Thought this was a good one to start the thread with.

Imperfect Comparisons


Do you bemoan the size and shape of your various body parts? Is your hair too thick or too thin or too curly or too straight? Are you too tall or too short?

Who changed the standard from 'perfect the way you were born' to 'perfect the way someone else was born' anyway? It doesn't make any kind of logical sense.

If we judge our appearance by the way someone else looks, or compare it to a standard set by society, then we're not giving our Creator enough credit for knowing what He's doing.

The next time you pass a mirror, stop and have a good long look, then repeat these words, "If it's good enough for God, it's good enough for me!"

We need to think as Happy stated but we live in a world where we are constantly compared to 20 something women. Look at most movies and TV comercials. The men are "normal" balding paunchy,older and the women are all young, thin and pretty. Even if they are advertising BBQ sauce. The message to men is"you deserve a young woman" We have an epidemic of male mid-life crisis in the world today with men leaving their families. Women 40+ only make headlines if they "look ten yrs younger". Should our role model be Demi More ???? The only "classy" heavy woman on TV is the lady that sells shoes for Payless shoes. Can you think of any other? I saw an article on Plus size women and they were size 12.Size 12!!!!!!!!!! I agree we need to look to God for our real worth but it is an uphill battle when everything we read and see tells us we are not of value. Well I'll get off my soap box now Mrs Wildrose/Patti

I have not been able to get the 3fatchicks sites for days (I probably mean for weeks). Don't even know if this message will post. After hours and hours of trying to get in, I may have to give up.

Mrs. Wildrose (Patti) tells it like it is. I am fat, short, and have straight hair (except when my permanent frizzes). The only thing I may (or may not) do something about is the "fat". I keep getting shorter so that means I have more weight to lose.(NOT LOL)

Love,
Freddie

Patti....You go Girl!!! I agree with everything you say. However, it is ingrained in our systems. The first time I saw that Payless commercial with Star whatsername I thought "I bet you can't wear those cheap shoes, your feet are too fat". Then I was mad at myself. (I can't wear those cheap shoes either cause my feet are too wide) Oh that reminds me....at the mall today they had a sidewalk sale and one of the shoe stores actually had a couple of pair of size 61/2 wide black Maryjane kinda comfy shoes. I didn't want to go inside to try them on so I kicked off my sneak and put it on. It was too wide even with sock, so I tried to shove my sneaker back on but realized I was going to have to untie it. Instead of taking it off, I tried to lift it up and untie it while it was hanging off my foot. I was leaning against the wall of the mall and before you knew it, I had slid down to the floor. Everyone was staring at me...then I had to try and gracefully get up off that tile floor..... They won't put me in any commercials, that's for sure.
I was watching the Golden Globes last nite. Laura Flynn Boyle..who looked like an idiot in her little pink tutu, but the size of her arms and legs??? Calista Flockhardt... These women are now paired with old guys...Jack Nicholson and Harrison Ford. Those men don't want women their own age...they want pencil thin young ones. Arghghghghg.

Hmmm...skinny women...too depressing to think about tonight!

Expecting freezing rain tonight and tomorrow and more snow tomorrow night...can't wait!

Been having migraines for 2 weeks now...winter, winter, go away!

Hi All, i haven't posted in a while so i thought I would say hello to all of u and hope that ur new year is going great for u all.
last thurs we had a snow storm and someone came beepboppin down our street and got his tire caught in a trolley track and fishtailed and guess who's car he put up on the sidewalk....right mine i know it was a accident and no one was hurt and i am glad that he had insurance but gee whiz ...........................
as far as diets go i have been doing atkins faithfully ok'd by my doc and have lost 6lbs in 2 weeks and its funny but u really stop craving carbs////
oh well have a good one and will check in soon

Great loss, Marlene, and good you got dr's ok.

Glad to see you got on, Freddy. Wondered what you were up to and if you ever got second opinion from dr's visit.

Ally, sounds like never a dull moment. I remember when my firstborn was a senior in High School. I decided it was nature's way to make her easier to let go. She was such a diva and so full of herself, I couldn't wait. She later admitted that when she was in college and it was time to go back, she'd "sort of " pick a fight so it was easier for her to go. She's really a great daughter but a year or two around that time would be among my least favorites with her. If's fun now though when HER daughter says the same things like "My Mommy NEVER lets me do anything I want".

Sorry about the headaches, Mimi. And I agree this weather has been "unhappy" for those of us who are weather sensitive.

Strange....I didn't have any problems with my kids at that age except for my son failing 7th grade because he kept getting beat up. I found out (too late) that he wouldn't get his books out of his locker before going home because he was afraid! By 8th grade he had grown some and started fighting back so that was the end of the problems! My daughter and I have never EVER had one single fight! (Unless you count the time when she was 1 and bit me on the leg and I knocked her half way across the kitchen before I realized what had happened!!!) She grew up with that story and is quick to tell everyone that was the only fight she ever had with her mom...and then I'm sure to tell them..."and I won that one!" No one believes us when we tell them we've never even had harsh words. She says the women she works with are always talking about their mothers and how mean, nosy etc. they are and she just doesn't understand. Then when she tells them about our relationship she says their mouths fall open and they say "NEVER"! She's a good kid...(and, of course, I'm a good mother!) Son's wife is a different story altogether. Now SHE and I have had words. I've had to tell her how it is and how it's going to be a few times! I even sent her home once and told her not to come back into my house until she could calm down and speak civilly. Life's too short for that crap! She knows now how things are here and she's not too bad...still really selfish, though. I just don't have any patience with people like that. Our family has always been considerate of the other person ... it's been a 'give and take' relationship... but she wants to TAKE ALL THE TIME AND NEVER GIVE.

Gotta go to bed...I took a Tylenol PM an hour ago and it's finally working!!!

Never meant to infer that my daughter and I don't get along. I didn't let her "pick a fight", that's just the way she phrased it. She was just esp. full of life her senior year and nervous about college acceptances, etc. Nor was she in trouble. Just took a lot patience on my part. She's always had a lot of energy and always wanted to be on the go, etc. I didn't/don't. But I still think it was a way nature made it easier for me to let her get on with her life. Made me recognize she wasn't a clone of me and I had to be able to let her be her. She's a wonderful mother herself esp in the patience dept so I like to think she learned that while I was being patient with her. I'm lucky too that DIL is a delight, though different too. I spent lots of time talking to ds as a teenager about how choice of wife affects life, etc. But I also talked a lot to myself to be prepared to accept his choice even if she would not have been mine. He made it really easy for me. I see a lot of me in her sometimes and I'm grateful though in a lot of "traditional" ways she's not. No, I think I'm lucky in my kids and their choices. I was not lucky in my choice of mother-in-laws and was determined not to inflict the pain on my son that was inflicted on my dh by his mother. My dd was equally unlucky in her choice of MILs. Dear SIL is a saint considering how he is treated there. Poor woman doesn't know what she's missing - esp as regards the little ones. She's only superficially interested in them. And, boy, that's the one thing I can't understand!

Hi guys-we are back to frozen pipes and no water-had to come back early because Brad's mother died Sun am-she wanted to go home from the nursing home and she did-died at home-she hasn't been well for 10 years. Brad has got 3 heaters going in furnace room to thaw pipes-I melted 3 buckets of snow to flush toilet but it worked. Hopefully by noon!!!Funeral is Friday-I am responsible for 2 meat platters-that's easy.Am slowly emptying car-it's so cold here-2 more days of it. Gotta go to post office and get mail. Bye for now-Ally, no falling-that was funny!!

Meme - I can identify with never having harsh words or being mad at your Mom. My Mom was the greatest lady I have ever know. My daughter and I also have a great relationship. She has always been a strongwilled gal, and she now has a daughter the same way. It can be very trying at times. I did have my moments of exasperation with that kid, but love conquers all, they say.

Mima - I am so sorry about the loss of your MIL. Perhaps you will be able to get back to Florida for a few days later on. Sure wouldn't want frozen pipes today. It is so cold here.

Freddie - I hope you can get back on the site. I wonder why you have so much trouble getting here? Hope you are well.

Anagram - You are right. To become independent, they MUST break away and we must be willing to let them go. Some find it hard, but it necessary for healthy, responsible adults. How is your hubby doing now?

Me, I don't have any DIL but I have a very nice SIL. He is a really good guy.

Ally - They will grow up soon enough! (well it isn't soon enough if they are not listening)

Mima = so sorry about your MIL and your vacation being cut short. Hope, too, you'll be able to get back. Am dripping water here the last few days as am afraid of my pipes freezing too, esp. this afternoon with the wind. Mom's froze on Sunday and it was a day and a half till she had water (plumber backed up, I'm sure).

Dh is somewhat better, Happy. Has an infection again at dialysis site. But felt better than ever yesterday, took his little car out for a spin around the neighborhood. I knew that would be when I knew he was feeling better - when he wanted to drive. But last week I found out (in a very indicrect manner) that what he has is hereditary and each of my children has a 50=50 chance of having same. Plus if dd has it, my precious grandchildren have 50-50 chance as well. I was not a happy camper and also not happy to learn this almost a month after he came home from hospital. We do now have an appt with the dr. for next week as I have too many unanswered questions. But dh has started doing some little chores (put out the trash this morning, emptied dishwasher, etc) and we're both eager to get life back on as normal a track as it's going to get. I'm still driving him to dialysis and told him he can take over that himself when he gets good at delivering my notes and getting answers to questions. Yesterday was the first he's really seemed up to remembering all the stuff he needs to. I'm REALLY ready to give it up but I don't want to rush it. i'm ready to get back to a more normal life for me too. We also went out to lunch yesterday and boy, did I enjoy it. Was surprised this morning to be down another .8 for the week because I really didn't watch calories too much over the weekend.

Spring is coming ladies - hold on.

Mima...sorry about your MIL but at least she got to go home. Mom died in the hospital! The Dr. asked if I'd like to bring her to my house but they were saying she only had a week or less and I would have had to turn my house upside down to accommodate so I opted to leave her in the hospital. She didn't much more than know where she was that last week anyway! Hope you've got your water back on. I hate being without water!!! Ours went off for some reason (water dept. I'm sure) last Sat. night about 9 and I couldn't even take a shower before bed.

We are in for MORE bad weather. Wind chills of -15 and more snow. TN is not used to cold weather and a lot of people are going to have frozen pipes! Thank goodness we have a nice, warm basement!

Anagram...I know you didn't mean that you and your daughter didn't get along. I don't think it is easy to let our kids go no matter what! But, mine waited until they were in their 20s to leave home so it wasn't too bad for me...they both left when they got married...not to go to school (and then they moved right next door so I didn't really "lose" them!). I really wanted grandchildren so I was ready for them to get married!

Anne...my SIL is really moody. You never know if he's going to talk to you or not. DIL & I didn't used to get along sometimes but I've straightened her out a few times and we are fine now. She was fussing one time about my SIL and how moody he is and how he didn't speak to her, etc. (he doesn't like her much! ha) and I told her that was his personality. I told her we each had our own personalities and our strengths and weaknesses...there are things we do and do not like about each other. That's the way it is in all families and we have to learn to accept each person as being different. That's the only way we can ever hope to get along. If we changed what we didn't like about everybody then they wouldn't be the same person at all! She said she'd never thought about it like that and never griped about SIL again (at least not to me, anyway!)

Well, gotta go dry my hair and make some dinner. On second thought, we might just go to Subway tonight! I've got ANOTHER headache...not really bad...just enough to be irritating! We're having a 'meet and eat' fellowship at church tonight and I'm taking the dessert. We get together on Wed. night, have a short devotion and prayer and then have coffee & dessert. I made a couple of Milky Wonder Cakes so hubby and I don't need to eat a lot before we go! A sub will be just the thing!!! (1/2 for me)

Venting session


Me..I finally lost a pound and the cookies are all gone so that helps!

My son is moving back in with us and we have no room....so I have to make room! I'm not a happy camper..I need more notice..he has been gone for almost 5 years! If I felt better there would be no problem but my arms and hips are still bothering me and it will just be lots more work. Dh says I'm a horrible person cause I'm not jumping for joy and that he is our son and family helps..blah blah blah...like I said if I felt better and had more room no problem but making room is gonna be a big pain! I hate this cold..makes me hurt bad! (long story about the family he was living with.............Meme remember our discussion about the church thing! Well...it's over for now!) This is just temporary untill he gets into med school (he is trying to save money which I understand). This kid drives me nuts he is so smart but so immature!

I'm stressed................sorry for venting!


...and this girl my other son has ..has talked him to moving to Chicago(her home) when she graduates! Since when did the guy move to the girls home..he has a job here running the family farms but she wants to be close to her parents! He doesn't even like Chicago.....maybe they will break up in the next few years....I'm not gonna be a very good MIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm too crabby and set in my ways!


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Good morning. WE STILL HAVE NO WATER-went over to Brad's mom's house to shower and wash his pants for the funeral. Looks like we might have to do that again tomorrow. Least I got my hair washed. Melting snow to flush toilet when it gets nasty. Cried this am because I can't open back door-front door was frozen shut when we got home but we took care of that. Whine-whine whine. Started th low carb diet with one good meal a day-Hellers-that omelette was good but can I eat them every day-don't have wacky cravings but am thinking about lunch. Pray the pipes thaw. Anagram-you are a power of example!!!!Oh Candice wouldn't want kids back!!!!Bye for now. Mima