[painter5]

I will do my part and start a new thread. Usually when I do this Maria does it at the same time. We will see what happens.

Maria you are doing great on your weight loss journey. Goes to show what sticking to the plan does-it works.

Trudy I am sorry you are having so many allergy problems. You don't expect this to happen when you get older. Take care.

Slavika how is the curtain hunt coming along? You are doing well at WW also.

Marnie-hope those 4lbs are gone by now. That is so frustrating but there are bumps along the road. Your new quilt sounds nice. I bet you are going to surprise one of us and send it to us. LOL One could only wish.

Glenda your dil should tell her mom so it wouldn't be a shock. My sil adopted 2 girls. The youngest is in college and she has been looking into it. She found out that her mom had a hard life and is no longer living. The other girl was going to look but she is married and is busy with here little one. My sil's dh just found out about 2 years ago that he has a half brother. His mom had a baby when she was a teen and he recently found her. She wasn't happy about it. That was about 60 years ago. It is amazing how much bil and his brother look alike. The brother lives in Toronto. It must have been some big scandal that many years ago. I hope it all works out well for your dil.

Karen I had an impromptu yard sale last Saturday. I had a few things and my friends had lots so they brought it up here. Live on a busy corner so we had lots of traffic and got rid of a lot of things. I had this sideboard from the 30's that dh's aunt had. I had no use for it so someone got it for the bargain price of $25. I was just happy to get rid of it. Glad that you found someone to lead your WW class. Now you can leave with no regrets.

Since I started WW I have lost 4.6lbs. Not a great showing but it is slowly going down. We went to dinner last night and the salad I had was not the best choice so I will eat lightly today. And drink lots of water.

House sale is slow. There are so many houses on the market around here for some reason. Just need the right person to come and look. Were supposed to have a showing the other night and they had to cancel cause of a sick child. So we will see what happens.

Well anyway I have to get moving.

[marnie3]

Good Morning!

A tad overcast this morning - for sure we'll see some rain.

Lots of "adoptive" stories. I can't imagine how hard that would be to go and find your birth parents - not just for the "child" but for the adoptive parents as well. Glenda, I know it will continue to go well and the strength of your family is so powerful.

Your curtains are up, Slavika. You sure don't slough off when you've got a project going. I could use a few for our living room (hint, hint).

Peggy, I did get one block done for the Martha Washington Star quilt. I must say it is very stunning. I hope when I get all the others together it will stay stunning. I would love to make everyone a quilt - not sure how many years I have left!

Karen, I am determined to get the weight off. I'm starting day 4 of "sensible," on program eating. I'm drinking the water, exercising and journaling. Wasn't there an old adage a few years back about: Nothing tastes as good as thin feels? I still think you and Lily should give us "on-line" meetings!

Yard/garage sales sound like so much work! I'd love to clean out our basement and all the closets!!!

Trudy, hope the allergies have subsided.

Ann is enroute to her vacation; Maria is probably out watering her garden; God's in His heaven, all's right with the world!

Check in later.

Marnie

[Trudy]

Hi everyone,
I just have to tell you all about the best watermelon I have ever tasted. Our Safeway is selling DULCINEA PUREHEART SEEDLESS WATERMELONS. They are the size of a cantaloupe, very thin rind and the sweetest I have ever eaten. I usually buy the watermelons from Texas, but these are even better. I am sure these are from USA, as our watermelon won't be ready for a while yet. Has anyone else tried them?
It sounds like everyone is plugging along on this weight loss journey. I had a .2 lb loss this week... I am slowly getting back to goal. I have been going to a "Pump Fix" class at my gym for weeks. We target specific muscle groups and work them for 4 min at a time. We lift body bars, hand weights, use resistance bands and end up doing abs on a Bosu Ball. When I leave the class my muscles are just tingling. I am trying so hard to tone up this body of mine

Bye for now..

[survivor]

Trudy, I just had to jump in here. You looked amazing in our collage. First of all, I can't imagine you had much to lose, but you sound like you are really getting into shape. I walk around the lake and do a little hand-held weight lifting at home and I am exhausted. Let me know if the "Pump-Fix" is changing your body. It almost has to with that much effort.

Marnie, I bet you will be in for a great surprise at weigh in next week. By the way, when is that for you? Are you on any medication? I have found that medicines sure will hinder a weight loss effort. I have a friend who has diabetes and it is just agony for her to lose anything, but she can gain quite easily.

I have been going to ask you girls who are in Canada and you, Maria, if you get any US television shows. My very favorite show is "Everybody Loves Raymond." I cackle sometimes when watching it because this guy is so clueless and bumbling, just like my DH.

I just got a picture of my dil and her birth mom. Amazing. They look nothing alike. Same goes for her sister and brother. I had these illusions of another Shanna, just older. Oh well.

Peggy - my niece had her very nice house on the market for a very, very long time. She had a big price put on it and we thought it would never sell. It is in El Reno, OK which is a dying town. The house is gorgeous--she has redone a very old 2-story home and it is decorated to a T with Elizabethan furniture and furnishings. You would have to be the perfect person to want the house. The other day they got an offer, large, for the house and it sold. They had been in no hurry and I am so surprised it sold. If you aren't in a big hurry, somebody seems to always come along and want the house. I hope yours sell soon.
Glenda

[flaggies]

G'day all,

I was about to start a new thread this morning when I noticed Peggy beat me to it Well done on your loss as well, it all goes slowly but as long as it keeps going down.
Pleased your impromptu garage sale went well.

Marnie there has been no need for me to water my garden, we are now in the middle of the winter and we have had a fair bit of rain All my bulbs are coming up and another month or so and they will start flowering heralding that spring is once again on its way

Slavika pleased your curtains are up and looking good...what is next on the agenda?

Trudy your class sounds great. I love doing weights but unfortunately evey time I get into it some part of my body packs up
I bought a WW excercise tape which is excellent so I make a choice, either an hour walk or I do the excercise tape. I also thought of starting to walk carrying some hand weights, anyone else doing that?
I haven't bought water melons with seeds for quite some time, the small gourmet seedless watermelons are just beautiful

Glenda yes we do get American and Canadian shows. The television industry (free to air) MUST show a certain percentage of Australian content though. On our cable tv it is open slather.
I don't really watch many sitcoms, I am a bit of a bore and prefer to watch documentaries, current affairs type programs.
My dh loves CSI and Law and Order, I usually read. He has a theory that the reason I don't like those sort of shows is because I have to THINK about the plot as opposed to a documentary to which I can just sit and listen
My ds loves Seinfeld, The Simpson and South Park.
I do like those extreme make over shows, not that I have any intention on having anything done but I find the change incredible.
My favourite day time show at the moment would have to be Dr Phil. I watched him every day at midday whilst I have my lunch.
The worst show to come out of America would have to be the Jerry Springer Show! What a nightmare, how can those people be serious?
I don't know if America or Canada got these shows but I used to love the old English series like 'Brideshead Revisited', Upstairs and Downstairs etc. etc.

I have been busy, I spend all day yesterday doing a restoration of a Polish family protrait dating to the mid 1800's. I loved doing it and it has come up well. I also have 4 other restorations to do for another person.
I did one 'instant' restoration to show what can be done and the person was amazed. She said that she is deperate to have one of the badly damaged photos restored. She sent it away to Kodak, it returned supposedly restored but so badly done that one could hardly recognise the person. It cost her over $300 when I gave her an estimate as to my charges she nearly fell off her chair!
The other thing she really liked was being able to talk to me about the possibilities as to what can be realistically achieved.
Anyone in Adelaide taking their photos to a Kodak outlet and wanting their photos restored, the photos are sent to Melbourne, Kodak has no-one in Adelaide that does this. So another opportunity....I might write to Kodak and let them know what I do!

Some of you may remember I applied recently for a 'Media Reporting' job. I got the job but I have declined......the deal was that you had to listen to just about every news service and then put a summary of some of the points on line. For each report your received the princely sum of $0.90 I thought I may have been able to combine it with my photo restoration work but it would be such a tie to HAVE to listen to all these news broadcasts.

I have waffled on enough and I will be off to do my weekend shopping.
I do find it very time consuming planning all my meals, no doubt it will get easier.

Cheers
Maria

[slavika]

Hi Everybody

I guess I didn't explain myself very well, about my curtains. I did buy a couple of curtains but now I have to cut and sew them to fit the window in the bedroom. I am mainly just using the curtains as "fabric", not a finished product. I haven't done it yet.
Glenda I also like to watch, Everybody Loves Raymond", but I really think that the show, "Two and a half Men", is the funniest one on TV now. I was a BIG Seinfeld when it was on the air, and have watched a few of the reruns. I also like both the CSI
shows. I tape almost everything that I want to see, so that I can skip the commercials when I watch the shows. I very rarely watch any daytime TV. It's time for bed. Night all.

[Karen L]

Maria I used to watch the Upstairs Downstairs show a too it was a favorite. There was another show on about the same time about a fickle women and her life. Can't remember the name of it right now but it was funny , also English. And I have to agree that Two and a Half Men is the funniest thing going. Followed by Raymond and King of Queens. We do like the reality shows and Big Brother is coming up next month. But when I'm not watching those shows it's the Food Network or Home and Garden channel. I love Dr Phil but he is in reruns so I'm not thrilled about that. I do like my Soaps. I've watched the ones on CBS since "Heck was a PUP"

It's a beautiful day out side today plan on not staying in the house. Talk to you all later.

Karen

[survivor]

Slavika - Two and a Half Men is one of my favorites too. I think it is Charlie Sheen's deadpan delivery. Last week he met Bill who used to be Jill, a previous girlfriend. (Aren't they all?) Bill is having an affair with Charlie's mother. When he was agonizing about how to tell her, Charlie said the funniest line I have heard in a long time--"Just grab hold of those STORE-BOUGHT balls and TELL HER!" Maybe you had to be there, but I was hysterical.

Everybody, have a wonderful Fathers' Day! Kiss those fathers and fawn all over them. In other words, just another day.
Glenda

[Trudy]

I like 2 1/2 Men as well, it is so funny. Also enjoy My Wife & Kids and Raymond. I confess to watching The Young & Restless at dinner time and haven't missed an episode of Eastenders since we first got Public TV. When we go away I am sure to tape evey episode. I like most of the Masterpiece Theatre productions and always get a kick out of English comedy. I remember Upstairs Downstairs and Brideshead Revisited. Did anyone watch I Claudius or The Forsythe Saga?
Glenda we get all of the US stations, CBS, NBC, ABC and A&E, all the specialty stations LC, OLN, Food Network, etc. Of course, we have to get our Canadian stations too, but they are mainly Canadian content. I still like to watch Survivor and I am looking forward to the next one in Sept.
Maria you can buy those weights that you wrap around your ankles and wrists, they just velcro together. They have little pockets and you can add weight as you get stronger. I enjoy doing the muscle classes and feel so good after them. The problem is that you have to keep it up. Just miss a couple of weeks, and you start to lose the muscle mass. What Canadian shows do you get?
Bye for now..

[LilyG]

I'm so far behind.

Last week we wroked on the yard. So much to to. This weekend we have a SLIP and SLIDE party to go to. We are taking chicken to grill.

I know you all have news but I just cant keep up


I need to leave. Its just to hard. I cant keep up

You have all been Very Special to me. I love you more than you can know.
I just cant promise on being here. Been way to hard latly.

I do care about each and everyone of you. Love you!

[slavika]

Lily
Don't you dare leave us. You don't have to mention anything about what we are all doing or commenting on it, but you could still come by and read about what we are doing and let us know what YOU are doing and how YOU are doing. Lily, I would really miss you, please stay.

[Trudy]

Lily Please reconsider and stay with us. You have been on this board since the beginning, it won't be the same without you. I don't post as regular as the rest of the gals, but I would hate not to post at all. I know it is hard for you since you can't post at work anymore, but maybe you could just pop in once in a while from home. You don't have to comment on our posts, just keep in touch with us. Just think about it...

[flaggies]

really and truly Lily you cannot leave, I so agree with Slavika and Trudy. I am sure the rest of us can do the talking for you, just come by have a bit of a read and let us know what YOU are up to whenever you have a spare moment, be that once a week, once a fortnight or once a month.
I just don't have time to do the collage again and who would I put in the spare spot

Besides that I need your applause (and everyone elses ) around Christmas time when I finally make my goal weight

I could go on Lily the many reasons we do not want you to say 'goodbye', so please re-consider.

Cheers
Maria

[LilyG]

OMG You made me cry.
I just feel so bad Im not around. And weekends just seem to take over. So much to do and no time to do it. I will try to post when I can.

Maria: I will always be there for you, You will make goal, ANd I will be there cheering you on

Slavika And Trudy, dont know what to say. Love you both from the bottom of my heart. As well as all of you.

I will try and post when I can Just dont expect to see me to often. I just feel so bad Im not around anymore.

[Trudy]

Lily I am so pleased that you will stay with us. I thought about you all day yesterday, and came here early this morning (early for me on a Sunday that is) to see if you posted anything. Maria had a good point about the collage I am glad that is settled.