Food has been on plan and weight down a tiny smidge. I'm taking credit for again passing up the cheesecake. I think I'll just take credit daily until it's out of the house which will likely be this evening. My resistance muscle feels strong right now, but I know that can change on a dime, almost like I shouldn't say it. I watched a YouTube video on the Cronometer app and will likely rewatch it today. I think I'll watch it on my desktop computer so I can mess around on my laptop as he shows some of what it does. I think I'll remember more that way. I know I don't really need all this information, but it's kind of fun learning something new and it can't hurt.
My friend and I hiked Bell Pass this morning. It was 75 and very windy when we started before 6 a.m. and about 85 when we finished almost 3 hours later. She wants to do the Grand Canyon hike at the end of the month, but I'm not sure she has the endurance so I'm trying to make sure we work up to some longer ones so she can back out if she sees it is too much. I had already planned to go before she decided she would like to go too. We'll see how it goes. It's predicted to get up to 95 today and tomorrow and then drop back down again, so we choose the cooler days to do the longer hikes.
GardenerJoy That's great that you found someone who would like the magazines. My husband has purchased a few subscriptions for me but I think they have both expired now. I honestly love to look through them, but not enough to have them around afterwards.
Penny I can imagine having a low energy day with all you have going on. Your breakfast sounds good, but it would have to be lunch for me. I get in such a rut and right now it's steel cut oats. I hope the little one with the retainer is better today. That sounds painful.
Curlyjax I wish Prince Charming would just appear for you so you could decide if you even wanted one or not. I'm glad you had dinner with a friend so you weren't just going home lonely.
Bill Yes I can imagine seeing a sales receipt for a human being and property insurance on that person would be something else. It was really something to see the Selenium on my Cronometer app be increase with the input of eating the Brazil nut. Seems like that is the ticket to cover that need.
Nationalparker I don't know if you follow Dr. Michael Greger who has Nutritionfacts.org. I find him to be about the best there is for true nutrition information. He's kind of a goofy guy to watch on his videos, but extremely knowledgeable. I hope you're feeling much better today.
Waving to Maryann. I'm thinking you might be just trying to make it through the week. I hope everything is okay.
I am feeling much better and think I did need a few days to just "be" and catch up a little here, spend cuddle time with the cats, putter with my paints, read, write letters and daydream a bit. Today I offered to take lunch to DH because his work was catering in lunch from Fat someone - Fat Jimmy's or Fat Bobby's and while he checked the menu, he told them there wasn't anything to order for him. I suggested I pick him up a few tamales from a small hole-in-the-wall place that has the chalkboard listing and erases them as they run out. I went early but they didn't have any vegan options today, rare. Usually they have two. So I picked him up Chipotle, and he asked for a burrito. We do burrito bowls regularly, so this was at least a treat. I'm kind of hoping he's not really hungry for a big dinner as that was a substantial lunch. I'd planned on Impossible meat tacos with homemade mango salsa... and part of me is lazy now regarding chopping everything up. I guess I should get onto it anyway.
It rained with strong winds last night and rain is starting again now ... rain with snow tomorrow. I hate driving out in the country on slick roads, so I'm really hoping they're wrong. I lit a fire last night and we burned up a lot of old wood, and had a line of candles on the mantel and so relaxing. Might do another one tonight - I think we'll be staying in.
Joy - I love magazines and subscribe to a fair number of them at wildly reduced prices ($4/year for Vanity Fair, etc.) and I pass them on to a few friends who enjoy them as well. I try to read the timely ones in season, but others do stack up a bit now and then. Our library has wonderful digital magazines (I guess most do, I'm just thankful ours does), and I read vegan ones from Australia and the UK, mindfulness and simple living ones from the UK. All fun.
Bill - I had to laugh at Penny's note about reading about your patio dining as I was just thinking that myself. It's not in the cards for us this weekend, but I do enjoy hearing about your tomatoes and patio dining... I honestly never connected that Times Square was named for the NYT. Yikes. You reminded me that I took DH's photo for his passport here, so we're going to try to have him do mine. I just want him patient enough to take several photos, not make fun of me for wanting a decent one. A favorite I Love Lucy clip was when she and Ethel received their passport photos back before their trip to Europe and they were exclaiming about how terrible they were until they realized they use those or don't go ... "by George, they are good!"
Karen - I'm with you on learning new things. I need to do it vs. just read or watch it. Definitely credit is deserved for passing on the cheesecake. I haven't read/watched Dr. Michael Gregor. I've kind of been following Dr. Joel Fuhrman. I'll have to check him out. I DID check out nutritionfacts.org (discovering that was his), because before I started The Plant Paradox, I wanted to see if it was sound or psuedo science. Dr. Gregor soundly debunked the claims in it, so I returned that book to the library.
CurlyJax - Ugh I feel for you with the mechanic, but it sounds like you handled it well while there. It's crappy to be lonely after losing someone. You sound so vibrant and funny and caring, I hope you find someone you enjoy before long.
Penny - Thank you for the note on the Just Egg. A friend had rec it to me and said she used it a lot, but I'd not got around to looking for it. Now I don't think I'll bother. I made chocolate overnight oats the other night and they're languishing in the fridge as I totally forgot about them. Now I'm questioning if they're still good. We're closing in on a week. Phooey. I even put a few of those Enjoy Life mini choc chips in there, knowing DH would love that. He used to wipe out my nestle morsels without admitting it and I'd start a recipe of Toll House cookies and no choc chips. I'd get out-of-proportion irritated because then I'd have to stop and go to the market.
Note to Nationalparker. . . Passport photos have changed and you can't be smiling and there are a bunch of rules. Be sure you check it out before trying to do your own.
Saturday - Civil Rights Bill passes over President Andrew Johnson's veto (1866)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Walk, CREDIT moi, through a different part of the neighborhood. Stopped at one curbside library; perused the books touching the ones that I hadn't read but could just as easily not-read where they were than on my stacks at home; and continued on my way. Enjoyed that a few folks were out and about in shorts - a few young folks. Spoke to a teenage neighbor who, much to my surprise, had two broken wrists. "Both turned backwards when I fell on my snowboard." Spotted one more electric vehicle charging station far from the house on a pole near the house's one-car driveway near the street. Someone ran a long underground cable to set that up.
Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner at the kitchen table with DW because there were no Zoom meetings. Felt like the olden days. We talked about things. I'd had a dynamite conversation with a rep about setting up a 529 plan for the DGD's college. Turns out that there are some good plans as well as some less desirable plans that I'd heard about. Every state has a specific set of regulations to "protect children" that happen to sweeten the coffers of favorite money handlers. Was directed to a calculator where one enters a kid's age and a chosen college. It calculates how much to save to send them there under several simplistic assumptions about rise in costs and growth of funds. Blew my mind. To get the maximum cost, I chose Harvard with a cost today of $73k per year - not out of line with a bunch of others. Assuming that cost increases, I only need to put up a small fortune. A good reminder to start telling the DGD how good the state colleges are, LOL.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Terrific that a teacher found your old magazines giving you a warm feeling as you let them go. Our complex web includes saving the New York Times Sunday magazine for one friend; collecting New Yorkers from a friend; and bundling Science News for another friend who doesn't mind getting them months late. Recently DW put a bunch of New Yorkers in a box on our curb and happened to see a woman screech to a halt telling the kids in her car to sit tight while she picked up some New Yorker magazines. Love seeing stuff reused.
nationalparker – Love the image of a small place that erases the blackboard listings as food sells out. LOL at the I Love Lucy clip - so easy to picture Lucy and Ethel.
Karen (karenrn) - Yep, Kudos indeed for passing up the cheesecake. Hope your DW does his job of making it disappear. Thanks for the reminder that I need the Brazil nuts for selenium.
curlyjax - Ouch for having to confront "lonely and wistful." With Super Kudos for allowing yourself a therapeutic cry. DW and I do separate Zooms because I tend to interact with several other screens active while I'm watching. We do well watching something on the TV in the living room together since I can't do anything else at the same time.
Penny. - Sending supportive thoughts to your 11 yo who was hit with unexpected mouth pain - hope that resides rapidly. Tried to read Plato's Five Dialogues; got reminded that my little brain doesn't work that way. Give me neutron stars, Euthyphro.
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 5Stage 2 - The Think Thin Initial Eating Plan
Your Think Thin Bonus Calorie Options
When it's time for your evening snack, measure out the portion you plan to eat and then immediately put the rest away. If possible, bring the snack out of the kitchen after dinner (assuming it's not something like ice cream) and declare the kitchen closed for the rest of the evening.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 121.
I was unwilling to put all my papers in one big pile on the floor as Marie Kondo suggested. I have a lot of papers. And they're reasonably organized. I'm sure that I'll keep way too many since I didn't have the shock value of seeing them all in one place, but I'm not sure that I could handle that shock.
So, I started with my file cabinet, taking a few files out at a time. So far, the most interesting thing I found was the manual for a Sony Walkman that played cassette tapes. Ha!
Exercise +30, 370/1400 minutes for April
nationalparker: I drove through snow flurries for errands yesterday. Everything was so warm that it melted immediately. So, it was more like driving through pretty rain -- nothing slick at all. I hope that turns out to be your experience of snow today.
Yesterday was on plan and I will take credit for letting the Chantilly cake come and go without having a piece. The last piece was eaten yesterday.
My 11yo has refused the retainer now. She had stopped eating because of it and ended up throwing up yesterday. She also said her throat hurt, so I did a Covid test just because. Negative. She'll leave it out and I'll call the orthodontist on Monday.
This week I hit the ground running after inadequate sleep over the weekend in Michigan. So worth it though for the trip. Teachers and kids were high frenetic energy on this week before Spring break. That always takes some emotional reserves. Food was ok and I am down to ticker. I was much higher right after Michigan. I have missed all of you and spent the last half hour catching up on old posts.
national parker: I 100% support Karen's recommendation of Dr. Greger. His book How Not To Diet has shaped my entire food thinking. There is also an app that goes with his "daily dozen" recommendations and 21 tweaks. When i eat as he is recommending, i have a much easier time not to lapsing into binges or poor food choices. Penny: It is fun to have little family food treats. Once or twice a year I buy a huge bag of DH's favorite gummy bears. We also had a tradition of driving past our favorite food stand in the country that has the world's best cherries but just for two weeks. The weeks are different from year to year so it was an exciting game. curleyjax: I hear you when you miss that partner. I spent 12 years after my first marriage dreaming of a mate and kissing frogs. Then when I found DH I was beset with a whole new set of challenges like trying to build a healthy marriage when neither of us had ever had a model. I have found every chapter of my life has taught me so much and i can never discount the value of hard personal work with or without a partner. gardenerjoy: I am enjoying virtual organizing through your journey. I LOVE organizing and tidying away. My latest challenge is in the clothes closet. Clothes that I have had for years and have been a constant winner (People everytime I wear them say how much they love them) are now, of course, ten years old and in slightly less than stellar condition. How do I give them the "hero send off?" BBE; Oh don't we wish exercising the brain burns calories. You heady schooling schedule would be burning 2,000 calories a day.
So I'll leave with some credits:
* I had enough self knowledge to not leave for my spring break trip to Catalina Island until Saturday night. Had I left Friday night I would have had no clean underwear and wouldn't have been able to sleep for the 12 hours I did sleep. Now, I am more leisurely doing laundry and catching up on house details. SIL and I will be gone until Wednesday.
* I actually have a second growth of flowers in my zeroscape pots. WOW! most of the plants I buy end up dead in the "budget allocated" four months. With California in a drought disaster I am so proud of my landscaping efforts of last year.
* I have spent one fiscal quarter tracking all expenses on Every Dollar. I have spent a bundle in travel for the year - seeking to lock in prices before the future inflation hits. I can rest assured that everything has been budgeted even if the last two months of spending have skyrocketed.
* I have switched all accounts that have automatic withdrawal ( paypal, apple pay, venmo) to my IHG travel card card for points. As a result I have been able to book four nights at Mendocino (incredible Northern California seaside) for free. Usually I try to take a camping trip by myself but I have to admit the hotel is much more enticing. Camping there is usually next to big RVS. A hotel is much quieter with a shower and breakfast. Day hikes will be getting away enough out doors time. I also have enough points for five days in Waikiki but I literally have no more vacation time through next February. The points will be saved for over night trips at family maybe or just keep accumulating.
* I treated myself to another visit of my favorite little designer clothing shop in Michigan bu only spent a third of what I spent last time. These are pieces you see nowhere else and are definitely risks. I have had more success than not though. It makes me feel like I am defying falling into "aging clothing wardrobes." I don't want to look young for my age. I want to look GOOD for my age. Having a bold fashion personality seems like a little triumph. Thought it would be fun to share the link of some of the clothes and necklaces. https://ibb.co/album/k2xy1P
Food is on plan and weight inches down. I'm taking more credit for one more day of not touching the cheesecake (even though once I made up my mind it wasn't horrible) and it is now out of the house. I'm sure dh enjoyed it and now I'm glad it's gone, cause even though he can afford the calories at this point I don't know that it's so healthy to eat on a daily basis. I got up and hiked Bell Pass on my own this morning and listened to some interesting podcasts. It was a bit faster alone and the weather was cooler and also less windy. Dh is in a work related golf tourney today, so that is a fun day for him.
Maryann I'm glad you got some extra rest and now you are off again. How fun! Have a great time.
Penny I'm glad the Chantilly cake is gone like the cheesecake is gone from my house. Oh your poor kid. It seems odd that the retainer would hurt that much right from the get go. I hope they can make it more comfortable.
GardenerJoy I don't think I could put all my papers on the floor either. I do go through the file cabinet a couple of times a year and then things out, but I'm sure Marie would think I could get rid of a lot of things that I keep. I'm sure she would want all the financial statements electronic only, but I still like some paper. Funny that you found the manual for the very old walkman.
Bill I'm sure figuring out the 529 plan is interesting. Yes you do wonder who the rules protect at times. Glad you and dw could have an old fashioned dinner at the table.
Nationalparker I was just rereading your note. Glad you're feeling better. We have a Chipotle nearby. I think we'll have to try it. I've had it many times in the past but not since we have changed the way we eat.
We spent the entire day working on clearing more at DH's folks' house. The entire living room is filled with trash in various bags and boxes or just set out as furniture from the 1960s etc until we get the next dumpster. We're on our way home right now, but stopped in for his brother to sign a few documents, and I've been waiting in the car for a half hour. Based on that, I figured I would not have time to check in when we get home.
My cold seems worse in the morning in the evening, and right now I'm just ready for a cup of tea and a good night sleep.
Okay, well this is embarrassing... I have the book how not to diet, and read the vast majority of it. But I never connected the author's name at all. I get frustrated at times because there are so many things that everybody tells you to do and of course everything is so healthy, but if You ate all the healthy things every day, that'd be quite an intake of food. It is hard to go down the road of am I eating the right food ... Am i eating at the right time. .. am I going long enough time without eating ... Go to bed hungry? Go to bed satisfied? Everybody has a different thought process, and of course our bodies do process things differently. I'm hoping just sticking with healthy, nutritious, plant-based foods I won't have to play the mind games as much.
Thanks for the reminder, Karen, on not smiling with the passport photo. I read their requirements and I guess you can't open your mouth, but can smile as long as your face is not in an exaggerated pose. My goodness! My main concern is being able to get it against a white background. I know I took DH's years ago. Maybe I painted the room since then.
Joy, You are right, there was just dusting of snow on the patio furniture, but not on the roads...safe!
I think he's finally coming out, the door nudged open a bit... So we'll get home at 9 tonight. Ugh. Sorry for missing some personals, hoping to check in tomorrow.
Sunday- Mount Tambora erupts causing global volcanic winter (1815, Dutch East Indies)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - The delayed sleepover with the (6 yo) DGD is happening. She's asleep in the next room as I type. Took her to dinner at the 99 Restaurant in her hometown where's she's familiar enough to order her own chicken strips, fries, and a side of broccoli. Yes, broccoli, not even on the kid's menu. I had Rosemary Turkey Tips with fried chicken tenders. The turkey tips were moist and just wonderful - caught me by surprise. The chicken tenders got put in the doggie bag. DW had balsamic vinegar salmon. Absolutely superb. Rather surprised how much we enjoyed the food. The volume was HUGE. Lots of the patrons were huge also. More teenagers than I've eaten with since high school. A minor CREDIT moi for avoiding the French fries that came with everything; the bean salad that I chose as my side was only meh. I didn't see a green salad as an option.
DGD read with me in my new electric lounge chair. She read three books, including Noisy Nora, my favorite children's book. She spent the whole time pushing the buttons to go up, to do down, to compress the head, to lay back the head. Was nonstop giggling as she tortured me. She's reading well - really long words are hard - even when they're words she knows. She works at them diligently. I was uber pleased.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Didn't have snow flurries yesterday - we had hail! It melted rapidly but made it's characteristic hail-drum sound as it hit the deck. You might find a history teacher who wants that Sony Walkman manual, LOL.
maryann - Wonderful set of credits. So neat that you were willing to delay a trip to Catalina Island to get yourself ready. Really like the thought, "I don't want to look young for my age. I want to look GOOD for my age."
nationalparker – I continue to be impressed with how much work you're putting into your in-law's house. The volume seems staggering. Thanks for "Everybody has a different thought process, and of course our bodies do process things differently."
Karen (karenrn) - Yep, Kudos for avoiding the cheesecake. Our group is into avoiding cake right now. Glad that you have a touch of cooler weather for your hiking.
Penny. - Kudos, indeed, for passing on that Chantilly cake even as it sat right there in your life. Do hope that your DD finds a way with her retainer.
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 5Stage 2 - The Think Thin Initial Eating Plan
Your Think Thin Bonus Calorie Options
Eat slowly, while sitting down and enjoying every bite.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 122.
Yesterday I went to the rhode island garden and home show with a friend. It turned out to be disappointing with mostly home show; people selling new windows, hot tubs etc. The limited floral displays were beautiful, but much less compared to how Boston used to be years ago. The Boston show was shrinking and disappointing even before the pandemic. Anyhow, I talked to someone from a ReBath display and made an appt to have someone give me an estimate this Saturday. My shower/tub is leaking and the tiles need to be replaced. I'm concerned about how much wood damage is there behind them and I only have one shower so the whole process would need to be quick. The whole thing freaks me out but I need to do something about it.
I'm down in the dumps again about a lot of things, ugh. Fortunately I'm going away with a friend tomorrow night and coming back weds am for a quick getaway to NH, so that will be a chance to reset my thinking. Onwards with the day. No yoga today as I promised to help DD with some things, sigh.
I made progress on my file cabinet. I put a few files in the sentimental stack to deal with later. It's already clear that there's going to be a lot more room in this file cabinet when I'm done. Opening up some interesting storage options -- but that's a later part of the Marie Kondo process.
Exercise +45, 415/1400 minutes for April
karenrn: I was briefly convinced by Marie Kondo's argument that I didn't need to keep a bill once it's been paid -- and then, I used my file of bills to answer a question from DH. I have a system that makes sure that last year's bills are discarded when this year's bills arrive, month by month, so I think I will keep that intact. But I may move it from a plastic file box to a drawer in the file cabinet.
Yesterday was on plan but not without some vigilance. I hate to be so all or nothing but know historically I can't risk even the smallest allowances if I'm going to make any progress.
I don't think I mentioned here, we decided to try out Costco for glasses and my 15yo was able to find two pairs. They are very nice looking and so much cheaper than our usual place.
Karen, yay for avoiding the cheesecake!
Bill, it wasn't the prom kids at the restaurant, was it? I saw a bunch of prom photos on the social media. Dgd is doing great to be reading so well at 6.
Curly, I went through the bathroom tile fix just before the pandemic. There was substantial water damage and subflooring needed replaced. It's good to have it all done and even with the cheapest subway tiles, it looks so updated. Hopefully it's not too much more than you're hoping.
Maryann, I love the outfits and that necklace is quite the statement piece! As my kids would say, "It's the drip!" Ha ha.
Joy, it sounds like getting rid of the bill receipts does not spark joy. Hehe good job clearing out a bunch of other stuff and making room. That must feel good.
Nationalparker, I hope your dh made it out the door and you're not still waiting in the car. Ha! I agree, eating mostly plants and doing the best we can is probably a good goal. My love of data tracking can get out of hand, so I try not to get too sucked into all that.
I had an extra cutie and a few grapes yesterday, but I'd still say pretty darned good. My friend and I did a 10 mile moderate hike today. A big hill at the start, but not so bad coming from the other way back to the trailhead. She thinks she wants to do the Rim to River to Rim hike and I want to be sure she has the strength and endurance to do it. We'll see. It's very nice here today and we plan to have some pool time. The water is still pretty cold, but maybe on my floaty it will be okay.
Penny I hear you about the vigilance. We've been going to Costco for eye exams the past few years. I just wear readers that I pick up anywhere and dh gets his contact lenses there. So far so good.
GardenerJoy I don't have many bills that come in the mail, but those that do go in an accordion file that fits in the file cabinet. Sometimes we'll have one from the garage door adjusting company or tree trimmers that I like to use to remember who I used last time. When I end up having more storage space I try to remind myself it is so nice to have space and not have everything full.
Curlyjax I hope your get away with a friend is just the thing you need to improve your spirits.
Bill That's great that dgd is such a good reader. I don't think I knew that your new chair is electric. I bet she was having fun with that.
Nationalparker I hear you about all the things to remember to be healthy. Just like my nutritionist, I consider the ideas goals, not thinking they will all happen each day. I have started using the Daily Dozen app again though. I find I eat almost everything on the list so it's like getting a pat on the back. I do put more faith in Dr. Greger than about any of the others. I can't believe how hard you and dh are working on the house. It must have looked about like my cousin's place. I have to put myself in a certain frame of mind to go visit her. I just want to bring a dumpster with me and get to work.
Maryann I didn't click on the link for the new clothing yesterday. Really cute things. I especially like the dress. You have done a great job getting things switched over with your finances. I know it would be smart of me to do it, but so far I haven't been so inclined. I have points in so many different places and seldom enough to do anything with, although I do buy myself gift cards with the American Express points. I hope you also have a fabulous get away this week.
I guess I'll get moving and see if I can get something done today, or not.
We didn't work as long at the house today, as I was dragging my feet going. DH asked did I want to go? I smiled and he said, "I'd really like for you to come so I have someone to talk to." We usually are cleaning our own areas (me=house, him=garage), but he helped more in the house today, which I appreciated. It probably was because he asked me if I'd cleared out a "cubbyhole" and I said WHAT? WHERE? He showed me -it is a huge area, the "door" was held up by two huge 5-gal buckets of 30-year old joint compound... I actually hadn't looked behind there. OMG. It is packed from floor to ceiling with stuff. I got through about a quarter of it today, in five hours. Right now, I'm starting to feel defeated. I'll call and order another roll off dumpster tomorrow with hopes it can be delivered by Friday. The entire living room is full of trash, mostly in bags (which I hate for the environment, but at this point, I'm trying to get things ready to be flung in the dumpster) which are piled 2-3 high. First, though, we'll have to get the mattresses in the dumpster, then the trash to make sure we can fit the biggest items in. We took the iron (?) birdbath we'd given them a few years ago and I will put it in my front garden and hope no one steals it. Someone stole my license plate a few months ago.
On the way home yesterday, DH had asked if I wanted Thai takeout and I said no, but go ahead. We skipped that, but he asked again today and I said sure. So I ate more than I needed to but one meal out of whack vs. the last 20, I'm not worrying about it. I'd read to view a week as 21 meals. I can do that. (I don't usually skip a meal... hmmm).
Spent time this evening creating a fun notebook on shutterfly for a stepdaughter with photos of the grands. Most of the 2 and 3 yo, just a few of the 3 month old. Age has its benefits.
Joy - Good luck with your continued clearing. Our system for paperwork works well for us and we've not been in a bind yet, so I have stuck with that. All fits in part of one drawer in a two-drawer cabinet.
Karen - Being on a pool in a floatie just sounds heavenly right now. Do you enjoy the pool a lot at night? My folks had a pool put in when we moved back stateside and I loved swimming at night, esp if the mosquitoes weren't dive bombing me. If our HOA allowed pools, I think DH would be trying to cram one in our side yard! We have a large enough yard, but most of it is easement.
Bill - I hope all went fun on the sleepover and no body parts injured in the elec chair actions. That was cute! How often do you get her overnight? Have you read Peppermints in the Parlor with her?
Penny - I hope your daughter gets some relief Monday from the orthodontist. I am with you on data; I'm a tracker of sorts. I like tracking things on paper, Books to read, projects to tackle, series to watch, podcasts to listen to - so many recommendations from friends and family ... and have enough cute notebooks to track every possible thing until I die.
CurlyJax - I hope this getaway is just what you need... It sounds like you have a good group of gal friends with varied interests so you have company for a nice variety of outings. It's good that it's not just friends who want to meet up to eat.
Maryann - Good to see you back and going strong! Your trip plans all sound so fun! Agree with you and Bill - tired of the focus society has on looking young for age, but good for age is always a plus.
Saturday - Civil Rights Bill passes over President Andrew Johnson's veto (1866)
