Good Morning Everyone!

I did my four miles this morning and showered, and now it is time to head to our youngest son's track meet. Our oldest is the track coach for our youngest, so instead of FOUR track meets (two collegiate and two middle school or high school each week), we get to go and see BOTH of our sons at the same place this year!

GREAT to hear that you guys are losing those pounds! :carrot: My journey of weight loss has taken a really long time, but I'm hoping that it is true that weight that comes off slowly is weight that doesn't come back on as fast. I don't EVER want to see these pounds again!!!

Don't forget to measure yourself! You may find that you are losing INCHES even when the scale says the same. Sometimes I can go down a whole size and lose multiple inches off my body with the scale reading THE EXACT SAME WEIGHT! Exercise and just plain MOVING MORE really helps. I've become a real advocate for using dumbbells, too. Yesterday I did the first two miles of WATP 4-mile Super Challenge using my 3lb. weights. It got quite tiring after the two miles of moving those weights as I walked, but the last two miles was a BREEZE after dropping the weights! :)

I watered my red raspberries this morning. Can't wait till they are big enough to spread across the back of my yard and we can have red raspberry EVERYTHING! If I remember from a whole lotta years ago when I planted our first ones, it was a few years until we had a decent amount of berries.

Have a great day today, ladies!!!

Cheryl

Good Morning Girls! I see we've been officially moved to a 50's section. I posted after Karen to close the other thread, I'm not sure why they included it. I'll contact Suzanne and tell her to lock it.
DH and I got some of our outdoor furniture out, picked up a zillion branches that blew down. It's so nice being outside.

Cheryl... In answer to your question, my problem area is my waist line. Or what should be my waistline, I'm shaped like a boy. I've always worn men's 505 Levi's because I can get the waist to fit and the hips and legs aren't so darn big. Women's jeans are made for hour glass figures, lots of hip and leg room (which I don't need, even at a heavier weight) and tiny little bitty waist. No matter how much exercising I do, my waist will never fit the rest of me. I have no butt either.

Originally Posted by :
Anyone ready to talk about troublesome areas of the body that are just plain STUBBORN? I'll start! My areas of anguish are my upper arms, my thighs, and my belly. My thighs are MUCH smaller than they once were thanks to the walking I have done over the years, but they are NOT thin by ANY stretch of the imagination. I've lost 13 inches off my waist but still need to shave off three more inches to be in proportion. My biggest surprise is that my rear end is now almost non-existent! Sure do wish I could paste some of my ARM FAT back on my REAR!:dizzy:

Karen... Congrats on the 3 # loss, that's fantastic! :woo:

Phyllis... Congrats to you too, 1 # down!

Originally Posted by :
Diet Rite soft drinks have hardly anything in them even no sodium.

I love the Diet Rite too, and their made with Splenda.

Ella... I'm with you about posting pictures after the flower gardens come to life, I do see some purple and yellow flowers out in one of my far flower beds. I'll run out and get a picture of it when I'm finished posting. I'm envious of your new bikes, DH and I have some expensive mountain bikes but find it hard to ride because of our gravel roads. We live in the country and too rural to have paved roads. Did you find the Flat Outs yet?

Paula... Congrats to you on the 1# loss and that's a sweet story about your mom. I lost my mom 14 months ago to Alheimers.

Sharon... I was on WW's for awhile and still use many of their recipes. They had a yummy pineapple dessert recipe that I lost, but figured out how to make it again. I'll dig it out and post it.

Theresa... Congrats to you on the 3# loss, :woo: that is a nice chunk to leave behind!

Welcome Wulfchen,

Originally Posted by :
I have osteo arthritis in my lower back, both hips, both knees, both hands and now have Plantar Facsiitis in my left foot. This makes walking really painful all the time, on top of this little lot I have dizzy spells that have no pattern.

I have Plantar Facsiitis in both feet, that's why I don't do much walking. I had some stainless steel arch supports made just for my feet and that really helps. I think many of us have arthritis in parts of our bodies at our age. I also have it in my lower back and it doesn't take much for it to get inflamed and painful. Tough to get old but the more I move the less painful it is.

Welcome Moxie... What part of the country are you from?:welcome:

Hi to everyone I missed, DH is on his way out the door and I have to go let the chickens out.

Welcome Wulfcwen, Sharon:wave: :welcome:

Originally Posted by :
I really do need some ideas as I have
run out of them and could do with some inspiration.

You have came to a great website for inspiration. There are so many people that have lost soo much weight. They work hard and loose weight. Thats seems to be what is takes.
Just listen to your body. Eat healthy and Move.
You will be fine. :hug:

I have osteo to. I have shrunk over 2 inches in height.
It does hurt me too.
Don't let it get to you. the more you work...
the stronger you will be. moving helps build strong bones.

As you will see... If you look at everyones weight.
Yours is not so bad. Many are twice your weight.


Nope!!! no swimsuits here either!! next year!!
Congrates to everyone that is loosing and keeping on plan. :encore:

I have to go move my butt now! ;)
been sitting here catching up for too long.
back later.
hugs to all

enjoy the SUNSHINE. its so beautiful today!

Good Morning Ladies- I slept in a little this morning. I have the house all to myself except for the 3 cats and 1 dog. My hubby went on a dirt bike trip to WV with his new bike for the weekend. The to oldest Grandsons went o Boy Scout camp for the weekend and the other 2 grandkids when to the in-law gp's. I usually have some of the grandkids here over the weekend. They like to come here and get some spoiling in.

My youngest Daughter is one of those people you love to hate. She's skinny and forget to eat. She's a very picky eater. We call her a pastatarian or carbatarian or cheeseatarian. She loves pasta (mostly cheese ravioli)with plain tomato sauce, breads, mac and cheese. She eats hardly no veggies and absolutely no meat products. She's been eating like this all her life almost. Once she got off baby food she just didn't like food. She really didn't like baby food all that much. She's 33 so she's old enough to make her own decisions. You would laugh if you saw her at the salad bar. She puts a little bit of lettuce on the plate. She only likes one color of lettuce, She then puts on carrots. Next would be a lit of cheese and then croûtons. Last she puts on LOTS of Italian salad dressing. Anyway, I try to take her out to dinner a couple times a week so I know that she's eaten. She lives with her 5 cats so sometimes she gets busy and "forgets" to make dinner.

My other daughter used to be skinny, but after having 4 kids she kept putting on the weight and just never lost it after the last 2. She goes on a diet and then she decides she wants a Blizzard from DQ and the diet is forgotten. He husband is very large also.

The :sunny: is shining and I really want to be out in it. I've learned from previous years that I can't do it all in one day. Last year I couldn't move for a week after I spent the day pulling weeds and cleaning up the flower beds. I've decided I'm going to do it a little at a time. The last warm spell we had ( about a month ago) I cleaned out the leaves and baby trees out of my front flower beds. Today I think I'll go out and pick up the fallen branches and pull the ivy out of the side yard. I'm trying to get rid of it, but you just can't get rid of ivy. Plus I'm planning on taking the dog for another walk today.

Ella- I am a scaleaholic. I weigh 3 times a day. I get on the scale the first thing in the morning, before breakfast. The I weigh naked, before my shower. By then I've eaten and usually I've gone potty. I weigh again before bed, naked again. I know I'm crazy, but I just have to know.
While I was reading your post I kept hearing Queen's song "Bicycle Race" in my head.

:bike2: :bike2: :bike2:
Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like

I would like to have a bike. I'm too old to learn how to ride a bike with gears and hand brakes. I found one I like at WalMart. It's like my old Schwinn I had when I was 10. It's just a basic aqua blue bike with a coast brake. I thought I was going to get it for a Christmas gift 2 Christmases ago, but I didn't. I thought I'd wait for it go on sale, but it never did. I don't know if I would really ride it much. I haven't been on a bike since like I said 45 years ago. Would I even know how to do it? I tried out a bike we have here that we got at a neighbors yard sale. I forgot to use the hand brake and ran into the garage. My hubby kept yelling at me to use the brake. LOL
Sharon- Glad you joined us. We will have these ladies converted to Red Hats before long.

Theresa- :goodscale: 3 pounds is great!!!

Wulfcwen- I like the idea of eating smaller meals more often. That's what I'm doing. I've tried several diets and this is the one that works best. I find if I don't eat my snacks I actually gain weight. Who would have ever guessed you had to eat to lose weight.
As far as exercise goes. Have you tried the exercises you do while sitting a chair? I'm sure we as a group will find something that will help you on your weight loss journey.

Cheryl- Thanks for the reminder. I'm going to do my measurements today. I try and to them once a month to compare.

OK I'm off to the shower. Have a nice day.

Good Afternoon Golden Girls!!!
I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! It is kind of cloudy and cool here today so has been kind of a lazy day for me..... Kind of makes you want to curl up and watch TV or read a book!

Cheryl-- it sounds like you are making real progress and we would love to see a picture of you in that beautiful dress!! I haven't tried the 4 mile Super Challenge yet. I'm still doing the 3 miles but I'm doing with wrist weights that are 1 1/2 pound each. I hadn't tried any with weights so I thought I would start there. Is the 4 mile pretty fast paced compared to the 3 mile? I am wanting to get another one but haven't figured out which yet. I'm also going to go to the 3 pound weights as soon as I buy them! I've been doing the 3 miles back to back to make 6 miles but just want something different. I would be thrilled if I could do the 4 miles back to back and make it 8!!

Wulfcwen-- thanks for letting me know about the salt substitute. We use it for just about everything but I had never tried in in bakign before. I'm going to make a loaf of bread here afterwhile. Tim takes his lunch with him to work everyday so I thought this might cut back a little more. Plus I make it 100% wheat so I know that is pretty healty.
You might want to check out those Walk Away The Pounds videos --- you can pretty much use them at your pace and only do as much as you want to get started. I know I love them and they make the time go by pretty fast.

Moxiesd---I hope you are having a good weekend and come back to post and let us know a little about you.

Hi Bobbi! :wave: When I noticed that Wulfcwen had posted on the old thread I wanted to be sure and let her know that we were over here now. I didn't want her to think that nobody was paying attention.. We're glad to have you here Wulfcwen!
It used to be that I was such a Diet Pepsi-aloic!! But I'm glad that I found the Diet Rite Pure Zero! Now when I have to have a diet coke or diet pepsi they just taste so weird!! I sure wouldn't want to give it up!! But I make sure that I drink a half gallon of water everyday too!!

Bobbi, I'm going ot look for those Flat Outs too the next time I go to Wal-mart. The closest one to us is about 30 miles away so I keep a running list of stuff to get there and then when we go I try to get it all.

I'm getting anxious to get some of our outdoor furniture out now too!! I hope the weather is going to stay nice but one never knows here in the high country!!

Ella- I'll bet you are out enjoying that new bike!! Have a really wonderful time tonight and be sure and come back and let us all know about it!!

Theresa-- How is your weekend going? I hope you are having some of that nice sunshine there too.

Well, I guess I'd better go and get some stuff done. I'm sure I missed several of you and I will get caught up with everyone sooner or later. Everyone have a good weekend. Karen

Hi everyone - stealing a bit of time before we head out for a walk (my sweetie is watching the Calgary Detroit hockey game. We are going to take the dog over and treat ourselves to starbucks - YAY!! I am only going to get the ice tea -- its the best ice tea you can buy in Canada. For some reason they think when you are in a restaurant and order ice tea it has to come sweetened and flavoured --- YUCK!!! First thing I do in the states is order up a large ice tea in a restaurant -- YUMMMM!!! Yesterday was a gorgeous day - I called a friend and we took the dogs for a long walk -- about 70 minutes. Today isn't as nice but its still nice enough to go for walk. I was going to get some paint to do the fence around our patio -- but with my sweetie sick and the weather not super gorgeous I just wasn't inspired -- soon -- I hope.

Hi Sharon :welcome2:

Theresa - :bravo: on the 3 pounds gone for good!!!

Karen - I bet you could find something really neat for the dogs if you really wanted a bike. They have those little trailers - all covered for kids you just never know.

Hi Wulfcwen - :welcome2:

Ella - I hear you about vehicles I like to hold on to mine - -my son is on his 9th vehicle and he has only been driving for 10 years LOL. Yes this is the same kid that spends thousands on his bikes -- its his money I can't control him -- never have never will LOL. Did you get your bike??? If you get to ride yours before I do I will be upset with myself.

Paula - we love Queen and the day after I bought the bike that song came on the radio I hum it all the time but I still haven't taken the bike out -- I have a dozen excuses LOL. My dear (aforementioned) son is also like your youngest daughter - naturally slender doesn't have to worry one bit about what he eats. Just like his father -- but I never have to worry about him eating -- his appetite is fairly healthy and he is a good cook.

Cheryl - I need your address -- I LOVE fresh raspberries. Up the hill from us grows tons of blackberries so I haul myself up there quite a bit during the season. I have to get my sweetie to join me (even though he won't eat them) so that he can pull down the higher branches (he is 6'2")

Bobbie - I am sorry about your health issues -- its just not easy. This is why I am trying my best to shed the weight now and workout so that I am not hit when I am even older. I just wish I got smarter in my 30's - but I was too busy and never gave myself a second thought - it was all about my son, my husband and my work - Joanne came last on the list.

I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!!!

I was out back trimming the Sea Grass and that just happens to be when the blackberry bushes are. Well guess what. They seem to be growing through our fence. Yep, looks like I will have berries on my side of the fence this year. There won't be enough to bake a pie with, but I should be able to get a good handful of berries off the branches that are on my side.

Hi everyone,

Just checking in here at the new site!!! Hope this will be our home.

A cloudy, cooler day here in Florida also and like Karen said a good TV movie day and Lifetime has them on all day. We are grilling out chicken breasts tonight and I'll fix some eggplant slices and some fresh veggies....now is that healthy or what. ;)

I also love my WTPO dvd.....working up to 2 miles this coming week.:carrot:

Welcome to more new ladies, glad your here.:welcome:

Phyllis

Hi All! Hope your day's going well! We're back from the track meet with a third place finish overall. :)

Karen -I have only done the 4 mile Super Challenge, so I'm not sure how it compares with the others. Outside I usually walk between 4-6 miles at a time, but I'm a neighborhood walker and slow down when there's pretty flowers or when I stop to yak with people I know. Leslie keeps me focused on the walking! :running: The second mile of her 4 mile Super Challenge is at a faster pace. You complete it in 15 minutes, so it's a bit faster than 3mph. I have Leslie's Walkblaster and DVDs and sometimes do those, too. There are a lot of lunges and squats in there!

Bobbi -I'll be GLAD to share some of my leg weight so you won't have skinny legs! I have enough to share and STILL not end up with thin legs!:?:

Phyllis- We're grilling out tomorrow. We're having chicken and some vegetables in foil. LOVE grilling out!!

Paula -Is it true that you can't plant red raspberries near blackberries? I remember hearing that somewhere. Paula, you DEFINITELY CAN learn how to switch gears and learn to use hand brakes on a bike! My son taught me in about ten minutes. I am NOT at all mechanically oriented! The gears make riding on different terrains SO MUCH EASIER. Please consider it! My husband and I have touring bikes that are five-speed models. The only thing I would change is I would have gotten a MEN'S/BOY'S bike instead of a WOMAN'S/GIRL'S bike. The middle bar makes for a much more stable ride! I couldn't believe the difference when I tried out my husband's bike which is the same model except it's a MEN'S/BOY'S bike.

Joanne -I was in Starbucks just a few minutes ago! I got an Iced Venti Lowfat Sugar-free Vanilla Latte. It was a REAL TREAT and tasted SOOOO refreshing after being outside in the sun for NINE HOURS!

Ellabella- Have fun on your new mountain bike! My son LOVES his!

Everyone! Enjoy the rest of your day!

Cheryl

Greetings & Salutations
 

Hello Golden Girls......

I would like to introduce myself..... I am not real proficient on the computer as far as navigating & all the pretty colors, fonts...etc. So please hang with me!

I am 60 years old, I have had weight problems every since I can remember, and that goes back to pre-school days. I grew up in a socially barren circumstances, which left me with a lot of trust issues, and often find my mouth gets me in more hot water than seems should be necessary.

I am currently living in the country on 40 acres. My husband of 32 years died in 2003 after a year of failing health due to a severe stroke.

I have been on more diets than there are diets. Have lost and gained more than the weight of an entire army. Finally with age and declining health I decided to try ONE MORE TIME!!! So far I have lost almost 40 pounds and my health has made a fairly remarkable turn around. (Still a ways to go...)

I am retired. Had to quit my last job a year ago due to health problems. I have 3 sons, who have made me a grandma 9 times. I live in South Dakota, and spend most of my time traveling between Nebraska and Wyoming to visit with the grand kids.

I lost the initial 40 pounds on a medially supervised protein sparing fast in only 13 weeks. That particuliar diet was better known as the Oprah diet of about 20 years ago. I (and Oprah) regained all the weight, but I decided to try it again as it was the only diet that really worked for me. Now the new diet has changed a lot, they only allow you to be on it 12 weeks and then you transition off and now I am trying to find a diet that works for me while incorporating all that I learned during the 12 weeks under supervision. I am hoping to lose about another 20 pounds in the next 4 months. I have had some problems with chronic fatigue syndrome, (probably some depression issues as well) and am trying to get my exercise routine going well.

I live in the country.....I love planting a garden and tending to it until it gets hot outside and the crop gets ripe, then I lose all interest in it. (That was the moment my hubby got interested in it as the heat and sun didn't bother him.) I would like to plant a small garden this summer, but with all the running between states to keep tabs on the grand kids (dance recitals, soccer and softball games and tournaments...you name it, they are into it!!) I am not sure I will have time to keep the weeds from over coming the plot!!

Anyway, it was a fun moment when I met all you, and I was really pleased that I even found my way back to this site (just not too bright on the computer :?: ) I hope my progress in the next 5 months is mostly in the right direction!!! So far I am managing almost an hour a day exercising, and preplanning my menu each day. Lord love a duck....if I regain this weight back again this time....just bury me NOW!!!

Good evening all,

Welcome Moxie
Moxie, Just take your time. Get to know the computer. Its not really hard at all.
40 pounds!! keep up the good work. You are already on the right step.

How are you planning to keep up your weight loss. Counting calories has been the easiest thing I have ever tried. I rarely feel hungry.

Have you heard of the website…Fitday.com ?

It is great to keep track of your calories.



:dancer:
Today has been the nicest weather this year!
Sunny and not too hot. About 70 degrees.
Spent the day doing the rounds, seeing the family. out in the sunshine.
We cooked out on the grill. Made burgers for him and bbq chicken for us girls. Yummy! My favorite food on the grill. Baked potatoes and a salad.


My problem areas… so many, where do I start?
Double chin, upper arms and this really round belly. No waist line. I have no behind! Skinny, milk white legs (invisible!)



Karen, Phyliss, Paula,
EVERYONE.
Congrats on the weight loss. I know you all worked hard to get it off.

Paula,
I do understand about skinny girls.
I have 3 sisters, all very small. The smallest has never been over 120.
And that was at 9 months pregnant. Right now she has gotten so small
with age, that she can wear kids clothes.
A good wind will Blow her over someday.
She actually makes me glad to be larger.
She Works harder to keep on the weight,
than most do to take it off.

What is SEA GRASS?
I am looking to get some large ornamentalgrass this year.
I don’t know much about it yet.
We are in about the same area.
do you know what kind to plant in this area? I love the real tall, dark blue grasses.


I weigh in daily, but only get measured at Curves.
Maybe I will start doing here. At curves, you have half a dozen women
measuring you. It seems that none do it the same. One will measure
me big and the next will measure small. So I don’t pay attention to
that.
I did get on my sons scale today. Still holding the 3 pounds down.
will move my ticker Monday if it stays off.


Karen,
I like to curl up with a good book too. Have not been doing that much
lately. I have 3 books from the library, might just look at them tonight.

Do you do your 6 mile walk all at one time? Wow! if you do. I have only
gotten to 3 miles in one walk. Mostly get about 2 miles. I walk at
about 4 mph. more or less. I am going to try and do the walk fast 5 min,
then slow 5 min. I keep reading that changing the speed from fast to slow and repeating keeps up the heart rate?
Have you heard of this?

Cheryl
Do ankle weights help make the legs not skinny? I need to get some if
they do. I have always had skinny legs. YUK! So aggravating.
All this talk about bikes makes me jealous. I wish my knees would let
me ride.

more later or in the morning ;)
hubbys home. ;) I am usally alone in the evenings. except saturday and sunday.
:wave:

Welcome Moxie!!
 

Moxie -Nice to have you here! I'm sorry that your husband had such a bad time of it following his stroke. My uncle lingered for ten years after his. It was so sad. Sounds like those grandkids are helping you to enjoy your life and keep very busy with all of their events. That's wonderful! It's good to hear that you have a plan set for eating and planning and exercising. That will help make THIS TIME a non-diet and more of a LIFE CHANGE. Glad to hear that you lost forty pounds! Doesn't it feel great not to lugging all the weight around all the time? I have NO IDEA what I was thinking when I put up with carrying an extra HUNDRED POUNDS around for THIRTY YEARS! :?:


Theresa -I've never used ankle weights, but my mom uses them to build the strength in her legs. My future DIL is a marathon/distance runner with gorgeous legs- ALL MUSCLE and very shapely! You could probably get legs like hers if you followed her training schedule of running twenty miles three times a week with "short runs" of 10 miles on the "off" days!:running: She's training for her first ULTRA (100 mile race) in August a few weeks before the wedding. Lunges and squats help shape the legs, too. Personally I think we are born with a certain shape and can tweak it a bit, but certain body parts are going to be the way they are, and we can't do TOO MUCH about them. Men can build muscle easier than we can unless you want to do that marathon thing!:dizzy:

Sharon- Yes, I remember we started at the same weight! These last thirty pounds are NOT easy! I'm tired of everything I have to remember all the time: eat every three hours, drink that water, count those calories, eat fiber, take those vitamins, no-no on the chocolate, cheese, chips (my triggers), EXERCISE MORE and MORE, lift those weights. Honestly, I need a vacation from all this weight loss work, but I KNOW that I must be vigilant or those pounds can creep back! :nono: Yes, we do spend a lot of time travelling from one track meet to another. It's been EIGHT YEARS of track between the two of them. Before that it was football games, soccer games, Tae Kwon Do, basketball, and paintball. We also travel to watch our future DIL run her marathons. My Jeep is permanently packed with chairs, tarps, spare towels (for shot and discus), blankets, and a full medical kit!

I hope you all have a great rest of the day! My husband is working on the CDs to give everyone at the wedding. If I hear "It's a Beautiful Day" ONE MORE TIME TONIGHT I will go loco!!!:dizzy:

Hello
 

Hello everyone
Thanks for the support and welcome.
Yesterday I some more in the garden and plan to a bit more today. I have managed to do some exercise as well every little bit helps well thats what I am telling myself.
Food: I am doing my best to watch the portions a smaller plate is helping I must make sure I do not load it though. Potatoes are my down fall I love them but the carbs in the evening are not a good idea. I really should have carbs miday and no carbs in the evening as they provide energy and I am sat down in the evening and not burning off the carbs.
I wonder if that would help no carbs at 6pm I might give that a try and see if it helps.
Bobbolink Plantar Fasciitis in both feet! It is bad enough in one foot. I will have to try some arch supports my Dr. is not very helpful all he said was stay off your feet. How does he think I am going to do things? Cooking, washing, cleaning, shopping,gardening and all the other little things that need doing means standing or walking, he has no idea about life.
Thanks for the idea of using arch supports no one has even thought about that this end including me.

Moxiesd
Hi I too have just joined this bunch of lovely ladies and already I feel better about trying again to lose weight.
I want this to be life style change rather than a diet as like you I have tried loads of them only to regain the weight plus a little extra as well.
I am really hoping that I will lose some weight this week even 1 pound would be a plus.

Morning ladies- Looks like it's going to be a nice day here in Ohio again. The last I heard we are suppose to get rain tomorrow though.
I got outside yesterday morning and cut down some grasses. My arm wouldn't quit shaking the rest of the day. I didn't think I would be able to move it this morning, but it seems OK. I felt good to get outside and breathe the fresh air.
Today I might go shopping with my younger daughter. She's going to San Fransisco soon and wants to get some summer clothes to wear. She wants to check out what they have at H&M. While we're out we will probably eat at the California Pizza Oven. I think I'll get the soup and salad.

Cheryl- I have no idea if you can plant red and black berries together.
Thanks for the encouragement on riding a geared bike. I really don't think I want to spend the money for one that I might not ride that much. We will see. We have one in the garage, but like I said I ran into the garage with it when I tried to ride it.

Moxie- :welcome2: Using the computer and playing around with this site will help with your computer skills. If you want o use the fun smilies in your message just click on the smilies link at the bottom of the page and it will open up a different page with all the smilies. You can either copy and paste or just type the word and colons next to the smilie and it will show up as a picture in your message.

Theresa- I call ornamental grass sea grass. That's what we have. The grass was here when we moved in. It is green with a red line on the outside of the leaves. What ever grass they sell at the garden centers should be fine. Ask when you buy it.
I used to go to Curves too and they do all measure differently. I always tried to get the same girls to measure me when possible.

Sharon- :goodscale: Super weight loss. 3 pounds is great.

OK I'm off to the shower. My daughter will be here and I'll still be sitting here in my robe and messy hair.