Good morning all. I came in on IE this morning and noticed it is working better than it was. They must have been able to fix the issues with the advertising. I am sitting here eating a ff pudding pre breakfast. I like to wait until around 8 for breakfast but I woke up really hungry so I grabbed something with low points to tide me over.
I have the rest of the upstairs to complete today and will lay out my outfits together in the spare room since my clothing came. I washed and dried them all yesterday and darn if the the one shirt that is black and that I didn't dry because it ran a lot smaller than the others has the little palm trees already peeling off! This was a total screw up from the beginning. I guess you live and learn though and boy have I learned about this place!!! When I folded the clothing last evening I noticed that the dragonfly shirt I ordered has the wrong dragonflies on it. I think they only got three things right in the whole deal. The dragonflies I ordered were smaller and were different shades of like olive and dark green and such that I ordered to go with a pair of olive capris I have. Well when I laundered them and was folding it last night I saw that the dragonflies were really much bigger and they were all aqua and pink! I checked the website to see if maybe the computer colors were just off and I was imagining the size thing, but nope, there are several different dragonfly shirts and one is the olive color and there is one that is aqua and pink and much bigger. So, the good thing is now I have a shirt to wear with the turquoise capris which was my biggest worry. You know, this is like being on Laugh In. You know you shouldn't laugh, but then the stuff is so ridiculous you just have to! So here goes.....
Jean: I have checked all I can check and found out that until about a month ago, this company was completely an online one. She then opened an "outlet" store as she calls it in Sherman Oaks, CA. She has no boss. She runs the whole show and is lock, stock and owner. What she does is order cotton shirts and such plain then has people who put transfers, rhinestones and such on them. She also has a couple people who actually make some of the clothing, as in the disasterous swimsuit. She tends to aim most of her business as the super obese putting them in stuff that is inappropriate IMO like a lot of sexier stuff, but she does have a large line of tshirts. If she was better as what she does, I would order other things as you can get anything from size 16-18 up to clothing that will fit people that weigh probably 500 lbs. Unfortunately, her shoddy way of doing business and no apology for the screw ups has not endeared me to her and as I have said there will be no more ordering from her. Of course, you know that she didn't contact me last night about the order I received yesterday. We shall see how long it takes. I was telling Jack about the fact that from where you are, you had to fly into Denver and went to Hawaii in February so that wasn't such a good idea. He said he hope you and Bob knew how to ski, just in case!
I would love to buy a good stationary bike. I found one, but for awhile I will have to wait because the weight limit isn't in line. Until then I will get on the ole treadmill.
Maggie: I love my vacuum except for one thing, it weighs a ton. It will suck the lips right off you though! I may have to get one of those stick type vacs to use upstairs because hauling that thing takes it out of you. With the heat receding I have noticed less swelling in my feet. It isn't all gone, but it is better. It sure makes it easier to walk. Jack has been working on my feet every night. He patiently works this really good foot cream from Gold Bond into them to try and get them back in shape. He swears by the stuff and uses it all the time. The heat and the intense swelling has dried them out terribly. I just have to be careful because wearing footies around the house on the linoleum makes them slippery. He has started putting it on at bedtime so that I am not walking around the house.
Fortune is definitely feeling better. He is driving me nuts wanting to go outside all the time. He does that when I sit at the computer. I think he is a bit mad at me because I put out all dry dog food for him. It is better for his teeth and keeps his weight in check too. He just has been stubborn the last few months and quit eating the stuff. I changed him up to a couple different things, but they put weight on him fast, more than likely because he doesn't get a huge amount of exercise and is almost 11 years old.
Well girls, I need to get to chores downstairs and finish my book. You all have a great day ! Faye
Good Morning, Flowers! It's dark and gloomy (50 degrees cold!) in my corner of the world this morning. I have the usual chores I could be doing but nothing sounds like "fun" without the sun shining. It could end up being a lazy day for me. My car goes to the dealership tonight as we had a rear seatbelt recall. Bob also wants them to check the alignment since he says it "nibbles" in the wind which means it pulls one way or the other out on the highway. Since I rarely drive on the open road I never noticed.
"Gma" -- First of all I don't think manufacturers make quality clothes like they used to. I wish they ALL had to use the same universal size patterns! I thought there was always "someone" who oversees what is going on in online websites. People who sell anything online should be held accountable! That goes to show how much I know, which isn't much where technology is concerned. On our very first trip to Maui, one of our travel options was Omaha to Atlanta, then Dallas to Maui. I think that trip was 19 hours if I remember right. It was quite a bit cheaper but we sure didn't want to spend all that time either waiting in airports or in the air. It's 6 hours from Phoenix to Maui; I thought LA would be shorter but at the time it wasn't. It's a long day of travel no matter what. I'm glad Fortune is feeling better again. He probably wants eggs for breakfast everyday!
Maggie and Susan --
I need to get busy! Enjoy your day!
Jean -- in Iowa, and fall hasn't even officially arrived!
It is a warm (hot) day here in the heartland. Will is at the museum doing his volunteer work going through and posting all the neat stuff in those old court documents. There are a couple hundred ledgers for him to get through the 1800's and he is finding out some real interesting neat things. Walt Disneys dad lived here in this area. People think Dorthy and Todo lived here also but that book was writen that her Auntie Em & Uncle lived in SD. KS gets a lot more tornados is the reason for the switch. I have been a bad camper this week and failed to write what I ate in my book. I do know that I don't lose unless I write what I bite so what in the world got into me to not write it down. I sabotage my program and it is no ones fault but my own. Well I have a grip now so maybe this week isn't lost. I showed a "maintain" last week so will be very happy if I show another one this week likewise. I asked myself if I am stressing about anything and said, "No." So that isn't it. Well just go forward from here is all I can do about it.
DONNA FAYE I can't figure out for the life of me how that woman stays in busness if she handles all her customers like she does you. Places have the courtest to contact customers when they are offering a replacement for what ever the reason may be. She is dumber that a box of rocks if she doesn't learn that real quick. I am glad you can make some of your things work for you anyway.
JEAN Your weather sure took a change quickly. Ours is up and down but not much below 75 yet. Sounds like a lot of traveling first before you can just go to another state.
SUSAN Hanging in there?
I have got to go do something useful ~ Type at y'all later
Maggie -- I did go to WW this morning but didn't weigh in. Enough said about that! I haven't had a good week (or several weeks) at all. Like you, I have no one to blame but myself. On a sad note, our receptionist drove an hour to work our meetings. She was gone last week and again this week. The leader said she had had elective hernia surgery, was home, and dropped dead. She had lost 197 #s and we called her our Cool Whip Queen because she thought everything tasted better with CW on it. She had lots of helpful hints for low point foods. Sad!
Good luck on a GREAT OP week next week!
Good afternoon, ladies! It's 90 degrees today but the humidity is very low - in the 30s - so we are under an alert for fires.
Yesterday I spent the morning at the Y and then made a Trader Joe's run. I was out of the Salmon burgers, Greek yogurt, goat cheese and walnuts and I consider them as staples. Last night was my applique bee at the library. And that took care of the day. Today was work, the Y, and nothing more this evening but some quilting. I'm making spaghetti and turkey meatballs, wax beans and salad for dinner. Tomorrow will be the Y and then quilt lock-in tomorrow night.
Faye, I'm glad you got something for your money even if it was exactly what you wanted. Has Jack decided on what your are doing for vacation? Poor little Fortune! You are a good mama.
Jean, you know, it is the better clothes that have the smaller sizes that fit bigger bodies - vanity sells expensive clothes. It seems more stores are carrying larger sizes and not many "regular" sizes.
Maggie, Will's volunteer position sounds like something I would enjoy a lot.
Biggest Loser starts next Tuesday. Maybe we should challenge ourselves to be OP for the next 13 weeks. We can do anything they do. This has not been one of my best weeks. I didn't plan my menus so I've been eating on the fly and it never works for me. I will still WI this week. I need to own up and get back on track. Starting my menus for new week after dinner tonight.
Good morning all! Looks like it is going to be a rainy day here today. It is really cloudy and dark outside but we can really use a good rain I think. I have found the bugs are just horrible this year. The flies are bad as are spiders and we are having a problem with roaches for the first time ever. I see them out on the deck in the evening skurrying around and have to really keep on top of things. The people on each side of us aren't nasty and such, in fact much much cleaner than a couple renters that have lived next door so I am chalking it up to weather. I can't have them spray inside because of Fortune and they don't use pet safe stuff so I just have to do what I can myself when I see one inside.
Susan: I had goat cheese for the first time when we were in Indiana in July. I really like it. It isn't a strong cheese and very creamy. I hear the Greek yogurt is really good to because the texture is really nice. It is hard to find her unless you go to the more expensive places like Fresh Market or Whole Foods. I think it is a great idea to do a 13 week challenge. I will try my darndest to do what I am supposed to do on vacation but I guarantee all the rest of the time I will be dead on. I think it is supposed to be really hot today and with the cloudiness the humidity is liable to be up. I have been having a lot of hot flash stuff because Jack says the temp in the house has not been hot.
Jean: Oh my gosh, what a horrible thing to happen. You decide to take care of yourself and lose all that weight than something like a hernia operation triggers something in your recovery. I took a "real age" test recently and I am about 3 years over my chronological age. I Have some big work to do, but considering the two surgeries and the menopause stuff and the bp meds etc it really isn't too bad. Some good nutrition and exercise will improve it quite a bit with the weight loss.
Maggie: I agree with Susan, Will's work sounds very interesting. I did look up some info on L Frank Baum wondering if he grew up in South Dakota and that was why the book was written with the plot starting in South Dakota. First, he was born in New York, the book was pubished in Chicago in 1900 and he lived in California when he died. I don't know whether you heard this somewhere or Will found something, but Wikipedia says the book has a Kansas plot not South Dakota. He wrote 13 sequels to the original novel and eventually Walt Disney purchased the rights to all 14 books. Interesting. I got an email from the clothing owner. No apology, just an "I can't believe it!" Oh she also gave me the excuse that the day the stuff was shipped she left specific instructions because she wasn't there on Monday. The t-shirt that was not shipped was sitting in its bag on the desk of the woman who was supposed to do the shipping! She said she would replace the wrong shirts and the one not shipped and ship them out so I had them on Saturday. She tried to tell me the t-shirt that I ordered in off-white and was shipped in gray that the gray really is the off-white. Yeah, right, she included a link to the t-shirt in the off-white and it is hardly a gray color. It is more the eggshell I was expecting so we shall see what she sends the second time around. She didn't even look at the order number for the one t-shirt she just thought she knew what the picture was and that was the one she shipped. She said, "I thought the "hot pink" shirt was the one with the flamingos as they had on hats!!" Well, the one I ordered were flamingos playing volleyball, surfing, playing in the sand, etc because of the beach reference. I mean, the order number title of the shirts is "Flamingos on the beach!" We shall see if it is here by Saturday or not.
I imagine I will start getting things ready to pack this weekend. I have to decide what shoes I want to wear with the white pantsuit. It is comfortable and looks nice except the pants are too long. It will be a roll up the waist sort of thing because the pansies are on the bottom of one leg and bottom of the shirt so they can't be hemmed at all.
Have a good weekend everybody! Hope the weather is great where you are! Faye
Good Morning, Flowers! I'm waiting for my oven to preheat so I can bake a pasta lunch. I'm hoping the points won't be too terrible, but I had the ingredients on hand and wanted to get them used and out of the house. I have a perm this afternoon and then it will be time for supper. It's a cloudy day in my neighborhood; I noticed the weather map shows a bit of rain every day for a week! The farmers will be beside themselves if that happens. Some have been combining and are anxious to keep going.
Susan -- I think the clothes around here are geared towards the younger set with low necklines and flimsy fabric. Guess I will be wearing most of what I wore last year; I had a few too tight things then and they should fit now. Have fun at the quilt lock-in tonight! I am up for the 13 week challenge! I have got to get back on track!
"Gma" -- We've had a lot of bugs this year too. I'm beginning to see the ladybug look alikes since the farmers are combining beans and that's where they live. I think that dame should send ALL of what you ordered FREE and with NO shipping charges! She won't be in business long at the rate she is going if she treats all of her customers the same as you.
My oven should be ready so I'm off! Have a GREAT day!
Good morning, ladies! A beautiful day in the 80s today. I have the windows open.
I went to water aerobics this morning. I thought I'd take a little break for a cup of coffee in the lounge and then do more exercise, but I was beat. We did some new exercises to day. We go nonstop for 60 minutes. After class its just like being back in high school with ladies lined up for the showers and then getting dressed at your locker. The chlorine is bringing out the red in my hair...and I was afraid it would turn green.
Faye, I don't try to lose weight when I'm away from home but I do try to maintain (doesn't always happen). Enjoy your vacation. If you get something on the menu that you can't get at home, enjoy and don't worry about the calories. Maybe you can get a little walking in. I've had problems with ants until I found this recipe for ant killer on the internet that uses sugar, water and borax. It solved my problem in days and they haven't come back. I'm keeping the recipe handy. I had try all kinds of ant traps but they didn't work. Before they started spraying, we had huge mosquitos but the Air Force sprays from the air and York County from trucks so they are annilihated.
Jean, wouldn't you think they'd have more clothes for the older women now that the baby boomers are getting there. I'm with you, I have a hard time finding age-appropriate clothing. I guess I'll just live the rest of my life in jeans and t-shirts.
There was the following link on the AARP Fat to Fit forum today.
They have actually done research and say vinegar really does help break down fat and keep glucose levels even. I'm going to give it a try for a month and see what happens. At least it can't hurt me.
I need to get a project together to take to work on at lock in tonight. Glory and I are going to the Crab Shack for dinner tonight before we go.
Good Morning, Flowers! It's windy, rainy, and cold in my corner of the world this morning. Ernie wants the window open but doesn't like the rain spatters; besides that it's too cold to have windows open! I've got laundry going and should vacuum; without the sunshine the dust doesn't show. I need to return library books and stop at the grocery store after lunch. The pile of ironing is growing again. I wonder how that happens?
"Gma" -- It sounds like you are getting your "ducks lined up in a row" for vacation! I would love to take a short trip when the leaves are changing colors, but with "farmer" Bob and harvest going on I know that won't happen. I never did like to shop for clothes but when there is absolutely no variety to choose from it is discouraging. I really could use something new for church or whatever comes up that requires something besides jeans and sweatshirts.
Susan -- on your loss this week! A loss is good incentive to keep working the program! I guess you did find some great bargains at the thrift store! I haven't tried the vinegar yet but am thinking I will. Thank you for sharing that link. I like your vacation eating plan; it is really hard to stay 100% plan unless one is doing the cooking themselves. I love the names of your eating place -- Crab Shack and Happy Belly always make me . We are eating leftover pasta from yesterday for dinner today. I know you enjoyed your quilting fun with Glory last night.
My first load of towels if finished so need to get the next load going. Have a nice day -- I hope the sun is shining on you!
That goes to show how much I know, which isn't much where technology is concerned. On our very first trip to Maui, one of our travel options was Omaha to Atlanta, then Dallas to Maui. I think that trip was 19 hours if I remember right. It was quite a bit cheaper but we sure didn't want to spend all that time either waiting in airports or in the air. It's 6 hours from Phoenix to Maui; I thought LA would be shorter but at the time it wasn't. It's a long day of travel no matter what. I'm glad Fortune is feeling better again. He probably wants eggs for breakfast everyday! 
in Iowa, and fall hasn't even officially arrived!
Thankfully Thursday
I have been a bad camper this week and failed to write what I ate in my book.
I do know that I don't lose unless I write what I bite so what in the world got into me to not write it down.
I sabotage my program and it is no ones fault but my own.
Well I have a grip now so maybe this week isn't lost. I showed a "maintain" last week so will be very happy if I show another one this week likewise. I asked myself if I am stressing about anything and said, "No." So that isn't it. Well just go forward from here is all I can do about it.
I have got to get back on track!
dame should send ALL of what you ordered FREE and with NO shipping charges! She won't be in business long at the rate she is going if she treats all of her customers the same as you.
I would love to take a short trip when the leaves are changing colors, but with "farmer" Bob and harvest going on I know that won't happen. I never did like to shop for clothes but when there is absolutely no variety to choose from it is discouraging. I really could use something new for church or whatever comes up that requires something besides jeans and sweatshirts. 
on your loss this week! A loss is good incentive to keep working the program! 
I guess you did find some great bargains at the thrift store! I haven't tried the vinegar yet but am thinking I will. Thank you for sharing that link. I like your vacation eating plan; it is really hard to stay 100% plan unless one is doing the cooking themselves. I love the names of your eating place -- Crab Shack and Happy Belly always make me 
