Morning all just a quick post. Carol that sounds like a Nora Roberts book Carolina. not positive tho. sounds familiar tho. i'll let the old brain cells rumble a bit lol rosey

Good afternoon from the lovely South! Lynn is down here now, I think. A little cool today and may not get to 80. Just missed the after church crowd at the grocery store....had 2 clerks waiting on me at the deli????? and an adorable young man cart my bags out. Do I look feeble?

Rosey...hey I did the same thing and watched "Bridesmaid" silly movie. Sometimes you just need a chick flick.

Bobbi and Marie...It is always a shock to me when people start talking about antique cars. I learned to drive stick shift on a 34 GMC truck. Loved Dh's first car a '40 Ford and before that he drove a 36'pickup with a hay bale in the back because he had farm license and was only 16.

Zoe...Between you and Maryea that number of pretty grands fabulous. Bunch of good genes out there you2!

Rie...Glad you like your Kindle. I have worn my first one out. Have both Dh's and mine on same account and think I sent him some of my books.....ooops

Isabella...sweet Isabella sang so sweetly at the function cause sweet Isabella was full of icing!

We are rapidly heading down towards summer. Tomato plants have tennis ball size fruit. Have just made a bunch of stuff for a couple of days of cold plates. Tuna salad with elbow mac, pea salad and fresh asparagrus or local fresh corn. Remember we don't do well in summer with vegies cooking on the vine.

Ooops unexpected company BBL....k3

ps Bobbi we have vegies most of the year...alot of stuff grows for years like tomato plants and dusty millers they get ugly and leggy. My Mexican sage along the sidewalk is 12 yrs old. I just tossed last Springs petunias and last year's poinsetta is now in the ground blooming and the alazas that started blooming in Nov and still blooming. Had to relearn everything I thought I knew about gardening. Nothing takes full sun down here.

Marie that old truck that I learned on had a stick coming up thru the floor boards...not a lever a stick. Laughed alot trying to find 3rd gear!

About the lottery...I'm not telling..... Know have missed so many but it's now midnight. Hugs to everyone i miss newbies included. Pull up a comfie chair and chat away. k3

Hi Gals. For those of you who kindly asked the song went very well on Friday night. And yes, Karen3, I did sing "sweetly," LOL. During the program an offering was taken up and there was just over $3300 collected. I don't know how much was made on the bake sale as we didn't stay. I think my cakes sold quickly as I heard several very positive comments while we were lining up to go upstairs to the church.

Today DH is working on the molding and trim in the kitchen. I'm hoping to take pictures soon because that will mean it's as finished as it can be until the summer (when I get the back splash). And I so want it finished.

Here's what I ate and exercised today.

Greetings, my tummy is full and now I'm missing my game with Marie. DH made a bone in ham and riced potatoes. We start the interior car project tomorrow and I need my mind on that instead of thinking what super word Marie was going to come up with. I'm taking a hiatus from 'Words with Friends'. Those of you that are thinking about playing, try it. It really stimulates the brain.
Isabella...that's a lot of cash collected, $3300. What's the money for?
Marie...me too. It's been very cold here lately, I like sitting outside in the mornings with my book and thermos of coffee. I started that ritual last year and it's my quiet time. DH purchased a barrier for the jeep when he takes Charlie hunting but he knocks it right over like your kids (dogs).[QUOTESo we had this obnoxious snow yesterday while out and about. During my nap (yes Donna, we are alike), nearly all of it melted. This morning I wake up to all white again. I want to be like Rosey and be able to sit outside for a while][/QUOTE]
Rie...I'll take pictures of the car tomorrow, we left it the original color, Black with orange wheels. It had 51,000 miles on the car and was stored in some old guys barn for many years.

KarenFla.. Can you grow veggies, fruit all year around? We have asparagus in our garden plus bird plantings down our gravel road. I've harvested in it in two different spots, then last fall I found a third crop of it. We were picking dried weeds for my fall arrangement when I stumbled unto it. The stalk of aspargus was as tall as me.

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We are rapidly heading down towards summer. Tomato plants have tennis ball size fruit. Have just made a bunch of stuff for a couple of days of cold plates. Tuna salad with elbow mac, pea salad and fresh aspararagrus or local fresh corn. Remember we don't do well in summer with vegies cooking on the vine.

Chalie just dumped his toy on the keyboard and I thought I'd lost my post.
Freda...I don't hear you talk much about your shih Tzu, that's why I was surprised when you talked about the loss of his/her hearing. I don't remember who asked how old Charlie is, gonna be 8. When he's gone, we're going to put the acreage up for sale and move into a condo or something. I'm at the begining of the baby boomers and we have lots of new condos/town houses and retirement homes/cabins going up to hold all us old farts.
Rosey... Was it Sadie that chewed Steve's shifter? Maybe I read that wrong, I was thinking puppy. Your dogs are small enough that a barrier would keep them in. Our dog weighs 70 pounds, dh just had him weighed while at the vet. The vet said the lumps under his coat are fat tumors and harmless.

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Marie the dh doesnt mind that the little dogs play with his slippers however sadie is way more destructive and she would eat them. we are trying to train her to go in the car however my dh left her to long unattnded and she chewed a bottle of motor oil full of holes and ate part of the knob on the shifter.

Lynn...hope you're enjoying your vacation.
Donna...you have snow too, weird weather. It was suppose to get in the 70's here today but stayed cool. I can't wait for the hot, hot weather you so enjoy
Dee...the seats in the old car were some kind of material, not leather. We'd never be able to afford that nor could I sew it on my Singer sewing machine.
Mary...What is Fringe? I've never heard of that program?
Gayle...hope your mom is out of the hospital and blood pressure back to normal.
Carol Sue, I have thick hair but it's baby fine. That really limits me to hair styles, it's always cut short. And yes, I have to use hair gel in it for body, perms are a no no. Last perm I had broke all my hair off. I still have nightmares about that.
I thought I better catch up on post tonight as I won't have time tomorrow.
Hi anyone I missed, hope you all had a good week-end.

What a great group of ladies!

Life is great! I am in my 50's and am motivated by my family and by having as much fun with them as possible. That includes getting healthier

The best thing that happened to me since I hit 50 was falling in love with my soul mate last year. We met last April, were engaged in May, and married in September! Haven't even known him a year, yet I've known him all my life. Sound crazy but its true!

Between us we have 8 children and 10 grandchildren and counting. What a great time in our lives. My goal is to drop this 40 lbs that is making me tired and slowing me down. Too much weight for me to carry around. It's all about being healthier and making wiser choices and not letting the aches and pains of the years of strains slow me down

Enjoying your posts and look forward to the journey!

Blessings on your heads ladies!

Leisa

Well the sun was playing April Fools with us this morning...it came out early then by the time we got to church it was cloudy, no sun and by the time we left it was raining! It looks like it might be trying to come out again now but I'm not believing it this time. After church we went for fast food and then to Kohls where I bought a pair of pants and a matching top. I needed another pair of dress pants as I've been wearing the black pair I have over and over. Wanted a different color so got brown then not sure I have anything to match so bought the first top I found that matched. I'm not much of a shopper...

Just got off the phone with my youngest dd. I love our talks! So thankful I have her in my life.

Karen3 - Thanks for the compliments on my grands. Yes they are beautiful! A grandmother will never argue about a compliment on their grands will they?! Or maybe you were talking to the other Mary, if so sorry, forgot I'm not the only Mary around here!

Slmn1 - I don't think I've read the book you described but I have used Book Sleuth with good success. Several years ago (early 90s) I lost my favorite fiction book...called Mirror...and I paid two companies, one was Book Sleuth to find it for me. Both companies finally found it but it took a while. Now I can find it easily online in fact here it is if any are interested. http://www.amazon.com/The-Mirror-Mar.../dp/0915230151
I love this book so much I reread it every couple years or so! And I don't do that with many books.

Slmn1, the reason I can't lose so easily without MF is I went back to my evening snacking. I usually do well all day but evenings are a real problem for me...that's when I am the most hungry no matter how much I eat during the day. Its just very hard for me to say no then. I think you could say I tend to binge in the evenings. My binges aren't nearly as big as they used to be but they are still too much for my present metabolism to handle. So, lack of discipline, plain and simple. The MF meals are packed with protein and fiber, and are low fat and low carb, and they kept me full so I wasn't tempted to stray. Toward the end though when I knew I was giving them up, I noticed they didn't keep me as full and now I am trying to be sure to include all that in all my meals so I think my problem is mental, it's just lack of discipline when it comes to food. I do think that the more dieting you do and esp the more restrictive you eat, the easier it is to gain it back. MF was not restrictive in the sense that I ever felt hungry but it was restrictive in that I had to eat their food, so when I went off it I was only too eager to get back to my own food and went overboard as usual. I did drop down 2.4# this morning so thankful for that! So maybe it was the dye or sodium. We've been eating Chinese and bacon recently. I ate small portions at least of both.

In regard to the treadmill...I walk the treadmills at the gym 1-5 days a week (varies) and I walk faster than the test did and I also walk on an incline although probably not as high as with the test. As far as my legs I could have gone on walking much longer but my heart rate did jump up pretty fast and I was getting SOB. I could still talk though, just a little breathy. I'm kind of a fast walker...I can walk much faster than my dh. But I'm a sprinter, not a long-distance. I bore easily then start feeling the fatigue (again a mind thing a lot I think) and that's why I like a book on the treadmill.

Marie - Fringe is sci-fi and seems to be about a cop and there is an old scientist who has dementia. His son is also involved in the investigations. I THINK it's also about parallel worlds but I'm still too confused to explain it further. Maybe someone else can explain it better.

Glynne - Sorry you didn't win the mega-millions. We didn't either but at least we are retired already. I hope you can retire some day soon.

Freda - Thanks for letting me know about Farmsville (and others too), I'll tell dh. I'm not interested but he seems to be but he relies on me for anything internet.

Rosey - I'm curious, do you feel full enough on the small amount you eat? Or is it just will power because you have to eat like that. I ask only because I really wish I could feel satisfied with less food. I know I sometimes eat when my tummy is full enough. I guess I just want the taste or I'm bored or something.

Well, better end this long "book." We have an over 50 class tonight at church. Want to go but dread going out into the cold rainy.

Hi everyone, i had a quiet day.should have been doing chores but as scarlett says "tomorrows another day" Bobbbie it was sadie who ate up the car,shes the black lab and weight is about 75#,im hoping she will turn into a nice dog but right now shes a delinquent.Maryea. im mostly always hungry,but have lots of will power the surg was just a tool but it does restrict what and how much i eat. if i bumped up the exercise i would loose but right now im at a stand still. i have stayed the same for over a month now. today i ate some things i shouldnt have and i will pay for it . my dd called and they made it too whitehorse,canada. one good day and they will be in Tok,alaska. another day to anchorage,and then to our house if all goes well they should be here wed. hoping your weekend was awsome rosey

breakfast
1/2 bagel
1 laughing cow strawberry cream cheese wedge
coffee

lunch
2 sm slices of pizza
iced tea

snack
coffee mocha
atkins bar

dinner
BQ chicken
1/2 sweet potatoe
green salad

Hey everyone! I am so sorry for the long absence -- nothing good, bad, or indifferent, and no real reason other than struggling to make all these jobs work, stressed over finances (and feeling down because of it), and keeping up with the kids, going for jury duty and having that last a bit (interesting experience this time), and just losing the drive to keep going on the losing weight front. I'm going back and skimming posts to catch up as of this weekend, but I decided I just HAD to stop by tonight and say hello and apologize......and then will catch up more to see what's going on with everyone. I have noticed some new pictures/avatars and the Golden Girls are definitely golden and gorgeous! I'm loving them. :-)

As for me......was doing great and it was easy, until after my appt just before Thanksgiving (1 pound a week pretty consistently, and no cravings or badly missing anything or giving into temptation). But then came Thanksgiving, and I had a few tastes while cooking (which I wouldn't have done before) and that seemed to be my undoing. I didn't binge, and I still was proud of myself through those 2 Thanksgiving dinners, eating only a spoonful of each item I wanted and skipping the desserts, but I let up on the discipline by Christmas when I had stopped losing for several weeks. I still in my head knew on a basic level what I should do, and yet couldn't seem to wrap my head around what I had been doing that worked before and just DO IT. Really strange. And then those times crept in, more and more, where I realized I just ate something (or several servings of something) without even realizing I was doing it until it was gone. What the heck?!?!? I found myself with no time to go for walks anymore, even on the treadmill, and just got in a rut. Thankfully, there was only a 3-pound fluctuation in all that time, and now I need to lose that and get back on track to lose more and get healthier. I know I felt so much better when things were working and the weight was slowly coming off. I'm ready to feel that way again. :-)

I had my routine follow-up a week ago. Blood pressure is still doing great, hemoglobin A1c was back up a bit (another reason to get back on track before meds sneak into the picture), vitamin D level was still way down (tested last July at 12, with normal range starting at 30, it wasn't drawn with November labs and then retested last month at 12 again), and my alkaline phosphatase was still elevated so he ran further blood tests and found that my liver is fine so it's coming from my bones instead. He just wants to watch it for now (he thought it might be from my RA, though it's under good control so I'm not sure that's it). Guess we'll see as time goes on!

Just being back this weekend and reading posts, I'm starting to feel like trying again -- proof of how great 3FC is and especially the Golden Girls!

As a last note, little Noah came home from the hospital in mid January and has been thriving ever since! I haven't seen him for a while but hopefully we'll get a chance to visit soon. Other than breathing treatments when he goes to bed, he seems to be just a normal little guy. :-) I don't have any recent photos but have attached the one from the hospital on the day he came home, and one with him asleep with his little feet up underneath him that's just too cute!

Looking forward to catching up with you all and moving forward on this journey with all of you,

Happy Monday GG's!

Welcome Leisa, and welcome back Darcy and Jude!

Had a good weekend overall and lost another pound! DBF and I made sliders on the grill on Saturday, which is a great way to limit portion size, and you can eat as many as you like (1 for me). I was even able to find cute little slider buns at Kroger!

Yesterday I was a working fool in my yard because of the nice weather and the grass growing so fast. Came in tired and filthy yesterday afternoon and crashed after my shower on the couch in front of the tv. Watched the CMA awards and then Mad Men, my favorite.

I've been extra motivated lately and plan to keep the walking and exercise levels up - hope to lose another pound by Easter. I'm still disappointed naked in the mirror because I'm still saggy in places... hope some toning with do the trick, but that gets harder as we get older.

Hello to everyone!

Andi

Good Morning lovely ladies,

Up early this morning, but I slept good last night. I hesitate to say that I have slept well for a few days, afraid I will jinx it. Good weekend, didn't really do much, but went shopping a few times and got my walking in there. Weights I have no problem with, they are an "easy" for me. Waiting for some tables to be delivered. The salesman said they would call at 8 and set up a time. Yeah right. It's 9:30 and still no word. Good thing I have nothing planned for today.

Andi, congrats on the weight loss! And I see you got lots of exercise working outdoors and got a lot of work done too. My kind of exercise. And while exercise alone might not get rid of all the loose skin, it will tone you up. It takes time.

Darcy, Glad to see you back. The little one is so cute. I remember when mine lay curled up like that. I am on large dose Vit. D too. I think anyone who lives in a cold climate is. I kind of questioned that, but I can't see how it will hurt, so i'm taking it. glad your other labs were good.

Rosie, I think you do wonderful with the diet, and you're right, the surgery is just a tool. It helps a lot, but it's not everything. Why no exercise?

Liesa, Hi, welcome! Look forward to getting to know you. I'm a nurse too, a few of us on here. I'm still working, partime, which is 12 hour shifts. What floor do you work? I'm rehab. How wonderful that you found your soul mate. Some never do, both of you are lucky.

Bobbi, I'm with Marie. I'm can't imagine you living in a condo. I know there are good points for both, but I just think of you as a country chick. I lovev having the little garden that I have, and would love to have more, but I guess anything can get old. I thought I mentioned my little Benny a lot. He adopted us when he was 15 months old. He hadn't been abused but terribly neglected, caged raised. Wouldn't eat unless he was in his cage, didn't know how to cuddle. The best thing those people ever did was let us take him. I have no respect for people who get an animal and mistreat-neglect it. No one makes you buy a pet.

Rie, i bet you laughed all day at the silly April fools joke. After you stopped wanting to hit him.

Isabella, Great job on the fund raiser. And I know it's a cause near and dear to all our hearts.

Karen3, I still haven't gotten a kindle, and made the kids return the one they got me. But this weekend is a good example of when it would have been handy to have. I ran out of things to read!!!! oh no!!! I could have just downloaded something.

Hi Gayle. How was your weekend?

Z, the babies are adorable. My brothers twinnies (boy and girl) turned 3 this weekend too.

Lynn, hope you are enjoying your vacation.

Marie, I gauge how I am doing on the tread mill the same way. How are you feeling? I have very fine hair too. Enough of it, but just enough curl to make it impossible to wear totally straight, which I would like, and not curley enough to look good. Are we ever happy with our hair?

Donna, Hope your weekend went well and you had fun.

The sun is shining, but it's cold out. My tomato seeds are coming up and I have about 15 little sprouts. Now, if I can get them to live long enough to put outside, i'm all set.

Freda