Sugar Shakers - Sugarbusters Weekly Support Board 5/16 - 5/22

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Welcome to the
SUGAR BUSTERS WEEKLY SUPPORT BOARD where all of you who are following this WOE, or are thinking about doing so, are welcome to come join in and be a part of our wonderful group.

Other than finding support and friendship on this board, we also try to do something during the the week to add a little difference to our board.

MONDAY-MOTIVIATIONAL MONDAY
TUESDAY-TUESDAYS TIPS & FACTS & CHAT AT 9:15PM EST
WEDNESDAY-WEIGH-IN WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY-TASTY THURSDAY (RECIPE DAY)
FRIDAY-FRIDAY FUNNIES


Please take some time to check out our extensive recipe boards. Our RECIPE BOARDS can be located at the link below:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?forumid=89

Look for our QUARTERLY RECIPE BOARDS to post your favorite recipes and to see the most recently posted recipes. Recipes from the quarterly boards will be archived in proper categories at some point.


We have SEVEN INFORMATIVE BOARDS!!!! Please take a few minutes to visit them! New information is continually being posted, so please make sure you visit them often!!! The boards are listed below as well as the link that will take you to the boards:

THE RECOMMENDED READING BOARD
THE TOOLS & TIPS BOARD
THE FOOD INFORMATION BOARD
MOTIVATIONAL & INSPIRING THOUGHTS BOARD
MY FAVORITE SB LEGAL FOODS
SB 2002 BIO BOARD
SB 2001/2002 PHOTO ALBUM BOARD

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?forumid=87

We also have a SB WEEKLY EXERCISE BOARD that you can log your daily/weekly exercises on which is located on our weekly support board:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?p=846791#post846791 (http://</font><font%20face=)



NEWBIES! (aka new members) If you would like to REPLY to any of our threads, please hit POST REPLY not NEW THREAD, then type your message in and hit SUBMIT REPLY. If you need to edit your reply, just click on edit located in the body of your post and make changes as you need to, then hit SUBMIT NOW.

Good Morning! My DSL was down, and just now came back up. I hope my lateness in starting the new board was not an inconvenience for anyone!

The weather is very cool here...and sunny. Just gorgeous! I am going to do a little planting and weeding in the garden. I had to hunt down my daughter...she crashed at a friends house last night and never bothered to call or let anyone know. I finally called her Blockbusters and talked to the girl she worked with last night to find her. She will probably be mad at me, but oh well! You don't want to know the awful things that went through my mind before I knew for sure she was ok....

I will be back later! Its a new week, so lets make it a great one!

Our countdown till the end of the school year is in the single digits! :cool:
And ...I am only working four days this week! YYYEEEAAA!! :lol:
My daughter has dress rehearsal on Fiday afternoon, so I scheduled my yearly checkup for that morning and I'm taking a sick day. I did not want to sit all day at work and then sit all evening in the high school auditorium. My appointment is at 9am. So I got a sub and hopefully I can get some things done around the house before we have to leave. :^:
I am really looking forward to this summer. Maybe I will have time to get in a lot more exercise than I have recently and I can come back to school a new, smaller person :smug:
Hope all of you have a great week! ;)

Good morning all. Just popping in to finally post. I've been hiding and lurking. Oh doesn't that sound so bad!!! I've started out the day with a breakfast bar. Legal one. It wasn't the best of breakfast but suited me today. Maybe tomorrow I can get back on the eggs. I went clothes shopping Friday morning. I was trying on shirts and finally looked at myself in a full length mirror. And oh my gosh, I didn't realize how bad I looked. Hopefully it gave me the push I needed to climb back in the wagon. So Bob please send it around. Did ya all have a good week end? Guess I'll check back later.

Good Morning. I am tired this morning. I made a Blues Clues cake for my nephew last night (his birthday is tomorrow). I was up until about midnight, and then got up at 6 a.m. this morning. It turned out alright; there are a few things I'd change, but nothing a 4-year old will notice.

I hope to get to bed early tonight since tomorrow will be a busy day. I have to take Britt to school, and then take the cake and present over to my nephew, and then take Lane to swim lessons. We will then come home for a few hours, and then have to pick up Britt from school. I am then dropping Britt and Lane off at DH's office so I can go do a survery for a company. They are a research company that I do stuff for on occasion. This is a two-hour deal and I get paid $100 for it. DH is going to take the girls to Peter Piper Pizza for dinner and games; they are doing to have fun. My research topic for study group....diarrhea. Hey, what the heck.....I just had a fresh bout of it with the antibiotics, so I'll get paid $100 to talk about it. It's only women in the group.

I did not go to the gym on Saturday. I wanted to get this yeast infection under control...I think I am almost there. I do plan to go today, as well as W & F, if all goes as planned. I will miss Saturday this week as well, as we are having a garage sale. I was at 121.5# this morning, so I need to get back into it. I really like to stay right around 120#. I also feel so much better when I get my exercise in.

Britt is in her final stretch with school; she gets out next Friday (27th). They have a half day that day, so I will plan something fun for when we pick her up...start the summer off on a fun note.

I went to register the girls for some classes at the community center. Lane will take a class called "Look What I Can Do." This is a class that has age-appropriate crafts, games, story time, dress-up, etc..Britt will take an Art Class and a Pom/Cheer class. They will both take Tumbling classes. They will stay plenty busy this summer with those, Mom's Club outings and Swim Lessons.

We may be going to Branson this summer for our summer vacation. We are in the talking/near planning stages of that.

Anyhow, that is the scoop here.

BOB: Love the new Avatar; what took you so long to put that precious face on there, anyway? I usually buy extra bananas and cut them up and freeze them. You can then throw a few chunks into your smoothies and get the ice and smoothness. The shower cake sounds fantastic! Was the wedding this past Saturday or next Saturday?

Monet: You can only do your best. We know you will always be here for us....better late then never, eh? I can totally understand your worry; your DD should've called you.

Thin: I hope you enjoy your summer and meet the exercise goals you set for yourself. I am going to get up on Mon & Wed at 4 a.m. to go to the gym before DH goes to work. I will then take both girls with me on Friday afternoons (my 7-yr old doesn't like to go to the childcare) and then out to lunch or somewhere fun. I will then go Saturday mornings early. That way I can get 4 days in during the summer.

I better go check the laundry.

Have a great OP day!!
Nat

Good morning....

I had a great start this morning with Jess sleeping later than usual. She was usually up at 7 to 7.30 am but today about 8.30am which was definitely a treat although I was up much earlier. I am in such silly mood today and I am not sure why but I love it when I feel so upbeat. I did manage to make a hearty breakfast and also made and assembled my sausage and eggs breakfast casserole for tomorrow. I love to make the breakfast casserole once in a while and it will take care of my (and my family) breakfasat for whole week although I don't always eat it everyday. I also did some ironing and also did a load of laundry. Not bad for me since it is not even 12pm yet...lol.

The weekend was great. I took Jess to a fair my county organized and it was called, "Taste Of Fayette" and we had such great time. Jess get to ride in few rides and even played in one of those blow-up stuff for kids. We also tried a few foods from different vendors (restaurants) and also got free ballons and snow cones. Dh get to take a peaceful nap while Jess and I visited the fair ourselves. It was a good day.

My menu :

Breakfast : 2 leftover medium pancakes with scrambled eggs (mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes).

Snack : Too full so didn't have any.

Lunch : Not sure....but will be something simple.

Snack : Yogurt and mixed fruits.

Dinner : Grilled ribeye steak with salad, baked beans and a starch. (Dh is off so that's why my dinner menu is much better today :)

Some replies :

MONET : Thank you for setting up the board. No...no inconveniece at all, just grateful that you are taking care of this board :) Sorry Laura gave you a scare. As a mother, I can imagine your fear so don't blame you for calling her friends to hunt her down. I would too :)

THIN : I can't wait for the summer holiday either. We have some visitors coming and I am also hoping to do spend a lot of time with my daughter before the baby comes. Have a great week ahead.

TONI : Hello there, I have missed you. I haven't been here a lot like I wanted to but I always try to read all the posts and sure missed your posts. Hey, we are all here for you and every little steps you take will be worthwhile. And so you know, I haven't been all perfect myself but I know I could have done much much worst without SB :)

Got to go check on Jess and dh. Wonder what they are up to...outside :)

Julia

Good Monday morning ladies.

Whew! I have to come to work to get some rest. It was a busy weekend. Graduation was nice. Now I feel like my job is done. Both girls out of college and one with her masters. Now if I could get my youngest married, I really would be done.

Graduation party yesterday. End of discussion. :sad:

Really busy here with this presentation tomorrow night. No one is doing their part so that means tomorrow will be nuts.

Monet, just that you start the boards is wonderful, so if you are late, it's no biggy. Don't you just kids. They can be so inconsiderate at times. I'm sure she will think you are silly, but that's what moms do.

Toni, Funny what gives us the final push to do something. But until we find it, we waiver. Hope it helps you stay on track. Maybe I need to go look in the mirror too. Glad you are back on here.

Thin, glad your school is almost over. Teachers are so underrated, I don't see how you all do it all year.

Nat, you do shuch a good job of keeping the girls doing fun things all summer. They will be learning and having fun at the same time. I loved your topic for your survey. Ought to be interesting.

Ken, glad you are feeling so good today.I bete Jess had a great time at the fair. Did they have animals there too?

Bob, Tippy looks so cute. Thanks for the recipes.

BF; cereal bar. coffee
Lunch, salad with a dab of ham and cheese, orange
Dinner: probably BLT. Got to run out early.



Got to run, hope to check back tomorrow.

good wonderful monday morning ladies :) i have been bad bad bad this last week...only got 3 dys in of exercise and wasnt eating the best...yet somehow i made it down to 182.5 for the last 2 days lol but im not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth lol....i need to hit the grocery store this morning and do a bit of cleaning and then i dont know what ill do after that....but with all the cleaning i have to do im sure it will take more of the day rofl..

Monet: i understand about the worry...when i was living with my mom (after i turned 18) her only rule was that she didnt care where i went or what i did, i didnt even have to call....but i DID have to be home before she woke up in the morning......and that seemed to work out for both of us....dont worry about ur daughter...she'll understand when she has kids :)

Thin: WOO HOO im right there with ya cheering the end of school hon :) hope u have a great vaction and treat urself to some pampering :)

Pancho: see there was a reason for ur diareha lol now ur more able to talk about it for ur survey :D

Keng: are you getting that whole "cleaning the nest thing" cause if you are...you can come help me with mine lol

AFTERNOON EVERY BUDDY!!!

I feel like I had no weekend at all! I didn't get any laundry done, didn't get anything done around the house...I'll be glad when this wedding is over and I can get back to being normal! The wedding is this Saturday, so Friday night is the Grooms dinner, then Saturday, I've got to be at the wedding/reception site pretty much all day. Then the wedding is at 7p.m. We're all staying at the hotel where the reception is so we don't have to drive after drinking. Another weekend shot all to ****! Hopefully, I can get some laundry done during the week....BUT, my Nephew and his Wife are on a cruise so i've got to go over and feed their cats and do liter box duty! How do I get myself into these things!

I've got a meatloaf in the oven for supper, got to take Tippy to the Vet for her shots...AND FEED THE CATS!!! Got to get all this done before the Bachelor comes on tonight...SEASON FINALE!!!

NAT...isn't my Tippy a cutie? Sounds like you're as busy as me! Are you feeling better? Never been to Branson, but I hear it's a fun place!

JACKIE...another chapter closed...Is your Daughter going for her Masters as well? I know your other Daughter has hers...Sorry to hear that no one is helping you with the presentation...fingers crossed it goes well!

Alison...where is it that you go to school? Must have been the weekend all around to not eat well...Are you done with all your tests?

JULIA...I make that casserole every now and then...I just love it..do you put cheese in yours? How are you feeling?

TONI...I think we're going to have to hire a driver for the wagon ...we're all going to be sitting in the dang thing before it's all saidand done!

THIN...sounds like a busy Friday for you...hope it all goes smooth!

MONET...OH OH...sounds like someone is in trouble!!!


I better check my meatloaf....I'll be back later!

BOB

The weather is sure beautiful today. We were out walking a little bit. Other than that, nothing much happened :)

Some replies :

PANCHO : Wow, what a great baker you must be. I agree your 4 year old nephew will not notice any imperfection. I am sure he is just so happy that he has a Blue Clues cake that auntie makes him :) Tomorrow is indeed a busy day for you so get a good night sleep tonight. I have to visit my local YMCA to see what activities they have that Jess and I can join without costing us an arm or leg. Few plans in mind so far is to visit the library, visit some pick-yourself fruits farm, get together with some friends and do things together and visit the park and maybe have a picnic or two. I am ready for the summer holiday now :)

JACK : Congrats on your dd's graduation. Did you ever think that this day would come? Right now, I cannot imagine Jess being a teenager let alone a college graduation...lol. When she was first, I told myself that it would be a longgggg time before having to worry about school for her but before I know it, she is already in preschool. I bet it was an emotional day for you :) We had a great time at the food fair and no, they didn't have any live animals at all but would be nice though :)

SEBRAY : My house is still in a mess....despite the little cleaning effort I put in here and there. Sigh....how can 3 persons make so much mess...lol. Sorry, can't help you with your mess while mine still unattended to...lol. Okay, climb on the wagon...I am sitting next to you :)

BOB : Don't worry, the housework will still be there when the wedding is done. No worries...lol. I love hearty breakfast casserole and I got my recipe on Jimmy Dean's website. Love it!!! I put lots and lots of sharp cheddar cheese on it, not the healthiest but so yummyyyy!!! What do you have in yours?

Got to go...Jess is calling for me to give her a bath.

Julia

Hey, guys..no time to post. Just a drive-by :)

Woo Hoo I'm going to make it through the day! I've eaten so well today. Just finished a dinner of center cut pork chop, spinach and two helpings of salad. Will have a slice of cantaloupe in a bit. Oh boy I'm praying I can make it through another day.....

Heartmom- somedays are like that. A great big Howdy to you..

Bob- Wow you are so busy. Hope you get some rest this week but sure doesn't sound like you're going to. Wish I could do your laundry for ya...

sebray- Sounds like you didn't do to bad. Aren't you glad we now have a new week...

Jack-K- Glad to see you survived the graduations. Your kids must be doing wonderful!

Julia- How are you feeling? The fair sounds fun and a good Mother and daughter time. I think I need to make a casserole like that.

Time for me to run......

well the day is almost over....we FINALLY were able to mow our lawn....that took almost 2 hours lol...had cheeseburgers for dinner on ww rolls....man they were yummy :)

BOB: yup ive been done with school since the first week of may....got all my grades in...4 A's, 2 B's and a C+ in math :)

Keng: you may have to drive that wagon straight into my living room lol...although it felt really good to get out and work in the yard...so maybe ill be motivated to workout tomorrow :D

Heart: {{{{{HUGS}}}}}

Toni: i thank god for all the new weeks :) otherwise id be too depressed to keep it up lol

well hope u ladies have a great evening :wave:

Howdy ya'll! I think I have it all backwards....the scales are up 3 more pounds *smile* We had some wonderful goodies from the garden this evening...radishes, a tomato, squash, zucchini and a banana pepper. These all came from Mama's garden. Mine isn't that far along yet. I did get some cayanne peppers already but they aren't hot. :) I'm still at mama's but wanted to send big giant hugs......(((((((((((((hugsssssssssss))))))))))))) )

Love and hugs,
Crystle

I hesitate to post. I drank a glass of white wine, then two rather full glasses of port. The short of it is that I am rather schnockered. I know I will sleep like a baby tonight! :) The port was excellent...Taylor Fladgate Tawny ten year barrel aged port. Oh my, but it was wonderful port!

I got my poblano peppers into the garden finally! I spent over an hour weeding too. All I am pulling out are volunteer tomatoes and amaranth plants coming up from last years seeds. They are taking over the garden! I have at least another two hours worth of weeding to make it look presentable.

I made a stuffed sole tonight. It turned out very good. Next time, I will make some changes to the recipe. I want to try it with triscuits to make it totally legal. I used ww ritz, which are not. The new Asian market, Super H mart, has wonderfully fresh fish, very cheap. I paid $3.99 for the sole, and got Tilapia for $2.99 a pound as well. My plan is to shop there once a week and get fish to have for at least two meals a week. I just can't afford NOT to! :)

I am going to crawl in bed soon...so I wish you all good night, and sweet dreams!

:wave:

Just to let you all know...Laura showed up about 12 noon, very apologetic. She fell asleep watching a movie at her friends. Since she was still wearing her work clothes, and the future to let me know where she is. I feel like doing the same to her. A friend of mine did that once to her girls. She went and spent the night with a friend, and did not tell them, since they acted like she was nuts if she complained when they did not call. They were about to call the police when she came home the next day. They lit into her, and fussed at her, and carried on. She just sat there with a small smile on her face and let them. When they were done, she simply said, "Now you know how I feel" and she got up and walked out of the room. The girls NEVER left her hanging again!

Monet: beautiful....i say do it :) just make sure tom knows where u are :lol:

i got this in an email today and thought id share it with everyone :)



I hope this will be our walk... !



THANKS TO GOD

I pray that this will bless you as it blessed me.

Hello God,
I called tonight
To talk a little while
I need a friend who'll listen
To my anxiety and trial.
You see, I can't quite make it
Through a day just on my own...
I need your love to guide me,
So I'll never feel alone.
I want to ask you please to keep
My family safe and sound.
Come and fill their lives with confidence
For whatever fate they're bound.
Give me faith, dear God, to face
Each hour throughout the day,
And not to worry over things
I can't change in any way.
I thank you God for being home
And listening to my call,
For giving me such good advice
When I stumble and fall.
Your number, God, is the only one
That answers every time.
I never get a busy signal,
Never had to pay a dime.
So thank you, God, for listening
To my troubles and my sorrow.
Good night, God, I love You too,
And I'll call again tomorrow!

~~~~~~~~

The man whispered, "God, speak to me"
and a meadowlark sang.

But, the man did not hear.
So the man yelled, "God, speak to me"
and the thunder rolled across the sky.

But, the man did not listen.
The man looked around and said,
"God let me see you."
And a star shined brightly.

But the man did not see.
And, the man shouted,
"God show me a miracle."
And, a life was born.

But, the man did not notice.
So, the man cried out in despair,
"Touch me God,
and let me know
you are here."
Whereupon, God reached down
and touched the man.
But, the man brushed
the butterfly away

and walked on.

I found this to be a great reminder
that God is always around us in the
little and simple things
that we take for granted...
even in our electronic age...
so I would like to add one more:

The man cried,
"God, I need your help!"
And an e-mail arrived reaching out
with good news and encouragement.

But, the man deleted it and continued crying...

Don't miss out on a blessing
because it isn't packaged
the way that you expect.

ps...was still 182.5 this morning :cheer: tomorrow is ticker changing day!!!

Wow, rereading my post from last night I see that over half of it is missing! No idea how I did that! I guess the two glasses of port were enough to confuse me totally.
(I am SUCH a cheap drunk!)

I slept like a rock last night. I have the executive director of a mercy ministry coming over this morning for breakfast. I am going to help her with crafts for VBS this summer. I better get going, since I really ought to pick up the kitchen a bit before she gets here!

:wave:

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day! I just need to vent a little. :mad:

My son has a friend whose birthday is this Saturday, which some of you know is my daughter's dance recital. We have known about this birthday for a couple of months now. We thought that Sean could go spend the night on Friday night which is fine and would get him out of going to the dress rehearsal with me and then I could get him on Saturday morning for him to shower and maybe take a nap before we leave at 12:pm. This kid's mother calls me last night and wants Sean to come home from school with them, spend Friday night and all day Saturday and Saturday night too! :?: I don't know why she can't understand that performances and things like that are big deals in our family. Sean has always gone to her dance things just as Rachel goes to his band perfomances. The mother seems to think we are "forcing" him to go sit through these things, when in reality he seems to enjoy them. They typically use a lot of the popular music and he has friends that he sits with or whatever, whose sisters take dance. Anyway, every time I tried to explain to her that I need to come get him early, she was like "He can take a shower here" or "I want to take them to the skate park". :mad: This just infuriates me! As long as my kids are supportive of each others interests and want to spend time with our family, I'm going to take it! I asked Sean what he wants to do and he says that he will spend the night Friday night, but wants me there to pick him up early Saturday morning. What is up with people like this? :?:

THIN: The mother probably thinks she is doing you and Sean a favor. :shrug: Perhaps, too, she likes your son and wants to cultivate the friendship with her son with him. I would say just thank her for her willingness to help, and do it your way! Arrange with your son the time you are picking him up and he can make sure he is where he needs to be. My girls took ballet...I loved, yet hated, the recitals! It was a big production and took a lot out of us, but such great memories! The orchestra concerts were the same ... I am glad you came here to vent! :)

I danced when I was younger (and thinner :o ) at this same school where Rachel goes. She is already in the performing company at 10yrs old and dance is her life. We usually have 3-4 weekends a year that we just designate as "Dance weekend". We don't plan anything else. We get her flowers and go out to eat, anything to make it easier to deal with. I "get" to stand at the doors and take tickets this year. I think it is one of the easier jobs vs Being backstage or selling tickets or flowers. I don't want to be responsible for all that money. :dizzy: I just stand there with my basket and say Thank you, Thank you! Then I can go take my seat and enjoy the show! :cp: :)

Monet: You were late? :lol: I didn't even realize... Thanks for all you do for us keeping the ball rolling for us. AND, Your daughter seems like she's old enough to know better than to leave you worrying like she did. Gawd...someday when she has her own kids, she'll know the terror she put you through. And that's too funny what your friend did to bring home the severity of not keeping in touch with mom with things like this. They probably needed therapy after that one! :lol: Glad it worked!! And, what is the difference between regular port and tawny port? It sounds like you enjoyed it.. ;) DH and I will be going on our annual trip to Canada in a couple of weeks. Overnight without kids...just once a year. Maybe more now that DS is older and not such a burden to my parents (taking care of a baby). It's for our anniversary. THREE WHOLE YEARS....and they said it wouldn't last... :lol: DD is 11...DS is 4 1/2 and we've been married for 3...do the math...I did the puzzle from the inside out, but the puzzle is at last complete and that's what matters in the long run, right? If you get my drift. ;) Anyhow...I'll be looking for a good bottle of port. And "private time" without kids in the house. :s: I swear...sometimes I'll just kiss my DH good night with a little more than a common peck and my DD gets up and shuts the door as if to tell us, "Eeewww..." :o And she's only 11. Anyhow...

Thin: My DD took dance for two years in Rochester, but she has flat feet and is a bit of a clod. :lol: She just finished her 4th year of figure skating lessons and still had a hard time gliding on one foot. And spinning. And crossovers. Next year she goes to middle school and I already signed her up for Choir and Band...she really like music, so I'm hoping she takes her creative gene and stretches it in ways that don't require her to have good balance and grace :lol: . Some kids have 'got it' and some don't. It sounds like your DD is just taking off with it and loves it! Good for her!! As I said, we're still waiting for our DD to find her niche. AND, it blows me away that the kids down south get out of school so early. We don't get out until something like June 25th or so. We go back the Wednesday after Labor Day weekend, though, and I'm pretty sure the southern kids go back in early to mid August, right? Our next door neighbors are an Army family. Rachel, the mom, grew up on this street and her mom is up the road and her DH was stationed at Fort Drum here for 4 years and then they were relocated to Alabama (near Montgomery) and they just came back for the summer already. They were starting to mock my DD, saying, "that's right, you have to go to school in the morning...neenerneener" And she's like, yeah, but when you go back in August, I still have a month to go then, so it all evens out!!" Good for her, I said. They can be beasts, the boys next door. And as for your DS's friend's pushy mother...just put your foot down and tell her how it's gonna be. Just because you're the mommy and you said so...you don't owe anyone any explaination...just tell her firmly and kindly how it's gonna be. Don't let anyone tell you what to do, especially with your own kids...and I'd be mad, too, it's almost like she's telling you what's good for your own kid! I wouldn't put up with that for a second! :mad:

Toni: Don't despair...and I feel for you!! I'll say it again that last November...I don't know what size you're in or what your ideal size would be...but my ideal size (the size I've been all my life until about 1999 when I gained 50lbs) is a size 5/6. So, last November on my 39th birthday, I sat crying in Old Navy when the size 16's were too small. I flat-out refused to buy the 18's. It was officially the largest I've ever been and I was devestated. So, yesterday I was wearing my size 14's, they feel pretty loose, so while birthday shoppign for DD, I decided to take a minute to try on a size 12 and they were snug, but I got them on...without laying on my back and sucking it in!! I decided not to buy them because the style wasn't too flattering, but they were kind of sticking out of the pile as I walked by with the 12 12 12 12 (etc) sticking in my face and I just had to try. I was so psyched!! You can be, too, Toni...get back on the wagon, do you best...one day at a time...and you can be seeing smaller sizes, too!! We're here for you all the way!! :grouphug:

Pancho: Yeast infections...bleh!! I used to get them all...the...time. My doctor said it was because I wore my jeans too tight...which was more than likely the case...and when I wasn't wearing my jeans too tight, I was in stockings at my job at Penney's. LUCKILY for YOU...the technology for treating yeast infections had come leaps and bounds...I used to have to use this tube full of gross cream like three times a day. It was soooo gross and messy. Now, I haven't had one in years, but last I had one, they gave me some suppository thingies that I used at night before bed for three nights and it vanished! But I have problems because, as my doctor says, everyone has a delicate balance of 'flora and fauna' as he called it...we all have yeast in us, but once in a while a bacteria or something or other causes things to go off balance and you get an infection...my body tends to be more acid or something and is more prone, I guess...my body goes through little 'moments' now...not necessarily yeast, but anyway, when I get my TOM, it puts everything back on track and it goes away naturally. Anyhow...it sounds like you have quite a busy day/week in store for you. I like to make the last day of school special, too. DD and I have a tradition to go to the movies right after school on the last day and have lunch. It's something to look forward to. I also need to sign DS up for swimming lessons. The town I'm in has them for free for the first two weeks after school's out. They taught my DD to swim...I couldn't get her to go under water or get her face wet for the life of me. Now she's a regular fish! :lol:

Julia: I LOVE that casserole, too!! I make it every year on Christmas Eve to put in the oven to cook while we open presents. It's so easy and make the house smell divine while we listen to Christmas music. Sounds like you had a great time at the fair!! :D

Jack: Glad you got the graduation festivities over and done with! That must be a load off your mind. I have to mail my niece her graduation present...she just graduated college, too, and is going to be an elementary teacher...so I got her Chicken Soup for the Teacher's Soul. It's a really nice book with small little stories to inspire her...I hope :lol:

Sebray: Way to go on the loss!! You're on your way!! And I'm glad you're enjoying your downtime after college.

BOB: Your dog is sooooo cute!! He looks like he's about the size of my dog's head!! :lol: Probably smaller!! And...it looks like you've got your week planned and it's gonna be a busy one, at that!! Hope your pain treatments can keep up with you!!

Hi Laurie!! :wave:

Crystle: :wave: To you, too. I have my tomatoes planted and some green pepper plants planted, too. I put in some radish, carrot, snap pea and green bean seeds, as well. I know my garden is too small and I planted everything too close together, but it'll have to do. If all goes well, I'll double the size next year, but I didn't want to dig up the yard so I could plant things that the local bunny population is going to eat up!! :lol: Question: what do you recommend for fertilizer for veggie gardens? I use Miracle Gro for my flowers, but I'm not sure if that's best for veggies.

Okay...I think that's it with replies...I have to go now...if you didn't read in the above, it's DD's birthday...11 years ago right now I was developing a very serious relationship with a rubber glove filled with ice chips!! :lol: I couldn't sit normally for at least a week! We're having her birthday party Friday night after girl scouts, since she invited the girl scouts for a slumber/birthday party. So, we'll have scouts, then start the party and lay out all the sleeping bags. Five girls, plus my DD. I can handle it...I'll just have to make extra strong coffee for the morning... :lol:

Okay...gotta run...one more thing I need to get for DD before she comes home from school.

Kris

OH...and in case you didn't read in a reply above...I went to Old Navy and tried on a pair of size 12 jeans and I got them on...without having to lay on my back to zip them :lol: !! I didn't buy them yet, because the style wasn't really flattering, but I'll be going back soon and thinking about it. Right now, I'm still enjoying how comfortable the 14's are...considering that in November I was crying because the 16's were too small. And looked horrible.

Okay...I'm really going now...

Kris ;)

Just finished up with my breakfast meeting....I made breakfast for us. I had a two egg omelet with sauteed onions, and cheese, three pieces of bacon, and a half of a ww English muffin with a dab of Polaner all fruit on it, and a cup of espresso with cream and agave. We got some ideas going, and will go shop for materials on Thursday, hopefully.

Do any of you have a toaster oven? If so, what kind and would you buy it again? Mine is a Black and Decker, and the toast button has broken. I need a new one, but I am agonizing over which one to get. I don't want to spend too much on it..so it has to be cheap, but good at toasting, which is what we use it for most.

Another appliance question: Do any of you use a pressure cooker? Tell me about it... I am thinking of getting one, but need some practical input first.

Thanks!

:wave:

Yes we go back to school early. This fall we will go back on August 1, if you want to call it fall. :shrug: I love this new calendar though because we will get a week off in September, the entire Thanksgiving week, 2 weeks for Christmas, a week in both February and April and then get out of school the end of May, memeorial day weekend. So, we have a short summer, but more weeks off during the year. This year in September we have planned a trip to the beach for a lot cheaper than the summer rates because it will be after Labor day. :cool:

Good afternoon... I'm kind of late today. Think I dragged around this morning, drinking coffee and being a slob. But am all showered and dressed. My DH is coming home at 1 today and we're going to the furniture store where we bought our bed a few weeks ago. We hate the bed and are hopeing they'll take it back and we can pick a different one even if its higher in price and we can pay the difference. The bed we bought was not the same as the display one but it wasn't supposed to be totally different which is was and way to soft for us. The store salesman had told us it was firm and its like a marshmellow. Anyway we'll see. My eating has been well and I'm so pleased. So far so good on my second day.

Monet- Glad your breakfast went good. I use a pressure cooker but mine's a really old one. I love it and love to make my roasts in it. They come out so tender and wonderful. I would love to try port. I've never had it.

Techwife- Thanks so much for the encourageing words. I'm taking each day as it comes. Oh my gosh I'd love to be a size 12.

Thin- Its so nice you have your daughter in dance class and make it so special for her. She'll have such nice memories when she grows up.

sebray- Good for you getting to change your ticker.

CountryMom- I'm totally jealous of you eating out of the garden already!!!! Yummy!!

Well time to go.... Hope I didn't forget anyone....

Gonna be a quickie,

Wainting for my boss to bring back the prints from the copier place. They have to be there at 6:00 and I have 10 books to bind and complete. I don't understand why every presentation is last minute like this.

I forgot to tell you all, that Sunday we went to the grocery. Now i was out of EVERYTHING. Plus DD being home. My bill was $489.00 (after coupons) I about died. I checked my receipt and nothing was rang up wrong. I did buy 2 turkey breasts, but they were only $13.00 each. Of course DD had lots of beauty products. I didn't have too much meat either. I won't be going back for awhile for sure.


Bob, sounds like you will be one busy wedding planner all weekend. At least it will be a fun weekend. Doing laundrya nd cleaning all weekend is no fun. Take some pics for us. My youngest says she will go back and get her masters. I was surprised. I guess it depends on how long she waits. I told my oldest we need a PHd in the family, but she says she is done.

Kengjw, sometimes I add jalepenos to that casserole, but then I like hot things.

Toni, one day at a time. You did one, you can make it another one.

Sebray, we had that same rule. Sometimes my youngest would just barley make it. I have that same poem. I love it.

Monet,I hope you are not hung-over today. :lol: I love fish, In fact we are having it tonight on the grill. I bought some frozen for me to have when the rest of them are having steaks. We have a B&D toaster oven here at work and the toast button isn't working and now it won't heat up at all. It's the 2nd one we have had. Can't help on the pressure cooker.

Country: {{{HUGS}}}. All those fresh veggies sound wonderful.

Thin, the mom probably felt like she was helping. Just let her know you will be there for sure on Sat. My girls danced. I always enjoyed the recitals, but DH was always bored after the girls performed.

Tech, Happy Birthday to your DD. 11 is a good age, she'snot a "tweener" yet. I love those Chicken Soup books, but I can't read them w/o crying like a baby.

heart: :wave:

Got to run, be back tomorrow.

well im STILL 182.5 :D so tomorrow is looking good for a change....and ive been sleeping really good lately except that i havent been able to fall asleep until 5am :( yesterday was a good day....40 mins in the yard....our grass had grown so high it was up past my waist lol....talk about embarrasing lol...im hoping that kevins parents will buy us a lawnmower cause we just cant afford it right now *sigh*

Thin: {{{{HUGS}}}} just do it however your son wants you to and tell the mother to put a sock in it :rofl:

Tech: :cheer: wtg with the weight loss hon...you are doing AWESOME!!!!

Monet: i dont think ive owned a toaster oven a day in my life....arent they for old people? :rofl: j/k......honestly what is the purpose of a toaster oven if u have a toaster?

Toni: i hate salespeople....they should be lined up and shot....hope u can get the bed you really want

well im off again...hope everyone has a great OP day :wave:

Jack: lol yeah...there were plenty of days when i would slide in the door just as my mom would close the bathroom door for her morning constitutional....she was very happy when i finally left for boot camp cause she was having a hard time ignoring the call of the bathroom while waiting to hear my car in the driveway :lol:

Good afternoon! Lane is fighting her nap, as usual. She will probably fall asleep right as I have to wake her up to leave to go get Britt. I really wanted her to nap since she and Brit are going to Peter Piper with their dad today. I will be on my way to earning $100, talking about diarrhea....what fun! I hope my DH remembers to tape the Country Music Awards for me.

Lane did great at swim lessons today; she didn't cry at all. They already want to graduate her from a guppy to a turtle. They took underwater shots of the kids today and we get a copy of them next week. I can't wait to see it.

Has anyone tried soynut butter? It tastes a lot like peanut butter and has a creamier texture than almond butter. Britt is allergic to peanuts, so I bought it for her, and it's pretty tasty! I ate some on toast for breakfast.

Toni: Lurk if you must, but we would prefer to see your posts ;) . Good luck exchanging the bed. Good job staying OP for two days; you can keep it up all week, I am sure.

Ken: It sounds like you and Jess had a great weekend...food and fun; how could you go wrong? :lol: . The cake was nothing too elaborate; just a cake pan from the party store, that I decorated. It sounds as if you and Jess have lots of fun things planned for the summer. I paid $75 for all the classes that I signed Britt and Lane up for...some were $10, some were $15, and some were $20. I think that is pretty reasonable.

Jack-K: Glad the weekend is behind you, and you can get back on track now. You s/b proud of your girls!! I know you are. Holy SH** Batwoman....nealry $500 on a grocery bill???? My DH would have me taking half of it back :lol: :lol: .

Sebray: Put the "bad" week behind you and make this a great one! Thanks for the reminders; those were beautiful!! Congrats on the loss!

BOB: How'd Tippy do w/ shots? I am feeling a lot better. I have two more days of treatment for the yeast infection, and now it is TOM...fun, fun! Enjoy the wedding this weekend.

Monet: Funny story about your friend; I'm sure it made the kids think twice before they ever did "that" again. I never really used my toaster oven, so I gave it to my Brother-in-Law to use in the barricks (he's in the military). I also have my pressure cooker out to sell at my garage sale; it's never been used. I am too afraid to use it...I've heard some scary stories and don't feel comfortable using it.

Thin: Vent away; we are here for you. Sorry you have to deal with that situation. Maybe the other mom just doesn't expect a boy to enjoy that stuff, even if it is his sister, and maybe he's too embarrassed to admit it to her ;) . You just do what you feel is right in your heart, and...if she is any friend at all, she will understand that. It's great for your kids to enjoy eachothers hobbies/activities. Enjoy the show!!!

Tech: I am using that white cream every night for 7 nights. But, I just put it in right before bedtime. It's still gross though. I cannot imagine having to do that during the day. I am sure it was the antibiotics that threw my body out of whack...they do kill off that good bacteria with the bad. Lane is getting better at swim lessons; she didn't cry at all today, so we are making progress. Happy Birthday to your DD. What a fun party she has planned with her friends. Congrats on the size 12's; it is so much fun to get into a smaller size.

Well, I gotta get some things done. Have a wonderful OP day.

Take care,
Nat

PANCHO: hmm, what kind of pressure cooker are you selling at your garage sale? Is it a stainless steel one? How big? How much??? :s: My mother used one a lot, but I was not smart enough to grab it from her house after she died. Not sure which one of my sisters took it.... Ok, come on...tell me the scary stories! I have not heard scary stories about using one, so I need to hear the ones you know. :listen:

AFTERNOON ALL YOU BUSTIN BEAUTYS!!!


MONET....NOW YOU KNOW I'M THE PRESSURE COOKER QUEEN AROUND HERE!! I have 5!! 1 6qt FAGOR, 1 4qt Tfal, 1 4qt Rapida and 2 3QT Mirror Matics (that are over 50yrs old!)
The Fagor came from Macy's and the Tfal and Rapida came from Penney's.
I use the Rapida more than any of them, and I plan to get a Rapida 6qt the next time they are on sale at Penneys.

What do you want to know about them?

Julia...I usually put, eggs, sausage, onion, lots of sharp chedder & fresh mushrooms. Sometimes, I put broccoli flowers just to jazz it up some...
If I don't have sausage, I use bacon...You've got me wanting one and I'm gonna have to make one soon! You don't make a crust do you? I don't...I like it better that way.

NAT...Tippy gets her shots split up since she's so little. Found out recently that the rabie shot can be given every two years now...She needs to go to the beauty parlor and get her nails done...
I dont eat anything soy or soy related. I've heard so many conflicting stories about it

ALISON...where do you go to school???

JACKIE...it will be a busy weekend, but I plan to get soused after the wedding is over...I'm in the mood for some DIRTY MARTINI'S!!!

TONI...COME ON DOWN....I'll have the laundry sorted and ready to go!

THIN...Now that's what I call a school schedule!

KRIS..TIPPY is 3 1/2 lbs ..as you can see, her ears are bigger than she is!

I'm watching RACING STRIPES and it is so cute...if you've not seen it, get it!

I'm off for now...

BOB

WHAT'S YOUR SOUTHERN SIGN?

Some of us Southerners are pretty skeptical of horoscopes and the
people that read them. If we are to ever fully understand all the star signs
and the people they represent, we need symbols that all true
Southerners understand: See the list below...

OKRA (Dec 22 - Jan 20) Are tough on the outside but tender on the
inside. Okras have tremendous influence. An older Okra can look back
over his life and see the seeds of his influence everywhere. You can
dosomething good each day if you try.

CHITLIN (Jan 21 - Feb 19) Chitlins come from humble backgrounds.
A Chitlin, however, will make something of himself if he is motivated
and has lots of seasoning. In dealing with Chitlins, be careful, they
may surprise you. They can erupt like Vesuvius. Chitlins are best
with Catfish and Okra.

BOLL WEEVIL (Feb 20 - March 20) You have an overwhelming curiosity.
You're unsatisfied with the surface of things, and you feel
the need to bore deep into the interior of everything. Needless to
say, you are very intense and driven as if you had some inner hunger.
You love to stay busy and tend to work too much. Nobody in their right
mind is going to marry you, so don't worry about it.

MOON PIE (March 21 - April 20) You're the type that spends a lot of
time on the front porch. A cinch to recognize the physical appearance of
Moon Pies. Big and round are the key words here. You should
marry anybody who you can get remotely interested in the idea.
It's not going to be easy. You always have a big smile and are happy.
This might be the year to think about aerobics. Maybe not.

POSSUM (April 21 - May 21) When confronted with life's difficulties,
possums have a marked tendency to withdraw and develop a
don't-bother-me-about-it attitude. Sometimes you become so withdrawn,
people actually think you're dead. This strategy is probably not
psychologically healthy but seems to work for you! You are a rare
breed.Most folks love to watch you work and play. You're a night person and
mind your own business.

CRAWFISH (May 22 - June 21) Crawfish is a water sign. If you work
in an office, you're hanging around the water cooler. Crawfish prefer
the beach to the mountains, the pool to the golf course, and the
bathtub to the living room. You tend not to be particularly
attractive physically, but you have very, very good heads.

COLLARDS (June 22 - July 23) Collards have a genius for communication.
They love to get in the melting pot of life and share their essence
with the essence of those around them. Collards make good social workers,
psychologists, and baseball managers. As far as your personal life goes,
if you are Collards, stay away from Crawfish. It just won't work.
Save yourself a lot of heartache.

CATFISH (July 24 - Aug 23) Catfish are traditionalists in matters of
the heart, although one's whiskers may cause problems for loved
ones. You Catfish are never easy people to understand. You run fast.
You work and play hard. Even though you prefer the muddy bottoms to the
clear surface of life, you are liked by most. Above all else,
Catfish should stay away from Moon Pies.

GRITS (Aug 24 - Sept 23) Your highest aim is to be with others like
yourself. You like to huddle together with a big crowd of other Grits.
You love to travel though, so maybe you should think about joining a
club. Where do you like to go? Anywhere they have cheese, gravy,
bacon,butter, or eggs and a good time.
If you can go somewhere where they haveall these things,
that serves you well. You are pure in heart.

BOILED PEANUTS (Sept 24 - Oct 23) You have a passionate desire to help
your fellow man. Unfortunately, those who know you best, your friends
and loved ones, may find that your personality is much too salty, and
their criticism will affect you deeply because you are really much
softer than you appear. You should go right ahead and marry anybody
you want to because in a certain way, yours! is a charmed life. On the
road of life, you can be sure that people will always pull over and stop
for you.

BUTTER BEAN (Oct 24 - Nov 22) Always invite a Butter Bean to a party
because Butter Beans get along well with everybody. You, as a Butter
Bean, should be proud. You've grown on the vine of life, and you feel
at home no matter what the setting. You can sit next to anybody. However,
you, too, shouldn't have anything to do with Moon Pies.

ARMADILLO (Nov 23 - Dec 21) You have a tendency to develop a tough
exterior, but you are actually quite gentle and kind inside. A good
evening for you? Old friends, a fire, some roots, fruit, worms, and
insects. You are a throwback. You're not concerned with today's
fashions and trends. You're not concerned with anything about today. You're
almost prehistoric in your interests and behavior patterns.
You probably want to marry another Armadillo,
but a Possum is another somewhat kinky mating possibility.
__________________

The wash is hanging on the line so I'm taking a break. Eating has been so so. I've had a few chip melt downs but other than that pretty good.

Monet..I don't use a pressure cooker but after the ribs mama cooked the other night I might have to start. We were running behind and she brought them up to pressure and did it for only five minutes. They were so tender. She put them on the grill after that to give them that grilled taste. They were done start to finish in probably less than thirty minutes. The best part is we used the juices to make some awesome rice.

Thin...Sorry the other mama is so pushy. I think sometimes people don't realize how they come across. :) Hope ya'll have a fantastic family day at the recital.
Since we home school we school all year round. Of course we take off just not in the traditional ways. A four day weekend here and there and we take vacation when hubby has his vacation.

Tech..woo hoo on getting in a new size. I bet in the right style you are already a 12 and don't even know it. ((hugzz))

Jack-K....Robert would kill me...LOL But then again I shop every week. We spend about 400 to 500 a month. You would think with the older ones gone the cost would come down but we are eating a lot more fresh fruits and veggies and a lot less pasta. How are you feeling these days?

Bob...what a cute little puppy. She would get squished around here. My guys are HUGE and clumsy...LOL

Poncho....what an odd things to get paid to talk about...but hey 100 dollars is a 100 dollars.

Sebray..woo hoo on the new ticker number tomorrow!

Toni...wtg on two days down!!!!!!!! You are doing a great job getting back on the wagon.

Guess I'd better get and start dinner before it's time to walk. I do not want to miss American Idol tonight.

Love and hugs,
Crystle

Hello all!

This is just a quick pop-in to say I'm back! I got in a little after 7 tonight and am beat--but the trip was great!!!!! We did Rome, Florence, Pisa, Tuscany, Lucca Venice and Milan, but the best part was that we found the little village my grandfather was born in. It is on the very top of a mountain in northern Tuscany and the mountain driving was pretty scary (guess who was doing all the driving), but so worth it!!!!

Of course, I've eaten nothing but pasta and bread for two solid weeks, but done so much walking as well.

My eyes are pretty bleary so I'll try to get on tomorrow to provide more details. I went out and bought a digital camera the night before we left, so as soon as I read the instrucions on uploading to the internet I'll post some--won't be tonight though--I now understand the term jetlag.

I think Miss Belle has finally finished yelling at me for being gone so long and will let me get some sleep. She's purring, so she might even cuddle up to me!

It's great to be back!

Susan

So what did I miss while I was gone?

Susan: your trip to Italy sounds really fun. I'd love to go someplace exotic like that. The most I get is over the river to Canada...which is fine at my juncture in life. But someday....it's off the North American continent for me!! And, no, Italian food is definitely not legal SB fare :lol: But what are you gonna ask for in Italy?

Monet: My grandma used to use a pressure cooker all the time...your post reminded me of her cooking and that little 'tssssss...patpatpatpatpat' So much for sound effects :lol: . I swear she could cook a full yankee pot roast in about 45 mins! I don't know how long, actually, but it was a fraction of the time it takes me to make a pot roast just boiling it to death. She had a Mirror Matics, now that Bob mentioned it. It had one of those round things on the top that spun that looked like a wheel section of Tinker Toys. If you know what I mean. Ahhh...Gramma...the things I didn't get coached on because I was too young and undomesticated when she was in her prime. Heaven is a better place because she's there. I also have a toaster oven, but I don't really like it. I'd rather have a four slice toaster. I can't really make much in it, anyway, and I can just hear the electricity churning when it's on. It makes me nervous and eventually, my toaster oven became shot and doesn't stay on long enough for the toast to brown, so I unplugged it because I'm worried about it starting on fire or some dumb thing. Oh, well...Ihope yours works out for you!! :D

Bob!! I'm a Butter Bean!! And my poor husband is a dreaded Moon Pie :lol: That's really funny!! DD is a possum and DS is an Okra...which I can definitely see him growing into...the description, that is...not a real Okra... :lol:

Crystle: What did you think of AI tonight? What a contest, huh? Bo...just completely kicked some serious butt. He's so awesome...Carrie is my favorite, though. Vonzell is equally as great as the other two, but I'd just love to see a Country Girl for an American Idol. But...I keep thinking Bo is just so professionally great already. That Elton John song he sang is one of my all time favorites and he really put his own flavor on it and made it a totally great song all over again. I'm torn. I'd be happy with either Carrie or Bo winning.

Toni: I'll trade you my firm mattress for your marshmallow! I love a soft bed. Nothing's worse, though, than sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress!! Just remember...one day at a time, one meal at a time and drink your water! :D you can do it...you're doing great for a couple days...keep it up and make it a week, then a month, then watch the scales drop!!

Jack: 11 is a great, but transitional, age. She'll be going to Junior High this year and that's going to be a huge change for her. Going from being with the little kids...recess...staying in the same classroom most of the day...the same 13-14 kids day in and day out...to being in a much bigger school with a totally different atmosphere...and going back to being the little kid instead of the oldest one. Should be fun!! :dizzy:

Okay...DD loved her presents...had mom and dad over for pizza, cake and ice cream...got DD her cup cakes to school this morning with juice...now one more cake to make on Friday at her friends party. I had two or three slices of pizza...with the crust, a small piece of cake and some illegal ice cream. Ahh....you know...I'm sure it'll all be fine...I'll just take a detour on our walk to school tomorrow with DD, DS and Junior and go to the river after dropping off DD and extend my walk and drink lots of water. We're making 'sit-upons' in Girl Scouts this week for us to take on our camping trip in a few weeks. I got some floral green camouflage double knit fabric and I think they'll be really cute! But what's a GS camping trip without sit-upons?? Right? Anything for a reason for the girls to use the sewing machine. They love sewing!!

Okay...I took a Tylenol Cold pill for nighttime use and my eyes are starting to go crosseyed. So, I guess I better get while the gettin's good!! 11 years ago right now...some poor unsuspecting nurse tried taking my rubber glove fillied with ice chips away from me and I believe I growled at her. :lol: If you're just coming in on this...my DD's 11th birthday was today. When she was born, I had 45 stitches and couldn't walk without feeling like my uterus was going to drop to the floor for about a week or two. It was fun... :^:

Talk to you Sugar Busting babes in the morning!!

Kris

Hello everyone-- we got back late Sunday night, so spent all day yesterday doing laundry. We had a great time, though we didn't come home any richer!! My Aunt was the lucky one, she won $800. on one 3 card poker hand!! The weather was great, and I was able to walk 2 days anyway. We left the house Thurs. morning at 3:30 am......the bus left Spokane at 4:30 am so didn't get in any exercise that day or Sunday when we returned. Eating was just so so, not bad, but not the best......I plan to hit it really hard from here on out. I am tired of yo-yo-ing and know now what Heartmom goes through when she eats off plan and retains water.......I was so miserable coming home, my feet and ankles were three sizes larger than normal and sitting on a bus all day not being able to put them up was pure he!!. Dh has decided to go back on plan with me, so that will make it easier. We have two full days of being on plan behind us, so I am sure it will only get easier.....Sure did have a doozzy of a headache yesterday, but it is gone today. Hope that is all detoxing will do this time.

I have to take Jo into the vet tomorrow. She is having trouble getting up and down the stairs. Can't really tell if it is her backend or her front end. But after she tries to come up the stairs she just starts shivering and shaking. She has been doing so well that I hate to think that she is starting a decline. I am hoping that it is just arthritis and that some Rimidyl will help her. I feel so bad for her when she isn't feeling well. Dh and I have been taking her out the front door, where there are only a couple steps as opposed to the back door where she has lots of steps, even so the last time I took her out I ended up picking her up and carrying her up the steps. (That is a 56 pound Bassethound) Not an easy chore, but we made it. And she gave me a loving look that said thank you, so it was worth it!!

I haven't gotten to reading the posts yet......hopefully tomorrow I will have some time. Where does it all go?? I seem to be busier than normal.......but I don't know at what?? Hope you are all doing well and that you are all big losers!! Heading for bed now, see you all tomorrow.

I know it's not Friday Funnies Day, but I just got these and got a kick out of them. These are parent excuse notes that they claim are real...spelling left the same. Enjoy!!

My son is under a doctor's care and should not take
P.E. today. Please execute him.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please excuse Lisa for being absent. She was sick and
I had her shot.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear School: Please ekscuse John being absent on Jan.
28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and also 33
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please excuse Gloria from Jim today. She is
administrating.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please excuse Roland from P.E. for a few days.
Yesterday he fel! l out of a tree and misplaced his hip.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
John has been absent because he had two teeth taken
out of his face.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing
football. He was hurt in the growing part.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Megan could not come to school today because she has
been bothered by very close veins.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his
side.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please excuse Ray Friday from school. He has very
loose vowels.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please excuse Pedro from being absent yesterday. He
had! (diahre) (dyrea) (direathe) the shits.
[Words were crossed out in the ()'s]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please excuse Tommy for being absent yesterday. He
had diarrhea and his boots leak.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Irving was absent yesterdy because he missed his bust.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pease excuse Jimmy for being. It was his father's
fault.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas
shopping because I don't know what size she wear.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday.
We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the porch, and
when we found it Monday, we thought it was Sunday.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sally won't be in school a week from Friday. We have
to attend her funeral.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
My daughter was absent yesterday because she was
tired. She spent a weekend with the Marines.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He
had a cold and could not breed well.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please excuse Mary for being absent yesterday. She
was in bed with gramps.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gloria was absent yesterday as she was having a
gangover.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please excuse Brenda, she has been sick and under the
doctor.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maryann was absent December 11-16, because she had a
fever, sore throat, headache and upset stomach. Her
sister was also sick, fever and sore throat, her
brother had a low grade fever and ached all over.
I wasn't the best either, sore throat and fever.

There must be something going around, her father even
got hot last night.

Good Morning! I hope WIW is good for everyone. I think I am up from last week, but what else is new? I can't complain much, since I was terrible the last two nights...drinking port, and last night I had a beer and popcorn! I really need to get out and do some walking, but my heel is split and yesterday, I stepped on the edge of the carpet, and there was a nail sticking up that hit my heel right exactly in the split. Talk about pain....I yowled. It bled and bled and still hurts like the dickens this morning. Now I have a cramp in the calf muscle from trying to walk without putting my heel down at all. What a mess I am !

I got my target stand almost put together. There are three washers missing, so I am hoping to hear from the company I ordered from soon in response to my email I sent yesterday. I want to get it all together rather badly, so I can shoot, so I may go by Home Depot and see if I can find washers that size.

TECH: My mom had a pressure cooker, and I remember she used to make a BBQ beef in it that was out of this world good. I have never been able to get mine as good, and now I think it was the pressure cooker! I like the idea of cooking faster... I loved the funnies! Especially the one with diarrhea mispelled, crossed out twice and then called simply what it is .. :lol3: I actually watched some of AI tonight since I was meeting with the head of kids ministries and she had it on. That Bo guy has an amazing voice. I thought the accapella was pretty gutsy. And the blonde, wow on how long she held that one note.... Even the other, Von-something, had an amazing voice. I am not hooked, but you will have to keep me informed of who 'wins'.

TEENSY: Good to see you! I missed you. I am sorry Jo is having trouble. My old cat seems to be having pain in his hip joints, and it makes me so sad to see him hobble around. I am sorry you did not win $$. If I had won $800, I would have probably spent it all again, trying to win more!

FILLISE: Yay! I am so glad you are back, and that you had a good time! How neat to find the village where your grandfather was born! What a great memory of the trip for you all! Can't wait to see the pictures! (what kind of digital camera did you get?? I recommend Webshots to post pictures on...)

COUNTRY: So what kind of pressure cooker does your mom have? I keep hearing good things....and then there is BOB with five?! :shrug: I am going to PM you about a graphic for the board...

BOB: Five? Good heavens woman, there are only two of you! What do you need with five??? You are amazing! What do you use them for? You need to tell me what size I need, what to cook in it, whether you have aluminium or stainless steel...I by the way, am a boll weevil. Tom is an armadillo....

PANCHO: I hope you enjoyed your market research job last night! I used to do those...wish I could get on some lists for them now! $100 is a lot better than the $25 they used to pay! I am interested in hearing about pressure cookers, and what kind you are selling. Is it stainless steel?

JACK: I spend about $800 a month on groceries. I find it terribly hard to stay in my budget too. I guess we are all big, picky eaters! I do get a lot of rather high quality stuff, like organic meats, eggs, and produce, and we use three or four gallons of milk a week. I don't buy convenience stuff either! I am going to really work at trimming the amount I spend, because I honestly think I must be really wasting it somewhere if others spend so much less! :(


I guess I will go look for some breakfast.... I will be back later!

Just a quick recipe posting. I made this yesterday and was really suprised by how good it was. I'm getting sick of cleaning out my blender every time I make a smoothie, so I just modified the plain yogurt I have (which, to me, is gross plain! Bleh!!). I took about a cup of plain yogurt, stirred in a capful of vanilla flavoring, a spoonful of Splenda and a few frozen blueberries and just blended them together with a spoon. I actually like it better than the flavored yogurts in the stores. It's smooth and creamy and really yummy! I had some this morning with a large orange and two bacon and two sausages. I have a hard time finding low carb/no sugar yogurt...you know, they always have to add that high frutcose corn syrup to EVERYTHING!! So, I just made my own.

Okay...gotta get some laundry on the line...Kris

Good morning...

I just finished having my breakfast and thought I come here before I start the household chores. Nothing much planned for today except a trip to Publix to get few items. One of them is for Jess's last day "Luau" party tomorrow. The preschoolers are requested to wear their swim wear to school tomorrow...lol, imagine how cute those kids will be. I will bring "something sweet" for them but not sure what. I can't think of anything legal either unless I make them myself which I am not good at. Oh well.

Yesterday I had a fun day with my neighbor. We went to a daylilies farm to check out their enormous variety of daylilies that I have not seen before. I need a lot of daylilies for my garden but I am going to take it easy and not plant them all at once. I can't wait to see them multiply as well. There was this daylily that was so beautiful and rare that it was going $100 per plant...whew!!! Anyway, I didn't get any until dh and I have come up with a budget. After the farm, my neighbor and I went to Ethan Ellen furniture store to browse some furnitures and I found my Armoire and my dining table!!! So happy! We might not get everything at once so maybe the Armoire first. After that, we went to Walmart to do some grocery shopping and I picked up a sandwich for lunch for me and dh. The rest of the day was spent with Jess doing nothing...lol.

My menu for today :

Breakfast : 1 ww waffle, 1 medium square of the breakfast casserole and 1/2 cup of milk.

Snack : Should be some fruits or none since I know I will still be full.

Lunch : Baked salmon stuffed with crabmeat (not totally legal), roasted marinated broccoli and a basmati rice pilaf.

Snack : Fruits and plain yogurt.

Dinner : I might try the South Beach pizza that I bought last week. Will add a mixed green with that.

Some replies :

TONI : I am so proud of you and I am sure you are too. Keep up the good eating and the rest will follow. I am feeling pretty good actually. "Junior" (nickname) is doing well as he is constantly moving around. I can tell he is a strong boy :) You should make one of those breakfast casserole, I love mine once in a while. The best thing about it is not having to worry what to make for breakfast and just heat up a square of it in the microwave oven in the am and voila! you got a hearty breakfast that will fills you up till lunch. Did you manage to change your bed?

SEBRAY : Yard work is good exercise, give yourself a hand will ya?

MONET : Glad Laura is home safe. Hope this is the last time she made such mistake and if she does it again, maybe you should think about that "trick" of yours...lol. And yes, don't forget to let Tom knows of your plan though...lol. I have a toaster oven and use them almost everyday for dh's bagel, my ww bread and waffles. Love it!! I bought a black GE 2-sliced toaster oven (very simple to operate) and it has been serving us very well for the last year or so. I can't remember exactly how much we bought it but I remember it was quite reasonable. Can't live without it. I don't use pressure cooker because I am afraid of it....lol, have heard some bad experience about people not knowing how to use it properly and it exploded! I think it is a matter of using it the right way and it shouldn't be a problem. Afterall, Bob has 5 of them....LOL.

THIN : Sorry that you have to deal with people who think they know the best for your child. Hey, you know the best, so do what your child and you want and don't worry about the rest.

TECH : Woo Hoo!! Size 12 and go get that jeans when you reach your "small" goal. You will look great in it :) Glad your dd had a fun time on her birthday. Do you need me to bring the wagon?? lol. I am sure you will be just fine :)

TEENSY : Good to "see" you. You know just what to do and I know you will be just fine after getting back on the wagon. Hope Jo is okay.

JACK-K : Jalepenos sounds good, I love spicy food too. I might just add that to the casserole next time.

PANCHO : How did your "diarrhea" talk go yesterday? I am sure the kids have great time with their daddy. Pizza and daddy, what better than that? :)

BOB : 5 pressure cookers??? LOL. I know who to come to if and when I am presure cooker questions :) My casserole has sausage, chopped tomatoes, lots of green onions, sauteed mushrooms , lots of cheese and some French bread cubes (illegal) I really love the bread (especially french bread) in the casserole as it gives the casserole a good texture. I don't make it often but when I do, I go all out :) Nope, don't care for crust either. Your version sounds yummy!!!

COUNTRY : How are you today?

FILLISE : Glad you are home safe, we have missed you. Can't wait for more details of the trip.

Got to go...it's time to get some work done before I get tired :)

Julia

Ok, I finally updated my ticker. I am where I was when I started again, but at least it's not worse. I am trying to slowly get back on track, but probably will not be totally there till we get through these next couple of BUSY weeks! :dizzy:
I received an e-mail from the "pushy" mom yesterday and she says that she understands Sean wanting to keep his weekend open for other things and that the other boys they invited for the weekend had other things planned as well. Her son is pretty bummed out about it, but they realize that it is a busy time of year. She also said that if Sean were not such an awesome kid, he would not have so many people that want to spend time with him! ;)
Her son is not only an only child but also the only grandchild, so I think she stresses out about everything being "perfect" for him a little more than I do. I have two kids and they are two of six grandchildren on one side and eight grandkids and 5 great grandkids on the other. So when people can't make it to family get togethers, it's no big deal.
Hope everyone has a great day! :)

Flying by...just got in from Publix. I got some roast beef and some horseradish cheddar to make a sandwich for lunch... I wanted to go to the Asian market and get fish and veggies, but when I got home, Laura informed me that she took an extra shift at a store about 30 minutes away, and will need to use my car. (her is in the shop having the last-we hope- work done on it) I was not happy she took the shift. So now I will not get my shopping trip in, as I have a meeting at the church at 1:30. I might run over to the market now...but it will be tight time wise....

:wave:

Good morning ladies.

The scale was not nice today. But I forgot to take my meds yesterday and w/o the Lasix, the scale flies right back up.

I have bunco at my house tonight. I'll let you know how the quasadillas turn out. I also made a chocolate pudding dessert. If I like it I will post the recipe.

Finnaly got the presentation done last night, just in the nick of time. I don't know why we do everything last minute here.


Nat, I'm glad Lane did better at swimming today. Nothing worse than her dreading to go and crying the whole time. She should be excited to get to move up. DH was with me at the grocery and DD. That could have been lots of the problem.

Sebray, you can't put a sandwich in the toaster but you can in the toaster oven and you could cook small things like checken nuggets, pizza w/o heating up the big oven.

Bob, we have a wedding Friday night too. It's at the Zoo. Should be a great time. I guess I'm a Chitlin.

Country, I'm feeling fine. A little joint pain, don't know if it is the RA or the tamoxifen. Thanks for asking.

Susan, Welcome back. Glad you had a wonderful time. Can't wait to see the pics. How neat finding your GF's village.

Tech, I just threw my DD's sit upon away a couple years ago. I kept it in the car and would use it at ballgames on the bleachers. Mine was filled with newspaper. Those excuses were halarious.

Teensy, glad you are back. Sounds like a good time even though you didn't get rich. Glad DH is doing this with you. It is much easier that way. I'm sure you will be right back full force soon. So sorry to hear your dog is having trouble. Seems like you have had so much of that lately.

Julia, sounds like a fun day. I have been shopping for tables for my family room and cannot find what I want.

Toni, how is your day going? Another OP day I'm sure.

Got to run, have a great day.

WOOO HOOO here i was soo happy about being able to change my ticker to 182...and when i got up this morning the scale said 181!!!!!!! :dance:

well this is just flyby....im not in school anymore but darn im busy at home :lol:

BOB: I go to ETSU :)

Howdy:

WIW: I was at 121.5# this morning; better than the 123# I saw yesterday a.m. TOM is trying to get going, so I'm sure that has something to do with it. Tonight is my last night of the treatment for the infection, so if TOM can stay mild until then, I will be so happy.

Britt is home today. Some of the older grades in her school have been diagnosed with lice. I guess it had gotten so bad that they decided to close the school down today and totally fumigate the place. I HOPE we don't get that!!

We went to the outlet mall where they do a kid's club play time. They sing songs, learn some of the letters of the alphabet, do crafts, etc..Today, a firefighter read them a book about a duck who didn't know how to swim, and explained the importance of knowing how to swim. Lane was HORRIBLE, and had it just been the two of us, we would have left minutes after getting there. BUT, Britt was with us and having a good time, so I didn't want her to have to leave. I went out and got the stroller and made Lane sit in it; she HATES that, but she will have to learn. We then got some pretzels at Auntie Anne's, and bought a birthday present for a friend of Britt's. We are now home for the day.

Anyhow...that's about all that is new with me.

Monet: I've just heard that some pressure cookers have exploded in people's faces. I am sure that it is rare and is due to lack of knowledge or not using enough liquid. Anyhow, there are two of them and they are Stainless steel. I looked on the bottom, and one says 7L and the other 4L (I assume liters??). The brand of the pressure cookers are Rapida, but the book I have is for Fagor. My mom had the Rapida and I had the Fagor, and she liked mine better, so I traded her. So, I now have the book for one and the other pressure cookers. However, they are general instructions and work for all pressure cookers. The book tells the benefits of using one, how the pressure cooker works to cook food, how to use a pressure cooker, how to load it and adjust the pressure, etc...the book also has 50 recipes telling you what position to put the cooker in and how long to cook the recipe. They have been used a few times because they were my moms, but they are in excellent condition. I never used the ones I gave to her. You may be able to get a user's guide online at Rapida?? Anyhow, I was considering asking $40-50, but haven't really given it too much thought yet. They are not lightweight so probably wouldn't be too cheap to ship, but I could check into it. I would sell them to you for $30-35, if we could get a decent shipping rate. I don't remember how much they were; maybe BOB would know a ballpark. I bought them off QVC or HSN a year or so ago, and I know they weren't cheap. Anyhow, let me know. OUCH, that heel sounds painful. My heels are getting dry too. I have been using Elta cream or vaseline right after my bath/shower and putting socks on to soften them up. These focus groups typically pay $50-60 for two hours, but I think they paid more this time due to the topic.

BOB: Beauty shop for Tippy's nails??? Can we say spoiled! I eat soy, in moderation. I think it is one of those things like fluoride....a little bit is beneficial, but too much can be harmful. I am a Chitlin.

Country: The focus group was a piece of cake. There were 5 women there, and we only had to stay there for 1 hour and 45 minutes. It was pretty easy money...that's for sure. Glad you are getting back on track...those chips can be pretty tempting.

Fillise: WELCOME HOME! I am so glad to hear your trip went well and that you are home safe & sound. I cannot wait to hear more about it.

Tech: Glad your DD enjoyed her party. OUCH, what splendid memories, eh? I had an extended episiotomy with my 7-yr old. I don't remember how many stitches I had, but I ripped all the way to my spinchter muscle. I still have issues with holding a bowel movement sometimes. They gave me a lot of ice, as well as some numbing spray. Does your local grocery store sell Blue Bunny products? Blue Bunny Lite 85 yogurt is really good. It is sweetened with Spenda and they have lots of different flavors. I have yet to find a plain yogurt that is smooth; what kind do you get?

Teensy: Welcome home! Glad you had a great time. Lucky Aunt!! I hope that your little (big) doggie is alright. Rimadyl usually does the trick. We got some muscle relaxants for CheyAnne awhile back when she was having problems. I only gave her one, and it knocked her out for two days. I will never give her one of those again! It was terrible seeing her eyes roll into her head and see her stumble around.

Ken: Wow, what a fun trip to the farm. I wish we had stuff like that around here. The kids had a ball with their dad. It's probably nice to be with laid-back-dad, instead of uptight-mom for a change :lol: .

Thin: Glad you heard from the "other" mom. I can understand her wanting to make things perfect for her son; we all tend to do that for our kids. If your son wasn't so darn likeable you wouldn;t have these issues to deal with :lol: . Glad it all worked out!!

Jack-K: Have fun at Bunco. I hope the Quesadillas turn out well...I am sure they will; they are pretty easy to make. I always spend less when I shop alone. If I take the girls, we end up buying way more than we need. If my DH went with me, we would leave with nothing :lol: !

Sebray: Congrats on the loss!

Gotta run! Have a great OP day!
Nat

This will be quick as my brain is sooo not functioning! All day today I feel like I've been slogging through muddy waters. I'm hoping that with a good night's sleep I can get back on the time track this morning (I woke up at 3am this morning--which would be 10 am Italy time).

I did go to WI this morning and was pleasantly surpised that I lost 2 lbs over the last two weeks! I did not count points while gone as I had planned. After the first day I realized that a lot of the time I wasn't always sure what I was eating--much less how to count it! But I did try to watch portions, and, of course, we did a lot of walking.

I am going to try to work on the dgital pictures tonight and I promise that you will be the first to see if I am successful!

More later. . .

Suan

PANCHO: Did you ever get the rotor slicer/shredder for the kitchenaid mixer? Cause if you did not, and are interested, maybe we could work out a trade? New a 6 qt stainless steel pressure cooker sells for $47.95 on Amazon- with free shipping. If you have both a 7L and a 4L, I would be interested in them both if the price was good. Send me a private message and we can discuss it! :)

FILLISE: You must be tired, you spelled your name wrong! I hope you can get the digital stuff worked out. What kind of camera did you get? Yay! on the 2 pound loss! That is the way to do a vacation! :)

Hey, guys. Only a quick post, supper is almost done. Speaking of which, are white sweet potatoes legal? My Mom went to Florida and brought me back one. Never heard of white ones, they look too much like a darn regular potato. I'm kinda scared eating it, but I guess I'll take my chances. I'm cooking new potatoes for the rest of the family. My weight is bad again. At least I've been legal since Monday. Here's my menu for the day..

BF- sf yogurt and 1 sl toast with PB(Nature's Own wheat n' fiber bread with Smucker's PB)
Lunch- had the taco supremo salad from Wendy's minus the chips, so legal
Snack- sf yogurt
Supper- Mexican meatloaf, green beans, and that darn white sweet potato that I'm suspicious of, but going to eat anyway,lol.

I'll try to check in tomorrow...got to take Boogie to get his "school" shots, not looking forward to that.

Just poppin in for a minute. I'm over at mama's tonight. Of course I ate way too much today but I did jump on the trampoline and walk on the treadmill. :)

Monet...she has a Mirror pressure cooker I think. I just realized the other day that we both got Mirror pressure cooker canners a few years ago. They were on sale for 25 dollars at Wal-Mart. I haven't used the pressure part but I've made a few huge stews in it...LOL

Tech...I was not the least bit surprised to see that Carrie and Bo made it to the finals. I usually vote for Vonsel and Carrie but I was afraid to split the votes. Mama voted over 100 times for Carrie. I'm not that bad, I stopped at 20 votes. :)

Heart...my weight is not good right now either. I'm up about five pounds from two weeks ago. If I don't eat like a bird I gain. Sometimes I just want to eat like a normal person. How did you like the potato?

Susan...welcome back! I can't wait to see your photos and hear the wonderful tales of your trip. Woo hoo on losing while on vacation.

Poncho...the best thing to help against the kids getting lice at school is Tea Tree oil. You put a few drops in your shampoo or conditioner. Lice hate it. It's also very healing.

Sebray....awesome on the new ticker!!!!! WTG

Jack-K..I'm sorry that you are in pain right now. How much longer do you have to take the Tamoxifin?

Julia....I bet the kids looked just precious.

Thin...Glad things all worked out.

Teensy...hope everything works out okay for your pup. Mama took Patches to the vet today and he got a steroid shot and some special shampoo. You wouldn't believe how red the poor little fellas skin was.

Gotta scoot and look up some information for my mom.

Love and hugs,
Crystle

I didn't get much done today...bad..bad :( Anyway, thought I check in before going to bed.

Tomorrow is last day of school for Jess and they are having a Luau party and the parents are invited too (the 2nd half of the party). I can't wait to see those kids in their little swimwear...lol. I might go and get my hair cut after taking Jess to school and hopefully appearred in her school later with a new hairstyle. I so need to cut my hair, it is so out of shape:(

Oh, I tried a new crockpot recipe tonight and loved it. I chose that recipe because it was so easy to make and very few ingredients but didn't expect it to turn out good. It was cooked with polish sausage (Kielbasa), apples slices and nappa cabbage and I will post the recipe tomorrow.

Some replies :

THIN : You are so right, you are not getting worst, just a little setback. Keep focusing on moving forward and you will.

MONET : Sorry Laura had to take your car again. I wished she would have consulted you or at least make her own plan to get there instead of just taking your car. Hope you make it to the market somehow.

JACK : Forget about the scale and you know why it went up, so it will get down soon. How did the quasadillas turn out? I am going to make some next week too and might make more to freeze it. Let us know how the chocolate pudding dessert turn out as well. I have been thinking about making Jess some "pudding" but those at the store is not legal and I really try not to let her have sf stuff unless there is no choice. I am thinking of just using a bit of Agave but don't know how to make the pudding part. Anyway, let me know.

SEBRAY : Woo Hoo!! I am dancing with you as well. Nothing like a job well done! You did well :)

PANCHO : Lice....yikes!! When I was young, my sisters and I had lice and many kids at school had them too. The school didn't really control it but parents had to do it themselves. Gosh, I remember how nasty they were. Hope your kids don't get them too. Glad you and your kids have a fun time at the kids' club. I live in a semi farm area and love the modern part and yet the not so modern part like farms. I really love it here. I can't wait to visit those fruits farm soon and eat some fresh picked berries. Yum!

FILLISE : Get some rest, looks like you really need it. Trips are definitely very tiring. I am not surprised you lose 2 lbs instead of gaining any because of how much walking you did. In Asia, people walk a lot too, from one place to another and it is easier to stay in shape :)

HEARTMOM : I haven't try the white sweet potatoes but have heard it before. I believe it should be legal but I am not 100% sure. Anyway, just enjoy and let us know how you like it.

COUNTRY : Ahhh..I miss American idol tonight, didn't remember it was on. Your mama must be a terrific cook, it is easy to overeat when mommy is cooking right? I did it all the time and everytime it was so worth it :)

Alright, it is passed midnight and I should be go to bed. Chat with you all tomorrow.

Julia

She is a good cook but I do the cooking..LOL We had fried eggplant, fried green tomatoes, fried squash and some Tilapia. The rest of the family had fried chicken in place of the fish and buttered rice. My family loves my cooking and I love to do it so it works out pretty good.

I'm glad you had some time to do nothing today. It's really okay from time to time. Have fun with the kiddos at school tomorrow.

Love and hugs,
Crystle

Flying by...I have to take Laura to work, then come home, take James to work, then go out shopping for stuff for the VBS crafts with the exec. director lady/friend of mine... Should be a busy day, and my back feels like it is on fire! (Its from weak muscles that were cut during my surgery back in October...)

Breakfast was two eggs, and half an English muffin.

Dinner last night was Filet Mignon dijon, roasted asparagus and a baked sweet potato with butter. The filet was simply rubbed all over with dijon mustard, and sprinkled with cracked black pepper, then sauteed in butter and olive oil. Very simple, but really good.

Not much else to report...I will check in later when I get back from shopping! :)

Okay, I'm just so happy my two favorites on AI are in the finals. I've never watched American Idol until this year. My mom has watched it every year and then this year she convinced my DD to watch it and (the reason I never watched is because I knew I'd become obsessed) I'm obsessed with it now. I watched it the first time when the final 12 were on for the first time and I picked Bo and Carrie as my favorites then. So, now I can watch the final show with no stress whatsoever because I'm 100% split down the middle of which one is my favorite. But I guess I lean a little towards Carrie...just a hair.

Anyhow...it's shaping up to be a spectacular day today. Not a cloud in the sky and the temp is already at 56 at almost 10am. But I can't go outside just yet and play in the yard because it's still too damp. I have a Tball set that I'm working on DS with...he's signed up for the Tball team (4-6) this year and I want him to have a clue what he's doing. If not be slightly good at it. I taught him to count to 100 the other day!! He's really proud of himself. Now we're working on his address and phone number.

Menu for yesterday:

Two sausages, two bacon, yogurt with blueberries (I use Price Chopper brand plain yogurt, by the way) and an orange

Lunch: Can of tuna and an apple

Dinner: Burger with no bun, sauteed onions and mushrooms and salad

And I had some dark Star Wars peanut M&M's...I figured the protien in the peanuts helped to offset the insulin...that's how it works, right??? :lol:

Breakfast today is three sausages, one kiwi and two scrambled eggs

Okay...have to go decide what to do with my nice day today. I have some Spirea plants to put in my garden in some bald spots I need to fill. Today might be a good day for that!!

Okay...talk to you soon!!

Kris

Darn I missed yesterday. And everyone gave me such wonderful words of encourgement! Thank you dear friends for always being there for me. I'm still doing good. I didn't weigh cause I had weighed for the first time in along time Monday so I'll wait till next Wed. I know theres stuff I need to do like more vegetables and more water. I also want to make a breakfast casserole. I'm going to get the things when I go grocery shopping today. I've been trying some of the South Beach stuff that is in the stores now and like it. I've got a pizza in the freezer right now I think I'll have tomorrow night. I hope today when I shop they have some nice produce. We get such crappy stuff around here unless you grow it yourself. Guess I'd better go get my shopping clothes on. Check back later.....

Will anyone share their recipe for a breakfast casserole with me?????? Thank you....

Toni: Here's a link to my recipe...I got it off the can of evaporated milk:

sausage casserole recipe (http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=27932)

Good afternoon ladies,

Bunco was fun. The quesadillas turned out fine. The only thing is it is hard to socialize and cook at the same time. Next time I need to have something I can prepare ahead of time.

Funny, I had made this SF dessert and bought a Derby Pie. I figured I would be the only on eating the SF one and maybe one other person. But everyone wanted it and loved it. Didn't even cut the pie.

Not to busy today. We have to go the funeral home tonight. A friend's brother died after a liver transplant.

Susan, how wonderful that you lost 2 pounds while on vacation. Good for you.

Heart, good luck on getting the shots. Poor Boogie.

Country, Tamoxifen is for 5 years or after 2 1/2 years they will switch me to an armatose inhibitor for the remaining time. I'm with you on the eating like a bird. Sickening isn't it.

Nat, Lice is such a hassle. I sure hope the girls don't get it. My sisters had it (50 years ago and my mom cut their hair off). Glad there are remedies now days.

Julie, have fun at the party with the kiddies today.

Tech, enjoy your nice day.

Toni, I love the SB cereal but haven't seen the pizzas. are they ww?

Have a great day

Hey all--

Tried to get on here last night, but we started getting thunder and lightening so decided I had better shut down.

Took Jo into the vet and he seems to think that she probably just pulled a muscle. He said the fact that the pain med seemed to help so much was a good indication that that is all it is. She doesn't yelp or whine to indicate pain of any other kinds so we will give her the Rimadyl and see if it helps. I am glad that it wasn't anything more serious. She is such a love.

Dh and I have had three full days of being on plan and it feels great. I have lost the water bloat and am 5 pounds lighter!! I have walked 3 days so far this week. Planning on walking tomorrow also. Next week I will get the weight resistance training back in on Tues, and Thursdays. I am again marking my calendar, using red stars this time.

Menu--

15 cherries before walking 3.2 miles.....
1/2 c Fiber One, 1/4 c ff milk, 3 turkey bacon, LIte 85

snack-- apple

L-- Chicken and 2% cheese wrap, green pepper, cucumber slices.

snack-- orange

D-- Venison steak, salad with lite bleu cheese dressing, zucchini.

dessert-- 1/2 c SF pudding.

Monet-- You sound just like my dh. Everything I won.......he lost!!! I would have been a couple of hundred dollars ahead if I hadn't given it to him!! Oh well..... we had a great time and everything else was free or cheap. They gave us coupons for $5 off each one of our meals and they were cheap to start with. Drinks were free......and on Saturday night I did have more than I have had for the last 5 years.......my son was laughing at me at dinner!!

Tech-- I eat the Blue Bunny Lite 85's. They are fat free and sugar free, made with Splenda. They are great. I even eat them for dessert at times
I love daylillies. I have two different kinds, but don't know the names of them as they were given to me. They are both an orange color, but one looks like a tiger lily. Both are gorgeous when in bloom.

Jackie-- Yes, we do seem to have our doggie problems, don't we?? Jo is getting old, (she is 11) and also has cancer. We are just greatful that this didn't turn out to be anything that would turn into a major deal.....just a pulled muscle. (Or so the vet thinks) A few pain meds and hopefully she will be up and at it again!!

Sebray-- Congrats girl.....you are doing fantastic!!

Pancho-- Lice....yuck. I remember when the boys were in school, it seemed like a couple of times a year they would send home notices that it was going around. I would totally fumigate the house and bedding just in case. I don't think we ever had any......but it just creeped me out enough just thinking about it that I wasn't taking any chances.

Fillise-- Glad to see you back, and hear that you enjoyed your trip!!

Heart-- Been doing that right along with you.....I have 3.5 full days of being legal behind me now, and the water retention is gone. That was a horrible feeling. In those 3 days I have dropped 5 pounds of water weight!! Hang in there, we can do this!!

Country-- Our furry friends become just like our children don't they. I hurt so bad when one of ours isn't feeling well or is hurt. I really baby Jo now, knowing that she has cancer. It just breaks my heart when I look at her.

Keng-- Please do post that recipe......it sounds wonderful. Hope you enjoy your new DOO!!

Toni--- Pizza? Pizza? Where do you find pizza???

Well ladies.....I better go get something done!! See you all later.

Good afternoon:

I hope everyone is having a great OP day. I have been pretty legal, except I ate some wheat thins w/ laughing cow cheese instead of my usual Triscuits. BF was legal cereal with sliced strawberries & skim milk.

Lane got her glasses today, and I have to say that she looks rather cute. As soon as they put them on her, she said, "I can see everything." She then said everything looks different, and started naming everything that looked different. I said, "do I look different?" She said, "yes." I said, "do I look better?" She said, "no." That little booger!

Monet: I will PM you.

Fillise: Congrats on the 2#'s. I am sure you did enough walking to compensate for any overeating you may have done. It seems like everytime we go on vacation, I eat whatever I want, and rarely gain. BUT, we stay so active and are on the go all the time. I can't wait to see pictures.

Heart: A white sweet potato? That sounds interesting. I don't like regular sweet potatos; they taste like cooked carrots to me. If you like that salad at Wendy's, you'd like the new Ranchero salad at Sonic; it has better flavor, and it not quite so large. I order it without the Fritos, and add my own flax chips. It is really good.

Country: Trampolines are great for exercise. Tea Tree Oil, eh? Where do I find something like that....a health food store? I'd love to keep Britt from getting it.

Ken: Did you wear your grass skirt and bare midriff to the luau today :lol: . Enjoy the summer with Jess. I would love to visit some fruit farms. We have a few here when peaches are in season, but that is about it.

Tech: Oh, how I wish we could use that excuse to eat peanut M&M's; they are my favorite. The almond ones are pretty good too ;) .

Jack: Glad the quesadillas turned out well. What was the SF dessert you made? Care to share? Britt would die if she had to have her long hair cut; she loves her hair. I am going to get ahold of some tea tree oil and give it a shot, as Country recommended above.

Teensy: Glad you got some good news on Jo; I hope you continue to see improvement. Does your DH usually Sugarbust with you?

I'm gonna go call around and see if I can find some Tea Tree oil.

Take care!
Nat

Hey all!

I hope everyone is having a good day today. I'm finally feeling like I'm getting back in the swing--yesterday was pretty much a complete loss.

Nat--I've got to go pick some strawberries this weekend--
YUM!

Jackie--Glad y'all had fun at Bunco--sounds like you made a pretty good SF dessert--what was it? My mom was on Tamixofen--we called her "hot flash woman." She completed her five years last November and boy was she glad to be rid of it.

Tech--Everyone here has BO fever since he is from Birmingham. I haven't watched Idol, but might watch the final to see what y'all are talking about!

Country-YUM! I ordered a plate of fried veggies in Italy. I got a plate of boiled turnip greens. Hmmmmm. I hate turnip greens! Your veggies sound delish!

Monet--I officially got rid of the Tarus today! Yipee! I hope you get all your cars straightened out. The steak dijon sounds wonderful. Belle and I had steak last night too--I just rubbed mine with salt and pepper. One dinner I had in Milan was a steak salad. it was a really tender cut of beef sliced thinly over assorted salad greens with shavings of parmasian cheese over it. Very simple but VERY good. Also completely SB legal!

Julia--I's mglad to hear that you are doing well. How much longer do you have to go?

BOB--How's it going??????

Heart--Hang in there!

Got to go now. I'm going to try to attach a picture of me at the Coliseum in Rome. I've got all the digital pictures on the computer now, but haven't had time to go to WebShots yet.

Suan

Let's see if it will work this time. . .

FILLISE: Yay! Glad you are getting into the digital imaging area! ;) Suggestion: when you resize the pictures, also use the quality control and bump it down just a tad. It saves you a lot of pixels, and keeps you from having the end product too small to see! :) You can email some to me if you need help in getting them on here. That salad sounds yummy!

TONI: I have a South Beach pizza in the freezer! I need to try it too! Do you plant some tomatoes and veggies, or no?

JACK: I am going to get a complex if you keep leaving me out of your replies! :cry:

Good afternoon....

Where did the time go today? I felt like I finally am standing on the ground and realizing the surrounding around me...lol. After I took Jess to school today, I went to get my haircut, just layered nothing fancy. The hairstylist asked me few times if I was sure I wanted to cut it as short as I mentioned. She thought I was mistaken because I came in with long hair and came out with hair that was on my shoulder. I told her...don't worry they are only my hair and I get to grow them back....lol. My head feels so much lighter and now I look a little more up to date rather than old-fashioned and sloppy...lol.

I went to Jess's school for the Luau's party after the haircut and I forget to bring my camera...argh!! The kids were so cute and they were all sitting down getting ready to eat their party food, cheeses, grapes, pineapple, cookies, chips and ham. Not a bad spread at all...lol. Okay, okay, I was the one who brought the chocolate chip cookies for them...bad...bad...lol. However, I also brought them grapes, does that balance out the bad deed I did?? ROTFLOL. The last day of school was a little emotional for the teachers and parents. I never thought I will feel emotional because I was anxious for Jess to start her summer holiday plus I do not have to worry about having complaints from her teachers for a while...lol. Now, I really need to start planning our days and what we should do. I will have to pay a visit to YMCA tomorrow.

My menu :

Breakfast : 1 ww waffle and a small square of the breakfast casserole.

Snack : None.

Lunch : Crockpot dish I made last night (sausage and nappa cabbage recipe) and some leftover curry basmati rice pilaf. Oh, I also had a piece of illegal chicken tender.

Snack : Mixed fruits in plain yogurt.

Dinner : Leftover crockpot dish and maybe a green salad.

Some replies :

COUNTRY : You must share more of your recipes with us. I love the grilled eggplant so far and look forward to bug you for more recipes :)

MONET : Woah, take it easy...don't overdo too much :) Last night dinner sounds yummy...love filet mignon. I had the South Beach pizza last night and it was pretty good especially the way it tasted. The crust was okay, not superb but generally it was a tasty pizza. A little small so I had to fill myself with a big salad. Oh, I also had to share half with Jess as well.

TECH : I didn't remember that AI was on last night so I missed it. Glad to hear what happened here. Bo and Carrie both are good so that is sure a good news.

TONI : You know we are always here for you. One thing I love about this board is, I dare to come here and post my mistakes. So...keep coming here no matter what. I will post the breakast casserole recipe I used at the end of my post. Feel free to make any changes especially to the ingredients. I usually make half of the amount (5-eggs) and up the amount of the mushrooms, tomatoes and green onions. You really have to experiment with it and see how you like it. Otherwise, as per the recipe, it is quite tasty. Oh, I tried the South Beach pizza for the first time last night and it was pretty good. The crust is not as fantastic as a white crust but it will do. The taste is pretty good so that helps. The pizza is not that big so I needed a big salad to fill me up.

JACK : Glad your Bunco night went well. How did your chocolate pudding turned out? I am interesting to make some if it is not too hard.

TEENSY : Glad Jo appointment went well. Hopefully that what it is. Oh, I have no doubt you will get back on track, WTG!! I will post the crockpot recipe sometime today.

PANCHO : I love seeing little kids with glasses, they look so cute!! lol. I hope Lane keep hers on. LOL.....are you sure you phased the question right about how you looked?? Kids...lol. No...thank God I do not own any grass skirt or else I might just wear it to Jess's class today...lol, I would probably stole the whole show...lol. I can imagine all the kids laughing at me...lol.

FILLISE : I am about 6 months into my pregnancy now and will be due in early Sept. Gosh...time flies huh? I am going to enjoy my summer with Jess as when school starts, the baby will be here. Things will change not just for me and for my Jess. I hope she will do fine. I am a little concern about that so I am going to spend a lot of time with her before the baby comes. Thanks for the pic....gosh, what a great architecture!! Gosh, so many places to visit, so little time. More pics???

Toni, this is the breakfast recipe I used. I got it off Jimmy's Dean website and it has a very good review so I decided to try it:

Jimmy Dean Breakfast Casserole

1 pkg.Regular Flavor Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage
10 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups milk
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
6 cups cubed bread
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped (optional)
1/2 cup thin-sliced green onions (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 F. In large skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink. In large mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, mustard and salt; stir well. Distribute half the bread evenly in a buttered 9" x 13" x 2" baking dish. Sprinkle with half the pepper, half the cheese, half the sausage and half of each optional ingredient. Repeat layering using remaining bread, pepper, cheese, sausage and optional ingredients. Pour egg mixture evenly over casserole. Bake uncovered for 55-60 minutes, or until eggs are set. Tent with foil if top begins to brown too quickly.

Note: may be assembled ahead and refrigerated up to 12 hours before baking.
6 servings

Julia

I just finished up my shopping marathon...got the last of it online after I got home. We have crafts now for 12 weeks, 50 to 90 kids each week! I think we got lots of fun stuff. Michaels was having a sale on foam stuff, so we got some of those. I was shocked at the cost of shipping when I ordered the multi craft packs...$42!! The Exec. director did not think that was so bad, so I went ahead and got it. I thought it was highway robbery!

For lunch, we went to a fusion place that has Chinese with an Indian flare. I thought the food was good, but their portions were very small for the price. I think the bowl of soup was a 1/2 a cup max....Mongolian Chicken was half what most places give, though it was good. I was bad...I ate the steamed rice. :(


KENG: If you have a Michaels near you, they have foam visors, flipflops, bookmarks, etc. on sale and tubs of foam stickies to use to decorate them. Jess is at a good age for those kinds of crafts and would probably enjoy it. The visors are so cheap, you could get her several to match different outfits, and she could decorate them accordingly! :) I am always wanting to encourage parents to give their kids arts and crafts to stimulate creativity and problem solving skills. Besides, its just plain FUN!

FILLISE: NOW are you going to try and get to Hotlanta to visit? :) Who got the Taurus? Were you able to sell it?

TECH: So Bo and Carrie were the AI winners? I thought the Vonnie girl was really good, so its too bad they all couldn't win....

This is the crockpot recipe I made last night. Simple but quite tasty. I didn't have caraway seeds so I omitted that. I did add black pepper and some dried thyme to jazz it up. I feel that 2 cups of chicken broth is too much. Next time, I will use 1 cup instead. When the dish was done, it had a lot of liquid, although tasty liquid. I only cooked the dish for about 3 hours after seeing that the nappa cabbage was quite soft. Regular cabbage is a good substitute for this dish. I wish my family can tolerate cabbage (without the gas problems), then I think I might prefer the cabbage texture a little better. Anyhow, I still like this dish.

Julia

KIELBASA AND NAPPA CABBAGE

Makes 6 servings


l lb. kielbasa (Polish sausage)
I onion, thinly sliced
I small head Nappa cabbage, coarsely shredded
2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
I teaspoon caraway seeds
2 cups chicken broth

Cut kielbasa into 2-inch chunks. In a slow cooker, arrange alternate layers of sausage with onion, cabbage and apples. Sprinkle with salt and caraway seeds. Add broth. Cover and cook on LOW 5 to 6 hours or until cabbage is tender. Serve with a slotted spoon to drain off liquid.

AFTERNOON ALL YOU BUSTIN BEAUTYS!!!

SUSAN.....ONE PICTURE?????? WHERE ARE THE REST??????

NAT....I absolutely love white sweet pototoes...we ate them all the time in KENTUCKY , and I have found a place down here (health food store) that sells them....Look for them...you won't be sorry!

ALISON...My NEPHEW gratuated from ETSU...spent a lot of time up there in the dome! Too bad they did away with the food ball program...Do you live close to Johnson City?

JULIA....6 MONTHS ALREADY???? That Munchkin will be here before we knowit!


COLLEEN....:wave:

JACKIE...I know you're glad to have a slow day after getting that presention
ready..

TECH....::wave:

TONI....:wave: Still waiting on your arrival to do the laundry!!! :lol:


gOTTA GO..GOT SOME BONELESS CHOPS IN THE OVEN! tHAT WITH SOME ASPARAGUS AND SLAW WILL BE A GOD ONE!!!!


bob

Hi everyone. Anyone here have any easy ideas for growing tomatoes? I have a few plants and they are starting to look a little light green in color and don't look really healthy. I know it hasn't been exactly hot here and the nights are getting pretty cold but not freezing, but I'm wondering if Miracle Gro is a good fertilizer? Or if anyone else can recommend anything?

Kris

Hi, I don't really even know what to do here, and if I am posting this right or not.

Anyway, my name is Lori, I have four kids, 18, 16, 12, and nine, and one grandchild, 5 months! My DH and I are both trying to lose weight, and my sister-in-law is on this diet, and told us that she feels so great, so it's what I want too!

I haven't read the book and don't know much about the diet, so I'm not actually really on it yet, just trying to avoid sugar and white bread, rice, etc.

I hope to learn how to use this board soon, and I can't wait to meet all of you!

Lori :)

OH....I almost forgot to tell y'all something.......

I got an email from DK PUBLISHING COMPANY telling me that I had been chosen to receive a copy of THE FRENH DIET by MICHEL MONTIGNAC
free of charge...I got it today, and can't wait to read it...I rarely win anything, but this is a welcome item....
I'll let y'all know how it is...


TECH.....The best way to grow tomatoes if you don't have good soil...get yourself a galvanized tub and fill it with a ixtureof manueand potting soil..put your plants in there and I swear on TIPPY that you will have THE BEST TOMATOES you've every had.!

I got this tip from an old man from Alabama who moved to FLA andmissed his tomatoes...he planted them this way until the day he died, and his wife STILL does it ...

BOBl

MUM23: Welcome to the Sugarbusters Board! You posted exactly right! :) We are very glad you are here. Please ask any questions you may have, and we will be happy to help you all we can. Sugarbusters is a great way to get healthy and lose weight! I honestly think its the healthiest diet around. Avoiding sugar and the whites is a great way to get started! You want to avoid white potatoes, and corn too. Just make sure what you eat has less than 3 grams of sugar, and that will give you a good start. Check out the recipe board on here too. It has lots and lots of recipes that are legal for Sugarbusters, and might be helpful in getting you going.


BOB: Why are YOU leaving me out too? :cry: I have Montignac's Eat Yourself Slim, and found it very helpful. I found a great Pressure Cooker site...lots of info but you have to pay for the recipes. (grrr) The woman who does the site recommends the Kuhn PCs...dang, they are expensive! A 6 qt stainless steel one is $169 on Amazon!

TECH: I hit post before I was done..doh! :) A few tips on tomatoes: Plant them deep...very deep. It sounds like you may have some problem with something bothering the roots... Miracle Gro is a good fertilizer for tomatoes. Just be careful not to burn them with too much. I don't know what kind of tomatoes you got, but my husband ( the farmer boy) swears by Better Boy and Early Girls, and Sweet 100's for cherry tomatoes. I hope this helps...

It is warming up way too fast in my part of Texas. :) The lack of rain isn't helping much. The okra and cucumbers are loving the heat.

Tech...if it is getting cold at night that is probably why your tomatoes are light in color. Early in the season my Marglobes were very pale and sad looking. I truly didn't think they would make it. A little Miracle Gro and some heat and they've perked right up. We use mushroom dirt in the garden also.

Monet...Wow..that's a lot of shipping for sure. Have you found any other pressure cooker sites with recipes yet?

Julia....I bet your hair is so cute. I've been seriously debating cutting mine and then chicken out. All the fried veggies I cook are not SB legal but so delicious..LOL I've never had nappa cabbage and sausage but I have had the regular cabbage....yum yum.

Jack-K....Does it have to be a hot meal? Sometimes it's neat to have different kinds of cheeses and crackers and other kinds of light foods.

Mum...WELCOME! I agree with Monet. I truly believe this is one of the best ways of eating out there. When I get off plan too much my body reminds me of why I eat this way. I'm looking foward to getting to know you. I have five kiddos...20...18(next month)...12....11(next month) and 8.

Colleen...I'm glad it's just a pulled muscle. They become like family. I have to admit it's been hard for me to understand that because we never kept our pets that long growing up. But my mama has four and they are now her children...LOL They are so funny. They act just like people. Lou Lou has major attitude. She will want to climb up in my lap and I tell her NO. It's like talking to one of my children. Before I know it she is in my lap giving me the look. I taught one of her bigger dogs to eat at the table. Shame on me. :)

Bob..congratultions. It's always fun to get a freebie.

Poncho...yes you can find it at the health food store. Paul Mitchelle has a Teas Tree shampoo you can get at the salon also. In the long run it's cheaper to make your own with the oil. And you can adjust the strength. I found out about it the hard way. I was pregnant and couldn't use chemicials. My little one brought them home after a visit.

Susan...great picture. A little small but still really neat.

Toni...Sebray...Heart...Arcayne..((hugzz))

I hope I didn't forget anybody...I'm one tired mama tonight.

Love and hugs,
Crystle

If I could stop waking up at 3 am, I'd be a very happy girl. . .

The scale still seems to be moving down since I got home--yipee! I need to keep up with the walking. I know that made the biggest difference.

Country--It's hot here too. We got some pretty significant T-storms last night and should have more today. After the long cold winter I'm thrilled to have the heat!

Monet--I gave the car to the custodian at my church. His was stolen and stripped a few months ago and I had this spare car sitting in the driveway so it seemed like the right thing to do. He said it almost burned up on him as he drove it to the mechanic's, but they tuned it up and put in new spark pluggs and wires and it is doing fine. I was finally able to transfer the title to him officially yesterday (had to apply for a replacement title--a long process in Alabama). I want to come to Atlanta--don't know about Memorial day weekend, but soon. I'm looking forward to staying home and catching up on sleep this weekend!

BOB--Ok, ok, I'll do more pictures. Be careful what you wish for!

Mum--WELCOME!!!! Avoiding refined sugars and flours is an excellent start, but I do recommend getting the book and reading it so you will know why this helps so much. The 3 grams of sugar rule is right except for suff like tomato sauce and mile--the natural fructose and lactose is a little higher, but doesn't influence your blood sugar so much. Just read the labels to make sure there are no added sugars. A can of unsweetened tomato sauce will usually have 8 grms of sugar per serving and that's fine.

Tech--I also heard you should prune the bottom branches off the tomatoes so that the fruit on the remaining branches will develop better. People here swear by Miracle Gro!

Keng--My birthday is the 3rd of September--I'd love to share the day with your new little one! There are a lot of boys I wish I'd whacked over the head in kindergarten--Jess will be fine!

I had a WW english muffin, natural pb and Sf grape jam for b-fast--tasty. I love the WW english muffins and yesterday I FINALLY saw 100% WW hamburger and hotdog buns at Walmart. Just in time for cook-out season!

Have a great OP day everyone!

Susan

The pictures in the above post are:

1. The Grand Canal in Venice at Twilight (I'm using this one as the wallpaper on my computer).

2. Me throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain in Rome to make sure I will return. This was the day we arrived so I had been up for something like 40 hours at that point (couldn't sleep on the plane).

3. The Sistine Chapel

4. Me on the beach at Viareggio--a resort on the Italian Medeterranian.

Ciao!

Just a quickie...chech out my tickers!!! Next stop...150's!!!

:dance: :cb: :strong: :hat: :dancer: :ebike: :woo: :twirly: :encore: :cheer:

1. The mountains near where my grandfather was born. We were not quite to the top of the mountain at this point.

2. This is the inside of the little house we staying in outside of Lucca. The man is my DF.

3. This is the outside of the house. The grounds were beautiful, with lemon trees and kumquat trees and roses.

4. The leaning tower of Pisa.

5. My DM and I in Piazza San Marco in Venice.

Enjoy!

Susan

WTG Tech!!!! Wooo Hooo!

Good morning...

It's another sunny day. I didn't sleep too well today thanks to dh. He fell asleep on the couch watching a DVD. For some reasons, I woke up to to get him back to sleep. It was like someone woke me up to get him...lol. After that, I had a hard time going back to sleep.

Nothing much planned for today except a drive to my local YMCA and I have some cleaning to do around the house.

Menu for today :

Breakfast : 1 ww waffle, 1 small square of breakfast casserole (I am surprised I am not sicked of it yet...lol) and 1/2 cup of milk.

Snack : Might be an apple.

Lunch : Pan-seared basa fish, sauteed zucchini and squash and spaghetti in pesto sauce.

Snack : Fruits and yogurt.

Dinner : Not exactly sure yet.

Some replies :

BOB : Yes....I cannot believe that it's almost 6 months now. That's why I am going to spend my remaining 3 months with Jess and also my family before our life change again. I am getting really comfortable with Jess's age right now and definitely very comfortable with my freedom I have especially sleep :) That will all change in Sept :) Congrats on winning the book! I have not win anything yet so I understand how nice that can be :)

MUM : Welcome to the board!! You have come to the right place. This is an awesome board and do not hesitate to ask any questions you have. Reading the book first will definitely help you understand what SB is about and easier for you to understand what we are talking about as well. With that said, please don't be shy to ask questions even if you haven't read the book. We love new members so come hang out with us.

COUNTRY : My head feels so light after the haircut. I love the carefree feeling, it is like my hair no longer taking my head's hostage...LOL. I can shake my head easily...lol.

That's it for now and hope everyone have a good friday :)

Julia

TECH : Woo Hoo....I am dancing with you!! Congrats!!!

FILLISE : Thanks for the wonderful pics....love them!!! I hope dh and I have a chance to visit Italy in the future. I love the "village" feel to it.

Julia

FILLISE : I just went back to page 5 to read your post. I missed that. My due date is on 7th of Sept and I will be happy to have the baby on the 3rd :) I served at the toddler's nursery last Sunday and it was quite a chaotic environment there...lol. Their famous words were "mine!!!!", "no, mine!!!!"...LOL. Kids...lol.

What a wonderful morning. I woke up and went back to sleep but not too long just enough to feel rested.

Susan..thanks for sharing your photos. I love the one of Venice and the one of the leaning tower. WOO HOO on the scales still moving down.

Tech....super on the new ticker!

Julia...I bet Jess is going to be a good helper when the little one gets here. Sometimes it's hard to share mama but if they look at the new addition as their baby it helps.

(((((((Everybody))))))))) Guess I'd better get off my hiney and at least get dressed. :)

Love and hugs,
Crystle

I just got in from my volunteer stint at the church office. Not much to share this morning...

Breakfast was a cup of espresso and a small bag of M&M peanuts...(cringe) I did not get to eat breakfast before I had to leave, and one of the church staff gave them to me. I could not tell him no thanks! :shrug:

Lunch is (eating it now!) two brown rice cakes with homemade mayo, ham and meunster cheese and broccoli sprouts, and a splenda diet coke.

TECH: :cheer: :dance: :dance: :dance: :cheer:

Hiedy Ho all---

Just chekcing in, not much up today. It was pouring down rain this morning, so wasn't able to walk. Did the TBT instead. Last night I ended up fixing broccoli instead of zucchini, but that was the only change. 4 full days down!! Made dh some rhubarb cobbler yesterday, and even though it is sf, I didn't eat any!!

Here is todays menu--

B-- Turkey bacon, 1 slice homemade ww toast with homemade sf peach jam, Lite 85 yogurt.

snack-- apple

L-- WW turkey and cheddar wrap, salad with lite bc.

snack-- orange

D-- Homemade ham and beans.

dessert-- 1/2 c sf pudding.


Pancho-- No, usually dh will diet for awhile and then quit. He took off 35 pounds when I started PP, quit and gained it all back. Started SB with me and lost it all again. Now he has gained it all back and wants to lose it again........hope he will stick to it this time. It sure makes it alot easier for me. He does like his sweets though. I made him a sf rhubarb cobbler last night and he only ate one small piece. He said if he gets the weight off this time he will start walking with me. Keeping my fingers crossed that he will stick with it this time. I bet Lane looks cute as a bug with her new glasses. I am sure that you DO look much better!! The things that come out of the mouths of babes!!

Keng-- Doesn't it feel wonderful to have a new hair cut?? I went in just before our trip. My cousin has been doing my hair for years. I told her I really liked the way she cut it last time because it was shorter.........she really shortened it this time, but I like it too!! I just won't have to go back for awhile..........for a cut anyway. I need to get somemore highlights done.....they have all been cut off, lol. Thanks for sharing the recipe, I am definitely going to try it.

Monet-- I think the kids will have a blast. $42 sounds like alot to me too.

BOB-- Hello to you too! How's the shoulder doing?? Hope that it is much better now.

Tech-- I use Miracle Gro on everything!! Last year when we had all the rain and cold, my plants all turned yellow, but after getting some sun, they snapped out of it. WHOO HOOO, you are doing super!!

MUM24-- Welcome, we are glad to have you here. Pop into your nearest library and check out the book. You won't be sorry.....this is a great way of eating and soon you will feel just as great as your SIL.

Country-- I bet those plants are just loving the heat!! It has been so wet here now that we haven't even been able to get our garden planted. If we don't get it in soon, it will be too late for most of our stuff. Lol, eating at the table for a dog is a no- no, shame on you!! But what the heck.........giggle, giggle.

Fillise-- The pictures are fabulous. Thanks for sharing with us. Someday, maybe I shall travel.........

Good Morning:

The scale said 123# this morning, so I gotta get with it. I only worked out one day this week. I have been putting together this garage sale for this weekend, and it has taken a lot more time than I put aside for it.

After taking Britt to school today, I went to a small little HFS that is going out of business and has marked 40-60% off their items; I got some stuff that we really don't need yet, but will down the road. They are marked higher than I can get them elsewhere, but with the % off, they come out quite a bit cheaper.

Lane has done fabulous with her glasses; she has only wanted to take them off a few times. I think they really do help her see better, and she realizes that even though they are not that comfortable. I let her clean them with the cloth when they get dirty and use the spray on them to clean them off. She feels like a big girl. We have made such a big deal about it to keep her excited that Britt wants glasses now :lol: .

I don't know if I will be on at all after this since I have all this garage sale stuff going on, but I will try to check in and read posts. MONET: I will e-mail you once I check out postage rates at UPS today online.

Fillise: Yummy....some of my fondest memories of my childhood are going to my grandparent's house in NM and picking strawberries out of their garden, and all kinds of other fruit out of their orchard. I miss those times. Thanks for sharing those awesome pictures!!!

Ken: That's how I felt when I got my hair cut. I hated it for the first few weeks, but once I got used to it, I was so glad I did it. I don't miss my long hair at all. You feel so light and free. The teachers and students seem to get so attached during the school year. My DD already said she doesn't want to go to 2nd grade because her teacher won't be there. Lane had done surprisingly well with her glasses, so far.

Monet: Do you ever order craft items from Oreintal Trading Company or Sensational Crafts? Their bulk prices seem to be pretty good? My kids would choose crafts anyday to TV. They love to get involved in a good craft project.

BOB: I would love to try a white sweet potato; I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for them. Congrats on the free book.

Mum24: Welcome; we would love to have you join us. I would recommend getting the book and reading it from cover to cover, just so you understand why you are eating "this" way. And then, come on over and ask as many questions as you want. Good luck to you!

Country: We are heating up too. We should hit record temps for this time of year this weekend (113 degrees). Of all weekends to have a garage sale, huh? We will set up early and only stay out til noon or so. I did find some tea tree oil at Whole Foods; thanks for the recommendation.

Tech: Congrats on the loss.

I hope I didn't overlook anyone. There are a few people missing; where are you all????

Gotta run. Have a great OP day!

Nat

We have an engagement party to go to tonight. I fixed the Masters Cheese ring for it. I have whole wheat ritz, which are NOT legal, and some triscuits, which are, to go with it. James may go with us, which would be nice. I like to get him to go out and socialize with new folks now and then. He tends to hibernate in his room a lot...

Tom staked up the tomatoes today. They are getting to be monsters! :) I am excited! I can't wait. The garden won't be as good as last years, since I am not much of a farmer and Tom is....but at least we will have tomatoes.



PANCHO: I have ordered from Oriental Trading company...I got stuff for birthday parties from them for years. I love their selection and the prices. Their shipping is a LOT cheaper than S&S. S&S just had a big package of 8 different crafts for 24 kids at a very reasonable price, so even with the outrageous shipping, it was still a good deal. If you have Michaels arts and crafts near you, they have a great sale going on right now...with lots of cute crafts for kids. I am going to go back tomorrow and get stuff for my arts team celebration party here in two weeks. I figure the kids will enjoy the activities.

Good morning ladies.....

Getting ready to head out to my Grandma's for our weekly get together. I made a big pot of ham and beans yesterday, so that is what I will take. I ended up eating the leftover venison steak and broccoli last night instead of beans, so don't have to cook anything else to take over today.

It has finally quit raining. I was beginning to think that I would have to grow fins. It has rained every day since we came home, and was raining just after we left. I am beginning to think I will never get the garden planted.......and I am so ready for some fresh veggies!!

Dh headed up north this morning to meet his friend, Ray. They have a job to look at so looks like dh will be working again for awhile. Which is nice, because he seems to feel better when he is working. (I think he retired too early.......he was always busy before, and when he retired, he didn't know what to do with himself.) Said he will probably load up the camper and stay in it during the week. It is about an hours drive away, and if they work lots of hours, he doesn't want to worry about falling asleep while driving home.........Wow, a mini vacation for me!! NOT!! I get so much more done around here when he is gone.

Jo is feeling better. So must have been a muscle. She has gone up and down the steps a couple of times with no problems. If she has to stay on the Rimadyl long term, they will do some blood test to make sure everything is functioning okay. I am hoping that it will just be a short term treatment.

I haven't had anymore dizzy spells. I am returning the montitor on Monday. They said the results will then be sent to my doctor. Am scheduled to have my lump removed on the 1st of June. Supposed to hear something before then, so will just wait and see. Not too impressed with the scheduling gal so far!! My sil said that she is just a temp. Which is a good thing because she sucked at her job!!

Well gals, that'a all I have for now.......see you all later.

Hi everyone, thanks for the warm welcome. I am going to get the book from the library next week. I really admire all of you for sticking to this. We are going over to a friends house for dinner tomorrow, and I know she will have some dessert etc., so I was just wondering how do you turn things down? I don't want to be rude. We have never been there before, and we don't know them all that well (my son is in band with her son). I'm just curious as to how you all stick to your diet when you go out for dinner?

Thanks,
Lori

MUM: I just tell people I can't have sugar, and let them think what they will. If they press, I will tell them I am hyperinsulinemic, which is true, but sounds awful! It means you have too much insulin. :) That is usually all the explanation you need to give. At restaurants, I will ask the servers what is in a particular dish, if I need to know. It is not too hard, you just have to make it a habit! (right now, I am out of the habit.. :( )

Good morning...

I just finished a hearty breakfast of 2 scarmbled eggs with mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach, 1 ww waffle and 1/2 cup of milk. Yep...too much food but will definitely keep me full for many hours.

Jess seems to be having a cold-like symptom so I am keeping her home with me. She was disappointed but that is the best thing to do anyway. So, no church this morning so I am taking sometime to do some replies before starting to do some housework. I will do some planting today as well since I bought some daylilies yesterday. I am so excited to see them bloom, what a beautiful plant.

Some replies :

COUNTRY : I know Jess will be a great helper when the baby comes. I am so thankful she is at that age where she can do a lot for herself and also for me. I am just a little sad that I will no longer have as much time for her as I would like to. Anyway...I am sure things will work out. God knows better than I do :)

TEENSY : One of my sisters used to work in a hair salon and she would practice cutting hair on us...lol. I would be scared to death and kept reminding her that she was cutting way too much...lol. I am still not too happy about my haircut, it doesn't seem to flow very well but it doesn't look too bad though. I am glad your dizzy spells are gone for now and hope you won't get any for a long time. I have had experienced with dizzy spells about 2 to 3 times before (the last few years but not since last year). I usually woke up with one and my head would be spinning like crazy and then I would throw up. After that I usually stay in bed for few hours until it went away. Then...everything went back to normal. It was a horrible feeling and I hated it. I have not have any since last year...thank goodness! I am not familiar with your lump removal procedure. Is it serious? Do you have to stay in the hospital for a long period of time?

PANCHO : Glad Britt is keeping her glasses on. It really helps when she has support and encouragement from all of you. I just love seeing kids with glasses...too cute!!

MUM : I am pre-diabetic and people usually understand when I said I cannot have their dessert. I make sure I mentioned that it was me not their dessert...lol. There have been many times that I did eat some dessert but in a much smaller portion, that was because I really wanted to eat it since I hardly have any. I know it is not very easy to say "no" to your friends but it is your life and your decision on what you feed your body. If they are offended, that means they have problems to work on themselves and nothing to do with you. With that said, your other option would be eating a smaller portion...if that's what you want. For some people, having a taste of it can trigger a binge of wanting more. That is usually the problem more than anything because having illegal dessert once in a while doesn't hurt but if it sets you on for wanting more, then it can be a problem. Hope that helps. I look forward to chat with you more.

MONET : Good morning. Honeysuckle is blooming everywhere, do you have problems with it? People around me seems to have a tough time with their them.

Julia

Hello all, I had a horrible eating day yesterday. We had to go out of town to help a friend and anyway it just ended up BAD EATING no excuse! I'm back on track and hope I still lose Wed. I've got the stuff to make a breakfast casserole tomorrow and I'm going to. My get my stuff ready for it today. Tonight I'm making a meatloaf with part deer meat. Which is very lean and healthy. And makes a wonderful meatloaf. My DH is looking forward to sandwichs out of it next week. Welcome MUM!!! Hope you can pass up dessert. Its really hard when you go to someones house to eat unless they know you're watching your weight. Hope everyone is having a nice week end.

Just checking in! Its been a wild weekend. Yesterday, I wanted to find a hole to crawl in and stay there for a few weeks, until everything that is stressing me out was over! The pool was green and I had put so much chlorine in it, I was afraid to put more. In desperation, I called three guys from church asking for help, since Tom was overwhelmed with plumbing problems. I was on my way to the pool store when I made the phone calls, and after I hung up from the third one, I did what I should have done at first, and prayed! The guy at the pool store tested the water, and did a test I have never heard of having done before. He told me the phosphorus level was WAY too high, and that was what was feeding the algae that was making the pool green. For $25 (pool chemicals are NOT cheap!) I got a bottle of some stuff that took the Phosphorus out and today, the pool looks so much better, I want to weep. I was afraid I was going to have to change the filter sand myself...which is NOT an easy, or fun job. Last night, one of the guys that I called came over with his wife for dinner. There was no work to do, but I think he was just the one to encourage Tom, so we had a good time. I made fried shrimp, and onion rings, with my legal onion ring recipe. We had sauteed kale too, out of their garden. Two glasses of wine, and a half glass of chocolate bock beer, and I slept very well!

So far today, I have had two eggs, an English muffin with polaner all fruit and three pieces of bacon, a handful of macadamia nuts, some imitation crab with sprouts and homemade mayo, and a glass of orange juice.

Tonight there is a big celebration after church, so I don't know what the food will be like.

KENG: I love honeysuckle. I think it tends to be invasive, but I don't have any in my yard. What kind of trouble do your friends have with it? Allergies? It takes over? :)

TONI: That's the ticket...when you screw up you need to get right back on program! (now if I would just practice what I preach! :rolleyes: ) Yum! I like meatloaf in a sandwich...with homemade mayo and lots of sprouts! I am really into sprouts right now! :)