chat March 24+
 

Well, last night was the third er trip in 5 weeks. We thought Grif had broken his arm, but he dislocated his elbow falling off his brothers bed. I think a broke arm would had been less painful as putting it back in place! OUCH!

I am going to eat. I am hungry. I can't believe I didn't loose anything even if I had only a small bowl of cherrios for dinner last night! UGH! I had planned a nice dinner. Go see my food diary. I was too tired and stressed to eat good after that. But I did pass up the urge to go eat Jack in the Box on the way home. That is a huge victory!

I don't know exactly what my plans are today. I know I am going to do the Yoga for dummies tape today. I need to go walking too. Didn't get it in yesterday. I have to do housework. The kitchen and dining room got done yesterday but the rest of the house is awful! I really should get out the hammer and nails and finish haning art work and knick knacks. No excuse, downstairs is finished painting. I might tackle my stenciling too. But knowing me, I will just get in my work out and I will end up playing in the garden! :)

Have a wonderful Monday everyone!

I had my teeth cleaned this morning, and survived that, and this afternoon I went to a candle workshop with a few other women I know. It's the tackiest candle I've ever seen. But fun to make...

My children were thrilled when they saw it after school, and we've agreed to burn it at easter. it's an easter-type candle.

the sun is shining, and I took my wicker chairs out to my kitchen porch, it gets lovely southern sunshine.

and I put the snow shovel in the shed, not AWAY, just out of sight.

i've been on-track for almost a week, the first time in ages and ages.

Lam

Ok...
 

Did anyone catch any of the "Miss USA" pageant last night? Here is my question... what must it be like going through life THAT beautiful? Do you think they just have the world at their feet? Do you think they are blissfully happy and confident? I'd like to say no, but I don't know. :?: I mean, I would think that if I were gorgeous and had this amazing, perfect body... life would be considerably better. I would think that I would be more likely to get hired for better jobs and even get better grades in school. Or maybe not... would people not take you seriously?I wonder if they ever eat, or if they just have amazing genetics? Anyway, just wondering what it would be like to walk around in one of those bodies every day. I admit, I am pretty envious. :censored:

Sojo-
One of the saddest things I ever read was a study of women who lost a ton of weight and they were seriously depressed because they thought the world would change for them. They hung all their dreams on weight loss and was totally disappointed when their dreams didn't happen.

As for the question if beauty is related to happiness, I think of my STUNNING friend who would sit alone at the bar because men who too intimidated by her looks to approach her. The guys that would approach her were usually muscle bound, dumb thugs. She ended up marrying her very best friend, a huge engineering geek (scawny and all) mostly because he was smart and funny.

So ask yourself:
If you got hired based on your looks and not your talent, would you feel better?
If your "friends" were constantly complained about how you can't relate to anything because you're so beautiful, would you be happier when you went to bed?
If a person fell in love with your tight butt and great rack before you made him laugh, would you ever be able to trust him?

Sojo-they say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

I watched the part of that show where they were all wearing the white outfits and introducing themselves. I didn't really find any of them to be that pretty in the face. They were just skinny. They all seemed to come out of the same two molds, one for blondes, one for brunettes- very few of them were interesting looking. But hey :shrug: that's just my opinion since I don't find the stereotypical "beautiful girl" that appealing but DH said the same thing. He switched channels to WWF wrestling...he seems to find the women there more appealing-they are not perfect looking and are more curvy and athletic, I had to agree with him on that one :lol: Although the sexploitation on that show is another story :rolleyes:

Umm, Sojo... apart from being shorter and chunkier, you ARE that beautiful!! If we put you on a rack, you'd fit right in. You have no need to be envious!

I love how everyone here is too diplomatic to talk about the Oscars. :lol:

Mauv...Chris has a crush on Lita...Definately know how you feel! :) I don't think the beauty contestants are very pretty either... And no, being skinny and pretty doesn't make you happy. Accomplishing things makes you happy. Laughing makes you happy. Love makes you happy. Being fit takes accomplishment. Being skinny doesn't. They have the same problems we do...they just stress on other things like we do about the weight! Hugs Sojo!!! I wish we could wake up skinney and happy. But I know I am beautiful and deep down, I think you know you are too.

Oh my...
 

Ellis you completely crack me up! :lol: If you put me on a rack!!! I have actually been laughing out loud for the last couple minutes at that one.

Ok, I need to calm down here... still laughing. But really, I know that beauty does not bring happiness, thats not what I was suggesting. And I absolutely know that becoming thinner will not make my issues go away. But I"m wondering if life is just better when you look like that. And yes Ellis, I was pretty disgusted with the whole pageant thing... usually I NEVER watch these types of shows but for some reason this time I did. DH doesn't like that sort of thing either... which I find hard to believe but he is weird that way I guess.

AT least with the Oscars there is SOME talent involved.

Actually, I can see the appeal in watching a pageant. It's like reading the National Enquirer. Total devious, trashy eye candy. :D
(no offense to anyone who reads it regularly... I envy you. :lol: Although it wouldn't be quite such a treat for me to read it often...)
Re: the Oscars... I was referring to the pro peace/war clash. ;)
I admit to watching the Oscars just to see the outfits. I keep thinking about Catherine Zeta-Jones. My gosh, she looks GREAT!

Ellis-I am gonna buy the next issue of the National Eq...just so I can see what everyone wore. :) I only like that part of the magazine!

Oh, Ellis... How shallow of you to watch the Oscars just for the outfits:rolleyes: Why I would never do such a thing! ;) I only watch it for the political intrigue and to see what pin/ribbon they are wearing to support the cause of the month in hollywood :lol:

I bet Halle Berry's husband was ready to break someone in half that night! :lol:

The best looking actresses were the 30 + ones who had curves ie: Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, Susan Sarandon, and the very pregnant and absolutely radiant Catherine Zeta-Jones!

And if I were sixty something I would do Sean Connery:s: :devil:

Michael Moore, what can we say :shrug: I expected him to say something controversial but more along the lines of " we live in times that seem fictitious and we work to bring the truth to the public, blah, blah, blah" but boy did he rant! Every year there is one big political speech that crosses the line. He does do great films though. Interesting how Roman Polanski has an oustanding criminal charge on him but is not a "persona non grata" in Hollywood...:chin:

Geez Ellis you just had to lift the lid off my politically incorrect pandora's box of a big mouth :lol:

For the first time in like 5 years, I went to bed before the Oscars were over. It kinda sucked.

As for the clothes - Everyone was beautiful. No one struck me as a "what was she thinking?".

I am so bummed Julianne Moore didn't win anything. She is so great, and yet, most people don't really know who she is.

Micheal Moore - I knew he was going to say something, it is just too bad he came off as an ***.

Loved Susan Sarandon's little flash of a peace sign. And I think Adrien Brody gave a wonderful, moving acceptance speech. (And loved his kiss to Halle Berry)

I am surprised, but glad Polanski won. From what I hear, it was a wonderful movie, and that is all he should be judged on, at least when it come to the Oscars. I want to see it, I just haven't been in the mood for a depressing movie.

The one thing that ticked me off the most, and has me wanting to boycott the Oscars is Original Song. Eminem and Oscar are 2 words that should have never appeared in the same sentence. Bono has more talent in his little toe. So does Paul Simon. I also thought the music from Chicago was well done. The only good thing was he wasn't there.
But U2 did perform, and sounded great. (And Bono looked just yummy, but that's besides the point...)

And I agree with Mauvais - I would do Sean Connery. And Denzel, who looked good too. And Bono, who I just normally call Mr. Hot Irish Man.

Mauvais... :lol:

I love Susan Sarandon. :D She's so cool. And Jack Nicolson is THE coolest. :smoking:
And Kathy Bates. And Julianne Moore. Meryl Streep...

Why the heck did they let Jennifer Lopez up to speak?! Purely decorative. (that's not a compliment)

Michael Moore... if he'd held his tongue, I would have lost all respect for him. ;) SOME of us have to cross the line. We can't all be diplomatic.

Michael and Kirk Douglas make me queasy. They both look like they're dead.

Steve Martin was good for the most part except for when he put his foot in his mouth. A couple of times. :rolleyes:

Eminem. BLAH!!!

I'm totally out of this conversation! I've NEVER watched the oscars!

I can't see it all as real.

Guess I'm just not a hollywood type.

L

Sure Lamorgan... PUT us all down with one small paragraph! :lol:

Sorry! I've always felt like an alien this time of year.

Joining Lamorgan - we can share a superiority complex! :lol:

Quite frankly, I just can never stay awake late enough for the good stuff so I never watch them either.

Hey - today I start back at my music lessons! This will be a shock for my teacher after a whole year off for broken arm, torn rotator cuff and two wrist operations. She may switch me to vocal.

I am going to try very hard to resist the Chinese buffet in Smiths Falls today. Pray for me.

Good luck! I fell victim to singapore noodle last night.

And it wasn't even very good but I kept eating, and eating....

L

No prayer is strong enough to keep you off the buffet table, Ruthie. ;) But I said one anyhow.

I totally blew off an appointment I had at 8 this morning. I remembered 10 minutes ago. I hate when I act like an airhead. I knew I had parent teacher confrences today and the boys get out at 12:30...but I totally forgot about WIC. They were understanding...but I feel so dumb. I get to go in at 10 instead. Luckily it was just to get checks.

My laundry is getting monsterous! And the internet is so much more fun. But I need to do it. I am running out of things I like to wear. I am planning on changing the sheets on the bed if I can figure out what I did will the other set.

It is a scary wind out today. Do not like it at all. I love thunder and lightning, pouring rain...but please wind -go away!!!!

Well, my journal needs to be updated and then to the garage I go to do the frekin laundry!!!!

Lamorgan-yeah well I went to the National Women's show with my mom a few weekends ago and all these women were crowded around the main stage area.

My mom asked a lady what was going on and and she said "Charlie is here" so I said "Who is Charlie?" and all these women turned and looked at me like I was out of my mind!

My mom matter of factly said that Charlie was the reject from the Bachelor tv show. I told her that I didn't watch that show (evil eyes from surrounding women) and it was really nice of her to call some guy a reject and some one said that that was how they had him billed on the program :rolleyes:

I am apparently out of the reality tv loop :lol:

I actually FORGOT about the Oscars this year!! I DID see footage of Adrian Brody kissing Hallie Berry though, and judging by what I saw AND her reaction, he is someone else I wouldn't kick out of bed!!!

I HATE reality TV. There is just too much of it in real life for me to view it as entertainment or escapism. I WANT MORE SURREALISM!!!!

Today is one of those days...a wrong look might make me cry. I am not on tops of things. I hate being scolded. It has happened twice today. I like advice normally but not if you are just pick on me. I am not enjoying this wind. Chris and I were suppose to go to Sacramento together on Friday night. Now...I gotta go by myself. It is soooo windy. I hate driving in the wind. It better stop. My girlfriends kids are sick. (I really hope Grif won't get it) I want to curl up in a ball and not think. But I have to go to Rileys parent teacher confrence. She gets to tell me how much he talks. Like this is news to me. I don't want any more critisism. Everyone just be nice to me!

Flower, I'm so sorry you're having a rough day.
love and hugs...
ellis :grouphug:

Hey Guys!

As I said in the Ta-Da post... We bought new living room furniture which is beautiful but I swear my husband is counting chickens before they hatch. I don't start work until May after I graduate and he is already spending the money from my first 6 months of working. Granted I love this furniture, but still....

Skylar won a Art Contest sponsered by one of our local hospitals which completely blew my mind, because I didn't know she entered anything in to a contest for one thing. She is very artsy but I really wasn't expecting that.... Don't even know what it was she entered. ???

Flower ~ Hun, just sit back and relax. I am sorry to hear you are stressed. I hope that you are feeling better soon. :grouphug:

I have a major sinus headache. I feel like I have a ton of bricks sitting on my head. The pollen is so thick around here that you can't tell what color anything is, but the flowers are wonderful.

Amy

Rileys confrence went well academically. All a's. She told me he is skipping lunch cause he hates the hot lunch. He hates all foods except chicken fingers and french fries! We are poor, we get free lunch. I let him pick the worst 2 days and pack a cold lunch. She also said he has been way sensitive lately. He gets this from me. He cried 4/5 days last week. He thinks everyone hates him and is spreading rumors about him. No evidence to back this up. He imagines so much. But I know how he feels. I am not sure how to help, cause I am the same way. He is 9, in the 3rd grade.... I tried to talk to him today, which just brought tears. Motherhood sucks sometimes.

I tried to fix a truck problem for Chris. He ordered new planks for his pick up and they aren't right. But as this is not my truck...I couldn't give the guy the new measurements to get him the right one. He will be gone before Chris gets home. What is the difference between Central and Pacific. 2 hours?

I want to go for a really long walk and get lost. But it is too windy. I would probably be blown away and that is not an easy feat. Gotta figure out a different escape. I will get over this mood eventually.... Not even PMS time. Just sensitive! ~flower

Flower, is there a guidance counciller at Riley's school? Talking to someone else might help Riley. Hugs, hon...

I walked anyways. I needed to get out of here. Chris is an equally rotton mood. Lucky me.

an email I got...
 

I'll be happy when...

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, when we are able to go on a nice vacation or when we retire. The truth is there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges.

It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with ... and remember that time waits for no one.


So, stop waiting ...
Until your car or home is paid off.
Until you get a new car or home.
Until your kids leave the house.
Until you go back to school.
Until you finish school.
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married.
Until you get a divorce.
Until you have kids.
Until you retire.
Until summer..
Until spring.
Until winter.
Until fall.
Until you die.

There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So work like you don't need money, love like you've never been hurt, and, dance like no one's watching.

Yup ~ live like today is the last.

I am poor in money, but rich in family.

I make my food from scratch, because for so many years I had to. I washed my diapers, never bought baby food. I still buy most clothes used and we don't have a car.

We eat pizza now once a week, and can afford treats - new shoes and organic food... Slowly it's getting easier.

I was poor because I stayed home with my children for 15 years... and they had to cope with not having the clothes that their friends did/do and knowledge that going to a show was and still is a major event. Let alone Wonderland or Disneyland or ANY land.

No family vacations to far away places. We go camping. We have a membership to the museum.

We live pay to pay, still, after 19 years.

But what is it I really need?

Nothing.

I have my garden, my computer, a huge old house that I love and a great part-time job.

The wind agitates me as well Flower, we're getting a wind-storm on the weekend I think.

I think that I live on the edge of materialism, never quite diving in but still kind of reaping the benefits...

Weird ramble!

L

Not weird at all, Lamorgan. Very beautiful. :yes: Thank you for sharing that with us.
:grouphug:

I posted this on the quotes thread but in light of today's conversations I thought it was relevant. Especially the last line.


"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. If you realize that you have enough, then you are truly rich."

From the Book of Tao Te Ching


I had dinner with my parents the other day and my mom was talking about some friend of hers who is always bragging about how great all of her kids are doing and they have fabulous jobs and their own homes etc....Then she started about how DH and I should have a place, why can't we seem to get ahead when other people do, blah blah blah. I know she means well but..:rolleyes:

So I said to her how do you know that these people are doing so well? You are just going by what your friend is saying and she never even mentions one of her sons names at all -guess he is the one not doing well so she doesn't talk about him at all. Just because people apppear to have things or their life appears to be perfect doesn't mean that it is. You don't see what goes on behind closed doors. Maybe their marriage is lousy and they just put up a great front, maybe they are drowning in debt to get these fabulous things they own :shrug:

I told her that DH and I are happy with what we have. We have a roof over our head, we eat well, we have loving friends and family, we have jobs to support ourselves with, and we have a working second hand vehicle that gets us around. We are not in debt and have relatively good health. We have an amazing relationship with each other and our marriage has outlasted all of our friend's marriages who had better paying jobs, the car, the house, the kids. We have been told by many people that they envy us and wish that they could be in a successful relationship. Our relationship has survived the hard times, both financial and emotional ones.

I feel that we are blessed and we have enough. I just wish my mom could understand this.

My philosophy is this: No matter how bad you think things are in your life there is someone out there in the world who would gladly trade places with you. It puts things into perspective for me.

Flower, Lamorgan and Mauvais-
Very true! We have had a rough time in terms of jobs and finances and yet I would NOT trade places with any of our friends who are supposedly doing better. The four of us live on less than a lot of our single friends make, and yet we are not in debt. Some of that, to be honest, is due to the help of family. Mostly though, we do without all the "extra" stuff. My kids may not have the fancy shoes or name brand jackets, but they know that their parents love and support them. And they know that if we can scrape the money together somehow that they will go on the school trip to Chicago or Washington DC before we will buy expensive stuff for ourselves. Exploration and love beat out materialistic goods every time! YES, I would like to travel more or fix up the house, but even MORE than that I want MY family.

Mauvais, I'm sorry about what your Mom said to you. :( No matter how much we love them and they love us, our families are capable of saying some pretty stupid things. :rolleyes:
You have a wonderful life! I often think of you and how "cool" it is that you've been married happily for so long WITHOUT the tie of having children! Material possessions don't mean a damned thing. And we shouldn't have to defend our choice of lifestyle to those around us. Are we whinging?! Maybe a little. But love and happiness keep us going... not houses and fancy cars...
love and hugs...
:grouphug:

And Den, you and DH are GREAT parents. ****, I wish you were MY parents! ;)

Thanks Ellis! :grouphug: right back at ya!

Whenever DH and I have troubles, especially financial ones, and we are getting irritable with each other because of it one of us always breaks the tension by sing the song "I got you Babe" by Sonny and Cher which makes us both break out laughing :lol:

We are at the point where just singing the opening of "Doo doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo doo, they say our love won't pay the rent, before it's made our money's always spent" just gets us laughing and giving each other a big hug. :D

I had a poopy fight with the Cute Boyfriend last night and what you guys said has made me feel like it's not that bad.

You ever get in that place where EVERY LITTLE THING become too serious? Suddenly, you're having philosophical debates on what not taking the trash out this morning "really" meant? Argh!

I'm having lunch with him today, I'll give him a great big kiss and tell him I love him and try not to bring up the tea bag that was in the sink this morning :lol:

Hey girlies.
Ellis, do you know what book of feminist essays has that piece about waiting? I was reminded of that piece by Flower's post. and LA, thanks, nice sentiments.
I missed the oscars. But, I hadn't even seen one of the movies nominated so...and I didn't know who Charlie was either!

I did watch some of the reality show where young people are competing to be American Idol. I saw that some girls and guys who had "imperfect bodies" were in the competition and since I was home sick decided to watch some of it. Didn't see it all though. Got better. Went back to work.

If anyone else followed it let my know what happened to the fat girls!

Going to the gym tomorrow...hold me to that girls.
talk to you soon.
Soozie:wave:

Hmmm, I'm not sure, Soozie. I'll see if I've got it... it doesn't ring a bell.
Hey... GET TO THE GYM!! :D