[curlyjax]

Excitement yesterday was DS texting me that he has covid. Fortunately it seems to be like a mild cold only. I'm so grateful he's had shots and booster in him. The college moved him to a conference center/hotel which he said was an upgrade from his room as it has a tv, own bathroom, microwave etc. He needs to stay put until Thursday morning when he's reassessed. I haven't had any contact with him for almost 2 weeks so I'll be fine. They send meals and he was quite happy with the amount of food. I feel bad that he's trapped there but it could certainly be a lot worse. And then I found out my friend's dtr who's in high school got it too! I was going to go over there for Easter but oh well. Her dtr is okay too, and my friend keeps testing negative.
Today the rebath folks come to give me an estimate. I'm sure they'll try to get me to sign right away but they don't know who they're dealing with I may try to hit up another thrift store today and get some groceries in. I'd like to go to the gym but now covid has hit home i'm thinking twice-especially with graduation coming up in a few weeks.
Karen-some of his recipes look great, and some look too complicated /not great, just like most cookbooks.
Gardenerjoy-the transportation museum sounds fun. I took the train to visit my folks when DD was quite small and it was nice to do, kind of a throwback to the past feeling.
Maryann- your trips sound so fun! chocolates are trouble for me too.
Nationalparker- that house sure sounds full, you guys have been working so hard! yes, rents are staggering. The good news is the apt is right near her school- and its two bathrooms for 3 girls which will be useful
Penny that's too funny. If I have a day off during the week I get confused too.
Bill-I signed up with venmo after pressure from DD-it does make it easier to swap money. I signed up with a debit card instead of drawing from my bank account, I just felt safer that way.

[gardenerjoy]

I didn't have the whole Transportation Museum to myself (I forgot that Good Friday is a holiday for a lot of folks), but it's a big place, so close enough. I forgot how exhausting museums are! I didn't spend much more than an hour, but it was all standing on hard surfaces. And I'm not in shape for that.

I'm celebrating that I passed my halfway point of my exercise goal, midway through the month of April.

Exercise +55, 730/1400 minutes for April

maryann: I like Yoga with Adriene. I may try one or two of hers this weekend.

nationalparker: I loved 84 Charing Cross Road and Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, too. Is this Home Front Girls by Suzanne Hayes? If so, it was previously published as I'll Be Seeing You. Under that title, I have access to it in print or ebook. Let me know what you think.

BillBlueEyes: Our taxes have been extended by the accountant this year, too. We were done so early that this took us by a surprise. I think they may be extending everyone who doesn't owe (and isn't going to yell too loudly about not getting their refund quickly -- we apply our refund to our estimated taxes).

[maryann]

Good Morning, Coaches.

Yesterday was an A + puttering day. I went to Grocery Outlet. I don't know if you have them on the East Coast have them. It is a discount wholesaler which stocks close to expiration, closeout, or over stock food. It is amazing for bargains. I go mainly now because whole/ organic foods with less preservatives need to move more quickly and are incredibly reduced in price. The bummer is that you never know what is in stock or whether it will be in stock again. I had purchased "egg bites" last week and we LOVE them. Yesterday's trip was to go clean out whatever they have left. I did it ! I also found incredible shelf stable lightly steamed and seasoned veggies called Poshi. The asparagus is far better than I could cook myself. Simply open the foil pack. I bought them out as well. Usually $7.00 a pack. I got for $3.00. It is a total bargain since i can bring them to the cabin and have delish veggies till December. I can also travel with them or backpack with them. I know I "hate "on the food industry but when processing is done right, I really don't need to cook anymore more. That is fine with me because at this stage in my life, I want to limit kitchen time and uptick plant sources. Fabulous dried strawberries, dried watermelon, frozen veggie entrees and protein powder made of almonds were also scored. The protein powder made of almonds is a huge boon because I actually like the taste. I can only tolerate the other plant protein powders. More smoothies are in my future.

I am taking my Diamond Essentials class final today. Then I am onto my Diamond Grading course which will prep me for my in person diamond grading in Carlsbad, Ca this summer.

Food was good, lots of protein and fruits and veggies. I am not opening up the dried strawberries because I can't stop eating them. I will think about them after this next two weeks. I did not do yoga so it is a top of the list today.

curleyjax: glad DS is coping well with Covid.
nationalparker and joy: In honor of the organizing efforts I ordered a new jewelry tray to take better care of my pieces, bra and sock organizers, and one of those flip boards that help you fold everything uniformly. I am the worst folder! They were all from the container store.
Penny: I have absolutely no feel for what day it is on vacation.
BBE: That is generous of you to give yr account slack. That would not be the case over here with a private business. There is no room for delays.

DH is in heaven with cool weather and a little rain. The rain is bittersweet, though. California has declared farmers will be given no water. it is a madhouse of planning. I wish I could help DH.

[karenrn]

Good evening coaches,

Food has been on plan. Weight is at a new low by a few ounces. My friend is here for a couple of days, but I ended up spending the day taking my former co-worker to the ER for excruciating back pain. I spent the day there with her and after a couple of doses of IV Morphine it was tolerable, but still not good. We advocated for her to be admitted for observation and to be sure her pain is controlled. I'm grateful she's being admitted. I was going to bring her home to my house. Luckily we have extra beds, but I was worried the severe pain would return.

My friend is out on a date this evening and tomorrow I'll be getting Joyce either home or to my house. When it rains it pours.

More tomorrow.

[nationalparker]

Another long day spent clearing out the in-laws house, this time mainly worked in the garage with DH. It is a three bay garage, and there are decades worth of old auto parts, nails, screws, junk. We spent hours separating out the different metals for the recycling center. They pay by the ton. We will have many tons, but unfortunately they do not pay much... And we have to load it onto a trailer, and then unload it there. We have drums of different metals and also piles of shred, the cheapest (like cords, plastic/metal together, just in case that didn't make sense). I asked DH if we can split it up into a few trips, so here's hoping.

Colored my hair tonight and now getting ready for bed...we got home about two hours ago.

Bill, I'm glad you linked to the water line because I didn't know what that was. We don't have that here.

​​​​​​Joy, Yes, that is the same book... I'll definitely let you know. I didn't realize that until I went to put the link in for the book and saw both. Now I don't want to look to see if my library had It under the other title, since I went ahead and bought it. But I usually cross check the author as well, because sometimes our library search engine is finicky.

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Happy Easter to all who celebrate. It's a tad strange around here not to have the adult kids and grands over for an Easter dinner. We're still living under the COVID notion of no social gatherings. I miss the large ham with the guys taking huge portions home with them for lunches. And me using our share for lunches. Now I'm drooling.

Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner was fried fish and tater-tots - the second half of the bag of frozen breaded fish fillets. A good way to finish Lent. Was quite good again. The package claims enough fish for 5 servings; DW served us each 1.25 servings each time since she had little desire to have one serving of something left in her freezer. Also finished off the bag of Tater-tots and the jar of mayonnaise making tater sauce. Felt like our life was being cleaned up, LOL.

Exercise, CREDIT moi, was two resistance muscle situations: helped a group of guys move benches from one room to the other as our Sunday group prepares to allow more people in one room at the same time. The benches are heavy; felt like real work. But, many hands made the job easy as we were told by the email that solicited workers. Other was with DW pounding stakes in our small community garden to hold the wire that the Sugar Snaps will climb. They're visible now. The long wait begins. The five-pound mallet that I use to pound feels heavier than last year. Suspect that I need to do a little more exercise while I still have any muscle left at all.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Gotta add your Transportation Museum to my Bucket List. Looks fun - but exhaustively large. There was a railroad yard near where I grew up as a kid so standing close to BIG trains is part of my childhood memory.

maryann - The website says that we have a nearby Grocery Outlet - nearby as in Pennsylvania, LOL. There was a similar store we occasionally visited in Maine. When I went with a buddy, he'd leave with a car trunk full of stuff. Yep, super bargain prices. Good luck on your Diamond Essentials final; love that you're marching forward.

nationalparker – Sounds like you're into some serious physical labor hauling a three bay garage worth of old stuff. It's neat that recycling centers exist so that it doesn't just fill up the trash fills.

Karen (karenrn) - The Karen BNB seems to be running at full. Glad you're staying sane. Hope your friend with the severe back pain gets fixed.

curlyjax - Ouch for your DS's COVID; bummer, that. Sounds like pretty luxurious isolation situation - albeit lonely. I think you're smart to add some distance between your Venmo account and your money.

Readers -

Chapter 5 Stage 2 - The Think Thin Initial Eating Plan

Bonus Calorie Guidelines

• Read Response Cards and your Advantage Deck before indulging in tempting Bonus Foods to remind yourself why it's worth it to stop after the planned amount.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 122.

[gardenerjoy]

Happy Easter to those who celebrate. I'm currently listening to an organ concert from Salisbury Cathedral. One of those delightful moments brought to me by modern technology.

I’ll continue my celebration with a YouTube workout called Yoga for Renewal (thanks, maryann). Also, I’m going to make deviled eggs.

We're having a virtual gathering. I'm not entirely sure that's fully supported by science, in this moment, even with a family that refuses vaccination. Unfortunately, I think DH and I discovered during the pandemic that we really enjoy being at home on holidays. And I suspect, his brother discovered the same. It feels terribly antisocial, but we'll probably stretch this out as long as we can get away without rending the relationships.

Exercise +40, 770/1400 minutes for April

maryann: I love my new jewelry storage and sock & underwear boxes, most from the container store.

[maryann]

Good Morning, Coaches.

Happy Easter!

I had a call this morning at 6:30 from DS. He had something that could only be called a spiritual experience and wanted to share it with me. I know this isn't exactly "normal" for a 20 year old but this kid has always had a deep connection to God. So much so that I was afraid he was going o become a priest for about four years. At 3 years old, I had taken him to a Good Friday mass. Later that afternoon he turned to me and said " I still think Jesus and Pontius Pilot are friends." He had been listening to the Passion that is read every year when I thought he was playing with the Legos I had brought him. I have huge reservations about the Catholic church but had made peace with it because DH was adamant DS received the sacraments. At 16 DS read Nietzsche and was done with the church. I had my own spiritual experience with a God of my own understanding at 23 and got sober. I haven't had a drink since. Maybe these things run in the family. I hope this doesn't offend anyone on the blog. I am just bringing it up because it was such a gift to have my DS wanting to share his life with me. Also, although I don't follow a particular faith, I am so grateful that DS is on a path to follow his own and it was born out of an act of service toward another college student. I believe that service is inextricably linked to faith. Credit I didn't make some silly joke about his experience being linked to a gal or a mushroom. It was on the tip of my tongue to make light of his experience.

How is this connected to a blog about intentional food habits? Well for years, food had been my higher power. I died a thousand deaths digging food out of trash cans, isolating myself with binges and purges, and choosing mac and cheese over intimacy in relationships. To a person who has never struggled with food addiction, this might be over dramatic. To a person who weighed over 200 pounds at 18, it is just the humbling truth. Although today I still unleash the tiger every day with every meal, I am no longer isolated and hopeless. I have found real peace.

Thank you all for being part of my journey.

[curlyjax]

The bathroom quote was very pricey but I may end up going with it. you pay more to have it done very quickly which is what I need as I only have one bathroom. I may get another quote but I have a feeling it will be around the same, and this company does specialize in bathrooms anyhow.
I slept in today and am googling marathon water hydration stations to get a sense of what we may be doing tomorrow. Looks like I may be splashed as the runners drink and drop their cups quickly. I'm definitely going to wear old clothes. I guess a lot is the set up before. I'm going to go scope it out today.
It doesn't feel like Easter at all to me but that's okay. Happy one to those who celebrate!
Maryann-thanks for sharing, that was really interesting. So glad DS is able to share such deep stuff with you!

[karenrn]

Good afternoon coaches,

Food has been on plan. My friend had a nice time on her date and left for her home in Tucson this morning. My co-worker is still in the hospital and I imagine I'll be taking her home this afternoon. This is day three without a hike which is unusual, but I'll be sure to get back out there tomorrow.

Curlyjax I'm sure it will be nice to have the bathroom done and it does seem that everything is expensive. The Marathon sounds very fun. How will the weather be? I'll look.

Maryann It's wonderful that you and ds have such a close relationship that he is so open with you. Thank goodness for your spiritual awakening and being sober since age 23. This group is so helpful in being understanding with our feelings towards food and ways to overcome.

GardenerJoy Yes I have found through the pandemic that I just like being home in general more than I thought. It's a good thing.

Bill Happy Easter! I will say ham sounds very good although we won't be having any either. I should find a situation to move heavy benches. I certainly need more upper body strength training as always.

Nationalparker Maybe I should just be back there with you with all the heavy work you are doing. I'm sure it is like strength training.

[nationalparker]

A busy day of cooking side dishes to take for Easter at older stepdaughter's home. She kindly made a few vegan sides for us as well, though they were cold by the time we ate. I ate a bit but definitely didn't overdo it. After the kids were hopped up on Easter candy (pun intended), she announced, "I'm ready for everyone to go home." So, I got my purse and was ready to leave. DH hadn't heard that and thought I was rude. I told him on the way home she actually said it a couple of times. She was tired, and ready for us all to leave, so a few of us left at the same time. Not my problem to solve her lack of social skills. I tried earlier when she was younger. It was good to see the grandkids. At one point the older one who we have now and again said, "nana is just great". That made me smile. He repeated that and then added, and Papa is great, too. haha. Good to be great on occasion, at least in a kid's eyes.

I've snacked a bit tonight. I think because I knew I'd gone light earlier, not because I was hungry. Got home after 8 again, and finished cleaning up the dishes we brought home. Snow coming during the night but won't stick on roadways.

[BillBlueEyes]

Diet Coaches/Buddies - Excitement was a visit by the (2 yo) DFGD, DS, and DIL. Felt bitter cold outside killing the thought of a walk or playground excursion. The DFGD is spouting more and more words. Just bursting with stuff to say. Such an outgoing, friendly kid. Leaned over for me to carry her; we walked around the house naming things - the game I played with both my kids decades ago. She looked at all the pictures on our family picture bulletin board recognizing the ones that she knows - particularly my DS's two dogs that she lives with. And her legs have grown long enough to ride the Fisher-Price "bus" that has been a fixture in our house for over forty years. She scooted it around the circle of rooms on our first floor. That thing just won't wear out. I wish Fisher-Price made all our appliances.

Unfortunately, gracious host that I am, I put out biscotti and two kids of cookies that live buried deep in the back of our pantry. When hidden in our pantry, they're not about me. I graciously ate them with the guests. Otherwise, food was on plan, CREDIT moi.

We watched hail fall three times during the day. Between the bouts of hail, sunshine. Gardener DW was out doing planting work when the hail wasn't there. Including a short stretch after dinner because it was still light. If the sun didn't set each day during gardening season, I'd be a lonely widower.


Joy (gardenerjoy) - Just boggles my mind that you are casually listening to an organ played in the Salisbury Cathedral. Marconi, himself, would be impressed.

maryann - Thank you for such an honest discussion. Absolutely love that your DS can discuss spiritual things with his mother.

nationalparker – I'm all for a hostess saying to family, "I'm ready for everyone to go home." Family can be a tad clueless when they're enjoying being taken care of. And Kudos to her for making some vegan dishes. What an ego boost to hear, "nana is just great".

Karen (karenrn) - Neat to hear that your friend had a nice time on her date - hear the opposite often. Hope you get a hike soon before your muscles atrophy.

curlyjax - Congrats for accepting the quote for your bathroom upgrade with some level of understanding. My friend doing a major renovation right now says that prices are high on everything. And Yes, timing is uber important in a one bathroom house.

Readers -

Chapter 5 Stage 2 - The Think Thin Initial Eating Plan

Bonus Calorie Guidelines

• Over time, try to limit your consumption of foods with trans fat. It may be hard to give up those foods right now, but many researchers currently warn people against eating any trans fat because it has been associated with cancer and heart disease.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 122.

[gardenerjoy]

Our Easter had just enough little treats and plenty of quiet time. DH made an interesting genealogy discovery during the day that he could report to family during the Zoom call in the evening.

I talked DN out of a bad mood enough to enjoy some time with her partner, but not enough to enjoy family time -- she hasn't been fully present for family time in more than a decade, so that will take a lot more work, if it ever happens.

Exercise +60, 830/1400 minutes for April

BillBlueEyes and curlyjax: Our Zoom gathering included the nephew who now lives outside of Boston. Because of you, I knew that Patriot's Day / Boston Marathon is a holiday in Massachusetts. I asked him if he had work today and he didn't know. Ha! At least, he's going to check before he goes in today.

[karenrn]

Good morning coaches,

Food has been on plan. I hiked Bell Pass this morning and then came home and walked Otis. Luckily I didn't experience muscle atrophy from no hike in 3 days. When I went to the hospital yesterday to see my friend the doctor came to see her and she has fractures at L1 & L2. He says they are acute but stable. She will be there another day or two while she sees ortho and has a PT consult. It could be rehab, home with in home PT or home and outpatient PT. What a nightmare. At least her pain is controlled with 2 Percocet every 4 hours and she has some answers. The previous MRI did not show these fractures.

GardenerJoy It sounds like Easter was pretty enjoyable. Did you make some treats or just buy some?

Bill That Fisher Price bus is one sturdy toy. Sounds like dw just loves gardening. Such a nice thing to enjoy.

Nationalparker Step daughter announcing when it was time to leave makes me laugh. I feel like saying that sometimes, but I never would. I have to say I wouldn't think it was so funny if I were a guest in her home though.

CurlyjaxI hope you've had some fun at the Marathon.

Waving to Maryann. Time for me to eat an early lunch since I had such an early breakfast and then head over to the hospital. Luckily it's less than 2 miles away (where I used to work).

[maryann]

Good Evening, Coaches.

Back to work this morning, I have to admit I have been sleeping in and that made for a rude awakening. i am teaching one of my favorite lessons on lobbyists. It is the last topic of "reform"I will teach before I go back and teach the theme of war. I use the movie Thank you for Smoking. The language is raunchy and I edit out the sexuality but I have never encountered a better example of "spin" and lobbying power. I teach some logical fallacies using the dialogue in the movie. Then I do a simulation where kids become interest groups and "lobby" congressman with monopoly money. They get the money for the group by making basketball shots. There isa always the haves and have nots.

Food was satisfactory if not stellar. I have closed the kitchen. I have committed to Adrienne's 30 day yoga journey and have put Day 3 in the books.

Wave to all.