Lori - I am new here, but I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your mother. My father passed away just last April. I hope you have a supportive family to help you. It's hard. I can still feel my father's love though. It helps. He was a very caring person; one that I can only hope to strive to be like. He always knew the right thing to say. Just take one day at a time. I'm sure you have a lot of good memories.

Today we are off school. Snow Day!! Right now, at this very second, I have finished everything on my "To Do" list!!! I got so caught up over the Christmas Break, that today, I guess I am finished catching up! WOW!!
I shoveled. I didn't use the snowblower because it just wasn't really that much, plus I counted it as exercise. The roads were pretty slippery though, so my DH told me. Those country roads had ice and snow blowing all over them. So maybe I knew a storm was coming and I didn't even know it with going to the grocery store last night! Nope, I didn't have a clue.

I am baking a lasagna for dinner. I'll watch my portions, and have a nice salad with it.

Have a great day!

Thanks for all your kind thoughts and prayers. I went back to work today, that was difficult, but heart warming. I hope to get back on track and get back on program. Thanks again, talk to you soon. Lori

Good Morning Everyone

Jay ...Congradulations on staying on plan. Those scales will show the effect sooner or later. Sometimes we get ( or at least I get) to impatient with those numbers.

Freda....It's great you have such control with your eating, I aspire to be more like you..I am doing much better these days though..Hope your weather up there doesn't get to bad, my sister lives in Mich also, and she said they're expecting really cold and snowy weather. She lives in south-western area. (where I'm from) right in the snow belt. They get it off the lake big time.

Jen....Sounds like you had a really good snow day, all caught up on things...hum...been a long time since I could say that You sound like me with food other people bring in...never know where it's been or how it's been treated I have a real problem with that!!!

Lori....Hope things are getting better for you..Give yourself a little slack, you'll get back on program, just be sure to take care of yourself and watch the stress.

Well seems the new lifestyle change is doing well for me so far. Guess because at this point it is the only thing I can control for sure...My older brother has had four different types of cancer in the last about six years...Now it is melanoma, and it is in his blood stream. He keeps getting spots of it throughout his system, mostly on his liver and kidneys. At any rate the doctors have told him there is no more they can do for him.

There is an herbal remedy for this but he won't even try it, it is just so frustrating when people are so closed minded, I mean what could it hurt at this point???? Sorry for ranting

Anyway, we can only try to help others we cannot make them except the help. So now that I've been bad I guess I'll go and do some more exercise to releave the stress...Hope you all have a wonderful day
.................Pat

Just keep remembering the good times you had with her over the years LORI . . .

Well another storm has come and gone and today was nice and sunny. I'm getting tired of this Winter already.

Bought some new furniture for my sunroom/familyroom over Boxing week and it should be delivered next Thursday so that will keep me out of trouble for a little bit anyway getting things organized for a complete changeover. I'm doing away with a couch in there and just going with chairs and this has sparked a complete rearrangement of the room. Now, of course, I need to decide what to do about the ten windows that are in need of a new treatment and then there's the fact that the room, or that small part of it that isn't made of glass, needs new paint, and so on, and so on, and so on.

Oh ya . . . I 'only' gained 3 pounds over December . . . could have been a lot worse, I guess.

Jay - sounds like you are starting out the new year very committed and on track!

Lori - so sorry to hear about your Mom. My thoughts and prayers are with you!

Jen - doing great, girl! Enjoy that lasagna - it is one of my favorite foods. I put a LOT more veggies in mine these days (and a lot less cheese) and it is actually a very healthy food

Pat - sorry about your brother - I will keep him in my prayers. Good for you making positive changes and sticking to them! Consistency is what it is all about!

Linda - your post made me laugh. I'm the same way! When I change ONE thing, it makes me realize all the OTHER things I need to change as well.

Well, I'm doing fine, just busy. With work and church meetings, I haven't been on my computer for two days (well, except for work, and 3FC is blocked by our filter at work).

I have given priority to working out, and have been doing an hour with Wii Fit and another hour of Wii Sports every day for the last two weeks. This is good, because my cardio workouts were waning. I'm enjoying the new routines and a change of pace from my DVDs.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Laurie

It sounds like everyone is doing pretty good! I was doing good, but then we went out for dinner. It was delicious, but I think I overdid it a little. The margaritta was fantabulous! Tonight, I will go work out. I will get back on the wagon!

Went back to work today. Busy, busy, busy. The phones were unreal. I could have had a project to do too, but the person who gives me the report didn't, so Monday! That will be fine with me. Sometimes, I don't know what I do all day, but it flew. Thank goodness I didn't have the project. I am glad my job is so busy though. I've had both ends of the spectrum with jobs. Keep me busy, and keep me happy! When I get bored, it is time to get a different job. I have been with the school for about 15 years. Done almost all levels of jobs. It has been a good experience, and it has given me a good insite of how everything sort of meshes together. Plus all of the contacts I have made has given me great sources for information. I've never burned my bridges!

We are expecting a lot of snow tonight and tomorrow; last I heard from the weather man, 8 to 10 inches of snow! It was funny, because I was telling you all how packed the grocery store is with storms and all, and a few parents, and even my boss, have to go to the grocery store tonight. They were dreading it. I just smile, because I don't have to!!!

Tomorrow I think we will just be snowed in. My "to do" list is still finished, crossed one more thing off for today! I can relax, read... do whatever...WOW! Have a wonderful weekend!

Good Morning Everyone

Meowee...Sounds like you bit off quite a job, but it will keep you busy, and then this summer you will be able to sit and enjoy it more. I like to try to get all the cleaning and rearangeing done during the cold months. Then when I can be outside, that's where I am. Can hardly wait for time to garden again. I'm tired of winter already too.

JLou....Sounds like you have a great job, I always wanted one to keep me busy too. The time just flys by when you are busy....We aren;t expecting snow til next Mon, Tues,and Wed. Don't have any right now and would just as soon keep it that way, But we shall take whatever comes along.

Laurie....All that working out...WOW....that should get you in shape again, I work out but not that much...hum...guess maybe I'd better get it in gear.

Well things are going OK here and am sticking to my plan,and doing my cardio every day and strength training every other ( well a little every day,more every other) Well guess I'll get going. Hope everyone has a great weekend.....Pat

We are supposed to have a couple of mostly sunny days before the next storm, but, at this precise moment, there is a little white fluff falling out of the sky. Hmmmmmm

Think I've decided what to do with all those 10 windows -- would love to have custom made plantation shutters but we are talking big $$$$'s so think I'll try faux wood mini-blinds with some sort of temporary shade curtain behind the top of them for the summer, since I seldom put them up above half-mast in the summer anyway. I know from experience that the summer sun will warp PVC blinds.

Otherwise . . . nothing new around here . . . finally have a couple of OP days under my non-existent belt so things are going well there, too.

See you later . . .

Hey! Nice to have you back posting again, meowee!

I had a scare yesterday... I started seeing flashing lights in arcs around the edges of my vision in my right eye. I totally lucked out and was able to get to an ophthalmologist this morning--I was afraid it might be detached retina. Well, it wasn't, it was posterior vitreous detachment. This happens to most people eventually, and is rarely a problem. But flashing lights or an increase in floaters does need to be checked out, since detached retina definitely is a problem and has similar symptoms.

And, not only is this new doctor right across the street practically from where I live, but I also got a referral to a primary care physician. I've been looking for one since we moved.

I finished a project yesterday that I had been working on for months, and I am soooo glad it is gone. It turned out to be a boring, crummy project that didn't pay me very much. Grrrr. Now I can turn my attention to the better-paying work.

It's football for me later on today!

Does anyone have anything fun planned for the near future? My partner and I are trying to schedule some outings because if we don't do that, we just don't go anywhere.

Food tip learned on the National Body Challenge: Cottage cheese has more protein per serving than steak!

Jay

Jen - you sound like me. I've had 13 different jobs in the school system (although I've had my current job for 10 years). And - if you run out of chores at home, I could use a hand with my de-cluttering Seriously - enjoy your day off - you deserve it!

Pat - your post made me giggle. I was actually feeling guilty because I haven't done my 6 a.m. workout since Christmas. Doing the Wii workouts is substituting, and I'm enjoying sleeping in that extra half hour. Common sense is now prevailing - change is GOOD! Sleep is GOOD!

Linda - I have the "fake wood" (nice quality) blinds in my bedroom. They are working really well in there. I have pleated shades (again a good quality) in my living room and I really like those as well. I have had the same ones for about 15 years and they are still going strong.

We have a 100+ year-old house and I love all of the decorative window moldings, so I didn't want to cover them with window treatments. And - as you well know - long drapes are such an attraction to the kitties.

Jay - glad the eye was nothing serious! What a blessing to find a doctor so close. Glad your boring project is finished. I love the sense of accomplishment when those tough jobs are done.

Funny you should ask about future plans. DH and I are starting to get stir-crazy and decided that we need a long weekend away - soon! He planned a trip down Freda's way - to Ann Arbor for next weekend. We need to get to Sam's Club and Trader Joe's, and the Ann Arbor TJ is the closest (stlll, it's 3 hours away). The weather will determine the agenda - certainly a couple microbreweries he wants to visit, and probably some urban hiking. The rest of the agenda is still up in the air.

Well, DS2 is enamored with Guitar Hero, so I may have to "schedule" my wii time today. Which is OK, I have lots of cleaning to get done. I gotta organize my closets too. I found another lot of business suits on ebay (the designer samples I'm so fond of) and I gotta make some room for them.

Note to self: STAY OFF EBAY!

So, I'm off to get the usual Saturday chores done, and then get crackin' on those closets.

I hope you have a fun and OP day!

Laurie

Hey everyone! Day 10 for doing pretty good. Thank you much for the support! Last night I did exercise on the recumbent bicycle, not because I really wanted to, but mostly because I told you all I would. I am a woman of my word!

I really do love this job I have now. Here is one of the many quotes that I like... "Let us realize that the privilege to work is a gift, the power to work is a blessing, the love of work is success." Credit to David O. McKay. I have only been in my position for just over a year now. I even brought in donuts, (yeah donuts, have to rethink that for the next time), on my 1 year anniversary in December. My DH teases me about how long I am going to stay put in a job. Variety is the spice of life!

Speaking of vacations... In one month, we are going on a trip to Hawai'i!!! We have been planning it since last May, trying to decide where to go and all. In June, I booked it; it was so far away, and now it is here! It will be our 30th Wedding Anniversary!!! Not that it has been a rough way to go or anything, but we deserve it! My husband and I met in High School and got married after he returned from the Army. I am getting excited. We have been researching it, and all the pictures are just gorgeous! I'm not so thrilled about flying, but I'm sure we will have a great time!

It is still snowing here. Supposed to get 8 to 12 inches of the white stuff! My DH has gone out twice already to snowblow. He did our neighbors sidewalks too. The belt on their snowblower broke, and of course this time of year, they can't find one anywhere. It is sort of relaxing, that feeling of being snowed in. Tonight we are going to walk around in our winter wonderland!

Have a great day everyone!

Hi to all,

Welcome all the new people, I look forward to getting to know you this year.

I'm slowly catching up with things. We will open Christmas presents Sunday. They've been sitting under the tree since before my Mom died. This is our first chance to come together as a family, and then we'll move forward.

Everyone seems to be doing so well. I'm glad to see all the encouraging ideas out there.

Jay sorry about your aunt!

Pat, my prayers are with you and your brother. Sounds like he's been fighting a terrible battle.

Jlou Hawaii is so much fun. I've been there twice and I love the island of Kuaii. I think that's how it's spelled, it's the island that is most like the Hawaii of old. Lots of flowers and beautiful scenery. The big island is nice too very different lots of lava, it's still growing every day because of the volcanic action. My DH caught a 286 lb. sword fish on the big island. Youl'll have a blast. Just thinking about Hawaii brings back some beautiful happy memories. Thanks. I hope you have a great time.

We had a gloriously beautiful sunrise this morning -- but the sunny stuff didn't last long and it now looks like our evening storm may be moving in a little earlier than expected.

I accomplished a nice bit of furniture moving and corner cleaning this morning and I'm quite proud of myself at the moment. Guess I'd best try to get some laundry done this afternoon.

Nothing else tooexciting around here . . . how about for the rest of you?

Jen, don't worry about flying - it will be fine. Just remember to get up and walk around regularly. Drink as much as you can while traveling - flights are very dehydrating. I take protein bars, string cheese, dried (or fresh) fruit, and of course dark chocolate to snack on. Airport delays are common this time of year and airport food is well OFF PLAN (for the most part). I find delays to be very trying if you aren't prepared - stuck in an airport with too much time, not much to do is definitely a recipe for trouble. I take an empty water bottle with me and then some of those individual packets with either protein drink or SF tea and fill the bottle after I get through security.

Lori - I hope your family has a good "Christmas" It is hard to celebrate when you have had a loss.

Linda - you deserve to be proud - sounds like you got a lot done! I love that sense of accomplishment when I do things that I can actually step back and admire and enjoy my efforts!

helps you as you deal with your cancer.

A quiet Sunday here. Church was great this morning, and it was nice to be in fellowship with several folk we hadn't seen for a while (weather constraints). I picked up some Christmas supplies (now at 90% off) after church - nothing like starting my shopping early

DS2 is playing Guitar Hero, so I have my hearing aids turned OFF

Gotta fly - time to call my mom and get some cooking done for the week. Of course fresh warm bread tempts me to go off plan. Gotta be be strong!

Thanks for the Hawaii and flying tips. We have some friends that also loved Kuaii too. We are going to stop at 4 different islands. I know I need to pack some snacks for the plane too. Those airports are loaded with foods I shouldn't be eating. Usually when we go on vacation, I throw caution to the wind, but this time, I want to stick with making the right choices for health. This is for the rest of my life! I plan on eating a lot of pineapple, fresh tropical fruits of all kinds. I love fresh fruit!

I walked last night with my dog, and all was fine, until I was a block from home. A stray dog decided to follow us home. He wasn't aggressive or anything, (I carry a spray for detering dogs); everytime we stopped he stopped, but I wasn't going to chance it with them getting too close to each other. So I rushed my dog inside the house and went back out to see if I could see if the stray had a tag on his collar or "something," but he barked at me and ran away. A few hours later I looked out and he was back, but moved on again. Of course I was feeling bad that I couldn't help the poor dog out, and I was worried I would see him in the road today, but thank goodness I didnt, and I am just going to think, (hope), that he made it home alright. I know I don't need another dog right now, I have two, but I have a soft spot for animals, that's what the "something" would have been. One of my dogs is 12, who I found at one of the schools I worked at. He was a puppy. I placed an add in the paper's lost and found, but no one claimed him. My other dog is 8, and I got her from a rescue group. They are both mixes, sweet tempered, smart, great dogs!

A lot of church services were cancelled around here this morning. The streets were pretty clear, maybe it was their parking lots. I called my mom as soon as I saw her church was cancelled. The woman is 82 years old! She is in good health and all, but I worry about her driving when the roads are good!

We walked again today, this time 3 miles. It was just beautiful. It is cold, but not windy, so it wasn't that bad. I don't like being cold. I have Hawaii on my mind I guess.

Back to work tomorrow, the start of a new week! Have a good night!