[Maggie]

GOOD MORNING MAGNOLIAS

It is lovely here. The rain came in the night and came nice and slow and continues even as I type. It isn't windy nor harsh outside but one of those nice easy Spring rains that washes everything clean and makes the grass and flowers grow. The California poppies are blooming - WOW.

Yesterday was my high day and those always make me seem like I am eating sooooooo much and need an alkaseltzer. And to think I used to eat that much every day. No wonder I am in the shape I am in.

Have a great Saturday my friends.

Maggie sipping Hazelnut coffee through a straw and waking up to a glorious OP day.

[GailR]

This has got to be a quick post as I have to leave to meet one of my daughters at the mall...but I wanted y'all to know that I lost 3 pounds this week! My FOCUS is definitely back!

Gail

3/23: -3

[Maggie]

WAY TO GO GAIL! I am so happy for you! I know you are floating on air right now. Three big ones gone. 12 sticks of butter. WOW. You definitely do have your FOCUS back. Have a great time shopping with your daughter ~ do your thing.

Maggie

[Sharon]

Gail, you are doing great now. Like Maggie says, keep your FOCUS Don't buy too much.

Maggie, it has been raining here today, but at the moment we have some sun and it feels so good.

I did gain .2#, but do not feel to bad about it. I had a rough week and was surprised it was not a larger gain.

Have a great day.

[nanacas]

GOOD EVENING MAGNOLIAS

Another Saturday night! Where does the week go. I seem to be up and down in my eating pattern and I am thinking I will just try to maintain for a while and try again in a few weeks. All my FOCUS is just not enough right now. I am in the middle of planning Easter Dinner here for 10. Then we have 3 First Communion's next month and a Gala for the place where I used to work. It is never ending. Then there are the 4 Birthdays in the next month and a half. I will do real well just keeping myself aware of what I am eating with out trying to lose.
Needless to say I am so proud of my 'loser' friends.

MAGGIE You continue to amaze me and I know you will keep up the good work.


GAIL Congrats. It's a great loss and as Maggie said that's 12 sticks of butter.

SHARON A .2 gain is not to worry about. An extra glass of water will take care of that.

Gloria in MA.....trying to keep in touch with my good friends. Off to clean the kitchen.

[Maggie]

GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

It is still a beautiful day out. It stopped raining and the sunshine is making everything sparkle. My 18 point day is going well. I just had a snack of popcorn which I spayed with Pam Butter spray and sprinkled with cinnamon and splenda. It sure was tasty and hit the spot and must have been what I wanted for it sure did satisfy me. Now I have enough points left to have a good dinner and a huge green salad.

SHARON that little nudge of a gain will be gone and take others with it. As Gloria said - water. Drink that water and it sure does help. Last meeting the leader asked my to name the number one thing that has helped my program be what it is and I said water. There is magic in the water.

GLORIA It is good that you look ahead at the family functions and make plans. If you can just maintain during all of that it will be great. Shoot for a maintain and drink lots of water and you will get through it all. We all have to learn to get through these things that always come around. There will always be celebrations and birthdays to deal with and we need to get through them the best way we know how. I wish you the best. And if you do keep your FOCUS and are aware of what you are putting in your mouth that will get you through. Stressing yourself over it isn't worth it. Enjoy.
Lecture over.

[Jean]

Good Evening, Flowers!
I thought sure I had posted today but guess I didn't since I don't see one from me. I know I was on the computer because I was looking for an email.

We had our mystery dinner tonight and it was fun. The hostess is a gourmet (?) cook! She has written a couple of cookbooks -- the first one was Back to Protein by Barbara Doyen and I'm not sure what the name of the second one is. The food was wonderful but I don't think there is anything that I would make. We had hot cucumber soup which was different -- I think I prefer my cucumbers in a salad! She is also a cat lover so I got to meet her "fur family".

Maggie -- I can almost taste your jerky clear back here! I think that it would be too hot for me though. Cowboy's exit technique, with Turn, is how I get out the door when Maggie is determined to get outside. Works good too! Send the rain our way -- we need it badly.

Gail -- CONGRATULATIONS! on the loss of 3 big pounds! Thinking of 12 sticks of butter is yuckko for sure! By the way, what did you buy on your shopping trip?

Sharon -- I hope that you had a nice day today! That pesky .2# was probably the lint between your toes and your jewelry! It will be gone by next weigh in, I just know it!

Gloria -- I would be a wreck if I had to plan a dinner for 10! I do find that I don't eat as much when I have to do the cooking, serving , and clean-up. Why is it that everything tastes better when someone else cooks it? You will find your FOCUS and get back on track again.

It's been a long day and I am heading for bed. Have a super Sunday, Flowers!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[Lorraine]

Hi Everyone!!
I had a hard time getting into the site. It wouldn't accept my name or my password. I had to reregister...then when I did, it said I was already registered. Was I away that long??????
Well my Mother-In-Law has just left for the airport, and I have a few minutes to catch up with everyone.

Maggie: Way to go on the weight loss. I am so proud of you. You are doing a great job.

Jean: Mystery dinner sounds like a lot of fun. I too think that I like my cucumbers better in a salad than soup

Gail: Way to go on the weight loss. You are doing a great job.

Gloria: You sound like you are going to be very busy this coming month. Keep the focus ....and I too agree to maintain thru all of that is a great goal.

Well Spring break is coming to a close, and tomorrow will be a trying day. Everyone will still want to be on break and the kids will be hard to get thru to. Oh well...we have a short week this coming week due to Good Friday.
Well..I need to get a lot of laundry done and get things squared away to start school again.
I hope everyone has a great Sunday.

[Jean]

Good Morning, Flowers!
It is another cloudy, cold, windy, and gloomy day in Iowa! I am just thankful that we are healthy and have no major problems except the weather!

Lorraine -- It's good to see you this morning! Your school administration sounds about as "schedule smart" as our's -- two messed up weeks in a row! I hope your Monday flies by; they are hard enough without having to follow vacation days. I wonder why the site didn't recognize you ... you haven't been gone that long. How is your mom doing?

The Sunday paper is waiting and the laundry is not doing itself so I had better get a move on. Have a nice day!

Jean -- waiting for sunshine in Iowa!

[Maggie]

GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

It is still great weather here. We just got home from being at church and going out for lunch with some folks. My folks and some other folks and we really had a great time. Will preached a bang up good sermon this moring and looked so good in his gray pinstriped suit, pink and purple tie. He sure cleans up nice. We had sandwiches at the restaurant and I gave him all my fries and coleslaw and half of the sandwich. He has worked the past 3 weeks 12 hours a day 7 days a week.

I will not be surprised if I show a maintain or even a gain at tomorrows session with the Iron Monster for I have been eating jerkey and more jerkey ~ fitting it into my points range but it just dawned on me ~ DUH ~ it is so highly spiced and probably has a high sodium count...... water retention time. I am going to start right now to chug water and see if I can off set it. Drink - chug - a - lug.

LORRAINE good to see you back. What happens with signing in sometimes is the cookies get re-aranges or some such thing. I had to sign in a couple of times. But we made it. How is your mother doing now?

JEAN those bars turned out good. I think they would be better if they had a frosting of cream cheese though. Next time I make them I think I will do that. Mix some fat free cream cheese with some OJ and orange rind and spread them with it. OH the wind just started kicking up. Gusty. The college kids we had in for the weekend during their Spring break were so polite and well behaved and drank only water and sodas. What a treat because some of the Spring break college kids carry on something terrible.

Maggie chugging water like there is no end to her thirst wishing you a great evening.

[Maggie]

GOOD MONDAY MORNING MAGNOLIAS

My goodness this week has gone fast. Monday is upon us even as I type. Hope everyone is having a nice day this day. Stay warm and happy and OP. Put the past back there where it belongs and start a fresh today.

Maggie still chugging water in Sunny South California

[GailR]

Good afternoon everyone!

I've just gotten back from lunch. Work has picked up quickly again. I should've gotten in here to post this morning while things were quiet but I wanted y'all to know that I'm thinking about y'all and hope to be back here tonight to say hello to everyone. I'm doing fine on program...and Maggie, good luck tonight when you weigh in!

Gail

[Jean]

Good Afternoon, Flowers!
It is sunny but still so very windy outside . . . only 24 degrees on my way from school today. I think I have found a home for my latest orphan. I put out a mass email to everyone in the district -- had to go through the list one at a time because we aren't supposed to do this since it isn't school related. Anyhow, I left out all of the administration plus anyone I knew that was a dog lover or already had a cat. I got one response and he is coming to meet the cat around 5:30. I hope they like each other!

Maggie -- I didn't realize that Will is preaching. Guess I thought your park job was going to keep you both busy. Glad you enjoyed eating out! I'll bet all the water you have had will help at weigh in tonight. Good luck!

Gail -- "Hi" -- doesn't it seem like there are more Mondays than any other days in the week?

I just can't wait any longer . . . . . . I AM GOING TO BE A GRANDMA!!!! Jason and Amanda made the big announcement on Saturday -- brought us the cutest book about a Grandma and Grandpa. The projected due date is Nov. 24th which is an awful long time to wait. I wasn't going to say anything for a while but just had to tell somebody. Am I excited? You betcha!

I need to make a run to the grocery store so better check over my list. Have a terrific Tuesday!

Jean -- and from Iowa!

[nanacas]

GOOD EVENING MAGNOLIAS

CONGRATULATIONS JEAN!!!!!!!
What wonderful news. It may seem a long time away now but November will be here before you know it. It will come even faster for Amanda and Jason. The anticipation is great and so will be the pleasure for you all! It doesn't seem possible that it is 18 years ago the we got the news about our first. You will make a fantastic grandmother.

MAGGIE Am thinking of you and your weigh in tonight. I just know everything will be just fine and you will be a 'loser' again.


GAIL Thanks for dropping by. It must be difficult to be working and on the computer and not always being able to just have fun and drop by. Glad to hear you are doing well.

Just got a call from DD#2 and Kerri and Sean will be our overnight guests on Thursday. SIL has a very early appointment at the hospital for a test and this way the kids won't have to get up at 5AM. I now need to go up to the spare room and remove all the Easter baskets I had lined up. Need to find another hiding place.

Gloria in MA......hiding Easter baskets.

[Lorraine]

Hello Everyone!!

Well today was a really crazy day. Some of the kids at school were really quiet and then the others were off the wall. We didn't seem to have a happy medium. Oh well...we will get back into the swing of things. It is cold and cloudy here today. Yesterday we were at 80, and right now it is 39. Such crazy weather!!!

Maggie: I am sure the scale will be nice to you tonight. But if not, just drink that water and all will be well. I am glad that you got to have a nice meal out with your family and friends.

Jean: CONGRATULATIONS!!!! I am so happy for you and your family....it will be nice to have a new baby around the holidays. Now is the fun part of shopping for the baby and getting the nursery ready...I love that part.

Gloria: I know how it feels to have to change the hiding place for Easter Baskets and Christmas presents. I always hope that they don't find out where I hide everything, because I love to see their faces when they open their presents.

Gail: Good to see you!!

Well, I need to help my kiddos with their homework. I hope everyone has a great Tuesday!!