BARGOO ~ am sending up some extra ^prayers^ for you; hope they find out what is going on quickly, so they can help you with the best treatments ASAP too ...


BOOTSIE ~ yes, like Bargoo says too -- yummy meat will often do the trick, and there's nothing like competition either. ^Prayers^ continue for SAUSAGE and you ...


Had a good day; although I was very hungry today, then discovered I was low on my food count yesterday. Laid down in the afternoon for nausea symptoms -- thinking it may be hunger and/or those dang hormones again. I think this menopause thing can last longer than we think. Some say from 40's up to 60 yy even. Eeegads! LORD, help us ladies!

Have a great day tomorrow ...

My friend told me today It just gets worse the older we get. I told her I was not going for that even if she is the wise lady she is. I am going to look at tomorrow being a better day.

BOOTSIE ~ I'm with you on that one ... we can put our prayers together and ask for improved health. I felt better today; so DH & I got a lot more accomplished: emptied 2 totes & 3 small boxes of brass & glass for the top of our piano. Glad to have that job done finally. One tote had my music tower & cds in it, so now I can listen to them again.

I downloaded my favorite Christian songs from my MP3 player into this PC yesterday; and we were listening to them last night. Numpster & her DH sent them up to me, and they are a real blessing.

DH and the Kitty went for a walk this AM around the neighbourhood and when they got to a certain house, the cat took off down the driveway -- and we haven't seen him since. DH met up with a boy who said that he had seen him before. We figured since he kept following DH around that if they walked around our area, he would find his real home again. I hope he has finally found his people.

Time to go have a snack; my tummy is gnawing at me to eat something. It is ironic that before I had to watch not too eat more than my limit, but I got so good at finding foods to fit into my plan -- sometimes I don't eat enuff. And, when I don't, I feel very hungry for days.

TIP OF THE WEEK ~ I was reading a devotion about CINNAMON this week and was reminded about an article I read once -- that in China, researchers found that Cinnamon is a natural appetite suppressant. I had some on my Oatmeal with a few raisins for breakfast. I remember that years ago, I used to chew SF Cinnamon gum a lot. I think I may try that again ...

EDIT TO ADD: you can put it on cereal, on cinnamon toast & french toast, with apples baked or nuked, or chew SF Cinnamon Gum. Sometimes, I put it in my pasta sauce too -- it adds a nice punch to the flavor; and I often put it in my homemade fiber muffins. Of course, it's yummy in pumpkin & sweet potatoes too. You may be able to get Cinnamon Herbal Tea as well.

Tonight, for dinner I tried a recipe from a lady in the 100 lb forum -- sprinkled our chicken with some lemon juice & cinnamon. I roasted them along with lots of veggies, including carrots & sweet potatoes as well. NOTE: she cooked hers in a crock pot, but I did ours in the oven and it was good too.



Have a great day ...

Hi, everyone! Had a terrible weekend with internet provider problems and couldn't get on here at all I'm so mad at our provider, I'm calling them tomorrow and asking for money back on our bill-this has been going on for over 2 months and they can't seem to fix the issue-and it's not just us--it's our whole town! They raised the rates, put in 'new' equipment in their office and it hasn't worked since.....grrrrrrrrr

Had a lot of running around yesterday getting DS3 to a video game party after church, then a youth group parent meeting, then his drivers' ed-totaled 4 round trips to town yesterday for about 120 miles! And, today I'm just wiped out-sat down and just watched a few Criminal Minds episodes I had missed but DH recorded for me, as I couldn't even manage to stand up after doing dishes earlier. And, now I'm getting a killer headache.... Glad I put a roast and veggies in the crock pot this morning, so dinner prep will be minimal when DH gets home.

Not much else going on here right now-a bit of snow today and gloomy-looking outside.

Will be keeping you all in my prayers. Now, gotta go finish up the dinner prep and take something for the head.....Have a nice evening

HI RONNI ~ sent up some ^prayers^ for your town's Internet problems; they need an expert to go in to give them some advice. Gee, if I had 4 appts. in one day in town, I would just go and stay until each one was over -- go to a coffeeshop in between; then lunch at another; and do a little shopping or errands to pass time (or cut it down to 2 trips at most). I know it is a bit harder in the winter than summer, as we would just go down by the lake and watch the swans. Hope you are feeling better soon ...


We've just been doing stuff around here; put up some more pictures on the weekend, and some in my little PC room today. Plus sorted out our videos to put in their cabinet, and arranged my music on my PC this weekend (boy, that can take hours & hours). Now I have my Christian songs blasting on here while I'm typing; and I'm even dreaming them at night -- that's ...

Well, guess who came back for a visit last night? Ya, the cat came back -- Kitty found his way here again, but didn't stay long. DH says if he gets lost again, they'll just go for another walk.

DH went up to the hospital early today; no broken ribs, just bruised which is painful enuff. I was more concerned about his internal organs. They told him that it will take awhile to heal, but he will be in some pain. Now, trying to get him to rest is a lark really, cuz he moves around like the Ever-ready Battery Bunny -- he just goes and goes and goes ... LOL!

The eating has been good: last night I fell asleep early -- woke up hungry, but OK. Friday, we had Veggie-Mushroom Soup for dinner, as I had an upset tummy: turns out it was some hot pepperettes I had for a snack. Saturday, we had thin crust pizza & salad. We had roasted chicken pieces & veggies Sunday; and tonight was steak & onions & veggies with barley/rice combo for dinner. Maybe we'll have fish tomorrow night ... hmmm.

Hope you all had good weekend; have a great week coming up too ...

Hi, again!

Rosebud-I usually do make a day of it when we have our errand day or lots of appts in one day, but with it being Sunday and DH home, I just wanted to be home as much as possible. Plus, church was at 10:30 am and the drivers' ed runs from 6:30-9:30 pm--if I'd stayed in town that whole time, I'd have spent a LOT of money at Walmart, Target, Kmart, possibly even Sears or the mall Believe me, it was cheaper to pay for the gasoline-LOL!

Just popped in here while being up sick-watching Criminal Minds reruns and hoping my stomach settles sometime soon. I was earlier and the burning and nausea doesn't seem to want to leave. Not sure if it's a flu or related to my other gastric issues from the MS, but sure can't lay down just yet...

Well, think I'll just surf around here for a bit, but might fall asleep in our recliner Take care!

Hi, everyone! Seems like I scared everyone off with talk of flu & Sorry I'm thinking it has been a flu, as I've had the nausea & headache all week and spent the majority of the week in a horizontal position. Finally can eat somewhat normally yesterday and today, but still get the queazies afterwards for a while. It may have been what I needed to spur on the weight loss, though, as my stomach can not hold near what I was eating 5 days ago I know a little may come back because eating <1000 cals a day is not normal, but it feels good to see something good come of the week Trying to get a little less dehydrated right now-my skin has no elasticity at all right now, so I'm drinking, drinking, drinking (of course, that's water in those cups, ya' know!).

We're having another easy day here. DS3 has much school work to do, so I've got to crack the whip, so to speak. And, I may try to finish the taxes, but also may not, you know.....

I'm asking for prayers for my DS2 also. He's very ill with ear infection, bronchitis, and upper respiratory infection. And, of course, it's coming at a time when he's got several papers due in the next couple weeks, has constant spring football training/weightlifting, and lots of other studies to do. He'll be going to get his prescriptions today and hopefully can get some rest over the weekend, but, of course, that's pretty difficult while living in a dorm.

Thanks for the prayers and take care!

RONNIE ~ sending up some ^Prayers^ for your DS2 to get better real soon; I got sick one year in college too -- turned into pneumonia, but I made it through ... with so many people, schools are just breeding grounds for flus & colds, etc. Tell him to wash his hands diligently -- that means ... constantly!!!

Hope you are feeling better soon too; might be a good side to that -- you may have lost a few lbs. Hey, what the heck -- take it! That flu sounds like one that has been going around for sure.

Wash your hands, people; wash your hands!!!


We had some fluffy white stuff ***** fall overnight. DH is feeling better with each day. Eating has been good. We hadly yummy BBQ chicken for dinner last night: chicken pieces covered with a mix of Hickory BBQ sauce & Ketchup (1/4 cup each) with veggies: green & yellow beans, onions, mushrooms, celery, shredded carrots with new potatoes on top. I poured 2-3 cups onion broth over all. DH said he loved it; I did too. Had the leftovers for lunch today ... yum!

Well, it's Friday Fun Food Night: think it will be hamburglers tonight: I will have a salad with mine and DH will have homefries this time. Just doing the daily stuff: nothing big or momentous around here today.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone ...

Rosebud-your veggies sound delicious! I'm going to have to try that. It sounds like something the DH and DS would like, too. Did you once say you had been a chef or something? You have so many wonderful sounding dishes

Bargoo-keeping you in my prayers and hoping to hear good news


It's been one of those days here-diet has gone ok, since I've kinda had a flu relapse, so everything I eat makes me queasy. Just toast, yogurt, rice and soup since breakfast of potatoes and egg didn't sit very well. I've heard this particular stomach bug has lasted more than a week for many-joy,joy.....

DS3 got started on the antibiotics and said he's starting to feel a little better, but that could also be from just not having to do weights and classes today, just writing papers.

Watching the Nascar Bud Shootout now-kinda nice to be back to racing season, but it always makes DH sad, because he'd like to be back in it. He used to build racecars for dirt tracks in our local area. Drove a few times too. He and his dad had a winning team for many years, before it got so expensive that you had to have sponsors and had to race 3 times a week to be able to afford it.

Well, hope you all have a great evening and Sunday!

HI GALS

Taking time to catch up a little this morning as Angie and I are going to second service, she is playing handbells in that one. We are not usually second service people...we like 8:00 service, in fact a 7:30 one would be ideal for us It is nice to see people we don't usually see though when she plays in the 10:30 service.

We had our GRANDdaughter for a sleepover Friday night We took her to our favorite Mexican joint for dinner, she has been there before of course but not old enough to sit in a high chair and eat real food. She loved the rice! She kept reaching over to my plate and grabbing rice off of it

She had rice everywhere! I told Narcizo, the owner, that I know she left a big mess but she will be eating in here often so just get used to it . He just laughed and said he wanted her there EVERY day.

We even took her to breakfast the next morning. We had hoped to walk the beach with the dogs and eat at the beach cafe but our Reba seems to have another leg/foot issue. She is really limping, started on a walk, with Angie on Friday afternoon so they came back She seems to be getting better, we will take her to the vet tomorrow afternoon...I really don't want another $3,000 surgery!

Anyway, we thought about taking her to our favorite breakfast joint (for food...one a friend of ours owns but doesn't have outside seating for the dogs) but decided against it since he doesn't have TV's and such to keep her "busy". We decided on a place we have here, Broken Yolk, that we enjoy. A small chain that Man V Food has been to near my daughter's house. Of course she loved the potatoes there

She was not ready to go home when her daddy and mommy came to pick her up yesterday afternoon She had just finished a good 2 hour nap and was all set to play again with her Grandpa and Nonni

Due date for my next GRANDchild is just 3 weeks away...I am really excited

Even looking forward to seeing that GRANDkid's daddy this coming Sunday...AKA...."The Kidnapper"....he is making me lasagna It is amazing!! He makes EVERYTHING from scratch! I make 4 different dang good lasagnas but his blows mine outta the water!

I swear I feel like I needed to bow down to him after I eat it...and I NEVER give him compliments about anything, except his amazing wife

Angie is really thinking about giving up one class she teaches at the yoga studio and using that time to teach another one at church. She has a solid crowd on Thursday but some folks can't make that one. She may try to add one on another night. Prayers in that matter are appreciated

Work has been steady the last 3 weeks and close to home. It was nice to get a couple of weeks off, after working for 3 months on a pretty high pressure project for me. This one is too but at least it is only 15 miles from my house. It won't last much longer so that part is good but my next project will be a little ways off...maybe...we seem to pick up remodel stuff along the way sometimes so we just never know. I have not been able to get all my guys back to work yet but most of them. Although a couple of them are in serious trouble with me for stealing!! yes, thieves!! A long story I may share sometime...I am at a loss on how to handle the situation as it is quite complicated...right now I am just "punishing" them by not working them...giving them time to think about what they have done/been doing....they don't know that I know what they did, but I think as time goes on they will figure it out....we shall see.

Well ladies, I hope to get back today but if not I leave you with my and prayers as always!

be good

RONNI ~ Yes, you are right -- I did work as a cook/chef at some restaurants and take-out places. I learned to cook from my grandmothers and my mother (who was taught by them also), and then of course, learned some more on the job as well. I love to cook and one of my hobbies was searching out and trying out new recipes -- experimenting along the way.

DH is a great sport and always tries everything I make; but we really didn't have too many disasters over the years. Last week, when I was making DH's super dogs, I got distracted by trying to do too many things at once -- and well, lets just say they were a little well done. Whenever that happens, I hand it to him and say, "Just pretend their charbroiled" ... He laughs every time -- and says, 'Only my wife burns the dinner and says "Just pretend it's BBQ".'

Hey, that happens very rarely, you know. I'm just trying to see the positive side of every situation, OK? Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it -- and that's what I tell him too! But it always works, and he eats it! A little humor can do amazing things ...


GARY ~ I feel for you about that situation with your workers; will send up some ^prayers^ for you for wisdom how to handle it all. What would JESUS do? He would likely forgive them but ask them to make restitution, and then warn them to never do it again!

I think that is a great idea taking your grand-daughterto your favorite places to eat; and getting her used to this kind of outing while she is so young. Cute names on some of those places. That lasagna that your SON-I-L makes sounds pretty good -- maybe you could borrow the recipe for us all here???

Will pray for guidance for ANGIE too -- concerning another yoga class for your church on another night. Also, praying that REBA is feeling better soon without having to have more surgery: poor baby!!!


GOD'S BLESSINGS ~ Well, DH has been tickled pink with anticipation for a few days now -- his brother & our nephew finally made it up here, and brought him a SNOWBLOWER today. He's as excited as a little boy; well, all men still have a little boy inside, I think ... May GOD bless their generosity and our nephew for taking out time on a holiday weekend to bring it all the way up here ...

Hi.
I have been looking for a weight-loss support group that has Christian people in it, and I have heard this is a good place for that.
SO I'm going to jump in here and introduce myself.

I am a mother of 9 children aged 5 to 25. Youngest and oldest are girls and those in between are all boys. I have one married son, and one granddaughter who just turned one this month, but who lives too far away for much contact. It's about 8 to 10 hour drive which wouldn't be bad if the gas money was there.

2 of my sons are in college, one close to married son and the other 30 mins away. My diminishing nest at home is still a small crowd of 6 plus DH and I since our oldest DD can't find full time work (even with a master's degree) so is still living with us.

I have had weight issues in the past, but nothing like now. From what I have read around, I am totally convinced it is age related. After the birth of my last 2 children only, I kept 10 lbs after each of them, then have gained another 20 after the birth of my last child I had at age 44.

So now the pounds jump on, and drip off....but not really come off, actually. I am trying to find a plan I can do in the state that I am.
In the past, I have used South Beach diet and had some minor success. My 2 biggest hurdles now are that I am stressed for time .... to make extra food just for myself, and 2ndly and mainly, stressed for income to purchase foods for any such diet.

I have tired to eat lower carb, which I think is a good plan for me, since in the past I felt better when doing it, but more and more, we are eating "out of the box" as I call it....food we get from the food banks, so meal planning is backwards and difficult.......make something out of the box, instead of make a plan and go buy what I need. The biggest struggle is that the meat has to be stretched so we end up eating casseroles and such

I hit my highest weight in my life about a year ago. I have managed to loose only about 2 pounds. I had thought I'd lost closer to 6 back in December, until I was back to the skipping of my monthly cycle which makes me gain....and since I"m skipping more than having it, well.......I keep gaining.
I can work for 2 months to loose 2 pounds or less, and gain it back in 2 days.

I started Zumba 2 times a week, and do that as I can, but have issues with exhaustion which makes exercising difficult since I get dizzy and have other odd symptoms if I do too much exercise.

What I need now is a plan from the Lord to meet my personal issues. I believe it needs to be low carb, and simple since my life is quite complicated enough right now.

I am floundering on what to do next, which is why I have been looking for support and fresh ideas from God and others. I have been on a SB diet forum for some time, and that is helpful, but they aren't all Christians and that is a big hole in what I need to succeed.

Add to the mix....last summer I started having odd symptoms on a trip. The Lord has healed much of that, but some of it persists. I'll leave that story for another day! I have also been dealing emotionally with the change in my roles since I had been nursing, having a young child and/or pregnant for 25 years, so the adjustment has been significant.

UPDATE on NUMPSTER & BIL ~ Was able to finally talk to my sister & BIL yesterday; gee, she was really fortunate that her furry Angel baby, EMMA, woke her up. The fire was all around her; she was surrounded -- but GOD protected her and got her out of there. It was eerie to know that I had woken up just before she did; and DH and I started praying for them and our family. I told DH that I felt something was wrong with someone in my family -- oh, GOD is so good!

It was also upsetting to hear how bad it was. It was hard to go back and see just what it really looked like, as she couldn't really see with all the black smoke in there; I think it was better she couldn't see that. Her daughter cried when she saw it, realizing how close it was.

The firemen worked really hard and even saved a few things for her; like some our mother's glassware, which was so very kind of them. The adjuster's think they can save and restore the main structure and some of it's unique features; well, at least they are going to try. The roof/ceilings caved in and all the furniture, clothes, etc were ruined, but all that can be replaced.

Mostly, we are all THANKING GOD that no-one was lost or badly hurt; PRAIZE GOD for He is faithful!!! Thanks for all your prayers; I can tell it has been helping them. She said as time goes on, she is feeling better -- but her legs were hurting her becuz she ran so fast down the stairs to get out (skipping steps as she went), she thinks she hurt herself a bit. With a few more days of rest, they should get better, I think.


Well, it's getting lighter earlier each day, so I am now waking up earlier each day too. So thought I might as well take advantage of that and did my Wed housechores earlier too. Couldn't believe I had them all done by 10 AM, but that leaves the rest of the day to do other stuff I want to do as well ... yeah!

We had Shepherd's pie for dinner Monday night (with lots of veggies; more veggies than meat really). Then last night we had roasted Chicken pieces with lots of veggies too. Lots of veggies & broth leftover for soup as well.

Have a great day everyone ...

Rosebud-what a miracle! I'm so glad that your sister is ok and, like you've said, most everything else has a replacement. Isn't it amazing how our God works to let us know when prayers are needed? I've had similar experiences and heard of many, many more.

Auntnelly-welcome! Sounds like you have a very busy life!

Gary-Glad you're enjoying time with your granddaughter! I'll be praying for the one coming! Then, you'll be sharing the spoiling Wish I had an idea of how to handle your worker situation--only thing I can think of is to pray a lot.

Well, once again it's Wednesday and 'go to town' evening-lol! Not too many errands tonight, but already went to town to get haircuts for Mom and me. Now, must make supper before we go again. Thinking it'll be Philly beef sandwiches tonight, as that's fairly easy to put together and quick....and I forgot to get anything out to thaw this morning --ooops!

Have I mentioned that DS3 has started playing guitar and drums for their youth group praise and worship teams? He's gotten so good and totally self-taught! He's also developing such a heart for God and learning His word He's excited because they have a huge youth conference for a week this summer in New Orleans and they'll probably get to help with some kind of Katrina clean-up (yes, it's still a mess in many places down there).

Well, anyway, must get working on supper, so hope you all have a great evening!

Rosebud, so glad your fmily is OK, glad to hear that some structure can be saved.
Aunt Nelly, it is not necessary to cook special meals for yourself. The family should be eating healthy food as well as you. You can use portion control for yourself. You can make salads and serve dressing on the side. You can stretch the budget by a little imagination.. As an example you can make vegetarian lasagna, no one will even miss the meat. That box you mention I suspect has vegies and fruit, they will go a long way in stretching the budget. Fruit for desert and snacks.