Rosey, I love the quilt!

Pink slime is yuck. I am amazed people eat those animal parts.

Here in NZ most of our animals are grass fed....although there is expensive 'grain fed' beef on the top shelf. My 'happy' lamb is coming soon as well. A whole lamb that has been raised on my friends smallholding.

Unfortunately, I doubt if my BIL will change his lifestyle. Also, he will need to go to a doctor for follow up prescriptions for any meds they put him on, and I doubt if he will do that either. He lost his job probably 25 years ago and had every reason in the world not to take other jobs available to him. He lived with his mother until she passed away, then took this Telemarketing job and took his SS at 62. For a few years he had insurance from the State of PA called Adult Basic, but that has been discontinued. The whole time he had it I kept telling him to go to the doctor to get checked out but he wouldn't. He didn't use it once. We have Chips but it's only for uninsured children. He has been through this before with other trips to the ER for various problems and he just pays a little bit on the bill every month until it's paid.

Rie - We have discussed your father in the past, and even though you said he is overweight, he is a different situation. He eats balanced meals and is active, especially for his age. And like you said, he receives regular medical care. My BIL is neglecting his health. I understand that he has no medical insurance, but a doctor visit would be waaaay cheaper than a hospital stay!

Good Morning, just a few notes about recent posts.
Rosey...love the quilts! What do you use for the backing? I picked up 3 clearance lap blankets to use for DH's blue jean quilts and any future quilts I make. Priced down to $2.99 each and very soft and light weight. Boy, quilting really gets addictive.
Lynn....Did I read this right? finance for DH? Let us know how the celery/peanut stir fry turns out. I haven't made it yet but the calories are low considering the high calorie peanuts in it.Brenda (ladysheets, right?) Someone asked why you have ladysheets listed, what is the story to that? Last winter I was looking for some rosemary seeds and the gal at our local hardware store didn't have any. She did have about 100 packets of left-over flower seeds, she gave them all to me free. So I'm all set for flower seeds, recently I planted some basil seeds for my herb garden...can't wait for the weather to warm up and transplant them outside. You'll have to post a picture of your cat. What's the kitty's name?Dee...I learned early in our marriage to hide anything I want to save because I live with a 'neat freak'. I'll tell you what my hubby would do with stuff laying around, FUEL FOR THE FIRE!Auto...You probably can set up your slider at the bottom of your post by now. I had no idea they had so many quakes in New Zealand. It looks like such a beautiful place to live according to the documentaries we've watched on T.V.
Donna... We received lots of crystal, china and silver too. (wedding gifts) I think I hung unto them until about 7 years ago, then put them on MIL's auction when we sold off her home/furnishings. DD didn't want the china or silver, can't blame her. A few pieces I sold on ebay, like the sterling silver items. We're in an age where nobody uses silver anymore, ebay is full of silver you can get dirt cheap. As to the kitchen remodeling progress, Home Depot put in the counter tops on Friday. Monday DH and helper will put in the two cupboards that were replaced and hook up the kitchen sink. Finally, Tiffany has not had running water in the kitchen for weeks. I'll take pictures when it's finished.[QUOTEI’ve lived in this house since 1985, and there are still unpacked boxes. When I got married the first time in 1967, it was usual to give silver and crystal as wedding gifts (to a 19-year-old girl?????); I am NOT a silver and crystal kind of girlie. They’re still boxed up. I haven’t looked at them in 30 years; I wonder if the silver is black?And is the kitchen progressing as you hoped? Eager for “after” pictures…!pink slime article.
][/quote]
Marie...I googled scrabble tally sheets and printed up a sheet, enlarged it to 'fit the page'. I then use that as a master sheet and reprint sheets on greeting card weight paper to keep track of our scores. I know you don't keep track, probably a good thing if you regularly take DH to the cleaners. :rofl: I ordered our board on ebay and got a really fantastic deal, the raised sections around the tile is great. (tiles don't pop off) The turn table is a nice feature when family is here for the holidays/birthdays and we play a game.
Rie... Charlie is never far from me, he's a sociable guy. I can't even have privacy in the bathroom unless I shut the door. He likes me to massage his back legs when I'm sitting on the throne.:queen: (Plus I swear he loves his picture taken)Linda...I think I read one of Beverly Lewis, is that in the religious section of the library? Congrats on the 6 pound loss!
I think I've gabbed enough for today, hi to all I missed. Isabella, both Karens, Zoe, Freda, Carol Sue,etc.
P.S. KarenFla...I butchered my Myer lemon tree yesterday. I was reading about the care of it and was told to snip off some of the branches so the main stem will thicken up or it won't hold the fruit. Too late it said after the fruit was ready to harvest...ooops! I hope I didn't shock it too much.
Marie...I take lots of pictures of my dog like you do. Charlie loves to bring me things while I'm on the computer. This morning he brought me Bruce's shoe.

auto, i have a pen pal who lives in christchurch.

Hi Bobbi,

You read it right, I just wrote it wrong. Should have been DD, NOT DH.

Lynn

Evening all....Perfect day for time change been raining and dreary. Could be noon could be 6pm....DH changed all the clocks wrong last night and then saw my bedroom clock and yelled at me (it changes self) and about 15 minutes later was sooooo embarassed!!!!!

Just finished dinner. Did roasted vegies (thanks Rie) and bbq spare ribs. So dinner is ready for tomorrow night too! Dash is just beside himself when the oven is running. He moans with delight when you open it. But when I cut him a piece of rib he rolled his eyes and walked away. But when I feed him with his fork he loved it. This is a hi maintenance dog who probably would prefer a china plate and a crystal bowl. gesh!

Wonderful news from our DD. She has dropped her A1c below 6 and does not need diabetic meds. Can't tell you how proud of her I am....

Have more company coming the end of the month. These 2 drive me insane. He is type if you go to seafood restaurant he orders chicken, hambuger joint orders steak and Italian orders Chinese. Tell him their specials and he orders mcnuggets! Then complains and comes home sick. Dh says better he is sick on restaurant food then from our kitchen. Been friends for over 50yrs but.....

Haven't heard a word from Dh's buddy,don't know if he's here or out by Donna. It was along time coming and I feel bad that they have lost a friendship, but enough is enough.

BBL or tomorrow to do personals...hugs k3

ps Marie...have you started "Good Dog"? It is excellent!

Happy sunday everyone. really quiet here. dh slept till noon and i worked on the quilt. I decided to machine quilt it and its now done.Marie by all means you can use the pattern. i bought the pattern but only used the airplane and the star on my quilt.i didnt follow the pattern, i always do my own thing. would you like me to send it to you? Bobbie i use whats called warm and natural for the inside of my quilts, you can get it by the yard or pre measured cuts ay any fabric store or e-bay. i found my adhesive fabric spray so unpinned the quilt and used that to keep the layers together,much easier than pins. i use wonder under or fusable web for the apliques,makes them into iron ons. Next quilt will be for my youngest grdd. she only has her baby quilt and i have made twin size for the other 3. she reminded me she doesnt have her big girl quilt yet :dizzy: hers will be browns and tourquise with embellishments in crystal that say "cowgirl up" her fav saying right now. i can hot fix them to the squares with my bejeweler. Karen3 more company.jeesh hope they are nicer to you :hug: i also have fusy and spoiled dogs,gizmo only eats wha i eat and i have to taste it 1st so he can see that it is mine:dizzy: but we love them anyways right.Marie glad u are getting out some but do be careful,i dont like painmeds either. hoping you all have had agreat weekend, :hug: rosey :wave:

breakfast
kashi crunch cereal

lunch
1/2 turkey sand with lettuce and tomatoe

snack
coffee mocha
almonds and dried cranberries

dinner
roast chix
1/2 sweet potatoe with sf orange marmalade
sm green salad

I'm so behind again on the posts and know I won't be able to respond to them all but wanted check in as I have time this morning. I woke up really early and lay there wide awake for quite a while then finally got back to sleep. When I do that I'm sleepier when I do get up for some reason. But that is my first wakeful night since I went off the hot flash supplements and even then when I woke up in the night I didn't feel tired so know I am sleeping more soundly. Unfortunately We forgot to change our clocks so missed church this morning so we are just relaxing here at home.

Yesterday we went out for the towel rack and TP holder finally and Joe got them installed. While we were out we went to BestBuy and I got the iPad I've been wanting for a long time. I didn't realize it is more like a phone than a computer. That made me stop and think..I wasn't sure I could justify the purchase but I tried it for a few sweeps in the store and it seemed to work and I like the larger (than phone) screen so I decided to try it for my away from my desktop computer and for traveling. We facetimed with our youngest dd and gs yesterday and enjoyed that. I hated how old I looked though! Isn't it strange how we don't notice how we've aged and can sorta pretend we look younger than we really do until we are faced with it? I look really old when I see myself on my phone or ipad. My neck is so droopy, how in the world did it get that way?!!! :?: I guess aging is still a mystery to me...we go on looking young for so long it seems then all of a sudden (it seems) we have to admit we look old. Logic tells me I am old enough to look old and I have never been a very vain person, but somehow it is still hard to face. I don't mind the number (age) but I hate the saggy skin! Oh, well it's life I guess..just sharing with my GGs, I don't usually talk to others like this.

Our company came right on time..called ahead to let us know where they were and everything...I love that! My lunch went well I think. Esp the teenager seemed to like it. We had a nice time together. It was the first time they had ever been here. My caramel cake turned out ok...the cake part was kind of dense, more like a cookie to me..and the caramel frosting was like candy (hard and could be broken off easily). I tried a piece at breakfast and took a couple small bites and through it out...too early in the am for something that sweet! Just wanted to see how it was. But I thought it would be good with vanilla ice cream and it was. Ice cream makes everything better. I think the cake was fine, just not the kind I typically like. However with ice cream, I did eat too much of it. We had four pieces left yesterday and we shared them to get rid of them. We still have some low-carb ice cream left. Dh won't let me throw it away but I'm thinking to just take out a little now and then and thow it away. Afterwall he'd let me eat it so what's the difference? ;) It's not the best ice cream (the good stuff was eaten fast) but if it's in the house I will still eat it.

Bobbi - Sorry about your lemon tree...maybe it will be ok. I don't know anything about them. Would love to have one but think we don't get enough sunshine up here. If I lived where I could I'd like a lemon tree and a grapefruit tree. Several years ago a friend gave us grapefruit from their tree in So Cal and they were SO good! We've also had people down south give us lemons. The last winter we spent down south I made a lot of fresh lemonade.
Yummy! Here at home i never make it.

Auto - My dh was telling me about the beef "slime," but I didn't hear about it. I bought some ground beef (grass fed "organic" variety) before hearing this and haven't used it yet. My dh said he thought it was even true of the "organic" kind...is that true? I need to research it. What is wrong with it, why is it called slime? Beef is my favorite meat. I usually don't care for chicken and don't like to eat pork although I did it eat up until about 5 years ago. Talk about slime, from what I hear about how pigs' bodies work when they eat I can't stand the thought of it. And now beef? Guess soon I'll just be eating fish. Fortunately I do like salmon, some cod, halibut, talapia and occasionally some others.

Think I had some silver really early on in my marriage though don't remember how I got them. Don't think it was a full set and I hated cleaning them. Now the only silver I have are two or three pieces I got when my mom died. I never polish them, just keep them because they were hers. My only china is a pretty set my dh bought me when he was TDY on Okinawa, many years ago. I broke the platter, but the rest is all intact. Only use it on holidays.

I thought i had lost this post but just found it...LOL I'm really a ditz sometimes...:dizzy: So I will continue.

Deelee - I like Michael Connelly too. Don't think I've read the one you mentioned. Will check it out. Grisham I read now and then but am not as big a fan. I loved The Firm but everything after that was kind of downhill for me.
My dh is the same way about hiring people. Fortunately he is still pretty able to do things, but I'd like to see him not work so hard. I don't stop him though as want to keep him active (he's almost 77) but I do remind him to pace himself. I agree that it is overwhelming trying to pick out tile!! Just went through that recently and was thinking now we need to start on the other bathroom but I dread it. I would love belonging to a book club I think!!
The book you are reading sounds very good even though it is a probably a lot different than my usual reading, but that would be the good thing about a book club. It would force me to try other genres.

Rie - Glad you had a good day and good meal!

Marie - You already know about my iPad. I think I'm going to enjoy it. I was hoping it was more like a regular computer but it's all about apps and I understand why and afterall I'm used to that with my phone. I was hoping to be able to install my regular budget program but have to use the app. It's ok though, I still like it.

Just heard the sad news about the killing spree in Afganistan! So horrible and will really hurt us in the eyes of the world. But this is what we get when we send the guys back over and over again..it's a wonder more of this kind of thing doesn't happen! What big terrible problems are in our world today.

Well, I'm writing a book...better stop.














Deelee - I

Good Morning...I have errands to run in town today so I'll just check my mileage on the travel post and run. Sundays are really lazy days for me and I only got in about 5,000 miles. We visited MIL, she was in good form yesterday. No sooner did we get home before she called and wanted to know her mothers telephone number. (MIL will be 92 in July) I asked her how old she thought her mom was if she was 91? OH, you mean my mom's dead? Did I go to the funeral? How could I forget something like that? We go through this at least once a week. We've left a message at the nurses station that she can't call after 7:00pm. This is another reason I try to keep my mind active, my mom died of Alzheimer's and I'd rather fall over dead of a heart attack or something similar.
Mary...I guess any day we're on the top side of the grass is a good day, droopy skin and all. My neck still looks good, it's the laugh lines around my mouth that ages me. Botox is the only thing that could fill in those deep grooves and I'm not vain enough to do that. Have a great Monday everyone.

Maryea - I know how you feel looking in the mirror and seeing yourself age. I try to be happy that I lived long enough to see my neck droop, etc. In my immediate family, I have lived the longest reaching age 66. No one else lived past 64, parents and 2 brothers. My maternal grandparents, from whom the heart problems came, lived to be in their 70's. My grandfather had heart disease and back then in the 50's there wasn't much treatment for it. If my grandmother hadn't died of cancer, I don't know how much longer she would have lived. I think the reason they lived so long is because they had worked hard all their lives but were always too poor to afford anything but the bare essentials. They could never afford any more than their basic meals. No snack food, nothing to eat between meals. As Rosie once said, eating very low calorie is supposed to lengthen your life. I have heard that before, but I don't understand how that relates to the weight loss community who state that if you eat too few calories your body goes into starvation mode.

Bobbi - Unfortunately, both DH and I are packrats. But he is the one who doesn't want things sitting out, so he puts them "away." Not necessarily where they belong, and not where he can remember where he put them. LOL Many things go "in a bag and up in the attic." Then when you look for them, all the bags look alike and you have to sort through all of them to find what you're looking for. I don't like to throw things away, but I like them organized so I can find them when I want them.

Marie - How are you feeling? Lots of healing going on? This morning I mentioned my BIL's problems to my home nurse and she said he might be eligible for Medicaid because he is low income. That would really help him, but it seems that we looked into that at one time and there was something that made him ineligible. I will have to look online and see if I can get any info. If he doesn't have some sort of assistance I don't think he will continue doctor visits, which he really needs.

If you are one who is used to being out and about it's hard to stay home. It has been 3 months since my surgery and the nurse keeps telling me that to be eligible for home nurse visits I am supposed to be homebound. I just make sure I don't tell her if I go somewhere. I feel fine....I just want the nurse to pack my wounds instead of DH or myself. Just be glad that you feel well enough to go out. That's a good sign!

Karen3 - We are like your company that's coming. At Red Lobster, DH orders steak. But we go there for me, because I like seafood. He will eat fish, but nothing with a shell or claw. When we go to Texas Roadhouse I order chicken as I am not much of a beef eater. This is why we eat in restaurants so much....we don't like the same things. DH usually makes a hamburger for himself a couple times a week. I have some ground beef in the freezer and I'm still waiting to see if he makes a hamburger after hearing about the pink slime. It doesn't worry me much. I think it's just the name that sounds so gross. They say it is a beef by-product. I figure we have been eating it for years, not knowing it was there, so it's not going to kill us. I think if you saw where 80% of your food comes from you would lose your appetite!

had a busy morning here. worked out at curves and ran errands afterwards.

Hi Everyone,

Upped my gym time this morning to 80 minutes. I am spurred on by our “walking” challenge. I LOVE these challenges. Since I have stopped training for the ½, I have gained almost 10 lbs. I am not eating any more than I was eating while I was training – probably eating less. So, the only way I can get back down is to up my exercise.

My DD & SIL get home on St. Patrick’s day. So, I am planning to make them corned beef and cabbage and Irish brown bread. Bought the corned beef today. Now I need to look for a recipe. I make the brown bread all the time, but I have not made corned beef in years!

Have a happy Monday. Is anyone else watching “The Voice?”

Lynn

Hi Marie,

My DD is about your age. Next year, she will be eligible for the GG thread! Yes, she is adorable and amazing. In addition to having her B&B, she is also a realtor, a computer programmer, teaches online for Phoenix, is my financial advisor and travel agent, and is a champion knitter. She is also a VERY good artist but doesn’t really have time for that anymore (except for decorating).

Hi Karen,

Kudos to your DD! I am thrilled when I get my A1c down below 6 and I am on meds!

Hi Rosey,

I wish we lived closer – I would LOVE to learn to quilt. I have always loved doing crafts in the company of other women (ceramics & scrapping). However, I am NOT a sewer.

Hi Mary,

I am also thinking about getting an iPad for travelling. Please let us know how you like it. My laptop is about 8 lbs and that is 8 lbs too much for me to lug around. When I am teaching, I must have the computer so that I have WORD and Power Point. However, when I am not teaching, I can get by with just having access to the internet.

[QUOTE=Bobbolink;4250381] We visited MIL, she was in good form yesterday. No sooner did we get home before she called and wanted to know her mothers telephone number. (MIL will be 92 in July) I asked her how old she thought her mom was if she was 91? OH, you mean my mom's dead? Did I go to the funeral? How could I forget something like that? We go through this at least once a week. We've left a message at the nurses station that she can't call after 7:00pm. This is another reason I try to keep my mind active, my mom died of Alzheimer's and I'd rather fall over dead of a heart attack or something similar.
Hi Bobbi,

I SO feel the same way as you do. I cannot think of a worse illness. I think of you with your MIL often. I no longer “enjoy” seeing my DF and I love her. Would be VERY difficult to deal with someone with this illness if you disliked them!
Hi Carol Sue,

Both of my parents died at 61. We in our family figured members of our family just died young. However, once I started doing genealogy, I realized that MANY of our ancestors lived into their 80’s and 90’s. Even women who had over 10 children and lived in the 1800’s or earlier!

Hi Zoe,

I think you will like The Space Between Us. I have been listening to (I usually refer to it as “reading”) books on tape/DC’s for years. I get them from my library or from inter-library loan. I always have 1 book I am reading on my Nook and 1 book I am reading while I drive.

I was looking at our Birthday list and noticed that Nancy's (Nancyoyo) birthday is on St. Patrick's day. We have not heard from Nancy lately.

I just sent an email to her home email address to check on her.

Lynn

Hi there, I don't have enough time to respond to everyone, but Carol Sue's post struck a cord.

I have just been looking up about calorie restriction, and how it is supposed to extend your life expectancy, and was also wondering about this whole 'starvation mode' thing. As i only eat once a day usually, occasionally twice, this has made me think. Both sides seem to have heaps and heaps of research on their side, yet both seem to be mutually exclusive.

For me, the 6 small meals a day does't work if i want to get thin, yet i worry about starvation mode as well

Does anyone know where the 3 square meals a day came from originally? Why 3 meals? Why not 2 or 5? Is it cultural? How often do traditional people eat (given a choice)?

Auto.

Hi everyone another sunny day here.the dogs followed the sun across the floor,all stretched out with their paws in the air :) i spent a share of the day doing household duties.i wish i had a fairy godmother who could wave the magic wand and everything would be neat and tidy. i cooked a turkey breast for dinner and am experimenting with the dh to see if hes really gluten intolerant. i dont think so,im a good observer and i think after his gallbladder surg he cant tolerate any fat.just my observation so i convinced him to try some stuffing made with real bread. i'll let you know the results.by the way this trial and error diet thing is dr approved and also by the nutrionest. i'd hate to poison the old fart:dizzy: as soon as i get my laptop fixed i would love to play scabble with you all :D as far as the aging discussion,im more comforable with myself now that im older and if you dont like how i look dont look is my atitude,but never in the past did i feel that way. i was always concerned about what i thought others thought of me if that makes sence. and i have lots f wrinkely saggy skin,including butt wrinkels(dont ask LOL) not apretty sight. when i get under 200# i will be having atummy tuck and whatever else my ins will pay. hoping your evening wonderful :hug: rosey :wave:

breakfast
coffee
greek yogurt

lunch
tomatoe cuke salad

snack
coffee mocha
1 slice cheese
1/2 cup grapes

dinner
slice turkey
fresh aspargus

Trying to keep up with the personals -

Hi Auto,

My 2 cents – from all of my reading/research, I believe that you need to keep your metabolism stoked to burn the pounds. I also believe that if you eat fewer calories than you burn (regardless of when you eat them), you will lose. The formula is when you burn 3,500 calories more than you eat, you lose 1 pound. The trick is getting your body to burn better. When you eat 1 meal/day, you slow down your metabolism and you must eat fewer calories.

I eat 5-6 times/day. I exercise at least 1 hour/day. For me to lose, I need to keep my calories below 1,000. My mid-meal snacks are around 100 calories each.

Hi Marie,

An old friend of mine had a saying I loved --- “He is nothing but a good screw wasted.”

The Macbook Air sounds GREAT. I will go to Best Buy and look at both. Thank you for the tip.

Hi Rosey,

I have always had that attitude about my weight. When I was at my heaviest, I still wore a bathing suit, shorts… I always said, “If anyone doesn’t like what they see, look somewhere else.” My attitude has changed as I’ve aged. Now I REALLY think that no one looks anyway. The only person who is looking long enough to not like what they see is me! I really always thought I was cute – even when I was heavy. Now I think I am really ugly. Luckily, I’ve got a great personality ;).

Went to the gym this morning but otherwise have stayed home. It's a cold, cloudy wet day. Got most of my housework done but still need to vac the living room. Maybe do that in a little bit. If I hadn't been online so much it'd be done. There were issues with "the" house today but I posted in on FB so won't go into it here.

Marie/Lynn - Yes, I'm liking my iPad, even though it isn't quite what I need. It works though and has other advantages...like the camera, facetime etc. I love the size of the screen, and so far I've been able to enter most sweeps with it. All the important things.;) I thought about getting a laptop but I'm scared I'll be disatisfied unless I spend a lot. I absolutely hated my netbook!! Yes I have the FB app already. I downloaded most of the apps I had on my phone but not everything because I don't think I want them all on there. Like I don't plan to use it for grocery shopping so didn't download those.

Rosey - I've had my gallbladder removed and only once did I really have trouble with eating something fat...and it was right after the fat restriction (first 2-3 weeks?) was lifted. I went to the mall and bought a burrito at a Mexican place...Oh man, I only had two pains but they were terrible ones! Then I had to run to the bathroom! But since then I can eat most anything...I don't think I eat really really high fat generally...I try for no higher than 45% (30% would be better of course) but I occasionally get more. Occasionally if I eat something really high fat my tummy will ache a bit but not bad and sometimes I can eat the same thing with no problem. I think it's because now the gall is released at random times, rather than when stimulated by fat so sometimes it is not there to take care of it.

I hope Nancy is doing ok. I miss her.

Marie - what you are describing to Lynn sounds like what I bought...it's a case but also has a keyboard and the ipad sits in it nicely. Much more durable than anything else I saw plus easier to use too. I like having the keyboard as the iPad keyboard is so sensitive! But i can use either one. I see that the Zaggfolio is being advertised right here on this page. That's what I bought. Didn't get the free ear buds though as I bought mine at AT&T.

Zoe - Wow you worked long days...well, guess time passes faster that way.
I have never been one to tan, can't stand to just lay out and mostly the sun makes me burn so probably good I haven't. What "tan" I do get is freckles/brown spots! Now with my gray hair I look awfully pale and this is the darkest I've ever been!

Slmn - My mom only lived to 64 but her mother lived to 104. It was cancer that probably really caused my mom's death although pneumonia was the immediate cause. My dad lived to 88 and died pretty naturally from what I can tell. I wasn't there. My sister is now 78 and my brother is almost 88. I'm probably the healthiest of them all, but I probably should cut out my snacking. Would help me lose weight and weight is a longevity issue too since it leads to other things.

help please my print is so tiny I can't read it.....hellllllp

Good evening everyone,enjoying the Voice. First year ive really got into that kind of thing but i do like it.Nothing on Tv thrills me much.

Bobbi i think you asked my cats name its Sylvee she is a tuxedo kitty black and white.4 years old now.

my online name is ladysheets in most of my forums i am in just like yours is bobolink and ladyinweighting and so on my last name is Sheets.
why does it seem odd to everyone? lol...

Our outdoor planting starts the end of may.. we have beautiful beautiful gardens and flowers here in the summer. Things grow really well with the long day light hours and moderate temperatures. I forget who said alaska wasnt a good place to be to garden your right if you wanna garden all year but summer is awesome here to Grow a lot of things. I enjoy starting from seed a few flowers and herbs every year. my nasturtiums are always really nice when i start them indoors.

Went swimming today, lots of kids off for spring break.

tired tonight. I will put on a picture of my kitty soon. she is a sweetheart. Brenda

Hi Karen,

Hold down the "control" key & tap the "+" key. NOTE: to make print smaller, hold down the "control" key & tap the "-" key.

Lynn

Bobbi - I love your flowers! You have such a way with decorating!

Lynn - I have also heard the same as you...you have to eat to lose. But then I wonder about anorexics? I know they go to extreme, but why doesn't their body go into starvation mode and keep them from getting so thin? Also, I have heard that a woman should never go below 1200 calories. You said you can't lose if you go above 1000, plus you exercise. So what's the story there? I think they are grouping people together and you can't do that because everyone is different. Our bodies work differently because of genetics and our personal lifestyle. I googled "low calories for long life" and got several sites that had basically the same story....the research was done on monkeys and they believe the same would apply to humans. They didn't state a number of calories, how low is low. But then I found another site that did, and it was surprising to me.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newswee...ve-longer.html

They are saying 1800 calories for a man and 1500 - 1700 for a woman. This is not "low calorie" to me....that's a normal weight loss diet. I never tracked my calories until I had my heart surgery and that's when I found that I can't go over 1500 if I want to lose. It does limit you, but it's nowhere near starvation mode. I don't know too many women who are trying to lose who eat that many calories. Maybe we have all screwed up our motabolism by trying so many diets over the years. I lost weight the best on my first diet, when I knew absolutely nothing about dieting, I just ate smaller portions of the same foods I always ate, and I exercised. Since then, I have read so much about so many diet plans that I don't know what works for me anymore.

Morning...Sorry about my last message. I had hit the ctrl button instead of the shift when typing in my email address and shrunk everything and then did it again x2. Knew there was enlarge command but forgot what it was. Feeling extra stupid this morning. k3

My BIL came home from the hospital yesterday, with 3 prescriptions for blood pressure. They wanted him to do a cardiac treadmill stress test but as soon as they increased the incline he said he couldn't do it, so they stopped. He wouldn't do the chemical stress test. They wanted him to do it because his heartbeat is irregular but what can they do? Hopefully he will follow up with a general practitioner and keep his blood pressure down.

I gave him a lot of information I got off the internet about medical assistance. There was one that said if you qualify and you have unusually high medical bills you send them in and they will pay them, or assist in paying them. It's up to him to make the calls necessary to find out if he qualifies.

Don't feel stupid, Karen. I didn't even know those commands existed! I just used ctrl + and you know what? It worked! LOL

love it Bobbi !!! Have a great day, i would love to be hanging out clothes!

working in the yard sounds wonderful... and i dont mean shoveling snow lol..

Hi Carol Sue,

To simplify - count your calories for a couple of weeks and record your exercise. If you are not losing, lower your calories and or increase your exercise.

Lynn

Good Afternoon gg's

It is just so beautiful outside! Sunny and really warm. DH and I went out for awhile and i just wore a sweatshirt and that was too warm. I washed clothes yesterday and changed the bed, but I just might change them again tomorrow and hang the sheet outside. So many posts, as usual. so good to hear everyone's news.

Brenda, Sorry, what part of Alaska do you live in? I have a friend in Wasilla and she always says that tomatoes don't grow well there, and really nothing much without a greenhouse.

Lynn, You're adorable! and I forbid you to call yourself ugly! There! Ok, don't yell at me, just trying to be foreceful.

Rie, It's hard to get use to a new body. We still see ourselfs as big as we were before. And there is going to be a little bit of loose skin after the lose. But, you look wonderful, and are so much healtheir. And there is always plastic surgery to get rid of the excess. If you can't justify the money, think of all the money you are going to save from medical bills that you are not going to have if you had stayed over weight. And almost any insurance will pay for a tummy tuck if you prove that it is causing the skin underneath to chaff and get infected.

Mary, My family lives a long time too. My greatgrandma lived untill 100, and could still read the paper witout glasses. Of course she had to be outside in the bright light, but still....my grandma was 97 when she died, and her mind was sharp as a tack. My mom is another matter. never took care of herself and is not in good health at 80 and has early dementia. but the dementia is from a medical condition, not genetic.

Rosie, it's usually the fat that makes people sick after the operation that your DH had.

Donna, My grandma's favorite saying was "dumb as a door knob". Funny, I hadn't thought much about that, but I still use it.

Bobbi, Bless you for visiting you DMIL, even though I know it takes a lot of effort to be nice to a person that was so not nice. Just proves how strong you are. People with Alheizmers get worse at night, along with people with dementia. Sundowners. I see it all the time in the hospital. You can see there mentation start changing around 8. Yes, the nursing home should not allow her to call in the evening when she is so bad.

Auto, I had a Dr. tell me that he has also read an article about eating less than you need would make you live longer. No one has ever said how much longer, so I don't think it would be worth it, thank you! Starving all the time would be miserable. One reason we don't eat really low calorie is beacause If you don't get enough calories you body used stored calories, and after that they start burning muscle. The heart is a muscle. You really don't want that being used for food. I think eating when you are hungry is a good idea, as long as it's planned and not too much. 3 meals and 2 snacks are what is recomended. Or every 3 hours.

Z, Sounds like you are over working again! Slow down girlie. I'm glad you are enjoying the new work at least. And the weather here is great. I actually saw a woman with flipflops in the hospital yesterday. I spoke to her and said that I knew spring was coming when I saw flip flops.

Time for the kiddies to come, so gotta go, take care, lovely ladies,

Freda

If someone gets in touch with Nancy, tell her she is missed and we wish her well

Today we slept in because there was snow on the ground and we didn't want to go out in it. See, when you're retired you can make executive decisions like that. ;) I have been slowly doing my housework but not very vigorously. I did one load of laundry (still in dryer), made bed, cleaned bathrooms a bit (more to do there) and picked up a bit throughout, did the budgeting and entered some sweeps. Dh just went to the car dealer to get our freebie...Costco sent us a $50 coupon to use on anything in the little store.

Slmn - My grandma that lived to 104, mostly stayed in bed after she reached 100. She was still fine mentally but she was mostly blind..mostly saw shadows from what she said but we visited her once after that and when I got really close she said I looked like my mom (her dd) so she could see a little.
She had worked really hard all her life. Dropped out of school in or after 3rd grade to help on the farm and never went back. She did ok though. When mom served a beef roast, grandma would always cut a big piece of fat off of it and eat it...she loved it. Guess it was good genes or all that work that kept her living. She outlived two of her four children and she couldn't understand that, she said she wanted to die from the time she was in her 70s but it just wasn't to be. Twice the doctors said she would die..once from the flu and once from a brain tumor...with the tumor they said if she didn't die, she'd be off mentally...well she recovered from both illnesses and was fine mentally. Doctors don't know everything.

On the restricted calories..I think going lower than you need to to lose weight is not good. I can lose weight (right now) at 1500 calories. I could lose faster at 1000-1500, but wouldn't enjoy life as much. ;) Below that I think could be detrimental for my health as it might not be easy to get proper nutrition..however now and then I wouldn't worry about. And of course, smaller people can eat less and men can usually eat more. On Medifast I lost quickly as I only took in 800-1000 calories most days. Their food is packed with protein and fiber, yet low carb...don't know how they do it because it is very hard to do that with regular food. But I have to admit it works, I was not hungry and felt great after the first few weeks. So why did I gain back my weight?...because instead of transitioning back I went right back to my regular foods and my bad habit of over-snacking. I got tired of their food and I just cannot make myself do it again. But believe me, it does work!

I wear mostly the same clothes I would/did when I was thin with a few exceptions. Sometimes I'm not comfortable..like in a swim suit but I occasonally wear one..and I can't find dresses I can fit because of my big middle. I rarely wear sleeveless outside the house because of my fat upper arms. I don't wear two pc swim suits any more. That would really be a sight!:D

Marie - I took HRT pills, not the patch. Not sure they had the patch even when I started with it. I'm almost always warmer than my dh since menopause. Partly it may also be my fat, can't remember exactly when I changed but I know when I was thin I was cold all the time. Now I range from chilling to a hot flash! :dizzy: It's like my thermostat is out of control. However I am much better now. Still hoping I have done the right thing going off the supplements. I had one fairly strong HF this morning, but that was the first one that intense in quite a while now..

Rie - Yes I'm sure we'd feel better about the house if we drove down and we may do that. Depends on what we hear back from the handy man this week.
My dh can fix about anything but I hope he doesn't have to get up in the attic. He's been up there before and it's a pretty tight space and with his leg not quite back to normal it would be hard for him. Praying that a new furnace is not needed..he thinks the worst scenerio though is that it will just require a part replacement of some kind. He's an HVAC man and probably can take care of it. He's helped our son with lots of things in the house already.

ladysheets - Now that you have explained your name makes perfect sense, but I too will forever think of you wrapped in white sheets. ;) Perhaps when your flowers are in bloom you can post some pics. We love to see what's growing in different places.

Well, I really need to get off this computer and back to work. Hope you all have a great day!!
Mary

I know I have said this before but my doctor was adamant about lowering my caloric intake to 900 per day. i have been losing weight this way. I am currently not exercising on a regular basis except for moderate walking. when i lose more weight I will start a more intense exercise regiment and then i can increase to 1100. i bought shoes this week. Hurray! and i bought perfume too. I am rewarding my self for sticking to clean eating.

Lucinda, I am surprised that your doctor told you to eat only 900 calories per day. Doctor's are usually against that because they say you are not getting enough nutrients that way. Of course, you are rather short, so maybe what is good for you would be too few calories for someone else. I could do it, but not every day.

I remember one time at a flea market a man was talking to us and told us he was 78 years old and he didn't really look it. He looked younger....was thin and very spry. He told us that one day he decided to eat a little bit less. When his body got used to that he ate still a little less, and so on until he had lost all his excess weight and didn't even notice that he was eating less because he had done it gradually. Most people jump into a diet with both feet and then they burn out.

Maryea - I haven't worn a swim suit in public since I passed 150 lbs. I am just not comfortable in it. I got out of the habit of wearing shorts because of my psoriasis. It has cleared up pretty good in the past couple years, but now my favorite shorts are too tight and I won't buy new ones. I have a lot of capris and mostly wear them. I don't worry much about people looking at me or what they think because I feel that most people are self centered and are more worried about how THEY look than how I look. I know when I do look at other people I am usually comparing them to myself....wondering if I'm fatter than her etc. LOL Then I see some really big people who wear shorts and tank tops and just don't seem to care what anyone might think. They've got the right idea. If you're comfortable wearing them, then do it!

DH is on a diet. He didn't tell me, but I can tell. He is not finishing his meals...eating smaller portions, and not eating any junk food. This is how he does it. He will never tell me. He just cuts back and all of a sudden I can tell that he's lost 10-15 lbs. It's cute.

My BIL called and said he got a letter from a company directing him to call them. I looked up the company name on the internet and they assist people in applying for medical assistance. Is this a rip off or legit? Is he going to be expected to pay this company for this service? The information I got when I looked up medical assistance this morning gave me the names of government agencies who help you with this. I would hate to see him get involved with someone who is just going to take his money when he doesn't have much to begin with. What do you think?