Jude, nice watercolors! The one with the boats reminds me of visiting Chance Harbor in New Brunswick, on the Bay of Fundy. The tide was out and the boats were sitting on the bottom, waiting for the turn.

I took a water color class once, and I learned just how hard it is to do it well. It gave me a new appreciation for anyone who does it.

The dinner last night was delicious--we went to Bonefish Grill, and I had the salmon salad. It consisted of 5 oz. of grilled salmon in one chunk, with a salad consisting of baby greens, fennel, small green beans, some perfect asparagus, and an ounce of mild goat cheese. A lovely vinaigrette dressing on the side. Also some warm Italian style bread with a saucer of oil, herbs, and garlic. I had one-half piece of the bread. I figured out that my dinner came to 626 cals, all things considered, and so my total for the day came to right around 1400, which isn't bad!

The people we were with wanted to go to Coldstone Creamery afterwards, and I was wavering, but my partner said she didn't feel like it--she was too full. So that gave me strength! Skipped another 300 calories that way!

So my weight is actually down a little bit this morning. I love reinforcement like that, even though I know it's not a cause-and-effect situation.

Yesterday I did in fact attack three drawers in my dresser. The clothing in those drawers simply got transferred when we moved, and it was time to sort them and GET REAL. For example, old T-shirts that are too big and have stains and haven't been worn in 7 years, but have sentimental value. OUT! And I also moved some clothes into another set of drawers in my closet. By the time I was done, I had three almost empty drawers. So, I was able to unload one of the still-packed boxes and give its contents a new home.

Today I've been for my walk--it's clear but a bit chilly for us--and am getting more work done. Also laundry.

meowee, are you over that Chinese dinner yet?

Cheers,
Jay

Happy Sunday!

Jay - Fantastic job - turning down ice cream is HARD! You deserve that scale reward this morning!

Congrats on getting the drawers cleaned out too. It feels good, doesn't it?

Church went well this morning, and distributed almost all of the re-usable grocery bags we ordered (the ones I did the design for) - once people saw them, we sold quite a few more today

I'm making bread and bean soup - the house smells WONDERFUL! I'm thinking I need to cook on the weekends more often.

I've been in a "tea" mood lately too with the cold weather. Water just isn't appealing, but I am drinking tea (all kinds - herbal, green, black, red, white) all day long instead.

LOL, I guess there are worse "kicks" I could be on

That being said, I'm off to make a cup of chai tea.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

The BGL is having a wonderfully low day and at least half the www is gone. Hopefully the rest will get on the road soon.

Just loved seeing all those gorgeous paintings . . . I do crafty things too, but no talent for actual 'artistic endeavours'.

All my cats are in 'under the bed' mode today because the wind is howling so loudly -- but it's warm at 21C/70F.

See you all later.

Well I went and weighed in this morning. I am down 3 pounds this week. I can not tell you when I last lost 13 pounds!!! I have lost 5 pounds 3 times over but when I got on that scale and had broken into the 220's fantastic!!
You know I started this food plan and I knew that it was the one for me. Kicking and screaming all the way but the weight is just leaving my body.

Glad you liked my watercolors. I started one yesterday that will be of bamboo sort of an oriental look. It is for a friend in England. Would I dare to mail it in a frame? Would the glass survive? To me it was a good sign that there was some peace going on in my head and my body. I hoped that this week would be enough to get me on track and I think it has. I slept 10 hours last night. So that was great.

Now I had not thought about purging the drawers Jay but mine could use it too. Your dinner sounded wonderful last night. You can never fail when you have fish.

I had a new fish lunch yesterday.
Recipe: 2 C coleslaw, 4oz tuna, 1c frozen baby peas, 1T mayo 2T yogurt & 1tsp mustard. a sprinkle of seasoning. Voila! It was delicious. Yes the peas go in frozen. This will be a great recipe for lunches. and yes you eat the whole thing.

Freda how did the soccor go? Did they win? Better yet did GS get a goal??

I have to say thanks again Laurie. Seeing your journey in photos really got me going. And it was a post in the OA thread that told me about the food plan I am on. I guess things come to you when you are ready.
I am supposed to only weigh in once a month. So I am down to once a week and I go to the rec center to do it. I do have a scale but I put it away. I have a long way to go but I am thinking next summer will be the new me.

Right now one day at a time. I just feel like the dam has finally broke.

Have a good Sunday. I am going to batch cook for my week back to work. This week will be a challenge but I think I am up for it.
Cheers Jude

Happy Monday! OK, perhaps that's a bit too much... But I'm lower on the scale today, so that gives me a boost.

Plus it got cold enough last night that I could "justify" having a fire in the fireplace this morning.

CD, yeah, ice cream is one of those foods I can't have in the house. But I was already full with dinner, and having the ice cream would have been enjoyable for about 10 minutes and then I'd have been unhappy for hours...

meowee, glad to hear that your BGL was nice and low! Has your windy situation up there eased off?

Jude, on the big loss! I'm so glad that your plan is working and that you are sticking with it!

Now where's Freda? And that Spiny? Hi to all!

Jay

Hope you are having a good Monday. It is here! Snowing and blowing. But, my Cocoa Chai Tea arrived from Amazon, so that is improving my mood some. Amazing what a cup of tea can do!

Jay - Congrats on the loss!!!
There are times I wish I had a fire place. When we moved here, it wasn't something that was important to have in a house since we had heated with wood (and solar) for 10 years in our previous location. I was really tired of the fuss and muss of wood. Now, 20 years later, I think a fireplace might be nice. I toy with getting a little gas model every year, but always talk myself out of it. Maybe this year ...

Jude :congrats: That is an AWESOME loss!!! Just keep doing what you are doing! Thank you for your kind words! You really CAN do this!!! As I look back, it is funny that it seemed that I lost weight so slowly - that it took forever to lose even a few pounds. And in hindsight - it seems like the time went by so quickly.

Linda - send that warmth here - my howling wind is accompanied by 27F and SNOW! Glad that your numbers are coming in low - that is awesome news! Hopefully it will be a trend

Well, gotta fly - I have to go back to work tonight for a meeting. And, I'm sure I will have to scrape the car before I go

Hi to everyone. I'm sorry to be off line for so long. I hope to get here more often. Looks like everyone is doing great.

Jay and Jude congratulations on your weight loss. I hope to join you now that all my parent/teacher stress is over, and I can get back to exercising.

Jude, I love the water colors, what a great way to relax.

It's getting cold here too. We had snow today. My class just loves it when it snows. I remember a girl I had a few years ago who grew up in Texas, she had never seen snow before. It was so much fun watching her enjoy snow for the first time. I love snow; its just driving in it that's awful.

Laurie- I'm with you and the tea. Tea seems such a good match for cold weather, and so low in calories. Talk to everyone soon. Lori

Good morning! The scale is down a little more today, which is good reinforcement.

Lori, good to see you back!

CD, our fireplace can burn real wood, but I prefer the pressed logs. My favorite is the Java Log, which is made from recycled coffee grounds! It does not have a strong smell, but some people say they can get a hint of coffee as it burns. They are easy to get started, burn completley, leave hardly any ash, and what they do leave is very easy to deal with. Another, related brand is Pine Mountain--these are pressed sawdust. No petroleum products in them, either.

http://www.java-log.com/product_overview_en.htm

I like tea, especially in the afternoons. My favorites are English Breakfast and Earl Grey. I also have this nice herbal tea called Egyptian Licorice (Yogi Tea brand). It's nice if you want something that tastes sweetish without having to add any sweetener.

I can't believe that November is more than half over.

Jay

Hi everyone, I'm back! I didn't freeze to death, althought I was pretty cold at times! The kids played Saturday from 1:30 untill 5 and it rained! We stood out in the rain and cold most of that time. By the time we left it was dark. Started all over again Sunday morning at 8. we got there early and put up a tent/windbreaker and had a heater inside. That helped a lot. It didn't rain but it was sooo cold. It started snowing again just before they finished the last game, around 2. We cooked out and fed the kids (and us too) before we headed home. Into the worst snow storm! Did you other ladies from Michigan get it too? It was snowing so hard you could hardly see the road. No, we didn't win, but we came in 4th place, which was nice. My son coached and we went into this knowing that every child that played during the year would play in the tournament. Most of the coaches don't do that, they play the best players and the other sit on the sidline and watch. I'm really proud of him for doing that, so win or loose, I think our team were real winners!!

Jay, congratulations on the Loss!! And turning down ice cream? Hard for me to do. But these days I usually just get the soft serve yogurt, and love that! Watch that organizing bug. Once it gets you, you find something else that just MUST be cleaned out!

Jude, Congratulations on the weight loss!!! I know it's hard being patient, and we always want to lose faster than we do. But, just focus on eating healthy and exercising and one day you will wake up and be there!! It did seem like a long time, but like Laurie mentioned, looking back the time didn't take all that long. Your pictures were lovely! I have no talent except appreciating those who do.

Laurie, my husband is a fire bug! We have a fire every night in winter. We had to stop last year because my GD has asthma and it made her worse. We couldn't even have a fire the day before she came over. But now that the kids aren't coming over every Monday and tuesday, we will be having the fires again. And i'm a tea drinker too. Love my little cup of tea, in my fancy little cup. I drink coffee in a mug, but have special cups for my tea. Just makes the process that much more special.

Hi Lori, Glad to hear that things are slowing down and bit and look forward to seeing you here more. What grade do you teach? I know kids are always excited to see that first snow.

Make it a good day, Freda

Wish this silly company I used to work for would realize that I retired 7 years ago -- but oh no, and, since I can't seem to tell them to shove it, I'm up to my ears in pension calculations again.

Wow, what a difference a day or two makes weather-wise -- high temperature Sunday, 70F; yesterday, 41F; today we will be lucky to make it much above freezing and the precipitation that is expected will probably be white and lingering. At lest it isn't nearly as windy.

Okay, gotta get back to that nmber crunching. See you later.

I am the first to love a wood burning fireplace either indoors or outdoors. But with all the new green thinking it is a tough call.
The American Lung Association states:
The health effects of woodsmoke exposure include increased respiratory symptoms, increased hospital admissions for lower respiratory infections, exacerbation of asthma, and decreased breathing ability. Population studies have shown that young children, the elderly, and people with preexisting cardiopulmonary disease are most likely to be affected

From what I understand that burning wood releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that is one of the major contributers to global warming. There have been many articles on the burning of the rainforests by farmers who get more money from growing a crop or raising animals.
Our world is in a sad state I am afraid.
I live in what is considered a northern rainforest. It does not supply the plants and medicines needed by man like the Amazon does though.
One of the problems that we have here in our forests is the pine beetle. Which normally was controlled by freezing temperatures. But the temperatures no longer get cold enough to kill off the beetle. We are now losing our forests.
In the picture below all the red trees are dead from the pine beetle.
pine.jpg

I am not the soap box type but this global warming is serious stuff. Here in the north they are finding polar bears drowned as they have run out of ice to live on and get stranded at sea.

I wish we had paid better attention years ago. We have not been good stewards of the land I am afraid......
I have a gas fireplace and it is a greener alternative but not sure it is so great either. Apparently a lot of the pollutants are actually released into the house as much as up the chimney.
So what do we do to do our part? In the cold parts of the country we really need to look for greener alternatives.

We have a long cold winter in Canada.
Jude

Jude - I miss my solar panels on our old house. Moving into a 100+ year old home meant that we had to make some sacrifices. And - we don't have a southern exposure here where we can mount panels

Linda - 41F sounds down right balmy right now! Hope you get your numbers crunched - and that it works out in your favor!

Freda - glad you made it through the nasty weather. We got snow and blowing, but not too much accumulation (couple inches). The roads are very slippery though.

I laughed at your post! I usually have tea in my coffee mug, but a BF gave me a beautiful tea cup and saucer last year for Christmas. I have been using it as a decoration, but I am going to make tea tonight in it
And - I did order a new steeping cup (with an infuser). It has a lid which will help keep the tea warm longer Nothing fancy, but I think it will be fun to use with my loose leaf teas.

Jay - cool beans! (OK - pun intended). Those java logs are a great idea! I had never heard of them before.
:congrats: on the loss! I hope the trend continues for you!!!!

Good day here - busy at work, but a few interesting projects landed on my desk - which always makes for a nicer day.

I'm making roasted veggies tonight and the smell is driving me nuts. My stomach is screaming at me - FEED ME! Funny how I don't do much real cooking any more. So many of our meals are things I can prepare quickly.

My weight is creeping down a few tenths, still hoping to get it down another .5 lb in the next week.

Hope you had a GREAT Tuesday!

Laurie

I would like to know how to make roasted veggies. Not something I have ever done. Well have put veggies in a pyrex and put the lid on them and cooked them in the oven but I do not think that is what you mean....
Thanks.....Jude

Good morning, everyone!

Freda, glad to see you back! I think the outcome of the games was good--especially since everyone got to play. Everyone likes to win, but the participation is the important thing IMO.

About 10-12 years ago I went back to school for a degree in environmental studies. During those couple of years, I learned many things, and a lot of them were depressing. One of the things I learned was that everything I do--and I mean whether it's washing the dishes or turning on a light switch or driving to the grocery store--has an environmental impact. And, the impact is unavoidable.

I think it's important to be aware of the impacts and to try to reduce them, but at the same time I can't just stop my life or go back to the "good old days," which really weren't so good. It used to be that everyone had a coal furnace, and the air quality in some places was horrible in the earlier part of the 20th century.

Laurie, I've never made roasted veggies either. Are they made in an open dish or pan?

Back to work for me...

Jay

Busy, busy, busy . . . but wanted to say a quick HI . . .