the equivalent on a treadmill with a small incline. I wonder why. It was also kind of warm and I walk on a treadmill with a fan on my face. Few people come when I do so the dressing room and showers are all mine.

Slavika, Trudy, Peggy, where are you? Have a wonderful weekend.

[flaggies]

G'day all,

Your fitness centre sounds great Glenda. I thought those donuts would be high in calories but did not realise how high. Lucky I do not like them!

That is a substantial walk, I have to really start walking more and go to the podiatrist for new orthotics. We will be doing alot of walking the 7 days we are in New York so i will have to get into training

It is nice to hear that all of us have a limit of 3 days or so with kids

It is so lovely having Matilda and her parents so close by, they can just call in for 10 minutes and off they go again. Because we are so close to the beach, they use our house as a bit of a 'pitstop' when they walk from their house to the beach.
It would be perfect if our daughter lived so close by as well......

Have a great weekend all,

Cheers
Maria

[Karen L]

I got the donuts and I ate the donuts. They are 5 points each. I used up all of my 28 maintenance points plus 2 of my regular 35 (you figure it out) and am paying the price of having to stick to less points from now until Wednesday until my new points week starts. It was something I think I needed to do. Now that craving is gone and i don't have to deal with it anymore.

My friend and neighbor up and got married on Monday so there is a house for sale across the street for any one of you who might be interested. She was widowed at 55 and just since I've been her she lost about 80 pounds and began dating again. She knew this man she married for many years but they just reconnected last fall I think it was. She moved in with him for a while and it got too hairy with the family (his kids and Grand kids) So she moved back home for a while and just spent several days a week over there. Several times this year she has talked herself in and out of marriage. But Monday she had His mother to the doctor and the BF called to say his friend the Judge had some time that afternoon to marry them so they just did the deed. I'm happy for her but will miss seeing her . Any way her house up for sale cheap.

Yesterday was my Moms 80th birthday. When I called she said it had been rainy and cold all day so she just went out to her water aerobics class and then she and my nephew went out for a bite to eat. The family will have the celebration next Saturday for her.

Hit another good sale yesterday at a store called Beals . It's a Florida chain store like Kohl's. Any way got some cute Tee shirts to go with all those pants I bought last week. These shirts were $18.00 each with 50% off then another$40% off so they cost me a little over $5.00 a shirt. I was happy. Like I said I love a good sale. But then you think about why they can get away with selling so low and you know they still made a profit. Otherwise they wouldn't do it.

Well I guess I'd better head back to bed. Maybe I'll be able to fall back to sleep.

See y'all later
Karen

[slavika]

Hi Everybody: I love a good sale too KAREN but I can't say that I have found any wonderful bargains for awhile now. David and I always took our dog Nikita with us when we went to the lake or into the States for shopping but of course we couldn't take her to Maui, but in those days we would only be gone for two weeks and friends of ours who had a gentle golden lab would take care of her. I'm glad you are taking your Sprout with you. We don't have a Krispy Kreme shop in our city but they do in Maui and unfortunately David and I stopped in there many times. Too many! Well gals I went back to WW last week. I just wasn't doing so well on my own. I am back to walking on my treadmill not overly fast but I am still going for physio treatments, although I am feeling much better now. GLENDA, one of my friends teased me and said because I only had one child, my mothering instincts had not been satisfied and that was why I treated my dog like a "little furry people". We are truly going into our fall season, the leaves are all pretty colours and lots have started to fall to the ground. I have had Salvation Army pick up a ton of stuff that I was no longer using or didn't want anymore and it sure feels good to get rid of all those things. MARIA, when I called my internet server they gave me an email address to which I was to send the email I get when you weren't getting my mail. I wonder if they fixed the problem we were having. Hope you all are having a nice weekend. Congrats again GLORIA to you and your husband. .Bye for now.

[muffinsmom]

Hi all,
I also like Beals when I am in Fl,love the 40% off sale with the senior day discount.
We have Dunkin Donuts here only recently tried Krispy Creme and don't like them as much. Trouble is if they are more then 2 hrs old they get hard like hockey pucks
Karen ,I agree with you about Imus. My husbands listens to him and I can't stand the sound of the man's voice and don't understand the popularity of his show.
Maria- I missed your USA intinerary where besides NYC are you visiting. Hope you are planning to go to Broadway.
We are looking for a home in Pa because the taxes here are so high and there is a referendum this week to build on to the high school for 70 million dollars. That alone would raise our taxes 900 dollars. It's gotten out of hand and so by looking at Pa our taxes would go down 3/4 's.
Had 11 people here for the holidays, cooked for two weeks and everything came out great. The clean-up is a pain.
Bought a web cam for my computer and my daughter's computer so I can talk and see my grand son when we are in Fl.
We celebrated our 43 rd anniversay on the 21 st. Where have all the years gone.
Got news a dear friend's husband is dying and so we wait to hear the news. I was a bridesmaid at their wedding and know her since we were 17. It's just so upsetting. So many of my friend have become widows.
Came in from my neighbor's party-They are in their 40's and had a 50's Frank Sinatra Party and we all came dressed up in tuxedos and gowns. It was fun.
Well it's late-time to say good nite ladies.
Bernice

[slavika]

Bernice, hope you and your husband had a lovely anniversary. I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's husband, It's so hard and sad to lose a mate, someone you have loved with all your heart, and know that he felt the same love for you......the shared memories..........

It sounds like that was fun party to go to. Who or what is IMUS?? .

[muffinsmom]

Imus is actuallyl Don Imus a radio commentator who also is on early morning TV as well. He's dull and boring and does parodies making fun of religion, things that are going on in the world. He does run a rAnch in New Mexico ,I think ,for children with cancer and has a building named after him at Hackensack Medical CEenter.Pediatric Center. I can't stand his voice and his craggy appearance. The only saving grace to waking up to him is my husband wears earphones as not to disturb me. I am grateful. Bernice PS for more info google him.

[flaggies]

G'day all,

A cool Monday morning here. We did quite a bit of gardening at the weekend, made us feel very thankful that we no longer have the very large garden we had before we moved.
Planted lots of petunias, they always give a lovely colourful display around Christmas.

Nice to 'see' you Slavika, the email business is just a total mystery to me Good to hear your physio is giving you some good results, good luck with your return to WW.

Bernice we really do not have an itinerary as such, dh put a rough plan together. Basically we will be landing in Los Angelos and have booked accommodation there for 6 nights (which we now think might be too long), pick up a rental car and meander across America, hoping to meet some of our group, pop () into Canada and meet up with Trudy & Slavika, then across to the north eastern states, our finally stop being New York where we have also booked accommodation for 7 nights.
In all we will be away for 10 weeks. I am looking foreward to seeing everyone and I am sorry that we will not be going to Florida but we can only do so much.
Where is Pa??? I need to learn lots more about your states etc.
I did 'google' Imus and learnt a bit more about him, not too sure what to think. There was a video on that site about Oprah and her travelling with her friend Gail across America. I wished her shows doing this were shown here, it would give us some clues. By the time it is televised here we are probably in America then!
Congratulations on your wedding anniversary and yes I agree it is just so sad and upsetting to hear of friends loosing their partners

Karen you are doing well with the sales! Glad you got the donut craving out of your system!

Off and have some breakfast.....

Have a great day all,
Cheers
Maria

[muffinsmom]

Maria,
I agree with you 6-7 day in Los Angeles is abit much,are you planning to go to Las Vegas? It's an adult fantasy world with great shows and of course gambling, 3-4 days was as much as I could tolerate. Sensory overload. Pa is the abbreviation for the state of Pennsylvania which is a huge state bordering New Jersey at both ends of our state. The city of Philadelphia on the south part of NJ and the Pocono Mountains on the northwest part where I live. We are actually one hour from New York City and have to get in either by crossing the George Washinton Bridge which leaves you in the Washington Heights area(not nice) the Lincoln Tunnel which brings you in to midtown by the west side of the city and the Holland tunnel which drops you into lower Manhattan. There is so much to see and I suggest if you are considering a Broadway show,buy tickets in advance. I am really excited for you and I guess we are considered a foreign country, Ha Ha! The USA is a very large country and it would take months to fully explore. Hope you are planning to go to the Grand Canyon, shouldn't be missed. We have travelled the East coast from Maine down to Florida. Been to Hawaii as well as California, New Mexico,Arizona. Would love to see the Northwest and Alaska and that is in our future. So many states in the midwest to see as well. When you are in NYC,take the Circle Line cruise as it covers the city and of course go to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. So many fabulous museums and bring lots of money (credit card OK) cause the city is expensive. If there is something you'd like to know or need info about let me know and I'll try to find out. Bernice

[painter5]

Hi All,

It is getting to be fall like here. Sort of hard to figure out what to wear. It starts out cool and then warms up.
Karen I am glad that you are taking Sprout with you. You would miss him. So you gave in to your craving. Sometimes that is the best thing to do. Otherwise you keep wanting it and the craving gets worse, at least it does for me.
Our Krispy Kreme shops closed up. They do sell them at Krogers and few other places. They are not my favorite. Too sticky.
We went to my niece's yesterday for her dd's 15th birthday. I didn't know what to get her so I got a Kohl's gift certicate. It is hard to buy for teenage girls. I am so not into what they are wearing. Sort of like a foreign city. Slavika too bad your gs isn't closer. They would be a cute couple. She is gorgeous and a dancer. Her dad had been to Alaska on a fishing thing and brought back salmon that he caught. They grilled it and it was so good.
I have never heard of Beals. I like any shopping bargains that you can find. Karen made a great buy on the tee's. It is fun to find things like that marked down.
Bernice happy 43rd. You are a year ahead of me.
Glenda good for you for going to the fitness center. I bet the walk around the lake is nice even in the wind. It sounds pretty and peaceful. I have just got back to walking. It was too hot and now it is more like walking weather.
Maria I have heard from friends that the drive along the coast of California is really pretty. My son did it from San Fran to San Diego last spring. I would love to see the western states.
Got to run,
Peggy

[survivor]

Well, I just read everything and, of course, remember nothing. I do remember the sales talk. Congrats, Karen, on scoring so well. Saturday I went to Ross Dress for Less (just opened here) and bought some stuff. I need somebody with me because I don't know that I am very happy with my purchases. Our office has gotten so persnikety about fashion lately, and I feel sort of lost on that front. I am happy to know that the KC's are only 5 points. My sister must have wanted to scare me with the 22 point thing--it did. I might have to try one now that I know they aren't that bad.

Bernice, you sound like you would make Maria a good tour guide. We are hoping to go to Las Vegas this year, but we are not travelers.

Slavika, I relate to throwing out stuff. I am sort of a packrat and my hubby is getting into the throwing away. He is cleaning out stuff. I just cannot throw away pictures and just won't. I found in a closet a florist box with a corsage from the Catholic prom, dated Spril 21, 1961. Do you think I am a packrat, or what? But in my defense I believe I brought this from Mama's house when she died. A bunch of that stuff. It was fun to look at again anyway, just before it hit the trashbag.

We are hurting with our little redecorating. Need some tile and cannot find the matching tile. Do not want to retile the whole kitchen so we are going to just tile a few rows. Might be goofy looking, but I hope not.

Well, got to go. Maria, the US really is a foreign country to you, but I am so looking forward to seeing you.
Glenda

[flaggies]

G'day all,

I have been reading the posts etc but haven't had much of a chance to reply.
I am re-doing (by request) the cricket site for the cricket club that 'employs' (we get paid $1000 per month, not huge but very handy ) dh as a administrator. It is the time of the year that cricket is about to start in October and there is lots of things to be done. This is the second year we are doing this, last year dh was working full time as well but we did not want to say 'no' to this and I did a lot last year. It should only require about 15 to 20 hours a week but at the start of the season it is full on!
I know none of you know anything about cricket, I will post the sites address when it is up and running, it may enlighten you somewhat

Thank you Bernice for all the advice re our travel. I tried to send you a private message but it didn't work. I thought you might be interested to see our very loose itinary. Email me and I will reply with it. [email protected]
So now I know what Pa is. I think we are going there, dh is the tour director and sits and reads the USA Lonely Planet book every night!

I am really quite surprised how few of you travel in your own country, perhaps when I am in America I will understand. Australia is about the same size as America but of course very sparsely populated compared to America.
We can travel days without seeing another person, I guess that is not going to be the case in America. That large population is also going to slow one down somewhat
Last night dh was thinking if we should avoid the big cities (like Chicago), he was reading about a lot of very interesting smaller places.
The highlight of the trip for me will be to meet as many of you as I can and to see how you live etc. I cannot imagine it being much different then to the way we live. I like going to supermarkets in foreign countries and see what are the popular items etc.
I have heard so much about the size of meals that are served up in restaurants. Everyone tells me that one meal will be plenty for the 2 of us.

Glenda neither of us are 'packrats' which is just as well, be hard if one is and not the other. I have had some success on selling on Ebay , must do more of it!

Hi to everyone....I must fly and get this website up and running

Cheers
Maria