I'm feeling grateful today that my introspective skills (mostly developed right here in the last ten years) are proving useful to other people right now. Who knew that was a transferable asset?

Exercise: +45, 615/1300 minutes for March

BillBlueEyes: I had to make a decision like that -- we were asked to help out with the great-niblings. We ended up foregoing that in favor of self-isolating to decrease risk as we can continue to be the primary problem-solving team for my 83-year-old MiL.

I might have made the opposite choice without that responsibility -- but with more hand-washing and fewer cuddles. We never child-proofed our house, so I always go to their house. Is that an option for you? It would mean you didn't have to clean all the surfaces in your house after DGD returned home.

OTOH, I just saw this from one our public health officials in response to the news that schools are closing in the entire St. Louis Region.

Good morning coaches,

I got up and went for a hike this morning in our beautiful weather. Since we've had some rain the desert is spectacular. The brittle bush with yellow flowers is growing into the trail in places. When I got home I took Otis for a walk and he was a good dog. What I love about it is that I don't even have to think about the coronavirus, but the traffic is lighter since schools are closed. I am going to go sit with my friend in the hospital for a bit later this morning. Her husband is having an angiogram. She will call and alert me if it is crowded or anybody is sniffling. I'm not around a bunch of people and so I think it will be okay. My dh and I watch far too much news, so I'm going to try to get him to watch a movie every other evening. I'll let you know how it goes.

The news from my friends and family in Washington is so depressing. Pretty much everything is closed. My niece says at the hospital where she works the doors are locked with security at the door. Visitors are limited to those for actively dying patients or the birth of a baby. She wishes they could be here, but my selfish self is glad I don't have to worry about them and their little one.

GardenerJoy Yes thank you for sharing, the article you shared is a good one.
Bill Oh what a bummer if you have to forego time with dgd. We all enjoy hearing of her visits.
Onebyone Good to hear from you.
Penny My brother sent a photo Saturday with snow at his house. I don't think they are all that many miles from you.

I'd better get cleaned up and ready to go.

Good Afternoon Folks.

I got the email at 11:30 last night from the superintendent that school was closing Tuesday. It was all so ridiculous. They had a whole weekend to close school on Monday. Instead, half of the Have the kids showed and we couldn't do any real work because of it. All we did is give everyone one last chance to spread any germs allegedly out there. I wish we had kept open at least for the week. That way we could have had midterms. We are a block schedule so kids get a half of a year credit after midterms. I am not sure what the future holds in terms of expectations. We were not told to set up distance learning and frankly only half of my kids would be able (or willing) to get to a computer. I am focusing on giving all the leaders some grace. People are trying to find their way. I am of the "this is an overreaction" camp but I understanding about people's point of view.

We will be off for three weeks one of which was our spring break anyway.

So now I am home. bThe next question is will the gym be open. I would like to go to yoga.

My food has been really off. My this release time will allow me to regroup.

Wave to all.

Diet Coaches/Buddies - The hard decision: we won't take the DGD on Wednesday for the foreseeable future. Our DD will try to get her daycare to add Wednesdays to the four days that she now uses; as a minor sop we'll pay for it. (All Massachusetts public and private schools are closed; daycare is not closed.) So, I'll be paying for someone to take care of the DGD that I very much want to be playing with.​​​​​​ As far as the sacrifices facing most of us, mine is a minor one. If we did take her, we face that every place that we normally spend the day is closed. Even the outdoor places have closed their restrooms. One place is closing their indoor restrooms but installing a few port-a-potties, "That will have minimum maintenance since all staff is at home." Think I'd choose a convenient tree.

Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi. I participated in a class using the app "Zoom." The app is well designed; the leader's charts were displayed directly on my screen as were eleven small pictures of each of us. When someone spoke, they became the central picture. Worked well. However, classes by computer screen lack the contact that make a class more interesting than just reading the book.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Thanks for your thoughts on the grandparenting decision. My own feelings were mixed. We're childproof enough here and we like her to be someplace different. The DD was worried that her little germy kid would infect and kill us. Level of fear may lower in a few weeks of the flattening is working.

maryann - That's some late notice for teachers to plan three weeks of take home work for students. Good luck with your notion to "regroup."

Karen (karenrn) - Your Brittlebush looks spectacular. Thanks for reminding me to update my notion of a desert. Congrats for continuing to get out and hike.

Readers -

I'm trying to be really consistent with my self care activities. That, plus doing creative work, is what keeps the anxiety at bay. Fortunately, self-care includes exercise and healthy eating, especially vegetables (I made cabbage salad yesterday from cheap St. Patrick's day stock). So, my Beck practices are going pretty well at the moment.

Exercise: +50, 665/1300 minutes for March

Good morning!

Overbudget and holding. The battle is not easy but I am not giving up. I need another two weeks on plan.

Karen, the hike sounds beautiful!

Maryann, I'm sorry your school gave such short notice. It seems these decisions are being made kind of suddenly after an opposite announcement was made to stay open.

Bill, good decision about DGD. Gotta keep the grandparents safe for future Wednesdays.

Onebyone, welcome back! Good to see your check-in.

Joy, it sounds like you are doing good. I like the "grand-nibbles" nickname.

Curly, how's it going?

Like gardenerjoy, I am trying to be consistent in things I would be doing if I was on vacation. Prayer and meditation, yoga ( now at home), cleaning, organizing, reading. I have to admit I am antsy this morning however. The scale is nearing the high of the last five years and I feel completely powerless in that matter. I have entered my breakfast into MFP.

I am going down to see my mother. She has asked for a new game to play. I am bringing SkipBo. I think she will like it. I have ordered Dad his new Life Alert button. He is 89 but very hardy. He is remarkably willing to wear it when usually he is very stubborn.

Ok. Off I go to get ready.

Good afternoon coaches,

My routine is going pretty well. I got up again this morning and went for a hike. It wasn't as long as I thought I would do, but I decided it's the fourth day in a row and I could do the shorter hike and feel good about that. On the way home I stopped at the store which still has some empty shelves, although certainly more food than when I went before later on another day. After that I came home and took Otis for a walk. Yesterday I did go to the hospital to sit with my friend while her husband had an angiogram and a couple of stents. The cardiologist gave a good report, but several hours later she called to say could I come her husband was coding. The hospital is five minutes away, so I was glad I could get there quickly. Luckily after chest compressions and defibrillation he was back in a good rhythm and heading back to the cath lab for stent number 3. He is doing fine today in the ICU. Today I picked up some hearing aid batteries for him and dropped them by the front door of the hospital. Things changed quickly over night and today the visitors are very limited and tomorrow visitors are not allowed.

I spoke to a friend in Seattle yesterday and I must say it is much worse there. She told me about all the comfort foods she was cooking (which sounded so good). She doesn't have a weight problem though. I decided I don't want to be both broke and fat when this is over, so I had better do my best to stay on plan. I spoke to my other really good friend in Washington today and she is really nervous about things. It is very interesting to see how we all react differently. I am taking it seriously but I do feel like we will get through this. It may take awhile and we may have a new normal, but I guess we'll just see what it is.

Maryann I use MFP off and on to keep track of my calories when things don't seem to be going the way I want them to. Sometimes I'm just not good about stopping when I'm satisfied or choosing things that help with weight loss. I'm sorry about your late notification of school closing. Seems like with so many other places closing they would have been thinking about it and letting you know.
Penny I truly feel that never giving up is the most important thing we can do for ourselves. That and getting back on plan as quickly as possible when we're off plan and no negative self talk (it never seems to help me anyway).
GardenerJoy Good for you for knowing what helps most to keep anxiety at bay. Isn't it fortunate that it is the healthy habits.
Bill Such a bummer that you won't be having dgd. We will miss hearing about where you went and what she had to say about it. I did think about all the places closing though and just being home would probably take a lot of energy to keep her entertained.
The Zoom ap is used by the Phit n Phat folks for coaching calls and different things. I think it's great that there is such a thing, especially now when people are supposed to be socially distancing. Their stock is up . . . I guess I should have bought some.

It looks like I'll have a day of rain tomorrow, so I'm planning to make some split pea soup and maybe even tackle Costco again. Dh says he heard they have moved the toilet paper to just inside the door and it has a one package limit. Maybe I'll go check it out just for fun. I hope you all are hanging in there, I guess really what can we do.

Curlyjax . . . are you doing okay?

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Did another online class using app "Zoom." Meh! One advantage is that I watched the other class members, each on a small window on my screen, looking bored, anxious, or sleepy. I secretly opened another screen to review my email and the news. I think the others couldn't tell. One classmate failed to mute her mike so that we heard her dog yelping now and then. No one told her.

Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi. Again, that isn't hard when I don't see food. I do know it's in the kitchen and pantry, though. Diligence must be maintained. The big excitement of the day was the predicted delivery of a book via USPS. It was to arrive by 8pm. It didn't. Instead, I got an email saying that it was late and that if it didn't arrive in three days I should contact them. This "guaranteed" delivery business seems only to mean that I either get the package or an email. It's not a crisis; not really an inconvenience. It's a book to give DW and I haven't even thought of what occasion to justify giving it. I'd hoped to have the DGD here to open it and give it to her. The DGD LOVES opening packages - particularly if I tell her it's a secret for grandma.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - You haven't mentioned cabbage salad lately. Glad to hear that it's still a staple.

maryann - SkipBo looks like nice diversion. Super news that your Dad accepts a Life Alert button. I watched DW's parents refuse any such thing.

Karen (karenrn) - LOL at "I decided I don't want to be both broke and fat when this is over." Sobering reminder that casual visits to hospitals are over.

Penny. - Think of you with three teens in the house all day. Folks around here who are facing that for the first time are a bit overwhelmed. You should give online classes on how to homeschool.

Readers -

Hi everyone, sorry to be absent. I'm going into my agency these days instead of my housing sites, and the agency is about 45 minutes away and i'm trying to be on time Many of the other similar agencies that serve elders are finally starting to work at home. I've been feeling a bit grumpy at how m any people get to either work at home or not wok at all. Some folks are truly losing money, but some will be reimbursed by the state etc, and hopefully there will be equity for those who are losing money. Anyhow-I really can't work at home so i'm going in and maybe get trained to help with the phones etc. In the meantime my internet keeps dropping every since the Verizon tech came,and DD is freaking out since she needs reliable internet for tests etc. I've been on the phone with Verizon AGAIN and trying to figure this out, but its tough to do at night when my brain is fried. And of course DD and i are fighting everyday.
Anyhow- i'm eating way too much crap but fin

[QUOTE=curlyjax;5405683]Hi everyone, sorry to be absent. I'm going into my agency these days instead of my housing sites, and the agency is about 45 minutes away and i'm trying to be on time Many of the other similar agencies that serve elders are finally starting to work at home. I've been feeling a bit grumpy at how m any people get to either work at home or not wok at all. Some folks are truly losing money, but some will be reimbursed by the state etc, and hopefully there will be equity for those who are losing money. Anyhow-I really can't work at home so i'm going in and maybe get trained to help with the phones etc. In the meantime my internet keeps dropping every since the Verizon tech came,and DD is freaking out since she needs reliable internet for tests etc. I've been on the phone with Verizon AGAIN and trying to figure this out, but its tough to do at night when my brain is fried. And of course DD and i are fighting everyday.
Anyhow- i'm eating way too much crap but finally getting my head in a better space. It's humbling to see how this pandemic brings out the worst in me, but then again i feel like my coping strategies have been used up already over the past few years.
And my workplace acknowledged to us all, they realize we are all dealing with worrying about getting food, TP dealing with kids at home etc WHILE working, so i'm glad to hear that.
Wave to you all, and onwards. I'm going to be an adult today if it kills me!!

Good Morning, Coaches.

Glad to read everybody's check in.

Yesterday was very successful in terms of visiting mom. She is looking better and my niece is doing a good job. I ran a few errands and cooked her dinner. Unfortunately I binged on sugar at every turn. I have come to admit while driving home listening to an OA speaker meeting that I am powerless over sugar. I am ready to do something about it. I hesitate even saying it because I have fallen off the wagon time and time again. Even the thought of getting off refined sugar and flour strikes terror into my heart. But for today I have written a food plan that does not have either on it. I have dusted off my writing journal and have two phones numbers of gals who are in OA who are willing to receive a call. Thus I begin.

curleyjax: Certainly the internet issue is stressful. I would imagine the word "worse" could be changed to "vulnerable" which is what everyone feels often and right now even more often. You are in my thoughts.
BBE: I need to check out Zoom. It might be looming in my future. Also, I have made a commitment to an online OA meeting. We will see how that goes.
Karen: Rainy here as well. Lots of snow but I don' t think it will hang around too long. Ironic, that I now have a bunch of time to hike all the trails are snowy. Split pea sounds good. I am making a pot of beans for the boys.

Checking in late because we met MiL at her eye doctor. She has macular degeneration and it got worse last fall when we were taking care of more pressing health needs and missed her retinology appointments. The good news is that the treatment, a monthly shot in the eye, since then worked. She's no longer leaking and doesn't have to go back for three months. Now, there's a chance that her vision will improve.

It was nice to have some place to go and to drive to get there. I may want to think about going places to walk rather than always out my front door. Walking in our neighborhood is good for consistency, but when we're going no where else for any reason, I think we're going to want some variety.

Exercise: +55, 720/1300 minutes for March

Good morning coaches,

I got Otis out for a longer walk this morning. We headed out and went further than we usually do. Coming home I had to carry him down the block because they are redoing a house and there is some heavy equipment in the yard. My boy is just a chicken. I called it my upper body strength training. I just love having him to keep me company when I'm home. The split pea soup is made and simmering (I decided to do it on the stove since I'm home all day) and the ironing is done and house is neatened up. It's amazing how much I can get done when I'm home and feeling a bit antsy. I just spoke with my son and he is fine and not worrying about this. He seems to have a really good attitude. I know we will be okay in the long run, but I figure it may be quite some time. I just hope my husband will be able to keep working for awhile. He is a produce broker, which means phone sales to distribution warehouses, and people need food. I'm hoping that will mean he can work as long as he feels he wants to.

GardenerJoy You're probably right, driving someplace new to walk would be a nice change. I'm glad mil's eye appointment went well.
Maryann And I'm glad your Mom is doing well. I hear you about the sugar. Mostly I am pretty good, but I did have a couple of cookies after dinner last night. I actually drove to the store and bought them. I will not beat myself up, though, and I will move on and stick with my plan today.
Curlyjax I can understand how difficult this is for you. I'm thinking of you.
Bill Luckily when we use Zoom for our phit and phat, we only see the presenter most of the time and certainly not all the people watching. It's certainly not the same as being there "in person". Even though I don't want to be broke and fat . . . I ate the cookies. Hopefully that won't be a regular deal.

Well, I'm not sure what I plan to do for the afternoon, but I guess I'll start thinking on it. Hang in there all of you!

Good afternoon!

Yesterday was low cal but I almost lost my willpower making the kids toast pizzas under the broiler. They looked so good on the thick slices of homemade bread. Credit to me!

My sister shared some COVID-19 info last night on the stats and it made me panic a bit. First time popping me out of my bubble of cautious positivity. But, deep breaths. We carry on.

I don't work again until the weekend after next and it sounds like a lot of home visits are being cancelled, and a lot of assisted living places are on lock-down.

Have a good day, everyone!