Hi all - hope you are having a great Sunday! Quiet day here - getting caught up around the house after church activities. Still helping DS2 get moved in. It is really hard to absorb an apartment back into the house. We are making some choices about what we can get rid of and replace second-hand if needed in the future.In the "old days" I would stack everything in the extra room upstairs, but since that room is now my workout room - I have declared it off-limits. It feels weird to be selfish about things like this, but I'm sticking to my decision.

Hey! :wave:

CD, it is not selfish to want your own space.

Been a long day, but OK. I got some things done. I'm trying some different things with my food plan--we'll see how that goes.

And we drove over to Clearwater Beach, where we've never been, to see what that's like. It was fairly crowded, which was a little suprising to me. No way would I go out on a beach in this weather--they must be tourists. ;) They do have some things that look amusing--lots of shops, cafes, and a pirate ship you can take rides on. Arrrr!

See ya!

Jay

Good Morning Ladies, Thank you all for the kind words. My husband is taking the death very hard. Not saying much, you know how men can be. There were 8 in the family and 4 are left now.

Would you believe I am sitting here cold? We got rain Saturday and it brought cool weather along with it. We went from 90 to 60 in one day. OH well, can't complain. We desperateally needed the rain.

Laurie, Have fun at the conference. And isn't it nice to be able have a choice of which clothes you want to take, instead of trying to figure out what you can wear? And the freedom on being able to stand up there on taht stage and not be distracted by thinking about how you look? Don't you dare feel guilty about not giving up your room. You are accomodating an adult child already. They are the ones that have to make the choices about what they can and canot keep and how to store their things.

Jay, I love wondering around in those little tourist shops. Way over priced usually, but you can find some really interesting things.

Good Morning . . . :wave:

Yesterday turned out better than predicted and I actually enjoyed being out and about for a while. Today -- who knows. :shrug:

See you later . . . :carrot:

A quick fly-by. I had to present at a school board meeting tonight, so it was basically a very long day.

Doing GREAT here - except that I still haven't packed and DH made reservations for a hotel tomorrow night in a town near the conference. It should be a nice evening away from home and DS2 and some hiking and all. But ,,,

School board meeting presentation went well, and my weight was 128.6 today - a new low :D


Enough rambling - time for bed. Have a GREAT Tuesday all!

CD, you are on a roll! Good luck at the conference! Break a leg! Tell us more about how it goes.

Hey flowingair, you are certainly right about the journey being what it's about. So many Olympic athletes won't be going home with a medal, but just having been there is a tremendous high point.

So meowee, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed a day! :cb: I hope you get some more nice weather.

As for me... :book2:

Jay

Good Morning, Another cool morning here. Perfect morning for a walk.

Laurie, Enjoy the time away. Congrats on the weight loss!

Jay, don't hit the books too hard!

make it a good day, Freda

Hi . . . :wave:

Another pretty nice day yesterday, but most of my exercise was spent chasing the new kitten I've acquired. The other five are all in hiding right now so it has turned quite quiet -- cats hate change. :lol:

Today, I saw the sum total of our :sunny: stuff in the first ten minutes I was up. Very overcast and the prediction is for a day of rain.

Here's Sandy . . .

Meowee- Cute cat!

Counting -Congratulations on your continued loss. Have a good time at the conference. Keep your exercise room you deserve it.

It's been cool here too! I've been transplanting flowers and filling in trenches. We're almost done.

Great day to all

meowee, that cat is adorable! :love:

Same stuff different day here. More Olympics to watch! Today there is a women's water polo match--that is just such a strenuous sport. I wouldn't last five minutes.

Of course, flowingair has just about won a gold medal in team trench-and-fill...

:wave:

Jay

Hey . . . we seem to actually be getting a sunny day . . . :crossed: . . . and at least one of the forecasters is saying this will continue through the weekend.

Other than that, nothing new for me. Hope everybody has a great Wednesday on the go . . . :carrot:

Why--it's almost noon! How did that happen?

How are folks doing today? Busy week here--had to have some car repairs for $600. It's amazing; my machines are keeping me broke.

My new plan of increased protein is working really well! :cheer2:

It's been raining here all morning. And yet--it hasn't cooled off. :faint:

See y'all later!

Jay

Hi Pals from an inactive mouse. Lots to catch up on. First of all to CD - I looked at your photos and you look fantastic. Congratulations!
Hi to all the new people!
Got a new cookbook - The Artful Vegan - which will dispel any thoughts one might have about vegan food being boring. With recipes like:
Chantrelle and Stinging Nettle Ravioli with Sorrel Puree, Saffron Aioli, and Candy Cap Mushroom-Balsamic Reduction
I don't know if I will use it more as a cookbook or as a joke book.
More later!

Spinymouse!!! :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: Where have you been? Gee whiz! Missed your socks around this place!

Well, that certainly does sound like an exciting cookbook... (But I am one of the evidently very rare people who is allergic to nettles... so I'll pass on that one, thanks!)

So what else is new with you, Spiny?

Jay

Hi All, Well we've finished the Olympic trenches. I'm onto my new event mass planting and replanting. I worked all day today. I can hardly move. I'm looking forward to a chair in front of the TV watching the Olympics. They are amazing. It's kinda funny how many calories Michael Phelps eats. Something like 12,000 calories. You have to swim 6-8 hours a day. :swim: Talk to you soon.

Good Morning, Another lovely day here. It's been really cool in the evenings, nice for walking outside. I'm stuck inside on the treadmill all winter, so I try to walk outside as much as possible in the summer.

Flo, I think you get the gold metal for trenches, and now you're going for the gold in planting too! Those arms are going to be toned! If Phelps stays in the water 6-8 hours a day, wonder what he uses to keep his skin from looking like a prune?

Spiney, I'm not a vegeterian, other wise i would run right out and get that book! Can't have too many recipes for ways to cook stinging nettles!

Hi Jay, You're allergic to stinging nettles? Too bad, you're going to miss some great recipes!

make it a good day, Freda

Hey! :wave:

Yep, definitely gold for Flo.

Yes... allergic to nettles. It was recommended to me as a medicinal herb for allergies, ironically. And it is very good for that, for most people. I was taking the organic capsule form of the dry herb. But not for long! What would happen is that my mouth and tongue would swell up half an hour later. So... I was told not to take them anymore.

Yesterday was rainy all day, so I couldn't go for a walk. I put on my old "Tae Bo Gold" video instead (it's for folks over 40). It was not hard to do it! :cb: Unfortunately, I seem to have pulled a muscle or two just because I haven't done it in so long... But that's OK.

My new food plan is so great--I've lost 2.8 pounds in a week! I'm looking to get into new territory soon... :D

Jay

Good Morning . . . :wave: . . . This will be a better day . . . :crossed:

Had a major food pig out yesterday -- pizza, pasta, brownies -- oh my. :yikes: And then my kitchen sink self-destructed -- the faucet literally broke off in my hand as I was moving it from sink to sink. :dizzy: Have left two messages for my usual plumber and no reply yet. Will call second plumber very shortly and hope I get lucky with that one.

In the meantime -- extra exercise since I have a side-split house and have to go either up or down stairs to 'find' water. :lol:

Have a great moving and shaking kind of day, gang . . . :carrot:

I'm baacckkk...

Linda - Sandy is adorable! Looks very much like my MIL's new cat - who is very feisty! Sorry about the water, and I'm proud of you for finding a silver lining in your plumbing problems. More exercise is always a good thing :)

Jay - sorry about the car. It seems like repairs go in streaks for me. It makes no sense, but it seems thing break in multiples - often 3s. Very weird.
AND - 2.8 lbs!!!!!!! Absolutely FANTASTIC! WOW - you are definitely out of plateau range and going strong. So glad you found something that is working for you!

Jo - we MISSED you! The book sounds fun. I will have to check it out. It might be a great present for the DIL who always likes to try fun new recipes. And like you - lives in that beautiful sunshine and warm weather state where she can get exotic ingredients without having to order them online (like me).

Flowing - wow - sounds like you are doing GREAT - and what wonderul exercise!

Freda - Isn't our weather glorious this week? We are loving being outside as much as possible. What an August we have had so far!

Well - best laid plans. At the last minute, several of the conference atendees canceled, so the conference organizers decided to cancel the whole thing. Since DH and I already had a room reserved up north for Tuesday night, and we both had our schedules cleared, we decided to take the days as vacation days and did some hiking and touring and shopping in the Bellaire - Traverse City area. And of course there were 4 microbreweries along the way for DH to enjoy. The weather was wonderful and we walked/hiked about 15 miles over the 3 days.

Back to reality (laundry and the like). Hope everyone has a GREAT weekend!

Hey CD, too bad about the conference... But it sounds like you made the best of it! Nothing like an unplanned vacation!

I have to work all weekend--still getting caught up on manuscripts! But things are going well.

Picture this: watching sports on TV while studying tax law. :dizzy: No, it kinda works! Depending on the sport. For preseason football, not a lot of attention is needed. And for tax law... well, it's a review course, so not unfamiliar material.

(I know, y'all thought I was a textbook editor. I am--but I have a side business as a tax practitioner.)

Is the trenching complete, Flowing?

meowee, did that plumber get there???

Jay

Yippee . . . I have a functional sink in the kitchen again . . . and it wasn't as bad as I expected, seems all the water I've been seeing over the past week or so was a result of the deteriorating faucet situation.

Other than that SSDD . . . :wave:

Jay - that is some multi-tasking you are doing. Glad you are getting caught up. For me, I need to catch up with my cleaning. The dog is molting blond fur in every nook and cranny. I hope you get time for some fun stuff this weekend!

Linda - :) Glad you have water again, but keep up that extra exercise (walking more around the house) ;)

Quiet morning here - procrastinating getting started on cleaning and gardening.

I need to set a timer and get myself moving ...

:wave:

Hi ho! It's MONDAY!!! :lol:

The fullish moon is hanging right outside my office window looking spectacular!

Tropical Storm Fay is down south--and it looks like we may have to get out of her way, depending. But not until tomorrow morning. We can check the forecasts later today and decide whether to pack the car.

Other than that... ssdd. I had dropped almost 3 pounds on my new regimen, but a couple of them have come back, for no reason I can figure out. I think it's water weight in part, but what the hay, huh? Same old again.

Well, keep on keeping on, Chickies!

Jay

Hi there . . . :wave:

Yesterday turned into one of those "let's get outside and enjoy the sunshine, comfy temps, and lack of humidity" kind of days. :yay: This is what summer in NS is supposed to be like. Today is shaping up to be more of the same.

Wow JAY . . . hope that Fay stays away. :crossed:

Good Morning, I usually have the grandkids here on Monday and Tuesday but they went to their other grandma's. I am a free woman. What shall I do?

Linda, glad you got the problem fixed and it wasn't as extensive as you feared. I bet your legs feel all that carrying water.

Laaurie, Beautiful day to get a lot of things done. Yes, the weather we've been having is perfect! Went to watch the Grands play baseball Sat and it was a perfect morning. Sunny, cool breeze...

Jay, You amaze me! Taxes just make my mind go blank! I hope you're doing well with the weather. How is it looking down there?

Flo, Did you get all your projects done? I know you sure worked hard on the trenches.

Make it a good day, Freda

You know, if you listen to the media, you'd think we're all in a state of screaming panic down here every time the wind blows. Today is bright sunny calm day, and I'm about to go for a walk.

Depending on what the tracking projections are, we may go to a friend's house tomorrow. The current track as of 8 a.m. looks like it would come pretty close. But we already have all our storm supplies--it's just a matter of packing up for an overnighter.

This is nothing compared to 2004--or even 2005. Back then we were packing up every other week.

Jay

A quick fly-in to say hello.

Jay, stay safe and let us know how you are doing if you can. We will be thinking of you!

Hi Pals
I know we've talked before about fiber. What do you all think about all that funky fiber in stuff? The stuff like tree bark that goes in high fiber tortillas, etc. If I put enough really highly spicy foods into one of those things, it will drown out the weird taste, but otherwise....well it's just weird.
Jay - yeah, stay safe from those storms. I wish we'd have just a little one here. Weather here is pretty boring so nothing to talk about on that subject! Ya'd think we'd at least be due for an earthquake. Or Something.

I actually do OK with some of the fiber-enriched foods. Flatout breads, Thomas multi-grain Light English Muffins, some fiber cereals (Kashi and Trader Joe's). But, I do tend to spice things up a bit with exotic sauces and mustards and spices.

We are getting just enough rain to water the gardens :) Perfect really, although I did have to put on a rain coat to sit out by the fire we built tonight. But, it was lovely! The pitter-patter on the leaves, the skunk running under the bushes ...

Good morning! It's another perfectly quiet morning in Florida--the moon is setting outside my window again. There is no wind, no rain. I feel that I have a duty to report to you all that as of 7 a.m., nothing is happening in Tampa Bay as a result of stupid Fay. This will help you to keep perspective when the media keep showing you photos of cars lined up on the road from the Keys.

Sometime later today I expect we'll get some rain. We had a funny little rain squall come through yesterday afternoon. I thought it had to be a rain band from the storm--and maybe it was a little isolated, wandering cell--but it kind of panicked us and we started packing the car. Only to find out later that the track and intensity had changed and there is no need to leave after all.

So this is my quiet, peaceful morning, and I'm very glad I went to the gym yesterday in spite of everything. And I may go today just to prove I can!

Then they wonder why people don't take these evacuation things seriously. Bah!

My other unhappy news is that my new food strategy was good in that I feel better and less tired, but bad in that my weight does what it always does--dropped down 3 pounds, and then drifted right back up again.

I could be really grumpy today if I gave it a minute... :mad:

Spinymouse--fiber--well, if I feel like I'm not getting enough, I put a little bit of Benefiber in my coffee or some other drink. I have eaten high-fiber foods that really were like eating sawdust or chaff from the mill. :p

Jay

Good Morning, Looks like we might get some rain this morning, not it's just dark outside.

Laurie, Yes the weather has been lovely this year. We didn't get rain yesterday, maybe ours is drifting in today. Skunk? You saw a skunk and didn't run? I'm not really afraid, but i've smelled things that have been sprayed. I want to be a long way from them!

Jay, Hope your weather continues to be mild. Stay safe!

Spineymouse, I eat lots of fiber. Yeah, some things are pretty yucky, but some of the stuff is quite good. I don't eat things I don't like. Too much food out there. I love Aunt Millie's 12 grain bread. 6 grams of fiber for 1 piece. And the kasha cereals and bars are good. And the Fiber One bars, yum!!

Make it a good day, freda

:wave:

Other than high fibre cereal (like Fibre One), I get most of my fibre from lots and lots of vegetables. :shrug:

The weather outside looks good so far this morning, but the humidity has climbed back up to 83% at 10 am and the prediction is calling for rain this afternoon -- guess three good ones in a row was a little too much to hope for. :mad: Hey, I've got inside stuff that needs doing.

See you later . . . :carrot:

Well I just saw on the home page for 3fc something about lotus rice with 10g of fiber...I will have to check that out. I can't stomach breakfast cereals. I did try a high fiber whole grain English muffin but I will have to donate the rest of the package to someone who likes sweet things more than I do. Dang they are sweet. Fiber One products too - they taste like aspartame. So I hope I don't get tired of beans, beans beans. And that lotus rice sounds like something good for beans to go on top of.

Jay - glad you don't have to evacuate :) I hope you find the right combination to help you get that scale moving down again. I admire your patience and ability to be a wonderful :cheer: for everyone, regardless of how your plan is going!

Freda - We were more concerned with getting the dog back by us - he has been skunked way too many times. We have a black and white cat that he loves to chase. He just can't seem to figure out that those little black and white critters AREN'T for chasing :yikes:

Spiny - I saw that rice link. It looks really interesting! I did find a couple Trader Joe's cereals that we like fairly well (usually dry as a snack, but sometimes with our homemade soy milk). I like Wasa crackers too, and the kids like Ak-maks, which I can't get around here. :(

I'm actually struggling already this week - Low fiber diet and no nuts or seeds allowed until after the "procedure" on Friday. It is actually a NSV for me to realize how much my eating has changed from a year ago. Almost nothing in my cupboard or fridge is allowable this week - and I'm mourning not being able to eat foods that I would have found yucky before this journey began.

:wave:

Just wanted to say GOOD MORNING while it still is. :lol: After a very stormy evening and night, today started out to be absolutely glorious again -- sunny, dry, cool -- but it is starting to cloud over again as the afternoon approaches. :mad:

Hope everybody has a great moving and shaking day ahead of them . . . :carrot:

Good Morning, I just finished up my walk. So nice out today. I think it's supposed to be in the 70's. Warm days and cool nights.

Jay, hope you're ok with the weather there.

Laurie, Sorry, must have missed it. What procedure? I know, ater awhile your body gets used to the "good" stuff and actually craves it. Why don't we lsiten to our bodies more often?

Flo, Congratulation on finishing all that work. it really was good exercise and you got something important done! Now you can take more time to plan meals. But don't forget to find some other type of exercise too.

Make it a good day, Freda

Hi, everyone!

Yesterday we had, oh, ten minutes of rain. Less rain than we get in a normal, non-tropical-storm type day! Today it's cloudy and breezy--but the wind direction is changing as Fay continues her do-si-do with Tampa Bay.

Thanks for the good wishes! for storms and also for ups-and-downs with the scale, speaking of do-si-do's.

We'll see whether things change on the weight front in the next week, or whether I'll go around again...

Spiny, is it because most breakfast cereals are too sweet?

See y'all,
Jay