Hi everyone.. a crisp sunny day out,hard frost last nite tho. im glad dogs count as exercise as chasing 3 around in my walker poops me out. ive been doing some house work and working on an afagan i started for my dd last yr and didnt finnish.i want it done for a xmas gift. im almost done with my shopping. i love the holidays and in the past i went banana's at xmas but realize i cant do that any more so i start early and do a bit at a time. i made a turkey,apple salad for lunch and dinner today. sorta like a waldorf salad with the turkey added. i find it harder to keep from snacking when im here by myself grrr good thing i dont have alot of bad foods on hand. my surgeon said find something to keep me busy befor it finds me. good advice. nothing new in my world hope yours is an easy peasy sorta day.(((hugs))) rosey

Hello again,

Rosey ~ could you write down your recipe for the turkey apple salad? It sounds good.

Marie ~ the picture of the 3 wheeler isn't the recumbent exercise one that made my back ache. The one pictured is the one I ride outside and not a recumbent ~ the seat ~ though it looks odd is the most comfortable of the different ones I've had. The outside one ~ I think it is just that I was riding it in a manner it wasn't meant to be ridden. I think it is more of a thing for pleasure riding and not for a work out.

It is quite breezy out this afternoon. It is supposed to get down in the 40's tonight. It sure feels nice after the hot hot summer we have had.

Gotta do some getting ready for work stuff ~ check back later

I've been waking up early very easily and today I went to my yoga stretch class...dh stayed home because he had a lot of yard work to do. I worry some about him out in the yard alone though as I notice between the leg and his eye he doesn't have as good balance as before I think it's mostly due to his vision as this past winter he was fine when we were RVing and I only noticed this after his eye started bothering him.

We have a meeting tonight at church so will be eating dinner early. We are having fish (Tilapia) and salad. Joe will probably make his into a crab salad. My weight's been at 154 the past three days and tomorrow is my weekly weigh-in day. I was hoping it would stay at 153 but 154 is ok...whatever as long as I lose and don't gain. At the meeting tonight they are serving dessert...it's a dessert potluck. I forgot and didn't pickup anything but remembered I had a brownie mix so am taking that. Of course I won't be able to eat any but I have to confess I "licked" out the bowl!
Naughty me! Doubt it was much over a tablespoon...and other than that I'm OP.

Still doing laundry I started yesterday and have another load to go but it may have to wait until tomorrow. Daily housework is done and mopped kitchen and foyer floors. After the gym, I shopped for groceries but just a couple days worth...will still need to go back...probably Thursday. Meant to get a manicure today too but it slipped my mind.

Rosey - I try to shop some all year round these days for the same reason but really haven't accumulated much this year.

Speaking of Christmas, I have a question for you all....where do you draw the line on gifts for your family or do you? We have 4 children...with spouses/gfs that's 6. Then we have 10 gc (two are 20 and 22, others 16 and below) and the 22 year old is now married so make the total grands 11. So just in our family we have 17 to buy more. I love buying gifts and I don't spend a whole lot and I save all year for it so the money is there for it each year. But dh thinks maybe we should start cutting back, but it's hard to know how. So I was wondering what do you all do? Do any of you have great-grands? How do you do the gifts when you have great-grands? Just curious. If I've asked this question before, I'm sorry but I can't remember.

I'm getting very forgetful...today I couldn't find my brownie pan...the kind that bakes the brownies in nice little squares...just got it on our winter trip but can't find it anywhere! Ended up using my regular pan. Joe brought a cable to me he found in the family room...I know it must be to one of my electronic devices but which one?...haven't a clue! Threw it in with all the others. I think I may be losing my mind!


Bobbie - I was never very career minded and when my dh retired I went part-time but then just couldn't stand it that he was able to sleep in and go to the coast and I couldn't, so I quit too. I also had a very stressful job and I was tired of it...it was fun for a while..had nice people to work with but things changed..different people who didn't care so much and it just wasn't fun anymore.

Zoe - Love your comments on all the walking! On the MF forum I heard if it didn't help before, don't count it as exercise...but I still count my gym activity even though it never helped me lose weight. I figure all activity burns some calories even if only a little. Shoe polish?! I hope dh doesn't get that idea..that For Men stuff is about as bad though. I'm glad he quit using it!

Slmn - Oh that comment from the serviceman said was uncalled for..I'm glad they moved her. These guys (on my train) were nice, and they sure blushed!
Then there was the old lech that kept trying to look up my skirt ...but that's another story...that train trip was a real adventure for us!

Slim - Pizza crust, THAT is the very best!! Yum!!

Hi everyone turkey salad:

2 cups chopped baked turkey or chicken
1 stalk celery chopped
1T fine chopped onion
1 lg apple chopped
1/4 cup walnuts or cachews
2t lite mayo
1/2 t lemon juice
salt and pepper

Mix and serve,sometimes i sprinkel a few chow mein noodles on top

i also made today pumpkin spice protein pancakes.im always looking for new things and i thought they where good.

1 egg
6T pancake mix
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
3T torani sf syrup i used carmel( or u could use sf mapel syrup or splenda)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 t pumkin pie spice
mix and cook in teflon pan sprayed wiht pam
i doubled the recipe and got 10 small pancakes. one would be a serving for me.i got the recipe from theworldaccordingtoeggface web site.she has lots of lo cal high protein recipes check them out.

I must be bored as i find myself at loose ends and wanting to eat eat eat grrrr.so far ive resisted. ((hugs))) rosey

Good Morning,

I feel crummy, but not horrible. It is kind of a strange cold - moving from my head to my chest - no sore throat - headache & dizzy. Just staying in and lazing around.

My NYC trip -

We were in NYC from Friday afternoon to Monday morning. We went to:
Brooklyn Museum of Art (had a tour of the African art)

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Glass Making Studio (saw several presentations of glass making)

Cinema/Café/Apartments/Park (in one building) (had a tour conducted by the architect

Old Dutch House (from 1630) in the middle of Brooklyn (had a tour by a historian)

Old Farm House (from 1670) in Queens

Manhattan (Times Square) (we had to subway in to pick up the Open House New York guidebook)

Two nice Brooklyn restaurants for dinners

Queens Cemetery where my grandmother and my great-grandparents are buried

Two Brooklyn apartments in which my great-great-grandmother lived

Driving in Brooklyn was an adventure!

Lynn

Again you and I Lynn are so similar..now it's colds! I'm feeling better though.
Your NYC trip sounds like so much fun...I've never been there and would love to go.

Well, I've been on MF for 5 weeks now and I have lost 13#...this week I lost 3.8#. As usual I was hoping for a pound or two more but I realize that that is very good for a week. I'm already dreading the plateau that I know is likely to come soon too..and hoping I can lose more before I hit that. Got my workout in this am as usual...the usual stretch class and machines.

I plan to get a manicure this afternoon and maybe browse the mall a bit. So far all I've done here at home is some daily stuff. Still have more laundry to do and hope to do a little dusting or something. I need to get back to transferring my home movies to DVDs...remember how I was doing that about a year or so ago and then stopped for a trip and never got back to it!

My blood sugar is go good these days...I'm getting normal people readings! My doctor should be very pleased when I go into see him next month!
Sometimes I only take 1/2 my meds because it is so low esp if I am going to be exercising.

Not much to talk about today and I need to get going. Bye for now..

Hey GGs,
I just had to pop in with a couple of quick questions - little things I’ve been wondering about today. First, how is it I can stay busy all day, puttering around the house, & yet not really accomplish anything?! And, why is it, when I have a closet full of clothes - more than I’ve ever had before (I made another trip to my 25¢ store last week & bought $8 worth, & 25 of the items for me were “keepers”!), I still can’t find anything in my closet I want to wear???!!! I know part of the problem is the weather. Like Zoe mentioned, it starts out cool, then gets pretty warm, then back to chilly. When going to an all-day festival that’s an issue (you don’t want to be carrying a jacket, with the crowds & all the walking), but still……. I end up changing clothes at least 4 or 5 times before leaving the house, & even then I’m not too happy with what I pick. But, I really do love the clothes I have! I just can’t figure it out?!

Donna, I told SO about your concern for his welfare, but he was a little skeptical. I can’t imagine why?! And, Freda & Rie, cool & rainy weather already seems to have arrived here, so I’m not sure how much more swing-time I’ll get in this year. I still really want an indoor swing, like Rosey’s, but, as y’all might remember, I live in a mobile home, with small cramped rooms, so I can’t figure out any place to put one. But, I haven’t given up on the idea yet, I’m still “thinkin’ on it” (much to SO’s dismay - he’s afraid I’ll figure out a place!).

Mary, about the Christmas present thing, we’ve all pretty much stopped it. We tried drawing names for awhile, but pretty soon it seemed as if everyone was just exchanging $25 (the price limit we set) gift cards with each other. And us “older folk” already have more “stuff” than we need anyway, & who knows what the younger ones really want, so…… We just give money to the kids (the married ones, to the “couple”) & grandkids in our immediate family, depending on what we can afford, & maybe buy some kind of inexpensive toy for each of the little ones. My mom just gives $5 each, to the grands & great-grands, until they’re 13 yrs. old, then they each get $10 until they turn 21, & then she says they’re on their own! Oh, & congrats on doing so great with the MF diet! 13 pounds deleted! Wow! And Yay! I’m glad you’ve found something that works so good for you.

Lynn, I hope you get to feeling better soon. That sounds like quite a trip!

Ok everyone, wish me luck. I’m fixing chicken & dumplin’s for dinner, one of my favorite things! I’m hesitant about fixing anything I love that much, but I really want some! I also have rather “iffy” luck with having them come out “light & fluffy”, the way we like them, but I’m going to try! Got to get on it.
NCNancy

Hi GG's

It has been raining all day, and I've been running all day. Lots to do and I had to help DGD with her Girl Scout project. We've been working on it since yesterday. Lots of busy work, which helped keep me busy. Went this morning and got my flu shot. It's manditory, but I would get it any way. And this is the year i'm gettng my pneumonia shot and shingles shot. Have an appointment in the morning at Oc-Health. I have to get cleared to go back to work for the weekend. That's a few more days and I'm hoping I feel lots better by then.

Rosie, any movement is exercise. Everything helps. And running doggies is surely exercise. I love waldorf salad and I have made it with chicken, never with turkey. But I have so much leftover turkey at Thanksgiving I'm going to try it.

Gayle, I think that riding your bike is exercise. Same as with Rosie, any movement is exercise. Every little bit helps.

Rie, What's with this ultra sound? Let us know how that works out. And what a wonderful gift for bosses day! Love my coffee too.

Mary, what wonderful news. So great that your BS is under control. And you may be able to cut your meds. Your Dr. is going to be so happy for you!

Lynn, Sounds like you had a good time, saw a lot of exciting places. Hope that cold is resolving. Take care of yourself. Lots of hot tea and chicken soup.

Hi Nancy, Good to hear from you. Sounds like you might have so many clothes that they distract you. you got them at such great prices. My size is so hard to find. I need to learn to sew. Hope the chicken n' dumplins turn out well.

Donna, Hear a "snap"! That doesn't sound good! I hope everything is better today. It is easy to get bored (and hungry) when you're on a diet, especially after a few weeks. But if you keep your menu varied and eat enough of the right things it should be a little easier. And if you can control your self with one small dessert, just plan that into your daily calories. I had an oatmeal cookie today with my afternnon tea. Yum! Knowing I can have something keeps most of the cravings away.

I got a "friend" request today from an old friend that I had lost touch with for awhile. Found out that she has CA and has 6 months to live. I feel sad and guilty for losing touch from someone I was so close to at one time. Keep your friends close.

Freda

Hey Y’all,
Wow, 2 visits from me in one day! I’m sure talky today. Get me started & you can’t shut me up! Just wanted to let you know my chicken & dumplin’s came out pretty good. And I made just the right amount - 1 helping for me & 2 for SO, so no leftovers. Yay! I’m safe!

I haven’t mentioned my weight in awhile, but in case anyone’s wondering, I’m still hanging in there between 140 - 142 lbs. on weigh-in day (Sat.) each week. (Sometimes I get up to 145 in the middle of the week.) I’ve stayed at this weight for about 5 months now, & I wanted to let you know it seems to get easier, the longer you do it (you other maintenance people agree?). At least I hope it stays that way! Sometimes I think I should be trying to lose more, & last month I managed to get down to 139 several times, but I just couldn’t stay there. But, I really am happy being a size 10/12 (that’s smaller than I ever expected to be!). Last week, I had a bowl of bananas sitting on the kitchen table, & as I walked by it I thought “I want one of those.” Immediately, a little voice in my head said “Are you hungry? No? Well then, you don’t need one.” And it was automatic, & I didn’t even argue with it, & I was amazed at myself. And proud! That seems to be happening more & more. But, I have to admit there are still days when I have to fight with myself to keep from over-eating, but they’re getting fewer & farther between. And I still DO NOT EXERCISE! I know I should, but I’m just far too lazy. I guess I’m just trying to let you all know this is doable, because if I can do it, after all my years of yoyo dieting, ANYONE CAN! Ok, enough about that!

Donna, thanks for your decorating comment - I wish I had that knack! I try to go for that kitschy/funky look, since I have to decorate with my thrift store/flea market/side-of-the-road finds. But I have fun with it. And, if it happens to be a look DSD hates (as she sometimes does) - well, Heck! that’s even better! And, you’d think, with only 10 residences (& 7 of them mobile homes) on my road, there wouldn’t be much competition for best dressed, but……. Since the two newest homes (built on 10 acre lots at the beginning of our little dead-end dirt road, in the past 9 years) are several hundred-thousand dollar houses, one of which belongs to a doctor, I probably wouldn’t win!

Hi Freda. I think you're right about the too many clothes, but I can't pick any to get rid of! What size are you anyway, you little bitty thing? I know how to sew, but I sure don't do it, but then, why would I need to with all these clothes?! I agree about knowing you can have a treat keeping the cravings away, hence my weekly pig-out meal, & nighttime snack! That's really sad about your old friend, & the CA. But, I don't think you should feel guilty for losing touch with her. I assume you were probably both responsible for that? And I'm sure she knows what a busy life you have. I think it's good that the two of you have a chance to renew your friendship at a time when she probably needs it most.

Well, it's time for my afore-mentioned nighttime snack. Don’t think I’ll ever give that up. I do still love eating! Gotta go. Bye now.
NCNancy

Chickadee, just look at walking your doggies as making their life complete. Looking at it as your exercise won’t cut it. You do it because the doggies are happy.

Rosey, your salad sounds wonderful. I think I’ll try it with left over turkey in late November.

Val, darn sure I’m in Oregon. The 55 mph speed limit signs give it away. Also that we’re not smart enough to pump our own gas. Anyway, DH and I looked at the Great Falls Air Guard Base as a potential move and I was floored when it was so flat. Said no way and we kept traveling west. But MT had been my first choice until I saw Great Falls as the destination.

Mary, I only have two children and two (soon to be three) grandchildren. So I’m not the best to ask but my intention this year is going to be giving presents to the children that I’m speaking with. Aka son and his wife would likely get coal from me. I plan to put $$$ in a savings account for my granddaughter because it isn’t her fault her mom isn’t my favorite person. My daughter and grandson are a different story. I love going overboard with grandson. And WAY TO GO!!!! On the 13# lost. You’re doing amazing.

Wow Lynn, you were busy during that short trip. I hope you’re feeling better.

Nancy, I so get the indecision about clothes. My reason is I hate wearing them. If I could, I’d be a nudist. But alas, it would frighten the colony and I’d trip over the girls as I walk. So I look in my closet and just cringe at trying to find something that will make me happy for the day. And puttering is good for the soul. Don’t sweat not getting things done. I’m so proud of you for losing and maintaining your loss. You are doing great!

Hello Insurance Companies, Donna’s G/M paid the bill so you pay her. How hard is that for logic??? And DIA is one of my fave airports. Silly me, I think it’s nice. I do miss Stapleton where you taxi over a freeway. ROFL on your presents just for kids rant. I LOVE IT!

Freda, I hope your friend outlives the prognosis for many many years. And I sure hope you feel better.

I had to cave and go to the medical community world. DH and I were walking our doggies this morning and my heel hit a pile of rocks and slipped out from beneath me. Down I went. BTW, this was not my doggies’ fault as they weren’t pulling. Landed on my left wrist. It was numb for a bit then we walked the rest of the way. When I was on the elliptical (no arm work, just legs) it started to hurt at the base of my thumb. I look at it and it’s swollen and black and blue. So I texted my sister the nurse asking if broken bones heal stronger than before breaking. Because where it was swollen was where the worst break was in my 4 break rollerblade accident 2.5 years ago. She said get it xrayed. I followed her advice and it isn’t broken but not happy. Dr. said there weren’t new items on the xray but would let me know what the radiologist has to say. Haven’t heard from them so I’m going with not broken. He did a half cast that was miserable all day (other than it stopped the pain). It was damp and cold and gave me the creeps. I got my post cast splint out and have it on while today’s dries by the fireplace. But I like this one better since I have four fingers free to type. I left hunt and peck a century ago and emailing at work today was horrible. So the bad news is I’m splinted again and the good news it’s not broken.

But for the best news of the day, my oldest sister (the professor) had her 6 month post breast cancer diagnosis/operation and she is cancer free. The radiation and surgery did what was needed. Isn’t that awesome???? So I have lots of hope for Freda’s friend.

I guess that’s it for my mini-book.
Marie

PS Thought I'd add my beloved DH carved my pineapple for me since I couldn't. Most might think that's not a big deal, but he despises pineapple. He's my sweetie.

Good morning all.

Posted here a few weeks ago, but never made it back. Shame on me!

But, that doesn't mean I've not be on program. I have! Started my program the end of August after having some heart issues (ended up with a heart cath and stent) And as of this morning I've lost 24 pounds and into a new "decade". I love new decades! : )

Just wanted to say "Hi" again. I'm a Donna too, (Donna Marie) and now that I remember where this message board is, I'll be back!

Hope you all have a wonderful day.