[Ruthxxx]

Good morning! The robins woke me at 4:45! Hershey was quite disgusted and has now gone back to sleep on the sofa in the back room. Of course, she made sure she had her breakfast first - homemade dog food and asparagus. I'm about to have a poached egg on asparagus and get ready to crank up the day.

We have sun for a while this morning so I may get my herb planter done before the rain comes. I am having herbs on my back deck for days when the walk to the herb garden is too much effort. No more out there in the dark with the flashlight groping for Italian parsley for a late dinner.

What's happening under your Beach umbrella?

[cottagebythesea]

Red sky at morning, sailers heed warning. And the sky is a bright orangy-red on this Tuesday sunrise. Looks like I'll be needing a big beach umbrella today!

I'm heading out for a workout at Curves this morning, then I think I'll put on a big crockpot full of Black Bean Soup for tonight's supper. Still going strong on my eating, even managing to resist the yummy smelling mushroom pizza that the girls and I picked up on the way home from their piano lessons last night. I was starving, but I didn't even sample a mushroom off it! And the scale is finally moving in the right direction.
Maggie and I are going to make Dirt and Sand Cups this afternoon for her class snack time for tomorrow. Her birthday is in July, so they're going to celebrate it tomorrow and have a little party for her. She's the only summer birthday in her class, and was pretty upset, thinking she'd miss out on a celebration.

[tkglenn]

This will be a quick good morning. I'm quite tired this morning. Just wanted to stop and say a quick hello. Will be back later with personals.

[ladybugnessa]

hey gang

POURING HERE. so much rain and i'm WET and at work

new scale low... swinging the other way with the IBS now... ugh...

Ruth my pups get me up so they can get out of the crate and sleep on the couch with me.

Cottage, I love black bean soup how do you make yours?

tkglenn HI!

[CyndiM]

Good morning Chicks! I don't know how the people who don't drink coffee get up in the morning. Sometimes the smell of brewing coffee is the only thing that can drag me out of sleepy land

Ruth - Now you've got me thinking of the advantages of an herb box on my back stoop Oh dear. Poached egg on asparagus sounds yummy. Enjoy your sunshine.

Cottage - way to go with the pizza! Those dirt and Sand cups sound fun. I bet the kids love them.

TK Hope you have a good day

Nessa - Any word from the doctor or is this another wait for days thing? My daughter has IBS and it always gets worse when she is away from home. Good luck.

Well we're finally getting ready to head out to Maine. The weather is dicey but not terrible. Packed raincoats and appropriate cool weather clothing. Today is the best day so we are going to get to the coast early and just drive along Route 1 stopping as we go. I love the rocky seashore

The scale finally moved As long as I've been doing this I never cease to be annoyed at the weird ups and downs on the scale. I don't plateau I bounce up and down as much as 4 lbs, sometimes for weeks before it finally moves. Grrrr.

Have a good day Chicks

[jandaman]

mornin my lil chickadees!


wc fields on the brain this morning..guess that must lead to an auspicious start
looks like asparagus season is in force! it is here as well..but i just cannot develop a taste for it. oh well, my loss is ur gain!

ruth..what was that about the early bird..wakes the disgruntled puppy?

cottage:good on you for resisting the ultimate temptation! and it looks like curves is coming to europe! it's called "ms. sporty" and i am hoping it is the same in essence.

nessa: hope u feel better soon!

cyndi: fellow coffee-addict. congrats on ur loss

howdee tkglenn! maybe cu later

[cottagebythesea]

janda, hurray for a Curves coming to Europe! I thought they were already there, though, since they're supposed to be world-wide. Either way, though, you'll have to go check it out and report back.

Cyndi, a leisurely drive along Maine's rocky coastal beaches sounds just lovely. Can I come too?

Nessa, how did your tests go yesterday? At least the bright side of all this is that you're losing weight! For my soup, I just saute a large onion and lots of garlic in olive oil, then add 2 cans of Rotel tomatoes, a can of chopped chilis, 15 oz. can of tomato sauce, and about 2 cups of black beans. Sometimes I'll dice some chicken and toss that in there, too. I always make it in the crockpot, so I don't presoak or cook the beans first, or they get too mushy. The Rotel tomatoes make it spicy, so you can use regular tomatoes if you want to tone it down.

tkglenn, I hope you have a good day!

The promised rain followed me home from Curves, so it will be another indoors day today. I'm sure I can find lots to do before I pick up Maggie, like pay some bills for one thing!

[Kim_Star060404]

Ruth: You were up bright and early this morning! (Well, it probably wasn't all that bright!) I must say, I do envy Hershey; wake up, get fed a home-cooked meal and head off for a nap. Wish I could do that and keep a girlish figure! Enjoy your planting this morning. I'm very excited about having fresh herbs this summer.

Cottage: I'm glad you got out and did your workout before the rain hit. Enjoy your time with little Maggie and your dessert-making. How cute that she was afraid she wouldn't get a celebration! Enjoy your day! Oh, and great job avoiding that pizza!!

, tk!

Nessa: I hope you dry off quickly - there's not much worse than being soaking wet and trying to work while the office is freezing! Sorry about the IBS weight-swinging. I hope the meds work and you level out again soon!

Cyndi: Thanks for noticing my increased workouts yesterday! Congrats on your scale movement! Hope this is the end of your "scale bouncing"! I'm so excited for your Maine trip - have a great time and enjoy yourself!

Janda: Morning!! I love asparagus...I'll gladly eat your share. Hope you have a nice day.

Me: Not much going here. Just finished my usual P1 breakfast and had a great workout this morning. I tell you what, that P1 total body workout is great to do in the morning - it really helps me to work the kinks out of my neck and back without realizing it. I love it.

Tonight I'll be house-straightening and I may even get another walk in before dinner. After that I plan to relax in the back yard with a magazine and a big glass of water. We found out last night that MIL will not be coming to see us as she just doesn't have the gas money. She said she'd try again in June, so DH and I are going to set aside some funds to help her out then.

Oh, finally, some GREAT news...DH got a $3500 a year raise yesterday. He got his first raise last year which brings his total "non-mandatory" raises to $11000 in just 14 months. We'll see it June 1 and are putting a little extra into Federal Withholding and the rest will go to our debt pay-down which knocks 4 months off of our current time-frame. Yippee! (All this adds up to remodels on the house and me retiring by 40!!)

Well, this has been much more long-winded than I planned and I need to go make the bed and do the dishes before heading off for work. Hope everyone to follow has a great day! Sorry if I missed you!

~Kim

[Natalie'sMom]

Ruth -- the robins woke you at the same time little Gracie woke me! Ha, ha!

Cottage -- Good for you! Pizza sounds delish. I've been thinking about making it on the flat out bread -- you know, the one in the picture on the package? Yummy!

Good morning Glenn!

Nessa -- Sorry about the IBS -- that runs in our family. My brother even has Chron's -- no fun at all!

Hi Jandaman!

Well, my mom, sister-in-law and I are headed on a little day trip today and taking baby Gracie. We're going to a small town about an hour away for shopping! They have a wonderful home decor store there -- a sort of local celebrity owns it -- she even has books out on interior decorating. It is such a fun place to go! So, as I have been trying to get rid of clutter and simplify my home I hope I can control my purchases -- ha, ha!

I hope everyone has a lovely day!

[Natalie'sMom]

Hi Kim! Great news on DH's raise!! Yay for you all!

[Schmoodle]

Ola chicks, looks like an icky, rainy day here too. So much for hanging laundry. Guess it'll be a WATP today instead of walking outside. I don't remember what I had planned for dinner, but that bean soup sure does sound good cottage. I may have everything I need to make it too. If not, I think I can make up some refried bean soup for lunch. Today is definitely a soup day. I stayed on-plan yesterday, and the kids did me the favor of finishing the rest of the Klondike bars.
I need to go out and admire the garden because DH planted yesterday and I haven't looked at it yet. He said he put in tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, and some lettuce. It's not a very big garden, so hope it's not too crowded! I think the zucchini is definitely pushing it but he said he'll let it grow out over the lawn. Not sure how he'll mow the grass though. That's probably the point.
We realized last night that our anniversary is Friday. It's our 15th anniversary of being legally married, but we lived together for 8 years before that, so I guess it's our 15/23? Funny that I have been so excited about my one-year anniversary on SBD, May 25, that I hadn't even thought about the wedding anniversary. Anyway, DH wants to go to our favorite restaurant for dinner. I've got a goal dress I bought in size 12, I'm going to pull it out and see if it'll fit. If not, I'll have to find something nice to wear. I wanted to get him an ubuntu hardy heron t-shirt for a gift, but they sold out too fast, no idea what else he might want, unless a coupon for unlimited sex for a week? Sad that he would need a coupon, isn't it?
Wow, I am a blabbermouth today! Did I really type that out loud?
Ruth, I love poached eggs, over asparagus sounds wonderful! I was thinking about doing an herb planter too, to have by the kitchen door.
Nessa, hope your tummy is settling down.
Cyndi, have a wonderful time in Maine. Eat a lobstah or two for me! I don't need the butter.
Good afternoon janda!
Get some rest tk!

Simulposting chicks: Kim, that's wonderful news about DH! I'm sure you are in the mood to celebrate today. I'll have to check out that workout, now that I've got your recommendation. I haven't even gotten around to getting the new book yet!
Hi Nat's mom! Have fun shopping.
Have a good one chicks!

[hmacneil6]

Happy Tuesday Ladies!

Ruth - Good morning! So, after you make your herb planter will you please post pictures and then maybe talk me through my own? I've wanted an herb garden for years, but every time it fails (within a few weeks) and I don't quite know what I'm doing wrong. Want to take me on as a pet project?

Cottage - Sorry to hear that the rain followed you home from Curves. Great job on staying away from the pizza! Way to go! I hope you and Maggie find some fun stuff to do around the house today that doesn't include sitting in front of the TV. Enjoy your soup! Sounds like it's the perfect day for a steaming bowl!

TK - Morning!

Nessa - So....you take the good with the bad?!?!? Hope you're feeling better!

Cyndi - Good to hear the the scale moved! Way to go! I'm jealous of your get away...sounds like such a good time. And you've planned so well! I hope the weather stays away so you can truly enjoy your time off! Have a good one!

Janda - Good to hear from you. I hope tyou're feeling better these days.

Kim - That's great news about your dh's raise. I think both dh and I will only get a little COLA this year during our reviews. But we are managing to pay off debt. Credit cards are of the devil! Have a great weekend! Since everything's all clean and ready for your MIL you should be able to get out and enjoy the weekend!

Nat's Mom - Shopping is always a good way to spend a day. Have fun with your mom & SIL! Good luck on those purchases!

Schmoodle - What is a ubuntu hardy heron t-shirt? Is it a shirt with a bird on it????? I'm confused! Congrats on your anniversary! I actually have friends who are also celebrating their 15 year anniversary on Friday as well. It must have been a good day. I hope your garden works out well. There's really nothing better than veggies from your own back yard. So jealous. And here's to hoping that the dress fits!

ME - I'm still kind of recovering from this weekend. Last night after work I had to go grocery shopping AND do laundry. I was quite pooped! Today should be better. I've got two parent meetings and I'm taking a student off campus for a job interview today, so the day should go by fast. I'm really looking forward to having next Monday off. Anyhow, I hope everyone has a great Tuesday! It should be good!
ENJOY!!!

[femmecreole]

Morning all! I'm checking in from school, so will be brief and hope everyone has a great day!

I got my first little "harvest" yesterday. One funny looking cucumber, 2 little yellow grape tomatos and a perfect yellow squash. It's a start!

Met with a photograhy buddy for coffee yesterday and we began talking about a little photogrphy project we want to do over the summer which will involve "field trips" that should be a lot of fun....and perhaps profitable..perhaps.

[Schmoodle]

Hi hmac!
Ubuntu is a Linux-based operating system that DH runs on our desktop and his laptop. They give their updates alliterative animal names, and their most recent release is called the hardy heron (follow up to the feisty fawn and the something gibbon). Anyway, they made a limited release of t-shirts with the hh logo on them, and my brother ( a computer science geek) got one, so DH was a little envious. BTW, ubuntu is free and we've had great luck with it over windows.
And, as I recall, May 23, 1993 was a gorgeous day around here, Fortunately for us because our wedding was in a rose garden overlooking the bay, and we had no backup plan! Guess I like to live dangerously.
Good morning Cat, I'm sure you enjoyed your little veggie feast last night. First veggies of the season are so exciting. It's been so cold here, I think it'll be a while until we get anything except lettuce. Plus we just planted...

[cottagebythesea]

Thanks for explaining that, Schmoodle. You had me stumped, too! BTW, my soup smells so good! Too bad I can't make a loaf of homemade bread to go with it, but I'd be tempted to eat the whole loaf!

Cat, I bet those fresh veggies tasted so good! It will be a few more weeks, yet, before we can harvest anything, but I'm sure looking forward to it!

hc, looks like your day is going to be pretty busy! I hope you have a relaxing evening to look forward to!

Kim, congratulations on the raise! And good for you for putting it to good use!

I'm so darned frustrated right now! I'm trying to pay my cable bill online, and I can't remember my password for the life of me! So I tried to open a new account and they won't let me. They gave me their phone number and I've been trying to call them for the past 1/2 hour, and I keep getting the busy signal. Most sites will email you with your password, but apparently not this one!