Plans are back on to move to California early next year! I've given this lots of thought. I'm thankful for all of you all and your support!

Where in CA? I lived in San Francisco for a year, it was a great place. Expensive, but great.


I had to rise at 3:30 because I was keeping my DH up with my coughing. I am thinking about throwing in the towel because I have been soo off plan due to this illness throwing me for a loop. I have developed aversions to eggs, and the other staple meals I used to count on when I was OP. I am so frustrated

Will I ever get well? I am usually so healthy, and even fight off illnesses before they get me, but this has thrown me.

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail... which is what is happening to me.

A brief morning on the forums for me: I'm headed off for a day of CPE (taxes) and have to leave in just a moment. Put off this morning's exercise - plan is to do it tomorrow, and tomorrow's on Sunday, and make this my day of rest this week.

May we all be the Little Engine That Could today... I THINK I can, I THINK I can, I THINK I can... I *know* I can!

Good Morning

I'm up getting some chores done and have my first skiing planned for this afternoon...after I get home from the pool. I'm going to get all my gear out then see if I can get another hour of rest.

Okie, thanks for getting us started this morning. A big move is quite challenging but you can do it.

BelovedK, I think it's really hard to plan when you're so sick. Just keep striving to get well. It seems these winter illnesses really take their time. You will be able to find your groove as soon as you start feeling better.

Annie, have a great day and thanks for checking in.

Have a great day everyone.

Quick good morning. How on earth did we get to Friday?

This morning we have 41 Grade Three students coming to the Mill and Museum for tours, crafts, cornshelling and then BBQ hot dogs. I need to scurry around and get tables and supplies organized.

TGIF!

Good morning, all you busy Early Chicks! Does anyone have time to sit and enjoy a coffee with me?

Actually, I've been up a while, too. I have the first load in the washer, paid some bills, and did some filing already. As soon as the phone place opens, I have to go down there and have them explain and straighten out my phone bill, which is all screwed up. NOT looking forward to that! Afterwards, I'm going to pick up my mother and we're heading to King of Prussia for lunch and shopping.

Good Morning friends!

Okie, I love your posts, you're always so enthusiastic! I hope you have a great day today.

Beloved, I'm so sorry that you can't shake that coughing. I wish I lived closer, you could use a little "mothering" right now - someone to fix you a cup of hot tea and/or a few easy meals to just heat up when you're ready for them. *hug* Do you like stews and soups? I had a cold/bronchitis that just wouldn't quit last winter and my crock pot saved me. I'd pour in a carton of chicken stock and dump some frozen veggies in and leave it on low all day. When I felt like eating it was there, if I didn't feel like eating at meal time it waited for me, and there was always plenty left over to take for school lunches and/or to warm up quickly in the microwave when I felt lousy and wanted to comfort myself with food.

Annie, that's a great sentiment for today. "I KNOW I can, I KNOW I can..."

Debbie, I'm envious (but happy for you)! Enjoy your skiing today!

Ruth, YOU deal with the school kids today - I'm hanging out with adults. I hope all goes smoothly for you.

Linda, I have some great memories of the King of Prussia mall. My daughter was very interested in Eastern College and we visited 3 times for scholarship interviews. Our hotel was so close to the mall that we spent every evening over there - eating and shopping, but mostly people watching! Have a great time with your Mom today.

I didn't eat A SINGLE THING at the SDE conference yesterday! There was no fruit this year, just pastries and coffee, so I stuck to my on plan snacks. Then the lunch looked so delicious but sooooo very off plan that I left and hit the grocery store instead. They had a salad bar so I was able to make a 'just the way I like it' salad and bought that and a bottle of my fav dressing and ate in the car while I listened to the radio. I even had time to walk afterward. I'm planning on bringing a lunch with me today, I stopped at the grocery store last night and picked up a few things.

Cyndi, do you know of Betty Jo Evers? She's the speaker I went to the conference to work with. She and I have the same philosophy on 'at risk kindergartners', and I got soooo much out of her sessions yesterday. I can't wait to hear more today.

Have a great day friends!

Good morning I actually slept until the coffee maker started at 6am. Of course I was up for a long while in the middle of the night. Gotta love this whole perimenopause thing. Apparently my body thinks that anytime I wake up it should stay awake. Good thing there is coffee.

Okie - I find big changes like that both exciting and intimidating. Good luck with your decision

Beloved - Focus on getting well first and do as little damage as you can foodwise. Once you're back on your feet just hop back on 100%. Do you have some soups made that you can grab whenever you want them? When I was sick I made clear broth with veggies, dal, and a white bean soup. That's about all I ate for a few days. Maybe having a warm and easy to prep food would help?

Annie - you can! Have a good day

Debbie - Happy skiing. I'm still trying to get clarity on my NM schedule. I'll let you know exactly where I'll be each day as soon as I know. Hope you can still make it.

Cottage - Enjoy your unexpected day off. What a nice time of year to get an extra day.

Today is an upside down day. I'm off to Burlington (I will wave Ruth!) this afternoon for a late day meeting and a mandatory team dinner. Someone from the national union will be in town (apparently the person who approves our funding) so there was no getting around this one. I'll do a little work at home this morning and then get on the road. Hope it's not a late night because I'm off to Boston to see DD and attend the Nutcracker tomorrow!

Food choices where a challenge yesterday but I did not give-in to off plan foods. My lunch wasn't great but it was acceptable. Glad I had something to go to in the car! I have to remember that every day.

Time for more coffee. Happy Friday friends

ETA - Where did you come from Heidi?! Wow, great choices at that conference. I don't know the presenter, will have to go look her up now.

Heidi ~ You are so awesome for staying strong and resisting all those temptations yesterday! Good for you! Hang on to that feeling of conquest to get you through today! You'll have to come visit me one day so we can do the mall together.

Where's Natasha this morning?

Good Friday Morning lovely ladies. (And any lurking lovely men.)

Okie - Exciting! Have you lived there before?

Beloved I hope you feel better soon. How about a big pot of OP soup?

Annie - Love that story. My son just put it in a college essay this week too.

Debbie - Have fun and don't fall off any chairlifts!

Ruth - I know - time is spiraling faster and faster by!

Linda - I do Tea at my end. Isn't this Natasha's weekend already?

Heidi - I knew you would rock that conference

Cyndi - I think I'm doing the peri-menopause thing with you. And having pre-hot flashes... warm flashes. Good job on the eating.

I have the house to myself today. Also, exercise to myself, since hubby is gone all day. I think I will head out this afternoon and try to get some serious stocking stuffer shopping done. That always requires lots of store strolling. And I will practice my knitting. I figured out my dear neighbor is not a great teacher and actually showed me the wrong way to do some things! I am coming along but it looks very messy; it will be a lot more practice before I try anything like a scarf.

Good Morning Ladies! I made it here before work! Its a miracle!

Beloved- I hope that you feel better soon. Do what you have to that helps you get well, then get right back with it! I know its probably hard to stomach but lots of colorful veggies are wonderful for illness....

Annie- you just reminded me I have to get gym clothes! drats!

No more time for all the personals, a quick scan and I am out!

WTG, Heidi!!!

Well, off to find my gym clothes so I can stick to my workouts this month!!!! And hopefully get a massage today!

Hope you ladies have a great OP day!!!

good morning,

FO - have a good on plan day, California sounds good

BelovedK - you just have to get better soon, Christmas is around the corner.

Annie - Yes, you can.

Debbie - have fun skiing, just jump right in and enjoy winter.

Cottage - I've been to King of Prussia, its huge.

Heidi - you are an inspiration what will power. You deserve every lb you lose.

Ruth - 41 Grade 3 kids, ugh.

Cyndi - have a safe drive to Burlington, Your so close to the border. We often go to Costco there on our way home. I usually buy those big blocks of Cabot cheese.

Karen - now that you have sort of seen knitting visually, maybe you can find yourself a good beginner's book. I showed my daughter how to knit and then she bought a book and has been doing quite well.

Rikki - hope your massage works out.

me - is this insomnia catchy? I was thru with sleeping at 5:30 but like Debbie I am enjoying my time alone. Well, all my gifts have been mailed and now I am planning on just a couple of baking items. No big deal this year as I felt that we celebrated for a whole month while grandson and DD were here. I'm down a bit this morning but decided to only change my ticker every 5lbs.

take care
Sophie

RIP Ronnie Santo

Well it's not the best day so far. Found out Ron Santo died, then found out due to the results of our foundation inspection (also not good,) we can't refinance the house and just wasted a ton of money on inspections and appraisals. Ouch. I'm doing better than Chris is, emotionally. He's NOT happy. Gonna be a pleasant weekend.....

Otherwise I'm doing ok. Another OP day yesterday and I've set some long-term goals (I will put in my signature so I remember) and it makes me feel a bit better about my journey. For some reason I always get it in my head that I need to lose the weight RIGHT NOW and then I get discouraged and then I fall off the wagon and then I out again.

So my goals are:

4 lbs (129) by Dec 31
8 lbs (125) by Jan 31
18 lbs (115) by Easter (Apr 24)

Argh gotta get back to work. Hope everyone's having a fabulous day!!!

Lisa

Hi Lisa, sorry you are having a buzzkill of a day.

What I want to know is how does it feel to have lost 27 pounds?! WOW!!!! How long did that take you?

OMG - Shouting from the rooftops! I now have less than 100 lbs to lose! What a great feeling!

Okie, I've lived in Calif most of my life and can't imagine living anywhere else. Hope it works out for you.

Beloved, darn it anyway. I know you are trying so hard. Wish the bad germs would just leave you alone. Try and hang in there girl and do the best you can.

Annie, I know I can too!

Debbie, I've never been skiing but it looks like I would have liked it.

Ruth, sounds like fun. Wish I could be there to help and enjoy the kids.

Linda, enjoy your day shopping. You deserve it after having to deal with the phone company.

Heidi, I'm so proud of you for not caving to the goodies yesterday. Knew you could do it.

Cyndi, good food choices in the situation you were in. Hope you took good on plan snacks today too.

Karen, keep practicing on that knitting. It won't be long before you will be working on the scarf.

rdw, good for you sticking to your workouts.

Lisa, sorry about your bad news. Good goal planning. It helps me too.

Nat, where are you? miss seeing your post.

Well, I'm off for my walk. I'm now able to walk four times longer than when I first started and my legs aren't hurting as much. After that need to run out to the groc store and do a few errands. I'm also crocheting a few Christmas gifts so may work on them this afternoon or evening and of course there are gifts waiting to be wrapped.

Later