WW Clubs and Groups - 50 or more pounds #78

If you have 50 or more pounds to lose, jump on in and join us. You are sure to get a warm welcome!

Hi ladies! I hope it has been a good weekend for everyone. The weather here was beautiful- it went up in the mid 80's on Saturday. I didn't venture out today, but it was supposed to be about the same.
The flu clinic Saturday was another really busy one, although not quite as hectic as last week's. I'm getting too old for this nonsense, I guess- every muscle in my body is protesting the past 2 weeks! :D Oh well- it's only till December 8th- this too shall pass! It does sort of make for non-existent weekends, though!
Saara, how was Las Vegas? Did you play the slots at all? My dh and I went there once- he was lucky enough on the quarter slots that he won over $1200 during the few days we were there. I didn't win diddly! It was nice- it paid for our trip, allowed us to do a few extra things that we hadn't planned on due to budget restrictions, and we still came out ahead!
Texaslady,I guess dd and dsil are home by now. Too bad things weren't all they had hoped, but I'm sure they had a lovely, relaxing time anyhow. Just getting away after all the wedding planning must have been nice! Now if you could just do the same!!:lol: Can't wait for you to scan some table photos- I'm so glad those turned out well for you so that you have good photos of everyone.
Joyce, I haven't started Xmas shopping yet, but I really don't buy for many people. DD and dsil don't want to exchange with me this year, so really my little sweetie and one friend are all I have to shop for. Must admit I'm disappointed that they don't want me to buy them gifts- it's something I really enjoy. Whatever. I just live here, try to stay out of the way and do what I'm told! :rolleyes:
Linda, I'm sorry to hear that you've been sick, and I'm glad you are feeling better. Your courtyard plans sound wonderful, and like a LOT of work!! I've been sort of avoiding the news this weekend myself- in this area, being so close to DC, there are constant reminders everywhere in daily life, so the news on top of it gets to be too stressful after a while.
I'd better run- hi to everyone else, and have a good Monday.
Carol

Good Sunday evening, Carol! Gosh, you have a month to go on that flu clinic work -- thank goodness there are people such as yourself who have the ability to administer the shots, along with the time to do it (I know it cuts into your own time, but you are doing such a service!). Is it true there as it is here out west that there are so few dosages available that they are requesting that only those at risk and seniors get the shots? I'd like to get one, but not before I should. I can empathyze (is that spelled right?) with your feeling a little down about not being able to give gifts to your DD and DSIL. I agree that giving gifts is the best part of the secular traditions of Christmas. Thank goodness you are able to give to Little Sweetie, though! Does he have a stocking to be hung by the chimney with care? All my life in my own family we always had stockings (I still have mine which my Mom bought for me back in the 1940s!), and DH, DD and DSIL also have them now, too. DH got his immediately after he joined the family -- DD's was painstakingly sewn by my sweet Mom, and DH actually needlepointed DSIL's for him, when he and DD married two years ago. It is a work of art! It took some serious convincing (like showing them the kit DH made it from) for DD and DSIL to believe that DD had made it himself. Whatta guy! :)

We had rain today! When we walked out of church it was wonderful to see it gently falling. As people streamed out of the sanctuary, you could hear "ooohs!" and "ahhhs!" as everyone expressed their delight (we have had a very long dry spell).

Linda, go ahead and get your flu shot! They were recommending that only over 65 and high risk get the shot in October, but now it is fair game for everyone. I'm not sure how much of a true shortage there is, since they tend to say that every year anymore! It's like the little boy who cried wolf. There is definitely more available than there was last year, but the demand is a lot higher since the government is now recommending that everyone get one to help prevent getting flu symptoms that might make them think they have anthrax. I did hear somewhere that the vaccine from some manufacturers may not be available till late November because their cultures grew more slowly for some reason. And a lot of doctors aren't ordering the vaccine this year. The companies that staff the clinics in the grocery and drug stores all use nurses (RNs and LPNs). In fact, at the clinic I did on Saturday, all 4 of us there were RNs, which is very unusual. But if you go to one of the store clinics to get it, don't make the mistake of getting there right when the clinic starts, unless you like standing in lines for an hour or two! Wait till the last hour or hour and a half and then go, and you will probably have a very short wait, or none at all. The store clinics are also giving pneumonia vaccine, which is a once every 5 to 10 years shot that many doctors do not carry in their office.
Anyhow, aren't you sorry you brought it up? :lol: I'm sure everyone else reading this post is! :dizzy:
Gotta run- it's getting late and work beckons. Have a good day.
Carol

Carol no regrets here, it is good to hear info from the pro!
dh already got his shot, I have rarely gotten them, guess I should.

Isn't it strange to be talking about Xmas!! it will be here before we know it! Ours will be different I think! dd had a great idea! I think we are going to Idaho. If it all comes together, we will be with all 4 of our children, 9 of our 10 grandkids, and all 3 of our great grands(2 of whom I have yet to meet!). I think ds was in shock when we first suggested it:eek: but warmed up and got a little excited when he realized we would not totally invade their home all at once,and he said "doesn't really matter I will be at work!" :lol: Poor dear works even on holidays...the company never closes. But we will have evening time celebrations!

No weight news today, just trying to maintain. :(

I appreciated Barbara Streisands tribute at the end of the Emmys last night, also the acceptance speech by 'Debra' of Everybody loves Raymond, who thanked the military and their families for going out to make this the kind of world where "we can stand here and do this" (have an emmy show, joking, laughing, and entertaining). I didn't watch the whole show, but am glad I caught those 2. I had no strong feelings about the World series, but watched the end of that as well....pretty exciting finish.

Must go...glass class today! gonna practice cutting circles...I've had a few failures!:( But I will conquer!!

have a great Monday!!

Hi all. I am looking for a "group" to chat with. I am fairly new to WW (10 weeks) and have lost just about 10 pounds. I think I need to loose about 50 pounds - but am wondering about when to set my goal weight. I would love to get to 150, which would be a 50 pound + loss. But I am also thinking that I may be so thrilled just to get to, say, 180, that I will quit before I am really done! Though to tell you the truth, I cannot tell at all that I have lost the first 10. I know it isn't much in the whole scheme of things, but the only thing loose on me is my watch, and my wrist wasn't my trouble area to begin with!

I enjoyed reading your posts - I also watched the Emmy's off and on. Thought they were funny and to the point. I am a graduate student so my schedule is very odd - lots of late nights writing papers these days. I have a very supportive, though thin, husband and two great children (14 and 12). Life is pretty good - and I love my WW meetings. I have to "pay up" again this week and am looking forward to it! Who would've thought!

Have a nice day. Thanks for letting me vent!

Betsy

Betsy, welcome to our group!!! We are always thrilled to have a new member! How I envy you for living in beautiful Hawaii!!! It is my favorite place on earth. My exdh and I visited there 6 times- our dream was to live there someday, but life intervened. He will be taking a vacation there for about 3 weeks starting after Thanksgiving. Were you born and raised in Hawaii? What is your major in grad school?Congrats on your 10 pound loss! You are off to a great start!! Don't be discouraged that you can't tell yet- the next 5 or 10 pounds will really make a big difference! I'll bet you've got some loose clothes, or some formerly too tight clothes that now fit well already. I guess everyone's different as to when and where they want to set a goal. I personally prefer to set the long term goal- I was afraid if I set the 10% and then tried to maintain there, I'd never get back in gear. I've lost about 95 pounds and have been stalled there, but not gaining. I want to ultimately lose another 25, but with a multitude of major life changes lately I'm just counting my blessings that I am maintaining. Anyhow, don't mean to run on- but welcome.
Joyce, what fun it will be if you can get everyone together in Idaho for Xmas!!! It will be so exciting to see your 2 great grands that you have never met!! How did "glass class" go?
Elaine, what's going on with you? How was the weigh in?

I'd better get back to my online chores- have a good evening, everyone. "Talk" to you tomorrow.
Carol

Welcome, Betsy! And congrats on the ten pound loss! Don't worry about it not showing yet; just another few pounds, and you'll see more pronounced changes. And if you're exercising along with being OP, you will see changes in how your clothes fit even when the scales stay the same. I agree w/you, the program is really great; I'm glad you have a good leader, too, because that really helps. Glad you've joined us!

JOYce, your trip to Idaho sounds wonderful. How long will you get to stay? Did dh enjoy his okra? How do you fix yours?

Linda, so sorry to hear you were ill, but glad you're better. And yes, I also believe that our emotions affect our physical health; good idea, to stop watching the news for a while. (I just wish I could get Dad to switch over from CNN every now and then! It's on all day at his house.)

Carol, what a grueling schedule you have! Wow, I hope Dec. 8 gets here fast for you! I envy you, getting to shop for toddler gifts; I used to really enjoy getting gifts for my nieces, but now that they're older, it's so hard to know what they'd like.

Texaslady, thanks, the festival weather was just lovely, even though we didn't have a big turnout. I think there were just too many events going on in our little county that weekend! Re: what goes on, we have pony and carriage rides, lots of children's games and crafts (my main job), arts & crafts, bbq, and historical tours (like that house on HGTV a couple of weeks ago). Are you enjoying having your house back now, without wisteria everywhere? Glad to hear the pics came out so well; can't wait to see 'em!

Saara, how was Las Vegas? I've never been, but it's on my wish list. Did you see any shows?

Hi to Janet, Rebecca, and Beth; hope all is well!
Regards,
Jan

Hi all. I hope everyone is having a good week so far. We are having beautiful weather here, although it's still a little warm during the day for my taste...30's at night and 70's during the day. We are having a dry spell and could use rain, but I'm enjoying all the sunshine.

I have the cutest little chocolate colored kitten running all around me as I type this. It belongs to DD's boyfriend...we are kitten sitting. She is about 12 weeks old and is so good...and affectionate. She is tearing around the den right now...chasing things unseen by my eyes!! :lol: I am really enjoying watching her play, but I think that our older cat, our Dalmation and our Sheltie would rather that she go back home!

DD is staying at home all this week and it is so nice to have her here. Her boyfriend is taking a hunting safety course over the next few nights, which is required to get a hunting license, so of course she couldn't stay in the dorm and be bored. :dizzy: I am not thrilled at the idea of him hunting, but there isn't much I can do about it. I used to go with my ex-husband sometimes and he would get so mad at me for making noise. I wanted to make sure that nobody in the woods shot us thinking we were game...and I wanted to give all the animals plenty of time to run away. As you can tell, I'm an animal lover...not a hunter.

We now have a metal detector in our office building. The governor's office is on the top floor, and all the elected officials are in the building, so I'm sure that is part of the reason. We have always worn badges, but the man they have checking can't see very well, so people show him things like cell phones and he just waves them through. Last Thursday, someone sprinkled white powder all over the steps of our state capitol, which is across the street from my building. It was a hoax, but the legislature was in special session so there was supposedly a lot of extra security. On Friday, they evacuated the fourth floor of another state office building down the street. A suspicious package post-marked from Washington had been delivered. That afternoon, a bridge was closed for four hours after a police officer spotted something. The bomb squad was called in, but it turned out to be nothing. I know that we are supposed to be alert, but people here are starting to let their imaginations go wild. Health officials were called to a restaurant last week because someone spotted a white substance all over the lid of a jar that just happened to be sitting beside a big bag of......FLOUR. The police chief had to get on the tv and tell people that there was not enough man-power to have officers go to everyone's homes to open every piece of mail. I just want to shout..."use a little common sense people." Linda, I can empathize with some of your anxiety though...I had to quit watching Nightline because Ted Koppel was scaring the you know what out of me every night! I came into work everyday talking about the show the night before, and finally everybody said "will you please quit watching that show!" :eek:

Well, I have rambled on long enough. I won't try to respond to everyone individually right now, but I will try to post again later in the week. I do want to welcome Betsy...and don't worry about not being able to see the weight loss yet. I also first noticed in my watch and rings, but before long I could really tell. To be honest, it wasn't until I had lost about 30 pounds that people really started noticing. Just hang in there and before you know it, everyone will be telling you how great you look and you will be feeling so much better...mentally and physically.

I'm off to bed...5:30 a.m. will be here before I know it.

Have a wonderful week everyone.

Janet (Kudzu)

Texaslady, I loved hearing about the wedding and I can't wait to see the pics. Everything sounded beautiful, and I'm glad everything went smoothly...and that you got the petticoat in time. I had to giggle about that one after you had tried to anticipate everything in advance. I was mostly giggling because it sounded like something I would do, but I'm glad everything turned out okay!

Hi all. Thanks for the words of welcome. I think I need a place where others understand what lies ahead of me! Family and friends can be supportive, but they either cannot relate or are not ready to face this journey with me. But I have to do this, and now!

I gained .2 pounds - not as bad as I thought. I have been so very MUNCHY this past week. Plus, I have not been able to get to the gym for my regular work-outs. I have three simultaneous research projects and presentations due at the end of November and if I am doing anything (outside of family things) besides school work, I get the feleling that I will bever complete this. I am in my last year of obtaining my Masters in Social Work. I love the program, but sometimes the work is a little overwhelming. I am interning at a local hospital - last year I was at a hospice organization. It was wonderful work. Now, with the holidays looming, I have so many things on my mind. I love this time of year, but it can get a little too busy sometimes. It occured to me today that since my weigh-ins are on Wednesdays, I'll be a little less concerned about Thanksgiving. Though in December, the Wednesday falls on the day after Christmas. Can't win in both months.

I love hearing about all of your lives and about where you live. This must be a beautiful time of year in most places. Even though I live in Hawaii, and it really is beautiful all year round, I do yearn for some change. We LOVE it when it gets a little cool (ooohh - like in the low 70's!!) and we can wear our jeans! Actually, I'm still waiting to fit into my jeans. Oh, the price for living in paradise.

Here's to a more productive week for me, and all of youl One change I must make is that now that I am FINALLY under (but just barely) the dreaded 200 pound mark, my point range goes down a little. I have to remember to take that into account. "Talk" to you soon.

Betsy

Welcome,Betsy , to our little 'cyber family'.
I've had the munchies too, and didn't get to weigh in last week...don't WANT to this week!!:eek:
We'll see.
Jan , if we got to Idaho, we will be there 4 days. I'm thinking it will work out. I hope so. :)

Janet, I forgot you have a sheltie, i will have to put our chubbie sheltie on my webpage one of these days so you can see her.
I got dh a digital camera this summer, but he doesn't use it much, I'm going to have to learn how, so I can post some pix for you.

Sad news for us and our friends this week. A dear friend of 41 years died yesterday of Primary Amiloidosis, a horrible and rare disease that none of us has ever heard of until 6 months ago. He and his widow had been best friends since they were 3 yrs old. He was 61 yrs old.

gota go

Carol, thanks for the sound advice on getting a flu shot. I had one of the pneumonia shots several years ago; I don't know if I am due or not (since it isn't in my medical records, as I didn't have it at my doctor's office, but in a pharmacy store!). Would it be a bad thing to have another too soon, since I don't know the year I had it?

I can't remember who it is in our "cyber family" (as JOYce calls us...cute!) who are from the New York area, but I want you to know that I was totally for the Yankees this year, just "because." I think that it is amazing that the Diamondbacks won the series after being a club for only four years, but I feel sort of disappointed that the Yanks didn't win. They surely put up a good fight, though. (We are LA Dodger fans, and have been soundly whipped by the Yankees in several series over the years.)

Betsy, welcome to the "group!" I found, in my own weight loss, that taking it five pounds at a time was easier than looking at the whole picture and focusing on how much I wanted to lose altogether. I think that a .2 gain is not bad at all; sounds like you are doing pretty well, actually. And I agree with Jan that you will begin to tell a difference very soon, even though you can't tell after these first ten pounds. It is a wonderful feeling to feel "lighter on your feet." Anyway, please keep posting, you are very welcome to join us! :)

Janet, so good to hear from you. How lovely that you have had your DD visiting; I can only imagine how much fun it would be for us to have our DD stay with us again for a few days! I really have no right to complain though -- she and DSIL live only a mile and a tenth from us...!

Good morning, everyone. I can't believe Friday's here already!
This will sort of be another non-weekend here. Although I don't have a flu clinic tomorrow, I have one this afternoon after my "regular" job, and then tomorrow I'm working at my "regular" job to cover for someone on vacation.
Jan, the festival sounds fun. We don't have anything like that here. I guess the closest thing is out annual county fair every September, but that has animal judging (cows, pigs, etc) too. What's new with dh's ct scan? Gve my best to him and you dad. How are the party plans coming?
Janet,aren't baby kittens adorable? I'll bet your own animals are pretty bent out of shape over that little ball of fluff temporarily invading their lives!:lol: I share your views on hunting- but am glad dd's sweetie is taking a safety course. I too feel so sorry for the animals, although I realize that hunting to some extent is "necessary" to prevent starvation of the animals from overpopulation. I'm sorry to hear that the anthrax fears have spread to your building. People in this area are taking it fairly matter of factly- but it's still pretty nerve-wracking.
Betsy, well, up .2 isn't what you wanted , I know, but after the week of munching that's not too bad. Now's the time to look back on your journals and see what you did wrong and what you did right and should do more of! Keep yourself a good supply of portable low point snacks for when those munchies hit!
Joyce, I'm so sorry to hear about your old friend. His wife must be feeling so lost right now. She is in my prayers.
Linda, the pneumo used to be once in a lifetime, but now they say every 5-10 years. If it's been less than 5 years I don't know that it would hurt, but it's just not recommended. (how's that for a non-answer! :D ) If your are prone to pneumonia Id probably tend to get it again if you aren't sure. If you do get a repeat at a drug or grocery store, take your copy of the consent form with you next time you go to your doctor so he can enter the date you got the pneumo vaccine into your chart.
Elaine, we haven't heard from you lately. How are things going? Wasn't yesterday your weigh in? Or do I have your day mixed up with someone else.
Texaslady, have you recovered yet? I'll bet you feel at a loss after all those months of frantic activity!
Saara, what's new in Utah? Have you made plans for Thanksgiving with any of your new friends?
Beth & Rebecca, where are you ladies? We haven't heard from you in ages it seems.
Well, as much as I hate the thought, I'd better start getting ready for work. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. "Talk" to you soon.
Carol :wave:

I can't believe this week has passed so quickly! I sure haven't had any down time since the wedding - seems like things have just sped up! What's with that? Partly its my job - it's just so busy everyday that the hours just fly by. But there's a long lovely week-end looming! We have Monday off so its an extra long one for me!

Betsy - Welcome to our little group! We are so happy to have you. I agree with Carol - I think Hawaii is my most favorite place to be. I have been 3 times on visits - each one lasting longer than the one before. I haven't been back in about 16 years now - I'm sure its changed some. But it must still be so beautiful! Congrats on getting below 200!! I think Elaine just reached that milestone also! Getting a Master's while tending to a family has got to be overwhelming sometimes. My daughter just completed her Masters last May. She was working full time and going to school at night for years. Then it took another 18 months to do her thesis and field work. She was planning the wedding, too - but if you add a husband and family into the mix - well, I don't see how you do it all. I have lost 75 pounds on WW. Didn't reach my goal - still about 40 pounds shy. Somehow I lost my motivation after struggling along on a very long plateau & I have just not really been with it since. However, like CArol, I have managed to use the program knowledge to keep from gaining any of it back and I hope to get it together again soon. I have also learned not to beat myself up over the fact that I just didn't make it all the way to goal yet. I will get there someday.

Carol - Girl, you have got to slow down a little bit - or you are going to FALL down! Please try to take care of yourself. I caught that comment about being quiet & staying out of the way of your dd & sil!! What's the word on your move to Florida?

Janet - How nice to hear from you again. My ex-dh is an avid hunter. He always wanted me to go with him but my heart just couldn't stand it. Anyway, apparently his current wife gets as excited about hunting as he does & goes with him. Yuck. Is it fun having DD home for a while? We haven't heard from you much since she left for school - I hope you didn't have too hard a time adjusting to life without her in the house. This anthrax stuff is crazy here too - people really need to get a grip! Our Haz Mat crew (hazardous material) has already gone through a year's budget in just a few months due to people's stupidity!! Duh!

Joyce - Christmas in Idaho! What a lovely thought. I can just picture you there with all your family. What a treat it would be to get everyone together for a few days! I hope it come together for you. Better take your Long-johns though. I expect its a bit chillier there than in California. How typical of you to be planning a thanksgiving for those with no place to go! Hope it goes well.

Linda - Glad you are aren't feeling puny anymore. I have just about given up the news - it's just more of the same thing everyday! These media people need to realize that enough is enough. They are just scaring everyone to death anyway. Your arbor sounds wonderful. There is so much I would like to do to my back yard, but since I am temporarily out of money due to the wedding, I guess it will have to wait. There's too many other things in front of that on my wish list. You are fortunate to have a dh who loves to do that sort of thing. My ex-dh couldn't have sawed his way out of a paper bag - unless he thought it would bag him a deer!

Elaine - How's it going for you this week? Be sure to check in and let us know.

Jan - Too bad about the poor turnout last week-end. The weather was just so gorgeous, I am sure people just couldn't figure out which event to attend - as long as it way outside! Does your Dad really listing to CNN all day or is the TV just on for the noise? I am guilty of that myself. When I go to bed, I leave it on just for the noise value. I always wake up sometime during the night and turn it off. How's the birthday party plans coming along? I forgot when the big day is......

The kids have been busy trying to put all the wedding gifts away & returning those duplicates or the things they just have no use or place for. She didn't get much of the everyday dishes she registered for so she thinks they will just return the pieces they did get and try to find some others somewhere else which are cheaper as the registered ones were so pricey they can't afford to finish out the set. So I guess we will hit the outlet mall tomorrow & see what we can find. Still no professional pics. I will try to scan in some of the regular photos this week-end so I have something to show you guys. Take care. Will check in again later.

OK girls. Now it's a bad sign when I check back in and NO ONE has visited since I was last here!!

WHERE THE HECK IS EVERYBODY?????????

Check out the wedding pics on www.picturetrail.com.

Be sure to enter texaslady1 to get to the correct page. Let me know what you think!

No time to post much, but Texaslady, the pictures are absolutely wonderful!!! :love: Your daughter looks gorgeous, and so does her mother!!! She and her handsome new husband make a striking couple. The reception hall is so beautiful with your lovely centerpieces- indeed worth all your hard work! What happened to them after the wedding, by the way? Thanks so much for sharing the memories of that special day with us, and congratulations!
Carol

I can't see them! the photo places all have those annoying little red x's!! Have tried all I know to do, :( I'm sure they are gorgeous.

Hi everyone! Looks like the site has been having problems- I thought it was just me at first when I couldn't get on last night or this morning.
Joyce, I had trouble seeing Tex's pix to when I used the hyperlink in her post, so I just tried typing in www.picturetrail.com and it did okay. Try it again now that 3FC's has their site problem worked out.
Texaslady, how was your Monday off? Did you do anything fun? You are very observant!(I'm referring to your noticing my off-handed comment about being quiet) This too shall pass. My projected move date is the first part of May- I have the place rented out Jan-April, or I would have moved a month sooner. The baby's due 3/17, so I want to still be here to help dd then, especially if she needs another C-Section. I too go to sleep to the tv- I set the sleep timer on it. I've done that ever since exdh and I separated- it's like white noise, I guess that keeps me from worrying about outside noises. Oh- I meant to ask your how did your exdh behave at the wedding? I hope he didn't do anything to put a damper on your day.
Janet, I'll be glad for the flu clinics to be over too- for lots of reasons! My savings account likes having some money come into it (instead of out :lol: ) every week, but I'm not sure it's worth the aggrevation!
This will be an odd week for me- I'm going to a Bob Dylan concert Thursday night (if I can ever catch up with the out of town friend who has the tickets to come up with a meeting place!!), so I'm taking off part of Thursday, and maybe even Friday, depending on what her work schedule is. No flu clinic this week, but I have an all day CPR recertification on Saturday.
Gotta run- hi to everyone, and have a good day.
Carol

Thanks Carol! ..that worked!
texaslady, the photos are beautiful! Yes your long hours on the centerpieces paid off, they are beautiful...I really love the bouquet! gorgeous! A beautiful bride, and a beautiful, happy mother of the bride! Congrats!
I just got home from the memorial service for my friend, it was beautiful and meaningful, and when it was over, people who didn't really know him, knew him well, through letters that were read about the man, from people of all the different facets of his life.

gotta run

Hi everyone!

Texaslady, thanks for sharing the wedding pics with us. They were absolutely wonderful!

Las Vegas was so much fun! It's such an unreal place, but still fun. I didn't see any of the shows, just mainly walked around, and look at all the stuff around me with amazement... I didn't gamble either, but we visited lot of the casinos and some of the nightclubs too. And we actually went to see the football game too, it was so much fun since there was more than 100 kids from the U there and our team won too. And of course we just had to buy those smoothies with alcohol there at the stadium since here in Utah we can't do that... you know, dry campus. I don't know though what they'll do for the Olympics, I kind of think that lots of these rules will be different in February.
Right now everyone is pretty sick and tired of all the Olympics preparations, since they're taking over lots of parking spaces, and closed a part of a road on campus. and they're not doing very good job informing students about all the changes. Oh well, it'll still be a very exiting time to be here.

I'm in the middle of writing a paper here. I have 2 more to write this week, and 3 big ones before the end of the semester. But I'm just being way too lazy again... The hard thing will be trying to prepare for all the finals, and at the same time saying goodbyes to some of the friends I've made here. I'm so happy that I decided to stay the whole year, and not just one semester.

I'd better go. Trying to finish the paper before dinner, but I'm kind of doubtful I'll make it. Take care. Saara.

Hi girls. Glad you like the pictures of the wedding. I can't wait to get the professional ones back!

Carol - I KNEW it! I know that you will be sad to move away from that grandson and the new baby, but I also know that you will be happy to be on your own again. What a dilemna! Hope you get to go to your concert - and take a couple days off too! I didn't do much Monday - mostly just spend the morning uploading pictures to the picturetrail site. I decided to upload a lot of the guest shots that were taken with the table cameras. So many of the guests were from out of town, I thought it might be a kick for them to be able to see the pictures of themselves having a good time. So I started a new album just for wedding guests. You are welcome to peek, there may be one or two or me, but mostly just others. Ex dh behaved himself pretty well - or I was just too busy to pay much attention to him - one or the other. As for the centerpieces, they are in my garage. The bows are all smashed up from transport back from the club, but the ribbon is wired so I have been straighening out a few each night. I hope to be able to sell them to another bride. Hate to just see them used once.


Joyce - Sounds like the memorial was beautiful & meaningful. What a nice way to remember someone.

Saara - Glad you were able to see the pictures and I knew you would love Vegas. I am hooked on that place myself. I would love to go back again for a few more days. Perhaps I will next year. Preparing for the Olympics must be a really big deal around campus!! A lot of excitement for a small place! I hope you get to see some of the events firsthand. All our Texas Cow Parade cows are still around - everytime I run across one of them I think about your Austrian trip. They are going up for auction in about a week - all proceeds benefiting charity. DD & sil bought me a 2002 calendar which has about 70 pictures of some of the different cows - so I can enjoy them all next year, too!

Hi to Jan, Betsy, Janet, Linda, Elaine & anyone else I missed. Thanks for visiting the guest book, Janet - I laughed at your comments! I had more than one person question the attire that my dd's step-mother wore - in church, no less!

Texaslady, the pictures are just lovely! Your dress was gorgeous, the centerpieces were incredible, and of course the bride was stunning. Those engagement pictures turned out SO well; what a great idea, using the wildflowers like that. Thanks so much for sharing those with us!

Carol, hope your cpr refresher course is not too strenuous; you have us all worried, you're working so hard! Re: dh's ct scan, finally got the results, and there were no problems. Guess we'll have to keep digging to find out what the problem is.

Saara, glad you enjoyed Las Vegas! Did you ride that roller coaster on top of the tower? (I've never been to LV, but saw that on tv the other night.) Were you surprised at how seriously Americans take football? (And it's even worse here in Texas.)

JOYce, I am so sorry to hear about your friend. The memorial service sounds very meaningful; I hope it gave his family comfort. And I know that having you and your dh to help them through these times will be a real help, too.

Linda, how is the arbor/courtyard refurb going?

Betsy, wow, are you busy! Sorry about the tiny gain, but I'm sure you'll be moving back down the scale this week. Smart move, checking out the points ranges; sometimes it takes a little time to adjust to a new range, but I'm sure you'll manage just fine.

Janet, I'll bet you're enjoying your DD's visit. I agree w/you about hunting; dh hasn't hunted in many years, though my cousins hunt all the time. What bothers me most is that they hunt on my Dad's place, and I hate to see all those birds killed every year. Dh and I went out to the ranch Sunday morning and had breakfast by the little lake, after a long walk. The ducks and geese were everywhere, such fun to watch! Several huge V-formations flew overhead on their way to Mexico; it was breathtaking.

Sorry to have been so long away; this last weekend and this week are so busy, getting ready for Dad's party and my sisters' visit. Am trying to cook and freeze lots of stuff, so I can spend more time visiting w/family. Best news is that my younger ds cancelled her plans to ride a motorcycle 2 days straight to get here! She's going to fly, thank goodness. I was getting so worried about her, with all the traffic on I-10 that week.
Yesterday was my 50th birthday, but we didn't really celebrate; maybe we will this weekend. Just too busy getting things ready for next week! I will have to work hard to maintain through all this, I'm afraid. Haven't lost another pound, so am still at goal, but will probably not wear that new dress unless I find a miracle foundation garment! ;) Oh well, I have another dress I can wear instead; am not going to obsess about it!

Hope everyone is having a great Wednesday! Hi to Beth, and Rebecca!
Regards,
Jan

Hi all. It seems like we are all so busy. I can't believe I stayed off-line for so long! Sometimes it is hard to get my 14 year old son away from the computer for me to get to my "stuff". I love to read what you all are doing. You would think we would all be too busy to even think about food! Of course, I have never been one of those who "forgets" to eat or is ever too busy to stop for a meal. It is a curse. My weigh-in today was most depressing. I gained over a pound (plus my .2 pound gain last week) and now I am .2 pounds OVER 200. Yuck yuck yuck. I am even more determined to get back on track for this next week - so the holidays can have their effect on me. Geez, this is hard! I was camping over the weekend w/ my daughter's girl scout troop and thought I ate OK. But journaling in a tent was out of my league. Actually camping is out of my league. I do it once a year and it is more than plenty. Roughing it for me is a Holiday Inn over a Marriott. I am back to a regular schedule this week.

What is everyone's plans for Thanksgiving? Are you doing the cooking or visiting or eating out? If you are cooking at home (like me w/ a crowd of 15) will you be modifying any recipes? We talked about that at our meeting today and about PLANNING for the meal, for most people, myself included, know pretty much every detail of food that will be on the table. I can plan for stuffing and pie... I make a lower cal stuffing and will be making alternative desserts (but still will have the pumpkin pie because it would be anti-American not to!) We have included nice big spinach salad and done away with a few of the high-cal casserole dishes (green bean casserole, corn pudding...all favorites but too too much). I would love to hear your plans and ideas!

Betsy

Hi Betsy! That's a good idea; T-day is always a challenge. I'm cooking just for six (but will have about 40 the next day for my Dad's b'day!). Have already frozen the squash casserole. I modified our "traditional" recipe that used Ritz crackers, onion fried in butter, cheddar, and eggs, topped with more Ritz and cheese. (I shudder to think how many points THAT was!!)

Instead, this year I used brown rice, lowfat Velveeta, squash, chicken broth, onion sauteed in Pam, and some fresh herbs. (We tried it the day I made it, and it was really good, if I do say so ..)

Instead of green beans w/soup and onion rings, am doing fresh green beans with sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper, and balsamic vinegar, in the crock pot. Will use WW mag's recipe for the yams. Have arranged for someone else to make a fruit pie, but will also make the crustless pumpkin pie, also from the mag. My one holdout: biscuits. My ds is the only one who can make them like Mom did, so I will beg her to make those, and will count the points!

Re: the slight gain, I don't think that's too bad, after a camping trip! It's always harder to stay OP when schedules change that drastically. Good for you, resolving to make this week better! I know you can do it!
Regards,
Jan

Jan, Your alternative recipes sound great.
I'm doing the church family potluck thing at church, so others are bringing most of the dinner except the turkey and dressing, but nobody has volunteered for salads or veggies. :( REcently I was at a dinner where the vegetables were a beautiful assortment of Asparagus, brocolli and green beans with mushrooms...I will do something like that if nobody speaks up.
Linda said her dh will go with her for Meals on Wheels next Thursday since I will be busy at church with the dinner.
How exciting to see those V's flying over! Such a beautiful sight!
....and breakfast by your private little lake!! You know how to live girl!! Sounds great!

Did I ever say Welcome Betsy? I do the computer battle with teen age granddaughters...I am lucky enuf to be home during the day, so get my stuff done then and try to stay off after the girls get home, but tell them that it is mine again after 9:30

I've been in an awful "purple funk" lately and have gained all of that last 5 pounds back...pardon me while I kick myself.:mad:
I felt really obese at the memorial service on Tuesday.:( It was awful looking like this while seeing people that I haven't seen in years! If that didn't 'do it', I do not know what will!:?:
I haven't been to meetings in 2 weeks just because of the gains, which I know is the wrong direction! :nono:

gotta go

Hello, friends! I have been on the phone with both Adelphia and Dell for several hours total the past couple of days trying to get my computer straightened out...I was unable to connect for a long time yesterday (everybody had a different opinion on what I should do/change/reconfigure in order to solve the problem) and I feel kinda worn out now. As of this moment I am connected; I'm holding positive thoughts that it will continue. :)

Jan, the arbor is up and everything has been painted in the courtyard. The next step is redoing the plants in it on either side of the walkway, and I began working on that a few days ago. My sweet Mom gave me some transplants of violets she had growing in her garden many years ago, and one side of the courtyard is full of violets now. I am planning on starting all over with new plants, so I have been transplanting the courtyard violets into the back yard and also into some containers. I don't want to lose the violets, so I am transplanting as many as I can so that when dh does dig everything growing in the courtyard up, there will be no danger of losing them. So far, everything I have transplanted into the back yard and into containers is thriving; putting out new leaves and new flowers, too.

JOYce is doing such a good thing with this Thanksgiving dinner at church for the people who otherwise would have nowhere to go. She never ceases to amaze me.

Texaslady, now that I know that the photo site is up and running again (I also got the little x's, but no pictures when I went to the site), I'm going there next. From what I have read, I am in for a treat!

Beautiful pictures, beautiful people, texaslady! I can understand why you worked for so long on those centerpieces--they came out just gorgeous. Thanks for sharing your memories with us. :)

Good morning ladies! Sorry I've been awol for a couple days- there are reasons, but no excuses!
I'm off today- I went to the Bob Dylan concert last night (it was great!!) and didn't get home till very late- I had planned a day off in case that happened. My work's pretty well caught up, and since my body has been protesting my heavier work schedule these past few weeks, I decided to vegetate.
Saara, I'm glad you enjoyed Vegas! It's really a world all its own, isn't it? I can't imagine going there and having the will power to not even drop a coin or two into a slot machine- good for you, girl!! It sounds like you're up to your neck in school work right now!
Texaslady, I too wondered at exdh's wife's attire. Where did she think she was going???? Oh well- to each his own! Will you spend Thanksgiving with dd and dsil? And your mom too, I assume.
Jan, HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!! Welcome to the Half Century Club! :rolleyes:I'm so glad dh's CT scan came out okay- I'm only sorry that they haven't been able to pinpoint what's causing his symptoms. Your breakfast by the lake sounds wonderful, and so relaxing!!! I'm envious! I think I need a lake! My CPR thing tomorrow is all day- 8 to 5 :eek:. Oh well- it's gotta be done!
Betsy I think the "never too busy to eat" curse haunts most of us! :lol: Don't get discouraged- just keep trying. I'm in agreement with you on camping! I don't like bugs and I'm not crazy about sleeping on the ground! Re Thanksgiving, my dd is cooking- just the 4 of us (3 adults and my little sweetie). I have made green bean casserole while on WW- I used the very low fat soup, put real onions in it, and just put a sprinking of the regular onion things on top- nobody noticed the difference. I also have made mashed potatoes using fat free chicken broth instead of milk and butter- and everyone thought they were great. And I decrease fat wherever I can on all ingredients.
Joyce, I know your friend's funeral must have been very stressful for everyone. Now, my friend- it's time to get out of your "Purple Funk" and start taking care of Joyce again!! It's time to knock that 5 pounds back off- we all know you can do it. And, as you know, beating yourself up about the gain will only make things worse. Remember- one day at a time, no guilt, move on.
Linda, I hope you have a more permanent resolution of your computer woes! That can be so annoying! I'd say that you quite a selfless person yourself, spending your Thanksgiving doing the Meals on Wheels with the help of your dh.
Hi to Janet, Elaine, Beth, Rebecca- and anyone I'm forgetting at the moment! I hope everyone has a great weekend.
Carol

Carol, I am so glad to read that you are taking the day off--what a good idea that was to have scheduled a "down" day after the Dylan concert last night. (So glad that you enjoyed it.) I am imagining you relaxing today, it is a nice picture. One of the times I was on the phone with Adelphia I asked for credit for the days I wasn't able to connect, and they gave it to me. :) That seems very fair.

I am having lunch with a friend from church at a local Italian restaurant. I am sitting here, listening to my stomach rumble!

Hope everyone has a great Friday.

Hi girls! Kind of quiet in here lately...

Jan - Happy Belated Birthday! How great that you are starting "the next fifty years" at goal! I bet you are in a real frenzy right now getting ready for T-Day and your Dad's birthday bash! We are thinking about you. Check in when you can.

Carol - Glad you had a down day. We all need one (or two or three!) of those ever once in a while. This new job of mine is really stressing me out. I know it doesn't help that the girl I work with is on vacation this week but honest to pete, I feel like I spent the whole day peddling my heart out only to figure out that I was going backwards all day! So much to do & so little time. Oh well, tomorrow will be a better day - I hope.

Betsy - I was always the kind of "Holiday Inn" camper you referred to! But when my dd was in Girl Scouts I found to my amazement that I actually enjoyed taking the girls camping on the week-ends. Who would have known????? Anyway, now that I am older, I have reverted back to my Holiday Inn way of thinking!

Linda - Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the pictures. Everything really was so beautiful. We are anxious to see the professional prints. I called the videographer today and he said it would be at least another 2 or 3 weeks until he has the video ready and the photographer didn't even return my call - bad sign! :( Your yard plans sound wonderful. Wish I had all that energy to do something to mine. Right now, I would just settle for the energy to rake up the pine needles which have blanketed my front yard!

Joyce - Good luck with your T-Day dinner. I hope you have a big turn-out. Boy, do I know where you are coming from with the purple funk. I have been crusing through one myself. I know a lot of it is wedding letdown & job stress - but it's there none the same. I was stuck in a monumental traffic jam coming home today - took me twice as long to make it out to the suburbs. That didn't help my mood any, either. Tomorrow will be a better day!!
Actually, Carol spoke the words I have posted on my refrigerator - One Day at a Time, No Guilt, and Move on. When I find myself in a funk, that sometimes help me realize that today is dead and gone and tomorrow is full of promise.

Had a crummy week-end. DD called me a 2 am Sat morning & was sick. Her new husband was working, of course, and she seemed to have a stomach bug. It only got worse and at 4:30 she called me & I jumped in the car and got her to the emergency room. She was pretty dehydrated by then and in so much pain from the stomach cramps that they started an IV and did some blood work. EVerything looked OK - Dr thinks it was just a really nasty bug complicated by the fact that she mixed aspirin with her Celebrex (her back had been hurting worse than usual). We took her home after he gave her a huge dose of Demoral. She was in really awful pain and nausea rest of SAt & most of Sun. Last night she finally began to perk up a bit. I stayed over there most of the week-end - new sil was either at work or sleeping so he could go to work so I did nurse duty. He did meet us at the hospital & stayed til they released her. I talked with her a little while ago and she said she pretty much slept all day but that her stomach is not so sore anymore. She has no energy but that's probably because she has not eaten or drunk much for the past 72 hours. I finally got some mashed potatos and boiled chicken in her last night - hopefully she has eaten a bit more today.

We were planning a small turkey day dinner for just dd, sil, Mom and me. We will probably go ahead with it - but it won't be very fancy. But we will all be together and that's what the day is all about, after all.

Saara - Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day here in the States. Are you going to see your California family or staying at school?

Elaine & Janet - Where are you guys?

Gotta go now. Will check in again later. Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday.

Wow , texaslady! sounds like your dd had a horrible bug!! I'm so sorry. Glad she is feeling better.
Yes, I am sure you ae having a bit of a post-wedding letdown, that is to be expected, I guess:(

T-day will be lots of fun, we should have about 24 participants at our feed at church. It will be lots of fun, I have made little turkeys out of nuts and leaves, to use as place favors. Someone donated linen tablecloths a while back that have never been used , so we will initiate them :) I'm picking up a 30 pound fresh turkey tomorrow.
last night was our annual pie auction/ potluck to benefit the Youths activities. this years proceeds will be used to buy new audio visual equipment for the new building that is being built.
We made over $1000. dgd and I mad a cake, she baked, and frosted and as she said gma made it pretty, but was advertised as her creation. 2 of the youth leaders got into a bidding battle over it and it sold for $100.00! she was thrilled. It was a carrot cake topped with marzipan fruit that I had made. 1 pie sold for over $200.00. It's all for the kids, and is a realy fun evening...nice to have some big spenders in the group...dgd is trying to IM me from Ok, so better scat..

Wow, 3 pages ... I think that's a first for us! Everyone come join us on thread #79!
Jan